Tuesday Tool Talk...and I'm not referring to the tools I've dated.

A few years ago, my dad started buying me tools for Christmas...and I've started to amass a really good selection. Sure, some of the tools are totally foreign to me and I have NO IDEA what they're for, but others I've found to be quite handy!

Now, I've got to rat out my friend Clare who didn't even own a screwdriver before she married Matt! I couldn't believe that I had to bring my tools over one day to help her out with a shakey toilet because she didn't have a WRENCH, then I realized it wasn't all that uncommon for a chickadee to avoid the Depot (where I do some of my best flirting!).

In honor of all the gals who are intimidated by owning/buying their own tools, I decided to start a new feature - Tuesday Tool Talk - to go over some of the useful tools that a gal should own (or at the very least, some of the weird ones I have)!

Hmmmm, what are you teensy weensy lil screwdrivers???

I was always confused about these precision screwdrivers...two Phillips and two flathead...why are they so itty bitty? Then I realized I didn't care because they came in really freaking handy when I needed to get to itty bitty screws...

...like when I upgraded the towel bars and toilet paper holder in the restroom!

And let me tell you where else these babies come in handy...
when your fab Fendi's get loose!

So, here's the moral of the story...don't be intimidated by tools; even if you don't know what they are for or when you'll find a use for them - eventually you WILL!

And as for the tools I've dated...trust me, I've learned the moral of THAT story, too!

DIY Diva: How to Change a Light Fixture

About a year ago, I was goaded into trying out one of those earth-friendly lightbulbs and I had every intention of changing out every bulb in my chateau (ehem, condo). However, I'm sad to say that the earth-friendly lightbulb SUCKED. It took forever to warm up and my entry way was always really dark and it felt kind of dingy...no me gusta. Anyway, it wasn't that big of a deal because I knew I'd eventually switch out the fixture because, well, the light fixture I had was heinous.

U-G-L-Y you aint got no alibi, you UGLY, ya, ya, you ugly.

Being that the Oscars weren't fully holding my attention tonight, I got a wild hair and decided to switch out the light...and I'm glad I did because it only took me a few minutes! If you've got a nasty light and have been intimidated by the electricity, let me walk you through a couple of quick steps and assure you that YOU CAN DO IT!

First, go ahead and shut off the light...if you don't, don't go a blamin' me for the fancy new white streaks in your hair!

Next, go ahead unscrew the cap on the fixture. You can usually find small screws hiding in the rim on the base of the ceiling mount.

I realize this photo is fuzzy, but I thought it was important to show you how the wires get disconnected. Unscrew the yellow caps and then merely untwist the white wire from the white wire, and the black wire from the black wire. Genius, no?!

Now bring up your new fixture and repeat the last step, only THIS time, twist the white wire to the white wire and the black wire to the black wire. You're stunned by how poetic I am, huh?! Also, if your fixture happens to have a "grounding wire", that is a plain wire that doesn't appear to have any current on it, twist it to a plain wire in the ceiling. Don't worry if you don't have this... Also, be sure to cap off your "live" wires, the black and white, with those groovy yellow cappy-thing-a-ma-bobs. Finally, stuff all the wires up inside the can. Really, I'm so technical, I can't get over it.

Now you're ready to screw the base in. Your fixture should have holes in the right dimension of the can in the ceiling. Yep, the can people and the light fixture people planned it that way. It's idiot proof...because some of us ARE idiots...just ask my mother.

Now you're ready to screw on the globe to the mount. Yippee!

And because you've followed directions so well, you may now test out the power! Look Ma, it works. Guess I'm only an idiot when it comes to ordering fabric at Big Y Yardage (long story for another post)!!!

Now my entryway is PERFECT! I'm so glad the light fixture was an easy project because just yesterday, I found the exact console table I was looking for at HALF PRICE. Wahoo!!! Doesn't the entry look so welcoming now?!

And because I love it so much, here's a close up of the fab new console table...baby you look gorgeous swathed in the glow of the new light fixture!

As you can see, changing the light took minutes. The most important thing to remember is to shut off the light switch first. The second thing you need is a healthy dose of patience! You'll also need a ladder so you can get up close and personal...it would be far too tricky if I wasn't at eye level when I was twisting the wires.

This is the second light fixture I installed myself. A while back, I changed the light bar at my vanity. I stressed over that one big time, but it was a heavier fixture and I had issues holding it and doing the wiring at the same time...and it was summer and I was a HOT MESS. For a bigger project like that, I'd ask a friend or my Daddio to help if I had it to do all over again. Sometimes, we independent chicks could use a third hand. If that's the situation you're in, follow Mom's rule and "do what I say and not what I do!" : )

Tool Talk Tuesday

Several years ago, my Daddio started buying me tools for Christmas...we all laughed, at first, but then I got really excited. This was the beginning of my DIY Diva lifestyle! Ever since, I've continued to add to my stash and every now and again, I help my girlfriends out with little projects around their homes! But, the point of Tool Talk Tuesday ISN'T for me to go do projects for my girlfriends, but to empower them to do it themselves!!!

Here are some fun Tool Talk Tuesday posts written by me and by those whose skills I really respect!!! If you have a favorite tool that YOU'D like to share with the class, please email me at jj@theblahblahblahger.com!

August 11, 2009 Sockets

August 4, 2009 AnNicole's Guest Post on Paint Brushes and Rollers

July 21, 2009 Mrs. Limestone's Guest Post on Electric Staple Guns

July 7, 2009 Drills

June 9, 2009 Mighty Putty

May 26, 2009 Paint Applicators

May 12, 2009 Staple Gun Love

May 5, 2009 Templates for Cabinet Knobs/Pulls

April 28, 2009 Living with Lindsay, Tools for A 5th-Anniversary

April 14, 2009 Electric Sander

April 7, 2009 Remodeling Guy: the Route(r) to Happiness

March 31, 2009 Katie Clemons: Power Tools

March 10, 2009 Ladders

March 2, 2009 Electric Screwdriver

February 23, 2009 Precision Screwdrivers

DIY Diva: Lost and Need YOUR Help!

I've been working on sprucing up my house...who am I kidding, this is a never-ending project because let's face it, I am obsessed. Anywhoooo, my main wall in the living room has always bored me. Sure, at Christmas time it gets a little sassier, but for the most part the wall above my TV is a blank canvas. I keep knocking around ideas like wallpapering with something graphic or putting up some artwork or who knows...

So, it's 9pm on Thursday night and guess what I'm doing??? Watching Grey's Anatomy, stalking blogs and pulling through a year and a half of Traditional Home, House Beautiful, and Oprah at Home. I have a HOT social life, don't I?!

Regardless of my rocking single life, I'd love your thoughts and suggestions, because I clearly don't have any CLUE what the heck I'm gonna do!

DIY Diva: How to fix a loose seat!

I've been slacking off on fixing something in my house lately that literally takes two seconds...and everytime I get near the problem it makes me crazy. It actually makes me think of a set of Elvis lips...see, DIY Diva is crazy!

The problem...the loose seat.

If you've got a loose seat, too, just flip open the latch on the wobbly side...
find the right size screwdriver, and tighten up the screw...
then flip the latch back down, and VOILA, you no longer have a loose seat!
See, an easy fix - because let's face it...nobody likes sitting on Elvis' lips...except for Sarah Simmons.

DIY Diva: How to Paint an Accent Wall

UPDATD: Howdy to the Living with Lindsay readers!!! Thanks for stopping by!

JJ brought her first piece of art recently...it's a ceramic installation. What that means, I have no idea. Anywhoo, I showed my friend Barbie and she recommended that I hang it above my bed, but paint an accent color behind it so it "pops" more. I had been secretly thinking the same thing, but will let her win this one. This was a big project...a project for DIY DIVA!

Tips from DIY DIVA, purchase all your supplies and get them ready...large projects like this will take a couple of days and you'll need painters tape, a laser level, primer, paint, various screws and nails, and PATIENCE!

First, get you handy dandy laser level (mine cost me 15 bucks at the Depot) and tape off your stripes in about 18 inch segments. Don't go too long on the tape, otherwise it will be unruly to get straight lines and can be troublesome when it comes to pulling the tape off. **Idiot's note: move your headboard, 600-thread count sheets, etc, before you begin a painting project.

If you have textured walls, such as the JJ does, you'll need to go through by hand and get the tape into the grooves and crevices. This is a pain in the butt, but you'll be much happier later when you don't have leaks everywhere.

If you're painting a saturated color, like red, you'll want a primer with a tinge of color. Because I was using a deep red to match my pillows and drapes on the other wall, I got pink. Don't worry, I didn't paint my wall pink!

Once the primer is finished, pull the tape off. It's important to take the tape off while the paint is still wet...otherwise, the tape can pull off the dry paint and nobody wants that!

It's also important to not sleep next to a painty wall...you might have weird dreams due to the fumes. I slept in the living room on the aerobed. Hi Whoopi!

Now, it's time to put the tape back on and get start the real paint job! Go through the motions again and get the tape down into the dreaded lumps. Then, get your paint on! **Idiot's note: even though you've primed, don't expect your saturated color to go on perfectly the first time. I needed a couple of coats to get my red to the right color!

Make sure to paint the edges just as dark as the center...you don't want to have blotchy sections. Another trick in fighting the "blotch" is to paint in Ws, rather than straight up and down...nobody likes lines in their paint jobs!

In spite of the fact you used tape, don't freak if it didn't work out perfectly...like I did. Instead, whip out your base color and smooth over the edges.

Once the paint is dry, it's time to pull out the laser level again to hang the art piece!

Ta Da - the finished product!!!

Hello, beautiful! Welcome to your new home....and Dear God, please let there never be a major earthquake again...especially while I'm sleeping. I love my dresses, but don't think I'd enjoy being conked in the head by one!

Valentine's Day Feast/Pioneer Woman Recipe Review

So on Friday, I mentioned that because Single Girls Need To Eat, Too, I'd be cooking a feast for Barbie and I on Valentine's Day. It was really just an excuse to try out some Pioneer Woman recipes. And let me tell you, I am SO GLAD that I did!!! I mentioned my cooking experiment to some friends on Friday and I was told that risotto was "very ambitious", ergo, I was totally nervous. BUT, holy crap, did it turn out awesome!!!

I started with the risotto, because I knew it would take the most time. What I really appreciated about PW's recipes are the step by step instructions. It took along time to make, but I really enjoyed the process of cooking it!

Starting with onions, garlic, olive oil, and butter.

Barbie snapped this photo of me. I wasn't quite confident, yet, so I drank some liquid courage!
It's really important to add the 7 cups of chicken broth one at a time and wait for them to absorb before moving on.

Then it's time to add cream.

Then comes the fun...adding 2 cups of shredded cheese. I used a blend of parmigian, asiago, and some other italian cheeses. For those who know me, I'm not a huge cheese person (I like the fake processed stuff - sorry, sue me!), but this ROCKED!

Then I moved on to the flank steak. So, P-Dub gave a warning in her recipe about how smokey the house would get... I am a little slow and underestimated the smokiness. Next time I make a flank steak, I'll do it on the grill...OUTSIDE. Also, I cooked mine for longer than she recommended. I found that 3 minutes on each side still left a moo-ing animal on my plate. Sorry for the graphic nature, but ew, I'm no fan of steak tar tar!

In order to get the groovy flank steak stripes, you need to turn the steak on the angle twice per side.

See?!?!

The finished product! Barbie brought over italian prosecco and made peach bellini's. I drank several. Yum!!!!

After dinner came the BIG DOG! Yep, that's right, the baked fudge. This dessert will heretofore be known as the "make a man declare his undying love for you" cake. I'm not messing around here, you should make this RIGHT NOW.

Begin by using your Kitchenaid breast cancer pink hand-mixer...it's all about pigging out for a cause.

Next, add in your ingredients while your friend takes a picture of you over your shoulder to make it look like you worked really hard or are on a cooking show. Also, it helps to use a Julia Childs accent...seriously, this will make the food taste better...okay, not seriously.

Then, because you are a badass, make your own whipped cream using heavy whipping cream (shocker), sugar, and vanilla. So easy!

I went ahead and mixed all the ingredients in a large measuring bowl because I knew I would have to eventually pour the ingredients into small ramekins...it was ingenious. Also, oddly enough, the full ramekins need to be placed into a baking dish with water...helps with the consistency, I guess.

Then, when the baked fudge is all cooked, you pour your whipped cream all over it until the mixture is oozing with goodness and calories! Sorry about the calories part...there's no helping it, though. You'll work them off later because the boys will be chasing after you for more.

So, all in all, this Valentine's Day dinner was FREAKING DELICIOUS! I really enjoyed making it all and Barbie enjoyed eating it! : ) I highly recommend Pioneer Woman's recipes and find that they are super easy to follow, but let me tell you, they aint healthy, but BOY OH BOY are they divine!!!

Dance Team Reunion

On Saturday, my wonderful high school dance teacher came to town for a dance competition with her team, so we arranged a little reunion lunch! My parents let us all get together at their house and the gang showed up! We had a great time reminiscing and then a few of us ran over to EDHS to see some of the competition! It was so wonderful and I'm so thankful for the impact Mrs. Smith had on my life and for the friendships I developed through dance!

The gang with Mrs. Smith. LeAnn, Sabrina, Mrs. Smith, me, Christina, Erin, and Marcie

Officers and Mrs. Smith...almost 15 years later. Yikes!
PS - the girls she brought out, her current officers, were born in 1991, the year I JOINED the dance team. Oy vey!!!

L'Amore

Just wanted to share another e.e. cummings poem in honor of the little flying baby with the bow and arrow. It's really sexy and delicious!

i like my body when it is with your

i like my body when it is with your
body. It is so quite a new thing.
Muscles better and nerves more.
i like your body. i like what it does,
i like its hows. i like to feel the spine
of your body and its bones, and the trembling
-firm-smooth ness and which i will
again and again and again
kiss, i like kissing this and that of you,

Blogger's perogative: the rest was too dirty to post. : )

Single Girls Need to Eat, Too!

Tomorrow is the dreaded Valentine's Day...and yet, another holiday I'll be spending alone. Wait, I won't be alone, I'll be with Barbie, one of my fav gal pals who is also single! Are we going to be sad and pathetic??? Heck, no! We're going to see Confessions of a Shopaholic and then we're going back to my house for a feast!

Some of you know that I've become a huge fan of The Pioneer Woman, and tomorrow night I'm planning on using three of her recipes to dominate the kitchen; I'm making her risotto, flank steak, and baked fudge. DELIGHTFUL! However, I'm getting slightly nervous about making such a huge feast from scratch... So, I'll do what every smart single gal does when she's sorting out her ingredients...start with the most important ingredient there is...

I'll begin by filling this to the brim with some lovely chardonnay! : )

Thanks, Jennifer for getting me this adorable glass for Christmas, I'm REALLY looking forward to using it tomorrow night. I think it will be the perfect first step in my quest for making a delicious meal. Ha!

Updated: I started the recipe a day early. Translation: I filled up this glass with lovely chardonnay to get prepared.

Updated Deux: Jennifer bought us all these glasses with our personalities in mind...mine is called Wild Child. Hmmmm...

Updated PS: Lisa, THIS is my shot. I took one tonight just for you. : )

Swiss Cheese Wall

I bought some floating shelves a while ago, and after installing them one day, came home later to find everything on the floor...including the shelves. Last week, I took a trip down to the Depot and bought some fancy dancy drywall anchors and thought they'd pop into the wall in a flash. HOWEVER, I had a heck of a time trying to get those little buggers perfectly spaced...in fact, my wall now looks like a slice of swiss cheese - therefore, I can never move.

Three of the four holes on ONE side of the shelf.

The finished product. After TWO HOURS!

The Pursuit of JJ

I previously mentioned here that I am in love with The Pioneer Woman's blog (link in My Friends list on the right). I have read and reread her love story, "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" roughly 37000 times this week - okay, maybe slight exaggeration. Well, I realized the thing I loved so more about the love story is she is so flawed, and I think I resemble that in so many ways. The other thing I love is how her husband pursued her so much and was so romantic...I realized hey, that's what I want, too! So, on Thursday, I decided that I was done chasing after stupid boys and that I deserved to be pursued too...and guess what happened? I got a few emails on Friday from one of the stupid boys from last year, and a couple more emails on Saturday from another stupid boy. Go figure! Anyway, I decided not to date out of the recycling bin this year due to boredom and I just know God's got my Cowboy out there somewhere and will be patient and positive while I wait to bump into him one day!

Camera Upgrade

Am I thrilled or what?! I had been pondering a camera upgrade from my snazzy Rebel that Santa brought me to the 50D. No, I don't need the fanciest schmanciest just yet, but I did want to think about being money wise...if I really love this new hobby, would I want to upgrade in a couple of years? Probably. Then I'd have to shell out a lot of money on my own...so I went on back to Costco and thanks to their 90-day return policy, I was able to trade up for just a few hundred bucks out of my wallet! I think it's a much smarter decision on my part in the long run. Regardless, I'm SO THANKFUL to my awesome parents for reading my mind and knowing that I wanted a DSLR this year for Christmas. They are so generous and clearly know how to read my mind! Love you guys!!!

Rich Woman Review

I had this idea to start a book club some time ago (November-ish, maybe?!) because I'd heard of the book Rich Woman by Kim Kiyosaki (wife of the Rich Dad, Poor Dad author) and thought it would be great to discuss with a group of women. Well, my invited group of ELEVEN ended up being a group of THREE, because some of the gals who read it, realized that finances were boring. Hmmmm...slightly concerning, but that's a discussion for another time.

One of the women was a no show last night, so it ended up being just Lori and I (which really, was okay seeing as how my dinner was silly and my house wasn't really clean). Because Lori is a good friend, and is married to a good friend, we were really able to have an open and interesting conversation about money, wealth, and how women especially have a hard time making decisions about what we really want.

Kim Kiyosaki writes this book like a conversation amongst friends. At first, I really liked that part about the book, but then it got a little hokey...I think Lori agreed somewhat. It does really simplify money issues, though. She also talks about how most women avoid ever making financial decisions because someday they'll have a husband who will do it for them and how damaging that can be in terms of financial literacy as many women face living alone at somepoint in their lives, or some sort of catastrophe which requires their inside knowledge of their own finances.

Ultimately, the point of the book is not to sit on money, but to make YOUR money work for YOU. Whether you invest money in stocks, or in rental property, or in some other format, an asset is not an asset unless it is bringing some sort of return each month. It's shocking to think of it this way. Now Kiyosaki doesn't recommend going out and buying an apartment complex right away, but rather starting small! So, Lori and I decided to look at tax lien certificates in order to bring in a small return. It's all about learning and we're going to continue to research and apply some of the principles we learned in this book!

New "Friends"

Please take a moment to pop over to the right hand side of your screen and visit two new blogs that I'm currently loving.

The first, Bryson's Blog, if by Carlee's three-year old son. He decided he wanted a camera so he could take pictures then write about them on the computer. He's pretty much a genius. I think you'll find his work captivating and quite deep.

The second is Pioneer Woman. If you haven't heard of her, please go there now and fall in love with her the way I have. She's the real mccoy! She's a city girl who married a rancher and she writes about life in the middle of nowhere, raising children, cooking, photography, and my favorite is her ongoing love story called Black Heels to Tractor Wheels...I hope she writes a book someday!

I'm a voracious reader...always have been. Sometimes I read four books in a week, and lately I haven't really read that much. Then I realized I HAVE read that much, but just on blogs. Block stalking for me is the new speed-reading. : )

Kitty Litter Cake

Updated to welcome over friends from Kelly's Korner! This cake was delicious, but more so HILARIOUS and fun!!! Enjoy the read and PLEASE let me know if you try it someday, too!!!

Just like many of you, dear blog readers, I cannot stand email forwards. However, every once in a while, I'll pause and read one, and sometimes, just sometimes, I'll even save one. Last November, my hilarious sister sent me a recipe with a fantastic photo for a kitty litter cake. Naturally, as a cat lover , I have known the joy of cleaning a litter box...even with the most discreet kitty, the process is foul. So, when I saw this cake, I KNEW I had to save it and make it for the right occassion. Well, yesterday was the right occassion!

Amy and Tomas (friends from church) invited me over to their house for a football fiesta via evite. On the evite, attendees were asked to bring a food item to share. As Amy and Tomas happen to have THREE cats, I knew this would be the perfect chance to make the cake.

I'm no baker, but opening a box of mix, adding a few eggs and water, mixing and throwing into the oven is a snap...takes about 30 minutes. Well, I HAD to get this right...so, the fabulous end product shown below took me TWO HOURS to get it just right! But let me tell you, it was worth every second when I saw the responses of the party people! Someone literally climbed over the couch to get a better look! : )

CAKE INGREDIENTS:
1 box chocolate fudge cake mix
1 box of yellow butter cake mix
1 package white sandwich cookies
1 jar of whipped vanilla frosting
1 box of food coloring
1 container of decorating frosting

SERVING "DISHES AND UTENSILS"
1 NEW cat-litter box
1 NEW pooper scooper

1) Prepare and bake cake mixes, according to directions, in any size pan. Crumble cookies in small batches in blender or food processor. Add a few drops of green food coloring to 1 cup of cookie crumbs. Mix with a fork or shake in a jar. In a seperate bowl, mix whipped frosting with a combination of food coloring to appear a light brown. Set aside.
2) When cakes are at room temperature, cut into small pieces and put them into a large bowl. Toss with the now brownish frosting. Place mixture in litter box. Cover contents with cookie crumbs.
3) Mix food coloring and decorating frosting to a darker brown and place in a sandwich bag. Cut off the end of the bag and "decorate" till your heart's content. Sprinkle remaining white cookie crumbs over the mixture, then scatter green crumbs lightly over top.