Budding Artist.

It looks like we have a budding artist in the family! Addison worked on this masterpiece before she went down for her nap today. I love it, she isn't even 2 and she's coloring the little details of the page. Guess she's taking my motto of "it's all in the details" to heart!

$20.00 Sofa Table.

I have been wanting a sofa table for years. I have big dreams of what I'd like to put on my sofa table even. But due to either price (I refuse to spend a lot on furniture while kids still live at home) or not being quite what I wanted if it was in the right price range, I have gone without one. Until now.

On Saturday nights Funky Junk Interiors hosts what she calls SNS, or Saturday Night Special. Every Saturday night people are invited to post links to their personal blogs and showcase what projects they've been working on. And I'm not ashamed to admit it, but I really look forward to exploring all the projects on SNS. While there are often some cheesy ones, overall it's an inspiring (and quiet!) way to spend a Saturday night. And that's how I discovered the $20.00 Sofa Table.

This blog linked her blog (and her table) to Donna's SNS last weekend. The best part? Besides only being $20.00 I mean, was that she even provided the tutorial! The second I saw the post, I knew I had finally found my table. All I needed now was to find someone to make it for me. I needent look far.

Marty offered to make it for me this summer. I knew I loved him for a reason! I'm thinking I may have him make those candle sticks that are in the picture too........

Two New Recipes.

Here are two new recipes that I have found in blogland this week that I'm hoping to make this weekend.

Cream Cheese Coffee Cake
1/2 cup butter, softened
1-8oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1½ cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Make It!
Beat butter and cream cheese with electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture alternately with milk. Mix at low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Pour batter into a greased 9"x13" baking dish. Sprinkle with topping (see below). Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Topping
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar
½ cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup butter, melted

Combine all ingredients. Sprinkle on top.

Speedy Brownies
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon salt
5 eggs
1 cup oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chocolate chips

Make It!
In a mixing bowl combine first 7 ingredients; beat until smooth. Pour into greased 9x13 pan. Sprinkle with chocolate chips. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out cleans.

Cake.

Over the weekend I found a new cake recipe to try:

Easy Peasy Cake
1 box of strawberry cake mix
1 can of Sprite

Make It!
Preheat oven to 350 or as the box directs. Stir cake mix & Sprite together (it will fizz~a lot). Pour into desired baking pan. Bake as directed on box.

Sure sounds simple enough!