Not Even a Moustache Makes Me Happy

Yes, this is what I look like in the morning.  Sexy, huh?  Psh! 

Yesterday, I was so excited to have an interview with a potential babysitter, I totally forgot the million posts I had wanted to write up.  But, I will tell you how the sitter 'view went down.

My hopes before the interview: 1) Miss S. lives in a location that would be perfect for me to hop onto the I-25 and get to work.  Also, it's on the way to the husband's job.  Great Convenient location for both parents!  2) Miss S. was willing to work with me on the hours I needed (which was rarely), until I found a full-time job.  3) Miss S. had only a handful of kids she currently cares for, which mean Dylan would have the attention he needs and still friends to play with.

What I really saw... DOM DOM DOM!!!!!! (It's hard to type sound effects... FYI!)

1) Driving to Miss S.'s house, it was in an OK neighborhood.  This may sound superficial, but they had nice vehicles out front.  I took this as a sign they take care of their property and manage themselves in a great manner. 

Dyl and I got out of the car and walked to the door and rang the bell.  I should've known once she opened the door to just run!  There was an OVERWHELMING smell of cats (which I'm allergic to), animal/kid/something urine.  Miss S. took us to her basement/daycare area.  Which had toys everywhere (understandable in daycare setting), vacuum cleaner left out, stains on everything, sticky activity table, couch 1.5 feet away from a TV.  She left the TV blasting during our interview and offered me a child-size chair to sit on.  I sat down and was sitting in something sticky.  Brilliant.  She decided to sit on the floor and cross her legs like one of the children she watches.  Hmmm...

Well, we talked.  I asked questions.  She talked....

and Talked...

AND TALKED...

She asked Dylan if he liked to eat candy, popcorn, chocolate, and poop. 

I'll let you sit with this for awhile...

She told me she let the kids watch Nickelodeon (I assumed all day because no other activities were described).  When Miss Judy (you know the Judge) came on, she pops the kids on her laps and makes them watch it with her.  She said it teaches them to not be naughty so they don't have to go in front of a judge to be yelled at when they grow up.  (I mentally slapped my forehead after this one and I'm sure my eyes were freakishly large in shock and horror.)

Miss S. said something about trying to set up Dylan with another little girl she cares for because "they'd make such a cute couple!"

She told me she liked to take her kids on "dates", as in out to eat, shopping together... whatever.. PLEASE don't take my kid on a date with you!  That's not what I'm paying you for, and it sounds kind of creepy.  Teach him things, play with him.. you know care for him.. as in CHILD CARE.

Oh my, I didn't even describe my first impression of the person who is wanting me to pay her.  This is what Miss S. was wearing to give me a good impression of herself...
Long sleeved, over sized shirt (with stains), sweat pants that were over sized, messy hair in a ponytail, no bra, no makeup... What an awesome first impression.

Now me, I think I was in such shock because A) I was trying to give her the benefit of the doubt (as in, maybe she could pull herself together and this isn't normal)  B) I'm desperate to find Dylan a sitter so I can have time for me to do EVERYTHING/ANYTHING C)  I really want a job or to be paid for what I love doing and I need someone to take Dylan, so I can do that...

Well, I had mouth vomit... I said I would call her in the next few days to schedule a time for her to watch Dylan.. At some point in the conversation, I had asked if her daycare needed toys and I would be happy to bring over some of Dylan's extras... I'M SO DISAPPOINTED IN MY MOUTH FILTER!!!!

I now have to break up with a babysitter because I'm an idiot. 

Now, I get to stress ALLLLLL weekend about finding someone suitable for Dylan. 

BUT, I have learned a lesson.  I need to keep in the back of my head, that any childcare provider is basically considered my employee.  This person(s) work for me.  So, if the situation isn't something I'm happy or comfortable with, it just won't work.  Thanks for another life lesson universe... GJBH:UG:SDUG

I Don't Even Know How to Title This One...

Woo Hoo!! I ordered some goodness from a certain well-known lingerie company with my Christmas money.  It has finally arrived!!!!  I have been stalking the UPS man for a week.  He's usually the guy that sets the package on the porch and pushes the doorbell to run and avoid human interaction.

I got him though!  I waited on the other side of the front door and the second he rang the bell, I BUST open the door and start yelling "YAAAAAAAAY!"

UPS man gave me an unforgettable look of surprise/horror and ran back to the safety of his truck.  (Point for me!  I'm determined to talk to him at some point, or at least get him to see I'm not totally scary.  He has a couple more packages for me this week.  Muhahahaha!  Ok, no wonder he's scared of me.)

*Me jumping up and down!!!*  It's hereeeeee!! 

{Note to readers: Little things make me happy.}

Now that I've loaded this picture onto the web, I realize my crotch looks insanely awkward (as in, I have package of a different sort).

I hope Mr. Crenshaw is ready for this goodness!  Want a peek into my package present!?

Brace yourself for some...

JAMMIES!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHH!

But, it doesn't stop there.  I did happen to order a bra, but the web doesn't really need to see that one.  The bra did spark an interesting conversation at our house.

Dyl: "OH, what did I get?!"

Me: "It's for mommy.  Sorry bud."

Dyl: "I just look.  It's ok.  Just for me."

He proceeded to rip open a box that contained some body spray and was extremely disappointed.  At the same time, I opened a baglet that contained my bra.

Dyl: "Mom, those are boobies.  I no have boobies!"

Me: "Good thing pal.  I think mommy should keep this one."

Dyl: "Yeah, think so."

Later that afternoon, I had to stop by the store and pick up some filler items for the house.  We happened to walk through the ladies clothing/jewelry/lingerie stuff.

Dyl (saying loud enough for 20 aisles to hear): "Hey mom, let's look at BOOBS!"

BAHAHAHAHA!!!

He was embarrassed at that point, and would not look at me.  Of course, I had to take a picture of him looking at "boobs"!

At the Dinner Table

Dylan decided he wanted to eat dinner at the table.  I thought it would be the PERFECT opportunity to shut off his nerve-grating, burned-into-your-brain-for-a-lifetime cartoons.  We were eating some kind of pasta and veggies with rolls meal, and I had finished my food.  Little man had eaten his roll and thought he was finito.  No bueno for mama. 

Me: "Eat your trees (broccoli) and carrots Bubba."

Dylan: "No, just am full."

Me: "Ooh, put your bites on your fork and fly them into your mouth.  That would be so cool!"

Dylan: "OK, let me try."  Instead of eating his bites, he flung them into their air as if his food plane were in a collision.

Me: Slaps forehead with hand.

I used every trick I thought I knew and the only thing that came to my brain was... "There's a party in your tummy! So Yummy! So Yummy!"  F--- ME!!!!!  "YEAAAAAAAH!"  The Yo Gabba Gabba universe had infiltrated my brain and made itself right at home.  (If you feel it necessary to learn this song and sing along, or you are on drugs looking for something fascinating to watch, go here.)

I swear to you, Dylan's face lit up.  He asked, "Does corn want come to party tummy too?"

Me: "Yes!  The corn would be so sad if it didn't get to join the party in your tummy!"  And he eats.

Life LesSON no. 795

So, here at Casa de Crenshaw, we ran out of juice.  *Imagine my three-year-old's world collapsing around him.  The sun is setting permanently, with no hope for a bright outcome.*  My husband has an obsession with the neon colored drinks that are derived from powdered envelopes... You know what I'm talking about... right? (Hint: OH YEAAAAAAH!)  Of course, we had a few thousand envelopes in the pantry.  I made a GIANT 4 gallon pitcher of the tropical punch variety, as if my ONE child would consume as much as a little league team.  Anywho, the son was satisfied and I went back to.... (I don't know what I typically do on a normal basis.  Just a bunch of tomfoolery usually or watching totally awesome videos like this.)

Fast forward to the next night.  I smell something UNGODLY coming from the pint-sized version of my hubster.  I follow my nose to his pants and it hit me with a "WAAAAABAAAAAAAM!" and other Ka-powies, you know the awesome graphics from the classic Batman show. 

I lay the kiddo down and let's just say he deuced a red pile of $&!+.  Dyl(an) kept saying, "It hurts!"  And I was honestly trying to keep my eyes shut and nose covered so the smell wouldn't burn anything important on my face.  I finally looked once his bottom was cleaned and there it was... The OH YEAH juice  crap liquid I was giving him over the last day and a half has stained his derriere.  Sigh. 

One Bottle of 'German Wine' via N.J.

This was intended to go to my German grandmother, but was later consumed by her not-so-German granddaughter. 

Ooops. 

My reasonings?  She's an AMAZING Christian woman and doesn't need 'worldly' influences.

I do have to admit, I would've loved to be a fly on her wall to see if she cracked that bad boy open and got a little betrunken when noone was watching.

Heirloom Recipe Box Hi-jack

I've seen these ALL over the blogland and LOVE them:

(From Rifle Paper Co.)

Here's the specs from the maker's website. 

"Our heirloom recipe card boxes are made by local craftsmen from locally salvaged hardwood (trees that were destined for landfills). All of the boxes are unique and hand-crafted during a 3-month-long process (a month for the mill to source the salvaged wood, a month to build in the workman's studio, and a month for the hand-rubbed finish to dry). The lids are then screen printed with two different design options.

     Each box is unique and is made from a variety of woods depending on availability. The type of wood used is listed on each box. Our primary woods are Sweet Gum, Magnolia Bay, and Laurel Oak.
     We only have a limited number of boxes available on our first run and expect to begin shipping in about 4-6 weeks. We do not expect another batch of boxes to arrive until the Fall.
- Solid wood, hand-crafted boxes

- Size: 7.5"x5.5"x6"

- Includes 12 dividers & 24 recipe cards (4"x6")"
 
 

I didn't have the moola to fork over, so I raided my closet and was reminded of this little gem I was saving for a rainy day:

{Photo Source}

I've had this cigar box sitting in my closet, YAY!  I picked it up a couple of years ago at a liquor store that sold cigars.  (You can also check out cigar shops and the likes to get yours.)  I asked what they did with the boxes when they were done, they said they threw 'em away.  AH!  I snatched one up and took it home.  It's been sitting in my closet since.

The Heirloom Recipe Box retails for $120 and you can get it here.  Mine was free.  So if you don't want to wait 4-6 weeks and you want to save money, let me take you to my DIY cigar box.  Save yourself $100.  Sorry Rifle Paper Co., these are tough times, but LOVE your work!

You will need: A wooden cigar box, Goo Gone, Murphy Oil Soap, Old English Wood Polish (in similar shade of wood), scrapbook paper or decorative paper, Elmer's Craft Bond Spray Adhesive (or any similar spray adhesive), non-yellowing clear glossy spray paint top coat, paper towels, newspapers and Q-tips.

Start off by laying down newspapers on worksurface.  You may want to do this outside.  Spray the labels on your cigar box with Goo Gone.  I noticed it helps to wait a minute or two before you start peeling.

I ended up spraying and wiping with paper towel until all the Goo was Gone. Just make sure that you get everything off that you don't want stuck on there permanantly.

Next, I took a wet paper towel and put a little Murphy Oil Soap on it to clean the Goo Gone off the box. Make sure to go back with a clean wet towel to remove any bubbles.  Then, wipe dry.

Now, be sure to take off all rings and anything you don't want to stain.  Better yet, use plastic gloves if you don't want your fingers various shades of wood.  Then, pull out your Old English and start polishing away.  The inside of my box wasn't finished prior to this project, but I stained away.  We'll put a clear coat over it all later.  Smart Tip Alert:  Use your Q-Tips to get in all the nooks and crannies of your cigar box.

Once you've covered your entire box with Old English, buff (vigorously rub) the cigar box to shine and remove excess polish.

Now for the decorating!!  Think about what you want this box to be for.  My husband bought me a jewelry box for our 5th Anniversary (yesterday!!! still excited!!!), so I decided he needed a box for his 'man things?'.  Whatever, he needed this.  So I went through my stash of scrapbook papers and found the manly-est pattern I could.  And I found a giant 'd', which was in a really girly pattern (note the picture) so do this:

{Paper by thePaperStudio "Black Brown Random Lines" (Great name huh?) and the 'd' is Cosmo Cricket - from their paper packs, I think all the fonts are the same(?)}

I lined up my 'd' where I wanted the colors to be on my cut out 'd' and put my finger there as a marker.  Then, flip over your paper, while still holding your place on the pattern and line your 'd' up on the back side of the patterned paper.  Get it?  Then trace it and cut it out.

Spray your craft adhesive on the back of you letter and let it set for about 5 minutes.  While we're waiting for the paint to dry, here are other options of what to do with the top of your cigar box.

Vintage Picture:  I wanted to use the one of my great grandparents, below, but I don't think the husband would find any sentiment in that. 

Maybe do your own little flat collage of images.  Find a postcard or vintage picture at thrift shops or in the family vault.  Maybe a handwritten love letter?  Let your mind soar.  OOH!  I wanted to do a treasure box!  You can get metal trinkets and letters at craft stores.  I would probably use Gorilla Glue to put those down.  BUT use a SMALL amount because Gorilla Glue expands!!

Sorry, I was on overload.  Anyways, back to the man box.

Place your object on the box, now that the back is tacky.

Then, take this big bag man box outside and clear coat the heck out of it!  I used about 3 coats because I wanted it to shine.  Plus, the inside wasn't previously unfinished.  So here it is!!

Enjoy this easy-cheesy, inexpensive, ultra-cool project!!

♥ Ashley

To the Love of my Life!

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

I can't believe it's been FIVE years!  This guy has done it all for me.  And thank goodness he asked me to be his parnter in crime.  It's been an awesome ride.  I can't wait for the next FIFTY!  Love ya D! 

♥ Ash

Happy Fourth!

Hope everyone has a safe and exciting 4th!  Can't wait to share pictures and more next week!!

♥ Ash

Arghhhh

Yesterday was MISERABLE.  My wisdom teeth had fully come and and were cramping my mouth.  I was in so much pain I was nauseous.  I had to do an emergency visit to the dentist.  That's the reason for my absence lately.  I'm on some pain pills and will be for awhile.  I can't get a consultation to get my wisdom teeth out until the 12th.  When I do post, it'll be pretty random.  I just have so much to share, but my brain doesn't want to be on the same page.  I'll be back as soon as I can gather thoughts.

♥ Ash

One of those weekends.

Saturday morning, I thought I would be brilliant and clean the house.  I heaved all my cleaning supplies up the stairs.  I commenced the cleaning process and then my brain started throwing a temper tantrum, much like my two-year-old.  Boring, BORING!  I reasoned with myself, saying "You know Ash, it would be so nice to just freshen everything up."  So, I did.  My upstairs felt fresh and clean.  Then, I walked down the stairs to find my two-year-old dumping his RED Bug Juice all over my TAN ottoman. 

ALGHAPIRHASLSJNOADRUG !^%(@#$*

That all got cleaned up just in time to go to the store and pick up last minute food for a BBQ.  I had 3 items and the express lanes were jam packed.  I thought I would be smart and get behind this lady who had a LOAD of groceries, but the speed of the line looked promising.  NOPE!  Hold on Ash, it can't work out for you today.  This lady and her daughter (of adult age) were trying to pay for $200 worth of groceries with a debit card that was linked to an account with negetive balance.  The lady wouldn't cover her daughter's expense, so the whole cart had to be packed up and taken to Customer Service.  Total time waiting in line with impatient 2-year-old: 45 minutes. 

ALGHAPIRHASLSJNOADRUG !^%(@#$*

Flash forward to the end of the night.  We left the BBQ at 10:30 pm.  Way past Dylan's bed time, but he was having so much fun playing with the guys and the dogs.  It's the simple things in life.  I knew he would be worn out and my crazy day could come to an end. 

Right as I hit my REM cycle (3:47 AM), I hear WAILING SIRENS.  "NOOOOOO!"  I knew they were my fire alarms.  

ALGHAPIRHASLSJNOADRUG !^%(@#$* 

I get up and run into Dylan's room.  He starts screaming because it happens to be his alarm that has set off a chain of WAILING throughout my house.  I can't see because I went to bed with my contacts in my eyes, which create a sort of gluing effect between the eyeball and eyelids.  I can't reach the fire alarm because it's on the ceiling, and I'm not Shaq height.  What now!?

I run into my studio, I grab my office chair and roll it into Dylan's room.  I hear my neighbors coming out of their houses to see if all is well.  I hear them yelling and laughing and feel them pointing as I'm on a rotating chair trying to dismember this fire alarm (which happens to be hard-wired into our security system, so I couldn't just take out the battery).  Once, I come to focus a little more, I realize that I was in my regular jammy gear.  Then I realized I was IN MY REGULAR JAMMY WEAR!  Crap!  No wonder the neighbors were laughing.  I must have looked like the queen idiot.  Here's the detailed picture.

Fire alarms going off in the house (all the windows are open because it's Colorado).  Child screaming over the fire alarms.  Panicky mother on a rotating chair spinning out-of-control, in circles trying to remove a fire alarm from the ceiling, in which she's wearing a t-shirt and a thong.  Brilliant.  Not only do I look like an ass, but mine's hanging out. 

ALGHAPIRHASLSJNOADRUG !^%(@#$*

That was my wonderful Saturday night.

♥ Ashley

I got 'bang-ed' up...

I was going for this

{Zooey Deschanel}

or this

{Natasha Leggero}

BUT it worked out like this.

Yeah, I got a little sassy in those.

I think I like the bangs, I'm just not sure.  I was probably 9 the last time I had solid (not sweepy side) bangs.  SOOOOO, I made a poll on the side bar, lol. Let me know what you think.  I promise not to take it personal.  Honest truth, I just want to feed my ego. 

♥ Ashley

'OOOOH Onions!'

That's what Dylan calls the Minions from the movie 'Despicable Me'.  Crazy kid!

If you thought you were tired of hearing about this movie, ignore this post.  But, watch the trailer first.  I haven't seen this whole trailer on TV yet, so it's not old AND it has the best lines (I think).   

"It's so FLUFFAAAAAAAY!"   Love that little girl!

Have a happy fluffy day!

♥ Ashley

Crafty Father's Day

Yeah, yeah!  I know I'm waaay late on this.  In fact the gifts for the fathers of our family are still sitting on my studio floor.  Most of the time, I'm really really good at getting things out on time.  This week/month/2010, I have been slipping.  But, I'm making myself be better.  I CAN DO IT!

I just came up with this little ditty today.  GREAT for Father's Day or Grandparents' Day (September 12).  All you need is a picture frame that comes with a mat for your photos.

Mine looked similar to this, but in silver from Wal-Mart.

{Source}

Then, I removed the mat, handed it to Dylan, and let him go to town. 

He loved it so much!  He started telling me what things were, so I wrote them in.  Then, he colored over them.  I suggest taking notes or just remembering what they were drawing and filling in the blanks later. 

This is kind of what it looked like.  I had to PhotoShop his picture in because I forgot to capture the final product.  I added To: and From: and dated the mat, as well.  Put everything back in the frame, and it's ready to gift!  This would be great to take out of the frame and put in a scrapbook later!

You may have noticed the blog has changed.  I'm still working on adding things here and there.  Since Dylan's taking a nap, I'm taking advantage of this time and getting back to work!  Have a great day!

♥ Ashley

Give Thanks Daily

for what you know, for what you don't.  Give thanks that you can evolve, feel, BE who you are. 

The last month or so, I've really had to face some things.  I'm growing into my quarter-century mark, I'm growing as a mother and wife.  Then I realized I left someone behind - me. 

If you're still following me and reading up on my life, I appreciate it more than you'll ever know!  YOU keep me writting and chasing my dream.  I'm glad to bring you along for the ride.  Just keep on keepin' on being patient with me.  I'm changing my writing styles, music 'flavas', and pictures/overall style.  I guess that's what you get for keeping up with a 24-year-old. 

I do love you all!  Thank you for being there!!!

♥ Ash 

Happy Mother's Day!

or all the mom's in their Swagger Wagons, this is for you!  Although, I do not drive a minivan, nor will I ever, I found this to be a blast.  I think my Jeep Liberty qualifies as a Swagger Wagon.  Fo Sho!

Happy Mother's Day, I'm off to relax and make Dylan drive his cars on my back!

haha

Spring is beautiful!

Recently, I've been working on detoxifying myself.  Tomorrow is the 3 week mark in being a non-smoker!!  I've been drinking this stuff to detoxify myself.

Kombucha - check it out for sure! You can get it at a natural grocery store.

That ring around the bottom is the Kombucha mushroom.  This is a Raw, Organic, Live drink.  When drinking, I suggest you just open up and not think about it.  There's chunks.  BUT, I can't believe how much better I feel when I drink this stuff. 

Let me just tell you all the goodies it does for ya... There are "Active Enzymes, Viable Probiotics, Amino Acids, Antioxidants, and Polyphenols.  All of these combine to create and elixir that immediately works with the body to restore balance and vitality."  (Taken from the label.)

Not only does this magical tea bring new life to my body, it comes in a cool bottle.  So, I've saved them all and removed labels, cleaned out mushroom gunk, and created something magical in my kitchen window.

 

My backyard is not worthy of a photoshoot, but the trees are blooming and beautiful.  I love nature.  I love spring!  I'm loving the little details in life.  And now, I'm off to find more magic with this little guy. 

Don't you love his photography skills? ha

Instead of smoking...

I have been rockin' the workout gear!  Here's proof via Crystal Stewart....

  

And I'm drinking a homemade, ultra-heathy, happy, tasty smoothie. 

{Here's what I whipped up in that smoothie: light key lime pie yogurt (get your hands on Greek yogurt if you can!!), handful of frozen strawberries, handful of frozen blueberries, a little milk and then blend away!}

  

It has felt so amazing to quit smoking and start living.  I have freed myself and it's amazing that I can actually FEEL it!  This year, I'm kickin' butt and taking names!  

Get out and take a walk today!  Try 30 minutes, 15.. anything!  If you're kickin' butt, I'll let you be on my team.  hehe

Holy Guac!

I didn't mean to be away so long.  I think if this was a serious relationship, I would've left myself.  It has been an interesting month though.

The husband has made it to the giant sandbox that's located in the Earth's armpit.  Such a dreadful place.  But, thank you soldiers!  I know I couldn't tough it out over there!

This mama has been smoke free for one whole week!  I did take Chantix, but only for 8 days.  That drug is hardcore and I'm not generally the one to even take Tylenol.   You can imagine how paranoid I was about all the side effects.  But, I was lucky enough to have mild side effects and the strong urge to be free!  Along with taking Chantix, I read 'The Easy Way to Stop Smoking' by Allen Carr.  Allen Carr, you're AMAZING and THANK YOU for opening my eyes to what was really going on.  I recommend this book to anyone with a nicotine addiction.  Don't spend your money on other nicotine subsitutes, they just make it worse.  I learned the hard way.  Just spend your money on the book, and maybe Chantix... just talk to your doc.   

This little guy is growing up so fast.  I just don't even know what to say.  He had been pushing every button that I had today.  But, tonight we sat down on the couch to wind down and cuddle.  Little man was under the blanks (blankets) and sitting up trying to watch the movie.  I was totally absorbed/braindead/tired.  Dylan looked at me and snuck me a little kiss and then curled up under my arm.  He knows how to get me.  This boy is a such a sweetheart!

As for 'work', I've been looking around my studio and I'm seeing TONS of happy projects and things that need to be made.  We'll see what I come up with, but something does have to involve goodies for the hubs.  If he's lucky!  ha

Brief Update

Boy, has it been awhile! 
I've been busy being wife and mom, lately. 
-We've had birthday parties and BBQs.
-I've been trying to do spring cleaning in my yard. 
-I've been  emotional, as I'm counting the few precious days left with the husband. 
-I've had multiple doctor appointments.  I'm trying to get my health pulled together.   Nothing bad is going on with my health, as of right now.  There may be problems in my eyes.  Sigh. 
-Dylan still won't potty train.  But, grandma's coming this weekend, maybe her magic touch will help.
-Spring is upon us and we're enjoying a few days of warm weather, when we get them.
-I don't have any projects up my sleeve right now.  But, you know, I'll get bored and find something soon. 
-I'm working on getting the business in full bloom.  Very excited about that.
-Dylan is enrolled in daycare.  Praise the Lord, I'll have some sanity.  He won't go on a regular basis, just as needed.  I'm still working on bringing myself to let him go. 

Soon, I'll find my happy medium and get back into blogging.  I really do miss it!  Hope everyone is doing well and getting excited for Spring! 

Happy Project!

I went "shopping" in my basement stash of unused items.  I found this charging station.

For us, it was more in the way than actually helpful.  I hate leaving things plugged in when you don't use them, and I hate not having my phone with me at all times.  This ended up in the stash not even a month after purchasing it.  I was in love with them when I saw it on Pottery Barn, but wasn't paying $65 for a wooden box.  Got this one at Big Lots for $10.  Not bad.  But, I didn't use it so here's what I did.

Remove the hardware on the back side.

Then, sand it all down.

The faux wood doesn't sand well.  Everything was pink in my kitchen.  Blah.

Then, I wiped it off and mixed up this light green paint color.

I used a lot of different colors, so there is no exact name for it.  Ashley Green no. 92.4?  Once the first coat dries completely, slap on some good ole crackle paint and make sure you cover the whole thing.  I botched a couple spots, but not bad.  I think imperfect is much better.

Once the crackle paint dries, add your contrasting top coat.  Everyone uses brown and white and I think it gives a more country feel to it.  I was going for modern and interesting, so I used this blue.

Once, that dried up, it began to crackle and expose the green underneath.

So cool!  I didn't replace the top tray thing because I'm now using this to hold business files.  It could also make a great mail organizer for by the front door.  (Self, remember that!)  Anyways, I want to crackle paint everything now.  Hopefully the husband won't mind! 

Everything around the house has been kind of up-in-the-air.  The husband is on leave before his deployment.  I really want to stay on top of the blog, while being able to spend ample of family time.  In the end, the family wins out.  But, once I get spare time, I'll schedule posts to keep my readers entertained.  Fair warning, don't  leave me!  Have a happy Tuesday!