A WINNER || & progress in the baby's room

Hello friends,

We are still trying to get healthy, but we are feeling much better around the Haney household!  I am going to have to cancel my big VALENTINE'S DAY BAKE SALE.  Booooo.  But, I am still sick, and nobody wants to buy sweet treats made by a sick girl.  I am really bummed, but I already roped a very talented friend into helping me next year!!

Next order of business….the winner of the February drawing!

KIM PRICE!

 Yay Kim!  I can drop your goodies by this afternoon!

{Discloser:: I would have posted a picture of my cute kid pulling the number from the basket.  But, she has a gross nose and nobody wants to see that!}

And, to happenings around the house….

I have moved on to decorating Savanna's room.  This is what we are starting out with….

A black crib that we were given, before Addilyn was born - thank you Stef!

A dresser Matt's mom gave me 3-4 years ago.  I refinished it then, and painted it will milk paint.

It's been hard to feel inspired to decorate my sweet pea's room.  I was stealing everything 'cute' for Addilyn's room!!

Here is what I am working on now...

I am painting the wall behind the crib with Chalk Board paint.  I love having places all over the house where the girls and create.  Plus, I needed something for that big, blank wall.

Since the black crib would blend in with the black wall, I am painting the crib 'VERSAILLES', it's a Chalk Paint® of course!

I am going to add cute knobs to the dresser, something similar to this...

I decided to go with a DASH AND ALBERT rug.  I have them through out the house.  I love them to pieces, and love that they are so easy to launder!

Hopefully I will have more pictures for you by next week.

Have a wonderful weekend!!

GRAHAM CRACKER SWEET TREAT || a made up snow day treat

Day #6 of snow.

It's beautiful!  We haven't gotten cabin fever yet.  Probably because we are all fighting colds and just wanting to lay low and relax.

Yesterday we were running low on groceries, and activities.  So, we made GRAHAM CRACKER SWEET TREATS. A wing-it-figure-it-out-as-you-go-can't-have-many-ingredients kind of treat.  We love them….especially frozen!

The recipe is very technical.  Your 3 year old will feel very confident in their culinary skills after making this!

Open 1 sleeve of graham crackers.  Line them on a baking sheet.

Melt butter and brown sugar.  Pour over graham crackers and top with sprinkles, chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, whatever your heart desires!

Fun, easy and they definitely satisfy the sweet tooth craving!

GRAHAM CRACKER SWEET TREAT

Ingredients ::

1 sleeve of graham crackers

1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

assorted toppings {sprinkles, chocolate chips, nuts, dried fruit, etc.}

Directions ::

Spread graham crackers on baking sheet.  Melt butter and brown sugar in microwave for 4-6 minutes.  Stir every 2 minutes.  {this will be hot!!}  Pour over graham crackers and top with topping.  Wait 1 hour, or until topping has hardened.  Break into bite size pieces.  Store in airtight container at room temperature or in the freezer.

PROGRESS ON ADDILYN'S ROOM || and moving on to the baby's room

Hello and happy Monday!  I have a really sick babe this morning, so our Monday will involve cuddling and watching a lot of Olympics.  But, I thought I would pop in and show some progress photos of Addilyn's bedroom.

Her room is slowly coming together!  I love this rug {Dash + Albert}.  I can toss it in the washing machine, let it hang dry and it's back and ready for action in just a few hours.

Matt built her a headboard when she starting sleeping in her 'big girl bed'.  Eventually he will build her a bed, but for now this works great.  The headboard was originally painted with green milk paint.  When we moved, I painted in 'Scandinavian Pink', distressed it and waxed it.  I love it because you see the green underneath!

I painted her dresser and the shelf 'Scandinavian Pink' as well.  That's the beauty of Chalk Paint, you can paint virtually any surface and really create fun pieces of furniture!

I would like to add a few more canvases to her room.  The colors match perfectly and she really loves looking at family pictures.

Well, that's all I have time for this morning.  Off to tend to my sick one.

Have a great Monday and I will be back tomorrow with a fun sweet treat recipe!

xoxo~Darci

A LITTLE UPDATE || our organized chaos

We survived our move!  It almost got the best of me!!  Packing, cleaning, moving two businesses…. and all with two little helpers was rough.  Matt says our next move will be to a nursing home ;-)

Matt is busily working on making my new studio space 'pretty'!  I am so excited to have the shop/studio so close to home.  I will be able to devote more time and energy into helping customers and painting projects.

This is what the space looked like last week.  It's a really neat space, I can't wait to show you the finished project!

Matt is painting the walls today.  The walls and ceiling will be a really soft gray…..

I got these cuties for the wall mount lights, there are 2 of them going up the stairs.

Matt ripped out the existing carpet and is installing this laminate floor.  We wanted to go with a vinyl or laminate.  Both options are easy to clean and can handle water and paint spills….perfect for a paint studio!!

I have a painting workshop this Saturday, so our goal is to have the space ready by then!

Meanwhile, the rest of the house has 'organized' piles of chaos,

or, it has nothing.

We sold most of our furniture to our home buyers.  I wanted to buy new furniture for this home so it was a win-win for both of us!

Once my shop/studio space is set up, and our Main Street property is set up and functioning as a vacation rental {again} we will start to decorate!  Addilyn's room is first on the decorating calendar!  This is what we have so far….pretty bare bones!

Thanks again for all of your patience.

My design clients have been so patient and gracious, my paint customers have been so understanding, my rock-star of a husband has been busily up-packing and helping around the house.  Addilyn spent all day yesterday with her Grandma and I was able to get so much un-packed. Such a blessing-all of you!

I can't wait to share all of the changes with you guys!  And, I will be offering a new line of paint {in addition to the Chalk Paint®}.  So much great stuff in the works!!!  But, for now I need to get painting!!

JANUARY GIVEAWAY || a winner

Well, you know what they say…..'better late than never'.  Today is February 2nd, and I finally drew a name for the January giveaway.

The winner is CINDY OLLIS ~ #7!  

{Cindy, I will drop your treats by the post office this week!!}

And now, it's time for the February give away!

Since February is the month of love, I thought I would give away some cute treasures for backing/packing/loving on the sweet ones in your life!

This month's giveaway includes ::

~5 red patterned treat bags from my shop.  Perfect for filling with cookies, chocolate or little treasures.

~A darling Valentine's day print.

~ Set of 6 mini heart cake pans from Cost Plus.

~Pack of 24 polka dot straws from my shop.

~ Heart shaped glass bowl, perfect for holding your Valentine's day candies.

~ NOT PICTURED ~ 1 dozen chocolate chip cookies, baked fresh right before delivery!

1. To be entered to win, leave a comment below telling us what your favorite Valentine's day candy is.

2. Like MD HANEY & CO. on Facebook, and leave a comment telling us your favorite Valentine's day candy.

Since this giveaway is centered around Valentine's day, the drawing will be on Wednesday, February 12th!

MOVING THE STUDIO :: and the vacation rental

I feel like we are always moving/building/creating/changing.  I love it, wouldn't have it any other way.  But, with sweet little kiddos in the mix now, we don't have the bug to always move/build/change.   You know?!?  We still love all of that, just don't want it to take up all of our time.

The new house we are moving into has a great detached garage + upstairs office/studio.

I love working at/creating at the studio.  It's my own little creative space and I love the opportunity to meet new people!  But, it's really hard with two little ones.  So moving the studio to our property is going to be awesome!!  I will have more details about the new studio space once escrow closes {next week}.

With all of the moving changes, we have decided to turn our Main Street property back into a vacation rental.    We have had vacation rentals in Carlton for 6 years now!  Crazy how time flies! This past week, we have been slowly making the changes to turn it back into a vacation rental.

The living room is slowly coming together.

I sold all of furniture last year when we turned this house into a studio {of course}!  So I am buying new furniture and moving things over from our house.

This is what the dining room currently looks like.  Lots of work ahead of us!

I have the kitchen stocked, cleaned and ready for renters!

The kitchen takes me the longest to clean after we have had renters….at least 1 hour!  But nobody wants to vacation at a home with a dirty kitchen!!

Matt still has to build a bed for the upstairs office, and convert the work room back into a bedroom, I have to make changes to the website, yada yada yada.  Seriously, we are crazy!

But, I know in the long run it will be much easier, and I can be more productive, to have the studio where we live.

Life is good, I am so very blessed.  Hard work just keeps me sleeping good at night and not having to work out!

DARK CHOCOLATE CHUNK OAT BARS :: a {very easy} sweet treat recipe

Tomorrow afternoon I am hosting a Chalk Paint® class.    I really enjoy teaching classes.  It's an excuse to meet new people and get our creative juices flowing.  I like providing refreshments, even if I am the only one eating them ;-)

For tomorrow's class, I am having sliced apples, this yummy dip and tasty, dark chocolate chunk oat bars.  I made them last night and they are sooooooo good, especially warm and right out of the oven!!

I love to keep sweet treats around for me and my little family.  I usually we have sweets that are sweetened with honey, made with oats, and so on.  I try to go for a bit more wholesome than a traditional chocolate chip cookie. {I do love me some chocolate chip cookies!}

These fit the bill perfectly!

Healthy Dark Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Bars  (original recipe)

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 18 bars

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup coconut oil, melted (if need you may sub canola oil)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into chunks (about 1 1/2 cups)  ** I didn't have dark chocolate, I used 1 cup of dark chocolate chips and 1/2 of a hershey bar.**

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish or line with foil or parchment papper.
3. In a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, add the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, melted coconut oil, eggs and vanilla and beat until combined and the dough holds together (the dough will seem oily, this is good). Mix in about 1 cup of the dark chocolate chunks.
4. Turn half the batter out into prepared pan, pushing the dough into pan. Sprinkle on the remaining dark chocolate chunks and then place the remaining half of the dough over the chunks. Some of the chunks will most likely be sticking out, that is fine. Don't worry about it looking perfect. If desired you may even add more chocolate to the top.
5. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, just do not over bake.  Allow bars to cool in pan for at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving.

Enjoy!!

BLACK DOORS :: and a little bling

 Matt and I have been married 11 years.  It really does seem like we were just married…..time sure flies!  When we were newlyweds, our heated discussions were usually about family, work or money.  Geesh, I was a selfish young bride!  Thank goodness those heated discussions are pretty few and far in between.  Do you know what most of our heated discussions are about now?

Homes and spaces.  

It sounds really shallow.  Like maybe that's the only thing we are passionate about.  But, I assure you that's not the case!  I could really get into boring details here, but I will spare you.

A few days ago, we had heated discussion….it went a little like this.

image

Me : What do you think about me painting the interior doors {at the new house} black?  And maybe adding some pretty glass door knobs?

Matt : I don't think you should paint them.  If I have time, I would like to make new doors. INSERT me rolling my eyes.

Me :  When are you going to find time to just widdle up 8-10 interior doors.  I think painting them would look great.

image

Matt :  It could look great, or REALLY BAD.  If you don't want me to make them, then I think we should buy new doors.

Me : I think that's a little over kill, do we really need to buy all new doors?  I just wanted to paint them and add pretty hardware.

Matt : What do you mean 'add pretty hardware?'  You started out with wanting to paint the doors.

Me : Yes, but you can't paint them and not add new hardware.

image

Matt : OK, well that is going to get expensive.  So, if you don't want to do ANY OTHER improvements, we can buy new doors and hardware.

Me : Are you talking about buying doors made of solid gold? What do you mean we can't do ANY OTHER improvements?

Matt : If we are going to do it, I want to do it right.

image

Me : Well, what if we buy 1 door and handle set at a time?  We can change it out as I finish {decorating} each room.

Matt : No, if I am going to have to paint or finish doors, I want to do them all at once.  Plus, I want to change out all of the hardware at once.

Me : How about you don't worry about it and you just let me do my thing.

Matt : Under his breath 'it's going to look like cra*'.

image

Me : I don't need your help.  I was just being polite by asking your opinion.  I will do it ALL myself.

Matt : You know how to change out door knobs?

Me : Yes, plus I have my own tools, I can figure it out.

image

Matt : You know what?  You are right, we can just do 1 at a time.  You can try painting them, and if you don't like how they turn out, we can just replace them one at a time.

He is a good man.

Pictures to follow, after we move in ;-)

Have you painted your interior doors a color other than white?

CHALK PAINT® CLASSES :: what's the difference?

Hello and happy {rainy} Thursday!

This is what has been consuming my extra time lately….

Packing, cleaning, and organizing.  It feels so good to go through everything!

I am using the dining room as my packing and sorting room.  If I don't love it, or haven't used it in one year, it's donated or put in the garage sale pile.  It's hard to stick to my rule!!  I am always thinking 'someday I might use that'.  Yesterday,  I took six huge bags or little girl's clothing to the Blessing Room….and I still have two bags to give away and several outfits to sell at the garage sale! It feels soooo good to simplify!!

Speaking of simplifying, some areas of my home are looking pretty bare!  I am having a garage sale tomorrow, and the buyers are coming by to see if they want to purchase any of our furniture.  My goal is to hardly move anything…..either sell it or donate it!

So, the point of this post is not to talk about me, but to explain the different Chalk Paint® classes and workshops we offer.  I get quite a few customers asking about the differences.  Good question!  Below are descriptions for our most popular classes.

First Friday {which I am going to change to every Friday starting in March}!

The first Friday was something I started this year, and people seem to really love it.  As of March, I am going to offer this every Friday, instead of just the first Friday of the month.  I will be calling it OPEN WORKSHOP.

OPEN WORKSHOP is where you can bring your own project to paint, in our workshop.  We open our workshop from 1pm-5pm on Fridays.  

You bring your own paint and wax {or purchase when you arrive} and you can use our workshop space, brushes and tools.  I am happy to offer tips and advice, in between helping customers.  You can stay for the entire 4 hours, or just pop in for 45 minutes.  The goal is to provide an incentive {a fun and creative environment} for you to just start painting!

I have light refreshments and the cost is $10.  You don't need to rsvp, but just know we only have space for 5-6 people at a time.

BRING YOUR OWN PIECE

BYOP classes are offered once a month.  The class lasts 3 hours.  Here we guide you through the steps to paint and finish your own pice of furniture {a tray, box or shelf are great, nothing larger than 2 feet wide or 2 feet long.}  We teach tips and tricks and help to build your confidence.  We provide the paint, wax, brushes and tools.

Light refreshments, drinks and a tote are included.  The 3 hour class is $75.  You do need to rsvp for these classes, the maximum number of attendants is 6.

INTRODUCTORY TECHNIQUES

This is a fun class, meant to inspire your creativity and evoke confidence.  You will learn four techniques to understand the basics of this unique paint and proper wax application.  You will learn tips to achieving beautiful results on all of your painted projects.   You will paint and wax molding pieces that are yours to keep.

Light refreshments, drinks and a tote are included.  The 3 hour class is $75.  You do need to rsvp for these classes, the maximum number of attendants is 6.

To sign up for classes, you can call {503.857.8176} or send a note via our contact page.  I will send you detailed information about the class and add you to the list!

Happy Painting!

JANUARY :: a busy month

Hello and thank you for bearing with me as I only posted once last week!  I probably won't post much for the next 3-4 weeks, I will be a little busy ;-)

My to-do list includes….

Packing, purging and cleaning our house….and a garage sale this weekend!

Turning our Main Street property back into a vacation rental.  {More on that soon ;-}

Packing up my design studio, I am moving the studio in 3 weeks!  

Updating the website with all of the changes.

Still working on design projects for clients, keeping my children alive and still trying to keep our home somewhat livable.

I love the challenge and I am super excited for this next phase.  I can't wait to fill you in on all the details!

Until then, don't hesitate to call if you want Chalk Paint, I am still happy to meet you if Fridays don't work.  I have the best customers….thank you and I can't wait to share all of the new changes with you!!

I will be back soon!

xoxo

JANUARY GIVEAWAY :: a giveaway each month in 2014

Good Monday morning and Happy New Year!  I think with the new year right around the corner, it's a good excuse to start having monthly give aways!  Right?!?  I love to give gifts and I know we all like receiving them.    My customers and clients are the best.  Seriously, you guys are so supportive and I appreciate your business and the opportunity to get to know you!

Plus, it's an excuse to get more Chalk Paint® into the hands of my lovely customers!

DISCLAIMER ::  OK, I will work on my photography skills. Since I have very few, this may take a while!  I apologize for the lousy pictures that follow ;-}

1.  WARM AND COZY print from this darling website, and a red frame.

2. Chalk Paint® color card.  These sell for $5 at the shop and they are quite popular!

3. A cute little spiral notebook.  I have these little cuties stashed everywhere!  One for my ever growing grocery list, one for notes, one for little hands to color, etc.

4. a 4 oz. sample pot of LOUIS BLUE Chalk Paint®.  These little guys sell at the shop for $11.95.  They are perfect for painting picture frames, a little side table, lamps and so much more.

5. not pictured ::  home made fudge to enjoy as you paint your little project!

So, here it is.  A sweet little give away to get your creative juices flowing!

THE DETAILS ::

You have three ways to be entered!  You can do one, or all three!  If you already 'like' MD HANEY & CO. on Facebook and receive the blog posts via email, thank you!!!

1. If you are on the BLOG page of the website, at the top right hand corner you will see a spot to enter your email address.  When you fill that out, you will receive blog posts via email (2-3 times per week).

2.  Like MD HANEY & CO. on Facebook.

3.  Leave a comment at the end of this post, saying what you would paint with Chalk Paint®.

Easy-peasy and so fun!  The give away will be open for the entire month of January, the winner will be announced on the website and Facebook January 31st!

Have a great week and thank you for a wonderful 2013!!

WINTER PAINT CLASSES AND A CHAIR :: a darling vintage chair

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas!

Our's was lovely.  And now I am looking forward to the New Year!  In some areas of my life, I love to plan, organize and dream.  {You should see my office right now, it looks like a bomb went off.  You would laugh in may face if I told you I am a 'planner, dreamer and organizer'!}  A few weeks ago I ordered this planner….bring on the planning and organizing!!  I can't wait to tell you about this planner!

Anyways, a couple of weeks ago, I found this darling vintage wing back chair.

I painted the legs 'GRAPHITE' {Chalk Paint®} and then waxed them with a clear wax.

I cleaned the upholstery and set her out in the sunshine for a few hours.

You wouldn't believe how good of shape this wing back chair is in!

I can't decide if I am going to sell her or keep her.

 I brought her over to the design studio and placed a price tag on her…..$225.

If you think this darling chair would be a good fit for you home, just let me know and I will be sure to not package her up and take her to my home ;-)

Pretty cute, right??

And, in other shop news, I have updated the website with the WINTER SCHEDULE.  Next Friday is the first Friday in January, so the work room will be open for you to bring in your projects and paint!  We had a great group at the last 'First Friday'.  

Hope you all have a lovely weekend!

SOFT GINGERBREAD COOKIES :: a sweet treat recipe

Soft Ginger Bread Cookies  ||  a winter treat

I have tried numerous ginger bread cookie recipes over the years.  I finally found a keeper!!  I promise, you will love these cookies!  You might even do a happy dance when you realize how easy they are!

Last night I baked the cookies while we enjoyed spending time with my in-laws.  This morning, both girls were up earlier than usual, so we decided to frost and decorate the rest of our gingerbread cookies.

When we move, I will definitely miss our huge island!  It's the perfect spot for both girls to sit and help in the kitchen.

I have really been working on letting go of the inner-perfectionist in me, at least when it comes to activities with the girls.  I don't want them to feel like they can never measure up.  I want them to be brave, and try new things, even if at first, they fail.  And I definitely want to be their biggest cheer-leader, not a nagging voice in their ear!

I want them to enjoy spending time with me, and doing activities with me.

So, when it comes to working in the kitchen, I give Addilyn her own cookies to decorate, or bread to roll into a ball, or her own cheese to grade.  She enjoys helping in the kitchen, and I can relax and not hover over her the entire time.  It's a win-win ;-)

So, back to the cookies.

We baked them last night and frosted a hand full of them after they had completely cooled.  That's the trick, don't try to frost them when they are still warm, I promise you will be disappointed and maybe even frustrated (I know that from personal experience).

I prefer mine with a tall glass of cold milk.

 Although, in the morning, I am sure I will prefer my little gingerbread man with a hot cup of coffee!

The frosting has a hint of lemon, a perfect accompaniment to the gingerbread.

These can be made any time of year, but they sure make the best little gingerbread men!!

Soft Gingerbread Cookies with Lemon Frosting

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup butter, room temperature 
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg plus 1 yolk
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 2 1/2 tsp ground ginger
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 2 1/4 cups flour
• 1/3 cup additional sugar for rolling

Lemon Frosting ~  Add the juice of one lemon, and 1 tsp. of lemon zest to a mixing bowl.  Add 3-4 cups of powered sugar and mix (with a mixer) until the frosting is smooth.  Add more powered sugar to achieve the desired consistency.

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
3. In bowl of stand mixer beat butter and sugar together for 2 minutes.
4. Add in molasses and mix until incorporated.
5. Beat in egg plus additional yolk, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon and cloves. Mix until smooth.
6. Turn mixer to low and add in flour until dough comes together.
7. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or longer.
8. Roll dough and cut into desired shapes.
9. Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges are golden.
10. Allow to cool on baking sheet for 3 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.  Once cooled, frost with lemon frosting.

Notes

Store airtight at room temperature for up to 3 days….and enjoy!!!

A MASTER BATH

I am working with some clients who just purchased a second home.  The home is in really great shape.  It's simple, but really clean.  They will be decorating the home with extra furniture pieces they already own. But, they wanted some help decorating their new master bathroom {and bedroom}.  They don't have anything for those two rooms so we get to start from scratch!

 I thought I would share the fun sample board that serves as our 'road map' for the bathroom.

We are going with white walls, and the floors are already white tile, the bathroom will feel light and bright.  Which is good because it is really small!

Here are a few inspiring white bathrooms….

source 

  source

 

Pretty bathrooms!

Hopefully I will have some fun 'after' pictures to share with you!!

CHOCOLATE OATMEAL NO BAKE BARS AND CHRISTMAS AT THE STUDIO

I started decorating the front porch of the design studio the weekend after Thanksgiving.  Of course I had my two little helpers, so I wanted to keep it really simple.

I had 3 objectives…..decorate quickly, use what I already have,  make it pretty!

I filled old buckets with various fresh cut greens.

I love using fresh greens!  They smell amazing, they are naturally beautiful, and most of the time they are free!

I made the wreath with fir and cedar branches from the back garden.

I love using Chalk Boards to decorate with!  A simple little Christmas message on the Chalk Board and we are set.

I forgot to turn on the market lights for the picture!  They are so fun at night.

Two freshly cut trees, boxes with burlap ribbon and pine cones and a few red ornaments….all things I had laying around.  Well, not the freshly cut trees, but you know what I mean ;-)  I bought the large basket from my dear neighbor a few months ago, it provided just the right amount of height for one of the trees.

It's simple but festive.

****

The other day I 'pinned' NO BAKE CHOCOLATE OATMEAL BARS.

I love 'no bake' because they hardly take any effort.

If you are in the mood for an easy chocolate treat, you have got to make these!

Best Ever Chocolate Oatmeal No-Bake Bars

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup coconut oil (you could also substitute butter)
• 2 cups old fashioned oats
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts, raisins, or dried cranberries
• 1 1/4 cups dark chocolate chips (or regular semi-sweet chocolate chips, if you prefer)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt the peanut butter, honey, and coconut oil over medium-low heat in a saucepan on the stove. {Watch this closely. Mine started to burn!}

Remove from heat once it’s melted together and add in the oats, shredded coconut, chocolate chips, nuts/raisins, and vanilla. Stir together until the chocolate is completely melted.

Pour into a greased 9×13 pan and cool in the fridge. If you’d like thicker bars, you can pour the mixture into a smaller pan.

When the mixture is hardened, cut into bars and eat. Store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Recipe adapted slightly from I Hear Exercise Will Kill You.

Have a great day, and tomorrow I will show you a master bathroom design I am working on for a client!

A LITTLE OF THIS AND THAT

I have been pretty busy with various design jobs, but not really any jobs that make for good 'before and after' photos.  Offices, bathrooms, material selections, etc., spaces or things that just don't photograph well.  Matt has been busy with drawing plans and various jobs that just don't photograph well either! But, in the next few months I will have some great photos to share with you!!

So today, I just have a little of this and that…..

My goal for the next month is to paint all of the random pieces that I have been collecting, but haven't taken the time to paint.

I must be craving some blue in my life! This morning I realized that the pieces I have been painting over the last few days are all blue.

I have also been working on painting cabinet doors with Chalk Paint®.  It really helps to have a big chunk of color when deciding on what color to use for a project!

My little helper!

I made Pioneer Woman's pretzel turtles this morning.  They are REALLY good!  Mine don't look as pretty as her's, but they sure taste good!

They are perfect little treats for delivering with Christmas cards.

I need to give them away because I am afraid I will eat them all!

We carry DASH & ALBERT rugs at the Studio….I love them!

I am going to use this rug in Addilyn's new bedroom.  I am also going to move the dresser from the master bedroom into her bedroom.  Don't you love the green dresser next to the rug?!? So fun!

I am going to paint Addilyn's bed and night stand 'SCANDINAVIAN PINK'.  I think it will be a fun pop of color!  Pictures coming soon!

Until then, have a great week!!

ADDILYN'S NEW ROOM :: a toddler's room

Hi friends!

Remember this post I wrote last week?  Well, you won't believe what has transpired in the last 7 days.  I will go into more detail in the next few weeks, but for now, just know it has been pure craziness {in a good way} at the Haney household.  My shift has focused from re-decorating our master bedroom, to cleaning/packing/organizing because we are going to be moving soon!

One of the many things I am excited about, is that the girls will each have their own room.  Now, since my head has been whirling with decorating ideas, I figured it might help calm my crazy mind if I start getting ideas on paper. I thought you might enjoy seeing the ideas too!?!

Here is a snap shot of the look I am going for in Addilyn's room.

Bright, fun, bold and a bit eclectic, just like my girl!

When we moved back into our house {almost 2 years ago} I didn't take the time to decorate Addilyn's room.  I just used what we had, and knew in a few years we would start working on built-ins and really take the time to decorate.

I love the bright colors in her room now, but I am going to go even brighter!  I think it will fit her bright and bold personality perfectly!

And, just for kicks, a picture of her darling little Christmas tree.  Please don't mind the tree stand….we found an old pot, filled it with sand and water and it works perfectly ;-)

Next post, ideas for sweet Savanna's room…...

HOME MADE PEPPERMINT OREOS :: a holiday treat

 

I thought I would share my cookie contribution for the cookie exchange tonight.

HOME MADE PEPPERMINT OREOS.

The website I found the recipe from has much prettier pictures, but they sure taste good!!

HOME MADE PEPPERMINT OREOS

****

Ingredients

• {batter}
• 1 box devils food cake
• 1 egg
• 1 stick of butter softened
• {frosting}
• 1 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 TB milk, or heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Peppermint extract
• Andi's crushed peppermints

Instructions

1. Combine egg and butter in a large bowl. Mix until combined. Pour in devil's food cake and mix until the batter is smooth (about 2 min). Roll dough into a ball and push flat onto a lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Remove to cooling rack and allow cookies to completely cool.
2. For frosting: Mix together butter. Next add milk, vanilla and peppermint extract. Then slowly add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.
3. Frost one cookie on the BOTTOM and then sandwich another cookie on top. I like to use a lot of frosting (make sure it's coming out the sides). Then dip the sides of the cookie into crushed peppermint andis.

Enjoy!!!!!  I prefer mine with a tall glass of cold milk ;-)

HOME MADE PEPPERMINT OREOS :: a holiday treat

 

I thought I would share my cookie contribution for the cookie exchange tonight.

HOME MADE PEPPERMINT OREOS.

The website I found the recipe from has much prettier pictures, but they sure taste good!!

HOME MADE PEPPERMINT OREOS

****

Ingredients

• {batter}
• 1 box devils food cake
• 1 egg
• 1 stick of butter softened
• {frosting}
• 1 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 TB milk, or heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon Vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon Peppermint extract
• Andi's crushed peppermints

Instructions

1. Combine egg and butter in a large bowl. Mix until combined. Pour in devil's food cake and mix until the batter is smooth (about 2 min). Roll dough into a ball and push flat onto a lined cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for 6-8 minutes. Remove to cooling rack and allow cookies to completely cool.
2. For frosting: Mix together butter. Next add milk, vanilla and peppermint extract. Then slowly add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.
3. Frost one cookie on the BOTTOM and then sandwich another cookie on top. I like to use a lot of frosting (make sure it's coming out the sides). Then dip the sides of the cookie into crushed peppermint andis.

Enjoy!!!!!  I prefer mine with a tall glass of cold milk ;-)

MASTER BEDROOM :: time to give it some style

We bought our little 'fixer' almost 8 years ago.  Wow, time really does fly, it feels like just yesterday!!  After remodeling and living in it for about 3 years, we moved out and turned it into a vacation rental while me moved into another 'fixer' and remodeled it.  We moved back into our house almost 2 years ago.  Anyways, the point being, when we moved back in, I was going to take the time to fix up each room exactly how I wanted it.

Then, I got pregnant with my little sweet pea and was dog sick the entire pregnancy.  Well, now that we are all sleeping a little better in the Haney household, I have a bit more energy to try to tackle decorating some of the rooms in our home.  Also, I have been really busy with work.  I find I need {and crave} my home to be organized and enjoyable, seems to make me a much happier girl!

The first room on my list is going to be our master bedroom, which I am sure will lead into re-decorating our master bathroom. ;-)

The bedroom pictured above is my inspiration photo.

I love so many different styles!  Do you have that problem too?  However, I feel the style of the bedroom pictured goes perfectly with the look/feel/style of the rest of our home.  I am going to have Navy blue as the accent color {instead of green}.  I love the green pictured, but I already have a great blue rug and blue runs through the rest of our home.

This is the view from our bathroom.  Our bedroom is pretty small, our King size bed takes up a lot of space.  Did you know our master bedroom use to be the kitchen?  And our bathroom use to be the laundry room?  Crazy!!

The walls are currently a light blue.  I am going to paint the walls white, to match the trim and really lighten the room up.

I am going to add bamboo blinds {and take away the curtains} and find a different dresser.

I am going to get new bedding.....I am thinking all white with a couple of bold, blue pillows.

I am going to re-paint the bathroom white too.

As you can see, it's a small {and cozy} space.  I am excited to re-do this area!!

Hopefully I can have it finished before Christmas, I will keep you posted!!