DIY: Desk & Chair Makeover

Years ago, when I was a little girl this desk set belonged to me. It held virtually every Lisa Frank sticker imaginable, I found some oldies stuck in between the drawers as I was cleaning them out ;) Over time, the white paint turned yellow and the fabric faded. I wanted to re-finish it because once Reagan gets older we'll move her into the guest room with the same furniture I had growing up! To up-cycle this desk and chair, I sanded, repainted & replaced the knobs. I kept it white because it matches the bed set where the desk will go. The change isn't drastic, its just updated. I used an electric sander for the large flat surfaces and a hand held sander for the rest. The chair had to be sanded entirely by hand because of the smaller and more intricate spaces. The chair also had an upholstered cushion--the fabric was awful and faded, so I replaced the fabric with an updated "metallic elephant" from Calico Corners. I had extra fabric from my panels in the family room (another blog on that), so I just wrapped it around the existing fabric and used a staple gun to keep it in place. It was so simple & now looks like a totally new chair! 

New Fabric + Staple Gun = NEW cushion

To remove cushion, there are four screws underneath seat.

Use a hand sander on intricate areas.

Electric sander on large surfaces or the hand sander is fine too.

Wipe off all access debris from sanding with warm cloth. Let dry.

You can really see how yellow it had gotten in this picture! Use a roller for the large flat surfaces.

I used a 1" Purdy brush designed for all paints. 

Sand off any paint runs--no one is perfect ;)

I decided to spray these knobs because it was a hard width to find and I didn't want to drill new holes.

The old pulls, repainted silver!

& the new one's from Hobby Lobby

Replace cushion.

The newly updated desk! 

I used Valspar, Chef White in semigloss. I bought the knobs from Hobby Lobby (check for 50% off sales on knobs) they always have such a large variety & when they're 50% off I tend to go a little crazy! (Side note: You can place an order for as many knobs as you'd like while they are 50% off and they will still honor the sale) I'm sort of "knob obsessed" because they're an instant update to any old cabinetry and the knobs are ridiculously cute! 

A Must-Have Recipe for Lasagna

I married into an Italian family, so naturally I had to learn the lasagna recipe that my husband always raved about! My mother in-law, June is the master chef of this divine creation and we always have such fun cooking together when she comes to visit!

Now this isn't one of those recipes where you make your own noodles or anything, because honestly who has time for that?! To prepare, cook, wait and assemble can already be time consuming but I like to make it a day event so the sauce can cook as long as possible! It makes a ton so its worth the wait and I love having two other lasagna pans I can freeze and use for a dinner party or a family get-together in the future. It's all about the sauce! 

Two important steps are using a food processor to get the meat fine and also cooking the meat with the spices for as long as possible to absorb all the flavor. June's Lasagna Recipe Ingredients: 2 lb. Sweet Italian Sausage 2-3 lb. ground meat 2 Large Onions, finely chopped 5 T sugar 2 T salt 1 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. crushed oregano 3 T dried basil leaves 1 cup Parsley, chopped 3 cans (12oz) tomato paste 3 large cans crushed tomatoes 2 boxes curly lasagna noodles 2 eggs 5 lbs. Grated Mozzarella Cheese 1 large container of Ricotta cheese, drained 2 7oz. Shredded Romano & Parmesan cheese 6 cloves garlic, crushed 1/2 cup red wine Directions: Sauce Remove sausage meat from casings. Chop the meat and brown with ground meat over medium heat in a large pot. Drain. **I use a food processor to make meat fine** Return meat to pot and add onion & garlic. Stir until well browned, about 20 minutes. Add sugar, 1 T salt, basil, pepper and 1/2 cup parsley. Mix well and cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and 1/2 cup red wine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, simmer covered (stirring occasionally) until thick--about 1.5 hours. The longer you cook, the more flavor it will have. Boil Lasagna noodles with salt and small amount of oil. Drain. Lay each noodle on a kitchen towel to dry before layering.

Combine Ricotta Cheese, eggs, and remaining parsley.

In a lasagna pan (I use the disposable lasagna pans) layer sauce, romano & parmesan, mozzarella, noodles, ricotta cheese mixture (I normally do 3 layers of noodles). End with mozzarella & Bake at 350 F for 1.5-2 hours.

Thin layer of sauce on bottom...

All cheeses followed by noodles...

Ricotta cheese mixture spread thin on noodles...

…..and repeat, ending with the cheese layer! BAKE at 350 F for 1.5-2 hours

Pour yourself a big glass of red wine & enjoy! Cheers!