Saved by Suzy

Suzy's House Party #34 - Link Up!

2012-03-14T21:21:00.000-06:00

Has spring sprung in your neighborhood? My kids are on spring break this week and we have been enjoying beautiful weather. The girls thought it was warm enough to put on bathing suits and play in the sprinkler. I don't know if it was quite that warm!

We took a mini-vacation to a hotel with an indoor waterpark, where the kids had a blast. Later this week, we are headed to Moab, Utah for some fun in the sun, hiking, and looking at ancient Indian rock art. Moab is home to both Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and spectacular scenery like this (and also one of my favorite Mexican restaurants!):

With all of this fun happening, not very many projects are getting completed at our casa! Have you been doing anything fun this spring?

I know it's kind of crazy, but I'm featuring Samm from Little House in the Big D for the second week in a row. Her stenciled desk is amazing, especially considering it started as a hunk of peeling veneer. She put it a lot of creativity and hard work to pull this off.

Speaking of hard work, Elizabeth from The Mustard Ceiling completed many projects in renovating her kitchen, including making countertops out of solid wood doors found at Habitat for Humanity. The end result is fabulous.
Before:

After:

I know I'm not the only one to have featured Amy from the Salvage Collection's table, but I wanted to make sure that you didn't miss it. It's so unique and I love that she took a risk and created something totally different and new.

<div align="center"><a href="http://savedbysuzy.blogspot.com" title="Saved by Suzy"><img src="http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd408/lizzygal18/Savedbysuzypartyblogbuttonchevron-1.png" alt="Saved by Suzy" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

•Link up your home decor project. Pretty much anything to do with you house is fine.

•Please provide a link back to my blog. A text link is fine, or feel free to grab my "Saved by Suzy" party button from the sidebar. The more people that know about the party and participate the better for all of us.

•Be sure to share the love and leave comments for others.

•That's it.

Pinterest Challenge and a Feature

2012-03-14T05:00:00.002-06:00

I was hoping to share a Pinterest challenge with you today, but yesterday we decided to go on an impromptu getaway. I brought my laptop, computer and camera with pictures of my project, but I forgot my camera cord to get the pics from the camera to computer.

I will be home later today and hopefully I'll get my Pinterest challenge post up then.

I recently "met" designer Lori May through our mutual blog friend Holly of West Pear Avenue. Lori was recently featured on West Elm's blog, Front & Main, for this sitting area in a loft she designed.

Lori is featuring my daughter Mary's pink and orange room today on her blog. Thank Lori! Please stop by and say "hi" to Lori if you have a chance.

Hopefully, I will be back later with my Pinterest challenge.

Curtain Call: How to personalize your windows on a budget

2012-03-13T05:00:00.001-06:00

If you have large windows or a wall of windows, you know how expensive a large curtain rod can be. In my case, I needed a 16-foot long rod. A curtain rod that long runs at least $200. I knew I didn't want to spend that amount on something as basic and utilitarian as a curtain rod, so I decided to make my own.

Instead of spending $200, I bought some metal pipe from Home Depot for around $2.00 and curtain rod brackets for a few dollars.

The ends looked a bit bare, so I picked up wood finials and spray painted them silver.

I hot glued these on to the ends of the pipe.

I love the look of custom drapery, but it can be expensive. The height of my windows would have required yards and yards of fabric. Super-long premade curtains are also pricey.

I bought some white panels from Target and sewed navy fabric to the bottoms to get the length I needed. I also found greek key trim on Etsy that I used fabric glue to attach to the both sides of the panels. I think the trim was the most expensive part of the project.

Trim is the easiest and fastest way to give your store-bought curtains a custom look. Anyone can do this project. Here are a few other trimmed curtains that caught my eye.

Anthropologie currently has these pompom fringe curtains:

Source: anthropologie.com via Jodie on Pinterest

But, how easy would it be to make your own?

Source: leafandletterhandmade.blogspot.com via Eleanor on Pinterest

I think these are darling for a nursery. You could sew (or glue!) a fun fabric onto your panel and then add pompoms.

Source: littlenannygoat.blogspot.com via Kath on Pinterest

Pompoms aren't your thing? There's always greek key and many other ribbon-types of trim.

Source: livinglivelier.blogspot.com via Amy on Pinterest

Source: decordemon.com via Carine on Pinterest

Source: asoftplace.net via Heidi on Pinterest

Prefer a fun fabric?

Source: nameisgrace.blogspot.com via Lisa on Pinterest

These are by Cathy at Room Rx.

A solid band of fabric can add quite a punch too.

Source: littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com via Lisa on Pinterest

As you can see, the options are endless!

Please feel free to pin any of the pictures taken by me to Pinterest. However, if you would like to pin one of the other pics, please go directly to the source and pin from their blog/website.

Office Obsession

2012-03-12T05:00:00.001-06:00

Just over a year ago, we turned our office into a bedroom for our 7-year old. She had been sharing a room with her older sister, but they both needed their own space. Since then, my husband has moved his desk into our bedroom and my stuff is scattered all over the house.

The busier I get, the more I realize I need a dedicated space for my stuff: computer, files, supplies, etc. Right now, I move my laptop around and have my files in plastic storage bins. I've also been known to leave important files on the kitchen counter, the kids' craft table, my dresser, or just about anywhere. It's only a matter of time before something gets lost or ruined.

Here's my dream office:

Source: blog.poppin.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

However, since we don't have an extra room for an office, I've been obsessing over "cloffices," closets turned into offices. Here are a few that I really like:

Source: thebloominghydrangea.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

This one from Ange at The Blooming Hydrangea has everything I need: a desk, a filing cabinet, and some shelves with boxes to hide other supplies.

Source: apartmenttherapy.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

If only I had a little closet in my bedroom.

Source: homestoriesatoz.com via Lea on Pinterest

How pretty and functional is this space from Country Living?

Cassie at Primitive and Proper also made a fun craft closet:

Guess what? Much to my dismay, I realized that I don't have a closet that can be spared to make a cloffice. How about a hallway instead?

This hallway is really just a useless, wasted space in our home. I brought in a table to see how it would fit.

I would need to be the size of a toothpick to fit in here!
The hallway is narrow, so I need something small. I brought in this little table from the garage to see how it would feel. This table is only 18 inches wide. I don't think I could use anything much wider.

This size is much better. I'm still trying to decide if I could work here, or if it might be too claustrophobic.

If I decide to make my "hloffice," I'm hoping to DIY a desk out of two file cabinets and a board. I also want to mount two or three shelves on the wall above. First up, finding the file cabinets.

Stay tuned. Hopefully this idea will be taking shape soon. Unfortunately, "hloffice" doesn't have the nice ring of "cloffice."

Here's a sneak peak of something else I worked on this weekend:

In other news, Sarah at Pewter+Sage is hosting another edition of Mood Board Monday today. The challenge this time was to design a room around one of three choices of art from Etsy. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to design a mood board this time, but I'm definitely stopping by to see what everyone else created.

Etsy Finds: Green and a West Elm Feature

2012-03-09T05:00:00.001-07:00

I haven't done an Etsy Finds post in a while. So, in honor of St. Patrick's day, here are some Etsy finds in green to add a wee bit o' the Irish to your home.

Sources:

1/2/3

4/5/6

7/8/9

Nicole Scott was one of the participants in the One Room Challenge along with thirteen other bloggers and me. Nicole shared some exciting news this week. Her bedroom, which she redesigned as part of the challenge, was featured on the West Elm blog Front & Main.

Isn't that moody gray and the gallery wall perfection? Congrats to Nicole! It was kind of thrilling to hear our little challenge mentioned by West Elm and for one of our own to be featured.

Happy weekend!!!

Suzy's House Party #33 - Link Up!

2012-03-07T22:00:00.002-07:00

Hello friends! Thanks for sticking with me and my link party, especially after I had to take last week off when my daughter was in the hospital for pneumonia. Wednesday was the first day in two weeks that all three of my children were well enough to attend school....until the youngest came home from preschool with a fever. It's so sad to see my kids sick and miserable. At least the two oldest seem to be on the mend.

After some cuddling on the couch, I had a chance to go through all of the links from last week and pick a few features. It was not easy! There were so many great choices.

Little House in the Big D transformed this table with fun stripes. I love the colors she chose, all from the "oops paint" section.

Suite Revival shared her living room makeover. It's filled with great DIY pieces and saved furniture. Check out her blog for more inspiring pictures.

I am a huge fan of upholstered headboards. Check out this nailhead beauty from Me, Ed and Pea. Visit her blog for a tutorial on how to make your own upholstered headboard.

<div align="center"><a href="http://savedbysuzy.blogspot.com" title="Saved by Suzy"><img src="http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd408/lizzygal18/Savedbysuzypartyblogbuttonchevron-1.png" alt="Saved by Suzy" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2012-03-07T12:38:00.001-07:00

Dinnertime is a very busy time in our house. We are shuttling the kids to their activities, getting homework done, and, oh yes, sitting down and eating dinner as a family. That's why I like to cook things ahead of time as much as possible.

One of my favorite and easiest things to make is "Mexican chicken." I throw a 3 pound bag of frozen (not even defrosted!) chicken in the crockpot along with a 16-ounce jar of salsa and a packet of taco seasoning. I let this cook on low all day (probably about 7 hours), then shred it right in the crockpot.

This makes a lot of chicken that can be used in a bunch of different recipes. I can get about 3 meals out of a three pound bag of chicken. I use the seasoned chicken to make chicken tacos, enchiladas, and quesadillas; but, tortilla soup is my favorite.

This tortilla soup recipe is based on a recipe shared by my friend Celeste. It's so easy and flavorful. I always double this recipe and put half in the freezer.

1.5 (approx.) cups Mexican chicken (see above)

3 cloves garlic

1 small onion, chopped

4-oz can green chilies

1 16 oz can stewed tomatoes, chopped

1 10-oz can canned tomatoes, chopped

1 can tomato soup

6 cups chicken stock

1 TBS cumin

1 TBS chili powder

1 tsp. pepper

1 TBS lemon pepper

1/4 tsp. tabasco

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 can corn (frozen works too)

Garnish:

Cheese, shredded

Sour cream

Avocado

Green onions

Tortilla strips - fried or plain

To make homemade tortilla strips: Cut 6-12 corn tortillas into strips. Fry tortilla strips in hot oil till crisp. Drain and sprinkle salt on top. I don't fry my tortillas. I just cut strips of corn tortilla and put it in the soup. They help to thicken the soup.

Simmer garlic, onion and green chilies in oil in large soup pot until onions are tender, about 3 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except seasonings, tortilla strips and corn. Bring to a boil. Add seasonings and simmer 1 hour (most of the time I just throw everything together and then simmer until warm - 1 hour is not necessary).

15 min. before done, add tortilla strips and corn. Serve with garnish of your choice.

Enjoy!

Linked here:

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March Project: The Neglected Niche

2012-03-03T21:11:00.000-07:00

I have been loving the "Before & After" parties that Lisa at Shine Your Light hosts each month. They give me motivation to finish projects I might not tackle otherwise.

I know you might be tired of seeing this little neesh (or do you say nitch?) I know I'm a bit tired of staring at this gaping, sad space.

It doesn't help that the console blends into the wall now that I've got new paint on the walls.

Here are my plans for this space. Hopefully, I'll be able to complete them all in March!

First up is stenciling the walls of the niche, both above and below. I've chosen this "Zamira" stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils.

I'm going to use a paint with a metallic finish, probably something silvery.

If you follow me on Pinterest, you might have noticed me pinning lots of living room ideas lately. I'm thinking about adding shelving to the top niche to resemble a bookcase. Here are a few ideas:

Source: laurawinslowphotography.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

I'm also considering painting the console. I'll have to see how it looks with the stenciled wall behind it. I'm generally drawn to bright, bold colors and patterns. However, lately I've found myself pinning more neutral rooms. Isn't this pretty?

Source: srgambrel.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

Or here's something more contemporary, yet still in a neutral palette:

Source: shorelychic.blogspot.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

My first thought would be to paint the console a bright coral, like this (but without the mirrors):

Source: vintagerevivals.blogspot.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

But, now I'm leaning towards gray:

Source: google.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

Or maybe even white/cream (gasp!) like Emily A. Clark did here:

Here's the rundown:
1. Stencil
2. Shelving - I'm not sure if this is beyond my skill level. It might require checking in with my trusty handyman on pricing, etc.
3. Paint console.

Wish me luck! It looks like I'm going to need it! Good thing the "After" party isn't until March 30.

Of course, I'm always open to your ideas and suggestions. You are always so helpful.

FREE Paint at Ace Hardware Today 3/3

2012-03-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

I saw this deal online and wanted to share it with my fellow paint junkies. Ace Hardware is giving away free quarts of its paint TODAY only. All you have to do is head over to their facebook page and print the offer and bring it in to your local store to choose your quart. The offer is good for a quart of their Clark and Kensington paint and primer in one. I just got my free quart in Oyster Pearl.

Feature Friday: Bird and Branch Redesign in In the Navy

2012-03-02T05:00:00.001-07:00

Thanks for all of your kind words and comments regarding my daughter's pneumonia. In response to my post yesterday, the sweet Jessamie from Bird and Branch Redesign offered to step in and write a guest post for my blog so I wouldn't have to worry about blogging while my daughter is sick. Just hours later, Jessamie emailed me this post. The kindness of people like Jessamie and others in the blogosphere continues to impress me daily. Be sure to stop by Bird and Branch Redesign and share the love. Thank you!!!

Hey everybody! I'm Jessamie from Bird & Branch Redesign. I know Suzy's got a sick little babe, so I'm here to give an extra hand today!

With design and fashion always changing, I love trying to find that one color or signature piece that can be used a million different ways in a million different rooms. For me, that color is navy.

Navy is modern and trendy, but also classic and traditional.

I also love how crisp it feels with pastels or neon. It just pops, right?!

It adds depth to dainty rooms without being heavy.

And navy is warm with reds or golds.

After looking around my own home, and Pinterest, I am sure my staple is navy!

images 1-7 | images 8-9

Thanks for having me, and I hope you're little one feels better soon, Suzy!

Suzy's House Party

2012-02-29T22:19:00.000-07:00

I might get the House Party up late this Thursday or I might skip it this week (for the first time ever!) and resume next week. I've spent the night at the hospital with my oldest daughter. She has pneumonia. This mixed with her asthma is NOT a good combination. She's already missed a week of school and it looks like she'll be home for awhile longer. I feel so badly for her. I'm also hoping that the rest of us can stay healthy. Of course the hubs is out of town for work. (Doesn't it always seem like they are out of town when disaster strikes...be it a sick child, flat tire, or broken garbage disposal??)

If my blogging is sparse, know that it's because pneumonia has struck like a ~~man~~ girl eating shark!

More New Paint and It's a Small World!

2012-02-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

Cassie at Primitive and Proper recently introduced me to a new blog, The Blooming Hydrangea. She thought I would like it because Ange at the Blooming Hydrangea and I have a similar style. In the last few weeks, Ange and I have bonded over our love of our goldendoodle puppies among other things.

Speaking of puppies, mine has chewed up not one, but TWO vacuum cords in the past few days! Vacuums are a necessity in a house with two giant dogs!

Anyways, Ange and I were having an email exchange last night and she said that she wasn't at the computer most of the day because she was painting her living room Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore. Well, guess what I was doing most of the day yesterday? Painting my living room Gray Owl! I guess Cassie had it right when she thought Ange and I had similar decorating styles!

Here are some pictures of my new living room color.

As you can see, I'm still waiting for *someone* to help me with the extra-high areas.

I'm waiting for that *someone* to help me move the piano as well.

At least this gives you an idea of the color I started with. Yes, those are the paintings I bought at an estate sale over two weeks ago...still just sitting out.

More areas my barely 5'2" self can't reach. I think we're going to have to pull out the giant extension ladder.

I don't like how the TV stand blends into the wall. I also can't stand that niche. I never know what to do up there. In fact, it still has the painting wrapped in wrapping paper from Christmas. You know how one thing leads to another.... Now, I'm thinking about all kinds of new projects for the living room, starting with painting that buffet. More on that later. I'm off to take care of two sick kiddos.

Oh and by the way, I'm all ears if you have any ideas for me! You are always so helpful and have great ideas.

Help Me Stencil...Please!?!?

2012-02-27T17:33:00.000-07:00

You might remember that I attempted to stencil a wall in my dining room way back before I started blogging. This is the only picture I have of the stencil fiasco because it was painted over the next day.

I did this wall with a cheapy, little stencil from Hobby Lobby. It was so hard to do and the results were NOT good. My husband thinks stencils might not work very well on our walls because they are very textured.

Needless to say, I'm super impressed with all of the bloggers who are able to create beautifully stenciled rooms. It's not as easy as it looks, or maybe I was just doing something wrong!?!?!

I've decided I want to give stenciling another try. Recently I won a giveaway on Simcoe Street for a stencil from Cutting Edge Stencils. I haven't chosen my stencil, however, because there are so many great options.

I also don't know where I want to put the stencil. I'm thinking the wall behind my bed, but the wall is pretty big with a high, vaulted ceiling. I'm scared! So, where the stencil will be going is also still an unanswered question. I think I've been driving my husband crazy with all of my stencil indecision. That's why I'm turning to you, my blog friends.

Here are some of the stencils I like (all from Cutting Edge). I'm generally drawn to the simpler, geometric patterns.

I like this gray color scheme (but not necessarily the headboard and bedding).

I'm not usually a damask-type person. It's just too frilly and flowery for me, but I think this is gorgeous.

This is my husband's favorite. I usually love greek-key on anything, but this seems a little busy.

Do you have a favorite? Do you have any stencil tips you would be willing to share?

February's Project: the Back Hall

2012-02-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Did you think Mary's room makeover was my February project? It was what I spent the majority of my time on this month, but it wasn't THE project.

Lisa over at Shine Your Light holds a monthly "before and after" party. The first Friday of the month, you link up your before pics and the last Friday of the month, your after pics. I needed some motivation to get started on painting basically every interior wall in my home, so I decided to start simply by painting my back hall as my February project.

My before post can be found here. But here's where I started:

Brown walls, dirty old rug, messy bulletin board and a very well-used doggy door. Ewww!

Here's where we are now.

I painted the walls Gray Owl by Benjamin Moore. The door got a coat of glossy black paint and I swapped out the rug. There's still a little cutting to be done at the top of the wall that I didn't quite get too.

Beware. There are lots of pics of the dogs. They like to hang out in this area and had to get in just about every picture.

This bulletin board needed some work.

I couldn't submit my "after" post with such an unsightly object. So, at 8:00 tonight, I decided to makeover the bulletin board.

I covered it with some fabric and added a little nailhead trim. And, voila!

I'm not sure if I love the bulletin board with the black and white rug. That's something that will be easy to change. Especially since the rug was something I had on hand and did not purchase especially for this space.

I ran out of nailheads. Oops!

See where the hallway curves around to the left? I got that all painted, but I still have some art ideas for the walls that haven't happened yet. Hmmmm, maybe for my March project?!?!

Happy weekend friends!

Feature Friday: Charmaine from My Best Friend Craig

2012-02-24T09:01:00.000-07:00

Hooray for Friday and another feature! Today Charmaine from My Best Friend Craig is sharing her beautiful dining room with us. I love Charmaine's eclectic style. She's not afraid to mix a mid-century piece with the traditional. Her blog features lots of great inspiration and pictures. Stop by and say "hi" to Charmaine when you get a chance.

Hi all! I'm Charmaine from My Best Friend Craig. I am grateful to be here on Suzy's fantastic blog.

Today, I want to share some before and after photos of our dining room. We moved into our house 2 and a half years ago. It is a Tudor style house built in the 80's and with it came 1980's orange colored oak trim.

I personally think it dates the house. The first thing we did was paint the trim white and the walls a nice bluish gray shade...

Next, I tackled the built-in hutch and painted it gray. Since we entertain a lot, I also replaced our old dining room table with a thrift store find table that has 3 leaves and painted it turquoise...

You can say that my style is eclectic. I like mixing old and new, high and low and traditional and modern pieces.

I am a big fan of craigslist for all my vintage finds(hence my blog name)

Here is what our dining room looks like now...

{The chandelier and oval back chairs are both craigslist finds}

Here's a look of the before again...

and after...

Hope you guys enjoyed this post!

Thanks again Suzy for having me here today! Have a great weekend everyone!

Suzy's House Party #32 - Link Up!

2012-02-22T19:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Thursday friends! The weekend can not get here soon enough. I have had a busy week with work and finishing up Mary's room for the One Room Challenge. Now that the Challenge is over, I need something new to occupy my time!

I know some of you like to hear about my Goldendoodle puppy, Emma. This was a big week for Emma as well.

She graduated at the top of her class from puppy training. Can you believe she just turned five months old today and she is already 50+++ pounds? She is going to be a BIG girl.

I still have kids' rooms on the brain after finishing Mary's and now gathering ideas for the my other childrens' rooms. I think this button art by Megan at A Lived in Home is darling.

This dresser from Turnstyle Vogue is gorgeous. Check out the soft stripes. The finish is so unique and I love the mixed knobs.

Check out these beauties by Redoux. The black tops tie in so nicely with the dark hardware.

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The One Room Challenge: Week 6: The REVEAL

2012-02-22T05:00:00.005-07:00

The One Room Challenge wraps up this week and that means that the tranformation from nursery to big girl room is complete! I have had so much fun participating in this challenge and meeting some new-to-me bloggers; but most importantly, I've created a room for my daughter that she likes.

Here's where we started:

I kept the dresser and the bed, but that's about it.

I love the elephant print from the Pink Pagoda. Mary loves the picture of our puppy wrapped in her blanket.

I made a few prints using Picnik.

My mom sewed this for me when I was a baby and it was in my room as a child:

Painted butterflies

Embroidery hoop collage

If you look closely, you can see the DIY ombre art and tissue paper pompoms on top.

Here's another little print I made on Picnik.

I had to include this sweet baby picture as well as Mary's favorite stuffed animal, who she calls "Baby Jaguar." He's missing an arm.

Here are links to some of the projects:

DIY Upholstered Headboard
Supersized picture
Striped Curtains
Painted table and lamp
Throw Pillows
Make your own prints
Ombre Art

Stop by some of the other One Room Challenge participants to see how their rooms turned out too!

Dutch.British.Love
Trapped in North Jersey
Nicole Scott Designs
Kim Macumber Interiors
Rue de Emily
The Pink Pagoda
refresheddesigns
Nana Moon Shop
Taylor Morgan Design
Insideways
My Crafty Home Life
House Four
Living Savvy
(A Lifestyle Thing)

Linked here:

Random Musings on New Pillows and Downton Abbey

2012-02-20T09:54:00.000-07:00

I recently dropped off this stack of fabrics at the seamstress:

The seamstress is named Margie and her shop is called Margie's Stitch and Sew. Margie is at least 80 years old, probably closer to 90. Her business occupied a little storefront in my town until recently, when Margie slipped on the ice when coming in to work. Now, she works out of her home and she gets around on a little scooter.

I asked Margie if she could make some piping to put around the pillows and how much it would cost to complete pillow covers. She said it would be between $3 and $5, depending on the size. I couldn't believe the price! I left the fabric with Margie. She didn't take down my name, phone number, or any other information. She just told me to come back in a few days to see if the pillows were done. I wasn't sure what to expect.

When I came back, I saw a stack of four pillows piled neatly in the corner. I had asked for a simple envelope style cover, but Margie went ahead and put in invisible zippers.

I could tell she was not thrilled with my color choices. She wasn't sure why I wanted orange piping on the pillows. To each his own, right?

I'm thrilled with the way the pillows turned out. My only complaint is that on the dog pillow above the fabric is upside down on the back - the dogs face one way on the front, and then they are upside down on the back. But for $5, I am not complaining!

I will definitely be bringing more projects to Margie in the future. My sewing skills are not good and it's worth paying a few dollars to avoid the frustration and time it would take me to sew something.

Come back on Wednesday to see the "big reveal" of Mary's room as the One Room Challenge wraps up.

In other news, who watches Downton Abbey?

I watched the season finale last night. Big K, who has watched maybe three episodes, even got teary eyed at several points during the show. It was SO good and now I'm anxiously awaiting season three. Does anyone know when it comes out?

Check out the Downton Abbey site on the PBS website while we're waiting for the next season. If you are ~~freakishly~~ slightly obsessed with the show, the website has all kinds of video clips, cast interviews, and other interesting stuff to keep you occupied.

This weekend, I also watched True Grit. Talk about the opposite of Downton Abbey! Big K has been bugging me to watch this with him for awhile. I wasn't interesting in seeing it because I thought it would be a boring Western. I was wrong. It was a great movie and I would highly recommend it if you haven't seen it.

Tag! You're It!

2012-02-17T20:14:00.001-07:00

You will probably learn more about me in this post than you care to learn, but I've been tagged by two blog friends in a fun little game and I've decided to play along.

Both Cathy from Room Rx and Lisa from Shine Your Light tagged me in this game. The rules are simple: Eleven is the magic number, answer eleven questions, tag eleven other bloggers and figure out eleven different questions to ask them.

First up, the Q&A session with Cathy's questions:
1) Do you like to cook or bake?
I love to eat, does that count? I really don't like to spend much time in the kitchen, but if I had to choose between cooking and baking, it would have to be cooking.

2) My one guilty pleasure is....?
Only one?!? Ignoring the rest of the world, while I relax with a good book.

Source: dianagabaldon.com via Ashley on Pinterest

3) To unwind at the end of a long day I....?
Sit in bed with my laptop and browse my favorite blogs and Pinterest. Sometimes, I'll watch a show online. Downton Abbey is my current favorite. But speaking of guilty pleasures, I have a strange fascination with the Real Housewives series as well.

Source: bravotv.com via Kyle on Pinterest

4) Where do you do your blogging?
I usually sit at a table in my living room or else in bed.

5) I could eat a whole bag/box/package of... in one sitting?
Oh how I love sugary snacks! I could eat a whole box of any type of cookie, but I particularly like Girl Scout Thin Mints.

6) White wine or red?
I don't drink wine. I like to stick to Diet Coke.

7) My idea of the perfect day is....?
Spending an active day outdoors with my family: hiking, hanging out by a lake, even playing in the back yard...anything outside. Then going out for a nice big Italian dinner.

8) The room in my home that I like the best is...?
Mary's room :)

9) The accomplishment I am most proud of in the past year is...?
Any of the things that I've accomplished at my childrens' school Our school district, like many, is in the midst of severe budget cuts. I am Vice President on the PTO and we have been able to raise a lot of money and do great things for the school. I'm also an art and reading aide and it's so inspiring to see the progress the kids are making throughout the year.

Source: annetaintor.com via Ginger on Pinterest

10) What song can't you get out of your head right now?
I don't have a song stuck in there right now, just a swirling mess of the all of the things that need to get done (e.g. "remember to stop at the store," "be at the school at 10:45," "finish the picture frames"...you get the picture?).

11) What is one item on your "bucket list?"
Run the New York marathon.

Source: google.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

Now on to Lisa's questions:
1. What's your favorite place in the United States?
I would have to say Hawaii. Is there anything better than sitting on a beautiful tropical beach?

Source: jetsetter.com via Andrew on Pinterest

This is the Grand Hyatt Kauai, where I spent my honeymoon.

2. Where would you love to visit that you've never been before?
I've been fortunate and have been able to travel to many places, but there still are so many more that I would love to visit, particularly with my husband because he has not travelled much. I would like to visit the Greek Isles.

Source: google.com via Mary on Pinterest

3. Favorite song you're loving right now?
I'm boring and rarely listen to music.

4. Good book recommendation?
The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon. I just read Little Bee by Chris Cleave and that was good too. For a light and fun read, check out this one from The Pioneer Woman:

Source: amazon.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

5. What's your best quality?
My caring...if I care about something, I'll do everything possible for it. This can also be a negative, when I care too much.

6. What is something about yourself you'd like to change?
I wish I could be a little more relaxed and stress about things less. Care less?

7. What is the number one thing you hope to accomplish in 2012?
I know this is a bit generic, but I hope to do everything I can so that my family is happy. I don't have one specific goal in regards to this.

8. What is your favorite project that you've ever accomplished?
I changed almost everything in my house in the past year and I'm happy with the results. It's hard to pick just one favorite...maybe Mary's room (see above).

9. What is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
My husband is always surprising me by doing nice things....not always roses and chocolate, but helping me with things that need to be done around the house and with the kids so that I can have some time to myself.

10. Favorite kitchen or home improvement tool?
Is paint a tool? A coat of paint can change just about anything!

11. What do you enjoy about blogging?
When I started blogging, I never imagined that I would meet such a wonderful and supportive group of people who share the same interests that I have. The friends I have met is number one, followed closely by all of the inspiration I've found in their projects.

Next to share the Rules:
**You must post the rules
**Answer the 11 questions that the tagger posted for you; then create 11 questions to ask the people you've tagged
**Tag 11 people and link them in your post
**Let them know you have tagged them

Then to tag 11 bloggers:

Tiffany at Living Savvy
Tiffany at Worthwhile Domicile
Linda at My Crafty Homelife
Shelley at Crazy Wonderful
Lisa at Trapped in North Jersey
Jessamie at Bird and Branch Redesign
Gwen at A Bold Abode
Amy at The Salvage Collection
Anne at Hello Newman's
Maury at Life on Mars
Jenny at Simcoe Street

And finally, my 11 questions for them. I had to steal a few from other bloggers because I liked them:
1) If you could visit one place in the world, where would it be?
2) What is your dream job?
3) What is your favorite book?
4) Name an item on your bucket list.
5) Do you speak any other languages?
6) If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
7) If you could change anything about your current home, what would it be?
8) What is something you've learned from blogging?
9) If you could take any type of class, what would it be about?
10) If you could have dinner with one person, who would it be?
11) If you could change anything about yourself, what would it be?

Tag! you are it! Hope you'll play.... You can also play by visiting these delightful blogs and saying hello!

Source: google.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

Summer Dreaming

2012-02-17T09:15:00.000-07:00

Source: onekingslane.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

Can we please fast forward to summer? Summer is my favorite season and just about this time every winter I start dreaming about warm, beachy vacations like this:

Source: flickr.com via Angela on Pinterest

This is near Cassis, France on the Mediterranean. I lived near this area for six months and would love to go back!

Source: cozamia.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

I think this vintage print is cute. Although, doesn't it look like the mother is afraid she is going to lose her baby in the waves?

Source: onekingslane.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

While hanging out at the beach, I'm going to need a fun beach towel. I love Land's End towels. I have had a blue and yellow awning stripe towel from Land's End for 13 years and it still looks great. (That was not a paid endorsement, in case you are wondering!)

Source: landsend.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

One King's Lane has some fun towels right now too.

Source: onekingslane.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

PB Teen is right on trend with this ikat towel:

Source: pbteen.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

These colors remind me of the Mediterranean:

Source: pbteen.com via Suzanne on Pinterest

Spekaing of the Mediterranean, nne place that I haven't been that I dream of visiting is Greece.

Source: google.ca via Lindsay on Pinterest

The Cinque Terre in Italy is a place I've visited and would encourage you to see as well. It's a string of hillside towns in Italy. You can hike between the towns or take a water taxi.

Source: google.com via Laurie on Pinterest

If you are looking for a place closer to home, the Mayan Rivera near Cancun is a good bet. The beaches are beautiful. We've stayed at several all-inclusive resorts and it's a perfect family vacation. The kids (and adults!) love the unlimited frozen drinks and ice cream.

Source: google.com via Tami on Pinterest

The Iberostar Paraiso del Mar/Beach is our favorite resort there.

Source: google.com via Shayne on Pinterest

We only take these beach vacations every few years, and unfortunately this is an "off" year. Hopefully next year!

Do you have a favorite vacation destination or somewhere that you dream of visiting someday?

Suzy's House Party #31 - Link Up!

2012-02-15T15:02:00.001-07:00

It must be time for another party! My big news for the week is that my sister Gina and her husband James had their first baby on Monday! The healthy little boy is called Tre. He's named after his father and grandfather, so he's a III (third). Hence, the name Tre (three). My sister lives across the country from me, so we've spent lots of time on Skype and the phone checking out the little guy. I always forget how tiny newborns are:

I didn't have much time this week for decorating, painting, crafting or creating. I'm getting antsy to make something! Even though I didn't have a chance to do anything creative, I'm sure glad that you did.

Are you still loving chevron? I am! In fact, my sister saw my painted, striped curtains and asked if I could make some for her. Being the awesome sister I am, I said there was NO way I could do all of that taping and measuring....that's way beyond my crafting abilities. It's not beyond Katie from Craptastic though. Check out how great her painted chevron curtains look.

I love the fabric that Harper and Ollie's mom from Harper and Ollie's House used on these chairs.

I had meant to make some cute art for Valentine's Day, but didn't get around to it. Luckily, Kristin from The Simple Things was able to make a cute sign.

<div align="center"><a href="http://savedbysuzy.blogspot.com" title="Saved by Suzy"><img src="http://i1218.photobucket.com/albums/dd408/lizzygal18/Savedbysuzypartyblogbuttonchevron-1.png" alt="Saved by Suzy" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

The One Room Challenge: Week 5

2012-02-15T04:00:00.002-07:00

We are in the home stretch of the One Room Challenge! If you are just joining us, 15 bloggers have been challenged to completely makeover one room in six weeks. I'm working on my daughter Mary's room.

I have a confession to make. I didn't do a single thing in Mary's room this week...and there's only one week left until the end of the challenge. Yikes! I only have a few small projects left and here's hoping I get to them this week.

Remember this mirror that I showed you last week?

My super-junker friend Cindy found it for me. She also found these butterflies:

I think they would look really cute painted and hung on the wall. On the other hand, I'm afraid the room is getting to busy and I don't want too much "stuff" in the room. I might put them in my other daughter's room.

Cindy also found this adorable little chair.

At first, I thought about spray painting it, but I think the golden color is pretty. It just needs some foam and pretty fabric on the seat. Again, I'm not sure if this will go in Mary's room or in my other daughter's room. I guess you'll just have to wait and see!

Now, go check out the other One Week Challenge-ers to see some real progress. Be sure to stop back next week. I promise you a completed room then!

Dutch.British.Love
Trapped in North Jersey
Nicole Scott Designs
Kim Macumber Interiors
Rue de Emily
The Pink Pagoda
refresheddesigns
Nana Moon Shop
Taylor Morgan Design
Insideways
My Crafty Home Life
House Four
Living Savvy
(A Lifestyle Thing)

Linked here:

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T06:00:00.002-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day my friends! Hope your day is filled with lots of love,chocolate and HEARTS!

Source: frenchblue-frenchblue.blogspot.com via Michele on Pinterest

Source: moderncountry.blogspot.com via Michele on Pinterest

Source: tinywhitedaisies.tumblr.com via Michele on Pinterest

Source: jasmine-marie.tumblr.com via Michele on Pinterest

Source: leloveimage.blogspot.com via Natasha on Pinterest

Estate Sale Art

2012-02-13T06:00:00.001-07:00

This weekend we were out and about and happened to stop at an estate sale. The woman who had lived in the home was an artist and there was tons of her art for sale. It was the second day of the sale, so everything was 50% off. We seemed to be the only ones looking at the art. We were definitely the only ones that I saw purchasing it.

Although the other shoppers weren't intersted in the art, my kids had fun picking out a few pieces for themselves as did Andy and I. Everything was $1-$5. I like these pieces because they look like the area where we live and it's Western ranching and mining past.

Here's what we found:

The girls want to put their choices in their rooms. I'm not sure what I'm going to do with the rest, but I'm sure I'll think of something!

I can't seem to get enough of gallery walls. I think I'm going to end up with one in every room (and lots of holes in my walls!). I'm sure I have another gallery wall in my future with my new purchases. I like the look of these eclectic collections:

Source: parisapartment.wordpress.com via Tobi on Pinterest

Pretty gold frames:

Source: gapinteriors.com via Tobi on Pinterest

Source: habituallychic.blogspot.com via Tobi on Pinterest

Source: paloma81.blogspot.com via Tobi on Pinterest

Does my home smell?

2012-02-12T22:00:00.001-07:00

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Triad Retail Media for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

You know how some homes have a distinctive smell? It can be a pleasant or unpleasant odor, but some homes just have it. I think we're immune to our own home's smell because we spend so much time in it that we don't even notice the smell.

As you might know, I have two dogs who I love dearly. Well, those two sweethearts have been stinky lately! We've been doing a lot of hiking. The weather is warming up, so the trails have been a little muddy and damp. Wet dog is NOT a good smell! I don't want friends to visit the house and their first thought to be, "Oh, dogs live here" based on the eau de wet dog.

Luckily, Glade® has come out with two new products, Glade® Expressions ™ Fragrance Mist and Oil Diffuser to help battle that unique home smell. I love oil diffusers, but with two dogs and three kids running around, I don't like to use them because of their tendency to spill. Who wants their home to smell like an EXPLOSION of scent? I prefer something more subtle.

Glade® Expressions ™ Oil Diffuser is pretty enough to set out on a shelf and it's designed not to spill. Hooray! One less mess to clean! The fragrance is long lasting (thirty days) and doesn't require electricity. So no worry about setting the house on fire when you're not home.

If you are not an Oil Diffuser person, Glade® Expressions ™ also offers a Fragrance Mist. The container looks great with all types of decor and is easily refillable with any Glade® Expressions ™ scent. The scents are all long-lasting and come in these scents: Pineapple & Mangosteen; Cotton & Italian Mandarin (Fragrance Mist only); Fuji Apple & Cardamon; and Spicy Lavender & Juniper Berry.

Right now, snag these products at Walmart for their everyday low price. Or better, yet use this coupon to get a better deal: http://bit.ly/zus6F5 .

Glade® is so positive that you will love the scents that they are offering a "fragrance satisfaction guarantee." If you are not satisfied, just fill out the form that can be found at this link: http://bit.ly/xMScbO

new Glade® Expressions™ fragrance mist

new Glade® Expressions™ oil diffuser