Krylon Kreations

Krylon Fusion Paint.

You need this, lovies. You need CASES of this, actually, my dearies.

One quick spritz of this magic potion will have you googly-eyed for days. DAYS! There's nothing this sassafrass can't zhoosh up. Sure, good 'ol spray paint can do the same thing, but its Kool Kousin Krylon is really the life of the party. A plastic party. Krylon is {#PerfectForPlastic}. It totally crushes on plastic and won't let go.

We love the Krylon Fusion for Plastic line. TONS of color options...as of today, 31 to be exact! They even make a metallic shimmer version. {Oooh la la!} A can should cost you around $5 give or take. Stop by craft stores and take advantage of those coupons, kiddos! {Click here} for some eye candy.

{Example #1}: We bought an old, VERY used plastic roller coaster toy from Craigslist for pennies. All it needed was a little hug from Krylon and she was as good as new! We scrubbed her down, sanded her up and got down to bidness. The Hubs thought it would be fun to make The Twinados' little car a bit more fierce and fab. So, adding some Harley-D inspired flames seemed natural.

Here's how we did it:

1. We Krylon- painted the side of the car orange.
2. We found a flame pattern online.
3. We printed the pattern on sticky-back paper.
4. We cut out the template and stuck it over the orange.
5. We spray painted the entire car black.
6. We pulled off the flame sticker to reveal the orange.


{Example #2}: Nothing around the house was safe from Krylon after the roller coaster extravaganza. Nope. We spotted an old Cozy Coupe in the corner and had big plan for this little gem. When we bought her for 5 bucks, she had that "vintage" vibe...but Krylon brought her right back to life! We're big fans of our alma mater, so more sticky-back paper templates joined us in our little upcycle. Nothing really fancy schmancy about the design...just a cleaner look and more school spirit!

Road Warrior!

Hey! Eyes on the road, lady.

Got some projects in mind? {Click here} to view a Krylon Fusion Paint makeover from Krylon's official site. Pretty neat what they did to a patio chair and end table!

Have you used Krylon before? Post a pic of your project over on the CD Facie page. Show us and give us all some summer project inspiration! Please and thanks!

Buckeye Baste

Steak. It hasn't always been for {my} dinner.

Tragedy, right?!! I know. I totally know.

Growing up, we just weren't "steak people." It showed up every now and then, but it was more of a prodigal son of sorts. Do we char it? Marinate it? Flame broil? Don't get me started on the cuts. Ohhhh, da cuts! Inside temperature? Let's just have chicken.

What the?

Our house was heavier on pasta, pancetta and pizza pie. Notta one bad thing to say about that! Notta one! {#ProudBambina} Don't get me wrong, steak sometimes lingered in the background of a BBQ, and it was there, but it was just sort of a wallflower, I guess you could say.

Fast forward many a full moon and let's take a trip down memory lane. The Hubs grew up in a meat-and-potatoes world. I'm talkin' almost every night, he had the equivalent of a Ruth's Chris special. AND...he grew up on a farm...so the veggies were literally picked an hour or so before landing themselves on a cutely patterned Corelle. Just thinking about it makes me swoon! {Like for reals - batty lashes, clasped hands under chin, puckered lips-style swoon.}

So, early on while dating {like the first week!}, he asked if he could make me a nice steak dinner. Sure, I thought! And then, of course...all of the famous questions started rolling in.

1. Do you have a favorite cut?
2. How do you like yours cooked?
3. Would you like steak sauce?
4. Do you marinate yours beforehand?
5. How many ounces would you like?

Blah, blah, blah...

Who the?

I got the shakes. And, he could tell I needed a little help...based off of my interesting reply...

1. Nah, I like them all.
2. On the grill.
3. Nah, all over the top is fine.
4. Probably.
5. Oh, well, probably as big as the plate.

Ever the gentleman, he politely chuckled and said, how about I make an old family steak recipe for you? I couldn't have said heck yes fast enough! {Yes. Phew! Please. Take it from here!}

After the last bite, I wasn't sure what just happened. Did I just eat...steak? Like...real steak? {#Dang!} Many thoughts swirled through my head, but the one that stood out the most? GET THAT MARINADE RECIPE!

So, here she is! A fun family recipe that I hope you'll try. Let me know what you think!

Mix all together in a blender.
That's it!

Tip: Our neighbor gave us a nice tip. Set the meat out about 20-30 minutes before you're ready to grill. Get it to room temp. When the meat is "cold" on the grill, it will seize up.  Keeping it at room temp allows it to cook more evenly.

We made this last night for our sweetie pie friends, and The Hubs was ticked at the grill. His steaks have never charred like this! I am blaming the ONE thing I changed in the recipe over the past 14 years. I used REDUCED SODIUM soy sauce. DON'T DO IT!!

Nope. 

Happy grilling, and thanks for reading!!! I've sure appreciated all of our convos on social media. Pop on over to the Facie page and keep an eye out for lots of Giveaways this summer! "Like" the page for more chances to win!

A Basketball Cake Mold Woke Me Up

Father's Day is almost here! So, cheers to the Dads. I raise you a beer!

Okay, okay, okay...enough of the corny rhymes. Let's get down to bidness. We have gifts to plan.

I'm a gift giver. Love it. MORE than love it. Love it like whoa. I adore that one quick instant when a loved one sees you hand them a gift. There's a certain twinkle in their eye, and I've pretty much always been obsessed with seeing it. It's like a big beautiful puffy heart adrenaline rush. {It gives me all da feels.}

So...where my gifters at?! Holla at your girl because we need to chat about this week's big holiday. What are you giving/making/crafting/cooking? Tell me! I've been brainstorming for a few weeks, and finally narrowed down the plans for The Hubs in the baking section at Michael's. I tossed my ideas out the window when I saw The Twinados giggling up a storm at a basketball cake mold. {What the?} I could hardly cut in on the cackling hens in aisle 6.

I realized something in that sweet little corner as T-1 raced toward me with one of Wilton's finest. My baby chicks are observant old ladies now. THEY are turning into gifters. Sure, they've always given us flowers, crayon creations for days, hand print masterpieces, shiny stickers when "we" do good things, etc...but truly seeing the joy in THEIR eyes because they thought they picked out the perfect gift for someone, took me to a whole new level of sappyness.

How presh!

I've seen them do this thousands of times before, but something was different this time. Cool-different!

They knew EXACTLY what they wanted to do to celebrate their Dad. A basketball cake was surely not on "my" list. I had the typical craft, tool, polo shirt, Buckeye wall art, favorite snacks, golf ball ideas all in line for Sweet Sunday. But adios, list. It's their turn to gift. We're off to hunt down some {nothing rhymes with orange} orange frosting!

So...why am I making such a big deal about a silly 'ol basketball cake? Well, because the NBA Finals are going on! And, the chicklets realize it. They reeeeallly realize it. And, I realized just how in tune they are to their surroundings.

The Hubs is a Cavs fan. Born and raised. Pre-King James. {Loyalty, yo.} Our house has had every emotion this side of Lake Erie run through our flat screen over the past few weeks. {Don't get me started on "the press conference" of June 2010. Nope.}

And, they get it! They know their Dad's love of the game he used to play - and that he wears particular shirts when "dose" guys ball in "Keeve-land" - and that he has his cell phone glued to him so he can text his Ohio friends - and that sometimes Dad stays up really late because the guys work "over time" - and there's a player who people "Love" - and the dude named "Delly" doesn't really own a sandwich shop.

So there ya have it! A rambling monologue about a dang cake mold. BUT! I'm so thankful to that darn silver dome because jut for a superfastsecond, I'm soon going to get to see the two halves of my heart get excited to see the twinkle of gift receiving...for just an instant.

#FullCircle

*** Stop back to see the finished product! Martha and Stewart already set out their whisks.***

Confetti Veggetti

I'm on a Veggetti kick. I'm sorry! Kind of.

We've been loving our fried up zoodles in olive oil and garlic salt, but this weekend we felt like kicking things up a notch. As in, a Mediterranean notch! And so, Confetti Veggetti was born.

We'll soon be attending a local Greek Fest, so we thought we'd bust out the Cavender's Greek seasoning we keep on hand at all times and see what we could do to put a twist on a summer dinner side dish. This little yummy is served cold and provides a refreshing pinch to your plate. Hope you'll test this one out!

{Confetti Veggetti}

2 zucchini

Grape tomatoes

Black olives

1 seedless cucumber

Feta cheese

2T olive oil

2T fresh lemon juice

Cavender's Greek spice

{Optional: Kalamata Olives}

There's no "true" recipe to this dish...just a nice old fashioned eyeballin' approach! Slice up those zucchini with your Veggetti maker...cut up your tomatoes and olives into tiny discs...dice up the seedless cucumber and toss everything together.

For the dressing, mix the olive oil and lemon juice in a separate bowl, and add about 2t of Cavender's to start. Whisk everything together and pour it over the veggie mix when you're ready to serve! {It could get mushy if you put it on ahead of time.}

When dressing has been added, sprinkle on some more Cavender's to your liking. {We eventually go overboard. It's incredible!} Finally, add feta cheese to the top when you're ready to serve this beauty.

{Cavender's}

You need this. You need LOTS of this. Keep it in your pantry, sprinkle it on anything. Potatoes, chicken, pasta...whatevs. Just know...you need this.

Opa-leeeeze try this!

Pumpkin Pie Donuts

Tomorrow is National Donut Day.

Today is the day I order you to try this recipe. Immediately. Don't drive to the store. FLY, honey! I mean it! You need to sink your chompers into these little puffy pumpkin pillows and pour yourself a nice cold frothy glass 'o milk. Serve up a nice slice of a nap for dessert.

Back in the fall {pre-Bloggyworld}, the fam and I made some homemade Pumpkin Donuts. I wish I had a step-by-step guide for ya, but all I can offer today is the recipe and snapshot of the plate before these pretties were...in a word...wolfed!

I know it's June and the farthest thing from your mind is anything Autumn-related, but you always "leaf" room for pumpkin delights, right? {Didja get that one about the leaf? The fall? Leaves, etc.? lol}

So, here she is! A nifty number from Pillsbury. Can't find any pumpkin spice? Try cinnamon! Can't find any pumpkin? How about apple sauce/puree?! I think you can use the base of these yummies and swap out ingredients as you wish. The "glaze" is basically what will give these cuties the flava. So, the sky's the limit! I can't wait to see what you come up with. Tell me your secrets, when you do! {Someone out there zhoosh these up with strawberry somehow. Mmmm-kay?}

Here is Pillbury's version. Click on the pic for the deets! These were really easy to follow. One of those keep-all-of-the-ingredients-on-hand type of recipes so you'll be ready to roll when unexpected company drops by!

Don't forget to checkout my Facie page for Krispy Keme and DD info!
FREE goodies await on Friday, June 5.
Go get 'em, darlings!

Let's Talk About Salve Bay...Bee

So, I have this friend. A soul-friend. You've sort of met her already...{Jenny-Jen}. She's your Shutterfly Secret Agent and guru on, well, pretty much everything else, too. You've seen her name sprinkled throughout my blog posts, and that's because she's one of those dearies that just knows stuff. And, I consult her all the time. On pretty much...anything. She lives her life...

This is her blog and Etsy shop!

From the instant I met her, it was like...umm...excuse me for being superduperfreakinforward, but we're gonna be, like, instant friends, right? Right?! Cool. Then, that's settled.

I'd need a gazillion blogs to write about how cool she is...and you know I love a good Ode up in this...but I think with J, I'll just do a series of random odes! First up: let's talk about her holistic side. Homegirl keeps it real. A few months ago, in the heart of a RIDINKULOUS East Coast winter, J saw Twinado #1 smack her lips. Over...and over...and over. T-1 loves flavored lip gloss. Even if she hasn't applied it since noon, she still thinks it's on at 7. So, you can imagine the Heath Ledger-style Joker smile she was getting under her bottom lip on said day.

Strawberry Fizz: 1st place only by a wee smidgen to 2nd place Taffy Go Lucky.

Jenny-Jen to the rescue! She zoomed away like the superhero she is and popped back up with a little jar of...Salve. {My mind was racing. Good racing. What is this? Should I have had this? Tell me more. How the heck do you pronounce it? I think I need it. I need a case. Two cases! Four.} Now, mind you, if I had shown this stuff to T-1 {or her biffie, T-2}, I would have gotten a scrunch-face, a hand to my mug and a double eye roll. Oh...and a loud nuh-uh. {Classy broads, eh?}

But, not J! She's like a magical fairy to the girls. Mythical like a mermaid with the charm of a unicorn and the sparkle of a seahorse. {Not kidding.} She shows T-1 this stuff and the girl puckered right up. {See? Toldja.} Pretty sure I'm going to have J on speed dial when it's time for homework next year. The girl's a rock star.

Anyhoo...back to The Salve. This little dollup of darlingness is one soothing son-of-a-gun! It's like a lotion-ointment-paste-cream fusion of fun in a jolly little jar. Not oily. Not runny. Not watery. Once applied, it can work to heal excessive dry/irritated skin. Especially chapped lips and sunburns.

This is THE actual Salve sold by J.

Oh...and on rug burn boo boos that sadly happen to your tiny knee when you lose your balance while skipping to the door to head out to the beach. Poor T-2 took a tumble and landed herself a nice big baseball-size scrape that hugged her ENTIRE knee a few weeks ago. She was screaming when we were on the sand. {Think: Kelis.} I didn't blame her. {OUCH!} We tried everything to help her. She refused to do anything for several hours...and covered up like a loon by the pool. When she's set in her ways...she's set in her ways. {Oy!}

Chicken Little. {Or Gilligan. You choose!}

Then I realized...I had tucked a jar of J's SALVE into the family beach bag. {Alleluia!} Although T-2 would have probably preferred to have J there to apply it, she stopped her tears for a sec and let us toss on a few dabs. {#BOOM} I swear I heard her knee say, "Hey, thanks, lady!" Vacation went on. {Phew!}

Mama, I'm SALVED!

Want to get your hands on some of J's homemade Salve? Grab that CC# or sign in to that PayPal account! J makes + sells "The Salve" on Etsy! Her Cross Fit buddies also swear by this. I hope you will, too, someday! {Oh yeah you just read that right, honey child. On top of EVERYTHING else cool that Miss J brings to the table, she adds a sweet side 'o Cross Fit fabulosity to her plate. #BOSS!}


Visit her Etsy shop, Running Sugar Free, and lemme know whatcha think about the all natural ingredients: coconut oil, olive oil, beeswax, vitamin E oil and essential oils of lavender, tea tree and lemon. It's a nice 6 bucks. 6 BUCKS! Save that moolah you were gonna spend on dinner...because this one sure is a winner!

Disclaimer: I'm no doctor...{I just follow Dre}...so use this with caution, obvi. If any of the ingredients are a no-no for you...just keep on keepin' on, ok?!