unabashedly uncorked: your daily dose of EPH!

Last weekend, an hour before we had guests arriving for my Daddy’s birthday dinner, our dishwasher flooded. This isn’t an occurrence that would shock anyone that laid eyes on our appliance. It’s been kicking butt and cleaning cutlery for 20 plus years. It was installed when the house was built… get the picture? The stinking dishwasher is old.

(though I must admit that the mint green interior has been mighty on-trend over the past few months!)

I hate the damn dishwasher. I’ve been pestering Blake since we moved in to let me get a new one. His take has always been that there’s no sense in replacing it if the stupid thing is still working. This has lead me to several plots and ploys to break it without necessarily outright “breaking it”. I may or may not have talked myself out of sticking rocks under the sprayer in the base of the dishwasher. What can I say? Desperate times call for desperate measures, folks.

What makes the story even more ironic is that Blake announced on Saturday morning that he finally agreed with me; it was time to replace the dishwasher. His thoughts were that we should get a little use out of any new one we install before we sell out home (not that it’s happening in the foreseeable future). He believed our Magic Chef had lived a good, long life and might best serve it’s next function as a donation.

And then low and behold the damn thing broke that afternoon. It’s almost as if the dishwasher heard Blake’s final ruling and proclaimed—

“FORGET THIS! I’M GIVING UP IF NO ONE BELIEVES IN ME ANYMORE!!!”

And thus- I give you our new, fancy, dual zone, stainless steel dishwasher to be delivered on Saturday. We are thrilled and delighted with our new arrival!

this has been a post about an appliance

A jaunt to our favorite city- booked. ((admittedly, not for this weekend but one in the near future which I can use as my carrot; my something to look forward to)) Donuts beware. 

Food? Did you say you wanted to talk about food? 

This fried chicken will be made in my kitchen tomorrow night. Who’s joining us?!

Speaking of kitchens— exciting stuff on the horizon [inspiration here] for my favorite room in the house. I’m not sure what we’re [by “we” I mean Blake] going to do when our little place is DIY’ed to completion. Perhaps we could sit back and enjoy it… or maybe it will be time to pack those boxes and head to a new adventure. The exciting part [in this case] is not knowing exactly what the next step will be. 

And since we’re on the subject of changes- Sunday will bring the close of one particular chapter. I’m ready for it. While I am still saddened by it, I’m fully embracing it. I’m planning on capturing it with some [private] words and then moving on; enjoying the moment that I’m currently in. I’m learning to not be scared of the “what’s next’s  and the “what if’s”. I’m wrapping my arms around the “here and now’s” and savoring our life just the way it is. Because that’s just what was intended for us. 

This week I’m thankful for the return of my strength (my muscles were in hibernation there for a few months), for my personal pep talks, for a whole host of quiet Elizabeth moments, and the discovery of a horseradish and cheddar Pub cheese @ Trader Joe’s. 

Life- boring old life as we’ve known it- has returned to the H house. Me stomping around the first floor at fartoolatetobestartingdinner o’clock and Blake hurriedly trying to finish up whateverproject he’s cramming into his 14.8 free minutes each evening. We’re back to normal. It sounds so cliche and stupid to say that but when you’ve been yearning for “normalcy” for the past 10 months, it’s a rather pleasant visitor to have around. 

What does your weekend ahead hold for you? 

oxo

One of my favorite re-purposed items from 2012 was this former K. Hall “Milk” candle that I turned into a makeup brush holder. It would have been a shame to waste a perfectly good glass container [and the subsequent half dozen I’ve scraped clean since last Spring] and I quite like the vintage-y look it gives my tray. 

Here’s how I did it: 

1. Once you’re finished with the candle, stick the jar inside the freezer and let it sit for at least an hour.
2. The cold temps will cause any leftover wax to shrink. When you take the jar out of the freezer, scrape any excess wax out with a [dull] knife.
3. If there’s a label on the candle- you can remove. Or if you quite like the sticker left on the jar [as I did] leave it right where it is. 
4. Use a paper towel to wipe off any smudges, bits of wax, or soot that’s been left behind. If you have a hard time cleaning the jar, a dab of baby oil will clean everything off quite nicely. 
5. Rinse with soap and water then dry. 
6. Voila! You have a fancy, re-purposed glass container!

I currently have this jar formerly known as a Jonathan Adler candle sitting in my freezer waiting for it’s makeover. I’m thinking it would look nice holding slices of citrus on our new bar. 

original idea via cupcakes & cashmere // candle how-to adapted from here