Before and After Pictures

Hi everybody!

Well, my computer isn't currently uploading pictures.  I had a great craft "how to", but it looks like it will have to wait until I can figure out what this computer wants from me!

For now, I thought I'd share some before and after pictures of certain parts of the house.


Boy, I wish I had snapped more pictures when we first bought this old house!  If you just bought a project home and can't wait to get around to renovating it - listen to your good friend, Amy, and take the time to take lots of pictures before you get out the paint!  I just couldn't wait to start working, and now I totally regret not getting more "before" photographs.

Here is what I can give you with the photos that I already have stored.

BEFORE (pic below):  I think the walls were meant to be white, but years of the previous owners smoking inside the house turned them an unpleasant grayish.  The lighting was outdated, and the trim was dark red.  Really sort of an unfriendly color.   I think it is in part due to this color combination that people would take two steps in the house and immediately get the feeling it was haunted.  :)

 

 AFTER (pic above):  After many half slept nights, we came to the look you see above.  The color is BEHR's "Pale Honey" - I remember because we joked that it reminded me of my husband (who is also my pale honey - yuk yuk).  The color in the back room is "Pumpkin Patch" - a name we have also come to call the room itself .  The orange was sort of a risky color, but we loved it instantly and it grew on anyone who didn't like it at first.  As you can see, we upgraded the light.  The hardwood floors remain untouched, (we find them beautiful the way they are with their 100+ year old character - scratches and discoloration and all...).  Now, it took about four coats of white paint (a color called, "Pillar White"), and a lot of painters tape - but we finally painted that trim (that was previously red) white.  Not an easy feat with all those panels of windows, but well worth it. 


So that's the living room area, here is the dining room.

BEFORE (pic below):  The biggest challenge in this particular area were these crazy shelves you saw just as you walk in the door.  They had a mirrored back...and triangular shaped shelves that came out.  It sort of reminded me of an outdated old lady curio cabinet.  Not the classy kind, but the kind with snow globes from the gas station around the corner and dust piling up in it for the last 4 years.  I had no idea what this could be used for, so it had to go.

 

AFTER (pic above):  I "Hulked" out the whole thing.  Amy smash.  Where there once was awkwardly placed mirror, I stenciled a cheerful but classy (if I do say so myself...) damask patterned back.  Now it serves as a sort of plant stand. You have to imagine a great plant there since I am pictureally challenged right now.  I do have a picture of the plant on my  Becky's Chalkboard post. It's one of my favorite redos of the home so far.

And here's one more picture of the area after it was painted, and the light fixture had been replaced.

I must admit, it doesn't look quite as clean right now.  Time to stop blogging and go care for this home I am ridiculously blessed to live in.

Ciao, dah-lings!  (See, that's what happens when you live in a beautiful house.  You get a big head and start talkin' fancy.)

Keep CALM and ORGANIZE on

HelloOOooOo.

I enjoyed the "10 on 10" link parties so much that I have joined another link party over at "A Thoughtful Place".  

The theme is "Keep Calm and Organize On", and the goal is simple.  Organize some-thing.

I've been thinking about organizing the kid's willy-nilly art supplies for some time, so the link party is a great excuse to put it on my priority list.  Here is sort of how we use them now:

As you can see, we had some of them them in this little blue organizational tote, but here is the problem with this tote:
1.  They naturally get spilled everywhere if the kids wanted to take them into other rooms.
2.  It still seems to be so open and free that the kids didn't really take too much care to put them back where they belong.  It's like, just as long as they get in the tote, it doesn't matter which part of the tote.

So, my goal was to organize them into something that is easy for them to use, but also to take around the house, into the car...and most importantly - easy enough for them to keep up with the organization themselves, so putting their supplies in the right place comes naturally to them. 

I started with a 3 ring binder and some CLEAR pencil pouches with holes for the binder (I think I spent about $5 all together). 

I absolutely think clear is the best choice for most organizational tools.  This way I don't have to read.  I kid, I kid, but really it does save time that you don't have to label everything, and it is certainly a necessity when you have children using them that don't yet read.

I just organized and stuffed.  I took care not to put anything too thick in it, otherwise the folder wouldn't close.  This is the result:

Very happy with it. 

Dragonfly Banner

Hey, here's a thing!

I love the trend right now on banners!  It's not one I have been sick of, and don't expect to be.  They can be simple, or complex...colorful or low key (I prefer simple and colorful...).  They can be temporary decoration for a party, or a permanent part of the decor of a room.  They can be used in art, as a photo prop, or in sewing.  They can be hearts or triangles or squares or circles or paper or fabric or sewn or glued or long or short or strewn about or carefully placed or PURPLE PEOPLE EATERS FOR ALL ANYONE CARES!  *pant pant*

If you're still not convinced, I compiled a picture of what I think are some great examples of banners.

(And then, when I had finished this collage, I came across this banner,  from "a bit of sunshine" which I felt was also noteworthy.)


I do love all these banners, but for the girl's room I wanted something a little more unique from anything else I had found, so I made a "dragonfly banner" for the girl's room.  Although I made these for the girl's room, I also think they would be great just by themselves as a toy, a party favor, or even a bookmark. 

Here's how it was done:

 

 Supplies:

• Vintage Clothespins (I used to be able to get these of the same shape at Wal-Mart, but I couldn't find them there recently.  You may try Wal-Mart first, but THESE I ordered on e-bay, and I like the aged feel they have from real vintage clothespins that you wouldn't be able to get from new ones at a craft or department store.)
• Scrapbook Paper (this particular collection I got from JoAnn's, and I think it's sweeeeet.)
• Hot glue gun, scissors, and twine, rope or ribbon.

How to:

• Cut out as many wings as you need, as large or small as you please.  One bottom shape for each top shape.
• Glue the wings together
• Once dry, hot glue the top of the wings.  Before the hot glue dries, gently slide the wings up the slit of the clothespin and press them into the top part of the slit.  Attaching the wings to the top of the slit allows for room behind the wings where the ribbon or string will go.  It looks weird if the string sits on top...trust me on this one -  I trialed and errored it for you. 

Here's the end result in the girl's room:

 I know you can't see the banner that well in this picture, I used the banner as a sort of photo prop so you could see it up closer.

Reason #1: How I Know I am Watching Too Much "Star Trek"

Here is comic #1 illustrating how I know I am watching too much Star Trek.

I think only Trekkies will really appreciate this, so I hope those geeks Dan and Robbie are checking the blog.  If not, I am just amusing to myself, and that's never failed me before.

There will be more to come...  Oh yes, much more to come...

And, as a kindness to those of you unfamiliar with Star Trek...I give you the inspiration:

Cereal Necklaces

Sometimes the girls and I make cereal necklaces for breakfast or a snack. (Mmmm...breakfast jewelry..*droool*)  Do you guys remember candy necklaces?  Of course you do. This is a fun cereal version of the sugar filled candy necklaces we all remember and love.    

Cereal necklaces are just that.  I don't think a customary list of instructions and supplies is needed.  Just these few tips:

1.  Elastic string is best so the kiddies can pull the cereal to their mouths.
2.  The littler ones who lack the hand-eye coordination to put the string through the cereal will likely  need a blunt needle tied to one end to help them guide the string through.
3.  Tie a single cheerio (or other cereal) to the other end to stop the others from falling off.
4.  The necklace itself isn't enough to fill up a belly, so have a big glass of milk or some fruit on hand to supplement.

My next blog will be titled,  "How to Make Shoes From Bacon" - so you can be looking forward to that.

And now ve vill commence ze pictures:

(the star shaped cereal is the "Dora" cinnamon flavored cereal - I think it adds something extra)

(The above pictures were taken with my film camera.  Laura says it is expired film.  Kinda neat.)  

 (They're even pretty when they're stuffing their mouths!) 

Unprepared...

I've never considered myself one of the more "prepared" parents.

In my personal experience - one day I was staring at a little white stick, trying not to touch the wet end, shrugging and saying, "All right, let's do this thing." And, the next thing I know, I am holding a child in my arms, thinking, 'Oh, that's what all the fuss is about,' as I gently blow on her face to rouse her from her sleep to keep me company.

It is nine years later and most days I still feel like motherhood just mostly "happens" to me.  And, I (with my husband) do our best and pray God will take care of the rest.

Even so, I've never really considered myself at a disadvantage from any of the more "prepared" moms.  I think it becomes apparent early on, that no matter how many parenting books you read...or how much money you spend on Baby Einstein videos...no matter how big your box of "someday baby" clothes is...or how many years you waited until the timing was "just right"...

You can never be prepared for the day you say:

"Are you fanning yourself with your pizza!?"

A Working Class Hero is Somethin' To Be

The girls and I have been very sick lately.

I mean, like...couch-ridden-Star-Trek-marathonin-sauntering-about-in-a-moo moo-and-Perry-the-Platypus-slippers-no-clean-laundry-no-clean-dishes-same-peanut-butter-jar-left-open-on-the-counter-for-four-days-S-I-C-K.  Sick.

The combination of being on the couch with nuthin' much to do and adoring Robert as he sweetly brought home dinner to his sick family each night (after an already long day at work) inspired me to make this very amateur comic for him.  Enjoy.

Skeleton Key Fan Pulls

The first thing we see when we walk into our abode is our living room fan/light combo.  Don’t judge me – I know fans aren’t acclaimed to be the most chic of all the lighting choices, but this is the desert and we have 11′ ceilings.  So, fan it is!  

Because this is the first thing seen as you walk in the door, (and the fan pulls being the closest to eye line) naturally, I contemplated ideas for attractive fan pulls.

Now, we live in a house that is almost 100 years old.  As the house is so old, we have many doors with skeleton key locks.  So when the idea of using skeleton keys as fan pulls came to me, I knew it would be a neat way to sort of elude to the history of the house.

Here is how they came to be:

Supplies:
1. Fan pulls
2. Skeleton keys (Note: look for some with thin metal to fit around the jump rings easier.  I also recommend going to your local antique stores for these.  I found them at about 1/3 of the price you can get them online.)
3. Jump rings (tiny jewelry pieces that look like mini key rings)
4. Needle nose Pliers

• I just went to the jewelry department of Wal-Mart and found small jewelry pieces that look like tiny key chain parts - as stated above, they are called  jump rings.
• I coiled the jump ring around both the end of the fan pull and the top of the key.  
• Then I used pliers to clamp the piece of the fan pull shut.  You have to really pierce it together - if it is not pierced tightly, the key will eventually pull off (because the fan pulls are handled so often. (I also recommend hanging the fan pulls low enough that you can grab the top of the key, not the bottom, to avoid eventually stretching the jump ring out and loosening the key.)

I took a picture and posted before and after pictures below so you can see what the part looks like. 
  
Check.  it.  out.  See how happy they are now?

Til’ next time, friends!

Happy 100 Pageviews To Me!

Reached 100 page views today.  Color me tickled...


And picture me celebrating.  Sitting alone in a dark office, eerie glow of the computer lighting my face...I grasp a kazoo with my mouth and a coffee-filled wine glass in my hand - a crumpled up party hat perches atop my head. 

*Yay.*

Gotta celebrate the little things...and since all of my current projects are under hiatus (due to the fact that Wal-Mart's craft section has left me wanting) - gotta blog the little things, too, I guess.

Here are some more of those little things (are they really so little?) I have been "celebrating":

1. My four year old Maggie, said, "amuck" in the correct tense the other day.  She said, "You made   my bed all amuck!"
2. We keep finding bunnies in the corner of our front yard.  One let us get really close yesterday.  They make me smile as I watch their fat tushies bound away.
3. Found "James and the Giant Peach" for a buck at the discount book store.
4. I wore my favorite vintage sweater today.  Itchy but stylish.
5. Hubby got out of bed early in the morning.  When he crawled back into bed, I asked him where he went (just because it is so rare for him to get out of bed, ever).  He said, "Ancient Chinese secret..." then he paused and added,  "...having to do with urine."  That just made me laugh.

Til' next time, friends!

Valentine's Popsicles

We did the Valentine's thing today for Audrey's class.

When these events come around where the parent is obliged to send in something, I often fantasize about Audrey bouncing into class proud to have a fun, handmade project that she and her mom have teamed up to create.  Smiling, Aud delicately passes them out, turning the best side of the project toward the eye line of the recipient.

In my fantasy, the children often say, "Wow, Audrey - These are great! Your mom must be really cool to help you make something like that."   (And a 9 year old me in my head says, "They finally accept us.")

And Audrey says, "Why, yes.  Yes she is."

Alas, my fantasy is quickly cut short by the fact that, in order to get such a reaction, I would likely have to put in...you know...lots of work, and possibly money.  So, I weigh out my options in favor of a balance between something that still feels special to Audrey, but will be practical regarding both money and time.

This year I had a couple fun ideas rolling around in my head for Valentines cards.  One idea involved taking pictures of Audrey and cutting out holes for the legs (like a vintage dancing finger doll).  I thought the recipient could get a kick out of making the pictures of Audrey dance (although, I never asked my daughter how she would feel about it...).

But, Aud got sick right before Valentine's and much of our free time was spent nursing an earache, so we came up with an easier idea instead, which included mostly things we had around the house.  We called it, "Make -a- Popsicle"

The Supplies:

1. Tang

2. Disposable cup

3. Tongue Depressor stick

4. Scrapbook Paper

5. Rubber band, glue, and tin foil

The Instructions:

• First, Aud cut out paper hearts and glued them to the top of the tongue depressor. Then she wrote each of her 26 classmates names on the tongue depressor (she wrote the names small enough that the ink would be on the "holding" part of the stick, and not on the bottom where the ink would seep into the juice.
• We filled each cup with 1 1/2 tbsp of Tang (optimal amount for numiness). 
• Next we covered the cup with a square of tin foil - this would serve to hold the Popsicle stick/tongue depressor in place both for the purposes of making the package look nice, and also for keeping it upright as the Popsicle solidifies in the freezer.  We secured the tinfoil in place with a rubber band.
• From there we cut slits in the top of the foil with a knife and inserted the sticks.  We had to cut the slits because if we tried to force the stick through, the foil would rip.
• Lastly, we made a little label for the deal that simply said, "Make -a- Popsicle".  I really wanted to put instructions for the children, but we don't currently have a printer, and we so didn't fancy writing them all out by hand.  In the end, we decided the project was simple enough that the children and the parents could probably figure it out.

So - a whole lot of fun!  This was a super simple, inexpensive project - I spent $5.00 on Tang and birthday cups.  On a side note, I think this would also make a great party gift in the summer. Most importantly, it was all stuff we could do together, and none of it was too complicated for Audrey to help with.  I can't wait for her to come home and tell me how it all went, and just how many of her friends think I'm cool.

My First Blog: An Introduction to Why I Feel My Life is Blogworthy (she types, choking back laughter)

Testing, testing...1, 2, 3.  Is this thing on?

Hello to all those out there kind, bored, or obligated enough to visit my blog!  This is a good place to say, 'Thank you (and truly)' for cyber traveling over to my little mouse hole of the internet!

                             ---------------------------------------------------------------

Long have I admired the blogging community.  Whether we like it or not - blogs have entirely reshaped our lives over the last several years.  I am not blind to the myriad of empty blogs out there - but I also feel there are those that do some good with this readily available power.  

Filled with countless tutorials and advice - a blog can help an aspiring chef find just the right recipe to make, an unemployed penny pincher  make his own laundry soap, or just inspire and instruct a mom in taking better pictures of her loved ones.  With these mini magazines online, fellow blog enthusiasts can be exposed to amazing photographs that otherwise would have not been seen (probably my favorite of all the blogging treasures), or somebody in one corner of the earth can learn about and pray for a sick child thousands of miles away.

So, why do I feel my life is blogworthy (she types, choking back laughter)?  Not sure if it is.  Pretty sure it's not.  But, it sounds like good fun, and I think if it's done right, I think I can contribute something of worth to the blogging community (ooh, and to Pinterest!).

But if you need some convincing to come back and check in once in a while: I have a really rad 100 year old cottage style house that I will be renovating, two totally excellent girls that I (with my husband) will be raising, and what I feel is a wealth of DIY and decorating ideas - some of which already made, and others stored in "the vault"  (*points dumbly at ear, realizes mistake and moves pointing finger to head*) that I will be sharing along the way. 

I guess my point is this: If my life were ever blogworthy, it is now - while my kids are still young, my house is still unfinished, and my fingers are still carpel tunnel free!

And now ve vill commense ze picture photograph showing: