everything that is nice

Find: Lighting

2011-04-22T09:40:00.005-05:00

I am currently looking for a new light fixture to replace the one hanging over our stairs....

short of setting up a huge ladder, there is no way to clean it or replace burned out bulbs.

I came across the etsy store :

They are makers of beautiful, vintage looking lighting.
Go here and check them out!

Spring Has Sprung!

2011-04-21T17:22:00.002-05:00

Start A New Tradition: String Trail

2011-04-16T17:20:00.007-05:00

The "String Trail" is a new tradition in our house, with last year being the first year. It will be returning...it is something the kids have asked for multiple times since last year.

The idea came from a friend of mine...except they do it at Christmas.

We give the kids Spring Baskets on the Saturday before Easter. I usually fill the baskets with the "summer replacements"...sidewalk chalk, bubbles, new kites, etc. I do put a little bit of candy in them. This year I am putting new jump ropes in and activities for an upcoming plan ride.

This is just a different, fun, inexpensive twist on Spring Baskets!

All you need is string...I purchased a small roll per kid.

After they went to bed we tied the string onto their bed (we did the leg at the foot of the bed...I didn't want them getting tangled in their sleep)

We then strung that string through the ENTIRE house...over, under, through. No limits!

Based on where we ended up with their string, we hid their baskets in different places throughout the house and tied the end of the string to it.

When they woke up, they had to take the time to follow AND roll their string into a ball to get to where their basket was hidden. They kept commenting about how much fun they were having. It was fun to watch them and it slowed things down a lot!

Here's some pics of last year!

CLEARLY very exciting!

ENJOY!

Mark The Calenders!

2011-03-30T17:11:00.002-05:00

Click HERE for the details!

A Favorite Book About Love

2011-02-02T10:05:00.004-06:00

February is here. It rolled in ferocious and not to be missed. We hunkered down last night with a blizzard blowing strong outside and sat by the fire enjoying some of our favorite Valentine books. On the top of that list is this book:

Love Is...

{Adapted from the Bible by Wendy Anderson Halperin}

It is the words of Paul from 1 Corinthians 13. That's it for the written word part of this book.

But each page is filled top to bottom, left to right with pictures. Lots and lots of pictures. Each definition of love takes up 2 pages. On the left page is pictures of what love is not (for example: not being kind or patient).

On the right is what loving someone by being kind and patient could look like.

The pictures are so good for kids and key for "getting" what real love is. And showing them that love is a verb, an action word.

This book is not to be kept on the bookshelf all year long, only to be pulled off for Valentine's. It is a book to be referred to often.

{Click on the links above to get a few peeks at the book}

Will You Join Me?

2011-01-24T09:08:00.007-06:00

Will you join me for a book club here:

Where we will be reading this book:

Hope to see you there!

Merry Christmas From Our Home To Yours!

2010-12-24T16:23:00.001-06:00

Photo Shoot

2010-11-07T14:40:00.002-06:00

Here's a favorite pic from our Saturday morning photo shoot done by NSMPHOTO!

(Can you tell we like our boots in this family?)

For The Kids: Homemade Gnomes

2010-11-03T16:06:00.004-05:00

Look who we found living on our back steps!

Four little fall gnomes apparently moved in and set up house.

We decided to make a few gnome dolls today after school. What you need is simple:

Felt
People shaped wood turnings. You can find these in the unfinished wood section of craft stores. Or here.
Thread
Needle

You will need to cut your felt in a triangle shape for the hat. Just make the bottom of the triangle big enough to go around the head. I cut out a trapezoid shape for the cape and curved out the top a little to fit around the neck.

We sewed our decorative designs on the felt first. Then I did a few stitches to secure the cape. For the hat I sewed the opposite sides of the triangle together, leaving the bottom open. That's it. VERY easy-in fact my almost 6 year old did the decorative sewing on hers (the yellow one).

You could glue the hat to the head if you wish.

All the kids need to add is their imagination and bits and pieces from nature. A great way to spend a fall day!

If you're curious about the houses: here's a link to where I purchased them
Gnome Sweet Home

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T09:15:00.003-05:00

Hello all!

Are you ready for the trick-or-treaters?

Our "Beggars Night" was Friday, so we've been there and done that!

I thought I would share a few pics. And here are the pics from last year!

We're almost done with my husbands office space, and then I can get back to projects for our home. So hang on, I hope to be back in a little while with LOTS to share!

Late Summer At Our House

2010-09-08T10:36:00.001-05:00

Ipod Template

2010-08-11T14:58:00.002-05:00

Finally, I can cross this off my to-do list!

A lot of you have emailed me requesting the ipod template for this project I did...while I love hearing from you...I think having this available will be more convenient for YOU!

Click to download my ipod template!

ENJOY!

(Oh, I still would love to hear from you!)

Checking In

2010-08-06T16:49:00.004-05:00

August is in full swing already! Can you believe it!?!

I noticed it's been 2 whole months since I last posted...

We've been really busy this summer with:

1. My husband is opening his own dental practice! We're hoping to be open by the end of September. We are busy doing the remodeling of the space right now. We're hopefully going to start painting next week.

2. We have decided to homeschool this year. We'll be jumping right in with a 3rd grader and a Kindergartner.

3. When we have a spare moment we have been enjoying the new aquatic center our town has.

I snapped a few pics of my summer decor {to help me remember when it comes time to decorate next year} and thought I would share with you!

1. Our little nook. The red oars I found at the flea market. The jute bags were free. The red bag came fromm the Hobby Lobby clearance. My mom helped me make the red ticking pillows. The bench was free from a sweet friend!

2. I found the boat at a garage sale! The person having the sale built these for a hobby and was getting rid of some of them! The black chest was also from a garage sale. It loooked nothing like this when it came home with me...it was miss matched wood and really ugly. I painted it black and stenciled the numbers on it.

3.Our front door. The basket is from a garage sale-.25 cents! I bought the plant at the nursery and put it in a gallon bag. It worked great and has been very happy welcoming our visitors!

4. The extra little flags I had all went into an old glass jar.

5. This flag is from a garage sale. It was an old farm gate that I painted to look like a flag.

6. Red geranium plant on our island.

7. Both the scale and the "feedsack"is from garage sales.

8. A wood box I picked up at the thrift store. Everything in it is from garage sales...except the shells and sand...which came from a family vacation to the beach.

As you can tell I mostly decorate with garage sale finds...I'm constantly amazed at what I can find...and with a little cash, patience and some vision I can decorate my house on a low budget!

Great Prints

2010-06-08T19:20:00.003-05:00

These prints are great! Love the verse and the simplicity. You can find them here!

How's June been so far for everyone? My preschooler finished school last Friday and my 2nd grader finally finished today...yeah! So tonight, to celebrate, we are having an "Official 3rd Graders Only" slumber party. I am officially neck deep in girls (as opposed to my usual waist deep)! Anywho, life is good and exciting around here. Hope June has started great for you too!

Garage Sale!

2010-06-03T15:22:00.003-05:00

Come one, come all!

We are having ourselves a garage sale!

LOTS AND LOTS for sale.

Friday 10-6

Saturday 7:30-12

My neighbor is having one at the same time.

Garage sale efficiency!

Hope to see you there!

Just Something I Made...

2010-05-25T14:20:00.004-05:00

I realized I forgot to show you all this...

It's a wooden sign made from a vintage ad I found!

I made it at the very beginning of May... it was a very easy task, just a little time consuming. Here's my process:

I emailed the original ad to our local print shop and had them enlarge it to about 36"x36".
Had my husband make me a wooden square and then I painted it white.
Taped my enlarged print to the painted square.
Used a jumbo sheet of carbon/transfer paper (I found mine in the canvas aisle at Hobby Lobby) to transfer the image onto the painted wood sign. Just put transfer paper under the print paper and trace around your image and words with a pen or pencil.
Your pen or pencil will push down on the carbon paper and transfer your image onto the wood sign. Once your all done transferring...
Usually I would use paint to fill in my transferred image...but this time I used a black sharpie and was very happy with the results.

All total, the project cost me under $5!

That's it! Easy peasy!

Tag Sale Alert!

2010-05-07T13:08:00.002-05:00

I wanted to share with you all (who live in central iowa) a great tag sale!

Look what I found there today:

Letter Basket-$5...Bowling Pin-$3

This sale is held once in the spring and once in the fall. Past purchases include:

A little tray table for beside my bathtub. Cost-$3

Little foot stool/table between chairs in Master Bedroom. Cost- $10 or 15

Ladder for blankets in the Great Room. Cost- $15.

The sale is spread throughout 3 buildings on a farm. The buildings are overflowing with all kinds of treasures...

The sale is located 2 miles off of Highway 30 in between Colo and State Center.

25909 740th Ave.

State Center, IA 50247

Friday, May 7th, 9-5

Saturday, May 8th, 9-5

Kitchen Progress

2010-04-22T13:30:00.004-05:00

Hello All!

Just checking in to share some of what's been happening around here lately!

Between lots going on and the awesome weather, sitting in front of the computer has fallen to the bottom of the list!

My husband and his brother, Dan, made a lot of progress on the "long list of little things" for the kitchen. There's still more on it...but there's progress...and that's a beautiful thing!

Below:

Finishing touches on the range hood!

Almost finished with the island! And I think I've finally decided on the stools!

Beadboard backplash was made!

We painted it white...but I'm considering painting it our wall color "Believable Buff"

For Your Browsing Pleasure...

2010-04-01T16:42:00.003-05:00

I decided to add a category to my sidebar...

all those projects that I come across on other sites and would someday like to get to.

I just started, so there's just a few, but check it often!

Vintage Printables for Your Walls

2010-03-24T19:52:00.002-05:00

I had to share my 2 favorite sites for vintage printables and graphics...

Print them at home... email them to a copy center. Frame them...decoupage them to something! Have fun!

VintagePrintable.com

Check out this ad I found over at The Graphics Fairy !

The bicycle first caught my eye...but then the name of the wheel makers stopped me in my tracks! Apparently there's wheel makers on my husbands side of the family! I am thinking of actually paying to get this printed off huge, and making a big vintage sign out of it!

Chicken

2010-03-03T07:54:00.003-06:00

Chicken was recently on sale at our local grocery...so I decided to stock up a little.

I usually watch the prices on the boneless skinless chicken breasts and the whole chickens. A sale for the local grocery store is usually .99/lb. for a whole chicken and 1.99/lb for boneless skinless breasts. (Which makes it very comparable to a bag of frozen breasts, only these are fresh...and much better quality)

I thought I would share with you what I do when I stock up and my favorite way to cook a whole chicken.

Breasts

I get my kitchen scissors out and cut away extra fat and lay them 3 split breasts to a freezer bag and place that bag in the freezer. That way I can just grab one bag to use in a recipe that feeds our family.
You could also "flash freeze" the breasts by laying the individual breasts out on baking sheets (make sure the breasts are not touching) and placing the baking sheets in the freezer. Once the breasts are frozen, take the breasts off the sheets and place all the breasts in one big freezer bag...that way you can grab the number of breasts you need each time you cook.
Also, when I return from the store after stocking up on chicken breasts, I fill my crockpot up with chicken breasts. I place a little water in the crockpot and then turn it on. 3-4 hours on high or 7-8 on low is a good guide. Once it's done cooking I shred the meat in the crockpot or on a plate with two forks. I then measure out 2 cups of shredded chicken (since this is a common measurement in a lot of my recipes) and fill quart freezer bags with my 2 cups of chicken and place those bags in the freezer. This simple step can really speed up meal prep time!
Cooking a whole chicken or two ahead and de-boning and shredding is another way to do it...but I would only pick to do this if I was going to make my own chicken stock....I haven't done this enough to have a good recipe to recommend at this point, but maybe in the future I will!

I will share with you my absolute favorite way to cook a whole chicken for a meal...and it's a great recipe for company. It's actually a 2 part recipe and you will have to plan a little ahead. The first step is to brine the meat. Brining is simply a seasoned water solution that the chicken sits in (for 12-48 hours) While the chicken is sitting in the solution it absorbs the flavors of the seasonings and the moisture...giving the meat a flavor and juiciness that is tremendous! If I'm brining for a day or more, I will put the chicken in the solution frozen...it will have plenty of time to thaw.

Here's the brine recipe I use:

Master Brine

After it's done brining I use this recipe to roast it for 5 hours! I really think it's worth it!

Roast Sticky Chicken

I usually do the rub right before putting it in the oven. The other thing I've learned is to use a roaster that the chicken just fits into (touching the sides). I'm not sure why...it's just works! Sometimes I baste or spoon some of the pan drippings over the chicken a few times during the baking, but it's not necessary!

Enjoy!

Organizing the Transients

2010-03-02T09:19:00.003-06:00

WELCOME TO MARCH EVERYONE!

That feels really good to say that...winter here was one of the worst on record...

it never felt "that bad" when we got to stay indoors...but it did start feeling loonnnnnggggg. March gives me hope of warmer days ahead!

I still can't upload pics to this computer...so it will be another link for you all today!

I found this great organizing idea for items that are just "passing through" your house.

You could replace the boxes with baskets if it is in a very visible spot.

You could translate this idea into a space in your coat closet (I think that is what I will do).

She also has this idea, which I thought was another good one!

Reminds me a little of how my sis does it in her laundry room

Two For The Calender

2010-02-26T17:22:00.003-06:00

I found this shop on etsy...which led me to this website....which led me to this little tidbit of information:

Best news is...they are located in Central Iowa...yeah!

The Whatcheer Flea Market is the other one on my calender!

I've never been to the Old Crow Market before, so I can't tell you what to expect for prices.

The Whatcheer Flea Market prices fall here:

Cheapest to Most Expensive:

Garage Sales
Thrift Stores
Consignment Shops
Flea Markets

Flea Markets are usually the most expensive out of the 4...but you have so much to pick from and lots and lots of very unique items!

Sunshine...

2010-02-26T15:01:00.003-06:00

Oh how I love this print...

the colors...

the words...

but mostly the fact that it reminds me of my dad...sunshine is the nickname he gave me as a little girl...and he still calls me it today!

Find the print here!

Dress The Walls

2010-02-25T08:00:00.002-06:00

Wallpaper or fabric attached to a frame.

(look for cheap frames at the thrift store and paint them the same color)

Big style for little money!

Details here

Bowling Birthday Invites

2010-02-24T14:59:00.003-06:00

Just came across these invites, and I thought they would be perfect for a funky sock bowling party!

(I would probably opt out of a picture like that for an invitation...but you can do whatever!)

Find the invite here!

Another Birthday Party

2010-02-24T14:24:00.003-06:00

I came across this picture recently:

The story behind it was this:

a little girl (I think a 7 year old) was having a birthday....she wanted to go bowling. Each of the guests received an invite and a funky pair of knee socks. Each girl coordinated her outfit for the party with the knee socks she received (and wore bowling).

I love this idea! My oldest will turn 9 (wow!) on her next birthday. She's outgrowing the little girl birthday themes...so my eyes are always open for creative ideas like this!

Full details here!

Pretty, Pretty Prints

2010-02-24T11:33:00.002-06:00

Aren't these prints just lovely?

Clean, simple and colorful!

Guess what....they're free too! Of course, you'll have to print them out yourself...

Go here...pick your favorite color...press print!

Enjoy!

Cupcake Kits

2010-02-19T09:36:00.002-06:00

I came across these super cute cupcake kits at Plum Party.

Each kit costs $11.95 and is enough for 24 cupcakes.

There are 19 different kits to pick from...

Check them out here!

Pioneer Girl Party

2010-02-18T07:52:00.004-06:00

Wow...those pioneers sure know how to throw a party!

I know 2 little girls, who live in this very house, that would love this party!

Find all the details here!

On The Hunt...

2010-02-17T17:05:00.002-06:00

Why didn't I think of this before ?!!??!!

A vintage index card drawer for my recipes...love everything about this idea! My favorite look is vintage industrial...but that is a look that can be hard on the wallet...but adding little touches like this is very affordable! Now I just have to keep my eyes open for one...any hot tips?

And laminating my recipe cards that I would put in here....icing on the cake!

The other item(s) on my wish list is:

Vintage Mailboxes

We hung up a big bulletin board in the hall between our mudroom and kitchen...for the girls to display their creations. I think a row of vintage mailboxes...one for each kid...would be so sweet under the bulletin board.

Any tips on that request?

Another Edible Ipod

2010-02-09T16:08:00.005-06:00

I've gotten a few requests for my ipod template in the last week...and it reminded me of where the inspiration for ours came from...

Sorry for the lack of posting...both of our computers decided to stop working for us at the same time! Our laptop officially cannot be repaired and our desktop needed to be completely emptied and restarted from scratch. It's almost 10 years old, so it's not the fastest thing out there. It eventually will be solely for the kids use, once we buy a new laptop. My camera software was on the laptop...so that's why no pics to share. Thanks for you patience and for sticking around!

Ladies...Start Your Saws!

2010-01-22T07:56:00.002-06:00

Nicole shared a GREAT blog with me the other day...

It's called Knock-Off Wood. If you can build, would like to learn or have someone in you life that just loves to build you things...than this is the blog for you!

Truly inspiring!

Did You Even Know?

2010-01-21T08:29:00.003-06:00

Look what I found! Chalkboard paint in a whole lot of different colors...24 to be exact! Check out Hudson Paint to view them all! I've seen black, green and blue before...but this blows my mind!

And don't forget about Martha....she came up with instructions on how to make your own custom colored chalkboard paint! Check it out here!

Source: Overstock.com

2010-01-19T09:28:00.003-06:00

Are you familiar with overstock.com?

If not, you should be ;)

When we were building our house, I would find a sink or faucet I liked and then would search for the best price, and usually that search would lead me to overstock. (plus shipping is very affordable, and often free!)

Below is the sink we picked for our powder room. I saved about $75 on it, compared to the one I found on ebay!

(click on pics to be taken to the overstock.com page)

I thought this bed was very vintage looking...and you can't find a true vintage bed in a queen size!

Here's the best surprise I discovered while shopping at overstock.com.....(drumroll)

I think Pottery Barn sends them their unsold light fixtures!

I was looking through a PB catalog that was about a year or two old and saw the middle chandelier below....for twice as much as what overstock was now selling it for!

Other ways I make overstock.com more affordable is:

I do a google search for overstock.com coupon codes. Usually I could find a 10% off code.

I start my purchase at Big Crumbs for another 6.3% back.

Another Christmas Post?

2010-01-18T15:27:00.002-06:00

Yes, I'm doing it again....another post about Christmas.

This time I thought I would share with you a gift(s) that I received this year...

Click here to see

I LOVE all of them...but if I had to pick a favorite (picture, not child) it would be the last one, of my little 2 year old Sophia.

It captures so much...the sweet days of pigtails and baby curls....of her sitting on my lap and me putting my nose in her hair that smells still of baby shampoo.

The messy craziness that is Sophia.

The artist, Leia, is a friend of my sister (who was the gift giver). She's a very talented artist who has a blog and an etsy shop. Check her out.

Those beauties are still not hung up though...I know exactly where I will put them...but am waiting to do a wall collage until I find the right piece of furniture to hang them above.

Side note...a batch of these just came out of the oven...I may have a burned tongue in a few minutes!

(FYI-I omit about a 1/4 cup of oatmeal and replace it with ground flax seed)

Solution: Laundry Day

2010-01-09T11:42:00.003-06:00

Check this out:

a cute furniture piece that does double duty as a dirty laundry organizer! Love it! You could put this in a hallway and no one would know the dirt it hides.

You could even change out the knobs on it to label pulls that you could label with words or colors for the littlest to sort their laundry for you!

Find it here...along with a single, double and triple. In white, black or wood. Whatever your needs are!

Here are some more hamper furniture pieces...whatever your style or color preference is.

Our Homemade Christmas

2010-01-08T09:09:00.003-06:00

Christmas is done...in fact Christmas decorations were taken down yesterday.
But, I realized I hadn't shown the homemade gifts we gave each other on Christmas Eve.

Below: my husband made a puppet theater for all 3 girls. Chalkboard on the top to write the name of the show and curtains with stars. This has also been used already for a store.

Below: For Sophia, I found an unfinished dollhouse at Gordman's for $14.99! It came with all the furniture and 2 dolls! I just used paint and fabric I already had. Wall artwork came from gardening and a Land of Nod catalog!

2 Pictures below: The silk scarves that Ella (age 5)made for her sisters. We used the basic instructions here. Used the 22x 72" silk scarves from here. Used rubber bands to make the white lines that separated the colors.
Ella made one for Hannah and one for Sophia. I surprised her with one I made.

Something I did learn in making these:

I decided to do some in bright colors and some in pastels (example red and pink) I thought what was important was how long I left the scarves in the color (example: take the one I wanted pink out of the dye before the one I wanted red) What I learned was that whatever one you put in first will pick up the majority of the color immediately...making it the more intense one. So the one I wanted red went in first, and a little later went the one I wanted pink.

I also rinsed in my sink like the instructions said. But I also sent each scarf individually through the rinse cycle on my washer. Then I dried it on the absolute lowest setting in my dryer.

Below: Sophia (age 2 1/2) made these playsilks for her sisters. We used the same instructions we used above. I purchased the 35x 35 silk. I ended up leaving one un-dyed(white) to be used as a veil, snow, etc.

I had seen these around a lot the last few years...but never really thought my kids would use these. It was only until I started noticing that they had this one yard of scrape fabric that I was constantly tying for a dress, cape, skirt, baby blanket, the list goes on and on. This has been the most played with Christmas gift...one day the long scarves became hammocks for the all the (stuffed) animals at the rescue center.

Below: Hannah (age 8) made tied-fleece blankets for her sisters. She picked out the fabric (pattern on one side and solid on the other) I cut all the "fringe" for her to tie. The narrow fringe ties better than a thicker fringe. This was a perfect project for an 8 year old +.

Sophia's Blanket above

Below: I secretly made Hannah her own blanket. With the fabric that she liked when we were buying for her sisters.

Below:Ella's blanket.

These blankets are sooo warm...double thickness of fleece...so cozy!

Here's another example of a semi-homemade Christmas gift. I love the idea...but mostly the thoughtfulness, the knowing of that particular child, that went into it.

One more example from them.

Designmom is where I first came across the idea of the homemade Christmas gifts. Here is her list of some her kids have made in the past.

Wanted: Your Input

2010-01-05T17:07:00.003-06:00

I Need Your Advice....

in a few weeks I am one of the speakers at a morning of workshops for women at a local church.

My workshop is "Getting The Look for Less" ... Love it!

My direction will be to encourage these "makers of the home" to strive to make their home an En Gedi . An oasis...a place of peace...of refreshment. And certainly this can be done on a budget.

But I'm curious...if you were to sign up for this workshop titled "Getting The Look for Less"

what would you expect to get out of it?
how would you like my information and ideas to be shared?
would a question/answer time be helpful?

I would love any ideas you may have.

Please don't be scared to leave a comment (even anonymous) or contact me through email. Thank-you in advance!

A Great Resource

2010-01-04T11:29:00.003-06:00

Happy 2010 everyone! Hope the holidays were good ones!

I wanted to share a website my sis shared with me.

It's houzz.com

It's like having 100 great design and decorating magazines at your fingertips...and without all the advertisements!

Search by your pesonal style and room.

Check it out and enjoy!

(Vicki-I picked this pic for you...fireplace along the long wall...vaulted beamed ceiling...beautiful windows for the view!)

Handmade Christmas

2009-12-15T08:02:00.003-06:00

This week in my house the elves are busy at work...

My oldest daughter has had 3 snow days in the past week...which I love having her home....but it makes it hard for the little sisters to work on their homemade Christmas gifts!

I did manage to get a couple gift projects done yesterday.

The idea from the clipboards below come from Skip To My Lou. Her instructions are here.

It was a pretty simple project....the hardest part was making the template for the paper to lay nicely around the clip...(which I recommend doing)

I found the clipboards and paper at Staples. The clipboard was just under $2.00 and a pack of 12 notebooks was around $3.50.

The next project I did was to cover these little mixing bowls I found at the thrift store (all 3 for $5.00). I was planning to use paper, but quickly found out I needed something a little more flexible for all the curves. Tissue paper could have worked. I used fabric...and lots of modge podge to go with it!

I like how they turned out. They are for Sophia and her little kitchen.

Just a fun picture...

the girls in their vintage Christmas aprons. (Found at a garage sale for .10/each!)

Start A New Tradition: Sleep Under the Christmas Tree

2009-12-14T14:13:00.003-06:00

{The lights seemed as stars...as we lay under the Christmas tree.}

Send the kids to put on their pj's.

Gather your pillows, sleeping bags and blankets. (Even mom and dad!)

Lay them around the tree.

Turn all the lights off...except of course the ones on the tree.

Read some of your favorite Christmas stories by the light of the tree.

Or to change it up a bit...let a complete stranger read to you...

What!

There are lots of free resources available for audio Christmas stories.
Lay quietly and listen...let your own imagination paint the pictures!

Resources:

Christmas Stories at Storynory.com

Stories at FeelsLikeChristmas

or invest in one like:

Christmas Stories read by Jim Weiss

The Velveteen Rabbit

Sweet Dreams!

Christmas Decor: The Interior

2009-12-13T21:15:00.015-06:00

Merry Christmas and Welcome!

Maybe you're a regular around here or maybe you're here by way of a holiday tour! Which ever it is, I'm glad you're here!

Here's a peak into our home during the holidays....

Some close-ups of our tree decorations.

In an earlier post I talked about how I decided to use our little 6 1/2 foot tree this year...but I needed to figure our a way to make it appear a little grander in our 9 + foot space....

I had my husband build a big box to lift the tree up to the height I wanted. The tree base sits inside of it. Painted red, I think it looks very nice!

The stockings were hung...I've found these stockings over many years at different places.

More pictures of the fireplace.

Above is a tray that sits on the ottoman in front of the fire. Different Christmas books, some decorations and a beautiful candle holder sit on top of the tray. (The candle holder I just found at the thrift store...$4.00! The original price tag of $50 was still on it!)

More birds! This canvas art was found at the thrift store...$1.00.

Jars filled with balls....different colors and patterns.

Vintage wood skies tucked in a corner.

An old milk jar...filled with balls and a candle.

Jar was found at a garage sale for a couple bucks!

Bottle brush trees sit upon a window sill. Look how beautiful the snow is...I couldn't have done it better myself!

Trees found at the thrift store for $1.00 each!

An arrangement I threw together in an old wooden drawer...using whatever greenery, candles and decorations I could find.

The view from our dining room.

The next 3 pics are from our guest room.

I put my feather tree up to display some of my vintage and mercury glass balls.

Below: a few of the decorations on the mantel in our master.

Below: a wreath that hangs in the big girls room.

Open up your home for the holidays at:

The Nester and Hooked on Houses!

The Inspired Room

Tip Junkie

Christmas Decor: Exterior

2009-12-13T20:59:00.008-06:00

Welcome!

Here's some pictures of the outside of our house during this Christmas season.

The glow of candles in each window and lighted garland give the house warmth on a cold night!

Lights at night and wreaths and garland for the daytime.

The window wreaths as well as these light decorations were made by using some garland I already had. Ribbon and red jingle bells make it extra festive!

Pictures of our side entry:

The basket is from the thrift store...I sprayed it red. The greenery is from a church sale!

Christmas Decor: Sophia's Room

2009-12-13T12:06:00.004-06:00

This past week was going to be my "Christmas Decor Project Week".

But it quickly turned to "sick...wanna lay down and sleep all the time" week!

The decorations for Sophia's room was about all I could manage to do this week...you'll understand why....it's about as easy as could be!

All I did was gather together random scrapbook paper in her room colors and then used my scallop circle punch to make a lot of little circles.

I then loaded my sewing machine with white thread and quickly sewed up a bunch of these garlands!

The paper goes through the machine just like fabric. I really like how it turned out!

What didn't turn into garland I added some hooks to and hung them on her little tree!

A string of 20 mini lights from Hobby Lobby was all I needed to purchase.

Also on the tree is garland I made many years ago by using small gauge wire and threading it through mismatched buttons.

My favorite holiday decorating tip right now is putting your tree in some sort of container. It really makes it look special!

This is pottery I found at a garage sale this summer.

And it sits on top of a cutter quilt that was turned into a table runner.

Simple and sweet!

Start A New Tradition...The Minivan Express

2009-12-11T09:20:00.002-06:00

Here's a great idea to make looking at Christmas lights extra special!

It's called the Minivan Express.

Read about it here, and then come back for links to some resources!

Resources for the Minivan Express:

Printable Minivan Express tickets from Confessions of a Homeschooler

Here's where I found some of those fun glasses!

Look for disposable hot drink cups (with lids) at Wal-Mart, Target or Sam's Club for drinking hot cocoa in the van.

I'm going to make a Minivan Express kit to give to our neighbors too!

Have fun!

Christmas Gift Giving: Handmade

2009-12-10T15:21:00.003-06:00

Hello all! We are digging out from a foot of snow and trying to stay warm and not too stir crazy!

I have been sick since Tuesday night...yuck!

Today I am linking you to other lists of great handmade items. Enjoy!

modern handmade child

make sure to check out their archive for even more ideas!

children's gift ideas from small magazine

the long threads gift resource list

kid stuff world

You've found the perfect present...wrap it up...find the perfect free printable gift tag here!

Great Gifts for Kids

2009-12-08T07:58:00.004-06:00

Good day everyone!

I wanted to share with you 2 of my favorite children's toy retailers:

They both sell wonderful toys and activities...often handmade...but nothing you would find on the shelves of the big box stores.

Toys that spur on hours of imaginative, open-ended play!

The other wonderful thing is right now (for just a few more days) they are both offering some pretty great discounts!

Magic Cabin is offering on orders of $65 or more free shipping plus a $10 Reward Card!

Hearthsong is offering free shipping and a $10 Reward Card on orders of $65 or more!

And on top of that....everything is 20% off!!!

Plus if you have an account through:

ebates (free and a great way to earn cash back for your online shopping) you can receive 6% cashback on your Hearthsong purchase!

Big Crumbs offer the same thing, but a 7.2% cashback on your Hearthsong purchase!

Happy Shopping!

Randoms...

2009-12-05T17:05:00.002-06:00

Happy Christmas season everyone!

Have you been busy decking your halls? I know I have...with a little bit of organizing the decorations and purging some of them too!

I have a lot of decorations....mostly ornaments. I thought I was only going to put up 1 tree this year- in the great room...but 2 more have been put up (one in the guest room and one in the big girls room) And one more is slated to go up tomorrow!

Speaking of trees...I really wanted to buy a new, big, beautiful, tall, the most realistic artificial, pre-lit tree you could find this year. But those babies are expensive! So, I've decided to save for that through the upcoming year and make due with what I have. What I did have was the 6 1/2 foot slim tree of our married-student housing days. But, now that tree will reside in a 9+ foot room. So...I had to come up with a solution.... I'll post a picture later of our solution. I ended up really liking it...so even if I get that big tall tree for next year, our "solution" tree will still have a home here at our house!

Another solution I've come up with for decorating with what we have is making wreaths for the windows on the front of the house. I used the cheap garland that we had...and those turned out nice too! (Pictures later!)

I started and finished a lot of Christmas shopping on Cyber Monday! Yeah for free shipping and shopping during nap time with a cup of coffee!

I'm hoping to share some great gift ideas and retailers in the upcoming week!

Speaking of gifts...this year the girls are making gifts for each other.

Hannah and I went last week to the fabric store to buy fleece for her to make "fleece tie blankets" for her sisters. And I made a mental note of the fleece she liked for herself...mom's homemade gift to her!

Ella will be dying silk with kool-aid that I will help turn into capes with a little fabric and velcro.

Sophia too will be dying silk with kool-aid. We will be making homemade play-silks for her to give her sisters!

I'll share the process when we complete it!

Jacob and I will be giving the girls homemade gifts too.

Because of all this crafty gift giving, I've been working on getting my craft area in order. It's still in process...but I've made big time headway!

There's lots that needs to be done and just as much that I would like to get done.

But mostly I'm just excited to enjoy the holidays and start some new family traditions of our own!

The Pink and Green Party

2009-11-24T16:30:00.004-06:00

The Pink and Green Princess Party was a success!

Here's lots of pictures for you!

Ella's one request was a sign that said "Happy Birthday Princess Ella". She reminded me a couple times a day about it!

To welcome the royal guests...
I like it when you can tell you're at the right house...over half the guests had never been to our house before.

My husband can build houses...and apparently castles now too!

Based on the castle on the invitation!

I purchased a 3 sided presentation board (already pink) at Hobby Lobby.

My husband drew out the castle shape on the backside, and then cut it out.

The flags are wooden skewers with green felt flags!

Every girl at the party got to be a princess...complete with their own cape and crown!

I used the same tutorials I used here!

No royal banquet is complete without flowers...tissue paper flowers fit into this "not so royal budget"! I used Martha's directions.
Every princess needs a sparkly slipper...template and directions found here!
Homemade green gingham napkins and pink hobnail plates that I found at a garage sale...8 for $1.00! With 3 girls in the house, I couldn't pass them up!

Homemade tablecloth and banners complete the festive look!

Another view!

The menu was kept simple...cake and a drink.

Sugar rimmed glasses held the pink and green princess punch!

(A scoop of lime sherbet, a scoop of raspberry sherbet and some 7UP)

Each girl got her own princess cake.

I used this pan to create the bottoms of the dresses.

(I bought mine at Hobby Lobby with a 40% off coupon)

Polly Pockets and Princess make up the top half of the girls

We played pin the crown on the princess. Again modeled after the princess on the invite.

Everything was felt so it stuck by itself, instead of needing pins or tape.

Bad pic...the background is pink with a white princess.

Other games we played were:

a treasure hunt...the were on the hunt for the queens treasure box. Inside was diamonds, necklaces and rings for everyone.

Queen Commands (Simon Says)

The Royal Freeze Dance Ball

And a Pinata.

To carry all the goodies home, each girl received her own canvas bag with her first initial monogrammed on it.

We also set up this castle tent we already had...the girls had fun pretending with it!

Oh...if you live near me...and are planning a pink and green princess party, feel free to borrow all our pink and green party supplies!
I'm serious...so don't be shy!

Warming The Hearth

2009-11-23T16:46:00.002-06:00

The jack-o-lanterns were there in October.

November still doesn't have very cold days to have a fire going daily...so while I was unpacking a box I came across the solution.

These candleholders I made a few years ago:

It's simply straight sided glass vases, candleholders and even drinking glasses. I then used papers in different shades of creams, tans and whites....drew a pattern lightly in pencil on the papers....took the thread out of my sewing machine and "sewed" the pattern on the papers! The needle just poked little holes in the paper in a WAY more efficient manner than I could have ever done! Use some double stick tape to attach to glass containers!

They're even pretty in the daytime!
Opening that box brought a smile to my face....I had made these for centerpieces at a MOPS special dinner we had many years ago...in a town we no longer live in. ...but still have dear friends there...and great memories of times like this. You past fellow MOPS moms...remember these? Which special dinner was it???

Instant Party

2009-11-15T19:56:00.004-06:00

2 Things I love...cute and easy!

After reading my last post about the birthday party theme, my friend Lisa emailed me about the 2 party lines Stampin'Up! carries.

Both lines include everything (except the cupcakes) you need for a great party for eight!

The Princess Party

Includes products to create:

1 banner
8 invitations
8 crowns
8 purse boxes
8 food toppers

Isn't it adorable!!! Too bad I already bought all the party supplies.

The Pirate Party

The Pirate Party Includes the items needed to create:

1 banner
8 invitations
8 eye patches
8 treasure boxes
8 food toppers

A party for 8 for $15.95....hmmm.

I think there's 3 things I love....cute, easy and cheap!

Pink and Green On The Brain

2009-11-15T15:49:00.003-06:00

There's a certain little 4 year old in my home who is turning 5 very soon...this little 4, soon to be 5 year old is always very decisive.

This girly girl decided she would like to celebrate princess style this year...pink and green princess to be exact!

I love a good color theme...no problem there...

but princess in the right color combo...there is the challenge!

First we needed an invitation.

I was planning on making the invite, but needed some ideas.

I started searching etsy and lo and behold I came across these!

Perfect!!! So perfect that I opted to not make my own, but buy from event123.

They arrived and were lovely and very well made...and with the sweetest matching envelopes.

A great start to a sweetly royal birthday party!

Stay tuned for more!

Halloween Recap

2009-11-12T15:28:00.005-06:00

Yes I know it's already the middle of November.

I just thought I'd post it, so I could link to it next Halloween...so I guess that actually makes me ahead of the game :)

Halloween was great this year...here's some pics for you!

I set up this table and some decorations right inside the front door. The black tablecloth is just a twin sheet from Wal-Mart (under $5) A yard of fabric that I just had to sew the edges tops it off. I grabbed a few decorations from around the house and a lamp. Our glass trick or treat jars are on there.
The hanging pumpkins are from here.

Also, a basket of monster cookies for the grown-ups!

Front porch steps are ready to greet trick-or-treaters!

Little Red Riding Hood

(costume bought last year at an after Halloween sale)

We added the tutu and leggings!

The oldest wanted to be a hippie!

Thankfully we were given those jeans in a bag of hand-me-downs!

Just a few accessories from the costume shop were needed!

The peacock.

We took our cues from the overly priced Pottery Barn Kids costumes.

I purchased a leotard on ebay.
We then made a peacock skirt out of lots of felt, a little elastic, a little sewing and a lot of fabric glue.

Another handmade tutu was layered underneath for a bouncy, cute peacock!

My Weekend Adventure

2009-11-08T15:41:00.002-06:00

I didn't have any big plans for the weekend...there's always lots to work on around the house, enjoying the girls long weekend and the nice weather.

Well, I woke up Thursday morning to a love letter on my nightstand that told me I did indeed have plans for the weekend and I needed to pack my bag!

I did as the letter told me. At 10 AM I received a call from a friend informing me we were having lunch together.
I got in the car, only to see it well stocked with water and my much loved Dark Chocolate Frappacinos!
On the way to lunch, I stopped by the chiropractor for a much needed appointment my husband lined up for me.
Lunch was wonderful and encouraging. My friend then gave me another letter telling me that my husband had scheduled a (much needed/2 years in the waiting) hair appointment for me!
As my hair cut was wrapping up, some of the girls that worked there brought me a bag full of snacks and another letter. (One of the young college girls who worked there said, "maybe he's going to propose tonight!" I just laughed)
The letter told me that there was a reservation at a hotel for me...a night to relax and watch my favorite show (The Office).
(I will add here that The Office is my only show that I love and want to watch, but Thursday night is also the night Jacob works late...and so I usually don't get to watch it!)
I had a wonderful night of laying in bed and watching TV!
Friday morning my phone rings, and a dear friend is on the line (all the way from Oklahoma) It was nice to hear her voice and all her wonderful encouragement! She then proceeded to tell me that my husband had put an envelope of money (and another love letter) in the car for me to have a day of shopping! (With the rules that it couldn't be spent on the girls or the house).
I had a great time...taking my time and actually trying things on!!!
I received another call telling me to hop in the car again and drive 3 hours to see my best friend Sara! She's a busy mom of 4 littles and a new business owner of a floral shop. Needless to say, we don't get to see each other enough!
I arrived Friday afternoon, and was informed that my husband was sending BOTH of us to the spa for the night!
We had massages, manicures and pedicures...and lots of laughs! We came back to Sara's home and relaxed...with a movie and some cookie dough to eat!
Saturday there was a bit more shopping and another love letter saying it was time to return home to go out for dinner with my husband!
As sweet as that time was...I missed my husband and girls so much...I was ready to come home.

Could a girl do much better? I think not! He's the best!

CANDY!!!!!!!!

2009-11-04T15:03:00.003-06:00

Do you have a mound of candy at your house? We do here!

So what did I do today...I bought some more Halloween candy on clearance!

Did I hear some gasps of horror??? I have plans...trust me. Here's some of the ways we'll use up the Halloween candy in the upcoming months:

Candy Corn

(click on picture for recipe and instructions)

Click here for some sweet homemade candy bracelets!

Snicker Bars

They key ingredient for some Snicker Apple Salad

Chopped up...an easy topping for some fresh out of the oven brownies.

Kisses

Perfect for a few batches of Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies!

Reece's Peanut Butter Cups

A test of my will power

Some more batches of cookies-Peanut Butter Cup

More Candy Ideas

Perfect decorations for Christmas time Gingerbread houses!

Lollipop Flower Cupcakes

There's some ideas to get you started...check out the clearanced candy, and have some fun!

Also, check out the costume clearance...a dress-up box would make a perfect Christmas gift for a little girl or boy!

And of course, think ahead to next year!

(Just don't buy the candy for next year!)

More Simple Halloween Decor

2009-10-30T16:01:00.003-05:00

Have you had enough yet? Halloween is tomorrow...there WILL be some end to this, I promise!

It all started with these 2 little crocks I found thrifting:

I decided to put tricks on one, and treats on the other. I ended up using rub-on transfer letters. They turned out OK...and are decorating my upstairs hallway. As I was doing this project I started thinking it would be cool to actually have our tricks and treats for Halloween in some sort of labeled jar. They would have to be bigger...this is what I ended up with:

Chalkboard paint on glass jars...yes it's been done before...but it's still a fun way to greet your trick-or-treaters! And I can use it for other times throughout the year!

Simple Halloween Decorating Continues

2009-10-29T07:27:00.002-05:00

A big bowl of little pumpkins

Different ribbons wrapped around each (secured with glue dots)

Sweet and Simple!

Simple Halloween Decorating

2009-10-28T14:01:00.002-05:00

2 Store bought "foam" light-up Jacks

1 Garage Sale Jack

1 Little Jack from my Grandma

4 Happy Glowing Faces lighting up our fireplace in an unexpected way!

Hanging above the fireplace: one of the Halloween projects I did this year.

Various store bought fabrics-some are Halloween, some are just black or orange patterns.

Cut into triangle shapes with pinking shears (to deter fraying)

Sew into a banner using double fold bias tape.

The End!

Nice and Simple

2009-10-23T17:33:00.003-05:00

My peeps....have you seen the cute fall peeps that are out?

That little cat sitting on the edge of our cider cup is one...plus they make ghosts and pumpkins too.

Just cut a slit at the bottom and slide it on your cup.

Enjoy!

Owl Bet You Like Cheap Artwork!

2009-10-20T09:22:00.002-05:00

Now I need to clarify that this art project will take extreme talent and huge amounts of artistic talent.......

by Hallmark!

Have you ever walked by the card section in a store and a pretty card caught your eye?

Here's what I say...BUY IT!

Who cares if it's a congratulations on you mole removal...if the outside is pretty, who cares!

(as long as the outside doesn't mention the mole removal thing)

I found this pretty owl card at Target...the frame was $1 at a garage sale. (But thrift stores have tons too!)

I painted the frame with some "Burnt Orange" spray paint I found at Lowes.

Place the card inside...and that's it!

Change your cards seasonally...in a little over a month you'll be receiving lots of holiday cards in the mail...frame some of those!

Let your creative minds wander, as you wander the card aisle!

Not Always a House but Always A Home...

2009-10-05T18:21:00.005-05:00

Since being married and establishing our own household we've lived in about every type of "housing" you can think of. Here's the order:

1. Married Student Housing at the University

2. A One Bedroom Apartment (for 3 of us)

3. The in-laws house

4. A double wide trailer

5. A Two Bedroom Apartment (for the 5 of us)

6. And now, finally a "traditional" house.

I was always on a tight budget... #1-#4 was when my husband was in school full time and I was a stay at home mom. (For the first seven years of marriage)

#5 and #6 my husband has a "real job". But there's still a budget.

What #1-#6 did have in common...it was always home. No matter what form it came in, it was slowly and thoughtfully transformed into our home.

That's one of the reasons I wanted to share this blog with you:

The Copy Cat Cottage

She loves cottages...but lives in a 1960's split level.

She is slowly (one month per room) turning that house into her home.

For around $100 per room! What inspiration!

Oh...and....she's my sister!

Some Encouragement...

2009-10-01T08:40:00.003-05:00

Thrifting can be fun...but it can also be very discouraging. I guess that's the trade-off...major cheap items, but no promises of finding something you like. In thrifting it's all about quantity (or straight up luck). The more you go to-the more likely you are to find something you love.

I enjoy going to garage sales, and so I've scheduled my week so I can usually go on a Friday morning to a few sales. Thrift store visits usually only happen if I'm in the area doing other errands.

Most of my home decor I have found at thrift stores and garage sales...but, not EVERY time I go to one do I find something. In fact, I would say only about 1/3 of the time do I find something super cool and unique.

I have learned I like the "old lady" garage sales most. They're cleaning out years of attic clutter...and usually at great prices. I can find embroidery, fabric, dishes and the list goes on and on.

You can never tell what will be at a thrift store. But always have an open mind-think past the original use of an item and never forget your friend the spray paint can!
Remember my pumpkin decor post? All those pedestals and candlesticks were found at thrift stores. Some I spray painted. All were found individually, over the course of years. The only thing they had in common - my vision for them!

Here's a few items I've found thrifting...I hope they are encouragement to you to search those garage sales and thrift stores to make your house a home!

Above: a big "trencher" type bowl. This wood bowl is huge! It's at least 2 ft. square! I found it at Goodwill! I couldn't believe it! I had been wanting an antique trencher bowl for awhile, but they're very expensive. This isn't antique, but it's still pretty cool! ( I have a bunch of pumpkins and gourds to go in here.)

Above: popcorn bowls-one large and four individual. Found at Goodwill. (the large was found separate of the individuals) Just makes simple popcorn and movie night extra special!

This picture above is the dearest thing to me I've ever found.

Plus, I think it's the best example that you can find items that you love and are personal to you while thrifting.

If you're from where I grew up in northeast Iowa the picture will look familiar.

I was going to garage sales about 6 years ago in the town where I was going to college at. (3 hours from my hometown) I saw this and about lept out of my shoes! The colors weren't exact, but I went for a closer look. The black and white newspaper article that the artist painted this picture from was taped to the back. It was what I thought it was...how could I not recognize that scene...about 5 minutes from my parents farm. The mill that we spent our summers and falls tubing and canoing past. The bridge that was washed away in a flood when I was a young girl. I of course bought that picture immediately ($3.00!).

Everytime I walk past that picture it makes me smile.

A Little Excited...

2009-09-23T16:21:00.006-05:00

Update: DON"T BUY THESE STOOLS! THEY ARRIVED AT MY FRONT DOOR WITH A BIG STICKER SAYING -USING THESE WOULD EXPOSE US TO LEAD! I WILL BE RETURNING THESE! I WISH THE WEBSITE WOULD HAVE MENTIONED THAT BEFORE I ORDERED!

We are seriously lacking in the large furniture department now that we've moved into the house. I love old character pieces that are found at antique stores, flea markets and occasionally garage sales...plus it's the right price!

There are a few things that we need to buy new...like matresses, a couch and barstools. The barstools are on that list simply because I need 5.

I've given up on my dreams of some cool vintage industrial drafting stools...as pretty as they are....$2000 for a set of 5 wasn't.

I have ALWAYS liked these stools from Pottery Barn:

But still, $249 each x 5 = not happening

I found unfinished ones for less...like around $90 each.

But today...I was innocently looking on jcp.com in their Outlet section...and came across these lovelies:

Wednesday Deal Only: $39 each!!!!! Already finished...Antique Black!!! I could buy 5 for less than 1 at Pottery Barn! Man, I love knock-offs!

I grabbed the phone and called my husband shouting "EMERGENCY"...I'm sure that didn't thrill him...but he did say I could order them! YEAH!

I can't wait for these babies to arrive!

Have A Lovely Weekend!

2009-09-18T13:18:00.001-05:00

Have You Heard?

2009-09-17T12:27:00.002-05:00

Have you heard of Miley Cyrus?

Have you heard of Brittany Spears?

I have...and I'm no better for it. :)

Have you heard of Cathy Heller?

I hadn't, until today, and I am SO GLAD I did!

For some reason my 8 year old isn't into the Veggie Tale CD's of her "youth" and wants something a little older than singing vegetables.

I don't think she needs to be listening to songs about boyfriends and breaking up.

What do I do?

Pull out my Lawrence Welk records?

Um no...

I'm adding Cathy Heller's new kids CD to our Christmas wish list!

Seriously, go to her site and listen!

I really don't think music gets much happier!

Enjoy!

Is It Worth It?

2009-09-16T16:11:00.004-05:00

On a whim, sort of, I traded in some of our credit card cash back dollars for a Sams Club Membership. After receiving the card in the mail, I started having a little remorse...

was it going to be worth it?

am i going to find things cheaper than shopping sales with coupons?

what will i do with 1000 rolls of toilet paper....

a week or two later I came across this post at the Prudent Homemaker .

I love it when people far smarter than I share their vast wealth of Sams Club knowledge and research!

Stirring...

2009-09-15T13:47:00.004-05:00

Sorry peeps...it's been too long.

I was the lucky recipient last week of a nasty cold, which is really a downer on productivity.

But I'm feeling better, and ready to get back at it.

Needing, um I mean wanting, a wreath for my lovely front door...my decision to "stir" as much as I can of what I already have...resulted in this:

All I used was some of my dried leaves from another dried arrangement I no longer wanted. Some sticks and dried naturals I already owned. An old wood frame. My trusty staple gun. In under one hour I was done. YEAH!

PRESTO...CHANGE-O!

2009-09-08T08:24:00.002-05:00

We have grass! In under 2 hrs. on Saturday morning our entire yard was sodded. Thanks to about 20 wonderful friends who gave up their free Saturday morning! It makes such a huge difference...I love looking out the windows at all that green. Next will be some landscaping in the front.

It's a small change, but can you see another thing that is different from the before picture to the after? Comment if you see it!

On The Good Ship...

2009-09-03T20:59:00.004-05:00

We made lollipop birthday cookies for Hannah to share with her classmates! This was one of those projects that evolved as we worked. It was easy peasy!

1. I made a basic sugar cookie recipe.

2. Rolled into balls and slightly flattened them

(they will flatten and spread out even more as they bake.)

3. Stick a Popsicle stick in the middle before you bake.

4. Bake according to recipe. Normally I prefer my cookies very soft and slightly under cooked, but don't do that because the cookie will fall right off the stick before the kid gets one bite taken...unless you LIKE making little kids cry.

5. Allow to cool COMPLETELY.

6. Mix up a batch of "Shiny Cookie Paint" This layer of icing does NOT need to be colored...unless preferred.

Shiny Cookie Paint Recipe

2 Tbsp. Milk

2 Tbsp. Light Corn Syrup

2 Cups Powdered Sugar (Sifted)

Food Coloring

Mix liquid ingredients together in small bowl.

Sift in the sugar.

Add more milk if needed.

This is an icing, not a frosting, so it will be thin and more runny then traditional frosting.

7. Spoon some glaze on each cookie.

It will spread out and level itself. Don't worry about the excess that runs off the cookie...it is easily removed.

8. Allow the white layer to dry completely.

9. To make the color swirls I used a small round cake decorating tip and disposable cake decorating bags. Mix up the Shiny Cookie Paint and add food coloring of your choice. The icing for this step shouldn't be too thin, so that it will hold it's design. Just circle the cookie with the icing. You do not need to wait until completely dry to add the next color swirl.
Before wrapping, allow to dry.

They're wrapped up and ready to send with the birthday girl!

EXTRA TIP:
Another way to use this icing...
Give your kids paint brushes, put the different color icing in muffin tins and let them paint their own cookies!

Priority

2009-09-03T10:17:00.003-05:00

What tops my to-do list today?

Preparations for a very important upcoming birthday!

3 Things

2009-09-02T10:25:00.003-05:00

1. The last week I have been unpacking and hauling from storage...with a detour to IKEA and another to the ER. Our things have been in storage for 2 years, it is so fun to start opening boxes and unpacking! I am trying to be disciplined and "stir what I have"...so use what I have in new ways! The picture below is an example of that...this is the table in our foyer area. It was a painted white nightstand, but I painted it this red color we had leftover from a project over 2 years ago! I changed out the knobs with some extras we had (also from a project many years ago.) A few decorations...and we are done!

I do have a list of things that we will need to purchase...eventually...but for now it will be finding a place for what I do have. (I also have a nice pile started to sell on Craigslist and at a garage sale!)

2. Did you notice what's on the bottom shelf? Probably not...

I was not planning on fall decorations until after Labor Day...but sometimes things just happen ;)

Yep...that's an owl pic and a little ceramic acorn dish...both found at garage sales!

3. Just thought I would share with you the easiest salad in the world! My sister and I saw this at IKEA and it looked so yummy! It's just salad greens of your choice with strawberries, pineapple, blueberries and mandarin oranges spread on top. Serve with poppy seed dressing! My husband thought almonds would also be good with this...and I agree! This one is supposed to feed 20 hungry construction workers at lunch today!

I've Missed You!

2009-08-24T14:16:00.005-05:00

It's true...we've moved!!! We're here! Actually we've been here for almost a month now....and I've been without Internet until today...not fun, but it's in the past right? Moving was a crazier process than I had envisioned...here was the plan:

the girls were at my parents for the weekend while we moved.

we traded my parents our van for their truck so we could move over the weekend.

it all depended on the final inspection by the city.

my husband pulled an all nighter to get ready.

the inspection was friday afternoon, it finished at 5:00 pm.

did we pass? of course not! did I mention we live in a crazy strict building code town? we do...in fact the major thing that needed to be fixed that restricted us from moving in...we're the only town in the nation that has that code!

Instead of taking the weekend to move, my husband spent it fixing things that did not pass our city code.

It took the inspector until the following Wednesday to come back to inspect.

Since my husband was busy at the house, I kind of ended up moving myself (with children of course!)

My mom came on Thursday to help clean our apartment, which was a huge blessing! We finished at about 9 pm...just in time to pack everyone up for a weekend vacation with my husband's family.

Things have slowed down, still lots and lots to do, but it's nice just being together and having one residence to take care of!

We're happy just being together as a family again!

The cook top with pot filler...I actually love it a lot more than I thought I would!

Some of our carpet was back ordered...so we were moved in for a few days before it was installed.

I am ready to make a quilt for Sophia's room! I think that will be my first room to do, it mostly requires material and paint...and digging a big girl bed out of storage!

I put up a few summery decorations, which will be replaced in a few short weeks by fall decor!

This is the pile of decorations for the master bedroom...just sitting in the corner...looking longingly at me to decorate with them.

Yes, sometimes I do think I am going crazy.

We have curtains in our master bedroom! I'm sure the neighborhood thanks us.

The curtains throughout most of the downstairs are actually canvas painters drop clothes. The sides were already finished, they came in a 6x 9 ft. sheet, and they cost under $10 each! I did have to hem them, but that was it!

I've learned to appreciate the simple things in life...like a towel hanging by the shower...instead a pile of them in the hallway.

Doors...they're a good thing.

Some more seasonal decorations.

The End.

(for now)

Finds Around Town...

2009-07-18T16:45:00.003-05:00

Here are a few items I found while I was out and about running errands!

Above: a curtain panel found at Hobby Lobby. I've never seen these there before, I found them in the 54" bolts of decorating fabric. One Panel cost $24.99, but could easily be less with one of those lovely Hobby Lobby Coupons!

I don't think I could have made a panel for much less...and it was EXACTLY what I was looking for color wise...the den is painted the Camel color and the other colors I will use in there will be Black and Cream!

Above: Another Hobby Lobby find...clocks for the girls rooms. Regular Price-$9.99. But I bought them when clocks were 50% off!

Above: Cute red clips from Staples (under $5.00)...will be perfect for my little desk space!
Binders- Wal-Mart! Yeah! They had other colors, including a pretty chocolate brown! These ran $3.50 each. Another item for my desk space.

A Lovely Shade of Blah...

2009-07-17T12:35:00.002-05:00

One week and counting!!!!

If all goes well we will close on our house next Friday!

I have been cleaning and washing windows...

but yesterday I decided to repaint Sophia's room.

It was a color called Summer Fields from Lowes, and I really liked it.

But then I found this and really really liked it (the fawn and owl did it!)

And I didn't like the idea of those decals on a green wall.

Then it took me a few weeks to think it over in my head....how things would be arranged, other colors in the room, etc.

So yesterday I took the leap and painted it an original color (I didn't want to buy new paint so I mixed what I had) I call it:

Antique Alabaster

(antique white and alabaster mixed together)

Which is creamy white...which will be accented by creamy white carpet and the creamy white trim....that's right...

a lovely shade of blah for now!

Just trust me...I can see the finished product in my head...and it's not blah!

It will stay in blahland for awhile...until we:

paint her bed and bookshelves the Summer Fields color (thankfully I have over a gallon left!)

Her little kids harvest table will stay stained

the chairs will be painted pink

still unsure about the curtains.

The bedding will be made from this or similar colrs/fabric.

and I can see something like the edges of her sheets embroidered with this pattern.

Another Update

2009-07-13T16:24:00.004-05:00

Not many words...just some pictures of the house progress.

Above: the powder room

Above: the master bedroom fireplace...a few things to do before it's finished.

Above: master bath countertops, faucets and lights.

Above: locker close-up

Above: mudroom lockers

Above: kitchen lights

Above: kids bathroom...we finally have lights!

The Monster Is In!

2009-07-06T09:28:00.003-05:00

The countertops we purchased from a stone fabricator were put in on Friday. The girls countertop is Carrera Marble. Here are 2 tips I found out when purchasing countertops for the house:

#1: If you want natural stone (marble, granite, etc.) -For small areas (like a bathroom) look in the fabricators remnant area. It's leftovers from their other projects, and they want to get rid of it, so they will sell it to you for considerably less. In our case, it was $20 per square foot less!

#2: They have very nice Carrera marble countertops for VERY reasonable prices at Lowes....and the price includes a white, already attached, undermount sink. The only catch is they are in standard sizes, but a little pre-planning is all you will need!

The price for the countertop and sink at Lowes is what the fabricators charged us just for the labor of installing an undermount sink! See, big time savings!

I Need Your Help!

2009-07-01T13:46:00.002-05:00

In about 3 1/2 weeks we will be moving! I am very excited...but there is so much to do in between. Packing up an entire household can take up any "extra" time I may have...but on top of that, a house that we are finishing ourselves, and that has to be finished to move in! I'm thinking about that first week or two in the new house, and how much unpacking and projects we'll be working on...and how that will translate into feeding my family.

I have decided homemade freezer meals is the way to go...it's nothing new to me...I've done it in the past...usually devoting a day to filling the freezer. This time around I don't have an "extra" day...so my plan is to just double 7-10 meals I make in the next few weeks.

Here's where you come in!

Do you make freezer meals?

Would you mind sharing your favorite recipe?

I would greatly appreciate it!

Feeding Baby Link Love

2009-06-28T13:26:00.003-05:00

My sister had her first child 6 months ago, and is now at the beginnings of feeding her daughter, Isabel, solid foods. I wanted to share a website that I found and loved with her and all of you!

It's called

wholesomebabyfood.com

You Asked For It....House Update

2009-06-27T18:13:00.007-05:00

In less then a month we'll be moving in....completely done or (probably) not! We have to be out of our apartment the end of July and we have to have the house done enough for the city to give us our certificate of occupancy. As you can see above we have posts on the porch and lights...we have a railing that will probably need to be on before we can move in. The name of the game lately has been first to do the floors so we could do the cabinets so that the plumbers and electricians could come back and finish. All flooring is done except for carpeting! Here's a lot of pictures for you!
The electricians have been at our house the last few days. Here's one of the exterior lights...it's on the ceiling of our side porch. The electrician commented to me that this was the most custom lighted house they've ever done....I think that translates into $$$$.

This is the powder room floor. It wasn't originally supposed to be this, but due to running out of our wood floor and having extra tile, it turned into this. I love it! My husband did this floor.

Here's the office. It may eventually have some beams in it...but this will certainly do for now!

My mudroom lights

My mudroom floor...dirty already!

Sophia trying out the little corner bench in the shower!

Getting warm by the fire! (HA! It's been in the 90's with high humidity here) See the little white box in her hands....I noticed it after taking the picture...it's the lost specialty light bulb that everyone had been searching for!

The master closet.

The master bedroom.

The master bathtub.

Here's the kitchen cabinets my husband has been working so hard on! We deviated from our original plan on the counter tops. Originally we were going to do DIY concrete counter tops....but got a little nervous with my island...it's 8 1/2 ft. by 4 1/2 feet and I didn't want a seam in it, which would require us to pour in place and attempt to trowel it smooth. My dream has always been soapstone with a wood island...and that's what we're doing!

Here's the cabinet in the girls bathroom...I'm going to make a curtain for that curved middle part. I can't wait for my 4 foot trough sink to be put in!

The Great Room fan...this was where the long lost light bulb belonged!

The dining room lights. We may try to hide the swag of the chains by doing some ceiling treatment eventually.

This is the vanity cabinet in our basement bathroom. Jacob made it for me...I was inspired by one in Pottery Barn...but not inspired by the price! After the counter top, sink and faucet it will be 1/3 of the Pottery Barn price!

The sconces going down to the basement.

An Invite...

2009-06-25T17:24:00.002-05:00

Here's the invite I made for my sister-in-laws baby shower. I originally saw this idea here
and have been saving it for almost a year in the "must do" file. It's just a circle of fabric with a piece of pie cute out (find a cup or something else that's round to trace) and then sew it up with some contrasting thread. I used glue dots to attach the "wheels", but hot glue will work just as well! It says at the top "here comes the baby in the baby carriage" with all the details below that. I right justified it, so all the writing flowed from the right side. (Print first, then sew).
Another thing I learned is because of the buttons, you will have to pay more at the Post Office to send this. Apparently they have to hand sort instead of running it through their sorting machine...you will need to buy a .64 stamp.

I HEART ETSY

2009-06-21T18:40:00.006-05:00

This might just be the reason I repaint Sophia's room!

Aren't they BEAUTIFUL! They are fabric stickers! You can find them here.

Check out all the items for sale...they also have a boy version too!

lovemaestore

Stick a Fork In It...

2009-06-08T09:16:00.004-05:00

It's Done!

(not the house just this little closet/nook!)

This is the closet in our 4th bedroom. Right now the 4th bedroom will be our guest bedroom, so I decided to turn the closet into a crib nook for visiting babes. We bought the closet doors, but are leaving them off for now.

I bought the "Dream" vinyl decal on etsy from Elephannie. She didn't have exactly the size and style I wanted, but she easily did a custom order.

After I painted the closet white, my husband helped me find the center and hang the decal at the height I wanted.

The stripes took a great deal of time. 4 pieces of tape for each set of stripes, and all the measuring!

The thicker center stripe is 2 inches thick. The painters tape is 1 inch. The small stripes are 1 inch. The space between each set of stripes is 12 inches.

I then painted the blue on...but I think I should have painted another coat of white. Once I took the tape off I saw how much the blue "bled" into the orange peel texture of our walls, but I think if I would have done the white again, and then the blue, it would have filled up the texture and the blue stripes would have been much crisper when I removed the tape. Because I didn't do that, I had to go back and fix all that blue paint "bleeding" with some white paint. That took some time!
But, the painting is now finished, and it will be fun to put this little space together. I have a garage sale crib that will be painted black and a sweet little crib set that I can't wait to show you!

I Think I've Finally Figured It Out!

2009-06-05T19:49:00.003-05:00

I am really excited about taking my time and searching for furniture and decorations for our new home...once we move in. The one thing I had decided on was that everyone would have their bed all set up and ready for their first night in our new house...plus I needed to know what color to paint the rooms! I just figured Sophia would be in a crib at our new house so I picked out some bedding for her (yes she's survived 2 years without a matching crib set, and I think she'll still grow up to be a semi-normal adult!) Here's the bedding I ordered. It came and I loved it! But then I started thinking that wasn't the wisest move...buying crib bedding for a 2 year old who could probably do a big girl bed by the time we move. So I set out to find new bedding for a big girl bed! I was fine with re-painting, but wanted to do it before spankin' new carpet was in there! I did a lot of searching and came up with nothing that was "just right". I decided I could always make her bedding...I've done it for the other girls in the past. So then I needed to find fabric...which I've been searching for awhile now...but I think I've found it...and I don't even have to repaint!

Here it is:

"Pop Garden Sugar Mallow" by Heather Baily

It's perfect and will look so sweet in a quilt!

I won't even have to search around for matching fabric to do this:

I can still use this...I'll just vote a few butterflies out of the shadowbox and replace with some blue ones!

Link Love!

2009-06-04T11:28:00.003-05:00

I wanted to pass on a blog to all of you...A Year of Crock Potting.

Lots and lots and lots of recipes and the majority of them are gluten free!

I've been loving the crock pot lately with working over at the new house, a lot of times I'm so tired by the end of the day the thought of preparing supper seems too much. Plus now that it's warming up outside, I don't want my oven warming my kitchen up. Enjoy!

Pretty Organized

2009-05-29T13:46:00.005-05:00

I'm a sucker for labels, it's a fact...so I was SUPER excited when I saw what Cathe from "Just Something I Made" created for all of us to download for free! (And even more excited when I saw she did one in red) She has the red and a pretty apple green available. Click here to go to her site and download. Have fun organizing!

I HEART GRAPHIC DESIGNERS!

What's Better Than Cheap?

2009-05-28T11:30:00.004-05:00

FREE...of course!
I love decorating with old books and am always on the lookout for them...look at what I found at the public library the other day...free books!

I always am on the lookout for an interesting title and coloring. Perhaps something I can change out seasonally. But, what if they have a title I don't want to display?

I just turn them around...the simplicity of the cream pages and the variation of cover colors are beautiful. Sometimes you have to peak under a dust jacket to see the possibility, but once it's home just take that dust jacket off.

Stack them on a shelf horizontally or vertically or put them under something to elevate it.

Check out your local library for a free section...if you can't find one, ask the librarian what happens to the old books they no longer want...you may find some treasures!

Window Shopping...Craigslist Style

2009-05-26T15:16:00.003-05:00

I came across this table and chair set on Craigslist...it would be cute in a kitchen...but I think it would be even cuter in a "shared-sisters-room"! It could be used like an old partners desk...each one sitting on a different side with a lamp sitting in the middle and a basket or tray with paper and a jar for pencils and pens! I already have a "Plan A" for the big girls room desk...but I'll keep this in mind for a "Plan B"!

Pretty Names

2009-05-25T21:43:00.003-05:00

I wish I had graphic design skills...but some days I can barely get Microsoft Word to work right...thankfully there are much more skilled people than me sharing what they know! Here's what I did in just a couple minutes! Think of the possibilities...stickers...tags...stationary... Go here to make your own! Just do a search for your name in the top right corner...even if they don't have your name (they didn't have Ella) I was still able to "suggest" a name.

A Few Peaks...

2009-05-21T13:52:00.005-05:00

Here are some of the most updated pictures I have of the house...it's coming along, with something happening everyday! I spent Tuesday picking out appliances...kind of...I already had most of my appliances picked out before we started building, but I wasn't really set on a specific washer and dryer...at the top of my "wish" list was- my own, in my own house and not having to pay $1.75 to wash and dry each load (we share a washer and dryer with the other tenants of our apt.)...I also wanted a high-efficiency front loader...and I ended up picking out the "Whirlpool Duet" I'm pretty excited about it! Wednesday I picked out carpeting...something that was harder than I thought it would be!

Now, on to the pictures!

The "wing walls" on our front steps. Just the right height to sit on! The porch is still waiting for the rest of its "pretties"...the posts, railings and lights!

Some light fixtures have been installed! This one is in Sophia's room.

Here's the light that ended up in the big girls room...I love the 2 little birds sitting on the branches. The girls have already named them!

Another view of the front porch

My lovely tub! I LOVE baths, but refuse to take one in our apartment bath...so I am SUPER excited about this pretty little thing! Obviously I need to pick out some good, not sheer, curtains for those windows!

A 2nd Birthday...

2009-05-19T14:59:00.002-05:00

Watch out world...she is officially 2!

A Birthday Flashback

2009-05-06T19:11:00.004-05:00

Last year at this time it really wasn't on the radar to have a birthday party for Sophia beyond the immediate family...most of our family lives 2-3 hours away...plus we were trying to save every penny to get into a house. It just so happened that my brother was receiving his Masters degree from the university in our town on the weekend before Sophia's birthday...so my brother's family, my sister and her husband and my parents were going to be in town anyway...so why not have a birthday lunch. Since we were and still are :) living in a small 2 bedroom apartment I decided on a picnic lunch in the park.

I put together "lap lunches" for everyone...each adult and kid got their lunch packed in one of these red gable boxes. I hit up Fancy Flours for this cute gingham wax paper to wrap our sandwiches and the muffin cup. (make sure to check out all their offerings...especially their other muffin cups...it'll take your brain to all kinds of creative places)!

I had this lovely etsy seller make some custom stickers to "jazz" up the boxes.

I made a couple different cupcakes...funfetti cupcakes for my brother-in-law who also received his Masters the same weekend...gluten-free chocolate cupcakes for my brother...and lollipop flower cupcakes for the kids. I hit up the local "sweets" shop for my cupcake decorations. The "tray" is part of an old game that I picked up at a garage sale.

Other items not pictured: picnic blanket/tablecloths that I made from a cheap white twin bed sheet from Wal-Mart and red and white gingham fabric sewn on all four sides.

A big wicker basket filled with "park toys"...red balls, bats and bubbles.

We were prepared for a great picnic in the park......we ended up with a rainy day and a great party in the apartment!

And Sophia was the perfect little lady...never touching that tempting treat in front of her.....

HA! Fooled you....

A Birthday Checklist

2009-05-01T13:56:00.007-05:00

Happy May Day! I can't believe May is here already...but what's even harder to believe is that my baby will be 2 in less than two weeks! WOW! I thought we'd be in the house by now and that I could plan a little party for her and a few little friends...not this year...maybe we'll have a "just because" party next fall when her 2 older sisters are off to school. Even though I'm not planning a party I still have a birthday checklist...just a few things I'm thinking of for her special day.

An empty t-shirt + a little bit of fabric + some matching tulle = a cute tutu t-shirt that declares to the world that she is officially 2!

A little child sized hutch I picked up at a garage sale (for $7.50!) This will be transformed into a little kitchen/pantry for her new bedroom. Stocked with everything a kitchen needs...and hopefully lots of felt food!

If for some reason the above doesn't happen there's always this little dollhouse from Pottery Barn Kids!

Of course there will be birthday cupcakes and yummy food too!

Feed The Children...

2009-04-29T12:06:00.006-05:00

{Update: you can download the ipod template. Click here.}

Two completely unrelated facts that led up to this project:
1. My oldest daughter is responsible for classroom snacks this week.
2. She wants an ipod pretty bad...she's come home from school a few times with a piece of construction paper with string that has balls of paper attached which she declares is her ipod. The real ipod isn't happening anytime soon...

But, I thought we could have fun with snacks and make an ipod snack for everyone. Here's how we made it happen:
(a sneak peak of the finished product)

We searched for an "ipod shaped" snack...we ended up with these crackers and "cheese". I think another good option would have been granola bars.

We also found "headphones" which are Hershey Kisses.

Other supplies: paper, tape, string and printed ipod wheel and screen.

I took a half sheet of paper and wrapped it up like a present (using clear tape).

I cut a long piece of string, folded it in half and taped it to the back of the ipod. I then taped the 2 ends of the string to the bottom of the kisses.

I cut out the wheel and screen and glued onto each ipod. I allowed to dry overnight! I then put each one into it's own sandwich bag so the strings didn't get all twisted up.

There you go...the finished product!

This is a project my oldest could have helped a great deal with...we were going to work on it after supper, but got distracted with a dance party and a phone call from Grandma!

Nice and Thrifty

2009-04-28T14:26:00.004-05:00

On Tuesday mornings I volunteer in my oldest child's classroom...my 2 youngest go to a friends house...then I pick up my 2 and her 2 and take them home for the afternoon. The friend that watches them lives really close to one of the thrift stores in town...I usually have about5 minutes to pop in there before I have to pick everyone up! This is what I found today:

A fun dominoes game for the girls...super cute...perfect condition...made by Mudpuppy!
A ribbon belt from GAP.

***Disclaimer: the reason I post my finds is not because I think I have some awesome skill...I think everyone could go into a thrift store to find some great things at great prices...I post to encourage you to GO...give the thrift stores a chance...you'll be amazed at what you can find...and happy at the price you found it for!***

Distressed Letters

2009-04-22T13:32:00.009-05:00

I have been trying really hard to not get ahead of myself with the decorating of a house that doesn't exist...but as it starts existing and showing signs of getting finished I get a little, um a lot, excited! I decided to do one little project...some letters to hang on my big girls headboards. I saw some at Land of Nod that I thought were really cute, but really limited on the color selection. I knew I could make some in the colors I prefer. Here's the finished product:

You'll Need:
-Wooden Letters (found mine at Hobby Lobby in the unfinished wood section-2 for .99) -Scrapbook paper of your chosing -Brown Paint -Modge Podge -Emery Boards (nail files)

-On the back of the paper, trace your letter backwards. -Cut out the paper letter just inside the line you traced.

-Paint the tips of your fingers brown. ;) -While you're at it, paint the edges and sides of your letters brown.

-Coat the wooden letter with the Modge Podge. -Apply your cut-out paper letter. -Smooth out bubbles. -Allow to dry.

-Now take your emery board and distress that baby! -Concentrate on the edges and tips.

A close-up of the distressing.

-Apply another coat or two to the paper and wood to protect it.

There we have it...some pretty little letters. I will attach some ribbon to the back to hang on the girls headboards.

(Do not hang close to a crib if using ribbon or string)

A House Update...

2009-04-20T13:53:00.005-05:00

Our camera was M.I.A. for awhile, so I am just finally updating with some pics!

The above is our master shower. We decided to have a professional do it...I didn't feel like "learning the hard way" when it came to the possibility of water going places it wasn't supposed to. Plus our builder offers a warranty for things done by his subs.

My laundry room floor-old school linoleum. This was found at Home Depot!

The "hex" tile waiting to be installed in the kids bath.

A "peak" into the guest room.

The beadboard in the big girls room.

The beam in the great room...the rest of the columns and beams will be stained the same.

I am almost done painting...just a few small jobs to do!

The guys installing stone showed up today...I'm pretty excited about this!

Living In A Forest...

2009-04-20T13:13:00.006-05:00

During the time I was designing our new house, I had borrowed a book from the library...it was "The Not So Big House: A Blueprint For The Way We Really Live" . The book was great...it really reinforced the feelings my husband and I were having about building a house for the way we really live and for the things we value. We did not need any formal spaces or lots of small rooms...we just wanted the basics...but good sized and open. Here's some pictures of the main floor, this was another thing the book suggested, defining space with beams and posts instead of walls. (my tip: leave the walls around the bathroom ;))

The above picture is looking through to the dining space.

A view from the Great Room toward the foyer.

A view toward the kitchen through the dining space.

Our thoughts that went into the design of the house (first floor):

An inviting front porch and front door...I want people to be drawn in and feel at ease.

A defined "foyer space" but not a space wasting "foyer room".

A space we did decide to put doors on was the den/office. We wanted a place for my husband to have a desk to himself for the studying that he likes to do, a place for quiet reading in a cozy chair and a place for bookshelves filled with books!

A warm hearth to gather around.

A space for a piano (lessons to be started in the near future)

Great, built-in storage.

A dining space casual enough for everyday dining, but special enough to use for guests...and a way that we could easily pour into adjacent rooms if needed.

A good sized kitchen to make big meals! (open to other rooms, but messes hidden behind a half wall)

A good sized pantry...for stocking up and preserving the harvest!

A little desk space for me to do my planning.

A buffer space from the rest of the house when we enter-translation-MUDROOM! Where the kids can easily be responsible for their own shoes and coats. There's also a side door here for running in and out to the yard and garden.

***The reason for the title "Living In A Forest" was because my husband kept asking me if it felt like I was surrounded by trees with all those posts. We were joking last night that since the posts are Maple we should tap them and see if we can get some Maple Syrup out of them :)****

A Tip...

2009-04-16T19:47:00.004-05:00

Something I have recently learned about the grocery store I usually shop at (Cub Foods) is that if you buy a Cub gift card they give you an extra 10%...so tonight I bought a $100 gift card to pay for my groceries and they gave me $110 to do my shopping...So, if I was to do that every week, by the end of the year Cub would have given me an additional $520. If you're not a coupon clipper this is a good way to stretch that grocery budget. The other grocery stores in town "match" deals...it's worth it to ask if they would match this deal. If you don't live where there is a Cub Foods, keep your eyes open for similar deals! Happy Shopping!

Tats...

2009-04-16T19:25:00.003-05:00

Looking for a tattoo for your child......'s shirt? Why not get one for dad (or mom) while you're at it? Look what I spied over at etsy...

Go check it out here . It comes as a transfer that you can apply to the shirts of your chosing!