DIY Cooking at Home

Hey guys! I'm super-excited to show you my new kitchen light fixture today because it's a lesson in "making do." This project came about because I desperately wanted to change our kitchen light and was so inspired by all of the DIY light fixtures I featured a couple of weeks ago, that I thought I'd try my hand at making my own, too. I thought. And thought. And just when I was about to give up and buy one, I had a Eureka moment when I found a basket I had. Hmmm. Would this fit? You guys! It was like it was made to be my new lampshade! I unscrewed the old fixture and took off the globe, revealing the electrical plate. The basket fit perfectly around it. But I had to spray paint the part I was still going to use, so I had to take the whole thing down from the ceiling. Here it is prepped for paint. As you can see, I was very careful to wrap the wires and light socket with painter's tape so it would remain free of paint. After the paint was dry,...

Hello there! Hope you had a great weekend! My husband and I had a weekend away and it was much-needed. Now it's back to reality. And snow. Lots and lots of snow. I'm so ready for spring, aren't you? I've been seeing lots of watercolor projects around the blogosphere lately, and they are totally getting me in the mood for warmer temperatures, flowers, and oh, I don't know...seeing the ground for the first time in 3 months! Check out these ways to embrace the watercolor trend this spring. So pretty! via via via via via via via via

You guys. Do you love the white chocolate raspberry cheesecake at Cheesecake Factory as much as I do? Well, lemme tell you. I've come up with a scone recipe (I loooooove scones) that tastes exactly like it! I've got two words for you: you're welcome. (I wish I could tell you these are better for you, but they do have a stick of butter and a cup of heavy cream in them, so they probably aren't.) White Chocolate Raspberry Scones 2 c. flour 2 T. sugar 1 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 1/2 c. cold, unsalted butter 1 tsp. vanilla 1 c. heavy cream 1/2 c. white chocolate chips 1/2 pint fresh red raspberries Preheat oven to 450 and line a sheet with parchment. Stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in ½ c. cold unsalted butter. Gently fold in the white chocolate chips. Add 1 tsp. vanilla and 1 c. heavy cream. Stir just until dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead a couple of times to ensure the mixture isn't crumbl...

Hey, hey, how are ya? So I'm jumping right in today to show you my recent Goodwill scores. Do you ever just need to do some thrifting? In the wintertime, it's not as easy around my part of the world because flea markets are reserved for warmer temps. So every once in awhile, I get antsy for a dig at our local Goodwill. It's hit or miss. But sometimes (like this time) I find some gems that don't need any fixing up with spray paint or anything. Here's my favorite: an unframed oil painting in colors that are right up my alley for 2 bucks. Yep. Two bucks. I propped it on our mantel. Now, I also found this slipcover. New in the package. Surefit. $22.00. Not sure it will be around a real long time, but it serves the purpose of covering up our love seat that has seen better days. Until I decide whether to replace the piece altogether or have it reupholstered, it may just work. I"m showing it to you because I kinda want your opinion. I like the ticking ...

Hi guys! Hope you had a great weekend! So, do you want in on a secret? You can make virtually anything--I mean anything --look expensive by spraying it gold. Seriously! I've tried this trick using several things around our house--like a basic lamp base from Target, an el-cheapo ceramic elephant, and hardware--and I'm amazed at the transformation every time. Check out these 24 everyday items you can transform into beautiful home accessories over on my About.com article. Fun stuff! And instantly gratifying, I might add. Here's a sneak peek: via via via Find 21 other items you can spray gold now! Here are some things I've transformed with my Midas touch: Spray Painted Ceramics Sunburst Mirrors for $8 Toolbox Desk Caddy

Are you ready for the Oscars? I must admit, I haven't seen any of this year's contenders for Best Picture, but there are several that look super-good. The next movie I plan on seeing, though, is Fifty Shades . Don't judge. Anyhoo, theater rooms are big these days, it seems. Our home isn't big enough to devote a space to watching movies, and maybe yours isn't, either. But if you really love movies and would like to incorporate that idea into your family room somehow without going overboard with movie posters or popcorn signs, take a cue from some of these understated nods to the silver screen. Pier 1 Wayfair Wayfair ModCloth Like these ideas? See all 11 home accessories for theater rooms over on my About.com article!

It's almost Valentine's Day! I don't know about you, but my favorite thing about this holiday is the desserts! Valentine treats are supposed to be sinfully delicious, and while I'm usually all about dark chocolate on February 14, I had the idea to make these little heart-shaped hand pies this year because I happened to have some pie dough in the freezer already. You could definitely use store-bought pie dough for these, but if you want to make pie dough from scratch , try my Grandma's perfect pie crust recipe. After you roll out the dough, use a circular cookie cutter to cut 12 rounds in the dough. Then, use a small heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut a heart in the center of 6 of the circles. These will be your tops. For the filling: Combine: 2 c. frozen, unsweetened tart red cherries 3/4 c. sugar 1 T. quick-cooking tapioca 1/8 tsp. almond extract Mix well, and let stand for about an hour, or until they form a juice. (I'm usually too impatient to wait...

Ok, so as the mom of this house, somehow I'm also the finder of socks, the returner of library books, and...the locator of power cords. Do you share these roles with me? I was so fed up with cords hanging from every outlet in our house, and kids who kept forgetting which outlet they left their chargers in, that something had to be done. Enter a scratched up wooden art caddy covered in marker scribbles that we got for free from somewhere or other. It had always been too big for our daughters' desks, so I repurposed it into a charging station. The compartments seem like they were meant for our two phones, two tablets, two iPods, and Nintendo DS. It was kismet. Impatience made me forget to take a before pic, sadly. Just imagine ugly, beat-up oak. I first used a paddle bit to drill holes large enough for the ends of charger cords to slide through. I drilled four in the back and two more in the middle that divides the front sections from the back sections. I hand sande...