{DIY} Painted Headboard

Hey You, it's Heidi here! Have you ever searched high and low for something and just couldn't find what you wanted? I started about 6 months ago looking to replace our bed with something different. I found a handful of options and just couldn't get myself to fork over the thousands, especially for someone who likes change. We have this platform chocolate leather bed that was at one time something I had to have and once I changed the master bedrooms decor it didn't work with my plan. So I took the bed apart and now it sits in a closet looking for a new owner.
I contemplated just having a metal frame to lay the mattress on. I have done that in the past and though a great money saver its not very attractive looking. What are my other options, bite the bullet and buy something I really like, no that wasn't an option at all or consult with pinterest and find something fun.
Per usual pinterest came to my rescue.

Whatcha need?

Headboard
Painters Tape or Masking Tape
Level
Paint Brush
Paint

Figure out how tall and wide you want your headboard to be. There's no right or wrong, it is all personal preference. As a reference I have a queen bed and made my faux headboard 76 inches wide and 45 inches tall. Once you figure out what you measurements should be tape off the rectangle.
Press down on the tape to make sure that it is snug on the wall.

If you have paint left over from the original wall color grab that out of the basement and paint over the tape on the inside of the rectangle. This will help to seal the tape and block any bleeding of the new color to escape underneath.

After that dries fill in the rectangle with your desired color. Lastly peel the tape and violà you have a headboard.

 

Protein Packed 7 Minute Cookies

Mmmmm cookies!!!

Hope everyone had a nice Monday! Sorry for the late post tonight.

I've been trying to get a little more protein in my diet lately, for those of you who know me I live on a mostly cheese and tortilla diet...aka the quesidilla diet. I've been trying to think of ways to trick my brain into thinking that I'm eating ooy-gooy sugar filled foods...so that brings me to my DIY for the day...Quest protein cookies...soooo easy. 

I found these Quest protein bars at my local QNC. 19 grams of protein and only 1 gram of sugar?!? AND it's cookie dough flavored? Sign me up. Ps they just came out with a limited edition Pumpkin Spice flavor too!

Here's my easy Quest Bar cookie how-to/

Tonight I used the chocolate brownie flavor, but use whatever bar flavor you're in the mood for!

Unwrap your bar and stick in the microwave for 10 seconds to soften it up a bit. 

Cup up (I chose to do 6 cookies out of bar but I've also done 4).  While it's still warm, roll the 'dough' into cookie like balls. 

Place on aluminum foil or parchment paper and bake for 7 minutes at 350 degrees. 

Fresh from the oven take a fork and swish your cookie down a bit to make it alittle flatter. You'll seriously be amazed at how much these babies 'puff up' and get a cookie like consistency. Now you can enjoy these as is or add a little peanut butter to the top (or do like Matthew and add them to a heaping bowl of ice cream!!) 

Seriously try these out when your next late night sweet tooth hits you, you won't be disappointed!!

And you won't feel guilty eating the whole tray!!

Nutritional facts per cookie (6 cookies total):

Calories- 32 cals

Fat- 1 gram 

Carbs- 3.5 grams

Protein- 3 grams 

Eins, Zwei, Drei, PROST!

[ok-toh-ber-fest]

a traditional festival held each October in Munich, Germany. Fortunately here in the Midwest we love it so much we start it in August and carry it all the way through October.

Being a wife of a musician, our weekends are jammed packed with Oktoberfests. This last weekend we packed the car full of instruments, dirndls and lederhosen, and drove ourselves to Peoria, Illinois. Peoria (by the way population 160 thousand or so) is a pretty cool city. They host quite the Oktoberfest and it is seriously worth the 3.5 hour "cornfields for miles drive" from Milwaukee.

Peoria Oktoberfest celebrated their 20th Anniversary this year, Congrats again Peoria! Die Schwarzwald Vagabunden from the Black Forest in southern Germany took the stage and were the headliners all three nights. They held the crowd til 11 p.m. on Saturday night and had record breaking attendance.

I know the Vagabunden Band since I was a little girl. They were invited to play here in the US many times and became close friends to my entire family (back in 2004 when they appeared at Milwaukee's German Fest I met my husband who was the 22 year old Accordion player).

Here I have a video clip for you to experience one of the many show stoppers. This one is called "Bobfahrer-Lied", a song about a bob sled race. And as you can see, members of the audience had the chance to part take in this special "race":

A quick German lesson for you before you head on over to Oktoberfest

Eins, Zwei, Drei, G´Suffa! --means one, two, three, drink!
Ein Prosit, Ein Prosit, der Gemütlichkeit -- means a toast to cheer and good times
Band says : Zicke Zacke Zicke Zicke your response Hpi! Hoi! Hoi! --not eu, eu, eu pronouce the H!
Schunkeling--grab the persons arm next to you and sway left to right


What to wear to Oktoberfest?

I have been going to Oktoberfest since the day I was born and have seen everything possible. Anything from Medival Times, to Fiona from Shrek, to I can't believe I am going to say this but Beer Maid Halloween Costumes. Granted the traditional German Dirndl isn't the cheapest outfit (ranging from 100-300 on average) to buy but wearing the Halloween costume is a slap in the face. Have you seen those? Your butt cheeks are hanging out!! Those won't make your Oma proud.

 Little Teagan came along too!!!!

but fell asleep to her daddys music

Bye Bye Peoria til next time

Upcoming Oktoberfests in the Milwaukee Area

Bavarian Inn September 25-26 700 W. Lexington Blvd, Glendale
Pere Marquette Park Oct 1-4 950 N. Old World Third Street, Milwaukee
Bavarian Inn October 2-3 700 W. Lexington Blvd, Glendale
Cathedral Square Park Oct 8-11 520 E. Wells Street, Milwaukee

Beginners Guide To Spin Class

Happy Monday!

Spin class can be downright intimidating. The padded shorts and cycling shoes many people wear to class can make it feel intense and scary, and the loud music and even louder instructor help raise the scare factor. While an indoor cycling class is an intense cardio workout — one 45-minute class can burn upward of 500 calories! — it doesn't have to be scary. 

Since you will be sweating, choose moisture-wicking clothes with good breathability. Regular athletic shoes will do fine — there's no need to invest in cycling shoes until you know that indoor cycling is for you. Bring water and two towels to class. I throw one towel over my handlebars, and use the other one to wipe off the gallons of sweat you're about to produce.

The instructor will guide you through the workout, telling you when to increase or lower resistance, pedal faster, and rise or sit. You'll be guided through climbs, sprints, and muscle isolation. Like any successful workout, keeping your abs engaged is key. There's high-energy music blasting that keeps you moving — and motivated! — for the entire class, and be prepared to sweat. Remember that you are ultimately in control. If you want to alter the instructions to make it through the class, go ahead and decrease the tension. As with anything new--know your limits, and as time goes on, you'll be sure to build up your strength and endurance...and I hope I do too!

Everything deserves a Home

Girls night always leads to great talks, but on this specific girls night I had learned something so important. Thanks to a great friend who introduced me to "the life-changing magic of tidying up" by Marie Kondo my life is complete. I love to organize, label and make things look pretty, but a week later the mess piled up again. Until now, I kid you not this book truly is life changing.

11 dollars or so later my house is tidied up from head to toe. Ever corner, drawer, and cupboard only holds the items that spark my joy. Crazy right?

Rather going from room to room which is typically the way that most of us clean, you work in categories. First you start with clothes, then books, then papers, then so on. This way you are gathering each category together and going through those items as a whole. Grab contractor size garbage bags and get ready to be amazed. You are going to go clothing item by clothing item touching each one individually and asking yourself "does this spark joy?". It's a simple answer yes or no, never maybe or one day, or this was given to me by my lovely grandma and she would be so upset. She will be more upset that it sat on the bottom of your drawer or on the floor of your closet. I minimized my closet by about 60%. I had so much excitement when I was doing this. The next day I was getting ready and went into my closet, my heart raced when I  looked around and I started to panic. Where have all my clothes gone? Am I crazy for getting rid of everything? The closer and closer I got to the shirts I began to realize the magic of this book. I didn't shuffle through the clothes, I just picked one. It was so easy to just grab a shirt, because I was left with only those that made me happy or sparked joy.

As you continue to read the book you are moving on to other categories and quickly able to discard items that simply aren't necessary to hold on to. The object is to complete this tidying up project in as little time as possible. Dragging out the cleaning process isn't going to help and you will be set back into your old ways.

Here are some photos that I hope inspire you to join me on this journey.

And thank your for giving me joy at one point in my life... farwell

We also had two dumpsters full of garbage piled high that I wish I would have taken a picture of.

Are you on board? Take pictures and send them to us at blondebrunetteandbrass@gmail.com or tag us on instagram @blondebrunetteandbrass

{DIY} Essential Oil Shower Disks

Happy Monday!!

Of course I caught a head cold over the weekend. Which isn't surprising since I spent the last week helping out in Matt's classroom. I'm doing everything in my power to fight this cold off as quickly as possible and remembered seeing these essential oil diy disks on Pinterest to help ease the pain. 

If you’ve never heard of these shower disks before, they are disks that you place on the bottom of your shower, and the hot water and steam activates the fragrances that clear your sinuses while you’re showering.

They were rather easy to make. You will need:

• Baking soda (amount depends on how many you want to make. 2 1/2 lbs make about 18 disks.
• Doterra Essential oils: Rosemary, Eucalyptus, and Lavender.  (You can also substitute peppermint).
• About 1 1/2 cups of water.
• Muffin tins & liners (optional).

Directions:

• Mix the baking soda and water until it makes a paste.  If you put in too much water, add more baking soda.
• Add about 15 to 20 drops of EACH essential oil.
• Mix again, and make sure it is thoroughly blended.
• Pour into muffin tins (or liners).
• Either let sit about 12-18 hours, OR bake at 250º for about 1 hour and 10 minutes, until hardened.

Then, when you take a nice, hot shower, place the disks at the bottom of your shower, and let the vapors clear your sinuses and heal your cold.  It works wonderfully!

Store these in airtight containers, paper bags, or Ziploc baggies.  Baking soda and essential oils have no expiration dates, so they will last for quite some time. But I would suggest using them up within about 6 months or so, as they might lose a little of their potency.

Bye Bye Summer! Hello Fall!

If there's one thing that excites me about summer being over, it's the sweets and treats of fall. After Starbucks announced that they are changing their pumpkin spice latte to have real pumpkin puree, I nearly did a back flip! Now now, I know that here in Wisconsin we literally have 3 months of summer unless mother nature decides to start us late or cuts us short and gives us just 2. It only makes it an easy transition when I see the farmers markets and grocery stores turn their produce over to pumpkins galore. I have literally had everything pumpkin--milk, fudge, the obvious carbs, ravioli, butter, beer, so on and so forth. But today is not about pumpkins but rather apples. At the Milwaukee County Fair I had for the first time ever Apple Cider Donuts. I must have been hung up on pumpkin that I never even heard of this sugary spiced deliciousness. This is not my recipe by any means, but I did tweak it ever so slightly. This is a great weekend treat that you need two days for. One day for prep which took about one hour and the second for frying.

DOUGH
2 Apples--I used Red Delicious
1 1/2 cups Apple Cider--grab at your local farmers market YUM!
3 1/2 cups Flour
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1/4 tsp Baking Powder
1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
2/3 cup Sugar
2 Eggs--1 whole, 1 yolk
1/4 cup Buttermilk

1 tsp Vanilla Extract
3 T Vegetable Shortening
Vegetable Oil--for frying

Doughnut Cutter

GLAZE

1 cup Apple Cider

1/2 cup Powdered Sugar

TOPPING

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 cup Sugar 

Peel the apples and depose of the core. Chop the apples up coarsely. Combine the apples with 1 1/2 cups of apple cider in a saucepan over medium heat. Cover and let the apples soften for about 10-15 minutes. Remove the cover and allow the cider to completely reduce--approximately 20 minutes. Grab a blender and puree the apples until it is a smooth sauce. You should have about 1 cup. Set aside to let cool.

In a medium size bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt. Set that aside and grab a large bowl. Combine the shortening and sugar in the large bowl and beat until you are left with a wet sand. Next beat in a large egg along with an egg yolk followed by the apple puree. Beat in half the flour, then the buttermilk, then the vanilla, and then the remaining flour. Don't over mix.

On a cookie sheet spread some flour. Take the dough (will be VERY sticky) and lay that on the cookie sheet. Form into a large ball and place dough into a plastic zip lock or plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours. 

Once your dough has chilled, heat a cast iron skillet on the stove with about 2 inches of vegetable oil. Meanwhile simmer 1 cup of apple cider in a small saucepan. Once it has reduced to about 1/4 cup whisk in the powdered sugar. You want to have a smooth and sticky consistency for the cinnamon/sugar topping to stick. 

Mix your topping together in a shallow bowl. Your oil should be heated up by now. Take the dough out of the refrigerator. Flour a surface and roll out your dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Press the doughnut cutter into the dough to form the shape. Once you have a couple cut out, put them into the hot oil. You need about 30-45 seconds per side. Take the doughnuts out of the oil and allow them to cool on a drying rack. After they are cooled down, dunk them into the glaze and top with cinnamon and sugar. Repeat the procedure.

Serve warm with a cold glass of milk.

Bye bye Summer. HELLO FALL.

At Home Manicure How-To

Did you know that Heidi and I are not only licensed to do hair, but we could also legally do you manicure for you?! Even though we don't perform them on a regular basis, here's our professional how-to for getting an a professional looking manicure at home! 

 Clip the nails, if necessary, after soaking for just a few seconds to prevent the nail from splintering when it is dry, then file them into shape.

Avoid metal or extremely coarse nail files to prevent splintering—opt for a gently abrasive emery board or crystal nail file instead. Smooth the tops and sides of the nails with a slightly abrasive buffer to get an even surface, but don't forget, if you buff the nails too smooth, the polish won't adhere as well. 

Ahh … the relaxing part. Place your hands in a bowl of warm (not too hot) water and add a bit of Epsom salt. Avoid putting detergent or soapy cleansers in the water because they can be drying and make your cuticles look worse. Soaking the cuticle before trimming is crucial to getting that polished nail look. 

When cutting away the thickened skin around the nail, applying a bit of cuticle remover can make all the difference in the world. By far the best and the least expensive one out there is Be Natural Cuticle Eliminator. 

Very gently push the cuticle back away from the nail with a cuticle pushing tool, but don't push it too far because it can damage nail growth or fray the cuticles. Be careful NOT to pull, lift, tear, rip, force, or cut into the cuticle in any way. Do NOT clip into the cuticle; merely nip off the free edge with a pair of metal cuticle nippers. It's better to under-do this step than to overdo it because the cuticle helps protect the nail bed from bacteria and damage. This is also the time to remove hangnails around the sides of the nail as well, but again, be careful not to cut into the nail itself or to cut into the skin too deeply; otherwise, you will look like you were tuning up your car, not giving yourself a manicure. 

Moisturizing ingredients of any kind left on the nail will prevent polish from adhering properly. Using a cotton swab or pad, apply nail-polish remover over the nail's surface to remove any residue. While it helps to avoid getting remover on the cuticle because you want to keep that area moisturized, don't worry if you do because you're going to apply moisturizer on your nails again once the polish is dry.

If you have weak or brittle nails, use a base coat of ridge-filling nail polish to shore up the nail. A base coat also protects nails from staining and prevents chipping. Next, apply your color polish in layers, allowing each layer to dry between coats. Two coats of color polish, followed by a top coat to add shine and luster should do the trick. Use a lighter shade of polish if you're a novice at painting nails- any mistakes will be less noticeable!

Pure White Make Over

Well I pretty much finished up the master bedroom that had been a fathers day gift for my husband while he was away for work. I had 1 week to complete, which I somewhat did. The only thing that held me back was pinterest. I cannot tell you how much it bugs me when you come across something you desperately want, you click the picture, you follow the link to the website, you purchase only to find out it is on back order. Wouldn't you think like "hey this item is trending like crazy we should really stock up?". No, so I of course  still order it, in hopes that a miracle happens. Well, unfortunately one month later I still didn't receive my shipment. I decided to cancel and move on. I am so so so glad I did.

Lets get started on the before pictures...
A year and a half ago I received a pottery barn catalog and saw this great color Homburg Gray. Loved it. Didn't even thinks twice to check it out at Sherwin Williams. I purchased it brought it home and painted.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH......

I guess I was just expecting more gray charcoal than gray blue/green. Well we lived with it for a little over a year and I couldn't take it anymore. It was cold, dark, and just plain yuck.

So Thomas left and I went to the drawing board. I wanted white and a boho feel. Try going to the paint store and picking a white with limited time. I rather give birth again, seriously!

I ended up choosing Snowbound, its pretty pure white, maybe a slight warmth to it.

New York City Map -IKEA
8x10 Frame -IKEA
Hello Pillow-Etsy
But seriously let's make out pillow- Etsy
Houndstooth Loveseat- Cederburg Flea Market
Airplant and planter- West Elm Local
Take me to NY Print- Etsy
Somewhere between here and there Print- Urban Outfitters
Macrame Plant Hanger- DIY
Black and White Pillow- Target

Blown up instagram photos - Walgreens

Plant-Home Depot
Phone Print- Chicago Boutique
Gray Vase- CB2
Tobacco Candle-Home Goods

 

This picture was taking with my phone in Williamsburg. I loved it so much I took it over to Kinkos (local print shop) and had them do a blueprint for only 7 dollars!!! 

 

 

It so much brighter and airier. White walls used to be boring to me and now they are amazing, it allows you to add so much without limiting any colors.