2012 Recap-Top 5 Projects

I can't believe its that its already the end of 2012! Where has time gone??? We soon will say good-bye to another year and welcome a new year with new possibilities. 2012 will go down in my book as a memorable year for some of the personal challenges I overcame, but also for my first year blogging.

 

I started Decorated Chaos back in August of 2011, as a way to connect with others who were just as passionate about DIY and home decor as I was, but little did I know what I was about to embark on! 

 

 I started with the mindset of being a casual blogger and only posted a few posts then took a five month absence. I wasn't sure which direction I was going to take with the blog and I wasn't sure I could manage it with a demanding work schedule so on the back burner of life it went.

 

Then in May life hit me with an unexpected challenge. I was so upset about what crap life had thrown at me but I grabbed the bull by the horns and decided I wasn't going to let this thing take me down. There was something good that could come of this situation I found myself in so I pulled myself together and used the time for self growth and discovery.

 

And it was then that I submerged myself in my blog and began treating it like a part-time job. I started over by creating goals, dedicating time to achieving those goals, and fast forward several months later I have completed several home projects, began meeting people like YOU and finding my niche.

 

Now, fast forward-after tackling my challenge, I am now happy with a piece of my life that once made me miserable, I have become what I consider a full-time blogger, and I have learned new things that would not have been possible without blogging.

 

So today I want to take a walk down memory lane with you and revisit some of my top posts of 2012.

 

1. Oreo Desert:

Man, do you guys love Oreos! I learned very quickly after posting this post that YOU guys LOVE your Oreos!

 

 

 

2. Trash to treasure transformation using Oil Rubbed Bronze paint:

 

I have ORB fixtures in my house but I had no idea there was a spray paint that I could use to transform old brass or silver fixtures too! This wrough iron piece was dingy and gross, but with a little elbow grease and a can of ORB paint, it is now one of my favorite pieces I own! (ORB paint is one of the things I discovered from blogging and I am still obsessed with it!)    :)

 

 

 

 

3. Bathroom Makeover:

 

We took our bathroom from builder grade off white and boring to fresh and coastal. (still need to frame those mirrors and put the finishing touches on.....so there's more to come for 2013!) LOL

 

 

 

 

4. Garage sale plant stand makeover-

 

This was one of my favorite makeovers and your reactions to this were priceless! I love how this yellow paint put new life into an dirty 1970s garage sale reject, and I can't wait to use this plant stand this summer! 

 

 

5. Mercury Glass-

I have LOVED mercury glass since I discovered it years ago but never knew what it was called. I just called it old looking glass until I discovered what it really was and how I could make my own. YOU guys love this too and my inbox was flooded with questions and comments about my tutorial using the jars, and then the glass lamp I transformed.

 

This was by far my all time favorite project of 2012, and since the jars and this lamp I have made Christmas ornaments, candle hurricanes, and another project that I am going to unveil later in January.

 

 

 

So those were my top 5 projects of 2012. I look back and I see how I have grown as a blogger and DIYer and I am SO glad I chose to get back on the horse and try blogging for a second time back in May. 

 

 I have greatly enjoyed learning new things and meeting all of you guys, and I look forward to tackling many more fun filled projects with you in 2013!

 

Have a happy AND safe New Years Eve!

 

Jennifer

 

Linking Up To:

 

 

 

 

 

Turducken

For the past three or four years my cousins have hosted our annual Christmas dinner on my Dad's side of the family, and instead of the traditional turkey and ham dinner we normally serve, that they wanted to do something a little different. So this year we are having a Turducken.

A WHAT? you might ask. LOL

That's ok.....most Americans have not heard of a Turducken.

It is simple though...a Turducken is a chicken, stuff inside of a duck, which together are stuffed inside of a turkey, thus the name "Tur-duck-en".

At first we were skeptical, but we ordered it from a local butcher so it was prepared correctly, then all we had to do was heat it up. And another good thing about doing it this way is that the stuffing is also stuffed inside so you have all of your meats and stuffing kocked out in one dish.

Here is a picture I pulled off the internet of a traditional Turducken being served. See how everything is stuffed inside of that turkey?

I am not a fan of duck, and I prefer a traditional turkey meal on the Holidays, so for those of us who are like me, we can eat the turkey, and for others in my family who are more adventurous and like to try new things, the duck and chicken make a nice meal too.

Of course we serve other traditional sides with this too like mashed potatoes and gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, corn, pumpkin pie, etc.

Of course like everything else there are variations to the traditional Turducken shown above that include a cajun flair, but I have yet to try those versions.

So if your family is getting a little bored with the traditional turkey meal this holiday season, I highly recomment trying a Turducken...esp if you order it from a grocier or butcher like we do!

Have a very Merry Christmas and I hope you find yourself surrounded by lots of food, laugther, and love!

P.S. This would be great to serve for a New Years day meal too! :)

Jennifer

Linking up to:

Wreath Inspiration-New Pinterest Board

 

Most of us already have our Christmas wreaths out and displayed but if you are looking for something new, or maybe want to add to your decor before having everyone over for Christmas dinner, (yes there is still time), look no more.

 

 I recently added a new Pinterest board called "Wreaths" to give you lots of inspiration.

Here are just a couple wreaths you will find-

 

 

 

 

 

So if you need some inspriaiton, I invite you to visit and check out my Pinterest Wreath board http://pinterest.com/tarajls/wreaths/.

 

I have collected several pins for you to enjoy, and I add more daily so be sure to check back often.

 

Happy Holidays!

 

Jennifer

 

 

Keep Your Christmas Cookies Moist and Fresh

Hello everyone! I hope through all of the the hustle and bustle of the Holiday season you find time to bake some goodies...or enjoy someone's baked goodies at least! LOL

A Christmas holiday is not complete without some homemade baked goods, and I am starting by baking a few batches of homemade pumpkin bread, YUM!, then I'm moving on to sugar cookies and peanut clusters.

Its fun to bake all those treats you love so much and only get to eat  once a year, and after all of your hard work baking you want to actually ENJOY your goodies but sometimes we get so busy that a week goes by and before you know it our goodies have gone stale!

So through trial and error, and advice from my dear fried Kobi-passed down to her from her grandma, I have discovered a way to keep your baked goods fresh even longer so that you can enjoy them after the hustle and bustle of the holidays.

See this guy? Looks like a plain old slice of white bread, right?

Wrong! This guy is a genius! He will become one of your BEST friends during the holidays keeping your baked goods fresh while you mingle and enjoy partying with all of your friends and family.

All you gotta do is fill your Christmas tin, or plastic or glass container full of cookies, then before you seal it with the lid just throw in one or two slices of regular ol' white bread, then put the lid on like you normally would. And voila! You're done...... and your cookies will stay fresh for days longer. I promise!

White bread works the best but I have tried wheat bread and it works too, just not as good as the white bread (in my opinion).

And if you find the bread starts to harden after a few days, just discard it and throw in another slice of fresh white bread to continue keeping your cookies moist and fresh.

I was skeptical when I first learned of this tip but I have used this method now for roughly ten years and it works like a charm...thanks to advice from Kobi's grandma!

I hope you give it a try!

Now, back to my baking......

Jennifer



Linking up to these great parties:

http://bloomdesignsonline.blogspot.com/2012/12/link-party_19.htmlhttp://www.craftberrybush.com/2012/12/happy-hour-linky-party-number-14.html




 

Thrifty Finds-Tons o' Fabric!

For those of you who pay close attention to my posts, you will know that Mr.Chaos bought me a sewing machine last Christmas and I am ashamed to say that I have only used it once! To be honest I am afraid to use it. YES, afraid! My fear is that I will break the needle or break the machine and ruin it. I took a sewing class in middle school (eons ago folks!) and I loved it, but at home I don't have an instructor by my side to help me through my issues with threading the bobbin and needle, so I get nervous, and of course when we are nervous is when we make the biggest mistakes.

So my goal this winter (after the holidays) in January and February when its miserably cold outside is to tackle my fears and "become one" with my little sewing machine!

In the mean time, I created a Pinterest board called "Sewing" where I have collected several pins on tips, tricks, and ideas for sewing, and I have also been on the lookout for cheap fabric........and that my friends is where I segway into my post topic!

Check out the AMAZING deals I snagged on fabrics over the last month. Even I am dying that I found so much at such great prices!

For starters I found these three HUGE rolls of upholster grade fabrics by Waverly for $6.99 each! I don't know exactly how many yards are there but its a LOT!

There were five rolls of fabric and I grabbed this cute red gingham checked fabric first and have a few ideas on how to use it for the holidays.   

Then there is this fabric that I really liked but had to think about first. Its an olive green color with a semi fleur-de-lis pattern throughout. I'm thinking of using this one for upholstering a bench or chair.

And the third roll has a palm tree pattern on it and I've seen this before in Waverly and think its a good fabric to get creative with in the Summer. So I also grabbed this one.

So that was a great deal in and of itself, right? Oh but wait. We're not done yet.

Weeks later, out of the blue I decided to swing by one of my three favorite thrift stores during my lunch hour and I hit the mother load!

 At first I found a couple different fabrics then as I started combing through the rack I realized there was a TON of fabric and then it was on like Donkey Kong!

See here? The fabric is $1.98!!!! Somebody pinch me because I swear this can't be right? ....oh but it WAS!

The black and cream checked pattern coordinates nicely with this floraly/vine black and cream pattern so I grabbed them both.

Oh but wait! There is a black and cream toile (my FAVORITE) so of course I had to grab that!

Then there was a yellow/white damask, green toile, yellow with small red polka dots, a couple plaid patterns and so on.....I was in fabric Heaven!

So here is my cart as I make my way to the checkout!

Yards and yards of upholstery grade fabric, some of it was Waverly too, and I only paid $1.98 each for most of it, and $0.99 cents for a couple bunches of fabric.

All of it was in great shape,clean, pressed, and folded just right so there was minimal creasing and wrinkles.

When I got up to the checkout line they said they JUST put that fabric out within the hour and they knew it wouldn't last long. So it was meant to be. That fabric was mine all mine and now I have a date with the sewing machine. Girls night out, just the two of us.....me, and miss thang. Hopefully she will be good to me and I wont break any needles or jam up the threading!!! 

See what you are missing by NOT shopping your thrift stores?!

I am assuming a local upholster had to liquidate and that is why the fabric was donated to the thrift store.....or someone with a major fabric collection had to downsize...either way it was a blessing for me to find such great fabric for a great price. I am very thankful and excited about all the pillows, runners, and upholstering thats coming my way!!! :)

Toodles!

Jennifer

Linking up to these great parties:

http://bloomdesignsonline.blogspot.com/2012/12/link-party_19.htmlhttp://www.craftberrybush.com/2012/12/happy-hour-linky-party-number-14.html