Pallet Shelves

I've been dying to make some pallet shelves! And one day Alex and I came back from D.I. and we went a little crazy in the children's book section and bought like 20+ books.  So I decided now was the time to build my desired shelves!

So Alex was sweet and found a pallet!

isn't he so cute!

 So he cut up the pieces for me and then I used my handy dandy sanding talent to sand them down.

 

like my eye protection? :)

 

 

We made 4 larger shelves and 2 smaller ones

 



And they turned out so cute!

Sadly I just don't have anything to hang them on the wall with yet.....but I can't wait to hang them up!

 

Hunting for a Christmas Tree

The day after Thanksgiving we went with Alex's family and went looking for the perfect Christmas tree.
The last Christmas tree I ever remember getting with my family I was 6 and we bought it from the boy scouts...so this was totally new and exciting!

Step 1.  Get all bundled up!

Step 2. Find a mountain covered with pine trees

Step 3. Once the perfect tree is found chop it down!

Option 1...

Option 2...

 

Step 4: Decorate it at home!

 



The perfect tree! :)

Potty Training an Infant

So this week I've been doing something CrAzY. I decided to begin potty training Brooklyn at 7 weeks old!

I read an article when I was about 5 months pregnant about a mother potty training her children between 9-12 weeks old and being totally potty trained by 1 year old.

I totally forgot about it till a last weekend and I decided I wanted to try! I mean let's be honest, who in their right mind wants to change diapers for more than a year if they don't have to?

Monday was the 1st day of the adventure. I held her over the toilet for the first time, and she went! I was so shocked!

Since then she has gone everyday and sometimes several times.

She hasn't learned that she can do #2 in the toilet...but its a working progress.

I'll let you know how it goes! :)

home made lasagna sauce

I'm so proud of myself cause I've never made lasagna before and I've never made my own sauce for lasagna before so I was a little nervous when I started throwing things in the pot but it turned out great! :)

 

Ingredients: 

  5-6 Roma tomatoes

  1 tsp Basil

  1 tsp Herbs Provence

  1/2 garlic salt

  1/2 an onion

  15 oz Can of Tomato Sauce

  1 lb hamburger meat

  Lasagna noodles

  cheese

Directions:

   Boil the noodles till they are cooked.  Brown the hamburger meat. Dice the tomatoes and the onion.  Put the tomatoes, onion, tomato sauce, basil, garlic salt and herb provence in a sauce pan and cook on high with a lid for about 10 mins to cook. Then add the hamburger to the sauce.  

Then lasagna it up in layers in a 9x13" pan.  Noodle, sauce, cheese and repeat!

Cook for 20 mins in the oven at 350 degrees and then eat up!

Bathroom Remodel

This luxurious ocean-inspired bathroom was designed for the NKBA student competition. The clients were the Fosters, a couple who desired storage, a make-up center, shower and bath, and a space that would accommodate their height differences. The many shades of blue and green used throughout bring the natural surroundings of the ocean into the space. Storage under the sinks and in a linen closet, a lavish shower and jet tub room, as well as the beautiful multi-level counter provide the Fosters their oasis they needed and desired.

Inspiration Board

Dimensioned Floor Plan

 
 Bathroom Perspective

Sweet (but not too sweet) Candied Yams

Recipe:
  3 big yams
  1/4 C butter
  1/3 C brown sugar
  1 tsp. cinnamon
  1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  marshmallows

First boil the yams till they are so soft you can break them apart with a fork.  Then mash them and add the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Then put the yam mix in a 9x9 glass pan. Cover with marshmallows.

Cook at 375 for 8-10 mins or until marshmallows are slightly brown on top.
 

Weird Chicken

Okay this to me is like the simplest, WEIRDEST and most delicious recipe ever!

Weird Chicken:
   4 chicken breasts

  Sauce:
   1 C. mayonnaise or miracle whip
   1/2 C. Parmesan cheese
   1 tsp. salt
   1 tsp. pepper
   1 tsp. garlic powder
   1 tsp. onion powder

Mix all the ingredients together that are under the sauce portion. Put the chicken in a glass pan and pour the sauce mix on top.  Cover the pan with tin foil and bake it for 35 mins at 400 degrees.

Tastes great on rice!

No Sew Tutu

Ohmigosh I've been DYING to take some pics of Brooklyn in a tutu. But all the tutus I found at the store or online were between $15-30! No way I'm paying for that!

So after watching a couple different youtube videos I learned how to do it myself!  And this on only cost $4! SO much better!!

This was my favorite tutorial video:

Crochet headband tutus

There are 2 things I did differently with my tutu.

1. There are two sides of this slip knot, a 'V' shape and one that is a solid triangle. In the video she has the 'V' side on the outside, I instead put it on the inside.

'V' side

solid triangle

2. I did knots on 2 rows of the headband to make it a more full skirt!

1 layer of tulle

2 layers of tulle

 

And this is how it turned out!

Adam and Cera Photography

Today I got to practice my photography skills with my brother Adam and his beautiful wife Cera!

Aren't they so cute! :)

Hand Drawn Perspectives

Here are some hand drawn perspectives I have done throughout my years in the interior design program at BYU-Idaho.

I believe that one of the best ways to communicate with a client is through visual drawings where ideas can be seen clearly by the client. I especially love perspectives drawn by hand because it gives a certain warmth and artistic feel which can be lost on computer models.

New York Flat

Art Nouveau Retail Store

Bed Time

You know there are so many different ways to fall asleep. Some people need to drink a cold glass of milk to sleep, others a coke.  Some read books and others count sheep.

Look at this cute little girl with her cute little hat! :)

 

This hat is Brooklyn's way to fall asleep! :)  No counting sheep for her!

Brooklyn is so fascinated with the world and looks around as long as she can that she will cry and cry and cry when she is tired, but refuses to fall asleep cause she doesn't want to stop looking around! :) haha  

But as soon as we cover her eyes with her hat she is out cold!

What a cute girl and oh how we love her and her CRAZY way to fall asleep! :)

Oreos

 Ok these really taste like oreos to me! And the best part about them, you can make them as big as you want!

Here are mine that I made! Thats right, huge Oreos!

Once again I got it from:

Ingredients

2 pkgs of Devils food cake mix
3/4 C. shortening or margarine softened
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350.  Mix all these ingredients together and roll into walnut-sized balls.
Bake for 8-10 mins. 

Leave cookies on the baking sheet for at least 5 mins.  Cool and then assemble 2 cookies with cream cheese frosting in the middle.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 C butter or margarine, softened
1-1 1/2 lb powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Add all of these ingredients and then beat until smooth.

Fajita Bowls

 Steak or chicken fajita bowls!

Talk about a party in my mouth!  This dinner was EXPLODING with flavor and was absolutely delicious!

I got this recipe from: 

I'm telling you, you HAVE to buy this book!

 

 

Don't get intimidated by the recipe because it has more than 4 ingredients.  Its really easy and super good! Just prepare to marinade for 1 hour before you start cooking!

Ingredients:

1 lbs steak or chicken
1 can diced green chilies
2 cloves garlic
1/2 C. beef broth
1 pkg fajita seasoning

2 T. vegetable oil
1 onion thinly sliced
1/2 green bell pepper thinly sliced
1/2 red bell pepper thinly sliced

1 pkg Spanish Rice
1 can pinto or black beans drained and rinsed

Toppings:

tortillas
avacado
cheese
sour cream

Directions:

Cut the steak in slices.  Place steak strips, chiles, garlic, beef broth, and 1 T. fajita seasoning in a bag  and let it marinated for an hour.

Then heat vegetable oil in a large skillet and then add the marinated mixture in and add the rest of the fajita mix. After the meat is fully cooked add in the onion, green pepper and red pepper.

Prepare the Spanish rice according to the directions.  Once it is all cooked add the beans to the rice.

Place a tortilla in each bowl.  Put the rice/bean mixture in and the steak mixture on top.  Add any of the desired toppings and PARTY!!

My Survey

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Best Oatmeal Cookies EVER!

These are the BEST oatmeal cookies I have ever had in my entire life! They are so moist and soft. Even the ones I accidentally burnt were still soft! That's when you know it's a good cookie!!

Yum yum!

Here is another cookbook I just love, and this is where I got this recipe.

Seriously, buy this book!

Shipps' Oatmeal Cookies

3/4 C shortening (I used butter cause I didn't have any shortening, worked great!)
1 1/4 C firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 C milk

Mix all of these in a large boal until creamed.

Then add....

3 C quick-cooking oats
1 C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 C chocolate chips

These are the best kind of chocolate chips!

Drop the cookie dough by rounded tablespoons onto a cookie sheet.

Bake for 10-12 mins in 375 degrees and DONE! :)

Holiday YAMS!! :)

This is the BEST way to cook yams!

Doesn't that just look delicious?!?!

Ok, so I got this recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks:

And its called Georgia's Sweet Potato Souffle (but use yams!)

4 1/2C. Yams cooked and mashed
1 1/2C sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
3 eggs
3/4 C margarine or butter
1 C milk
2 tsp vanilla

Combine all these ingredients and mix well!  Pour mixture into greased baking dish.

AND then 2 C packed brown sugar
2/3 C flour
2 C nuts, chopped
5 1/2 tbsp margarine or butter, melted

Combine these together and then sprinkled over the entire mixture in the baking dish.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40 mins.

ENJOY!!!

New York Design

Here is one of my designs that I created for Samantha Ray. 

Samantha is a fashion designer in downtown New York who appreciates old historical furniture pieces, and loves the modern city. Samantha desired an apartment where she could entertain family and friends as well as enjoy large comfortable private quarter with abundant storage for clothes. I created an open floor plan for the public areas of the home, a space to easily entertain a large number of guests as well as take advantage of the magnificent view. The private quarter contain a reading nook with a fireplace, ample storage for clothing, a vanity, and a private porch to create the perfect oasis for Samantha.


Inspiration Board




Closet Elevations



Left: South Wall Shoe Storage
Middle: North Wall Hanging Storage
Right: East Wall Jewlery and Shoe Storage


Bedroom Perspective


Furniture Floor Plan

This apartment only had the exterior walls and one plumbing wall.  The major restriction to the apartment was that the plumbing wall could be extended but it had to be continuous with no entry ways. Despite the restrictions I was able to design an apartment perfect for all Samantha desired.