23 Design Company

NEW website

2011-06-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

Awhile back my blogger account was hacked into. I am just now getting around to dealing with the problem and getting a new website set up. It's finally finished...all of my blog posts have been transferred over, and other than a few things to finish up {about me page, profile pic, etc.}, it is good to go!

PLEASE bookmark my new page or come on over and become a follower of there! Just click on my logo and it will take you there...or if you need to do it manually, it is

www.23designco.blogspot.com

See ya on the new site!

Summer yumminess

2011-06-16T07:21:00.000-07:00

With the kids home for a couple months, am I the only who feels like our summer lunches can get a little boring...I mean peanut butter and honey, mac and cheese, and chili cheese quesadillas can get old pretty fast. That's why I love finding things kick it up a notch.

The Pioneer Woman has forever changed my view of the grilled cheese. She introduced this little baby into my life last year.

First time, I made it for dinner {just as the recipe instructed} on a hot evening and it went over well by all. It's all the comfort of grilled cheese with a whole lot more flavor....PW even calls it her favorite sandwich, if that tells you anything. ; )

RECIPE :

1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard, to taste
1 Tablespoon Mayonnaise, to taste
1 whole Tomato
1 whole Red Onion, Small
2 slices Mild Cheddar
1 can (4 Oz.) Whole Green Chilies
2 slices Provolone
2 slices Rye Bread
Butter

Mix the mustard and mayo and put on an inside piece of the bread. Layer all the veggies in between the provolone and butter the outsides. {That's the short version, you can click over to her website once again for all the gorgeous pics.}

Since then, I'm not sure I've made it the same way twice....but it's always SO good. We've even added ham to it and it's really good too....it makes the men in your life ok with having grilled cheese for dinner if you slap a piece of meat on it. :) I also almost like the diced green chilies better...partly because I always have them on hand and they also spread so easily. If you have a can of Hatch green chilies...even better! I've used all kinds of cheese and all kinds of bread....so don't be afraid if you don't have all the perfect ingredients, just put it together with what you have and like and I guarantee, you'll love it!

Happy summer cooking!

Weekend wrap-up and some sunny days ahead...

2011-06-13T19:15:00.000-07:00

I was so excited Friday night to go pick up my girls from the airport....they'd been with their grandma and grandpa to a little place you may have heard of....

They had an amazing time and I was so excited to wake up Saturday morning and hear all about the big trip and finish up my project I started while they were gone {I'll be posting on it later}. Instead, I woke up Saturday not feeling well and the weekend went downhill from there. I've pretty much been in bed ever since. Miserable. Just miserable. Moms definitely should not be allowed to get sick...can I get an AMEN?

So, in honor of me looking at my pretty tan walls for the last 3 days instead of soaking up the sun, here's a little bit of sunshine for you to enjoy?

{via} Definitely a nice spot for my coffee drinking

{via} love this yellow coral wallpaper

{via} Great windows, simplicity and touches of color

{via} A warm yellow with lots of al fresco dining, I can imagine

{via} Pretty sure I featured this before, but this yellow headboard may make this room

{via}Another warm yellow with some great ikat slipcovers

{via} LOVE this....the windows, the over stuffed ratan sofa, the paint

{via} Happiest laundry room ever....I bet my clothes would even look cleaner in here. : )

Well, hopefully these brightened your day. I'm definitely hoping for a brighter day tomorrow. : )

Come and knock on my door...

2011-06-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

Don't you LOVE a good front door on a house?? I'm one of those crazy people that could look at houses all day and sometimes you just see a door that makes the entire house and I love that. I don't know if I'm gutsy enough to try some of these colors, but I love how this one little piece of the puzzle can just complete it when done well. Some faves....

{via}

The last one is all about the design, but most of the others the color is what drew me in. Love all these and how they make their surroundings more beautiful...behind security, don't you think that may be the front door's most important job??

Mine currently is kind of a muted brick red....but looking at these has made me wish for something with a little more glass and pizzazz. What about you....have y'all bravely taken this step before me??

Top 5 : : Poolside edition

2011-06-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

I don't think I've ever spent as much time poolside as I have living in Texas. Maybe it's because if you are going to be outside in the summer you'd better find something to help you stay cool or maybe because my husband's parents {and our gym and many friends} have a pool that we are in almost everyday. Either way, I thought I'd share some of my poolside must-haves.

1. This after-sun lotion....nothing else compares. It's like $6 at Wal-Mart and it lasts all summer and then some. I bathe myself in this stuff everytime we leave...and sometimes even during. {I'm a bit of a lotion freak} It feels like you are giving your skin a big drink after drying it out in the sun and chlorine. I cannot tell you how much I love this stuff. : )

2. A great bag. Especially if you have kids, this one makes such a difference. Some places we go, we have to load up towels so that means you need a pretty good sized bag. Having some great pockets is also super helpful {for membership cards, phone, watch, etc}. Mine is canvas from the Gap {from about 5 years ago} and I love it, but there also some great wipe-able bags or lighter weight ones as well. Some of my faves...

This one is from L.L. Bean for $37...Lands' End has some great ones too. Great quality, classic look and look even better with a monogram! : )

Love the Calypso St. Barth collection at Target for this summer....this one is only $19.99.

This one is from Piperlime. Not really in my price range right now, but great inspiration. :)

3. Sunglasses. I love a good pair of sunglasses...BUT if it's a nice pair, it is a broken/lost pair for me. So, I've started buying a couple great pairs from the Dollar Tree every summer. They work great, look cute and of course, never get lost or broken. ; )

4. A swimsuit. I know, duh. I've developed quite a collection...different suits for different occasions. There's the waterpark suit that doesn't not budge...ever. There's the laying out suit...I'll leave that one there. Then, I've got the ones that are cute and appropriate to wear with the fam or friends. My faves in this category would probably be a strapless tankini...modest with no weird tanlines. Love these...


Love this one from J. Crew. Their selection is AMAZING!

Also J. Crew. Love these colors.

Don't like the straps as much on this one, but Trina Turk has some amazing swimsuit prints....LOVE this!

I honestly usually get mine end of the season clearance. There is still great selection and I'm paying $10 rather than $100. :)

5. A great water bottle. I inherited a Camelbak because my super-cool cousin who has everything that is cool for the outdoors, well, she left it in my car when we visited her in Wyoming. I meant to send it...and that was 2 years ago. : ) Hopefully we'll visit this summer and bring her a new one {since I've used the tar out of this one}. I fill it up with ice {or even freeze it half-full} and it stay's cool for quite a bit. It is indestructible and not possible for my little sweeties to backwash into it. : )

My sweet husband also bought me this one from Starbucks that I LOVE. It is so cool...it is glass and has a silicone cover. I love it...it definitely has the cool factor going too. ; )

I also have become addicted to this Mio water enhancer. LOVE it. I've been drinking so much more water...usually this time of year my sweet tea consumption is ridiculous. If you haven't tried it, they have so many different flavors, I bet you'll find one you love! : )

That's it. That's my list. What is on your list for hanging out by the pool? I'd love to hear yours...it may become one of must-have's too!

Tip Tuesday

2011-06-07T17:25:00.000-07:00

My simple tip today comes from a whole bunch of friends who told me about it, and I finally decided to give it a try.

TIP : Use your Iphone {or other type of phone or Ipod touch} to do your Bible reading. There is an actual Bible app and it is awesome! Not only are there a ton of different versions, but some of them are even audio. This way you can keep up with it while you are in the carpool line, at the park or pool, or all the other places where you may have a few minutes but may not normally keep your Bible with you.

I am currently doing the 90 day Bible using The Message version. I love how this version makes things easier to understand {especially when reading through the Old Testament}. I just plugged in my start day and the app maps it out for me...I'm scheduled to be done August 5! I just try to catch up when I can...sometimes I'm a couple days behind and sometimes I'm a couple ahead. I've even turned on the audio version and listened to it.

Maybe you have another way that works for you, but I just thought I'd let you know something that has helped me SO SO much! I'd love to hear how you do it and what works for you. I'm so ashamed to say that I've been a Christian for almost 25 years and never read the whole Bible through, but I am so excited to be able to do this {and it worked out great to fit in between our Bible Studies at church!}.

Precious girl's room with LOTS of inspiration!

2011-06-02T18:21:00.000-07:00

A really good friend named Lydia I grew up with started a blog just a bit before I started mine...we'd kept in touch through Facebook {since she lives in Washington}, but since I got acquainted with her blog, I feel like I've gotten to know her all over again! She has two sweet little girls and a husband who is serving our country in Afghanistan. So thankful for the "glimpses" into her life that remind me to pray for her, because I don't know how she does it...and manages to pull off cute kids' parties, gardening projects and lots of fun projects in her house.

I wanted to show you her adorable oldest daughter Lily's room. She and her husband are real DIY'ers {I think she has a sofa ready for him to build when he gets back!} and they did an amazing job on this room. You can read all about it here.

Here is the before....I'm sure those built-ins signaled them of the potential of this room....

They transformed it into this fun and happy room...love this color scheme!

love the attention to detail...like the bunting over the window

love it's lived-in, accumulated-over-time look with all those great accessories

love the bright table set and the "advent" alphabet

love the vintage prints

Don't you love this space?? You can also read about her kids' play house {yes, her husband made it too...it's AMAZING!}, and her awesome kitchen {I want to hack everything in it}. Go on over and check her out at Sophia & Rose....you won't be disappointed! And Lydia {my birthday bud...our birthdays are a day a part}....thanks for letting me feature you and I am so excited that your sweet husband comes home in just a couple weeks...YAY!

Easy {and FREE} bag tutorial

2011-05-31T21:33:00.000-07:00

I know y'all have seen these flowers before, usually on a headband or necklace or even bunched together on a wreath. This time, I decided to try to make a large one to put on this denim bag. I'm usually not one to gaudy things up too much, but I'd had this bad laying around forever and decided it either needed to change or go {My husband got it as end of the year gift from the PTA at his previous school...it had that school's logo embroidered on it, so I took that out a few years ago. Gym teachers & coaches aren't usually known to carry cute little denim embroidered bags...ha. : ) }

The supplies I used for this project included the bag, scrap fabric { I had a scarf that never seemed to look right with anything that went into my fabric bin, but you could use old t-shirts or any fabric that you can cut into strips}, and my hot glue gun. I just bought the cheapo one at Hobby Lobby for like $4 and it has lasted me almost 5 years.

Start with a tab of fabric in the middle and glue it down. Then wrap it around so that the end of that tab is covered, gluing along the way. Usually when I make these flowers, I glue only parts of it, but I glued most of this one down since I figured it would get used a bit harder.

I just wrapped it tightly and twisted my fabric strip as I went. If your strip doesn't make one whole flower, you can just add a new strip as you twist the flower and it will seamlessly tie in.

Continue to glue and twist until you get the desired size. On this flower, I just used up the length of the scarf. And here's the finished product....

I spent $0 and less than 10 minutes....and I've already had to settle a fight between my girls over it. I'd say that's a good sign it turned out all right. ;)

Tip Tuesday

2011-05-31T09:54:00.000-07:00

Today's tip comes from two friends that I go way back with...I used to admire them as creative mommas when I'd watch their children {they each have 5!}. Their houses always looked cute, their kids always looked cute and they were just a whole lot of fun to be around too! Their kids are older now and they have both started photography businesses and I am SO sad I don't live by them anymore because they do such awesome work, but if you are near San Diego or San Francisco, I'd love to introduce you to them...you won't be disappointed! {you can click on their cities to check out their websites}

TIP : When having company {or you just have a big family like us!}, use rubber bands with names on them around your glasses/cups to help cut down on the germ fest. :) Sofia even suggested using colored ones....how cute would this be for a party?!? I especially love them on the mason jars, but this would work for all different types of cups and look cute and be so functional!

I'm really wishing I would have thought of this one.

cool photo from Amy via Instagram

Added bonus: with little ones around, sometimes my sharpie used for names on cups can end up in the hands of someone who doesn't need it {like, say, the 3 & under crowd}...so get the rubber bands ready ahead of time and keep that sharpie hidden away!

Thanks again Sofia and Amy for this awesome tip...can't wait to use it for my next get-together!

More blue

2011-05-30T21:54:00.000-07:00

I'm such a sucker for blue. I keep seeing more examples of it that make me love it even more. I've also combined this blue love with a new little addiction called Pinterest { a great online resource to tag all your favorite pics online and see other people's faves too }...all images found there today. Take a peek for yourself.

blues, greens and orange...could this kitchen get any happier?

with this calming yet cheerful nursery, there is no way your baby could be colicky, right??

the seashell chandelier, the striped floor....I'd love to eat all my meals here

By the looks of this door, I think I'd love the rest of the house

fun style ideas...this might be my new Saturday look {well, after the ridiculously hot Texas summer is over }

So elegant

the touch of blue could add so much to a simple outfit...love these

party ideas

wedding ideas...loved the blues and those gorgeous flowers

I might be on the hunt for some pretty blue mason jars.. ; )

I don't mind a grey sky every now and then, but sky blue is my favorite color of blue and it always brings a smile to my face!

Have you used Pinterest? I'd love to hear some of your tips since I'm definitely still a novice. Hopefully, once I get the hang of it, it will become an awesome resource to help file all my favorite online pics.

Hope you enjoyed the "blues' today... : )

Memorial Day

2011-05-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

I love Memorial Day...it's just an all-American day that signals that SUMMER IS HERE!! Our weekend usually consists of get togethers with family and friends, swimming {now that we live in Texas} and lots of good food!

Here are a some great picks for your weekend events....

{{ smores in a jar } }

How cute are these??? I intended to make smores for some company we had this past week, but our wet firewood didn't allow that and I remembered running across this recipe. I first saw on it over at How Sweet It Is, but I adapted it for 8 people and I wanted to use a cake mix.

- 1 Chocolate Cake mix {I actually used a yellow and added 1/4 cup of cocoa...would probably add a little more next time} & ingredients to make it as directed
- 1 1/2 sleeves of graham crackers, crushed
- 1/3 - 1/2 cup of butter
- bag of large marshmallows

DIRECTIONS : Crush graham crackers and add butter. Line the bottom of greased mason jars with this mixture. Mix cake as directed and then add it on top of the graham cracker "crust". Fill a 9 x 13 with about an inch of water and then add the jars. Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes. Pull them from the oven and fill with marshmallows and heat under BROILER for 2-3 minutes.

{ { chicken cashew lettuce wraps } }

This one I found off of Tasty Kitchen {recipe found here}, and we actually had it for dinner tonight...would've taken my own pic, but we ate them too fast. : ) These are so yummy....and perfect for summer. They take no time to whip up and can be used as an appetizer or main meal {makes enough for probably 2 for a meal}.

{ { Monterrey Jack Salsa } }

I actually featured this recipe on this post, but it is even better with summer fresh veggies so I thought I'd mention it again. I know it's an unusual concoction, but it is SO good!

- 2 tomatoes

- 1 avocado

- 1 can sliced black olives

- 5 green onions

- 1-4 oz. can green chilies

- 1/4 c. cilantro

- 2 cups Monterrey Jack cheese

- 1 cup italian dressing

DIRECTIONS : Mix all and store in fridge.

{ { Blackberries with Sweet Cream } }

This recipe is from none other than The Pioneer Woman and she does not disappoint with this one. We made this one last July and then I made a batch every week till summer was done....probably a good habit to start at the end of summer instead of the beginning because it isn't exactly fat-free. ; ) I'll let you check out all her pretty pictures to get the details on this one.

Well, that's it. I'm sure I'll think of another favorite tomorrow, but I guess I'll have to save it for a Fourth of July post. Hope y'all have a happy and safe weekend...and hopefully you'll try a new recipe for your friends and fam! Enjoy!

Bathroom update

2011-05-25T14:02:00.000-07:00

I had a couple areas in the kids' bathroom that after being lived in for a little while proved to not be a good fit for us.

Example one : Ikea hooks.

I can't remember if these are marketed in anyway as towel hooks {they probably weren't}, but these are definitely not towel hooks. At all. This area usually looked a little more like this because they were not towel hooks....

Actually, it looked like this all the time. About the time that I was trying to figure it out, Ebay had a Groupon that let you buy $15 for $7...and I had a $10 Groupon credit {thank you to the person who signed up under me!}. Ebay is a great place for all kids of hardware...knobs, hooks, handles, etc....so I knew I could find what I needed here. I wanted a double hook for a robe and possibly an extra towel for each kid. I took the space behind the door...

And with the help of these house numbers I picked up at Wal-Mart {for 80 cents a piece},

I spray painted them hammered black and turned the space into a much more useful space...

Example two : nail holes from my unfunctional towel hooks....

I guess I could have gotten some joint coupound out and covered up my nailholes with that, but I chose to add a little "art" {using that word very loose, I know}

I spent less than $4 on all these projects combined...I loved the looks and even more than that....the usefulness!

What's your favorite way online to make a little spending money...Groupon, Swagbucks? I'd love to hear so I can give it a try! ; )

Tip Tuesday

2011-05-24T18:43:00.000-07:00

Today's tip is just something I picked up at Wally's {are we the only ones that have shortened Wal-Mart to that?...seems a little more fitting if you ask me : ) }. Anyway, with summer around the corner, I'm always looking for ways to pack up quick lunches and snacks to take to the park, pool, and on the road when we travel...and I've found a great solution!

I found ours in the summer aisle, but I also saw it in hanging in the condiment aisle too.

It was under $2, and it makes little "uncrustables" without their price tag...and now they are customizable. The idea of prepackaged sandwiches was great, but with needing to have many for little money, wanting to use wheat bread, and the fact that we do peanut butter and honey {instead of jelly} made it not such a great fit for our family...till now!

We also took it a step further than the pics above and even froze them...so when we are ready to hit the pool this summer, I just can plop a few in the cooler and let them thaw till we are ready for them! {sorry about the dark pics....we've had lots of weather days and it's been so dark in the middle of the day!}

throw your faves in the middle of the bread {pb, honey, syrup, jelly, etc}

push down on both parts

Isn't my hired help handsome?

voila!

I accidentally bought the fold over sandwich bags {didn't even know they still made those!} so I threw mine in a gallon size freezer bag

Hope this can maybe help make your summer lunch making just a little bit easier!

Little white tanks

2011-05-19T09:23:00.000-07:00

gap

I wear these little tanks almost every day under what I'm wearing. I usually stick with white, but I've got a couple other colors I save for those days I'm feeling a little crazy. : ) They are great for layering, under tanks that reveal a little too much for a mom of 4 ; ), and even for sleeping in.

Here's the thing...I used to just keep my eye out for them at Gap when they went down to $3.99 and I would really stock up, but I try not to shop as much as I used to, so my supply has dwindled to next to nothing. Every time, I went to Gap or Old Navy they were between $8 and $11....and to stock back up with 4 or 5...well, that's just ridiculous for something that no one even sees. ; )

So, I found a couple new options that I'm loving just about as much as my good ol' Gap tank.

This one is from Forever 21 and I especially love it because it is NOT ribbed, has a racer back and is only $3.50. They also have cami's, regular ribbed tanks, and other styles in many colors at that price point.

The other place that I picked up one from and was pleasantly surprised at how well it has held is...WAL-MART. Their tanks have come a long ways the last couple years...I would have to say it is pretty close match to Old Navy's for under $4. {the website didn't show them, but I found them folded on a table right in the front of our store}

Am I the only who is slightly addicted to these little tanks?? I'm sure glad I found some replacements because summer is just around the corner!

Gold Rush

2011-05-18T20:57:00.000-07:00

I don't know if anyone else has noticed, but gold is everywhere these days...and I'm loving it! I still love the simplicity and clean look of silver, but gold really knows how to kick it up a notch.

Some of my faves....

loving these from Forever 21...these sweet sand dollars are perfect for summer and at $3.80 perfect for the budget

These from Piperlime or the Target version {which actually was my Mother's Day present and I LOVE!!}

Isn't this gold 24K gold headband from Etsy to die for??

Or for the house....

This gold bamboo mirror looks amazing in this room


Wouldn't this gold pouf be fun in a room of neutrals??

Or like this elegant room, you could put a group of gold frames together {very inexpensively with a little spray paint!}

Have you used gold yet...either in your wardrobe or your home? Try it out next time you need something to stand out without being overbearing...I bet you'll love it!

Tip Tuesday

2011-05-18T05:29:00.000-07:00

Yes, I do realize this edition is on Wednesday, but I've had to put my soccer mom hat on quite a bit this week...I've been driving all over Dallas taking my kids to camps and practices and games. It's been crazy, but it's been a lot of fun too!

Today's tip comes from a friend from elementary school/high school, Betsy Malmanger {she was actually two years older than me...but you get the picture, we go back quite a long way}. She has 5 kids....with the last two being a set of ADORABLE twin girls. Since she got a 2 for 1....I'm going to give you a 2 for 1 today and include 2 tips she sent me!

TIP 1 : Use your pizza cutter when cutting up food for your little ones to eat. This works great on anything from pizza ; ) to pancakes to french toast to grilled cheese. I LOVE this idea!

TIP 2 : When measuring brown sugar, use the next smaller measuring cup to pack the sugar in. {Ex. when using a 1/2 cup to measure, pack it in with the 1/3 cup}. What a simple time saving idea...I don't think I'd heard of this one.

Betsy has a sweet blog where she chronicles their busy life here. Thank you so much Betsy for the great tips this week...I know they come from lots of experience!

If you want your tip to feature...just send me a message on facebook or through my email link on my blog.

fruits of the spirit

2011-05-14T20:36:00.000-07:00

I did a little rearranging in my kids' bathroom which I recently redid {shown here} and in the process ended up with some empty wallspace {and a couple nail holes I needed to cover up!}. I wanted something fun and fitting for my kids but also fit the room...and my budget of free to cheap. : )

I saw this idea over at Me Oh My and LOVED it...natural and kinda funky. She chose a song to put in her master bedroom and I think it looks great....

I was thinking a Bible verse would be good for my kids to see everday...but as I got to thinking about I had to be careful because it was going on the wall right across from the toilet. So....I ruled on out "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do with all thy might" pretty early on. ; ) I thought a list of the Fruits of the Spirit my go well on this narrow little wall.

I found a piece of scrap wood with a nice grain in the garage and had my sweet husband cut it to size. Then, I sanded it down and stained it using some stain I had that matches our flooring. {ALL FREE!}

I let that set for....well, until I had time to mess with is again. I bought some white acrylic paint {under $1} and taped off 10 lines to make sure I didn't write them crooked.

Then, I tied a ribbon to two small nails I hammered into the back and hung it up with yet another nail hole I hammered into the wall...

Now, my little ones have some almost free art {I know it's not perfect!} with some good reminders for the whole family!

Tip Tuesday

2011-05-10T12:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, ever since I started this little blog, it seems like everywhere I go, I have friends and other people giving me these great ideas...ranging from money saving to fashion to just general household tips. So, I've decided to take these great ideas and turn them into a new weekly posting called "Tip Tuesday."

Today's tip comes from my friend from church, Kelley. She has 3 little ones and a 4th on the way...she is one busy momma!

TIP : Use kitchen shears almost anytime you need to cut anything in the kitchen. Whether it's salad, chopping up food for little ones, meat, or cutting up fresh herbs...these simple kitchen item can save you so much time!

So next time you are about to drag out the cutting board and big ol' butcher knife, reevaluate and see if you can save yourself a little time by using your shears.

OK...if you have a GREAT tip that you want to be feature on Tip Tuesday....email me or message me on Facebook {PLEASE don't post it on the 23 Design Co. Facebook wall!}. Maybe someday if this blog is ever big and famous, I'll send out a prize to the weekly tip contributor, but for now, you can just have the joy that a couple hundred people are reading your tip and hopefully saving themselves so money and time! : )

FURNITURE FACELIFT : : Armoire

2011-05-09T13:01:00.000-07:00

It is finally finished and waiting to be delivered! I'm so excited to show you how awesome this piece turned out!

Here are the steps I took to complete this project...

1. Checked out local thrift stores and Craig's List {like non-stop for a few days : ) } till I came across this...called on it and got it the same day. For more info about Craig's List "how to" click here.

2. Got it home, took out the drawers & hardware and sanded {it was in really good condition with no cobwebs, dust, etc.}.

sanded really well where the hardware was because of the indentations left

3. Prepare to paint...wiped down the entire sanded piece with a damp cloth and used Frog Tape to tape off areas I didn't want paint.

4. Prime all areas that were being painted with OIL-BASED primer. I use a roller on all areas that are big enough to roll...if you use a good quality roller, it leaves you with a brush mark-free finish.

make sure you are more careful than i was with the oil-based primer...this stuff sticks good!! {this was like after 3 showers}

5. Paint two light coats. ( I use the roller here too where ever I can). Let it dry completely between coats and do a gentle all over sanding before the next coat.

6. Finish with a clear gloss water-based polyurethane. The water-based version prevents the white paint from yellowing. I did two light coats of this.

7. Install new hardware...I bought mine from Ebay. Since I needed 14 of them, the $1 price tag for the same thing I could get at Home Depot or Lowe's for $3 and up was well worth it!

Sad to see this piece leave, but so excited with how it has turned out! What do you think???

Painted floors

2011-05-04T12:41:00.000-07:00

{ via }

I don't think I've ever been accused of being a purist when it comes to keeping wood in it's natural state. Don't get me wrong...when done right, it can be more beautiful than any color of paint...BUT there are so many fun ways to spruce up those wood {or even concrete} floors with a can of paint. So, with my disclaimer put out there...here are some of my favorite ways of to do just that.

{ via }

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Isn't that detail in the last one unbelieveable?! I love how depending on this is done, it can make a space look modern and streamlined or even comfy and cottage-like. The top one done in black is my favorite...what's yours?

Another busy weekend & more projects!

2011-05-02T20:22:00.000-07:00

We are coming off yet another insanely busy weekend in this house...but I'm not complaining..it was fun, spent with family and friends, and productive!

Saturday started with a morning at the soccer fields and then on to a birthday party in the afternoon and the evening brought a new experience for us...we attended a Catholic service to support my daughter's best friend taking her first communion. It was definitely a different experience for us {we were both raised Baptist}, but it was neat to see some of their traditions and practices and we wouldn't have missed this special day for the world! My girls are little envious of the gift I made for their friend {maybe I'll have to make them their own soon : ) }...what do y'all think?

I made this on my computer and had it printed at Fed Ex on some thick cardstock...it was definitely a fun, new challenge for me going about it this way! Don't you love the font? It's called

I downloaded it here. Can't a font make all the difference in the world? I couldn't find a frame that was exactly what I wanted {fun girl and her cute purple room} so I took matters into my own hands for that too...found a somewhat ornate frame and painted it myself to match. I'm thinking this isn't going to be the last project like this... : )
I've also got my hands tied up in a little project for another friend...she needed a dresser for her teenage daughter and after a week or two of looking in our local thrift stores and on Craig's List, I found something I am thrilled with...in fact I told her that it's fine if she didn't like it because I wouldn't mind keeping it for myself! ; ) I'll show you the before and I'm hoping to have this project wrapped up by the weekend....

I've already ordered some new knobs {not sure if I've mentioned this, but Ebay is a great place to get hardware...so cheap!} and it's going to be sanded down and painted. I'm so excited about it! My sweet husband is so patient to deal with all my projects in that garage...I'm embarrassed to say how much I've got in there right now lined up for me to work on. ; )

Hope you had a happy Monday...I may be the only person in Texas who enjoyed this cold, rainy, barely 50 degree day...maybe because I know it's the calm before the storm {and by storm I mean insanely hot summer ; ) }.

Encourage ~ free printable!

2011-04-27T20:16:00.000-07:00

We are studying a book in our Wednesday Bible Study about the tongue...I'm telling you, it's been week after week of being convicted. Us girls and our big mouths is just a recipe for disaster! Tonight was my turn to lead and I really enjoyed spending the extra time this week studying how to use my tongue for good. One way we studied was to encourage others...this is such an easy thing to do and it doesn't take much time, but if you are like me, it's just not at the top of the priority list often enough. My goal is to find ways to make 2 people's day brighter and while it doesn't always happen, it sure keeps me more accountable to have a goal.

I printed these off for our group tonight and thought I'd share them with y'all. You know my love for chevron and I think gray and yellow is such a happy color combo so I thought I'd put all that prettiness to good use to help remind us all to encourage someone today!

{click here}

Who will you encourage today?

Top 5 : : Date night

2011-04-26T20:55:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you, but I LOVE date night. I wish we could have a date night every weekend, but our schedule and budget doesn't quite allow for that, but we do try and make it happen as much as possible! Our date nights used to be so predictable...dinner, movie or mall and always Barnes & Noble. Hot and sexy, huh? :) Actually, I still love that go-to date, but recently we've been trying to mix it up a bit and it has been SO fun! Here goes....

1. Stay in and cook together. For a while this did not seem too fun...I mean do what I do every night for 6 people and it's supposed to be romantic?! BUT if done right, it can be a low-key, enjoyable night in. Find a new, fun recipe like this one we recently tried {Trey actually cooked this one for me for our anniversary!}. If your husband is new to the cooking scene...be patient and give it time, he'll catch on quicker than you probably think. This is a great thing to do especially after a busy week of being on the go.

2. Tennis/Raquetball. I always get my butt kicked...always. But I always have fun playing. Now that our kids are a little older we can take them and let them play on one court and us have another court...so that almost counts as a date. : ) We've played on our own too and it's just great to be outside & having a little healthy competition {if you can call it that}.

3. Dressing up and hitting the town. Sometimes it's just fun to get all dolled up and do something special. This isn't really my thing to do all the time, but I enjoy being able to really celebrate a special occasion this way. For my birthday last year, we went to Wolfgang Puck's restaurant at the top of Reunion Tower in Dallas and it was amazing!

It's that tower with the ball on top that you see in every Dallas skyline pic : )

All dressed up ;) I'm not sure where the pics of us while we were out went...

4. Try something new. Last time we tried out a place here in Dallas called Top Golf. We had a couple coupons for it so if it was a total bomb, not too much was lost. ; ) It's kind of Par 3 golf game...almost bowling style. Trey is a pretty good golfer, but I have hardly played since we've been married. It was a blast and we will definitely be going back! Being able to try out new things and being ok if the actual activity ends up not really being your thing is part of the fun of it! Maybe it's time to give bowling, shooting or laser tag a try...I know I'm up for the challenge!

5. The go-to date. It might be routine, but I love it. A lot of times we get out the coupon book and try a new restaurant which helps keep things fun. And as long as we end up in Barnes & Noble by the end of the night, I know it'll will be a good time. There's not much better than the one you love, coffee, and books about whatever your heart desires {for the record, his are sports and fitness and mine are decorating books}.

Maybe my list seems boring to you....SO, I'd love to hear YOUR ideas! What do you do when your time has come to get out of the house for the night?

Easter shopping

2011-04-25T11:58:00.000-07:00

I know I showed this photo yesterday, but I thought I'd tell you about my Easter clothes shopping this year. This is the first year I haven't just gone out in the Spring sometimes and found matching outfits for all the kids. I found it piece by piece {all at amazing prices} since last fall. After reading this book, I am so glad I did it this way...saving money on things like this has allowed us to be able to give more freely when we've seen needs....still have a lot to work to do in this area though so I am in no means patting myself on the back! ; )

It all started when I found Saylor's {on the far left} dress. It is a Lilly Pulitzer similar to this, but I found it at Salvation Army while furniture shopping for under $5. I don't like to be a clothes snob {and don't think I am normally, I'll wear whatever as long as I like it}, but sometimes you just can't deny the quality of something...this dress is gorgeous and is definitely going to be passed down to Addison! Nothing says spring like Lilly Pulitzer so it was a perfect place to start.

Addison's {the baby} dress was found that same day. It is a Ralph Lauren and the strap was broken on it...so I kindly asked the clerk to take a percentage off and he didn't...but then threw it in the bag {FOR FREE}. So, yeah, that was one of my luckier shopping trips. ; )

I found Maggie's dress at Once Upon a Child {one of my fave places here in DFW not only to shop for my kids, but to make money on their outgrown clothes and toys}. It is a swiss dot {I don't think I've talked about my love for swiss dot, but I love it...especially in white!} from Old Navy...i'm guessing I paid about $6 or $7 for it. She was the only one that needed new church shoes and I picked those up at Once Upon A Child too...brand new Gap sandals for $4.50!

Tag is wearing some hand-me-downs...shorts from Crazy 8's and a white Ralph Lauren oxford I picked up somewhere a while back for cheap.

My clothes are a mix of old and new...Express skirt found for $2 at the best thrift store ever {it's called ARC and it's up by mom in Colorado...great clothes, great prices, and great cause!}, pink ruffle tank picked up at Marshalls last summer for $5, and my gray cardi I wore the day I graduated high school. : ) My shoes I got for Mother's Day last year from Ross....they are Aerosoles {crazy, huh?} and so comfy. I wear them every time I get a chance! I picked up my pearl necklace at Forever 21 and added a brooch I already had from Loft.

I hope I didn't bore y'all with these details...maybe I'm the only one that gets excited when I can clothe a family of 6 for as cheap as I did yesterday and make it look like we did NOT just walk out of the Salvation Army! ; ) I think I spent less than $20 on Easter outfits {not including what we already had}. So exciting to me that it already that has allowed me to be more generous in ways I couldn't have other Easters.

I'll probably be talking more about that book I mentioned above...it's kinda one of those life changers. I'm so excited about how it's changed my perspective on pretty much everything and can't wait to share!

Weekend wrap-up

2011-04-24T20:55:00.000-07:00

So, I've been a little busy this past week with birthdays, parties, Easter and projects and I thought I'd let you see first hand {in case you didn't believe me...ha!}.

celebrating Saylor's actual birthday with some cool peace sign brownies

peace sign cupcakes {anybody else have an 8 year old girl?? ; ) } for the par-tay with the friends

football cupcakes (we celebrated the 2 birthdays together with their friends)

party time!

my birthday buddies :)

Easter Sunday...so thankful for what this day means!

egg hunt

egg dash : )

does anyone else ever look at pics of their kids and wonder how they got so stinkin' old? : (

the loot and a wardrobe malfunction : )

I hope your Easter weekend was enjoyable as well!

I'm so excited to show y'all some projects that I'm working on this week...Stay tuned!