Dream Home DIY

Hail To The Navy

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Tue, 22 May 2012 13:11:00 +0000

Come one, come all...and witness the ever amazing CHAMELEON ROOM. An adventure that promises not to disappoint. Never the same color upon entrance. What hue will it be today?

Now, Justin and I have a motto....or maybe not a motto so much as a house philosophy. This joint is our castle. And we refuse to settle for anything less than "Holy crap monkeys, that room rocks". If that means shrinking the square footage of a particular room with ten different repaints, as was the case with our demanding diva living room, we're a-okay with that. Because in the end, when we're snuggled up under a blanket on the couch and I catch a grin creep over Justin's face while he's sneaking another peak at the new Navy wall color, all of the blood, sweat, and buckets of tears were completely worth it.

Behr Twilight Chimes. The second photograph is closer to "true color"

This past Saturday, while I was excitedly walking my parents through the downstairs of our little home, my mother said something to me that made me pause and smile for a moment; "You guys sure do have fun with your house"

And why not? As I said before...this joint is our castle.

It's Time

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:25:00 +0000

Myself, those pesky living room walls, and a certain Navy blue can o' paint have a hot date planned for later this evening. And I've been waiting to say that for months now (4 to be exact...but who's counting. Me, apparently).

Little known/recently discovered Michelle factoid - When restricted by budget restraints from completing necessary-for-my-sanity house projects, I begin to completely unhinge mentally. Infinitely small details become never-to-be-reconciled disasters. Moping ensues. Weeping occurs. It aint pretty folks. And because Im terrified the mister will actually opt to go the whole "run away from the wedding screaming at strangers about the nutcase he "almost married" while simultaneously singing Hallelujah" route if this continues, we've decided to work with the "smaller on the pocket book/pack yo damn lunch and save some money" ideas around the house. Just until November. Then WE'RE BACK BABY.

It's been too long mon cheri...far too long indeed.

39. Make Homemade Doughnuts

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Mon, 14 May 2012 12:26:00 +0000

Number 39 on The Infinity List. Have you checked it out yet? The fun never stops!

Coffee and doughnuts are a breakfast staple and the easiest way to bring a smile to this girls face in the morning. But we live about 45 minutes from the nearest Krispy Kreme and sometimes I just get a hankerin' for the little round morsels NOW. So, we're gonna share with you our not-so-top secret, easy peasey, oh-so-yummy, "homemade" doughnut recipe. The trick to this 5 minute breakfast? Biscuit dough. Magic happens once the dough is deep fried transforming the little guys into uber yummy doughnuts that remind us a bit of carnival funnel cake. And who doesn't want a carnival in their mouth for breakfast?

1. Start with a can of your favorite biscuit dough (anything but flaky should work perfectly). Bust them out of the package and separate each biscuit round from the other.

2. Using a 2 liter bottle cap, "punch" out the doughnut holes. Mmmmm......

3. Drop those babies in the deep fryer at 350 degrees until golden brown. Flip and repeat (cook for about a minute and a half on each side). Dont have a deep fryer? No problem! Heat up 2 inches of oil on the stove to 350 degrees, place the doughnut in the pan and cook for 1.5-2 minutes per side.

4. Pat dry on a paper towel

5. Roll in powdered sugar or a cinnamon/sugar mixture and allow to cool.

Enjoy!!

Wedding Budget: Where We're Cutting Costs (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:14:00 +0000

You can catch up on all of our wedding cost savers thus far right over here

Planning our wedding up to this point has certianly been an interesting adventure. And one that has taught me to rely heavily on the support of our family and friends. Quite frankly, I am beyond ready for the big day to be here. Apparently Im one of those crazy brides that actually dislikes planning her own wedding. Who'da thunk it?

But now for a few more ways we're cutting some of the bigger expenses....

1. Eliminating the Church
*sniffle* Yes, it's true. Justin and I sat down and talked about this one long and hard. You see, I've always dreamed of a church wedding and the idea of nixing our pretty little chapel made me very sad indeed. But here's here how the dollar bills break down.... Fact #1 - Churches are crazy expensive (to the tune of $650+). Who knew? Fact #2 - We're trying to keep our ceremony respectfully short (just enough time to feel special but not long enough that the groom starts to snore before our big pucker up moment). 30 minutes or so, tops.

Now, lets work out our math skills a little bit, shall we? $650 / 30 minutes = $21.66 per minute

Fact #3 - We're already plunking down a pretty penny on our amazing venue. More on this cost breakdown and why it was worth it a bit later.

BONUS - We can actually have our dear friend officiate the wedding this way. Something we've been hoping he'd do for years.

With that said, it didnt take us very long make the "scrap the Church" decision. So how are the logistics going to work, you ask? The fabulous venue staff will be setting up our chairs on the left side of the GIGANTIC space facing this purrty brick wall here:

I can already imagine the rows of white chairs...the altar against that aged brick back drop...sigh

The tables will be positioned on the right side of the space over here:

And after the ceremony, our guests will be escorted outside to the brick "courtyard" while our wedding party quickly shifts the chairs into place around the tables. POOF! The ceremony space has transformed itself into our dance floor.

2. The Venue

When it came time to divide the wedding budget up, Justin and I knew that the ambiance of our reception venue was essential. By spending a few extra dollars on a killer space, we actually wind up saving money on the back end by not needing a ton of decorating. A cake table, dessert area, altar, guest book table and centerpieces pretty much sum up the extent of our decor plans. Why? Because the space is bad ass on its own.

Going into our selection process we had to make a choice. Settle for an inexpensive location knowing that we'd forever dislike it or splurge a little. Fredericksburg is small folks, and we've been to our fair share of weddings around here. Simply put, there's not much to offer in the "cheap" range....American Legion Halls, Moose Lodges and the park. After that you start to enter Expo Center and Hotel Ballroom territory. Sure, there's always the option of traveling out a bit, but 98% of our guests are local to the Fredericskburg area.

So we splurged and couldn't be happier. And realistically, our cost still came in way below most of the other traditional reception venue locations in our area. Enough beating around the bush already right? How much did it cost? Well, to rent the space for our 100 person event, the grand total was $2000 (plus a $250 fee for catering our own food). This price includes the use of the venue space for 7hrs (set up, ceremony, reception, and breakdown), tables, chairs, table clothes, slipcovers, an industrial kitchen and bar area, plus the staff completely sets up the tables and chairs before the ceremony.

A quick price quote for rental of tables, chairs, linens, and tents from our local party store and we were feeling much better about our decision to "splurge". Side note - Anyone want to go into the party rental business with us? Wowza.

When You've Got The Itch...

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Wed, 09 May 2012 18:45:00 +0000

...Sometimes ya just gotta scratch it.

And I have a particularly nagging itch to re-arrange all of our master bedroom furniture this evening. Because I have nothing better to do apparently. And I thrive on change. And my mother used to do the same darned thing at least once a month (Apple. Tree. That's all.)

Wish me luck...and cross your fingers that the mister doesnt cry when he gets home.

Just kidding babe, you totally dont cry. Unless you're watching Armageddon...it's true, I caught you.

Pinned It, Did It - Brie and Bisket Quesadilla

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Mon, 07 May 2012 12:17:00 +0000

Guess who crossed another Pin off of their to-do list? Well, these guys of course.

Saturday we gathered together with some amazing friends for another cooking club shin-dig. The theme this month? Mexican food (an all time favorite of mine, fo sho). Margaritas, taco salad, enchiladas, guacamole ....MMMMMmmmmm!

Enter the Brie and Brisket Quesadilla (with Mango BBQ sauce)

Source: Confections of a Foodie Bride

Folks, this is sell-your-first born kinda good. And super simple....the crock pot does 98% of the work for you. Who doesn't love a good crock pot recipe?

That's what I thought.

Now, the recipe does call for thinly slice brie, but for the life of us we simply could not accomplish this task. An award goes out to those folks that can. It was our first time eating it though, so Im gonna go ahead and claim operator error. Instead, the cheese was spread over each quesadillas like butter and was equally as tasty.

Side note - We are absolutely LOVING our monthly food themed gatherings for inspiring us to venture outside of our safe little food bubble.

I {Heart} Fan

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Fri, 04 May 2012 11:22:00 +0000

Confession #1 - Im in crazy stalker, write our names together in the back of a notebook surrounded by tiny, matching hearts kinda in love with a ceiling fan.

Confession #2 - Said fan is approximately $1,600. Ouch. Major ouch.

Confession #3 - This would be the last post you ever read from the likes of me if I told the mister I actually wanted to buy this lover of mine. Why? Dead.And.Buried

So, do you wanna meet him anyway? For grins and giggles (and so you'll have something to laugh at me over...because Im pretty sure it's coming). It all started after innocently stumbling across this doozey of a bedroom photo:

Source: Pulp Design Studios via Inspirations for Decoration

For those of you that dont believe in love at first sight, well ya better start now because I spent the next 30 minutes tracking that fan down. Hey, when your heart says "pitter-patter" you answer the call.

Duplo-Dinamico Brushed Nickel Dual Ceiling Fan

Le sigh.

Just a wee bit obsessed over here, to say the very least. I picture this in our living room like, yesterday. But you know, I'd settle for his snazzy little step-brother too...

Acqua Polished Chrome Dual Head Rotational Ceiling Fan

And still, $650 is a hard pill to swallow. My question to you, have you ever splurged on an item that you just knew you could never be parted from?

Are You In The Mood?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Thu, 03 May 2012 15:01:00 +0000

For a few more inspiration boards... Cuz I got nothing better to do than day dream about our future decor plans...and the day we'll actually be able to start them.

Fun fact - By the time Justin and I are officially "official" (ie. walk down the aisle) it'll have been close to a year of project no-mans-land. Woah.

Dining Room

Aqua blue, yellow, white, and gold. Mmmm-hmmmm!

Stain and trim out the dining room table
Rewire and hang our super fab Goodwill light
Snazzy fabric artwork on either side of the archway
Ghost chairs and Ikea sheepskin
Yellow Faux Bois rug
Wall o'bubbles on the back wall
Purrty stencil (Done-zo)

Kitchen

The long, stenciled wall connects our dining room and kitchen, so it's important for the vibe to be similar while flowing together all nice-like. Here's how we hope to do that...

Retro inspired appliances in sparkling white
Mint green cabinet paint makeover
Glass window shelf
Gauzy yellow curtains
A new screen door in place of the boring old pantry one
Creamy white makeover on the cabinet, new glass top, a breakfast ledge, and some functional additions.
Retro bar stools in a greeny-blue hue
New lighting (not shown....still brainstorming)

Chubba Cheek Goober

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:36:00 +0000

Think you've got the cutest nephew on the block? Beat this....

^ He thought the glass-face smashing was the greatest thing since sliced bread.

Every free second of this weekend was spent visiting with my younger brother, his beautiful wife, and this little goober. We're always so sad to see them leave, but oh the fun we have while they're here! I tell ya, we just can't get enough of this little man <3

Side note - MAN, we eat a ton of ice cream. At this rate I will never lose enough weight to fit into my wedding dress. Sheesh.

Instagram Photo Dump

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 11:05:00 +0000

Find us on instagram: @dreamhomediy

Our week in photos: 1) and 2) Justin surprised me with an impromptu date. Ice cream at our FAVORITE spot in Downtown first and then the best burger Ive ever consumed at the Capital Ale House later. 3) A shopping trip to Target. 4) Rainy wedding errands. 5) and 6) Nature walk filled hookie day from work. It was a last minute plan, thus the poor choice of Coach tennis shoes. 7) Life goals one through three are mine. Justin added that last little bit. 8) The only view in the entire world that truly matters. 9) Rufus and Booger scoping out my morning routine.

Into The Wild Unknown

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 11:12:00 +0000

Attic Fan (not to be confused with "whole house fan") - A ventilation system which regulates the heat level of a building's attic by exhausting hot air

And in most cases, they are almost completely silent. As in, if you didnt know better you'd swear that you dont even own one. That is, until you've snuggled down for a much deserved (and highly anticipated) nap only to be startled awake by the frightening sounds of a trapped, squealing pig coming from above.

But fear not my fellow adventurers, Im almost certain that we have not unwittingly trapped small farm animals in the dark no-mans-land that is our attic.

A quick trip to the circuit breaker box (and power shut off to the entire guest bedroom) later, the pitiful cries of Winny have temporarily ceased. Yep, we've named the "pig".

Now it's off to the rusty-nail riddled jungles of our attic, my dears, on an exploratory mission to 1) Find the source. 2) Diagnose the cause. 3) Come back alive and unscathed.

Source 1, 2

Master Bedroom Mood Board

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 11:15:00 +0000

Are you ready for another mood board? Or my shoddy attempts at creating one...

We shared our living room mood board earlier this January. Plus side...we are still madly love it. Down side....it'll be awhile before any of it actually happens. But a couple can dream right? So without further ado, another peak into the decor area of our often cluttered brains.

PS - Im working on a page now to "house" all of our room mood boards.

Should be rollin' out soon!

A Picture's Worth A Thousand Words

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 11:09:00 +0000

Or so we've always been told. And on that note, the Projects and Tutorials page got a much needed (and long overdue) face lift from text links to shiny new thumbnails.

Check out the big blue button over there to the right for each and every project glory shot. Go on, we'll wait.

Not too shabby, right? Ooo-a-la's are permitted.

Hopefully, this will make your experience over here on the Dream Home Blog even better. Because that's important to us. Right up there next to HGTV marathons and whipped cream.

Instagram Photo Dump

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 11:15:00 +0000

Find us on instagram: @dreamhomediy

Our week in photos: 1) The last shot of me in glasses. Off to the eye doc's for some long overdue contact lenses! 2) The view from my first floor office. Window offices are quite the tease on gorgeous, sunny days. 3) Easter candy treats from friends. 4) My silly, lazy boy Rufus. 5) The emergency stash of baby pickles kept in the car (in truth, these were leftover from our trip to Florida a few months ago. What can I say? We like pickles.) 6) Dreaming about our engagement shoot

"Hide Your Kids, Hide Your Wife"

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 11:09:00 +0000

"Calling all cars. Calling all cars. Be on the lookout for a female...green hair, green skin, green eyes. Some call her the 'green eyed monster'. Suspect is armed with a sharp tongue and a sour attitude. Considered extremely dangerous"

Im ashamed to admit this friends, but we pride ourselves on being 100% legit around here. Apparently I have a jealous streak running through me somethin' fierce (we tried to measure it once but saw no end in sight).

It's true. My ability to be happy for others can be maintained for approximately .02 seconds before the ole brain starts clicking into the DANGER ZONE. Combine that with an unfortunate self-esteem problem dating back to junior high and, well, my inner monologue sounds something like this:

"Aw, their house is way bigger. And prettier. Do they think ours is completely lame?"

"Gee look, their house is actually decorated and we're still sporting pink chairs with Swiss cheese ceilings. Uh babe, is that another roof leak?"

Dont worry, Im not a total turd (and I tend to exaggerate a tad). But scrolling through our blog feed, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest is a daily reminder of those things we've yet to accomplish. Or even worse, might not ever complete. And that just makes me sad.

Now, I bet you're wondering we're all of this is leading to. Well after trying just about everything (yoga, tea, meditation, duct tape) to eradicate this nasty little monster from within, Ive decided it's time to take a different approach. Passive aggressive minus the whole "passive" part.

So that's exactly what we did. Looking for us on Twitter? Gone. Cant find us on Facebook? Deleted. Time spent on Pinterest? Cut in half.

Don't worry, we're still around visiting all of our favorite blog buddies. We've just eliminated the need to check 100 different social networking sites in one day. And it feels amazing.

PS - Okay, seriously, I cant believe I just posted that picture :)

Exhibit B in the "Redneck Series"

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 11:19:00 +0000

Because this is just soooo much better than the shovel right?

Around these parts, we like to consider ourselves DIY MacGyvers (not as cool as DIY Ninjas, but we're workin' on it). Can't find the rubber mallet? Improvise. You're stranded in the country on a Sunday (meaning Every.Single.Hardware.Store is closed) without your tree stakes? Improvise.

Then, stand back and marvel at your mad tree saving superpowers. Pretend you're wearing a cape while practicing your very best Superman pose. Blush when the neighbors catch you doing so.

Source: 1, 2

Okay, so she ain't all that and a bag o'chips to look at. But Justin did eventually lob those mangled tops off with his skill saw. And our trees can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that the next heavy wind wont carry them (and our $150) away.

Success.

Gloomy Scale and Celebrities

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 11:17:00 +0000

Our little Dream Home is adding something quite unique to her ever growing resume. Apart from hosting the occasional Samoan slap dance performance, boxing matches with washing machines, and being possessed by the devil, she's now an officially licensed Bed & Breakfast to the stars (as in celebrities). That's right, we're famous.

Lest we forget, Alvin and Simon (of the Chipmunk family descent) had taken up residence in our bath drains before we moved into the house.

Don't worry, we promptly evicted their furry little behinds.

Well this Spring, Casa de Dream Home welcomed it's first new tenant:

Mr. Woody Woodpecker was greeted with the obligatory and appropriate "Ohs and Ahs". But like most Rockstars, he travels with a full and rowdy entourage...

...and has a penchant for trashing the joint...

Apparently, our beautiful Maple trees are hosting their annual Gloomy Scale family reunion. {Insert "Why So Glum? joke here}. True to their name, gloomy scales are no joke.

Ba dum dum. Sorry, I just cant help myself.

Over the course of their life span, the scales excrete a protective black coating. This coating gives the bark of each tree a jet black/scorched/struck by lightening appearance (at least that's what my friend Google informed us). All instructions online indicate that the bark should be covered with a horticultural oil early in the Spring. Well that ship sailed about two months ago. In the mean time, the nice folks back at Roxbury Mills farm showed us a different approach...

Spread over the root system, Bonide will slowly (over the course of the next few months) seep up into the tree itself. As the insects feed, they die. When they die, Woody and his friends move out.

The process is actually quite simple. Measure the circumference of each tree. Match that number to the amount of ounces of product you'll need to mix with water. One ounce of Bonide per one gallon of water.

Then, put on your very best "Consider this a workout" face and carry 160 gallons of water across the yard to each of the four Maple trees.

While Miss Priss does a bit of this... She calls it "Quality Control"

You Might Be a Redneck If...

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 13:40:00 +0000

You stake your tree like so:

Does the fact that it's temporary make it any better?

Pinned It, Did It - Taco Stuffed Shells

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 12:43:00 +0000

Remember that personal challenge I issued Friday? You know, the one where we've vowed to attempt at least one of our Pin's each week? Well, it's time for some high fives folks, because on Saturday Justin and I whipped up a batch of these tasties for our pasta themed cooking club meeting...

Source: Blog Chef

And holy hellfire were they ever good. Little tacos? Yeah, score. We do recommend a slight increase in the tortilla chip ratio though, and found out with our second batch that we actually like the chip crumbs on top of the cheese versus under... to keep it crunchy.

Minor details. Personal preference. Either way, this dish rocked our socks off.

Two taco sauce covered thumbs up.

Instagram Photo Dump

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 12:00:00 +0000

Find us on instagram: @dreamhomediy

Our week in photos: 1) Pele, the makeup guru, insists upon instructing {and supervising} my daily makeup routine. 2) Five gallon buckets hauled by moi across the yard each night to water our new weeping willows. 3) The best Easter breakfast known to man {eggs, bacon, and french toast}. 4) Happy feet. 5) A little virtual window shopping to keep the creative juices flowing in this project lull. 6) Watching another Spring storm roll in over a neighbors pasture.

Pinned It, Did It

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 13:00:00 +0000

"Oh, now that's cool" PIN IT. "Hey, I can totally make that" PIN IT. "Holy salivating taste buds Batman!" PIN IT.... Two months later, you have approximately 1,562 pins and you haven't done a damned thing.

Guilty as charged. Admit it. You're guilty too.

Enter the "Pinned It, Did It Challenge". You know, where we scour our Pin Boards (whilst giving ourselves a congratulatory self-high five over being totally awesome at pinning cool crap) and actually do the things we publicly proclaimed we would/could. Because that's what pinning something says to the World, ya know....or that we'd a least give it a whirl before posting one of those "Nailed It" shots of our cupcakes gone horribly wrong.

Source

*snicker* Oh God Lord, that picture makes me giggle out loud Every.Single.Time.

Anyhoo, we've challenged ourselves to try out at least one pinned project/craft/tip/recipe a week. To keep us motivated. And busy. And from growing into the couch like Will's barnacley Daddy-o in Pirates of the Caribbean

Soooo...be sure to check back next week for our very first Pinned It, Did It update. And while you're at it, why not try out one of your pins this weekend too? And then come back on over here and share your success story. We'll pass out group high fives and puff up like proud canaries together.

Pool Drool

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 11:24:00 +0000

Eventually, we'd love to have a pool put in our backyard. I can already imagine the hot summer nights spent lounging on my polka dot floaty raft with a cool drink in my hand. Or skinny dipping. Because you can do that when you live in the secluded country ya know. Just sayin'. Perk.

Alas, I cant fathom that an in ground pool will be anywhere in our near future though. Or distant future for that matter. Unless we're speaking of decades from now, and frankly, who wants to wait that long? Above ground pools on the other hand are slightly more feasable.

But have you seen most of them? NASTY*cough*CHEESY*cough*GROSS.

So I took to the ever trusty Pinterest on a mission for some inspiration and stumbled across this...

From Dwell. Architect Padraic Cassidy. Photography by David Allee.
Found on {Black. White. Yellow}

Okay, so technically it's a wee bit more costly than a traditional "buy, set, fill" type of above ground pool. But with a little imagination cant you picture a similar treatment on one of those too?

Kinda in love.

We've Been Willowed

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 11:09:00 +0000

Fact Numero Uno - This happy duo was finally able to track down and purchase two willow trees of our very own. Apparently they were in pretty high demand this year and most of our local nurseries completely sold out early. Ever vigilant, and slightly panicked, I hunted out one of the last places in Fredericksburg to still have them in stock (Thanks Roxbury Mills Farm! We owe ya our sanity)

Fact Number 2 - Hanging out of the back of a pickup truck, those droopy trees looked JUST like the Who-Ville Christmas tree. Sadly, I have no pictures. It was dark. Which leads me to...

Fact # Three - It was dark. That means no shots of us actually planting our pretty new greenery. Not that you really care to see one more picture of Justin digging a hole. Im sure you can use your imagination here to fill in the blanks.

But now that the hard work is actually done, would you like to see our babes in all of their tall, spindly, water-sucking glory?

Can you see them, can you see them, huh huh huh? Squint. Harder.

Here, let me help....

Well, what about now? Move in. Closer.

*sigh*

Let's try this again...

I promise you, they're there. Either that, or I imagined the entire process, and in that case, what a cruel dream indeed.

Instagram Photo Dump

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 11:17:00 +0000

Find us on instagram: @dreamhomediy

Our week in photos: Dogwood Blossom "snow" at the office, Foosballin' at the local sports bar, Frito Chili pie {my FAVORITE}, a gorgeous 82 degree afternoon {perfect for tree planting}, one fresh cup of loose leaf tea, and our fabulous cake topper.

The New Picnik

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle @ Dream Home DIY) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 11:07:00 +0000

Earlier this year a huge chunk of the blogging community had its world rocked by one little announcement: Picnik was closing up shop. Or abandoning us as my overly-dramatic self proclaimed.

What on Earth were we to do? Sure there are a few other photo editing programs available online. And Photoshop is always an option. But nothing was really "clicking" the way Picnik did. And then, like a gift from above, I stumbled across PicMonkey.

The heavens parted. Choirs of angels sang.

It's virtually identical in the editing department. And I can only imagine, as more people discover the site with suggestions of their own, that it will continue to expand and flourish.

About Pic Monkey, straight from the horses mouth...

"A couple of former Picnik engineers, a rabbi, and a monkey meet in a bar.

The rabbi realizes he's not in the middle of a corny joke so he leaves. But the monkey. The monkey starts raving wildly. He's slapping the Picnik engineers on the back, congratulating them for pioneering the online photo editing space 6 years ago, and for enabling a whole new class of photographers to create beautiful images and hang out together. And the monkey has more ideas about time travel, connecting people, light speed, and making Brussels sprouts taste better. The engineers, they're listening, but they're onto something new. They scribble furiously on the backs of napkins and the edges of sleeve cuffs.
Several months later, here we are. A dynamic duo became a small dynamic team. And the world's friendliest photo editor got a chance to start again. If you loved Picnik, PicMonkey is back in town and better than ever. It's faster, more powerful, and easier to use. It's the real deal you already know, plus 78% more monkey."

So, if you haven't had a chance to explore the website yet, I highly recommend a jaunt over in that direction. Stat.