Project Corner with Katie

Super fun, super easy DIY project I put together for our new kitchen!  Here's what you do...

1.Find a picture frame or a mirror... doesn't have to be anything too pricey.  I found mine at Goodwill for about $7.

2.Buy some chalkboard paint.  I found mine at Wal-Mart although the lady in the paint department told me they are going to stop carrying it.  They should have it at Lowe's or Home Depot although our Lowe's was sold out the day I went to buy some.

3. Remove the glass portion of the frame and apply 2 coats of chalkboard paint.

4. Let dry 24 hours.  Season your new chalkboard using the wide side of some white school chalk.

5. Chalk away!  These are great for posting dinner party menus or welcome messages!    

It's the Freakin' Weekend Baby...

This three day weekend was exactly what I needed!  It's been a busy year to say the least.  Between Joe and I having to travel for work as soon as the academic year ended and then moving into our new place, I feel like we haven't really stopped moving for the last month or so.  We're finally unpacked and settled and we had a chance to entertain ourselves this weekend rather than just trying to get things done before work started up again.  I planted some flowers on our new patio and we got a grill and some new furniture.  I think Joe grilled something every day this weekend.  Tonight- he grilled french fries wrapped up in aluminum foil- they were actually really good!  Who knew you can grill a french fry. We went to see Grown Ups- we weren't too impressed... I don't know how they ever roped Adam Sandler into that script.  I was a little sad for him walking out of the theatre!  We had a BBQ with some friends and shot off fire works in the street.  This was a new thing for me since fireworks are mostly illegal in MN.  I kept on screaming- and I am sure I made a skittish name for Minnesotans in general- sorry all!  I finally finished the novel Joe gave me for Valentine's Day and I watched about 10 episodes of The Hills on Netflix on demand (ridiculous- I know).  I did some long workouts at the gym, which I guess isn't too entertaining, but it was nice not to rush for once!  I tried to talk the cat into venturing outside on the harness, but he was not having it.  Can't really blame him- he's got it pretty good right where he is.   I gave our new kitchen a work out too with these fun recipes you should try if you want a sweet or savory treat...

Peanut Butter and Banana Mini Oreo Cheesecakes
Ingredients:
1 8-ounce package cream cheese, at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 Oreos
2 medium bananas, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch slices
Directions:
1.  Heat oven to 350˚F. Make the peanut butter cheesecake by beating together cream cheese and sugar with a mixer until fluffy. Mix in egg, peanut butter, and vanilla and beat until smooth.
2.  Line 12 cups of a muffin pan with paper cups and place an Oreo in the bottom of each cup. Add three slices of banana on top of each Oreo. Pour peanut butter cheesecake batter on evenly on top of the banana layer.
3.  Crush remaining 4 Oreos in a bag with a rolling pin or pulse in a food processor until crumbled. Sprinkle Oreo crumbs evenly on top of peanut butter cheesecake layer. Bake at 350˚F for 25 to 28 minutes or until set. Remove from pans and let cool to room temp, about an hour, and then place in fridge until chilled, about 1 more hour. Remove mini cheesecakes from paper muffin cups. Makes 12 servings.

Applebee's Spinach Artichoke Dip
Ingredients
1 (10 ounce) box frozen chopped spinach, thawed
1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
1 cup shredded Parmesan-Romano cheese mix
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
10 ounces prepared Alfredo sauce
1 teaspoon minced garlic
4 ounces softened cream cheese
pepper (optional)
Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine ingredients thoroughly in a bowl and spread mixture into a small baking dish (I used an 8" X 8" dish).
3. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cheeses are bubbling and melted.
4. Serve with chips or bread and enjoy.

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July!

Katie's Picks

If you were stranded on a desert island, what one thing would you bring?  No, I will not say mascara, far too unoriginal for me... I can't live without Johnson's and Johnson's No More Tangles!  I remember my Mom spraying this stuff on my long blonde hair when I was little. I took a brief hiatus from it in junior high... but by high school I had returned to the one thing that works better than any other detangler known to man, women, or babies...

There are a few other things I like and have been buying one after another for years...

Covergirl stick concealer... as a person had a lot of skin problems until recent years... this stuff has served well. It covers redness, dark circles, and blemishes.  

So my skin may be a little clearer these days, but I dont' think it will ever look be any less Norwegian!  So a little color never hurt a fair skinned Lena... I sort of like this stuff although it can be a little bit messy.  One container has lasted me over a year though so it's a pretty good deal.  

Here is one of my big splurges... this pinkish lavender "Iced Lotus"  blush is by Clinique.  It's the sweetest shade I have ever found.  If you want to look feminine, give this stuff a whirl.

Here is another hair favorite.  I can't say I have ever had to purchase this stuff though.  One of my aunt's is a hair dresser and she sometimes hooks me up with this amazing stuff at Christmas time!  If you have fragile hair that breaks easily, this stuff will toughen it up real quick.

That's about all for Katie's picks!  Nothing too glamorous... but I guess I am okay maintaining a medium glamour level- hehe. 

 

Survey Says...

1. Name given at birth: Katie Jo Rindahl

2. Nicknames: Jo, Katie J

3. Favorite words: Menomenie, Sheboygan, and Oconomowoc... all towns is Wisconsin

4. Hometown:  Sunburg, MN

5. Current Residence: Rolla, MO

6. Croutons or Bacon bits? Croutons

7. Favorite salad dressing: Hidden Valley Ranch... I was so sad the day I realized there is 14 grams of fat in 2 table spoons

8. Shampoo or conditioner? No More Tangles- the baby stuff. 

9. Have you ever gone skinny dipping? Oddly- no. 

10. Do you make fun of people?  To their faces mostly...

11. Favorite color:  Pink or green 

12. Have you ever been convicted of a crime:  Nope

13. One pillow or two, cotton or feathers? Two- feathers! 

14. Pets? Carl! 

15. Favorite Music:  Oldies

16. Hobbies??  Running

17. Toothpaste:  Whatever my husband finds on sale at Big Lots

18. Favorite foods: Popcorn with Parkay Spray and garlic powder!

19. Do you get along with your parents?  For sure. 

20. Favorite town to chill in:  New Orleans

21. Favorite ice cream flavor:  Mud Pie Mojo

22. Favorite drink (non-alcoholic): Diet Moutain Dew

23. Adidas, Nike, or Reebok?  I Reebok The Pump 2.0.  I've bought 3 pairs on EBay... but they are getting harder to find.  So I have to resort to Nike. 

24. Favorite perfume/cologne:  Juicey Coutoure

25. Favorite Website(s):  A blog called Bambina Babe. 

26. Favorite subject in school:  Psychology

27. Least favorite subject in school:  Biology

28. Favorite alcoholic drink: Strawberry Long Island

29. Favorite sport to watch:  Gymnasitcs or Volleyball

30. Most Humiliating moment:  When I was at a lockin at a friends church in 8th grade, I unknowingly stripped in front of her entire youth group while I was getting ready for bed in the choir loft/balcony. 

31. Craziest or silliest idea:  I moved to Southern Mississippi without ever having been there before. 

32. What do you look for in a romantic interest?  Honesty and Kindness. 

~~~~~~~LasT Time You~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

32)Spoke-  Said goodnight to my husband

33)Showered- This morning

34)Ate- Cottage Cheese right out of the carton for supper

35)Kissed- This morning when I woke up

36)Laughed-Tonight during my staff meeting

37)Wrote- Clearly this wasn't a well thought out question...

38)Typed-  See above

39)Studied- I study something pretty much every day... although the last time I took a test was almost 4 years ago in graduate school.

40)Drank- Drinking white wine right now.

41)Fought- Fought with the kitty cat this morning- I'm a lover, he's a  fighter

42)Ran- 4 miles yesterday with my friend Tiffany

43)Walked- Home from my staff meeting

44)Hiked- What qualifies as a hike?

45)Coughed- Choked on some weird apple water stuff today...

46)Rode a bike- Two summers ago... funny it's been that long. 

47)Rollerskated/bladed- I took one of my colleague's kids to a skating rink a few months ago

48)Iceskated-  Joe and I went in St. Cloud last winter

49)Bought something- Today- at the outlet mall in Lake of the Ozarks

50)Were sick- Thanksgiving- bad cold! 

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!

My dear husband turns 27 in less than 2 hours... in honor of his birth- here are 27 things I love about him!

1. He is so genuine- he dosn't put on a front for anybody.  What you see is what you get. 
2. He observes the humor in everything.  Spend a day listening to how he sees things- I promise you'll be entertained.
3. He loves his cat- and he'll do anything for him.  Sometimes he makes up little raps for the cat or talks to him is silly voices.  It's great.
4. He is kind to people.  He treats them well and tries to do what is best for them.
5. He helps me relax.  He reminds me to take a break and enjoy life.
6. He knows something about everything. He claims he read a lot of books out the non fiction section when he was little... now he watches a lot of documentaries. He knows a lot of facinating stuff and can explain how things work.
7. He fixes things.  It's amazing- computers, cars, small appliances- wow.  What a blessing.  
8. He dosn't complain about the little things.  He accepts them for what they are.
9. He gives great gifts- he really cares about getting the right thing for people.
10. He can hold a conversation with anyone.  He just knows something about what any given person wants to talk about.   
11. He looks for the good in others.  He dosn't get hung up on other people's imperfections or try to fix them.
12. He is patient.  He accepts that some things take time and you can't rush through them without wreaking stuff.
13. He likes to drive... for hours at a time.  So I can sleep or read when we travel.
14. He has a great family.  They really care about the most important thinngs in life- quality time and making fun memories.
15. He is a kid at heart.  He loves to play- swings, toys, skating, games.  He's not too old for any of it.
16. He has pretty eyes and a cute smile.
17. He is sure of his style. 
18. He  has great insight when helping other people with their problems.
19. He does his best work with everything.
20. He is good at managing money.
21. He's informed, progressive, and liberal.
22. He does the dishes and cooks for me sometimes. 
23. He grills a mean burger.
24. He will make a wonderful father for any little boy or girl!
25. He educated, but he isn't snobby about education.  He's the oppisite of snobby. 
26. He can do math in his head really fast.
27.  He loves me and he accepts me for all that I am good and bad.  He cares about making me happy.

Joe's first birthday as a husband, with a wife!  May it be the first of many wonderful days celebrated together.  I love you babe, you are really something and  I am so lucky to have you in my life. 
   

Sweater Recycling!

Looking for something to do with your old sweaters?  Maybe they shrank, maybe they were an impulse buy.  In my case, it was on clearance for 75% off at Target, so I thought, "you can't go wrong with that".  But, oh indeed, you can- so now my sweater with the wierd double v-neck collar is a couch pillow! 

Think it's a little weird?  Pottery Barn doesn't::

So- now you can recylce your old sweaters and save yourself $37.  Yay.  Oh, but what to do with the sleeves?  Candle covers! You can get these jar candles at Wal-mart for 3.50. The sleeves will stretch right over for a cute and cozy cover.

Again, if you have any weirdness concerns, console yourself with this from Anthropologie:

This would have set you back $13.

Other things you can do with sweaters from the Country Living website:

I'm dying to try the lampshade!  Thanks for cheking out project corner with Katie:)

Here's what I know...

Today I bent the truth to be kind, and I have no regret,

for I am far surer of what is kind than I am of what is true. ~Robert Brault
Why has our culture forsaken the simplicity of kindness?

What is with all the "you suck" rhetoric? It really doesn't make you look smart, creative, interesting, or funny. It's just plain mean.

I really think I'm on a different train than the

rest of these people.

Lord, don't let me take on unkind habits.

Help me be true to the person you made me to be.