I am unsure of how so much stuff accumulates so quickly.
We have cleaned closets, donated, and done what we thought was a house purge before.
But this time is different…
This time is for a very special reason. [Read more…]
The coffee table that became a French Country bench
January 16, 2018 by 9 Comments
Hello there, please forgive me for going mia for a couple weeks, we have had the most unpleasant of winter colds and tummy bugs passed around.
I think we may be out of the woods, and boy am I am glad!
But as I came up for air I finished an upcycle that I am super duper excited about.
So I know I keep talking about updating our bedroom, and with the flu that hit we kind of hit the pause button for a week.
However, I have to share a very thrifty and fun redo we did for the end of our bed.
We have been looking for a bench that we can use as a coffee table/foot stool/end-of-the-bed-bench.
And while we were open to different styles, and I figured I could repaint THE perfect bench if needed…
I didn’t realize it would be a glass-topped coffee table.
But, there she was at Goodwill when we were out shopping and looking for good junk the day after Christmas.
We picked this cute table up for $5 not bad huh? [Read more…]
How to make a wooden wall sconce-fixer upper style
October 27, 2017 by 3 Comments
Remember the left over pre-fab white bead board from the back of the farmhouse church pew?
Yep, we found a way to use the last of it.
I have wanted to make something I can hang these Mason jar holders on for quite a while, but to date have just incorporated them on the dining table, porch etc…
So when we saw these metal hooks at the store recently, they made me think of the chippy white Mason jar holders, and well, the rest is another DIY that used everything we already had on hand sans the hooks.
What I really love about a project like this is
- I did not have to buy very many supplies
- I was able to use leftovers from a previous project
- I had enough Diet Pepsi on hand to complete the project without running to the store (WIN!!!)
Chindi style no-sew area rag rug
August 7, 2017 by 16 Comments
I have had a stack of these Dollar Tree rag rugs FOREVER.
They are in the “bin of conviction” (the things I HAD TO HAVE to make something cool then they sit for a long time)
Yeah, that bin.
Tell me I’m not the only one who may have more than one of these had-to-have-it stashes?
Oh good.
I have down-sized a bit over time but I am glad I have the stash of supplies that I have collected (yes, it’s an official collection of amazing stuff) because you never know when inspiration is going to STRIKE!
Yep, sometimes you get an itch to make something cool and there you are, lots of ideas and no supplies.
So, that is exactly what happened in this case.
I loved the colors of these small rag rugs so of course, I cleaned the store out however many months ago. [Read more…]
How to update a 1970’s dresser
July 21, 2017 by 5 Comments
Sometimes a piece of furniture comes your way and it takes a while to decide what to do with it.
Should I re-stain it, maybe a darker cooler color like a walnut?
Should I white-wash it and put new, fun knobs on it?
But this dresser had it’s destiny before it became mine. [Read more…]
Gluten Free Cheesy Pasta + Kielbasa Dinner
March 7, 2017 by 4 Comments
Oh yeah….
It’s about to get really cheesy up in here.
And…
Gluten free y’all!
I LOVE THIS RECIPE, there I did my all caps and freaked out a teeny bit about how super easy and kid friendly this skillet dinner is.
I love pasta, but pasta does not always love me back so much. So I use gluten free pasta, and make something sensitive tummies and hard-core-wheat-tummies can eat too.
This is a 30 minutes or less recipe and there were no traces of this cheesy goodness on my family’s plates when we finished.
That is always a good sign right?
How to make your own carpet cleaner
February 25, 2017 by 11 Comments
I am probably a bit of a cleaning nerd but I like to clean.
Well, more the enjoyment over the end result perhaps than the process itself.
This last weekend I took full advantage of the 3 day weekend and did some serious deep cleaning in our home.
Lifting a layer of winter dirt and grime (and it never ceases to amaze me how bad it really is lol!) makes my house sparkle and my heart happy as I put my feet up and enjoy the end result.
This year I used a combination of store bought items and homemade cleaning supplies too. [Read more…]
The BEST homemade sweet + sour chicken! (gluten free too)
February 19, 2017 by 17 Comments
Even before breaking up with gluten six years ago, I had tried numerous times to create a crispy and sweet version of one of my restaurant faves.
Each time it was ok, the sauce was pretty good but the chicken pieces were kind of……meh.
Not great and I would eat it of course but not be thrilled.
UNTIL NOW Y’ALL!
Since making this a few weeks ago the fam has requested it over and over.
So I have had to get creative and use BBQ dipping sauce and a few other things to make this crew of chicken fans happy. [Read more…]
7 things you should buy at thrift stores
February 8, 2017 by 6 Comments
Walking around my home with my coffee recently I realized that I have more second hand items than not.
If you have followed twelveOeight for a while or you are new here (yay thank you everyone for your love and support!) you will probably see that my PASSION is to turn nothing into something fabulous.
So…I began thinking that it would be fun to do a series on what a 30 year veteran of thrifting does to score those finds.
When Macklemore came out with Thrift Shop a few years ago, I instantly loved the song, and him (ok there may be a secret crush going on too hee hee) and listen to his music often. While we don’t pop any tags lol, we do believe that paying full price or spending $50 on a t-shirt is getting swindled by an industry. Not only that but look at how full our landfills would be if everyone just discarded their furniture, home goods, clothes etc… when they no longer wanted them.
YES!!! This is where it gets good. One come up coming at you.
I can remember the first yard sale in my neighborhood as a kid. My family were not thrifters, in fact I was an only child for 15 years and my Mom loved her some Nordstrom. So I was accustomed to all that came with having a Mom and Grandma to hang out with who LOVED to shop.
I watched the neighbors set up their tables, then out came box after box full of dishes and lamps, and paintings, and some furniture. After I could take it no longer (I am pretty sure this is the test for a lover of all things thrift. Watch your heart rate and how fast you grab your wallet when you see a yard sale or new thrift shop.) I had to see what they were doing. [Read more…]
Peanut Noodles with Chicken (gluten free!)
January 29, 2017 by 5 Comments
I love noodles, cover them in a million different sauces or leave them buttered with some parsley and you can count me in.
And what’s better than combining a delicious peanut sauce with tender pieces of chicken?
Well you could make it gluten free.
And make it in less than 30 minutes.
Now we’re talking, and this dish is so darn good.
I love the flavors of combining the peanut butter with sesame oil. This has become a dish my family asks for often and when the ingredients are easy to pull together and dinner is on the table that fast….I am more than happy to oblige.
Plus, if I haven’t said it yet, I LOVE THIS DISH SO MUCH. And so does my gluten-intolerant tummy.
We are both happy and full, and even better, you can make a big batch and nom on this for lunch the next day.
Yep, everyone will think you were in the kitchen forever, and that you are a master of noodles and peanut sauce.
It’s ok, I won’t tell anyone how easy this is if you don’t.
Let’s COOK!
Peanut Noodles with Chicken
Ingredients
- 16 ounces of gluten free spaghetti noodles
- 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 cup sesame oil
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 1/2 cup of orange juice
- 6 T. rice vinegar
- 4 T. gluten free soy sauce
- 4 T. hot chili oil
- salt and pepper to taste
- 3 cups of diced cooked chicken (I like to dice and saute chicken thighs in a bit of coconut oil)
- 2/3 cup sliced green onion to garnish
- Optional: finely chopped peanuts to garnish
Cook and drain pasta according to directions.
In a bowl combine peanut butter, sesame oil, canola oil, orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce and chili oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Toss cooked chicken, pasta, and peanut sauce together, fill your bowls and top with sliced green onions and chopped peanuts if you like.
Serves 4-6 main dish servings
Voila! You are done and can enjoy a great meal with family and friends, and not spend all evening in the kitchen either.
Stay crafty-
xo, Tanya
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