Orangie's Attic

What I'm Wearing Wednesday!

2012-02-22T06:53:00.000-06:00

Actually, this should be What I'm Wearing Friday, but whatever. It's that time again! If you were hanging around the old Attic this time last year, you may remember me talking about the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the famous BBQ Cook-off... low and behold, it's that time again! Yee-haw!

This Friday night HH and I will be attending the Cook-off, and once again I've got to get my cowgirl on... it's a marathon night of booth hopping, dancing, ~~drinking~~, eating, and general merriment (no worries, we won't be driving).

Attire has to be comfy but cowgirl chic...

here's what I'm thinking.

The story on this fab tomato red top... I saw it on Elizabeth's Behind the Dressing Room Door blog, but sadly, it is no longer available at Anthro. Checked my old friend Ebay, and BAM, there is was... brand new, in my size, the color I wanted and HALF the price it had originally been listed at Anthro. It is now happily hanging in my closet waiting to meet up with these awesome Justin boots (thanks Santa ~~Mimi)~~ and my Gap Outlet Premium Distressed Bootcut Jeans (yeah, these are not exactly them, but I get the same $445 dollar look for $45, so shoot me)... add some fun turquoise and silver jewelry (and that horn bracelet again, because I just can't get enough of it) and I'm ready to rodeo!

Check out these awesome hops to find out what everyone else is wearing this week...

What's Up Wednesday... and a WINNER!

2012-02-15T08:07:00.000-06:00

What's up? Valentine's Day is what's up here... turned out to be a lovely day. Started my day volunteering at the junior high getting 2400 (no joke) carnations labelled and ready for delivery to a bunch of eager middle schoolers... funny, funny to read what they write to each other. My fave? A shy looking little 6th grade boy who was filling his order out for me last week and quietly asked

"how do you spell anonymous?"

After Carnationpaloooza, had lunch with some of my favorite friends and then came home to find this surprise sitting on my kitchen counter...

Ahhhhhhh... tulips, my fave! My mama knows me so well.

A dozen roses and tickets to see Million Dollar Quartet from Handsome Hubby.

Date night on the horizon! Woo hoo!

This yumminess from my babies...

And finally, from all of my loves...

WOO HOO! Not a bad day for an old mom...

And here's what I wore for a long day of hearts and flowers...

Cardi - White House/Black Market (2 seasons ago on sale)

Tank - Target Micro Rib Tank (best tanks EVER!)

Jeans - Anthropologie Holding Horses Cropped Jeans

(I'm short enough that when I roll down the cuffs, they are the perfect length NON-cropped jeans...

and FYI, got these WAY on sale, because I will NEVER pay $200 for a pair of jeans!)

Red Patent Flats - Payless American Eagle (old, old, old but great shoes and I think they still sell this style)

Sliver Heart Earrings - Target

Bracelets - clearance at Target and American Eagle

Black Bling Belt - Target clearance ($5.98!)

So, how was your favorite Hallmark holiday?

Lest you think I forgot, fear not... we have a WINNER! OLGA you are the winner of the Blog Birthday Giveaway! Congrats and I will be contacting you soon...

Friday Finds...

2012-02-10T07:38:00.000-06:00

So, I've been on a thrifting kick lately. Perhaps it has something to do with those two words that are looming larger and larger in my future... COLLEGE TUITION. Or maybe I'm just cheap. Whatever the reason, I'm having some fun finding things both for myself and the booth. Check out my latest treasures...

Just adore this cute little rattan and bamboo side table... it was marked "not for sale" but was sitting in an area of FOR SALE stuff, so I took it up front and asked and YIPPEE, it was in fact mismarked and mine to take home for a whopping $4.00! Yes, please! This little sweetie is booth bound.

I can't get enough of shabby old artwork... this one is very old and very sweet. The bird? Just loved his colors and doesn't he look so regal? Also booth bound!

These chickens make me happy... two of them are salt and pepper shakers and two of them are just plain cute. Off to the booth they go...

Now, a few things for ME! What I'm finding about thrifting for clothes/accessories? There are things I would probably never pay full price for, but would love to have if the CPW (cost per wear) were low. BINGO!

What's in my cart?

The corduroy leopard print jacket was in new condition, and only $9.00. Animal prints are the new neutral and I'm a little obsessed. SCORE.

The giraffe bag... so cute! I love to change up bags every now and then, but this is not versatile enough for me to justify a big purchase. But at $5.00?

Yep, I can justify.

The NEW red Coldwater Creek peplum jacket/blouse. Not something I would wear too often, but perfect for substitute teaching or those times when I need to look a bit dressier/more professional... and at $6.00 it's a steal.

Check out those rockin' red Laredo Ropers! These are actually for Dear Daughter, as it's coming up on Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo time... her feet are still growing and I am not spending $100 on boots she will wear for a week and then outgrow. These? Leather, name brand, excellent condition, and only $20.

YEE-HAW!

That's all I got for now...

don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY, last chance this morning!

TGIF!!!

Wordless (at least as close as I will ever be) Wednesday...

2012-02-08T07:23:00.000-06:00

Fatbooth Fun

Super Bowl Jello Jigglers

High School Swimming DISTRICTS

Happy girl got the part! "High School Musical" Wildcat Cheerleader...

Happy 1st Blogday and a Giveaway!

2012-02-03T06:50:00.000-06:00

So, I totally would have missed the fact that TODAY is my little blog's big first birthday were it not for my number one cheerleader (mom) who sent me a lovely little congratulatory note yesterday... thanks Mimi! I'm a little bumfuzzled as to how the last year has just evaporated, but I'm quite proud of myself that I'm still keeping up with this little adventure, even if not quite as often as I would like.

Funny reading my very first post (no pictures, DUH, what was I thinking?)... we were having a snow day the next day. A SNOW DAY. Exactly one year later, and it was 88 degrees yesterday. Remember what I said about our weather being ON CRACK? Welcome to Texas... don't like the weather? Just wait a minute.

Interesting to realize how my style has changed as much as it has stayed the same over the last year, and how my interests are evolving. I've found that I really enjoy writing... I guess I have always been the one who preferred writing a paper over taking a test. But now I find myself forming blog posts in my head and then frantically looking for something to write it down, or jumping out of bed to type something up because I know in the morning I will get so busy with the business of the day that it will have completely escaped me.

A girl knows her limits, but a wise girl knows she has none... Marilyn Monroe

And how on earth did I go from ZERO followers (well, besides Handsome Hubby and Mimi) to 765 in one short year? Insane! I hope I don't bore you too often, and I hope you all stick with me for another year. I have "met" some wonderful folks in this virtual world! As a THANK YOU to ALL of my virtual friends, those that have been with me from the beginning and those of you who are new,
I'm feeling the need to celebrate with... what else?

A GIVEAWAY!

So, what am I giving away you ask? I had to think awhile, and I decided to share with you one of my all-time favorite products (and no, I'm not getting a kick-back, this is not a sponsored post, and I am buying this with my very own cashola just because I LOVE you all...).

What is it, you ask?

Benefit High Beam Complexion Enhancer

One swipe of this magic potion on your cheekbones gives you that lovely pregnancy glow (ok, I was more green than glowing, but I know you're SUPPOSED to glow) without having to change diapers or pay college tuition. You will have the perfect amount of sparkle, without looking like an 8 year old that got crazy with the body glitter.

And all you have to do to enter to win this little bottle of magic?

HOW TO ENTER

To enter the Orangie's Attic Blog Birthday Giveaway, you can either:

1) Become a FOLLOWER of the Orangie's Attic Blog via Google Friend Connect, Networked Blogs, Blog Lovin' or Email Subscription and leave a comment letting me know which you choose.

BUT I AM ALREADY A FAITHFUL (BELOVED) FOLLOWER, YOU SAY?

In that case you can...

2) "Like" Orangies Attic on Facebook, then come back here and leave a comment letting me know you're a fan.

3) "Follow" Orangies Attic on Twitter then come back here and leave a comment to let me know you are a follower.

And for those you sweet friends who have already done ALL of the above (LOVE you), just leave me a comment to say HELLO, please enter me!

Only ONE entry per person, so please note that you only have to do one of the above to enter. I'm all about easy...

And one more thing, make sure I have a way to contact you if you win - an email address or a username to message you via Facebook, Twitter, Etsy convo, Blogger, etc.

Giveaway is open to US residents & International residents with restrictions - see official rules for details

Giveaway ends Friday, February 10th, 2012 at noon PST. Winner will be announced shortly after.

THANKS friends and followers...
looking forward to another year of rollicking randomness with YOU!

What I Wore Wednesday...

2012-02-01T07:40:00.002-06:00

Well, here it is Wednesday again... yikes! First of all, here we are at the Rockets game, lest you think I didn't actually wear my little ensemble from last week.

See why I call him Handsome Hubby?

And here is a picture of the Rockets doing their pre-game whatever it is they do... we were in the club RIGHT BY the locker room!

Very cool, although I did not act very cool... more like a complete spaz.

Being a dork of the highest order... I nearly had a stroke when one of my ALL-TIME favorite former Rockets walked about 5 feet away from me.

Even if you aren't a basketball fan, you might recognize him from this...

Yep... that's him. CLYDE "THE GLIDE" DREXLER! Seems appropriate to be talking about him today, because that man knows how to rock a suit like no other. Didn't get a picture because I was busy making a fool of myself gawking, and completely forgot I even had my camera. Good times... oh, did I mention they blew the game in the the third quarter? Let's move on, shall we?

The weather here has been, as HH likes to say, ON CRACK. Hot, cold, wet, dry, hail, wind... and you get all of that in a 10 minute time span. Hard to know how to dress these days. I'm trying to get out of my black/grey/brown rut, so I jumped WAAAAAAAY out of my comfort zone and put a version of this outfit together for a day of errands, carpooling and school volunteering...

Let's break this down for my fellow thrifty shoppers...

Indigo Skinny Jeans: These $210, 7 for All Mankind...

mine $19.99, Target clearance rack

Green Stripe 3/4 Sleeve T: This one, $22, Miss Selfridge...

mine $8.00, Target clearance rack

Scarf: This one AND mine, $14.99 at Target

(Tarjay has some AWESOME scarves right now!)

Shoes: These, $135.00, Vera Wang...

mine $14.99, clearance at a local boutique

Earrings: These and mine, $50.00, Kendra Scott

The earrings were actually a gift from my little sis(in-law) and I LOVE them! She was 12 when HH and I started dating, I have only 1 brother and she has only FOUR brothers (God help her), so we latched onto each other pretty quick... and we like to spoil each other on occasion.

Anywho... this is more color than I have worn at one time since I was probably 9 years old. I think it worked, and I felt like a little beacon of light wearing it... BA!

And what is everyone else wearing?

What I'm Wearing Wednesday!

2012-01-25T06:42:00.000-06:00

Heading to the Rockets game tonight with Handsome Hubby, sitting court side with suite access...yippee for free work tickets with perks!

Thinking of wearing this little ensemble...

I just bought this sweater from anthropologie.com, and it is FABULOUS... lightweight enough for three seasons in Texas and oh so comfy. Love it so much I decided to also get it in this color...

The Kendra Scott earrings are also a fave of mine... when they arrived I thought they were going to be about half their actual size, and while I feel a little like Beyonce when I wear them, I decided to jump out of my comfort zone and kept them anyway. Come to think of it, I've seen Beyonce sitting court side, maybe they'll think I'm her? Yeah......... NO.

Just picked up the awesome Horn Bangle from Target, although mine has less of the cream color and more of the black. My black jeggings are from White House Black Market, they were clearance for quite a bit less than this similar pair. My boots are a season (or two) ago from Kohl's, same exact look for about $1350 less than these lovelies. Oh, and let's not forget the scarf... this lovely Alexander McQueen runs around $750 (CHOKE...who PAYS that for a scarf, anyway?), mine was $9.99 at our favorite TARJAY! So, what do you think? Court side worthy or no?

Now, check out what everyone else is wearing today...

Semi-Wordless Wednesday... Puppy Love

2012-01-18T10:33:00.000-06:00

I just wonder what is going on in that fuzzy little head...

Book Club Review: The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman

2012-01-16T09:39:00.000-06:00

Another gathering of the Lit Wits last night, and another lovely evening with great food and good company (thank you, Sarah!). This month's book selection? The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman, a New York Times best selling debut novel which follows the topsy-turvy private lives of the reporters, editors, and executives of an international English language newspaper based in Rome as they struggle to keep it—and themselves—afloat.

This book reads like a collection of short stories, tied together by the backdrop of the newspaper. Personally, I found it hard to feel a real connection to the book, just as soon as I would get interested in a character...poof, they're gone. Others found this the very aspect that kept them interested, different strokes and all that you know. Apparently others also found it quite funny , the humor somehow escaped me. Again, different stokes...

Overall, I would say 5 of the 8 in our group would highly recommend this book... personally, it wasn't a memorable choice. I decided I would have preferred it in movie format, Robert Altman directing in "Short Cuts" style...

"Short Cuts"

It wouldn't be Book Club without some fun treats... we, of course enjoyed an Italian dinner (when was the last time you had chianti?) topped off by gelato and cannoli's (seriously, how many weight watchers points can I kill in one sitting?). YUMMO. Our dear Jana brought the party favors, as always she amazed us with her creativity ... you'll have to read the book to figure out the significance.

"It is Better to Live Your Life Imperfectly...

than to Live an Imitation of Someone Else's to Perfection"

Next up?

Thrifty Thursday...

2012-01-12T10:07:00.000-06:00

Been a LONG time, but took a little trip to my fave thrift stores this week... the antiques booth has been largely neglected over the holidays and really need some items to freshen it up. So what goodness did I find, you ask? For the booth...

Love this little circa 1950's shabby wicker shelf... perfect to replace another little shelf I just sold. I could have 100 cute chachkes in the crappiest of shelves and I promise you they will pull everything out of it and buy the shelf. GO FIGURE. Which is why I price every single thing in the booth, even if I intended it to be a "fixture" because sure enough, the fixture is what they want.

What else did I find for the booth? Nada. Zip. Zilch.... yep, sad face.

Lest you think my trip was wasted, fear not! I discovered one of my thrift haunts now has a "boutique" room... and BAM, turned that frown upside down.

I have been thrifting for antiques/furniture for years, but never shopped the clothes/shoes/accessories sections... until I started reading so many great everyday women fashion blogs and caught wind of some of their amazing finds. Discovered this website from a Nate Berkus segment (love me some Nate!), http://lookingflyonadime.com, Check it out, cuz' this woman will rock your world with her cheap chic thrift finds. Anywhoodle...

Jones New York animal print scarf, wood bead and silver necklace, tortoise shell and black beaded necklace and vintage pearl and crystal beaded necklace... grand total? $27... BAM! I have been loving scarves, animal print, and all things tortoise shell lately. Happy face.

But the grand finale? The icing on the cake?

The cherry on top of the sundae (can you tell I'm hungry)?

Wait for it...

wait for it...

Brand new, never worn, my size, SOOOOO comfy... $5.00. FIVE BUCKS, people! Got my name written ALL over them. BOO-YAH!

Semi-Wordless Wednesday...

2011-12-22T10:08:00.000-06:00

Ok... it's Thursday, not Wednesday. And this isn't exactly wordless either. But it's winter break, so cut me some slack... I'm all discombobulated.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, or whatever you celebrate!

This is our 2011 card. Yes, this was taken on summer vacation, as it is every year... when we are all tanned, relaxed, happy and not running in 400 different directions. I evened managed to squeak a REAL smile out of Sweet Son, who loathes picture day with his whole teenage boy heart. I also get them printed in September, not because I am some super organized freak, but because Shutterfly runs some SWEET deals in the summer allowing me to order my 250 cards without having to take out a second mortgage on my house.

Now there's some JOY!

And inside are these two cuties... looking back at our 2010 card I'm just a tad distraught as it appears in the last year a MAN and a TEENAGER GIRL moved in and someone kidnapped my babies... seriously, who ARE these people and what did you do with my kids???

Try It Tuesday... DIY Lip Glop... um, GLOSS.

2011-12-20T07:38:00.000-06:00

Dear Daughter has entered the world of junior high and the multitude of girl friends that comes with those crazy tween years... and of course, she being the most giving heart in our family, wanted to gift each and every one of said girl friends this Christmas. Seeing that her gift budget was not quite as large as her heart, we needed to come up with an idea that would be both tween approved and somewhat economical... hence, homemade Lip Glop!

After perusing a few different "recipes" on Pinterest,

we decided on this version...

You will need:

Petroleum Jelly

Kool-Aid (any flavor you like, we even mixed a couple)

Small Plastic Bead Containers (after multiple stores with no luck, these were finally located at Joann's)

Avery Mailing Seals

Start with about 1 cup of petroleum jelly in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt for 30 seconds at a time, then stir, until it is completely liquified... this will take several minutes and the bowl will be VERY hot, so good to have an adult do this part.

As soon as it is liquid and still hot, mix in the Kool-Aid. We started with Cherry, then Grape, then finally mixed Cherry with Pink Lemonade to make Cherry Pink Lemonade. It takes about 1 package of Kool-Aid to one cup of petroleum jelly. Immediately pour the mixture into the opened bead cups... let sit until it solidifies. The Cherry tinted it a light pink, the grape turned out a little too gray for my liking but DD was happy with it. The Kool-Aid gives it a lovely scent and a little bit of flavor as well...

The Avery labels are the perfect size to make your own, personalized labels. The Avery website has a free online program for creating and printing them in the correct size.

These cute little pocket size lip glosses would be perfect for birthday party treat bags, class gifts, stocking stuffers, or girl scout craft projects. And let me say, they were quite a hit with the tweeny-boppers.

As for the name, LIP GLOP? Well, those moms out there will understand... you know how your adorable little toddler calls something the wrong name and you don't have the heart to correct them because it makes you LAUGH OUT LOUD every time they say it? Dear Daughter asked to use my Lip Glop one day, and it's been Lip Glop ever since...

Wall Plaque by Mountaine Meadows Pottery

Tasty Tuesday - Raspberry Tart!

2011-12-06T09:08:00.002-06:00

Just Sweet and Sweetly Hot Raspberry Jam - Paula's Garden on etsy

Hold onto your hats, friends... two posts in three days!

I know, I can hardly contain myself either.

Being it is THAT time of year, I have 4 events in the next 4 days which require me to contribute a dish of some sort... have I mentioned I am NOT a cook? Have I mentioned I was smart enough to marry a man who can whip up a gourmet dish from half a jar of peanut butter and an onion? Ok, perhaps that is a bit of an exaggeration, but he does possess some pretty remarkable culinary skills for which I am eternally grateful. But it is a busy time, and I think I am on my own this week in the "bring a dish to share" department.

Book Club last week was hosted by my beautiful and gracious neighbor, Sherry... she gifted us all a tart pan along with a recipe for the YUMILICOUS appetizer she served (along with some YUMILICOUS cocktails).

Seriously, Book Club with adult beverages, fattening food, AND gifts? Makes it worth reading a few less than remarkable books.

So, we start with the tart pan...

I must say, there is something really cute about a tart pan.

Williams Sonoma Fluted French Tart Pan

And here is the recipe... which was included with the pan and all wrapped up with a lovely bow!

Even I, with my limited chef skills, ought to be able to pull this one off... to the store I go to load up on cheese and raspberry preserves. Do you think it REALLY matters if I shred my own cheese?

Post Script... if you can find the pre-shredded Velveeta I would highly recommend it for this recipe. I tried to shred my own, and it's a bit like trying to shred cream cheese. GOOD TIMES... not. Also, this can be done directly in a shallow pie plate or tart dish allowing you to skip the Pam and flipping onto a plate part of the recipe... a very good idea for a kitchen klutz such as myself.

Seussical Sunday... Holiday Topiary even the Grinch would love!

2011-12-04T10:37:00.000-06:00

Dr. Seuss Printable

Blog slacker reporting for duty... seriously, no excuse other than the usual lame "life is busy" which is just getting so boring. ANYWHO... today I'm back and bringing you a fun and fast little project to add some color and whimsy to your holiday decor. And when I say fast, I mean it took me longer to write this post than to make this project.

Some of you may remember this little pumpkin topiary I did back in October...

Fall Topiary

I loved these SOOOOOOOO much (I have one on each side of my porch), I really didn't want to take them down when we started pulling out the Christmas lights... but don't want to annoy the neighbors, so back in the fall decorating box they go.

So.Sad.

Now, what to do with my cute little iron urns for Christmas? After some online searching I found a few ideas, but since I am short on TIME these days, I needed something super speedy... running through the aisles at Hobby Lobby during the 50% of Christmas sale, inspiration struck like a directive from Santa himself.

I started with three of those large indoor/outdoor shatterproof Christmas ornaments in large, larger, and largest...

also some quick drying waterproof glass glue.

The biggest challenge was figuring out how to get these babies glued together and stacked in a way that they would dry without sliding apart. My solution, as you can see in the above photo, was to stack the clear plastic packaging they came in, with the balls glued together inside. These sat overnight to make sure they were good and dry, and the next day I just plopped them right into the urns...

Dear Daughter (aka Cindy Lou Who) thinks they look very Dr. Seuss...

“And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so? It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags. And he puzzled and puzzled 'till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before. What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”
― Dr. Seuss, How the Grinch Stole Christmas!

Where have I been???

2011-11-10T08:40:00.000-06:00

What the heck? I knew I'd been gone too long when one of my DARLING friends played the word BLOG in our Words With Friends game... along with a "hint, hint" message. GOT'CHA.
To quickly catch you up, I've been doing this...

For those of you who don't live in my neck of the woods... these are HOMECOMING OVERALLS. A local tradition is for the girls to decorate overalls to wear to to school and to the HC game to hold up the GIGANTIC MUMS they wear to the game... these are mini versions that I made for the "little sisters" because heaven forbid they get left out of the fun. You can only imagine what my dining room looked like during the creation process. OY.

And the MUMS... here is a pic of one of the most extravagant and creative I saw at the game... too big to even get the girl in the picture!

Your eyes do not deceive you... it lights up!

Not to leave Sweet Son out of the festivities (it was HIS homecoming afterall, HA!)... SS and darling date at the game with their mums, and all dressed up and ready for dinner and the dance...

And of course... there's was Halloween.

Diners, Drive-ins, and Dear Daughter! Most FUN part of this costume was the tray... Dollar store Coke tray and plastic glass... we put a pink napkin inside the cup to make it look like a shake. The burger and hot dog? Those are rawhide dog treats... HA! All glued down so she could carry it around as one piece. Oh, and she was smacking gum for extra effect...

This weekend is her BIG 12th birthday party... promise to be back with highlights of that extravaganza!

Friday Fashionista...

2011-10-14T06:32:00.000-05:00

I am definitely NOT a fashion blogger, but I have been following so many great everyday women who post daily fashion inspiration, I decided to jump on Polyvore and play around with it myself...

So, it''s October, right? Technically I suppose it's FALL, except that I live in Texas and today it will be 88 degrees outside... yep, EIGHTY EIGHT. No need for sweaters around here anytinme soon, we just have to fake getting our fall on around here.

This first set I LOVE LOVE LOVE for running around all day, lunch with friends, grocery store, College Night with Sweet Son... it goes everywhere, comfy as PJ's, lightweight enough not to sweat to death but still rocking those aweseome October colors. I have every bit of this except my earrings are a knock-off version from Urban Outfitters...

I've also become a HUGE fan of Anthropologie lately... I know, where have I been??? Better than to the party than not at all, I suppose. Found this in their sale room... short sleeves, lightweight, fall colors... that's what I'm talking about! Bummer, they didn't have my size... so got online and BAM, there it was in my size and ready to join my fall wardrobe.

Walled City Blouse

Add my GAP bootcut jeans, these awesome shoes (and yes, I see that they are $110 but I found them at Burlington for $24... CHA-CHING!), and a pair of statement earrings and I'm calling it a DATE NIGHT!
TGIF, my friends!

Thursday This and That...

2011-10-13T07:38:00.000-05:00

Hi friends! Lots going on the past few weeks, just going to catch you up with a little "this and that"...

Here's a fun fall project I finished last week... I know, I'm pumpkin possessed! Got my inspiration from Pinterest and will not even insult your intelligence by giving you the play by play in pictures... all you need are some pumpkins (I used foam from Hobby Lobby, you could use the real thing, too) and some kind of container... then it's PUMPKIN, E6000 (glue), GRAPEVINE WREATH, PUMPKIN, REPEAT...

set it on top of your container

(thanks to Mimi for the cool iron urns) and VOILA!

I made two of them to adorn my front porch and they will be there until

Thanksgiving... I "heart" them very much!

Then last weekend we attended a friend's 50th birthday party... I won't go into how much it DISTURBS me that my friends are turning 50, except to say that I'm pretty sure my parents JUST hit that milestone... right? UGH. Anyhoo... of course it was a "no gifts" occasion but felt weird walking in empty handed, so another Pinterest inspired idea (and I wonder where all my time goes, DUH!)...

Hysterical, right? Cute candy jar was from TJ Maxx, used some of my scrapbook paper and ribbon stash for the sign, and filled it with 50 Tootsie Pops... BIG hit and so fast and easy! You could really do it for any age... 30, 40, 50... not even going to mention the next decade yet. That's called DENIAL.

Oh, and I did finish my Couch 2 5K program... YEA ME! I am now supposed to have started the Bridge to 10K with my friend, Jules but I have been a slacker and SHE has not... think she's a week and a half ahead of me so I need to get off this dang computer and put my new running shoes on... until next time, my friends! Make the best of your day...

The Look For Less... Pretty Pricey Pumpkins

2011-10-05T06:44:00.000-05:00

I don't know what my deal is, I have been possessed by Halloween decorating. Perhaps it's my inner witch trying to get out, but in my defense we have had the same decorations for YEARS, they are looking a little tired, and I think they need a little EEK factor. There are gazillions of adorable decorations to buy... but why would you when you can make your own for so much LESS moola? I mean really, I would prefer to save my money for something I can't make
(hello, new fall boots!)...

These are from two very popular home decor stores...

So what's a girl who doesn't have a couple of hundred bucks to spend on pumpkins (and wouldn't even if I did) to do? Start with this...

I picked up these two plastic pumpkins at Michaels for about $5 each, but they are EVERYWHERE this time of year. I already had the black tulip paint, mod podge and scrap fabric in my stash, but if you have to buy them all three could be had for under $10 total. Now for the FUN part...

For the white pumpkin just grab your tulip paint and start dotting... I didn't use a pattern, just went to town swirling them freehand. This entire pumpkin took all of about 5 minutes to finish. My kind of crafting, baby!

For the monogram I first printed a large font letter on my computer and then traced onto the fabric. You could use scrapbook paper, but the fabric molds to the curves of the pumpkin so much easier. If you do decide to use paper, LIGHTLY dampen the paper before applying to the pumpkin... it will smooth out nicer and help avoid bubbles. One coat of Mod Podge to the pumpkin, place the letter and then let dry for a few minutes. Slap another coat of Mod Podge on top and you are on your way to the store to buy those new boots... I hit mine with a spray of clear acrylic sealer since it will be residing on my front porch.

Spidey is from the Dollar Store... I'm good, but even I don't think I could have made HIM any cheaper.

Stairway to 5K... An Awful Lot of Running To Do!

2011-09-30T08:56:00.000-05:00

Tote Bag

I'm back! I know... it's been awhile. Not an intentional blog break, but this school year so far has been ~~insane~~ interesting. One starting middle school and one in the all important junior year... soccer, tumbling, swimming and basketball, dance, play rehearsals, girl scouts, back to school nights, PTA volunteering, substitute teaching, pep squad, football games, and this week there is homecoming hoopla. C.R.A.Z.Y. But, mostly fun crazy, and I haven't just been running kids around...

Some of you OA old timers may remember the posts Run Kelly Run, Confession Friday and T.G.I.F. when I discussed my quest to complete the Couch to 5k running program. And I am happy to report that in the midst of all this CHAOS, I am ONE... yep, ONE run away from graduation! I have even managed a few outdoor runs, no small feat considering we are STILL hitting 98 degree highs on a regular basis.

Hand Stamped Cuff Bracelet

Some weeks I run once, some weeks 3 times, and some weeks not at all... but I have persevered and pushed through no matter HOW miserable... and let me say, some days are MISERABLE. Today, towards the end of my run, my Pandora radio was playing "Stairway to Heaven", which depending on your age you may or may not remember is the longest freaking song in the history of the world and the song we always knew to request last at every school dance... and today I was PRAYING for that stupid song to hurry up and get up that stairway as I'm sure our chaperones were 30 years ago.

Yeah, I pretty much still hate to run... and I am definitely NO speed demon. But I look forward to celebrating my graduation with you, and I'm even maybe considering moving on to the Couch to 10K. If that's the case, I'm thinking I need to find a new Pandora station...

Folk Art Painting

Make It Monday: Glitter Candles

2011-09-19T09:13:00.000-05:00

Really, what's not to love about glitter? And this is one quick and E.A.S.Y. glitter project. Seriously, the most craft challenged of you could do this in between ~~surfing Pinterest~~ loading your dishwasher and ~~facebooking~~ folding laundry. Here's what I started with...

Taper candles that were 79 cents at Hobby Lobby, glitter in coordinating colors, and Elmer's Spray Adhesive. ANY kind of candles would work, pillars, taper, votive... you probably have some laying in a drawer. I wanted these particular colors, so I bought them new, but I do have PLENTY barely burned I could have used in other colors.

Pour a nice line of glitter in the bottom edge of a cake pan. Lay the candles out and spray with the glue (one a time so the adhesive doesn't dry too fast)... best to do on wax or parchment paper, but I was out so I just used foil. Once you have them covered with a light coating of the adhesive, just roll the candle in the glitter. Press it down a bit so the glitter gets good and stuck, and then lay out to dry overnight.

I suppose you can guess I was doing some Halloween decorating... these add some great spooky sparkle to my living room and dining room! I plan to try to some different colors for Thanksgiving and Christmas, because they really do look so freaking pretty!

Happy 17th Birthday Bubby!

2011-09-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Pretty adorable, isn't he?

DIY: Trick or TULLE? Haunted Halloween Wreath...

2011-09-12T06:34:00.003-05:00

It is still Africa hot here but I am willing fall to grace us with her cool presence by gettin' my Halloween crafting on. I lucked upon two of those straw wreath forms at our local thrift store... brand new and only $1 each so I went hunting for some inspiration. After finding a couple of cute ideas on my new obsession, Pinterest, I set to work making my own version of a Haunted Halloween Wreath...

Here's what I started with...

As I mentioned, the wreath was a buck, but they are not much more than that at your local craft store. The tulle rolls and ribbon were half off at Hobby Lobby, making them $2.00. The dark orange is glitter tulle, so there were fewer yards on the roll. The pair of packaged pre-made wood words were 99 cents.

Leave the plastic wrap on the wreath and you won't be picking straw out of your carpet until the trick-or-treaters show up...

After a bit of trial and error, I determined I needed to cut the tulle in lengths about 18 inches long. You don't need to get too technical, varying lengths just make it look more full and festive. Double your cut piece of tulle, loop it around the wreath and pull tight (as you see demonstrated here by ~~Vanna~~ Dear Daughter)...

Work your way around... I decided to intersperse the orange in no particular pattern. It did take an entire roll of the black tulle PLUS the end of a leftover roll I had stashed in the craft closet. Once you finish the tulle, add some chachkes to give it some pizazz... I chose these pre-made wooden words, and just attached them with my VERY FAVORITE Gel Super Glue...

Finally, I tied a bow to the top to hang it... and since I know my faithful readers are an observant bunch, I'm sure you will notice it is NOT the ribbon in the BEFORE photo... I LOVE that beautiful ribbon, but it just looked too fancy schmancy on this wreath so I scrounged a scrap piece of polka dot ribbon from the closet and will be saving the pretty stuff for a future project.

Here's the final result...

Are you scared???

Semi Wordless Wednesday... Texas Our Texas

2011-09-07T06:39:00.000-05:00

Bastrop State Park

Bastrop, Texas

Magnolia, Texas

Leander, Texas

Austin, Texas

These wildfires are still raging... 38,000 acres and over 600 homes in Bastrop County alone have burned to the ground and the fires are still uncontained.

YOU CAN HELP... Donate to the American Red Cross of Central Texas and pray for the families and firefighters battling this on-going and catastrophic event.

We need rain, and we need these fires to STOP.

Movie Monday...

2011-09-05T08:17:00.002-05:00

It's that time again! Being back on ~~the hamster wheel~~ the school schedule hasn't left much time for movies, but we're hanging with the in-laws this weekend and it's a tradition for the women folk to ditch the kids with the daddy's and catch a chick flick. Even better... we decided to hit Austin's uber cool SoCo district for a little window shopping before the movie. The people watching alone is worth the trip... in case you are unfamiliar with Austin, here is it's unofficial motto...

Nuff said... LOVE me some Austin (Hook 'em!).

Anyway, we started our browse through SoCo here...

Kendra Scott jewelry is absolute eye candy...

just not as cheap as candy. HEAVY SIGH.

On down the road I was thrilled to finally visit

I don't even know how to describe this place except to say that it's an antique mall on ~~crack~~ steroids. WOWZA... some of the most bizarre ~~junk~~ treasures I have ever encountered... and all styled so beautifully that you might think nothing of plopping down $25 for a dirty, cracked mason jar. AHEM.

Almost forgot... the MOVIE! Some of you may remember my book club, The Lit Wits, review of the "One Day" book. Good book, but we weren't quite feeling Ann Hathaway being cast as Emma Morley for the movie version. So, after our SoCo stroll, the SIL's and I headed off to check her out in

I will grudgingly admit she was better than I expected... I have nothing against Anne, she was just NOT Emma Morley. She was cute and quirky, but her British accent came and went and came and went... really, there are plenty of excellent BRITISH actresses who could have played this part beautifully. I loved Jim Sturgess as Dex... just cute enough but not so good looking as to be distracting. He has the charming bad boy down, think early Hugh Grant.

I thought they moved through a few years a bit too quickly, and there were a couple of plot points unnecessarily changed or left out... but overall, a very decent book adaptation. Oh, and the big plot twist towards the end? Just as shocking even though I knew it was coming...

And not to be a downer... but our beloved Texas is on fire this weekend. My BIL is a firefighter and thousands of people in the Bastrop and Austin areas are losing their homes as I type. Prayers for their safety and for this to come to a quick end would be ever so appreciated...

DIY: Junky to JAZZY!

2011-08-31T08:29:00.000-05:00

Working on goodies for our booth yesterday and got a creative wild hair... I needed something seasonal and eye catching but didn't want to spend any money (trying to MAKE money here, people!). Remember those Redneck Wineglasses I spied on vacay? Well, that got me thinking... here's what I started with:

I'm sure you have a couple of old mason jars in the back of your cabinets... if not, they are uber cheap at the grocery store or Wallyworld.

I have about a million lone candleholders, and again, if you don't you can find them for next to nothing at a thrift store or Dollar Store.

The curtain finial is a castoff from a rod that now has new decor to match Dear Daughter's room. I shoved them in a drawer hoping I would find something to do with them someday, and here is SOMEDAY!

Next I dug out a couple of varieties of clear but ever so powerful glue, my trusty Mod Podge and some coordinating scrapbook paper...

I hammered a little hole in the mason jar lids and then screwed the finials right into the lid with the screw that was already attached. I applied a little Super Glue to the screw to keep it securely in place.

Since I only had two finials and wanted to make three jars (groupings always look better in odd numbers, don't they?), I Mod Podged (that is a verb at my house) the matching scrapbook paper to the top of one of the jars.

For all of them I glued the inner lid piece to the outer lid so that it became one solid top.

I found the actual Super Glue worked best to attach the jars to the bases (and I suppose you could then hang yourself from the ceiling from them). I got a little crazy and for one used an upside down soda glass as the base, and for another a $1 thrift store pewter candle holder that had no partner. I filled them with some bright colored Halloween candy (but any seasonal candy would be cute), and VOILA!