Hi Mr. Gym, It's Nice To Be Back...

Oh, hi underused, unappreciated Mr. Gym, it feels SO SO SO good to be back!

Whatddya mean? You don't REMEMBER ME?

Yes, I have a current membership. Really, I do! I workout here all. the. time. Can't you tell by looking at my fabulous bod?

Oh just shut up.

OK, well, I did before the kids got sick. And before I got sick before that...and before my husband was sick before that...

OK, Mr. Gym, maybe you have a point.

But hey, I'm here now, let's just move on.

Whatddya mean my workout ensemble doesn't match? So what? I'm just thrilled that my socks match. So what if I had to take a shower BEFORE working out to shave my legs!? At least I was being considerate.

Mr. Gym, you had better not snicker at me behind my back(side) next time I walk in your front doors.

I'll get you back.

Maybe I won't wipe down the weight machines after using them.

Maybe I'll wear stilettos and run a 5k on your precious treadmill.

Maybe I'll sing my playlist out loud for you to enjoy while I work out.

Either way, I'll get you back.

YES, there will be a next time!

Sheesh.

A

Snot and Spray Paint...

Did you know you can spray paint glass?

Neither did I.

Take two large, have sat in a closet for 9 years because they were used at my wedding, glass vases (URNS really) :


(Whoa, whoa, we're tilting, we're tilting!!!)

And spray paint the snot out of them:


(we're still feeling a bit off kilter!!!)

Ok, there really wasn't ACTUAL SNOT in, on, or around them, but we are a living in snot-land and I feel the need to interject that word as much as I can.

Don't they look MUCH better painted? It took quite a few coats to get every ridge and crease covered...that and the wind blew away 67.4% of my spray paint. Now the neighbors' house has a lovely shade of dark leather brown on one side to match the changing leaves. You are welcome.

Throw some "borrowed" from the parents curly willow tree sticks in, plop it in a corner and call it a day:



Voila. Easy peasy nice and cheesy.

SNOT. Whoops. Sorry about that.

A

p.s. Don't forget to enter the Jones Soda with you own Customized label giveaway over at the Vintage Dutch Girl Giveaway blog!

Customizable Jones Soda Giveaway!!!

Who WOULDN'T want Reindeer Root Beer soda with their face on it!?

Just for fun, we're doing another giveaway! To enter to win, head on over to the Vintage Dutch Girl Giveaway Blog and leave a comment to be entered to win.

* You do NOT have to run a blog to enter. Just click in as anonymous and make sure you tack your first name and email on the bottom of your comment. Enter to win and join the fun!

A

'Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.'

The Message, Philippians 4:6-7

WallyWorld Therapy...

Quite frankly, it's embarrassing how excited I was to go to WallyWorld yesterday afternoon. I may be getting a touch o' cabin syndrome.

Nothing like the promise of inexpensive bleach spray cleaner and a rock bottom butter price to get yer engine going.

That, and the spray paint aisle. I got tingles.

We're going on THREE weeks of sickness for those under three. While I would hate to complain and seem whiny and weak I do think it bears repeating. THREE WEEKS of being sick.

Despite the THREE WEEKS of being sick, there were some good times in good ole Wallyworld. Thankfully, my Mom was along to run Bubbalu interference while I had Lil Chick in the Bjorn.

First we drooled over adorable dresses, leggings and t shirts for Lil Chick. Next up I picked up some needed fabric for Lil Chick's harvest festival outfit. Yes, it was tulle. No, I won't tell you what color. Hopefully I'll get it done in time, because, THREE WEEKS of being sick has severely cut into my crafting/sewing time.

I'd hate to complain and seem whiny and weak.

Then my knight in khaki's and a button down shirt came and collected the kids so Mom and I could have kid-free shopping - woot! Thanks honey.

Before we hit up the chocolate and munchies aisle, I helped Mom pick out some rocking new duds for the guest bedroom.

This gorgeous new bedding:



The teal is stunning. STUNNING I tell ya.

And we totally ditched the blah beige sheets and switched em out for STUNNING teal.

Mom, I vote for a dark chocolate wall behind the bed with the frame (you know, the large ornate gorgeous one you are hiding from me) spray painted TEAL hanging above the bed.

Not any teal...STUNNING teal.

After all, it's just spray paint. Easily changeable, inexpensive and quick results.

That said, I'm ready to add something like this to my Christmas list:



However it may require an air compressor.

Maybe I can convince my khaki's and button down shirt clad knight to put that on HIS list? Especially since we've been dealing with THREE WEEKS of being sick, we really could use a special treat.

I'd hate to complain...

A

Our Sick House Rules...

One must not be required to change out of night-time attire. Zip-up footed jammies are acceptable, nay encouraged.

One must not be required to entertain oneself without the aid of a certain babysitter of the screened variety.

One must not be required to eat healthy, nutritiously rounded meals (as if that's the norm - *snort*!)

One is permitted to drink a smoothie (pronounced "smoovie" by the under 3 crowd) in place of a meal.

One carries an 'unlimited juice consumption for duration of sickness' card.

Our sick "smoovie" recipe of the day:

• One banana
• two scoops chocolate or vanilla ice cream
• 1/4-1/2 cup peanut butter
• chocolate syrup (to taste)
• 1/2 (ish) cup of milk

Blenderize. Serve to sick little one in old plastic restaurant cup with accordion straw that is guaranteed to leak. IMPORTANT!***One MUST taste test at LEAST 1/2 cup or more of "Smoovie" recipe to determine adequate taste mixage and acceptability***

I cannot stress the taste test enough. It is vital for the recipe's success.

A

The Tomato Bandit...

My tomato bandit has struck again. Sure my tomato plants are looking sickly, withered and crispy but they were still producing happy little tomatoes for me to enjoy in my salads.

On the deck I found this:



(Picture me exhaling loudly in frustration)

Then I looked up and saw this:



(Picture me AGAIN exhaling loudly in frustration)

Well Bubbalu, I hope you enjoyed your throwing practice. With all that repetitive throwing motion, I'm wondering if you might have yourself a little case of tomato elbow.

Serves you right...

A

Happy Fall...

Happy Fall.



I worked out in the yard with the hubby today. Despite wearing a sweatshirt and...uh...glistening from my elbow grease expenditure, I was chilled.

Fall is here.

Have YOU decorated for the season yet?

Take one boring, inexpensive grapevine wreath:



And add (stick em in, glue gun em in, wire em in) a bunch of fall-ish berries, sticks, floral picks, whathaveyou. Then HANG it UP.

Me? I had a TON of red berry sprays that I yanked out of a 75 cent garage sale wreath. And yes, I DID spray paint half of them orange. Cause the season demands some ORANGE. Also threw some leftover sticks in there because this girl loves her some curly willow:



Fall is here. Let the apple cider consumption, harvest candle flickering, cozy blanket snuggling and fireplace crackling commence...

A

Find more fall projects at:

Apples And A Chick...

Thanks to my parents and their overproducing trees I have a few apples to create yummy things with.


Mommy, can I eat this one? I think it likes me.

A few, meaning this bucket is about 10% of the total amount of apples currently in my garage. Lil Chick was busy helping me take care of the abundance. She's been kneeling like this for a few weeks now. Seeing her little toes peeking out of her leggings always makes me smile.


Uh Mommy, I see a fruit fly metropolis. It's starting to worry me.

I tell ya, I'd better get peeling, coring and a' cookin some applesauce.

My two new motto's:

1. Sand, Prime and Spray Paint
2. Peel & core, cook and freeze.
   

Or maybe,

1. Annoy Husband by Taking Up His Side of Garage With Projects
   
2. Start A Fruit Fly Infestation Worthy Of Notoriety

You choose. Either way, they're all true!

By the way, to make applesauce:

Peel, core and slice many many many apples.

Cook over med heat with about an 1/8th cup of water. Stir frequently. Soon (20 - 30 minutes) it all turns to yummy mush and smells divine.

That's IT!

OK OK OK, you can add cinnamon and sugar, but I prefer it plain. Freeze in Dutch Tupperware (large yogurt, sour cream and frozen whipped cream containers) to use throughout the year.

YUM.

Happy October, y'all...

A

In Which A Headboard Is Repurposed, Revamped and Sassified...

I bought this lonely, unwanted twin size headboard from the thrift store a month ago:



I've seen a bunch of headboard revamps around the blogisphere so I snatched that baby up.

It was on CLEARANCE. At a thrift store. What did I pay? $2.00 + tax.

That's right, TWO BUCKEROOS! The thrifty lady who dwells inside of me rejoiced.

I hauled it over to my parents house and cajoled my father into slicing off the legs for me.

I bet you can guess what I did next, right???

Sand, prime and spray paint. It's pretty much my new motto.

Then took a two week break (*ahem* FOUR) where I hemmed and hawed over how to finish up my project in an adorable, yet wallet-friendly (read: FREE) way.

First up, installed un-free (booooo) yet functional hooks:



Then hemmed and hawed some more before I personalized it and threw it on the wall. Well, not threw, but ya know what I mean.

Meet the newest revamped member of our family:



Why yes, I DID painstakingly cut out and decoupage every last itty bitty letter:



Oh, THANK YOU for noticing that it matches Wally:



My my, aren't we observant today!

Previously under used and not very gaze-worthy towel bar replaced with uber cute, functional (and thrifty) hooded towel hanger. Extremely tiny kids bathroom punched up with some sassy, low-profile functionality.

It makes me smile every time I walk past the bathroom. Sometimes I choose to use the kids' loo so I can smile while I, uh, you know.



And yes, I only have TWO children. What can I say, we give LOTS of baths around here which creates many towel needs. That, and I actually finished the laundry and was thrilled to be able to use my newly revamped...uh...thing. Headboardhoodedtowelhangerthingymajig.



However, at least I now have a great place to hang my excessive hooded towel collection. (I actually have more hooded towels in the closet...shhhhhhhh.)

I have noticed that the beautiful apple green clashes HORRIBLY with my contractor dark yellow-beige bathroom walls...thus I will GLADLY welcome paint color suggestions!

A

P.S. There are TONS of DIY/Thrifty Finds/Transformation blog parties this week. So go! Go NOW and check em out!

Stuck At Home...

Lance and Bubbalu are gone for the day. Mama and Lil Chick are having a lovely Saturday at home.

By at home I mean I am stuck.

I would LOVE to be out and about crashing the garage sales in town scooping up some fabulous finds....but my darlin baby girl is sick. Methinks hauling a feverish, coughing, snotty-nosed pajama clad 9 month old around town might not be the greatest of ideas. Besides, I'd have to do my hair and get out of my jammies.

I may still make an emergency run to the hardware store as I am in the midst of a spray-painting frenzy.

I'm the fiend causing the frenzy.

My wedding ring has red speckles, my fingernails are quite possibly permanently stained light green and my garage looks like a hardware store EXPLODED in there...but this Mama?

She's happy...

A

Warning! Craft Cache Overload...

The craft cache is once again overflowing. Some of my I MUST DO THIS, I LOVE THIS! projects:


Cozy Frosty Candles

I'm thinking they would look lovely in muted fall colors. What the heck!? Muted? Yeah right. Wham kazam ORANGE! And RED! And GREEN! Ok, I'm done yelling colors at you.


Fabric Covered Storage Cubes

Because really, could storage cubes be any uglier? Furthermore, does dust HAVE to get permanently stuck into those 18 million crevices that they have? And have you ever stubbed your toe/toes/entire FOOT on those ugly dust ridden cubes? YEOWCH. Methinks I'm not liking my storage cubes too much. Huh.


Gift Wrap Holder

The only problem with this beautiful holder is that I need seventeen of them with which to hold my stash. I may have a slight overabundance of wrapping paper. So WHY do I use gift bags? Dunno.


Repurposing a short-sleeve shirt to a long-sleeved shirt.

Oh wait. I already did this. Go me! I actually did something on my craft cache list! Oh, you wanna see it?

Here ya go:



The stripes were all parts of a 2T sized long-sleeve shirt of Bubbalu's that was hopelessy too small. Mr. Monkey has no name as of yet:



...or eyes. I purposefully 'forgot' to add them as they continually creeped me out. No matter where I placed them they followed me...or made Mr. Monkey look possessed. Not the look you want for your toddler. I have a pile of t-shirt awaiting their turn (and my time and inspiration) at the sewing machine.

OK y'all, link up in the comments to some of your craft Cache I MUST DO THIS, I LOVE THIS! projects. Because I want my craft cache list to go from hopelessy overfull to obscenely impossible.

Happy Crafting!

A

Your Scrappy Silhouette Artwork Is Making Me Hungry For Some Guacamole...

I was out Saturday morning garage sale shopping with my sister a few weekends ago. (It is absolutely shocking how much a two hour, $7.80 garage sale run will therapize me.) We hit up a decently priced sale full of potential. I grabbed a HUGE matted frame (that will soon find itself spray painted, of course) for 2 bucks and another smaller wooden frame with a itty bitty 10 cent price tag.

I brought them up to pay for both where the garage sale CEO waved away my dime for the smaller frame. "Just take it, please!".

(My heart fluttered with thrifty happiness. Not even joking.)

Guess what happened when I got home?

That's right. Prime and spray paint baby!

Agonizingly waited for drying time, then used this template , courtesy of Ms. Martha, and once again made free scrapbooky silhouette "artwork":



Wally the whale and his lime and avocado inspired frame got hung by a lovely chocolate brown ribbon to sass up the kids bathroom:


(No, it is NOT hung that unevenly. Really. I love my level. So pardon the, uh, shoddy picture taking skillz...I seriously fell into the tub after snapping that shot.)

My lovely sister in law, Megan, challenged her blog readers to a see what project they could do for 99 cents. Well Megs, looks like I one upped you.

FAAAHREEEEEE!

A

For more DIY projects check out A Soft Place To Land and the Shabby Chic Cottage...

Leaps And Bounds...

Lil Chick is growing by leaps and bounds. All within the last week.

I was so proud of my sweet baby for pulling herself up to a kneeling position. She pulled herself up on the piano:



On the side table:



and on the bistro chairs:



Pretty much anything that has a hand hold has been used for kneeling practice.

THEN, she did this:



Notice her smug, "check me OUT Mama!" expression?



While still proud of her Lil Chick, mother hen is starting to worry about this escalation of movement that is occuring.

Fast forward two days.

Ding dong! Can I come in?



Uh, why are there pudgy TOES in your living room?



I don't mean to pry, but WHAT is peering through your third story window?



Ahhhh, that's why:



When we say "she's playing in the dollhouse" we mean literally IN the dollhouse.

It's our version of 'King Kong', or 'Honey I Blew Up the Kid'. You pick:



However, we're not done yet.

Yes there IS another fun thing she learned.

Oh yes she did:



Uh oh.

A