I am that mom

Tonight I was out shopping by myself...you know trying to find something cute for Blissdom. My mom lives 15 minutes away...so my girls get to stay with her one night a weekend. And usually I go on a date with my husband! So tonight my girls are with grandma. My husband had a soccer clinic...so I found my self alone. That doesn't happen too often. So, I perused some stores. As I was walking around, I heard this boy whisper to his mom "I have to go to the bathroom." She said in an agitated voice "Are you serious?" Then she huffed and stomped him to the bathroom all the way to the back of the store. I heard another say, "See, I told you to leave them at home. I told you we shouldn't have brought them in." I heard several other agitated moms with their kids who didn't want to be at the store. You know when you hear another mom talking to their child in an agitated voice, it always sounds worse than when you're the one actually saying it. I am that mom. I don't want to be. The last thing I want is for my girl's to feel like they are a nuisance.

Spreadin' the Love

Linky love...that is! I am big lovin' my new blog...courtesy of Sweet Faerie Designs. She is a patient woman! Isn't it adorable? She did such a fantastic job! And did I tell you...she's really patient? Go see her for all your bloggy needs.

Also, I fell in love with this zebra bulletin board over at Southern Hospitality! She has posted the how-to!


And please visit Life In Grace. She did a laundry room re-do and painted her cabinets black...with a how-to. She also has a great post about homeschool that I often re-read when I need encouragement.

Can I make coffee at your house?

Can I find the coffee in your home? You know...if I was a guest in your home...could I find all the fixins for making coffee? What if you're still asleep and your guest gets up first and wants coffee? Can they find everything they need? I have done this...gotten up...found everything except the coffee filters...and had to wait for my host to get up. I'm a junkie and I know it. I need coffee like the air I breathe. Don't judge.


Here's a tip! This is what I've done. Put everything in one spot. Everything. Put your coffee in the cabinet over your coffee maker. Make sure your coffee cups, travel mugs, sugar and FILTERS are also in the same cabinet. My filters are behind the honey bear and the sugar. I also have tea and honey in the very same cabinet...just in case you're my guest and not an addict to coffee...for some unbeknownst reason. PLEASE. PLEASE. PLEASE...Don't put your filter's clear across the kitchen in your pantry behind the flour. Your guest will be irritable when you awake...that is unless you've made the coffee the night before. Then props to you! You may never get rid of your guest.

Meeting Bloggy Friends

I love meeting bloggy friends. I love this blog community. Hayley from Handmade Housewife and her son came up to visit us. She brought with her yummy pastries from a bakery and became fast friends with my kids! She is a cutie patootie and has the sweetest son. We had a great visit and talked about everything from houses...decorating...crafting...homeschooling...parenting. I still feel like we didn't have enough time to hang out. Luckily for me...she makes her way up to my neck of the woods frequently...so I look forward to building our friendship.

THE question that came up was this..."How do you tell your kids this is your internet friend from bloggy land?" All the while we're telling them to be careful...not to talk to strangers...especially strangers on the internet. Hayley and I both went to the same college...albeit I was married and on my way to having my first child when she entered said college...but nonetheless we did go to the same school...Go Pirates! That's what I told my kids...that we went to the same college. So...have you met bloggy friends and if so, what did you tell your kids?

Recycled Pillow Cover

Do you have one of these old t-shirts that you've out grown...I mean...that has shrunk and is now too small for you? Recycle it into a pillow cover.

I embroidered "simplify" on it and then cut it straight across. This would also be great to do freezer art on. You could freezer art your monogram, a word you love or an image.

Turn it inside out and sew the bottom. I added trim...just to the top and bottom. It really just looks like a mohawk...now that I think about it.

An example of some Hawaiian themed pillow covers. What's so great is that they button...easy to put on and take off to wash. No zippers...my kind of pillow cover! You could also use button cardigans, jackets or coats. There are a plethora of items to be found at the thrift store. Just look at that shirt or jacket as a pillow cover.



Also, I listed some of my aprons here...if anyone cares to see me holding an empty cup!

How to Fake your Wood Floors

Lots of you have asked me about these fake wood floors...so I'll tell you what I did. My friend, Caroline, did her kitchen and she is where I got the inspiration. They look real and unless you get down on all fours and sniff for the wood smell...it's really hard to tell. Anyway, I bought them at Lowes Home Improvement. Made by Novalis and come in 4 different colors. Mine are Golden Oak. They are vinyl stick and peel planks. The directions are on the box...of how to lay them. Here are some other examples and comments from those who've used them.

I bought 8 boxes according to the measurements on the box, but only needed 7 boxes and a few extra planks that they also sell individually. You can also buy one of each color, take them home and live with them to see which one you like best.

First go to the garage and get your husband's softball knee-pads...hockey will do! If none are to be found...FIND SOME! Your knees will thank you in the morning. I'm not even joking about this step! Do not start until you have some cushion on those patella's!

You must first prep your floor by mopping it clean and then removing any residue with water and let it dry. Then roll the self-stick tile primer on and let it dry. You don't need much...the consistency is like milk. I used about 1/2 a bottle for my kitchen. Let it dry. I used my rotary cutter to score/cut the planks and they just pop in half. My measuring tape and yardstick were also very helpful. I used scissors for the tricky spots around door frames.

Measure your room and start laying planks in the middle FIRST. I started on one side of the island. If you start on a wall...your wall may be slightly crooked and that will jack up the rest of it and it could look all catywampus and sideways by the time you finish. Stagger your planks. Again there are examples of how to do this on the box. And MEASURE, MEASURE, MEASURE. When you get to edges...it can get tricky, so measure. Did I say MEASURE? Also, I asked a guy at Lowes' about a sealer to go over the top and he said there was not one. If your floor is properly prepared and the tiles layed tightly, you'll be good! Although, someone left a comment that she did this in her bathroom...and the tiles came up. I dunno? I probably won't do it in my kid's bathroom beacuse I think they take bath's on the outside of the tub...water everywhere.

This was the last unfinished corner. I am proud to say that my floor is completely done as of today. "They" recommend you take off baseboards or molding, but who has time for that. You know who "they" are. "They" didn't have their kitchen furniture in the living room for 3 days...so of course "they" has all the time in the world to take off their baseboards. Caroline didn't do it and her's looked great. I did lift that little yucky gold strip with my hammer to get the plank under and then hammer it back down. My husband was against this for a long time. This was our conversation in the process:

husband: "Wow, this is really going to look good!"
me: (on my knees) "uh-huh"
husband: "I should have let you do this a long time ago!"
me: (trying not to be smug) "uh-huh"
husband: (admitting the truth we've always known) "you're always right about everything!"
me: (still on my knees) "uh-huh"

Hope this helps, please feel free to email me any questions. Go here to see my finished fake hardwoods along with fake beadboard.

It's snowing...still!

Exploring the snowy woods behind our home...nature walk...a.k.a. science, because even though it snows and everyone else is out of school...we will do school. We will not be making up snow days in June!

of course...snow angels...art! What would a day be without snow angels?

And the meticulously placed chocolate chips on the whipped cream topping the hot chocolate! Math..."you have to COUNT the number of chocolate chips you put on your hot chocolate." Now, the girls are out playing with the neighbor kids..P.E. I'm feelin' a crafting bug coming on...what's a girl to do when locked in her home with her sewing machine?

Fake Wood Floors

Before Fake Wood Floors

After Fake Wood Floors

I have been wanting to do this since we moved into this house and finally I did it! I am thrilled with how it turned out. I love the look of wood floors, but we could not afford them and what if you have a leak from the frig or the dishwasher? There go your real wood floors. This was pretty easy and inexpensive. I needed about 7-8 boxes that are $30/each. Compare that to real wood. They're fake and I love them. I just laid them right over the old linoleum. I started on Saturday morning...then took a break and went to my daughter's soccer game that night. My throat started killing me and I was only half way done. I tried to finish on Sunday...and still have about a 1/4 to go. So in between me and 1 daughter being sick = unfinished floor. The other side of the kitchen is complete chaos...like 14 tornadoes hit it...actually my whole house looks like that, but I have a cute kitchen floor!

Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

It is 26 degrees outside..."they" say it's only going to get colder this weekend. This is why I moved to Hawaii after college! And..who are "they"...anyway? I love to blame everything on "they." "They" is such an easy scapegoat. Whatever...anyway...it's freezing and all I want to do is eat and hibernate. We found a recipe for these yummy chocolate chip oatmeal cookies...here. The oatmeal makes it...at least sound kinda healthy. I just ate 4 in a row...don't judge...I'll probably eat them for dinner. They were really easy to make. I had all the ingredients...even the chocolate chips. Chocolate Chips are a staple in our home...like coffee, creamer & milk. Aren't they in everyone's? Have a Warm Weekend! or Bake Cookies!

All I'm sayin...

I can't wait for tonight!!!

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Laundry Room Re-Do

This is the before...when I remembered to take the picture...After I had already pulled all the junk out. Dirty clothes, hampers, my big honkin' thing of fabric...

This is my After. I didn't buy anything. I used two 1/2 cans of blue paint to make one can and I had everything else...the fabric, spring curtain rod & cork board. I had the basket and spray painted it black. Oh...and the floor is NOT hardwood, it's those peel and stick vinyl planks that I've talked about. I just did it over the old linoleum. Easy Peasy!

I had the canvas and just painted it...got the cute idea from Bienvenue.
Sorry...I won't be hosting the giveaway this week...but in a coupla weeks...just in time for Valentine's!

Zebra Chair

Julia at Hooked on Houses is having a Hooked on Fridays Party...sharing what you're hooked on today! Y'all know what I'm hooked on right now! ZEBRA FABRIC! I finally finished my zebra print chair...this chair has been around the block. I found the pair of them for $20 bucks.

This is the before the before

After some white slipcovers...

And wahlah! I am in love with this chair...what is it about black paint that just takes it to a whole other level! There is a rip in the cane...so I fixed it.

By putting a cute monogrammed pillow over it! Next week, I'll be hosting a giveaway...so stay tuned. Have a great weekend!

Before and After Projects

Rhoda at Southern Hospitality is hosting a Before and After Projects Party! Go see check her out...lots of creative ideas! I get to meet her IRL at the Blissdom conference! Anyway, I had lots of projects over the year...but the one that can transform any room to make it look all cozy and co-hesive is the Lazy girl custom slipcover. I love white because you can yank those puppies right off, toss them in the wash with bleach and they are as good as new! I promise!

BEFORE

AFTER

So...if you're a lazy girl and want to make your own slipcover...just click on here for the tutorial! Any one can do it!

Thrifty lamp re-do

On a thrifting jaunt with kids in tow...I found a pair of these matching lamps at the thrift store...which is hard to come by, so I snapped 'em up!

Before: Brownish with plain jane lamp shade!

After: I had black zebra print fabric..so I just painted the lamp stand black and hot-glued the fabric onto the shade!

tahdah! I heart thrifting!

I also grew weary of my wispy white sheers hanging on my window...so I ring-clipped some toile fabric to the rod. No-sew lampshades and curtains...gotta love that!

I realized after that last post...I probably need a paint intervention...or to drink less coffee. I love the color it is and now (a gray with a green tint...$5.50 at Walmart). Now, I need some paraphernalia to put up on the wall. Maybe I'll nester me up some kinda plate display or something...or a mirror??

Before

After

I've been inspired by this photo from a decor book called "Cottage Style". Can you see that zebra print chair. I've always wanted to do an animal print chair and right now I have a strong affinity for ZEBRA...can't wait to show the finished project. My house has been feeling on the chilly side (which I'm sure has nothing to do with the 27 degree weather we're having) so I wanted to warm it up a bit. That's what I love about having white slipcover furniture, because you can change out curtains & pillows and have a whole new look. I re-did some lampshades too. I'll show you soon...we've started back to school today and it's been a busy, fun day! Any suggestions for that kitchen wall?

Want to jack up your walls?

Paint a chalkboard on them! That will surely do it! Satisfaction guaranteed! Remember this post? Lovely for awhile, but if you think you're ever going to re-paint your walls again...please, please, please DO NOT paint a chalkboard on your wall. It will absolutely JACK UP your walls! Oh...and don't put magnet paint underneath the chalkboard...unless you are wanting to try out your new sander you got for Christmas to try to sand asphalt off the walls! (please insert as much sarcasm as you can muster up)! Then use your hammer to lift up the molding your dear husband nail-gunned to the wall for you to create the lovely chalkboard frame...and guess what?...some of the wall comes off too! Then let him come home from work today to find this...


...because it's not enough that we were up with sick kids all night...seriously!