My Life...

New blog...

2011-07-23T17:06:00.000-05:00

A while back I posted about how I get bored pretty easily. Well it's happened again, only this time it's a good thing. I have started a new blog where I focus on my redo's, home decorating and crafts. If you follow me, I'd love for you to join me over at What in the Craft. I'll be posting some fun things for back to school in the next couple of days, so go and check it out. Hope you like it!

It's the end of the year as we know it...

2011-05-10T14:25:00.006-05:00

Wow, how did that happen? We only have 18 more days of school. That's crazy! I have to admit that I am a little ready to be without a crazy schedule for a while. For the moment we are in hyperdrive. Tons of things going on this month, and it's a little stressful. So I am trying to find some easy things to do for the teachers to show them how thankful we are for everything they have done for us all year. Having been a teacher, I tend to go a little overboard sometimes because I know what a hard job it is.

So here are some ideas for some little "thank you's" you can give your teachers. Easy and inexpensive.

We made these for our teachers last year. You can never have enough pencils in the classroom.

Super simple... a glass candle holder from Target, about 4 packs of pencils, and vinyl letters (I used my Cricut to cut it all out). A little advice... sharpen the pencils before you give your teacher the gift. She'll love you forever.

I actually made these for our teachers for Valentine's day this year.

I bought some cute little containers at HomeGoods. Some were plain white and I added some red x's and o's, and then I found some red and white ramekins and a white, heart shaped container. I used these as cupcake containers and baked red velvet cake in each one. I then iced them and packaged them with a spoon in a cellophane bag for each teacher. They loved it!!

Then there are those fun, and super cute duck tape pens that the kids are making. My girls wanted to try to make them, but in the end... it was I that made them. Every day they were coming home saying... so and so wants one and so and so wants one. Well, they teachers also thought they were cute. So these pens with those super cute note pad stacks from HobLob would be a cute little gift for those teachers who like a little bling.

I've got some other ideas brewing... just need the time to put them together. With only 18 more days left... I better get a move on.

*ciao*
deb

A Valentine Pillow... my way

2011-02-04T13:37:00.007-06:00

We seriously had a hard weather week last week. We were iced in... and snowed in... and we really need to get out of here. Don't get me wrong, I love being at home, but seriously - we were going on our 4th day of being at home and not because we wanted to. We just weren't brave enough or maybe it's crazy enough to venture out on those crazy streets out there. Although the crazy was starting to set in at one point, and if we were forced to stay in another day we would have had to have found us a sled and some dogs somewhere.

I wish I could say I was super productive and cleaned my house from top to bottom and was just super crafty... but I wasn't. I spent WAY too much time on a little site called Facebook. Have you heard of it?? It's evil. Too bad Zuckerberg doesn't make money based on how much time people spend on Facebook, because he would be so much richer than he already is I tell you. (The Junie B. Jones hasn't worn off yet... sorry!)

Anyway, I figured that since I was at home I should at least attempt to do something creative. Hmm, what to do, what to do... when you can't run to Hobby Lobby because you might get stranded and the hubster would so not be happy about that.

Once again I was forced to use what I had on hand. I'm starting to realize that I have a lot on hand.

I used this...

and this...

and a template from this blog...

Then I used this...

and cut off this...

to make this...

and in the end I had made this....

I love it!! And it looks so pretty on my chair. I loved it so much that I had a little drawing on my FB page and gave one away. So now I'm thinking I need to make some more of these for other parts of my house...

I'm linked over at the Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday party...

*ciao*
Deb

A gift for a friend...

2011-01-24T21:46:00.005-06:00

So often I see things in boutiques that I really, REALLY like, and I think, "I can totally make that." Then I think, "But will I make it?" and then I see the price and I know I will totally make it. This was one of those times. I recently saw some super cute frames with crosses in them. Of course this was during Neath the Wreath and I'm totally not shopping for myself, so I put it into my mental "I Can Do That" folder, and move on. So I've been collecting frames, and crosses and ribbon and... well if you could see my craft room you'd see I'm collecting a lot of stuff for future projects.

So a good friend of mine was having a birthday, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to make one of these super cute frames. I started out with a nice black frame.

Then I covered the glass with some cheetah fabric I had left over from my Christmas tree skirt I made this year.

I then forgot to take pictures of the next two steps. I hate when I do that. So you'll just have to imagine it. I made a double layered bow out of some pretty brownish ribbon that I had and I hot glued it to the top of the frame. Then I hot glued two different crosses to the center of the frame. I love this layered look. And if you have a good imagination, this is what you get...

Okay, now I have to make one for myself!

A little Vday love...

2011-01-22T09:31:00.007-06:00

I have been so super busy the past month and really just haven't been all that crafty. Subbing for a first grade class will do that to you. So when you get that sudden "craft itch"... well, you've gotta scratch it. (Does that sound inappropriate... oh well)

So earlier this week, I noticed that my house just wasn't feeling so festive. I mean Vday is just around the corner for God sakes, and I didn't have a heart in sight. February is my birthday month, and I want to be surrounded by fun and beauty I tell you. (I've been reading a lot of Junie B. Jones this month, so "I tell you" has suddenly become part of my vocabulary. Go figure I would actually pick up something.) Well in an attempt to add some love to my house, I set out to make something with what I had on hand. The thought of going to Hobby Lobby at the end of the day with two very tired little ones, dinner to make and papers to grade was just honestly too much for me to attempt. So I searched and moved, and emptied and, well just basically made a huge mess of my craft room. But in the end I found what I needed and what I thought would work. I can honestly say, I am super proud of what came from the mess of a craft room. Who knew that MDF, scrapbook paper, modge podge and furniture tacks could look so cute?

Hmmm, well now I'm thinking there must be something else in that huge stash of stuff I can use to spread even more love. So guess what I'm doing today??

I'm linked to these parties...

A Fun and Easy Tassel Tutorial

2010-12-01T18:04:00.007-06:00

Little things make me happy. Yummy smelling candles, blingy jeans, Sonic ice, my kids putting their dishes in the sink. Really it's the simple things... and I do love me some easy to do crafts. So I thought I would put up a tutorial for those who want to make their own tassels so you could see they are really pretty stinkin' easy to make.

First, you need an ornament with a flat base. Really... it doesn't even have to be an ornament. It could be a small snow globe, a cute knob, just as long as it's flat on the bottom. So for this tutorial, I went to Target to find this super cute Santa that my friend Julianne used for her tassel.

and you need one of these little wood things... they are called candle cups, although really I've never seen these used for candles.

You glue the candle cup to the bottom of your ornament.

Next you find fun ribbon that coordinates with your ornament. If you're like me, you have lots and lots and lots of ribbon (don't tell my husband). So find yourself some cute ribbon and start making loops. I can't really give you a length since really it depends on your personal preference how puffy you want them.

Then you start hot gluing them to the candle cup in rows starting from the bottom and working your way toward the ornament.

Then you just continue to layer the ribbons until you make it to the top of the candle cup.

Once you're done with that, then you add some kind of trim or a fun boa to cover up the ends of the ribbon... and it makes it super fun too. You can also add some to the inside of the candle cup just to finish it off. You could also add cut ribbon or fringe to the bottom to lengthen it.

And voila! You're done and you have a fun, cute and unique tassel. These would make cute gifts don't you think??

Make sure you send me photos of what you create. I'd love to see them!

I'm also linked to this party...

*ciao
Deb

Craft Day Tuesday - The Christmas Edition

2010-11-30T16:18:00.005-06:00

I love crafting with friends... it just makes it so much more fun. And oh, the conversations we have... WOW!! Laughs, crafts, and a few glue gun burns later we have some "SUPER FUN" Christmas crafts to show off.

First the tassels...

And then a super cute sign and glass block...

We are definitely feeling festive and crafty today. Still have a couple of other little crafts we are working on. I'll be posting those tomorrow. So make sure you check back!!

*Ciao
Deb

I get bored... easily

2010-11-19T19:32:00.006-06:00

Wow, has it really been 8 months since I last blogged?? How embarrassing! No really, that is totally embarrassing. It makes me feel like a total slacker, which I haven't been, but really I feel like one. I've actually been quite productive here at home, and have been working a TON. I have to admit that I misplaced my creative "wild hair" for a bit, but lately it has somehow found it's way back. There are several little and big projects I've worked on over the last few months and I'll be showing them here and there.

First up... my dining room chairs. I really love my dining room, and I guess at some point in the past I really loved the chairs as well, but that time is long, long gone. I have a tendency to get bored with things quickly... and my hubby knows when it's happening. I apparently get this look in my eyes. Well, actually it's more like my eyes start looking at things in a way that says, "hmmm, how hard will it be to change things around?" This means trouble for my hubby cause he knows he will somehow be involved. Well, I left him out of this one.

So here was my dining room chair.

It was fine, but I just wasn't loving the fabric on the seat anymore. A little dated, and way too light when you have kids. I wanted something that reflected us a little better.

So I found a fun fabric and recovered the chairs ( which took me way longer than it should have but at least it's done ) and tada...

Sooo much better, and I'm not so paranoid about eating in my dining room anymore.

-ciao
deb

Cricut madness...

2010-03-14T06:45:00.004-06:00

You know sometimes there are fun products that you see and you think they would be fun to use, but then you kind of outgrow them and they just sit gathering dust. I have several of these (ssshh don't tell). A couple of years ago I got a Cricut machine... that would be back when I was BIG into scrapbooking (note to self... get some scrapbooking done!) I have to admit, I have used it more for my kids school projects than I have for my scrap books. They've had some super cute projects! I think this is the best, best product I've ever purchased. Lately I've been using it to organize. Organize? Yes organize.

I found these fun bottles at IKEA for my oils and vinegars. Super cheap... like $3. But I wanted them to look pretty, and whenever anyone else was cooking in my kitchen, they didn't know what was what. So I labeled them using my Cricut vinyl, and voila, instant cuteness.

Then I did the same thing to some simple oil and vinegar jars I have next to my stove...

Then I moved on to my storage containers in the pantry.

And finally some glass soap containers I found at Target for the kitchen.

Can you tell I've gone a little label crazy?

Where have I been...

2010-03-13T10:56:00.007-06:00

As much as I wish I was better at blogging I'm just not lately. I think about what I will post and I get started and then am easily distracted. I seriously think I need ADD meds or something. I just have so much trouble getting things accomplished sometimes and it is soooo frustrating. I have gotten some things done over the past few months... some little and some big. Some for me, and some for others...

My friend Alexa bought a beeeaaauuutiful house a few months ago and asked me to help her with the decorating and drapes. It is an ongoing process but here are some drapes I made for her.

These are the drapes for her living room. Beautiful fabric.

These are in her dining room. These medalions were found at HobLob for like $2.50 on sale. They are fabulous!

Then here and there I've done a few things at my house. Nothing too major.

Some fun and inexpensive candle bling...

And finally, after seeing this post on Shanty2Chic, I had to try it out. A set of 3 canisters for about $17. Super fun and different.

I love them. They are so fun, and since the lids are screw tops, the food inside doesn't get stale.

So now that I am back to blogging I am thinking of all these other things that I want to post about. Hmmm... what to post next???

Best of intentions...

2010-01-05T19:26:00.003-06:00

I'm sorry, my poor, neglected blog... I really am. I meant to post all these wonderful projects, that I've done, or seen, and gush about what I am planning to work on. I really did plan on it... and then life took over again. And let me tell you, when it rains it pours. Kind of feels like that movie, Armagedon, when all the people in New York are dodging the pieces of the meteor that are falling from the sky. Lately it seems like so many people in my life are dodging meteors, and unfortunately some are being nicked.

I honestly believe that God never gives you more than you can handle, and that there is a reason for all that he allows to happen. But sometimes, you have to ask... SERIOUSLY?? I have friends going through life changing, life altering situations, that I, unfortunately can relate to. I have another friend whose daughter was found to have a serious medical condition right before Christmas. My hubby, is once again dealing with severe back and leg pain... a result of disc issues. We are counting the days until he is able to hopefully get it surgically corrected so that he can have some relief from the pain.

Then there is my brother in law... J. He was rushed to surgery right before Thanksgiving with an aneurysm on his kidney, which is apparently not a normal thing for a young, healthy man. They, thankfully saved his life, but were unable to save the kidney. His recovery has been slow, and steady and up until yesterday we thought all was well. Unfortunately, something showed up on the MRI and it looks as if there may be another one in his brain. So as I said, sometimes I just ask... SERIOUSLY??? I hate feeling useless. I hate not having some answers, so that a solution can be found. A plan of action. But sometimes, you just have to throw your hands up and say, "Okay, I know there's a reason, but please could you let me in on it? Please?"

So for now, I pray. I pray for strength for my friends and their families. So that they can get through these horrible times that they are in now, and they can be stronger and happier once the clouds let the sun shine on them again. I pray for my friend's daughter, that this condition not hinder her in any way, and that she can once again be a happy, healthy child. I pray for my friend so that she can some day start to relax again, and let go of some of the fear that envelops her right now. I pray for my husband, so that the pain he is dealing with now disappears and he can once again do the things that he enjoys. I pray for my brother in law so that whatever he has, can be treated and he can recover fully. And I pray for strength for my sister. That she can find comfort in knowing that prayers are being sent their way, and that the power of prayer is great.

So my dear bloggie, please forgive me for neglecting you. Sometimes, we just have to prioritize the things in our lives that are important, and need our attention a little more. I promise I'll get crafty again, hopefully real soon. Am I forgiven??

Coming soon...

2009-12-05T09:41:00.002-06:00

I've been MIA for a long time. Living life, stressing out over things that really aren't that important, and really not being as creative as I love to be. Well, I got my creative juices going again and I have been doing some creative things the past few months. So I will be posting some pics of what I have been up to... this afternoon. Running around a bit, but just thought I would post quickly. I've missed blogging and missed you. So I'll have some fun things to share later today.

Cya,
Deb

My try at burlap

2009-08-10T17:53:00.000-05:00

When I think of burlap, I've always pictured fall decorations (scarecrows, pumpkins, etc.) I never really considered it as a decorator fabric until a few years ago. A friend of mine needed a window treatment for her son's room. To go along with the fishing theme, I used burlap to cover a cornice board, then attached a fish net from HobLob and some random fish thingies from the tackle box to it. It looked great. To carry the theme in the room, I also made a burlap dust ruffle for his bed. Super, super cute!!

Fast foward to our laundry room. Our laundry room is... well large... which is nice, but the room does double duty as an exercise room, which means I had to really think about the decor in there. I had to make the room somewhat masculine since my hubby is in there so much. So I started by painting the room a medium camel color, which is sooooo much better than the dirty white that was in there before. At least now I want to do the laundry.

As for the windows, I needed to make a valance of some kind so as not to have them ripped down with the weights. BINGO!! I opted for a yard and half of burlap which set me back a whole $4.78. Wow, talk about breaking the bank. Having sewn burlap before, I didn't want to have my "mistreatment" curling up on me, so... I glued it. Have I ever mentioned that I love my glue gun.

Anyway, I folded my burlap in half ... longways, and cut at an angle to make a pointed end. Then I cut two strips of another fabric and glued it to the ends all the way around. I made a pocket at the top to slide the repurposed and newly spray painted rod through. Have I mentioned I love spray paint?

The result, a pretty, but masculine window valance that didn't break the bank.

With the extra burlap, I decided to recover a bulletin board I had made that just didn't thrill me. Then I hung it from a rod iron scroll. Love the new look of the laundry room.

I plan to make a cushion for the two boxes below the hanging rack where the girls can sit and put their shoes on. I'm still thinking I need to find something else for that though. I'm thinking maybe a narrow coffee table converted into a bench. I may have to make a trip to Salvation Army once school starts again.

I just love cheap redos.

Have a great day. Stay cool... it's HOT outside!!

*ciao*
deb

New background...

2009-08-10T08:39:00.003-05:00

As you can see, i changed it again. I get bored and I like to change things up a bit. Anyway, I took some pictures of my try at burlap. I'll be posting them in a bit. Easy, inexpensive and fun. See you in a bit.

Basic pillow case TRANSFORMATION...

2009-07-16T16:30:00.006-05:00

I'm frugal... there I've said it. I don't like to spend a lot of money on things, and I have to admit that getting things for a steal, OR being able to make something that looks great for next to no money is a tremendous high for me. Seriously, although I've never done drugs, I don't think I could get this kind of high from that. So I have been looking at pillows for my bed. Nothing too fancy, because lets face it, the fancier the more expensive the pillow. So I thought about just making them myself, but then I thought... nah! Well while strolling through Tarjet(otherwise known as Target)I found some cute, chocolate brown, basic pillow cases. I loved the design on the edge and figured they would work out quite well for a transformation.

Then I cut off the decorative end...

and moved it to the center of the pillow case.

Then I stitched into place, but feel free to use fabric glue. It's all good.

And VOILA, instant throw pillow for a fraction of the cost. And what did I use to stuff my pillows? Regular king size pillows that we recently decided not to use anymore... to flat. Frugal I'm telling you! If you try this send me a link, I'd love to see what you've done.

On another note, I recently acquired a FANTASTIC piece of art for my bedroom for $15. Are you ready..... ready..... ready...ready???? Okay....GO!

Yes you heard it right 15 smackers. My sister lives, or rather lived next to an interior decorator who was in the process of moving. She was having a fantastic garage sale and was getting rid of all kinds of treasures. So my sister calls and describes this to me, and to be totally honest I couldn't quite picture what she was saying, but I heard "really large frame" and I was in. I figured if it didn't work, I could always transform it into something that would. Well after I walked into her house, and picked my jaw up off the floor, I was super, super excited that it was going to work out PERFECTLY!! And why was it so cheap? Her hubby dropped it while unloading it from her car right after the purchase. She was never able to use it in the client's home. Score for me. There is a little crack in the glass that you really can't see, and the frame is a little separated, but hey, I can live with that. What do you think?

Okay, I'm off to go find some other things to transform in my house. I'm getting the bug again.

*ciao*
deb

How to make an inexpensive tote look "FABULOUS!!"

2009-06-30T14:50:00.001-05:00

Tori has a habit of asking me, "Mama, do I look FABULOUS?" She's got a whole lot of attitude in that little body of hers. So the other day, I found these denim totes at HobLob for 50% off which made them $2 each. I thought they would looks super "FABULOUS" if we just added some fun fabric to them. Luckily, I had some left over scraps from a previous project left over that would be perfect. Well as usual, my wheels start turning and I end up doing much more than I intended, but in the end... they are "FABULOUS!!!" What do you think??

So I start with this... plain Jane denim tote.

Then I found a "peace" symbol online and cut and pasted in into a Word document.

Printed it and cut it out. Then I traced it onto the fabric and cut it out...(sorry I didn't take a picture of that.)

Then I glued it (yes glued since I didn't have any of that sticky iron on stuff that you put on fabrics). But I did use fabric glue, so at least I wasn't totally off the wall with that. Anyway, back to my story, I glued and then stitched the "peace sign" on the bag.

Then because everything is so much more "FABULOUS" when it is blinged out even more, and because I just can't stop at mere cuteness, I decided to go on and do the inside too. So I measured (professional seamstresses turn away from the monitor and cover your eyes... I am about to do something that may make you spit!) This is my way of measuring... I put the bag on top of the fabric and just eyed it.

Then I added in some pockets for water bottles, crayons, stuff...

I then sewed up the side that was open and the bottom and made a little pouch, that then slips into the tote like this...

Then you pin the inside pouch to the outside tote (again, you seamstresses out there, just close your eyes and save yourself the frustration. I know, I know, just breathe in and breathe out!)

oh, and one more thing... don't forget to change out your bobbin thread (is that what the bottom circle thing is called? I forgot and had to go back and remove all the "white" thread that was showing on my denim bag... aaahhhh!!! So yeah, don't forget to do that.

Then you sew, sew, sew and in the end you have a fun tote that is lined with fun fabric...

and a little girl who thinks it looks "FABULOUS!!"

My girls like their bags so much, and Bella is even asking if she can use it as her back pack this year. Guess I saved myself some bucks with that one.

Have a great afternoon.

*ciao*
deb

GW store redo...

2009-06-23T18:28:00.008-05:00

(Okay, I'm editing this... just pretend that this was posted on Thursday... originally, as this will be part of my Thrift Store Thursday post. More thrift store pictures to follow. For more fun Thrift Store Thursday ideas visit Homebody.)

I often find things at my local GW, and don't know what I will do with it, but know that they have potential. My hubby sometimes thinks I'm collecting junk, but I assure you... it all has a purpose. So a while back, my sister and I went thrifting. She has lots of really good thrift stores by her (I'm super jealous) and I found lots of treasures. Well my pile of "potentials" has been growing and low and behold I found some mojo this morning to do something with some of my pile. My poor master bath has been in need of some beautification and I thought this was the perfect thing for it.

Notice the pretty print. I'm sure someone thought this print was pretty at some point. I'm sure some people still have it hanging in their homes and it may totally work with what they have going on. But quite honestly, it just didn't fluff my feathers. So I redid it. I used this...

and some of this...

then added this...

and finally came up with this.

What do you think? And all it cost me was $4 for the frame. I had the cross, and the scrapbook paper, plus the glues, so this was a relatively pain free project for my husband. "Don't spend" he says... so I didn't. I'm feeling more projects for that bathroom now...

Have a great evening.
*ciao*
deb

Keeping my sanity during the summer...

2009-06-21T20:08:00.004-05:00

Okay, I have a confession...I love my girls...but sometimes they can make me crazy. I mean really, is it necessary to take out every blanket we own to lie down on the floor for a movie night (during the day)? Especially since I'm the one who will end up folding them. Is it sooo hard to remember to keep the food and drink in the kitchen... believe me red koolaid does not come out of carpets! How many times do I need to ask them to put the clothes away that have been sitting in the laundry baskets at the foot of their beds? I realize now that my mom was not bitchy as I was growing up, she was just tired. Tired of repeating herself. I have honestly considered buying a tape recorder so that I can just replay the last thing I said to them, because frankly, it is just too exhausting to say it over and over. So what to do, what to do?

I decided that I needed them to understand the importance of doing their part in the house while at the same time feeling the burn of being penalized for their selective hearing habit. So after looking on the internet and visiting several blogs, I came up with our chore charts.

I designed them and then printed them out on magnetic paper which you can find at Staples, HobLob, etc. I then typed out and printed on magnet paper a list of chores... some they do everyday, and some they can draw for (two bigger ones a week). I also printed out some happy faces in three different colors. The yellow mean they did everything correctly without having to be told. The green mean the chore was done, but not done exactly right, and the red mean it either wasn't done, or in the case of "whining", we just had too much of it today. Basically with that one, it is a three strikes you're out kind of thing.

The results, well I have to say it has been rather quiet in our house lately... which with our girls means a whole lot less drama. They are really interested in how much they are earning for their chores, and are careful not to get fined. In addition to "earning" for doing their chores, they are also "fined" for breaking rules. (hitting, fighting, being disrespectful, taking food out of the kitchen, tattling, making us repeat ourselves, etc.) They aren't earning a huge amount for doing their chores... in all honesty I really low balled it, but that isn't the objective. At their age it isn't about making a huge amount, it is the fact that they are earning it. So if in the course of a day they do everything perfectly, they could earn $.50, but if they fight then they have to pay $.25 each. I explained to them that if mommy decides not to follow the speed limit, then I have to pay a fine, so they will have to do the same if they choose to break a house rule. So far, so good.

Oh, one more thing. We also have a "Help Wanted" list. These are some extra chores that they can choose to do... or not, but if they choose to do them, they can earn extra happy faces, which means extra money. Of course my little Tori decided that she didn't need to do that, but I'm sure when she sees that it is taking her a looooonnnnggg time to save up money for whatever she may want, that will change quickly. Anyway, these chores are changed out weekly depending on what I don't want to do that week. Man, I can hardly wait for them to be old enough to iron... I hate ironing.

I'm hoping that the enthusiasm for this will continue throughout the summer... REALLY hoping!! I'll let you know.

Okay, I'm off to cuddle with my hubby. Have a great evening.

*ciao*
deb

Now that school is over...

2009-06-11T18:17:00.000-05:00

So now that school is over, I can show the rest of the teacher gifts I made. They were a hit, and from what I heard would be a money maker if I make them and take them to the school. What do you think??

So I have been collecting sayings for these projects, as well as some other little ideas I have. I'll be working on these this summer so that I will have enough to take to the school in late September. I will be taking custom orders as well. I'm super excited about this. I love being creative and being able to make money from it. What do you all think?

Okay, I'm off to watch a movie with the girls. Have a great day.

*ciao*
deb

What does summer look like?

2009-06-11T09:22:00.006-05:00

Lately, it's looked like this...

We got a whopper storm last night, which totally took me by surprise. My mom called to ask me how the weather was, because they had heard in San Antonio that we were getting some monster storms and were under tornado warnings... where do you think I get my weather obsession from? I was totally oblivious to what was going on outside. So I check the weather and turn on the weather radio, and then the sirens start to go off. They must off gone off and on for about 45 minutes. Poor Belle kept saying,"Mom, it's June! This isn't suppose to happen in June! Just in April and May." I wish that was true. There were a couple that touched down but luckily not terribly close to us. There is still rumbling as I type, so picture me sandwiched by two little ones with covers over them... not that it is cold, but blankets tend to make them feel safer when they're nervous. I never thought about that, but I guess it's true.

Speaking of nervous reactions... the girls had their first swim lesson yesterday. They did great and were so excited about it... afterward. Before we got there, Tori starts to tell me,"Mom, I have to fart." HUH? WHAT? Why did I need to know that? I'm a little shocked as I turn to ask what and why. She tells me again, very matter of fact, "I need to fart." So I ask why, and she proceeds to inform me that when she gets nervous she farts. Okay... so in my warped mind I start to imagine her embarrassment when she goes out on her first date. Can you imagine the sound effects that will be going on? Or when she is walking down the aisle? I know, not very nice, but seriously you have to wonder. Luckily for Belle and I, her nervousness ended quickly. Thank goodness I just put a new air freshener in my car.

Anyway, back to what I was going to say before I got sidetracked, so what does summer look like when it isn't threatening to storm with destructive winds? Well, something like this...

As I sit here typing, the girls are in their bathing suits counting down the minutes until swim lessons. I keep telling them that they have 4 1/2 hours to wait, but they insist on staying in the suits all day. They may decide to change when they have to undress every time they have to go to the bathroom. Or not. I really hope for them that these storms don't hang around all day. How much would that suck? Bathing suits and no pool weather available. Ahhh, could be a long day.

Okay, I'm off to finish folding clothes and cleaning out closets... fun, fun!!

*ciao*
deb

Projects and OMG!!!

2009-05-31T21:59:00.007-05:00

Okay, so I've been working on some projects for my daughter's teachers. I can't show all of them, since some of them actually read my blog, but I can show you these.

And then I have to share this... I'm still moping up the drool off my desk (just kidding) but seriously, how can you not drool at this?

November just can't come fast enough.

We've been dealing with asthma for over a week here, and it looks like my little one may finally be over the hump. I am so ready for summer, no more temperature fluctuations, and more time to get things done. Just a few more days and then the projects will begin. I'm even thinking I may get some scrapbooking done. We'll see.

Okay, I'm off to bed. Have a good evening.
*ciao*
deb

Sometimes life just happens...

2009-05-25T16:32:00.001-05:00

Warning: Lots of updating and pictures...

I have no good excuse for my long absence from the blogging world except that I have been busy with life. Home, work (subbing), volunteering (almost done with school newsletter duties for the year... YEAH!!), family (baby sitting my lovely nieces), my girls, my husband. It feels like there just isn't enough time in the day to get it all done, and at the end of the day... I'm exhausted. I feel guilty because I have let things fall by the waist side, but I just couldn't catch up.

So first of all... I am so excited to announce that my sister had her baby last month. Beautiful Lyla Grace is the newest addition to our family and she is just precious.

I love that I can go and love on her for a while and enjoy and relive the "baby stage" again, and then I can go home and miss all the 2AM feedings that come with that stage. (Love ya sister!!) So I have been making the trip to my sister's house, which thank goodness is much faster now that the new tollway is open, at least once a week. Lots of bonding going on.

Then April brought along First Holy Communion time. Family, food, worship. It was a good time. My mother in law made menudo (you have to be hispanic to truly appreciate it, but I won't be telling you what's in it cause I wouldn't want any funny looks coming my way) and a beautiful cake. Belle looked beautiful in her dress. Her only prerequisites... the dress couldn't be puffy and no veil. Luckily I was able to find a "not too puffy" dress for her and created a really pretty pearl headband that worked. Then the morning of the mass, she tells me,"Mom I think I changed my mind. I do want a veil." (I roll my eyes) Too late now!!

We've been getting ready for the end of the year(YEAH!!! 9 days left), which means field trips, teacher gifts, etc. Luckily it's been beautiful here. Really unseasonable temperatures (high 60's to mid 80's), and lots of rain has made everything green and beautiful. This, unfortunately has been the reason for lots of asthma in our family. So Belle wasn't able to enjoy her last field trip of the year. Not to worry, Mommy took her on a little field trip of our own, which was even better. I did get to go with Tori on her's though which was super fun. I did feel like I had just climbed a mountain at the end. Wrangling kindergarteners is exhausting.

Inventive idea!!!... wanna make some big cash, develop a vacuum cleaner in the shape of a plow and you will make lots of money. If I could get my girls to push that vacuum the way Tori pushed this plow, I would totally buy it. Why is it that I can't get her to pick up her clothes or toys, much less vacuum, YET... pushing around a plow in a garden is just the best thing ever??? WHY is that??

We also had talent show this month. The girls and their friends practiced and practiced. Tori was especially excited when we told her she would get to perform with the big girls. Can you say HAM?? Seriously people, she will be winning some kind of performance award someday. I tend to think, daily I might add, that that award will be in the form of an Academy with the amount of drama she displays. Anyway, here are my girls, the 2nd and 3rd from the left during the performance...

Dreamgirls @ Yahoo! Video

At the end of the performance, during the two and a half hours they were sitting there... no I am not kidding, Tori comes up and says,"Mama, next year, I think I want to sing... by myself... and I want to choose the song. Or maaayyybbee, I'll make up a song to sing." Oh no, she's gotten a taste of success and is now hooked.

And this month, we splurged big time!! First we got this... FINALLY!!

I love it. It makes the backyard look so pretty. We are still trying to decide if we are going to paint it to look like wood. Alex originally wanted the door to be wood, but I found a much better way to spend the LOTS of money that would have cost.

Don't you think this...

and this...

is a much better way to use that money? We finally got some new cars. Yes cars. With the crazy good deals out there right now, we just had to take advantage. Unfortunately, many people are losing their jobs because so many dealerships are shutting down. If you are being affected by that, I am so, so sorry. It truly just sucks. Anyway, we figured after 11 years with my car and 16 years with Alex's, it was a good time to get some new vehicles. So now you will find me parking way out at the end of the parking lot where no one else parks, and driving much slower than I normally do. Very strange for me.

As for my house projects... well there haven't been any. Well, as far as I'm concerned anyway. Alex is, as I type, making cabinets for the garage. Can't wait for that to be done. It's going to look fabulous. I have been toying with doing some things in the house, but have just been too busy. Maybe once school lets out. Plus, I am helping my friend Alexa decorate her new house. I love blank slates. Super fun!! I will soon be doing some sewing for her as well, which may inspire me to get to work once again on my house. For now, I am focusing on trying to catch up on some of my garage sale redos. I'll post them as I get them done.

I've missed this. I must do this more often. Okay, people, I'm off to watch some Twilight with my girls. Have a great Memorial Day evening, and thank you to all of you who have sacrificed to defend our wonderful country.

*ciao*
deb

My camera bag needed a redo too...

2009-03-12T08:37:00.007-06:00

I have a bad habit. I look at things and think to myself, "It could use a little pimping." Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Many times, I end up removing the bling, because it is just a little too much, and simpler is always better. Well, when I got my new camera and camera bag, it was a little too utilitarian for me.

Rather "plain jane" don't you think. I wanted it to be pretty, because really... everything should be pretty right? So I found some "pretty" fabric online, and decided to do this...

While I was doing that, I decided I needed to make myself something for my not so attractive neck strap. So I did this...

Now my things look "pretty". Much better than it used to be.

Now on to show you more of my baby sister's fabulous thrifting finds... As I said, and some of you agreed... she is quickly becoming the "queen" of thrifting. I agree. The girl seriously amazes me sometimes. For example...look at these amazing mirrors in her house.

Can you believe that they only cost her $15 a piece? They are fantabulous!! Darn I wish I had gone with her to that thrift store on that day.

And finally another one of her redos. This is the powder bath just off of the kitchen area. It was pretty yucky before. Totally date, and I swear the people that had this house before my sister must of had a serious love affair with the 80's. Emerald green and pink everywhere.. yes pink walls.

So here is the after. New sink, new floors (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my sister's floors), new paint (thank goodness), and quick mistreatment on the window, some fun little decorations, and a brand new bathroom.

HUGE improvement!! Good job sister!

Okay, I'm off to clean my house... FUN, FUN! NOT!!!

Have a great day!
*ciao*
deb

all done...

2009-03-08T14:51:00.001-06:00

So my bloggie makeover is all done... what do you think? I love it. I decided to go with the blue, since I just can't seem to use it in my home. I'm more of a warm tone girl, so infusing blue into the house is sort of like a cold front. It doesn't work, and my hubby didn't like it when I tried. So this is the only place I can experiment with it.

I've been super busy FINALLY painting the laundry room. What a beating. But I'm done and I'll be posting those pics soon. In the meantime, here are some more pics of my sister's house...

These are the befores of the dining room, well actually just one of the befores,

and here are the afters...

Okay, I just have to say, there is so much in that room that is thrifted. My baby sis is one thrifty chick and let me tell you, she has done an amazing job putting it together. See the chalkboard... $15 frame at a thrift shop and it is FABULOUS in person. Then the buffet... $35 at a thrift store. Love it! Then she has the framed candle sconces... great idea. I don't know the cost, but knowing my sister it was way cheap. Then we have the plates on the wall. She isn't done with that yet, but I think it looks perfect in there. Oh and the chandy? Another thrift store find. Super duper cute!

Now here is the bedroom. I don't have a before pic, but let me just say it was AWFUL. She painted it gray, and added some fun Craigslist finds, some gauzy IKEA curtain panels and voila... instant ambiance and way cool bedroom to hang out in.

Now see this couch... Craigslist! I KNOW!! She seriously amazes me with what she can find on there. Why can't I find a cute love seat like that for my room???

Okay, now this is right next to the door to her bedroom. She needed something fun to put into her thrift shop frame that we painted black, so she used some of my scrapbook paper as art work. Thank goodness someone is able to get some use out of my paper. Now I don't feel so guilty about all my stash that is sitting there being unused. Come to think of it... I may need to put up some fun artwork like that in my laundry room...hmmm.

And finally these fun sconces she found at a yard sale. She didn't even need to paint them. Topped off with a fun flower vase and a metal basket of wooden pears (which she just happened to get at the Salvation Army - $1.50 for a bag of 6... I got some too).

So there you go. You can have a beautiful dining and bedroom for not a lot of money. Go check out your local Goodwill and Salvation Army. You might be surprised what you find. I know I've been quite shocked with my bargains, and even more shocked with my baby sister's. And I am quite proud to say that I have several friends who have taken the plunge into frugal shopping and decorating. I swear it is much more fun.

Okay, I'm off to take Tori to a party. Fun, fun! Can you tell how thrilled I am right now???

Have a great afternoon.
*ciao*
deb

Construction zone...

2009-03-01T21:11:00.002-06:00

Please excuse the mess... I am trying to change my blog background. I told you all I get bored easily. I have more to do, but for now excuse the mess...

I'll be posting more pics of my sister's house makeover tomorrow. Next up is her bedroom and dining room... all I can say is WOW!!! Oh, I'll also be showing you some fun finds I got when I went thrifting with my sis and Mom last week. Super fun and great deals. Seriously people, I got some great stuff. Okay, gotta go!

Have a good night...
Deb

A transformation of the sisterly kind...

2009-02-22T17:47:00.007-06:00

Growing up, my sister used to roll her eyes every time my mom and I would talk about doing something crafty or decorative. I was constantly moving my room around, or making things to put up in my room or the house. She would look at me and roll her eyes. She was too cool to do those things. She didn't have time. I was so boring... that is until she moved into her first apartment and wanted it to look nice on a budget, then my crafty ideas weren't so boring anymore. That was a looooonggg time ago, and we have found a common love of things crafty that will make our homes look fabulous and cost us little. We love to go to thrift stores, garage sales, estate sales, and we absolutely love Craigslist.

Well, about a year ago, her and her family moved into a new home... well, new in the sense that it was new to them, but let me tell you, this "home" needed some work. It was way dated, but it was good space and had lots of potential. They, luckily, like to do a lot of the work themselves, and my brother in law is quite handy. So they have been updating the home for the last several months. I have to say it is looking quite fabulous. So I've been bugging her to send me before and after pictures, but you know how it goes sometimes. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. And since now I just so happen to have a fantabulous camera, I went over and took them myself. So for the next few days I will be focusing on her do-overs.

So first we will look at her kitchen. Now I have to say, the before was quite awful. Really bad cabinets, dated, and pinkish paint on the walls. No I'm not kidding. But again, it had really good space.

Here is the before of some of the space...

And here is the after...

Okay, so I have to tell you about the deals that my sister got on this table and chairs. So she had been saying that she needed a new table for her breakfast nook, and because it was such a weird shape we talked about a round table. So we stumble upon a yard sale and BAM! right there in the front yard is an antique round table. Because it was an antique she paid more than she normally would have, but it was really perfect. Then on Craigslist she found someone selling these five chairs for $50 for ALL FIVE CHAIRS. Now granted, they were uglier than sin, but nothing that a little paint and fabric can't fix.

And now her kitchen looks amazing. She framed some of "my" scrapbook paper, put up some other thrift store finds (the chandy was $30 at a thrift store, the rod was way cheap too at the Goodwill) and some inexpensive Ikea curtains, and her kitchen is complete. I think they did an amazing job for not being so crafty. Just kidding sister... you rocked.

So, tomorrow I'll show you some other fun things she's done with her house. Oh, and I can't close without sharing a pic of my little one. So this week she got to sing at the monthly PTA meeting. The theme was Western and the kids were suppose to dress as cowboys and cowgirls. For the record, she posed like this, I swear... no coaching from me. She is all about the drama.

Look at what I got for my birthday!!!!

2009-02-19T09:41:00.005-06:00

I am sooooooo excited. I have been wanting a new camera for a long time. I hated the way my photos came out with my regular point and click, and it was completely frustrating not to be able to get photos from far away. Well, now I don't have to worry about that anymore. This camera is AWESOME!! Here are some random pics I took with it. What do you think??

Okay, I know the photos aren't that impressive, BUT you have to consider how incredible crappy my photos were before. Seriously people, they were total crap, so this is a huge improvement. I could never have gotten that picture of my den in one shot... NEVER!! And the other thing is that was taken in the evening with bad light. Plus I am super excited about finally being able to take a picture with the background blurry and the main subject in focus. Look at that yellow Gerber. Isn't it great? Breathe Deb, breathe...

So now I am pouring over Holly's blog and of course The Pioneer Woman blog so that I can learn all I can about my new baby. Their photos are AMAZING!!! I so want to be able to do that. Oh, and best of all, Holly has these photography workshops that they conduct in Arizona, and they've decided to have one in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. She's having a drawing for free tuition to her workshop (which is out of my budget at the moment)... but how awesome would it be to be able to go and learn the tricks they know for taking AMAZING photos!!!??? So I am crossing my fingers and my toes, and anything else I can get into that position hoping that I'll win. Cross your fingers with me... ready...go! Okay maybe that will bring me more luck. Lets hope. So go check out their blogs and drool over their pictures with me. You won't be disappointed.

So of course, I couldn't just have a regular, standard camera case right?? So I am going to pimp up my camera case. Just wait till you see this people. I can't wait to get it done to show it to you.

Okay, I'm off to get ready for lunch with my friends. It's been forever since I saw my friends Pippin and Jennifer so we're off to the square for lunch. Maybe I'll take my baby and snap some fun pics of the square. We'll see.

Have a great day guys.
*ciao*
deb

Another great decoupage makeover...

2009-02-07T14:09:00.006-06:00

Sometimes I think that my sis in love and I are on the same brain waves. We tend to have somewhat the same decorating style, and often we are doing similar projects at the same time without even knowing it. I love to paint things that just don't work for me anymore as does she. Her hubby once said that he had to make sure not to stand still for too long or she might just paint him too. He better be careful! Just kidding Javo! We both also love to decoupage, although I have to admit, she is way better at it than I am. Truly, the things she does with that stuff... wow! She makes AMAZING things. Like these boxes that she made me for my birthday a couple of years ago...

They have become quite popular. So much so, that she is now getting lots and lots of orders for them. She can personalize them with your own pictures, sayings, etc. I absolutely love mine.

So anyway, back when I was doing my girls' file cabinet makeover, she emails me and tells me that she just so happened to be doing my niece's desk as well. Of course, I couldn't wait to see it. Did I happen to mention that she is AMAZING??? Well, here is what she did...

See this desk? It was pretty unattractive before this makeover. Cream laminate top. Walnut brown trim around the top and walnut brown legs. It has gone from my sister, to me, to my other sis in love, and finally to Bibi. She decided it would go in my niece's bedroom, but first needed a face lift. I totally agree. So here it is in all it's decoupage glory!! What do you think? Man, I wish I had a before photo! This was not a pretty piece before!!

The magic of paint, paper and Modge Podge is seriously under rated people.

So I am getting ready to start on the laundry room paint project. I've been super busy this week, and couldn't get started. But today is the day. I have dinner (Pork shoulder for pulled pork sandwiches) slow cooking int he crock pot...mmmmmm!!,
The girls have a Wii game to keep them busy, and Alex is outside working on his car. I think this is as good a time as any. Wish me luck.

Have a great Saturday!
*ciao*
deb

Stuck at home... what to do, what to do???

2009-01-28T17:35:00.005-06:00

We were stuck at home today. Fortunately and unfortunately. HUH??? Well, unfortunately we got hit with lots of ice last night. I'm not even kidding, I just sat and watched all those poor people that got stuck on the roads this morning and couldn't move. Fortunately, school was canceled because of it. So we got to have a pajama day at home. But have you ever noticed that when you can't leave your house, you really want to leave your house. Like you have this overwhelming need to get out and go to the store or something. Totally weird. So I decided that I would go shopping. No I'm not crazy. I was not about to hit the roads after sitting for almost two hours this morning watching car after car get stuck on tv. No, I'm perfectly fine shopping right from the comfort of my home. What better way to shop than with jammies and bed head right? Just kidding.

So I shopped my house. I wanted to make something for my mud area that I am creating in my laundry/weight room. Our laundry room is really large. So large that my husband decided to put his weights and the treadmill in there when we first bought our house. It works out well, except when I am in the middle of doing laundry and he wants to lift weights, but that is another story. So anyway, back to my mud area. I have been working on and moving some stuff to "the area" for the past couple of days and decided that I needed something else in there. My dilema... 1. the ice, 2. I've been restricted to necessities only, so no shopping for the rest of the week, 3. I don't really want to get out of my jammies. What to do, what to do?

Well, I went into my magical closet of stuff, and pulled out this...

and this...

then I pulled off some foam core from the back of some pictures I had and hot glued it to my board...

covered it with my fabric and made this...

Oh and the rod iron scroll came from my kitchen. I just didn't like where it was, so I re-purposed it. I needed a place to put lunch menus and Alex's workout routine stuff. He is always losing it. Now it will be right there on the wall. I just need to make some cute push pins for my new bulletin board.

I need to paint the room, which will happen next week, and then I'll show you all my final product. So far, I'm loving it!!

Okay, I'm off to make some yummy chicken enchiladas for dinner. Have a great evening.

*ciao*
deb

A transformation of the chair kind...

2009-01-26T15:27:00.008-06:00

Chairs are easy to transform... as I've already shown you with my kitchen chairs. A little fabric can totally transform a chair. This also holds true to those not so attractive chairs that so many of us have in our offices. The designers of those chairs did not take into consideration the aesthetic aspect of their design. It was all about function with those chairs. Luckily, with some fabric, maybe some paint, and a screw driver, there is some hope for those yucky chairs.

Alex didn't see to much wrong with this chair in the girls' room...

Me on the other hand, well where do I start??? The ugly 1980's old rose fabric, the shiny chrome base, the gross feel of the fabric. I couldn't take it any longer. So out came my spray paint...love that stuff, then I used some fabric from a left over project, and my trusty staple gun, and voila! Instant 60's throwback without the tackiness.

Here's the one that I spend most of my time in. So much better than what it used to look like, and super easy.

Okay, now for the piece de resistance... my ridonculously fantabulous Craigslist find...

So here is the before...uuuggghhh!

and here is the after...

Isn't it beautimous??? Alex kept saying it was an ugly chair. Well just for that, he doesn't get to sit in it. I absolutely love it. And since I was painting anyway, I just painted that planter next to it also. Love the weathered look. I'm thinking it will be serving as a side table. Some weathered rocks in it, and a round glass top to finish it off. I have to admit, I'm kind of looking forward to spring time... kind of I said.

Spend wisely with this tough economy... and a day to remember!

2009-01-20T08:45:00.004-06:00

I've never been one to spend carelessly, although my husband would probably disagree with me. I just don't think guys understand that as a woman, it is very difficult to pass up a good deal. We don't shop at expensive stores, and I don't buy expensive clothes, purses, shoes, etc. I just can't justify it. Even if we were rich, I still couldn't justify it. Plus, I just think there is something really gratifying about making something beautiful, out of something that was thrown out, or not so beautiful. As I am out shopping, it is such a high to see that little red or yellow sticker on something and find that if it is something that I really, really like, I can get it for lots cheaper that it would have been regularly.

That being said, it is a fantabulous high when I find truly awesome things for next to nothing. For example...

I found two of these mercury glass vases at Marshall's for $3 on clearance. They are actually candle holders. The bottom opens up and the candle slides right in.

I also found this framed art piece for $3. I don't like the art, but the frame is good, and it is a good size opening. These are great for putting up pics of the family, favorite quotes, etc. Sometimes clearanced art can be used simply for the frames. In some cases, the frames are much cheaper than they would be if you bought a frame alone. Don't be afraid to look past the bad art to the possible uses of the frame.

My sister actually found this for me. We have been looking for nice, inexpensive wicker furniture for the backyard. She has been much more successful that I have, but the other day she emailed me the Craigslist link for this. The best part about it... it was only $10. With a little paint and a new seat cushion it will be spectacular.

My sister and I actually share the love of finding unique items that we can transform. Last week we took a scavenger trip to different resale shops and we found these...

This shelf was $3. I think it will be finding a home in my bedroom.

These shutters were $1. I had been looking for some old shutters for one of those awkward windows that builders put into houses these days and you just don't know how to decorate. Well, these babies will be getting a fresh coat of black paint and will be adding some significant visual interest to an otherwise blah area.

So my lesson is, you don't have to spend a lot of money to have a nicely decorated home. Look past the way something currently looks, and think about how you could change it. What would it look like with a fresh coat of paint? Is it something you could transform into a different use?

Finally, I can't let today go by without saying that today, I am truly proud of our country. I am so happy that in my lifetime, the United States has made history. As our new President has said over and over, "It is time for change!" Yes, we have changed and as a people, we have proven that anything is possible. There are no racial barriers hanging over our country's head any longer, and I truly feel that our country is taking a step in the right direction.

Okay, I'm off to work on one of my projects. Have a good day.

*ciao*
deb

My Life's Little Confessional...

2009-01-19T16:30:00.006-06:00

I have a confession to make... I get bored easily... with my decor. I start off liking it, but then after a while I want to change it, but as inexpensively as possible. This leads me into my kitchen. I love my kitchen. I love my black cabinets,

my newly painted grout,

my inexpensively made window covering.

But I do not like my kitchen chairs and stools, or I should say, I didn't. Here is the before chair...

The fabric just didn't go. It was okay for a while. It was inexpensive and was a huge improvement from the awful cream colored fabric full of stains that covered these seats before. (Children and cream colored fabric just don't mix. For that matter children and light colored fabric of any kind don't mix.) Well, I decided to redo them. I found a fabulous fabric on sale at Hancock Fabrics, and for $36 dollars I covered 6 chairs and 2 bar stools. What do you think?

Much richer look I think, and the fabric is much better suited to this area.

Okay, I'm off to make some dinner for my family. Oh, and I almost forgot... The Bachelor is tonight...woohoo!!! Do you have a favorite yet??

Have a good evening.
*ciao*
deb

Work space needed...

2009-01-06T18:23:00.004-06:00

So a few months ago I was faced with a dilema... what do you do when you have a child who now has homework daily, has trouble focusing, has a little sister who loves to interrupt and needs a quiet place to work and focus? Well, you find a spot in the house. My problem, was there were too many distractions in all the normal places. So I had to create a workspace for her in her bedroom. Luckily, my girls have a playroom, so aside from the radio, there aren't any toys to turn to. I went in search of a desk. They aren't as easy to find as you would think... especially on a budget. Luckily I happened to walk in to the SalArm on a day when all furniture was half off - YEAH BABY!!! So I found this desk and got it for $20. A little apple green spray paint and we were set.

But of course we need lots of space to work, and all the cute little buckets and tape dispensers just take up too much space... what to do, what to do? So I decided to use this file cabinet that my sister gave me to create storage and extra space. Again, my favorite apple green paint, some wrapping paper and decoupage and voila, instant addition.

Now I don't know about you but every time I do something new to the girl's room, even something this small, they want to spend the rest of the afternoon in there cleaning and organizing. Hhmmm? I wonder what else I can do in there on a weekly basis to get them to do that all the time?

Okay, I'm off to read to them and put them to bed, then to read to me. I finished Outlander and I loved it. Now I have to warn you, there is a bit that is really hard to read, but it is part of the story, so I dealt with it. But the book itself is beautiful. LONG but beautiful. A love story, with a scifi twist. I just started the second one, and I have to say these are the first book since Twilight that I am hooked on. Alex is constantly telling me,"Maybe I should make myself look like a book so you can pay as much attention to me as you do those books." Aaww... sorry baby. Maybe he should read them so he can see what the excitement is about. Try it out. You won't be disappointed.

Have a great evening.
*ciao*
deb

We have a winner...

2008-12-23T18:07:00.009-06:00

Sorry it has taken me so long to post the winner of my little give away. I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I haven't stopped, and I am beginning to run out of steam. But, I thought I would sit for a sec and post the winner. So I had my girls draw the name and here it is...

So Ms. Shannon, email me your info, and I'll be sending this on it's merry way to you. I hope you enjoy it. I am already starting to think up some new crafts for the new year... fun, fun!

Okay, I'm off to make Oreo truffles...MMMMM!!!

To all of my family, friends, and my blog friends, may you all have a joyous and safe holiday. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight.

*ciao*
deb

I love inexpensive crafts...

2008-12-19T20:49:00.004-06:00

So remember when I showed you my inexpensive finds back in like... oh I think it was October...?

Well, I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to do with the blocks. They were a steal at Michaels for like $.20. But what to do with them??? So I decided on this.

Love them... and totally inexpensive. I used the spray paint I had left over from my "He is the Reason" signs, then I cut out the letters using my Cricut machine... love that machine. Then I went and decoupaged it with some Diamond Dust...a.k.a. glass glitter. I actually saw a set like this at Home Goods for like $15 a while back. Mine was waaaayyy cheaper. Don't you just love when you can do things yourself and save tons of money?

On another note... have you all been to the Dollar Tree lately? Lots of fun stuff there. I got some cute things that I am using in a not so normal way. I would show you now, but my camera battery just died so you have to wait until tomorrow. Super cute people. You'll be running to the Dollar Tree... trust me.

Okay, I'm off to read. My sister got me into a new set of books. The first one is called Outlander. Heard of it? If you have let me know what you thought of it.

Oh, and I'm thinking I may be giving one of my "He is the Reason" signs away...

What do you think? I'll be getting my stuff together this weekend to make some more, and I'm feeling awfully generous right now. So if you would like this fun sign for your home, leave me a comment. I'll be drawing a name on Sunday night, and the lucky person will be getting something special.

Now I'm off to read. Have a great night.
*ciao*
deb

An easy little gift...

2008-12-14T08:30:00.003-06:00

So I needed to find a gift for Belle's Religious Education teachers. But what oh what to get them. Then it came to me. I could make their gifts. So off I went to Home Depot and bought a piece of wood for $4.96 and red spray paint for $2.96. Then I went to HobLob to buy two metal crosses for $2.99 each and to my craft room I went. I broke out my Cricut machine... have I mentioned that I LOVE THIS MACHINE??? Well I totally do. I am getting more use out of it, and saving myself some cash in the process. So anyway, I broke out my machine and used it to cut out some vinyl letters and VOILA! Instant art... and inexpensive gift. I totally love it and will be making a few more of these puppies. Do you like?

I have a few other little creations that I'll show you soon. Have a great Sunday.

*ciao*
deb

My Totally Fru-Fru'd Garland

2008-12-13T20:50:00.002-06:00

So I saw this beautiful garland that the Nester created and was inspired to frufru up my own...

Then I saw Kimba's beautiful garland, and after I picked my tongue off the floor, I said,"Well I'm not going to have a plain Jane garland this year."

So I went around the house and collected my greenery. Then I went to HobLob and found some other fun berries and greenery. Then I hit the Dollar Tree and found some jingle bells and snow flakes. So you put them all together and you shake them all about... oh I mean you put them all together (can you tell that someone in this house sings the hokie pokie way too much?) and this is what you get...

What do you think??? I love it. I think it looks so much better than the plain old one I had in years past. Thanks girls for the inspiration.

Check back tomorrow for an easy gift idea...

Have a great night.
*ciao*
deb

My Twilight Review...

2008-12-06T06:56:00.004-06:00

So everyone who reads this knows that I am secretly obsessed with Twilight. Well okay, it's not a secret at all. I absolutely loved the books and have read them all a few times. ANYWAY... I was super, duper excited to see the movie. I had family coming in on opening day, which meant that I HAD to go see it early. There was no way I was going to be able to wait until Monday to go see it. So I got a group of my friends together, we all purchased our tickets together and we went to the midnight showing of Twilight. We were all completely giddy. (Isn't it crazy that a movie could do this to grown women?) We got there at 10PM thinking this was plenty of time to get in line. WRONG!!!! Not only were we late, but the entire theater was completely packed. We sat at the very top (okay like three rows from the top) in the very corner. How crazy is that? All you could see was girls texting, laptop computers out, girls doing their homework... I mean come on people, it was a Thursday night. There was even one poor man who had obviously told his daughter he would take her and her friends, but he was staying too. Yeah, he sure looked thrilled.

So the movie. Did I love it? Weeelllll???? I liked it. I went in expecting that there was no way it could live up to the book. There were funny scenes that were meant to be funny, and there were funny scenes that came from the pure cheesiness of it. I think some of the characters were great, and some were eeehhh. I have to admit that seeing Edward walking into the cafeteria that first time took my breath away. He definitely did a good job. And Charlie was perfect. I love how they gave him that cool aspect. But there was a lot left out of the book. I know that it is difficult to fit a 500 page book into 2 hours, but it seems sooo rushed. I think if I hadn't read the book, I would have probably been lost and confused. And I have to admit, there was a lot of cheese. More than I would have liked. So in the end I give it 3 out of 5 popcorn buckets. Will I see it again you ask? ABSOLUTELY! I mean, hello, it's Twilight. My wish for the next movie I really, really hope that they put more money into it. The effects have to be better. I also really hope that they get another director. Someone who knows how to eliminate the cheese.

Can't wait for countdown to New Moon to start. Woohoo!!

Have a great day.
*ciao*
deb

Better late than never...

2008-11-12T19:40:00.008-06:00

Okay, so it took me a little while to get myself in gear, but I am super happy with the final result. So Chris over at Just a Girl had a party this week.

I haven't been much in the crafting mood lately, but I thought this was a good way to get me into the swing of things. So here is what I decided to make...

I know it looks like it is difficult, but it is pretty easy. All you need is one of these...

these...

and this. It is actually ground glass and it makes it look all sparkly. I'm pretty sure you can find this at the most craft stores.

So I saw this idea about two years ago at Recollections and fell in love with it. I bought the Dazzling Diamonds and just had it sitting around waiting for the inspiration. Thanks Chris for the inspiration. It is really pretty easy. You just cut strips of white scrapbook paper and start adhering them to the paper mache base.

I used Modge Podge for this. This is a little time consuming but well worth it. Then I brushed on more Modge Podge onto all the layers and sprinkled the Dazzling Diamonds onto it. NOTE OF CAUTION!! This is crushed glass, so you want to make sure to do this on newspaper or plastic so that you can collect it safely when you are done. I also plan on adding a silver jingle bell garland to it. We'll see if my vision works or not.

I also made this for my friend Maret...

It looks much better in person. I think I need to make some more of these. I also have some other ideas for Christmas decorations that I need to get moving on. I'll post those as I make them.

Okay, I'm off to bed. We are in countdown mode. Nine more days people!!! I can't wait. I'm actually going with friends to the midnight showing of Twilight. I'm really going to have get my caffeine fix that day, although I have a feeling I won't have a problem staying up.

Have a good night.
*ciao*
deb

and yet another preview...

2008-10-31T09:23:00.004-06:00

I swear, I think I will know the whole movie by the time it comes out, but it is just too hard not to watch these. This one is particularly knee weakening. Take a look.

Am I right or what?

Okay, I'm off to find the rest of Belle's costume. Have a safe night tonight.

*ciao*
deb

An appropriate Halloween time topic...

2008-10-30T21:22:00.004-06:00

So the other morning, my sis in love calls and starts telling me about this girl who was on the radio talking about ghosts. Specifically... how to know if you have a ghost in your home. My sis in love thought about me because of some of the things that this woman mentioned... i.e. electronics constantly breaking down, children under the age of 10 with upper respiratory issues, etc. The woman also mentioned that people who buy antiques or have antiques in their homes, especially antique jewelry, tend to have ghosts who are attached to those items. (Alex totally agreed with this one since he was super excited when I got rid of "the scary mirror" as he called it. In actuality it was my great grandmother's mirror that I grew up with. I am now coming to find out, he wasn't the only one who thought it was a "scary mirror.") I thought this was completely strange, and then I thought about it.

*We are constantly having our electrical appliances breaking down. (Fridge-4 times, washing machine-2 times, big screen, main television, garage door, internet constantly freaking out (including as I type), cable issues, telephone issues, etc.) We don't buy crap, and in fact, Alex usually insists on buying top of the line so we don't have these issues. Well it's not working.

*The upper respiratory issues, well from my previous posts I guess we know the answer to that one.

*Antiques, well aside from the one that I just bought, I have three other pieces. So take your pick.

Did this phone call surprise me? No. About two years ago, I was up in my studio (pre huge custom made desk) sitting at my computer. At that point, the table faced the wall next to the door. Well, quite literally, I saw a man walk past the doorway as if coming out of the media room. I called out to Alex to come back for a minute, of course thinking it was him... and nothing. I called again, and still nothing. Now I was annoyed and got up to go ask why he ignored me. Well, he was downstairs, working in the garage and hadn't been anywhere near the media room. WEIRD!!! Not the only time something strange has happened, and in fact Belle has also seen something.

Well, last night, my mother in love was staying with us, and she saw something too. She didn't say anything to us at the time, but early this morning she told Alex and told him not to say anything to me so that I wouldn't get scared. She said she saw a man in the media room area (same place I saw him before). Kind of weird, but not scary. She said that she didn't feel anything negative at all, which of course is good. So now what? Well, the suggestion is to use smudging sticks to clean out the house. Does this work? Not sure, but it couldn't hurt right?

So here is my question. Do you believe in ghosts? Have you had any experiences with them? Any suggestions?

On another note, the sickies have gone away, thank goodness. Unfortunately, we came to find out that a pulled neck muscle that Bella had was actually the calling card of something more serious. It turns out that her spine is crooked, and she is having some pretty bad nerve pressure in her neck. So to make a very looooonnnnngggg story short, we are going for therapy three times a week. The other major downer for her... no gymnastics for a while. Needless to say, this did not go over well with her. Plus trying to make a child who loves to flip and jump constantly not flip and jump constantly takes some work. Ah, the mom has to play the bad guy again. I really hate playing the bad guy all the time.

Okay, I'm done ranting for a while. I am off to watch Grey's.

Have a Happy Halloween and stay safe.
*ciao*
deb

When it rains it pours...

2008-10-19T23:22:00.004-05:00

I have been so out of the loop the past few days, but it looks like this big green cloud that has been hanging over our house is just about gone. Bella is just finally getting over the asthma that she had for two weeks... TWO WEEKS people!!! My poor baby was practically coughing up a lung. And then as if that wasn't enough, Friday morning she wakes up at 3:45 in the morning screaming. Completely freaked us out. Apparently during the night she had a coughing attack and pulled a muscle in her neck and shoulder. We couldn't get the pain to stop. She literally cried for like 3 hours straight. The worst part about it was that I had to work that day. (Oh yeah I forgot to mention that I started subbing this week.) Talk about bad timing. So I worked on Tuesday, stayed home with her on Wednesday, then worked on Thursday and Friday. Luckily Alex was able to stay home with her on Friday. So to make a long story short, after 2 visits to the chiropractor, lots of stinky baths with apple cider vinegar, ice compresses, and 2 long walks to loosen her up, it looks like she is finally doing better.

Of course, I couldn't let her be the only sick one... oh no!@! I had to go and get laryngitis on Thursday afternoon. So picture me trying to control 20 kindergarten children with no voice. Thank goodness for the microphones in the classroom. Good times people, good times.

So although I have been rendered nurse maid for the past two weeks, I did manage to get in a garage sale this weekend. After taking Belle to the chiropractor, we stopped by a BIG subdivision garage sale near by. Luckily she was feeling well enough because I found this...

I got this for $20. I was so excited. Alex's reaction was of course, "What did you buy?" and "That thing is ugly." Well I kept telling him that by the time I was done with it, it was going to look awesome. After a while he felt guilty and said that he would help me with it by sanding it for me and prepping it, but it was going to take longer because it would be done correctly. That's fine! But I know he is doing it cause he really doesn't want me to use his tools. That's okay, cause I didn't want to use them anyway, and now I get help with my project.

This will be in the girl's room, and painted white. I will be getting rid of that other chest of drawers in there. Maybe my sister will want it. We'll see. Can't wait to show you how it all turns out.

Okay, I'm off to bed. It has been a long week, and it all starts again tomorrow. Have a great night.

*ciao*
deb

Trouble breathing...

2008-10-10T12:43:00.003-05:00

We've got a green cloud of sickness hanging over our house. First Tori, now Belle. Didn't sleep much night before last... only about an hour or so. The asthma got super bad, and now she is on four different medications for the next week. Came really close to being admitted. For now we are home resting, cuddling, and napping. Poor baby. Although I love the fall and all it's color, I hate it for making my baby sick.

She isn't the only one having trouble breathing. I think I almost started hyperventilating when I saw this... remember to breathe everyone.

Twilight HD Exclusive Trailer

OMG!!!!! I can't wait. I saw the one on Entertainment Tonight yesterday, but this one so kicks that one's butt. And that final line that they show... can you say "Curling Toes???" I could just watch it over and over again.

While I'm at home unable to go anywhere, I'm trying to get some organizing done... I'm being rather successful, but I'm realizing just how much I need to get organized. Boy, Goodwill is going to love me this month.

Okay, have a great afternoon.
*ciao*
deb

Trying to get my creative mojo back...

2008-10-04T10:53:00.003-05:00

I've been in a slump lately. Can't seem to feel like doing much on the creative end. I have been up at the girls' school a lot, and between that and the house stuff, it doesn't really leave much room for creativity... but I'm trying. I did make this...

which was used for this...

which went over this.

Then I moved this over here with all of these. I'm thinking of painting this chest. What do you think? White of that yummy apple green???

I also decided to try my hand at making some tassels. This is my first one. What do you think? I think I'm going to give it to my mom as a little present. She is with us this weekend and I thought it would be a fun little gift for her since she is constantly bringing us little gifts.

We all still seem to be on the mend here, and we are trudging through getting use to school day routines. Homework is a major chore and source of frustration which we are trying to find a solution to. I honestly don't know how you all homeschoolers do it. I taught for a few years and I can't imagine doing it with my own children. It seems like they resist, and seem to think that mom doesn't know how to do it right. HELLO!!! I taught this stuff, but whatever. Anyway, just venting a little.

Okay, have a beautiful Saturday, and I'll post more of the girls' room once Alex has finished a couple of other project for that room.

*ciao*
deb

There's something in the water that I need to stay away from...

2008-09-22T17:55:00.005-05:00

Wow, I can't believe it's been a week since my last post. The time is just flying by and I seem to be super busy lately. Between things I'm doing for the school, projects here at home, plus sickie children, I don't seem to have as much time on my hands as I thought I would. My day just seems to fly by and I'm really not as productive as I would like to be.

I did get the chance to go with my friend Maret the other day to get her some Halloween decor. I just love decorating other people's houses, and helping them spend their money. I'm sure it makes my hubby happy too. Anyway, we stopped by Michaels just in time to get these puppies at half off. I'd had this urn for years and had wanted to do something fun with it, so voila. Add some raffia to the base and cut a hole in the pumpkins and this is what you get.

I also had some raw burlap that I had used last year. I just sewed, yes I sewed the edges and made myself a little runner. Totally wavy and not at all even or symmetrical, but I kind of like the natural look I have going on. Then I added these mini urns I found at a resale shop here. Quite a bargain at $.50 each. Add a little faux pumpkin and we're all done.

Oh, and I have to share my favorite bargain from last week. So I went with my sister shopping at the outlet mall near her house. They have a great Marshall's there, and look what I found on clearance for $20. This was regular $90. It goes perfect in my dining room. Now I just need to decide on the window treatments. Right now I'm thinking that I want something natural in there, like some nice burlap, or linen or something. We'll see.

I've been creating some fun Halloween decor for my sister, who has been sicker than a dog for the past three months... yes she is pregnant, and doesn't have much energy to do anything. Yes people, there is something in the water, and I need to stay far, far away from it. Everyone and their sister is getting prego right now. My sis, my cousin, a family friend, another family friend, and my friend just had her fourth baby. Yes, I need to make sure that I don't drink their brand of water. Although my girls have been asking me to have two babies... one for each of them. WHATEVER!!! Anywho, back to my original story, my sis asked me to make her some fun stuff for her house. Well my favorite toy right now is definitely my Cricut. I have been cutting different little things out of vinyl, which I'm totally loving. I wanted to make her a fun "Boo" sign, and this is what she got. It'll look totally cute on an easel.

I also made this fun, simple little picture frame. I'm make so much use out of my scrapbook stuff I haven't touched in months.

It hasn't all been crafting and shopping here. This weekend, I got a wild hair and decided (while in the middle of switching out all of my girls' summer/winter clothes) that I would move their room around. Well, I'm still working on it. I will post pics of that adventure in the coming days. But for now, I am off to put some steaks on the grill, put my girls to bed, and get ready for the Heroes premier. Can't wait.

Have a great night!
*ciao*
deb

Working on a new look, and working on some other fall things...

2008-09-15T17:37:00.007-05:00

So I'm working on a new look for my blog. More me. In fact, the background to this one, is actually the the print on the fabric that I made curtains out of for our downstairs powder bath. I have a lot of black and white in our house. My studio is black and white with green, so this suits me just right. I still have to work on the banner, so bear with me. That should be fixed int the next couple of days.

I've been running around so much lately, helping out a lot at the girls' school, putting together the school newsletter, running around with family and friends, that I hadn't had a lot of time to work on the rest of my fall ideas. I did see some great stuff the other day on The Square. Super easy, and super expensive there. I thought to myself,"I can totally make that." So I am working on that. Plus I saw some other fun ideas while in blog land. It is amazing how talented all these women in blogland are, and I have just gotten more ideas. I am putting some "Holiday Decorating Baskets" together for a couple of my friends and family. I thought that would be a fun little "Boo" present.

While out shopping with my friend Maret, we stopped by Big Lots to get her a spider web and a few other goodies. Well, look what we found...

This cute little metal pumpkin was $12. I love it. I just added some fall ribbon, also from Big Lots and tada... fall door. Oh, and that witchy crow down there... yeah, $4 from HobLob at the end of last season. Love her.

We also found these fun spider votive candles for $2. Super cute!!!

Then, while checking in on my blog friends, I found that Joy had posted about this little craft. Who would have thought of using those cheap little frames from the Dollar Tree for this craft? Well she did, so again, I copied it. Love them. Some of my friends will be getting these.

So since I now have a new door treatment, I wasn't sure what to do with my twig wreath. I really wanted to be able to use it, but not quite sure where. Well, I decided to use it as part of a center piece for the kitchen table. Not sure if I am loving the hurricane or not. Maybe I need a big pumpkin there. What do you think?

Here is one of my dollar crows from Dollar Tree. I had my mom send them to me from San Antonio. They never had them here, and believe me I looked... a lot. Oh, and do you see my Bombay Co. candle stick? $1 at GW.

I also got the chance to go thrifting with my sister last week. It had been a while since we had done this and we were really hoping to find some good stuff. Well, we got a couple of things but nothing major. I did find a gold sconce for $1.99. I didn't take a before picture, but here it is transformed with my bargain frame (I think I paid $3) from Garden Ridge. Add a faux pear and we're all set. I know, I know, a picture would help, but I haven't made it to Costco yet.

And finally... wow there has been a lot of pics haven't there? Anyway, I got this yucky arrangement... seriously who thought this was gorgeous??? at a yard sale on my way back from thrifting. I paid $3, but I thought the urn, which is really all I wanted, was worth that. Stay tuned to see what I do with that.

Okay, I made a yummy brisket for dinner, and I think it is ready so I have to go. Have a great night.
*ciao*
deb

Where were you on 9/11??

2008-09-11T06:30:00.004-05:00

It seems like such a long time ago, but my measurement of time as far as Sept. 11th goes will always be my Belle. She was 3 months old at the time, and I remember sitting on the couch with her in my arms all day watching the reports with tears streaming down my eyes the whole time. Our morning started off with Alex leaving late for work, since he had worked the night before. I had just said goodbye to him when he came running back in and said,"Turn on the TV, they just reported that a plane crashed into the Pentagon." I turned on the television to see the towers burning? I didn't understand what was happening. I thought he said the Pentagon not the towers. Then it all became clear. There was a fear and a feeling in the pit of my stomach that I had never felt before. I sat there, watching it, not able to turn away. Shocked and crying uncontrollably as I watched people jumping to their deaths. It was like a really bad dream. How could this be happening here? Things like this don't happen here.

Suddenly, the towers were gone, and they start talking of other hijacked planes. It seemed like they were picking up suspects linked to the events all over the place. My mother called and said the FBI had gone to look for one of the doctors where she worked because his name was on one of the manifests, and they believed he was one of the hijackers. Two other men were picked up here at the bus station with lots of cash, and weapons? It just seemed like we were all waiting to see where they would hit next.

I remember in the days that followed, I told Alex that I was sad that Belle would be our only baby. I didn't feel at that point that I wanted to bring another baby into this world. It wouldn't be fair. (Luckily I changed my mind, and now have my beautiful Tori.) But then, it was a fear within me for my family, my child, my husband. 7 years later, I look back at it, and it still seems like a really bad dream, and although we sometimes forget even the nightmares that we have now and then, this nightmare we were all awake for, we all lived through, and we will never forget.

*ciao*
deb

It's starting to feel like fall...

2008-09-08T22:57:00.004-05:00

Or at least it is starting to look like it from in here. Actually, we are getting some storms, and the temperatures have dropped so maybe I am channeling fall after all. So I broke out my Halloween decor and started going to town in my house. I still have lots to put out. I didn't realize I had so much, but while going through all of it, I realized that my tastes have changed. I am wanting a more elegant classic Halloween look, rather than the light up plastic jack-o-lantern look of before. So I may have to add some of this stuff to my garage sale pile. I took some pics of what I have put out so far. What do you think?

Okay, I got a fabulous deal... well okay, not fabulous, but a whole heck of a lot better deal than it was priced at... on this cloche. Michaels had them on clearance for $19. I had a 40% off coupon and I asked if I could use it on this. The guy said sure, so I got it for a little over $11. Cha-ching!!! The pedestal was 50% off at HobLob. I love how it looks.

Okay, see this spider web and spider? Yeah...$4 at Big Lots. Run people, don't walk. How cute is this?

And here is a look at our family room with some of the decor up. I plan to change the candles on the mantle to urns with pumpkins. I'm going thrifting with my sis on Wednesday, so I will be in search of the perfect urns then.

So that is it for now. I still have more to put out, but that will have to wait for tomorrow. I am way tired, and since there are storms on the way, I have a feeling we will be visited by some little people at some point tonight. Ahhh, the joys of sleeping on 6 inches of bed, and getting kneed in the back. Don't you love it?

Have a great night.
*ciao*
deb

I'm such a copy cat...

2008-09-06T19:09:00.008-05:00

I have been totally MIA this week. Alex took the week off and we were out doing things, movies, lunch, etc. The week totally got away from us, and we didn't accomplish nearly what we had wanted. Then to top it off he got sick. To the point where he was asking me for medicine. I knew he was really sick when he was asking for different kinds and wanted it sooner than the recommended dose. So needless to say, I've been a bad, bad blogger. But I have been keeping up with what others are doing, and I have been creating myself.

So I have seen so many cute Halloween / Fall decor ideas on all kinds of different blogs, and I just had to copy some of the things that I saw. So first there was this idea that I saw on Marie's Blog.

Super easy and cost about $3 with a Michaels coupon. The best part about it is I finally found a reason to use those Creative Memories foam stamps that I have in my stash.

Next I saw this idea on Shannon's Blog. So I was at Walgreen's the other day and I saw these pumpkins...

I knew they would be perfect. So I broke out my Cricut machine and cut out the letters out of black vinyl. They didn't stick as well as I would have liked, so I just added some glue to them and voila.

I'm also in the process of making my Happy Halloween garland, so I'll post that as soon as it is done and in place.

Aside from my fall creations, which I have more up my sleeve, I have been working on the darn grout. I have to say that it is looking spectacular. If you remember this is what the area near the girls' eating area looked like before...

Here is the after. Much better I think.

This is the area next to the sink and the dishwasher. HORRIBLE area!!!

And here is the after. I am so excited. My floors actually look clean. I can't tell you how frustrating it was to sweep and mop and still have the floors looking disgusting. Well no more.

So I am now going up to the attic to get down the rest of my fall decor. I am so in the mood, and the temps are a little cooler. Maybe if I decorate for it, it will come... (I'm so channeling Field of Dreams right now.) Oh, and I want to thank all of you who left me comments on my girls' playroom post. I got some great ideas. I am still undecided as to what exactly to do, but I definitely will be making a change in there. Although the yellow is happy, it is just to bright and cheery for me. I need something a little more toned down. So we'll see what I come up with.

Okay, I'm off to put my little ones to bed, and catch up on my shows. I haven't been able to watch any of them since Alex has been home. I am so excited that One Tree Hill, 90210, and Gossip Girl started this week. I know, I know... how old am I? Whatever people, I like what I like.

Have a great evening.
*ciao*
deb

Happy Labor Day...

2008-09-01T13:55:00.003-05:00

So I have been totally lazy this whole weekend, and have loved it. I just don't feel like doing much, although looking around the house, I keep thinking of things I should be doing. I am still working on my grout, which is looking fabulous but I can only do it in spurts as my back starts bothering me. Then I keep looking at the girls playroom, and it is totally bothering me. It has bothered me for a long time. I guess really since I first painted it. It is just too bright for me and really doesn't go with the rest of the house. My thought is that I am going to paint the walls a more neutral color, like a taupe and then focus on the chocolate, hot pink and white that is in there already. I am really considering painting the picture molding in there, which I really hate. It is so hard to hang any sort of wall treatments in there. What do you think???

Any ideas on what I should do? I am just tired of it and need a change. I still want it to be fun, but since it is the first room to the right of entering our home, I feel like it needs to really be more like the rest of the house and not scream "Children under 10!!!"

Okay, on to something about me and not my house. I was tagged by Brandi at the Berry's Patch. She has some fabulous ideas and way inspiring photos. Go check her out.

Okay so I'm supposed to list 6 unimportant things about me. Hmmm??? Let me think.

1. I am totally obsessed with the weather. Seriously, this runs in my family. (Mother, me, Bella) It's not a good thing.

2. I hate onions, but love onion rings... go figure.

3. I like containers... all kinds. Half the time I don't even know where I'm going to use them, but I just end up buying them.

4. I have trouble saying no. Don't know why, but I do, and then I overextend myself because of it.

5. I like fish sandwiches from McDonalds. I know... eeewww!!! I've heard it before but I do.

6. I'm afraid of dogs. Always have been. I'm getting better, but it's still a thing with me.

So that's it. A little randomness about me. Okay, so now I'm going to tag a few people. I tag......

Bella's Momma from Bits and Pieces of a Blessed Life

Kimba from A Soft Place to Land

Susie from Bienvenue

Joy from Joys of Home

Nikki from Nikki's Nacs

Marie from Watch the Wind Blow By

Okay, I'm off to get some things done today. I really need to make use of this Labor Day, and do some sort of labor. Have a great day. Hopefully you aren't being impacted by Gustav, but if you are or have been... may prayers to you.

*ciao*
deb

Everything I learned, I learned from my mom...

2008-08-28T08:24:00.005-05:00

I have to say that I come from a line of crafty women. Not all the women in our family got the craftiness, as my cousins can attest, but I got lucky. My grandma was quite the crafty woman, and during her time on this earth she had quite a collection of supplies. My mom and aunts were dreading having to clean out my grandma's stash when she passed away, she had that much stuff. My aunt wanted to send it to me, but I have my own "stuff" to deal with.

Growing up my mom did all kinds of things. We were very much the "do it yourself" house of women. We grew very independent and found ways of doing things inexpensively. That has stuck with me, and I have followed that rule while decorating our home. Now it seems that my mom is taking pointers from me. Every time we talk, she asks me what new project I'm doing. When I first told her that I was going to paint my kitchen cabinets, she really thought that it was a bad idea. That is until she saw them. So what did she think of them? Well I guess she liked them because she went home and did this to her bathroom.

So here is the before...

and here is the after...

I think she did an amazing job, and did you notice she even made some of the squares for her wall over the toilet area. By the way, that shower curtain... yup, it's a sheet. Oh and she made the frame for the mirror, then painted it using a pewter kit from Michaels. Great job mom. Looks awesome.

Okay, I'm off to paint some more grout. It is looking amazing. Alex is way impressed, and it seriously looks like brand new tile in there. Woohoo!!!

Have a great day.
*ciao*
deb

Spray paint to the rescue...

2008-08-26T17:33:00.007-05:00

So over the past few months, spray paint has become my friend. Yes, we were once strangers out of fear, and misunderstanding, but I have come to love this friend of mine. Why you ask? One word... CONVENIENCE! It is just so easy to use, fast to dry and if you don't like it, choose and different color and start over. I have found many ways to use it as you can see in my previous posts. Here are a few other things that I have invited my friend to beautify for me.

First I found these wall tins at Marshall's. Perfect for my stairway, that is weird, and hard to decorate, and dark.. Anyway, as you can see they aren't the same color. Actually the two that are the same print were different colors, which totally wouldn't work for what I wanted to do. One was the color of the center tile and the other was green. I know... GREEN? So i broke out my tan spray paint and painted them the same base coat. Then I went back with some black paint that I brushed on and wiped off. This got the paint into the crevices and gave me the perfect look that I needed. So now they match and work perfectly. I'm hoping Alex will hang these up for me this weekend.

These candle holders were Goodwill finds. They were ugly. Actually I really wish I had taken a before pic so you could see how ugly they were. They were white and gold and crackled. Yuck. So I just broke out my favorite black can of paint and voila.

This pedestal was brown, dated and ugly, but it was only $1. See for yourself.

Again, I broke out my spray paint, then sanded it down a little so it isn't so perfect.

Finally, a little Halloween decor. See those BOO letters in the pic with the ugly pedestal before pic? Well, I decided to use more spray paint for those.

I spray painted them black first. Then I tried to crackle them. Well that didn't work out so well, so I just painted them white. Not super white, but just a light coating of white. Then I went back and sanded the edges. I wanted them to look rough. I think I accomplished that. Super easy, and really inexpensive. I got the letters at Michaels on clearance for $.49 each. BARGAIN!!!

Okay, I am off to work on my grout. I also am finishing off a cute Halloween project that I saw today. I'll share those pics tomorrow.

Have a great evening.
*ciao*
deb

First day and a tease...

2008-08-25T23:21:00.011-05:00

Well the day has finally arrived. I am an empty nester... as far as having little ones who don't go to school are concerned. My baby started Kindergarten today, and I have to say I did get a little emotional today. I am so used to having my shadow with me everywhere I go, that I found myself stopping and looking behind me to find her. It was weird. Of course she was nervous this morning and kept saying, "Mom, my stomach is feeling funny." In the end, both my girls did great. After school they were both little chatter boxes about what they did, and who they saw, and during dinner, Tori tells me, "Mom, I really love school." THANK GOODNESS!!! I ran into her teacher while making copies for her at school and I asked if Tori had cried, and she said no, but that she was quite the chatty Kathy. Well, unfortunately that runs in the family. Look at me, I couldn't shut up if my life depended on it.

So I started my project for the "Spray Paint Party", but have been so busy that I haven't finished it. But tomorrow is the day. I will do it tomorrow, I will, I will, I will. I have a list of projects that I want to do, and now I have no excuse. I also have a little bit of a tease to show you. I am painting the grout in the kitchen as I have said, and Alex is loving it. Well, he would ABSOLUTELY love it if it was the exact same color as the original grout, but since we can't find that, this will have to do. And from what we are seeing, it is a MAJOR improvement over what was there. So here are some before and during pics.

So this is what I walk into everyday. The area where the girls sit and eat most of their meals when it is just them eating. Like most kids their age, they make a mess. I swear I think they drop food more than they eat it. Popsicle stains, water or juice stains, paint stains, you name it and it has fallen on the grout. Well, okay almost everything...YUCK. My point is, it is hard to keep the grout looking nice when you have messy eaters. So I have had it with this area, and now I have a solution. It is really simple. I am using the same paint that Judy used and even the same color...Linen. It is a slow process, but it is actually kind of addicting. You find yourself wanting to finish more, and more, and more. So now you've seen the before of this area... GROSS! Tomorrow I'll post the after of this area. Oh, and hopefully my completed Spray project.

Okay, I'm off to get some sleep. Have a great evening.
Deb

Three things...

2008-08-23T22:13:00.003-05:00

1. Getting ready for the beginning of school means trying to get our routine in order, and working on the PTA Newsletter (my new job). Girls are totally excited and I'm a little nervous but thats okay.

2. I am totally painting my kitchen floor... GROUT that is. I read about it on both Southern Hospitality and Gracious Southern Living, and decided to give it a try. All I can say is AMAZING!!! All my frustration with my horrible floor is being literally painted away. I will post some pics of the finished product soon.

3. Finally, Joy is hosting a Spray Painting Party on Monday. Hmmm? What can I paint now. I have some ideas. Check back on Monday to find out.

4. Okay so I forgot one major thing... apparently someone leaked some chapters of Midnight Sun on the internet. Google it for yourself and you can read like the first 12 chapters. OMG!!!

Okay, now I'm off to bed. Lots to do tomorrow. Have a great evening.

*ciao*
Deb

wall squares and how many more days...

2008-08-20T19:29:00.005-05:00

So I finally finished my version of the wall squares I've been seeing on all the different blogs I stalk. I first saw them here and thought that would be the perfect thing for one of the random walls in Alex's office. The best part about it was it was really inexpensive. What do you think?

I had read that a lot of people had used styrofoam or core board to do this, but some said it came out bumpy. So I decided to use some left over MDF that Alex had in the garage. I asked him to cut out some 12x12 squares for me, then I just used Modge Podge to adhere the paper. I liked the way it looked but it still needed some aging, so I used my handy cat's eye chalk ink pad (i love that thing), and some left over furniture tacks that I had, and voila... instant art.

The verdict is still out about the piece hanging next to these squares. I'm not sure it goes there, or if I should try something different there. Any suggestions?

So we have four days left until school officially starts. Everywhere I go you see mothers with frustrated looks on their faces. There are people everywhere trying to get their kids ready for school... clothes, school supplies, etc. The kids are excited and hyper and... well you know the rest. So I am standing in line at HobLob yesterday, and my girls were on my last nerve. Seriously I was considering strapping them both into the seats of the cart and just pushing around two carts, but then they would have thought that was hilarious. So I'm standing in the check out, and the woman in front of me is having a really hard time with her kids. I'm talking, she needed a good 4 hour, bottle of wine (not glass mind you), Calgon take me away bath. So I'm standing there totally feeling for the woman, and she turns and says, "How many more days till school starts?" Girlfriend I feel for you.

Okay, I'm off to fold laundry and get my girls in bed. I've been trying all week to get them to bed at 7:30...yeah, not being so successful with that. I'm so not looking forward to the getting up reeeeaaaalll early part of school starting.

Have a good night.
*ciao*
deb

is it fall yet???

2008-08-19T00:01:00.000-05:00

I am starting to get the Halloween decorating bug. I have seen several stores with the decor for Thanksgiving and Christmas up, but I keep thinking, "Hey, what happened to Halloween?" After visiting some blogs and seeing the vintage Halloween look using banners, and cloches, and lots of unusual items, the wheels in my head are turning. So here are some pictures of some fun ideas I've found online.

Angela at Cottage Magpie gives us a tutorial on making a "Boo" Garland. Check it out. Soooo easy.

Jen at The Cottage Nest has some great ideas for decorating your mantle for the Hollowed Day. Check out her blog for some fun ideas.

Susie over at Bienvenue made this awesome tree with some spooky black birds in it. I'm definitely going to making this. And the best part, is the birds were found at the Dollar Tree. Go check out her other great ideas.

Paula over at Olivers made these fun skeleton candle holders. Elegant and fun. She also has amazing ideas that you just need to check out.

How about this idea for your front door area. It is from Lemon Annie's Blog. I want to make some of these for each side of my front door. I just want them to be faux pumpkins so I don't have to buy new ones each year.

Bella also has a fun idea using a thrift found tin bucket, feathers and pumpkins. Check her out.

I have a couple of Halloween decor projects that I'm working on, so I'll post them when I'm done.

Do you have some Halloween ideas you want to share. Let me know, and we'll do a part Deux to this idea fest.

Have a great day.
*ciao*
deb

the mistreatment club...

2008-08-18T09:13:00.008-05:00

i stand up proudly and say, I am a member of this club. After sitting and reading some of the other blogs involved in the Nester's mistreatment party, I realized I have lots of mistreatment in my house. Actually a lot more than I thought I did.

So here are a few of my greatest mistreatments for your viewing pleasure.

Okay so first of all, I have to say that probably my favorite mistreatment material is SHEETS! HUH? I know. But they are huge, come in some great colors now, and can be used for lots of stuff.

Fist up here is the shower curtain that I made out of... a sheet and a yard of not so cheap fabric for our hall bathroom. The benefit here is that I got the sheet at Target for $10 and bought the fabric on sale for like $5. So for $15 dollars I got a shower curtain that is the right length, the right color, and only took me about an hour to make.

Next we have the curtains in the girls' playroom. Two king size sheets that I cut a hole in the top pocket of and hung on a pole. Thats it. Add some colorful tie backs and you're done.

Another king size sheet with some left over black and white fabric as a top valance and a glue gun to add some fun pop pop fringe and I've got another cute shower curtain to go in the bathroom of my studio.

Next we have the window treatment in the girls' bedroom. I made the valance, then...

stapled it to a piece of wood and some "L" brackets. I didn't even cover the wood from the backside. I probably should do that though.

The white panels are left over fabric my sister gave me, but it was too short. Not to worry, I just added some leftover fabric from their bedding to the bottom. Don't get to close though, it's quite a hideous job.

And finally in the spirit of reusing, I made this valance for that odd window that is in a spot where, really what can you do with it anyway. The fabric for this came from a bed skirt that my aunt gave me a while back. The colors were nice but didn't go with my bedroom. Well, I most certainly couldn't let it go to waste. So, tada...

Do you have mistreatments? You might be surprised. I was.

I'm working on an art project for the main office here. I'm just about through so hopefully I'll post those pics tomorrow.

Also, is fall here yet. It is getting nice and cool here and I am totally in the mood for some Halloween decor ideas. Got any? If you do, send them to me. I'm putting together some ideas to post.

Okay, gotta go feed the kiddos.

Have a great day.
*ciao*
deb

Thank you and an away project...

2008-08-12T00:13:00.008-05:00

First of all, thank you to all of you who emailed and left me your beautiful comments on our recent loss. It means a lot to have such sweet people out there reading my little rants. We got back safely last night, and hit the ground running today. I had a PTA meeting, grocery shopping and laundry to do, so I am just now getting around to posting.

So although I was away, I was presented with a project opportunity, and from what I hear my eyes were huge with excitement about it. So, Saturday morning, we wake up prepared to start boxing up Alex's grandma's things and help out my mother in love in any way we could. Who could have imagined the work that would be done that day. So my sister in love tells me that they have a project that only I can do. Of course I have no idea what they are talking about. So the mission, if I should choose to accept it... very mission impossible huh?... is to paint his grandmother's furniture. Alex's grandmother lived with his mom, and so having it there in it's current state was going to make it that much harder for her. So I jumped at the chance. The only problem was that I had one day to do it, since we were leaving early Sunday morning. So we opted for... you guessed it... SPRAY PAINT!!! It worked great. I went off to Lowes, with my sister in love, to get all the tools we needed. We were totally surprised to see all the furniture laying out on a tarp and my nephew sanding and Bella wiping them down, all ready to be painted. I had to take some befores of everything layed out. (Click on each pick so you can see all the details.)

And here are the afters...

They looked amazing when all was said and done. We decided to go with a green color since that is my mother in love's favorite color. Then we added a little gold rubbing wax to the edges to make everything pop. We finished this project in about 4 hours, but we couldn't have done it without everyone's help. You should have seen that house... it was like there were little worker bees everywhere, buzzing around. Hopefully those are the memories my mother in love will have when she sees all the changes that have been made. Thank you Bibi and Javo, and all the little ones for all your help with this. I couldn't have done it without you.

Okay, I am off to bed. Still trying to recover.

Have a great night.
*ciao*
deb

away for a bit and a recognition...

2008-08-07T16:42:00.002-05:00

So we are out of town spending time with family and getting ready for Alex's grandma's funeral. We got word on Monday of her passing, and so we all headed to EP for the services. It's been nice seeing family, but it's hard seeing my mother in love going through this. We are trying to make things as easy on her as possible and trying to help out as much as we can. The hardest part about the trip has been answering the questions that the girls have about death. Tori kept asking yesterday,"What happens to her body?" We explained to her that her body is sleeping and that her spirit is in heaven now. Not good enough. So she asked, and asked, until Bella finally told her,"It flies up to heaven magically." Well, apparently that was good enough for her, and the questions ended. But aside from that, they keep asking where she is now, and Bella seems to be a little concerned about someone dying because they are sick. She was really concerned with me having a migraine the other day, and kept asking me,"Mom are you going to be okay? Are you sure mom? I'm scared." My poor little one.

On a happy note... I got an email the other day from Mary from At Home Redesigns asking if she could profile one of my ideas from my girls' bedroom. Wow, what an honor. She has some really great ideas, and she profiles some fun blogs with neat ideas, so check her out.

I've had a hard time getting an internet connection here, so when I do get on, I am all over the blogs I am missing. So far I have some ideas for projects to do when I get home. I have actually been eying some Goodwill stores here. I think I may go check things out there, and see if I find anything fun. I'll update later.

Okay, I'm off to say hi to some family. Have a great evening.
*ciao*
deb

My girls' room...

2008-08-01T14:48:00.008-05:00

Since I haven't worked on any projects the last few days, I figured I'd post some pics of my girls' room. About 3 years ago, when we were ready to put Tori into a big girl bed, we decided to move Bella into the same room. She didn't want to sleep alone anymore, and had actually been sleeping on a futon in Tori's nursery for about 4 months. Since Christmas time was just around the corner, we decided to fix their room for them as part of their Christmas. I purchased all the fabric at this great store we have here, and was able to make both comforters, pillow shams, Euro pillows, bed skirts, and the curtain for $150. Alex did the painting, and although a little bold for us at the time, we both loved how it turned out.

I got the shadow boxes for $5 at a local scrapbook store. Perfect for some of their many stuffed animals.

I knew I needed some art in there, and I wanted something that was totally for them; described them, and that they could relate to. So I purchased some stretched canvas frames, and decided to paint the art for the bedroom myself. They were so proud of it. It is totally childish, but they love it.

And here is my favorite redo... the bulletin board. It awaits some of their pictures, drawings, or any of the other papers that they can never part with.

So there you have it. i am currently in the process of making some of these

to hang in their room. What do you think???

Okay, I'm off to get ready and make something for dinner. I am sooooo excited. I am going with some friends to get the new book from the Twilight series tonight. WOOHOO!!! Can't wait. Can you guess what I'll be doing for the next few days??? It will come in handy on the long, long, long drive to EP.

Okay, have a great day.
*ciao*
deb

Look what I got....

2008-07-30T08:48:00.011-05:00

So first, thank you for all of your birthday wishes for my little one. She had a great day. We started if off by going to go see Kit Kittridge, the American Girl movie. The girls loved it. I loved it. My friend Pippin and her girls loved it. It was a great movie. The best part about it, is that it gives you the opportunity to talk to your children about a subject that many aren't very familiar with, the depression. It is a subject that is easier to explain when they have some form of reference, and the movie does just that. It was wonderful.

Then we went to play with Pippin's girls for a while and ate some lunch. Well that is when I got this...

About a year ago, I made a trade with Pippin. I did some sewing for her girl's rooms, and she GAVE me the chair. Isn't it fabulous? It now sits proudly in my bedroom. I needed a big, comfy chair in there to read on and for Alex to sit and put his shoes on. So excited.

Since I'm showing you the bed area, here is a little look at our bedroom and Alex's office (which is the entry to our bedroom).

I hate the way the wires look coming from behind the desk, but we need to get longer wires. So for now, there it is.

As for projects this week... well they are currenly on hold. It looks like we will be going EP sometime this week, as Alex's grandma isn't doing well, and they don't expect her to make it through the weekend. So I am in prep mode. Laundry, tentative packing, Alex is getting new tires for the truck as we speak. The girls are asking lots of questions about "Tita". Death is a hard subject to talk about with little ones. They want to know why she has to go. Why can't her body just get better. I notice that Bella is more concerned about it since she is closer to Tita than Tori is. Bella would go in, during our visits, and just talk and talk and talk to Tita. The funny part is that Tita didn't understand a lot of what Bella was saying since she only speaks Spanish. But that has never stopped Bella. So anyway, please say a little prayer for Tita that she will go in peace.

Okay, I am off to make some breakfast for my girls, and fold some laundry. I am nursing a headache, that isn't quite as bad as it was yesterday, but is still just an annoyance. I feel like I have a hangover. Yucky feeling.

Have a great day.
*ciao*
deb

Transformations... of all different kinds...

2008-07-29T00:07:00.011-05:00

Things transform with paint, with fabric, with time. Today I am sharing some transformations that I've created for my girls' room, for one of our bathrooms (we have 4 which is a lot of toilets to clean), and one that has taken five years to create.

So here is the before of a mirror that I found while out with my mom yard saleing the other day. There were two identical mirrors for $2... total. When I saw them I envisioned them looking totally cute in my girls' room.

So with the help of my hubby and his trusty jigsaw, some spray paint (have I said that I love spray paint), and a few other things...I now have this...

What do you think. I love it. A fun, whimsical bulletin board for their room.

Now here is something I found at HobLob. After reading about all the deals everyone online was finding, I headed out to find some myself.

Well, I didn't get quite the same kind of deals, but I did get some fun stuff. I loved the look of this basket, but it wasn't the right color. Well, again I turn to my trusty spray paint, and voila...

I have the perfect magazine rack for my powder bath.

I also found this fun topiary at a garage sale for $3. It is originally from The Home Expo. I haven't done a thing to it except clean it up. It now sits in my kitchen right by my computer. Love how it looks.

And finally, the transformation that has taken 5 years... my little Tori is 5 years old today. What a transformation. Ah, my little one. She is full of life... always. She is loving... will come up to me and tell me out of nowhere, "Mama, I love you." or "Mama, you're beautiful." She is dramatic... seriously, this one could and will probably win an Academy Award someday. I am actually considering putting her into acting classes. She is kind... she will remind me when we are in the car and I am getting frustrated with another driver, "Mama, don't say something mean because it will hurt their feelings and we don't want that." She is independent - but she isn't... she can play all day and talk to her dolls, and play pretend on her own, but she has to know where I am every second of the day. I can't tell you the last time I was able to go to the restroom by myself without having her frantically looking for me.

Her first birthday...

And now...

So here is our little Tori. Growing up way to fast for me. I told her that I didn't want her to grow up, and that I wanted her to stay little. So the other day she tells me, "Mama, I can't eat anymore because then I'll grow and you want me to stay little." Oh my little one, you'll always be little to me. Happy Birthday little one.

Have a great day.
*ciao*
deb

The art of "SIGN" language...

2008-07-28T08:13:00.016-05:00

Over the past few years it seems that the type of art that we put in our houses has changed quite a bit. We are doing more iron art, old vintage signs, and letters. I have fully embraced this alternative art form in our home. As I was walking around the house yesterday, I realized that I have a lot of words in the house. But I think they all bring a whimsical homeyness (is that a word) to the space.

I made these shortly after we moved into our house. They have gone through a few transformations and a few moves.

I'm not loving these plaques anymore. I'm probably getting rid of them soon.

I know it's a lot huh? Look around your home, and see what kind of "sign" language you have. It might be more than you thought.

My mom was in town visiting us last week, and she told us about these awesome hooks that they have used to hang up difficult to hang items (i.e. heavy, awkward size, or just regular pics) without having to use anchors in the wall. They are called Hercules Hooks. We got them at Bed Bath and Beyond using a 20% off coupon so they came out to about $12. Not cheap, especially when you are used to getting stuff for really cheap lately, but they are well worth it. We hung up some stuff here, including my plates that I have been collecting over the past several weeks. What do you think?

(Note: I didn't use those expensive hooks to hang these. I am saving them for the heavier stuff I have to hang.)
I have more pics to show of some great buys we found while my mom was here and a few transformations, but I'll save those for tomorrow.
Have a great day, and stay out of the heat. It is suppose to be 104 here today. We will definitely be keeping cool.

*ciao*
deb

the wonderful world of Craigslist...

2008-07-24T08:57:00.009-05:00

I love to go garage saleing... but I just have a hard time getting out there early enough. Plus, many times the ones I get to don't have what I am looking for. Well, low and behold, some genius came up with the concept of the online garage sale. BRILLIANT!!! If you're patient, and lucky, you can find the most amazing deals on Craigslist. Well, my sister has found the most amazing deals on Craigslist, I have yet to find exactly what I want. For example, she bought these wicker chairs which she has painted and added to her front porch.

$20, a coat of paint and some clearance cushions and voila, a beautiful porch. Then she found this for her sunroom, also for $20.

She is still undecided as to the color this will be when it is all done. She was inspired by the Nester's stars, and decided to put up some of her own.

Next we move on to the kitchen. She found these chairs for... wait for it... $50 for all of them. Each one was a different color, but thanks to some trusty black spray paint, they are now looking like this. Can't wait to see how fabulous her kitchen table will look when it's all done.

Finally, there is the couch for my niece's room. Now my niece's room is HUGE!! Seriously, all she needs up there is a refrigerator, and she would never need to go down stairs. So when they first moved in, the furniture which previously overpowered the room in the old house, now looked tiny. So we were in search of a couch to go into this "fabulous to be" teenage room. We had seen the couches at IKEA, and thought those would be fun and modern for the room. Well, after much searching she found the couch. Originally listed "for free"... she just about had a heart attack... she ended up offering money to get it and in the end paid $50. Can you believe it. Look how fabulous it looks.

So now I am in search of something fabulous for my home. I really want some of those wicker chairs, and a bench for the foot of my bed, and a chair for our office area.

Do you have any Craigslist treasures?

Have a great day.
*ciao*
deb

Exclusive Twilight Trailor... from Penelope DVD

2008-07-23T22:13:00.002-05:00

So while at my sisters house swimming today, we got to see the exclusive Twilight preview on the Penelope DVD and all I can see is OH.MY.GOD!!!! The closer it gets, the more excited I am getting. Check it out...

I also have some pictures of her house that they have redone, and redone, and redone. I'll be posting those in the AM. For now, I am off to sleep. Way tired. Have a great evening.

*ciao*
deb

creativity of the non-home kind...

2008-07-21T21:05:00.006-05:00

So taking a trip without your kids can be a little nerve racking... although it was nice to spend time with my hubby alone... nonetheless it can be nerve racking. My mother in love an sister in love came down to help take care of them while we were gone, which was great...BUT it was my nieces who really, really helped keep the girls entertained while we were in Vegas. Well, as a thank you I wanted to give them something special. So I decided to do these -

I had seen journal jars on a couple of different blogs that I read, and I thought that would be a fun thing for them and a great way to get them to write and think about things. (I know, I know, I'm such a teacher). So I found the jars and journals at IKEA...I love that store... and I just jazzed them up a bit. Then I printed out a lot of journal starters (questions for them to ponder and write about. i.e. Write about something that just drives you batty? Describe a time when a prayer was answered. What are you like now? Do you like yourself? If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be and why? Who was your favorite teacher in elementary school, and why?) The girls really liked them. There are actually journal starters for mothers, fathers, etc. I thought this would be a good gift to give to someone who has just found out they are pregnant. A great way to journal the entire pregnancy. What do you think?

I have the list of Journal starters, so if you're interested just drop me a comment and I'll send them your way.

I found a few other treasures today at Hobby Lobby. The deals weren't as great as others I've read about on the blogs I stalk, but they were still pretty darn good. I'll post the pics in the AM since they are still out in my car and I'm just too lazy to go get them and take pics of them right now. I will say though, if you want some fun rod iron home accents, you might want to go by. My HL only had them for 66% off, but that was still a pretty good deal.

Okay, I'm off to watch The Tudors. Ever since I watched The Other Boleyn Girl, I am interested in learning about that time period. Plus watching Henry Cavill in action doesn't hurt either. He really should have been cast as Edward in Twilight, but oh well.

Okay, have a great night.
*ciao*
deb

Note: New version of Twilight trailer...

2008-07-18T07:28:00.001-05:00

is posted on my old post. Scroll down to check it out. ET left out some parts and some dialog since they were talking.

My second favorite room in my house... my studio

2008-07-18T00:01:00.001-05:00

So I finally am satisfied with my studio to post the pictures. I am particularly proud of this room because it is very personal to me. My awesome husband custom built my desk. It is fabulous. Plenty of space to cut, scrapbook, etc. and lots and lots of storage. Notice that my computer tower is nowhere in sight??? It's hidden in the cabinet. Exactly what I wanted. I also have my family heritage collage above my desk. I got old pics of my parents, Alex's parents, our grandparents, our girls and ourselves and framed them all in white. I still have a couple more pictures I need to put up there.

the area above my cubes is something I put together from thrift purchases. I bought some of the frames for like $2 and $3 each. Then I repurposed them. I made a chalkboard, a magnet board, and my calendar (this is purchased from Container Store, but I added a second frame so that it would fit in with the rest.) I am still missing my memo board, but I need Alex's help to cut out the molding for that one, so it is on hold.

Then I have an empty wall over the bed. I am collecting my thrift store plates to put up a collection. I only need a few more.

This dresser is a family heirloom. It belonged to my great grandfather. It was brown when I managed to get my aunt to hand it over. Alex painted it so it would fit in the room, and I love it. It is great storage. The plate holder above the dresser was a garage sale find for $3. It was off white when I bought it, so I just broke out my trusty spray paint. I love how it works as a magazine rack. Perfect place to keep my scrapbooking and decorating magazines.

So there you go. Next to the kitchen, this is my most favorite, and most used room in the house.

Have a great day.
*ciao*
deb

My Kitchen in Black and White

2008-07-17T20:36:00.007-05:00

Linda at Restyled Home threw out this little challenge to post your perfectly imperfect homes. So I figured I would repost my kitchen makeover. Everyday I walk into my kitchen, and I am so glad that I painted it. It isn't perfect, by any means. You can see the paint strokes and the knobs aren't exactly right, but I love it. It is one of my favorite spots in my house.

This is the before...

and here is the after.

Not perfect, and lots of short cuts, but I love how my kitchen turned out. Look around your house and you might find that you have your own perfectly imperfect items or spaces that are perfect just for you.

*ciao*
deb

new Twilight trailer...

2008-07-15T21:14:00.003-05:00

Came out on ET tonight... here it is for those who didn't see it. I am counting the days until it comes out.

Still trying to finish off some projects in my studio, but I need Alex's help on these so I'm still not done. I did manage to find some awesome bargains at Gardenridge. it is amazing what you can find in the damaged section. I got a huge matted frame (glass is missing, but really who needs glass) that is perfect for our family picture. I did break the bank for that one though and spent a whopping $3. My jaw dropped when the cashier scanned it. My sister got some frames also that were still wrapped in plastic and really didn't seem to have anything wrong with them for $3 also. And we got a super cool huge silver frame with the mat that we are going to transform into something fabulous for my niece's room. I'll post pics when that is done.

Okay, I'm off to soak in a bath and read. Ahhh Calgon take me away.

Have a great evening.
*ciao*
deb

another thrift buy transformation...

2008-07-10T20:56:00.007-05:00

So the other day I found these at the Salvation Army close to my sister's house. They were big frames, and they were relatively cheap...$6.

I bought them thinking I could find a way to change them up, with either a large family picture or something. If not my sister would inherit them for my niece's black, white and blue room. Once I started looking around the house at where I could use them, I decided I was really tired of the way the bathroom in our hallway looked. So I transformed them into this...

and now they hang here. I love the way the bathroom looks. I also added that cross that I had had in my closet with the intention of hanging it outside. I think it is better in here. I also painted that cute frame on the counter. That was also a thrift find. I think I need some knobs on my cabinets now.

I found some other fun things while I was thrifting, and they are being put together for my studio. Should be done tomorrow... hopefully.

Have a good night.
*ciao*
deb

Happiest place part 2...

2008-07-10T13:47:00.010-05:00

Aside from going to Magic Kingdom, we took the girls to Epcot, which in and of itself really does appeal more to adults than to kids. Granted, there are a couple of neat rides for them, but for the most part it is about the food, the countries, and the shows. Our main reason for going was to have lunch with the princesses. This, by far, was worth the entire trip. It is not cheap, in any way, shape, or form, but the look on the girl's faces when they saw each one of the princesses come out to greet them and take pictures with them was priceless.

We arrived at Epcot at about 11:00 AM and our lunch reservation wasn't until 2:30 PM. The girls were super anxious and wanted to get dressed in their princess dresses as soon as we got there. (Bella didn't have a dress when we got there because she had outgrown all of the ones we have at home. Luckily, my dad took us to this employee store where you can get lots, and lots, and lots of stuff for up to 90% off. So we found her a Cinderella dress for $15.00.) So they got dressed and the royal treatment began.

So as we were walking toward the different rides (Soarin', Turtle Talk with Crush, Nemo, etc.) that were appropriate for them, we had workers that would say, "Make way, make way everyone, the princesses are approaching." It was funny to see the expressions on the girls faces. Bella was shy and kind of looked down, but Tori... well Tori I have to say, may be our little actress. She totally ate it up. She walked with her hands up just a bit and was very proper just like a princess. This happened several times as we walked. Then, as we approached the restaurant for lunch (which is located in Norway), one of the Norwegian workers came up and said, "Oh princesses come with me, your boat to tour all of Norway awaits." We weren't quite sure what was going on, but a tour...of Norway... okay. So he takes us through a different entrance, and we bypass those who were waiting in line to take the boat ride, and he personally guided us through the tour. So if you're going, and don't have little princesses, it might not hurt to dress up your little boys in prince outfits just so you too can get the royal treatment.

The meal, although not cheap, was AWESOME, and about 15 minutes into it, the girls faces suddenly lit up as they saw the princesses emerge. We were greeted by Belle at the entrance, and even got these awesome pictures as a gift.

Then they saw Sleeping Beauty, followed by Ariel (I thought Tori was going to pass out), Cinderella, and Alice from Wonderland. This was truly, truly an amazing lunch that I'm sure they will always remember.

I spoke to one of the workers at the restaurants to see if there were any other princesses in the park that we could see. He told me that Mulan was over in China, and Snow White was in Germany. So off we went to hunt them down. When we arrived in China, Belle noticed that Mushu was with Mulan, and she was having nothing to do with him. Tori kept telling her that it was just a person in a costume, but Belle didn't care. So just as we were getting to the front of the line, Mushu had a telephone call (Disney code for, it is time for you to take a break from that sauna of a costume you are wearing and let someone else take a turn sweating their butts off.) So off he went...BONUS for us. Belle and Tori got to take the picture with Mulan, and just as we were finishing up the pic, Alex starts telling me, "Here he comes, hurry, here he comes." Ah, the things we do for our kids.

Next it was off to Germany to see Snow White. Well, just as we were getting there, we saw that she was with Dopey, and they were both off to take a break. So we waited, and waited, and waited, and when she finally came out, the girls did not, and would not take a picture with her. WHY??? Because of Dopey. Dopey!!! The friendliest of the Seven Dwarfs, and he totally got dissed by these two princesses. So that was the end of our princess scavenger hunt. We rode a couple more rides and then left for Disney Studios and a date with Fantasmic.

We waited quite a while (like an hour and a half for this show to start, but it was totally, totally worth it. As we watched the boat ride by with all the characters on it, and especially Ariel sitting up on top with her fin, I turned to look at Tori. She literally had tears in her eyes as she was waving goodbye. It was the most amazing thing to see.

Okay, off to work on some projects here at home. I'll post pics of those later.

Have a great day.
*ciao*
deb

100th post... a review of the happiest place on Earth part 1...

2008-07-09T23:03:00.020-05:00

The most vivid memory I have as a child was walking into Disneyland and seeing all the beautiful buildings and Cinderella's castle. I remember riding the Sky ride which were little carts which floated along the top of the park and you got to see everything that was happening below. I remember riding in the glass bottom boat through the jungle tour, and I remember the tune from It's a Small World staying me for the longest time. I wanted all those first memories for my girls, and so we decided that they were finally old enough to take them to Florida for them to experience it themselves. It was the best vacation we have ever been on. My dad works for one of the Disney resorts and therefore is able to get us into all of the parks for free. This people, is major. We got to see and experience so much, and rode nearly every ride at the Magic Kingdom. The girls, of course, were a little nervous about the characters and basically made a bee line in another direction every time they saw one, but they admired them from afar. I was worried about whether or not they would be able to handle some of the rides, but they were both real troopers and actually shocked me quite a bit. Their favorites...Splash Mountain (Tori laughed hysterically on the way down and said she wanted to get back on it), Goofy's Barnstormer, Pirates of the Caribbean, and It's a Small World. We were at the park from the time that it opened to the time that it closed and loved every minute of it. We can't wait to go back.

This is about as close as they got to any of the characters that were not princesses.

In awe as they watched...

this. The first show that we saw as soon as we got there.

Waiting to see Mickey's Philharmonic. Tori didn't like wearing the 3D glasses much.

Meeting and taking pictures with the princesses was one of the highlights of the day. The girls were speechless. Little did they know that is would get much better.

One of the coolest things was touring through Mickey and Minnie's homes. You felt like you had just stepped into a cartoon. The microwave in Minnie's kitchen even turned on and popped popcorn in it. So fun...

And finally the Spectral Magic Parade at the end of the night. We had the perfect seats, thanks to some nice guy at the park who gave us info on where and when to park ourselves for the parade.

Belle also got to experience a little magic that I'm sure she will always remember. While we were waiting for the parade to start, Alex walked her up to the castle so that they could see the inside. Well, while they were up there, Belle noticed that this guy was down on one knee,out in the performance area, proposing to his girlfriend. She of course said yes, and Belle was so excited about it. She came down and told me all about it and then insisted that i go with her so that she could show me who they were. What an awesome thing for her to see there in the Magic Kingdom.

Okay, I'm off to bed. This post took much longer than I thought it would. I will post more pics of our trip tomorrow.

Have a great night.
*ciao*
deb

another idea using a thrift find...

2008-07-08T17:51:00.004-05:00

I found this plate at the Goodwill the other day. I thought it was perfect for this idea.

I had seen this quote several times before and wanted to use it on something in my home.

"As for Me and my Home, we shall serve the Lord."

So I broke out my Cricut machine and cut out the saying on black vinyl. After a few tries I finally got it where I wanted it. It isn't perfect, but it is good enough. What do you think???

Okay, I'm off to make White Chicken Chili for dinner. My girls are getting hungry.
Have a great evening.

*ciao*
deb

new banisters...

2008-07-07T15:46:00.004-05:00

so after i painted our kitchen cabinets, the banisters in our house just bothered me. when we first bought our house, I went with everything neutral. well hindsight is 20/20 and if i knew then what i know now i would have done so many things different. so i got a call from my mom yesterday and she said, "i love you entry way, but, i think you need to paint your banisters like you did the kitchen." i'm 2 steps ahead of you mom. so i woke up this morning and got started. so far i have only finished those on the bottom level on both ends of the house, but here is a sneak peak. what do you think?

here is the before...

and here is the after...

I love the new look. Much more elegant. the picture really doesn't do it justice. Here is also a look at the back steps.

okay, i gotta go take a shower before my husband gets home. have a great evening.

*ciao*
deb

entryway and cheap art...

2008-07-05T19:28:00.016-05:00

so our entry way has always bothered me. I couldn't figure out what to do with it. is had topiaries, a great big pot with a floral arrangement, etc., but nothing that I loved. about a two months ago, while shopping for a client, i found these black 10x10 frames. I needed some frames for the entry, so they got to come home with me. In my mind i wanted some sort of a table for the entry way where I could put a lamp to bring some light into that area at night. the problem is that the french doors which lead to the play room are REALLY wide, which doesn't leave me a lot of room to put a table... or at least not a very wide table. So i went shopping... in my house. This is the best kind. I took a table from our media room that wasn't really being used and brought it down for a look. After painting it, adding one of my thrift store finds (the lamp), a framed family photo and a candle, the look was almost complete.

then i tackled the walls with my super cheap (4.99 at Gardenridge) frames. I didn't want to put more family pics in these. I wanted art, specifically butterfly, dragonfly or bee artwork. so, i went online and found pictures of vintage butterflies and dragonflies from old encyclopedias. i resized them in photoshop (thank goodness for this program), and printed them out. I place them in my cheapo frames and voila... instant, inexpensive, art. what do you think???

then to finish off the look, i created a window mistreatment to cover the two windows on either side of the door. what is a mistreatment you ask? well, thanks to the Nester (check out The Nesting Place in my favorite blogs area), it is a window treatment that is not perfect, and that basically is put up using short cuts. Not professional at all, so don't look to close. How is mine a mistreatment??? well, you can't see it from far away, but those rings at the top are hanging from cup hooks. but hey, they're white so you can't really see them anyway.

so there you go, a finished entry way. I could go for an area rug there also, but I haven't found one yet during my bargain shopping. but i hear that if you build it, it will come. well... i'm waiting.

*ciao*
deb

thrift shopping treasures repurposed...

2008-07-05T19:20:00.010-05:00

when we were little, my dad and step mom used to take us to this thrift shop that was just filled to the brim with "stuff". i loved this place. I used to walk up and down the isles looking at all the items that someone had passed down, or tossed out and i imagined the storied behind them. Now that I'm older, i love going to thrift shops in search of those treasures that I can somehow turn into something beautiful for my home. These random items along with some inexpensive items from craft stores or discount stores basically make up our home. Part of the love in searching for these things is the thrill in knowing that I made something super cool, for way cheaper that I could have bought it for. Or, I have created something unique that I wouldn't be able to find anywhere.

So the last few months, I've been itching to get back out there to find these treasures. Here are some of them and where they are in our home.

shortly after the tornado hit our area, our neighborhood had a garage sale, and this lamp just wanted to come home with me. it cost me all of $5 and now has a permanent home in the main office of our house (please ignore the blue ethernet cable hanging... it is going to be put into the attic).

Right before school let out, i went garage saleing (is that a word?) with my sister in this really nice area by her house. We found this really nice rug for $35. I totally beat her the the punch and ended up taking it home to place here...

it is perfect with the rest of the colors in the room.

okay, now remember these frames from a while back. They cost me all of like $.50. Well here they are now...

I added a piece of black scrapbook paper and then hot glued a silver cross onto that and voila... instant art that has found a home on my kitchen counter.

I had seen this idea on the Nester's blog and thought it was cute. I got Bella to draw me a picture of what she thought our house looked like from outside. Then I simply framed it. It now sits on the buffet in our dining room.

Here is my latest find from the Goodwill. They have some great stuff if you take the time to look. They actually had several of these pillows, and they still had the tags on them. Apparently Target donates stuff that they clearance out to the Goodwill. I got them for a steal at $4 each. They now have a home here...

I have lots more to show you, but it is getting late and Alex is on his way home. yes, it is our anniversary and he had to work today. it sucks i know, but didn't i say he was a hard worker. i will have more pictures to share tomorrow.

have a great night.
*ciao*
deb

Eleven years, well... really more like 16

2008-07-05T18:44:00.004-05:00

So eleven years ago today, I married the love of my life. Wow, eleven years already. It has gone by in the blink of an eye. Looking back at our wedding, it was beautiful, elaborate, and exactly what I had always wanted. I only really remember bits and pieces of it, as it seems like it went by in flash. I think I may have danced with Alex twice all night and then it was over. But what made it so memorable was that we had family involved in every aspect. From the bridesmaid dresses (which my sis in love made), to the cake (made by my mom in love), to the decorations (mom helped a lot with this and our house was in a state of chaos for about a month), my sister and sisters in love and their families in our wedding, to my sister standing by me as my maid of honor on the most important day of my life.

So how did we get to 11 years, or rather 16 if you include the 5 years of dating? Well, in a word FATE. I totally believe in it. We met in of all places Juarez, Mx. Totally the wrong way to meet the guy you are destined to marry, but nevertheless, when fate decides to step in, you never know when you're going to get shot with that arrow. So I was totally going through the "guys are jerks and I don't want to go out" stage. My cousin and good friend Terry dragged me out on the pretense that we were celebrating my friend's bday. When I say dragged, I am not exagerating. They literally had to pick out clothes and force me to go out. At the very same time, Alex was going to Juarez with friends but really didn't want to go either. So there we are, two people totally not wanting to be in this random bar in Juarez, when out of nowhere, FATE steps in... in the form of our mutual friend Terry. (Thank God for Terry!!!) I was standing against a wall with a total crap face on, when she waves me over. She introduced us, and after deserting me with his goofy friend for what seemed like an eternity, Alex returned to rescue me. His excuse for ditching me for a bit, he wanted to give his friend a chance. As if??? So in the end, I got the guy, and the rest is history.

All of that aside, I am married to a wonderful man who loves me and is a wonderful husband, father and provider. I think back to all the things I looked for in a man, and what I wanted in a husband, and they are all the things that define Alex. He is funny, loving, hard working, dependable, playful, caring, strong, supportive, trusting, and true. These eleven years have brought us so much, and when I imagine our future, its just as we are today. Playful, silly, loving... but just with a few more wrinkles. How much better could it get?

Have a great evening.

*ciao*
deb

Happy Bday Belle...

2008-06-16T20:01:00.000-05:00

Wow, I can't believe that my little girl is already 7. It seems like just yesterday that she was crawling around the house climbing onto things, and now she is this little girl who is so eager to grow up. So I thought I would write a little about what Belle is like at 7.

She is creative, loves art. She is very fashion conscious, and this is usually an area where we butt heads. She wants to wear what she wants to wear and I have to put the brakes on some of the outfits. She is a very, very picky eater. Not adventurous at all. Very vanilla. She, unfortunately, us a little obsessed with the weather... sound familiar? She is my little organizer. Give her an organizing task and she will go to town with it. I think she may actually have the decorating bug as well.

a little more on the details... please...

2008-06-12T20:03:00.018-05:00

So we had a great day today. Full of activities, and one happy birthday girl. So we started our day with a matinee movie. Seriously, with gas prices the way they are, we need to take any shortcut we can. We got together with our cousins and aunt and went to see Kung Fu Panda. Way cute movie. I love movies that teach a moral lesson... and this one was all about self confidence. It was funny, cute, and the girls really enjoyed it. Then we were off to grab some lunch and have a picnic at the park. The girls really wanted to play on the swings, and it was a relatively nice day for it. Finally, we met Alex for dinner after he got off of work...Belle's choice...DICKEY'S. Don't ask me why, but hey, at least it wasn't McDonald's. We've been enjoying shows and crafts since we got home. Fun, fun.

Okay, so back to the Vegas trip. Our reason for going was to attend my cousin Ivy's wedding. I haven't been to Vegas since I was a child, and boy has it changed. After spending a few days there, I have come to the conclusion that anyone who takes their children there on vacation is delusional. There are just way too many inappropriate things there on every corner. I have also come to the conclusion that I am getting old. There were so many things that we saw or witnessed that just blew my mind. I guess I am pretty sheltered living in the suburbs. We saw a few transvestites, a couple of prostitutes, way too many women who squeezed themselves into the wrong sized clothes (seriously people, i doubt these women had heard of a girdle), and some very intoxicated people.

But I have to say that it was nice having some alone time with Alex. We got to go see a great Cirque de Soleil show called Ka. Wow, it was amazing. We also did a little gambling, which in the end won us about $100. My mom, did great on the slots, and won about $700. As for the wedding, it was so nice. It was great to see my cousin so happy, and it was really nice to see so many people i hadn't seen in a really long time. I have to admit though, I was exhausted after returning home. I needed a full day to recover. Anyway, it was a nice vacation. Just enough time now to recover before we get ready to go to Disney. The girls can't wait.

Oh, and finally, here is a pic of my new desk that Alex made me. I LOVE IT!!! He made exactly what i wanted. Now I have storage and plenty of work space.

okay, have a great evening.
*ciao*
deb

i can finally breathe easy...

2008-06-12T08:45:00.003-05:00

things are somewhat settling down around here. we got back from our trip to Vegas on Sunday, and honestly, i think i needed a few days to recover from it all. I really think i am getting old, because i just can't hang anymore. it was fun though, and it was nice to have some alone time with Alex, but oh, how we missed the girls. they, on the other hand had a blast. it was one long slumber party with their cousins, Tia Nini and Abue. I have pictures to post but the camera needs to be charged, so i will post them this afternoon.

this will be a quick one as we are in celebration mode here. my Belle is 7 today... wow, amazing how time flies. it is her day, so we are going to be quite busy today. I will post pics, lots of pics, this afternoon.

and as you can tell, the blog is going through a face lift again. can't quite decide what i'm wanting to do, but we're trying out the yellow polka dots out for size. what do you think?

okay, i'm off. have a great day.
*ciao*
deb