But there is the downside for me of blogging which is the pressure I and only I put on myself.  I may have a bit of perfectionist in me.  The blog world is a great place full of so many supportive people, it’s amazing.  That is definitely one thing I will miss but I won’t miss the time spent writing up posts, pinning, fb’ing, tweeting, hometalking, etc.  It was getting way overwhelming in the social media department,  once again, all pressure I put on myself.   Which then lead me to put pressure on myself in other areas of my life and it just wasn’t good.

Back in October I took a mini blogging break and it was good. I decided to blog again but it’s definitely been sporadic. Lately I’ve just not been feeling it and really now that the house is almost complete, what would I even blog about? So, I know that all bloggers go through these spurts of wanting to throw in the towel and call it a day but usually we power through those and are good to go again.  While that may have been the case in the past for me, the decision was definitely made for me today when my little guy brought home a sheet for Mothers Day and one of the statements was: My mom likes to___________________________ His answer was “be on the computer.” My heart dropped, it hurt, I am sad for him. The pull of the blog world, pinterest, etc. is too great and I am not a disciplined person. Something I should work on regardless of blogging.  Anyways, I just knew that my decision was the right one.   I blogged about something like this once, almost two years ago, which you can read here, What’s the real cost?  Blogging, Home Improvements and Children.    Here’s an excerpt from that post:  “If I knew I only had 2 weeks to live, would I spend it on blogger, pinterest, fb or google?  No, I would be trying to fill every moment spending time with those I love, soaking in my children and what they have to say, making sure they know how much I love them,  making sure my husband knows he is respected and loved, that I couldn’t have asked for a better man to marry.   Because the truth is, we really don’t know how much time we have on Earth, we like to think we’ll live to be 85 but we don’t really know what our future holds. “

So there you have it, my children and my husband need me.  It’s been fun, I’m  so grateful for those who took time to read my blog, comment, pin, fb, etc.  It’s been a great ride but it’s time for me to get off the ride and walk into the sunset.

God Bless!

ange

Today we have another great giveaway, a $35 gift certificate to Stella & Dot!   If you have never heard of Stella & Dot, you are in for a treat.  They have amazing jewelry and awesome bags that I love!    Like these cute Aqua Serenity Small Stone Earrings for $34.

Head over to my friend Suzy’s Stella & Dot website where you can oogle some more jewelry and decide what you would spend your $$$ on.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

There are only two doors on the main floor besides the french doors so the pantry door now has black paint on it as well.  I’m not completely sold on the pantry door but it works for now and ties in the chalkboard backsplash.

I was a little worried the chalkboard wall might be too much black with the pantry door but I think it’s ok.

 Here you can see the black doors all tied together.  This is when I like my pantry door black, consistency, flow, oneness.

     This shot ties in the french doors from the dining room with the pantry and the powder room door.

Here’s when we first moved in just to give you an idea of how far the kitchen and also my photography skills have come in almost two years:

The bathroom door is perfect in the hall, I was worried it might be too dark but it works and makes the zebra walls look lovely.

Then while taking photos, I was bombed by my hubby on his way up to shower on his lunch break.  I told him it was going on the blog, him unshowered and in his glory, so here it is honey.

         Have I ever told you how much I love this view?  It makes me happy, every. single. time.    LOVE my chalkboard back splash!

      Let’s see a before just to remind us how far it’s come.  This is when we were first looking at the house, one of the only pictures I have from this view before I changed the trim and added our coat shelf.

Then we added white trim, the coat shelf and the white door for the powder room.

And here we are today, gray owl on the walls, painted cabinets and now a black powder room door.

So there you have it, a few hours on Sunday and I totally changed the look of my home for free!  Do you have black doors in your home?  Would you ever try it?

1. When I say my name, it feels like I’m talking about someone else. I don’t usually go by Angela. Although when I introduce myself to people and they ask what I prefer to be called, Ange, Angie or Angela, I don’t have a preference.

2. My sister-in-law is also named Angela. She has a brother named Christopher and a husband named Christopher. We like to confuse people in this family, especially nieces and nephews who have two Auntie Angie’s and two Uncle Chris’s. I won’t even tell you about the weirdness of two people named Audrey.

3. I’m left handed. I like being left handed. Three out of our four children are left handed.

4. I hate spiral notebooks because of being left handed and I like fine point pens because of left handedness.

5. I have one brother but always wished for a sister.

6. My favorite book is Gone with the Wind. I read it in one day during high school.

7. I’m a fast reader and that also lead to me being a fast talker when I was younger. I love to read and will stay up way past bedtime reading.

8. When I was young I wanted to be a Ballerina, Veterinarian and also an auto mechanic. The last one is kind of random but I really like the smell of the garage at the auto repair place.

9. I suck at math. In elementary school I had to go to a math class with the special ed students. I still suck at fractions, division and percentages.

10. I like to give my pets human names. My dogs are Heidi and Ruby, we also had a Lindsey and Bailey. Our cats have been Molly, Jake, Howard, Ginger & Milton. We are allergic to cats at our home so no more kitties for us.

11. My family took a trip to Washington DC for Spring Break when I was in the 5th grade. Our van was stolen from the hotel parking lot and we had to rent a van to drive home. I was traumatized, my jean purse with all my markers was in there. Seriously though, I’m guessing this probably contributed to my anxiety. Not the best family trip.

12. Our honeymoon was spent in the Pocono Mountains at a Ceasar’s Resort. It was a lot of fun but kind of cheesy with a heart shaped hot tub and mirrored ceiling.

13. Our family is trying to visit all 48 states before the kids graduate. So far we’ve done 13 states.

14. I had my tonsils removed when I was 4 years old. I remember watching Bob Ross painting on Public Television while I was in the hospital and eating banana and root beer popsicles.

15. I dream of moving, I think I have wanderlust. I am ok for about two years and then it starts in. We are fast approaching two years this June and I already have dreams of living in the Carolinas.

16. I lived in the same house my entire life until I was 18. This may contribute to #15.

17. I always wanted to live in a two story home growing up and that is still true today. I love two story homes, ranches seem so one dimensional to me.

18. I had an imaginary friend growing up named Stephanie.

19. My favorite foods are things with Buffalo Wing Sauce, Jalepenos and lemon. I didn’t like spicy food or lemon growing up but now I love it!

20. Mustard is my favorite condiment, ever! Mustard spread on white bread was my favorite snack when I was younger.

21. I ate my first grilled cheese when I was in high school.

22. I met my husband when I was just 16 years old and knew the day I met him that we were going to get married.

23. I have never been on an airplane that has left the ground and I don’t plan on doing so either.

24. I haven’t been in an elevator since our trip to Washington DC when I had a panic attack on our way up the FBI building. See #11.

25. I have a butterfly tattoo on my shoulder and once had my belly button pierced by our friends who had lidocaine and an iv needle or something, I didn’t watch but we did it in their basement.

There you go, some facts about me you may not have known. Anything surprise you? What’s one random fact about you?

I so appreciate all you who take time out of your busy lives to come visit me in my little blog corner of the world.  You stop by and leave a comment, ask questions, follow me on fb, pinterest, etc.  You cheer me on!  I love doing projects around my home, it’s true but my favorite part is inspiring you!!!  When I receive an email telling me you tried something because you saw it here or  you thought you could do it if I could, well that makes my heart happy.  :)  I want this to be a place where you walk away feeling encouraged and inspired, ready to paint furniture or cabinets, plan a date with your hubby or make a banana cake and some stromboli  to share with your friends.   My home gets messy, my life is messy, nothing on this blog is perfect, including me, remember, the girl who struggles with anxiety?  So all this to say, thanks for coming here, I so appreciate YOU!

In the meantime, while I wait for warmth and sunshine, I thought we could celebrate the fb page hitting 1,000 likes with a few giveaways over the next week!   Let’s kick this thing off, shall we?

You know how much I love Target, right?  They have been hitting home runs in the home department with Nate Berkus, Threshold and all their other amazing goodness recently, like my dining room curtains which my 10 year old say makes it look like a nursing home in our dining room.  You win some, you lose some, what can I say?

So are you ready to enter this giveaway?  If no one enters then I get to keep it for myself, right?

PS:  Don’t forget I have two more giveaways planned in the next few days!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

This spring we definitely have a few outdoor projects we need to accomplish.  The biggest one is staining the deck.   Thanks to the 40% off sale in September at Sherwin Williams we were able to score some stain for a great price.  If you can’t tell from the handrail in the picture above, let me show you the rough shape our deck boards are in.

The sun beats down on the deck for most of the day along with two dogs and four kids running around, it definitely takes a beating.

Last year thanks to a hail storm, our insurance company and Lowes, we were able to purchase a new Allen & Roth Gazebo.   This gazebo is amazing, we love it!  There are mosquito net screens, along with heavy curtains that block out the sun which is important when we dine on the deck as the sun is in full effect at that point and it’s usually right in someone’s eyes at the table.  It’s also a little bigger than our last gazebo, at 10×12 we can fit a table and six chairs under here, zip up the curtains and have plenty of room to move around.  Definitely a great purchase for our home!  (Lowes did not pay me for my gazebo or to say anything about this gazebo, they don’t even know I exist.  This is just my personal review).

This year, we are due for some new outdoor patio furniture.  Our original set is now 8 years old and the cushions are past their prime and the table is rusting.  Two thoughts on this, one I spray paint the table and give it new life, purchase new cushions and call it a day.  Two, we find a new set, probably one that does not have cushions.

While shopping at Sams Club last week, I spotted this awesome Safavieh 6×9 indoor/outdoor rug for only $69!  It jumped into my cart and I can’t wait to use it!

The hubby and I have checked out a few different patio table and chair sets recently.  These are a few we are really eyeing up:

We like this Garden Oasis Owens 7 piece set from Kmart/Sears, the table is a great size for playing games in the evenings, the chairs don’t have cushions, they swivel and seem comfortable.

This one isn’t really in our price range but a girl can dream, right?  I love this one from Hampton Bay Woodbury at Home Depot!  Although it has cushions and a longer table, the chairs are just so lovely, I could sit in those all day and read while the kids swim in the pool or play in the backyard.

This Garden Glen Patio set at Walmart caught our eye as well, although it has cushions which we would like to avoid.   The reviews are great and it’s in our price range too.

I did try to find some cushions but the dimensions are 19×19 and somewhat hard to find replacements for.  I did find a few options at Kohls but they are kind of pricey.  It’s almost cheaper to buy a whole new patio set than to replace the seat cushions.   With a coupon these would still be pricey, they are originally $170, on sale for $102 for two cushions.  I need 6.  So $300 just for cushions!  Crazy!

The search is on, wish us luck!  Hopefully the weather will warm up enough soon so we can enjoy our gazebo and dinner outside.  Do you have a patio set?  Do you have cushions on your chairs?   Have a set you would recommend for us?

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Don’t you love when inspiration hits?  It’s a drop everything, I need to do this now kind of thing for me so when I saw Carmel’s  Chalkboard Brick Fireplace Makeover on Monday, I was hit hard with inspiration!

Which reminded me of The Nester’s chalkboard fireplace that I have always loved.

Then I did a quick little search on Pinterest and found this, exactly what I had in mind and no, being a cat on a counter was not it.

I was possibly supposed to be have some ladies over for dinner Monday night, needing to make soup, make food for a MOPS meeting the next day, tidy up the house a bit, you know that sort of stuff.  Instead I started painting a chalkboard backsplash.  I may have made a trip to Hobby Lobby in a snow storm to get a chalk marker too, you know because these things are important when inspiration strikes!

Step 1:  Start with a blah back splash area in need of some whimsy and a checkbook that doesn’t have enough money for new counter tops and a black splash.  This is in the plan for the next few years but until then, I thought this might be fun!

Step 2:  I already owned chalkboard paint so this was free for me.  A quart of Rustoleum chalkboard Paint from your local hardware store should be around $10-$15.  After that, paint like a mad woman with chalkboard paint, try to do this at an inconvenient time and when you are hosting a dinner.

Step 3:  Run to Hobby Lobby in a snow storm and buy a chalk marker using a 40% off coupon and only pay $3.58.

Step 4:  Try to make straight lines yourself and have it end up looking like you were drawing drunk.

Step 5:  Involve hubby who has a tendency to be anal very detailed which I am not.

We used a level, a big bistro chalk marker from Hobby Lobby that had a square tip and I would NOT suggest using and some yellow thing that had a straight edge for the drawing the vertical lines straight.  I went back to Hobby Lobby today and found a four pack of chalk markers with nice rounded tips, theywere $12.99 but once again, use the 40% off coupon.  The chalk markers do not wipe off like chalk does so they are great to use for this type of thing.  You can also purchase it here.  I have had a few questions about it wiping off and it DOES NOT unless you use water and it still leaves behind a line so this should last a while.

Throw in a double butt shot for good measure and also begin to wonder why we are matching in our navy shirts.  And that is not my skin showing, it’s a tank top.   We really had to get up close and personal while doing this so I would suggest doing this with a spouse or good friend who doesn’t mind you all up in their business.

Step 5:  Step back and admire your whimsical, cheap back splash that makes you very happy!  (After you take 6,000 pictures of the kitchen only to discover you are missing a vertical line in two spaces, then take 4,000 more pictures).

 Enjoy the photo overload!!!

I even love it at night time, it looks amazing with the under cabinet lights on it!

And now for some good before and afters!

You can read about painting the cabinets here and here.  The light over the sink was a free Craigslist find and I just added the bamboo shade over the sink which I love!  So what do you think?    Do you have a back splash already?  Are you over the chalkboard craze?  Do you love it as much as I do?

Linking Up Here:

Did you know Cozi can help you feel that same way about your family calendar? With Cozi, you can organize your family’s appointments, routines, schedules and activities in one place, then add on your birthdays, meal plans, and even the daily weather report, and you’ve got a single go-to resource that’s easy to use and has everything you need to stay on top of daily family life. Now that’s a calendar you’ll WANT to look at every day!

With four kids, a business, various church and school activities, appointments and more, our schedule is what keeps my sanity.  A few years ago I signed up for Cozi, a free digital calender.   We used it here and there but when I got my smartphone last year that’s when I really fell in love with Cozi.  Not only can you download schedules from outside sources into your calender (School and sports), you can also view other internet calenders like google and yahoo.  Plus everyone in your family gets their own color to make it easy to quickly glance at the calender and see what’s going on.  Text reminders or emails can also be set up to remind you of important appointments.   I also love that my hubby is able to access the calender on his phone or computer as well, so it’s super easy for him to input things into the calender as well and one day when my children have smart phones they can do the same.

I also love to use the Shopping list feature on Cozi.   In fact I have a Target list, Costco/Sams Club list, Grocery list, Dinners list and Christmas/Birthday Gifts  list.   The lists are my favorite as my hubby can easily log on to his phone or the computer and add to the lists even while I am at the store.   I can’t tell you how many times I’ve left my list at home when grocery shopping.  Now, I no longer forget things at the store because my list is on my phone and is easy to check off.

Besides the Shopping list, there is also a To Do Section which is great for those lists that are always in your head or on paper somewhere that usually end up missing.  I have a Projects To Do List for the House, a list for my blog and occasionally a list of things to do when I am planning a party or large event.   The To Do list saved me this past summer when we were going to be vacationing for two weeks!   You can also download The Fly Lady’s Zones lists into cozi or create your own Spring Cleaning To Do List.

Another awesome feature is the Meals.  You can enter your dinner plan on the calender by dragging and dropping from the recipe box, keep recipes in a recipe box that easily allows you to add the ingredients to your shopping list and you can even add recipes from the web into your cozi recipe box so they are all in one place!

Recently I upgraded to Cozi Gold which has other great features including the birthday tracker, meal planner,  no advertisements and other great features.  I’m loving the birthday tracker, I have a horrible time remembering and writing down all the birthdays but now it’s easy to do!

Now, the best part, when you sign up you for a Cozi account between now and April 12th, you will be entered to win a Kindle Fire HD or a free Cozi Gold Subscription!  I will be giving away one Cozi Gold Subscription from all the new member entries received from my blog!  So if you aren’t already a Cozi member and you want to be in the running for a Kindle Fire HD or a Cozi Gold Subscription, click on this link and sign up, it’s free!!!  Not only is it free, you will love it and wonder how you survived without it!

For those of you that already have Cozi, you can still enter for a chance to win the Kindle Fire or Cozi Gold Subscription as well.  All you need to do is send an email to cozipromo@cozi.com and include Kindle Giveaway in the subject line and in the body of the email type in The Blooming Hydrangea and how long you have been using cozi.

The contest ends April 12th.

The search has been on and I finally found something that I like at Target.   Yesterday I tried the gray ones.

Then I tried the cream ones.

Here they are, together.  Someone said they thought they were Pottery Barn curtains.

Now I’ve tried them at night looking from the kitchen into the dining room.  Guess what, dog butt.

And another dog.

  By the way, I love love love the color in my dining room.  I wasn’t sure when I first painted it and was thinking maybe something a little lighter in color but it makes me happy so it’s staying.

So, I love the gray because they are kind of dramatic and fun.  The cream are more subtle, classic and maybe not as “trendy.”   Stay tuned and maybe I’ll make a decision soon!