Helpful Hints for Husbands no. 2 - Seasonal Decorating

Oh, fall is in the air!  What?  No one has said that yet?  They have all the stuff out!  Well, I made up that it is fall at my house.  It's the most wonderful time of the year!  (I think it's better than Christmas.. sometimes.)  But, yesterday, in the 95 degree heat of Colorado, I was hanging my wreaths and setting out pumpkins.  I had this frightening thought, "My husband will think I'm insane."  

So, HUSBANDS START READING HERE:  

It's close the to end of August, and you know your spouse is excited for the arrival of Fall {keep in mind this applies to any holiday where decor and displays are involved}.   You still have the sprinklers out for weekend water fun, and Fall is the last thing on your mind. The weather and the calendar say it is not time for Fall, but your spouse has decided differently.  Your house has now thrown-up pumpkins and leaves... in August.

You may want to roll your eyes, say she's too early... blah blah.  Keep those comments to yourself.  Maybe insert a line such as, "Lookin' good, honey!"  Please do not use any sarcasm when you say your comment.... we know better.  If you don't want to be in the middle of the seasonal decorating business, go to the candle store and pick up a Fall scent.  Generally, anything that reminds you of apple pies will do.  Your wife will see this as a contribution instead of avoidance in decorating.  Bonus points!  A situation that works for you and her.

Front Door {Make it Magical Monday} on a Wednesday

Hello!  I am here, and have slipped away from our big family makeover (which I'll talk about later), to finally post Make it Magical Monday.  We're a little behind!  So, for the inspiration:  I had seen this cute, cute, frame re-do by Shauna at The Reed Life.

{Via Shauna Reed)

I thought, hey, I have everything to make it how I want.  But first, here's the before of our front porch.

There are some things I would LOVE to change, but we're just renting for now.  Can we just let everyone know now, brass is OUT.  Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.  Now, I told myself that I had to get ONE important project done today.  And I chose this frame.

I got the frame at a little thrift store for $3.  I had the paint color ("Fresh Foliage" by Folk Art), the burlap, cardstock,  blue ink ("Broken China" by Tim Holtz).  It's pretty easy.  I dry brush painted (do not get the brush wet and very lightly paint over the surface) the frame.  Underneath, it was a matte black, which now stands out under the green.  It looks really rustic, and the lettering adds a nice contrasting color.

Far away, here's how it looks.

I swept away the bird poo, cleaned the front door, and watered the flowers.  I wish they were blooming for this shot, oh well.  But, what a difference a  few little touches add.  The frame's not over-the-top magical, but if it makes you smile when you see it, it's magical.

Kitchen Window Re-do {Make it Magical Monday}

I wanted to start a new feature that I haven't seen before.  I know lots of people do their DIYs and make-overs, but Make it Magical is about taking things you see, do, eat, wear, everyday and kicking it up a notch.  Where did the idea come from?  Pinterest.  Yep, I mean who isn't addicted to that yet?  (If you aren't, I'll send you an invite, just let me know.)  I see so many beautiful things, creative ideas, yummy food, and I remembered one of my dreams: Live life like a movie.  I don't mean to the extremes, it's not realistic.  What I do mean is, think of the details.  That's my favorite thing in movies.  The story-line could be the worst in history, but if the design is fabulous, I love it.  So here's to Make it Magical Mondays!!

Here's my kitchen window before.  Really drab.

 

Here's a peek at the ledge.  It has been driving me nuts for a long time.

Just blah.  So, I went to work.  Moved everything out of the way, cleaned the ledge and the window.  Then, I painted the ledge.  Ha!  What a brilliant idea!  (doh!)

If I owned the house, I probably would've painted the ledge a different color (light green), just to get away from all the white.  At this point, anything would've looked better than the chipped away paint.  But, ahhhh, what a difference.  But, this isn't magical enough for me.  Let's get the the tszujing!

I think every kitchen needs some plants in the window.  Isn't that what you're supposed to do?  Well, I have INTENSE light coming in those windows, so succulents were my choice.  Of course, the galvanized pots were a must.  I already had them on hand from a previous Goodwill encounter.  I think I only paid $0.50 each.  The succulents I grabbed up are Jade, from Lowe's for $10.  It was a bigger plant that I pulled apart.  Keep that in mind when you shop for plants, big money saver!  Sometimes the bigger pots are cheaper.  The twine, I picked up at the Dollar Store, for (you guessed it) $1.00. 

I put it all together like this.  It's amazing how much impact the little things make!  The red coffee container wasn't doing it for me.  I went digging through my stuff to make it prettier.  On the found canister I already had, I painted chipboard letters and hot glued them onto the jar.  It'll be perfect if you ever want to use the jar for something else, the letters pop right off.  You could also ModPodge them, so they'll be water-resistant. 

Above, the fruit basket was picked up at Ross for $5.00.  I need a reminder to eat my fruit and veggies.  You'll also see happy hand soap and lotion.  I keep my scrubbers in an old candle glass.  I think mine was a Colonial Candle.  I liked the oblong oval shape better than just a circular jar.

On the opposite end of my long counter, I put my Scentsy warmer and a Boredom Buster jar.  I had seen someone on Pinterest do the Boredom Buster jar and thought it was brilliant.  Inside, I placed these and these cards inside.  They're just cards with little activities on them.  When Dylan gets older, I'm going to put more chores inside.  I'll also add our own special activities in there too.

That's how I made my kitchen a little more magical.  You can leave a comment with your blog post of your Make it Magical projects!  I'd love to check out what you do!  Let's inspire each other!

{PS.  I'm just now researching linking tools, so you can just link up, but I'm a little lost.  Has anyone done this before?  What do you suggest?}

The Dresser Re-do Unveiling!

We always have to have a before and after shot.  Here's the before:

I know it's not terrible, but it's not girly.  I wanted a place to do my "final touches" before we went out.  I wanted a happy corner to my bedroom, and by golly, I was making it happen.  One thing stopping me, is budget.  I love quite a bit of what I have.  I knew the light blue color scheme had to stay, because the budget doesn't allow to re-do everything.  Work with what ya got!  Am I right?

Voila!  The star and picture frame stayed.  'love' had to stay as well.  The star, I picked up at Hobby Lobby awhile back.  The picture frame was purchased at Gordmans, awhile back, as well.  The print I got from Jennifer Squires, I believe.  (If I'm wrong someone please correct me.)  I took out the glass in the picture frame because a) it broke, and b) I didn't like the extra glare.   So, those things were already in the bedroom.  Not enough to give it the "uuuumph". 

I went on a shopping trip around my house.  I pulled out my perfume bottles.  Grabbed the antique pitcher (thanks MOM!) from my studio.  The light blue Ball canister was stashed away in the studio, along with the tall oil vase and little white candle.  I had the silver tray from a friend and was dying to put it to use in a "pretty spot," which I would see and use everyday.  Silver deserves it!  Here's a close-up of the tray:

A place for jewelry, bath salts in the Ball jar, baby oil in the oil vase, and my other lotions and potions.  I love that everything is easily ready to use, but still contained in a beautiful way. 

Now, the pitcher has a hidden secret.  Yes, I'm an amazing gardener.  (ha)  Look closely and see what you find.

Nothing special, eh?  Well, the flowers are fake.  I did buy them at Michael's, but they were on sale.  Totally justified.  Plus, they feel real and don't really smell like flowers.  Doubly justified, by the husband standards.  I love the look of flowers, but the smell can be overpowering for me, and especially the men.  So, I got crafty.  But, flowers need a smell and these pretties smell like vanilla.  How?  Why?

I read that the smell of vanilla and pumpkins (seperately or together) is a big turn-on for most males.  Vanilla is easy enough to handle on a daily basis.  So, that's the winner!  Now, the how...

Find an empty vase/pitcher/pretty vessel.  It's best if the base is wider.

Then, I went to Wal-Mart and bought a vanilla reed diffuser set.  Genius!  Open that bad boy up and stick the oil and reeds into the bottom.

(Bad lighting.. oops)

Then, begin placing your flowers around the oil base.  It takes a little bit of arranging, but that's why I hear they call it a floral arrangement. 

The reeds in my arrangement are covered up.  It would be cool if you raised the oil pot up and had the reeds in the mix for a different look.  Maybe for a more organic or modern look.  I was kind of going for my crazy version of shabby chic. 

Now, the mirror.  I stole that from the other side of my bedroom.  It looked lonely and wanted to join my pretty party. 

The sticker on the left says "Live * Love * Rock" by Marah Johnson.  I chose it because, well, it rocked and there are added pinks and browns.  Plus, 2010 is the year that I'm going to rock.  Good reminder.  Also, you can't forget a picture of the husband, with a leftover Valentine's Day sticker.  As the years go on, I'm going to add little pictures or handwritten notes, ticket stubs, wine labels: anything that reminds me of a good time with the husband.  I want it to be somewhat of a memory board, in other words.  Looks empty now, but that only leaves possibilites for new adventures!

Time to get inspired to do the rest of the bedroom touches.. it'll be awhile on that one.  ha!

What is everyone else up to?  Any crafting, organizing, creating things you want to share?  Leave a comment with a link to your blog or how-tos.  I would love to see them!

Ooooh La La!

Photo via BHG

I have been so inspired by Better Homes and Gardens.  Every January they have been putting out the Organization Issue.  SOOOO Pretty!!  And if you love repurposing items, as shown in the picture above, check out this link to bring you more inspiration.

It's a short post because I'm off to tackle the bedroom.  We'll see what comes of it!

One Dedicated (Ice Cream) Man.. for lack of nicer words

I walked outside today to get a fresh breath of air and relax becase Dylan had pricked my last nerve.  Not one second after I sat on the front step and actually took a 'calm, cleansing' breathe, I hear La Cucaracha, the Ice Cream Truck remix.

It's November 12!!!  I thought these guys retired after Labor Day.  Isn't that a rule?  Does someone have that in writing?  I've heard this same song every day at 3:47, give or take a few minutes, for the last 112 days.  No joke.  I guess it's funny after I complain about it. 

I've been bugged...

Yesterday, I went out onto my front porch to check out how the snow was melting off.  It looked something like this:

It was a nice little dusting.  Very, very cold, as snow usually is.  Then, something at my feet caught my eye.  I looked a little closer.

And then a LOT closer.

Dylan put his bug stickers on my rose bush!  To protect the rose bush?  No.  Because, that's where "buggies doh (go)!"

I love that booger.

Room-By-Room no. 1 {Dylan's/kid's Bathroom} - Updated

First off, I'm going to start with Dylan's bathroom.  There's bath toys and special "baby" towels and washclothes.  There's lotions, potions, grooming supplies and meds.  All the stuff that you need for you little one seems to take over.  Plus, there's a worry about your child getting into those things you don't want them to.  Here's what I did.  Click on the pictures to get full sized images.

The theme is black, red, and Calvin and Hobbes.  I always loved Calvin and Hobbes when I was growing up.  Dylan now reminds me of Calvin.  (Sighs)  It's perfect.

From the picture above, you can't really see a lot, but remember to keep it simple.  I had used a TON of stuff that I already had - everything that was red.  Saves money, and in a way it's Earth friendly because I'm not out buying all new stuff. 

I hate, hate, hate (!) having too many bath toys.  What we do have fits nicely into these Blink "catch-all" mesh baggies.  Blink was a product line that was aimed towards "soccer moms" to help easily clean up their vehicles.  Needless to say, the line wasn't hugely successful.  (I can't even find a website for them!)  The dollar stores ended up buying out tons of these totes.  Yep, the dollar store to the rescue.  These mesh bad boys come in a pack of 5 for $1.00.  YAY!  Well, what to do with the rest of the totes if you only need one for the bathroom toys? 

I bought up about 4 packs of these things and I use them for -

*produce bags (don't you all hate the plastic baggies at the store?  i can't ever get them opened and feel like an idiot.  plus, using your own is every environmentally friendly),

*outside toy catcher (perfect for sandy/dirty toys.  you can throw them in the tote and hose them off and hang to dry). 

*I also like to use them for dividing up activities.  You can make a little paper tag to tie on the top with the days of the week and child's name.  Say, on Mondays we need 'busy' activites.   I'll throw in coloring books, crayons, stickers, little books... anything to keep Dylan busy for any time span.  If you spend a little time getting the goods together at the beginning of the week, it's amazing how much time you'll free up in the long run.

*I like to have a system where I put everything I need for each stop on my errand route, in different bags.  When I get to that stop, I have everything I need without having to riffle through all my belongings. 

Back to the bathroom -

I've had this set of picture frames for quite some time.  They were a walnut stained wood, which doesn't work with the rest of my home decor.  What did I do?  Paint them black.  Saves money, and reuses what you already have. 

For the artwork inside the frames, I took the 6 Calvin and Hobbes collection books I had.  Found the images I wanted, and scanned them onto my computer.  From there, I opened Photoshop and cleaned up the images.  Print and frame.  {I'm pretty sure I didn't infringe on copyrights because I bought the books?  If that's not ok, someone let me know.}  There's also another image above the toilet (first picture).  In the first picture, to the left of the toilet, I have a black leather magazine holder.  I put all the Calvin and Hobbes books in that.  You know how boys are with their reading materials while they use the bathroom.  Ha.

Sink area - I love saving all my glass jars from candles and pickles.  On the right side of the sink, I took two small candle holders, cleaned them up and use them for cotton balls and cotton swabs.  On the left side, behind the soap I used a Colonial Candle jar for a toothbrush holder.  I love the shapes of these jars for toothbrush holders.  The medicine cabinet holds all Dylan's hair brushes, nail clippers, thermometers, meds.. the usual.  Once he gets old enough to reach that stuff, it will be put away elsewhere.  Until then, it's easy to have all these items close at hand.  The cabinet holds his towels and washclothes on the right side.  There's a baby saftey latch on the left side where his lotions and bubble bath stuff is. 

Also, let's not forget trash cans.  For now, I just have a tiny plain, white, plastic trash can.  If you have diapers in the house, you know how often you need to clean out the trash can.  I make sure I have a stash of plastic grocery bags in our linen closet, so I can go in the bathroom and swoop up those diapers every other day.  The smell?  I combat that with Renuzit Adjustables.  These are those cones that don't plug into anything and you can hide and at my store, they're only $0.94.  I love the Citrus Sunburst scent, very fresh and clean.  I hide it behind the toilet.  Dylan doesn't even know its there!  Click here for offers from Renuzit!

So, there ya go!  Hope this gives you some ideas on how to save money and still decorate fabulously.  Remember to think outside of the box and use items you have or can easily re-do!

UPDATE:

Ok, so I thought I threw away all the packaging from my Blink totes.  Luckily, I had one still in the Jeep.  I lied.  They come in a pack of four, not five.  Still a bargain at $1.00, though!  Here's what they look like.

Lazy Sunday

My parents came up to Colorado to look for camping spots.  Really random, but very happy to spend an hour with them whenever I can. 
They brought up a new toy!  It's a photo booth type thing for me to take pictures.  I can't wait to test it out. 

Stop in tomorrow morning and check out my new feature, Room-by-Room.  Basically, I'm taking pictures of each room in my house showing you tips I've used in deocrating.  You may think it expensive to re-decorate, but think again!  I know there has NEVER been a project in my house that I have spent more than $100 on.  Yay!  Let's get excited bloggies!

A serious burning question!

It has be ultra important for me to get the house put together, for my sanity and to get my family back in their routine. But, since we're a family of 3 and I have FOUR bedrooms, I totally get a studio. YAY!!! This is the ONE thing that I have been waiting for since I was a little kiddo. In my earlier years, my mom, being the creative one she is, turned an empty space in our laundry room into a craft room. I loved going in there, just to sit and watch wood turn into dolls or watch my blankie being mended for the hundredth time. It was always such a happy place. Now that I have the room to do it, nothing else has been as exciting as getting this space, my studio, pulled together. It's still not quite done, but here's an update.

Before

Everything thrown on the floor, trying to envision it in my head.

The computer area, which I don't mind sharing space with. It gives me a chance to do "blog research." What a rough job that is! But it pretty much looked the same before and after.

After

My main work wall. I have shelves all over and happy light blue jars. I have a thing for those babies. They kind of clash against the powder blue wall, but we rent here.. some things I'll live with. I have my inspiration board waiting to be filled. And I still have to find a table. Not bad for one day of work!

And now my burning question...

As I was starting to organize my tools and get everything in easy accessibility, my scissors and glues always end up getting paired together. What's the dilema, you may ask? I have always thought as scissors and glue to be rivals. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the scissors (although they may aid in creating a beautiful masterpiece) are the destructive, maybe evil of the two. Poor glue is always trying to put things back together, hold the bond tight. Now tell me, what is a girl to do?