This Old Chair

Colonel Mustard's new look

2011-08-17T15:44:00.000-07:00

I've had a few spare minutes on my hands. . . it's rare. I decided to tear apart my model from the blog header above, the old yellow chair. It's innards and bones are now taking up space in my office. I'm afraid that this may lead to a new blog header in the not-so-distant future. Maybe a different old chair. I have several to choose from.

Colonel Mustard is inevitably getting a makeover.

I think I've finally settled on the chevron stripes. We'll see if it ends up this way. . . but the visual sure makes my day. Hopefully this all works out. Wish me luck. I've never reupholstered anything this detailed.

Everything from the board is already in the room, except for the chair. . . .(insert climactic music here) DUN, DUN, DUNNN! If that doesn't leave you with a foreboding feeling in your gut, I don't know what will.

You may never see Colonel Mustard again.

Baby doll bed

2011-08-12T10:33:00.005-07:00

I'm pretty sure that I have adequately covered the adoration that I hold for Ana's blog. This plan isn't from her blog, but the ideas now forming in my hubby's head, I will gladly attribute to Ana's brilliant idea-sharing blog. She has plans for a doll bed on her blog, but I didn't neccessarily want the farmhouse doll bed. Ours is a more simple version. It came from a rough little 15-minute plan. He put it all together for me in 2 hours the night before my shoot. I painted it and sanded it and prettied it up. We work well together.

I had been dreaming of a newborn shoot with a little doll bed. My sweet hubby killed 2 birds with one stone here. Photoshoot, check. Happiest little daughter on the earth, check.

You see, in my 1600 square foot house, my photo accessories have to fit into the decor. I don't have storage room for these goodies, so I make them work around the house.

linked up with:

3 year old birthday party {water fun}

2011-08-12T09:47:00.001-07:00

We had a great little party for Morgan on Saturday. Her birthday was actually on Sunday. On Sunday she was so confused when people said "happy birthday" or called to sing to her.

Saturday morning she got to go to Mabel's birthday party. They were born 4 days apart. Then in the afternoon, Mabel came to Mo's party. Pretty good trade off I'd say. She loved her water party. . . especially the crab cupcakes. tutorial found here. The other kids loved the watermelon shark. Tutorial found here. Mo was afraid of the picture of the shark online, so I tried to make mine smile. Let's just say that things could have gone better. Overall, it turned out really cute though.

watermelon sharkcrabby cupcakes - I was wishing that my sister, Marilyn could come help me save my runny butter cream. Apparently 110 degrees and butter cream don't really get along.

loving every minute of the happy birthday song.blowing out the candledevouring those yummy cupcakes

There actually were adults at the party too, but who wants to see that when you can see endless photos of cute kiddies with blue frosting faces!

linked up with:

tween boy room redo

2011-08-11T22:37:00.013-07:00

Here was the sad sad before. My boy has been neglected. Ruffles and daybeds are just a little more fun. It's his time now. He's not a little boy anymore. Time for the little boy toys and dress-up box to take a hike.

Thank-goodness for evolution. I was so proud of that little "T" on the wall back then. pitiful.

He went out one weekend with his dad on a camp out. I had been gathering items for several weeks in preparation. I had even made a little idea board. I'm such a wanna-be!

I wanted a combo of his two favorite things right now. Football and guitar. I love that it all came together. . . and on a budget. The paint came first, then two flat sheets were sewn together to make a duvet cover for the old green comforter.

I love the clean lines of subway signs. The canvas was purchased at Michaels on a smokin' sale. 15.00 for a 40-dollar canvas. Some people have fancy schmancy cricuts and such. I do it old school. How 'bout a paper stencil and an exacto knife. It works for me.

I made the stencil in photoshop and printed it out to the right size on several different sheets of 8 1/2 x 11 paper. Then I taped the papers together in sets of two to span the width of the canvas. I told you I was old-school.

A little bit tedious. A lot pleased with the results.

I found the little chair at Goodwill 1/2 off day. 99 cents. 2 coats of krylon paint. The globe and Battleship were also from Goodwill. Bought long ago. Not necessarily for this room, but now they belong.

The black chair under his guitar was found at Goodwill also. 5.00. A bit of hounds tooth fabric made it as good as new.

I'll never grow tired of finding these little lego men built all over the house. Pure creativity. He has some sets. . . Harry Potter and such. He never uses them as a set. He always makes up his own little guys out of random pieces. Legos are brilliant.

The dotted sheets and the black square pillow are from Wally World. The other 2 are from Ross. Love Ross. The little yellow chevron pillow was purchased on etsy. Just imagine that you would like to sew your own little yellow chevron pillow. Now imagine yourself searching high and low for that fabric. It's out of stock every place imaginable. That's when etsy comes in handy.

The little jointed ruler came from an antique shop out in Memphis. I picked it up while visiting some friends on a little girl trip.

The shelves are from Lowes. Cheap and easy to install. Just right for all of his trophies and nick knacks. Cube photo holders are from Michaels clearance bin. The @ sign also came from Michaels.

He was so surprised when he came home from camping. He loves his room. I love it too. Mostly I love that he wants to keep it clean now.

linked up with:

beach robe - pattern by Dana of MADE

2011-07-27T11:13:00.003-07:00

Here is the first little robe that I sewed for one of Morgan's little friends. We gave it to her on her birthday with this matching swimsuit. I love this pattern. Next time I will go with a much thinner towel and elongate the hood pattern. For some reason the hood was a little tight on Mo. Maybe she has a long neck :) I love the option for the long sleeves, but I knew that Morgan wouldn't wear it if the sleeves were long, so I made them short for her little friend too. It's just too hot here for long sleeves, even if you are wet. The pattern can be found here.

Candle stick apothecary jars

2011-05-12T08:33:00.000-07:00

The idea has been floating around the web for a while now. My friend Hollie told me about it and I went to her house one morning to make them. I love the green. . . because I'm obsessed. It was perfect timing to make them right before Easter.

Just find 3 candlesticks. Mine happened to come in a set at Ross. 10 bucks. I spray primed them and then spray painted them green. The jars were old Fry's salsa jars soaked in bleach solution and labels peeled off. The lids were spray painted to match the candlesticks. We glued the jars onto the candlesticks with gorilla glue. Easy peasy.

Apothecary Media Console

2011-04-05T09:25:00.007-07:00

We've been working on another one of Ana White's amazing plans. The Apothecary Media Console. I originally wanted it in green, but after the amount of work that I forsaw with the painting, I went with a safe antique white. I don't regret it. It's a lot easier to change accessories than to repaint a massive piece like this.

The Golfer modified it to fit our needs. It's longer than Ana's plan and the center cubby in the top is wider to accomodate a sound bar in the future. Also, we went with 4 cupboard all the way across, mostly because he didn't want to tackle drawers. He used wood and mdf. I love that the top portion is hardwood so that we had the option to stain where the baskets and sound bar will go. The top is made of 4 beams stained to match the interior.

I painted the outside with white paint that matches our baseboards. The glaze made it look a little more creamy.

The faux drawer fronts were painted, then lightly sanded. . . this process repeated twice and then twice more with the polycrylic. They're as smooth as butter!

Take a look at the pb version, then ours. Can you tell the difference? I can't.

I love ana-white.com!

Softest Blanket Ever

2011-01-24T11:37:00.005-07:00

I made a blanket.

From the tutorial here.

Except, it was much larger.

After I made it, I didn't want to give it away. . . but I did anyway.

It was soooo soft.

If you choose to make a blanket like this

Please do yourself a favor and invest in one of these:

Or risk losing your mind.

I have to admit, I was scared to wash it.

It looked so pretty, but it wasn't soft at all.

I wanted it soft.

So I washed it like the instructions said.

It came out of the dryer all fuzzy and warm.

That is when I considered driving to the store to buy something for the inlaws for Christmas.

No one would ever know.

MWAAA HAAAAA (evil laugh)

Don't worry your pretty little head.

I did the right thing.

I handed it over to the kids to wrap it, before I got too attached.

holy moly!

2010-11-09T11:10:00.003-07:00

Guess who has their very own post on Ana-White.com? That's right! I was face booked by an old friend and mutual admirer of Ana's site, telling me that I had my own post. So I checked it out. Sure enough. There were my pics and my bed .

Honestly. . . I want to build all of her plans. They're amazing.

I think the golfer wants to also.

Our little 1600 square foot home cannot physically accommodate all of the ideas in our minds. Someday. . . someday.

Now, I need to get my hands on a kreg jig ASAP. . . . Santa?

halloween 2010

2010-10-30T09:23:00.011-07:00

The kids have been over-the-top excited about these costumes. Paige has been OBSESSED with How to Train Your Dragon, ever since we saw it in 3-D. Plus, she kind of looks like the girl from the movie "Astrid." Um, who names their kid that?

We collected random viking-like items from Goodwill and some fabric from Joanne. The skulls and spikes were made from lightweight sculpey clay. The skirt skulls and spikes were baked onto bolts and then bolted to the leather skirt. SO FUN to make! I hightly recommend lightweight sculpey clay, but don't forget your coupon. . . it's a little costly at full price.

In AZ, we don't wear furry boots. Especially my daughter, who is her own little space heater. I made a shoe cover out of felt and the fur just slips on like a leg warmer. His are the same, but he already had brown shoes, so he just wore those. His vest was one of the goodwill purchases, cut down to size. Then I added the tan leather, spikes and fur around the edges. We bought the hat and mask at a costume store.

"Astrid's" skirt was made from vinyl off of the clearance rack at Joanne. We made her shoulder armor from craft foam. Her axe is made from an old broom handle covered with some of the leftover leather and topped with the backside of cheerio boxes as the axe head. His is an old toy that he got from Medieval Times a year or so ago. we just painted the blade silver.

Costumes ready.

We headed out for their shoot in the "spooky trees."

Here's a scary dragon now! Watch out, she looks fierce!

wait! Don't hurt her. I hear that dragons can be trained.

They make great pets!

And apparantly they suck their thumbs. . who knew?

Happy Haunting!

Ginormous fork and spoon

2010-10-27T13:55:00.004-07:00

I picked up this ginormous fork and spoon set months ago at Goodwill. I'm talkin' giant. Almost as tall as my 6 year old. I knew they would amount to something if I could figure out a way to change the handle. I'm not really into the whole tiki pole theme. I shoved them under my bed, waiting for inspiration.

Months passed. After we finished the girls bed, we had wood lying around, and I had a plan. Giant Fork and Spoon needed a makeover.

I don't have a BEFORE. I was in a hurry and forgot to take the picture. But, here are the handles that I chopped off. lovely huh?

Here is what they look like on my wall. Ahhh, much better.

Even the golfer likes them. He raised his eyebrows when I originally brought them home. He thinks I'm crazy.

Sometimes I am.

2010-10-14T10:21:00.005-07:00

I left off with a trundle and the beginnings of a bed. We now have the finished project. Here is the headboard before the final paint job.

and, here it is all put together in the girls' room.

The Golfer did the building and I did the filling, sanding, priming, painting. We make a good team. I thought there would be arguing and stress. There really was none. The Golfer is already talking about building an entertainment center.

I wanted the head and footboards the same height so that when the bed is up against the wall like this, it feels like a daybed. I can just add some pillows along the wall to give it more of a daybed feel, or we can turn it the other way and it becomes a twin bed again.

The trundle fits nice and tight so no little limbs will be smashed in the night. I think we will end up getting a twin xl for the top mattress to fill in some of the extra space on both ends of the bed.
The girls both LOVE it! We've had no trouble transitioning from crib to big-girl bed. They're both so excited to crawl into their new beds every night.
She's a little scared of the height. . . which is great because she insists on sleeping on the trundle. Mission accomplished.

A huge shout out to Ana for her plans which can be found here. We LOVE our farmhouse bed!

juggling

2010-09-28T12:17:00.007-07:00

Moms are jugglers by trade. I've been juggling for weeks now. Blogs just have to fall by the wayside when life gets crazy.

make lunches. . vacuum. . run the carpool . . throw in a load of laundry . . help with a scouting goal. . . start a school science project. . . change a diaper. . . think about dinner. . . shower and change. . . text a friend. . . play memory (and LOSE). . . take a few pictures. . . teach 3 piano lessons. . . break up a fight. . . listen to 15 minutes of reading. . . update the star chart. . . actually start fixing dinner. . . start a blog post. . . finish that load of laundry. . . scrub markers off of the 2 year old. . . clean the bathroom. . . kiss the baby. . . clean the living room. . . clean the kitchen. . . clean up the dinner. . . make the beds. . . make a grocery list. . . clip coupons. . chat with hubby about the day. . . organize coupons. . . and on and on and on.

I wouldn't know what to do if my day flowed with any kind of sane order.

It's all in order in my own chaotic brain.

Somewhere in the middle of this craziness. . . .
the Golfer and I have finally started a project together. After much coaxing, and some convincing plans from Ana at AnaWhite.com.

We priced out the beds at local furniture stores. $600-$800.00 for a twin bed with a trundle. Made of cheap composites and veneers. The floor models were trashed. That's when he caved. It may have also had something to do with the fact that this little stinker got INTO her bed all by herself. That means she'll find a way out. . . soon.

We are building the farmhouse bed with a trundle. The trundle is done. . . . it only took 2 hours to build and sand. It took me longer at the store to get all of the materials. . . all by myself. . . yup, that's right. I was nervous, but we organized before I left and when I got there. . . I actually knew what I was doing.

Now, onto the bed. I can't wait to post the finished photos.

Keep juggling. . . and smiling!

2010-06-28T16:14:00.004-07:00

Once upon a time there was a queen that had a shirt that just didn't ever fit right. Let's be honest, it made the queen look pregnant when she was not, and she didn't want anyone asking her if she was. :) So, the queen refashioned it into a not-so-perfect-but-cute-anyway sundress for her little princess. The queen and the princess lived happily ever after even though the queen may be a tad bit addicted to refashioning. The end.

Birthday Bunting Tutorial

2010-06-23T11:56:00.008-07:00

I made a birthday bunting for the golfer on his big day. It's made of paper and fabric. Stuff that I already had around the house. Here are some instructions on how to do it:

Step 1. Make a pattern for your scrapbook paper flags. Using this will assure that your flags are all the same size. Mine was about 8 inches long and 8 inches across the top.

Step 2: Find some bias tape that will be long enough to accommodate the letters you will be using.

Step 3: Cut flags out of scrapbook paper.

Step 4: Using a circle cutter, cut a center circle for each flag. I used all different colors for mine.

Step 5: Glue the circles on your flags.

Step 6: Peel backing off of self-stick chipboard letter. I had some around. I bought them a couple of years ago at Target.

Step 7: Center the chipboard letter on the circle

Step 8: Sew flags in between the 2 layers of the bias tape. Make sure to leave an inch or 2 of extra fabric at each end to hang the bunting with.

Summertime sewing

2010-06-22T08:53:00.007-07:00

In the desert the summertime is our indoor time. 110 degrees is NOT your friend, unless you have a sweet pool. We don't. Therefore, we create.

I decided to take on knit fabric and shirring. The verdict is. . . . I LOVE IT! Hello, what have I been waiting for? Get yourself a ballpoint needle for your machine and some shirring elastic and go to town! This cute little knit paisley fabric was on sale at Joanne. 1 yard made this oh-so-sweet little 3 tiered sundress for my little one. I already had the brown one from old navy, and it is one of my favorites, so I decided to re-create it in knit. It's so soft and flouncy!

This next one is re purposed from a baby doll top that I bought at Goodwill. I love that yellow fabric.

Step 1: unpick the seams at the straps to move the straps closer together.

Step 2: Move the straps in. Measure to make sure they are spaced evenly and pin in place. Then sew the straps to the shirt following the seam that was already there.

Step 3: I pinned the top of my shirt with a couple of pleats in it, so that it would match up with the width of the fabric in the back of the shirt.

Step 4: Cut off the sides of the shirt to fit the little person who will be wearing it. I cut mine just outside of the pin.

You should be able to do this with any similar cotton baby doll top. Mine was a small top and I re-fit it to a size 24 month dress. Just sew up the sides to finish it!

desk set complete

2010-06-15T22:45:00.007-07:00

I found this little goody on Craigslist a couple of weeks ago. Let me tell ya, the old chair was grating on my very last nerve. It was comfy and free, don't get me wrong, but also very large and in charge in my small office.

This new one is just what I've been waiting and watching for. It's a bit scuffed up, but I don't mind because the desk is also a bit scuffed up.

Sadly, I do not have a photo of the old chair. I'll give you a little idea of the beauty that we had to give up. In your mind, just merge these two blue chairs. Ours was the lighter blue color, but the shape of the royal blue chair. It smelled and may have held traces of cheetos and baby puke. I'm sure you can see why we had to let it go.

Ahh, isn't this much better.

I also scored this little beauty at Goodwill a month or so ago. Perfect for my magazines and "desk clutter."

birthday suit

2010-06-13T09:34:00.009-07:00

No, silly, not THAT kind of birthday suit. I'm talkin' about a little romper patterned after one that she wore last year at this time. It's her birthday at the end of July. You could make one too.

1. Start with a GIANT t-shirt. (Mine was in Men's clearance at good ole' Wally world) This is another gray one that I have a plan for.

2. Find a contrast fabric. (Mine was a little shirt that she wore last year. . too small now.)

3. Find an article of clothing to use as your pattern. I don't cut them up, soyou could borrow from a friend if you don't have anything that you like.

4. "Measure twice, cut once!" My mother always used to say
5. Don't be scared. After all, it was a 3 dollar shirt.
6. Cut it a little bigger if your pattern clothing no longer fits.
7. Use some creativity.
8. Straps and number are made using contrast fabric.
9. Print a number or letter that you like to use as a pattern

10. Sew carefully, knit is a little harder to seam-rip
11. Don't worry about raw edges. Knit doesn't fray.
12. If the pants have you perplexed, just go with a little romper skirt.
13. Put them on your cute little model, and take a few pictures.

happy sewing!

Monday, Monday

2010-03-29T08:03:00.015-07:00

and now you're singing it too, right?

Ah Monday, Monday. . . so good to me

Monday morning, it was all I hoped it would be

My bowl filler was featured on V and Co. today. {I would say that my balls were featured, but it just doesn't sound so great. We wouldn't want to attract "that" kind of crowd, now would we.} Hop on over to Vanessa's blog for great patterns and stunning bright colors. . . just right for spring!

The girls wore their little spring skirts yesterday. You just can't go wrong with the Edith Twirl Skirt, right Connie? Plus, I had a great time guiding Hollie through her pattern. It was her first sewing project and you can see her cute skirt here.

It's all because of Jona's fabulous pattern and instructions, I tell ya. I know how to sew from a traditional pattern, but does that mean that I want to? . . . no. Step by step instructions with full-color pictures. . . I'll take that any day! You can find her blog here with links to her etsy site and her patterns.

And, here's a little bow that I made for Paige. Turned out cute!

Happy Monday everyone!

I'm linking up with Keeping it Simple for Motivate Me Monday

Bowl Filler

2010-03-03T15:07:00.005-07:00

I finally pulled myself together and filled this big empty jar that has been sitting on my counter since Thanksgiving. I used a tutorial by Vanessa @ V and Co that I purchased off of her etsy site. You really should check out her work, it's so fabulous!

The two largest are made from Vanessa's pattern. The medium and little ones are covered with jute and rope that I had around the house. The medium green one is covered with a crochet chain of fuzzy green yarn.

repurposed!

2010-02-26T08:53:00.010-07:00

I just stumbled across this blog the other day and I had to marvel at the creativity. Her name is Disney. Her blog is Ruffles and Stuff. She sews and repurposes old clothes for her oh-so-cute little girl. Not only does she show off her handywork, but she posts tutorials too. So generous! Because of her, I jumped on the repurposing bandwagon.

I had this old knit short sleeved hoody that never quite fit right. Now, it's a ruffled skirt for my little one. She looks so sweet in it. You'd see a picture of her in it now, but she's sleeping, and that's even more sweet. sorry. I'm not about to wake her up for a photo shoot. Sweet, but sassy, that little one. Maybe later today.

Here's the only picture I could find of me wearing the shirt. Cheesy, I know. Don't mind the model here.

And here's the after.

C'mon now, I know you want to jump on the bandwagon too. Search your closets. you know you have things in there that you'll never wear. Bust out your sewing maching and put on your creativity cap. I'd love to see what you can come up with!

If you have another minute, link up with the DIY Show Off to show off your blog! She's having a party!

UPDATE:
by golly, she woke up just in time for a little photo op.

Like I said. . . . sassy.

"Mother, I will only be your performing monkey if you sing to me."

and sing I did.

It doesn't take much.

Here's the sweet.

Taking my mind off of . . . .

2010-02-08T17:44:00.008-07:00

I have a few visitors that I need to escape from. They're small, yet very pesky. . and no, I'm not talking about my kids. That's right folks, we have termites. Sad, but true. Apparantly they are very common out here in the desert. Who knew! I'm completely grossed out. I mean, really, I don't want to share my home or any part thereof, especially not the wood that keeps it standing.

So, what do you do when the bug has you down. RE-DECORATE. Nothing says "Go Away Pests" like a new bedspread, some pillows, and a fabulous rust colored mirror. I'm just glad that I had a stud to nail that mirror to. I mean, they could have chewed right through it by now.

I didn't want to re-paint my room, because I really do love the color scheme, but the bed needed some serious help. This comforter is USED. See how flat it is. Kind'a like someone beat it with a baseball bat over and over and over. It has fulfilled it's purpose in life, warming those newly bathed babies, providing comfort for those with colds and the flu, and taking more than it's fair share of spit up. Time to retire oh deflated one.

Before:

AFTER:

Here, we have a touch of Rustoleum American Accents in Cinnamon . . . AAHHH! You can relieve some serious frustration with a can of spray paint and a cute little clearance mirror from Ross for 16.99.

This quilt is SOOO perfect! I snatched it up and gave the other ladies around me the evil eye, just to make sure they knew that it was mine. I may have growled a little. Home Goods, I love you! This quilt reverses to white with brown flowers.

The comforter and shams are from Kohls.

Simply Vera Vera Wang collection {Flora} (on clearance! yippee!)
This is before I hung the mirror.

I sewed the ruffled pillow covers from some blue pillowcases also found at Home Goods.

I sewed these little flowers and added them to this cute lumbar pillow that came with the bedset from Kohls. I'm pretty sure I've hit the limit on flowers and/or ruffles with the golfer around. I may still have a couple of orange pillow ideas floating around in this brain of mine. I'll have to keep them on the side of manly. We'll see if they ever actually translate to fabric and stuffing.

My room feels happy :)

puppet show

2010-01-04T09:47:00.018-07:00

Kimba's DIY Day @ A Soft Place to Land

Thrifty Chick's Before and After Party

Metamorphosis Monday

I was so excited to give the kids the puppet show for Christmas. I saw the idea back in September over at Infarrantly Creative. I couldn't wait to make it happen, but had to survive photo season first, and then find the headboard or bookshelf that would be perfect at the perfect price. 2 weeks before Christmas, (that's right folks, I'm insane) I found the perfect headboard at Goodwill for 1/2 off and committed myself to this project despite the golfer's unease. "Where are we going to put that?" he asked me over and over. I dodged the question. With his question ringing in my ears I reluctantly layed down the big bucks. . . Yeah right, I practically danced to the checkout and nearly hugged the cashier when she told me it would be $4.50! Who cares where we'll put it! I'll put in at the foot of my bed if it sparks any sort of NON-video-game creativity in my kids. The kids were actually with me when I bought it. They thought they were getting a bookshelf. My 6-year-old's reaction was priceless on Christmas morning!

PAIGE: WHAT! WOW! This is so cool!

That's all I wanted folks. . . and a few great puppet shows here and there. . done!

Here is the before:

And the afters:

I added this little hand painted wooden plaque (.99) over the carving of the tree.

We found the curtain rod under our bed during pre-Christmas decluttering. The fabric for the curtain was at Goodwill on 1/2 off day too. $1.25

I already had the sheet metal for the chalkboard/magnet board leftover from my son's board in his room. The chalkboard paint (spraypaint) was $3.25

I already had the white paint and the clear protective coating. The moulding around the chalkboard cost 2.00 at a local salvage yard.

I made little red riding hood and the big bad wolf. The other puppets were from Michaels, from yard sales, white elephant gift at a Christmas party and gifts from a friend. I spent about 15.00 on the puppets that I bought and made. I mod podged the scrapbook paper on the backer board.

The basket was at Goodwill for .75 on 1/2 off day and the liner was made from scrap fabric that I had in my stash.

The grand total came to about $27.75. My budget was $25.00.
They love it. I LOVE it! The golfer LOVES IT, and has commented on the fact several times since Christmas. Mission accomplished.

Vintage Dreamz

2009-11-21T10:26:00.000-07:00

My great friend, Keira, and her 2 sweet sisters have started a great blog showcasing some gorgeous photos and some equally gorgeous hair accessories. They call their blog Vintage Dreamz. Check it out. . . they could definitely come up with the perfect hair accessories for your holiday pictures!

Click on the picture below!

missing

2009-11-04T10:37:00.020-07:00

I'm really not missing, just running around like a chicken with my head cut off. . . I know, it creates such a vivid visual doesn't it! It happens every year at this time for me. Families want their Christmas photos, and how can I turn them down. . . they're all so cute! My family, of course, is still here and ready for pumpkin carving, costumes, grocery shopping, Thanksgiving feasts, school programs, photos of every waking moment :), dinner, dentist appointments, birthday parties, scouts, music class, and to add the cherry on top of this ginormous sunday, it's time to dig in to the Christmas shopping. Maybe this year we'll just forego the kids' bathtime. That would free up a substantial amount of time. Here are a few snippets of what we've been up to:

We've been posing:

We've been baking:

We've been thrifting:

We've been halloweening:

I've been photographing families like crazy for Christmas:

This is just ONE of the 9 families since the end of September! I really love it!

Next up is photos of 5 more families, a birthday party (Webkins themed), my first wedding shoot :), Thanksgiving, photos of 2 more families, Christmas shopping, Christmas break, a trip to the snow, Christmas, another birthday, New Year. . . . . WHEW! The crafting will carry on through the madness. I have a few fun projects planned for Christmas. Tis the Season. . . (hopefully not the season for a mental breakdown!)

Featured

2009-10-09T09:01:00.002-07:00

Well, hello there! Pardon me, I'm extra giddy seeing that it's Friday and all and the weather 'round these parts is PEEERRRfect!

I've been featured on Better After. You've got to go check out all of the crazy before's and after's that Lindsey has featured. I don't know about you, but there's nothing like a great before and after photo to really make me day. . . I'm not kidding. Makeovers make me smile.

Attention all Kindergarten Teachers

2009-10-05T09:37:00.005-07:00

OH my goodness. My 5-year-old came off of the bus toting this cute little nest the other day. Attention all Kindergarten teachers: you need to make these in your classroom. They learned about recycling and then headed to the playground to find "lining" for their little bird nest. The nest is made of an old brown bag all wadded up. The little bird is made of a cottonball. Probaby the only thing in the nest that isn't recycled. She played with it all afternoon. I played with it a little too. Hey, sometimes you need a new photo model. . . one that doesn't talk back to you.

M.I.A

2009-10-05T08:50:00.009-07:00

I know. . .I've been gone for so long. It's the busy time of year for this photographer taking family photos. We've also had a few vistors the last couple of weeks.

I picked up a couple of really large pillows at Savers a few months back. I'm not gonna lie, they were ugly . . really ugly. Check out the dangling bead tassles. I found all but one in my baby's mouth. I finally wised up and pulled the last one off. The golfer uses them when he sits on the floor to watch golf or football. He even said to me, "when are you going to do something about these ugly cushions." Okay okay I'll make them pretty. Twist my arm why don't ya. Enter: lovely houndstooth fabric. I made them removeable. Now I don't have to hide them in the closet when someone stops by.

Paper beads

2009-09-05T11:27:00.007-07:00

It's raining. How often does this happen in the desert. . . . . next to never. It's a perfect day for soup and creativity. Here is where these beads come in handy. I saw them at the Idea Room.

Pure entertainment for at least 1 hour. Even boys can do it, although they may request that it not be mentioned on the blog. . .oops. At least I didn't post a picture. All you do is cut out a thin triangle, slap some glue on it and roll it up. Anyone can do it!

It may not be perfect to wear OUT on the rainy day, but definitely perfect for a morning of Tom and Jerry and blanket tents.

I love rainy days!

Today's Thrifty Treasures

2009-08-31T11:12:00.010-07:00

Hello again! It's Monday morning. . . er. . . early afternoon. If you haven't gotten out of bed yet, don't bother.
I'm joining Rhoda at Southern Hospitality for Today's Thrifty Treasures, and Between Naps on the Porch for Metamorphosis Monday. Here they are in no particular order:
Up first. . . BOOKS! My little third grader is SO into reading right now. I just couldn't pass up these greats for him at .50 each.

Next comes this little goodie. We're calling her Ugly Bonnie (as to not copy from any well known television shows that may or may not be named something similar) I payed 7.99. I know, a little steep, but I knew that she wouldn't make it until 1/2 off day. Somebody else would have snatched her up by then.

The cute gal at the Goodwill checkout said, "oh, I've had my eye on this one for a while now."

I said, " yeah, it's getting a makeover, but it's cute isn't it?"

She said (with a small tear in her eye) "you're going to paint it? I think it's perfect just the way it is."

I felt a little guilty. But not too guilty. After all, she looks so much better now. Not the gal, the treasure chest. . . silly :) I sanded it, painted it, distressed it, lined it with burlap and stenciled the number on the outside.

Happy Monday!

Thrifty Thursday

2009-08-27T15:43:00.018-07:00

Yep, it's that time again. . . Thrifty Thursday at Bloggeritaville and Thrift Store Thursday at Homebody Holly's blog. Here are the finds of the week.

Cute little blue knit dress for my 5-year-old daughter ($ 1.99)

I love the little flowers across the front. After all, every girl needs a little bling, even in Kindergarten.

Circo top in tip top shape for 12-month-old daugher ($1.00)

Mini muffin tin exactly like the one I already have. ($1.99) Yay. . . now it won't take me 2 hours to bake a batch of mini muffins. I'm such a nerd.

Empty grain sacks. . . oh yes, my friends. . . and they're not smelly, or moldy, or yucky in any way. I've got great plans for these. ($2.49)

Giant fork and spoon. LOVE THEM! I've had my eye out for these babies for a while now.

(.99 each)

And, last but not least, check out this sweet little girl that I picked up for only 50 cents! And you thought your neighborhood Goodwill was filled with treasures!

I'm joking, but the little gingham dress was originally a women's shirt ($1.99) that I refashioned into this sweet little dress using a tutorial taught by my pal Connie of Green Apple Orchard. She got the idea from her super creative relative, Dana of MADE. These gals are so amazing and so willing to share their great ideas!

This little pink one was my first attempt. . . the shirt generously donated by Connie herself. I love the belt made from the leftover sleeve cuffs.

Happy thrifty Thursday! xoxo

Knock Off Knock Out Party

2009-08-24T15:46:00.007-07:00

Cheri, from It's So Very Cheri, is having a Knock Off Knock Out party today. She asked me to post about my desk. Here is the picture of the desk that inspired me. It's by Kathy Ireland. Price tag: $1,199.00 at Office Furniture.com I liked the black, but a lot of the furniture in my house is black, so I decided to lighten up a little. I also love the drawer pulls here, but since my desk is older, the pulls would have had to be a special order. . . . special order = $. I paid a whopping $10.00 for this desk and I wasn't about to blow that smokin' deal on a few drawer pulls.

Here's my version BEFORE:

And, here it is AFTER:

You can read about the steps taken, and see more pictures here: Old Desk Makeover

Now, head on over to Cheri's place and read about more fabulous Knock out Knock offs!

Clipboards

2009-08-24T14:13:00.001-07:00

Today I'm joining Rhoda @ Southern Hospitality for Today's Thrifty Treasures. I've had this photo hanging around in my file for quite a while now. The clipboards were purchased a while back for .50 each. I finally finished refinishing the old desk that I imagined them hanging above. Here's my attempt at a fabulous idea. I'm not sure I pulled it off, with their cute molding and smaller space, it seems to work better.

Here is their version from Martha Stewart.com.

And, here's mine. What do you think? I figure that with a few vertical items on each side of the desk, it will give the clipboards a better feel. I'm still looking for an old ladder and possibly a bookshelf.

$10 desk: Before and after

2009-08-19T08:32:00.021-07:00

It's time for thrifty Thursday hosted by Leigh of Bloggeritaville, and Vintage Thingies Thursday hosted by Suzanne of Colorado Lady

Here's the before of the $10 desk, again. I don't know how old this is, but it has names scratched inside the drawers. I left them there. They're meant to be left there. I think this was an old teacher's desk. I really haven't done anything but this for the last 2 weeks, after all, it is 110 outside (and in the garage )

Here is a before of the office:

And, here's the after: (the office is a work in progress)

Here are the steps that were taken:

1. Removed hardware. Stripped the veneer from the top and sanded it down all over.

2. Filled large gouges on top of desk with Elmers wood filler

3. Sanded again

4. primed with white Kiltz stain blocker

5. painted with Behr Premium Plus Saturn Gray in eggshell

6. chugged at least 2 large bottles of gatorade. . . in a row

7. Primed hardware with Rust-oleum rusty metal primer

8. Sprayed hardware with Rust-oleum Metallic finish (Oil Rubbed Bronze)

9. Applied 2nd coat of Behr paint to desk

10. Distressed desk

11. Locked my keys in the car because it was in the driveway instead of in the garage. There was a desk in the way.
12. Top coated desk with minwax polycrylic. 2 coats

13. Lined desk drawers with scrapbook paper (mod podge)

14. Let's be fair, the Golfer re-attached the hardware. . . and moved the desk inside. . . and moved the old desk out. What a good hubby!

I love how it turned out! I especially love that I can fit my printer in the left side and the shelf slides out. I also love the drawer liners! Not bad for a $10 Goodwill find!

Giveaway

2009-08-10T16:45:00.003-07:00

My bloggy pal, Tricia, over at Boutelle Family Zoo is having a giveaway. Can you believe it. . . . she's giving away a year subscription to better homes and gardens to two lucky bloggers and a surprise to another blogger. I love giveaways.

Go on, what are you waiting for! Give Tricia a visit and tell her that I sent you.

Giddy

2009-08-10T11:36:00.007-07:00

We wandered into Goodwill on Saturday. . . it was meant to be. There it was, sitting there so lonesome, wearing nothing but a 19.99/week 29 sticker. "Don't worry," I said, "I'll bring you home with me." We took the ticket to the front, and, what do you know. . . it was 1/2 off! Turns out that week 29 was the special of the day. $9.99 oh bless my soul! The golfer and I squished it into the back of the trailblazer and tied the back closed (with 3 kids and me strategically placed in the leftover space.) Sometimes you do what you have to do to save an extra trip. . . even with the Goodwill employee eyeing you as though you'd lost your marbles. After all, he did hear me whispering comforting words to a desk.

In the picture, the front pencil drawer has been removed and is off to the side. The golfer had already started taking off the hardware. See, he was anxious too! (The left side is a door that opens up to reveal a slide out shelf. . perfect for the computer hard drive.) We stripped the cheesy veneer from the top to expose the lovely wood underneath and I headed to the store to pick up some heavy duty primer. The sides and back are wood veneer. I'll keep you posted on the finished product. . . along with a home office transformation. It's good to be back in creative mode.

Kreativ Blogger Award

2009-08-04T17:12:00.006-07:00

I'm not sure how I keep receiving these awards, since I have been out of the blogging loop for a good month now! How nice! Connie, over at Green Apple Orchard gave me this award. She really is one of the sweetest girls I know. Here are the rules:

The Rules
Thank the person who gave you this award
Copy the logo and place it on your blog
Link to the person who gave you this award
Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting
Nominate 7 Kreativ Bloggers
Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate
Leave a comment on each of the blogs to let them know that they have been nominated

7 things about myself (If you don't find them fascinating. . . shame on you.)

1. I love to play volleyball
2. My biggest pet peeve is hearing or seeing someone chew with their mouth open
3. My feet are SUPER ticklish
4. I have 4 sisters, no brothers
5. I live in AZ and love the warmth, but I really miss the seasons
6. I'm scared of deep/murky water
7. I love to read

7 blogs that deserve this award

1. Love Your Room
2. Beneath My Heart
3. Marley and Lockyer
4. The Old Painted Cottage
5. Living With Lindsay
6. Artsy Fartsy Finds
7. Simply ReDiscovered

Pass it on!

2009-08-04T17:06:00.006-07:00

The time has come my friends. . . for vacations to come to a close and for blogging to begin again. The projects are circling inside my brain. First, I must pass on an award.

I recieved it two months ago, and I've finally come around to passing it on.

The award goes to:

Young House Love

Your blog is fabulous!

Nesting Boxes

2009-07-01T13:42:00.011-07:00

I'll see my 4 sisters soon, and I haven't seen them for a while. I made them some little nesting boxes and you can make some too.

You start with 2 boxes of different sizes like these. I got mine at Hobby Lobby.

You pick 3 coordinating sheets of paper for each set of boxes. (3 sheets of each paper)

You neglect to comb your 5-year-old's hair, and instead, pull out the handy dandy mod podge, easter bargain vinyl tablecloth, paper cutter and sponge brush.

You proceed to measure, cut and smear mod podge on your table, fingers and children for the next 2 hours. You might get some on the boxes if you are lucky.

Keep in mind the old saying - - - measure twice, cut once.

I think they turned out cute. I also added the little drawer pulls on the top box. (Also at Hobby Lobby)

Another Award!

2009-06-27T08:29:00.007-07:00

Kennesha, over at Me and My House has given me an award! I'm so honored! Thanks Kennesha! I'll pass it on as soon as I have a few minutes. It's been busy around here!

It's a party

2009-06-18T12:42:00.010-07:00

I'm joining Me & My House for a junk party! Here goes!

This specific junk has been hanging around for about 4 years. An old door that I picked up at a little antique store in Bartlett, TN, when I used to live there. It was painted a hideous yellow and turquoise blue and I couldn't wait to transform it into the headboard of my dreams. I saw the idea in a magazine a few years prior, and couldn't get it out of my head. I think I paid 20.00 for the door, and with the paint, sealant and side wood, possibly 45.00. Not too shabby for a headboard.

I wish I had a before and after photo, but I wasn't too camera savvy back then. . . plus, we were poor college students and a camera seemed such a luxury.

To this day, I love it, but it may undergo another paint treatment when the weather cools off here. Something to look forward to.

We had just moved into the house here when I took this picture. We hadn't put on the bedskirt, but boy, the room was sure clean.

I love the chippy paint that has cracked and peeled from several moves.

An award!

2009-06-18T12:14:00.007-07:00

Megan gave me an award. What a sweetheart!

I'd like to thank the academy (I'm not sure which one) . . . and my children, and my hubby, and his mother, and my mother, and all of the orphans in the world.

Hey, I had to give a little speech or something. I haven't won an award since the 2nd grade for cryin' out loud.

It's so fun to virtually "meet" all of you and to view your fabulous finds and ideas. Thanks again!

Magnet Board

2009-06-18T07:59:00.004-07:00

Disclaimer: What I'm about to post has absolutely nothing to do with professional frame making. . .just so you know. We had absolutely NO idea what we were doing.

On Tuesday I finished the magnet board for Tyler's room. It's definitely NOT perfect, but it was a first attempt and he loves it. . . so who cares, right!

The golfer got things started by mitering the frame. It's a 24x36 inch frame. We glued it together with liquid nails, let it sit 24 hours, and then sanded it down. Then we glued on the sheet metal with liquid nails. Like I said, we're amateurs.

I spray painted a coat of primer and then painted it black by Tyler's request, distressing the edges. We were a little messy with the liquid nails, so the front looked sloppy. I modge podged some brown package wrap over the metal to cover the goofs. All in all, it came out fine, and Ty loves to have a place to hang his art.

Finishing projects

2009-06-10T22:13:00.012-07:00

I've been working on finishing a few projects. Painting is first on my list, but somehow finds it's way to the end of the list by mid morning. I only have a bit of edging to finish. I'm really loving the color. A touch of green undertone really took out the fleshy tones.

The golfer completed the chair rail in Tyler's room on Saturday and mitered the giant magnet board that is in the works. I can't say that I'm completely happy with the bedding, but Tyler really loves that green comforter, so for now, it stays. I sewed up these two little t-shirt pillows on Monday and he really likes those too. He's also been asking if he gets a letter on the wall like the girls, so I pulled together a "manly" version and here it hangs.

The girls' room has been done for a while now, but I never officially posted a picture, so here are the before's and after's:

First, it was a disaster

Then, it was the playroom

Now, it's pretty in pink, just the way the ladies would have it.

I also began the recovering of the kitchen chairs. ONE chair at a time. . . or else I end up with staplegun hand.

The kitchen WAY before:

And the kitchen as of today:

A chair that hasn't been recovered:

The chair that I finished last night

I love before's and after's. The lighter stripe really brightens the room. Don't laugh at the plastic coverings. . . . I do have 3 messy little ones.

Today's Thrifty Treasures

2009-06-08T10:32:00.011-07:00

It's time for Today's Thrifty Treasures hosted by Rhoda over at Southern Hospitality.

My goal for the weekend was to find a desk for our office to replace our "college days" sauder desk. Don't get me wrong, our desk is ok, but I'd like something without a hutch so that I can follow through with this idea:

click on the picture to see it's source

I picked these up at Goodwill for .50 each. They can't wait for their much-needed makeover.

I had no luck with the desk, so I moved on to this little stool that needs some loving tender care. It is just the right size for a piano bench . . . that may be what it actually is. It was 3.00.

I also snatched up these cute little apples and pears, 1.00 for the whole bunch.

This little potterybarn frame was 1.00 also. . .in perfect condition. (16.00 at Pottery Barn)

I always show the Golfer my deals. This time he said, "Wow, great deals, but you're getting too many projects." Ummmm, no, a girl can never have too many projects.

This Old Chair

2009-06-03T21:45:00.005-07:00

I'm joining in on Thrift Store Thursday over at Homebody Holly's blog. Here's my latest Goodwill find. This old chair. You may recognize her from the glamour photo above. She called out my name and I layed down the $12.00 at 50% off Saturday as ladies in line around me oooohed and aaaahed. Yeah, that's right. . . she's all mine. Of course, she was covered in cat hair and dead weeds, but the potential was too much to pass up. The golfer vacuumed her off with the shopvac and hauled her indoors for me. She'll be recovered shortly, though she's not bad as is. After all, she inspired the title and photo for this very blog. I scooted her through the store and loaded her up with various other 50% off items. (I'm not sure how this chair was dubbed as "she")

This cool textured ball was 99 cents. This little chicken wire basket was 50 cents.

The flowers were $1.00 for the whole bunch of 5 stems. The stems still had the tags on them for 3.99 EACH!

and these two birdcages totaled $3.50. I had just come from an antique mall where the birdcages were going for $37.00 each!

Last, but not least, was this little bench that I paid a little more for, but I justified it because it fits perfectly in our front hallway to hide our shoe basket. I have to give a shout out to Sally for leading me to it in the antique mall. I haven't decided if I'll paint it or not.

Giveaway!

2009-06-03T09:56:00.005-07:00

Simple Finds is having a giveaway.

These hair accessories by Little Lesiw are oh so sweet! Stop by and check them out! They come in so many colors and are going for cheap until their online site is up and running. Catch them while you can!

Brilliant

2009-06-02T17:47:00.006-07:00

Spend a little time in the etsy shop of johnwgolden and you'll be longing for a set of these:

Or, maybe these:

Honestly, could they be any cuter? I think not.

Thrift Store Finds

2009-06-02T11:53:00.011-07:00

Who doesn't love junk? After all. . . one man's trash is another man's treasure right. . .or lady's treasure. I love finding old nasty treasures in thrift stores and at yard sales and transforming them into something cool. Here are the thrift store finds from a couple of weeks ago.

Bread box $4.99 at Goodwill (Spotted similar version at a local store for 38.00) It was actually really clean, just needed a little paint and . . . .

She's as good as new. I may add a stencil to the front later on.

I also found this cute little basket for $.99.

And this oh-so-lovely little purse for $1.99. . . don't laugh if you were the one who threw it out/donated it. I think it has charm.

Here's what I've added to the front entryway along with the pictures of the family
I've also painted and the golfer and I. . . o.k. mostly the golfer. . . hung curtains in the living room. Now, I just need to add a little color.

Poster Frames

2009-06-02T10:52:00.005-07:00

These photos have been hanging around the house for several years now. I've always wanted my favorites on display, but there were just so many. Pictures of all three kids as newborns and toddlers.

The other day my friend was cleaning out her office and had a pile of frames to send to goodwill. I offered to drive the load to goodwill for her if I could snatch a few to repurpose.

These poster frames were originally a cherry color. I painted each frame with some white that I already had. Then, I cropped my favorite 4x6 photos to 4x4 and lined them 5 across, 4 down. They fit perfectly. There is no glass in the frames, just plastic, but who can tell from a distance.