Honey Glazed Ham

I haven't shared a recipe in such a long time!

Honey Glazed Ham

• Thinly sliced ham. (I buy 2-3 pounds of the lean kind)
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tbs mustard
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 orange, skin left on, sliced thin

1. Stagger the ham slices in a shallow baking dish. (Refer to picture to see what I'm talking about.)
2. In a separate bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients and stir well.
3. Pour the mixture over the ham.
4. Place the orange slices on top of the ham.
5. Bake at 400 degrees for 1 hour.
6. Take off the orange slices before eating!

I like to baste it like a turkey, just to make sure that it gets full flavor.

On another note, the master bedroom is close to being done. I put up the rest of the baseboard, primed all doors, and gave each 1 coat of paint. I ran out of paint, so I can't finish it until I go buy some more.


I'm really sorry for the delay in this project. Trust me, I want this done more than you do, haha!
Unfortunately, I'm having contractors over tomorrow to discuss insulating my house, so it might not get done tomorrow. I'll let you know about the progress on that, and maybe even shoot some "before" pictures.
Does anyone else have drop-ceiling tiles used as attic insulation? You'll have to see it to believe it...

I'm so excited, aren't you?!

A Bedroom Update

I'm almost done with the master bedroom, and I absolutely adore it!

I just need to install a double rod support, finish the rest of the baseboard, and paint 4 doors, and I'm all done!

I want to show you the progress I've made over the past couple weeks.

After moving out all the old furniture and giving the room a good vacuuming, this is what I had:

The carpet was ugly. As you can see, there's also no baseboard in the room. That's a reoccurring problem in my house.

What house doesn't have baseboard?

Mine.

There's also a shelf/curtain rod combo above the window.

While I liked the display space, it's really not my style.

It had to go.

The squares on either side of the window were framed.

I actually sort of liked it.

Then I started ripping out the carpet and laying the planks.

This is after day 1:

The shelf was taken out, the bamboo blinds were ready to be cut and hung, and the flooring was 1/4 done.

I bought one dresser from a Christmas gift card (thanks Ma!), and started installing the bamboo roman shades.

In one corner, I had to strip the wall and re-mud the corner due to some water damage.

The roof near the chimney sprung a leak this past summer, and it caused a lot of paper bubbling.

Thank goodness there was no mold!

The room then received a fresh coat of paint (Foaming Waters from Dutch Boy).

The curtains were hung (using two old curtain rods). The inside curtain is short, I know. It's a thermal/light blocking curtain, and since it's behind the bed, I knew it wouldn't really matter.

The outside curtain is a drop cloth.

I can see why people love drop cloth curtains so much!

The price and texture are amazing!

Then I bought the other dresser and added two lamps from Younkers.

My husband really digs the lamps.

=D



However, once I put the bed back in with the new bedding from West Elm...

...I realized that the lamp shades and duvet cover don't match the drop cloth curtains.

They clash terribly.

The duvet cover and lamps have more of a yellow tint.

The drop cloth curtains have more of a brown/gray tint.

Since the bedding was darned expensive, and since my husband really liked the lamps, I knew the curtains had to go.

And that's where I am today. I picked up some more curtains that I think would go better with the room. It's not a loss, really, since I can always use the drop cloths for their intended purpose....painting.

Haha.

So within the next few days, I'll show you the results. It's going to be major! The room is so bright and airy! It feels luxurious and cozy.

P.S. I promise to have better quality "after" photos. I wasn't worried about snapping perfect pictures while I (and my camera) was covered in drywall dust.

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Years, everyone!

Did anyone do anything fun for the New Year?

It's time again to make resolutions, but before I do, I want to reflect on how well I did from last year's resolutions.

You can find the original post here.



1. I will fit into my old wedding dress.
Done! I tried it on a month ago, and I even had spare room! Would it be weird to ever have my old wedding dress altered? Haha....

2. Complete my first ever half marathon with my mom and family.

Never even tried. I think it was a combination of being too busy and not being fit enough. During the past year, however, I have doubled my stamina, so maybe I'll give it a whirl this year.

3. Learn how to sew.
Nope. Still never learned. However, I do have a sewing machine now. I just have to find the time...

4. Be proficient at using my new Cricut.
I'm now a pro.   ;)

5. And lastly, but most importantly to me, maintain (or heighten!) my 3.5 GPA.
I brought it up to a 3.658. I feel so proud of myself for keeping that resolution.

My 2011 Resolutions

1. Complete a marathon with my family. Do you think I'll make it this year? I hope so!

2. Potty train Hailey. I'm really getting tired of changing diapers. So is my wallet...

3. Get my LPN license. I will be able to become a Licensed Practical Nurse after a year into my degree.

4. Visit family more often. I see my husband's family quite often, but I don't get to see my side much at all. My family is huge (one grandma had 10 children, the other had 5), and I know it's impossible to stay in touch with everyone, but it would still be nice to see the family that is around the area.

5. Learn to sew. Maybe. Hopefully. I really wish that I had my craft room set up.

I can't wait to see what the new year brings!

What are some of your New Year's Resolutions??

I would love to hear them!

Master Bedroom Plans

I feel like I'm just waking up after a long dream.

I haven't been around in a while, have I?

Yesterday was the last day of the semester for me, and this chick managed to pull off straight As! Studying for exams have taken up all my free time. That is the cause of my absence!

So now I have roughly 3 weeks of free time (except...you know...my job), and as per usual, I have a whole pile of stuff that I want to get done.

Main project: the upstairs flooring.

Each room has a different type of carpet. Most of you that have been with me for a long time know that I. hate. carpet (almost as much as I hate carpet glue! Haha!)

So most of my efforts will be installing seamless laminate dark "wood" floors.

Fun, hey?

But you know how I am. One project makes me take on another...and another....and.....well, you know.

So while dreaming of these new floors, I decided that the master bedroom needed a little refresher.

(This is where a picture of my bedroom would go if I had one. My room is a disaster, and I'm too lazy today to clean it.)

Actually, I still sort of like my bedroom.

However, it lacks my personality. Plus, I have fine-tuned my decorating skills since the last time I have remodeled.

We bought an iron headboard full-price for over $500 when we first bought our house.  I wanted a sleigh-style headboard...

But our bed is right under a window. Unfortunately, it is the only place we can put a bed.

We knew we needed an iron one so that we wouldn't block any light.

I hate it.

I loath it.

I (insert hateful word here) it.

And you know....my husband said that since it was so expensive (for our measly budget), we have to live with it for the next 20 years, at a minimum.

Pfffffttt......

That is.....until I saw this picture over at The Lettered Cottage:

Oh my gosh! Could you just die?

She solved my problem!

So I'm "knocking off" Layla's bedroom!

My plans:

-planked walls just like hers.

-laminate floors, but darker than hers.

-bamboo shades, but the darker version to match the floors.

-drop cloths curtains (like hers), and I already have the curtain rod in storage from a demo project!

-this bedding from West Elm (that I know I'm getting for Christmas)

\

...but in the natural color. I already have the comforter to stuff it with!

-these "nightstands" from Kmart.

Okay, so they are actually considered dressers, but they are pretty small. They have them on display at our local Kmart.

We really need the storage space with these nightstands. I'm going to love having more drawers!

-A small chandelier hanging above the bed. I'm thinking about doing some thrift shopping for this one. I love vintage!

This may take us a while to complete, but I'll keep you posted on the progress!

I still need to do a "wish list" post, don't I?
Hmmmm....that should be coming soon, I hope.

Happy Thanksgiving

I was in a food coma today.

It was awesome.

=D

(Photos are from my "Pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving.)

What I am thankful for this year:

*My family's health. It's been a rough year for many members of our families, but everyone is still here with us today, and for that I am truly thankful.

*The opportunity for my husband and me to continue our education. It's been a tough road, but I know it will be worth it in the end!

*My kids. My kids are great. My 5 year old is one of the top students in his class. My daughter knows the entire alphabet at 2 1/2 years old. My 10 year old shows more morals and appreciation than many of his peers. We are great parents, even though we were young when we had them.  ;)

*My forever-friends. This year has brought a lot of harsh realities to me. I have almost successfully weeded out the toxic friendships in my life. My supportive friendships mean so much to me. I never wanted to have sisters, but I'd imagine that some of my friendships are just as strong, if not more.

*My marriage. I know that he will be making me laugh every single day until the day I die (whether it be with him or at him). He grounds me. Sometimes I can be too serious, and he reminds me to just laugh.

*My Followers. I can't even begin to describe how important you all are to me. You make me feel important. You encourage me to better my home, my cooking....well...my life in general. Without you, I doubt I would have the motivation to accomplish as much as I have. You give me advice. You pick me up when others have beaten me down. Thank you SO much for everything!

Tell me what you are most thankful for. I'd love to hear it!