Southern Fried Living

I'm baaaaaack!

2012-02-06T15:07:00.000-06:00

I took a longer-than-expected break from blogging last Fall to focus on my family during the holidays. My plan was to post here and there with holiday projects and recipes but somehow the time just flew by!

Here's a recap of what went on the past few months.

Halloween, My daughter got Student of the Month, Thanksgiving, husband's birthday, I had surgery to repair a hernia, my dad came for a 17 day visit, Christmas, New Year's, my birthday, Twin A had tubes put in his ears, a few colds here and there and then the next thing I know it's FEBRUARY! Oh and we put the twins in "big boy" beds and took away their beloved pacifiers. In the same week. Yeah, I'm mean like that!

I have really missed blogging and chatting with you guys and couldn't wait any longer to get back to the ol' blog!

So what I'm working on right now is getting the twins room put together. Wanna see my inspiration pics via Pinterest?

Dontcha just love Pinterest!!!!

Source: lh6.ggpht.com via Beth on Pinterest

Source: desiretodecorate.com via Beth on Pinterest

Source: positivelysplendid.com via Beth on Pinterest

I know this is a nursery but I just love the blue/green color scheme!

So there you have it! What I've been up to for the last few months and what I'm working on now!

What have you been up to lately? Have you ever taken a hiatus from blogging before?

~Beth

Happy Fall Y'all!!

2011-09-26T08:06:00.000-05:00

Here in Texas, the weather doesn't usually start to feel Fall-ish until it gets closer to Halloween. But when a cold front came through a couple of days ago, it dropped the temperatures 20 degrees and has settled somewhere in the 80's finally.

I know that doesn't sound like Fall weather but we were still having 100 degree temps just a few weeks ago. We actually broke the record for having the hottest summer EVER here in Texas. Not exactly something to be proud of. We're talking stupid hot like melt-your-face-off kind of hot. Just 2 weeks ago it was 107 degrees! So we'll take the 80 degrees over the 100+ degrees any day!

I'm so jealous of those of you that live in cooler climates where you can wear long sleeves or jackets or sit out on the patio while sipping your morning coffee without breaking out into a sweat. We're still sporting shorts, tank tops and flip flops!

So with the cooler weather and the start of a new season, I just wanted to say, Happy Fall Y'all!

So how's the weather in your neck of the woods?? Are you feeling Fall-ish yet??
All images via Pinterest.

Cheap & Easy Wall Art

2011-08-25T07:00:00.002-05:00

One of my daughter's favorite sayings is "You Get What You Get & You Don't Pitch a Fit!". She learned it from her preschool teacher last year who she adored. I said this to her one time when I served her something she wasn't thrilled about eating and it instantly made her smile. And then she said "okay" and started eating what I gave her. I couldn't believe how easy it was to make her happy just by saying that one little phrase. And then one day on Pinterest (I know you know them) and found this little gem.

I was like What?! I can soooo make that. So I asked one of my friends that has one of those fancy schmanchy vinyl cutting machines if she would make me some vinyl letters and a crown.

And she did except for she didn't have a crown so she cut out a Fleur de Lis instead which I think I like better. Next, I just stuck them on a $5 canvas (18x24) and spray painted over it with yellow paint.

I used Bauhaus Gold by Krylon first (on the right) but it was too gold so I went over it again with Sun Yellow by Rust-Oleum and it was the perfect shade of yellow that I was looking for.

Peeled off the letters..........

...and Ta-Da!

I know it doesn't look exactly the same as the one on Pinterest but it's close enough. Actually it's perfect with all of it's imperfectly spaced letters. Who needs to measure letter spacing?? Not me, I just eye-ball it. And then spend an hour "fixing it". Whatev.

Besides, it makes my daughter smile and that's all that matters.

I hung it on the wall by the kitchen table just in case I need to refer to it when someone doesn't like the food they were served.

That goes for husbands too!

(please excuse the poor lighting, it was cloudy today)

Scary Barn Sale Find

2011-08-11T07:00:00.002-05:00

I have been searching high and low for a round coffee table ever since I spied this one over at the Nester's place. I've been on Craigslist, I've scoured the garage sales and thrift stores but without any luck. Until one day the curiosity got the best of me and I decided to follow the signs on the corner that said "barn sale". You see, I intentionally did not go to the "barn sale" the other times I saw the signs because I noticed the same signs were being put up EVERY weekend on the same corner. I figured it was one of those people that still had leftover junk from the first "barn sale" and just couldn't let go and donate it to the thrift store like most us do. But like I said I was curious so I went just to cure my "they might have something good" addition when it comes to garage sales. It was off a country road that lead to a gate with a long dirt driveway that took you past two small homes and then around a small turn to......a barn. To say the least....I was sceeeered!!! It sounded like something straight out of that movie The Texas Chainsaw Massacre! I just knew that as soon as I stepped out of my car someone would snatch me up and keep me forever! But then I remembered those signs were put up every weekend and if they were actually snatching people up then they would have been busted by now. Right? Well that's what I told myself as I got out of the car and headed to the dark and scary barn that ended up having some pretty decent stuff! A lot of it was junk but there were actually a few nice pieces of furniture and a couple of large mirrors that I had my eye on. Oh and the person in charge of the barn sale, was actually a nice little old lady. Unless she was a decoy to get people out of their cars and into the barn??

Anyway, I made my way through the barn looking at the stuff and looking over my shoulder at the same time and wouldn't you know it........I spied a round coffee table! And I liked it. And she had another one plus a matching side table! Score! I asked her how much they were and she said they weren't for sale because she didn't have anything else to display her stuff on. What?! She said she was going to buy folding tables from Wal-mart and that she could call me when she was ready to sell them. Score!

Fast forward two weeks later....she calls me and says she was ready to sell them and wanted to know if I still wanted them. I asked how much she was asking for them and before she told me I quickly decided that I wouldn't pay more than $20 for the round one. She told me she would take $18 for all 3!! Sweeeet! Oh and she told me they were from a hotel lobby in Dallas! So cool!

I was thrilled to say the least.

They were an emerald green color when we bought them.

Add very dirty with some kind of weird growth underneath??


It looks like someone glued fake eyelashes in a cirlce.

I scrubbed the table top which is made of some type of fiberglass made to look like solid stone and spray painted the base with Oil Rubbed Bronze. Of course!

After

Nice and clean!

And now lives in my living room...

...with my pretty new DIY pillow covers!

You see, sometimes it pays to take a leap of faith or risk your life to get a great deal!!

What risks have you taken to get a great deal??

Would you happen to know what that growth was underneath the table???
I'm partying over here: Houseofhepworths, Tales From Bloggeritaville, Theshabbycreekcottage

New Throw Pillows

2011-08-10T07:00:00.004-05:00

Remember this fabric? I used it to make these!!

I bought the Navy Chevron and Botanical Print from Fabric.com for $8/yd and used it to make new throw pillows for my sofa! Or is it couch? What do you call it?? I think couch might be a southern term??

I've been sewing my own pillows for as long as I can remember. My mom used to make my sister and I coordinating outfits (mine usually yellow and hers pink) and to keep us busy while she was sewing, she would give us fabric scraps, a needle and thread and have us make little pillows for our baby dolls. I've since learned how to use a sewing machine. I must have been 4 or 5 years old and to think that little skill she taught me has served me well all these years. You can save a ton of money if you know how to sew. It has saved me lots of $$ by allowing me to make things for myself that I wouldn't normally be able to afford from a retailer.

It has also allowed me more options when it comes to interior decorating. I'm no longer stuck with someone else's idea of pretty or what's "in" or what they think will look good in my home. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Z Gallerie, Anthro, Ballard Designs but my pocketbook doesn't always love it the same.

Know what I'm sayin'?

Besides that, if I forked out a ton of money for something super nice that my kids are just going to throw on the floor, I would be stressed out everyday for fear that they would be ruined.

The pillows not my kids.

The cream pillows were from Wal-mart and cost $13 each.

(The center pillow was from JCPenney bought last year on clearance for $3! )

Although my mom taught me some mad sewing skillz (my skills aren't really that mad), I didn't know how to sew an "envelope pillow cover"(see I told you). I wanted something I could take off and throw in the washer when it got dirty. I always did the type of cover that enclosed the entire pillow and didn't allow for easy removal. So I "googled" it and found a simple tutorial on YouTube and followed the instructions. It was so easy, really, and it didn't take long at all.

Anybody can do this even if you don't have a sewing machine!

The floral pillow is actually a place mat I found at World Market. Place mats are great for making cheap but chic pillows. They are normally two pieces of fabric sewn together so if you rip the seam at one end, you can insert a pillow into the opening and then resew it closed or use hot glue or hemming tape! Kate has a great tutorial on how to make "No Sew" throw pillows so go over and check out her blog and learn how to start saving money by being your own designer!!
So what do you think of my sofa/ couch pillows??
Please tell me, what do you call the thing you sit on in your living room!!

I'm partying over here: Houseofhepworths, Tales From Bloggeritaville, Theshabbycreekcottage

My High School Reunion

2011-08-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't blogged in like forever but this summer has kept this momma super busy. We've had lots of birthdays to attend, including our own kids, we've been going to play dates, swimming almost daily and trying to stay cool with these super hot temperatures.

My husband and I both graduated from the same high school and had our reunion this past weekend. We had the best time catching up with old friends and seeing how everyone has changed over the years. Our graduation class was over 700 people!! I was in Drill Team and also played soccer and 1 year of basketball.

Here are a few pics of us and our old classmates.

OK, well not old but you know what I mean!

Me, ex-cheerleader, Algebra classmate

Drill teammate, Football, Me, Ex-cheerleader, Drill Team

One of my good friends that I've know since 3rd grade, former Drill Teammate, Me

One of my good friends from Drill Team who is just the sweetest person!

And last but not least, Me, my husband and some random lady who was the wife of someone who knew someone at the reunion who just happened to be staying at the same hotel??

Not really sure why we took a picture with her but she was really nice. Ha ha. So random!

We had a blast but it took a while to recover since the after party lasted until 3:00 am and this mom of 3 isn't used to staying up that late!!

My daughter starts Kindergarten in about 3 weeks so I plan on blogging on a more regular basis. So until then it will be hit or miss with blog posts but I have lots to catch you guys up on and I can't wait to show you what I've been up to this summer besides birthday parties and swimming!!

Stayed tuned............Beth

Dirty Laundry: Going Green and Saving Money

2011-06-23T10:00:00.002-05:00

Being a family of FIVE on one income, I am always on the lookout for ways to save money. I buy generic groceries, use coupons, do "price matching" on produce and meat at Wal-mart, we use energy efficient appliances, try to keep lights off, things unplugged, eat most of our meals at home and the list goes on and on.

So when a good friend of mine told me her husband made his own laundry soap and that it costs only 5 cents a load, I knew I needed to make my own soap too! We have LOTS of dirty laundry around here (did I mention there's 5 of us?!) so being able to save money on something that I use a lot of is really going to help out the ol' pocket book.

Not only are the ingredients easy to find but they are cheap and All Natural!

Here are all the ingredients:
Borax ($2.99), Arm & Hammer Washing Soda ($3.79) and a bar of ZOTE $.99) for a total of $7.77 before tax. You can even use Ivory soap if would like!
I found the Zote & Borax at several places (Home Depot, grocery store, Wal-mart) and the Washing Soda at an Ace Hardware Store since my Wal-mart was out of it or no longer carries it. Also, Fels Naptha is another good laundry bar to try and I actually think it smells better than the Zote. However, Zote is a lot bigger so you can actually cut it in half and make two batches and it's the same price so it's actually cheaper to use the Zote. Plus it's pink and my daughter thinks it's pretty!

So the first thing you need to do is grate up the laundry bar. You can use a cheese grater or a food processor. I chose to use my food processor because I'm ~~lazy~~ efficient like that.

I used a saw and cut the Zote into 3rds so it would fit in my food processor.

I used the slicing blade to chop it up but it just turned it into a giant pink ball. I really don't know how to use my food processor that well and all of it's little intimidating accessories but I wasn't about to give up!

So I went with plan B and used my cheese shredding blade (I'm sure there's a proper name for it??) and it worked perfectly. So now I have what looks like pink shredded cheese.

Then I changed the blade again to the slicing blade and it grated it into a finer texture similar to little tiny bb's. (That's bb's not boobies) Can you see the difference below?

After I got the bar grated into a fine texture I began adding the powder mix which is the Borax and Washing Soda. Normally you would add 1 grated bar to 1 cup of Borax and 1 cup of Washing Soda but since the Zote bar is so big, you can actually double the batch or even triple it. I decided to triple it because I'm ~~cheap~~ frugile. So my batch consists of 1 bar of Zote, 3 cups of Borax and 3 cups of Washing Soda. If you use a normal size bar like Fels Naptha or Ivory Soap, your batch would be 1 grated bar, 1 cup of Borax and 1 Cup of Washing Soda. Confused? Good.

So that's it! This is what it looks like all mixed together. It's a beautiful pink powder that smells very fresh and clean. Each batch yields approximately 32 ounces (between 32-64 loads based on how many Tbsp used per load). You only need 1 tablespoon per load but you can adjust it however you need to if your laundry is extra dirty.

You know like if you have 2 year old twin boys that like to dump bowls of cereal on their heads or play in the mud or eat spaghetti without a bib!

If you have a front loader HE machine you just put it in the dispenser where you would normally put powder detergent. It's also safe for septic systems. I've been using my home made detergent since May and my clothes have come out clean and smelling fresh without any soap residue.

I had a ton of questions about this soap and using it in my HE front loader so if you're like me and need to know everything about everything, go to www.diynatural.com and go under the "Cleaners" tab and you will find the answers to any questions you may have.

Here's the website cost comparison between store bought detergent and the home made version:

Arm & Hammer® liquid 100 ounce detergent – $6.79 – 32 loads = $0.21 per load
Tide® with Bleach powder 267 ounce detergent – $20.32 – 95 loads = $0.21 per load
Homemade powder 32 ounce detergent – $2.98 – 64 loads = $0.05 per load

I actually found my ingredients cheaper than the guy on the website so I'm actually saving more!

If you are into saving money or making an all natural laundry detergent then you should give this a try! It's so easy y'all and get your kiddos involved too, they'll love it! Get them to grate the bar of soap for you with a cheese grater they will think it's fun and it's the hardest part, he he.

Have you ever made your own laundry soap?? Know anyone else who has made their own?

New Fabric= New Project

2011-06-02T09:53:00.002-05:00

These two lovelies came in the mail yesterday and I couldn't be happier!! The colors look exactly like they did when I went to order them from Fabric.com. I did the happy dance when the UPS man pulled up in front of the house because I knew exactly what he was bringing me. Of course I composed myself when I opened the door to get my package and then squealed like a little girl on Christmas morning once he left!
I cannot wait to show you what I do with this lovely fabric!!

P.S. I worked really hard on the kitchen last night and think I'm about 99.9% done with the walls!

Graduation Blast from the Past

2011-06-01T07:00:00.024-05:00

Happy June 1st everyone! Can you believe it's already June! It's supposed to be in the 90's here all week so it looks like we will be spending a lot of time playing outside in the water so we don't melt!
Today marks the 20th anniversary of me and my hubby's high school graduation. Here's a picture of us just after the ceremony ended. Don't we look young!! Oh to be young again and just starting your life.

We weren't exactly "high school sweethearts" since we were just friends in High School. But once we graduated we spent everyday together and we even took summer courses together at a nearby Junior College. Then one day he kissed me and well, you can't be "just friends" who spend all day together and be kissing each other because that's called dating! We're having our reunion at the end of July. We can't wait to see all of our old friends and see what they've been up to!

Speaking of graduation, my daughter graduated from Preschool last week and I only cried once. Well three times total if you count the day before. So in just a few short months I will be taking her to Kindergarten. I still can't believe my little miracle baby is going to be old enough to go to Kindergarten, it just doesn't seem real.
Here's a pic of her (center next to the tall boy) and her class up on stage singing with her twin brothers watching from below.
Yes, the one on the right kept taking his shoes off and I was too tired to put them back on for the 1ooth time! I let him win that battle so I could actually watch the program and take pictures.
Plus we're hillbillies like that! Just kidding. Well sorta.

Making Progress: Kitchen Update

2011-05-31T07:00:00.017-05:00

Once Spring arrived it seemed I couldn't keep my kids inside for more than 5 minutes before they began to bang their little fists on the patio door and say "Momma outside" over and over. So needless to say I had to put my little kitchen project on the "back burner" and enjoy some fun in the sun with my kiddos. And when I mean "little kitchen project" I'm referring to the painting of the walls and cabinets in the kitchen which is the opposite of "little project" if you ask me.

Or anyone for that matter.

But I managed to make some progress and was able to complete one entire wall. I also did the cutting in around the cabinets, ceiling and doorways.

Here's a pic of the one and only painted wall in the kitchen (and a baby). It's hard to tell but if you look really close you can still see the old yellowish paint around the windows. Can you see it?

Here's another shot, can you see the old paint on the header? Hey did you notice the white cabinets?? Those are about halfway finished too!!
Yes, the lighting is totally off but that's because we had solar screens installed on the windows last year to help with the heat. Our kitchen faces west so in the late afternoon the sun would hit those windows and you could literally feel the heat coming in. When I would make dinner for my family I felt like I was standing under a heat lamp! So although that side of the house is cooler now thanks to our new screens, it does make the space look a little darker so please pardon the extremely poor lighting.

I will be sure to remove the screens when I take all the "after" photos to allow all the natural light in.

Here's a picture of the same side of the kitchen when we first moved in just to give you a little perspective on how far we've come! I can't wait to complete all the painting so I can put my kitchen back together and once and for all get all the paint out of my hair!

Guess What I'm Working On??

2011-04-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

Good mornin' Sunshine! Happy Good Friday everyone!

I'm doing just fine today except for a little chocolate hangover that I'm nursing this morning!

My kids had their Easter party at school yesterday and they each came home with baskets full of goodies! My daughter doesn't like chocolate so she gave me all of hers and I stole the boys chocolate before they even knew they had some. Is that bad? Stealing candy from your babies? I'm really doing them a favor because if they ate too much of it they would probably get a tummy ache, right? So you see I'm actually doing a good deed here. Don't you agree?

Don't answer that.

Sooo, you wanna know what my latest project is? Well including all the other ones that I'm working on.

Yeah, that's right, I started another one. No I haven't finished the kitchen cabinets but we're not going to talk about that today. It's kind of a sore subject with me right now so let's not go there......K?

Ok, I'll give you a hint..........it has something to do with paint.

Need another hint?

Ok....walls.

Oh you can't figure it out?

Ok, here's another hint.....Diet Coke.

Still don't know really? Ok last clue..........kitchen.

That's it, that's all I'm gonna say.
The first one to figure it out gets a free diet coke! Because that's my sponsor for this project.

I hope to have the reveal for you guys first thing Monday mornin'. Wish me luck!

In the meantime, I hope you guys have a wonderful Easter! I know we will, my mother-in-law is cooking a ham and squash casserole for Easter lunch. Yummo! Can't wait!

~Beth

Texas Bluebonnets

2011-04-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

Taking pictures in the bluebonnets has been a family tradition in my family since my sister and I were kids. I've tried really hard to keep this tradition going with my family too. The bluebonnets come out in April and last approximately two weeks. You can find them along the highways and randomly scattered in fields. Every year we are searching for the best spot to take pictures in the bluebonnets.
Here's a pic of my daughter when she was around 8 months old.

I could just eat her up!!

These were taken in a field next to the highway.

Here she is about 2 1/2 years old.

These were taken in a field next to a friend's house.

There were a couple of years that I missed but so far I have 3 pics of my daughter and the first of many with my twin boys.
And here they are now....

These were taken in a field next to an industrial park.

Do you have any Spring time family traditions?

Crazy Spring Weather

2011-04-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

We had a really scary thunderstorm in the middle of the night last week. We woke up to the worst winds that I have ever heard or seen since moving to this house 11 years ago. Everything on our patio was crashing around and the house was making loud creaking sounds. My husband turned on the news and they said a tornado was headed our way. I looked out the window and saw our trampoline starting to take flight so we grabbed the kids out of their beds and we all squeezed into this hall closet also know as the "Craft Cave".

My daughter loves going to the "Craft Cave" so it was semi-fun for her. The twins on the other hand were quite upset. It lasted about 15 minutes and then it was total silence. And then we lost power. So we were walking around with flashlights which is so much fun with crying kids. We checked our backyard and there was no sign of our beloved trampoline that was less than a year old, that was our daughter's birthday present last year, that was a little expensive...but that's not the point. The point is that we were all safe and sound and that's what really matters.
Here's where we found our trampoline the next morning.


(This is our neighbor's driveway)

Our trampoline knocked down our fence, damaged our neighbor's shed and hit both their cars.
We lost some shingles on our roof and some sleep but other than that everything is just fine. I was praying that we would be OK and God answered our prayers. I know other parts of the country also had devastating storms and the news is just horrible with all the deaths and injuries. I am praying for you guys over there in my neighboring Southern states. Hope y'all are all safe and sound!

Have you had any bad storms lately??

Updating the Landscape: Removing Old Shrubs

2011-04-18T09:00:00.000-05:00

I can't believe it's been an entire month since I posted last. We've been busy around here doing a lot of "stuff". The weather has been absolutely gorgeous so we spend most of our time outside playing, eating popsicles and grilling on the patio.
We also started on the front flower beds. We lost a few shrubs this past winter from the deep freezes that we had. We had record low temps and I guess the shrubs couldn't handle it and died.
Here's a shot of a blank spot where we lost an Indian Hawthorne bush. We'll have to re-plant something there but not sure if I want to plant the same thing. I'm craving change and some more color in the front of the house.

(naked spot on the right is where we lost the shrub)

These Japanese Boxwoods in front of the window we've had for 10 years and I'm so over them. They're boxy (I guess that's why they're called Boxwoods), off centered and they block part of the window so I asked my hubby to dip them up. I'm all about doing things myself but it would take me hours to dig those things up and would take him probably 30 minutes or so.
BUT, he had an even better idea...his truck and a tow strap.

Just put the tow strap around the bush, attach it to your truck and back it up!

See now wasn't that easier than spending who-knows-how-long to dig it up with a shovel!

Our dog is always in the middle of everything! But he is the best dog ever! Love him!

Do you see that white-ish clump of dirt? That's dirt with cat hair on top of it. Our long-haired cat sleeps in the bushes and that's her hair. Now you know why she's an outdoor cat! I couldn't handle the hair in the house anymore. I know, I'm mean for kicking her out but seriously, she LOVES being outside! And I LOVE not having cat hair to deal with!!

One down 3 to go!

And another one bites the dust.....

And then there were none! It took about 10 minutes to remove 4 established bushes!
Our dog is sniffing our cat because she's hiding in the corner. I think she's in shock because she just lost her hiding spot!

I think it looks better already don't you? Now we just need to relocate that other bushy thing in the corner and move those ball shrubs and then we can plant something smaller perhaps some pretty flowers or ornamental grass. Any suggestions or ideas please let me know!

P.S. We gave the old shrubs to our neighbor who wanted to plant them in his flower beds so I don't feel bad for digging up perfectly good shrubs. So if I ever miss them I can just glance over at my neighbor's house and wave hello. But I'm pretty sure I won't miss them.

His new name is Peanut

2011-03-10T11:30:00.000-06:00

See this little precious angel? Well, he has a dark side.
Wanna know what it is? Are you sure? It might be frightening! Ok, here it is....
He likes to stick food up his nose.

That's it. Food. Up the Nose. We're talking peas, pretzels, mac 'n cheese, bits of chicken nuggets and basically whatever else he can fit up there. So far it hasn't been much of a problem because when I see him do it I just squeeze his nostril and it comes out.

Until he stuck this up his left nostril. The peanut, not the penny.

(I put it next to the penny to give you an idea of the size. It was big!) I didn't see him do it but I figure it out when he started fussing and rubbing his nose. I looked in his nose and saw something whitish. So I did what I always do and pushed down on his left nostril but it didn't come out and he started crying. Like really crying. So I looked up there again and it had gone up there more! Apparrantly I made it go up there more. Oops. I didn't realize how BIG it was. I tried to get him to blow his nose but he just kept blowing out his mouth. I tried the booger sucker thingy and it didn't work. So I thought if he just sneezed it would shoot out so I held the pepper shaker up to his nose but he never sneezed.
I started stressing out!

I called my husband and his suggestion was so totally gross....he told me to suck it out with my mouth. I think he was partly serious and partly kidding but nonetheless gross! Needless to say I didn't try his suggestion. So the next step was to take him to the doctor.
I was a nervous wreck because I knew I would have to hold him down while they tried to pull it out and it would be very traumatic for both him and I. So after approximately 10 minutes the doctor was able to finally pull it out. Poor baby, he was mortified. He was screaming his little head off and so was his twin brother.

That's his twin on the left. (They're fraternal twins and look completely different.) His big sister was upset too and had to leave the room. I wanted to leave with her!

But it could have been worse. We could have gone to the ER. No thank you!
So it all ended well and I think he learned his lesson because he hasn't put anything up there since. Just another crazy day in my crazy life!

Do your kids put things up their little noses? Please do tell so I know that my kid isn't the only one!

New Lamps for the Master Bedroom

2011-03-07T09:00:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday everyone! Hope y'all had a wonderful weekend. Our weekend was jam-packed with birthdays and watching my niece's cheer-leading competition. They won 2nd place!! Congratulations girls!!
So after I painted the entryway/foyer last week I decided it was time to tackle the master bedroom. This room needs A LOT of attention such as paint on the walls, paint on the furniture, lighting, furniture, drapes, etc, etc. I've been searching for new lamps for the side tables for a while and either can't find what I'm looking for or it's more than I'm willing to spend. So when I took the kiddos to Home Depot to get paint samples, we ran through lighting just to see what they had. I wasn't expecting much but to my surprise they had the the most perfect lamp(s) for the master bedroom AND they were on Clearance for half off! So I asked the very nice and very old man (not being mean just giving you some visual here) working there if they had two because I only saw the one on display. So he gets out his handy dandy little computer thingy and tells me that it shows they have 3!

WINNING!

So he proceeds to look for them and he looks, and he looks and he cannot locate them anywhere.

Not WINNING.

So he looks at his little handy dandy little computer thingy again tells me there is 1 at one store like 40 miles away and another one another 40 miles away. So I tell him "thanks for checking" and decided they just weren't meant to be. Bummer. So we headed over to the garden area so my daughter could look at the flowers (she LOVES flowers) and we're there for about 10 minutes when I hear a man yelling "ma'am!", Ma'am"!, MA'AM"! I look up and he's waving his arms at me and yells across the garden center "I FOUND THEM!". I was so happy I almost cried. Not really but seriously I couldn't stop smiling!!!He said he had been looking allover the store for me and when he couldn't find me he decided to look in the garden area since that's where most woman like to shop. I thought that was cute. I could tell he was happy he found them, I think he knew he made my day. Maybe he could adopt me as his granddaughter or something and help me find more amazing deals at Home Depot. Or maybe his great-granddaughter since I'm so young and all. ;)

Foyer Makeover

2011-03-02T09:00:00.000-06:00

Sorry I've been MIA lately but we had a nasty cold sweep through our home last week plus we were busy planning a garage sale that we held on Saturday. Which by the way we sold a ton of stuff thank-you-very-much. And made a little cash at the same time! Let's just say we made enough money to go out to dinner and buy the kids new shoes! I know that doesn't sound like much but do you know how much it costs for a family of 5 to go out to a nice restaurant AND buy shoes? It's an arm and leg these days and let's not even talk about the cost of the gas to get there!
Oh and we bought paint for this little project.........This is my foyer painted Camelback by SW. It's been this color like forever and I'm soooo over it! I really really wanted a pretty Teal color in this space but after testing the color on the wall I could tell it was going to totally clash with my lime green walls in the playroom which is to the left when you first walk in. So I played it safe with a warm gray. That way I can add in pops of color to compliment the lime green in the playroom.Finding the perfect gray is so hard. It either has a green, lavender or blue tint and I didn't want any of those colors. I wanted a neutral that went with everything and I finally found it.

Repose Gray by Sherwin Williams.

I know it's a little hard to tell in these photos but it's really pretty and soothing and goes with everything. Mission Accomplished!

Closeups of the photos on the table. My sweet baby girl.

And my sweet baby boys.

Next on the list... scrape the popcorn ceilings! Sounds like so much fun! Not.

Candy Pink Chandelier

2011-02-21T22:32:00.000-06:00

This chandelier is original to the house and hung in the formal dining room that we hardly used. We recently turned our formal dining room into a smaller version of Toys R Us.
You see, when you have twins, their toys have twins, and their diapers have twins and all of the giant baby gear items like swingers, bouncers and high chairs have twins. And then one day you wake up and realize that your house is overrun by baby stuff times 2. Not to mention that we have a four year old who likes to play with things like My Little Pony and Barbie that come with tiny little parts and lots of them and you know it's only going to get worse as they get older so you decide to turn your hardly-ever-used dining room into playroom to house all the stuff. (Playroom post coming soon) So that left us with a chandelier hanging in our playroom for about a year. It was a fancy playroom. Not. For some reason it didn't go very well with lime green walls and toys. So my husband took it down, removed all the crystals and painted it with Candy Pink spray paint by Rust-Oleum.

He also bought new white plastic thingies that look like candles (what are those called?) and hung it in our daughter's room. She loves it and thinks it's so fancy! I love it because it was practically free since we already had the paint and those plastic sleeve thingies are super cheap. I also love it because it allowed us to move her ceiling fan to the playroom where it will be used more often since we spend a lot of time in there.

Ahhh, look at me being all frugal and stuff.
I'm linking up to these parties...

Signs of Spring

2011-02-21T09:00:00.000-06:00

I'm so over winter. Seriously, I've been over winter since January and now that it's been in the 70's here in Texas, I am officially calling it SPRING! Besides, when you start to see the little green buds of your favorite plant pop through the soil, it's got to be spring!

(Hey buddy (pun intended), glad to see you made it through the single digits we had 2 weeks ago.)

I LOVE spring in Texas, the weather is warm, the kids can play outside, you can wear shorts and sandals and start on your summer tan.Lu on the crazy slide at the park.

The boys were more interested in the rocks than the playground.

This was the temp inside the house. In February!! Awesome.

And this is what I was drinking outside on the patio!! A margarita with salt, yes please!!!

Have you seen any signs of spring yet?

12th Wedding Anniversary

2011-02-18T09:00:00.000-06:00

We went to dinner last night to celebrate our 12th wedding anniversary. It's actually on Valentine's Day but we usually wait a few days before going out so we can miss the crowds. We went to a local and very casual Italian restaurant and it was delicious! Here's a picture of us and the kiddos before heading out to dinner. It's nearly impossible to get a picture of five people without someone having their eyes closed or a kid with a finger up their nose so I thought this turned out pretty good!
Happy Anniversary sweetie! Love you lots!!!!
~Beth

Kitchen Update

2011-02-11T14:29:00.000-06:00

We started painting the kitchen cabinets a couple of weeks ago and I really thought we would be done by now but we're only halfway through this humongous project. And that's partly because my husband got involved and well, he's kinda a perfectionist. I say that with the utmost respect and love, honestly. I usually take the "oh it's good enough" approach to doing things and he's the opposite. He makes my projects look REALLY good. My approach to painting the cabinets was to paint them. His approach is to caulk and fill every seam, crack, hole, dent, etc so when we paint it looks all flawless and crap. See the caulk in the cracks? So that triples the time it takes to get things done. But, like I said, he makes it look really goooood!

We thought we would go ahead and get a couple of bids for new cabinet doors because after we took off the cabinet doors, I decided I wanted ALL new pretty door fronts. So after the bids came back and we picked our jaws off the floor, we decided to only do glass door fronts on the cabinets next to the sink since those are the ones you see when you first walk into the kitchen. The bids weren't that high but when you're originally budgeting for paint and hardware only it kinda seemed like a lot of money. And I would really like to continue being a stay-at-home mom! Know what I'm sayin'. Besides, we can always get new doors later when the tree out back starts growing Benjamins.So to get the cabinets finished I've decided to set a deadline so I can get 'er done and get my kitchen back and that deadline folks is March 1st! I work well under pressure which means I'll probably be up all night on Feb. 28! Wish me luck!

Any projects you've started lately and just can't seem to get finished??

Home Goals for 2011: Hall Bath

2011-01-19T08:46:00.001-06:00

I am super excited about redoing the hall bath because it's the second most used room in the house next to the kitchen. This is the bathroom my husband uses and we use it to bathe all 3 kids AND it's the bathroom that all our guests use.
Here's what the bathroom looked like when we moved in. Like my flower arrangement? I did that on moving day. "Must put dried floral arrangement in the hall bath STAT!" Maybe I thought it would distract our guests from the ugliness of the wallpaper?
This is what it looks like now. I will be moving that cross to a more appropriate place first thing in the morning! Not good.
Anyway, here's the view of the potty. so gross! Not sure why I didn't put the seat down when I took the picture but it definitely makes for a better before shot. The first thing we did was tear off the wallpaper, texture and paint! I don't have an after pic of the first paint job but it was blue. It was supposed to be Robin's Egg Blue but it was gag-me-with-a-spoon blue like hospital scrubs blue or cheap blow-up swimming pool blue. So about 2 years later we painted it a neutral tan that I still like today. Surprising, I know!
We also, installed ceramic tile, a new pee-stain free toilet seat, removed the hanging chain light fixtures and replaced all the bronze hardware with brushed nickel knobs and pulls. And we removed the louver doors and framed in the doorway to make it feel more open.
Here's a crappy picture of the color and a mess of our towels. The first thing we need to do here is "Towel Management". There are a lot of people that use this bathroom so we need to figure out a better system with wet towels because obviously this towel bar isn't doing the trick. So that's first on the list.
Second is a new counter top and sink. The counter top is white with gold flakes sort of like Goldschlager but not as tasty. Or fun.
I bet when they put this in they thought they were all fancy with their new gold flakey countertop. So I've been shopping around and I think I might be able to get a nice solid piece with an integrated sink without having to sell my first born. Yay! Or should I say "yeeehawww!". Because y'all know that's how we talk down here. Not.
Anyway, I would also like to paint the cabinet black and frame the mirror just like Kate did here.
Isn't Kate freakin' awesome! Go over and tell her "howdy" for me. And then come right back, OK? Go ahead I'll wait.

Home Goals for 2011: Living Room

2011-01-18T08:46:00.001-06:00

We've accomplished A LOT in the living room since moving in 11 years ago. This is what it looked like when we moved in. Notice the ceiling fan and separate light fixture? Not sure what they were thinking here. Also notice a very tired brother-in-law sitting on the floor. He helped us move in on that very hot and humid day.

And this is what it looks like today. We painted the wood paneling, installed a ceiling fan with a light and installed hardwood floors. I would really, really like to get rid of the massive TV cabinet. It's entirely too big for the room and I know my husband would really like a flat panel TV on that wall. But I think they're like a billion dollars for the size he wants so we will see about that. (Don't worry, I already removed the fake tree and the baskets on the armoire!)

I would also like to paint the wood trim around the top of the paneling to make the wall look taller and more cohesive instead of broken up. I may even scrape off the popcorn texture at the top of the wall but I hear it's messy and time consuming so that will have to be a day when I'm feeling super inspired!
Here's the fireplace view. The first thing I did to this room was remove the 20 year old drapes and shades off the french doors. By doing so it let in tons of natural light and made the room look tent times bigger. OK, maybe not 10 times bigger but a lot bigger, OK.
Here are the built-ins we painted Herbal Wash by Sherwin Williams. We also replaced the wood shelves with glass to allow more light to pass through and brighten up the space.

The first thing I would like to do is beef up that skinny orangey oak mantle so I can actually put things on it without them falling off. Seriously, it is so skinny I can barely put a candle on it without the edge hanging off. Plus I don't think it really goes with the style of the house. I'm thinking something a little manlier like this would do the trick.source: unknown

Here's the other side of the room. We've had this same setup for a while now except for the new lampshades and area rug so it's time for a change! I'm thinking some new artwork and new pillows for the sofa to add a splash of color and personality. Plus, I think the black side table on the left is a bit small for the room so I'm on the hunt for something a little chunkier. I'm also thinking a grouping of mirrors over the sofa might be a good idea to help reflect some of the natural light coming in from the french doors.

So what do you think of my goals for my living room? Any suggestions??
Next Goal: Hall Bath

Home Goals for 2011: Kitchen

2011-01-12T08:46:00.001-06:00

I finally made a list of my home goals for 2011 and boy are there a lot! So many that I will have to break it down by room. Yeah, there's that many. :)
First up, the kitchen.When we bought our home in 2000 it had not been updated since it was built in the 70's. So we're talking green lanoleum , green wallpaper, oak cabinets, oak paneling (yes, paneling in the kitchen!), and gold flake laminate countertops. I'm sure it was gorgeous in 1978 and perhaps it will come around again but I'm not holding my breath. Thankfully we were blessed with white appliances and sink.
Here's a before picture just to give you some perspective of what we were dealing with.
Check out that wallpaper!
Here's another shot from the other side. Notice the plastic grid lighting on the ceiling....awesome!
So here's what it looks like today. You can see we've come a long way but there's still a lot I want to do.First, paint those ugly oak cabinets. They don't look that bad in this picture but they are really orange-y. Gag. I would like the cabinets flanking the sink to have glass doors.

Kinda like this.

(source: unknown)

Next, RIP OUT THAT UGLY WALL RADIO! Yes, it works and yes, I listen to it but it's ugly so it must go!

Let's get a closeup of it's ugliness shall we?

side note: when I was a kid I thought people who had built-in radios in their home were rich! ha ha ha!
So dumb, I know!

Next, install recessed lighting in the breakfast area. I'm thinking this will make the ceiling appear higher, yes??Mess? What mess?

Next paint those walls a darker taupe color to contrast with the soon-to-be-creamy white cabinets. So I'm imagining it will look something like this.....source: Isabella & Max Rooms (I think)

I will be using a scrubbable paint instead of the current flat paint that refuses to let go of dirt when you wipe it! You can't tell from the photo but the walls are covered in tiny bits of food thanks to two little 18 month boys that like to have daily food fights. What was I thinking? Oh yeah, I painted it "pre-kids". Ah grasshopper, you are learing!!!
And lastly, I thought about doing this chalk board design on our pantry door but I'm not sure how to go about it. Any suggestions on how to get that curvy shape up top??

So what do you think of my kitchen goals? Any other suggestion for this room?
Think I can "get 'er" done before 2012 gets here?

Next goal: Living Room

First Day of Winter? It's 80 degrees outside!

2010-12-21T21:47:00.000-06:00

My calendar says today was the first day of winter but it felt more like the first day of spring!
It was almost 80 degrees today. We ran the A/C, wore shorts and t-shirts and ate ice cream outside on the patio. It was in the 40's on Friday and we had the heat on, a fire in the fireplace and wore fleece PJs! You know the sayin' here "if you don't like the weather in Texas, just wait a minute and it'll will change!".

So what's the weather like in your neck of the woods??