until tomorrow, val

mb nightstands

2011-05-16T10:39:00.001-04:00

would you ever believe me if i told you that these beauties were actually built from old stair tread scraps and an old toy box? don't worry i wouldn't either, but they are! i'm starting to think that i'm really into this whole recycling of old wood thing! especially when it leaves me with something like this!

thank goodness the hubs knows exactly how to go about assembling things like this when i start presenting him with ideas on what i want. there are a couple of things about this nightstand that i love.

1. custom height since our bed is really high

2. extra deep drawer

3. lower shelf

4. detailing on the drawer

once we came up with our design after looking at many, many options we went to work trying to figure out all the measurements. this part is a little tricky because you want to make sure everything is proportionate.

since i wanted the nightstands higher than most i used our existing dresser heights and drawers as a jumping off point and of course there are just some things you can't change like how much room we had on the right side of our bed. ideally they would have been a little wider, but we just didn't have that option. however, the 24" that i settled on is still pretty wide and allows room for decoration and practical use as well.

once we had all the measurements down the hubs got to cracking on cutting all those stair treads down and assembling.

if your into building furniture and do not have one of these handy dandy little tools, well, then you should definitely look into gettting one. according to the hubby it's worth every penny!

kregtool

(no this is not a plug)

(it's just something we've found to be very, very useful)

once everything was assembled i got busy painting the tables a deep turqoise color that seems to be so popular right now

once the color went on it was a whole lot brighter than i expected and really didn't match the color chip very well. i wondered if it didn't have something do to with the richness of the color. after two coats it seemed to deepen more, but i still wasn't completely satisfied. i decided that once i applied glaze if it still didn't take on the hue i needed then i would repaint and add a little black to the paint mixture hoping that would help. luckily, i didn't have to do that at all! the glaze mixture i applied worked like a charm and gave it that richness it so needed. i let everything cure for a good two weeks and then applied a coat of poly for protection.

i'm pretty pleased with how well this project turned out!

until tomorrow,

the "crazy" bed

2011-05-11T10:46:00.002-04:00

yep. i have officially named my first piece of furniture! actually it was my husband who gave me the idea after about the 1,000,001 time he asked me if i was in fact crazy! the idea on this bed was a little far fetched even for me (of course i never admitted that to him), but i figured what do i have to lose? a couple of bucks and a little of my time. ok, maybe a lot more than a "little" of my time and a whole lot of his, but you get the idea.

to keep it short and sweet i just did a photo collage to show how the whole project went down...

1. & 2. built a frame out of 2x4's - nothing fancy

but we did make it in two parts so that if it ever did need to be disassembled

for moving it could be done easily

3. i snagged this dreadful headboard for little of nothing because i figured it would be perfect for the design i had envisioned (little did i know, right?!)

4. but before it could have the design i envisioned it sorta had to be taken completely apart. sounds like a lot of trouble huh? that's what the hubs thought too! but i manged to convince him to help me...

so we popped off the molding.

5., 6., & 7. cut out the center post so we could make one solid piece of wood

8. & 9. and then to square things up and get rid of the curve on the top we cut out a little template to glue in place

10. you can see how absolutely horrible it looks, but none of that will matter in the end.

(from this step to the recovering step i sanded and refinished the posts)

11. once everything was dry i covered the solid board in foam

12. then batting

13. & 14. then fabric (can i just tell you how tricky this was trying to get it around the "c"!!)

headache!!!

15. then i added trim to the top to "define" and frame the fabric, as well as tie in the posts so that it all made sense visually

16. & 17. then the hubs attached all the wooden side rails to the 2x4 frame and then to the headboard. these were made out of some old skirt boards someone gave us. we just cut down to to size sanded and finished to match the posts and trim across the top of the headboard.

18. putting everything back together.

and since it turned out like this...

i'd say that's a job well done, wouldn't you?

until tomorrow,

master bedroom = complete

2011-05-09T11:48:00.002-04:00

ahhh. finally. back to the master bedroom project. did you think it fell into a black hole? don't worry. i did to! but i'm here to say that it is finally done, done, done!!! YAY! can you tell i'm just a little excited?!

so to celebrate it's finished state, i'm planning to follow-up with a few posts to share how we arrived at the finished product. not that you really want to know, but just so i can keep it real by documenting the craziness of this entire project. just you wait! i'm sure once you see some of these photos you'll be wondering what exactly was she thinking? good thing your gonna know the outcome before hand!

so, not to keep you in suspense any longer...

the finished mb

yes, this room definitely took on it's own personality over the course of two years, but i love its bright and very casual feeling - which is of course is what i'm all about!

oh, and don't let me forget the lovely
"before"

linking to a few parties this week!

until tomorrow,

adding a little outdoor color

2011-05-05T11:40:00.000-04:00

last summer our house got a fresh coat of paint and since i knew that it was going to under go massive amounts of pressure washing i didn't even bother planting anything for fear they would get damaged. however, this year i was definitely itching to get a few new things planted to help welcome spring and add a little character to the sorely lacking curb appeal.

instead of purchasing new planters i decided to improvise with a few masonry ones that i already had. they just needed a little tlc and maybe a few coats of oil rubbed bronze spray paint to bring them back to life.

once the pots were dry i made a little trip to the local nursery and picked up a few things that fit within my landscape color palette and would grow great in our very shaded yard. it has been a few weeks since they were planted and i'm just amazed at how a few flowers and some newly made over planters could make such a difference to our home's appearance!

until tomorrow,

meet my new friend

2011-03-22T10:41:00.000-04:00

poison ivy.

yes. my gallant effort of working outside this weekend has rewarded me with a few itchy, splotchy places from an apparent brush with the awful plant.

here i thought we had killed it last spring when we cleaned out all the under brush, but apparently the oils can stay around for a few years after the plant is dead. so, i'm just gonna chalk it up to a lesson learned for next time and hope that i just don't itch to death in the meantime!

until tomorrow,

mud rooms

2011-03-18T10:33:00.000-04:00

i want a mud room.

source

someday.
but i highly doubt it would stay as neat and orderly as these!

happy friday all!

until tomorrow,

little "green" inspiration

2011-03-17T10:09:00.000-04:00

source

did you remember your green?

happy st. patrick's day!

until tomorrow,

mb sneak peek

2011-03-16T10:22:00.001-04:00

just because i know you are all setting on the edge of your seat

patiently waiting for the master bedroom reveal...
(yeah right, who am i kidding...lol)

but, just in case

i've decided to give you a another sneak peek.

in case the pillows from monday weren't enough...

just so you will believe me when i say things really are progressing...

even if they are a teeny, tiny, bit SLOW...

see.

i.told.you.so.

for both our sakes i do hope it won't be much longer :D!

until tomorrow,

pink and chairs

2011-03-15T10:21:00.000-04:00

in the blog world these photos maybe old,

but to me they are new ...

and maybe i have a slight fasination with ...

pink. and. chairs.

so. why not together?

source

do you have a favorite?

i think mine is the second one.

a little pattern + a little pink + a little cream + a little wood = just right :)!

until tomorrow,

pb inspired pillows

2011-03-14T11:19:00.001-04:00

YAY! i'm back!

at least for one project post anyway.

my apologizes for being gone a whole 13 DAYS!

i sorta got sucked into a sewing black hole.

sorry.

needless to say after a lot of ~~hair pulling and screaming~~ humming and singing

i survived my first two sewing projects.

one of which i will SeW you today...

lol

ok, enough of that! on to the project!

my pottery barn (pb) inspired pillows using...

cloth NAPKINS

yep, you heard right i made these pillows with

20 X 20 cloth napkins!

ridiculous right?!

and sEw :) very easy!!!

i loved these pillows the first time i saw them

original pb pillow

and thought surely i could make those, right?!

and save...i dunno a small fortune!

yep, i saved a fortune alright...

and in case your wondering how i went about it

i've got a ~~long~~ quick tutorial just for you....

i took two of my four napkins (for this project i only needed four napkins because i had some of the same fabric left over from a table cloth project that i have yet to blog about, but if you would like to try this i would suggest having at least 6 napkins to ensure enough length for the envelope fold).

measure and cut down to the size of your pillow if needed.

my pillows were 18" square so i had to do a little trimming.

then i had to decided where I wanted my opening to be

and how much over lap i needed.

so the total length of my top piece is 22"

once i made my cuts i put a hem on the top and bottom pieces

and then pinned everything together inside-out to stitch all my edges

once everything was stitched i trimmed my corners on an angle

and turned everything right side out and inserted my pillow

that i grabbed from joann's.

then i started working on my button loops.

i did a little improvising here and just used fabric glue, but you could always follow

this tutorial i found here if you want to stitch them.

once the button loop and button were attached

my project was complete!

i'm very pleased with the end result

and the best part...

my pillows only cost me a whooping

$7 ea instead of $25 ea (and that only includes the cover!)

happy sewing!

*linking to a few favorite parties this week*

until tomorrow,

clover art

2011-03-01T14:54:00.002-05:00

in honor of st. paddy's day just around the corner... no not really, but because it is coming up i thought this fun little project i made for our master bedroom gallery wall would be an appropriate post :D!

a couple of years ago the hubs and i had a conversation that went a little something like this:

me: have you ever found a real 4 leaf clover?

hubs: yeah, a bunch of times - haven't you?

me: nope, not a one. i only find 3 leaf clovers so i doubt 4 really exist.

hubs: oh, they exist.

me: well, since you seem to be so good at finding them, think you could find me oh, say 5 or 6?

hubs: yeah. probably. why?

me: oh, i dunno. i've just got a little project in mind (and secretly thinking there is no way he'll find that many...at once)

fast forward, a few days later....

and well, you get the picture... he brought me six real 4 leaf clovers. needless to say i thought it was the coolest thing ever!

i stuck them in a book to keep them flat while they dried out. over time they eventually turned a brownish green which wasn't pretty and not at all what i had in mind for this project.

so i whipped out my handy dandy

can of meadow green spray paint...

and gave them a light coat so they would look fresh.

then i created a simple template on the computer and printed it out on heavier stock paper so that i would have something to adhere my clovers to.

i (very carefully) glued the clovers down and found that the easiest way to do this (because they are so delicate) was to put a little craft glue on my finger and then gently touch the back of the leaf ... it didn't take very much glue for them to stick. i simply arranged them all in a circle within the circle to get the look i wanted.

and ta-da

for about $8 bucks i have a very memorable piece of artwork.

and i'd say that's a steal!

*participating in a couple linky parties in my linking up tab*

until tomorrow,

i caved

2011-02-28T10:04:00.000-05:00

yep. i caved. and. bought. a. sewing. machine.

gulp!

what exactly was i thinking? i've sewn once in my 30 years and that was in a home economics class in school (do they still offer that?)! it was an apron. and although i remember things going ok, i also remember thinking... i'll just get my mom to help when i need it. hahaha... that was before i moved a gzillion miles away and became an addicted d-i-y-er! what kinda diy girl would i be if i couldn't sew?! hello!

so after reading through the instruction book (yes i read it cover to cover...lol) and taking a couple of test runs on some scrap fabric i jumped in with both feet! and well, i must admit that i was a little in over my head, but what better way to learn?

all in all i'd say i'm pretty impressed with my VERY limited skill at this point, but i do have HIGH hopes and alot of ambition. i've been scouting some tutorial books in anticipation of getting my feet even wetter....

i'll be be back later this week to post some photos of my first project :)!

until tomorrow,

organizing memories

2011-02-22T12:07:00.000-05:00

how do you keep track of all the important events in your life? photo albums, traditional scrapbooks, photo cd's, photo books, digital scrapbooks, blog books?

for a few weeks now (in between mb projects) i've been trying to play catch up on getting five years worth of "photo memories" organized and ready to go into a traditional scrapbook. scrapbooking is something i picked up a few years ago while making gifts for family. then, it sort of transpired into a fun way for me to track things in my own life. i quickly decided that one scrapbook per year would be a good way to encompass all the happenings of that year (i.e., holidays, birthdays, vacations, day trips, etc.) however, i've learned that before you know you're falling behind.

lately, i've put a lot of thought and research into digital scapbooking and blog books. the more i learn the more i think i really like the idea. since everything is computer based now, it only seems fitting that you design a digital layout with all the photos you just downloaded. plus, it seems like it would be more time and cost effective than the traditional way, and.... maybe just as fun and creative?!

i mean look at how great some of these pages are:

source

and just look at what you can do with some of the photos - as creative as i am now with traditional scrapbooking i certainly can't do this.

***

and i think my favorite part of the whole idea is...

it's like having your own mini storybook!

source

{outside cover design}

source

so, what's my decision? i've still got five more traditional books at home that i want to finish first and then i'll probably start making the switch, but before i do that i would love to know:

1. what some of you are doing to catalog memories and which method you prefer?

2. does digital scraping really save more time and money?

3. do you have a fav software provider?

4. do you like the end product?

5. do you still find yourself doing both?

until tomorrow,

stylish blogger award

2011-02-21T15:59:00.001-05:00

thank you so much to

laura at the epitome of us and

katie at creatively living outside the box

for the stylish blogger awards!

the rules of this award are to list 7 facts about yourself:

1. i'm extremely picky about food textures

(doesn't take much to gross me out)

2. i adore my husband and know that i'd never get half of everything done without him!

3. i love to plant/tend flowers (hurry up spring!)

4. i like playing video games (what?! :D)

5. i love waking up to sunshine

6. i want ride in a hot air balloon

7. and i think life would be utterly boring without a few diy projects

***

i would like to pass this award on to a few of my fav new bloggers:

1. audrey @ foreclosed to fabulous

2. kim @ simple needs

3. lisa @ the dilletante proprietor

4. jess @ this too

5. sarah @ handbangs *n* pigtails

if you have just a few minutes please visit these guys to say hello and check out what they've been up to!

***

have you been awarded? what do you do now?

1. acknowledge the person who awarded you by linking them back in your post.

2. share 7 random facts about yourself.

3. pass the award on to other new found bloggers.

4. contact each blogger to let them know they’ve received the award; and let the ‘giver’ know you accepted the award.

until tomorrow,

spring cleaning...early?

2011-02-15T10:16:00.000-05:00

this week long break in cold weather has got me itching for some much needed spring cleaning and...

a little fresh air.

did i mention that friday we might actually see 70 degrees...in F-E-B-R-U-A-R-Y [the coldest month of the year?] hello! maybe phil is right on the money this year with spring coming early!!! i certainly hope so!

{on a quick side note} the mb is coming along nicely... really close to posting a couple of photos :D!

until tomorrow,

be mine?

2011-02-14T09:57:00.001-05:00

happy valentine's day

source

to you!!!

wishing you a wonderful

<3 filled day!!! :)

until tomorrow,

mb who, what?!

2011-02-04T12:36:00.000-05:00

i think i'm...

{GULP}

procrastinating!

just a little... on this master bedroom project!

no not really, but it certainly does feel like it!

it seems like IT IS taking fo-eva to get the whole project wrapped up.

will it ever be done? {sigh}

so many things are sooooooooooooooooo close to being finished it's almost ridiculous. i think my impatience is starting to show just a little.

c'mon! it's time to ~~mark it off my list~~ show this room off already!

here's to wishing ME [and the hubs]

a very successful weekend

of finishing up at least one {not asking for much here}

of the seven projects going on in the room:

1. build the bed - 95% finished

2. hang some artwork - 95% finished

3. hang some drapes - 0% finished

4. frame a mirror - 0 % finished

5. paint and recover a bench - 5% finished

6. fabric the headboard - 85% finished

7. build two nightstands - 0% finished

hope your projects are going a little faster!

have a wonderful weekend!

until tomorrow,

phil, phil

2011-02-02T10:03:00.002-05:00

you are my hero! you did not see your shadow today and that means... S-P-R-I-N-G is coming! right?! i sure hope so because i am so ready for warm weather and can i just tell you how spring like this morning feels? 45 and sunny here and... before 7:00am.

of course with all that being said you know i'm dreaming about all the creative and fun planting projects i want to do outside this year once it warms up so that i can add some much needed privacy to our yard/deck.

here are a couple of my favorites:

if you aren't a fan of an entirely fenced in yard or if you really want to maximize your budget these partial fences in portions of your yard could really beef up the privacy and add a lot of visual interest.

and for deck or patio privacy...

how about these over sized planters

{which i just love}

or a privacy screen built out of shutters...

{fabulous idea}

photo source
regardless of phil's hit rate...
have you already started dreaming of spring and sprucing things up?

until tomorrow,

deja vu kitchen

2011-01-25T11:05:00.000-05:00

hmmm...have you ever experienced some form of deja vu?

well, i certainly did yesterday when my mom sent me a link to this photo...

that's my kitchen! well, a photo of a kitchen...

that actually matches the image i have in my head of what i want my kitchen to eventually look like!

whenever i FINALLY get to have that full kitchen remodel and not just a "face lift".

isn't it amazing?

now check out the before...

such a huge transformation!!!

and just in case you need a little visual reminder of what my kitchen looks like...

here ya go...

and the hideous before...

now don't get me wrong...i LOVE my "face lift" because it wasn't that long ago that the kitchen looked like the above... however... you know how us D-I-Y-ers are! we're always, and i mean always scheming to change and update something...it's what gives us our mojo :)!

so one of these ~~days~~...err years...i'll get that massive kitchen remodel, but until then i'll just be dreaming of this beauty... and imagining how i want mine to look...

source

after a few tweaks of course :D!

{psssst: i've got a few updates coming on the master bedroom that involve a possible "final" decision on the art wall and.... a headboard! keep your fingers crossed that this headboard idea really does work out :)!}

until tomorrow,

replying to you

2011-01-18T12:13:00.001-05:00

when time allows i love to take a few minutes and visit each and every one of you who leave me a comment and/or reply back in an email to any/all questions you ask. however, it makes it so difficult to do this when 1.) you aren't linked to a blog i can visit and/or 2.) you have no email address listed on your profile.

a couple of weeks ago {house of smith} did a post addressing this very thing. and since i'm sure she won't mind if i borrow her tutorial i'm going to post it here in hopes that it will help out all of my noreply comment bloggers out there so that i don't get this when i hit reply!

First... go to your blogger dashboard,

like so, and click on "edit profile"

Then all you have to do is make sure that this little box,

that says "show my email address" is checked...

Then scroll down and press "save profile'

And that's it!!!!

You're done!

if you have written me and asked me questions and i've not responded please double check your settings to make sure everything is checked appropriately and then resend your question. i would love to reply!

until tomorrow,

day 3: master bedroom

2011-01-17T08:40:00.000-05:00

a little accessorizing? i decided last weekend to brave the bitter temps and do a little shopping. needless to say i only made it thru two stores. it was just entirely to coooooooooooold to do anything! however, those two trips sparked lots of ideas and even a purchase for the master bedroom!

what do you think? i'm thinking these make a nice statement. still undecided on the picture wall and we'll see if these stay here or end up in another spot. {now if i could only get the hubs on board with the bed and nightstands...}

until tomorrow,

favorite things friday

2011-01-14T15:40:00.002-05:00

thanks so much to jessica over at a few of my favorite things for featuring our diy built-ins this week!

if you have time you should head on over there and see all of her favorite things friday picks this week.

she's got some good ones!

wishing you all a fabulous weekend and...
maybe a little de-thawing?!

:)

*on a quick side note, obviously i'm a little behind on my blog reading :)...
imagine my surprise when {while catching up with tatertots and jello}
i saw my post on the built-ins!*

thanks jen!

until tomorrow,

magazine purging

2011-01-13T10:44:00.000-05:00

i decided that this year i would try something a little different with all those stacks of magazines laying around. last night i got them all out and starting pulling every idea, image, and/or recipe that i think may be worth hanging on to for further use. once i've finished purging them i plan to sort them into a neatly organized binder that will hopefully cut down on space and become a quick reference guide.

have some of you already done this? do you find that it helps or just creates more work?

until tomorrow,

key to my heart

2011-01-12T08:42:00.000-05:00

chocolate and cherries

is this not just gorgeous? in honor of v-day?!

ems jewelry {etsy}

until tomorrow,

day 2: master bedroom

2011-01-11T18:12:00.000-05:00

i've got a dilemma. and i'm racking my brain trying to figure out how in the world to handle this particular wall in the master.

isn't it just a mess? empty. blah. boring. yuck!

{just ignore that sample paint swatch on the wall, it will soon be gone. it was a color i was contemplating painting the room, but then decided against it}

i've thought about a couple of different ways to spruce it up. see all those frames? my latest idea has been a collection of fun and sweet photos, but i can't decide if it's gonna have that punch of interest that i so want it to have nor can i decide if it will help even out the height difference between the two pieces of furniture. {on a side note, no worries i know it's a hodgepodge of frames, but that can be easily fixed with a can of spray paint}

hmmmm.... anyone else have some ideas? particularly photos of ideas to help break the mental block?

until tomorrow,

valentine's ideas

2011-01-10T22:59:00.001-05:00

so the blog world is a buzz right now with every type of valentine's day idea you can possible think of. decorations, crafts, gifts, you name it's there. so it got me to thinking a little about what i might like to do this year. can i confess a little secret? i finally got all my christmas decor up. why in the world do i want to drag all the valentine's decor out?! so i came to this conclusion. it's worth it. so i guess in the coming days i'll rummage through my small box of things and decide what should stay and what should go.

in the meantime i'm also debating on adding a few new things too. so i've been doing a little searching for ideas at some of the typical hot spots. you may have seen some of these.

crayon hearts tutorial

wreath tutorial

heart garland tutorial

and i think out of everything this one is my favorite

tatertots and jello tutorial

i wanted to get around to making this one last year, but it never happened. hopefully this year it will!

until tomorrow,

day 1: master bedroom

2011-01-06T10:54:00.000-05:00

progress has started in the master bedroom. finally! however, i must admit that it is a little slow. and if you know me you know i don't like to do anything slow. i get just a tad impatient. but this time i've told myself that i have to pace things, but we'll see how long that lasts! a few months ago i came up with the idea for an accent wall behind our bed. i eventually decided on a muted pattern that would add just a little more interest than just a vanilla painted wall.

little did i know that before i could get it done blog land would produce masses of these things over the coming months. haha. guess it's just one of those trends. good thing for me is, they had lots of tips to share saving me having to learn on my own. mine is probably a little simpler than some you've seen at places like centsational girl and jones design company. honestly, though. i would NEVER have the patients to do what they've done. kudos to them!

so i think i've gotten a similar look for a fraction of the work. and i think the hardest part was deciding what design to use! i decided to go with one already created by jones design company. she's got a free download on her site which makes it even better!

here's a little sneak peak of how things turned out:

all i did was:

1. create my template in mass using some old manila folders

{i created enough to have a good repeat}

2. cut them out and stuck them to the wall with painters tape

creating a random pattern

3. traced them with a color pencil close to the color of my paint

so that i wouldn't need two coats of paint {less work, right?}

4. free handed with the paint brush around the pencil trace

5. easy as 1-2-3

at first i wished i had choosen a lighter color,

but now that it has grown on me i'm glad it is a little darker...it gives it an antiqued quality

tip: a steady hand is needed, but regardless i would recommend starting in a place where it isn't easily seen just until you get the hang of things

total time:

roughly 5 hours start to finish

{with a break or two}

is this something you have tried or might like to try?

until tomorrow,

the story of the built-ins

2011-01-05T10:34:00.001-05:00

yeah, i know. this post has been a loooooooooooong time in coming. if your a follower you might remember [and if you don't i completely understand] me posting some time ago about adding built-ins to our living room. well, here is the finished product...finally!

the whole project went a little something like this...
*
*

stage 1: the shell
constructed outside and primed

stage 2: the shell moved inside and framed out

crown and fascia

accent trim around the cabinet and between the

2nd and 3rd shelf from the bottom

and wainscoting on the wall and each side of the shelves...

best decision ever!!!

stage 3: lots of caulk, putty and primer,

then a few coats of paint...goodbye orange wall!!!

stage 4: hello finished product!

this was by far my favorite project of 2010!!!

and regardless of the few weeks it took us to construct and wait for paint to cure was well worth the effort!

*linking this to a few fun parties this week*

until tomorrow,

twenty eleven

2010-12-30T10:38:00.000-05:00

my how time flies! can you believe that a new year is just around the corner? i can hardly believe it myself. it almost feels as though i blinked and it was the end of the year. i always get excited for a new year. a fresh beginning. new hopes and dreams. things to look forward too. exciting plans to make and new places to see. it always amazes me how going from 11:59pm to 12:00am can give you a new outlook on things.

in typical fashion i'm looking forward to all the possibilities of 2011 and making plans. plans to finish all the projects in my house. after all i'll have 365 days to get them done right?! haha. plans. don't we all know by now that plans rarely, if ever, go as planned. but that doesn't change the fact that i like to dream up a few. a few that look something like this:

finished master bedroom
(complete with new bed and nightstands)

organized kitchen cabinets and pantry

gutted and remodeled family room (complete with built-ins)

completely finished downstairs bath

(its' about 3/4 of the way now)

fabulous landscaping

(complete with green, green grass and no weeds)

new mailbox post

a painted (or maybe even new) shed

so, no matter what happens in 2011 it's sure to be loads of fun and full of many possibilities. and just maybe even a few of those house projects will get done.

wishing you a very happy new year...
a little early!

until tomorrow,

2010 recap

2010-12-29T11:09:00.001-05:00

my motto for our house in 2010 was mission organization. reason. our house did not feel like a home. it had gone through a complete remodel the last six months of 2009 and very few things had been unpacked, much less organized. looking back we certainly got a lot accomplished! not only was i able to unpack almost everything i also manged to get a few things neatly organized and a few rooms put together along the way too.

coat closet

linen closet

hall of fame

built-ins

home office

guest room

main bath

and even though this doesn't fall under organization, this was by far the most exciting thing to happen to our house this year...the exterior paint job!!!

at the end of this year i can happily say that our house now feels like a home and has certainly come a long way from it's beginning in May '09. I can't wait to see how much further it progresses in 2011.

until tomorrow,

deep turquoise

2010-12-23T19:16:00.001-05:00

when young house love posted this photo several weeks ago...

i knew the turquoise was the exact color i had been searching for to use on my nightstands and to help "anchor" the master bedroom

here recently little green notebook posted another fab photo using the same color and her great idea of using it on an accent piece in her foyer

is this going to be the next popular color combo?

just maybe!

so far my inspiration looks a little like this:

what do you think? i'm sure it will get a few minor tweaks here and there, but overall it feels like a good look! more to come!

until tomorrow,

parties, parties, parties

2010-12-22T12:43:00.000-05:00

busy, busy, busy. hosting parties and attending parties. ok, well. maybe i only hosted one small party, but the amount of work that went into that one party was enough to seem like several. however it was a lot of fun and well worth the effort... even if it was simple.

menu

mini ham sandwiches

creamy potato salad

spinach & artichoke dip

sweet & sour cocktail sausages

red velvet cake with peppermint icing... yum-o!

chocolate covered cherries

peanut butter fudge

christmas punch

now, is it time to go on that diet? i think not, i've still got a few more parties! :D

until tomorrow,

chocolate covered cherries

2010-12-17T11:10:00.002-05:00

does anyone have an infatuation with chocolate covered cherries at christmas time?

the hubs, my mom, and my brother all l-o-v-e them and me? well, i usually like one or two and i'm good. the first year the hubs and i were married i was pleasantly introduced to "homemade" chocolate covered cherries from my sister-in-law.

it's something that she does every year special for her hubs and sometimes she gives them as gifts. can i just tell you how much i love the homemade ones?! more so than the store bought ones! but to get just one i'd always have to beg the hubs because after all they are his favorite and he doesn't like to share...much.

so this year i decided that i was going to give it a go at making some of my own. oh my goodness!! can you say time consuming and messy little jokers?! good thing they are divine concoctions....otherwise i would NEVER do them again! now i know why only a "few" show up in our goody box each year!!!

so this is how it all went down at my house last night with a little help from the hubs, but first...

the recipe...

*****************

60 maraschino cherries with stems

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3 tablespoons corn syrup

2 cups of sifted confectioners' sugar

1 pound of chocolate coating

1. drain cherries and set on paper towels to dry

2. in medium bowl, combine butter and corn syrup until smooth. stir in confectioners' sugar and knead to form a dough. chill to stiffen if necessary. wrap each cherry in about 1 teaspoon of dough. chill until firm.

3. melt confectioners' coating in a heavy saucepan over low heat. dip each cherry in by its stem, and place on waxed paper lined sheets. chill until completely set. store in an airtight container in a cool place. best after 1 or 2 weeks.

*****************

cherries drained and patted dry

mistake #1 - notice they have no stem

that would be because they are SALAD maraschino cherries

hmmm...might have been helpful to notice that before i bought them!

no big deal...it's called impro-v-i-s-eing....right?!

dough mixed...

mistake #2 - failed to knead dough

causes it to be u-ber sticky and therefore look like...

this when you try to shape it around the "salad" cherries

(btw salad cherries split a little once the stem has been removed

so that takes the sticky dough to a whole new level!

not only is it goo-py [is that even a word] on your fingers it also aided in splitting my cherries further!

:( ... ah, so u-gly!

might possibly be stressin' a smidge right now...

and thinking how in the WORLD is this gonna work!!!

*
*

luckily these beauties are pretty forgiving...
*

regardless of the wrong cherries and failure to "knead" the dough... the cherries turned out delicious because i had warm, smooth, chocolate to dip them in to help hide the "mess" and...

other than having no stem you'd never know i used the wrong cherries or failed to need the dough because they taste uh-stinkin'-mazin'!!!!!!

all in a days work!!!

where would the fun be if everything went smoothly the first time?!

happy friday!

until tomorrow,

last nerve

2010-12-15T12:45:00.000-05:00

do you have a last nerve? do you have a room that gets on your last nerve? well, i do. and it's my master bedroom. one would think that this room would be in tip top shape so that one could relax and unwind from a crazy day. nope. not mine.

mine has paint sample patches painted randomly on the wall. no covers for outlets that need to be replaced. it "had" towel drapes fo-eva until i recently said - ENOUGH - and replaced with wooden blinds. it has rickety end tables and mismatched lamps. and the w-o-r-s-t of it all is a bed that is STILL on the floor after we upgraded to a larger one. the plan was to get a bed asap, but guess what? i couldn't make MY mind up on what i wanted. go figure! and eventually a few other things caught my attention and sorta shifted my focus elsewhere. well, now the focus is back and i'm ready to get this project knocked out (in the dead of winter no less) so that i can have the calm, relaxing retreat that i've been dreaming of.

now that i've found the perfect night stand it's time to make my mind up on the bed. i really think my biggest decision is whether or not i want an upholstered bed or not. i LOVE the upholstered beds, but i don't think they would last two seconds in a house with three cats. two reasons: claws and fur. it would become their new scratching post. however, in my line up of ideas i'm leaning towards partially upholstered.

think it will work? now to just find the perfect fabric!

until tomorrow,

holiday baking

2010-12-08T10:38:00.001-05:00

oh, how i wish i could tell you that i was a holiday baker, but i can't. it isn't because i don't enjoy baking, it's because i usually wait until the last minute to come up with something and then run out of time and scratch it altogether.

if time allows this year there are a few

"new to me" recipes i wouldn't mind trying:

(you can follow the link at the bottom of each photo for the full recipe)

peppermint candy cane brownies

our best bites

white chocolate cherry shortbread

better homes and garden

red velvet peppermint cake

southern living

or instead of a cake...
how about the

chocolate peppermint candy cupcake

southern living

don't they all look divine?!

until tomorrow,

nightstands

2010-12-07T10:36:00.000-05:00

is it terrible that i'm not posting about some christmas gift or baking idea that i have going on right now since it is december and just a few weeks away from christmas?

i sure hope not!

anyhoo, i have two major dilemmas in my master bedroom.

can you even believe that project is still hanging around?!

i posted about its inspiration way back here and i have slowly collected bits and pieces through-out the year in the hopes that eventually i will be able to get it finished.

my bed (which i will save for another post) and my nightstands. hello, those two combined are the focal point of the entire room! so the look has to be perfect and i do know that i don't want matchy, matchy because i already have enough of that going on in my living room and it must not be too chunky and it must contain storage.

for a while now i've been sifting through all sorts of design inspiration sites, magazines, and stores hoping to find a glimpse of the perfect night stand(s) for our master bedroom. here are just a few things i've seen that i like, but what i'm really waiting on is the ah-ha moment...

little green notebook

william sonomia

better homes and garden

decor pad

house beautiful

aubrey and lindsay

however, as gorgeous as all of these are they haven't made me say... i've just got to have those!

i recently grabbed the latest issue of the traditional home "holiday" issue and guess what...

the perfect nightstands for our room was right there:

simple. classy. not to big. not to small.
easy to replicate.

i love that it has storage, but also has the open bottom shelf.

wish me luck!

until tomorrow,

busted

2010-12-06T10:01:00.002-05:00

busted.

until tomorrow,

pink and red

2010-12-03T11:25:00.002-05:00

i'm a huge fan of traditional christmas colors, but that doesn't mean i don't like to decorate with a few non-traditional colors too. since my living room is done in the more traditional colors i wanted to do something a little more fun...whimsical if you please in my eat in kitchen. so i opted for a "pink" and "red" baking/candy theme which only seems fitting when you think about it.

for my table arrangement i used a simple runner that starts out light pink and bleeds into red at the center and then i filled my glass jars with peppermint candies and candles...

can i just tell you how hard it is to photograph glass jars on a glass top table at night and it the photo not look weird...

so HARD!

on the chandelier i took this really fun pink and red circular garland and wove it all the way thru from top to bottom to add a little sparkle...

how fun is that?!

and on my windows i hung a mixture of pink and red ornaments from ribbon...

i'm all about the sparkle in here...so when the light hits these babies they glimmer beautifully

i added a little candy wreath on the back of each one of my chairs with red ribbon...

and of course it has a little sparkle too...

and... the vignette...

my favorite part...

a cute little display of trees, cupcakes, elves, candy, and gingerbread men...

can i tell you how much i love the little elves and the cupcake tree...so cute!!

until tomorrow,

built-ins by christmas?

2010-12-02T09:23:00.001-05:00

i know. it's sad. that i waited until december to get pictures up of the built-ins we completed over the summer. what can i say. life. happens. so if you'll forgive the "christmasy" look of things you'll get a pretty good idea of how GREAT they turned out. and. at some point i will do my very best to get a "non" holiday photo of them and a brief tutorial?!

can i just tell you how very much IN-LOVE i am with these things? oh, oh, oh...best decision we ever made. it totally added that personnel flair to this room that it so desperately needed! and. i was forevermore glad to say GOOD-BYE to that dreadfully boring orange wall!!! here's a before in case you've forgotten...

and well...since it is december an all... i thought i'd throw in a few more "christmasy" photos...

until tomorrow,

o tannenbaum, o tannenbaum

2010-12-01T12:59:00.001-05:00

your branches green delight us!

they are green when summer days are bright;

they are green when winter snow is white.

o tannenbaum, o tannenbaum,

your branches green delight us!

i love christmas and i absolutely love putting up a "real" tree. i grew up with an artificial tree, but since the hubster and i have been married we converted to a live tree and i've been smitten ever since. there is just something about picking and cutting down your own tree and oh, that evergreen smell...nothing like it!

and yes, that is a sneak peak of the finished built-ins that i never got around to posting about, but you'll just have to wait...

until tomorrow,

happy "belated" thanksgiving

2010-11-30T10:05:00.000-05:00

does it still count? even if it is a little belated? and i still got it in by the last day of the month? i had every intention of posting on thursday, but time got away from me and i completely forgot - because i sorta hit the fast forward on to christmas decorating button! please forgive me.

this cute little pic is from my thanksgiving table decor. i hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving.

until tomorrow,

wow

2010-11-10T15:59:00.002-05:00

has it already a been a month since my last post?! a lot has certainly happened in that month!!! my job almost ran me ragged through major deadlines and i turned the BIG (and majorly dreaded) THIRTY! enough said? i think so!

i've been trying to recover from the stress of deadlines, turning thirty, and a sick husband. i feel a little more like myself everyday, but one never knows what may be just around the corner so i'm taking it one step at a time and keeping my fingers crossed that my nerves have somewhat recovered.

believe it or not through all the c-r-a-z-i-n-e-s-s i did manage to FINALLY and i mean finally finish those built-ins and tidy up a few lingering things like painting the baseboard in our main living room, touching up some trim around the windows, changing those hideous hings and door knobs on the coat closet, and hmmmm....blowing just a FEW leaves!

i hope to post some photos soon of the finished book shelves, office credenza, and maybe a fun thanksgiving tablescape...if it comes together right! i'm definitely looking forward to the holidays, seeing my family, and roasting a turkey (this will make my third)...and maybe even trying out a new recipe? definitely!

until tomorrow,

blogging

2010-10-07T11:21:00.000-04:00

yes. i. know. i've been gone for awhile. a long while. due to the unforeseen and unexpected circumstances that life can sometimes throw at us. can you believe we're already into october?!

the hubs has been in some serious pain with headaches and in an effort to see about him the blog has fallen to the wayside and rightfully so. he is thankfully on the mend. but slowly.

anyway. i must confess. i've had a huge realization over the past few weeks about blogging. i'm finding that is slowly becoming a chore. a dreaded chore.

ugh oh! how did that happen? it happened because i lost my focus on why i even have a blog.

my family

now that i've had a little break from blogging i feel like i can refocus on what it is that makes this fun. it isn't seeing how fast the blog grows only to watch people drop like flies when my life gets to busy for me to post or even being recognized by a larger blog. it's knowing that my family is on the other side of this thing reading what i wrote and feeling like they were here with me.

until tomorrow,

wedded bliss

2010-09-16T11:29:00.001-04:00

aah! happily ever after...

four years ago today i married my best friend!

and he still loves me through the good. the bad. and the ugly. whew! :)

until tomorrow,

update: diy antique bedframe

2010-09-15T09:49:00.003-04:00

hello beauties... you may or may not remember me posting about this great find i came across on craigslist for my guest bedroom. you can read more about it here if you'd like.

anyhoo. i finally got it finished, but not without a minor hiccup. and i say minor because if it wasn't for the hubs it would have been MAJOR!

i decided that letting the bed sit awhile to make sure the stain dried really well was probably best. especially since the stain was applied heavy. and after weeks and weeks this weekend i felt like it had surely sat long enough that the polly would adhere well. WRONG!

once i started applying the polly it started rolling right off (also known as fish eyes) in numerous places. i couldn't believe it! turns out my light sanding job was just that. light. too light because the previous owner used wax as her top coat and i didn't get enough off so the polly could bond.

in an effort to save time and loads of aggravation i decided to use wax too after much coaxing from the hubs. at first i wasn't really pleased with how the wax looked, but after a few coats of wax and light buffing it started shining to perfection. now i just might be sold on using wax for light ware furniture pieces because it's SUPER easy to apply (much easier than polly) and really does turn out beautiful. see for yourself...

maybe i should have shot a few close-ups too? so you could really see... oh well! :)

until tomorrow,

decorating for fall

2010-09-14T10:28:00.002-04:00

i'm so excited that september is finally here. good-bye summer and hello fall. almost. i always like to get some of my fall decor up early even if fall doesn't really start until the 21st . later on into september/october i love to add some mums and some pumpkins... maybe a painted or craved one or two as well. oh and how i love it when the leaves starting changing and falling, but woa! i do not like the clean up. last year while blowing/raking the piles grew as tall as me!

anyhoo. i. may. have. cheated. but only just a little on my fall wreath for the front door. please forgive me all you talented wreath makers! i really did have all these great ideas for making my own, but when i ran across this one on sale...

i fell and love! and since i tend to go more traditional when decorating for fall i decided that this one would be perfect. now of course i needed to spruce it up a little to make it more "me" so i added a little ribbon to the wreath and a few more accessories to the front walk and... ta-da...

the neal house is ready for fall! much better already!

now if i could just replace that sceen door with a solid glass one! haha...one day!

for my side door i decided to use a berry wreath i already had

but i just couldn't let all that fabulous ribbon i found go to waste

so i added a little to this one too...

now that the weather has cooled some it's really starting to feel like fall and i've even noticed a few early leaves changing as well!

until tomorrow,

the adventure

2010-09-09T10:36:00.000-04:00

i know. i'm a little late posting about this past weekends adventure. it was a whole lot of fun and so much to see that it was a bit ridiculous! i think out of everything i saw these were my favorite...

i thought they would be fantastic redone and used in a nursery / kids room!

and there was food everywhere you turned!

they even had fried oreos, chips ahoy, and snickers!

however, as much fun as it was i will file this one in my category of a bust for treasure hunting. these people are pros and therefore have already marked there prices fairly high...too high for me. i like to consider myself a picker - someone who buys at wholesale and gets a b-a-r-g-i-n! anyhoo, the day wasn't a total loss...i scored some really cool items elsewhere, but you'll have to wait for now. more to come on those in another post.

until tomorrow,

looooonnng weekend

2010-09-03T10:30:00.001-04:00

i just love long weekends. especially when the weather is going to P-E-R-F-E-C-T! sunny, mild, and low humidity. and when i get to do something fun other than work on projects. this weekend a local town has a HUGE and when i say HUGE i mean filtering roughly 500,000 people fri.-mon. HUGE flea market and gun show. i don't care so much about the gun show part, but the flea market part...woo hoo! that is what i am all about. treasure hunting!

funny thing is. i've never been. and i'm so excited. i was assured that not only did they have just junk, but that they also have some noticeably nice things as well. so we shall see if this little extravaganza will stand the test and make it on my list for a second visit or if it will be a total bust.

have a very fun, safe, and relaxing holiday weekend.

until tomorrow,

the never ending...

2010-09-02T10:44:00.000-04:00

to. do. list.
that seemingly never gets fully accomplished!

i think i should probably follow this advice...

and...do nothing!

until tomorrow,

accent chairs

2010-09-01T09:19:00.000-04:00

i'm on a mission. to find an affordable accent chair for the living room. whew! this will definitely be a tough mission because i adore accent chairs. therefore making it very, very hard to decide which one i like best or better yet which one would look best. here's just a few that are already on my list...

do you have a few favorites too?

until tomorrow,

nothing

2010-08-31T10:35:00.001-04:00

nothing important, nothing earth shattering or exciting to report here. i guess you could say it's been a bit boring lately. actually, it's been anything, but boring. can you believe that today is the last day of august?! i've always been told that the older one gets the faster time flies and i certainly do believe it this year.

unfortunately, i've been under the weather...again. two colds in one summer. NOT FUN! hopefully this means that winter will be a breeze! and being the B-I-G baby that i am (especially when it comes to colds) i did NOTHING! absolutely, nothing! sorry.

until tomorrow,

built-in progress

2010-08-24T10:54:00.004-04:00

well. i may be just a little slacker compared to others in the blog world. and. i'm so sorry! my life got a little crazy there for a few days and once again blogging was pushed to the bottom of my to-do list. however just because i didn't post about working on something fun doesn't mean i wasn't. check out the progress on these babies!!! you can check here and here to see how it all started.

horrible picture i know. i took it with my bb. sorry. i got a little lazy and didn't want to download all the pictures taken with the camera. i figured i could get away with it since this is only a progress post. so what do you think? i am so in l-o-v-e. they have turned out uh-mazing! i can hardly wait until everything is finished and i get to start accessorizing! but before all that happens we still need to:

finish and install doors
finish painting first coat, then paint 2nd coat
let cure for 2-4 weeks (i do not want ANYTHING (especially books) to stick)
wall mount tv (yes the tv will be mounted on the wall between the two shelves framed by the beautiful wainscoting
relocate all sound equipment and dvds into cabinet
rearrange living room
start "freshening" up a bit with (new lamps, rug, pillows, artwork, and accessories, etc.)

whew! i think the list just got a little longer! how did that happen? oh yeah, it's called a project and it always happens!

until tomorrow,

the lovely blog award

2010-08-19T15:52:00.000-04:00

rules:

1. thank and link back to the person that gave you this award. thank you awesome haley @ the autocrat!
2. share 7 things about yourself (please see below).
3. pass the award to at least 4 fellow bloggers who inspire you.
4. let them know you gave them an award.

seven things about me:

well this should be fun huh?! haha...

1. i'm a little c-r-a-z-y about college football...

roll tide

2. i absolutely hate roller coasters!!!

it's a height thing...

3. i adore flip flops

4. i actually met the hubs online

5 year anniversary is in 28 days (1 year dating, 4 years married)

5. my dream vacation is a trip to italy

villa

6. i rarely make a new recipe twice

7. i love relaxing on the beach

now i'm passing this on two four fabulous bloggers!

madi @vintage revivals

leslie@ goodbye house, hello home

natalie @ lovely little nest

leah @ the way we are

living room update

2010-08-18T17:25:00.012-04:00

maybe you remember my post here about updating my living room. well, i've still been doing a lot of thinking about it and i do believe i've come up with a plan! i only wish i could run out and purchase everything i added to this mood board, but i can't! so i've got to figure out a way to improvise and i mean BIG time so that i can achieve the feel of this room with things i already own...minus the possibility of a small splurge on a new rug and maybe a new lamp?

the fantastic thing is i already own a neutral chair and sofa and great end tables that are in need of a little tlc and updating to make them less matchy-matchy. and i've already got a few ideas in mind for the drapes to save a small fortune. and how about the artwork? well, i definitely lucked up and found those for prints for FREE on the graphic fairies site! score one for me!!! and i intend to recycle some frames that i already have by updating a smidge! woo to the HOO! and the hubs already has the built-ins covered. so if craigslist or maybe even the local thrift store can come through for me on a very cool side chair my mini living room makeover will be complete!

until tomorrow,

val

diy: built-ins installation

2010-08-17T09:46:00.001-04:00

progress. slow. progress. but progress nonetheless. over the weekend the hubs was able to move the two bookcases and cabinet into the living room for installation. YAY! and now he's working on framing everything out with trim, adding doors & a floor to the cabinet, and covering the last of the orange wall. and then i get to followup with a little more priming before finishing everything off with caulk and paint. fun stuff!

i can't wait to get them finished! i know there going to look pretty spiffy too. and i just love how much character they've already added to the house even though they aren't even finished!

until tomorrow,

sewing

2010-08-16T11:41:00.002-04:00

my grandmother was a sower. my mom is a sower. and i took a little sewing in home economics in school way back when! but other than that i've had absolutely no interest in it until. NOW. funny how things work isn't?! even though my mom lives hours and hours...and hours away she has been gracious enough to help me with a couple of projects (thanks to ups) and i've even got a few more lined up for her the next time we get to visit, but i'm thinking that maybe i should venture out on my own and purchase a sewing machine for myself. what do you think? think i'm up to the task? i'll probably need my mom to come give me a crash course in sewing just to make sure i've got the basics down so that i can move on to really cool stuff like this:

pillows

House of Smith

beautiful ruffled ottomans

Pink and Polkadot

or if i get really, really, good how about something like this gorgeous sectional sofa slipcover

uh-mazing...right?!

Nesting Place

whew! fantastic ideas wouldn't ya say? if you haven't had a chance to check out some of these sites, please, please, please go visit them! they have great ideas and even better tutorials for people like me who definitely need all the help they can get especially in the beginning.

until tomorrow,

picnik

2010-08-13T13:17:00.002-04:00

have you heard of it? if not, oh my goodness! you must check it out here if you haven't. i found out about it a couple of months ago, but haven't had the time to actually "take it for a test drive". why in the WORLD did i wait so long? prime example:

do you SEE the difference? if you aren't a photoshop wiz (like myself) then this is definitely the tool for you! so look out fellow bloggers! you'll have to put up with all my wild photos, k! at least until the newness wears off! now i'll definitely want to go back and redo ALL my photos...who has time for that?! have a great weekend everyone!

oh yeah...did you notice? i've been tweaking the layout again! ha! never satisfied, huh? actually, this time i think i may like it fo real!

until tomorrow,

chalk board paint

2010-08-12T09:25:00.000-04:00

how fun is this calendar?

courtesy martha stewart

i've been contemplating doing something similar to hang on the side of my fridge. wonder if anyone sells samples of chalk board paint? I couldn't imagine buying a quart of each color unless you've got numerous projects you'd like to complete using the paint. hmmm...definitely something to look into!

until tomorrow,

fall decor

2010-08-11T09:39:00.000-04:00

so. fall. probably just a little ahead of myself on this post, but last year fall sorta snuck up on me and i certainly didn't want that to happen again this year. especially since it's my favorite season! so. i've. been. thinking. ahead of time. about decor possibilities. and to help spur on some creative thinking i did a little searching. and found a few things that struck my fancy. and of course. as is my tradition. i wanted to SHARE! what kind of blogger would i be if i didn't share with you?! a terrible one of course! so below are just a few wreaths that i thought would be beautiful on some ones door! preferably mine!

traditional gourd wreath

modern gourd wreath

leaves & fruit wreath

leaves & berry wreath

dried flower & berry wreath

unique "u" shaped wheat wreath

satin ribbon & pine cone wreath

satin ribbon & acorn wreath

satin ribbon & bird seed wreath

so now i've got loads of possibilities circling around in my cute little head about what i might like to do and i hope you do too! however, in no way am i trying to rush away the last of summer! even if it has been HOT, HUMID, & STICKY these past few weeks. i've still got a mile long list of summer projects to finish!

until tomorrow,

diy: antique bed

2010-08-10T09:01:00.001-04:00

so remember me saying that i planned to finish up the credenza and hopefully get the built-ins installed? well...it didn't exactly happen that way. anyone who works on projects knows exactly what i'm talking about when i say it ALWAYS takes longer than expected! all i can say is that it's "in progress". so while those two projects are at the hurry up and wait stage i decided that i should jump right into another project. wouldn't that be just like me? to juggle multiple projects!

remember the cheery guestroom progress post? i didn't think you did...so here's a photo.

well, i ran across this simple, but beautiful antique bed frame last week that just screamed PERFECT for this room. i immediately snatched it up because it was such a steal and the color was exactly what I was looking for!

unfortunately the owner's dog had chewed a little on one of the footboard posts so it was in need of some sanding to get rid of the bite marks.

which wasn't a big deal at all to me, but because i couldn't exactly match the stain color i decided to lightly sand the entire thing.

so that i could coat over the old color with a new color to blend the sanded part with the rest of the bed

and lighten it up a bit so that more imperfections in the wood could be seen. so now i'm patiently waiting for the stain to cure since it's coated pretty heavy and then it will be ready to seal. hopefully by this weekend? maybe! fingers crossed!

until tomorrow,

a cat house

2010-08-09T09:47:00.001-04:00

i would like to interrupt my regularly scheduled blog posting...what? you have regularly scheduled monday posts? well, not exactly. but instead of giving you an update on how my weekend projects went i thought i would push that until tomorrow (haha, no pun intended) and post about something i found last week. a cat house. yes. that is correct. you heard right. a cat house. kim over at simple needs left me the sweetest post the other day and i always like to visit people who leave me comments and i ran across her post on "i live near a cat house" and thought it was just delightful. she recently refurbished her cat house and i wanted you to see how it cute it tuned out!

courtesy of simple needs

i love the blue! i love the house #! i love the tin roof! i love the arched opening (reminds of of the mouse opening in a fav kid cartoon - tom & jerry)! face it... i love everything! my kidz chicke, gizmo, and especially twix would love this miniature house because they love small spaces. i just might have to have one myself so i may be adding this to the hubsters to do list!

thanks so much kim for allowing me to post about this adorable project!

until tomorrow,

and... it's FRIDAY

2010-08-06T12:24:00.001-04:00

have i ever mentioned just how much i love fridays?! only a few times... i know, i know. a lot of eye rolling going on :)! well, friday has finally arrived and the weather is going to be just gorgeous here and... i hope to finish up the credenza this weekend and... get my built-ins installed! YAY! so here's to hoping you have a fabulous weekend as well!

until tomorrow,

subway art

2010-08-05T08:31:00.007-04:00

i decided that it was probably time that i jump on the subway art band wagon (because i l-o-v-e it too!) even if i am a few months late and even if it is my own version of it and doesn't technically follow the "rules". i took the easy way out and just created mine on the computer and hit...print! cut to size and placed in a few inexpensive frames i picked up.

it's a small collection of the hubs and i favorite scriptures to hang in the "hall of fame" along with all the other memorabilia that's special to us.

i really like how it turned out and i love how it's a great reminder of whats most important to the both of us!

to get this look (using word, publisher, or adobe indesign, illustrator, or even photoshop)

1. create a text box the size of your frame opening
2. fill black
3. create individual text boxes for your phrasing so that you can manipulate the sizes and move around
4. make text white so that it shows up against the black
5. be sure to that the black box is your background (to do this: right click on the box and click on arrange - send to back or create in your master file)
6. print

*linking this project up to several fun parties*

until tomorrow,

cupcake icing

2010-08-04T09:40:00.000-04:00

i definitely got my feet wet on this one. there's always a first time for everything and sometimes it goes well and sometimes it doesn't. and this time. it went f-a-n-t-a-s-t-i-c! it was so easy and fun to ice the cupcakes using a 1M star frosting tip.

i found a super simple fail safe recipe to use too:

butter cream icing

1 1/2 lbs. of confectioners' sugar

1/2lbs. butter at room temperature

1/8 cup whole milk at room temperature

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. place the butter into the mixing bowl and with a mixer whip the butter on high speed until it becomes very soft

2. lower mixer speed and add 1 cup of sugar into the bowl. mix until well combined. keep adding sugar 1 cup at a time until all of it is used.

3. continue at a low speed and add the milk to mixture

4. add vanilla to mix

5. once everything is combined, turn the mixer onto highest speed and beat the icing (2-4 min.) until it is light and fluffy.

6. color with food coloring if desired

*note the original recipe called for 1/2 tbsp of vanilla and i miss read to read 1/2 tsp, but i didn't catch it until i was on my second batch. to keep the consistency the same i decided to stick with the 1/2 tsp and so far i'm sold. if you like more of a vanilla taste you may stick with the original 1/2 tbsp.

*note this recipe will ice 15 cup cakes using the 1M star tip.

until tomorrow,

pink & turquoise

2010-08-03T09:25:00.000-04:00

hello all! things are progressing well on the credenza. probably taking a little longer than it should because i managed to get sick! so i've been feeling rather poorly... and it's been rainy and some what humid lately which... of course... prolongs the process of any project. BUT i should be on the mend quickly now that i've gotten a few meds in my system.

anyhoo look at this beauty i ran across the other day...

do you not love that combination of pink and turquoise with all the crisp white?! such a girlie girls room! and the crab lamp...how fun! my mom actually has that very same bed in the photo and it got me to thinking... wonder if she would ship it up here to me?! probably not!

until tomorrow,

hawaiian lemonade

2010-08-02T08:10:00.003-04:00

august already?! where is the summer going?! i still have a lot on my summer to do list before fall and FOOTBALL arrives! i'm making great progress on the credenza and while that is still in the works i thought i would share a recipe.
remember the lemonade i mentioned in the p-a-r-t-y post?

well this is definitely a must have recipe for summer parties. it was such a hit at the hubsters birthday that i added it to my "keep" pile. recipe as follows:

hawaiian lemonade

6 oz. frozen lemonade concentrate

3/4 cup water

12 oz. apricot nectar

12 oz. pineapple juice

1 1/4 cup ginger ale

lemon slices to garnish

1. in a pitcher combine lemonade concentrate and water; add apricot nectar and pineapple juice

2. stir well and chill for several hours in the fridge

3. right before serving add ginger ale, lemon slices, and ice cubes

*recipe serves 6*
ENJOY!

until tomorrow,

credenza

2010-07-30T11:26:00.000-04:00

what are you up to this weekend? well i'm going to be working on this...

a credenza for the office. the last piece of the puzzle. i'm not sure if you remember the thrifting trip the hubs and i took several weeks ago. if you do then you might remember me mentioning this great find i came across. well, i'm finally going to get started on refurbishing it and i'm so excited. i think it's going to look fantastic redone! a little sanding, a little painting, and some new hardware and she'll be quite the beauty!

think so? me too! don't you just love the retro feel of it? it's actually all one piece and the hubs disassembled it so that i could work on it a little easier. wish me luck!

until tomorrow,

presto chango

2010-07-29T12:57:00.001-04:00

there's just a little switcharoo magic happening in our living room along the "orange" wall. it's called built-ins! YAY! the original plan was to have built-ins in the family room to house all the hubsters numerous books, but the remodel in there hasn't even started so in the mean time i came up with a great idea to add a few in the "temporary" living room. and of course he loved that idea! so far we've...errr he's gotten two of the three units built and primed. YAY...again!!!

and no i'm sorry i didn't take detailed photos because...well...i just didn't. i will try to do better when he builds the middle section and while he's installing. and maybe just maybe i'll make a few of those other changes i talked about here once the built-ins are complete.

until tomorrow,

home office: finished

2010-07-28T12:01:00.005-04:00

the home office has progressed nicely. over a period of several months. and is getting marked off the list as finished. "almost". i still have one more piece to refurbish before it gets the completely marked off the list. and well, those closet doors need help too, but in the meantime i finally took a few photos for you to see how far its really come.

before

after

i love that it is a little hodge podge of several things that mean something to me. from the pin cushion rocker that belonged to my grandmother, to the sparkly pens from my mom, and the first rendering i ever did in design school and who could forget the gorgeous desk the hubby built for me!

it is so amazing to have one space that houses all the craft supplies, paper, pens, rulers, glue, ribbon and files all the important papers, etc. AND allows me to make the biggest of messes while working on a project and not have to clean it up until it's finished. what a dream!

*linking this project up to several fun parties*

until tomorrow,

p-a-r-t-y

2010-07-27T21:31:00.002-04:00

i'm back. for how long? who knows. i've managed to lose a few readers in my absence, but that's ok. i've been a very busy lady. hopefully things are quiet enough now to pick back up my regular posting, but one never knows. anyhoo on to something fun. the BIG three-O party planning for the hubby went off without a hitch and i literally worked myself to the bone, but it was so worth it and tons of fun. unfortunately, my camera was on the wrong setting and almost all of my photos turned out blurry. can you believe it?! so is life right? however, i did mange to pull off a few that weren't totally ruined.

i'm no gourmet cook by any means, but decided that i could probably handle making and icing the few cup cakes needed for this shindig even if i had never made homemade icing OR iced from a bag...with a tip on it no less. there's a first time for everything, right??? behold...

the cupcake

no need to worry...easy as 1-2-3! more step by step instructions on those in another post if your interested!

and of course a few decorations...

and lots and lots of toppings to go on that ice cream along with those yummy cupcakes. i think the biggest hit was the hawaiian lemonade. a must need recipe for any party! i'll followup on that in another post as well. and how about the deck? looks nice right?...now to just paint that hideous shed..or get rid of it all together? hmmmm.....

and now for the gift...

the best kept secret...the gift that came together in 3 days because i procrastinated and ended up working a gzillion hours the week prior and didn't get time to work on it...

it's a mini scrapbook highlighting 30 years of...major milestones like his

school days...and his...

WEDDING...lol..hello

well, i think that's it. i hope all is well for everyone. i hope to catch up on some much needed blog reading soon to see what everyone's been up too.

until tomorrow,

the BIG three-o

2010-07-15T20:46:00.001-04:00

no not me. not yet anyway. it's the hubs. hubster. hubby. yep that's right. he'll be 3-0 in a little under a week and the party planning is well under way. i guess he'll now be officially considered an adult?! we've decided to keep it a light, fun family affair with just a little cake...err cupcakes (since they're all the rage now) and you name it - we've got it... you scream, we scream, we all scream for...ice cream bar. here's a fun sneak peak of a few party goodies. let's just HOPE i can pull it all together in time.

until tomorrow,

stress relief

2010-07-14T15:11:00.000-04:00

thank goodness for peanut butter m&m's when you need something to take the edge off...at least a minute anyway. hope to be back soon (yeah, i know...i keep promising...and i will...stinking priorities take away all the fun sometimes) the real job is killer busy (in a good way) right now.

until tomorrow,

amazing what happens

2010-07-08T08:59:00.000-04:00

when. your pet gets left all alone. in a small space. in the dark.

the hubby and i went to dinner and a movie a few weeks ago so we were gone for a while. upon our return i knew the house was just tooooo quite. our kidz always come and great us after being gone. so we started calling for the them. chickie was the only one who showed. after a few minutes i heard a faint meow. "honey", i said, "did you lock someone in the basement"? upon inspection yes he had. the little one was locked in there. and for those of you that know his story you know how he hates confined spaces! luckily no mess.

well. surprisingly a few short seconds later. standing in the kitchen. i hear another faint meow. what?! we just let him out. where could he have gone now. upon further inspection i realize that it is coming from upstairs. hmmmm. could it be the giz? i hadn't seen him. so i start calling him. and hear a faint meow in reply. is he in the linen closet? ugh oh! that's his favorite place to sit. did he get shut in there all evening? yep. when i opened the door...

mom. i promise. i didn't mean to do it on purpose. but i just couldn't help myself. you know how i love to shred paper and you left me in here for hours and hours. IN THE DARK. what else was i to do.

lol...needless to say i couldn't get mad. even if he did shred 2 entire mega rolls of tp into tiny pieces and took small bites out of the other 7. yeah, i had just purchased a new 9 roll package.

until tomorrow,

house painting: finished

2010-07-07T09:56:00.002-04:00

i finally found a spare minute to take a few after photos of the summer painting transformation. unfortunately the camera batteries were dying so i didn't get to take many, but hopefully the ones i did take will give you a good idea of how far we have really come. if you remember this is what it looked like when we bought it:

and now

amazing what a little elbow grease, hard work, and paint can do to change the looks of something. we still have a lot of filling in to do with some perennials, annuals, and shrubs to add more curb appeal. AND of course i want a new solid glass screen door to replace that awful white metal one...but until then i'm very very happy with this change! a much needed improvement!

until tomorrow,

*linking up to a few parties in my linky party tab*

i'm back

2010-07-06T10:17:00.001-04:00

after a few fun days in the sun. yes, i can say that we have accomplished the task of repurposing the deck and it looks amazing. it is however just in need of a little accessorizing and that's where the task stops. my budget needs a little time to build back up...if ever...to afford patio furniture. hello have you seen the cost of it lately? seriously. i hope you all had a wonderful holiday enjoying family and friends...and maybe just a few fireworks?!

until tomorrow,

such a slacker

2010-06-30T09:22:00.000-04:00

i know. it has almost been a week since my last post. i've been busy. doing nothing. no not really. we've been working on prepping our deck for staining this weekend. yep. that's how i'm going to spend my 4th. YAY! believe it or not i am excited. the temps have cooled off considerably and i can't wait to get this thing done and off my to do list. more importantly to see the before and after. once this is done there should only be one thing left to do. and that is. to paint this hideous shed.

yeah, i'm going to keep it for now and just give it a face lift. coughing up $300+ bucks on a new one isn't on my list. and btw this is a photo before we dejungled the backyard. thanks for your patience in my lack of posting lately. i promise to return to a more normal routine soon.

until tomorrow,

house painting: day 4 and 5

2010-06-24T15:19:00.000-04:00

thats a wrap. the house is completely finished. two coats and all. amazing how much work it took. the boys finished up yesterday and are off site seeing today before heading back to bama tomorrow. and no i'm not ready to show the complete before & afters. you know how women can be. they always have a finishing touch here or there they want to complete before the big reveal. just hope i don't keep you waiting until the deck is finished...which i might!

until tomorrow,

bali

2010-06-24T15:04:00.001-04:00

very dreamy, refreshing getaway right here. mangiss, bali indonesia. amankila. wishing i was there. but since i'm not. the pictures will just have to do.

that about does it for my twenty second vacation.

until tomorrow,

house painting: day 3

2010-06-21T21:55:00.004-04:00

making progress. making progress. we're almost through. well, almost. there is still a little more to be done. my dad and brother were gracious enough to stick around a little longer to help us finish up this tedious job. to even continue it while we returned to work today. now that's what i call being there through thick and thin. last year my mom did the same with the kitchen. i think next year we'll skip out on any heavy duty remodeling and give everyone a break.

and yep a couple of shutters got painted today as planned. YAY! and don't worry we took them out for a nice dinner at a local favorite. macado's for a few wings and a little ice cream afterwards. at another local favorite. gardner's. good stuff!!!

until tomorrow,

house painting: day 2

2010-06-20T18:27:00.003-04:00

happy father's day! and i'm so glad i got to spend it with my dad this year. i hope you all have enjoyed today with your respective families. and no, i didn't manage to keep 'em still after a great lunch. they are all outside tinkering around. day 3 should prove to be exciting. should the weather hold i might get to see how my new shutter color will look. keeping my fingers crossed.

until tomorrow,

house painting: day 1

2010-06-19T20:49:00.003-04:00

exciting news! the house painting is in full swing and coming along very, very nicely. i am so amazed at how just a little paint can completely transform the look of things. unfortunately, because it has been years since this house was painted we will definitely have to put a second coat on at least what we did today maybe even all of it. here's just a few photos to document our adventures so far.

pressure washing

scrapping

painting

and this was what was growing in our gutters and we didn't even know it! YUCK!!!

and yes i did paint as long as it didn't involve being on a ladder. valerie does not do heights. at all! i hope your saturday has been as productive as ours has.

until tomorrow,

what is my style

2010-06-18T09:26:00.001-04:00

this is something i've been asking myself for a while now. the hard part is determining what style i like best because you see. i looovvvee many different looks and really have an appreciation for any type of design. i can walk away from any space and always find something i loved about. therefore it can sometimes make it hard for me to settle on any one thing for my home. however, of late i think i have finally come to a decision on what my style really is. comfy, casual, bright, airy, cottagey, almost beachy (without the beach) with a small pop of color, and a large hint of modern throughout. yep that's me! simple sophistication or simply sophisticated. and now if i could rename my blog... just kidding!

what makes this post so much fun is. from the right bank is hosting a what's your style in one picture challenge and i thought it would be super fun to participate. so here is my style in one picture:

source

and just in case you wanted to see a little more of this house. i added a few more photos.

isn't it just gorgeous! have a great weekend everyone! i hope to be back soon with some great before and afters.

until tomorrow,

house painting (update)

2010-06-16T10:12:00.004-04:00

so did i mention how busy this weekend was for us? no. i don't think i did. because. i failed to remember that it was graduation weekend for the hubby's nephew. needless to say starting on the deck didn't happen. for more on that click here. good thing too. because. it was steamy hot and it rained. rained hard. so. what did i do instead? i planted a few flowers. moved a few pots. and called it a day. BUT guess what?!

the house painting is officially starting this weekend. no rain in sight until tuesday. and. we have called in reinforcements. the dad and the brother. yeah, that's right. we're gonna knock this baby out of the park! i'm so excited to say goodbye to the boring white shutters and doors:

the day we bought the house - April 2009

(very over grown and unkempt)

so we've been diligently power washing and working on supply lists making sure we have everything we could possibly need. i'm so excited to see this latest transformation!

until tomorrow,

always better after

2010-06-15T14:18:00.002-04:00

the infamous bath remodel has been featured over at

today. thanks so much lindsey!

until tomorrow,

house painting

2010-06-11T13:06:00.003-04:00

yes. you heard right. house painting. that's what i'm gearing up to do. and no. i'm not really looking forward too it. but i am looking forward to the end result. so this will hopefully be a summer long posting project. BUT should i fall off the blogsphere. for a few weeks at a time. you'll know why. but i promise. there will be some great photos to show you. and since the afters will be a while in coming. i'll go ahead and start with a few befores. the deck. where the slow tedious process will most likely be starting this weekend.

this is what it looked like when we moved in last year:

green and grimmy (what wasn't where this house was concerned)

and this is what it looked like after a little pressure washing

and cleaning:

just like new! mucho better.

and for the record the dead 20 year old mower

is finally gone - to junk yard heaven

wish me luck in the sealing and staining process. i think all the hard work will be worth it! have a fantastic weekend all!

until tomorrow,

organization motivation

2010-06-10T08:45:00.000-04:00

here's a fun picture to spur on a little motivation. for me. at least.

courtesy bhg

reorganizing my kitchen cabinets and pantry have been on my list for some time now. one day soon i'll get to it. right?

until tomorrow,

technology overload

2010-06-09T19:09:00.000-04:00

so i finally jumped on the band wagon to the 21st century. i now have a smart phone. do you know that i have debated having one for over a year now. ridiculous. anywho between learning windows 7 and the bb (blackberry) my brain is completely fried. right fully so. now i'm trying to master blogger on the go. think i can do it? you bet i can! just give me a little time.

until tomorrow,

hello...

2010-06-07T08:50:00.002-04:00

back so soon? yep. ugh...

definitely how i'm feeling this am. hoping yours is a little better!

until tomorrow,

to clean

2010-06-05T23:07:00.000-04:00

or not to clean. that was what i asked myself when i woke up this morning. after all it was my day off and cleaning is something that i don't always look forward too. especially. after a week like i've had. so after some careful deliberations and i mean careful i chose to get my chores over with. even if they would take all day and meant giving up something i really wanted to do. work on my latest and greatest find. the office credenza. oh well. there is always next week.

so it started something like this. the hubby kissed me goodbye on his way to work (lots of overtime lately) and i rolled over to go back to sleep. i mean, come on if i'm gonna spend the day cleaning i should get a little more shut eye. after about an hour i decided to get up, have a few m&m's (peanut butter...my fav and my motivation - don't ask why) and get right to work. i know...your thinking how dirty can your house be you just had company. honestly, it wasn't that dirty. it just involved the norm - several loads of laundry, dusting, vacuuming, making beds, cleaning bathrooms and kitchen...it just takes awhile especially if you stop to browse the tv for a second and come across an old, fun movie...and decide to do everything in between commercial breaks. what? dvr? nah, not this time. it's much more fun this way.

anyways, not only did i clean, i also washed and detailed the murano, mowed the grass, and watched a very kiddy movie with the hubby. (btw, blind side was EXCELLENT) wow! beat is definitely what i am now. the only thing left to do at 11:00pm is... fold the laundry. so not gonna happen tonight!!! maybe tomorrow. does a woman's job ever end? nope! and i don't even have kids yet. HA! something to look forward to i guess. well off to bed, i do hope you enjoyed the small, boring recap of my exciting day.

until tomorrow,

very very honored

2010-06-04T15:40:00.001-04:00

to be featured over at remodelaholic today! cassity is such an amazingly sweet, fun, and talented lady who is always ready & willing to share in all of us d-i-y-ers ups & downs and even post about us along the way.

thank you so much cassity for sharing my project with all your wonderful readers!

so if you've not heard of remodelaholic please head on over to her site for a visit. and definitely stop to read her about us tab and see a few of her great projects too.

until tomorrow,

movie friday anyone?

2010-06-04T12:57:00.001-04:00

i know. i know. my post posting..haha..is slowly dwindling. sorry. life has been just a little busy (and that's and understatement) so i've had to redirect my thoughts to something other than blogging just to stay caught up and keep my sanity. BUT i do promise to get back to a more regular posting schedule soon. with a couple of diy projects.

in the meantime i'm very much looking forward to my regularly (most of the time) scheduled movie night with the hubby.

watching.

seen it? who hasn't right?! yep. i'm just a little behind. oh well.

looks good. heard it was good. hope it is good!

we've definitely been on a movie kick lately. so far i've managed to squeeze in:

much much better than i though it would be (even for sci-fi)

amazing graphics!

absolutely adorable. one of my favorites.

right up there with cars and the incredible!

it was...hmmm...so so

and lastly,

definitely for a select audience, but glad i watched it

(yep i watched this one by myself...the hubby was working late)

have a wonderful friday everyone! and do something fun!!!

until tomorrow,

cheery guest room progress

2010-06-01T16:16:00.004-04:00

whew! is it tuesday already?!...and JUNE! the long weekend sure did fly by and so has the first half of this year. i hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. i know i sure did. visiting with family.

i've got a few before and after photos for you of our "almost" finished guest room. i decided to go ahead and write a post about it because i'm getting just a little impatient and...who knows how long it will be before it's completely done.

so here is the very, very, nasty before:

and the very CLEAN, bright, and cheery "almost" after:

what do you think? right now this is one of my favorite rooms in the whole house. i love how bright it is, yet still very warm and inviting. this chair was my great grandmother's and it is in desperate need of reupholstering, but i'm holding off until i know for sure it's in the right spot. so maybe one day soon it will find it's semi-permanent home. and see that blank space to the left of this chair? i've got a great little piece to go there, but it has to have a whole lot of tlc first. i can't wait to show you the before and after of that one!

until tomorrow,

thank you

2010-05-31T08:14:00.000-04:00

so much to all those men and women who have served and are serving to protect our country.

until tomorrow,

been thinkin'

2010-05-27T15:26:00.002-04:00

uh-oh! that's the first problem. when i start thinkin' about something there is usually work on the horizon! my current living room has just grown very stale to me lately. maybe it's because what is in there has been around for a while. and i mean a looooonnng while. so it got me to thinkin'. about a face lift. something light. something cool. something airy. maybe like this?

or this

courtesy decor pad

i really wouldn't have to do very much. i could keep my current wall color and basic pieces like the sofa, chair, and tables. and just update the rest with a few new things and a little spray paint? hmmm...definitely liking this idea. so maybe i'll just keep thinkin' on it.

until tomorrow,

quiet 'round here

2010-05-25T09:20:00.002-04:00

it has been pretty quiet around here in the project department. the parents are coming for a long weekend so i've been in high gear getting ready for them. and. this dreary weather isn't very motivating at all!

rain, rain i know we need you, but please go away and come again another day!

since i got trapped out in a down pour yesterday and got completely soaked it got me to thinking that i should probably try to replace my lost umbrella with a new one. one that is fun. maybe something like this:

found here

i know these might be just a little extravagant for my budget, but they were still fun to look at. i did run across some that were equally as cute at pier one a few weeks ago for less than twenty bucks. wish i had gone ahead and snagged one. wasn't thinking that daily down pours would be in the forecast for awhile.

oh well.

until tomorrow,

a shout out

2010-05-24T17:25:00.000-04:00

a punkin card company

to all my dedicated followers. since i don't have an address for each and everyone of you to mail this beautiful card too i just thought a small post might suffice enough to say a great BIG thank you for all your wonderful and encouraging comments and support! i try to visit and respond to each one of you by replying and visiting your blog, but just incase one has slipped through the cracks i wanted you to know that i do read every comment. i hope this finds you having a lovely monday and a great start to your week!

until tomorrow,

quick and easy print

2010-05-21T08:58:00.001-04:00

here is a fun little project i whipped up one afternoon this week. several weeks ago i ran across this saying and loved it! i thought hmmm...couldn't i just make that as opposed to buying it? however, the trick to making it look so cute was to find the exact font they used. turns out it's a free font and can be easily downloaded. i only had to sift thought millions (that maybe over kill) of fonts to find it, but find it i did! i'll save you the trouble if you would like to recreate...it's called bewitched. now you recognize it, huh?! to add a little more visual interest i just inserted the cute bird (clip art) and added a squiggly line.

i found a simple 9x12 acyclic frame (since i didn't want a traditional frame) to put it in, but you could easily transfer to canvas with a little modpodge...which i think would be even cuter! can you guess where this is going? yep. the home office.

total cost $2.50

(the frame was 50% off and the print less than .50 cents at that size)

HAPPY FRIDAY TO YOU ALL! have a fantastic weekend!

until tomorrow,

roses 101

2010-05-20T06:49:00.000-04:00

last june i realized that i'd inherited three rose bushes with the purchase of our home. tending roses wasn't exactly on my list of priorities at the time and because of that they faced a little neglect. fortunately, i noticed this spring that they started putting out new growth. that had to be a good sign right?

so now that the intense zeal to remodel has slowed down some due to fatigue and budget restraints i thought they could use a little attention. i know nothing about roses. nothing. so, naturally, i went to google so that i could try and absorb every ounce of knowledge i could about roses. guess what?! it was too much information so i back tracked a little and decided that just some common sense gardening approaches would probably work. after all they did survive the previous summer with no watering from me and a winter where we saw 56" of snow. hello.

off to lowe's i went for a little rose food. do you know how many choices there are in rose food? too many! i decided to just stick with miracle grow made especially for roses. who can go wrong with miracle grow? before i feed them i decided that a little pruning of the dead branches was probably in order. ouch! that was quite an adventure to say the least, but i did manage get them all pruned. next time i'll make sure i have on gloves. duh!

so for the past couple of weeks i've been diligently watering these roses and watching them grow and flourish. finally i started to see little rose buds pop up. i knew that any day i would come home and they would be open revealing a beautiful rose.

and my patience has paid off. look at these beauties! i have one that has bright red roses and one that has deep magenta roses.

sorry. i may have gotten a little camera happy! what can i say i was excited!

until tomorrow,

upstairs bath

2010-05-19T08:37:00.007-04:00

boy oh boy do i have a fun before and after for you today?! after a loooooooooooooooooooooong wait and much hard work we have finally, and i mean FINALLY finished our upstairs bath.

a few before photos...

yeah, we pretty much gutted the whole thing and started from scratch. it was so gross too! very glad that part is over with!

and the after photos...

good-bye peach walls and floral border! hello, modest silver!

those shadow boxes? courtsey of the hubby via scrap wood!

can you say f-r-e-e!

the mirror was the only thing from the original bath that we kept. the hubby did a fantastic job framing it out didn't he?! i wanted it to have a modern feel so we just framed the top and the bottom. i love how doing that made the room feel even bigger.

check out that vanity! the talented hubby built that beauty too! man, i think he's on a roll. just wait he had a few more great ideas up his sleeve too.

and this faucet has to be one of my favorite things in here!

this fabulous tile job was done by yours truly...the hubby! first time ever laying tile and i just l-o-v-e how BIG the shower shelf is!

and how about that light and the gorgeous crown molding?! that's a trick the hubby has learned through the years. take 3" base turn upside down and nail flush against the wall a few inches from the ceiling. then hang your crown as you normally would and it will just overlap the base a little. caulk, paint, and ta-da you have super fancy molding at a fraction of the cost.

and just incase you were wondering about this very cool piece? click here.

of course i can't forget how great the linen closet ties in with everything too! (full post here) now you know why i needed all that organized storage. well, i think that about sums up the upstairs bath. i do hope you enjoyed the quick tour!

*linking up to a few parties found in my linky tab*

until tomorrow,