February 19, 2015

Tween Room Remodel

2 days in a row...how about that?!

My first project of the year and possibly a One Room Challenge room, is our son Collin's bedroom.  It's long overdue; the poor kid has lived with flesh-colored walls and questionable carpet since we moved in.  Brennan's nursery was even worse when we moved in, so that took precedence.  All gray paneling and teal astro-turf-like carpet.  Collin hit the room jackpot though...it's big, bright and has a bigger walk-in closet than me!

We spent a snowy weekend peeling off tons of transformer decals from the walls and glow-in-the-dark stars from the ceiling.  Cleaning out drawers and packing away stuffed animals (sniff).  He's 10 now, he gets adult innuendo, it's time.

The plan is as follows:

1. Paint - samples below of BM's Hale Navy or Van Deusen Blue.  I'm leaning toward VDBlue, but ultimately it's his choice.

2. Carpet - I'm old school, Carpet in bedrooms.

3. Furniture switch - The 5yo is getting the bunk beds with plentiful storage in his smaller room.  He also has the gold standard in carpet padding, so if he falls out, it's all good. {wink}.  Collin will be getting an antique brass full bed (pictured below) and Brennan's dresser and nightstand. I'm still undecided about the brass bed, paint or restore?

4. Furniture purchase - A desk, chair and some sort of upholstery for the window seat. Perhaps I'll get creative and make a cushion?

5. Lighting - New lamps and ceiling fixture.

6. Artwork, Accessories and bedding - I'm shopping my inventory for some items, like the black and white beach scenes pictured below.  I will no longer buy items just to fill a space...we have to love it.












The Little one will be getting a makeover of his own as well.  That I will share as well.  It's time to move on, our babies are growing up.  

As always, thanks for visiting!

February 18, 2015

Irish Nachos {recipe swap}

Oh hey...long time, no see!  I'm back after a whirlwind (okay, stagnant) holiday and winter season.  But I'm getting back to business (sporadically), as I miss cooking and doing projects around the home.  I also use the blog as a means to share our life with family and friends around the country.  So I'll start with a really fun recipe...

I made these on Superbowl Sunday when our family was home and down for the count for one illness or another.  This is PERFECT for March and St. Patrick's Day events!


Irish Nachos

1 Corned beef brisket (about 3lbs.)
4 Cups beef broth
2 Bottles Sam Adams Boston lager
1 Bay Leaf 
1 Package of frozen waffle fries
1 Package of sauerkraut
1 Pound of deli Swiss cheese, sliced thin
1 Bottle of Russian dressing, or make your own
Sliced green onions (optional)

Place your brisket in the crockpot along with broth, beer and bay leaf and cook on high for an hour.  After an hour, lower crockpot setting to low for 4-5 hours.

Assembly prep: deep fry or bake your waffle fries, heat up the sauerkraut and slice your swiss and green onions.  I slice my swiss into 1-inch long strips.

Once brisket is done, remove from crockpot and fork shred.  Drain and remove liquid from sauerkraut.  Get a broiler-safe pan(s) and you are ready for assembly.  In this order:

Waffle fries, shredded brisket, sauerkraut and swiss cheese (I laid in an X pattern, to ensure every inch had a bit of cheese).  

Broil until cheese is bubbly.  Remove from oven and garnish with green onions and a drizzle of Russian dressing.  More on the side if you like!

Three pounds of brisket will make one large or multiple smaller servings of this dish.

This is super-easy and crazy delicious.  Enjoy!