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Sunday, January 17, 2010

Metamorphosis Monday and Choco-Cloud Brownies




Today I'm sharing a furniture makeover. This is a dresser that belonged to my mother in law. I had it in the basement and was going to put fabric in it when I realized that it would be perfect under the mirror by our front door. It's a perfect catch all for all the things that hang around there!



Here it is after my sweet hubby spray painted it. He bought these nice little wood medallions at Home Depot and glued them on before he painted. I couldn't decide what kind of knobs I wanted on it so we just painted the wood ones with a hammered gold spray paint we had. I really liked how they turned out, so I may keep them.



The mirror is one we had in our dinning room. It was white and my sweet hubby spray painted it black for me. Gosh I'm liking black spray paint!



I need your help! This is a crystal lamp that I've had forever, and I'm tired of the old faded potpourri that is in it. I'd like to put something else in it, but I don't know what! It can't be anything to heavy. Leave a comment for me if you have an idea for what to put in it! Don't worry, I'm going to replace the lampshade.

Be sure and check Between Naps on The Porch to see what everyone else is up to for Metamorphosis Monday! And also check out Making The World Cuter for more fun ideas!




I found this recipe in my Taste of Home Cookies Cookbook (I told about the cookbook here). This one didn't even have a picture, but the description made it sound yummy! This is a nice mild brownie, nice and chewy with lots of fluffy vanilla flavored frosting. I love this kind of frosting. It's kind of an old fashioned frosting made by cooking flour and milk until thick then beating sugar and butter until fluffy, then adding the cooled flour and milk mixture. This makes the nicest fluffiest frosting. I've made this kind of frosting before, and it's great for frosting cakes and cupcakes.

Choco-Cloud Brownies


1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla
7 oz milk chocolate candy bar, melted (I did it in a small bowl for 15 sec. intervals in the microwave, stirring in between)
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt

Frosting

5 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with Pam.

In a bowl whisk the flour and salt. In a mixer beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and the eggs one at a time. Beat in the melted chocolate bar and beat for 2 minutes. Mix in the flour mixture. Spoon into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until it starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and the middle is firming up. Cool completely.

For Frosting

In a small pan whisk the flour and milk. Heat until it boils, lower heat and boil and stir for 2 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and cool completely.

Beat the butter and powdered sugar for 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and the cooled flour and milk mixture and beat for 5 minutes. Frost cooled brownies.

16 comments:

Glenda/MidSouth said...

What a pretty redo! Thanks for sharing it with us. The brownies look so good.

Jennie said...

Wow! I didn't know that old microwave stand had that much life in it!!! Looks fantastic! Never would have recognized it! And the mirror. . . perfect!

Marla said...

Love your dresser re-do, it looks great! About the lamp, I have one with shells in it that I like a lot. You could do something like buttons, or marbles, if you put a round piece of foam in the center, then you don't have to make it so heavy. Just an idea. Blessings Marla

DesignTies said...

The dresser looks really good. Spray paint is one of the best inventions ever!!

What to put in your lamp base... well, I guess it depends on what you like and what else is in the room. If you like natural things, how about some some twigs & pieces of bark. If you like knitting or crocheting or sewing, you could fill it with pieces of yarn or fabrics. Layers of different coloured sand and some shells if you like the beach.

Kelly @ DesignTies

Kammy said...

Looks great , love the accents !
Kammy

Jen said...

Oh Carol, your husband is one talented man. I know the truth, you are giving direction and he is taking credit, but I'll keep it on the down low. The dresser looks fab. Okay, the lamp. Corks are big right now. Have you considered filling it with corks? You can find them at recycle centers. Or, polished rocks would be beautiful, marbles, spools of thread, even scraps of fabric would be fun. Of course anything organic that you collect from outside would look lovely. So glad to have found you!

Bored and Crafty said...

Oh that looks super classy now. Good job! :)

Lana Kim White Austin said...

Awesome furniture re-do and I'm lovin' the black paint for it, too.
Also, those brownies made me gain 7 lbs just looking at them!
Hugs, Lana

Bird said...

Carol,

Firstly, thank you for stopping by at Bird Crafts and for saying hi!! :D

SEcondly, I love the transformation!!! i am a total big furniture re-vamp virgin...I have only done small stuff so this is s great inspiring idea!! :)

BTW, I love brownies and am gonna have to do that recipe...

Angie Holden said...

Love the transformation! Those medallions are awesome!!
Maybe try seashells in the lamp? My local Dollar Mart has a whole basket full for $1.

Maryann @ Domestically-Speaking said...

Great paint job! Goodness... there's so much you could be in... shells, silk rose buds, coral, nuts, beans... anything you like the color and shape of. I've got a Power of Paint Party on Wednesdays. I'd love for you to share your dresser and mirror.

Expressions by Heather said...

It's just perfect there, and gave me an idea of what we need in the dining room now! Our table is the "catch all", and it gets loaded down fast!

Thanks for linking up at Talented Tuesday!

Tiffany said...

A girl after my own heart! I LOVE black spray paint too, my hubby is always teasing me that we can't spray everything black, so I've introduced a white can or two to my closet of black spray paint! Thanks so much for sharing this, for linking back with my button and for the mention! You are the best! I don't know about the lamp...maybe some fake pears or lemons...or just spray paint it black! :)
Good luck and let me know what you end up doing with it!
-Tiff

Mrs. Wizzle said...

Make your lamp seasonal. Change it up regularly. Lots of great ideas in the comments. You could think of hearts, snowflakes,christmas balls, shamrocks, butterflies, little gourds, crystals, cubes, marbles, twigs, balls, buttons, 3-d anything like music notes,New years decorations, the list goes on.

The Home Ec Teachers Daugter said...

Great furniture make over. I've been doing a lot of that throughout the move to the new apt

Pauline Wiles said...

I think you've had lots of great lamp filling ideas, but if you're still a bit stuck, pay a visit to the Pottery Barn website - they have tonnes of ideas for fillings and how to use them.