Repurposed Window Frame

  This is a project that I did a while back, but it sits prominently in our living room. The window frame is something my dearest mother found and kept. I know I get on to her for keeping so many things, but sometimes the "trash" she finds is indeed treasure to someone else. When I saw this window, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it. 
  I wish I had a before picture because it was definitely in rough shape. I spent many hours removing dirt and paint from the glass, but I think it was worth it. I painted it a beachy blue color then sanded down the edges to give it a rough look.

  I secured the pictures to the window using double sided tape on the front bottom of the pictures. However, if you were using pictures you wanted to keep afterwards, I would use magic tape and tape it on from behind so you don't ruin the photos. These tapes are pretty invisible and you can only see them if you are looking for them.
  This pictures inside are not taken by me, but I scoured the internet looking for the ideal set. The great thing about this, is that I can change out the photographs when I am bored of them. One day I hope to have a set that I took, which means I need to get to photographing, right?

Hope you enjoy!

-K

Cheesecake Cupcakes

  Growing up, my mother always made cheesecake cupcakes at Christmas. It was a treat that everyone looked forward to. Once I moved out on my own, I started baking them much more frequently. They are perfect for sharing with friends, or making new ones. In fact, I am pretty sure these cupcakes are one of the reasons my husband decided to spend his life with me.
  We are six months away from Christmas and the heat has become unbearable. So I decided to whip up a batch of these cupcakes to brighten everyone's moods. Except this time I wanted to add a personal touch. Enter the strawberry topping. These cupcakes are usually topped with a cherry pie filling, but I decided to make them a touch more pretty with some strawberry glaze. Here are the directions:


Cupcake Ingredients:

• Three 8 ounce packages of cream cheese
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• Vanilla wafers

Step 1: Line a cupcake pan with baking cups, then fill each one with a vanilla wafer.

Step 2: In a medium bowl, mix together cream cheese and sugar.

  Step 3: Add eggs to mixture & pour mix into cupcake pan.

Step 4: Bake for 30-45 minutes at 350°F.

  For the glaze, I just cut up some strawberries (I had to use frozen since it isn't strawberry season) and cooked them in confectioner's sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract until it was a little bit thicker.
  I hope you enjoy my childhood treat!


-K

Finished!

  I did it! I finished the chair. I am so happy that it is over. It took a lot of work and gave me plenty of headaches, but I think it looks much better and suits our style. 

  I learned many lessons from this project and feel more confident in my craft-abilities. It is by no means perfect, in fact there are multiple points I would redo if I could. Hopefully it will last a few years so that I won't have to recover it again, but when I do, I will be very well prepared! One of the best lessons I learned was to actually see the bones of an old chair. You really learn to appreciate handmade things when you see how much work and dedication goes into them. It has kind of encouraged me to go thrift shopping for furniture that has been previously loved so that I may make it my own.

I think this picture really exemplifies how much this chair has survived.

  I have to give a thanks to my husband who has put up with the mess that came with this project. And for being supportive and patient. It took longer than I wanted it to, but I am just proud that I was able to finish it. Now I can return to my cleaning schedule and start working on some other crafts, ones that I can finish in a day! 

  There are more before pictures of it here. Thanks for looking!

-K