My Tuesday Truths

Universal Truth number 1. . .

When you arrange for workmen to come to the house between the hours of 8am and 10am, the workmen will not arrive between the hours of 8am to 10 am.

Universal truth number 2 . . .

When arranging for workmen to come to the house between the hours of 8 am to 10 am, the workmen will not arrive in the said window of time and will instead arrive after you have given up all hope of their arrival, have decided to take a shower, and are clad only in a bathroom towel and sopping wet hair.

The Writing is on the Wall . . .or How I Stopped Yelling to Get the Kids to Cooperate

There are times when I sound like a broken record.

Pick up your shoes.  Put away that toy!  Please. . . please,( for the love of God,)  lift up the toilet seat before you pee.  If you make a mess, then clean it up!

You get the idea.

I say these phrases or others like it, over and over and over, until I am, quite frankly, sick of saying them. 

Sick of instructing. 
Sick of directing. 
Just plain sick of hearing my own voice.

And honestly, my kids are probably sick of hearing me whine, complain,bitch and moan, order them around incessantly.  They are kids, after all, not recruits for the army, but  I was at my wits end trying to find a solution that would get them up and moving and contributing to the family without making me hoarse in the process.

And then it hit me.

I just would take myself out of the loop.

Simple.

And, how did I do it, you ask?

Well, I am hear to tell you that this solution is so blatantly stupid, so ridiculously idiotic, that, at first, I was hesitant to try it.  Because surely, surely, an answer this easy could not work.

But, I am here to tell you that it did work.  And it still does!

All I did was assign each kid a chalkboard.  The chalkboard is in a very visible spot in our almost-but-not-quite-finished kitchen remodel. (side note . . . I saw a photo in a magazine somewhere of a wall of differing size chalkboards, and I tried it in our kitchen.  The idea is not new to blog land.  I know Thrifty Decor Chick used a chalkboard in her kitchen awile back, but it is new to me.  I love the chalkboards!  They have been a hit!  It looks cool and the kiddies have fun coloring on the wall while I am busy ordering making dinner. Score!)

When the kids return from school, each kid has a list of things that need to be accomplished before they can do anything that is more fun.  They go through the list one at a time, crossing off chores as they go.

And that's it.

No.  I am not kidding.

I put up a chalkboard.  I listed their chores.  They do them.

Ridiculously stupid, no?!

Yet, for whatever reason, I am not yelling or complaining or repeating myself, and things are getting done.

woohoo!



Share your successes!  What have you done in your home that has been a smashing success?!?



PS  Yes,  this is a little hint of the after pics of my kitchen.  In the pictures you can see part of the island that I created and the lovely granite counter (that I got as a remnant) on top.  Sooooo pretty!!  :)

The Ties That Bind

**********I am linking up to Travis' Memoir Monday! Go check him out. Bring your depends. You will usually need them. :)




My hubby thinks that I am trying to kill him.

Yesterday, since I officially have no sink and no dishwasher because of our never-ending kitchen remodel, I decided to break out the old crockpot in order to cook dinner for the family.

I'm good like that sometimes.

So, I popped a pork loin in the crock, threw in some spices, and turned it on low. Several hours later yummy smells started wafting from the pot. I have to admit, I felt pretty good about myself. No sink. No counters. No problem. My family was still going to have a good meal.

Fast forward to dinner. After hubby finished off his second helping, he gave me a perplexed look.

"Honey?" he questioned.

Still patting myself on the back for the good meal, I answered, "What?"

"Is it possible that I just ate string?" he posed fearfully.

"String?"

"Yes. String. I think I ate string. It looked a little like the pulled pork so I just ate it."

And then I remembered. I had cut the string on the pork loin, but I had not removed it from the pot.

Yes. Hubs ate string. And while I should have been concerned and apologetic, I wasn't.

Instead, my shoulders began to shake with my uncontrollable laughter. I couldn't even stop laughing long enough to acknowledge the fact to hubs that yes, he did eat string.

After I calmed down, hubs asked sheepishly, "Will it be OK?"

"Will what be OK? " I asked still giggling.

"You know . . . the string? Will it come out OK?" he questioned, concerned.

And, I know that I should have responded with care and concern, but, I didn't.

Instead, the laughter rolled out of me.

Later, I assured him that he would indeed poop out the string, but he eyed me warily, unconvinced.


So, I am pretty sure that he thinks that I was trying to kill him. . . or at least interfere with his daily visit to the throne.

I wonder . . . should I keep stringing him along?

(Ha! I couldn't resist!)

Out of the Closet

When I opened my hall closet on Wednesday morning, I literally took my life in my hands. The board games that were stacked precariously on top of each other finally gave way as the door opened, and they quickly slid off of one another, nearly decapitating me in the process. Clearly it was time to clean out the closet.

(Like how I picked up on that so quickly?)

Anyway, after much grunting and groaning and back and forth trips carrying coats, shoes, game, game pieces and the like, my closet looked like this. . .

And my living room floor looked like this. . .

Not pretty, my friends. Not pretty at all.

Obviously, I had to do something. I couldn't just reload all of my crap back into that ugly closet now, could I? So, I did the only thing I could. I gloved up and scrubbed that closet. I bleached and Chloroxed and magic erased until I was feeling quite happy from the fumes, and guess what?

My closet still looked like this . . .

Still. Not. Pretty.

Being the resourceful gal that I am, I scratched my head, thought a moment, and then came up with a plan. First, I ripped out that old carpet. The floors were in great shape underneath. Then, I found some leftover paint from other projects through the years. The colors weren't what I was envisioning, so I just mixed them together and Voila! A pretty color for free! ( And, you know how I love free! I love free more than bacon, and that is saying something. Seriously.) After some cutting in and painting, my closet looked like this . . .

It's a lovely shade of blue (although it is hard to tell from this picture). Much better! But, not quite there yet. Remember, I still had to figure out a place for all of this.

I remembered that Target (or Tar-jay Boutique in my vernacular) had organizers on sale this week, and I decided to invest in one to help with the closet clutter. While at Target, I bought an eight cubicle organizer, 4 blue bins, one polka dot bin (Ummm, yeah. I couldn't resist. Those dots just spoke to me. Soooo fun!), and two see through bins. My total was around, gulp, $77.00, but I think the result was worth it.

My closet is sooooo pretty! I think that I wouldn't even mind a mommy time out there, you know?

What do you think?

Atlas and the Bungee Cord

We are nearing the end of our DIY kitchen remodel.

Our last stage is to remove the sink base, the sink and the dishwasher in order to put in the new cabinets, sink and dishwasher. Hooray! But, being the practical people that we are . . . we are waiting until the last possible minute to remove the old fixtures and appliance.

Because once they are gone, we have to move quickly . . . or . . . survive without a sink.

Not fun.

Not fun at all!

That is why when hubs was working on the kitchen the other day, removing everything BUT the sink base and sink, I was aglow with kind words for his smart and calculated remodeling decisions.

That is, I was aglow until I heard him hollering for me at 10 pm after I was all snuggly in bed.

I stomped downstairs to find hubs, singlehandedly holding up the sinkbase and sink against the wall. Sort of like Atlas holding up the earth. Only not so chiseled . . . or poised. Apparently, these original cabinets were not, in fact, affixed to the wall, so when hubs removed some of the other side cabinets and countertop, the sinkbase and sink, gave way.

Who knew?

All I knew was that the sight of him holding up the weight of those cabinets and sink and dishwasher was, in a word, hysterical, so, naturally . . . I burst out laughing.

He was not amused. ( I can't imagine why not?!)

And, that, my dear friends, is how I came to have a bungee cord holding up my sink.

No.

I am not kidding.

And, here's the proof.

Quite resourceful, aren't we?

And now, what creative uses have you come up with for a bungee cord?!

Hubs and a Saw, Not Necessarily a Good Combo

As I sit here on a particularly grey afternoon, stuck in my dining room, amid my displaced refrigerator and stove, as hubs installs my kitchen floor tile, I am reminded of a few things.

A) Hubs is hot when he is doing manual labor all for me.

B) Kiddies are crazy when they are confined inside because of bad weather, but they are particularly crazy when they are confined to only the living room because access to the basement playroom is blocked.

C) Mommy needs a drink tonight. In. A. Bad. Way.

Remodeling with three kids in the dead of winter will do that to you.

So, each time hubby goes out to use the wet saw, I say a little prayer, especially after the "accident" last year. In honor of that special, special time, I thought a re-post was in order. Enjoy!

Left . . . Without Words

April 1, 2009

Aaaaaaannnnnie!!!!!"

The yell emanated from the basement where Hubby was doing some finishing remodeling work. No honey. No sweetie. Just my first name, at the top of his lungs. This could not be good. Either something had happened to him, or he just found my last receipt from the outlet mall. Like I said, not good! So, I expected the worst as I waited for him to trudge up into the kitchen.

You see, the basement remodel has become somewhat of an albatross for the family. When we started the construction, our basement resembled a Silence of the Lambs cellar. If you closed you eyes, you could imagine that blonde weirdo murmuring, "She puts the lotion on her skin . . . and . . .then she places it in the bucket." Creepy, to say the least. So, when it came to home improvement projects, I started Hubby on that scary basement first. I needed a pretty place for the kiddies to play during the frozen months of a Midwest winter. He assured me that it would be no problem. During the planning and measuring stages, Hubby and a friend actually even said to me, with a straight face, "Oh yeah. We can knock this out in a weekend." And, me, being the naive, hopeful person that I am, believed them. Ha! That was on Labor Day of 2008. Let's just say it has been one loooooooong weekend.

Anyway, Paul arrived, face ashen, in the kitchen with his left hand wrapped in paper towels. His right hand clung tightly to those towels, but even through his vice-like grip, I could see the blood coloring the towels red.

"What happened Paul?"

Gravely, he said, "I cut myself with the table saw."

I tried to stay calm as he paced back and forth from the kitchen to the dining room. Visions of ER reruns were flying through my head, and I hoped that I would not have to view anything that grisly. "How bad?" were the only words I could muster.

"Well, I don't know. I haven't looked yet. I need you to."

Dear Lord, I prayed silently . . . please contain my gag reflex for the next few moments. Puke could only make this situation worse. Thanks.

So, I bravely, stood next to him as he unwrapped his mangled, left, index finger. And all I can say is, I am glad that God was with me. The best word that I can use to describe Hubby's finger was shredded. Like I said, not good.

While I did my best with neon blue band-aids, I calmly tried to do the impossible . . . get Paul to a doctor. "Hon, I really think that you should have that looked at. "

"Nah. It's not bad," he said as he helped wrap the fourth band-aid around the mess.

I raised my right eyebrow and stared at him. What??? His finger looked a bit like ground beef, but, it wasn't that bad? He reminded me of that Monty Python knight. The one that after having his arm completely severed remarks, " 'Tis just a flesh wound." Ridiculous. I half expected to see men clapping coconuts together galloping through my living room.

"Paul. Really. This. Could. Be. Bad." I tried to slow down my words in the hopes that a change in pace would confuse him into agreeing.

It half-worked.

He went to see the school athletic trainer, a man we lovingly refer to as Doc. A man, and this needs no saying, that Ethan believes is his actual, M.D. doctor. Doc cleaned and patched him up, and now he sports a huge mass of gauze and tape on his left, index finger.

And, therein lies the rub.

"Annie, you think that I can golf with this thing tomorrow?"

"Hmmmm. I don't know. Maybe you'll have to give it up this week," I replied. Inside, I was a little giddy at the prospect of having him home on a Thursday night, instead of starting up his golf league.

He took a couple of practice swings and pronounced, "Yeah, I should be OK." I grimaced while he reflected, "You know, that was the first thing that went through my mind when I cut it."

Not understanding him, I said, "What was?"

"Golf tomorrow."

"Golf tomorrow," I said incredulously. "Golf tomorrow was the first thing that you thought about? Not about losing your finger, or being maimed, or . . . or . . . pain?!?"

"Yep. Golf."

Incredible.

"Well, what was the second?" I countered.

He paused and wiggled his bandaged finger at me. "My left finger."

Not getting it, I repeated, "Your left finger?"

"Yaaa-esssss. My left finger."

I said nothing and waited.

He smiled and said, "It's my wing hand. How am I supposed to eat wings?"

So, hubby gets injured and his first thoughts are about golf and wings.

Nice.

And then he left me with this tidbit that belongs in the Hubby Hall of Fame, "At least it is not my right index finger. I would never be able to pull down my pants when I need to go the bathroom."

Lovely mental picture.

What can I say? I love my guy.

He makes me laugh . . . even when he doesn't try.

Author's note: (If this makes no sense, please read On a Wing and A Prayer, an earlier March post, and all will become crystal. Clear, that is.)

Photo Confession Wednesday

Just to spice things up, 

because, I love spice, you know, even if my ulcer does not, 

I thought that being that it is my confession Wednesday,  I would partake of my confessional with photos from my everyday, ho hum, crazy life.  I must, however, warn you.  These are un-retouched photos and real life confessions.  

I am sure only the brave will read on . . .

I confess that although I did not burn the garlic bread the other night at dinner, I did burn the cookies that I baked on Tuesday.  The burned cookie effect was made that much worse by the fact that I baked the cookies on the unwashed garlic bread pan.  Burned, garlic, sugar cookies.  Yumm.  I secretly think that God is trying to tell me to limit my sweets. ( He's sneaky like that sometimes.)

I confess that for the better part of the day, I have been letting the dishes in my sink pile up in the hopes that hubby will get home and wash them for me.  (I know.  I know.  Slack.  What can I say?  It's true.  I hate dishes.  Not as much as laundry . . . but that's another post.)

I confess that this hole has been in my soffit for at least 3 weeks.  Hubs and I were trying to determine if there were pipes or wires running in the soffit.  After finding out there were no pipes or wires, the next step should have been to remove the cabinets and then knock the soffit down.   We have not proceeded to the next step, however, instead, there is a gigantic hole to nowhere in my kitchen. 

 Sigh.  

I confess that I am beginning to think that this remodel will never be done.

I confess that hubs and I told the kids we found a petrified rat in the soffit hole in order to keep their curiosity at bay. (And also to mess with them, just a bit.  We're good parents like that.)

I confess that I picked at the zit on my face until it became the present day crater that it is.  I have a hard time leaving zits alone.  If it's there, I will pick and pop until it begs for mercy.  With pimples, it's war, and I am ruthless.  Be afraid!  Be very afraid.

I confess that after not seeing the sun for 3 days in a row, I have allowed my children to turn the living room into a bounce house of sorts where all of the cushions are off of the couch.  The kids are taking turns jumping into the teetering mound and roaring with laughter.

I confess that after witnessing their fun, I belly flopped into the pillows myself.  It was a blast, and then we all were hysterical with laughter.

I confess that in said laugh fit, I peed my pant a little.

I confess that when I realized I leaked pee, I laughed even harder, thereby releasing more pee.

I confess that I do not have a picture of my wet pants.  ( Really, you didn't want to see that, did you?  Right.  You're welcome.)

I confess . . . I feel loads better!

Happy Wednesday.

Potty - The Before and . . .After!

 I have been talking and talking about all this renovation that I have been doing, but I haven't let you in on it.  (Just call me a tease!) Anyway,  I am sure that you are quite sick of it.

I am. 

The kitchen is coming along, slowly, s o  s l o w l y, but I am trying to focus my energies on the facts that . . . 1.  We are doing this ourselves.  2.  We are paying cash for the remodel as we go.  (Just say no to debt!) and 3.  Because we are taking our time, we are doing things correctly.   All of these add days and days to our timeline, but it is slowly coming together.  

So, the kitchen remodel is adding to my insanity.  That is a given.  But lest you think that the kitchen is my only crazy project, I will let you in on a little secret.  I usually have several home improvement projects going at one time.  The more projects at one time, the merrier I say!  (I know.  I know.  I am nuts.  3 kids.  The dead of winter.  Hubby coaching basketball AND  remodeling?  Geez!  It even sounds crazy to me.)

My latest project was my first floor half bath.  It is off the kitchen, and when we bought the house, it was painted a shade of hospital-like green.  

Lovely, yes?

Ummmmmm.  No.

Not lovely!  Hideous old linoleum.  Potty chair (Did I mention I am also potty training?  Ellerie!  Not me.)  Pukey walls.

Just not pretty.

Not pretty, my friends.

One day while reading out in bloggy world, I read a post about using black in small spaces, like perhaps a kitchen, on The Inspired Room.  Immediately, I thought about my green bathroom.  So, one day while hubby was at work, I started painting.  Black.  I loved it, but it was even a bit too much for me.  I convinced hubs to install some beadboard and some leftover flooring and  . . .

Voila!

Pretty bathroom!

Now, it still needs a pretty towel and a few finishing touches, but it is loads better!  It was cheap too.  The floor was leftover from a project last year.  I already had the black and the white paint, so that was free.  I did buy 2 new knobs at 2.50 each and the rug that I got on sale at Kohl's on the clearance rack.  I think it may have been $15.  The material for the top of the window was leftover from my dining room window treatments.  The bead board was $20 at the Home Depot.  So, my total was around $40 bucks.  Not bad for a new bathroom!

Whenever I see it during the day, it makes me smile.  And, that my friends, is totally worth $40!

I am linking this post to Kimba's DIY day and to the Thrifty Decor Chick's Before and After Party.  Hop on over to check out some really cool projects that can make your life a bit crazier too!

Deck the Halls!

(My fireplace mantel . . . gorgeous, isn't it???)

I love Christmas.

Seriously, I love it.

I love the jolly music playing everywhere.  In fact, much to my hubby's chagrin, I have my car radio set to a station that plays tunes all day and all night.  My kiddies and I sing at the top of our lungs while motoring around town.  Their current favorite is Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer (Sorry Mom!)  Too funny and too fun!

 I also love the lights that twinkle on people's houses.  Now, I will admit, I am a bit of a snob when it comes to stringing lights.  I prefer white, and I like it when it is neat, well planned, and well executed.  I am not a fan of half-way done lights that are strewn over a bush or dangling from a roof line.   I logically can appreciate that someone was in the Christmas spirit to decorate, but I can not appreciate the end result.  ( I know.  I know.  Snob!  Just get past it!) Instead, hubby and I point out, laugh, and generally make fun of some pretty sketchy Christmas light displays. (Which is totally not in the Christmas spirit . . . but I am being honest here, and . . . it is so much fun.  Sorry!)  I mean a blow up of Santa on a Harley next to a nativity scene???  Really??  And don't get me started on the blow up manger scene.  There is just something wrong with Mary, Jesus, and Joseph in cartoon-like bubble form.  I have a feeling that they were not meant to be adored next to a life-size Spongebob wearing a Santa hat.  Just saying.

But, the thing that I love the most about Christmas time is decorating my home.  I have approximately 10 rubbermaid tubs full of Christmas decorations that I pull out each year.  (No.  I am not exaggerating.  And yes, I know that it is excessive.) .  Now, I do not use all of the decor in the tubs.  Instead, each year I evaluate my home and my decorating desires and then I create or add or edit until I get just the right look that I want. I love doing it so much that I have actually considered going into business decorating other people's homes for Christmas.  I just haven't figured out how to do that and continue to decorate mine.  ( That and I'd be afraid that I'd offend someone because I don't like Santa on a harley. ) Sigh.  

Anyway,  I thought that I would share a few pics of some of my favorite spots in my home.

Here are the french doors that lead into my dining room.  

And here is a close up of the goodies above the door.

Finally, here is my Christmas tree.  As you can see, it is not the shrub that hubby likes, so needless to say, I won the battle. (As if you thought I'd lose!  Ha!)  It is all in reds and golds and it is beautiful!  Sparkly, gold, and red!  What's not to love, huh?

And now I am off to more decorating!

If you are in the holiday mood, you can check out The Nester or The Thrifty Decor Chick for more holiday decorations!

Home Sweet Clean Home

We are traveling this Thanksgiving.  My sister in law has graciously offered to host the family, and we quickly accepted!  No cooking.  No washing sheets.  No preparation, really.

So why am I running around the house going crazy?!

Simple.

I don't like to leave my house dirty when we travel.

I know.  I know.

No one will see it.  It will just sit there, bright and shiny and sparkly for no one to appreciate.  It will exude fresh smells for no one's nose to sniff.  It will be empty . . . but clean.

And frankly, that's what matters.

Because nothing, nothing,  puts me in a foul mood faster than returning home from a trip to a dirty house.  Seriously friends, traveling with 3 kiddies, is stressful enough.  There's the funk that the family is inevitably in because we are out of our routine.  There's the mountain of dirty clothes that follows us home.  There's the sleep deprivation we all experience from sleeping on pull out beds and sofas.  It already is an ugly picture folks.  But if you factor in a dirty house . . .egads!  You may as well just take away my Krispy Kremes, because I wouldn't be as cranky as if I returned home to a mess.  

Home is, well, home.  It is my haven.  My favorite place, really.  And when I am gone, I long for it and all its prettiness that hubby and I have created.  

When I walk in the door, I just want to kick off my shoes, sink into my sofa, and sigh.  That's it.

I don't want to tackle the dishes that were left in the sink or vaccuum up goldfish crumbs that adorn my floor.  I want to just veg and appreciate my home.

So, I will continue to run around like a crazy woman these next few days to clean my house.

It will be worth it when I get home.

Update on the Kitchen Remodel

The kitchen remodel insanity continues.  

Stage 1 . . . done.  

Stage 2 . . . on the burner.  

Stage 3 . . . still a dream.  At this rate, we will probably be complete right about the time the

 kids start high school.   In spite of this, I thought I would give you guys a peek and an update.

This is  Stage 1  . . . BEFORE.  

This area was a breakfast nook off the back of my kitchen.  Hubby recessed the refrigerator into the space, framed out around it, dry-walled, and created a walk-in pantry.  

This is Stage 1  . . . DURING.

This is a look into  the newly painted, walk-in pantry.   (The fridge is to the left, out of the picture.)  Notice the specs of drywall dust floating in the picture.  Seriously, construction dust is terrible!!

Another DURING . . .

This is the same view as before, but with the shelving installed by my loving hubby.

And, here's the newly formed pantry AFTER . . .

I can't believe how much storage I have now!

This is the window to the backyard within the pantry and  a partial view of the back shelf. 

And, a final shot of the back pantry shelf.

Fabulous, no?!?

I love, love, love it!

So, onto Stage 2.  Wall removal.  Island installation.  Insanity daily.  Fall is coming.  I am feeling like nesting. And, this is what the beginning of Stage 2 looks like.

I need some help!

Or at least some chocolate.

****This links up to the Inspired Room's fall nesting party.

Parlez-vous francais?

When we moved into this OLD house and my daughter said that she wanted a "French" bedroom, I seriously was at a loss for what to do. Her room at the time was a teal green hue everywhere. Molding, baseboards, doors and walls were all bluey green. Not hideous, mind you. Just not my Abbie girl, and definitely not french.

So, I pondered the room and the situation for a bit, and finally I was struck with inspiration. I was out shopping for the girls when I spotted a darling lavender swing top with navy blue grosgrain ribbon detailing. The Gymboree tag said that the top was part of their Paris line, and voila! I had it. I knew what to do!

That weekend, with swing top in tow, I headed to my local Home Depot. I used their color matching system to create a dreamy lavender paint for Abbie's walls. Step one was done. Then I ordered their decorator white paint ( yes, that is the official name of the white) for the trim and moldings.

That weekend I spent painting, painting and more painting. My hair looked gray from the specks of lavender and white that the roller deflected there. Then I hit my first dilemma.

The former wallpaper boarder was applied incorrectly and would not come off. Try as I might, I couldn't strip that paper ( and I have stripped loads and loads of paper). I was frustrated that my vision was not going to be, until . . . I figured out a creative solution. I just painted that border with the decorator white paint. Instantly, the border looked like it was part of the room's molding. It looked great, but I knew it was lacking . . . something.

Later, I discovered just what it needed. I found navy blue grosgrain ribbon, just like the inspiration shirt. I took the ribbon and hot glued it between the border and the wall. It was perfect!

Then, I knew that the beautiful doors that were so shiny and so white were unlikely to stay that shiny and white with my three kiddies running through the house. I decided that if I couldn't beat them (and have shiny white doors), then I could join them and let them get those doors good and dirty. So, one afternoon I painted the interior squares of molding on the doors with chalkboard paint. Instant character and instant fun! Abbie and the other kiddies love them!

For the windows, I found some navy blue and white toile fabric at the local fabric store for 50% off. Score! I hemmed them on the sewing machine (to this day, I can only sew straight lines)and then, I gathered them up with more ribbon. I used the existing window hardware and sheers leftover from my old house to create the whole window look.

Darling!

Finally, what french room would actually be a french room without the Eiffel Tower and some french phrases? I used three leftover white shelves of varying sizes from my old house to create the tower base and then I used oops paint to freehand the tower. The french phrases we checked online ( I wanted to be sure that I was putting up G rated phrases.) and then I freehanded those too. I could have used vinyl stick phrases, but frankly, I was too cheap.

The furniture and bedding was already white so there was no expense there. I did buy some navy pillowcases from ikea for a boost of color. The total cost of the room for paint, ribbon, fabric, and pillowcases was approximately 75.00. Not bad for a whole new room!

The result?

A darling girl's room that is not too juvenile, but not too grown up either.

Just perfect I think. I just love, love, love it!

What about you?

*****This post is a part of DIY Thursday at ASPTL and also the Shabby Chic Cottage's Transformation Thursday.

Busy Weekend . . .

Busy, busy weekend . . .

Ellerie pee-peed on the potty. Hooray! And then, she promptly ( and proudly, I might add) pooped on the floor.

Ethan jumped off the diving board for the first time. Hooray! And then, he proceeded to jump in 257 more times, got whistled at by the lifeguard for jumping a little too recklessly, and then spent 20 minutes crying about how he got in trouble by the lifeguard.

Abbie went to an intergalactic space princess sleepover party. (Say that 5 times fast. Or not. But at least think about that theme. Whew! Even that tires me out!) Hooray! And then, she came home and announced that while she had slept only a little, she had, in fact, eaten a lot.

Paul began phase 2 of the kitchen remodel . . . tearing down the wall between the kitchen and dining room. Hooray! And then, he and I both remembered the sheer joy of dust that accompanies demolition of this old house.

I finished up staining the deck rails. ( Did I mention that hubby had power washed and stained the main portion of our deck this weekend too?) Hooray! And then, the heavens opened up and it began to rain heartily all over my finished work.

It is a good thing that I like to laugh, because otherwise I may have cried!

On My Pantry Shelf . . .

I have discovered that being a mom to three little ones, a wife to a teacher and a coach, and a tutor and trainer myself leaves very little room in my brain for anything else. There are days when I feel like my brain is running through congealed oatmeal. Not efficient to say the least! I lose my keys daily, I forget to turn off the coffee pot, and just Monday I left my keys in the car with the radio turned on and consequently drained my battery dry. Yep, that's me! That's my existence. I am happy, tired, and usually forgetful.

Blame it on my 8 years of sleep deprivation.

Anyway, in my quest to keep (and remember) all of my ideas for this OLD house, I started an idea file. Any time I saw anything that I love, love, loved and wanted to use to decorate or remodel my house, I would promptly rip out the picture from the magazine or catalog, and put it in my red idea folder. Amazingly, this has worked!

Recently, I found this bulletin board gem in a Grandin Road catalog page in my idea file. I had completely forgotten about it until that moment, but when I saw it, I knew that I would try it for my newly built walk-in pantry. (More pics of that to come soon!)

Cute right? A bulletin board with a damask print design. Unique. Useful. But still . . . stylish! Perfect!

That is . . . perfect . . . until I saw the price tag.

Hold on. Get ready for it.

$139.00.

No. I am not joking.

I was completed floored that Grandin Road wanted to charge $139.00 for what amounted to some paint and your garden variety bulletin board. So, I decided to try my DIY skills to replicate a similar Annie-fied version.

First, I found a bulletin board at a garage sale. Price? $1.00.

Then, I found a unique design that I wanted for the cork part of the board. I went with a Fleur

de Lis shape from Hobby Lobby that I got on sale for $4.00.

I traced the shape on the board. And, then I painted it with some leftover paint from my dining room shelf project.

And, voila!

A $5.00 version of the Grandin Road bulletin board to rest atop my new pantry shelves. I am tickled! I think that I will let hubby know that I just saved him $134.00. (Did I mention that I am gifted in creative financial rationalization?)

What do you think? I am love, love, loving it!

****This post is part of Kimba's DIY Thursday. Hop on over and check it out.

Relax. Just Do It.

After a morning of running errands and garage sale shopping (one of my faves), the kiddies and I stopped at one of my girlfriend's homes.  I got a chance to gab and all of the kiddies had a chance to play.  It was great except for one thing.

The problem?

I forgot my phone in the car.  Normally, this would have been no big deal.  I was only there for a couple of hours, so I didn't even think that hubby would worry about me or the kids.  If anything,  when I realized I did not have my phone handy, I figured that hubby would have had some alone time to unwind after a 90 degree football practice.

My intentions were in the right place.

Unfortunately, when I checked my texts, there was a "CALL ME ASAP!"  from hubby's cell number.  A million things raced through my mind (well, not really a million, but quite a few for sure).  Was he OK?  Was my family OK?  Did the house burn down because I forgot to turn off the coffee pot again? (I really should invest in an automatic off switch, but I just love that  coffee pot so much.) I raced home to see what the ASAP was all about.

"Paul?  What's wrong?  Why the ASAP?" I asked breathlessly.

"Oh nothing except I invited Jay, and Brian and their families over for a cookout."

And, I swear to you it was like one of those movies where everything seems to be in slow motion for the main character, but instead the character's thoughts zoom through her head at a mile a minute.  That was me.  Those were my thoughts. And the slow motion pan of the camera was the mess that was my house being ready for guests in less than 2 hours.  I took in the cereal on the floor, the construction dust on, well, everything, the 2 baskets of dirty laundry in the hallway, and the rubbermaid tub full of various and assorted tools from our remodel.  I could have passed out right there on the spot, but hubby and the kiddies were looking to me and my reaction.  I didn't want my kids to see the crazy mom that runs around the house before having guests, so I just, swallowed, smiled, and sucked it up. Plain and simple.

"OK, "  I said.  And then to hubby, "What's the food plan?"  He detailed that one family was bringing some pulled chicken and rolls, and the other was bringing snacks and a salad.  Not bad, I thought.   I knew that we had chicken thawed to BBQ, corn on the cob to roast, and I remembered that we had the makings for s'mores too.  "Alright!  Food is covered."

Then to the kids, "Straighten up the basement.  Dad and I will straighten up these rooms."  With a clap of our hands, we were off.  And no sooner than 30 minutes later, we were done. 

I won't say that my house was spotless.  It wasn't.  There was still the whipped cream stain on my curtain, and the cherry juice stain on the floor.  I am sure that there was still dust in places and let's just say that my glass doors could be the before picture for Windex.  But, my house was presentable, guests were due to arrive, and for once, I was not stressed.

This was momentous.

I was not stressed, because, well, I just decided not to be.  There was no way that I could help some of the messes in my house, but I realized, that if I was going to let my remodeling mess bother me, than I may not be able to see my friends for a long, long, long time.  That was just not acceptable.  So, I let go.  I relaxed.

And, you know what?

Without all of the stress, the prep work for a "planned" party, and the over-reaching expectations, I had a fabulous time.  There was more than enough food, everyone enjoyed contributing, and my friends got to see our work in progress that is our OLD house.  We ate, enjoyed each other's company, and when it got dark, we made a fire and roasted marshmallows.  

A super evening, all in all.

So, I am glad that I didn't have that phone on me yesterday afternoon.  If I had, I may have rushed home to needlessly prepare my home.

Instead, I learned that I only had to give myself a break.

****Special thanks to the Reluctant Entertainer blog.  I have been reading this blog for awhile, and she believes that entertaining in your home should be relaxing and low key.  After last night, I get it.

A Peek into My Dining Room

Well, as many of you know, I am in the throes of a kitchen remodel, and I am glad to say that stage one is almost complete. Stage 2 and Stage 3, however, are still looming and I am itching for things to look pretty once again.

You know, without construction dust like this . . .

(Yes, that is a lovely message, but still . . . it's dust!)

And, quite frankly, you know that the dust is bad when you see your hubby, and you think that he is looking rather old and gray, and when you look more closely, you realize to your amazement that his older and more distinguished look is really just construction dust. (On a good note, however, after a shower, hubby is back to looking like his handsome, young-looking self. Whew!)

So, through the haze of dust, I have been longing for a pretty place to rest my eyes, and I have found it in my dining room. Hooray! This old 1927 house came equipped with some very pretty built-in cabinets that flank one side of my dining room. When we moved in, they were rather, ummm, shall we say . . . boring. They were painted in a beige color and the wall was a beigey light yellow color. The shelves and cabinets literally just faded into the walls with no pop or

pizzazz. Definitely not my kind of room.

So, I went to work. I painted the walls the same mustardy neutral color that is in my living room. I picked the color for two reasons: 1) I love,love, love the neutralness of the shade and 2) I had leftover paint from the living room (Did I mention that I am a bit thrifty??) This perked the room up right away. Then I painted all of the dingy beige molding with decorator white paint. Wow! Instant pop for all of the woodwork and cabinetry. But, looking at the space for a bit, I knew that I wasn't quite done.

Next, I found some fabric for 50% off at the fabric store. It was quite bold, even for me, but there was something about it that I just loved. I no-sewed a swag (read- spray glue . . . love, love, love it!) and used the swag to balance the slightly off -center window. With this OLD house, creative concealment is my friend for sure. And finally, Voila! I was beginning to love this space.

My last little tweak for the dining room involved one of my favorite colors. I knew that the cabinets and shelving needed just a bit more to really show them off. I decided to take a color from the fabric, a vibrant red, and then painted the backs of the shelves only to really show them off. I completely stole this idea from many different magazines and even some of your blogs that I read. It is genius I think.

The result?

A pretty place that I absolutely love to rest my remodeling tired eyes.

What do you think?

**** I am linking this to A Soft Place to Land's DIY Day. Hop on over for more great ideas!

I am also linking this to the Inspired Room's Beautiful Life Friday.  Hop on over for some bee-u-tee!