April 25, 2015

A New Coffee Table

Hello again!

How are you doing on this rainy Saturday? Today, I'm sharing with you my new coffee table. Since moving in, I've gone through a few coffee tables very quickly (thanks to Ellie and her anxiety chewing). Because they get destroyed so quickly, I haven't invested in a good-looking table yet. Honestly, after finding this new coffee table, I might never (unless of course, the beast gets to it)!

Months ago, I found a black coffee table at Goodwill. It was large, wooden, and looked great in my apartment (because it's black, of course). Being less than 20 dollars, I snatched it up. Months later Ellie had gotten to the corners of it (naturally), and I attempted to cover up the scratches with a fresh coat of black paint. Unfortunately the paint never dried right, causing everything to stick to the surface. Trust me when I say it was incredibly annoying! So, I started keeping my eyes peeled for a new table. 

About three weeks ago, I saw this dull table at Goodwill.


Unique? A little, maybe. I saw minimal potential in the table, but loved the fretwork and brass details. For 30 dollars, however, I deemed it unworthy. So I kept on browsing, eventually leaving empty-handed. A week later I came back, and the same table was still sitting there. Weird? Absolutely! Especially since it had been marked down to 10 dollars! With it's glass top, I knew I would be able to slide things around on it, which was the main reason I bought it. I ran to Lowe's, grabbed four cans of black spray paint, and got to work!

A few coats later, I came up with this!


And with the help of a little Brasso, the brass details look much better!


And with all my decorations on it...


What do you think? I had no idea the table would look this good in my apartment. It turned out a thousand times better than I thought it would! Surprisingly, it goes really well with the rest of my decor! 

Until next time!
-Emmi 

April 19, 2015

Ellie's 1st Birthday Party!

Hey y'all!

I admit whole-heartedly that I am a crazy dog lady. In true crazy dog lady fashion, I threw a party for Ellie for her 1st Birthday this Saturday! I invited a bunch of friends from work who brought their dogs, making it a true "paw-ty!" I have tons of pictures to share (thanks to Meg!) so you'll have to bear with me for this post!

We had the party at Dalton and Will's house, who have a fenced-in backyard. This was the perfect place to let all the dogs run wild!

All the pups hanging out in the fence! Winston, Ellie, Duke and Otis.

Dalton and Will cooked tons of food (thanks guys!) so all the humans could have a party of their own. :) Being a true psychopath, I make homemade "pupcakes" so the doggies could try something special.  (For any other crazy dog ladies, I'll include the recipe at the end of this post!)

The pupcakes before they went in the oven!

And after being iced and decorated!

Naturally, there had to be a theme for the party. I chose black, white and red, inspired by Ellie's fur and the color that looks best with it! :)



It's getting a little crazy, right?

In addition to the pupcakes, I got tiny little Blue Bell ice cream cups for the dogs! 

I know, I know. Just bear with me. 

Before our friends came, Ellie and I had a little photo shoot.


I love this sweet baby!

Once everyone arrived, we sang "Happy Birthday" to my little birthday girl, and all the dogs had a pupcake!



The peanut butter was a hit!

Afterwards, all the pups ran around in the fence, and the humans got to have their own party!

Ellie, Otis and Winston.

The stare-off!

All in all, it was a great day! The dogs had a blast, the rain held out, and there was tons of food. Ellie slept like a rock last night, and today is feeling very lazy!

Until next time!
-Emmi and Ellie


Peanut Butter Pupcakes

-1 large egg
-1/4 cup peanut butter
-1/4 cup vegetable oil
-1/3 cup honey
-1 cup shredded carrots
-1 cup whole wheat flour 
-1 teaspoon baking soda
-1/3 cup quick cooking oats

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tin with 6-8 cupcake liners (my batch made 8 pupcakes).
2. Combine egg, peanut butter, oil, honey, and shredded carrots in a large bowl. 
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and oats. Add to carrot mixture and stir until all ingredients are fully incorporated. 
4. Fill cupcake liners with batter.
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Take out of oven and cool on a wire rack.
6. Top with creamy peanut butter and a Milkbone, if you wish!