I Am Momma - Hear Me Roar

Sharing Saturday - a few questions

2012-01-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's been FOREVER since we had a Sharing Saturday and I miss them! Here's how it goes. I list three questions and you give your answers in the comments. If you have a questions YOU'D like asked of everyone here, just shoot me an email and we'll fit it in sometime. Since it's been a while, I don't have reader questions. They are mine. I'd love your help/suggestions.

1) What is the best product for cleaning off the hardened brown stains on a stovetop. Our stovetop is stainless steel and when the water accidentally boils over I can never get it off very well. Any tips?

2) What are some games that are great for young children other than Candyland? Let's just say I've spent hours playing Candyland this ~~week~~ month and I need something new. Rex can't get enough of it. He's only four, so I need something else that he can understand and like.

3) Where's the best family vacation you've ever been on? Is it Disneyland, Legoland, or is there some place that you'd rate higher? I don't know if we'll really do it, but we've talked a little about trying to do a little family vacation sometime this year. Our kids have never been to any of those places. Thoughts?

Thanks for your advice and input! I can't wait to hear what you have to say. Thanks for reading!

Nesting at Delia's

2012-01-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today I'm over at Delia Creates. She's hosting a nesting series, as she is getting ready to have her third baby. After two boys she's having a GIRL! Yay! Delia AND her blog are both my favorites. I've met her twice and she is the extremely kind, thoughtful, and gorgeous.

Here's a sneak preview of what I made. You'll have to go head over HERE to get the full low down.

Thanks for stopping by.

Valentines from a Rockstar

2012-01-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

If by some chance you're arriving here to today because you saw me on Martha Stewart today, then WELCOME!!! I hope you enjoy my blog and spend some time peeking around. Today's project is for Valentine's day.

I wanted to come up with a new fun Valentine for my son Rex this year. I had so much fun making last year's. I wanted to include a photo again this time around. Here's what I came up with.

They were easy to make. Here's the how to:

I dressed Rex us a little more funky than normal and took some pictures of him with my guitar case. He happened to be a total ham that day, which was perfect. I had a hard time deciding which picture to use. Here are a couple others. (I can't help but share them :)

Oh yeah. It's the smoulder.

I added some text to the pictures on Picnik. (Yes, I know. It's going to be closing in a few months, but hopefully they'll carry the whole thing over to Google + and not just parts of it.)

I printed the pictures as 4x6s because that made them bigger than the pop rock packet.

Then I cut a piece of paper to match the size of the picture. I also cut a little half circle out at the top so it would be easier to slide out the candy. I stapled 3 sides. It forms a pocket for the pop rocks to slide into. Then I let Rex practice writing his name and his friends' names on the back.

And that's it. They kind of make me giggle.

And we're ready for Valentine's Day. I think he'll have fun giving them out to his buddies.

Thanks for reading. See you tomorrow.

Wake Up Wednesday

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

Last week's challenge was to do something for your spouse or significant other. I got off rather easy because this past week my husband had his birthday. However, I did do something sentimental in addition to the presents. We got engaged in Central Park 7 years ago, so while I was there last week I had my sister take this picture for me.

If it's too small to read here, the note says, "I would say yes again." (Don't worry. I printed it big enough for him to be able to read it.)

This week's challenge is to write a note to someone who impresses you. It could be a friendly co-worker. It might be a family member. This challenge is pretty loose, but I have someone in mind that I've been meaning to write to for a while. Maybe you do too. Let them know how you feel. It's fun to see how much people shine when you recognize their goodness. Even children light up when you point out the good.

So, did any of you do something for your spouse or friend this week? Let's hear how it went. Thanks for joining in. Tomorrow I'll show you the fun Valentines we made for Rex to hand out this year. See you then.

Easiest Ever Minestrone (for the DailyBuzz Mom's 9x9)

2012-01-24T06:00:00.000-07:00

After reading the title today you might be thinking, "But Cheri doesn't ever post recipes." And you're right. However, I have a rockin' recipe from my mom for minestrone and I love it. Why?

- Because it's one of those things I can still make when I have almost nothing in the house.

- I love eating warm soup in the winter.

- It's quite healthy and a great way to get my kids to eat veggies.

- It's crazy easy and delicious, which makes me happy.

So today we're breaking the rules and I'm sharing a recipe. It's one of those recipes that's very adjustable.

1lb. ground beef OR Italian sausage (whatever you like)

2 jars of your favorite spaghetti sauce

2 jars of water (fill the ones you got the spaghetti sauce out of)

1 beef bullion cube (or 3 if you used beef rather than Italian sausage)

1 cup of a veggie (I like carrots, corn, peas, mushrooms, or zucchini in it.)

1 cup of another veggie

1/4 cup chopped onion (optional)

1.5 Tbsp Parsley

1.5 Tbsp Pizza seasoning

3/4 to 1 cup dry pasta

Brown your meat in the same pot you'll use for the soup. Drain the grease.

Add the spaghetti sauce and water.

Throw in all the veggies you have in your house. (If you're kids are picky, I think it helps to chop up the veggies into smaller unidentifiable pieces.) I always have some veggies in the freezer, so if I don't have fresh ones on hand it still works. It's also great for using up those leftover veggies you've got sitting around. You can pretty much throw anything in.

Stir in the seasonings and cover your pot. Turn the heat down and let it simmer for 30 minutes to cook the veggies.

While it simmers start some water boiling to cook the pasta.

Use any pasta you like. I like to let my kids pick a fun one. This time I used Orzo, so I only used 3/4 cup because you can fit a lot more of that in a cup than most pasta. When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the soup. (If you have a family member with a gluten allergy, just use rice instead.)

Then you're ready to serve it up. It makes a good sized pot, which is good news because the leftovers are great too. Serve with parmesan cheese and good bread. Enjoy.

Do you have a yummy soup recipe that you adore? Feel free to share a link in the comments so we can all try it out.

Thanks for reading.

The Martha Stewart Show

2012-01-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's time for the low-down. First of all, the show will air on THURSDAY (January 26th) at 10am on the Hallmark Channel.

I'll give you the full story of my experience. Read as much or as little as you want :)

I was contacted by someone from the show in the very beginning of September. They found my blog and wanted me to demonstrate how to make the Upcycled T-shirt Dress. I was floored when I got the email and wondered how I could even verify it was real. She explained that they didn't have dates, but wanted to see if it would even be a possibility for me. I didn't really tell anyone because I figured I'd wait to see if it would really happen.

I emailed them to check up on things a couple of times in the next few months and they said they were looking at January and they'd give me dates as soon as possible. At the end of December they gave me dates and then I told all of you, since it was official.

I had to prepare a lot for the show. They wanted dresses in all the various stages and I ran around like a chicken with my head cut off the two days before I fly out. The day of the filming they sent an intern to pick up all the stuff and I reported to the studio later.

When we arrived they let my sisters come back with me and they told us that Jessica Alba would also be a guest on the show that day. At that point we all texted our husbands, "Bet you wish you were here now!" Ha! It seems every man that breathes has a thing for her.

They had me rehearse everything with someone standing in for Martha. At this point I was getting nervous. They kept telling me all the things I needed to say and do and I was freaking out a wee bit on this inside, wondering if I would remember any of it.

The people who worked there were AWESOME, KIND, and REALLY FUN. They were my favorite part. After some rehearsing I went in for hair and makeup (which was great because I'm not a makeup expert.) The girls who did my hair and makeup were so kind as well. I wish I had pictures of everyone there, but I figured they might not want to be pictured on some random blog :)

My sisters headed off to the audience while I waited backstage in my green room. I watched the show from there and they came to get me when it was my turn. When I came out they had music playing loudly and someone there to pump up the crowd. I kind of felt like a football player coming out as the starting line up.

The music stopped, I met Martha, and the people there quickly reminded me of what I needed to say/do. Lastly, a kind camera man came over and said, "The most important thing you need to do is have fun." I actually didn't feel too nervous at this point. It did become fun.

The people I know have asked me about Martha. What is she like? It's not like we had tea together. I shook her hand, we recorded the segment, and that was about it. She was nice, but I don't know her any better than anyone of you. It seemed like the people who worked there really liked her, and I really think that says a lot. When the segment was done they took a picture of us together for me to have and they took one with my sisters in it too.

Martha asked if she could keep one of the dresses for her granddaughter. Can you really say no to that? I was excited that she liked the project so much.

I headed back to my room while they finished the rest of the show. My sisters said Martha let the audience ask some questions after the show. They also got samples of Jessica Alba's new natural baby products.

I brought toffee from V Chocolate for all the ladies there and gave them my "Hats Off to You" cards with Rex on them to say thanks. (I wanted to share something and my kids and chocolate are my favorites :)

I feel really lucky for getting the chance to do something like this. If you'd told me this would happen way back when I started this blog I probably wouldn't have believed you.

And that's the whole story. Thanks for letting me share it with you. See you tomorrow.

Sunshine Sunday - NYC Edition

2012-01-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share some pictures of what my sisters and I did in New York and tomorrow I'll give you the Martha low-down. I brought my nice camera, but never had the energy to drag it with daily. We walked so much, so I just ended up using my iPhone instead.

I LOVE NYC! I'd been there once before when my husband and I got engaged, but I got to see a lot more this time around.

We hit China Town to score a cute knock-off bag for my sister who didn't get to come :(

There was a sweet Lego store at Rockefeller Center. My boys would have drooled all over the place.

There was a huge Toys 'R Us in Times Square. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to pose with Ironman.

Here are my sisters in Times Square. My little sister Cassie is 7 months pregnant and she was such a trooper. We walked and walked and walked and she was right there with us. She scored some discounts when she bargained, due to her prego belly. It was really funny.

She even got a nice present from a bird in Central Park. So thoughtful :)

There were so many cool buildings to look at. I should have taken more pictures, but I was too busy looking.

We had hot dogs at the original "Gray's Papaya." Yum!

We went to M and J Trimming. My sister took this picture. I wish I had taken some, but I couldn't pick my jaw up off the floor to take one. WOW. That place was incredible. Billions of trims, buttons, elastics, and everything else crafty. It was astonishing.

My very favorite part of NYC is the subways! My sisters would laugh at me because I got so excited to use them. Thanks for the tip on the Subway app too. That helped SO much.

There is so much incredible tile/mosaic work in the subways too. My sister Jodi thought it would be cool to do something like this as a kitchen backsplash. I agree. So awesome.

I'll give you the Martha report tomorrow. It was seriously fun. My sisters got some sample products in the audience.

Thank you all for sharing your great tips on where to go and what to do. We had so much fun. I will live on all the memories for a long, long time.

Thanks for reading.

Soapbox Saturday - Fabric Organizer

2012-01-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

I'm in the process of slowly changing our office into my craft room. My husband didn't initially like the idea, but I promised him I would keep it clean and organized. With all sorts of fabric in bins and baskets everywhere, I knew this promise would be hard to keep. Then (through Lindsay) I found the Fabric Organizer. Yay! Now things are looking great and tidy.

Let me tell you a little more about them. They are thin and made of corrugated plastic. They have tabs that hold the fabric in place and then you wrap it around like a bolt at the store. They keep your fabric looking like a store and they help it stay wrinkle-free as well.

They even have a video HERE to show you exactly how they work. They now come in three sizes - small, large, and shorty. I like the shorty ones for the shelving in my craft room.

The large ones fit in if I turn them sideways. I think I'll use the large ones in a bin eventually.

The small ones are long and narrow. They are great for trim and ribbon.

I loaded them up and they fit nicely in the drawer of my desk. I love that you can see everything you have instead of digging through a disorganized bin.

If your New Year's resolution involves organizing, you might want to head over to the Fabric Organizer. I really love this product. It's simple, smart, and it's going to help me keep my creativity in order.

Thanks for dropping in.

Just Like New - Show and Tell

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today is our last guest post for "Just Like New." Our guest today is Sausha from Show and Tell. This lady is an absolute expert with giving furniture new life. I love her blog because it's full of incredible makeovers. She also has a blog where she lists furniture she's finished to sell. It's called Sweet Pickins and if you live in Utah you definitely want to check it out. Sausha has been on the Nate Berkus Show and she drives a rocking set of wheels. Welcome Sausha!

Hey everyone!! Im Sausha from {show and tell} and i am super excited to be guest posting today!! On my blog i post lots of furniture before and afters and a popular re-do is always a dresser turned TV console. Everyone loves a good furniture make-over right?!

My clients dresser wasn't bad, but it wasn't good either! It was solid wood and in really good shape so they didn't want to trash it. They needed a tv console for their new flat screen and after seeing the one that i posted about here, they decided to have me re-purpose their dresser as well.

It started out like any normal dresser, but i needed to reconfigure it a little to be a functional tv console. I started by taking out the three top drawers and then the middle one in the center. I just used the jigsaw to remove that middle support between the 2 drawers. My client wanted and open cubby in the middle so she can put a basket in there to store remotes/dvd's/games.

The next thing i needed to do was make shelves - i just used a 4x8 sheet of 1/2" MDF for this and cut it to fit. Basically for the middle one, i built a back, 2 sides and a bottom. The sides just got one bottom shelf. Everything was glued and nailed so it will stay put.

This is when you gotta use those measuring skills so everything will fit just right!!

If you look at the before pic, you can see that the dresser had some type of wavy molding going across the bottom. They wanted it to look more updated, so i popped that off and added a piece of baseboard trim. I love how that changes the look of the dresser!

Then, to finish off where i added the shelving, i put a 1/2' piece of trim around all the openings.

Last step was to fill all the nail holes and any gaps with some wood putty - as you can see my husband went to town with the wood putty - he is so fired!!

Now for the fun part!! I primed it using a brown tinted primer from Valspar and then painted it Summer White by Sherwin Williams in a semi-gloss finish. Then i distressed it and clear coated it in a gloss finish (Wood Classics poly by SW). Then new hardware was added and it was ready to go!!

And there you have it! An ordinary dresser that's not being used can become a custom piece of furniture in no time!! If you like a good furniture make-over, come and say hi over @ {Show and Tell}!! Thanks guys!!

Thanks for sharing that amazing makeover Sausha! It is so gorgeous and I wish I had known you a while back when we were shopping for a piece like this. Feel free to leave a comment for Sausha here or stop over and see some more makeovers at her blog HERE. Thanks for stopping by.

Just Like New - Pretty Handy Girl

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

So, Tuesday was the filming for Martha. I will share lots of details soon, but for now here's a little picture my sister took from the audience before the filming. (It's proof I can use to remind myself that it actually happened :)

Today while I'm gone we have a guest post from Brittany at Pretty Handy Girl. She has a garden flag project to share with us today.

Welcome Brittany!

Thanks for having me over today Cheri! I'm honored to be here and I hope your readers enjoy my tutorial for making a stained placemat look "JUST LIKE NEW" as a Valentine's Day garden flag!

Before I get started, I'd like to introduce myself. I'm Brittany aka Pretty Handy Girl and I'm on a very serious mission. My goal is to empower others to complete their own DIY projects. That's right, that includes you! Whether it is crafts, sewing, home decor, home improvement, home repair or power tools — I'm going to teach you how you can do it too!If you pop over to my blog, Pretty Handy Girl, you'll learn how to replace an ugly electrical outlet; how to make your own piping for cushions and pillows;

or how to turn an under-utilized closet into a really fun reading nook!

I also have been hosting a series called Tool Tutorial Friday where I teach you how to use power tools and other essential DIY tools. I hope you'll join me sometime soon.

Do you have kids? Or maybe just a messy spouse? Well, I have all three (two boys and a spouse) and that equates to a lot of messes around my home. Plus, a lot of stains. It figures that when I bought new placemats at the Dollar Tree, they wouldn't last the week without getting stained.

I could have tried my miracle stain remover formula on them, but honestly I'm not sure what I was thinking when I bought ivory fabric placemats (mental head slap.) The good news is that it gave me an opportunity to make a new garden flag for our yard! In December I made this Let it Snow flag:

However, the message seems to have been lost on Mother Nature because we are experiencing record warm temps in the Carolinas, AND would you believe that our daffodils are already coming up?! I decided not to challenge the fickle Mother anymore. Instead I embraced the weather and the upcoming holiday by creating this "Bee" Mine flag.

Start by collecting some supplies. Feel free to substitute what you have on hand.

Materials:

Dollar Store placemat
Ruler
Soap sliver (pencil or disappearing fabric marker)
Letter stencils (I chose a set by Martha Stewart Plaid)
Round paint brush
Tulip Fabric paint (white and black)
Tulip glitter fabric paint
Tulip glitter transfer sheets
Fabric scraps (red, pink and white)
Polyester stuffing
Scrap fabric, towel or rag (for ironing the glitter iron-ons)
White thread
Scissors

Begin by ironing all the fabric you will be using (including the placemat).

Fold over one of the short sides of the placemat at 2.25 inches. Crease the fold by ironing it.

Stitch along the edge to create a pole pocket.

Use your stencils (or freehand) to paint the letters M-I-N-E onto red fabric.

Draw a heart around the words using the soap sliver. Cut out you heart shape.

Cut several more hearts out of the fabric scraps. Cut some hearts out of glitter transfer sheets.

Cut out a bee shape using gold and black glitter iron-on sheets (or fabric scraps.) Create wings for the bee by cutting a figure 8 shape out of white fabric.

Lay out the shapes on the placemat and adjust them until you are happy with the design (and you have strategically covered the stain!) Pin all the fabric pieces in place.

Stitch around the edges of the fabric shapes using a blanket or other decorative stitch.

Leave an opening at the top of some of the bigger hearts. Push a small wad of stuffing into the hearts using the eraser end of a pencil.

Finish stitching the heart closed and stitch the remaining fabric hearts onto the placemat flag.

Time to iron on those glittery hearts! Peel the clear backing off the hearts and bee.

Lay them onto the placemat/flag, lay a piece of scrap cloth on top and then heat the glitter shapes with an iron for 40 seconds to adhere them to the flag.

Sew around the bee's wings and add some stuffing if desired. Paint a little bee travel line with the round paint brush and black fabric paint.

Paint glitter hearts to fill in any "holes" in your design.

Let the paint dry and then prominently display your new garden flag.

It won't bee long before you get compliments from the neighbors.

Thanks for having me as your guest today. I hope y'all have a wonderful January and a Happy Valentine's Day!

Thanks for being here Brittany. Feel free to leave a comment for Brittany here or you can visit her blog HERE.

Thank you for reading.

Wake Up Wednesday

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-07:00

So, Cheri is out of town still so she had me of all people (her non-crafty husband) write this post for her. So last weeks challenge was to give compliments. I went out of my way this week to make sure Cheri knew how proud I was of her for going on Martha Stewart. She is soooo dedicated to this blog, spends a lot of time and effort to make it something all of you will come back to see, day after day. I'm happy to see her have an opportunity to reap the rewards of her efforts this last week by spending some time with her sisters and be on a TV show (note: its not the first time she's been on TV before, ask her about it sometime). I'm one lucky guy for having such a wonderfully talented and hot Momma! BTW Cheri says she gave lots of compliments this week, too. I'll vouch for her since she is usually pretty good about this.

This weeks challenge is do something especially nice for your significant other. While Cheri made me promise to "keep it clean" I'll let each of you decide what your spouse, boyfriend, whatever, would enjoy the most. It could be something as simple as a well thought out letter, a special date to their favorite restaurant, a delicious baked good. Use your imagination and try something new! If you don't have a significant other right now pick a close friend of the opposite sex and do something nice for them. Who knows, maybe it will help you gain a significant other.

Ciao!

Just Like New - The Rooster and the Hen

2012-01-17T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today we welcome Dustin and Whitney from the Rooster and the Hen. While they haven't been blogging very long, their projects have spread through blogland quickly. I loved their awesome master bedroom makeover. They are really talented and they blog about their adventures and idea together. They have a fun, bold project to share today. Welcome Dustin and Whitney!

If your 2012 resolution includes anything along the lines of avoiding procrastination, then this might not be the post for you. Not that we advocate procrastination at The Rooster And The Hen, but in the case of our latest venture, it ended up working in our favor. We'll get to more of that in a minute...

We've been “all projecty” up in here working on our peacock themed kid’s bathroom, so Cheri's challenge to take something old and turn it into something new was right up our alley. When it comes to decorating, we’re all about re-purposing what we’ve got around the house or improving on a find from a yard sale, but it hasn’t always been like that.

When we were first married, I told Dustin “you can paint anything,” but as a bachelor of 27 years comfortable with blank walls and leather furniture, he didn’t believe me. It took some time to ease into it, but I slowly reeled him into my way of thinking. Then again, he also didn’t believe that anything good could come from a yard sale either. Fast forward almost six years later and we base most of our home decor and DIY projects on the two simple ideas that you can do a lot with a paintbrush and a few junk-ridden neighbors.

Our home was built in the early 90’s - back when brass light fixtures and red accent walls reined supreme. As part of our bathroom makeover, the light fixture was on the slate for a redo. I mean come on, just look at it.

While out at a yard sale last fall Dustin haggled for a newer light fixture, and at $5 it was an easy upgrade for us, even without the bell glass pieces. We decided to swap them out, figuring that sooner or later (note the procrastination here) we'd find a solution to finish it up.

The old light fixture got put into a box in the garage destined for good will, and sat there for months due to holiday craziness. And here's where the procrastination really paid off - it was only when we were loading up the car for our January garage clean up that I stumbled on the discarded box and re-examined the old glass pieces and noticed something very interesting.

They were still ugly. But, suddenly I heard the hallelujah choir singing and saw light shining down on the unwanted fixture. The shape of the glass actually looked a little bit like the end of peacock feathers, and at that moment I knew I had found a solution to fix my glass-less bathroom and add a punch of color that would go along with my mood board.

So I busted out my paint set, (I really like Modern Masters metallic paint collection) and got to work outlining the edges and ridges with a dark bronze before adding various metallic colors of green, gold, blue and purple.

It took some playing around with the colors to find a combination that I liked.

While I'd admit this isn’t the project I’d put into just any room, I wanted a whimsical feel for the kids and a punch of color to really brighten things up. The final effect is almost like stained glass. If you want to try the project on your own be prepared to apply lots of coats of paint. Not putting on enough will allow your brush strokes to show once the light is turned on. Also keep in mind that this works best with downward facing bell lights since the paint does tend to block some of the light.

We’ve still got a ways to go before our peacock bathroom is finished, but this is one transformation that fits perfectly within our budget and our decor pallet.

So there you have it. Something old that was banned from the house, brought back thanks to a bit of paint, a peacock inspired room, and some good ole' fashioned procrastination!

Thanks guys! That is a fun project and I'm really excited to see how the whole bathroom comes together. I love the bold colors. You guys can leave a comment for Dustin and Whitney here or head over and check out their blog HERE.

Thanks for dropping in.

Just Like New - Dream Book Design

2012-01-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Our first guest this week is Adri from Dream Book Design. She emailed me once, which is how I found her blog and this is the project that left my mouth dropped open. I't sone of those that makes me wish I were a thief so I could sneak in her house and have this buffet for myself. Yeah, that sounded psycho, but I'm just saying this project rocks my world.

Adri and her husband are very talented and creative, have great taste, and they also happen to be adorable. (They are also expected their first baby in a few months.) Welcome Adri!

A couple of months ago J bought this massive card catalog from Craigslist. It is from a closed down old Phoenix Public Library. It was so incredible, but yet we had no idea what the heck to do with it. It sat in the garage for a good four months until one day my hubby had a "light bulb" moment and decided he would take it apart and transform it into the most beautiful buffet ever...really, ever!

This is what we started with:

Here is the process:

Removed the 72 drawers, numbering each with tape as we went so we could place it back in the correct spot
Removed the outside plywood casing of the original cabinet
Separated the four sections of 18 slots that were stacked 4x1 and reacquainted the with each other in a 2x2 buffet setting. Screwed the sections back together

Purchased two 4'x8' sections of oak plywood and had Lowe's cut them to size for free. These would be the new top and base, but we used the original casings for the sides to preserve the character of the piece since they have great splits and dents already.

Secured 8 legs purchased from Lowe's for $8 each to base sheet of plywood in a diamond pattern {the card catalog is probably 350 lobs. so we were really, really, relieved when the base withstood all of the weight.
Added 3/4" trim purchased from Lowe's and cut at home with our Miter saw, then pathched the nail holes with wood putty.

Sanded, re-sanded, and sanded some more to really smooth things out
Painted all {freaking} 72 drawers {with a smile of course}and whole thing with Behr Premium Plus Ultra paint and primer in one from Home Depot {color:Rhino}- random fact: we will ONLY ever use Behr PPU for all projects, it is in our minds the best
Rubbed some stain {Minwax Dark Walnut 2716} all over with a small brush and a few rags to give the antique look, followed by a little more sanding and then some Minwax Wipe on Poly to seal it

Lastly, we placed all the original hardware back on each drawer {minus the 4 that are missing the little circle do-dads, we are very technical over here, do-dads}

Photo credit:Melissa Young

Photo credit: Melissa Young

So far we have figured out that we can stick wine bottles, cloth napkins, serving utensils, and other small things..but lets be honest- 72 drawers is a little much! We shall see what junk I can find to fill it up...

Finally, how rad is my J. What hubby thinks of this, and then is even excited to do it over his three-day weekend. I kinda love him.

Adri

It's that amazing? I LOVE it. Thanks for sharing your project with us Adri. You guys can leave a comment for her here or go visit her blog HERE. Thanks for stopping by.

Sunshine Sunday - blanket rides, boys, and my man

2012-01-15T08:18:00.002-07:00

Since we were home a lot this week, we came up with a lot of ways to entertain ourselves. This was the favorite though. I gave the boys blanket rides around the house since I needed to wash all the blankets anyway. This is Rex's fake smile, but I gurantee you he was having a ball.

I'm now in New York and I'll have pictures to show later, but I'm already missing these little guys. (Don't worry.....it's not impeding my fun , though :)

I am so incredibly thankful for my husband this week. I don't have many pictures of him, because this is the look I get when I get out the camera. However, he is so awesome. He is extremely supportive of whatever endeavor I'm in the middle of and I am truly blessed to have him for a husband.

I hope you all have a great week. Thanks for dropping in. See you tomorrow.

Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done.

2012-01-13T23:00:00.000-07:00

This post brought to you by Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done. All opinions are 100% mine.

When I think of spring flowers and adding color to my yard, I usually think about heading to the store once all the snow is gone and buying some already-blooming flowers. However, I recently learned a bit more about bulbs and I'm definitely rethinking my ways.

Do you know how easy it is to plant bulbs? Do you know how many kinds there are? Do you know you can grow them inside as well and even store them in the fridge for a while? You can visit www.digdropdone.com to learn more and answer any bulb-related question you can think of. Doesn't this picture make you want to learn a little more?

The site is really easy to use and there are funny videos from three different characters. They each show you different ways to use and incorporate bulbs into your home and yard. I got a kick out of Marcy the Super Mom.

Right now "Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done" is also having a contest. Just visit Curbside Chaos for the full set of details. All you do to enter is submit a photo of your front yard and you could win a $5000 yard makeover and a visit from Taniya Nayak (who will help you with the makeover). Sweet, huh?

And while you're there check out the "garden guru" section. It can help you decide what to plant and tell you when and how. You just pick your country, select your area, select a picture of the plant you want, and then it gives you all the instructions. It's like having a sweet lady next door with gardening experience to help you out.

Mine said I could plant this beautiful crocus and it would bloom in April.

And for every share on Twitter, "Bulbs. Dig, Drop, Done." will donate $1.00 to Rebuilding Together, a non-profit organization trying to revitalize communities.

So if your yard needs a bit of color go read up a little on bulbs at www.digdropdone.com and if it needs a lot of help enter the conest at Curbside Chaos.

Thanks for dropping in.

Feature Friday - Light Up a Cardboard Box

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-07:00

We spent a lot of time at home this week due to sickness, so we were trying to come up with some fun things to do at home. A few weeks ago we made a cardboard house and then through some blog hopping I came up on THIS IDEA from Play At Home Mom.

It was really easy to do. I just got out a ball point pen and took some rage out on the box. As I made the holes Baden cheered me on. "Good job Mommy!" I love it when they get into things we do together.

Then I shoved the lights tightly into the holes. Now our cardboard box in pimping. We just need to add a leopard shag rug or something :)

I'm so glad it's the weekend and everyone is now healthy. Yay! Next week starts our "Just Like New" series featuring some talented bloggers who are helping me while I'm in NY.

Thanks for reading.

Valentine's Round Up

2012-01-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

Now that Christmas is over, I've seen all the Valentine decorations creeping in. It's still a little over a month away, but I started browsing some ideas on Pinterest and I thought they'd be fun to share. Here are 5 fun and do-able Valentines. (I'm not posting any here that would take hours and hours to make. No thank you :)

1) Here's what we did last year for Rex's Valentines. They were really fun to make. I have a new idea for this year I'll share later. You can find all the instructions for this one HERE.

2) Okay, I know many of you share the Super Hero obsession with us. Check these out. Awesome, huh? I think they are so cute. You'll find the info HERE at Zakka Life.

3) If you want to cut down on the candy overload, this bouncy ball Valentine is pretty cute. It's found HERE at Supermom.

4) These little Valentines are easy and inexpensive. You can find them HERE at Made.

5) Okay, I lied. This next one would probably take a lot of time to make, but isn't it the cutest little thing? I had to post it. You could just make one for your main squeeze and not 30 for your kid's classmates. You can find the details HERE at Paper Source.

If you've seen any other adorable Valentines, feel free to share a link in the comments.

Thanks for stopping by.

Wake Up Wednesday

2012-01-11T06:00:00.000-07:00

Before we get started, the Sodee Natural winner is: the Partain Family who said, "I would love to try the Eczema cream. I have a 7 month old son who gets patches of it on his arms. I haven't found anything over the counter that I can use on him, so I feel so helpless when I can tell it's bothering him and I can't do anything for him. :(" Drop me an email and we'll get you set.
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Our challenge from two weeks ago was to celebrate your 2011 victories. I think many of us can be hard on ourselves. I could definitely and easily rattle off the things I need to work on, but I believe it's important to see how far we've come.

I thought of three victories I've had this year. They are a bit personal, but we're friends :)

1) I've come to appreciate my boys even more. If you've been reading a while, you know we've been trying to get pregnant for over a year now. While there have been many moments of frustration, I really feel that it's made me appreciate the children I do have so much more. I've been trying to cherish the little moments with them more.

2) I've learned to reach out more. Believe it or not, I'm kind of an introvert. When I added Wake Up Wednesday last year it was because I felt compelled to reach beyond my comfort zone and to give more of myself. While I still have a long way to go, I feel like I've also come along way and have started many unique friendships I never would have.

3) Balancing. Don't get me wrong. This is really a work in progress. However, when I was asked to take on a big responsibility at church this year (primary president) I wasn't sure everything could possibly fit in my life. I kind of thought it might all come crashing down. Well, it didn't. After nine months of it I am loving it and I have about 30 new very young friends. I've been helped a lot to make everything fit.

Now this week's challenge is one of my very favorite challenges we did last year at this time. Give compliments to strangers. This one if so easy and often has a big payoff. It's so fun to watch someone's expression totally change as you point out the good in them. I will be heading off to New York this weekend, so I'm excited to have lots of opportunities to try this one out.

So, did any of you celebrate your victories? I would love to hear about it. Thanks for being here.

Organizing with Leftover Containers

2012-01-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

It seems everyone is busy restructuring and reorganizing around this time of year. Rex got a second bout of the flu yesterday, so I thought it might be a good time to tackle a messy cupboard I've been putting off since I clearly wasn't going anywhere.

Here's the cupboard. Doesn't look that bad? Well....

....all of this was shoved inside of it without any rhyme or reason. (Extra credit: Where are Cheri's feet in this picture? If you guessed, "In her puppy dog sleeper pajamas," then you're right!)

Sidenote: Sometimes I like to keep containers that I think are cool. This dishwashing soap container is super nice so I pulled out the three I've saved and decided they'd be great for my plastic silverware.

I couldn't really pulled the labels off cleanly, so I made labels (using the Silhouette) to cover the current labels. I cut one for each side and used the cut-out itself on the top and front of the bin.

I put a small piece of paper behind the cut-out space so you wouldn't see the label behind it.

Then I put it over the label.

Now the silverware isn't floating all around the cabinet and it's easy to pull out when I need it.

I found a basket for the napkins and stacked the plates together.

My boys got Toms from my mother-in-law at Christmas and the boxes they came in......

....were a perfect fit for straws.

So now everything is accessible and sensibly organized. I get nerdy-excited about organizing an area of my home. I can't wait to get the office turned into the craft room so that everything will have a space.

And the thing that makes me happiest is that when I invest some time to get everything to fit and be organized, it's easy to keep it that way. My pantry and back hall closet both still look good. Hooray!

Do you have any organizational secrets? Don't hold out on us :)

Thanks for reading.

Cherry Blossom Tee

2012-01-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

One of Rex's preschool teachers is the cutest thing ever. My sister (whose kids go to the same preschool) made her a shirt just like THIS shirt a while back and she loved it. When Christmas rolled around I thought it would be fun to make her another embellished tee. I made her this Cherry Blossom Tee.

Here's the process.

I purchased a plain tee at Target. I took some ribbon and sewed it on in a random pattern. (You always want to be careful to try not to stretch the shirt as you sew it on.) I sewed both side of the ribbon so it would lay flat even after washing. I melted the ends of the ribbon so they wouldn't fray.

I also cut several circles of this synthetic fabric and melted the edges so it wouldn't fray either. (You just hold it close to the flame and rotate it around till all the edges are sealed.)

Then I folded the circles in fourths and sewed them on in little clusters. I pulled out some tiny pink buttons to sew on as well.

I sewed them near the petals.

And there you have it. I love making a plain shirt a little more interesting.

And best of all, she liked it. Whew!

Thanks for dropping in.

Sunshine Sunday - sisters and sharing ice cream

2012-01-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday I was at my sister Cassie's house when out of nowhere Rex threw up all over her counter and floor. Cassie is seven months pregnant and I told her to run to another room so she wouldn't get sick. She, however, cleaned up my child's super nasty mess on her hands and knees while I took him to the toilet. While that's a gross story, it illustrates how awesome and sweet my sister is. She loves my kids as her own. (Sorry again about all those ruined coupons Cass :) And obviously, there's no picture to go with the story. Pretty sure you wouldn't want it.

I have another sister that lives fairly close by (Leca) and she and I got to get dinner together the other night. We stayed at the restaurant for hours talking and never ended up shopping, but that's how I like it. It was so fun and she's always a party. I really feel so lucky to have amazing sisters.

[Source]

Lastly, we went to SubZero as a family and got ice cream last night. We love to order one giant bowl of ice cream and share it. (Plus, it's way cheaper that way.) At SubZero they take the cream and use liquid nitrogen to make it into ice cream right in front of you. The boys think it's super cool.....and frankly, so do I. There is something fun about ice cream and even more fun when you have little excited mouths to share it with.

I am thankful for the big things and the little things. Thanks for stopping by.

Soapbox Saturday - Sodee Naturals and a Giveaway

2012-01-07T06:00:00.000-07:00

I was contacted by Sodee Naturals a while back and asked to review some of their products. They mentioned having a lotion that helped with eczema, which peeked my interest (since Baden gets little patches of it on his legs).

They carry shampoo and conditioner bars, eczema creams, soaps, body butter, and shaving cream. I was lucky to get to try out all of them. Here's what I picked and what I thought:

1) Love My Hair Shampoo and Conditioner Bars. I absolutely LOVED this shampoo bar. I've used a shampoo bar once before and struggled with it because it was hard to create enough lather to work on my long hair. However, this shampoo bar was amazing. I loved the smell and it was easy to use. It cleaned my hair well and I highly recommend this product. The conditioning bar was a little harder to use. It was tricky to get enough of it on my hair. I did eventually manage to get enough on and I left it on a while like I try to with my normal conditioner. I really liked what both did to my hair, but I probably wouldn't use the conditioner bar on a regular basis because it was time consuming. If you have shorter hair, you might like it more.

2) Eczema Creams. These were great. I got a sample pack of each to try and figure out which would help my son's skin the best. I liked the Original one a lot. These are thick and seem a lot nicer than any store-bought brand.

3) Sweet Pink Grapefruit Shaving Lotion. I liked what the shaving cream did. It smelled so nice and you get a lot of it in the container. It was hard to spread on my legs though because it's really thick. It might be better for men's faces.

4) Sea Salt Soap. This is a great basic, natural soap. It lathers well and doesn't have a powerful scent. I really liked it and I think it's cool that salt is a natural antibacterial substance.

5) Sweet Pink Grapefruit Body Butter. This product was my very favorite. A little goes a long way. I get a little lazy with lotion and my legs can be scary looking because they are so dry. This body butter wasn't crazy heavy and it wasn't greasy either. It kept my legs looking good for a few days. I could actually use it every 2-3 days and be set. It smells so good too. I wouldn't mind a lifetime supply of this one :)

Do you want to try out a full set of Sodee Naturals products? Leave ONE comment telling me which product you're the most interested in. I'll announce the winner on Wednesday.

If you'd like to find out more about Sodee Naturals you can find the HERE on their web site, HERE on their blog, HERE on Facebook, and HERE on twitter. They currently have 2 promos going on. "Like" them on Facebook and receive a free shampoo bar with your purchase. Or you can receive 10% off your order with the promo code "roar."

Thanks for reading.

Feature Friday - iPhone wallpaper reminder

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

So, I am a big fan of Erika from the Fairy Blogmother and her blog Oops I Craft My Pants. She did my blog design and she's really cool. I was on her blog yesterday and I read THIS POST. She was talking about how it's easy to turn on your phone to do "one quick thing" and then that turns into a lot of time.

So, she created this little wallpaper for her lock screen on her phone to help her remember her goal for the year. (I told you she was cool.) She made it so you can use it too and she even shows how to make that happen (for those of us who may not be as tech savvy as her).

I uploaded it right away....

I thought it was an awesome idea and a great reminder that I often need.

Want to use it too? Just click HERE to go to her blog and get it.

Thanks for reading.

Ruffled Leggings

2012-01-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

The past couple of days I've been trying to get things ready for Martha. They asked me to do a demonstration of the Upcycled T-shirt Dress. I need to have a few already done to show and then all the in between phases. So, my sweet mom came over the other day and we set up an assembly line. Here are a couple of them. I wanted some different variations to show.

My mom had a great idea for the leftover shirt part.....

She recommended taking the remnant pieces of the shirts and sewing it onto leggings for one of the outfits. I was able to use the existing hem (which the lazy me LOVES). It's mis-matched, but I really like it. This one's my favorite.

So, here's a quick tutorial of how to make ruffled leggings. I took regular leggings and cut them where I wanted the ruffle to start. (Why cut off the leggings? It's easier to sew the ruffle on then.)

I took the cut off piece and cut the pink ruffle about a 1/2 inch more than it. (That left me room for seam allowances when sewing them on.)

Then you just sew a gathering stitch along the ruffle and sew it on. I DID sew it on using a slight zigzag so that the fabric could stretch. Knit doesn't fray, so there's no additional sewing needed.

This little outfit makes me want a little girl pretty badly :) I love that there are such cute and comfy clothes for little girls these days. So fun!

Pair with the dress and some glittery shoes and you've got a cute little number.

Thanks for dropping in.

Wake Up Wednesday

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

Today is the Super Heroes of Service report and challenge (since it's the first Wednesday of the month). Last month the challenge was to do the Good Deed Advent. The boys and I had a good time trying to do all the little challenges. We got to make gifts for our garbage men. Rex was really excited to deliver them to the truck. Our garbage men know him by name. We got to deliver Christmas to a couple little families. The boys loved putting change in the Salvation Army cup. We had a lot of fun.

This month's Super Heroes of Service Challenge is write thank you notes. I'm sure there are several people we could all thank for Christmas gifts. I'm sure we can think of people we could thank for all sorts of things. I'm going to have the boys color some thank you notes and send them off. I want them to learn that saying thank you is important. I like to let them say what they want, while I write it down. It makes for some funny cards :)

Did anyone else get to do some good deed advent fun? I'd love to hear about it.