CONSTRUCTION BIRTHDAY CAKE

I was home sick from work on Thursday and Friday. Thursday consisted of about ten hours of Netflix on the couch. Figuring I would go coo-coo with boredom with another day like that, I forced myself to be somewhat productive despite my miserable state. 

This was the result. I have not decorated many cakes, so it was a fun experiment. I saw a similar cake here and wanted to build one for Andrew ever since. 

I baked a 9x13 chocolate cake, cut it in half, and layered the pieces on top of each other. After spreading chocolate peanut butter frosting, I went to work decorating it to look like a construction site. 

I dug an actual hole in the top of the cake and scooped the innards (eww...that word makes it sound gross) around the top to look like dirt piles. Oreo's, Nestle Buncha Crunch, and chocolate rocks from a local candy shop finished the layered dirt look. 

I personalized it with Andrew's construction company's logo printed on a "sign" from the computer and stuck to the top with a toothpick.

Graham crackers were cut into pieces for lumber, and I sprinkled a few areas with green sugar sprinkles to look like grass or weeds.

The construction vehicles are sold in a 5-pack at Wal-Mart.

Andrew loved the cake, but when I asked him to stand by it for a picture, this is what I got. 

Great, Babe. Now smile.

Very funny. Try again.

Not quite what I had in mind either, hon. 

"Andrew Ashmore!!! Behave your age!"

Eventually, I got what I wanted. Though part of me hates that he looks so innocent in this picture. 

It's all a lie.

But anyway...hooray for Andrew's birthday #28. And hooray for my awesome cake decoratin' skillz. It was a fun way to survive a sick day.

FYI: I got the wooden guy from my dad who has a hobby of making and selling sets of families and historical figures as  kids' toys. This is one I used to play with when I was little that I thought matched the theme. 

We celebrated that evening by stuffing our pockets with Kleenex (we are both sick), and heading over the theater to watch the BYU game (we don't pay for cable channels). 

After coming home and eating a piece of cake, we both sat back from our plates in kind of sugar-induced catatonic stupor. This cake's sugar level is though the roof. Any neighbors are welcome to come by (please come!) and take a few pieces off our hands. Holy heck this cake is rich.

HOUSE TOUR {Laundry Room}

Well, here it is. Behold, the laundry room.

Only days old. 

This picture lets you see one of my favorite window views: Teton Mountains behind a farmer's pivot. It feels so country. 

Sheeting and wiring.

  

Drywall. 

Cabinets. 

And the doors. 

Yep, my man built 'em all.

Ceramic tiles on the floor and Sherwin William's Repose Gray on the walls. 

We totally scored the tile for about a dollar a square foot. We know a guy. 

Trim and baseboards, hanging rod, and our old beater washer and dryer. 

A little tip: Install cabinets AFTER you paint the walls. 

We still need to pour the black concrete counter top and attach the drawer fronts for this room. 

This corner was left unfinished because the plan is to build floor to ceiling cabinets against the wall to match the ones above the washer. 

We'll get there one day. 

In the meantime, my brooms, mops, and vacuum don't have homes. I didn't realize how important a broom closet was until I was without one. 

Here are the freshly painted mudroom lockers. 

...And what it looks like today.

In hindsight, I'm thinking I probably should have straightened up our crap to give the illusion of perfection. Oh well. You get the real deal.

I got the baskets at Michael's here. I love them and the way they keep our gloves, scarves, and snow hats organized and out of sight. 

I bought super cheap silver hooks and spray painted them with oil rubbed bronze spray paint before Andrew attached them. 

After transferring all of our coats from  the master closet to the hooks, I got thinking that maybe Andrew and I should get rid of a coat or two?

Back to BEFORE.

And AFTER.

It's huge and beautiful and makes me very happy...especially after 4 years with my washer and dryer in the kitchen next to the dishwasher! Bleh.

As far as decorating this room...I haven't gotten there. Too many other things on my mind! Let me know if you have any ideas.

Stay tuned for the next room in our new house tour!

What you may have missed:

1. exterior
2. entry way/ sitting room
3. great room
4. dining area

MY BOYS

So apparently, it is difficult determine the gender of young kittens. They all look the same until suddenly...they start to develop. Change. Blossom. And then you're left feeling foolish and holding a boy cat named CC. 

It was about a month ago that the area under CC's tail began to appear suspiciously...manly. Andrew and I researched online, comparing poor CC's private parts to awkward photographs on websites until we finally, conclusively, and shamefacedly proclaimed CC to be a boy. 

One website said that breeders even get it wrong sometimes. So don't judge us. 

In the meantime, our family is working to make a difficult paradigm shift. Despite this revelation, our minds seem determined to keep CC as the familiar pretty kitty we have always know her to be. Half the time, I address the cat using feminine pronouns. The other half, I consciously try to land on the masculine ones but usually only get as far as...it.  

Where's the cat?

It's napping under the boat. It is tired from hunting grasshoppers all day and its fur is making it hot. 

*sigh*

We have kicked around the idea of renaming it...I mean him...with something less embarrassing. Caesar seems to be the front runner. It sounds similar and isn't so sissy. The only problem now, is that CC knows the name CC. He responds to it. His ears perk up and he comes running when I call him. Not to mention Moose knows that CC is his little furry friend. Who the heck is Caesar?

So now, everyone is confused. 

Severely Mistaken and Outnumbered,

Rachel

2 INGREDIENT PUMPKIN MUFFINS

I just had to share the good news of these muffins I saw on Pinterest. Easy, tasty, and healthy.

I made a batch to take on the road to the Oregon Coast and they were a huge hit with Andrew and our friends.

Take a yellow cake mix. 

Mix it with a 15 oz can of pumpkin (I only had a 29oz. can, so I used half and froze the rest).

Pour the batter in a muffin pan.

Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. 

That's it.

Maybe I'll experiment with a spice cake mix next time. 

Our friend questioned me several times about the truthfulness of my 2 ingredient boast:

"There are no eggs?" 

"You didn't have to add oil or water?"

"How did they get so moist?"

Let's count the ingredient together, people. One. Two. 

I'm not lying. 

Okay fine. I used three ingredients if you count that I added chocolate chips. But those are optional. The muffins are seriously tasty enough without.

And I was surprised to read that this is a weight watchers recipe with fewer than 100 calories. Not that I am a calorie countin' kinda gal...'cause I'm not. But I thought I'd share anyway for those who care. 

All the rest of you non-calorie countin' folk might try it with cream cheese frosting too.

HOUSE TOUR {Dining Room}

We've seen the entry/front room and the great room. Let's continue through to the dining area.

I know that people usually photograph their dining rooms with candles and table settings carefully laid out....but I'm not even near that point in here yet. This room still needs a lot of work, and you're gonna have to get it as it is.

This was a long time ago.

Here, the walls are textured and we're experimenting with paint colors. 

We eventually settled on Sherwin William's North Star paint. 

The pallet ceiling is going to have entire posts dedicated to it in the future...

We are still working on it. My lovely scribbles illustrate what will soon be added to finish the ceiling off.

(Did I mention this ceiling was FREE to build?)

Here, are the beginnings of the wood floor and baseboards...

...And the room with our furniture and new IKEA rug. 

But actually, that table is not even ours. A friend is loaning it until Andrew can build a new one. (You may remember the bed, nightstands, and coffee table he's already built.)

The table in our previous home fit approximately two and a half people around it. We decided it's time for an upgrade. 

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Behold, our table construction inspiration. I love the colors on this one...but not the ornate froofiness of the legs. 

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I prefer straighter lines. But chunkier than this. 

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Benches would be easier to build than chairs, but I'm concerned they'd get uncomfortable. 

Now the heirloom hutch came from Andrew's family. Please excuse the clutter. It is where the possible decor items for this room have gathered until they have homes or get donated. 

You get to see this room as it is, remember?

This is how I've decorated inside the cabinets. I'm thinking that in the future...a long time from now...maybe refinishing the hutch. At this point, the thought just makes me feel tired. 

But the inside of the cabinet is so dark, and in the meantime, I want the contents to pop out more than they do. 

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So I was thinking of applying what I've seen with fabric, wall paper, or vinyl designs like this on the backs of shelves or cabinets. 

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It could be the non-permanent, cheap, easy upgrade I'm looking for...though I haven't made any decisions on color or design yet. 

As for the opposite wall, I have other plans. 

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I want (Andrew) to build two shelves like this...but again, chunkier and with cleaner lines. 

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I'm sure many of you have heard of the House of Smiths blog. They have these shelves in their home that they can easily style to match the season. I like that flexibility.

I love Shelley's decorating style. It is how I want to decorate when I grow up...

I couldn't not share a few of her lovely displays.

So far, the only decoration I've finished in this room is this. 

Using left over sand from our concrete counters, I filled the pitcher 1/3 of the way. Then I stuck in my flower sprigs. The sand allows them to stand up tall in the shape I want. 

Maybe one day, I'll spray paint the pitcher a different color, but it'll do for now. 

Every room needs some greenery, in my opinion. 

There you have it. Stay tuned for the next room in our tour!

OREGON COAST INSTAGRAMS

What a trip! Lots of driving with lots to do and see. The only thing I failed to capture was the horseback riding. :( 

Photos with a real camera to come later. 


Wiped Out,
Rachel