Burg Nanstein

A couple quick photos of my latest castle exploration, Burg Nanstein. It's about 15 minutes from my home. One of the coolest I've been to and supposedly haunted. *Cue creepy music*  It's got a nice little restaurant off of the side with a great view overlooking the Landstuhl/Ramstein area and is very reasonably priced.

Park your chariots here please...

This is the view you can enjoy entering the castle or dining out on the restaurant balcony.

My house is waaaaaaaay past those windmills in the back!

All the gorgeous Roman arches..

I think I forgot to drink Alice's shrinking potion... *tisk tisk*

My husband exploring..

Helllllo! It's me.. Please let me in oh royal friends! I come bearing gifts!

Follow me... Princess Steena.. I will take you to the castle's treasure! lol

Could you imaging stepping out of your castle to this view in the morning?

Heading for the courtyard..

I love how the castle flows right into the natural rock... 

From above on the bridge.. Sorry it's so bright.

These dungeons were creepy..*eerie water dripping*

The courtyard was probably my favorite spot.. Peaceful and full of beauty

Statue.. pretty much standard in any great courtyard!

These detailed stone scrolls could be seen all over the castle.

I think this well in the center of the castle courtyard was my favorite part.. (not just because it was comfy on my bum either lol)

Little changes going on around the house..

Here are just a couple pictures of the little things I've been working on at home..

New book shelf.. I need to put the pictures in my frames... lol

Awe.. looks great in that corner! It's also going to give all of my books a nice little home!

My living room is starting to feel a lot more cozy! 

Painting the kitchen.. Yipeee!!

The colors to choose from were limited, so I went with the light blue.

I really enjoy the way it's brought life to my kitchen!

Tadaaaaa! Now I just need some wall decor! I'll post pictures when I tie it all together. :)

Turning a Twin Sheet Set into a Couch Slipcover...

Lately I've been getting quite fed up with the crappy Army issued furniture in my home. 

If you've ever lived in housing and borrowed their couches you know EXACTLY what I'm talking about-- PURPLE DINOSAUR SKIN COUCHES! lol... They go with just about nothing in my living room!.. It was about time for a change. Unfortunately, slipcovers can get pretty expensive. That's when I grabbed my purse and started off to the PX. What could I use to improved the awful look of these dreadful couches without blowing a ton of money?

BINGO! I bought a gorgeous chocolate cover for my sofa for just over 80.00... But I still had the chair to spruce up. Hmmmm... A twin size sheet set will do! ;0) 

I found a nice chocolate one for around 9 bux! Perrrrfect! Now off to my workshop, I mean, house!

I took the sheets out of the bag and placed them around to get an idea of how I would piece the cover together.

First, I cut the fitted sheet so that the corners fit in the elastic corners. Basically, I cut the fitted sheet in half.

I liked the way it looked and moved on to the next step... I used a seam ripper to pull the elastic out of the sheet corners.

Now take the flat sheet and place it so that the long side is running from the back of the chair to the front of the chair. Fiddle around with it and trim it where it's needed. Once it's in place, pin the three sheet pieces together.

Sew allllll the way around and hem the bottoms.

It should start looking like it's taking the shape of a chair cover.

After the sewing is mostly complete, place it back in the couch and make any necessary adjustments.

Notice how perfectly the fitted sheet corners hug the chair's arms?

Finish tucking and pin anything extra up in place with some pretty little upholstery nails.

Add a pillow or throw and VOILA! No more ugly patterned chairs!

Now, if I wouldn't have told you which cover I bought... could you tell the difference?
My pocket could! ;0) I saved so much $$ making my own chair cover! Hope you enjoy and please feel free to leave your comments or questions.
xoxox,





***I Just wanted to mention the blog I got my inspiration from! Another Carolina girl! :) Pink and Polka Dot Her blog posts helped me get an idea of what the heck I was doing and gave me the confidence to give it a go!

Spring Is In The *Air*

Sorry guys.. There's been nothing great going on lately.. It's been crazy on my end.. but here are a few pictures from the week. 

The view of my area.. Nestled in the mountain sun! *sigh*

A little treat at the hotspot around the corner.. Italian ice cream... Mmmm and a nice cup of hot chocolate! The best I've ever had! I'm sure I'll be a regular by the end of the month. teehee...

Cute little plant I bought from our florist downtown.. There were sooo many I wanted, but this one will do for now! :) I can't wait to plant my flower boxes outside my windows.

Well, back to the time consuming task of painting my kitchen.. pictures coming soon! 

xoxo,

Relabeling and Organizing My Spice Collection.

First I found glass jars that I wanted to use. (They had sprinkle caps and a screw top.. Perfect!) Then, I cleaned them up in some warm soapy water and set them off to dry.

Once they were completely dry, I stuck their new labels on. I found some really cute labels by Martha Stewart that suited my project to the 'T'. :)

Now is the time to grab your spice selection out of your cabinet. Ewww look how mix-matched!

Toss any spices that are past their freshness date!! I never keep old spices! It defeats the purpose when you are seasoning food with flavorless powers.

Once all of the bad ones are weeded out, pour your spices into their fresh new bottles!

TADDAAAA! Look how much better that looks! Everything is coordinated and so tasty to the eyes! Time to put them to use! Wahhooooo!

xoxoxox,
Me :)

Baby Shower Baby Bump Cake!

This is why I haven't posted in a few days! I've been busy like a bee, but I've got lots to share! First up-- My newest cake creation. Here is a pregnant belly cake.. preggo, maternity.. baby bump.. cake! One of my friends called me up last week and asked me to make a baby shower cake for an expecting mother :) Here is what I came up with.. Congrats on the baby boy on the way! How exciting! 

Carving the cake 'baby bump'

Working it all together with some chocolate! If only they made bandaids this good ;)

Ready for a pretty blue dress!

Preparing the cake boobies!

They needed a good coat of chocolate too.. hehe

OMG! This one's ready for delivery!.. (well, at 1:30) 

Coloring the baby blue dress... Gotta keep the expecting mommy fabulous!

Ah, the wonderful fabric of my cake dress... how sweet you are..

Covered and ready for some shaping and cutting.. Almost a dress!

Hello dress! You need something else....

How about a fantabulous bow?

And maybe some flowers.. but BLUE ONLY! (Boys can do blue flowers right??)

Ahh... and there she is.. ready for the party! It's been fun, but we've got a hungry mama waiting!! Off you go my little beauty!...

xoxo,