What a good Laugh?

Hello!! I just wanted to share a really hilarious post I just read over at Ana's blog
If any of you aren't familiar with Ana, she is the wonderfully talented builder who gives us easy plans to build beautiful furniture for little money. You won't believe the letter she received today in the mail.

You can read it for yourself HERE

Good grief...Commercialism at it's best! Maybe, just maybe if their prices were actually affordable for the general public this wouldn't be an issue.
All I can say is THANK YOU ANA!!!

Valentine's Project...for the kiddo!!

Hello Hello Hello Sweet Valentine Friends!

Hope everyone is keeping warm today. We're just sitting and waiting on the snow/rain. For some crazy reason, central Georgia is suppose to get more snow that us mountain folk. Oh well guess we will have to wait and see.

On a non-weather related note, I have been helping my sweet little man decorate his Valentine box for school. He being such a huge Sponge Bob fan, we just had to get Sponge Bob Valentine cards. So I had a great idea to decorate his box in the likeness of Sponge Bob's humble abode...the pineapple under the sea! Using materials from around the house, I came up with this little number.

Isn't is great to be a crafty mom!!!

Sorry I had to use the forbidden camera FLASH. It's kinda hard to utilize the natural light at 6am!! heehee.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

OH my goodness...

Well Howdy there...long time no talk. I've been such a bad bloggy mom...neglecting you so! But alas I do have a reason...I have been battling the ahhhhh chooos. First Hubbie got it...then my grandmother...then my son...now my sweet little baby girl and to top it off I think I'm getting it...goodness! My baby girl's sickness has manifested into a severe ear infection...so you know what I've been doing all night.

Since the weather has been so bad...ice, cold temps, rain...I've been unable to start many of my New Years projects (most require painting!!). So to stay busy I've been cleaning and organizing. I have to profess that I am a closet hoarder. That's right, I said it!! When I started diggin junk out of these tight spaces, it looked like a popcorn machine exploded...junk everywhere and no idea what to do with it! So I've been on the hunt for inexpensive ways to store my beloved junk...that is the junk that I want to keep! Here's what I've found so far... Ikea $14.99...GRRRRReat for the home office and craft room and there are two other styles available. This would look so cute painted and shabby.

Ikea...super cute! Think this one was $9.99ea. I would paint it a bright color...maybe even use chalkboard paint inside the little embossed square. Easy way to identify the contents of the container.

Really easy bench for the foyer made from kitchen cabinets...maybe the kids would actually use it instead of the dining chairs!

An old heating grate repurposed into a mail slot. I really like it...but I think maybe a rescued ceiling tile would be better (weights less).

I love this idea sooooooo very much! Using three prefab bookcases, this make-shift wall is great to section off an entryway and provide storage for coats and books. I could see this in a family room to make a little office nook or a reading nook.

Cute inexpensive way to store bathroom items. HUMMM I'm thinking in the kids bathroom maybe. Each child has a planter with their name on it.

Well that's all I've got so far...now I've got to go shopping. Hopefully I will be back later to show you my progress on the laundry room. (fingers crossed) :)

Photos above from Ikea and BHG

Sparkling Clean Tub

Do you have one of these in your bathroom???

http://www.brycecanyonproperty.com/

This is not my tub by the way...However, I do have a corner style jetted tub in my master bath. I thought it would be so great to have such a luxurious spa-like retreat only steps away. A place where I could fill up my glorious tub with hot water and lavished bath salts. My stress would drain from my mind and life would be peachy. WRONG, WRONG AND WRONG AGAIN!!! If you have one of these monsters, I bet you know why I have such a dislike for this thing. Every time I fill my monster up with water and turn the jets on, particles of blackish-brown gunk come rushing into my crystal clear bath water! Yes this thing is haven for all things gross and nasty...a regular bacteria farm! You see, if you do not use your tub on a regular basis (like at least two to three times a week...hello water bill$$$) the stale water that is left in the jet hoses from the previous bath starts to grow nice, slimy bacteria! This can make you very sick! Let's think about this for a moment. We get in a hot bath. Dead skin cells, bacteria from our skin and dirt are all deposited into the bath water. Once the water is drained, some of this nasty water stays in the jets because there is no way to expel it. I have even tried to turn the jets on after the bath water is drained to get this excess water out of the jets. This only causes damage to the pump and a mess to clean up. Which brings me to the point of this post....How to keep the monster clean? I did a little research and found this receipt.

1. 
   
   Fill the tub with HOT water three inches above the jet.


2. 
   
   Turn off the air induction valve.(this keeps the fumes from the bleach from knocking you off your feet)


3. 
   
   Pour 1/4 cup of powdered dish detergent in the water


4. 
   
   Pour 1/2 cup of household bleach in the water


5. 
   
   Run the jets for 10-15mins on high pressure.(please note you need to ventilate the bathroom during this process...Trust Me!)


6. 
   
   Drain the tub and refill with clean COLD water (three inches above the jets)


7. 
   
   Run the jets 10 mins as a rinse.


8. 
   
   Drain Tub and wipe down with a cloth.

Do this about twice a month to keep your monster sparkly clean and avoid the bacteria confetti.

Talk to you soon!!

Inspiration...Where to find it

What inspires us when we decorate our homes? When posed this question, most of us think...magazines, books, television, blogs or even the latest trends. Sometimes we overlook the obvious places for inspiration (I've done it). We've all been told to pick something small and start from there...a vase, a rug, a work of art, a beautiful accent fabric, etc. But what about nature? Take a look at these pictures and tell me what you think.

Picture 1

www.igougo.com

A beautiful autumn day.

Better Homes and Gardens

The bright wall and sofa color are similar to the glowing orange leaves in the picture above. The pale blue sky is mimicked in the ottoman and throw pillows. The dark wood tones of the tree trunks are seen in the trim and furniture. The fireplace surround mirrors the color of the asphalt road, and lastly the green that accents the room can be seen in the surrounding trees and grass.

Picture 2

www.sodahead.com

A field full of golden yellow sunflowers.

Better Homes and Gardens

The luscious green of the sunflower leaves is duplicated in the wall color, table cloth and upholstered dining chairs. The rich chocolate brown of the flower centers can be seen in the wood flooring, dining table and chairs, as well as the oil rubbed bronze light fixture and drapery rod. Finally the brilliant golden yellow of the sunflower pedals is picked up in the drapes and the tableware.

Picture 3

www.bohol24.com/

Your gonna hate me for this one but...A glorious, sugary, sandy white shoreline!

Coastal Living

Sorry but it had to be done! The beach is very inspiring when it come to design. I know most of us are freezing our burlap off right now. But at least we can dream of warm summer sun!

Now back to the beach picture. That creamy white on the wall and slipcovers duplicate the sandy beach. The grey and taupe of the fabric and accent furnishing mimic the colors seen in the rocky shoreline, the wet sand and the trunks of the palm trees. Last the pops of turquoise in the throw pillows and accent pieces are pulled from the shimmering blue/green water.

Well there you have it. What do you think? Is is possible to design a room from nature?

DIY Lamp Shades

Whew!! That was a whirlwind of a Christmas holiday! It came as fast as it went. Yesterday I battled our semi-dried out tree and took down all the decorations. After hubby hauled the shedding beast out the front door, I got the honors of vacuuming up the precious needles. There were so many, my vacuum cleaner staged a protest! It took me 20 minutes to unclog the vacuum head and wand attachment. I never knew a vacuum cleaner could have three separate clogs! If you look at it logically, the first clog should have pretty much stop the flow of air...so how did it get three clog??? Oh well, next year I plan on avoiding this sort of debacle by starting my decorating the beginning of November. That way it will take me until February to take the stuff down...Heehee

Now that I have my living room and dining room back to normal, I had the overwhelming urge to decorate something. Being that I have a gazillion (is that even a word?) projects around the house that need to be completed or started for that matter, I thought it best to choose something rather easy. I grabbed some fabric, left over wrapping paper, spray adhesive, hot glue gun and a lamp shade from my dining room Chandy.

First things first, I used a piece of red wrapping paper to draw a pattern for my little shade. I added 1/2" inch to all sides of the pattern. This was to accommodate lapping of edges and folding of the top and bottom.

I used my pattern to cut three wedges of my decorative fabric. Typically when I recover an "A" shaped lamp shade, I lay the shade down on the fabric as a guide and cut out what looks like a giant donut shape. But this time I had to do something different because the fabric I choose just wouldn't work that way.

I took each piece and folded one edge down...about 1/2". I made sure to only spray adhesive on one piece at a time. To insure permanent contact, I had to spray the shade as well. Now...here's the most important part! WEAR RUBBER GLOVES AND TAPE OFF THE PARTS YOU DON'T WANT EXPOSED TO ADHESIVE OVER-SPRAY!! I ended up looking like one of the Sticky Bandits from Home Alone 2.

I used the hot glue gun to glue the edges around the top and bottom of the shade. Now that its complete, I think I will go to the fabric store and pick out some vintage looking trim for the bottom of the shade.

Back to work...one down five to go!!

I'm linking up to Met Mondays


Talk to ya soon

I just wanted to say...

Thank you so much for being my bloggy friends...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Teacher Gifts...and a Funny Story

My little man has two of the most wonderful teachers!

He loves them and their class so much that he begs to go to school on weekends. We wanted to give them something they could use in the classroom. So I started racking my brain and of course looking in Blogland to find a cute project that wouldn't break the bank. Then I remembered that Chris over at Just Beachy had recently shared some of the handmade gifts she had purchased on Etsy. One of which was some cute as pie appliqued hand towels. Well my little brain automatically linked these little towels to my monogrammed purse from several posts ago. I decided to make each teacher a monogrammed hand towel. Well I found out the teachers' favorite colors and off I went to Wal-Mart. This is what I purchased:

Two Hand Towels $4.50ea.
Accent Fabric $2.00

My son was very pleased...but I think I will added some cutesy ric-rac trim or ribbon next time. Total cost was $5.50 ea...can't beat that!

Here's the funny story...even though they turned out cute, I did have some anger management issues I had to work out with my dinosaur of a sewing machine. It seems that the little light bulb located over the needle/pressure foot has melted...Yes I said melted...and tried to drip down before cooling in a most bizarre form. I had to wear a head lamp on my head while I sewed...I looked like I was trying to deer hunt in the house! "Watch out deer, I'm pack'n a sewing machine"!!!

I really don't know if I will ever be able to get that hard as rock glass out of my machine. Guess I'm stuck head-lamping it!! heehee

Merry Christmas!!!

My Christmas List...heehee

I Love Christmas!!...

the gatherings, the singing, the food, the decorating, the smells of fresh pine and cinnamon, the magical twinkles in my children's eyes, and most of all celebrating the birth of Christ. Last night on my way home from work, I noticed how sweet it was to see almost every house with a brightly lit tree gracing their front windows. I wondered what it was like in those homes. What were their family Christmas traditions?...watching Christmas movies, having Christmas parties, drawing names, Christmas caroling, attending Christmas plays or recitals??

Then my mind began to travel back to my childhood. The tradition I love the most was looking through the Sears Wishbook catalog and making my Christmas list out. Oh what a glorious time...thoughts of beautiful Barbie houses and cuddly teddy bears popped in my head. What would Santa bring me??

Now I help my children with their Christmas lists every year, but I haven't wrote out my own personal Christmas list in a very very long time. So to recapture a little bit of my childhood, I decided to share with you my list.

Here goes...

Dearest Santa,

I've been a good girl this year. I would really love you too much if you were to put one or two of these under the tree for me this year!!!

Pretty Please with Royal Icing on top!!!

Sewing/Embroidery Machine

Cricut Expression

Drawing Table

OH and this table and chairs from Paula Deen's Furniture Collection!!!

Ok I'm done now...thought if I was dreaming, I might as well dream big!! Heehee

Merry Christmas!!!!

Handmade Ornament Ideas

I love handmade ornaments. Whether they are my creations or someone else, handmade ornaments are treasured keepsakes...memories from Christmas' past. I remember sitting in my high school art class carving Rudolph out of a piece of balsa wood. I still have it and it's on the tree every year!

This morning as I was reading my emails, I found some really cute and easy handmade Christmas ornament ideas at BHG.com. I wanted to share some of my favorites.

Who doesn't love tassels? This one is made with simple felt, ribbons and a bead...easy for children to make. If you wanted to take it to the next level, you could use decorative fringe trim, ornate glass beads or silk ribbon.

All of us have seen those boxes of a dozen clear glass ornaments at Michael's or Hob Lob...Well here are several ideas putting those plain Jane globes to good use.

By coating the inside of the glass ornaments with craft paint, you can change the color of the ornament. Then use some cute as a button glittery stickers or appliques on the outside. Tie a sweet little ribbon on the top for a hanger and you have it made!However, if your in a lazy mood (like I'm in today) you can just purchase pre-colored ornaments. They cost a little more but you don't have to paint them!...Less mess!

Why not put those glitter pens and rhinestones to work? Use them on an glass ornament. Any small abstract design would be very cute...stars, circles, swirls, etc.

OH Boy my favorite toile! This little beauty is decoupaged with a toile paper napkin. I have seen around Blogland many ladies using monogrammed paper napkins from Homegoods to personalize/monogram white plates. How cute would that be to have a tree full of monogrammed glass ornaments?

The last idea I wanted to share isn't an ornament but a dainty little advent calendar made out of match boxes. The boxes are covered with scrap book paper and numbered on each end. They are glued together to form the outline of a tree and topped with a paper applique. Too cute!!

Well back to work!!

Merry Christmas

Gift ideas for a little girl

Wow Christmas is rapidly approaching and I feel as if I have nothing done! I have been trying to organize my Christmas list and sort out what items were to be purchased online, what items were to be purchased in store and what items were to be handmade. While doing this my mine wondered back to a gift we gave my step-daughter last year. She is very into all things American Girl Doll. Now for those of you who don't know, American Girl Doll is a very cute and even educational line of dolls, books and clothing for little girls ranging in age from 2yrs+. Although be prepared to get price tag whiplash!! They aren't cheap!

So back to the gift. My step-daughter wanted a cute little bed for her doll. But we really didn't see paying $145 for a doll bunk bed. Heck that was more than the doll!!

So I started searching Wal-mart and Target...and found this for $20+.

It came with some light pink boring bedding...so I purchased some small pieces of fabric that coordinated with my step-daughters bedding. I made small duvets, pillows and mattress covers. voila customized American Girl bedding! If you didn't want a white bed, a sweet little can of spray paint could fix that! I think all together I had $30 in this gift...It sure beats $145!

Happy Shopping and Merry Christmas!!

New Find

As I was surfing the net this morning, I came across a website called Wallies that sells wall decals and cutouts. My head automatically began to spin, thinking of all the ways I could use these sweet little things. And of course I couldn't resist not sharing it with you.

They offer:

Cute as a button Seasonal decals...Peel and Stick...easy peasy and easy to remove.

Pre-cut designs

How great is this...chalkboard on vinyl sheets!! This would be a great way to turn a cabinet door into a chalkboard with out actually disturbing the paint/finish of your door. Or you could cut small rectangle pieces and stick them to canisters/containers for labels. The possibilities are endless.

What a cute way to allow your child the freedom to decorate their walls. These peel and stick play decals can be repositioned.

Each element of the decal are cut separate, allowing you to place them anywhere and design personalized murals. Check out their website HERE

Merry Christmas!!