Antiques and Steals!

Friends!

If you have an appreciation for sweet deals and awesome finds, then hear me out!

My husband and I stumbled upon a warehouse of antiques and collectables. It was amazing!

We had been wanting to get a record player for some time, but we weren't willing to fork out hundreds of dollars for one. And the fact that they weren't authentic made it less fun.

We walked into the warehouse and BOOM! Floor to ceiling of so many things! Books, magazines, records, etc. You name it, they had it!

I should have taken more pictures of the place.

We were given a record player because it didn't seem to work.

My husband fiddled with it for awhile and it started working! Here's a link to the video! After it ran for a bit the motor was silent! You can kind of hear the crackles in the video, but I think that's what makes it even cooler!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4787723607288&l=3757927029796876066

How sweet is that?

We also got a 1920s Singer sewing machine in perfect working order! It still sews! Ah! Just look at that detail!

This is the Singer Red Eye machine. So sweet.

Forgive my tacky instagram filters, but here are some other pictures of some of the things at the store and that we bought!

Has anyone stumbled upon any cool treasures like these? Tell us about them! 

Happy thrifting!

Reese's Cake Problems

And by problems, I mean inhaling this cake.

This is a combination of my mama's recipe and a bit of my artistic attempt.

Are you drooling yet? I am!

This is a basic two layer chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. I drizzled melted peanut butter on the top with some Reese's candy. Inside is more frosting. Yes!

Here's a similar frosting recipe from All Recipes, the mecca of wonderful creations: http://allrecipes.com/recipe/fluffy-peanut-butter-frosting/

I usually add vanilla to mine just for a little more flavor!

I think I have a PB problem. Hooray for protein justification!

I need to make this cake again!

Crock Pot Lovin'

I love my crock pot. No, really. It's a beautiful thing.

Who wouldn't want to throw a ton of ingredients into a pot and come home 8 hours later to the sweet aromas of a pork roast? Or chicken and potatoes? Yum!

I started out with a baby crock pot when I was single. I quickly graduated to a medium slow cooker (that looked like it came out of the sixties!) and then a large one. I've literally owned 4 at one time. Oops...

I eventually gave the smaller crock pots away. While I love that my old roommates and friends will enjoy them, I would not recommend it! They're too good to get rid of.

The smaller ones can be used for warm dips or extra broth or gravy. It can even be used for a small dessert!

I have a board on Pinterest called Lazy Cookin': Crock Pot here: http://pinterest.com/jenjenpotts/lazy-cookin-crock-pot/

I recently made this recipe, but tweaked it a bit:

Ranch House Crock Pot Chicken

http://www.mommyskitchen.net/2013/01/ranch-house-crock-pot-chicken.html?m=1

I added a naughty ingredient. Cream cheese! Apparently I added too much soup, so I threw in the cream cheese to thicken it up a little bit. Not disappointed!

I wouldn't recommend doing this often, but it was definitely worth it.

We ate this over lumpy mashed potatoes. Honestly, the potato taste was hidden, so I would recommend this over rice, or the potatoes on the side. We didn't do the gravy, we just used the sauce from the chicken.

If you don't have a crock pot, get one! It will save you so much time and money! There's a really cute girl that did crock pot meals for an entire year! I can't say I have the patience for that, but it's definitely inspiring!

It's called "A Year of Slow Cooking"

She has great recipes that I am dying to try!
 http://crockpot365.blogspot.com/

Happy cooking!

RUN AWAY FAST!

Has anyone ever been coerced, pressured, cornered, and practically forced to buy something ridiculous? Today, I was at the mall and was absolutely controlled by a salesman. I made the mistake of walking within 100 yards of the front of a store. Hah!

It was "Premier Dead Sea". I'm telling you, by the time I left I wanted to SCREAM.

Normally, I'm not that dramatic. (Tee hee hee... Just ask my husband!)

As I walked passed, the guy threw a sample in my face but said nothing. When I looked up, he said "OH! We have the same eyes!"

My eyes are hazel/green. His were sea foam green. Not exactly, dude.

He did not speak english well at all.

He then told me that he had given me a facial moisturizer. "Sweet,", I thought, "gonna throw this away." I tried to walk away.

He then said "Just one sec". I stood there awkwardly holding this small plastic item that was supposed to lure me in. He then beckoned me into the store and pushed me into a swivel chair.

I was cornered. Stuck.

He then proceeded to tell me that I looked 16. Cute? No.

Then he told me I had great skin, but lots of blemishes. I cared about my skin, right? My face was forever.

He told me that I should want to look good. He meets lots of women that don't care about what they look like. But he could tell by looking into my eyes that I cared a lot. I cared what my husband thought about my looks. But husbands don't last forever. Half of the people get divorced. Husbands leave.

ARE YOU SERIOUS?!

He then tried to bargain me down by only making me pay $300 for the items. Hah. Then tried to coerce me by offering the "student discount". Then the "family discount". I was not happy.

25 minutes later and infinite "no"s later he made me walk over to the cash register with him. He asked me for the umpteenth time if I wanted to buy that overpriced dirt. I said a firm "no" once more and he let me go.

Maybe I'm just too nice. Normally, I let the board game store clerk lead me around the entire store. It's his passion. He loves the games! But this guy...was awful

Avoid Premier Dead Sea at ALL cost!

A Magical Potion!

Seriously. Girls... I have found the best cleaning potion! I've been skeptical for some time, but I put it to the test today!

Please excuse the disgusting stains. This bathtub is ancient. Our house was built in the early 1800s. You get the picture.

I scrubbed a small patch as a comparison.

Before:

The magical potion!

1 part Dawn dish soap and 1 part vinegar!

After! 

 The directions I found said all you had to do was wipe clean. Who doesn't scrub when they clean? I used a green scouring pad and a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser!

I let it sit for about an hour and scrubbed away! I sprayed it a bit more and left it overnight. I scrubbed it over once more and it was white as snow! I know this sounds like a lot of scrubbing, but remember that my bathtub is as old as Methuselah! 

It was beautiful. 

Here's the link to the original blog. Her bathtub before and after was impressive!

http://thecraftpatch.blogspot.com/2012/05/pinterest-tested-tub-cleaner.html

Clothing Swap!

Ladies!

I am so excited to be hosting my first clothing swap next week! There are a lot of girls in the area that have been very interested, so I am very excited.

Has anyone ever hosted or been to a clothing swap? What rules did you set?

As I've been researching this, I've found a few good ideas on how to run the show! Things such as a "ticket" for every piece of clothing or item you bring that is redeemable for any other item. That way, everyone gets to at least leave with what they came with, but new!

What a great way to save money, enjoy some good company, and save money! I've also combined this little shindig with a Pinterest show. Each girl is invited to bring a recipe, treat, or item they made using Pinspiration! Okay, I'm sorry. I had to! (My husband made fun of that one! ;) )

I drafted up a little invitation using a free website. It was so easy and fun! I think this was originally a wedding invitation, but it worked!

So fun! Like it says, we will be donating or selling the extras a little later on this summer. My sweet friend has offered to help me with all of the details! So wonderful.

I'll be sure to do a follow up post about our success story!

A Little Reminder