Just everyday ...

DIY your "Elf on a Shelf" for $5 or less...

2012-11-20T16:00:00.001-05:00

Last year I remember seeing all the "Elf on a Shelf" pictures and stories all over facebook and pinterest. I searched for the "Elf kit" at Target and couldn't believe it was $25+ for the book and the elf. I figured I would wait another year since the kids would be a year older and more into the whole elf thing. Well, it's almost Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before I know it. I though I'd get my stuff together for the holidays and plan out a 25 Days of Christmas for our family. I always wait until the last minute to put things together, but I didn't want to do that this time around. One of the first things on my list was to make an elf myself for less than $10. I googled 'DIY elf on a shelf' and came up with so many great ideas of inspiration. I ended up doing something similar to this elf http://bubblynaturecreations.com/2011/12/diy-girly-elf-on-shelf.html

My supplies were: $5 Barbie like doll from Dollar Deals, a pair of old Christmas socks, red and green felt (1sheet each). The only thing I had to buy was the doll. Bam, I had all ready met my goal of making an elf for under $10! The most difficult part of the whole thing was sewing the pieces. If sewing isn't your thing (I'm not an expert seamstress or anything), you can certainly hot glue or even hand sew the pieces together. Here are some photos of the whole process:

My supplies

First I cut the fur cuff of the sock

Then I sewed it, but had to redo

After undoing the cuff, I sewed part of the sock for the top and attached them to each other

Her fancy elf dress, but I didn't want her to have a wardrobe malfunction

In comes the addition of the halter strap. I machine sewed one side.

Put the dress on the doll and then hand stitched the other strap

Very cute, but she might get chilly traveling back and forth to the North Pole every night!

Perhaps some arm warmer sleeves could work! Just sew tubes for the sleeves.

She needs some for her legs too. Here's a shot before I turn her pants inside out.

Now she's looking more like an elf on the go.

I really liked the idea of doing the arm sleeves in the sock material, but it was all ready unraveling. I decided to go with the red felt instead.

She's almost finished, just missing her elf cap.

I still had some of the 'fur' left over and decided to do an ear muff head piece instead of a cap.

I used enough fur to cover the top of her head and used green felt for the strap to hold it in place.

This little elf needs a place to sleep until her reveal so a shoe box and some fancy dish/hand towels should do.


I finished the box off by wrapping it in Christmas paper and tucking her in!

I think our sassy little elf will be loved by both my little girl and little boy. If they love the elf adventures, maybe she'll come back with a little friend next year! I'm going to enclose a letter from Santa as well and I used this one for inspiration http://followinginmyshoes.com/elf-on-the-shelf-letter-from-santa/. I loved how Jesus and Santa were paired together in this letter. Sometimes people forget the real meaning of Christmas and this was a great example of reminding us that it's not all about Santa and wanting. I also enclosed the story of the elf from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Elf_on_the_Shelf

I hope this has inspired you to start your own traditions with your little ones. My biggest challenge is always following through to completion with my endless array of ideas. I'm a few steps ahead of myself this year so I think we're starting off in a good spot! Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Elfing!

Kitchen redo, done...

2012-08-21T22:39:00.001-04:00

Well, it's almost done. All the hard stuff that I can do myself is complete. Now it's just a matter of what to choose for the countertop. Do we go with tile or granite? That is the question! I'd say the whole process from start to finish took less than 7 days. Here's how it happened:

Here's a before shot. With the cabinets and hardware removed, sanding has begun.

I didn't remove the dishes or put up a cover to keep the dust out. This was my biggest pain. Nothing wrong with rinsing dishes and wiping up dust.

Another before shot, notice the wood color trim along the top of the cabinets, blech! The vanilla colored cabinets and beige walls weren't bad, but boy does the new color look great!

The growth wall for the kids. I had to transfer all their notches to a piece of scrap wood from my bathroom redo. This was the saddest for me.

We now have a growth stick with the kid's measurements color coded

Can you tell what's new and what's old? Obviously the drawers are the old paint color.

Almost complete! You can see how yellow and dingy the counter tops look against the fresh white paint.

Hardware can get pricey so I sanded all of it and used Rustoleum spray paint.

I put the screws through a piece of card board to stand them up so they could be sprayed.

Make sure you put ALL the hardware and screws in the same spot. The last cabinet is missing 3 screws.


After shot, doesn't it look beautiful? Now, time for a new countertop!

Completion time: about 5 days. Lots of sanding and spray painting. Cost of the project was about $50 for paint, paint supplies and sand paper. What did I do with my children throughout this project? They got to keep themselves busy with toys, coloring, dancing and some tv. They were great supporters and told me several times in passing that I was doing a great job painting. Oh, and if you're wondering what paint colors I used: cabinets are Glidden's 'white on white' and the wall is Glidden's 'dove white.'

Wax tarts from candles...

2012-08-01T10:43:00.000-04:00

This morning I was on the hunt for my electric tart warmer. After 10 minutes of searching, I found it hiding in a closet. I didn't have any summery scented tarts left, just winter holiday ones. Bummer! I really didn't want to get the house smelling like Christmas yet and I didn't want to go out and buy more tarts. Those little things add up, you know! So I thought about it and remembered a post I had seen on pinterest. It was one about what to do with all the left over wax in candles and how you can make a new layered candle from all the leftover wax. I thought, I don't need any wicks for the tarts, so how about I just remove the left over wax from the jar and put it straight into the tart warmer. That was exactly what I did and it cost me nothing!

One of my favorite scents, Glade's Angel Whisper

Scrape the wax out with a knife, or you can microwave a few seconds to soften the wax

The wax removed and ready for the tart warmer

A clean candle holder waiting for a new use

Voila, a new tart for my warmer and it was free! The tart warmer is from Yankee Candle, not Scentsy

A happy girl am I...

2012-04-23T13:37:00.003-04:00

One of my favorite things to do is visit our local Goodwill and Habitat Restore stores. I've been drooling over this buffet/tv console for months and have been teased by the different blogs I follow. A few days ago, on apartmenttherapy.com, there were probably 4 or more posts that had pictures of the console I've been on the hunt for. That's a lot of posts! Almost a month ago, I inquired about a console for $15 on craigslist and sadly did not get a response. I knew I just had to wait and be patient and maybe eventually I would score my deal on this console.

Great storage for board games, DVD player and game system

Plenty of drawer space for our DVD's and games

I love the detail on the back of the chair

Today was my lucky day! I had 3 things on my list that I was on the hunt for: the console, a chair for my desk, and a small round side table for my nightstand. I scored 2 of the 3 today! The chair for $6.25 at Goodwill and the console for $79 at Habitat (I've seen this console listed at $400). I love that the chair has some of the accents that work with the desk and the console was exactly what I was hoping to find.

While at Habitat, I texted my hubby and told him I'd found my console and sent him a picture. I was so over the moon that I found it I was looking like a crazy person roaming the aisles waiting for a response from my honey. He never did respond (he does that thing called work) so I went ahead and purchased it. Then there was the matter of fitting it into the Vue. After folding down a seat, the associate and I were able to slide it right it.

It's funny because when I find a deal that I've been on the hunt for I get giddy and giggly and remind myself of "The Excited Southerner" from Adam Sandler's cd skits. It's hilarious and my hubby thinks it's a riot. I'm even more excited because I'll only have to do work on the chair, just some sanding and painting and replacing of the seat cushion. The console is in pristine condition minus one scratch on the top.

I also found some goodies inside under the drawer. An autographed picture of Vincent Edward (played Ben Casey on a tv show), vintage baby shower wrapping paper, vintage birthday paper, an A&P bingo sheet, and a receipt. I love finding stuff like that!

An afternoon at Stumpy Lake's Nature Area...

2012-02-15T20:50:00.000-05:00

Today was our first visit to the fishing area at Stumpy Lake's Nature Preserve. The kids loved running up and down the 'boardwalk.'

I loved how her hair looked when she turned away from the water.

Although it is the middle of winter, we enjoyed a mild 50 degree day. Unfortunately, there were no fish or turtles to be seen in the water. The kids loved looking for them anyway.

This little guy loved climbing the benches and riding the 'horse' (the top of the bench).

Isn't she sweet?

One of my most favorite photos taken, it looks like glitter above the water. Just a new setting I discovered on my camera.

Every brother and sister has their ups and downs. These two have their moments, but they love each other very much.

This picture says it all. A great afternoon with my little loves.

Big girl work area...

2012-02-01T14:07:00.000-05:00

After Thanksgiving, I went to the Habitat Store and found this awesome desk. The entire store was 50% off and I got it for $15. Thanks to Santa, I got a sander for Christmas and sanded the desk down to the bare wood. It took about 2 days to sand and then 2 days to paint.

I brought Stella with me to the Home Depot and she picked out a lovely shade of blue called 'Spa.' I think it compliments her room nicely. Of course, this little girl's desk isn't complete without a little bling and she also picked out the 'crystal' drawer pulls.

Just a closer look at the paint and pulls from the side. I love how the pulls create a prism effect when the sunlight hits it. Instant rainbows!

Her new work area. The desk has been filled with pencils, markers, crayons, coloring books and craft things to keep her creative juices flowing. It's also a great spot for her to work on 'homework.'

The mirror was also a Habitat Store find at just $5. I spray painted it white and gave it a good cleaning, voila a beautiful mirror fit for a little princess. The headband holder was taken from pinterest and the vanity bench (also a Habitat Store find $10) was spray painted white also.

The bench is a tad too big, but does the job. I recovered the seat with leftover fabric I had from another project.

The great pinterest find that also acts as a shelf for her 'perfumes.'

It's been a while since I last posted, I hadn't really had any projects that I worked on through the holidays. I have another piece of furniture (my hubby's dresser) waiting in the garage for it's makeover. I also have a headboard frame waiting for it's self improvement process to begin. More pictures to come as these projects are completed!

Super Readers and the Princess Cheetah

2011-11-05T11:11:00.001-04:00

Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays. Maybe it's because for one day, you can choose to be anything you want. This year my daughter's school did something a little different to celebrate Halloween. They wanted to incorporate literature into their Halloween parade. So, she had to dress as her favorite book character. Right now, she's really into the Non-fiction animal books and we always end up checking out 20 books about animals each time we visit the library. Naturally, she wanted to be a cheetah. Unfortunately for her, she was sick the last part of the week and missed her parade. She did get to trick or treat and made a 'fierce' princess cheetah. I made her costume with some cheetah print material, a black turtleneck and some black faux fur. It was pretty easy, the skirt was an a-line skirt with an elastic waist and I just stitch witched the fur to her turtleneck. The faux fur was the messiest material I've ever worked with, but that was just stitched to the top of the skirt hem and cuffs of the turtleneck. She was sick while I was putting her costume together and she requested I make a stuffed cheetah friend for her. I had never made a toy before, but I gave it my best shot and she loved it. Total cost of her costume: <$10.

My son love PBS' "Super Why?" show and for his birthday one of our friends made him a cape. Every time he wears that cape he tells us he's 'Super Why.' So I knew that he would love to be Super Wyatt for Halloween. His costume was much easier to make and less time consuming. Total cost of materials: <$10. Shirt was $4 and shorts were $2 both from Target, leggings were $2 from Crazy 8's. I painted the logo on the shirt and then hemmed the shorts to make them look like super hero bloomers. We didn't do the eye mask because he hates to have anything around his face like that. He totally loved it.

I decided that I was going to be Super Wyatt's sidekick, Wonder Red for my costume. My costume cost about $6 all from the Goodwill store. My cape was from an over sized shirt I all ready had. I made a shirt to go around the top of the red shorts using leftovers from the red t-shirt. I had to dig through my daughter's toy box to find my red wig and then it took about 20 minutes to comb out all the tangles and knots.

Here are a few shots from making costumes to trick or treating. I didn't do any step by step tutorials on the costumes, I was just trying to finish them in time. Hope you enjoy them!

CONSTRUCTING a little boy's 2nd birthday...

2011-10-29T11:33:00.000-04:00

Well, this post is long over due! I can't believe it's taken me over two weeks to get this post published. Two weeks ago, we celebrated my little guy's 2nd birthday! He is really into construction and tools and anything with wheels, your typical little boy. I had a few ideas of what to do for his party (Finding Nemo, Pirate Party, and Construction). I finally settled on doing a construction theme.

To make things a little easy on myself, I went with e-vites this year. I usually enjoy spending the time to create our own unique invitations, but I didn't want to stress myself out any more than was necessary. The wording involved 'constructing a party.'

I used authentic construction tape for streamers and decorations along with orange and black streamers (perfect since they're around this time of year for Halloween). For the kids, I thought it would be fun for them to have their own construction hats (Target $1spot and Dollar Deals $1) with their names on them along with safety vests also personalized with their names (purchased $1 orange plastic table cloth and cut to size, fastened with duct tape). The hats and vests took most of my time, trying to peel price tags and cut patterns took about 2 hrs from start to finish (completed while the kiddos were asleep).

Food was our typical Filipino/American party food. For the kids we had pigs in a blanket, dino nuggets, an assortment of fruit/veggies, pasta salad, pancit, and barbecued meats. The cake was especially easy and fun to make. I baked it the night before (2 rectangle pans used) and then decorated with chocolate icing, praline ice cream topping, German chocolate marshmallows and a construction vehicle set that doubled as a birthday present.

We played a few games, pinata (what kind of party is it without one), balloon pop, and mini pumpkin painting. I set up a plain white banner for the kids to draw on and decorate while guests arrived (worked wonders at keeping them busy).

The hats and vests doubled as favors, goodie bags were made with brown lunch bags with each kid's name on it and was filled with candies/goodies from the pinata. My little guy had a 'birthday shirt' I decorated with some paint and clip art I found online.

Here are a few photos of the day, hope you get some good tips and ideas for your own 'Party under construction!'

Trick or treat, smell my feet...

2011-10-06T19:09:00.000-04:00

Today was all things Halloween in our house. I had a little one home sick from school, she refused to lay on the couch and rest so she helped me decorate for Halloween. Halloween is probably one of my favorite holidays aside from Christmas. The costumes, candy and party food are amongst the best of all holidays. Okay, maybe behind Christmas and Thanksgiving.

This is the first year since we first moved into our house that we got 'decked out' for Halloween. We've done some decorations here and there throughout the years, but this year we've really outdone ourselves. I got lots of ideas from pinterest.com, like the pine cone wreath, the 'spooky' mobile, and the bat cutouts for the lampshades. I found lots of the decorations at Dollar Tree and had stuff from Michael's too.

Pine cone wreath idea from pinterest.com

The kids get a kick out of the 'kaboom witch'

Even Mr. Gnome had to get in on the action

A witch and her spider (thanks Mama Lori for the Halloween soap)

My Target clearance buy, less than $3

One of my faves, a mobile made from black construction paper.
No template available from pinterest.com so free handed instead.

Reminds me of 'Nightmare Before Christmas'

Another pinterest.com idea from Martha Stewart. Just drew, cut and taped bats
to the inside of our lampshades

Hope you enjoy what we've done and hope it gives you some inspiration to go 'spooky/cute' for your home this Halloween!

Renovation Realities, Part Deux...

2011-10-05T21:06:00.000-04:00

It's officially finished! I met my 2nd timeline of completing the bathroom project before Wednesday (originally I thought I'd have it finished on Sunday, boy was I wrong). I was finished with the painting this morning while my little guy played in big sis' room. Today was the fun day, it was the day of minimal painting, replacing yellowed switchplates (I hope they weren't supposed to be white), hanging a beautiful mirror, hanging towel hooks, and moving the bathroom stuff back to their home.

Here's the complete rundown of the bathroom renovation. Would I do it again? Definitely. Hope you enjoy the transformation as much as I do! I am completely in love with our new hall bathroom. Very reminiscent of 'craftsman' style or something you'd find in an older home (my dream is to own a beautiful, charming old house).

Before - hallway shot

Before - vanity side

Before - long wall side

1st step - remove all hardware and spackle/sand

2nd step - contact papered mirror and removed

Laid out wood strips for visual - then realized I needed to cut 5 inches to
get the height I wanted with the molding/trim

Almost finished with this wall

My beautiful new light fixture, $34 at Home Depot, with
freshly painted white walls

After - hallway shot, the shower curtain rod will be
much higher soon. I'm just afraid to ruin the paint!

After - hallway shot of vanity side

My craigslist mirror find $30, I had to spray paint it white

View of the long wall with the new towel hooks

Another view of the long wall through the mirror

I did everything myself from the measuring, cutting of wood, electrical (scary, I know), painting, hanging of mirror and hooks. There was never a time when I thought I wouldn't be able to do this. I had a vision of what I wanted this project to turn out and I'm happy to say that it's exactly what I hoped for. So ladies, don't think that you can't, because I did and look at this beautiful bathroom! I told my husband I loved it so much I wanted to sleep in the bathroom tonight. My 4 year old also thinks it's wonderful. It's her 'perfect princess bathroom.' Every little princess needs a princess bathroom right?

Renovation realities...

2011-10-02T22:23:00.000-04:00

I love to watch the DIY network, my favorite show is 'Renovation Realities.' It makes me laugh to see how people can go completely into a huge renovation project with really no idea of what needs to be done, how to do it, or how much it's going to cost or length of time to complete.

Well, I have officially changed my feelings about those people. I did my homework and had everything mapped out, I just hadn't factored in 'kid time.' Yesterday I started my own 'Renovation Reality' and I really thought it would only take me a weekend to complete our hall bath. Boy was I wrong! The hardest part of the whole darn thing was taking off the baseboards. The builders that made our house were not messing around with their nails. They were about 8 inches long and I had hoped to save the baseboards to reuse, but sad to say they weren't saved.

I'm also having an issue with paint bubbling in one spot. I peeled it and then spackled and sanded and then repainted, but now it's bubbling in another spot close to the first. Can you say FRUSTRATION? Ah well, I'll leave that for one of the last things I fix when it's all finished.

My to do list for the next few days: install new light fixture (been putting that off for fear of electrocution), paint and install mirror, miter cut a few more boards to finish the wall and baseboard, install new switch plates, patch and paint.

I really hope to be finished by Wednesday at the latest. I'd really love to start on Halloween costumes soon!

As they say on 'Renovation Realities,' episode TO BE CONTINUED!

Finished the 1st coat of paint on the lower walls tonight

A little sneak peek...

2011-09-30T10:59:00.002-04:00

So, my ottoman project has been put on the back burner because I'm super excited to finish our hall bathroom (aka 'The kids' bath'). Yesterday, I removed everything from the walls and spackled . The bathroom is in a shambles, but still usable.
Here are a few pictures of what it looked like before I started everything. Not too shabby, but not exactly 'perfect.' It's in the original shape from when we bought our house and we haven't changed anything about it. Later on down the road we'll replace the vanity, but it's not in my budget right now.

Before

Paint choices, we're going with the one on the left - Perfectly Teal

Craig's list find - $30, spray painting black or white

What I envision our walls to look like when finished
(courtesy of http://inmyownstyle.com/2011/07/bathroom-remodel-update.html)

That picture frame cost how much?

2011-09-29T21:05:00.000-04:00

Labor Day weekend, we were lucky enough to have our kid's pictures taken by my sister in law's brother. He recently started his photography business and was in town for the holiday. We went to the Hampton Roads Soccer Complex a few miles from our house and let the kids do their thing.
The weather was perfect for pictures, a little overcast. We let them run wild kicking the soccer balls, playing chase, digging in the sand pit, playing dress up, riding in the wagon and then ending everything with some lollipops. The results were AMAZING!

When Garry sent me the pictures, I had such a hard time choosing 3 or 4, so I had 10 photos printed. 10 photos usually means 10 frames and that = mega bucks. I remembered my favorite 'bargain shops' (aka Goodwill Store and Habitat Store) had picture frames. It didn't matter that I didn't like the color or the artwork in the frame, the idea was to find shapes and silhouettes I liked since I was going to spray paint them anyway. I scored 7 frames for less than $10, I'm still on the hunt for 3 more.

I was a little scared of painting the frames since I'd never done it before, but heck, if I can refinish side tables and dressers and desks, surely I can redo a few little frames. I can now see why people get addicted to spray painting stuff. It's fun and easy and cheap! So I lightly sanded and sprayed all the frames on newspaper out in the yard. A few hours of dry time and they were ready for pictures! I just had to add some hanger clips to the back and cut some paper for the matting.

4 frames from Goodwill - $6

Sand the frames lightly to remove the shine

Spray them lightly and evenly

Measure where you want the hanger

The finished product, excuse the bean bags

I didn't hang them level on purpose for the sheer fact that I didn't have a level on hand and I like the look of having the frames grow 'organically.' There is a little tweaking and straightening needed, but I'm very pleased with the final outcome.

Total cost breakdown: FRAMES 10 for $12, PICTURE HANGERS 2 for $2.50, SPRAY PAINT 1 for $5, PICTURES 10 for $14. Project total less than $35.

Let's make a deal...

2011-09-23T14:05:00.002-04:00

I love to find a good deal. I love to scour the aisles of thrift stores, antique shops and craigslist. Great deals of the day: 4 picture frames (all sizes 5x7 and larger), fitted wool blazer = $16 (Goodwill). Round mirror for the bathroom = $30 (craigslist).

The kids had their pictures taken by my sister in law's brother. GRG Photography in GA. He did an amazing job and I needed new frames for the photos. Off to Goodwill I went and scored 4 frames that will need to be sanded and painted for less than $2.50/frame. GREAT JOB!

I am making plans for redoing our hall bathroom and the mirrors I've wanted have been $60 and up. This mirror is exactly what I wanted minus the color. All together = <$40 for spray paint and mirror. AWESOME!

Now if I can find a vanity light fixture and a new vanity I will be one happy lady.

Things that make my heart thump, thump

2011-09-23T12:40:00.001-04:00

Today is the first day of Fall. It sure doesn't feel like it with the 80degree temps and humidity. Nonetheless, I begin my Fall decorating/crafts. But first, things that make my heart thump, thump on a regular basis:

While speaking with my 4yr old daughter I forget what something is called. I say, "I don't remember what it's called." She says, "It's okay Mommy, just sound it out."
My children love this pet store (Animal Jungle) and we've recently been making weekly trips to visit the animals. My almost 2yr old son says, "Amal Yungle Momma" when we pass the road that takes us there.
Feeling a sense of accomplishment when I finish a task or project. One that I love right now is finishing a row of crocheting this ridiculously large blanket for my little girl. It's very likely this blanket could become a king size bedspread.
The more 'awake' I am while carrying around my new camera. I'm constantly looking for the 'next thing' to photograph. Bugs, my kids, food, crafts.
Cooking and perfecting recipes. I've been a little obsessed with this Tyler Florence Sesame Chicken recipe lately. I think I've made it 4 or 5 times since I found it last month. Last night it was made brilliantly with a few tweaks. Who knew Worcester Sauce was a good substitute for Soy Sauce?
Coffee time with friends sans children. I love coffee time with friends AND children, but love it even more when the kids are at school and we get quality grown up time.
Consulting with my Dad about remodeling and carpentry. I'm far from the amazing craftsman he is, but I like to ask his advice and seek his knowledge.
Getting unexpected hugs and kisses from my little ones. Those little smiles are simply priceless.
Enjoying a Filipino style lunch with my Mom.
Random acts of kindness from friends and strangers.

Runner toe nails?

2011-09-22T10:20:00.003-04:00

My medal along with my medal from the Surf n Santa 10 miler

I am so proud of myself for finishing my first 1/2 marathon. I felt aches and pains for a few days after the race and was happy that I didn't lose any of my toe nails. I did notice a blood blister under two of my nails, but that's it. I took my nail polish off my toes this morning and my toe nails on my right foot look like a truck ran them over several times. They don't hurt and they don't look like they're going to fall off, but they look hideous! I guess I could compare it to a discolored tooth, it looks normal, but the color is a little off. My husband says I should stop complaining about them or stop running so it doesn't happen anymore. I won't stop running so I guess I just have to get used to them. It could be worse right? I could be missing those two awful looking toe nails.

Baby it's cold outside...

2011-09-21T14:18:00.001-04:00

Well, it feels like summer has officially left us. I love the crisp, cool weather that we're having right now. I do miss the mornings at the beach and afternoons at the pool, but I'll take living outside all day long any day. It's gorgeous without all the humidity!
With one kid in school and the other at home, what do I do while my little guy is napping? Aside from the regular house chores, that is. My list of projects, that's what I do for an hour or two during nap time and if I'm lucky after the kid's bedtime.

Storage ottoman, all the pieces are cut. Now it's just a matter of assembly, foam and fabric. Doesn't sound too hard right? If only I can find the perfect fabric. As for now, the project is at a stand still.

2. Rag wreaths, I love them. I finished one for Halloween/Fall and it took me all of about 5 hours to finish. Lots of fabric tearing and tying. My fingers were numb for a few days, but I can't wait to hang it on our door. I even had enough fabric left over to make a little one for inside the house.

http://www.google.com/reader/view/?hl=en&tab=wy#search/rag%20wreath/4

3. Pictures! My honey got me a new camera for our 10 year anniversary and I have been taking pictures every chance I get. The weekend's weather was not the best for photos, with all the wind and rain. This week is supposed to be perfect for photos so I'm sure I'll do lots of 'shooting.'

4. Crocheting, yes, I love crocheting. I have a huge bag of yarn that's been sitting around the house since Stella's birth that should have transformed itself into a blanket, but has failed to do so. I'm working on a Granny Stripe pattern and I found another bag of yard to make a blanket for my little guy too.

5. I really want to do 'faux' wainscoting/beadboarding in the hall bath. I have the paint, all I need is the lumber for the 'paneling' and the hardware for the towel hooks. Maybe my Dad can help me with this project. http://sassysanctuary.blogspot.com/2011/08/bathroom-is-done.html

Love this look, from 'Sassy Sanctuary'

So, there you have it folks, I'm a project kind of gal. Thanks to Pinterest, I will be a busy lady this fall/winter.

War of the Wings and Yuengling...

2011-09-10T21:23:00.000-04:00

Last night my hubby tells me he saw or heard something about a 'Wing fest' at one of the nearby farms. It definitely piqued my interest since I am a lover of chicken wings and beer. This morning he looked into it and Hunt Club Farms was having their 'War of the Wings' battle today. My parents had offered to take the kids and off we went to HCF.

Round one

It was a good thing we got there early. We breezed through the first 6 stands without much of a wait, found a nice picnic table to enjoy our wings and beer and then discussed how we liked or didn't like the wings. I really wasn't impressed with our first round of wings. I like my wings crispy and hard slathered in sauce. I am also a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to sauce. I prefer the traditional buffalo or mild sauce. Most of the wings seemed grilled and didn't have great flavor. We did round 2 along with round 2 of beers and it improved a little. The texture of the wings got better as did the flavors. We were both starting to feel the fullness of gobbling up these little wings, but trudged on to our last booths. I really liked 2 of the booths for their flavor and texture and couldn't wait to get my vote into the little box.

Saucy

The lines were starting to get super long and slow and I'm sure many of the booths were starting to run low on their wings. One of the first booths we stopped at (Thumbs) ran out of wings within the first 30 minutes. We returned almost an hour later and yet again, they were out. We waited and boy was I disappointed.

Last chance!

My top three picks for wings ended up being: Geared Up (mild), Lendy's (parmesan garlic), and Bailey's (parmesan garlic). It was a nice afternoon date with the hubby and not something we normally do. I think this will make it on our calendar for next year. Now I just have to wait and see who the winners were. Hopefully my picks will be close to the judges picks. As for my love of wings, I still love them, but I won't miss having some any time soon!

When I was 4...

2011-09-09T13:00:00.000-04:00

For those with children, do you ever think back to what life was like at your child's age? I was doing that today and thought about things I did at 4years old. Here's my list of favorites:

Wonder Woman was real - I truly believed if I spun around fast enough, I too would turn into WW.
Living in Illinois had it's perks - I remember my Dad testing the ice on the pond behind our apartment. If it was safe we'd skate in our cowboy boots.
I loved to wake up early and watch 'Bozo the Clown' with my Dad before he left for work.
One of my favorites smells to this day is Oil of Olay, I used to love to smell my Mom's face after she put that on.
The one time I had to sit in 'time out' in pre-school was horrible. I don't remember what I did, but it must've been bad because I had to sit in a 'box' that was that was outlined on the floor with tape. Those were the longest 4 minutes of my life!
I was convinced that when I grew up, Magnum P.I. was going to be my husband.
It felt awesome to run around the house in my undies, now I know why my kids love to do that sometimes sans undies/diaper.
Blowing bubbles with your gum was a true talent, getting your hair cut like your brother's because the bubble burst and engulfed your head in it was devastating. Note to self: when that happens to my children, slather on peanut butter or mayonnaise to get out the gum.
Tire swings were the best invention on the planet.
Julia Childs was one of my idols. She had her own tv show, she talked with a really cool/funny voice, she got to use neat utensils and was a great cook.

When else is it okay to eat cake in your undies at the table? Certainly not at 33years of age.

Good bye summer, see ya next year travelers!

2011-09-07T21:07:00.000-04:00

Who can find Dory first?

I love that we live so close to the ocean. I DON'T love that our beaches are over run by tourists in the summer. Yes, they bring millions of dollars to our city - but they also bring crowds to anything that is fun and family oriented. Take the Virginia Aquarium for instance, it's our refuge in the winter/spring months and every now and then we take a chance in the summer months. In the summer, forget about getting a turn at the touch tank or even having 'personal space.'

Bro, push the button

Today, we ventured to the Aquarium after school around 330pm. It closes at 5pm so I figured there wouldn't be a ton of people there. Vacations are over and kids are back at school. We normally hang out on the marsh side, but we changed it up and paid the ocean side a visit. Guess what? There was hardly anybody there! We practically had the place to ourselves! I loved that the kids could guide our way through the museum without keeping them at my feet the entire time! We saw everything we wanted and took our time at the Ray tank. Unfortunately, we didn't get to touch at the second tank because their filtration system wasn't working. The kids were so well behaved, they each earned a lollipop on our way out the door (thank goodness I have a stash in my purse). We watched the seals for a while and then headed home. We still had to deal with traffic, but that's another story.

He loves to 'Captain' the sub, do you see the shark?

Yes, we ride the dolphin every visit

Things I love, especially about today...

2011-09-06T22:13:00.002-04:00

Today was my little girl's 1st day of school. No hankies for this Mommy. Thank goodness I got crying out with last year's 1st day of school.

Just a couple of things I loved about today:

My sweet little girl was super excited about her 1st day of school - no fighting about getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing teeth, washing face. She carried her backpack and lunch bag, with no fuss, to the car.
After getting home from dropping her off at school, her little brother ran through the house saying, "Sissy, are you?" (where are you?). He was bummed she wasn't home, especially when he did something he was proud of. He likes to show off to her.
I got some one on one time with my little guy - playing trains, cars, feeding baby dolls, playing with Barbies. Yes, he loves his sister's dolls and I'm okay with that.
The house is much quieter - although, I missed hearing the giggling of the kids when they're together.
I loved that when picking up my little girl she was so caught up in a game with her classmates, she didn't even see me waiting for her. I got a glimpse into her little pre-school world.
I hear Stella walk up to her baby brother and say, "Bro, I love you" and then walk away before he can acknowledge her presence.
I loved to hear about her first day of school even if that meant she got a little frustrated and angry with my drill sergeant questioning.
Stella liked the fact that her brother missed her while she was at school and she wanted to hear every little tidbit detail of how he looked for her or called for her while she was at school.
I loved that both kids ate all their dinner with no problem and my little boy had 2nd helpings of mashed potato and 3rd helpings of meatloaf. Oh how I love to see that little guy eat.

I loved that my babies were in bed before 8pm and I actually got to zone out on the couch for a few hours.

Today was a day of newness for us all and it was great! I can't wait to see what this new school year brings for my little girl. I hope she keeps her excitement for school as she grows older. She was so excited to do homework tonight and was really bummed there wasn't any.

I'm officially a half marathoner!

2011-09-05T08:14:00.000-04:00

Me and Gina after the race, finishers!

Finally, after 4 months of training, it's over! The Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon training occupied many hours of my time, but was all worth it. Getting up at 430 in the morning is not how my usual Sunday routine goes. Catching the bus to the oceanfront, not usually in my routine either. 13.1 miles waiting to be run, right again, not in my usual Sunday routine. I was lucky enough to have 2 girl friends run it with me. We tried to run together for as long as we could, but eventually everyone ended up getting into their groove and separating.

Me and my babies

From mile 1-6 was fun, lots of singing and dancing and cheering. Then a little past the 6th mile, my i-pod goes berzerk and stops playing music. A little fiddling and still, no music. I gave it a little rest and thankfully it came back on a mile later. I could feel my body slow down at mile 8 and also started to get a really bad cramp. I really didn't want to walk at all during the race, but the cramp refused to go away as I tried to 'run it off,' so I did end up walking at the 9th mile. I sent my running partner to keep going, I wanted her to get a good time and not slow down because of me. The cramp wasn't completely gone, but I kept going and to my surprise saw one of my girlfriends cheering me on at mile 10. That was exactly what I needed to get pumped. 3 more miles was all that was left ahead of me.

Stella's shirt I made for race day

It was great to see all the spectators cheering for their friends and family, having the local community out to support the runners. It was amazing to see the wave of people running ahead of me. I started to get a little emotional after mile 11- I was filled with joy, pride, a sense of accomplishment that I was almost finished.

Bro's shirt I made for race day

Once I got to the boardwalk, I could faintly see the finish line ahead. I couldn't get there fast enough! I sprinted past many runners and finally did it, I finished! Walking through the crowds, I was looking for my friend and my family. Of course, I also scooped up all the freebies and snacks too.

We ended our journey with a beer from the beer tent and an icecream cone from Kohr Bro's. If only I could say the morning after a race like that was just as great. Sore muscles = slow moving. I almost forgot, my goal was to finish at 2hr20m, my final time was 2hr24m. I'm really proud of myself, it's a huge accomplishment for me, and I get to check it off 'my list.' Now, on to the next race?

I am a finisher!

Voila! C'est finis!

2011-08-23T14:27:00.013-04:00

And it's finished! All I need now are some drawer pulls for the desk! I'm pretty pleased with the way it turned out. Now, onto my next project. I'm going to build a storage ottoman for our tv room. I found some plywood pieces at my Habitat store and a shelf (for above the desk). I just need to find some good deals on foam and fabric and I'll be ready to roll! Or shall I say build? I love visiting the Habitat for Humanity store. I found my bedroom dresser there for a steal of a deal and love checking out their new inventory. Lately, I've been a little obsessed with their door selection. I don't need a new door, but I love thinking of new ways to use them.

Anyhow, I have my plywood in the garage and hopefully this weekend will be nice so I can atleast get the frame made. I've searched for some DIY plans and found a few so it should be a pretty uncomplicated project. We'll see! It would be nice to have a place to put your feet up on to watch tv. Especially after the kids go to bed, that's our 'quiet time.' This project will give me a warm up to the fabric headboard project. A girl's got to find something to do when the kids are in school or napping!

Did I mention that while I was putting the desk together we had an earthquake here in VA? 5.8 is what they said. Crazy!

My kind of fun...

2011-08-22T13:49:00.007-04:00

Well, the desk is finished (almost) and was moved into our bedroom last week. I've been working away on the mirror and it needs one last coat of paint before I move it into the house.
With that project almost complete I've been on craigslist to spot a find for a dresser (my hubby's), a nightstand (for me) and a chair (for the desk). No luck yet. Lots of beautiful antiques in need of some love and lots of great furniture for other areas of the home. I really would like to have our room finished before I try to tackle any other projects. I think I'll start on a fabric headboard for the bed next. I've seen tons of gorgeous ones with fat price tags on Pottery Barn, Williams Sonoma Home, and Restoration Hardware. While they're simply divine, I find it hard to pay so much money for a headboard. So, I've been doing my research on DIY fabric headboards and came across many other 'thrifty gals' such as myself that have made similar looking headboards. Here are a few that I love.

I know the 1st picture isn't of a fabric headboard, but I love the romantic feel of the room. The old, weathered doors are beautiful and nothing's 'matchey matchey.' It seems like every piece has a bit of history. Anyhow, a new Goodwill store opened down the street and I'll be making a trip in to see what kind of treasures I can find. There are also 2 stores in Franklin/Suffolk area I want to check out, maybe on a date with the hubby (he'll love it, NOT).

We had our first camping trip this weekend and it was so much fun! We went to Kiptopeke State Park on the Eastern Shore, Va. The kids made light sabers, we roasted hotdogs and marshmallows on an open wood fire, camped beneath the stars and swam in the Chesapeake Bay. My only complaint would be that other campers in our neck of the woods were not so quiet in the wee hours of the morning. Stella and I saw a toad in the woods as we walked back to our tent from the bathroom, I found a beautiful shell at the beach (that had a tenant living in it) that I had to send back to the water. We had a great time with our friends and have made plans for next year's visit. I can see why so many people fall in love with the Chesapeake Bay. The beach was nice and shallow, you could see through the water to the bottom and the water was very gentle. The kids loved playing in the water. The guys fished while the women tended to the children, funny huh? Just a few pictures from our trip.

95% finished with Project #3

2011-08-15T16:01:00.005-04:00

I completely finished sanding and painting the desk today. A big thanks to my Mom for keeping the little guys entertained this afternoon! I used the paint from our master bathroom and gave the desk a 'white wash/pickled' kind of look. I am in love with the look and can't wait to get it moved into our bedroom. All that's left is to find the perfect drawer pulls and then sand/finish the mirror. I've had lots of fun searching through etsy for some glass drawer pulls. I'd really love to find some vintage/antique pulls to go with it. Stella even gave me a hand with painting the drawer fronts, now she wants to paint her dresser! Here's the finished product after 4 days of work: