My Life...

A Year of Transformations...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Tue, 14 Jan 2014 19:43:00 +0000

Happy 2014 all!... Well that is, anyone who still reads this blog. It's amazing to think that it is already 2014. Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday my littles were really little. We are now entering the moody teenager stage and with two girls in the house, full on drama is the natural backdrop to everything in this house. It's seriously exhausting!

It seems like I've done so many things this year... I really do try to keep myself busy. And of course there is no greater thrill for me than transforming something from YUCK to WOW! The Sell/Swap sites on Facebook became my absolute favorite way to shop, and I have to admit that I managed to refurnish a large portion of our home simply by shopping from these sites. My husband was not too sure about the whole thing and was really not a fan of this table. He kept telling me if I got rid of it he would buy me a new table. MEN... they just don't get it! So I asked him if he wanted to spend $300 on a table or $20 on a table that would look A LOT more expensive when I was done with it. He of course favored the latter choice, and I have to say was pretty shocked when he came home to find the table transformed into this.

Here are some of my other transformations thanks to the wonderful invention of chalk paint and the Facebook Sell/Swap sites.

Transforming furniture was only the tip of the iceberg. I decided that 2013 was the year that I needed to start transforming and taking care of myself. This, I have to admit, has not been a priority for me. I was always more concerned with taking care of my husband and my girls and making sure that their needs were met. Unfortunately that meant that I was slowly falling into a pattern of feeling horrible all the time and just not having the energy to do anything ever. I have suffered from migraines all my life, and I had gotten to the point that I was having headaches at least 3-4 times a week. My husband was frustrated, I was frustrated, and my girls were frustrated. There is nothing worse than having your daughter's say, "Let me guess. You have another headache." But sadly that was my reality.

Admittedly, I was not doing anything to try and remedy the situation. I mean you can only take so much over the counter pain medication, but isn't that just really a bandaid. I had chalked it up to my migraines being hereditary and I would just always have to deal with them. But I never stopped to wonder just what was causing them. When my husband would tell me that I needed to change my eating habits, stop drinking my daily Sonic cokes, drink more water, exercise and I would feel better... I would get annoyed. I would try to do better, but after a few days I would give up and I would be back to feeling bad and I would give up. But I knew I had to do something. Being hispanic and having a family history of high blood pressure and knowing that diabetes is a very real problem when you're overweight was so scary to me. I DID NOT want to go down that path. So I knew I needed to do something fast.

Well, I started noticing these posts on Facebook that a friend was posting about her weight loss success. Of course at first I was not interested. I mean I have tried EVERYTHING and nothing had worked. But I just couldn't help but be amazed by her amazing progress. She had started this program after being told by her doctor that she needed to do something as she was Pre-diabetic, had high blood pressure, and her thyroid was not working. At the time of that post, she had been on it for 3 months and had lost 40 lbs. (To date she has lost 75 lbs.) So of course, my curiosity got the better of me and I contacted her to find out just what in the heck she was doing. She told me about Plexus, and about how easy it had been for her to lose the weight. Of course I was skeptical, but I thought, "what the heck... I'll give it a try for a couple of months and see what happens." I am so, so thankful that I did.

In a matter of days I felt a huge difference. I had more energy, I was sleeping better, my appetite had significantly changed and my cravings for all the C*R*A*P that I had been putting into my body were gone. I no longer wanted my daily Sonic route 44 coke... and I wasn't getting a headache from caffeine withdrawal. I seriously could not believe that by simply drinking this pink drink every day and taking a capsule (both of which are all natural) I was actually starting to feel better. And the most AMAZING part... my migraines were GONE! But would it continue? That would be the test. What would happen once the holidays would come around? Would I relapse and eat all the sweets and junk that are synonymous with the holidays, or would this will power and loss of appetite for junk continue? Well, for the first time in forever, I actually lost weight during the holidays instead of gaining. Call me SHOCKED! To date I've lost 24 lbs and 27 inches and honestly y'all, I haven't felt this good since I was in college. I haven't started exercising yet, but that is my goal for this month.

Here are my before and current pictures. I'm still losing and as much as I want to run out and buy some new Miss Me jeans, I don't want to have to give them away in a month because they don't fit anymore. So for now... I'll wait.

I decided I was going to scream it to the masses and tell everyone I knew how amazing Plexus is. I mean really... if you knew about something that could help people feel better, get healthy and oh yeah, as a side effect lose weight, wouldn't you want to tell everyone about it too? I can't tell you how many different things these products are helping people with.

Want some more information? Message me or leave a comment and I'll give you all the info I know. I'm an open book and just want everyone to be able to live a better life. Want to start your own transformation... I can help you with that as well.

My transformation has not been completed yet, but I am well on my way!

Deb

www.plexusslim.com/powerisinthepink

New Year... New Focus

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 22:51:00 +0000

Happy 2013!!! I have been noticeably absent from this blog, but with the new year comes a new focus. I have had several friends ask me if I have blogged about certain things I've done in my home, projects I've worked on or plan to work on, transformations, and honestly I just haven't had the inspiration in a while. But with a new year comes a new focus. The past few years I've spent a lot of time out of my home (working, volunteering, and just basically being distracted). I've realized that I love my home, and being in my home, and doing things to make my home a nice place for my family to be. So my focus for the new year is my home and all the "little pieces" that make up my home... family, cooking, decorating, organizing. I want this to be a place where I share my focus with you. So this blog is going to be revamped, and I'm hoping to be A LOT BETTER at sharing the process.

The organizing of my home, first had to begin with me. Over the past few years I have become a lot more forgetful about things. Appointments, meetings, lunches, practices, deadlines... as a mom running in different directions it's easy to forget things. And although I would get reminders on my phone, I'm just not very good at last minute reminders. I needed to be able to look at a whole month or a whole week and see jobs, or meetings SCREAMING out at me..."Hey don't forget you have the dentist on Tuesday afternoon.", "Hey girl, lunch on Friday with J", "HELLO... Yearbook purchasing deadline is FRIDAY!" Nothing more annoying to me that to see that I have scheduled a school meeting and a lunch with a long lost friend at the same time on the same day and have to cancel one at the last minute.

So my search for a good planner began. I tried making my own with the Martha Stewart line of items at Staples, but that big ole binder just was too big for my purse... and I carry a big purse. I needed something more compact, but I also needed more room to write. Sounds like an oxymoron right? I knew there had to be something that would work for me and after searching, I finally found it.

ErinCondren.com has a wonderful product called a Life planner. Have you heard of these? If you haven't and you need to get yourself organized you have got to get one of these.

Each Lifeplanner is totally customized just for you. They have lots of different cover designs to choose from or you can even add pictures of your family to your cover. I decided I wanted something fun and neutral so I chose a gray and white print.

What I really loved about this planner is that you have tons of room to literally plan out your life on a day to day basis. I needed room to write... a lot of room. I don't know what your calendar looks like, but it is not out of the ordinary to have 3, 4, 5, 6 different things going on in one day. Well, how the heck are you suppose to write all of that on one little square? And on the other hand, I didn't need a whole page for just one day. This is the best of both worlds. At the beginning of each month you are given a monthly view calendar, and then you are given a weekly view calendar. The best part is that each day is broken up into morning, day and night. You also have a goal and to do area for each week. Great way to keep you organized and focused on what you need to get done.

Of course you have a note taking area, and a little plastic pocket to keep your pen, receipts, business cards, etc. Plus you get some lovely stickers to use for birthdays, doctor appointments, no school, etc.

One of the ways I keep all the appointments organized is by color coding the planner. Every member of the family has their own color marker that I use. This really helps me see what's coming up for each person. I also LOVE using Washi tape to highlight certain days or weeks at a time. I got this one at Target in their office supply area.

Goal: Organize my daily life... Completed!

New blog...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 22:06:00 +0000

A while back I posted about how I get bored pretty easily. Well it's happened again, only this time it's a good thing. I have started a new blog where I focus on my redo's, home decorating and crafts. If you follow me, I'd love for you to join me over at What in the Craft. I'll be posting some fun things for back to school in the next couple of days, so go and check it out. Hope you like it!

It's the end of the year as we know it...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Tue, 10 May 2011 19:25:00 +0000

Wow, how did that happen? We only have 18 more days of school. That's crazy! I have to admit that I am a little ready to be without a crazy schedule for a while. For the moment we are in hyperdrive. Tons of things going on this month, and it's a little stressful. So I am trying to find some easy things to do for the teachers to show them how thankful we are for everything they have done for us all year. Having been a teacher, I tend to go a little overboard sometimes because I know what a hard job it is.

So here are some ideas for some little "thank you's" you can give your teachers. Easy and inexpensive.

We made these for our teachers last year. You can never have enough pencils in the classroom.

Super simple... a glass candle holder from Target, about 4 packs of pencils, and vinyl letters (I used my Cricut to cut it all out). A little advice... sharpen the pencils before you give your teacher the gift. She'll love you forever.

I actually made these for our teachers for Valentine's day this year.

I bought some cute little containers at HomeGoods. Some were plain white and I added some red x's and o's, and then I found some red and white ramekins and a white, heart shaped container. I used these as cupcake containers and baked red velvet cake in each one. I then iced them and packaged them with a spoon in a cellophane bag for each teacher. They loved it!!

Then there are those fun, and super cute duck tape pens that the kids are making. My girls wanted to try to make them, but in the end... it was I that made them. Every day they were coming home saying... so and so wants one and so and so wants one. Well, they teachers also thought they were cute. So these pens with those super cute note pad stacks from HobLob would be a cute little gift for those teachers who like a little bling.

I've got some other ideas brewing... just need the time to put them together. With only 18 more days left... I better get a move on.

*ciao*
deb

A Valentine Pillow... my way

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 19:37:00 +0000

We seriously had a hard weather week last week. We were iced in... and snowed in... and we really need to get out of here. Don't get me wrong, I love being at home, but seriously - we were going on our 4th day of being at home and not because we wanted to. We just weren't brave enough or maybe it's crazy enough to venture out on those crazy streets out there. Although the crazy was starting to set in at one point, and if we were forced to stay in another day we would have had to have found us a sled and some dogs somewhere.

I wish I could say I was super productive and cleaned my house from top to bottom and was just super crafty... but I wasn't. I spent WAY too much time on a little site called Facebook. Have you heard of it?? It's evil. Too bad Zuckerberg doesn't make money based on how much time people spend on Facebook, because he would be so much richer than he already is I tell you. (The Junie B. Jones hasn't worn off yet... sorry!)

Anyway, I figured that since I was at home I should at least attempt to do something creative. Hmm, what to do, what to do... when you can't run to Hobby Lobby because you might get stranded and the hubster would so not be happy about that.

Once again I was forced to use what I had on hand. I'm starting to realize that I have a lot on hand.

I used this...

and this...

and a template from this blog...

Then I used this...

and cut off this...

to make this...

and in the end I had made this....

I love it!! And it looks so pretty on my chair. I loved it so much that I had a little drawing on my FB page and gave one away. So now I'm thinking I need to make some more of these for other parts of my house...

I'm linked over at the Tip Junkie's Tip Me Tuesday party...

*ciao*
Deb

A gift for a friend...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 03:46:00 +0000

So often I see things in boutiques that I really, REALLY like, and I think, "I can totally make that." Then I think, "But will I make it?" and then I see the price and I know I will totally make it. This was one of those times. I recently saw some super cute frames with crosses in them. Of course this was during Neath the Wreath and I'm totally not shopping for myself, so I put it into my mental "I Can Do That" folder, and move on. So I've been collecting frames, and crosses and ribbon and... well if you could see my craft room you'd see I'm collecting a lot of stuff for future projects.

So a good friend of mine was having a birthday, and I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to make one of these super cute frames. I started out with a nice black frame.

Then I covered the glass with some cheetah fabric I had left over from my Christmas tree skirt I made this year.

I then forgot to take pictures of the next two steps. I hate when I do that. So you'll just have to imagine it. I made a double layered bow out of some pretty brownish ribbon that I had and I hot glued it to the top of the frame. Then I hot glued two different crosses to the center of the frame. I love this layered look. And if you have a good imagination, this is what you get...

Okay, now I have to make one for myself!

A little Vday love...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Sat, 22 Jan 2011 15:31:00 +0000

I have been so super busy the past month and really just haven't been all that crafty. Subbing for a first grade class will do that to you. So when you get that sudden "craft itch"... well, you've gotta scratch it. (Does that sound inappropriate... oh well)

So earlier this week, I noticed that my house just wasn't feeling so festive. I mean Vday is just around the corner for God sakes, and I didn't have a heart in sight. February is my birthday month, and I want to be surrounded by fun and beauty I tell you. (I've been reading a lot of Junie B. Jones this month, so "I tell you" has suddenly become part of my vocabulary. Go figure I would actually pick up something.) Well in an attempt to add some love to my house, I set out to make something with what I had on hand. The thought of going to Hobby Lobby at the end of the day with two very tired little ones, dinner to make and papers to grade was just honestly too much for me to attempt. So I searched and moved, and emptied and, well just basically made a huge mess of my craft room. But in the end I found what I needed and what I thought would work. I can honestly say, I am super proud of what came from the mess of a craft room. Who knew that MDF, scrapbook paper, modge podge and furniture tacks could look so cute?

Hmmm, well now I'm thinking there must be something else in that huge stash of stuff I can use to spread even more love. So guess what I'm doing today??

I'm linked to these parties...

A Fun and Easy Tassel Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 00:04:00 +0000

Little things make me happy. Yummy smelling candles, blingy jeans, Sonic ice, my kids putting their dishes in the sink. Really it's the simple things... and I do love me some easy to do crafts. So I thought I would put up a tutorial for those who want to make their own tassels so you could see they are really pretty stinkin' easy to make.

First, you need an ornament with a flat base. Really... it doesn't even have to be an ornament. It could be a small snow globe, a cute knob, just as long as it's flat on the bottom. So for this tutorial, I went to Target to find this super cute Santa that my friend Julianne used for her tassel.

and you need one of these little wood things... they are called candle cups, although really I've never seen these used for candles.

You glue the candle cup to the bottom of your ornament.

Next you find fun ribbon that coordinates with your ornament. If you're like me, you have lots and lots and lots of ribbon (don't tell my husband). So find yourself some cute ribbon and start making loops. I can't really give you a length since really it depends on your personal preference how puffy you want them.

Then you start hot gluing them to the candle cup in rows starting from the bottom and working your way toward the ornament.

Then you just continue to layer the ribbons until you make it to the top of the candle cup.

Once you're done with that, then you add some kind of trim or a fun boa to cover up the ends of the ribbon... and it makes it super fun too. You can also add some to the inside of the candle cup just to finish it off. You could also add cut ribbon or fringe to the bottom to lengthen it.

And voila! You're done and you have a fun, cute and unique tassel. These would make cute gifts don't you think??

Make sure you send me photos of what you create. I'd love to see them!

I'm also linked to this party...

*ciao
Deb

Craft Day Tuesday - The Christmas Edition

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 22:18:00 +0000

I love crafting with friends... it just makes it so much more fun. And oh, the conversations we have... WOW!! Laughs, crafts, and a few glue gun burns later we have some "SUPER FUN" Christmas crafts to show off.

First the tassels...

And then a super cute sign and glass block...

We are definitely feeling festive and crafty today. Still have a couple of other little crafts we are working on. I'll be posting those tomorrow. So make sure you check back!!

*Ciao
Deb

I get bored... easily

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Sat, 20 Nov 2010 01:32:00 +0000

Wow, has it really been 8 months since I last blogged?? How embarrassing! No really, that is totally embarrassing. It makes me feel like a total slacker, which I haven't been, but really I feel like one. I've actually been quite productive here at home, and have been working a TON. I have to admit that I misplaced my creative "wild hair" for a bit, but lately it has somehow found it's way back. There are several little and big projects I've worked on over the last few months and I'll be showing them here and there.

First up... my dining room chairs. I really love my dining room, and I guess at some point in the past I really loved the chairs as well, but that time is long, long gone. I have a tendency to get bored with things quickly... and my hubby knows when it's happening. I apparently get this look in my eyes. Well, actually it's more like my eyes start looking at things in a way that says, "hmmm, how hard will it be to change things around?" This means trouble for my hubby cause he knows he will somehow be involved. Well, I left him out of this one.

So here was my dining room chair.

It was fine, but I just wasn't loving the fabric on the seat anymore. A little dated, and way too light when you have kids. I wanted something that reflected us a little better.

So I found a fun fabric and recovered the chairs ( which took me way longer than it should have but at least it's done ) and tada...

Sooo much better, and I'm not so paranoid about eating in my dining room anymore.

-ciao
deb

Cricut madness...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:45:00 +0000

You know sometimes there are fun products that you see and you think they would be fun to use, but then you kind of outgrow them and they just sit gathering dust. I have several of these (ssshh don't tell). A couple of years ago I got a Cricut machine... that would be back when I was BIG into scrapbooking (note to self... get some scrapbooking done!) I have to admit, I have used it more for my kids school projects than I have for my scrap books. They've had some super cute projects! I think this is the best, best product I've ever purchased. Lately I've been using it to organize. Organize? Yes organize.

I found these fun bottles at IKEA for my oils and vinegars. Super cheap... like $3. But I wanted them to look pretty, and whenever anyone else was cooking in my kitchen, they didn't know what was what. So I labeled them using my Cricut vinyl, and voila, instant cuteness.

Then I did the same thing to some simple oil and vinegar jars I have next to my stove...

Then I moved on to my storage containers in the pantry.

And finally some glass soap containers I found at Target for the kitchen.

Can you tell I've gone a little label crazy?

Where have I been...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 16:56:00 +0000

As much as I wish I was better at blogging I'm just not lately. I think about what I will post and I get started and then am easily distracted. I seriously think I need ADD meds or something. I just have so much trouble getting things accomplished sometimes and it is soooo frustrating. I have gotten some things done over the past few months... some little and some big. Some for me, and some for others...

My friend Alexa bought a beeeaaauuutiful house a few months ago and asked me to help her with the decorating and drapes. It is an ongoing process but here are some drapes I made for her.

These are the drapes for her living room. Beautiful fabric.

These are in her dining room. These medalions were found at HobLob for like $2.50 on sale. They are fabulous!

Then here and there I've done a few things at my house. Nothing too major.

Some fun and inexpensive candle bling...

And finally, after seeing this post on Shanty2Chic, I had to try it out. A set of 3 canisters for about $17. Super fun and different.

I love them. They are so fun, and since the lids are screw tops, the food inside doesn't get stale.

So now that I am back to blogging I am thinking of all these other things that I want to post about. Hmmm... what to post next???

Best of intentions...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 01:26:00 +0000

I'm sorry, my poor, neglected blog... I really am. I meant to post all these wonderful projects, that I've done, or seen, and gush about what I am planning to work on. I really did plan on it... and then life took over again. And let me tell you, when it rains it pours. Kind of feels like that movie, Armagedon, when all the people in New York are dodging the pieces of the meteor that are falling from the sky. Lately it seems like so many people in my life are dodging meteors, and unfortunately some are being nicked.

I honestly believe that God never gives you more than you can handle, and that there is a reason for all that he allows to happen. But sometimes, you have to ask... SERIOUSLY?? I have friends going through life changing, life altering situations, that I, unfortunately can relate to. I have another friend whose daughter was found to have a serious medical condition right before Christmas. My hubby, is once again dealing with severe back and leg pain... a result of disc issues. We are counting the days until he is able to hopefully get it surgically corrected so that he can have some relief from the pain.

Then there is my brother in law... J. He was rushed to surgery right before Thanksgiving with an aneurysm on his kidney, which is apparently not a normal thing for a young, healthy man. They, thankfully saved his life, but were unable to save the kidney. His recovery has been slow, and steady and up until yesterday we thought all was well. Unfortunately, something showed up on the MRI and it looks as if there may be another one in his brain. So as I said, sometimes I just ask... SERIOUSLY??? I hate feeling useless. I hate not having some answers, so that a solution can be found. A plan of action. But sometimes, you just have to throw your hands up and say, "Okay, I know there's a reason, but please could you let me in on it? Please?"

So for now, I pray. I pray for strength for my friends and their families. So that they can get through these horrible times that they are in now, and they can be stronger and happier once the clouds let the sun shine on them again. I pray for my friend's daughter, that this condition not hinder her in any way, and that she can once again be a happy, healthy child. I pray for my friend so that she can some day start to relax again, and let go of some of the fear that envelops her right now. I pray for my husband, so that the pain he is dealing with now disappears and he can once again do the things that he enjoys. I pray for my brother in law so that whatever he has, can be treated and he can recover fully. And I pray for strength for my sister. That she can find comfort in knowing that prayers are being sent their way, and that the power of prayer is great.

So my dear bloggie, please forgive me for neglecting you. Sometimes, we just have to prioritize the things in our lives that are important, and need our attention a little more. I promise I'll get crafty again, hopefully real soon. Am I forgiven??

Coming soon...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:41:00 +0000

I've been MIA for a long time. Living life, stressing out over things that really aren't that important, and really not being as creative as I love to be. Well, I got my creative juices going again and I have been doing some creative things the past few months. So I will be posting some pics of what I have been up to... this afternoon. Running around a bit, but just thought I would post quickly. I've missed blogging and missed you. So I'll have some fun things to share later today.

Cya,
Deb

My try at burlap

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 22:53:00 +0000

When I think of burlap, I've always pictured fall decorations (scarecrows, pumpkins, etc.) I never really considered it as a decorator fabric until a few years ago. A friend of mine needed a window treatment for her son's room. To go along with the fishing theme, I used burlap to cover a cornice board, then attached a fish net from HobLob and some random fish thingies from the tackle box to it. It looked great. To carry the theme in the room, I also made a burlap dust ruffle for his bed. Super, super cute!!

Fast foward to our laundry room. Our laundry room is... well large... which is nice, but the room does double duty as an exercise room, which means I had to really think about the decor in there. I had to make the room somewhat masculine since my hubby is in there so much. So I started by painting the room a medium camel color, which is sooooo much better than the dirty white that was in there before. At least now I want to do the laundry.

As for the windows, I needed to make a valance of some kind so as not to have them ripped down with the weights. BINGO!! I opted for a yard and half of burlap which set me back a whole $4.78. Wow, talk about breaking the bank. Having sewn burlap before, I didn't want to have my "mistreatment" curling up on me, so... I glued it. Have I ever mentioned that I love my glue gun.

Anyway, I folded my burlap in half ... longways, and cut at an angle to make a pointed end. Then I cut two strips of another fabric and glued it to the ends all the way around. I made a pocket at the top to slide the repurposed and newly spray painted rod through. Have I mentioned I love spray paint?

The result, a pretty, but masculine window valance that didn't break the bank.

With the extra burlap, I decided to recover a bulletin board I had made that just didn't thrill me. Then I hung it from a rod iron scroll. Love the new look of the laundry room.

I plan to make a cushion for the two boxes below the hanging rack where the girls can sit and put their shoes on. I'm still thinking I need to find something else for that though. I'm thinking maybe a narrow coffee table converted into a bench. I may have to make a trip to Salvation Army once school starts again.

I just love cheap redos.

Have a great day. Stay cool... it's HOT outside!!

*ciao*
deb

New background...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:39:00 +0000

As you can see, i changed it again. I get bored and I like to change things up a bit. Anyway, I took some pictures of my try at burlap. I'll be posting them in a bit. Easy, inexpensive and fun. See you in a bit.

Basic pillow case TRANSFORMATION...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:30:00 +0000

I'm frugal... there I've said it. I don't like to spend a lot of money on things, and I have to admit that getting things for a steal, OR being able to make something that looks great for next to no money is a tremendous high for me. Seriously, although I've never done drugs, I don't think I could get this kind of high from that. So I have been looking at pillows for my bed. Nothing too fancy, because lets face it, the fancier the more expensive the pillow. So I thought about just making them myself, but then I thought... nah! Well while strolling through Tarjet(otherwise known as Target)I found some cute, chocolate brown, basic pillow cases. I loved the design on the edge and figured they would work out quite well for a transformation.

Then I cut off the decorative end...

and moved it to the center of the pillow case.

Then I stitched into place, but feel free to use fabric glue. It's all good.

And VOILA, instant throw pillow for a fraction of the cost. And what did I use to stuff my pillows? Regular king size pillows that we recently decided not to use anymore... to flat. Frugal I'm telling you! If you try this send me a link, I'd love to see what you've done.

On another note, I recently acquired a FANTASTIC piece of art for my bedroom for $15. Are you ready..... ready..... ready...ready???? Okay....GO!

Yes you heard it right 15 smackers. My sister lives, or rather lived next to an interior decorator who was in the process of moving. She was having a fantastic garage sale and was getting rid of all kinds of treasures. So my sister calls and describes this to me, and to be totally honest I couldn't quite picture what she was saying, but I heard "really large frame" and I was in. I figured if it didn't work, I could always transform it into something that would. Well after I walked into her house, and picked my jaw up off the floor, I was super, super excited that it was going to work out PERFECTLY!! And why was it so cheap? Her hubby dropped it while unloading it from her car right after the purchase. She was never able to use it in the client's home. Score for me. There is a little crack in the glass that you really can't see, and the frame is a little separated, but hey, I can live with that. What do you think?

Okay, I'm off to go find some other things to transform in my house. I'm getting the bug again.

*ciao*
deb

How to make an inexpensive tote look "FABULOUS!!"

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:50:00 +0000

Tori has a habit of asking me, "Mama, do I look FABULOUS?" She's got a whole lot of attitude in that little body of hers. So the other day, I found these denim totes at HobLob for 50% off which made them $2 each. I thought they would looks super "FABULOUS" if we just added some fun fabric to them. Luckily, I had some left over scraps from a previous project left over that would be perfect. Well as usual, my wheels start turning and I end up doing much more than I intended, but in the end... they are "FABULOUS!!!" What do you think??

So I start with this... plain Jane denim tote.

Then I found a "peace" symbol online and cut and pasted in into a Word document.

Printed it and cut it out. Then I traced it onto the fabric and cut it out...(sorry I didn't take a picture of that.)

Then I glued it (yes glued since I didn't have any of that sticky iron on stuff that you put on fabrics). But I did use fabric glue, so at least I wasn't totally off the wall with that. Anyway, back to my story, I glued and then stitched the "peace sign" on the bag.

Then because everything is so much more "FABULOUS" when it is blinged out even more, and because I just can't stop at mere cuteness, I decided to go on and do the inside too. So I measured (professional seamstresses turn away from the monitor and cover your eyes... I am about to do something that may make you spit!) This is my way of measuring... I put the bag on top of the fabric and just eyed it.

Then I added in some pockets for water bottles, crayons, stuff...

I then sewed up the side that was open and the bottom and made a little pouch, that then slips into the tote like this...

Then you pin the inside pouch to the outside tote (again, you seamstresses out there, just close your eyes and save yourself the frustration. I know, I know, just breathe in and breathe out!)

oh, and one more thing... don't forget to change out your bobbin thread (is that what the bottom circle thing is called? I forgot and had to go back and remove all the "white" thread that was showing on my denim bag... aaahhhh!!! So yeah, don't forget to do that.

Then you sew, sew, sew and in the end you have a fun tote that is lined with fun fabric...

and a little girl who thinks it looks "FABULOUS!!"

My girls like their bags so much, and Bella is even asking if she can use it as her back pack this year. Guess I saved myself some bucks with that one.

Have a great afternoon.

*ciao*
deb

GW store redo...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:28:00 +0000

(Okay, I'm editing this... just pretend that this was posted on Thursday... originally, as this will be part of my Thrift Store Thursday post. More thrift store pictures to follow. For more fun Thrift Store Thursday ideas visit Homebody.)

I often find things at my local GW, and don't know what I will do with it, but know that they have potential. My hubby sometimes thinks I'm collecting junk, but I assure you... it all has a purpose. So a while back, my sister and I went thrifting. She has lots of really good thrift stores by her (I'm super jealous) and I found lots of treasures. Well my pile of "potentials" has been growing and low and behold I found some mojo this morning to do something with some of my pile. My poor master bath has been in need of some beautification and I thought this was the perfect thing for it.

Notice the pretty print. I'm sure someone thought this print was pretty at some point. I'm sure some people still have it hanging in their homes and it may totally work with what they have going on. But quite honestly, it just didn't fluff my feathers. So I redid it. I used this...

and some of this...

then added this...

and finally came up with this.

What do you think? And all it cost me was $4 for the frame. I had the cross, and the scrapbook paper, plus the glues, so this was a relatively pain free project for my husband. "Don't spend" he says... so I didn't. I'm feeling more projects for that bathroom now...

Have a great evening.
*ciao*
deb

Keeping my sanity during the summer...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 01:08:00 +0000

Okay, I have a confession...I love my girls...but sometimes they can make me crazy. I mean really, is it necessary to take out every blanket we own to lie down on the floor for a movie night (during the day)? Especially since I'm the one who will end up folding them. Is it sooo hard to remember to keep the food and drink in the kitchen... believe me red koolaid does not come out of carpets! How many times do I need to ask them to put the clothes away that have been sitting in the laundry baskets at the foot of their beds? I realize now that my mom was not bitchy as I was growing up, she was just tired. Tired of repeating herself. I have honestly considered buying a tape recorder so that I can just replay the last thing I said to them, because frankly, it is just too exhausting to say it over and over. So what to do, what to do?

I decided that I needed them to understand the importance of doing their part in the house while at the same time feeling the burn of being penalized for their selective hearing habit. So after looking on the internet and visiting several blogs, I came up with our chore charts.

I designed them and then printed them out on magnetic paper which you can find at Staples, HobLob, etc. I then typed out and printed on magnet paper a list of chores... some they do everyday, and some they can draw for (two bigger ones a week). I also printed out some happy faces in three different colors. The yellow mean they did everything correctly without having to be told. The green mean the chore was done, but not done exactly right, and the red mean it either wasn't done, or in the case of "whining", we just had too much of it today. Basically with that one, it is a three strikes you're out kind of thing.

The results, well I have to say it has been rather quiet in our house lately... which with our girls means a whole lot less drama. They are really interested in how much they are earning for their chores, and are careful not to get fined. In addition to "earning" for doing their chores, they are also "fined" for breaking rules. (hitting, fighting, being disrespectful, taking food out of the kitchen, tattling, making us repeat ourselves, etc.) They aren't earning a huge amount for doing their chores... in all honesty I really low balled it, but that isn't the objective. At their age it isn't about making a huge amount, it is the fact that they are earning it. So if in the course of a day they do everything perfectly, they could earn $.50, but if they fight then they have to pay $.25 each. I explained to them that if mommy decides not to follow the speed limit, then I have to pay a fine, so they will have to do the same if they choose to break a house rule. So far, so good.

Oh, one more thing. We also have a "Help Wanted" list. These are some extra chores that they can choose to do... or not, but if they choose to do them, they can earn extra happy faces, which means extra money. Of course my little Tori decided that she didn't need to do that, but I'm sure when she sees that it is taking her a looooonnnnggg time to save up money for whatever she may want, that will change quickly. Anyway, these chores are changed out weekly depending on what I don't want to do that week. Man, I can hardly wait for them to be old enough to iron... I hate ironing.

I'm hoping that the enthusiasm for this will continue throughout the summer... REALLY hoping!! I'll let you know.

Okay, I'm off to cuddle with my hubby. Have a great evening.

*ciao*
deb

Now that school is over...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 23:17:00 +0000

So now that school is over, I can show the rest of the teacher gifts I made. They were a hit, and from what I heard would be a money maker if I make them and take them to the school. What do you think??

So I have been collecting sayings for these projects, as well as some other little ideas I have. I'll be working on these this summer so that I will have enough to take to the school in late September. I will be taking custom orders as well. I'm super excited about this. I love being creative and being able to make money from it. What do you all think?

Okay, I'm off to watch a movie with the girls. Have a great day.

*ciao*
deb

What does summer look like?

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 14:22:00 +0000

Lately, it's looked like this...

We got a whopper storm last night, which totally took me by surprise. My mom called to ask me how the weather was, because they had heard in San Antonio that we were getting some monster storms and were under tornado warnings... where do you think I get my weather obsession from? I was totally oblivious to what was going on outside. So I check the weather and turn on the weather radio, and then the sirens start to go off. They must off gone off and on for about 45 minutes. Poor Belle kept saying,"Mom, it's June! This isn't suppose to happen in June! Just in April and May." I wish that was true. There were a couple that touched down but luckily not terribly close to us. There is still rumbling as I type, so picture me sandwiched by two little ones with covers over them... not that it is cold, but blankets tend to make them feel safer when they're nervous. I never thought about that, but I guess it's true.

Speaking of nervous reactions... the girls had their first swim lesson yesterday. They did great and were so excited about it... afterward. Before we got there, Tori starts to tell me,"Mom, I have to fart." HUH? WHAT? Why did I need to know that? I'm a little shocked as I turn to ask what and why. She tells me again, very matter of fact, "I need to fart." So I ask why, and she proceeds to inform me that when she gets nervous she farts. Okay... so in my warped mind I start to imagine her embarrassment when she goes out on her first date. Can you imagine the sound effects that will be going on? Or when she is walking down the aisle? I know, not very nice, but seriously you have to wonder. Luckily for Belle and I, her nervousness ended quickly. Thank goodness I just put a new air freshener in my car.

Anyway, back to what I was going to say before I got sidetracked, so what does summer look like when it isn't threatening to storm with destructive winds? Well, something like this...

As I sit here typing, the girls are in their bathing suits counting down the minutes until swim lessons. I keep telling them that they have 4 1/2 hours to wait, but they insist on staying in the suits all day. They may decide to change when they have to undress every time they have to go to the bathroom. Or not. I really hope for them that these storms don't hang around all day. How much would that suck? Bathing suits and no pool weather available. Ahhh, could be a long day.

Okay, I'm off to finish folding clothes and cleaning out closets... fun, fun!!

*ciao*
deb

Projects and OMG!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 02:59:00 +0000

Okay, so I've been working on some projects for my daughter's teachers. I can't show all of them, since some of them actually read my blog, but I can show you these.

And then I have to share this... I'm still moping up the drool off my desk (just kidding) but seriously, how can you not drool at this?

November just can't come fast enough.

We've been dealing with asthma for over a week here, and it looks like my little one may finally be over the hump. I am so ready for summer, no more temperature fluctuations, and more time to get things done. Just a few more days and then the projects will begin. I'm even thinking I may get some scrapbooking done. We'll see.

Okay, I'm off to bed. Have a good evening.
*ciao*
deb

Sometimes life just happens...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Mon, 25 May 2009 21:32:00 +0000

Warning: Lots of updating and pictures...

I have no good excuse for my long absence from the blogging world except that I have been busy with life. Home, work (subbing), volunteering (almost done with school newsletter duties for the year... YEAH!!), family (baby sitting my lovely nieces), my girls, my husband. It feels like there just isn't enough time in the day to get it all done, and at the end of the day... I'm exhausted. I feel guilty because I have let things fall by the waist side, but I just couldn't catch up.

So first of all... I am so excited to announce that my sister had her baby last month. Beautiful Lyla Grace is the newest addition to our family and she is just precious.

I love that I can go and love on her for a while and enjoy and relive the "baby stage" again, and then I can go home and miss all the 2AM feedings that come with that stage. (Love ya sister!!) So I have been making the trip to my sister's house, which thank goodness is much faster now that the new tollway is open, at least once a week. Lots of bonding going on.

Then April brought along First Holy Communion time. Family, food, worship. It was a good time. My mother in law made menudo (you have to be hispanic to truly appreciate it, but I won't be telling you what's in it cause I wouldn't want any funny looks coming my way) and a beautiful cake. Belle looked beautiful in her dress. Her only prerequisites... the dress couldn't be puffy and no veil. Luckily I was able to find a "not too puffy" dress for her and created a really pretty pearl headband that worked. Then the morning of the mass, she tells me,"Mom I think I changed my mind. I do want a veil." (I roll my eyes) Too late now!!

We've been getting ready for the end of the year(YEAH!!! 9 days left), which means field trips, teacher gifts, etc. Luckily it's been beautiful here. Really unseasonable temperatures (high 60's to mid 80's), and lots of rain has made everything green and beautiful. This, unfortunately has been the reason for lots of asthma in our family. So Belle wasn't able to enjoy her last field trip of the year. Not to worry, Mommy took her on a little field trip of our own, which was even better. I did get to go with Tori on her's though which was super fun. I did feel like I had just climbed a mountain at the end. Wrangling kindergarteners is exhausting.

Inventive idea!!!... wanna make some big cash, develop a vacuum cleaner in the shape of a plow and you will make lots of money. If I could get my girls to push that vacuum the way Tori pushed this plow, I would totally buy it. Why is it that I can't get her to pick up her clothes or toys, much less vacuum, YET... pushing around a plow in a garden is just the best thing ever??? WHY is that??

We also had talent show this month. The girls and their friends practiced and practiced. Tori was especially excited when we told her she would get to perform with the big girls. Can you say HAM?? Seriously people, she will be winning some kind of performance award someday. I tend to think, daily I might add, that that award will be in the form of an Academy with the amount of drama she displays. Anyway, here are my girls, the 2nd and 3rd from the left during the performance...

Dreamgirls @ Yahoo! Video

At the end of the performance, during the two and a half hours they were sitting there... no I am not kidding, Tori comes up and says,"Mama, next year, I think I want to sing... by myself... and I want to choose the song. Or maaayyybbee, I'll make up a song to sing." Oh no, she's gotten a taste of success and is now hooked.

And this month, we splurged big time!! First we got this... FINALLY!!

I love it. It makes the backyard look so pretty. We are still trying to decide if we are going to paint it to look like wood. Alex originally wanted the door to be wood, but I found a much better way to spend the LOTS of money that would have cost.

Don't you think this...

and this...

is a much better way to use that money? We finally got some new cars. Yes cars. With the crazy good deals out there right now, we just had to take advantage. Unfortunately, many people are losing their jobs because so many dealerships are shutting down. If you are being affected by that, I am so, so sorry. It truly just sucks. Anyway, we figured after 11 years with my car and 16 years with Alex's, it was a good time to get some new vehicles. So now you will find me parking way out at the end of the parking lot where no one else parks, and driving much slower than I normally do. Very strange for me.

As for my house projects... well there haven't been any. Well, as far as I'm concerned anyway. Alex is, as I type, making cabinets for the garage. Can't wait for that to be done. It's going to look fabulous. I have been toying with doing some things in the house, but have just been too busy. Maybe once school lets out. Plus, I am helping my friend Alexa decorate her new house. I love blank slates. Super fun!! I will soon be doing some sewing for her as well, which may inspire me to get to work once again on my house. For now, I am focusing on trying to catch up on some of my garage sale redos. I'll post them as I get them done.

I've missed this. I must do this more often. Okay, people, I'm off to watch some Twilight with my girls. Have a great Memorial Day evening, and thank you to all of you who have sacrificed to defend our wonderful country.

*ciao*
deb

My camera bag needed a redo too...

noreply@blogger.com (Deb) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:37:00 +0000

I have a bad habit. I look at things and think to myself, "It could use a little pimping." Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Many times, I end up removing the bling, because it is just a little too much, and simpler is always better. Well, when I got my new camera and camera bag, it was a little too utilitarian for me.

Rather "plain jane" don't you think. I wanted it to be pretty, because really... everything should be pretty right? So I found some "pretty" fabric online, and decided to do this...

While I was doing that, I decided I needed to make myself something for my not so attractive neck strap. So I did this...

Now my things look "pretty". Much better than it used to be.

Now on to show you more of my baby sister's fabulous thrifting finds... As I said, and some of you agreed... she is quickly becoming the "queen" of thrifting. I agree. The girl seriously amazes me sometimes. For example...look at these amazing mirrors in her house.

Can you believe that they only cost her $15 a piece? They are fantabulous!! Darn I wish I had gone with her to that thrift store on that day.

And finally another one of her redos. This is the powder bath just off of the kitchen area. It was pretty yucky before. Totally date, and I swear the people that had this house before my sister must of had a serious love affair with the 80's. Emerald green and pink everywhere.. yes pink walls.

So here is the after. New sink, new floors (LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my sister's floors), new paint (thank goodness), and quick mistreatment on the window, some fun little decorations, and a brand new bathroom.

HUGE improvement!! Good job sister!

Okay, I'm off to clean my house... FUN, FUN! NOT!!!

Have a great day!
*ciao*
deb