{Furniture "Up-do"..}

{Don't be a chicken, you can do it!}

Well ladies and gents, its that time again. The time where my husband literally disappears for two weeks for medical school block exams and I find myself in my garage with a paint brush and a piece of furniture. My husband always comments that when he is gone for long hours he usually comes home and find something has been painted and the furniture has been re-arranged. I am one of those people who owns about 20 different duvet covers and about 30 different shower curtains because I have commitment issues with design and layout.

This time around, I re-finished a desk unit that was left in my house before we rented it. The house that I live in right now belongs to a friend of mine, which was a total score when we moved in because she left pieces of furniture for me that she was done with - this desk being one of those pieces. It was perfect in the sense that it fit exactly in the hole near the kitchen table, but wasn't so perfect in the sense that it was in some serious need of some TLC. I don't know about you, but when we have pieces of furniture that we aren't crazy about, they turn into junk magnets. We had covered it in old papers, mail, magazines, kids toys, and everything else that really shouldn't be that visible when someone walks in our house. More importantly, I wanted a place where I could sit at my laptop, pay bills, write letters to my brother on his mission, etc.

Here is the before picture (I am embarrassed to show it but want to make sure you can capture the transformation - currently a total junk deposit):

My big idea for this project was to rip off the back of it and put up chicken wire (hence the title of this post) so that I could clip things to it such as cards that we receive, bills that I don't want to misplace, pictures of my kids, etc. To secure the chicken wire, I put in small nails into the back of the piece and then took the edges of the chicken wire and wrapped it around each of the small nails to make sure it was tight. It was hard to hold into place and hammer the nail so I secured the nails first and then worked around the nails with the wire. I had never really worked with chicken wire so I was a little nervous, but it turned out just perfect - I am absolutely LOVING the rustic look that I achieved with the chicken wire AND it is functional (Fabuless!).


I painted the desk a shade of yellow - I am not sure of the exact color because it was one of the discount paints that had been returned to Lowes (again...Fabuless!). You really can't go wrong with yellow, I love every shade - even bright yellow - its like bringing a little piece of sunshine in your house.

My big trick (so nervous when I started this part) - I taped off the desk and used a dark walnut stain to paint the top of the desk, the top shelf, and the inside shelves so that it would appear to have a combination of finished wood and yellow paint. This desk is not wood, so I basically used my brush strokes to create a "wood look" and it actually worked. I must admit, while I was painting it, I started to sweat and my heart was racing because there were a lot of moments that I was convinced I had ruined it and that the stain was a bad idea, but it actually turned out perfect!


I switched out the old cheap knobs for some cute red knobs that I found at Hobby Lobby on clearance - I paid about 2.50 per knob.


I am loving this new little pop of color off of the kitchen..


..and I am so happy with how it turned out! If you have any questions, shoot me an email or leave me a comment below.

sincerely fabuless, Las Vegas.

{Mini Heart Bunting}

Guest Blogger: {Allyson Drake, Pullin' on my heart strings..}

I am so in love with mini buntings right now. You can make them for any occasion, in any size, and in any color… especially when you use paint chips! Not only are they free (Fabuless!), they come in every color imaginable! As inconspicuous as I tried to be with a whiney toddler in my cart, I probably spent a good 10 minutes mixing and matching colors. I’m pretty sure the nice Lowe’s employee was on to me, but kindly looked the other way. Though, if I saw a crazy lady stuffing paint chips in her purse like they were candy, I’d probably look the other way too.
Once I got my paint chips home, I used a small heart punch and cut out over 100 hearts. Because my punch was rather small, I got 6 hearts from one sample (2 hearts of each of the 3 colors). You can find hand held punches at any craft store. I got mine from Michael’s and used a 40% off coupon I found online (they usually have one available every week. Michael’s can be fabuless!). With my next coupon I want to invest in a circle one. I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up with a circle bunting for every holiday.

After punching out hearts (sounds gruesome for this time of year), I glued two hearts in the same color, back to back so that both sides were colored. It’s not necessary, but these things tend to spin a little once they’re hung, and I didn’t want “Lowes” to be the center of attention. Just a quick dab of glue stick works, since they will be sewed together anyways.
When they were glued and ready, I quickly figured out a pattern and fed them through my sewing machine. A quick tip if you are trying this at home: If you don’t want your hearts to spin, you can overlap them a little. It does make the bunting a little stiffer.


If you like the spinning, moveable, flexible effect, here’s what you do: once you’ve stitched your way across the majority of a heart, slide your next one in place and push the current heart through with the new one like so:

I used 52 of my 116 hearts, and it is more than long enough for my 6’ shelf. These hearts were about 1.5” each, so the size of your punch will determine how many paint chips you’ll need to smuggle out of your local paint aisle.

Have a fun, heart punching Valentines week!

sincerely fabuless, Allyson in Philly.

(Moo, Baa, La La La)

Prior to the arrival of our little Cora, my sister-in-law Lindsay (super crafty, thrifty, creative, awesome, etc)..included a couple of books as part of Cora's baby gift. I'm so glad she introduced us to the world of Sandra Boynton! If you have kids, you should probably get to know this author. Each of her books are quick and easy reads, with fun ideas and great pictures! My daughter and I absolutely love her board book series. She has also written many other children's books that I plan to add to our collection in the future.

If you don't have a big budget for book buying (alliteration anyone?), check out your nearest TJ MAXX/Marshalls, and you're likely to find some of Sandra Boynton's books..typically about $3.99 instead of $5.99..fabuless!

My little Cora's favorites are "But Not the Hippopotamus" and "Blue Hat, Green Hat". Keep an eye out for them, and let us know if you come across any other fabuless book finds!

sincerely fabuless, the windy city.

{Super Bowl 2012}

Tomorrow is going to be a great day! Why? The Super Bowl is tomorrow! Yes! I actually am enthusiastic about this..my husband and I bond over sports..and especially love watching pro football. We also love eating some delicious appetizers and treats during the games. So, for your pre-game day post..I will be giving you some of my tried and true super bowl recipes. Go Patriots!

Super Bowl Sausage Puffs!
1 lb fresh, ground spicy pork sausage
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
2 (8 oz) packages refrigerated crescent rolls
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon poppy seeds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
In a medium skillet, lightly brown sausage and drain. While sausage is still hot, add cream cheese and stir until cheese is melted and mixture is creamy.
Cool completely.
Separate crescent rolls and arrange into two rectangles. Form log of sausage mixture lengthwise down center of each rectangle. Fold over the long sides of pastry to cover sausage log. Place on un-greased cookie sheet, seam down.
Brush with egg white and sprinkle with poppy seeds.
Bake 20 minutes until crust is golden. When completely cooled, slice into 1 1/2 inch slices.

Rachael Ray's Guacamole
2 avocadoes
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 large jalapeno chile, seeded and finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped or grated
Grated peel and juice of 1 lime
Salt

In a medium bowl, mash the avocado. Mix in the onion, jalapeno, garlic, lime peel and lime juice; season with salt.

Queso Dip
1 can (10 oz each) Ro*Tel® Original Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies, undrained
1 pkg (16 oz each) Velveeta® Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Combine undrained tomatoes and cheese in medium saucepan.
Cook over medium heat 5 minutes or until cheese is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring frequently.
Serve warm as a dip with tortilla chips, crackers or cut-up fresh vegetables.

To make in microwave, combine undrained tomatoes and cheese in 1-1/2-quart microwave-safe dish; cover. Microwave on HIGH 5 minutes or just until cheese melts, stirring after 3 minutes. Remove from microwave; stir until mixture is well blended. CAUTION: Dish will be hot; use hot pads.

Pretzel Poppers
1 1/2 C warm water
1 tbsp
2 tsp kosher salt
1 pkg active dry yeast
4 1/2 C all purpose flour (approx)
2 oz unsalted butter
vegetable oil (for pan)
10 C water
2/3 C baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten w/ 1 tbsp water
pretzel salt

Directions:
Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed unit well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4-5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl an then oil it well w/ vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover w/ plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50-55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line 2 half sheet pans with parchment paper (NOT wax paper!) and lightly brush w/ vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring 10 C of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into about 1 or 2 inch pieces. Roll each piece into a ball. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzel poppers into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a slotted spoon. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel popper with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

I like to serve these with the queso! Yum!

Quick and Easy Apple Dip
1 1/2 C brown sugar; packed
1/2 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 8 oz cream cheese
1 C grape nuts cereal

Blend together sugars, vanilla and cream cheese. Stir in grape nuts. Cut up apples into slices and soak for a few minutes in lightly salted water or orange juice. This will help prevent browning.

I hope you find something you're interested in trying out for your Super Bowl parties tomorrow! Have fun and enjoy!

sincerely fabuless, the windy city.

{The Best Cookie You Will Ever Eat}

My husband has a pretty high standard when it comes to cookies. Who do I blame for this you might ask? His best friend's mom. Jeanine was always baking delicious cookies (and other sweets!) for McKay and his friend Opie. Once we were married, he made sure to get the recipe from Jeanine for me to try out. At that time, baking was not one of my strong suits, so I managed to ruin this amazing concoction on more than one occasion. A few weeks ago, the baking fairy was on my side when I tried these cookies out yet again. Success! Check out the recipe below..

Jeanine's Crazy Cookies
1 C butter flavored Crisco or shortening
1/2 C brown sugar
1 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 (12 oz) package of chocolate chips
**Jeanine recommends using half chocolate chips and half butterscotch or Reeses peanut butter chips..and I second that!

Cream together Crisco, brown sugar, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Fold in flour, baking soda, salt, baking powder, and chips. Scoop out on to un-greased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes only at 350 degrees. Cookies will not look quite done, but if cooked longer they will be hard.

To achieve the "Jeanine" as I like to call it..try scooping out a bigger portion of cookie dough..about 2 spoonfuls instead of one, and flattening it a bit, so the cookie spreads out nicely and is bigger than your average cookie.

Check out my results (with some Photoshop effects):



I hope you have success! Comment if you try it out!

sincerely fabuless, the windy city.

{The Sandbucket}

Our guest blogger, Allyson Drake (in Philly!) has shared some information with us regarding the debut issue of a new magazine...The Sandbucket!

This is a magazine that inspires and uplifts families. The first issue is chalked full of fun articles. Be inspired to get reading with your children...gather new recipes that you'll want to try out for yourself...get to know Denise Demarchis of Matilda Jane a bit better...and read of the giving adventures of families in Atlanta. There is even a fun teen section where you will meet some real teens and learn about their talents as well as some fun DIY projects!

Enter to win a digital copy of the first issue by liking The Sandbucket on Facebook!
Comment under this post to let us know once you've liked The Sandbucket, and please include your email address so we know who to enter in the drawing!

We'll announce the winner by next Wednesday, and you will receive your digital copy of the debut issue soon after!

Happy Saturday!

sincerely fabuless, Las Vegas and the windy city.

{Running 101}

I took my kids to Target yesterday and overheard a conversation that inspired this blog post. The conversation went like this...

{Pleasantly Plump Concession Girl}: "Alright guys, I am going home to go run"
{Not So Smooth Co-worker}: "Did you say you are going home to run?" (semi-shocked voice)
{Pleasantly Plump Concession Girl}: "Well...yeah, I just started running Tuesday. I want to start running but I have never been good at it, I can't get the breathing down and my chest always burns, but I am trying to see if I can do it..."

Honestly, if I didn't have my kids with me, I probably would have walked over to that pleasantly plump concession girl and sat her down to teach her everything I know. I love inspiring people to run and seeing them accomplish their goals and feel good about themselves. With as much as I run, I often get questions about gear, shoes, races, how to get started, training apps, etc. Overhearing this Target conversation made me think I needed to do a blog post with the nitty gritty of running for all those interested. This is the time of year where many of you are setting goals and resolutions and I would LOVE to help you achieve them! I am not an expert, but I have ran enough miles and read enough articles to provide educated advice - so I hope you find this helpful!

As a side note (I am adding this very important point to this post after the fact because I just thought of it) - I often hear people say, I am just not a runner or I am not built like a runner, I can't run. Important point here people, ANYONE can be a runner, it is about training and determination. I have done races that have 40,000 or more people and I have seen every shape, size and age out there running - trust me, you can be a runner! Read on....
The Nitty Gritty

A Little About Me
My Favorite Race Distance: 10K
Race Distance I run the most often: Half Marathon
My Running Shoe: Brooks Pure Project (LOVE)
Current Favorite Song on my Playlist: Will.i.am - T.H.E.
Favorite Running Apparel Brands: Nike

Shoes
I am starting with advice on shoes because I CANNOT stress enough how important shoes are to helping you achieve your goals. Yes, I am aware that Nike makes amazingly stylish shoes that match your running clothes, and Nike might be the right shoe for you, but don't buy the hot pink and teal shoe just because it matches your outfits. If you are setting a goal to start running, make sure you are wearing the right shoe. Picking the right shoe is not a guessing game. If you want to do it right, look up a local running store and go in to have your foot analyzed. They will either have you walk/run on the treadmill for a minute or simply watch you walk across the store barefoot so they can see how your foot looks - you may pronate, over-pronate, under-pronate or have a neutral foot. Me personally, I am neutral (I have a high arch and I don't run with my foot turned in or out). Once they tell you what kind of foot you have, they will show you which style of shoe you can wear from most of leading brands such as Mizuno, Asics, Brooks (MY FAVORITE), Nike, New Balance, etc. Most stores seem to be pretty fairly priced for the market, but if you feel the shoes are priced too high, write down the styles and brands you are interested in, and take it home and do some Google research. You can sometimes find the version right before the newest one for sale online and it will be the same shoe, just maybe slight differences or color options. For example, my sister(s) wear the Brooks Adrenaline and often order them from DSW and get them for about $60.00 - $70.00. Do your research and wear the right shoe - it can completely change your running experience!

Products
My second favorite thing to push on potential runners is products! There are so many products - you can go crazy shoving your face full of Gu and Gel and water, etc. I am partial to Snickers Marathon Bars (I am sponsored by them for running) - they really have hit the nail on the head with offering an amazing product! You can't go wrong with a product that is made by the same company as Snickers Bars (www.marathonbars.com). They have a whole line of energy, protein, and every day on the go bars. The best part is, my kids like them and think they are a candy bar and enjoy their treat while I enjoy seeing them eat their daily vitamins - its a win-win! I have samples on hand as well as coupons - so if you are interested, shoot me an email and I can hook you up:)

During a race, I usually carry a package of Shot Bloks. I LOVE Shot Bloks, they are the perfect amount of energy during a race and have a great taste - its basically a giant fruit snack and who doesn't love a fruit snack?!

Hydration
The best thing to do for hydration is follow your body's natural rhythm. Don't pump yourself full of energy drinks and water on a race day. I usually try to start hydrating a few days prior to the race and drink a big glass of water every night to really get myself hydrated well. I try to avoid the feeling of being "full" of water if that makes sense - drink enough where you are peeing often (not every five minutes) - you don't want to feel like you are going to float away or this could be counter-productive and flush out all of your electrolytes.

Some people run with hydration belts - for me, I don't like to have a lot on me while I run so I chose to run without water during my long races. If you are going to run with a hydration belt, make sure you try it out before the big day in case you hate it. Most races (pretty much ALL) offer water stations along the route. Before the race, make a mental note of where the water stations are so you can have an idea of where you will be able to fuel up. For longer races there is usually bathroom stops as well - it is good to make a mental note of those as well. If you are going to get water from the water station, it is a good idea to either stop quick and chug it or take the paper cup and pinch the edge and drink it while running. If you are running and try to throw it back, it can be a disaster and you could end up choking - I have seen this happen and it is NOT pretty!

Be Realistic
If you are just starting or even if you are a seasoned running getting back into it, be realistic with your goals. Depending on your schedule, the weather, your motivation level, you have to be real with yourself. Set goals that are achievable. For example, I was training for the Disneyland Half Marathon which was September 4, 2011. This meant I had to hit a lot of miles in the summer. Keep in mind, I live in sunny Las Vegas which hits an average of 110 degrees by 7am in the summer months. While I wanted to train hard outside, I also didn't want to die, so I had to set achievable goals that would help me reach my target without killing myself:) I read something I believe on Pinterest the other day that said something like, "Often the hardest step a runner takes each day is the one out the door..." Set your goals and try to stick to them.

Training Apps
I think we all run on applications this day - I personally LOVE apps. There are a TON of training programs out there. Some are more complicated than others, more detailed or labor intensive, some cost money, some free, etc. I am sure there are plenty of apps and training programs that are wonderful, but the number one that I always suggest to seasoned runners as well as those getting started is SmartCoach by Runners World. If you have a smart phone, it is great because each day it tells you exactly what to do that day and is very easy to understand. It actually trains you at a slower pace than you may think would work or that you are comfortable with, but read the research behind the program, it really does make sense. I was pretty religious with it when training for the Rock n Roll Las Vegas Half Marathon and it said if I followed it I would finish in 1:41 - and that I did, exactly 1:41 - pretty successful program if you ask me!

Running Gear
I run with music and rarely run without. Occasionally I leave my iTunes at home and take in the sound of the birds, but I tend to push myself harder and run a little faster when I have some Lil Wayne in my ear - that is what works for me, but you have to find what motivates YOU. I also have the Nike GPS Sportswatch. I like it for days that I am timing myself or doing intervals, but honestly, sometimes I enjoy just going for a run and leaving the stats at home - takes the pressure out of it and makes it more enjoyable. The watch is great for racing however - really keeps you on target and keeps you from going out to hard.

Couch to 5K
There are a ton of programs that I have seen that promise "Couch to 5K" - and again, I am sure most of these programs are wonderful, I have never looked at them too closely. For this, again, be realistic with yourself. The best thing to do is to sign for a 5K that gives you a reasonable amount of time to train and then you have something to work towards. Something about having a monetary investment will also probably give you the nudge to work a little harder:)

Treadmill versus Outdoor Running
Treadmill running is different than outdoor running - plain and simple. If you are going to run a race, make sure you get some time out on real terrain to get a feel for the ground. It feels different than the belt pushing your feet through and its important to get comfortable with it before the big day. Again, depending on your schedule, location, weather, you may not have the option to do much outdoor running, but try to do a little here and there when possible.

The Buddy System
There is power in numbers. If you are trying to get going - find a friend with a similiar interest and set the goal together. I recently went to San Diego with two friends for the Shape Magazine Diva Dash and it is really fun to travel together and make an event out of it. Finding a friend with a similiar goal will also help keep you on target and give you the sense that someone is relying on you to make it happen - meaning you can't shy away so easily:)

Finding Races
My go to source for races is Active.com. Active has an app for your phone as well where you can put in your location or look up your current location (if traveling and have the race bug that I usually get when I travel). You can sign up for most of your races through Active.com and keep it on your calendar, tag to your Facebook, etc. Check it out if you are looking for something to work towards.

Destination Races
Speaking of traveling, if you know you are going to be traveling or if you want to travel, set a goal to run in a different state. It is really fun to travel to a race - I can't explain the adrenaline, but its awesome (I know, I am a running junky). If you are going to try out a destination race, make sure you know the terrain, altitude, and arrive in time to adjust. Running in the mountains of Utah is going to be totally different than running the streets of Washington, D.C. - play it smart.

Race Day Outfit
If it is your first race, or maybe if it is your 10th race, you are probably experiencing race day jitters and are searching for that perfect outfit for the race day. My advice, unless you have worn it before, don't wear it on the race day. I ran a race once in a new pair of Nike Combat shorts and wanted to stab myself in the eye by the time I was done - not comfortable for 13.1 - make sure its comfortable - do a trial run.

Sleeves
There is a big hype right now about compression sleeves - I am not sure if I am on the compression bandwagon but I do however have racing sleeves from Run Like a Girl and I absolutely LOVE them. Why? Because they double your running wardrobe. Now, all of my short sleeve and sleeveless shirts I can still wear in the winter because I can put my sleeves on to stay warm. They are not only really cute, they are also functional and come with a pocket for your MP3 player - these usually run from $20.00 - $25.00 dollars and are Fabuless!

Athlinks
One of my favorite sites is www.Athlinks.com. If you are getting into running and have done a few races, set up a profile. It is a large database that keeps track of all of your running times and stats and shows you a graph of your progress. I love it!

A Family Affair
A lot of races have the option for a 1 mile fun run for kids or 200 meter races - make your running a family affair and sign your kids up for the kids race. They usually get a number and a t-shirt and its a great way to encourage healthy habits at a young age.

I realize that I run a lot and honestly, it comes easy for me. Its not a challenge for me to wake up and get the motivation to go for a run, in fact, if I don't go for a run, I usually am not a very fun person to be around (ask my husband). However, I realize that this isn't second nature to everyone and can be a harder challenge for other people to gain the desire to WANT to run and to follow through. I really feel the benefit of running in my life and hope to inspire others to gain a little piece of the joy that comes out of pushing yourself and working towards a goal to then accomplish that goal.

If you have questions or additional tips that you would like to share, please email me or leave a comment below!

sincerely fabuless, Las Vegas.

I just wanted to add a little something to this amazing post..I have been inspired by my sister Candace and she keeps me getting out the door to run as often as I can (it's cold here in Chicago!). I took her advice..and my other sisters' advice and got the Brooks running shoes (they are AWESOME!) I wear the Brooks Ghost and I wear an older model, so the price was fabuless! I pretty much always have my little Cora with me, so I run with my BOB jogging stroller, and it is probably the most amazing piece of equipment I own. Good luck to all of the aspiring runners out there! Candace really knows her stuff!