I figured out how to share my document, go me! ('bout time right??? hee hee) Still not quite how I wanted it to look in the post though... working on it.
Here's the link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0Aipb9ukxfD2FdDZyWXdLRE54THN5MlpHbDAzSWk4RlE&single=true&gid=0&range=A1%3AE8&output=html
So feel free to print it out and use it to help you stay sane. It only helps though, no guarantees. *wink wink*
Showing posts with label In The Home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label In The Home. Show all posts
June 11, 2012
December 3, 2011
October 27, 2011
Busy Bee
This morning was one of those lovely morning when I woke up at about 3:30am. Went to the bathroom (being pregnant is wonderful), and then went back to my bed (fell asleep in my littlest boys bed). I tried and tried to fall back asleep, but my mind was anything but tired.
I was creating a mental list of things at 3 something in the am, that's how my brain works sometimes.
What is a mommy to do?
Well, for starters, the smell of fresh bread was in the back of my mind, so here's what was for breakfast today:
This little heel was all that was left of my ham & cheese bread. Next time I'm thinking much more ham & cheese, I'm talking gooey.
I also have quite a UFO list, and an even longer list of projects that I want to get done. Thankfully I was able to cross a total of 4 things off those 2 lists.
The first item being the sashiko sampler that I have been planning on turning into a pillow cover.
I am planning on adding a few buttons to keep the flaps on the back closed up nicely. Other than that she's done. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I didn't want to take away from the sampler, but didn't want a boring back either and I think I nailed it.
In my opinion, one can never have too many pillows. How many pillows do you have on your couch? On your bed? I have an L-shaped couch from IKEA, the Ektorp one I think, and I've got 7 to 9 pillow on it in addition to the cushions. I think there's about 8 pillows on my King-sized bed, and none of them are just decorative. I heart pillows, even have a pinterest board just for pillows. Clearly I need to add some more to it....
The other 3 things were: making a pair of leggings for my Little L from a shirt that was way too short for me, mend a pair of yoga pants for Miss A, and make PJ pants for a little boy who is a good friend of the family. I'll get a photo of this guy in his pants soon, I can bet it will be a good one, he's quite a character!
To top all of this off, I actually put together a post about it and on the same day to boot, with pictures.
Ok, can I go take a nap now??
But first, check out some more of our creative spaces.
I was creating a mental list of things at 3 something in the am, that's how my brain works sometimes.
What is a mommy to do?
Well, for starters, the smell of fresh bread was in the back of my mind, so here's what was for breakfast today:
This little heel was all that was left of my ham & cheese bread. Next time I'm thinking much more ham & cheese, I'm talking gooey.
I also have quite a UFO list, and an even longer list of projects that I want to get done. Thankfully I was able to cross a total of 4 things off those 2 lists.
The first item being the sashiko sampler that I have been planning on turning into a pillow cover.
I am planning on adding a few buttons to keep the flaps on the back closed up nicely. Other than that she's done. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I didn't want to take away from the sampler, but didn't want a boring back either and I think I nailed it.
In my opinion, one can never have too many pillows. How many pillows do you have on your couch? On your bed? I have an L-shaped couch from IKEA, the Ektorp one I think, and I've got 7 to 9 pillow on it in addition to the cushions. I think there's about 8 pillows on my King-sized bed, and none of them are just decorative. I heart pillows, even have a pinterest board just for pillows. Clearly I need to add some more to it....
The other 3 things were: making a pair of leggings for my Little L from a shirt that was way too short for me, mend a pair of yoga pants for Miss A, and make PJ pants for a little boy who is a good friend of the family. I'll get a photo of this guy in his pants soon, I can bet it will be a good one, he's quite a character!
To top all of this off, I actually put together a post about it and on the same day to boot, with pictures.
Ok, can I go take a nap now??
But first, check out some more of our creative spaces.
May 16, 2011
Living Room & Sewing Area: Progress
It's green! I'm finally done painting, and it feels great!!
It is very green though... and I quite like it.
What do you think?
We have a large mirror to place above the fireplace, and we need to separate the bookshelves on the left wall of the room to fit the piano in the middle. After some covering of the tv cables we'll be done.
After renting for what felt like an eternity, it is so very very nice to have color on the walls and know I won't have to paint it sooner than later.
Another fantastic new area for dear old me is my sewing area.
It is a huge work in progress! I'm hoping to be done with it soon, but it seems like there are so many things I have yet to do. (I was standing on the stairs trying to get a decent picture, no luck)
I still need to:
-hang my Gutterman thread box organizer
-find a carpet I like that's not an arm and a leg
-finish putting my quilting fabric on my mini-bolt things, got the idea at Smashed Peas & Carrots
-organize my pre-cuts (those bought and made)
-buy a cutting table from IKEA (and reassemble my drawers to fit under)
-do something about the overall lighting, I have plenty at the table but...
-find a new home for the extra carseats in the corner, and the stack of bins on the right.
I think I've forgotten something I wanted to do with the space... oh well... you get the point though.
*Side note: I'm thinking of using those shutter doors for something, not sure what yet, but I can feel it, and it's gotta be good.
I'm just glad to finally have it all in one place. I was amazed to see how much fabric I really have once I dug it all out of the million closets it was previously living. No really... it was almost funny.
Believe it or not, there are 100 different fabrics on that shelf, and I ordered more comic book boards because I had at least 20 more fabrics to put up there, see the stack? (Hopefully my dear husband isn't reading this, hahaha).
So, what does your sewing area look like?
Have you been stashing fabrics throughout the closets in your home like I did? Maybe that was my way to keep my husband from seeing all the fabric I have, especially when a few choices boxes arrive in the mail occasionally. Maybe subconsciously? I hope.
It is very green though... and I quite like it.
What do you think?
We have a large mirror to place above the fireplace, and we need to separate the bookshelves on the left wall of the room to fit the piano in the middle. After some covering of the tv cables we'll be done.
After renting for what felt like an eternity, it is so very very nice to have color on the walls and know I won't have to paint it sooner than later.
Another fantastic new area for dear old me is my sewing area.
It is a huge work in progress! I'm hoping to be done with it soon, but it seems like there are so many things I have yet to do. (I was standing on the stairs trying to get a decent picture, no luck)
I still need to:
-hang my Gutterman thread box organizer
-find a carpet I like that's not an arm and a leg
-finish putting my quilting fabric on my mini-bolt things, got the idea at Smashed Peas & Carrots
-organize my pre-cuts (those bought and made)
-buy a cutting table from IKEA (and reassemble my drawers to fit under)
-do something about the overall lighting, I have plenty at the table but...
-find a new home for the extra carseats in the corner, and the stack of bins on the right.
I think I've forgotten something I wanted to do with the space... oh well... you get the point though.
*Side note: I'm thinking of using those shutter doors for something, not sure what yet, but I can feel it, and it's gotta be good.
I'm just glad to finally have it all in one place. I was amazed to see how much fabric I really have once I dug it all out of the million closets it was previously living. No really... it was almost funny.
Believe it or not, there are 100 different fabrics on that shelf, and I ordered more comic book boards because I had at least 20 more fabrics to put up there, see the stack? (Hopefully my dear husband isn't reading this, hahaha).
So, what does your sewing area look like?
Have you been stashing fabrics throughout the closets in your home like I did? Maybe that was my way to keep my husband from seeing all the fabric I have, especially when a few choices boxes arrive in the mail occasionally. Maybe subconsciously? I hope.
May 2, 2011
Bombastic Weekend
Over the weekend I had the pleasure to attend one of the finest weddings on this side of the Mississippi. For reals guys.
Just look at this bride with her father walking her down the isle:
I don't think she could've been any happier!!
Thankfully she got married relatively close to my hometown, so naturally we stayed the weekend with my Dad. Good cookin', as usual!
On Sunday we went to visit with some of my family, and they were cleaning out their parents garage. Of course they offered for us to take anything we wanted since they were getting rid of just about all of it. Man I scored big!!
Among the items I got were some beautiful picture frames, 3 lamps, some chachkies, and a toddler bed.
Now, even though I have 4 kids, we have never owned a toddler bed before, I always felt like they were too much money for such a short time of use and not quite a necessity like a crib. We just went from crib to twin for each of the kids so far.
Oh my does our youngest love her bed!!
Just look at her.
Thanks so much for the bed Diane, Julie & Craig!!
Just look at this bride with her father walking her down the isle:
I don't think she could've been any happier!!
Thankfully she got married relatively close to my hometown, so naturally we stayed the weekend with my Dad. Good cookin', as usual!
On Sunday we went to visit with some of my family, and they were cleaning out their parents garage. Of course they offered for us to take anything we wanted since they were getting rid of just about all of it. Man I scored big!!
Among the items I got were some beautiful picture frames, 3 lamps, some chachkies, and a toddler bed.
Now, even though I have 4 kids, we have never owned a toddler bed before, I always felt like they were too much money for such a short time of use and not quite a necessity like a crib. We just went from crib to twin for each of the kids so far.
Oh my does our youngest love her bed!!
Just look at her.
Thanks so much for the bed Diane, Julie & Craig!!
April 28, 2011
Title?
So, even though I feel like I've somewhat fallen off the 'being creative' wagon for a bit, I actually have been working on things from long ago in the to-do list.
For example, I finally made a hair bow holder for the girls room:
There are tutorials all of the place for these, but they are so easy to make or even to explain how to make. Since there are lots of colors on my girls walls, well only 3 but still, I decided to make one that's white on white and I love how it turned out!
I bought a picture frame from a yard sale, spray painted it white (with a clear coat on top for durability). Then I cut a piece of cardboard to fit, mod podged some white paper on it since I used eyelet, I didn't want the brown to show through. I cut a piece of fabric about 2 inches wider and taller than the cardboard, and mod podged it on (no topcoat). Lastly, I cut some ribbon a few inches longer than the long side of the cardboard, hotglued in place, and presto! Done and done.
And to think, I had thought about making the girls some more bows for Easter.... I think I would like to make another one of these, but with an oval frame next time. Maybe we could put the fancier bows on that one, and keep the more daily ones on this one. We shall see.
Another in the works project that we've been working on is finishing up the living room. I love love finally having our own house, and feeling like I can paint the entire thing (and not have to repaint soon). Here's what it looks like at this very moment:
My husband moved the TV over to the right wall, and we moved my sewing table and all it's glory downstairs last night. We stood there looking at what felt like a naked wall now. We're thinking that we'll move the smaller bookshelf from the other wall and put it in the corner, we'll get another to balance the wall. But, we're also thinking of getting some high-back chairs as well. I'm so happy!
Here's some ideas of chairs I'm lovin:
I think my most favorite are the Mitchell Chair from Target and the Banana Chair from Pier 1.
What do you think?
For example, I finally made a hair bow holder for the girls room:
There are tutorials all of the place for these, but they are so easy to make or even to explain how to make. Since there are lots of colors on my girls walls, well only 3 but still, I decided to make one that's white on white and I love how it turned out!
I bought a picture frame from a yard sale, spray painted it white (with a clear coat on top for durability). Then I cut a piece of cardboard to fit, mod podged some white paper on it since I used eyelet, I didn't want the brown to show through. I cut a piece of fabric about 2 inches wider and taller than the cardboard, and mod podged it on (no topcoat). Lastly, I cut some ribbon a few inches longer than the long side of the cardboard, hotglued in place, and presto! Done and done.
And to think, I had thought about making the girls some more bows for Easter.... I think I would like to make another one of these, but with an oval frame next time. Maybe we could put the fancier bows on that one, and keep the more daily ones on this one. We shall see.
Another in the works project that we've been working on is finishing up the living room. I love love finally having our own house, and feeling like I can paint the entire thing (and not have to repaint soon). Here's what it looks like at this very moment:
My husband moved the TV over to the right wall, and we moved my sewing table and all it's glory downstairs last night. We stood there looking at what felt like a naked wall now. We're thinking that we'll move the smaller bookshelf from the other wall and put it in the corner, we'll get another to balance the wall. But, we're also thinking of getting some high-back chairs as well. I'm so happy!
Here's some ideas of chairs I'm lovin:
 | ||
| Ikea Stolkholm, multicolored |
 |
| San Rafael Chair, Pier 1 |
 |
| Mitchell Armless Swivel-Green Floral, Target |
 |
| Josette Chair, Pier 1 |
 |
| Cadman Puzzle Chair, Pier 1 |
 | |
| Temani Chair, Pier 1 |
 |
| Banana Chair, Pier 1 |
I think my most favorite are the Mitchell Chair from Target and the Banana Chair from Pier 1.
What do you think?
April 15, 2011
Yellow Cream & Sugar or White Sink?
What has been the best part of this past week in my end of the world you ask?
Well, I'm not entirely sure actually...
We've been up to so much this week, when it rains it pours around here, come to think of it maybe that's the only way my husband and I know how to do things. Like Crazy, haha.
Last Saturday we went to church for our Primary's Easter Activity. They did a few crafts, had some cupcakes, and of course an egg hunt. This is the cream of the crop as far as my success with taking pictures went:
Next came our some what last minute decision to redo part of the kitchen, um like now. We wanted to change almost everything about our kitchen when we first moved in.
Can you blame us? The dark red wallpaper in the photo below is just the beginning of the hideousness. Once I find the photos I took of our kitchen before we touched it, I promise I'll post them.
My husband got some counter-top for dirt cheap, not exactly my cup of tea but we could definitely work with it considering how cheap we got it. And, of course I had to get a white sink, wishing the whole while it was a ginormous farmer's sink (next house...). It fits beautifully though, and I think anything else wouldn't really work with the size of our kitchen.
Isn't is soo purty?? Just ignore what's on the wall behind the sink, we'll get to the back-splash, hopefully soon. Wow my cabinet looks dirty....
I also had a little time to do some thrifting this week, BOO-YA!! Oh how I love thrift store shopping, minus 4 kids of course, but had no such luck with this week's trip.
We were on a hunt for jeans and church pants for my older son (somehow he grew about 4 inches overnight... I know, it happens), found quite a few pairs, and of course something else too.
Check these out:
Oh man, I was so cyked to find these. They called out to me from the shelf they were on. I love that they're yellow, and especially that they are flat-sided.
Can't you just picture them with cream and marshmallows just waiting for a hot chocolate social?!
Another FANtastic part of this week was that I finished piecing the first of my 5 quilts for the custom order I'm working on. Got the whole thing quilted during yesterdays nap time (thank you God for nap time, again).
I quite like how it turned out.
That was my awesome week, how was yours?
Well, I'm not entirely sure actually...
We've been up to so much this week, when it rains it pours around here, come to think of it maybe that's the only way my husband and I know how to do things. Like Crazy, haha.
Last Saturday we went to church for our Primary's Easter Activity. They did a few crafts, had some cupcakes, and of course an egg hunt. This is the cream of the crop as far as my success with taking pictures went:
Next came our some what last minute decision to redo part of the kitchen, um like now. We wanted to change almost everything about our kitchen when we first moved in.
Can you blame us? The dark red wallpaper in the photo below is just the beginning of the hideousness. Once I find the photos I took of our kitchen before we touched it, I promise I'll post them.
My husband got some counter-top for dirt cheap, not exactly my cup of tea but we could definitely work with it considering how cheap we got it. And, of course I had to get a white sink, wishing the whole while it was a ginormous farmer's sink (next house...). It fits beautifully though, and I think anything else wouldn't really work with the size of our kitchen.
Isn't is soo purty?? Just ignore what's on the wall behind the sink, we'll get to the back-splash, hopefully soon. Wow my cabinet looks dirty....
I also had a little time to do some thrifting this week, BOO-YA!! Oh how I love thrift store shopping, minus 4 kids of course, but had no such luck with this week's trip.
We were on a hunt for jeans and church pants for my older son (somehow he grew about 4 inches overnight... I know, it happens), found quite a few pairs, and of course something else too.
Check these out:
Oh man, I was so cyked to find these. They called out to me from the shelf they were on. I love that they're yellow, and especially that they are flat-sided.
Can't you just picture them with cream and marshmallows just waiting for a hot chocolate social?!
Another FANtastic part of this week was that I finished piecing the first of my 5 quilts for the custom order I'm working on. Got the whole thing quilted during yesterdays nap time (thank you God for nap time, again).
I quite like how it turned out.
That was my awesome week, how was yours?
February 26, 2011
Modge Podged Magazine Storage
We all know how awesome Mod Podge is right?
Well, if you haven't
I covered some cardboard magazine holders I got from IKEA a while back, they were pretty cheap and just white cardboard, ie: boring.
Here's my supplies:
I pretty much painted a thin layer of Mod Podge on the cardboard, pre-assembly, and layed the paper on top.
Let dry, then applied another coat of the Mod Podge on top. The paper I used was really textured, and all that still showed with the Mod Podge over it.
 |
| They look so bright in this photo... |
 |
There is an awesome site called Mod Podge Rocks that has tons and tons of tutorials & links to some pretty cool projects. The possibilities are pretty endless.
February 11, 2011
Yesterday was a Big One
Here goes:
I finished building the 2 billy bookcases and the besta cabinet I got from IKEA. (woohoo)
I finished the Zig-Zag quilt, now I just need to wash it to it's crumply softness.
And, I decided that today was the day to start moving all the storage out of where my sewing area will be. (scary scary)
All of this whilst taking care of 2 little ones with a stomach bug, poor things.
I did realize this morning, while moving some of the storage stuff around, that I still have 2-3 boxes from when we moved into this house that I am still not sure exactly what's in them. I have dubbed them the 'mystery boxes'. I think it's kinda amazing that I still have boxes that are full of who-knows-what a year and a half later.
Anyone else have that problem??
I finished building the 2 billy bookcases and the besta cabinet I got from IKEA. (woohoo)
I finished the Zig-Zag quilt, now I just need to wash it to it's crumply softness.
And, I decided that today was the day to start moving all the storage out of where my sewing area will be. (scary scary)
All of this whilst taking care of 2 little ones with a stomach bug, poor things.
I did realize this morning, while moving some of the storage stuff around, that I still have 2-3 boxes from when we moved into this house that I am still not sure exactly what's in them. I have dubbed them the 'mystery boxes'. I think it's kinda amazing that I still have boxes that are full of who-knows-what a year and a half later.
Anyone else have that problem??
February 8, 2011
What a Great Weekend
Yes, it's Tuesday, and I'm finally getting my post up about this weekend...
What can I say, I took a day trip yesterday = no time for posting.
I'm not sure if there are many more places worth having a day trip to besides the best, IKEA. Oh yea, I went and only took 2 kids! Does that count for exercise this week?? I'd like to think so.
I guess I'm kinda doing this backwards, cause I'm gonna start with yesterday and move back through the weekend.
I bought lots of awesomeness at IKEA yesterday, I think my most favorite purchase was the fabric I picked up:
Isn't it just beautiful?! I only know for sure what I'm going to do with one of them, and that's the tree print. It will make an awesome Rollie Pollie for the boys room, the colors are perfect! Who knows what the other 2 fabrics will become, maybe some totes for summertime, maybe some awesome fabric boxes for storage on our shelves, or maybe...
I also picked up a new bunk-bed for the boys room, the 2 twins were just taking up so much space.
Next on the list to pick up was some more billy bookcases for the living room, and a cabinet for our entertainment stuff, cable box, ps3, wii, a dvd/vhs player, and all the controllers/etc. that go along with them. I ended up getting this (ours only has 2 sections instead of 3):
That was it for IKEA, you should've seen all this fit into my MPV. Oh my, the man who was working outside just picked up the boxes like they were just a sack of flour. If only he could've come home to help me unload.
Sunday was great! The Superbowl was a good one this year. I am glad that the Packers won. What a sore loser the Steelers coach is!! I was a little shocked actually.
Pre-Superbowl, I finished quilting my orange and gray zig-zag quilt. I love LOVE it! I just echo quilted the zig-zag seams, one row of stitching on either side. It is so exciting to see the progress you can make in a quilt in only one afternoon.
Sunday morning brought Church meetings. I really enjoy Fast Sundays, the testimonies that some people share are simply amazing! I love getting the kids dressed up all cute too.
Saturday was a doosie this week. Wes has been sick since Friday, I think he ended up with the flu somehow. Poor guy. He even had to go work on remodeling his parents bathroom, he promised them, so he felt he needed to go even though his pillows in bed were calling. He got all the tiles laid, and it looks great.
The kids and I went off to Sam's Club where I feel like I spent millions... gees. There's just so much to buy there, and I'm only even thinking of food. They were having an evalue coupon on their chicken breast, so I bought an extra 2 packs and canned them. I absolutely LOVE home-canned chicken breast, I won't even touch the store-bought canned chicken anymore. Seriously.
I'll be posting later this week about how I do my chicken, so easy.
I hope you're weekend was just as packed-full of fun as ours was!
What can I say, I took a day trip yesterday = no time for posting.
I'm not sure if there are many more places worth having a day trip to besides the best, IKEA. Oh yea, I went and only took 2 kids! Does that count for exercise this week?? I'd like to think so.
I guess I'm kinda doing this backwards, cause I'm gonna start with yesterday and move back through the weekend.
I bought lots of awesomeness at IKEA yesterday, I think my most favorite purchase was the fabric I picked up:
Isn't it just beautiful?! I only know for sure what I'm going to do with one of them, and that's the tree print. It will make an awesome Rollie Pollie for the boys room, the colors are perfect! Who knows what the other 2 fabrics will become, maybe some totes for summertime, maybe some awesome fabric boxes for storage on our shelves, or maybe...
I also picked up a new bunk-bed for the boys room, the 2 twins were just taking up so much space.
Next on the list to pick up was some more billy bookcases for the living room, and a cabinet for our entertainment stuff, cable box, ps3, wii, a dvd/vhs player, and all the controllers/etc. that go along with them. I ended up getting this (ours only has 2 sections instead of 3):
 |
| (Photo from IKEA website. Click here to go to page) |
Sunday was great! The Superbowl was a good one this year. I am glad that the Packers won. What a sore loser the Steelers coach is!! I was a little shocked actually.
Pre-Superbowl, I finished quilting my orange and gray zig-zag quilt. I love LOVE it! I just echo quilted the zig-zag seams, one row of stitching on either side. It is so exciting to see the progress you can make in a quilt in only one afternoon.
Sunday morning brought Church meetings. I really enjoy Fast Sundays, the testimonies that some people share are simply amazing! I love getting the kids dressed up all cute too.
Saturday was a doosie this week. Wes has been sick since Friday, I think he ended up with the flu somehow. Poor guy. He even had to go work on remodeling his parents bathroom, he promised them, so he felt he needed to go even though his pillows in bed were calling. He got all the tiles laid, and it looks great.
The kids and I went off to Sam's Club where I feel like I spent millions... gees. There's just so much to buy there, and I'm only even thinking of food. They were having an evalue coupon on their chicken breast, so I bought an extra 2 packs and canned them. I absolutely LOVE home-canned chicken breast, I won't even touch the store-bought canned chicken anymore. Seriously.
I'll be posting later this week about how I do my chicken, so easy.
I hope you're weekend was just as packed-full of fun as ours was!
January 27, 2011
Step 1 is Done
Amidst the gazillion home repair and remodeling projects we have for our house, we have successfully settled on our next room to do. It just so happens to be the living room, the room where most relaxing and family gathering happens (aside from the dining room table).
Of course, our living room is somewhat of am awkward space. When you walk into our home, the powder room door is right behind the front door (when it's open), and you enter directly into a hallway. About 4 feet down on the left is the entry for the kitchen, and another foot or so is the stairs to go up on the right. Approximately 3 feet later, the hallway opens into the dining room, with the wall from the stairs remaining on the right hand side. Beyond that is the living room, with only a railing separating the dining room from the living room.
That is where the awkward comes in: the living room is pretty much the same room as the dining room, with only a railing and 2 steps down separating them.
So, the 2 rooms have to kind of 'go' together with colors, but without being all matchy-matchy. (I am very NOT matchy-matchy).
On to the photos, all but one were taken in the middle of the night, that's the only time I can paint walls around here (would love comments, be honest...).
First here's our horrible before:
Followed by our somewhat better after (the wall that the fireplace is on will also get painted, it just needs some drywall repair after we move the TV), with my now ability to see how much better it will look:
Hahaha, can you tell the only box of books I have opened and put on our new shelf is my husbands church books along with his missionary plaque. Too funny...
Mind you, the TV and couch are the permanents that we have to work with. Also, the darker of the 2 bookcases (the new one) is staying. We are going to buy enough dark bookcases to cover the length of that one wall. We may get some doors for the bottom halves of the bookcases, not sure yet. And, the TV will be moving to the wall that my sewing table is against (which will go downstairs after our attic access door and a few outlets go in this weekend).
This means that I will officially have a designated sewing area!!! We are going to buy either some nice, solid room dividers or make a half wall with a little half door to block off the area from the play room. It's kind of a little nook area already. Exciting stuff.
The best part about the whole thing is that my Dad wants to make us a mantle!!! A big pretty mantle!! Oh, I am so very excited. I also have 2 large mirrors to choose from to hang above it. Man, I finally get to have a living room that doesn't feel like it's a dorm commons room... SCORE!
It is so very exciting to have decorating projects, am I right??
Of course, our living room is somewhat of am awkward space. When you walk into our home, the powder room door is right behind the front door (when it's open), and you enter directly into a hallway. About 4 feet down on the left is the entry for the kitchen, and another foot or so is the stairs to go up on the right. Approximately 3 feet later, the hallway opens into the dining room, with the wall from the stairs remaining on the right hand side. Beyond that is the living room, with only a railing separating the dining room from the living room.
That is where the awkward comes in: the living room is pretty much the same room as the dining room, with only a railing and 2 steps down separating them.
So, the 2 rooms have to kind of 'go' together with colors, but without being all matchy-matchy. (I am very NOT matchy-matchy).
On to the photos, all but one were taken in the middle of the night, that's the only time I can paint walls around here (would love comments, be honest...).
First here's our horrible before:
Followed by our somewhat better after (the wall that the fireplace is on will also get painted, it just needs some drywall repair after we move the TV), with my now ability to see how much better it will look:
Hahaha, can you tell the only box of books I have opened and put on our new shelf is my husbands church books along with his missionary plaque. Too funny...
Mind you, the TV and couch are the permanents that we have to work with. Also, the darker of the 2 bookcases (the new one) is staying. We are going to buy enough dark bookcases to cover the length of that one wall. We may get some doors for the bottom halves of the bookcases, not sure yet. And, the TV will be moving to the wall that my sewing table is against (which will go downstairs after our attic access door and a few outlets go in this weekend).
This means that I will officially have a designated sewing area!!! We are going to buy either some nice, solid room dividers or make a half wall with a little half door to block off the area from the play room. It's kind of a little nook area already. Exciting stuff.
The best part about the whole thing is that my Dad wants to make us a mantle!!! A big pretty mantle!! Oh, I am so very excited. I also have 2 large mirrors to choose from to hang above it. Man, I finally get to have a living room that doesn't feel like it's a dorm commons room... SCORE!
It is so very exciting to have decorating projects, am I right??
November 5, 2010
A Day in The Life
Yesterday was a long one.
Woke at 4am- sew for 1 1/2 hours.
6am, Breakfast for the masses
7am, Off to School
9am, Inchworms class at the Y for my little man, his first day and he's not too sure, but LOVES it! (I get to crochet in the waiting room for about 1 hour, score)
11:30am, Pick up the big man at Pre-K, but we're a little early so I get to squeeze in a little knitting (I keep some in the car). He had a good day today.
12noon, Lunch, Daddy comes home today and our little princess is overjoyed.
1pm, Time for a nap (not for me, bummer), and more crochet time while I wait (watch) for them to go to sleep.
2pm, More sewing to do... man, am I glad I like to do all this, haha. The big man has decided that today is not a good day for a nap for him, apparently working on his letters is more important today....
4pm, Everyone's up, and Daddy comes home to tell me MeMa is on her way, and just the grow ups are going to see a movie!! (By the way, Red was good).
7pm, Home from an impromptu date night (I didn't even get to get all cute... how could he be spontaneous?? No, really, I was wearing faded jeans and a hoodie.)
Now it's bath-time, 3 in a row.
8:30pm, Little miss princess has retired for the evening, now we just have to wrangle the boys to be quiet and not wake her, and by quiet I only mean prevent them from yelling/screaming. (Apparently when there are 2 boys instead of just 1, there is no sense of volume control.)
10pm, finally we all get to sleep. And, I get to start all over again at 4am.
You know, I think I would die if I had to do a 9 to 5...
*All the photos were taken on a different day. Don't you just love the 80's look? haha
Woke at 4am- sew for 1 1/2 hours.
6am, Breakfast for the masses
7am, Off to School
9am, Inchworms class at the Y for my little man, his first day and he's not too sure, but LOVES it! (I get to crochet in the waiting room for about 1 hour, score)
11:30am, Pick up the big man at Pre-K, but we're a little early so I get to squeeze in a little knitting (I keep some in the car). He had a good day today.
12noon, Lunch, Daddy comes home today and our little princess is overjoyed.
1pm, Time for a nap (not for me, bummer), and more crochet time while I wait (watch) for them to go to sleep.
2pm, More sewing to do... man, am I glad I like to do all this, haha. The big man has decided that today is not a good day for a nap for him, apparently working on his letters is more important today....
4pm, Everyone's up, and Daddy comes home to tell me MeMa is on her way, and just the grow ups are going to see a movie!! (By the way, Red was good).
 |
| (This is what happens when you try to get them to actually sit together for a photo.) |
7pm, Home from an impromptu date night (I didn't even get to get all cute... how could he be spontaneous?? No, really, I was wearing faded jeans and a hoodie.)
Now it's bath-time, 3 in a row.
8:30pm, Little miss princess has retired for the evening, now we just have to wrangle the boys to be quiet and not wake her, and by quiet I only mean prevent them from yelling/screaming. (Apparently when there are 2 boys instead of just 1, there is no sense of volume control.)
10pm, finally we all get to sleep. And, I get to start all over again at 4am.
You know, I think I would die if I had to do a 9 to 5...
*All the photos were taken on a different day. Don't you just love the 80's look? haha
September 24, 2010
Friday Find: Fabric Organizers
Yay for the First Friday of FALL!!!
Needless to say, fall is my favorite season. I don't usually say autumn, not sure why... maybe it's because "happy autumn y'all" just isn't as cute as
Happy Fall Y'all!
On to the Friday Find!
Let me start by saying I wish I wish I had a ton of these!!! I just don't have a room for sewing yet, so no place for my stash to be pretty on these.
The Fabric Organizers are made by DeNiece's Designs. They come in 2 sizes, large and small, and can hold lots of fabric! For all the specifics head over to their website: The Fabric Organizer.
They even have a video with how they put their fabric on them.
All I have to say is: awesomeness!
Needless to say, fall is my favorite season. I don't usually say autumn, not sure why... maybe it's because "happy autumn y'all" just isn't as cute as
Happy Fall Y'all!
On to the Friday Find!
Let me start by saying I wish I wish I had a ton of these!!! I just don't have a room for sewing yet, so no place for my stash to be pretty on these.
The Fabric Organizers are made by DeNiece's Designs. They come in 2 sizes, large and small, and can hold lots of fabric! For all the specifics head over to their website: The Fabric Organizer.
 |
| (Photo from The Fabric Organizer website) |
They even have a video with how they put their fabric on them.
All I have to say is: awesomeness!
September 6, 2010
My "New" Chandelier
When we bought our house, one of the I'd say top 10 things I really didn't like, at all, was the light in our dining room:
Yea, it's ugly. I don't do brass fixtures.
So, trying to not blow our budget last month, and not wanting to invest in a serious make-over by getting a thrifted light, I just went to Home Depot and picked up some spray paint (I could live with a splurge of about $4). I made sure to get the kind that sticks to everything, especially metal, since that's what I was gonna paint (I had no idea there were so many types of spray paint).
Down it came.
I put three coats of paint on it, and made sure it dried really well between coats. I took full advantage of a 100 degree day.
I also decided to use etching cream on the glass things that went over the lights (wow, that was technical... the thingy for the thingy right??).
I am very happy with how it turned out, actually, I think it's quite a nice light now.
The best part is: my husband actually likes it.
Yea, it's ugly. I don't do brass fixtures.
So, trying to not blow our budget last month, and not wanting to invest in a serious make-over by getting a thrifted light, I just went to Home Depot and picked up some spray paint (I could live with a splurge of about $4). I made sure to get the kind that sticks to everything, especially metal, since that's what I was gonna paint (I had no idea there were so many types of spray paint).
Down it came.
I put three coats of paint on it, and made sure it dried really well between coats. I took full advantage of a 100 degree day.
I also decided to use etching cream on the glass things that went over the lights (wow, that was technical... the thingy for the thingy right??).
I am very happy with how it turned out, actually, I think it's quite a nice light now.
The best part is: my husband actually likes it.
June 22, 2010
New On The Needles
I just finished up a pretty big project (for me...), a sweater vest I made for my husband. I'm still debating on putting my pattern up on the blog, it was my first adult-sized project.
Now I want to address a little problem I am having... My husband recently installed wood floors in a part of our home, and I really want to keep them looking nice. At the same time, I really don't want to spend tons of money on chemicals that my kids shouldn't be coming in direct contact with regularly, I mean, they do walk/crawl/lay all over the floors at times.
There is a pattern on the Micheal's Website for a knitted swiffer cover. (Photo to the left is courtesy of the Micheal's Website, you can also click the photo to go to the page.) It's not exactly glamourous, but I have some of the Sugar'n Cream yarn left from some other projects I've made. I'm also going to whip up some hardwood floor cleaner. So far, everywhere I've looked for a recipe says just to use mostly water with some vinegar and maybe a little essential oils or lemon juice to get it to smell nice. I'll figure out a good mix I like and share soon. To top it off, it will give me a nice quick project to work on for the car ride to NYC this weekend.
I'm so excited!!!
Did I tell you?
I'm going to NYC this weekend for a 3-day totally kid-free weekend. It's my husband and I's (don't mind the horrible grammar...) 5th anniversary, and we haven't gone anywhere without the kids since our "honeymoon".
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE my kids, but everyone needs a break sometimes. And, what better place to spend it than in the city that never sleeps?!?!
Besides, there's a few places I need to go, you know, the really important places like: Mood, Purl Soho, and of course Jamba Juice. (My poor husband, now I'm laughing).
Now I want to address a little problem I am having... My husband recently installed wood floors in a part of our home, and I really want to keep them looking nice. At the same time, I really don't want to spend tons of money on chemicals that my kids shouldn't be coming in direct contact with regularly, I mean, they do walk/crawl/lay all over the floors at times.
I'm so excited!!!
Did I tell you?
I'm going to NYC this weekend for a 3-day totally kid-free weekend. It's my husband and I's (don't mind the horrible grammar...) 5th anniversary, and we haven't gone anywhere without the kids since our "honeymoon".
Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE my kids, but everyone needs a break sometimes. And, what better place to spend it than in the city that never sleeps?!?!
Besides, there's a few places I need to go, you know, the really important places like: Mood, Purl Soho, and of course Jamba Juice. (My poor husband, now I'm laughing).
June 11, 2010
Quilt As You Go Potholders
It was 2:30am, Tuesday morning, and I couldn't sleep. Typical. I was laying awake in bed thinking about sewing. Again, typical.
The question: What do I make my Mom for her birthday??
I needed something quick, and something a little grown up-ish. Don't get me wrong, my mother loves everything I make her, even if it's the ugliest thing. She still have some old cigar box I painted in preschool (I believe) that has painted shell noodles glued on it.
No, really.
So, I remembered reading a wonderful blog recently, Sew Take A Hike. The insanely creative mind behind it, Penny, was working on a quilt-along quilt as go project where the each block was different, using up scraps. Quite beautiful.
Ding Ding Ding, we have an inspiration.
Thus the quilt as you go potholder emerged. I simply cut a 9 inch square of Insul-Bright to use instead of batting.
I had some strips left over from my first Moda Honeybun, I think I may be hooked on these...
If you don't have a Honey Bun, just use strips of fabric 1 1/2" wide. I started with a square in the middle, and just kept adding strips around and around until it filled it up, quilting each strip as I went. I did not measure anything, which was one thing I really really liked about this project. I just trimmed the rest of the strip after I sewed it on. Easy peasy!
Using 2 layers of Insul-Bright seemed a must, so for the back of the potholder I used unbleached muslin and just sewed it onto another layer of Insul-Bright using a decorative stitch.
Basted the 2 layers together, put binding around each one (I clearly need to work on some pre-packaged binding skills...), and done.
I think I'm going to use my fine permanent fabric marker to write a message in the middle of the back to make it a little more personal.
I quite like how they turned out, and Mom likes them too. They're definitely a step up from the last potholders I gave her when I was 8 that I made with loops and a loom.
The question: What do I make my Mom for her birthday??
I needed something quick, and something a little grown up-ish. Don't get me wrong, my mother loves everything I make her, even if it's the ugliest thing. She still have some old cigar box I painted in preschool (I believe) that has painted shell noodles glued on it.
No, really.
So, I remembered reading a wonderful blog recently, Sew Take A Hike. The insanely creative mind behind it, Penny, was working on a quilt-along quilt as go project where the each block was different, using up scraps. Quite beautiful.
Ding Ding Ding, we have an inspiration.
Thus the quilt as you go potholder emerged. I simply cut a 9 inch square of Insul-Bright to use instead of batting.
I had some strips left over from my first Moda Honeybun, I think I may be hooked on these...
If you don't have a Honey Bun, just use strips of fabric 1 1/2" wide. I started with a square in the middle, and just kept adding strips around and around until it filled it up, quilting each strip as I went. I did not measure anything, which was one thing I really really liked about this project. I just trimmed the rest of the strip after I sewed it on. Easy peasy!
Using 2 layers of Insul-Bright seemed a must, so for the back of the potholder I used unbleached muslin and just sewed it onto another layer of Insul-Bright using a decorative stitch.
Basted the 2 layers together, put binding around each one (I clearly need to work on some pre-packaged binding skills...), and done.
I think I'm going to use my fine permanent fabric marker to write a message in the middle of the back to make it a little more personal.
I quite like how they turned out, and Mom likes them too. They're definitely a step up from the last potholders I gave her when I was 8 that I made with loops and a loom.
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