Project Update #3

I somehow managed to makes some more progress on my homeowner project list today. The items in purple are today's accomplishments.

1. WD-40 the bathroom drawer (one day I woke up and it seemed to be fixed. yay!) 
2. Clean the vent above our AC closet
3. Finally fix the bathroom sink (it doesn't drain to my liking) --Update: Decided to hire a plumber
4. Make a cleaning calendar so I don't spend an entire weekend cleaning a 600 sf condo
5. Fix the bottom flap/gutter/whatever its called of the freezer 
6. Clean the windows on our fire escape door and put a privacy film up 
7. Put an ad on Craigslist for someone to clean all of our blinds (I've done it twice and it's not worth my misery known as allergies) 
8. Buy a fire-proof safe for our docs (I can't believe we don't have one yet) 
9. Figure a way for hubster to store all of his officiating gear so it won't drive me crazy all season 
10. Find the most amazing glass shower door cleaner and buy it in bulk (not really, but really) 
11. Buy 2 more pretty plastic containers for my silverware (future post so you know what I'm talking about) 
12. Take a gander for paint color (just an accent wall) -- Update: Found a color and decided to paint the entire living room/entry way with Behr Basketry. Now I just have to find time to paint. 

I also finished a DIY project that I started about 6 months ago. A while back, I covered a bulletin board with fabric and turned it into a jewelry board for my necklaces. Today, I finally hung the board  so it no longer leans against the wall on top of the dresser. Success! 

Eclair Cake

Last week a tried a new dessert recipe at the request of my mom. I found a great recipe on allrecipes.com. I ended up choosing a recipe called Eclair Cake and it was delicious! It was so easy and only takes about 30 minutes to prepare... no baking required. 

Click here for the official recipe

I've made this recipe twice; here are some tips: 

   1. Do not use skim milk. I bought a small milk jug of 2% so I didn't have to buy an entire gallon (I usually drink skim). 

   2. Let the cake set in the fridge for at least 3 hours (minimum). The longer it sits in the fridge, the softer the graham crackers become (it's key to the recipe). 

This has become my go-to dessert recipe. Everyone loves it and there's never any leftovers. Enjoy! 

{ mix together 2 packages of vanilla pudding... do not use skim milk. Opt for 2% for the richness } 

{ fold in 1 tub of Whip Cream } 

{ mix the pudding and whip cream mixture for 2 minutes } 

{ grease a pan with butter, add one layer of graham crackers, layer 1/2 pudding mixture... repeat these two layers and finish with a third layer of crackers } 

{ heat unsweetened coco powder, sugar  and milk until smooth... remove from heat and add butter & vanilla... pour on top } 

New 'do

Thank you so much to blogger Kate at "I Take Photos in the Bathroom" . Not only do I pick up a lot of fashion ideas from her, but she pointed me in the right direction when it comes to my ideal hair 'do.

Kate posted a link from Amy and Lyndsay's you tube page about how to do the perfect 'curl down'.

For years, I've been figuring out how to get curly, yet wavy LC hair. Example: 

 What I love best about this hair style is that I don't have to worry about doing the perfect blow dry. I curl about 10 small sections of my hair, put in a little hair spray and I'm set. It takes me about 5-10 minutes to do the curls. So simple!

Side note: Kate is also the blogger behind Elefantitas Alegres. She posts really great recipes on her blog. Be sure to check out her page. = )

Home Projects

This weekend, hubster and I decided to make a little list of some home projects we want to do before summer. In no particular order...

• Paint the bedroom (it's an ugly beige right now) 
• Buy a new bedroom set (check out the set we found and love!) We found the set at World Market and have a discount coupon to use. We're just waiting to sell our current set to make some extra $$ before we invest in the new one. 
• Storage bed frame  This frame has 4 large drawers underneath. It will allow us city dwellers to store winter clothes, blankets, etc. It's a must if you live in the city! 
• Headboard  A headboard rounds out the bedroom and gives it an adult look. 
• Tall Dresser This will give us more floor space... again, a must in the city! 
• Another dresser  
• Nightstand I have to have a place for my lamp and alarm clock.
• Paint the trim in the bathroom a bright white
• Buy one more wine rack
• Crate and Barrel 5 bottle rack  We have 2 of these already hung vertically, but decided we need 1 more. We drink a lot of wine and to be honest, one more will make it look complete.

One thing we've been dying to do since we bought our place back in November 2009, is to hang some artwork. Let me just say, blending design styles with your significant other is challenging. I tend to lean more towards feminine and chic designs and he is clearly the opposite. This is why it has taken us so long to find art we both agreed to. 

We bought a vintage poster featuring the Chicago mass transit lines from a store called Art Effect on Armitage. The best part about the artwork/poster? It was only $6.00! Click here to see the poster.  The poster is an odd size (19.5 x 27 inches). We had to drive all the way out to Ikea in Schaumburg to buy a frame. It was worth it though. It looks great on our wall!

Hubster got started taping our bedroom while I was at a bridal shower today. We'll probably finish in the next two nights after work so we can start painting. The condo is starting to feel like home.  <3