Laundry Room Update

Just a quick update on my Laundry Room Makeover. My AMAZING husband, Chris, indulged my silly idea of a chandelier in the laundry room by surprising me with one, completely installed! I think it really makes the space and I LOVE going in there now. I almost need to make up excuses to do laundry...I think that's why he did it. ;)

Chandelier: Ikea KRISTALLER - $39.99

Trial Tuesdays

I'm going to try something new on Tuesdays. I'll be testing out products, recipes, hairdos, tips, tricks and whatever else I can find from Pinterest. I'll call it Trial Tuesdays. I'll review whatever I try in hopes of introducing you to some new ideas or saving you from "pintrosities".

The Easy Way to Hang a Picture Frame

I recently pinned this pin after trying the parchment paper trick (similar to this one, which did not work for me and wasted my parchment paper).



I consulted my resident engineer (Chris) and he thought it was worth trying. SO, when we finally got around to hanging our diplomas in the office, we gave it a shot. 

Let me tell you, hanging stuff around our house is not easy. We are both pretty particular about where things are hung and ensuring they are level. This trick made hanging stuff around our house a breeze!

We used painters tape to measure the distance between holes and a level to make sure the painters tape was level on the wall before drilling holes. 

Give this one a try! It's been Cupcakes and Curls tested and approved. :)

Make Your Own Taco Seasoning

We've been making this Taco Seasoning for a few years now and it's just too easy and delicious not to share! Not only is it much cheaper to make your own taco seasoning but you can also control the sodium, which is what makes those taco seasoning packets just slightly unhealthy. 

You can tweak this recipe to your own tastes by making it more or less spicy or by adding more garlic, salt etc. As long as you add the Chili Powder, it's hard to mess this one up! We adapted this recipe from Plain Chicken. 

Taco Seasoning
 (per 1 lb ground beef)
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Cumin
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Black Pepper
1/2 tsp Paprika
1/4 tsp Garlic Powder
1/4 tsp Onion Powder
1/4 tsp Red Pepper Flakes

Mix spices and stir into cooked ground beef. Add 1 cup water, stir, and let simmer over low heat until water has cooked down.

**Quick Tip** Make a few batches of this seasoning and store them in sandwich baggies for quick use later.

Salsa is the perfect companion to your Tacos!

Visit my fabulous sister's blog, Bubbles and Icing, for her AMAZING salsa recipe!

Enjoy!

Friday Favorites

1. Texas Sage

This beautiful plant/shrub requires no maintenance and blooms like crazy in the heat of the summer. It also makes our backyard look gorgeous with no effort from me, so I love it!

2. Fold-over Elastic Hair Ties

I'm obsessed with these little hair ties! They're fun to wear on your wrist and they don't leave a crease in your hair after wearing them. 

I ordered this 10 pack from veryjane. Check it out - they have great daily deals on fun, boutique items.

3. Nothing Bundt Cakes

These little bundt cakes are so delicious! We took my parents there while they were in town last weekend and they loved them!

4. New Classroom Decorating Supplies

I can't wait to decorate!! I have no idea what I'm doing with all this stuff but I'll post more about it next week!

5. New Hair Day!

My hairstylist is so darn talented and I love catching up with her. My hair looks and feels much better after seeing her!

Speaking of hair, it's my new school year resolution to style my hair everyday. I've been practicing a lot of easy buns and up-dos this summer so if I can just drag myself out of bed a few minutes early, I might be able to keep it up!

Happy Friday!

My Favorite Household Cleaner

If you haven't already discovered the cleaning power of Vinegar and Dawn, this post will change your life!

I've never loved cleaning my kitchen and bathrooms with strong, commercial chemicals. When we moved into our house, I started reading about people using Dawn dish soap and vinegar to clean. Having recently used up all of our cleaning products in the move, I thought I'd give this idea a try and...it really does work! It makes sense economically to clean with everyday products vs commercial products AND it actually cleans better, in my opinion! 

Vinegar and Dawn Cleaning Solution

1 cup warm Vinegar
1 cup Dawn dish soap (*If you have light colored grout, I would suggest buying the clear version of Dawn, not the blue)
1 empty spray bottle

Mix equal parts warm vinegar and Dawn in an empty spray bottle. Spray on surface, lightly scrub with a sponge, and rinse.

For tougher stains, leave the solution on longer or even overnight. The longer it sits on the surface, the better it works and the less scrubbing you will have to do. You can also use baking soda for more scrubbing power.

There are so many uses for Vinegar and Dawn that I just haven't had time to try yet, but you better believe I'll be posting about them when I do!

Curtain Rod Art

Just stopping by to share one of my favorite art pieces in our master bedroom.

I don't know why it's my favorite but it seems more romantic than the typical wall hanging and I'm all about romanticizing our new bedroom! 

Here's what you'll need to make your own:

1 - spool of your favorite ribbon
1 - curtain rod (mine is from Ikea)
3 - lightweight frames (I chose 2 small frames & 1 larger frame, cheap ones from Michaels)
1 - hot glue gun

Step 1: Decide how you want your frames to hang on the curtain rod. 
I decided I wanted the two small frames to hang a bit higher and the larger frame to hang a bit lower, but this is one of those projects that you could do whatever looks right to you.

Step 2: Measure your ribbon accordingly and cut.
You'll want to make sure you measure the ribbon for your two smaller frames exactly the same or they won't hang at the same height from your curtain rod. 

Step 3: Use your hot glue gun to glue both ends of your ribbon to the back of the frame so that you are making a loop with your ribbon.

As you can see, the back doesn't have to look pretty.

Step 4: Hang the curtain rod and hang your frames on the rod.

Easy peasy! The great thing about this project is that you can change out your frames or the ribbon to create a new look without making new holes in the wall! So many possibilities!

Canvas Drop Cloth Curtains

My Dad gave us this table when we moved into our first apartment in Texas.

Much to his horror (I'm pretty sure), I painted it red last summer. I think it looks awesome in red!

The table has a country feel to it so when we moved into our new house I knew I wanted to do curtains that complimented that look. I'd seen a lot of posts about burlap curtains and although that would give me my country chic look, I just don't really like the loosely woven look of burlap or the smell. 

After seeing a friend of mine (who should totally have her own blog, btw) use drop cloths as curtains in her bedroom, I decided that I could achieve the same country chic style I wanted by using drop cloths instead of burlap!

Here's what I did:

First, I purchased two packages of this drop cloth:

Source: Lowe's

Then, I transformed them into curtains:

Step 1: Wash & Dry per instructions, then Iron (they will be wrinkly)

Step 2: Cut in half lengthwise so you have 2 - 3ft x 9ft panels, per drop cloth

Step 3: Fray the cut edges for a soft look or hem them - I hemmed but it's just a personal preference...both look nice.

Finally, to hang the curtains, I bought four packs of these curtain rings:

Syrlig Curtain Rings

Source: Ikea

I clipped them on the edge of my drop cloth curtains like so....

*I measured so each clip would be the same distance apart on all of my panels, but you can just eye ball it if you're not crazy like me.

...and voila, they are ready to hang!

I've done the math and Ikea's curtain rods are truly the most inexpensive. As long as you like the look, they are the way to go. 

Total Cost per Window: ~$28

1 - 6'x9' Canvas Drop Cloth - $10.98

2 - SYRLIG Curtain Ring Packs - $5.98

1 - RACKA Curtain Rod - $2.99

2 - BETYDLIG Curtain Rod Holders - $2.98

1 - VASENTLIG Finial 2 Pack - $4.99

Not bad for curtain rods and curtains.

I have a sewing machine but this project is totally doable without one. You just need a little hemming tape that can be ironed on OR just go for the soft, frayed look!

Now to hang up some art and finish this room!

*Side note: Always hang your curtains close to the ceiling and on the outer edge of the window, if you have the option. It gives the illusion that the room is bigger.