Dining Room Inspiration

I have been working to do some room-by-room freshening up and am currently working in our dining room.  I updated the buffet I inherited and had my husband refinish the top of our table to a dark walnut.  I am working on a fall tablescape now.  Pinterest is my go-to for lots of quick ideas.  Here are some of my recent pins.....

This is so simple but I love it.  

If I were bold enough to choose colors, this would be a gorgeous choice.  Classic and cool

I love the casual feel and the lighting stole my heart in this kitchen/dining room

This is soooo classic and gorgeous.  Not realistic for me but maybe someday

The lighting, texture of the chairs and weathered table top were my faves here

Weekend Rewind

Someone please slow down time.  Days are flying by like minutes.  Do you feel the same way?  

Friday, I snuck out of work early and headed to the beach for a first grade field trip with my nieces. They were so proud to have Aunt Liz on the trip and I was glad I made time for them.  We walked in some nature trails and learned about trees and insects before walking onto the beach and getting shells. 

 

The official weekend consisted of playing two soccer games, racing and watching the US Women's National Team play in Orlando versus Brazil.  Here are some photos I snapped along the way....

Annie Sloan chalk paint project: Old Buffet

I did it!  After almost seven years of wanting to update a piece of furniture I inherited, I finally got the nerve to get 'er done.  And...I did all this in about three hours.  I received this buffet along with a dining table and a couple other pieces when my great aunt passed.  There is nothing about the style of this that I love but really but it is from my aunt so I wanted to do my best to keep as much of her stuff as reasonably possible.
It has really great storage.  Each door opens and there are sliding drawers inside for dishes that I also inherited.  It also has some sort of rollers built in so I can move it easily.

 I decided to go with Annie Sloan chalk paint (old white),  Why? NO SANDING...NONE.You have to find a shop that sells the paint and that is the toughest part of the entire project.

Coat one was done in prob 30-40 minutes.  A lot of times one coat is enough but this needed two.  

I read online to add a little water to blur the brush marks and it worked like a charm. I started the second coat, immediately after the first.  It dries so quick so on a piece this size, I could start working on one size while the other was drying.

Next was sanding.  I went along a lot of edges to give the distressed look.  

Finally, I went over the buffet with clear wax using an old t-shirt, then went over again with dark wax and it really came alive.  The dark wax looked scary but if you add too much, just add more clear wax and wipe it right off.  That's it!  I didn't even take it outside.  I could have gone above and beyond to do the inside as well but I was lazy...and wanted immediate gratification...and quick completion.

Have you seen this amazing product?  Seriously, it's the best.  

Soccer, racing, brunching weekend

Another week in the books!  Last week I joined these cuties for lunch.  My nephew Cody (back left) turned seven Thursday and I had breakfast with him before heading to work.  I have seven relatives going to the same school right now.  They are so cute.  All the cousins see each other every day and eat meals together.  

I got lots of QT this weekend out on the fields and stopping by to hang with the kiddos before my pops and I went racing.  

 My little BFFs had double header weekend and we won both games.  They are at such a fun age.  They are so passionate and are progressing so much each week.  We are really lucky to have good parents on the team.  They are soooo into the games and are great support.  Of course, everyone is in a good mood when we win but it is amazing to see the girls putting together plays we work on in practice.  We are first place in our age group with just a few games remaining.

With all this excitement, I still managed to grab brunch with some of my closest friends.  I had to leave early to head to soccer (Booooo) but made the most of the time we had.  We were scheduled for breakfast but my Dad and I got in really late last night and none of us were up and rolling as early as we hoped, so brunch it is.  :)  Left to right: Kate, Angie, and Julie.  Julie and I have been friends since elementary school and I have been friends with Angie and Kate since high school.  Kate's first born son is my godson.  I really wish we could meet every week for these chat sessions.

Alright friends, that's a wrap.  I got my first furniture makeover done last week...pics to come.

Make it a great Monday! 

Slow Cooker: 5 ingredient Chicken Tortilla Soup

This is as easy as it gets! 5 ingredients.  About 5-6 hours...makes enough for 4-6 people.

Ingredients:

3 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

1 packet of taco seasoning

1 jar of salsa 

1 can of black beans (add to taste)

1 32oz chicken broth

Prep: (Less than 5 minutes)
Spray no-stick spray for easier cleanup
Place chicken breasts along the bottom of the cooker
Sprinkle taco seasoning over the chicken
Pour in jar of salsa
Drain black beans and pour in.  (I used the flavor above and poured in without draining)
Pour in chicken broth.

Cover - Cook on high for 5-6 hours, depending on your cooker.
Remove 30 minutes before, shred chicken and pour back in.

Alternatives: I wish I added corn to mine.  I thought about it at the store but forgot to add once I got home.  My husband added a little shredded cheese to his and enjoyed it.

A week of travels

I am baacccckkk after being on the road five days last week.  I was home Monday, gone Tuesday thru Thursday for work and left Friday after work to head to the races with my Dad.  

We had the weekend off soccer but a parent sent me some pics of the little ladies in their special jerseys this month.  My co-coach, James surprised the girls with some pink tops.  My grandmother and aunt both passed away from breast cancer.  My MIL just celebrated her first year of remission so we thought it was a great time to talk to the girls about it and show some support.

While on the road last week, we stopped at a really cute casual BBQ spot in Jacksonville for lunch.  It has the sweetest decor of lots of homemade lighting using mason jars and kitchen tools.  I am not a huge BBQ eater but the sliced turkey, green beans, and mac-n-cheese lunch was great.  

While in Jacksonville, we stayed on the beach overnight.  Although we got an early start, I managed to enjoy a quick peek of the beach while I ate breakfast.

Friday night my Dad and I headed to Tampa to race.  We usually get in late Friday night, drop off the trailer and head to a hotel.  We are usually up around 6 and gone by 6:30 the next morning and usually go for 16-20 hours.  It's a looonnnggg day but we have the best time together.  I usually complain about the heat, the dirt and the economy hotels but our neighbors really roughed it.  They camped out...talk about dedication.  They didn't have a way to lock up their trailer and I felt bad because it was raining when we got there.  Poor guys.  #KartLife    

 

 After several hours of rain delay, we finally hit the track about lunch time.  I was quick all day and had two top-5 finishes.

 My little niece Karmie turned 6 on saturday.  She is such a sweetie.  We are doing a little family dinner tonight to treat her since Dad and I were out of town.

Speaking of parties, I am throwing a co-worker a surprise luncheon for his 20 year anniversary with the company.  I'll post some pics later this week. Should be a great time. 

Hope y'all are off to a great Monday!  I am feeling rested and ready to rock!