So many ideas, not enough time....or mayyyyybe...

Well, I'm happy to report that I've gotten my first laptop. Yes...I've joined the rest of the world in being able to run around internet hap-hazardly and blog from the convenience of where ever I want to be! So happy about this! Although, just as I discovered that it is all too easy to shut the door to the basement and leave the toy mess behind when we moved in to this multi level home...Its also all to easy to have this computer attached to the end of my finger tips and sit on my already too large back side to catch up on the list of blogs I frequent. Oh well. Such is life!

But in all honesty it will be a blessing to have after my knee surgery and not willing to travel to the basement to turn on the computer!

I've found more inspiration to share with you. Love these sweet thigns from
.


Love this idea. Its got that Industrial Farmhouse Chic that I like, and I could still keep my bill center in the kitchen, and looking cute in modgepodged file folders. Gotta find something similar to this, or bite the bullet and just order it for the $39 they are asking. Nope..I have to find a less expensive way.




This is make-it-yourself-for-a-lot-less idea! Find an old unused frame, or re-purpose a garage sale find...take the back off...add some picture hanging wire or twine for a more rustic look. I could do without the chicken details on the clips, but clothes pins would even be adorable. Paint them, or buy the little tiny ones you can get at the craft stores (by the crafts sticks). Easy cheesy! We could do this project for next to nothing! This will be something I want to use in my Craft Room. Use it as my idea board to post up ideas to use in my creative works!

The last two findings are also from Wisteria. Another easy DIY project.



Can't wait to add some personality to Becca's play space in the basement. Right now there is plenty of color with all the bajillions of toys she has. However..it just looks unfinished compared to the rest of the house. So...paint, burlap and more garage sale frames. I've even been on the look out for clearance canvases for future projects I have on my list.

What things are you finding that inspire you?

Happy Birthday Becca!

Becca turns 4 Years old on Tuesday! I can't believe it. She has grown into the most adorable, polite and hilariously funny little girl I have ever known. She is tender hearted, compassionate and most times honest (unless of course I ask her how this juice box got behind her bed, behind the tv, under her pillow, in the closet or in the storage room in the basement. Yoda would be heard saying..." Sneaky, you can be! "

But so anyway. We celebrated with family and very close friends that we consider family on Sunday with a small gathering at our house! I love that we have enough space to do so! We had a Candy Land theme that was so much fun, and really, very easy to do!

My favorite of all? The "game pieces" that we made for cupcake toppers. Ask anyone, we're very proud of them! But I can not take credit! I found them at Hobby Lobby, and within days handed them off to my Mom to paint. I was running out of time and energy to do them on my own, and she was more than happy to help! Thanks Mom! I truly think these made the party!


These are simply craft sticks..but large ones, like tongue depressor size. But they had little paper doll/gingerbread shapes on one end! I sent home craft paints in the primary colors like the game pieces in the Candy Land game, and she finished them up! The faces are drawn with a fine tip Sharpie and the "frosting" was dabbed on with white glue. The bottom portion we left unfinished, as they would be in the cupcakes, and the craft paint was not food safe. Mom did do a clear coat of ModPodge just to give it a finished look and a little shine. Adorable! Here they are in the cupcakes.

We had extras, so I immediately put 4 aside for her Scrapbook. Can't wait to get that page done! That will be fun also! There were 8 more that we put outside in the snow, leading the way up the sidewalk to the front door. Theme starts outside...right?

The rest of the decorations, literally, was CANDY! About $30 worth (that is being not so truthful!) I filled all the clear glass jars, vases and dishes I could find with Jelly Beans, Sixlets, Smarties, Licorice, Starlight Mints, Orange Slices and Red Hots. I also used a couple movie theater boxes of candy to display around. I found some VERY LARGE lolipops at the Dollar Tree and stuck them in some foam as flowers.


I did find some easter eggs at Hobby Lobby that were actually shaped like Jelly Beans, so I filled a glass container with those also. On top of the hutch (which my awesomely talented wood working genious Dad built) is a set of gift boxes that came nested together in all kinds of colors! I simply wrapped them in clear cellophane to make them look like hard candies. All of those (14 all together) was only $9.99 ! Awesome! I will be reusing them for storage in my craft room (if that ever gets organized and finished painted! Gotta heal first)


Tim decided (I'm giving him credit only because he "thought this up" when actually, I forgot to bring it out in the hurry of things) to display the Candy Land box, game board and cards on the table to bring it all together. It was fun!

Becca said during her party...totally unprompted "This is the greatest party EVER".


Mission accomplished.
Until next year.

This has inspired me

I frequent a site called www.oneprettything.com that is full of ideas..new ideas..DAILY from the blog world of crafters. Some are large projects, some very small and easy. But this project and the artists collection of art has inspired me to try to do something similar. I've lost her website. So I apologize...if you know where or who she is, please let me know! I want to give credit where credit is due!

Anyway, she uses acrylic paints, stamps, and scrapbook paper...and her amazing talent to make beautiful art for the home! This is soooo on my list to do while I'm most likely going to be laid up after reconstructive surgery on my ACL. Lovely I know...but honestly! Looking forward to some time to do what I can at home and not be rushed with schedules!

Well, I had hoped to post pictures of a beautifully painted craft room, in Mellow Mood by Ace Hardware...to reflect the color and feeling I got when I looked at the cover of my latest Country Living (ps...thanks mom for the subscription!)

I love the Blue, I love the white, i love the pop of yellow, and even though the only pink actually in the room is a small vase of flowers, I love it as an accent as well.
Let me remind you what the room looks like now...Yep! Chocolate Brown, Fushia Pink and Crush Orange.


But that is not the end of the story. As took of outlet and switch cover plates, there is evidence that this room was at one point, the most shocking fluorescent green! It is very clear to me that the TWEEN that lived in this room before we bought the house, was given free creative rein! Wowy!

So...on Tuesday, I started to prime...and half way around the room, my step ladder (yeah, the one folded up against the crush orange wall in the pic above) tipped on me! As the step ladder tipped, I thought " I'm only 2 steps up. No biggy " So I quickly stepped off the ladder from 2 steps off. Figured I would step off rather than fall with the ladder and save the tray of white primer I had in my hand.

*INSERT HOMER SIMPSON'S......D'OH *

Yeah, I'm not as small as my mind's eye image of myself, and my Goddess Size body weight was too much form me left knee to handle from 2 steps up.

*INSERT SLOW MOTION PICTURE FRAMES*

My knee quickly wanged (is that really a word....spell check doesn't think so) out to the left and I went down hard on the floor. My torso landing in a tote (one of the many in the pictures)my left leg completely crippled and a tray full of white primer down the front of my head.


Luckily Tim had come home by chance right before this happened. After assessing the situation for about 10 minutes, got me up off the floor, but not before we had determined that it was necessary to make our way to Urgent Care. After Xrays we were lucky to not find any broken bones, however they did put me in an immobilizer until swelling goes down and they can do more tests on Monday.
I did take two days off work to get used to wearing and walking with the immobilizer and let the pain subside a bit. But when I went back in yesterday to work, I found this on my desk! My coworkers love me and I love them! I'm amazed at the accuracy of their re-enactment!

New lights for the basement!

Getting rid of the "boob" lights that are currently in the basement! Yahoo!
these will fit the decor and style much better!

Sconce for the stairway!

Ceiling fixutre x 3

Floor Lamp

In the mood.....booo-oy!

Ok, not really. But we're setting the stage for a Valentine's party Becca and I will be hosting next week! I've done a very similar craft last year for Easter if you have followed my other blog for that long. Easy peasy...

Here's what we used:
Clear contact paper
craft paint
embroidery floss
ribbons
buttons
stickers
paper scraps


Here's what i did:
I took off the backing from the contact paper, and taped the contact paper to the table using blue tape. Sticky side up. Let'er loose! Becca painted with a passion, used scraps to just decorate and have fun. When she was finished decorating, and she was out of the room (her help was more of a hinder at this point!) I cut another piece of contact paper the same size, took of the backing and then laid it down on top of the first. Sticky side down.


I then took the creative liberty (or maybe it was the adult scissoring skill) to cut hearts out, punch holes and tie ribbon/thread and hang in our dinningroom! Great sun catchers (where there is sun), But it turns out the blinding light from the snow does the job also! lol.

My promises are real! I promise!

Ok, so its been a month now that Becca started Preschool 3 days a week. You would think that I would have time to blog! Well...some times I do at times have a moment...but mostly its spent making this house our home!
My living room furniture came! Here are some pics in a mini tour...but come see it for yourself instead! Pictures don't do it justice!
ENTRY


LIVING ROOM

DINNING ROOM


Here it is, in all its glory! The long awaited dinning room table! Its ready for 6 at all times, but we can add another leaf and fit 8 very easily! I love it! And I love my hutch being a center piece like it was meant to be when my very talented Dad made it! I love that it will forever be in my family and will be Becca's when I'm gone. I still need to find some spring-y green for the basket on the left, but I'm happy with the effect I'm getting already!
This is a shot looking from the dinningroom/kitchen into the living room. Mom had this perfectly blue window that she no longer wanted to use and knew it would be perfect right here! She was right! Why do we doubt her? lol.
PLAY ROOM

Thank God for storage! Let me say that ALL of this was in my entertainment center at the old house. How.in.the.world? This is not how it always looks. Give Becca just 30 minutes in her playroom after we pick it up and you might find 5 things left on the shelves. MIGHT.

This is her play area across for the shelves. She is found here playing in her kitchen playing restaurant or being a creative genius at her easel!
BECCA'S ROOM

This vinyl wall art was ordered from UpperCaseLiving. Very cool stuff. Styles, words, designs, colors...all your choice. You can even create your very own!
The beautiful little frosted mirrored knobs on her dresser popped off during the move. These knobs were the perfect finishing touch on her nursery when she was a newborn. They were exquisitely girl-y. I do think now that something a bit more lively is in order for this punk! Exquisitely girl-y is just not her anymore! It really hadn't been added to my "Project" list yet. However, seeing this picture has changed that!

Ok, so thats what I've got for you at the moment!
The family room is complete now also, however a little monster with name the starts with B and ends in ecca has made a mess of it. So pictures will come soon.
The craft room is my next big project. I've finally gotten things put away or unpacked and into more permanent homes and ready to paint the "tween" right out of that room and make it a "clean and creative" space!