The furniture refinishing spree continues with one of my favorite pieces. My sister-in-law found this in her new home and gave it to my father-in-law. He sanded it down, and then passed it on to me. If you need a reminder, click here to see the before post. A spotty brown hutch, much loved and adored, is now a gorgeous gray hutch finished in brown and accents of purple.

I’ve drooled over these knobs for a year or two now, and finally had a project I knew would match perfectly.

After the requisite three coats of paint, I used a sanding sponge to scuff up a few of the edges.

Then finished it in a brown wax that gives it the perfect patina.

I use it to store entertaining extras, like cocktail flatware…

extra goblets and slate coasters…

bud vases…

and copper goblets from India.

Supplies used:

• Prismatic Spring Pull Knobs from Anthropologie in Plum
• Valspar paint in Montpelier Ashlar Gray
• Fiddes Wax in Rugger Brown (recommended by Barb of Knack Studios)

Lessons learned:

• Who needs strength training when you can refinish furniture?! Rubbing the wax off took all of my upper arm strength, and next time I’ll definitely apply it more sparingly, even if I do love how beautiful the brown looks.
• This paint color might be the perfect neutral. It has shades of gray and brown in it.

Happy Fat Tuesday! Even the dogs got into the spirit today.

Ruche, one of my favorite shops, is an affordable alternative to Anthropologie, offering cute clothes and goods at bargain prices.  Shopping there is all pleasure, and it doesn’t make you want to cry when you see the total price of everything you’ve collected in your cart. Here’s a few of my favorite home goods:

Above, a ceramic bowl made of green leaves, and a dip bowl that keeps its cool thanks to a mockingbird outer bowl.

I’m up to two teapots, both glass, but I’m thinking I need another, like this Birds of a Feather teapot. And this grouping of ceramic tube vases by Chive take the pain out of flower arranging.

A home can never have too many hooks for all those purses and jackets. Why not make them stylish and functional? These La Belle wall hooks and Avignon swivel hooks certainly meet both criteria.

The cutest of miniature apothecary chests and a triplet of glass vases contained in a wire basket. Perfect for collecting love notes and spring flowers.

Where do you love to shop?

All images credited to Ruche. 

Image Credit: Publicity Still

Like the rest of the world, I’m completely captivated by Downton Abbey. The stories and personalities drew me in on the very first episode. From Mary to Matthew, Anna to Daisy, I found myself wanting more and more of this drama that depicted (if somewhat inaccurately) the transition from the Edwardian period to World War I. The show humanizes an era that is being forgotten.

Image Credit: Publicity Still

It’s the best kind of show, one that educates a bit, while providing plenty of fashion and drama. I especially love the formality of their interactions.

Image Credit: Publicity Still

Words were chosen carefully, and discretion was used widely. One of my favorite lines occurs when Mrs. Hughes says to Edith,  ”My opinion has no place here.” I’m not sure those words have ever come out of my mouth!

Image Credit: Tamara Kuzminski

While searching for images of Highclere Castle, I found this wedding shot by Tamara Kuzminski and Antonina Mamzenko. How fun would it be to have your portraits done on the same ground that the fictional Lady Mary walks?

Image Credit: Publicity Still

Image Credit: Publicity Still

Have you joined the Downton Abbey bandwagon? Are you as obsessed as I?

Image Credit: Ecospace Studios

How delightful are these little garden studios from Ecospace Studios? In my humble opinion, extremely delightful. It’s my dream to one day have one of these studios in our backyard, wherever that yard may be.

Image Credit: Ecospace Studios

A little tiny office, separate from the house, but within view. With a short commute over lush green grass in the summer and white snow in the winter, past  tidy gardens of vegetables, herbs and cut flowers.

What’s your gardening dream?

Image Credit: Honeysuckle Life

I saw a recipe for chicken and caramelized onion quesadillas on the Fearless Homemaker and immediately cried a little inside. Quesadillas are one of my favorite foods, but I haven’t been able to indulge because they contain grains and dairy. After getting over the sadness, I realized that the same concept would make an amazing soup. I experimented a little bit with spices, trying to get that perfect lightly spicy flavor.

The soup was so good we made it two nights in a row. It makes exactly two servings. It’s lightly spicy, so if you want to kick it up a notch feel free to add more chili powder or diced jalapeno.

Spicy Chicken and Caramelized Onion Soup

Yield: 2 servings

Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients:

• ground cumin, 2 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
• ground chili pepper, 2 teaspoons + 1/2 teaspoon
• ground oregano, 1 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon
• chicken breasts, 2
• coconut oil, 2 tablespoons
• large onion, sliced thinly
• vermouth, 2 tablespoons + 1/2 cup
• chicken broth, 3 cups

Directions:

1. In a medium pot, add 2 tablespoons of cumin, 2 teaspoons of chili pepper, and 1 teaspoon of oregano to three cups of water. Bring the water to a boil, then add the chicken breasts. Let boil for 20 minutes. When chicken is done, drain liquid and shred each chicken breast with two forks. Set to the side.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan heat two tablespoons of coconut oil over medium heat. When oil is hot, add the sliced onion and let sit for a few minutes until browned. Turn onion, and let brown on other side. Add 2 tablespoons of vermouth and let sit, stirring the onion infrequently to prevent burning. The onions are done when they are a very dark brown.
3. Add the vermouth, chicken broth, and remaining spices to the onion. Stir in the chicken and bring to a low simmer. Reduce heat and let simmer for 20 minutes.

After tackling the vanity and dresser, I needed a little project to complete before moving on to the next piece of furniture. At 11″ tall, this miniature chest of drawers satisfies the “little.” I picked her up for $9.79 in the unfinished wood section at a local craft shop. Click here to see what the chest looked like before I started. I also spent $7.98 on four opal drawer pulls. They finish her off nicely, don’t they?!

I treated the chest just like I would a larger piece. Here’s what I check off for each piece:

• Prep: Remove hardware. Fill holes with wood filler. Drill new holes.Sand the entire piece until smooth and even.
• Paint: Apply three coats. Let dry overnight.
• Seal: Apply three coats of wax. Waiting four hours between each coat. Let dry overnight.
• Finish: Add hardware and drawer lining.

The dresser is a really cute piece that fits all of my makeup, and matches my vanity perfectly. For less than $20 and just an hour or two of time.

Image Credit: Honeysuckle Life

One of the most romantic quotes, if you remain ignorant of Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald’s unsettled relationship.

Image Credit: Chocolate Covered Katie

For those of you that woke up this morning thinking, “Holy crap it’s Valentine’s Day and I’ve done nothing for the kids!!” Here’s a few recipes that have caught my eye (and ramped up those sugar cravings).

Picture above, Red Velvet Pancakes by Chocolate Covered Katie. Can you believe these are healthy? The “cream cheese” frosting is made with blended tofu, the coloring comes from pureed raspberries, and the recipe can easily be adapted to a Paleo diet.

Image Credit: Fearless Homemaker

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles by Fearless Homemaker. What’s bad about chocolate and cookie dough dipped in more chocolate? Nothing! These look so amazing, and I’m saving this recipe for our next cheat day.

Image Credit: Fearless Homemaker

Cake Batter Truffles by Fearless Homemaker. Bonus points if you can make them look as pretty as she did. My truffles always end up lopsided and full of crumbs. But they still taste great!

Image Credit: Love, Veggies and Yoga

Snickerdoodle Bars by Love, Veggies and Yoga. Help me now. These combine two of my favorite desserts: snickerdoodles and thick, sweet icing. Wouldn’t your sweethearts love to have these for a post-dinner treat?

Image Credit: Health-Bent

Paleo Double Chocolate Chip Cookies by Health-Bent. We made these as a pre-race treat last Saturday and they were amazing. Use an extra egg, they tend to be dry.

Image Credit: Mel Hot or Not

If all else fails, call in an order to your favorite cupcake bakery. Why not save time by letting the experts handle the hard stuff?

We did it! 13.1 miles in 25 degree weather. It was one of the best runs we’ve ever had. We stayed encouraged (thanks to my in-laws popping up at several spots with signs), injury free, and fast. The last four miles were at our fastest pace. Pretty incredible, and we exceeded our expectations.

And we’re crazy enough to commit to a full marathon. Wish us strong joints and good health!