DIY radiator makeover

After mostly finishing my room make-over (which I love!!), my awkwardly placed radiator still seemed to be trying to suck all attention toward it.
So I figured...
Why not let it?
So, I researched, and read, and talked to the Home Depot paint department, and decided my course of action.
I have hot water radiators, so if you have steam, I'm not necessarily recommending this.
But as it turns out, you don't need special paint for hot water radiators, because they don't even get that hot. So after a VERY thorough cleaning, which has certainly improved my radiator's heating ability, I began chipping away at the paint.
This process is totally SUCKY! Paint EVERYWHERE. (I just hope it doesn't have lead...) And it's not the easiest thing. Most of the time, I'm whacking at it with a screwdriver. blehhhhh. After Nate came over and was helping me, he suggested rubbing a little paint thinner on the paint before we kept chipping at it, which did seem to help.
So, I'm still in the process on chipping off the paint, and then I will be painting it a bright blue-aqua latex paint.

This is what it looked like. I had just started chipping the paint here, clearly. Especially in the right picture, you can see the color I will be painting it! Exciting!
Now, 5 out of the 6 front segments have been chipped, and most of the sides as well. Keep checking back for follow up pictures!
Have you ever painted a radiator? Or wanted to?

Cookies n Creamy Brownies

That's what was on the menu this past week for youth group. Delicious! I mean, I had to do something with all my left over Oreos. Besides me eat them, of course... ;)

And so the wonder of brownies' versatility continues...

I started with my brownies recipe which is pretty rich, chocolate, and chewy.
Then I added a layer of "creaminess" in the middle, which was similar to a cream cheese brownie. Then I thew the crushed oreos on top, and plunked the rest of the brownie batter on top.

Here's my recipe -
1 c. butter, melted
1 1/2 c. brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
1 T. vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 c. cocoa
1 t. salt.
Whisk together the butter, sugars, and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well after each.
Separately whisk flour, cocoa, and salt together. Add wet ingredients and fold gently until mostly mixed.

Cream Cheese Mixture:
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1/4 t. salt
1 egg
Beat together cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add egg and mix well.

Pour most of brownie batter into a greased 9x13. Add cream cheese mixture, and broken oreo bits (use as many as you want!). Splatter the rest of the brownie batter on top, and bake at 350 for about 35 min.

Enjoy! :)

Your daily chuckles :)

Ever see those little things while shopping that just make you laugh, simply because they describe life so well, and so humourously?
Here's one that I found in Target. Hope it makes you giggle! :)