Here is more of “The Flipper” and it’s transformation. This is the room we called the Master Bedroom. The wallpaper peeled off super easy in here but left what must have been all the glue behind. It took many painful hours of sanding, spackling, sanding again and more sanding. Looking back, I wish I would have just shiplapped the focal wall. This room was a lot of work. Here is the Master bedroom finished. The chandelier must be causing the shadowing on the wall :), as this photo was professionally taken. Oh no, ewe yuck, right? This was the condition of the master shower before we started ..read more

On July 1, we celebrated John’s birthday (son-in-law). I had been thinking about this cake for a long time but hadn’t made it because of my restricted diet. John’s birthday gave me the reason to make it and have a cheat moment :). It is so good! This is what is intimidating! Look at all the ingredients. Crazy! It wasn’t as bad as it looks. Although, if it weren’t for my husband asked what the egg whites were, I would have forgot to put them in. Oh my! Here is the recipe~ Italian Cream Cake 1/2 cup shortening 1 stick butter 2 cups sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp vanilla 2 cups coconut 1/2 jar of m ..read more

My July 4th planning is underway. I try to come up with recipes that are Red, White and Blue. As I was going through recipes, I ran across this one that I haven’t made for a long time but it used to be a favorite. It has the salty sweet thing going on, which I think makes it so good. Sorry my photography isn’t professional but it is a good recipe Here you go~ 1 1/4 cup crushed pretzels 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup margarine (melted) Mix together & pat in 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes 8 oz. cream cheese 8 oz. cool whip 1/2 Cup powdered cup Blend together at low speed and spr ..read more

Crispy and delicious, these are truly the BEST waffles ever! My granddaughter asks for them, almost every time she is at my home. 2 cups baking mix 1 egg 1 1/3 cups club soda 1/2 cup vegetable oil Combine the baking mix, egg club soda and oil in a bowl and beat with a wire whisk until smooth. Pour as needed into a preheated waffle iron. Bake until golden brown. Serve with your favorite toppings. submitted in the Vera Bradley book by Barbara Bradley Baekgaard The post Crispy Waffles appeared first on Hello Midlife ..read more

Welcome to our renovation project! We obtained the house sometime after Thanksgiving. We spent about a 4-month timeline to transform this outdated house into a space that a new family could call a home. The first step we took to revamp the house was to address the curb-appeal (and beat the snow fall) –it is amazing what a simple coat of paint can do to the exterior of a home. I really wanted something that would match well with the existing brick. Inside, we pulled up old flooring, removed cabinets, and busted down walls. Bye bye popcorn ceilings. Bye bye divided up rooms. Say “hello” to natu ..read more

Happy Easter! I hope everybody is staying healthy & safe. This season I am excited to share with you my “egg-spertise” in making Easter a little extra special. I used bright colors such as orange, pink, and green to bring some life into this cloudy, cold season that we are experiencing in Wisconsin. Whimsical carrots, personally made by me, make a debut as the focal piece on the mantel, and can still be purchased at vogler.deb@outlook.com (they make great gifts)! Polkadots, plaid, and check pattern can be seen intermixed throughout my decor. Don’t be afraid to mix and match prints and colo ..read more

Here is a DIY jewelry cleaner that will bring the sparkle back to your gems. (use ONLY on real diamonds, gold and platinum) It is easy and you will probably have all of the ingredients. Ingredients you will need~ Windex or any glass cleaner a few drops of dish soap (I used Dawn) soft bristle “used” toothbrush and you will need a microwave Mix the ingredients together in a glass container. If you have one with a lid, you can easily store it after use. I didn’t have the right size container with a lid, so I used a measuring cup. The measuring cup came in handy because you ..read more

For those of you who are new to Hello-Midlife, I thought I would share this easy and inexpensive Easter Centerpiece with you. Although the uncertainty of this Coronavirus may have you feeling a little down. I do believe bringing sunshine and happy colors into your home will lift your spirits. I believe cleaning through areas that you have put off for a long time, will make you feel better, as well. Take advantage of this down time. I am just wrapping up 12-weeks of organization and you can go back through my blogs and see the areas that I have been working on and maybe they will giv ..read more

If you are trying to eat healthier during this Coronavirus outbreak. Here is a snack that I think you might like. 1/2 C Powdered Erythritol 3 TBSP Cocoa Powder 1 C Peanut Butter 1/2 Tsp Vanilla Extract Directions~ 1. In a medium bowl. combine powdered erythritol and cocoa powder. Mix together well. 2. Add peanut butter and vanilla to the powdered mixture. Mix together until combined. 3. You may need to add more peanut butter depending on your peanut butter’s consistency. 4. Store them in the Refrigerator I feeling like this sweetener. You use ..read more