Out with the old, In with the old.

Yesterday I had my first experience with an antique mall, and well, I'm hooked! First of all, let me just say that it was not at all what I expected. Of course there was lots of junk that you have to sift through (I suppose one man's trash is another man's treasure), but there are some really amazing and unique pieces.

I was looking for furniture for the new house. We will be getting new couches and a dining room set, but I wanted to get some quality pieces that bring a little more character into a home, but that don't break the bank. Turns out, antique stores are the way to go!

One area in need of replacement was our "office."


Very "blah", right? Well, I hit the jackpot at the Brass Armadillo Antique Mall, a place I have driven by probably hundreds of times since I moved to Des Moines three years ago.


Much more sophisticated, right? The black desk struck my eye first, especially with a price tag of just $75. It is solid wood, and looks as though it was just refinished. The drawers provide lots of great storage. Then I looked around for a solid wood chair to go with the desk. I found the chair above for $15, but I do plan to repaint it down the road (color suggestions welcome). The side cabinet was the most expensive piece at $113.50, but it was perfect for what we needed to house our computer tower and printer, so we couldn't pass it up. You can't tell from the picture, but it is also solid wood that has been repainted with a dark turquoise paint. Jury is still out on whether or not we will repaint it or not.


We spent the rest of the evening wiping everything down and came out with 3 towels that looked like this. There's just no telling where or how long these items have sat.

So for $215.71 (including tax) plus a little elbow grease we completely updated our office look by upgrading to better quality and more eye-appealing pieces. I think I'm now an antique store addict so stay tuned for more exciting finds!

A Recipe Keeper

I found this recipe for "Greek Pita Pockets with Tzatziki Sauce" in this month's issue of my Women's Day magazine. I tried it, and decided it's a keeper and will go in my "permanent" recipe book.

Combine:
1/2 cup canned chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup chopped cucumber
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped black olives (or a few more if you're a black olive fanatic like me)


Whisk together:
1/4 cup low-fat Greek yogurt
1/4 cup shredded cucumber
1/4 teaspoon dill
pinch each salt and black pepper


Fill a whole-grain pita with bean mixture and top with yogurt sauce.


I brought this for lunch and several so-workers commented that it looks delicious and healthy. And it is! Very quick and easy to make. And if you refrigerate the bean mixture and yogurt sauce in separate containers, it makes great left-overs.

A Win-Win

I have decided that making your own greeting cards is a winning situation for all. I have found that a homemade card is usually appreciated by the recipient, and it saves me money!

I created this card last night for a friend's bridal shower this weekend. Everything I used was something I already had in my scrapbooking materials.

The dress cut-out was part of a wedding card we received. It was just too cute to throw away, I knew it would come in handy one day.


I suppose card-making is a win-win-win because it also gives me a chance to exercise some creativity :)

A Quick Fix

One of the very first things we registered for was our bathroom set. We had been eying it for months if not years before we got married, and it was so fun to get it because it's something we would probably never buy for ourselves. The pieces are made from marble and stone, and we love how they look like something you'd see at a 5-star island resort.

But, being made of natural materials, part of the soap dispenser started to crumble.

So we went over to Lowe's to see if there was a way to save our beloved soap dispenser. The associate didn't seem to really know, but he sort of led us in the direction of using an Epoxy to fill in the area that had started to crumble, then sand it down after it dried.

Now it's dry, and I'm not sure if it's quite "sandable". It turned out okay, and luckily we can face this part towards the wall. It's not perfect, but at least we aren't finding tiny pieces of stone all over the counter any more!

Rainy Friday Project

My supervisor at work asked if I would like to make something to post to announce a bridal shower she is hosting for a couple of speech pathologists getting married later this summer (she knows I like doing these sorts of things). I've been in sort of a" crafting lull" since the wedding is over, so I was happy to do it. I was pleased with how it turned out. Every once in a while, something turns out well on the first try!!

I was able to use up some scraps I already had. The dress cut-out actually came off of a wedding card we received. It was just too cute to throw away!

Grilling Season is Here!!

But who are we kidding?! Kyle and I still grill in the dead of winter. But warm weather does make it much more enjoyable!

Friday we made our first attempt at grilling ribs. They turned out pretty good, but they didn't exactly "fall off the bone". We will have to perfect our technique and I'll post when we figure it out.

Today we just grilled some burgers from the HyVee meat case.


Mine was a specialty "southwestern" burger. So I made some guacamole to garnish.


Paired with some baked Doritos and a Diet Coke, it was a delicious lunch. I can't wait for lots more grilling this summer!

Oatmeal Squares

Have anyone else tried these?

I just bought a box this weekend and I am obsessed now! I don't actually eat them in "cereal form" for breakfast, I have them for a snack at work. They are crunchy with a hint of sweet, Mmmm!!

One cup has 210 calories, and even 6 grams of protein. I even saw a commercial endorsement by The Biggest Loser's Bob Harper, so you know it!