Tonight...

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I fell in love. Again. And not with Jess, although I do of course love her dearly, more and more every day. But this runs a very close second. I think I may have found my inspiration piece for the living room (or what will eventually be made into a piece/pieces). At $9.20/yd its not cheap (at least not by my standards), but it is gorgeous. And Jess loves it too. I need to go to Mary Jo's again and see if I can't find something similar. (Mama? Crystal? Kelly? Anyone wanna come with? That is one place Jess does not like to go with me.) But until then, and just in case I can't find anything I even love half as much (which is what happened last time I went), here is the second love of my life. It doesn't have the bright green I want, but it does have the teal, pale-ish yellow, and fuchsia. And I think the pale green in it could work with my brighter green accessories. And I get orange! Yall know I love lots and lots of color, so getting even more than I'd planned on makes me happy!


Courtney

2-Night Stay in a Rocky Mountain Condo

I haven't been on a vacation in years. (September 2008 to be exact. And the only reason I know that is because I went with my ex and his family, and we always went in September. I left him the following January.) Anyway I'm rambling. I'm excited to be doing my second giveaway! This is one I'm participating in with a lot of other bloggers. Read on for the details.

Enjoy a 2 night family vacation in Estes Park, Colorado any time between April 8th – 22nd for a family of up to 6 people (a value over $550) in time for Spring Break!!!

This event was put together by Two Little Cavaliers. The prize is being provided courtesy of their sponsor Estes Park Central. This event is open Worldwide however you must provide your own transportation.

Experience luxurious accommodations, breathtaking views, cozy fireplaces and the ultimate Premier Vacation Rental. The Home to the Estes Park Premier Vacation Rentals Source was established in 2007. Estes Park Central holds the highest standards in private luxury vacation rental properties and guest services. With our Estes Park Vacation Rentals service and cabin rentals, we offer personalized lavish vacation rental accommodations to meet your individual needs. All our Private Vacation Rental Properties feature top of the line appointments, fully equipped kitchens, TV and DVD, fireplaces, cozy living areas, free wireless Internet, twin/queen/king beds with luxurious bedding and views of the Rocky Mountains. You will truly have an experience to remember with any of our prime Estes Park Vacation Rentals.

 About the Condo:
This is a newly constructed, luxury, two bed/two bath condo with gorgeous mountain views overlooking Marys Lake and only 3 miles from the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park. Our Estes Park vacation condo rental is fully-equipped with a Jacuzzi bathtub, King-size and Queen-size bed, Queen-size sofa bed in the living room, gas fireplace, washer and dryer, TV with Cable, DVD and a gourmet kitchen with granite counter tops. A private hot tub on the deck overlooking the mountains enhances your relaxation. The historic Marys Lake Lodge is located on this unique property. It has been totally restored to its original grandeur. Marys Lake Lodge offers 2 separate dining experiences for your pleasure. Grandmaison’s Chalet Room offers world-class international cuisine with a European flair in an elegant ambiance. The Tavern serves delicious meals in a casual atmosphere with live music every night all summer. The rest of the year the live music continues Wednesday through Sunday evening. The Escape Spa and Salon offers a complete salon experience to rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit.

*While this particular condo is not pet friendly they do offer other condos and vacation homes under their management that that are pet friendly.




Activities and Attractions:
Hiking year-round, viewing the incredible sights of Rocky Mountain National Park, bicycling around Lake Estes, the Town of Estes and looping past Mary's Lake Lodge, wildlife-viewing, fabulous Shopping,cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding and downhill skiing at Eldora Mountain Resort, a 45 minute drive. The town offers fishing, boating, and indoor/outdoor rock climbing, and horse-back riding.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Teaser

Who'd like to win a free 2-night stay in a luxury condo in the Rocky Mountains during spring break*? I know I would! Details to come soon, so check back often!


*The stay will be good any time between April 8-22

Dresser Reveal

I'm sure all of you have been on the edges of your seats waiting for the reveal of The Boy's new dresser. Well, wait no more, dreamers, its here! Ok I'll wait... Applause not necessary but it is appreciated... Lol ok, all kidding aside, I'm excited to finally be doing this! Its nothing fancy (yet, though I do have more plans for it sometime in the near future...) So anyway here goes! Hope yall like it as much as I do!

Here's what it looked like when my father-in-law dropped it off. Its not missing any drawers, but I had to snap this in a hurry because Jess was itchin to get started. It was missing all but 2 of the drawer pulls and is solid but pretty scratched up.

We let The Boy pick out a couple of colors he liked, and then we chose which to actually use. We let him pick out the pulls he liked too (within reason of course, price-wise). Bought six pulls, some paint and tinted primer, and got to work!

After we removed the remaining 2 drawer pulls, we started with a lot of sanding to take off the polyurethane and to clean all the up the scratches. Once all that was done, we started priming. A good 12 hours for that to dry, and we moved on the the paint (it was sposed to be a quick-dry primer, like 30 minutes, but we figured better safe than sorry). A second coat in some places just to touch up, and the frame was done! Once all that was dry, we moved the frame up to The Boy's room and moved on to the drawers.

When we were shopping, we couldn't find any drawer pulls we liked that would fit the pre-existing holes, so we'd planned on making new ones. So after we sanded the drawer fronts, I used wood glue to fill in the old holes. Jess drilled new holes by sight (I know! I was on pins and needles but I trust her judgement) and then we proceeded with the priming and painting as before. After everything was primed, painted, and dried, we put on the drawer pulls. Out of all of them, only one was off and needed to be redrilled, and that was only off by a few millimeters! Pretty darn good, considering she did it all by sight!

I contemplated doing some sort of pattern on the drawers, especially since the primer dried about 3 shades lighter than the paint did. Ultimately I decided to leave it simple (although I may do something else to change it up when I get the chance). I won't bore you with lots of tutorial pictures or the tutorial itself, there are plenty of those out there on the web and I don't feel I have anything new to add. I will say that this was my very first time painting anything big, and I'm so glad I did! If you're scared to take the plunge I highly recommend it. Enough of my yapping, here is the big reveal (picture to be replaced ASAP)!

I just pulled a few things from other places in The Boy's room for the staging. I can't wait to get something on that wall, and I'd love to paint that door and doorframe you see on the side. But for now it looks great, and he has a functional dresser again!

A Fun Easter Craft

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My few loyal readers will remember me mentioning my sister Kelly asking me to make her a couple of decoupaged eggs for her to use as props in upcoming Easter photoshoots. Well they're done! If I were the type to decorate for holidays other than Christmas, I would totally be making more for myself. They would be adorable as a centerpiece, maybe in a bowl or basket with some fake grass or fluffy yarn as the original blogger used. And this picture has been circulating on Pinterest from BHG.com of eggs as vase filler. The possibilities are endless. So, for anyone interested, here is my own version of the original tutorial, which can be found here. I think this would be a super fun craft to do with kids who are old enough! :)


Before you start, gather all your supplies. You'll need:

• Fake eggs (the original tutorial used the small plastic ones, I used jumbo glitter-covered styrofoam eggs (hey they were cheap and on sale!) either will work so its really about preference)
• Scrapbooking paper or some other pretty, sturdy paper (or I bet fabric would work too)
• Scissors
• Mod Podge or some other type of craft glue
• A small sponge or paintbrush

Choose a paper (or papers, if you're really bold) for the first egg and start cutting it up. The tutorial recommended using small squares to minimize bubbling, so that's what I started with. Pick a square and put some modge podge onto the back of the paper using your sponge or brush. Press the paper onto the egg and keep pressure on it for about 10 seconds. Repeat with more paper. 

Maybe it was the difference in egg size, but I found that the squares bubbled a lot. So I decided to experiment. I found that using strips worked best for me. 

Left is the squares I started with; Right is me trying to show you the bubbling (look around the top edges) and how much smoother the strips worked

By the time I finished the first egg and started the second, I was a pro. So here are some tips from what I found helpful:

• When you apply a strip, use both thumbs to apply pressure starting in the middle and pressing out to either end.
• Use a long, thin strip around the middle of the egg to start with, so it wraps about halfway around the egg. It'll give you a good starting point (picture to the right)
• Make a second strip from the first strip up to the top of the egg
• Work up around the top and bottom of the egg and then close in on the middle. No matter what size you use, its going to bubble more around the top, and I found it easier to do that first. 

I couldn't figure out any decent staging because they're so big, but I figure I'll just get Kelly to stage something for me one day while she's shooting. So please, try to ignore the poor staging and just concentrate on the pretty pretty eggs! :)
 

Let's Talk Art

Jess and I LOVE art. We try to go to the local cultural center once a month to see their exhibits. We go to different art museums in the area on occasion. Once, we traveled to Durham, NC (a good 3+ hour drive) to see Avenue Q. (If you have the chance to see it, I highly recommend it. It is hi-larious, we LOVED it!) We'd also really love to do more traveling for art, when money permits.

Apple of My Eye by Susanna Shap; see left for links to her shops

We haven't had the opportunity to acquire any original pieces, but we do have several prints. The biggest of which (and most expensive!) was this mermaid, who I named Sarah. Sarah is a 24x36 giclee print of a piece titled 'Apple of My Eye' by Susanna Shap. She sells primarily on her Etsy shop, and you can also find her stuff on her eBay shop and her website, Modern House Art. (I will add a picture of it all framed and hung when I finally get a working USB cord.) Oh and in case you're wondering, I paid $85 for it but she has since lowered the price to $74. There is also a smaller version available for $64.

The other art we have prints of are all from the same artist, a Malaysian artist named Puteri Noor. I would link to her Etsy shop or eBay for you, but I don't think she sells her art anymore, at least not online, because all her galleries are either empty or deleted. I bought a CD of over 700 of her works for $15 on her eBay shop, picked the ones I wanted to put in the frame (a pre-matted frame I got on sale at Hobby Lobby for about $30), had the images printed at Wal-Mart, and popped them in the frame. Each one picked is representative of ourselves or someone important to us. The dragon and phoenix are for Jess, the group of women represents our close-knit group of friends, etc. And just to round out the post here is a (horrible quality, to be replaced ASAP!) picture of the wall where they're hung:

I'm not totally happy with the arrangement, but it works for now

New Kitchen Cabinet Organization

Recently, I had the brilliant idea to use baskets in some of my kitchen cabinets, mainly the top ones that I cant reach well. They don't get used much at the moment, and I usually have to get The Boy to get things for that get pushed to the back (or climb the counter). So I figure it’ll be easier to pull out a basket than some box or bottle that’s gotten pushed to the back of the shelf, right? I measured, and came up with 9.5” tall, 12” deep and 11” wide (although it is a triple cabinet, it still has to fit between the divider and side). So I’ve been scouring the internet for baskets that are within those measurements. Walmart has one this one online that would be pretty much perfect size-wise, for $11.50 each. Not happening.

Whitmore Small Woven Storage Tote with Straps in Java

So Jess and I were at good ol’ Wally World buying groceries the other day, and of course I couldn’t resist detouring through several departments like the home organization. Even when I don’t have money, I love to look and see what they have, fantasize and plan and blah blah blah for when I do have a bit of spare cash. I happened to find some small baskets that were a little on the small side from what I wanted (7”x6”x8” I think?) but they were $1.99 a piece. Really!? So I grabbed 2. When I got home and started playing with it, I put all my spices in one, and all my small baking supplies (vanilla extract, icing tubes, etc) in the other. And I am in love. Let me say that the only colors they had were hot pink and navy blue (I got the blue), so I’ll probably end up painting them at some point. And its entirely possible if I find a great deal on some that are bigger while still fitting the parameters, I may replace them and find other uses for those baskets. (They’re a perfect size for the stairs!) But for now, I’m totally totally in love (oh and did I mention in love? Just kidding. Maybe). I now have a ton of space freed on the both shelves, and much more functional top shelves. I want to go back for at least 1 more basket!

I promise they are not normally THAT empty! (We're not starving Mom!) Tomorrow is grocery day

In other news, we are putting the finishing touches on The Boy's new dresser (the frame is done and in his room, and the drawers are waiting on the final coat of paint), and I am about halfway done with Kelly's mod-podged eggs, so hopefully both will be photographed and posted soon! Also, Crystal bought that sectional she was looking at, and started painting her walls today! I'll try to get a post together soon of her progress too.

Courtney

PS How do you like the signature thing? Is it too cliché and overdone? If I decide to stick with it, I think it’d be super cool to scan in my real signature to start using one day.

To Do Page

I've been thinking lately that it would be extremely helpful if I put together a list of projects I want/need to tackle. It would need to be complete with everything from project descriptions, estimates and links to other blog projects that inspired me or have tutorials I'd need. That way, when I have a little extra money, I can consult this list, and decide whether to tackle a project or if there is a bigger one I'd rather be saving up for. Normally, I would make all this in a document on my computer, but seeing as how its been on the fritz lately, I'd feel much better if it were stored somewhere... safer. So, ta da, it occurred to me that this would be the perfect place! So that’s what I did. It’s a work in progress of course, but there is now a lovely little link ‘To Do List’ at the top of the page.

Craft WIN!

If you haven’t already read it, be sure to go read my previous post, Craft FAIL, for more details on my recent disaster. I left off with the melted rubber on the pan. So then I had the task of removing it from my pan once it cooled. Jess and I worked together, using a boxcutter we kept heating with a knife. It took about 10 minutes but we finally got it off the pan (oddly enough, there is a nice, clean silver ring on my dingy rust-colored pan now). Then something unexpected happened: along with the rubber popping off my pan, it also popped off the glass. And I ended up with this:

Slightly uneven lid

Awesome right?? So I did what I’m sure any of you would do: I checked to see if it would still fit on the jar. And… drumroll please… it did! Its just slightly too small, but for a jar that will be sitting on a table somewhere and rarely touched except to change out the contents, I think I can deal with that! So YAY!  :D 

Craft FAIL!

Pre-curing and pre-glueing

It was bound to happen sooner or later. Me screwing something up, I mean. I wanted to try the trend of making apothecary jars out of a candlestick and jar and lid. I painted the candlestick and the jar lid, and left the jar itself clear to allow whatever I put in it to show through. Last night I baked it to cure the paint, because I’m too impatient to wait 21 days for it to dry. (The paint instructions said I could do either.) The candlestick did fine. The jar lid, on the other hand, didn’t fare as well. This is what I ended up with:

It was an airtight jar. Meaning it had a ring of rubber around the bottom of the lid that fits inside the jar. Apparently, rubber melts at somewhere around 350 degrees. Who woulda thought? (Well, ok, I should have. Truth be told, it did cross my mind, but I did it anyway and hoped for the best. Good thing I had it sitting on an old pan just in case, otherwise I’d have been prying it off my rack and the bottom of the oven!) Oh well, I guess you live and learn! I’ll know better next time, and hopefully someone else will learn from my mistakes. Anyone else want to share a craft fail with me so I don’t feel so bad?



 *~I figured out a way to make it work! Wanna see how I turned this craft fail into a craft WIN? Go check it out here!~*

Projects Everywhere!

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My sister Crystal has decided to start redoing her living room. She found a sectional she fell in love with (and needs new furniture anyway), but it doesn’t really go with the rest of the living room. And me, being my altruistic (possibly somewhat pushy) self, of course offered any assistance she needed. And being the good amazing, fantastic sister that she is, she agreed to let me help, and use it for the blog, since I’m broke and all. So we’re brainstorming new décor. She has a good idea on colors she wants (black and teal and tan, with some burgundy accents because her existing carpet is burgundy), so I put her to work on finding some inspiration pictures, and my wheels are already turning. Yay, I’m so excited!

My other lovely sister, Kelly, the professional photographer, sent me a link to a blog today with some DIY decorative eggs she wants to use for Easter kids shots, asking if I could make them for her. So that will be a fun little project I’ll share with y’all too. Plus I’ve got a craft FAIL to share. (I know, BOOOO right? Pout.) So, busy busy busy around here! Looking forward to it though!


In the meantime, here are some of the fabulous things I saw while window shopping (all from Hobby Lobby, where we ended up. I could spend days on end in there and not get bored!):


Subway signs are so trendy right now, and they can get pricy! This was a wall decal I saw for a mere $21. Tres cool way to get the same effect for much cheaper than the designer versions.

Its rainbow. Its mosaic. Its ME!!! I have no idea where in the world I would put this (I’m kinda picky about things matching), but at $8 (originally $16, all frames were 50% off), I am incredibly tempted to go back and get it anyway. Especially if I go back with a handy dandy 40% off coupon! For $4.80, I would MAKE a place for it!

Jess has a bit of a thing for fleur-de-lis (and I have to admit that I don’t hate them), so I could definitely see one of these babies finding its way into our home one day. I have no idea how much it was though, I’m ashamed to say I forgot to look!

I have a bit of a thing for mermaids, if you couldn’t tell by the painting I paid $300+ for (including framing). So when I saw this beauty, I shrieked just a bit. She’s made to sit on the edge of a mantle or something though, which we don’t have. Pout. Maybe once I get the shelving done I’m planning for the living room? She was $30, but if I time it right with sales and coupons, its possible I could get her for as low as $9! So we’ll see. That is, of course, if they even still have her by the time we get around to the shelves! And if they don’t, well, then I’ll just have to believe that it wasn’t meant to be!  :)

A-Thrifting We Shall Go…

Waiting on my sissy Crystal to get here, then her and her man friend, me and Jess are going shopping (window shopping in my case) at an antique mall! I may not have any money to spend, but hopefully I can at least get some good pictures to share some things I might have done, had I the moolah.

Oh, and just because I am so impatient and couldn’t resist, here is a sneak peek of the apothecary jar:



Its not done yet. The paint still has to cure (either by air-drying for 21 days or by me baking it in the oven- meaning I'll probably bake it lol), and it still has to be glued together. I hadn’t even washed the sticker off the bottom of the jar yet when I took this picture. But its coming along nicely. Still debating what to put in it when its done. (My first choice would be M&M’s, if they wouldn’t all be eaten within hours of me setting it out. But I see candy apothecary jars everywhere; if I'm going to do something trendy, at least I can put my own spin on it.)

 


Hope everyone has a great day! Anyone have anything fun planned today?

Finally!

Guess what arrived in my mailbox a full 2 weeks early!? (Ok, ok, 13 days.) My USB cord for my camera *insert overly excited squeal here*! So I’ve been busy cleaning and taking replacement pictures for the blog. Oh and I’ve been testing out my new toy that my mom gave me when she gave me all those fabric scraps and lamps and stuff: A handheld sewing machine.

Something akin to this, although I think mine is a different brand it looks almost identical

I haven't done much with it yet, just played around on a scrap to get a feel for it. Its pretty simple really. I'm not so great at sewing, but I think I could handle making some simple things, like maybe some napkins? Which reminds me, I've been meaning to find a general guide for handmaking napkins. (I bet I can find some over at Mini Manor, the blog I stalk am crushing on the most! Ashli is super cool and sweet too, and way handy with a sewing machine!)


Well, at least that’s how this started out. And then, amidst typing, I plugged in my camera to the computer to upload some pictures I took and realized it doesn’t work. So back to the drawing board I go. I’m checking on ebay to see if the seller I bought it from has an exchange policy. Fingers crossed!

Ugh. What a mood killer!

*Edit* - The seller's listing on eBay says they do not have all models of cameras to test items on, and to please let them know if something does not work. I've contacted them and explained the situation, so hopefully this can be resolved quickly and easily! Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

House Tour Continues

I know, I know, I need to get a move on, as my mama says. I was really wanting to hold out til I get my camera USB cord, so you guys can have some decent quality pics (although 99% of you have it all in person), but apparently its shipping from China. No kidding. The tracking doesn't even show its left China yet, and I ordered it a week ago Friday. The earliest estimated delivery is 2/27, still over 2 weeks away. Boooo.

So anyway, here goes I guess. As you are walking in from the kitchen, the entertainment center and tv is against the wall on your right (and the stairs behind them, obviously), and the curtains are on the wall straight ahead.

Ignore the mess. Jess was playing a video game in case anyone was wondering

I admit we paid too much money for both the tv and entertainment center. They went on a Best Buy credit card, and we got a little crazy (Jess with the tv, me with the console lol). Unless I can think of a way to repurpose it, I'll probably sell the console on Craigslist whenever we eventually get around to getting a new one. I think it'd make a fantastic sideboard in a dining room. We need a console with some open shelving because Jess' xbox overheats easily in the closed cabinet.

I still adore these curtains, a year later

These curtains are blackouts, energy efficient, etc. We had just purchased and framed my mermaid painting, and I knew I wanted some brightly colored curtains to go next to it. (Its so hard to find good brightly colored curtains! I think I got them from the kids section). I got them on clearance from JCPenney.com (they are no longer available as of me checking right now though) for half of what they normally sold for. So altogether, for 4 panels, I paid $106. Sounds pricy, but I could not find any other curtains this color anywhere! And they were blackouts to boot, which Jess loves because she is a third shifter. They were on backorder, and I waited 3 arduous months for them to be here! They were more than worth it to though.

I found those gorgeous Bali faux wooden blinds at Goodwill for $5. They were new in the box and still had a Target price sticker on them, so I went to Target and found a matching set on sale for $15. They were both missing the stick you turn to open them, so I called the number on the box and the company was so sweet about sending me two new ones in the coordinating color for free! (The website appears to be having problems at the moment but you can find them at Target and I believe Home Depot.)

So to keep this from being uber extra-long, I'll stop here. I know I can talk a lot sometimes. (PS if yall would rather me do longer posts instead of splitting up rooms, let me know!)

A Bit of Organizing, A Bit of Craftiness

There’s been more spring cleaning around here. Jess couldn’t find something yesterday and decided to tackle the downstairs closet (which is a combo coat/general storage closet). It goes under the stairs, so things tend to get lost in that small little space. I’m proud to say its looking great now! After that I guess she decided she was on a roll because she tackled her closet in our bedroom. So both are spick and span now, neat and orderly, and I am LOVING it. I am dying to invest in some sort of battery-operated lights for the closets, since they’re not wired for lighting of their own. I’ve found some online for a couple bucks each, so I’m thinking that may be a simple little project for a day when we have a bit of money to spare. I’m thinking 5 lights, one each for mine, Jess’ and The Boy’s closet, one for the downstairs closet, and one for the mudroom area. 

In crafty news, I am still working on my cardboard boxes, and I’m hoping they’ll be done in a day or two. I won't tell you what I have left to do because that would give away the surprise! I’m all done painting the base (aka the candlestick) of my apothecary jar, now I’m moving on to the lid. Then, I'll bake the paint on both and put the base on the jar and it will be done! I can’t wait to have a finished project to reveal!  

Oh and just to give you something pretty to look at, here is a picture of my beautiful, newly organized downstairs closet:

I hate that I didn't think to take a before picture! Jess had me holding the flashlight for her, and it just didn't cross my mind. But picture it with everything just thrown in there any which way, because that's pretty much the best way to describe it.

I’d love to put in some low shelves right there one day, but its not at the top of my priority list. This will do for now! :)

Teaser…

I’m battling a major migraine tonight, so this post is going to be short and sweet. A lot of you probably saw this already on Twitter or Facebook, but I’ll post it again here for anyone who missed it. They are plain ol’ cardboard boxes. I put them on the stove so you can get an idea of the size. I have big plans for these babies. I really hope it doesn’t crash and burn, but I guess we will see, check back in a few days…

Etsy Round-Up: Red

I can sit and look through things on Etsy for hours on end. Some days I have a certain item on the brain, like lamps. Others times I just pick a category at random and start looking through it. Maybe that's why I’ve been itching to do an Etsy round-up, because I spend so much time on there anyway. Well I finally got around to it today. I picked red for a general theme, in honor of Valentine’s Day coming up. But they are by no means a bunch of Valentine’s-themed items. (Keep in mind I would prefer to attempt to make several of these before I would buy them. But I love these versions all the same.)

 

1- Paper Garland- Red Elephants on Parade.  2- Sukan / Red Linen, White Felt Birds Pillow Cover – 12x20 inch.  3- 'Mini Reds’ 2 Piece 5x9 Original Paintings.  4- Red Neoprene Rubber Sterling Silver ‘LOVE’ Pendant.  5- Red Barn Owl Figurine.  6- Red and Black Sushi Set.  7- My Fair Lady Headwrap – Red, Cream, Charcoal. 8- Red Rose on Red Pillow.  9- Nautical Pillow Cover – Red White Blue – 12x18 inch. 10- ‘Dragon Dance’ Original Paintings, Set of 3 Canvases 48x20.  11- 12” Bird Feeder or Bird Bath Made From Red Glass Traffic Light.  12- Set of 4 Red Chevron Cork Coasters.

Every one of these represents something I love. All things nature, trees, animals, etc (well ok, I’m not crazy about snakes, spiders or insects- but as long as they don’t come near me I am fine). Art. Up-cycled and eco-friendly items. Headwraps and jewelry. Several of them also represent people who are important to me (for instance, one of my sisters has a major things for owls, hence the owl figurine- but that doesn’t mean I don’t love them all too). So what do you think, dreamers? Do you love them all as much as I do? Or do you hate them?

My Day…

...hasn’t been a terribly productive one as far as blog projects go, but it has been tremendously productive in other aspects. Jess and I went to my mom’s and pretty much just spent the day with her. We walked around Mary Jo’s (a local fabric store with a truly MASSIVE selection and variety), walked around Walmart looking at baskets and other crafty things, got a few items Mama needed, and stopped at Subway for lunch. Then we headed back to her house and got our taxes done, Jess and I both got haircuts (yes my mom cuts our hair and does our taxes, and does a great job on both!), and then helped Mama clean out some old boxes and stuff. 

While we were at Mary Jo’s, I found the fabric I want to use for the lamp! Its totally not what I was looking for, but I saw it and fell in love. And it will still be totally designer-inspired! (If I’m lucky maybe the lovely Beckie over at Knock Off Decor will feature it! My blog could sure use the publicity.) I can’t wait to get started on it! Hopefully I can get that underway soon!

The whole point of us helping Mama clean was because she said she had some things I might want for projects. We ended up taking home 2 small lamps, some wire squares that I used to use for a guinea pig pin, a big box full of old fabric scraps, an old handheld sewing machine that looks like its never been used (its still in the box, and has all the original accessories!), and probably a few other things I’m forgetting. I’m already working on plans for most if not all of it.

So, after all our running today (after we got home, we still had go back out and drop some bags off at Goodwill and make a Walmart stop of our own), I still had one thing left I needed to get done today. My niece's birthday party is tomorrow, and since we’re short on cash. I wanted to make her something. Her mom suggested earrings, since she just got her ears pierced this past weekend. So I set to work digging through all my old jewelry-making supplies. This is what I came up with. Keep in mind that Madison will be 9, so I wanted to keep them age-appropriate, but still be fun. They look orange, but they are actually pink (her favorite color) or red, depending how the light hits them. So, what do you think? Mission accomplished? I’ll let you know how she likes them.

Overall, I think today was a pretty productive day!

The New Bedding I’m Lusting After

This insomnia crap has me considering overhauling our bedroom (when we have some money, of course). Currently, its black and red. And I know red is considered a very stimulating color. So I've been looking at more subdued bedding. (I'll find other ways to bring in the red, because Jess has always wanted a red bedroom. I've always wanted blue, this was our compromise. We picked out red sheets, a black comforter, and I was going to paint the walls a soft blue. But I never got around to painting.) So I’ve been thinking throwing in some navy as a major color player might help. And then I found this comforter at Z Gallerie that sealed it for me:
 
I don’t care much for the sheets they paired with it (although I do like the pillows in the back), but throw in some solid sheets in a lighter blue, possibly some striped or otherwise patterned ones, and I'd be in heaven. I love the texture! Doesn't it look like it'd be amazing to curl up with after a long day?
 
 

 
 
I love these Marimekko Biloba Blue Queen Sheets from Crate & Barrel, but they are $139! So I’ll keep looking.
 
 
 
 
 
I think the comforter I may actually buy (eventually, of course. Oh how that's getting old to say...). Its gorgeous, and for $129.95, the price isn't terribly bad, at least not for one of good quality. I wouldn't be paying $30 each for the coordinating pillow shams though. But I could find some nice coordinating sheets easily and cheaply, and pillowcases too.

Early Spring Cleaning at The Townhouse

I was scheduled to work 12 hours today, but ended up getting sent home after only 6. As much as we could really use that extra money, turns out it was a blessing in disguise because for whatever reason I went on a maniacal cleaning spree. Cleaned out my closet and dresser and bagged a LOT to take to Goodwill. Reorganized a lot of things because my dresser has very shallow drawers (anyone else know how ANNOYING that is??). Put up clothes that don’t fit but I couldn’t bear to give away (trust me, I put PLENTY in those Goodwill bags. Yes I said bagS, as in trash bags full. And kept one measly little stack, maybe enough to fill a grocery bag). I haven’t touched Jess’ stuff though (yet- I told her either she does it or I do lol), but at least I feel like a made a ton of progress.


I’m trying to hold off on taking any pictures that aren’t absolutely necessary until my new camera USB cord gets here in a few days so I can take them properly instead of with my phone. So bear with me.


The Townhouse. How does that sound? Jess and I haven’t decided whose name we’ll eventually take when we do the formal our wedding ceremony (definitely NOT mine, but maybe hers or her step-dad’s) or if we’ll just pick a completely new one. So I can’t very well call it The Lawniczak House or The Rayne Home, now can I? (Btw, for those of you who don’t know, Lawniczak is my last name. Now you understand why I’m so adamant about not keeping it right? Rayne is a name we’ve discussed using if we decide to make our own, its part of a name that, growing up, Jess had always wanted to name a future daughter. Funny, I hate it as a middle name, but like it as a surname.) Opinions? Like, dislike?


Since I’m holding off a few more days on my own pictures, here are a few from Pinterest (add me!) that I am LOVING right now:



These lanterns are SO easy to make! And how much  fun are they!? I definitely want to try this project one day soon. (Hey Kelly, you wouldn’t happen to need any lanterns for Madi’s party next week, would you? Lol)

Anyone who knows me at all knows I LOVE colorful things, whether its rainbow colored or just colorful. In fact, one of my nicknames is Rainbow Brite. (Totally fulfilling a major gay cliché, I know.) So I’m sure its no surprise that I LOVE this bathroom!!! Did I mention I LOVE it? Just wanted to emphasize the enormity of my amour for it. No, but seriously, I really love it.

Ok, I know chevron stripes are supposed to be the trendy thing now. And there are some instances where I like them, mostly in smaller doses like throw pillows and occasionally as large as an area rug. But I will always hold a special place in my heart for stripes, especially bold, dramatic ones like these. (Btw, Lowe's pinned it, but there is no source and clicking it just goes to google.com so I have no idea who to credit. If anyone knows, please let me know!)

What have some of your latest pinning obsessions been, dreamers? And don’t forget to go enter to win the Valentine’s Day Gift Basket if you haven’t already!

Valentine's Day Gift Basket Giveaway!

~*~This giveaway is no longer accepting entries! The winner is Jena W, congratulations Jena!~*~

I am so excited to announce I am starting my first giveaway tomorrow! My good friend Amber makes her own body care products and sells them on her Etsy shop, Phenomenal Creations. (She has just signed a contract with a boutique in New York to sell her line!) And she has agreed to let me do a giveaway of one of her most popular products this time of year, the Deluxe Valentine's Day Gift Basket, which sells for $56! Here is a preview picture:

Deluxe Valentine's Day Gift Basket

The basket will be customized to the scent chosen by the winner. She has over 40 scents to choose from, everything from dead-on imitations of designer scents like CK Eternity and Vera Wang, to her own mixes like Asian Bloom.

The winner will receive an email and have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen.

HodgePodge

Yesterday was crazy busy! We picked up that (free) old new-to-me recliner I found off Craigslist. Plus, when I called the lady as planned for directions, she said she had an armchair and two pillows we could have if we wanted. I figured what the hell, we'd at least look at it. Its far from what I'd call attractive, but its in good shape, so we took it too. Between driving to pick up my father-in-law's truck, finding the house, loading furniture, getting home and unloading furniture, taking off the old sectional corner piece to Goodwill (the recliner couldn't be saved), returning my FIL's truck, and getting back home, plus furniture arrangement and making dinner, it was kinda insane! We got everything arranged (probably temporarily, but its working for now) and sat down to eat dinner and watch a Grey's Anatomy episode, and I swear the next thing I knew it was midnight. Normally that means nothing to me, but I had to work 7a-7p today so it was off to bed. And now I'm writing this in my downtime at work (scratch that- was writing it at work, on my new blogger-droid app that I'm not sure if I like- now I'm editing on my computer at home).

So. New projects! There's the hideous chair I just mentioned, that I want to try to paint, I think sooner rather than later because its currently covered in a very ill-fitting fitted sheet. There's also the lovely burnt orange recliner that I either want to make or buy a slipcover for. Last, there's the 2 pillows, that I plan on making covers for. Now all I have to do is decide on colors! In general the only major color I've picked for the room so far is the teal of the curtains I already have and love. I'm thinking teal and green and gold and brown? I need to go fabric hunting, maybe something will speak to me. Plus there are the projects that were waiting on me before, like finishing up the tumbler for the bathroom, and the apothecary jars. So I guess I'll be a busy bee again tomorrow!

Speaking of ruminating, the last thing I mentioned ruminating on was the mudroom bench. I drew up a plan while working that I wanted to share to hopefully give y'all an idea of what I'm wanting to do. Ignore the not-to-scaleness and the out-of-proportionness, I am not a great artist, but the old man I was sitting with today knew what it was meant to be, so hopefully y'all will be able to see it too!

I realize you wouldn't be able to see both in front and down into the back like that, that's what I meant when I said ignore all that lol. Also the far right cubby goes all the way back so as not to be blocking the air filter, that I just realized I didn't do. Does it give you an idea at least?

I'll be starting a giveaway soon! My good friend Amber at Phenomenal Creations is putting together a gift basket, and the winner will get to choose his/her preferred scent! Details as soon as I have them!