Its a 2 for 1

Well two major events have happened recently.  The first is that I finished a project on Saturday that I have been working on for about a week.  Second is that I had a birthday this week...gooooooo old age (it is preferable to the alternative you know).  Anyway you are probably wondering how in the world that could have anything to do with this blog.  I mean really how is that at all related to creativity or making something??  Well you are about to find out my friend!! 

PART I

First: my big project... I found this desk on Craigslist after searching for over 6 months for juuuuuuusssst the right one.

Wanna know what made this one it despite its oh so UGLY appearance??
It had great bones, and it was CHEAP!!!  Now, I did pass over a LOT of cheap, even free, desks.  Simply because I didn't like how they were shaped, or what they were made of.  In my old age recent years I have learned that when I want something I shouldn't settle for anything less than what will make my heart pitter patter saying "Oh YES that is what I have been looking for"! 
This just happened to be "THE ONE" lol. 
Anyway, I got to works prepping the desk for its paint, picking out juuuuuussttt the right color combo.  Then went to town painting.

First the body of the desk, and then the drawers, after first removing the hardware of course. 
That middle keyhole thingie wouldn't come off though, but I figured out a way around it. 
I can improvise with the best of em :).

I also gave all of the hardware a coat of white paint (including the attached keyhole thingie).

So, the final reveal came this past Monday when we had some friends and family over for Labor Day.  They were all suitably impressed (well they made noises and acted like they were anyway).  I felt like the queen of the world for having been patient in finding just what I want, and letting my creative juices flow.

This is my great blog reveal  of the final creation so Drum Roll Please!

....
......
........
(that's my drum roll)

and viola!

cute right?!?!?!

Then I just had to add a l'il flair to it. 

Don't you just love stencils?



A final shot as it sits now, where my rather large breakfast table used to sit.  The table is gone, and I am currently on the lookout for that perfect little table to have as my next furniture re-hab project.

(Notice the Beautiful roses my Hubby got me for my Birthday along with my cards.  the bright one is a musical card that my kids and I go crazy dancing to whenever one of us gets a whim to grab it and cut a rug.  We have so much fun with those things!!)

  In the meantime this whole area of my house is about to get a SERIOUS overhaul!  Fall is the best time to paint.  So, I think that I will!  I have three wonderful color choices (yes I said THREE) making up my painting palette for my kitchen / bar & breakfast / den area. 

It will be awesome and I cant wait to get to work on it...next week I hope (fingers crossed)

Oh I almost forgot! Did you recognize that chair??? Scroll up to the first picture.  See that UGLY purple and orange ladder back chair?? Yep that's the one.  I spray painted it white!!!! I seriously LOVE ladder back chairs, and it was part of the reason I was so excited about this deal!  I wont divulge what I paid individually but I will tell you that I completed this project for under $50.  Paint and all!!!  So GOOOOOooooo ME!!

PART II

Now onto the second part of this post.  Every year on my Birthday I make myself a Birthday Cake.  Hey I heard that!!!!  All those sad awwee's like you feel bad for me...DON'T!  I sure don't!  My favorite cake in the WHOLE world is homemade Boston Cream Pie. 

Now your salivating aren't you?!?!? 

Well this is just going to make it worse:

This picture just doesn't do it justice.  It tastes soooooo much better than this looks!! 
I was dying for a bite, so I just snapped a few pictures then dug in. My husband heard my groans of delight and quickly jumped up to fix himself a piece.  He knew if he waited for me to do it there would be one looong wait as I was in cake heaven.  Then the next picture was snapped so you can understand the cream part of the Boston Cream Pie's name

Just look at all the ooey gooey deliciousness!

This looks, and obviously sounds, like a difficult cake to make.  At least that's what I gather anyway from the reaction I got when I told my friends what I was making.  They gave me "WoW" looks.  I was thinking "if they only knew how easy it is to make one of these things they would be like oh, ok then".  So inspiration struck, and I thought I would share with you how I make a Boston Cream Pie.

You will need:

1   butter cake mix or recipe (and ingredients required)  

1   larger sized box of cook and serve vanilla jello pudding mix

2   round 9" cake pans

First you make a BUTTER cake.  this is VERY important!  DO NOT make any other kind of cake ie. yellow, white, or pound cake.  It must be a butter cake!!!  It can be made from a mix or from scratch (I love Dunkin Heinz) as long as it is a butter cake. Okay I think I have sufficiently stressed that it must be a butter cake.

Moving on...

You will need not one, but two round 9" cake pans to pour your prepared batter into.  Cook according to the directions for using said pans (you don't want to burn this one folks).

While the cakes are in the oven you will need to take a large box of COOK & SERVE vanilla pudding (NO INSTANT!!) and prepare it according to directions using as close to whole milk as you would like to get.  Me, I use 2%.  I found out the hard way that pudding made with skim milk never really firms up, and it stays kind of runny.  You really don't want runny pudding as a filler between layers of cake.  Just trust me on this one, It is not a pretty sight or easy to eat. As a side note, you could prepare pudding from scratch if you want to.  I don't make it from scratch, and I have no idea what the finished cake would be like with it.  So I am not endorsing that.

Okay the pudding is prepared, and the cakes are coming out of the oven.  After the cakes have been removed from the oven its time to chill out for a while.  No really, put the pot of pudding in the fridge for about 20-30 min, and let your cakes and pudding cool to room temperature.

While they are chilling, drink a soft drink (here in the south we call them all Cokes, but I am a Dr. Pepper kinda girl).

After you have relaxed, and quenched your thirst, you take one of the cakes and set it aside (unless you are a complete sweetie and decide to make up a double batch of  icing so that you can give away the other cake)

You then take the cake you are going to use and a long knife and cut it in half horizontally.  Basically you will have two thinner equally sized round cakes now.  One half you will set to the side.  (do to the other cake as well if you are making two)

Take the pudding from the fridge put half of it on the thin round cake you did not put aside.  This will be the bottom layer of your cake.  After you have put approximately half of the pudding on you will put the other half of the cake you cut in two on top of the pudding layer.  basically putting back together the cake you cut in half with a layer of pudding in between.  (put the rest of the pudding on the other cake if you are making two or just save it for your kids lunch the next day like I did)

Finally you will need chocolate icing.  I prefer homemade, but you can use whatever floats your boat.  I have to say though, if you choose not to use homemade icing, please don't tell anyone you got this recipe from me.  To me the homemade icing just sets the whole thing off.

Now for my icing recipe: (don't forget to double it if you are icing two cakes)

1     Tbsp softened butter (the real stuff!  there had better not be ANY fake mess in this cake including the icing...whats the point?? eat the calories and LOVE em I say!!)

3-4  Tbsp cocoa powder (depending on how strong your cocoa is and how dark you like your icing)

1      Tbsp milk

1      Cup powdered sugar

mix all of those ingredients together until you get a smooth creamy icing.  Add tiny amounts of milk to make it thinner or powdered sugar to thicken it until you get your desired consistency. 

Spread the icing covering all sides of the cake (except the bottom side of course).

Finally, admire your handiwork while thinking wow the WAS easy! Then EAT IT!!!

As always, I would love to hear what you think about these projects. 

 I LOVE comments almost as much as I love my Birthday Cake so please leave me one ;)