DIY Kitchen Window/Chalkboard Project

I have been living in a DIY frenzy lately. Typically, I line up 5-6 projects that I'd 'like to do, and then a month will go by before I realize that I've only completed one of them. Darn you, Pinterest.

Well, I guess May was my 'finish all of my projects that have been laying around' month. And, that I did.

I was gifted, by one of my dearest friends, with an old farm house window to use for my window/chalkboard project. I have always wanted some type of chalkboard in my kitchen. Something I can use to post notes to B, reminders, weekly meals, and eventually, something I can use with our kids.

I finally got around to starting this project, and by starting it, I simply mean that I recruited my handy husband to help with the sanding, taping and spray painting. 

We used a sanding block around the rough edges to get rid of some of the old paint that was on the window, then sprayed all of the trim you see below with a fresh coat of ivory colored spray paint.

We allowed this to dry for about a day, then took the paper/tape combo that we had used to cover up each window pane off, and taped the wood trim for good coverage. 

I was a bit nervous to see how evenly the sprayable chalkboard paint was going to come out. I bought the Krylon brand on one of my many trips to Hobby Lobby. 

I would definitely recommend this paint. We used two coats, but I felt like it sprayed on easily and evenly, and it's a great surface for writing now! We also gave the chalkboard paint a day to dry really well before we tried anything on it.

Then, we attached some picture hanging hardware to the back of the window, and voila! 

I just love the way this project turned out. It adds so much character to my kitchen, and makes a nice, bold statement as well. If you are interested in a chalkboard for your kitchen, I would definitely recommend grabbing an old window from an auction, etc. because I think the style and size is the perfect fit!

I hope everyone has a great weekend! We'll be kicking off our summer in North Carolina from Friday til Monday night with some friends. 

I'm so excited to get away for a weekend with B! 

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!!

Healthy Breakfasts Rock: Lender's Bagel Campaign

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective, and I received coupons for free Lender's Multi-Grain Bagels. The content and opinions expressed here are all my own. #LendersHealthyGrain #spon

Hopefully, you all already know that I'm a true Jersey girl at heart. I would consider myself a classic case of "you can take the girl out of Jersey ...,' yea, you get the rest. One of the things that being a Jersey girl makes you, in my humble opinion, is both a pizza and bagel snob.  I don't think I realized how 'good' I had it when I lived in NJ full time. You can pop into almost any neighborhood pizza or bagel shop, and you won't be disappointed! In MD, it takes a calculated decision to have pizza for dinner or bagels on a perfect Saturday morning.

Despite my love for a fresh-out-of-the-oven-won't-fit-in-your-toaster, NY bagel, while we were growing up, and since there were four of us constantly scavenging around the kitchen for snacks, my Mom always kept a package or two of Lender's frozen bagels in our freezer. They were the perfect size to pop in the toaster and eat on that walk to the bus stop, and even to get greedy and scarf down a second one. You know, as long as my sisters weren't in the kitchen monitoring my every move.

Well, you can imagine my surprise when I learned that Lender's has done so much since the days of splitting a 6-pack of bagels between four kids. Not only do they now sell 'Bagel Shop Style' bagels in multiple flavors, but their newest addition, 'Healthy Grain' is fabulous!

I had the pleasure of picking up a package of the Multi Grain bagels, thanks to Lender's and Clever Girls, and they did not disappoint! B is a big fan of anything multi grain, so they were a hit in our house! And the best part is, they carry them at many WalMart Super Centers! I love anything I can find at WalMart because I feel like it allows me to get all of my  errand running done in one place.

If you're a bagel fan, or just looking for another healthy way to start your day, I would totally recommend you try either of the newest additions to the Lender's family. 

A special 'thank you' to both Lender's and Clever Girls for allowing me to be one of the first to try them out!

It Only Took Eighteen Months, But It Was Worth It!

Over the weekend, my parents came down from New Jersey to visit. It was the first time they had been here since right after we bought the house, so they were really excited to check out all of the work that we've done!

Saturday night, B and I decided to have a BBQ and host both sets of our parents. We grilled a yummy meal and spent a few hours catching up. 

Our gift to our parents for their help with our wedding was the promise of personalized wedding albums. While I thought this was the perfect gift for them at the time, I let it fall through the cracks. But, I am happy to say that, eighteen months later, I finally finished the albums!

We surprised our parents with the albums Saturday night, and they were thrilled! I had so much fun going through all of our pictures again, and it definitely gave me the motivation to start working on an album for us. I want to have something we can look through on our anniversary, and some day, show our children. 

If you follow me on Twitter, you already know that I designed our parents albums using Shutterfly.  The books exceeded my expectations! I ordered the 12x12 hard cover, and am so glad that I did. This book is larger than any of the others that I have ordered from Shutterfly before, and I think I found the perfect size to make a statement.

Do any of you have flush mount, professional wedding albums? That was always my plan, but now that I've seen this album, I am thinking about saving the money and making us an extended version. 

Another cool thing about Shutterfly is that they provide you with a link to share your project with friends, family, etc. once it's complete! Check it out using the widget below - you can even view it in full screen mode!

Click here to view this photo book larger

If you've never used Shutterfly for your photo needs, I would totally recommend them! They run specials often, so make sure to wait until the photo books are on sale before you order one!

*I was not compensated for this post, and the opinions expressed here are solely my own.

Campus Book Rentals Review!

I don't talk much about my college days on this blog anymore, but they can pretty much be summed up in three words: best years ever. I absolutely loved college, and not only did I meet my future husband while I was there, but I also met some of the best friends I will ever find. These people became like family to me, and I wouldn't trade those four years for anything in the world.

One of the things that I didn't quite have a handle on during my college days was my finances. I never got a 'real job' while I was in school, and the babysitting money that I made over the summers, and during my one-day-a-week gig only went so far. One of the things that my parents made me responsible for, financially, was my books. So, every semester I would grab a part time position during 'book rush' week so I could get some kind of discount on the books I would need for that semester. 

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All of that being said, when the fine folks from CampusBookRentals.com reached out to me, the first thing that ran through my mind was, 'How come I didn't have this option when I was in college?'

Campus Book Rentals provides a fantastic option for all students out there. Now, you can rent all of your books at a fabulously discounted price, and have them sent directly to you! Here are some of the facts about them:

• With Campus Book Rentals, you save 40-90% off of bookstore prices (check out a price comparison here)
• You get FREE shipping both ways
• You can highlight in the textbooks as if there were your own
• They allow for flexible renting periods
• And the best part is, Campus Book Rentals donates to Operation Smile with each textbook rented! Operation Smile helps to 'mobilize a world of generous hearts to heal children's smiles and transform lives across the globe.'  

So, you can rent your books instead of paying and arm and a leg to buy them, get free shipping BOTH ways, and give back in the process?! Sounds like a win/win to me! I have two siblings that are still in school, and I will definitely be passing this info along to them so they can start saving some money and giving back to children in need as soon as possible.

Please head on over and learn more about how you can help today.

*I was compensated for this post, but the opinions expressed here are solely my own.

A Scrumptious Treat: Mini Raspberry Cheesecakes!

Remember when I hosted this sprinkle? Or this one? One of my favorite parts about hosting or co-hosting events is finding new recipes to try. And when you come across a great one, like this, it makes the two hours in front of the Kitchen Aid totally worth it. 

This recipe originally came from this pin and this recipe. I will admit that I was a bit intimidated when I first decided to make mini cheesecakes. It seemed like quite the feat, but I put on my baking shoes anyway.

Mini Raspberry Cheesecake Recipe

Ingredients

Crust

1 1/2 cups crushed Nilla wafers

4 Tbsp. butter, melted (I always use unsalted)

3 Tbsp. sugar

Raspberry Swirl

6 ounces fresh raspberries

2 Tbsp. sugar

Cheesecake Filling

2 lbs. cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

A dash of salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

4 large eggs, at room temperature

Begin by preheating your oven to 325 degrees. Line each of your cupcake holes with a small liner. 

Next, create the crust by crushing your Nilla Wafers. I placed mine in a Ziplock bag and went to town with the rolling pin. Once they are crushed into crumbs, combine them in a small bowl with your butter and sugar and mix together with a fork until the ingredients are evenly blended (all of the dry ingredients should be moistened). Then, press enough of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner to create a crust (about 1/3 of the liner). I used the bottom of the tablespoon sized measuring spoon to press the crust down firmly into each liner.

Next, combine the raspberries and sugar in a food processor and blend until the mixture is smooth. If you have a mesh strainer, use it here to remove the seeds from the mixture. I do not have one, so I used the collander with the smallest holes and it worked okay.

Now you'll want to prepare the cheesecake filling. Begin by beating all of the cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer until smooth. Blend in the sugar next. Then, add salt and vanilla. Add your eggs one at a time, mixing well between each one. 

Once your mixture is smooth and fluffy, spoon some of the cheesecake filling into each of the liners until it is spread out evenly (Note: if you are using the mini cupcake holes like I did, you will definitely have enough for more than one batch).

Lastly, you'll want to add a few dots of the raspberry topping to each cup. Use a toothpick to swirl the raspberry around on top of the cheesecake filling. 

Pop into the oven for about 22 minutes, rotating the tray about halfway through the timer. I kept a close eye on the cheesecakes here, as my oven can be finicky and I didn't want to ruin them. When you take them out of the oven, transfer them to a cooling rack. I placed the entire rack into the fridge for about 4-5 hours before serving.

I am planning on making these for the BBQ that we are hosting this weekend at our house for both sets of our parents and I know they'll be a hit! If you have an hour or two to spare, and you're in the mood to bake, definitely try these out, they're totally worth it!

Happy Thursday!!

So What Wednesday?!

Yep, I'm back for yet another linkup, and another addition of Shannon's 'So What Wednesday!' Because, who doesn't love an excuse to get all of the random tidbits that are floating around in their heads out there on the blog?

This week, I'm saying 'So What!' if ...

•  I got a haircut last week. This 'chop' was inspired by two main things: we had a corporate event for B's company that night, and I had gotten super lazy with my hair, so I figured a fresh cut might motivate me to get back on the wagon. So far, so good.
• I completed a few more of the DIY projects that have been on my to-do list for practically forever over the past few days, and I can't wait to share some of them! Is this becoming a bit too much of a DIY blog?!
• I am pretty sad about the series finale of Desperate Housewives. So many of the shows that I've loved for what feels like forever are coming to a close, and what will take their place? Surely, I'll find something :o)
• Yes, I watched the Bachelorette premiere. I have a soft spot in my heart for Emily, and truly hope this works for her this time. I seriously can barely remember any of the guys because the first night is always overwhelming, so I'll have more on my favorites in the next few weeks.
• B and I attended the aforementioned company event last week at a pretty swanky hotel in Washington, DC. It had been quite a while since I had had the chance to get super dressed up and hit the town for an overnight 'date' with him, so I was excited. We had a fabulous time, and I may have had a few one too many glasses of wine to boot, but it was worth it. Dating my hubby 'again' is pretty awesome.
• Did you see my post yesterday? I am counting down the minutes until we jump in the car and head down to NC for five days of fun in the sun and relaxation! Sunshine, here I come :o)

Thanks for stopping by, and for listening to me rant. Head on over and link up with Shannon today - you know you wanna!

Memorial Day Weekend Inspired: Summer Must-Haves

Is it really May 15th already?! I have been having lots of trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that summer is almost here. And, with the impending arrival of summer, always comes Memorial Day Weekend (MDW), one of my favorite times of year!

This year, we are lucky enough to have been invited to spend MDW down in North Carolina with some of our closest, and also newly married, friends. Of course, I am beyond excited for our mini vacation, and who wouldn't be? But, with a trip, there is always packing involved, and I hate to pack, That is, unless I have some exciting new threads to bring along with me. 

Last year, I wrote this post about my 'Summer Must-Haves,' and although not much has changed in that department, my personal style has changed just a bit, so a girl's got to have some new summer outfits, amIright?!

Whenever I pack for a beach trip, I always over pack. Well, really I over pack for every trip I take. Somehow, I always forget that, at the beach, you spend close to 70% of the time in a bathing suit, coverup and flip flops. I typically sport your average, colorful two-piece suit, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't interested in a fabulous one-piece like this one ...

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Seriously?! One shoulder and flattering? Right up my alley. And, it comes in eight colors! If it weren't for the $118 pricetag, this suit would be on its way to me rather than sitting in my shopping cart.


With every great suit, you also need a smashing coverup, no? I was able to score an adorable one at Target last year, but couldn't find a picture of it online to share! But, typical of me, I also spotted this beauty on the JCrew Factory site. Gorgeous, right?

I pretty much live in dresses in the summer, and have recently found a few new ones I'd love to add to my collection ...

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Aren't they adorable? And, the best part? They're both under $30 thanks to Forever 21. Can someone please tell me where I can find that multi-colored necklace ASAP?!

I love anything flowy, comfortable and, most times, colorful! 

Speaking of colorful I love pretty much anything yellow, coral and navy this year, and may or may not have just added this skirt to my 'must pack for MDW' pile. Sorry, B.

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And, what would this post be without my favorite sandals for this year? Even though they carry a hefty price tag, these babies were worth every penny, and are the true completion to many of my summer outfits!

Well, I'd say that's a pretty good start to my 'packing list,' now please excuse me while I go hide my wallet and finish all of the laundry we'll need cleaned before our trip!