Beauty 4 Ashes

Fixin' Up the Garden

2012-05-15T16:13:00.003-05:00

I've been way too busy sorting boxes in the basement and planning a triple birthday party to spend much time in the garden. (I'll post party pics after I get them from my friends with cameras!)

We have lots of volunteer vegetation in our garden this year. Some of it we actually want! My job today was taking the unwanted--weeds--out of a couple raised beds.

Half an hour of pulling weeds...

I uncovered some garlic growing in this raised bed, as well as broccoli from last year and some lettuce (it's hiding!).

There it is! My 5-year-old and I picked a bunch of lettuce to eat for lunch. Yum!

This is last year's broccoli gone to seed. I would normally pull it out, but my husband tells me his bees really like broccoli flowers.

Our onions have lost of broken-off tops due to a couple of little boys around here who like snacking on them.

Raised bed #2 looked messier to start with, but most of it is weeds.

Not too impressive, but at least we have somewhere to plant new things!

I also found some spinach (above) and more lettuce (below).

There are more raised beds and hours worth of work left to get our garden looking nice again, but it feels good to have chipped away at some of the mess!

Here's something else I found growing voluntarily:

Cilantro! I also found parsley, but didn't get a picture.

Our garden is home to a huge patch of strawberries! I'm super excited to see these growing and can't wait until they turn red!

What's in your garden this year? Do you put off weeding until your garden is a mess sometimes? Want to come help me?

Flashback Friday: Dresser Makeover

2012-05-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

In an effort to revive Flashback Friday at Beauty 4 Ashes, I dug up a dresser makeover I blogged about a little under a year ago. I was very, very pregnant and was working on this nursery. (BTW: if you click on that link you can see how the usurping dresser and vanity look in their current home instead of the brown walls they're pictured with below.) Hope you enjoy--whether it's your first time seeing this makeover or if you saw it way back when.

***

You know how you always feel prettier in a little black dress? Or pants... Or stretchy maternity pants and a tent-like top, as in my case. :) Something beautiful happens with such a striking color.

Case in point:

Here's the before:

We got this very well-made dresser from craigslist two years ago for $20. It had a white-washed finish with dull brass knobs on the top four drawers and the same color handles on the bottom. I spent hours sanding this thing to get that wash off! I wasn't a blogger and didn't care about 'before' pictures, and I hadn't been introduced to spray paint and its amazing ability to change ugly hardware into something pretty! I used a light stain and poly'd the dresser and new wooden knobs, then moved it into my second son's room. It worked perfectly as a changing table for almost two years.

Then I met this pair...

So... the other ~~more practical and better made~~ dresser had to go! But not without a makeover.

Love the new black dress(er)!

10 Things I Hate About My House

2012-05-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Let me just say before you pass judgement on my bad attitude and ungrateful heart that the things I love about my house far surpass the things I don't like.

Whew.

Now that we've gotten that out of the way...

Did you see that movie? "10 Things I Hate About You?" Loved it! Modern (late 90s) high school take on The Taming of the Shrew, full of sarcasm and awesome one-liners that I still quote.

I happen to like being a princess, thank you!

Ahem. Awkward!

So, in no particular order, here are 10 things I hate about my house.

1. It's far!!!!!!!

There's a whole lotta this before you get to town. Ok, city. There are several little towns between here and there, but the city--my husband's work, our church, the stores, many of our friends--is 45 miles away which is about an hour of driving time. You don't just run to the store. Evening meetings are a commitment!

2. Storms.

Storms are bad. Storms can do this:

I live in fear. I know God is bigger than the storm and He will protect me. But I hate storms. I wrote about storms shortly after this happened last summer.

3. My kitchen.

I promise you, it looks better in photographs. What doesn't show up is the cracked, chipped, perpetually dirty (no matter how many times I clean them) floors, awkward cabinets with layers of someone else's grease, no dishwasher, no vent hood, lack of storage and lots of money needed for a reno. Still. 3 1/2 years later. That's life, eh?

4. Projects, projects, projects.

The furnace is on its last leg. The roof needs new shingles. There's a leak in the basement that needs to be properly fixed. There's no landscaping, some trees need to be cut down, the house needs new siding and our barn is falling apart. Not to mention the above kitchen, finishing the basement, adding a garage and a deck...

5. Winter.

There's a lot of this going on in Iowa. Yeah, cute kids, happy smiles, fun snowman, but the snow probably blew in on stiff wind with dangerously low temperatures that trapped us in the house for days on end. Repeatedly over several months.

Did you know that Iowa has two seasons? One is winter; the other is road construction.

6. Bugs.

This guy was inside the other day. I know all homes have spiders and whatnot, but here in the country the bugs could seriously take over. Centipedes in the basement in the spring, spiders all through the flowerbeds, crickets, fireflies, mosquitoes, biting flies, ticks... Must stop now!

7. One bathroom.

Sure, most parents of small children don't get much uninterrupted time in the bathroom. But no matter how big our boys get, there will be one bathroom on the main level. We do plan to add a complete bathroom to the basement, but there's no hope of an en suite master bathroom.

8. Herbicides/Pesticides.

Sure, crop dusters are fun to watch. So are tractors and combines and spray rigs. But it's not fun to wonder where all that spray is going. I'm not getting all enviro-friendly, and I don't wish farmers would do it differently--that's someone else's soap box. What I'm saying is that the crops are sprayed several times throughout the growing season and I just wonder what we're breathing sometimes. We also have a shallow well. Hmm...

9. Expensive Travel.

Ah... The Pacific Ocean! Ventura, California, to be exact, with a view of the Channel Islands. This is where I grew up and where my mom still lives. I don't particularly want to live in Ventura (expensive housing!), but I'd like to be able to see our California family members more often. I know right now isn't a time for finding cheap flights, but it seems like it's more expensive to fly from the Midwest. Who knows. It takes three days to drive to California--add three more days getting back and there went a week's vacation, not to mention gas + hotels + food = expensive travel!

10. Feeling Isolated.

This is the view East.

This is west. Of course these are particularly gorgeous sunrise/sunset views which doesn't help my case here. Scroll back up to the crop duster picture and that's the view South. North is our barn and garden (pictured in the house collage). I know--I'm not complaining!

But even the most beautiful views and great home makeovers aren't worth much if you can't share them. I have an amazing family, I adore my boys, I'm not ungrateful! I do wish I had a handful of really good friends to share this with. Girlfriends to hang out with that aren't an hour's drive away. Couple friends who could come over for supper on a weeknight just because. Play dates at local parks with my boys and their friends. A sense of community.

So there you have it. Ten things I hate about my house. Do you hate your house sometimes?

No?

It's just me?

Ok then...

Wordless Wednesday: Birthday Boys

2012-05-09T21:39:00.001-05:00

DIY Hand Scrub ~ Mother's Day Gift Idea

2012-05-08T16:00:00.002-05:00

Before I got married, quit teaching, moved to Iowa and started having babies, I thought I lived on a budget.

I didn't.

I relied a little too heavily on retail therapy at times and sadly brought some credit card debt into our marriage. I wish I hadn't, but I did.

One of my favorite splurges was a trip to a certain overpriced store full of lotions, soaps and scrubs. Oh, how I miss it!

Now I make my own hand and foot scrub. It's super-easy!

It takes just three ingredients. Oil, salt (sugar works too!) and essential oil. Here's how:

That's it! Now add it to a cute jar, tie a piece of raffia or a ribbon around the top and you have a great little gift for your mom! Or yourself.

I keep a small jar by my kitchen sink. It works great to get funky odors off my fingers when I'm cooking (like garlic or onion), and it helps restore my hands after I work in the garden. My hands are very clean and moisturized and smell great too!

Try it!

Inspiration Files: Fuel Your Creativity

2012-05-07T10:31:00.000-05:00

You may or may not have noticed that I've lost my posting groove. Does that happen to you? I like to justify everything I do and I'm aiming to make more lists (see below), so here are a few reasons:

Dude. I'm busy! Three kids. Enough said.
All three of those kids have birthdays this month.
There's a combined birthday party next weekend that I need to finish planning. Ideas need to be easy, practically free and able to withstand windy Iowa weather. (Hopefully it doesn't rain! 30 people will not fit in my house!)
I finished cleaning out the basement (YAY!) and now have about 15 listings on craigslist.
All of the things I'm hoping craig will take care of are in the guest room.
My in-laws are coming on Thursday (for the birthdays!)
The above-mentioned party is outside and we've done zero landscaping in 3 1/2 years. Lots of reasons, but I'm trying to at least fix the beds by the front of the house.
My garden is over-taken with weeds. If the weeds were gone, I could have what's called a volunteer garden--onions and carrots and garlic from last year, cilantro, spinach and lettuce have re-seeded themselves! And strawberries!!!

Throw in the normal cooking/cleaning/laundry cycle and there's no time for blogging!

So. My goal this week in addition to all of the above, is to spend some time with the list below. I need to focus on me just a little bit. Do things I like just for fun. Be creative. Paint something. Write lists of what I have accomplished and forget about that never-ending to-do list! How about you?

Source: blog.freepeople.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Barns of Benton County: Character

2012-05-06T12:05:00.002-05:00

Alternate title: The one with so many pictures!

This barn-spotting happened on the same day as last week's cow barn and is just a couple miles down the road from those happy cows.

You can tell by the pictures that this was another drive-by. It also doesn't have a home on the property and I felt comfortable taking more pictures. :)

The field in the foreground was freshly planted! If you saw this field today, it would have tiny green shoots coming out of the ground.

I love red barns the best. Don't you? This one hasn't been painted in years and has lots of chipped paint. Probably not the best for preservation purposes, but I sure like how it looks!

The front of the barn faces west, where 99% of the weather's abuse comes from. Rain, hail, snow, sleet, wind, season after season, year after year.

I wanted to state for the record that these pictures are not edited, save for my watermark. It shows the real contrast between the weathered wood and the bright barn-red paint.

Zooming out, you can see a few other buildings on the property. I particularly liked the small shed in the back that looks like a miniature barn.

Notice all of the small windows on the barn? Love them!

Several are broken or missing--that happened to our barn too, just due to the weather.

Don't you just love the variation in the wood? How the knots held onto the paint while the rest of it chipped off?

I wonder if these three windows are staggered because of different levels inside?

We're almost finished with our drive-by. I would have loved to get out of the car and walk around this place!

Here are some of the other sheds and buildings on the property.

Must have water from the well!

The last look is of the corn crib on the property. Looks as though it used to be red too!

I hope you enjoyed our barn-spotting drive-by today!

Inspiration Files: Storage-Packed Kitchen

2012-04-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

I couldn't resist another kitchen to feature for our Monday Inspiration. Take a look and you'll see why! (All images from BHG via Pinterest--click on the links below each picture for original descriptions and sources.)

Source: bhg.com via Ellie on Pinterest

I love this kitchen. There are so many things about it that I have earmarked for my own kitchen renovation. But, let me say that while I adore the style of this kitchen and the amazing storage it features, the finishes? Not so much! Shiny counters that would reflect every crumb? No thanks. Mirrored tile backsplash? Not me. And the colors! Fun and trendy--sure, but my style? Nope.

When THEY (you know you want to, BHG!) come and re-do my kitchen, we'll go a tad whiter on the top and few shades grayer without so much yellow on the bottom. The backsplash can be beadboard, the counters butcher block, and the ceiling can be light blue. PERFECTION!

Source: bhg.com via Ellie on Pinterest

Anyway, this was supposed to be about the awesome storage-packed inspiring kitchen. And it is! The peninsula doubles as a bar (and while it's cool, it's a feature I don't need--do you?) and the neato archway has hidden storage in it!

Source: bhg.com via Ellie on Pinterest

This cabinet beside the stove features pull-out trays so things don't get lost. Do you know how many times I've had to lay in an awkward position ~~with the baby crawling on me~~ to try to find a lid that is lost somewhere in the back corner?

Notice also the handy appliance garage tucked into the corner? I want one!

Source: bhg.com via Ellie on Pinterest

Here, BHG is showing you the trash compactor and the double dishwasher drawers between the double sink areas. Sigh... People, some of us don't have ANY dishwashers. You go and get two fancy drawer units? Please. And two sinks? I know it makes sense and I can see why one would ~~need~~ want that, but all I can see is twice the area for dishes to pile up!

Did you see the fun upper unit? I love it! It's just enough show-off without too much look-at-me going on. I like the corbels under the upper cabinet units too.

Source: bhg.com via Ellie on Pinterest

Two built in fridges. See above. But I like how they disappear into the cabinets. Have you noticed the shiny bar above the fridges?

Source: bhg.com via Ellie on Pinterest

Yes! A library ladder! I love-love-love that! It goes all the way around the kitchen. Super groovy! I like the handy little shelf that slides out under the pantry unit. Handy, I say!

Source: bhg.com via Ellie on Pinterest

Ah, one last look at the deliciousness that belongs in my house. Totally modified, of course. We do get a good glimpse of the island here--it's pretty much ignored the rest of the tour! I like how it is a different color with a different counter material. I'll take it.

So what inspired you about this kitchen? Do you love the storage? The layout? The style? The cream and citron? Or are you distracted by all things shiny?

Dear BHG,

I fully agree to a complete kitchen remodel. I will let you use fun colors and modern accents. I will accept two of everything, if that is what will make you happy. In return you can style and photograph my new kitchen from all angles and plaster the images all over your website and Pinterest and I'll take no credit. Just give me two days to pack up my kitchen before you start your demo.

Yours truly,

Barns of Benton County: Cows!

2012-04-29T06:00:00.000-05:00

I don't get out much. The city is far and the small towns in between the city and our place don't have much to offer.

Sometimes after a crazy day I'll leave the boys with my husband and go for a drive. Last week I drove ten miles south, most of it on gravel roads. I must have found 20 new barns!

These feisty looking cows and calves are just a couple miles south of us.

Presiding over it all is a white barn, one of two or three on the property. I'm sure one of the cows would swear SHE is the boss, right?

Have you seen any barns lately?

Giant Ruler

2012-04-26T21:34:00.000-05:00

You've seen the giant rulers everyone's making, right? Love the concept, love the look, had to make it.

We have a small wall in the middle of everything that fits the ruler perfectly. You can see our living room to the left, the hallway to the right. The open door is our bedroom. You're standing in the kitchen while looking at the ruler. (Should I be freaked out that there's a stranger in my house, or excited that you came to visit?)

Anyway...

I should reference my inspiration. One of the most popular is from the blog Dear Lillie. I've seen lots of others on Pinterest and on blogs, each one being a little different.

Source: dearlillieblog.blogspot.com via Marty on Pinterest

I took some time away from sorting boxes in the storage room (will it ever end?!??) and created something. As much as I like sorting and organizing, creating is better!

My husband just so happened to have a piece of wood hanging around in the garage. I stole it. Mwah hah hah!

Here are the steps I took to make my ruler:

sand the face and edges of the board with a power sander tool thingy
stain the board. I used minwax's special walnut, one coat.
measure and mark the lines with a tape measure and pencil
draw the lines with a sharpie and a ruler/straight edge/something
use stencils to draw the numbers, again using a sharpie
apply two quick coats of poly
measure (kind of important!) and hang the finished ruler

Did you catch my supply list? Here it is again:

board
sander
stain
ruler
pencil
sharpie
poly

Since we had all of the supplies on hand, this awesome giant ruler was free! Now I can paint the doorway we were previously marking up, and if we should move one day, this precious family heirloom can come with us!

Just in time for the birthday markings in a couple weeks!

Have you made something fun lately?

Wordless Wednesday: Little Musician

2012-04-25T21:46:00.000-05:00

Tuesday Tip: How to Clean Cast Iron Pans

2012-04-25T14:50:00.000-05:00

You know those days when you have a million things going and nothing gets done? Yeah, hate that.

It took until 10 AM this morning to finish the breakfast dishes. Not that there were that many dishes-just interruptions. Wash, wash, go change a diaper, wash wash, help someone into his coat, wash wash, answer the phone, wash wash, break up a fight...

So yeah, here's my Tuesday Tip. (Yes, I'm fully aware that it's Wednesday!)

Source: marthastewart.com via Ellie on Pinterest

"Scrub your cast iron with coarse salt and a soft sponge. The salt is a natural abrasive and will absorb oil and lift away bits of food while preserving the pan's seasoning. Rinse away salt and wipe dry."

If you click on this picture, it will take you to this pin on Pinterest (follow me!). If you click on the picture again you will get to a slide show of other great kitchen tips from Martha Stewart.

I love my cast iron skillets and dutch oven! I know not to use soap on them, so usually I let the food soak, give it a good scrub with a brush with no soap, then dry the skillet on the stove--they rust if you leave them wet. I use a little bit of oil after the water evaporates, just to keep the finish on the pan. I'm going to give this salt tip a try. Will you?

Inspiration Files: "Dirty" Desserts

2012-04-23T21:17:00.002-05:00

My boys all have birthdays in May. Even I am not sure how that happened, but it makes for one birthday party to plan for this Momma!

I've been trolling Pinterest, of course, for ideas. I'm not exactly one of those awesome moms who has elaborate parties with beautiful decorations, perfect events, delicious food and an adorable cake that completes the theme. Not because I don't want to be--I wish I was better at event planning! I'm much more comfortable with a small supper whenever Grandparents are in town, with balloons, cupcakes and a present or two!

Enough about me; here are the fun ideas for "dirt" cake that I've found that seem to be fun and planned yet simple and easy!

Source: thepeachkitchen.com via Ellie on Pinterest

Source: bit.ly via Ellie on Pinterest

Source: flickr.com via Ellie on Pinterest

Source: cakeslikesaparty.wordpress.com via Ellie on Pinterest

Source: simplegirlathome.blogspot.com via Ellie on Pinterest

Source: inmy-element.blogspot.com via Ellie on Pinterest

Aren't those great? I think I could pull any one of those cakes off--especially the ones with no cake involved!

I've got to get those invitations in the mail!

Barns of Benton County

2012-04-22T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today's barn is another oldie--they have so much more character! I love how this one is a weathered red which is mostly gray, then the bottom section of the front with the doors is bright red. So cool!

I did some post-processing using picmonkey.com. I'm no longer sad about picnik closing because picmonkey is such a close replacement. I'm anxious for them to add other options, like collages.

I also got to take a rambling drive yesterday and found a ton of new barns! I'm so excited to share them over the next weeks. Recently we took a different route home and I stopped counting after 20 barns that I haven't photographed, including a bright kelly green barn, a yellow barn and a pink barn-turned-bridal-store. So fun!

Stay tuned!

Barnwood Sign

2012-04-19T21:11:00.000-05:00

Our barn is full of curious and odd things, not the least of which is some old lumber.

This chunk of wood has lived in our house for a couple years, previously displaying our last name stenciled in white. While I liked that idea, the stencils were crooked and on a lark I flipped the sign over and drew a G on it.

G could stand for lots of things, but it happens to be the initial of our last name, of course.

I free-handed the letter with basic trim paint and a small paint brush. When it was dry, I gave the whole thing a good scrub under running water with a brush. The wood is really old and soft and it all gave the G an old and weathered look.

Oh, hey, did you notice my twine-tied candles? That's new too. I've been slowly taking the red out of my living room and replacing it with light blue. The candles were burgundy.

And chewed on--I guess they were just too tempting to a couple little boys when they were displayed lower. I glued on a layer of paper before wrapping the twine around the candles so no red would show. If I choose to burn the candles in the future, I'll add a votive inside that will keep the open flame away from the edge of the candle and the twine.

While you're in my living room I'd like to show you how I've set up my shelves with the entertainment unit. I love it like this and don't know why I didn't try this sooner! It's directly across from the big picture window which our couch is centered on. I realize that I'm not following the trend in blogland to paint my armoire, but I happen to like it this way! I'm not into huge white pieces of furniture, and I'm fickle with other colors.

Speaking of color, I'm tired of the dark brown wall. I would like more light on that half of the room, and I've been wanting something lighter. You can see my curtain panel below, which is the color I've been adding here and there. The curtains are staying, as is the big leather chair. The carpet will eventually be replaced with hardwood flooring. I'm wondering if a silver blue would work well in here, or greige or the tan that's behind the blue curtain.

What would you suggest? Silvery blue? Gray? Greige? Tan? Board and batten with one of those shades on top?

WW*: Perspective

2012-04-18T22:24:00.000-05:00

Wordless Wednesday is pretty self-explanatory, but today I'm breaking the rules. Because I can. Today is Wordy Wednesday. It's also picture-intensive. Be prepared!

I find it very easy to get caught up in the mundane. The meals, the laundry, the diapers, the constant questions of small inquiring minds.

It's easy to get frustrated when lessons need to be taught over and over. To be honest, that's not just my kids I'm talking about, but myself too.

Then there's the danger in blogging and following so many fantastic blogs. It's easy to expect your projects and your life to be like those amazing before-and-after pictures and forget about the blood, sweat and tears that went into the project! Oh, and the TIME.

I'm sure when you look at my blog you see perfectly angelic little boys, a nice middle-class house in the country, fun ideas, artistic talent and a confident, contented blogger behind it all.

You're not wrong. We are all of those things--not bragging, but we are so blessed--but we are so much more too. I only show you a glimpse of our best.

You don't see the struggles, the messes, the frustration I admit to having when projects take months instead of days. Sometimes it's the budget, sometimes it's lack of motivation. It is so hard to find the time to do these things while mothering and housekeeping full time!

I admit to not always having the right attitude about other people I meet through blogging. I see perfect homes and happy children and beautiful women with everything put together.

I know you have struggles. I have them too. We all do. They are real and valid and important! I'm not trying to minimize that.

What I want to point out and what I want you to hear is that we have so much to be thankful for.

That's what I mean by "perspective".

Yes, my three small boys take tons of time and energy and more creativity than I can muster most days.

But I have three healthy boys! Not a health concern among them. And they're CUTE!!! And smart. And so, so precious.

We live in a nice house. It keeps us safe in storms (and Iowa has its share of bad ones), holds our stuff, gives us room to play and grow and sleep and eat. We have clothes, toys, computers, gadgets, things that make us comfortable and things that hold memories.

Every time I go grocery shopping I take a minute to remember tougher times. To be thankful for the money I have to spend--even though I need to be careful and stick to a budget, I can afford to buy food to fill our bellies with more to spare.

We are slowly fixing up and decorating this old house. It's much slower than I want and it's hard to be patient when a new furnace and a new baby take the place of a new kitchen. That baby is the one in these pictures, not another, just to be clear!

It's hard to not compare myself, my blog, my style, my budget, my home, my creativity with the others. There are always better and more and bigger and faster and more popular and more talented people out there.

That's what I love about blogging, but also what I don't like. Comparison makes me discontented.

I know blogging isn't a popularity contest, but sometimes it feels like it. When those ugly feelings start to take over, I have to step away. I need to get my perspective straight again.

Because really. There are people out there who are not safe at night. Who don't have enough to eat. Who can't feed their children enough to feel full, let alone a balanced diet.

So when I want to complain, I've been biting my tongue. What do I have to complain about, really?

My life is no utopia. I'm not sitting here with a huge smile plastered to my face all the time. I certainly don't have it all figured out!

Our family of five continues to struggle and learn and grow. Our needs change and our wants fluctuate. There's never enough time in the day, my to-do list will never be done.

But these days of sweet cheeks, chubby fingers, soft hair and wet kisses are flying by. What's most important to me right now?

It's a matter of perspective.

Tuesday Tip: Must-Read for Parents

2012-04-17T21:42:00.001-05:00

I've been wanting to focus more on parenting here on my blog, but I have a hard time articulating what I've learned. Or maybe it's that this parenting gig is constantly changing and evolving.

Lately I've been inspired by Lisa at The Pennington Point. She's doing a series called "Intentionally Parenting Your Toddler". Pure gold, I tell you!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

I hope you have the time to prayerfully read her first three posts in the series. I can't wait for more!

Inspiration Files: A Basement Laundry

2012-04-16T21:03:00.001-05:00

Do you have one of those fancy, pretty, clean, bright laundry rooms? Not me! About the only thing my laundry area has going for it is that it works. Oh, and it doesn't matter that it's not pretty, because no one sees it. Except I really would like it to be pretty, because then maybe I'd be a little more inclined to do laundry. Right?

Our laundry facility is in our basement, so when I saw this basement laundry in a Better Homes & Gardens magazine awhile back, I fell in love immediately. There is hope for basement laundries! Hope that doesn't also mean a million and six dollars for a space no one else will see!

Isn't is refreshingly clean and simple? I think the curtained walls really warm up the brick walls in a basement. I love the folding station and a few places to put supplies. For more ideas, go see the slideshow at bhg.com.

Are you inspired?

Barns of Benton County: Moonrise

2012-04-15T12:10:00.002-05:00

I made an effort to take more pictures of barns this week--and I did! Problem is, I had these images of last week's full moon rising over the neighbors corn crib that I recently captured at sunrise...

Couldn't resist! I love seeing a full moon! Do you?

Kids' Art Display

2012-04-12T21:52:00.001-05:00

Kids can be prolific artists. I love being able to hang my sons' artwork somewhere visible and the fridge just doesn't cut it sometimes!

In my recent hall makeover you saw my developing gallery wall that includes this art display board. I love how it turned out, but the idea was not original. This pin is what really got me started on this project.

Source: becauseithinkican.wordpress.com via Ellie on Pinterest

I had the perfect board hanging around so I painted it blue. Why blue? Um, because this shade of blue is my new favorite color. It's from our master bedroom ceiling--which is reason #2--I had it around! Yay for free!

I thought maybe I'd just use my Cricut and black vinyl and be done, but I'd seen an interesting technique using contact paper instead of vinyl, painting over the letters and then peeling them off so your words are the color of the base coat. Had to try it.

For you A students taking notes, the contact paper was super easy to work with and cut just fine in my machine. I eyeballed the layout and when everything was good enough, I really rubbed those letters onto the board with a used-up gift card. Who needs fancy tools?

I slapped on a couple coats of slate-black paint and started the task of peeling off the letters. That's when I ran into trouble. I don't have a great record of straight lines and paint, and this was no different. Some letters bled, others peeled off a tiny bit of paint.

I gave up and the board sat around in various resting spots in our house... Seriously. I found these process pictures in my "February" folder. It's April now.

Eventually I prevailed and with the help of a Sharpie to smooth the outline of the letters it was good enough.

The next step (which I apparently didn't photograph) was to paint clothespins and glue them on the board with hot glue. In less than an afternoon, my project was done at last!

I used long screws drilled right through the board and into the wall. Professional, I am not. I hung the board low enough that my boys can hang their art whenever they want to. This is a collection of those awesome water color pages where the paint is already in little dots all over the picture--do you remember doing those? My husband apparently had this book when he was young. Aw. It's vintage!

(Am I the only one bothered by things from the 80s being called vintage? Yikes!)

So there you have it! This project took, oh, a day, give or take three months. It was also free as I had everything on hand. The boys are loving that they can see their art on display!

Has Pinterest inspired you to do anything lately? Or is it much easier to just be overwhelmed by the creativity of others? Yeah, me too.

Home Tour

2012-04-10T15:42:00.000-05:00

Today I'd like to take you on a tour of our home. Some spaces are done, others are still waiting their turn to be spruced up, some places were completely neglected and everything is subject to tweakage upon my whim and our budget. I'd also like to update, add and change the tour as things change.

I had one last hurrah with Picnik (online photo editing site) before it closes next week in order to make these fun collages. I've switched to using Pic Monkey, which I find even more user-friendly, but it hasn't added collage capability yet. It's great for basic editing, adding a watermark, and applying fun processes though. Justsoyouknow.

Outside:
We live on five acres in the country, complete with a barn and a few mature trees. We've added fruit trees, hybrid willows for a windbreak, and a large garden.

The outside of our home is rarely featured because it isn't landscaped. I know, I know, we've lived here for 3 1/2 years--time to landscape already! The boys and I are working on it, but between having babies, raising a huge garden each summer, needing to possibly dig out and expose a portion of our basement in order to reinforce a cracked wall, as well as the cost of proper landscaping, it takes time!

Kitchen:
If you know anything about me, you probably know that I'm completely anxious for a new kitchen. What I have works, but it is lacking. It was grossly, disgustingly, can't-imagine-the-filth dirty when we moved in, and other than a quick (and messy) coat of paint to hide the grease stains and the addition of craigslist appliances, we've left it alone. Oh, ok, so my husband installed the light over the table and a new faucet, and I added the sink skirt and contact paper to the (pink!) (with sparkles!!!) stained countertop.

Really, it looks better in pictures. I am so thankful for what I have--trust me! It could be so much worse. All the same, I will be jumping up and down when the original, chipped and stained flooring gets ripped up and we get a dishwasher and a better layout. Soon. Right?

Living Room:
Our living room is comfortable. And evolving. I have ideas for it, like hardwood floors, one less wall, maybe some wainscotting and a new color. It has a huge picture window that makes taking pictures impossible, and I'm in the market for a new and larger couch to replace the one I've had since my first house (2000). I think we all have those areas in our homes--ones that are fine and function ok, but could be so much better!

Nursery:
When I was hugely pregnant with our 3rd son last year, I decided to tweak the existing nursery by adding board and batten. That lead to painting the crib and re-thinking the window treatments. I also fell in love with a free dresser and vanity I refinished, so I switched that out too. With all the other changes I just had to paint the top part of the walls... One thing leads to another, right? There are a million or so posts on my nursery. I think it's my most-featured and best-known portion of my home. I did it on a teeny budget too--I just paid for paint, mdf and caulk.

Big Boys' Room:
My husband and I traded bedrooms with our older boys (ages 2 and 4) last fall which gave me the excuse to choose new colors and fun elements! I went crazy with maps and John Deere green. If I had it to do over, I would do it differently, but it doesn't stop me from loving their room! It's very age-appropriate and will grow with them. I might need to tone down the green in a few years, but it's a super fun space just the same.

Master Bedroom:
Our bedroom doesn't have a walk-in closet or a private bathroom and it's very small as far as master bedrooms go, but it's just the right size for us. I had a lot of fun putting this together this winter and I love how it turned out! My favorite things are the barn door headboard and the blue ceiling.

Bathroom:
The one bathroom in our home is right next to our bedroom. It was the first space to get updated after we moved in! I lost the pictures of our total gut-and-replace job, but have some pictures of the new look. We do have a tub/shower unit with a great tile surround that my husband did, but apparently I didn't take pictures of it!

Hall:
The most recent makeover was purely cosmetic. Our hall recently went from orangey oak to soothing gray with white trim and some fun stripes. The gallery wall is a work in progress.

Not pictured:
The lower level (aka: basement) of our home is unfinished. This includes a family room, office, guest bedroom, storage, cellar, laundry and future bathroom.

Hope you enjoyed the tour! I hope you're in for lots of projects and changes in the future. Speaking of which--I'm adding these categories to my topics in the box on the right! Everything used to be grouped under 'our house'. You can also find the spaces featured above by typing the words in the 'search' bar on the top right side of my blog. Have fun exploring!

Inspiration Files: Blue Ceilings

2012-04-09T16:01:00.001-05:00

You might remember that our new master bedroom has a blue ceiling. I can't tell you how much we love it! It gives our otherwise neutral, color-safe room some real personality, and it's just so pretty to look at!

Source: beauty4ashes-ellie.blogspot.com via Ellie on Pinterest

I don't have any other ceilings in my home that are slated to get a coat or two of blue paint, but I thought we might look at some other spaces with blue ceilings.

Of course there is the typical blue-ceiling porch. I've heard it's called 'haint' blue to keep the haints (haunts) away. I've also heard it keeps wasps from setting up house on your porch because they think it's the wild blue yonder. Who knows what of that is true, but it sure is pretty!

Source: pinterestoffer.com via Mayers on Pinterest

Source: fortheloveofahouse.blogspot.com via Juliet on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via eleven-o-one on Pinterest

Blue ceilings have moved inside--they're not just for porches anymore! Living rooms, bathrooms, kitchens and more are being brightened up with the addition of a blue ceiling.

Source: southernliving.com via Lauren on Pinterest

Source: houseofturquoise.com via Denise on Pinterest

Source: traditionalhome.com via Kathleen on Pinterest

Source: justagirlblog.com via Audra on Pinterest

Source: southernliving.com via Annemarie @ on Pinterest

Is it just me, or are most of those ceilings planked? I didn't notice that when I was pinning them, but what a great way to draw attention to a beautiful planked ceiling? Below are a few more images where a blue ceiling makes the architecture of the room stand out--whether coiffured or wainscoted or simple walls with crown molding.

Source: thebookofsecrets.tumblr.com via Sandra on Pinterest

Source: mycoffeely.com via Sharon on Pinterest

Source: houseandhome.com via Stephanie on Pinterest

Don't worry--if the architecture in your home isn't something to call attention to, you can always fake a beautiful trim with duct tape like I did!

So, who's coming to the store with me to get some blue paint for a ceiling in your home?

Barns of Benton County: White Cow Barn

2012-04-09T10:33:00.005-05:00

I took my baby to the doctor last week and drove by this property on the way home. I didn't have my camera with me, so I popped out my cell phone. It's not a smart phone, either, so I didn't expect the picture to be very clear. It's not, but I love the effect!

The only editing I did was to add my watermark. Isn't it fun?

What you can't see are the black-and-white cows that were grazing in this picturesque pasture covered in bright yellow dandelions. It was a beautiful spring day with warm sunshine and gentle breezes.

Remind me of these beautiful days the next time a spring storm blows through!

Hall Makeover Reveal

2012-04-06T11:09:00.001-05:00

Like a typical ranch-style home, our living room and kitchen are on one side of the house and the bedrooms are on the other. This hard-working hallway has doors to the bathroom and three bedrooms as well as two closets.

Our hall is 36 inches wide which doesn't leave room for even a narrow bookshelf or display table. I recently painted all of the trim white and painted the walls a neutral gray.

I don't have a great 'before' picture, but if you take a look at the image below you can get an idea of the amount of oakey orangeness we had going on in the hall. I'm not one to always advocate painting all woodwork--I think it can be beautiful when done right. Ours was not.

Wow--where are my sunglasses?! We lived with that for three years before my husband refinished the floors and I started painting everything else! Honestly, I'd forgotten how dirty and gross the before was and I'm even more thankful for our new, clean hallway! Whew!

Here's the hall floor after it was refinished. I think it's one coat of walnut stain and a couple coats of poly. I like how you can still see the grain of the wood but there's no more orange!

You can also see the terrible shape that the rest of the trim was in. Our home was abused before we rescued it! I just don't understand how a door frame to a bedroom can be THAT banged up after one previous owner (even though the house is 50 years old)!

Here's a short anatomy lesson of our hallway as you enter it from the kitchen. Walk to the end (the bathroom) and turn around and you'll see this:

I used off-the-shelf white trim paint from Walmart and worked in fits and starts. That's a lot of trim, folks! I mixed the gray myself using a slate gray-black I got in the oops section with the white trim paint, and used the slate color for the doors. "The Plan" includes eventually replacing the hall doors, but with needing new hinges and door knobs for these four doors plus the door to the basement, that adds up right away, so I chose just to paint them for now.

One of my favorite elements of the hall makeover is these fun striped closet doors! They took way too much time and effort, but it gives the hall some fun character.

Isn't that fun?! I'm so glad I took the time and effort to add the slate stripes to the white doors. If you want to see what is behind these two sets of doors, you can see my linen closet here and my craft closet here.

Another area I'm working on in our hall is a gallery wall. I'm collecting and re-framing milestone pictures of my three boys and will hang them as I get them done. When I was new to blogging I made this 'family rules' sign using stickers and spray paint on an old bulletin board. I wasn't thrilled with how it turned out--lots of underspray on the letters--but my husband really likes it, so I hung it in the hall. I do like what it says: it's the Ten Commandments in my modern language translation. I think that's a great set of family rules!

I made a display board for the plethora of art pages my sons generate. It's hung at their level so they can change out the display when they want. I'll do another post later with more images of it and my Pinterest inspiration. :)

Let's see another before-and-after of our hall, shall we?

Before:

After:

Much better!

WW: What I'm Working On

2012-04-04T06:00:00.000-05:00