Cabinet Knobs

The day we moved in one of the cabinet knobs in our kitchen broke off.  The screw broke in half, half in the knob, half on the floor.  Not a reusable knob.  They are unique so we figured we had to replace all the knobs in the kitchen (not that I am opposed to that just did not want to deal with it now).  Luckily today I was at the hardware store around the corner and found the knobs!  After looking online, Lowes, everywhere, they were right down the street.  Awesome!  I love Elliott's Hardware.

Here is the knob on our kitchen cabinets in burnished bronze, small wire frame knob from Atlas. 

July 4

We invited several close friends over to celebrate July 4 and swim.  Here is the menu, everyone gets bonus points if they bring something red, white, and blue.

Appetizers:  2 families are brining appetizers

Meal:  Hamburgers, corn with herb butter, and side from another family, watermelon

Dessert:  Marshmallow Sparklers, firecracker cookies, red, white, and blue strawberries, and smores bars

Drinks:  Lemonade, Tea, Strawberry margaritas

Love these "firecracker bites" from Hoosier Homemade

Photo from Hoosier Homemade

Ava and I will make these red, white, and blue strawberries from Baking Bits

Photo from Baking Bits

Marshmallow pops from Living Locurto

Picture from Living Locurto

Going to try this Smores bar recipe from AllRecipes.com.  I have a coupon for buy marshmallows get free hershey bars and graham crackers!  Great deal!

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/smores-2/detail.aspx

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, melted
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 cups miniature marshmallows

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a medium bowl, combine butter, sugar and graham cracker crumbs until well coated. Press half of crumb mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Top with the chocolate chips, then the marshmallows. Sprinkle the remaining graham cracker mixture over the marshmallows and press down with a spatula.
3. Bake in preheated oven 10 minutes, until marshmallows are melted. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

What to do with a old armoire?

I have a cheap, old Ikea computer armoire.  We bought it at our last house to have in the breakfast room so we had a place for our desktop computer.  Pictures soon, but it looks more or less like this in white, and not a corner piece.

The old, small house is gone.  The old, outdated desktop computer is gone.  No need for the computer armoire anymore.  I need to find a new purpose for it or Craigslist it.  Today it sits in the downstairs playroom holding toys.  Not a bad spot for it.  Here are some options for the old armoire:

1)  Hold toys in playroom or game room
2)  Hold craft / art supplies in playroom or gameroom
3)  Act as a computer area in office
4)  Become a bar in the kitchen

All are good options, I am just not sure where it is needed yet.  Here are the problems with each option.

1)  No problem there. 
2)  No problem there.
4)  I would rather have a big open desk.  Not one where I stare at the wall.  I am finally out of a cubicle I do not want to go back to feeling like I am in one.
4)  Not sure I have room in the kitchen.  There is a wall for a console or bar, but I like it empty.  After selling our last house I have a appreciation for not overcrowding things.  However, we entertain a lot and it would be really nice to have a bar where people can go and get their drinks without having to go into the kitchen. 

One idea is from North Fork Staged To Sell  I like how they changed the old armoire into a bar.  I could paint the old white armoire a fun color, and put it in the kitchen as a bar.  I am still consdiering this option.  As soon as I get the dog crate out of the kitchen (thanks hubby) I will have room.

Stuff Animal Birthday Party

I saw a deal on Eversave Dallas today for $49 for a "Noah's Ark Birthday Package".  It included 8 stuffed animals made for each kid at the party at your house.  Kind of like a portable Build A Bear.  I am intrigued.  It looks a bit expensive for a huge party, but something to keep in mind.

http://www.noahsarkworkshop.com/

Cork board

A girl I went to school with has a blog about doing things around the house.  I saw a post she put on Facebook, followed it and found this.  I like the idea of making a cheap fun cork board for my office.  Thanks House of Hepworths.

Photo from House of Hepworths

Magnetic Memo Board

I like this idea for a magnetic memo board.  Would work great in the office, for a older kid (who you do not have to worry about swallowing magnets), or as a gift.  Thanks Always A Project.

Photo from Always A Project

Art Scroll

I love this art scroll from Infarrantly Creative.  Not sure I have the gut to try a project this big for a long time, but it is really neat.  I would love to have this in the playroom downstairs for the kids.

Photo from Infarrantly Creative

Toy Chest

I love this toy chest with the kids name on it.  I am likely to construction challenged to make the toy chest.  However I can buy one at Target and add the kids names.  Once again Knock Off Decor has awesome ideas!

Photo from Knock Off Decor

Just found out toy boxes with the kids name on it retail for $135 at Target.  With out the name $89.99.  Maybe I will give making one a try someday.  Someday a long way away...

Painted Rug

You can paint rugs?  Who knew.  Thanks All Things Belle.

Game Room

I love this game room at I Heart Organizing.

Photo from I Heart Organizing

Duvet I love

I love this duvet from West Elm.  I declared we will buy it when I finally get the master ready.  My favorite color is sea spray, but I can be happy with white or natural too.

Photo from West Elm

What age to stop wearing mini skirts?

As I go through boxes I am sorting through clothes that have been packed up for six months.  Stuff I forgot I had.  Stuff I have not worn for two years.  Lots going to Goodwill.  My question of the moment is:

Can a 31 year old working mom of two wear a jean mini skirt?
Can a 31 year old mom wear a mini skirt?
Can a 31 year old woman with no kids wear a mini skirt?

I have it.  It is on the floor of the closet.  Does not look half bad if I can say so myself.  Looks better than some of the teenagers I see in mini skirts.  Still fits, after two kids, impressive.  Don't think I will ever wear it again.

According to TLC, the source for all things, no mini skirts for someone in their 30s:  http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/style/10-things-not-to-steal-from-your-tweens-closet1.htm

"Even if you happen to look great in a tennis skirt on the courts, don't borrow a mini from your daughter's closet. Still tempted? It may help to gain some perspective: Before a fashion staple like the mini-skirt goes mainstream, it begins as a design for women in their 20s and is then adapted for younger ages -- like your tween who now pairs her mini with colorful leggings.

Why does this matter? Skirts more than four inches (10 centimeters) above the knee were never intended for those of us in our 30s or beyond. But that doesn't mean we can't adapt the trend. Pair a knee-length skirt -- it's the most universally flattering design -- with knee-high riding boots. It allows you to show off your curves without pretending you were born during the Clinton era. Trendy? Yes. Desperate? No."

How Many Shoes Should A Girl Have?

I have 37 pairs of shoes.  Mostly heels with about 6 pairs of flip flops, 2 running shoes, and four flats.  Is this normal?  How many do you have?

From Shoes.com

Bedroom Inspiration

I really like this bedroom from Simply Klassic Home.  I love the bedspread.  Love the idea of a shutter as a headboard.  Love the simplicity of the whole room.

Photo from A Simply Klassic Home

Jewelry Holder

I will be making these jewelry holders from Knock Off Decor for my closet! I love them! I may make extras if they are easy for Christmas gifts for the moms. What a great idea! I love that my jewelry will not be stuffed in a drawer somewhere. Thanks Knock Off Decor!  I love the site knock off decor. I got a lot of great ideas from there and stayed up half the night dreaming of what I could be doing.

Photo from Knock Off Decor. 

King Headboard: Fabric?

Here are some blog inspirations I want to remember for the master bedroom headboard if I use fabric.

Fab Rehab Creations has what appears to be simple instructions on how to make a fabric headboard.  I am not in love with this headboard as it is not exactly what I am picturing.  I see more of one solid piece, but I want to keep it in mind.

Blissful Begonia has a headboard tutorial that is more what I am thinking.  I like the way this one hooks onto the bed so I do not have to fight work through how to hang it with my husband.

Sew Mama Sew also has one that is mounted to wall.

Although I am not sure how burlap would look with the black furniture I really like this headboard from Imperfect Blog.  I think this headboard may look better in the guest bedroom where we have a brown dresser.  But then there are the issues of what if we have another kid and need that room for a nursery?  What headboard do I use when the queen bed goes to the oldest kid?  Making a headboard that will only be used for a year or so seems like a lot of work for very little.  I still really like this headboard.  Good job imperfect blog.

Bedrooms

Here are some of the ideas for the master bedroom I love.  Our master bedroom is on the first floor.  It has a bay window at one end that overlooks the pool, double doors to the bathroom at the other end.  The ceiling is beautiful.  Color on the wall is Sherwin Williams Universal Kahaki.  We have a black Pottery Barn dresser that looks like this in black.

 The dresser and nightstands are about seven years old so I cannot find a picture on PotteryBarn.com.  I will take pictures and upload them once I find the camera in the boxes.  The nightstands look like this in black.   Except we have two shelves instead of one.

I am envisioning one of two things:
Option #1:  A fabric headboard in bright colors.  Mainly white background with reds, yellows, greens, and a little black.  glass lamps with white shades on the nightstands with silver mirrors behind them.  A solid color chair in the bay window, maybe with a small ottoman.  A white or off white duvet with colorful pillows on top and a red, silk quilt folded across the bottom.

Option #2:  A solid black wood headboard (that I get off Craigslist.org).  White duvet with colorful pillows and red, silk quilt across the end of the bed.  A colorful, fun printed chair in the bay window.  Glass lamps with white shades and mirrors behind them.

The funny thing about this vision is that a white duvet will be ruined in about two seconds in this house.

New House

We recently purchased a house.  I have a lot of decorating and unpacking to do.  Once I get everything put away I need to purchase some furniture and start decorating this place.  It's big.  Twice the size of the apartment we came from and almost twice the size of the house we came from before this.  We have a lot of room, at least for us.

One of my favorite time wasters right now is looking online for ideas on how to decorate the house.  As if I needed any help wasting time or adding to my to do list.  Thankfully there are a lot of great bloggers out there with DIY instructions.  I am at a huge disadvantage for DIY work.  I am more handy than my husband.  I own more tools than my husband (that does not say much).  And anything handy I want to do I am 100% on my own.  Which means it needs to be done after kids go to bed, after work, after cleaning up, after getting ready for the next day, after groceries are purchased, after the to do list is done.  So basically never.  I am determined to change that!  So here it goes.

Anti Domestic Diva Problem #1

I am not going to bother to change the background of this blog, make it more exciting to readers or fix it, at least for now.  It is on my list of things to do.  My LONG list of things to do.  Perhaps it will happen one day...

Hi

Welcome to the anti domestic diva blog.  I tried a bunch of random names for this blog but creativity is not my strong point and most of the names I wanted are taken.  Anti-domestic goddess for example is a website about cleaning for the "busy" (read domestically challenged) woman.  Maybe that site can tell me how to correctly clean the glass in my shower?  Think I will go back and look.

I need a place to keep track of all the crazy ideas for our house, meal plans, parties, menus, and random ideas I have.  So here it is.  99.9% of this stuff will not get done, but at least I will remember what I liked.  My version of organized for the ADD, working mom of two with a busy life.