What a good Laugh?

Hello!! I just wanted to share a really hilarious post I just read over at Ana's blog
If any of you aren't familiar with Ana, she is the wonderfully talented builder who gives us easy plans to build beautiful furniture for little money. You won't believe the letter she received today in the mail.

You can read it for yourself HERE

Good grief...Commercialism at it's best! Maybe, just maybe if their prices were actually affordable for the general public this wouldn't be an issue.
All I can say is THANK YOU ANA!!!

Valentine's Project...for the kiddo!!

Hello Hello Hello Sweet Valentine Friends!

Hope everyone is keeping warm today. We're just sitting and waiting on the snow/rain. For some crazy reason, central Georgia is suppose to get more snow that us mountain folk. Oh well guess we will have to wait and see.

On a non-weather related note, I have been helping my sweet little man decorate his Valentine box for school. He being such a huge Sponge Bob fan, we just had to get Sponge Bob Valentine cards. So I had a great idea to decorate his box in the likeness of Sponge Bob's humble abode...the pineapple under the sea! Using materials from around the house, I came up with this little number.

Isn't is great to be a crafty mom!!!

Sorry I had to use the forbidden camera FLASH. It's kinda hard to utilize the natural light at 6am!! heehee.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

OH my goodness...

Well Howdy there...long time no talk. I've been such a bad bloggy mom...neglecting you so! But alas I do have a reason...I have been battling the ahhhhh chooos. First Hubbie got it...then my grandmother...then my son...now my sweet little baby girl and to top it off I think I'm getting it...goodness! My baby girl's sickness has manifested into a severe ear infection...so you know what I've been doing all night.

Since the weather has been so bad...ice, cold temps, rain...I've been unable to start many of my New Years projects (most require painting!!). So to stay busy I've been cleaning and organizing. I have to profess that I am a closet hoarder. That's right, I said it!! When I started diggin junk out of these tight spaces, it looked like a popcorn machine exploded...junk everywhere and no idea what to do with it! So I've been on the hunt for inexpensive ways to store my beloved junk...that is the junk that I want to keep! Here's what I've found so far... Ikea $14.99...GRRRRReat for the home office and craft room and there are two other styles available. This would look so cute painted and shabby.

Ikea...super cute! Think this one was $9.99ea. I would paint it a bright color...maybe even use chalkboard paint inside the little embossed square. Easy way to identify the contents of the container.

Really easy bench for the foyer made from kitchen cabinets...maybe the kids would actually use it instead of the dining chairs!

An old heating grate repurposed into a mail slot. I really like it...but I think maybe a rescued ceiling tile would be better (weights less).

I love this idea sooooooo very much! Using three prefab bookcases, this make-shift wall is great to section off an entryway and provide storage for coats and books. I could see this in a family room to make a little office nook or a reading nook.

Cute inexpensive way to store bathroom items. HUMMM I'm thinking in the kids bathroom maybe. Each child has a planter with their name on it.

Well that's all I've got so far...now I've got to go shopping. Hopefully I will be back later to show you my progress on the laundry room. (fingers crossed) :)

Photos above from Ikea and BHG

Sparkling Clean Tub

Do you have one of these in your bathroom???

http://www.brycecanyonproperty.com/

This is not my tub by the way...However, I do have a corner style jetted tub in my master bath. I thought it would be so great to have such a luxurious spa-like retreat only steps away. A place where I could fill up my glorious tub with hot water and lavished bath salts. My stress would drain from my mind and life would be peachy. WRONG, WRONG AND WRONG AGAIN!!! If you have one of these monsters, I bet you know why I have such a dislike for this thing. Every time I fill my monster up with water and turn the jets on, particles of blackish-brown gunk come rushing into my crystal clear bath water! Yes this thing is haven for all things gross and nasty...a regular bacteria farm! You see, if you do not use your tub on a regular basis (like at least two to three times a week...hello water bill$$$) the stale water that is left in the jet hoses from the previous bath starts to grow nice, slimy bacteria! This can make you very sick! Let's think about this for a moment. We get in a hot bath. Dead skin cells, bacteria from our skin and dirt are all deposited into the bath water. Once the water is drained, some of this nasty water stays in the jets because there is no way to expel it. I have even tried to turn the jets on after the bath water is drained to get this excess water out of the jets. This only causes damage to the pump and a mess to clean up. Which brings me to the point of this post....How to keep the monster clean? I did a little research and found this receipt.

1. 
   
   Fill the tub with HOT water three inches above the jet.


2. 
   
   Turn off the air induction valve.(this keeps the fumes from the bleach from knocking you off your feet)


3. 
   
   Pour 1/4 cup of powdered dish detergent in the water


4. 
   
   Pour 1/2 cup of household bleach in the water


5. 
   
   Run the jets for 10-15mins on high pressure.(please note you need to ventilate the bathroom during this process...Trust Me!)


6. 
   
   Drain the tub and refill with clean COLD water (three inches above the jets)


7. 
   
   Run the jets 10 mins as a rinse.


8. 
   
   Drain Tub and wipe down with a cloth.

Do this about twice a month to keep your monster sparkly clean and avoid the bacteria confetti.

Talk to you soon!!

Inspiration...Where to find it

What inspires us when we decorate our homes? When posed this question, most of us think...magazines, books, television, blogs or even the latest trends. Sometimes we overlook the obvious places for inspiration (I've done it). We've all been told to pick something small and start from there...a vase, a rug, a work of art, a beautiful accent fabric, etc. But what about nature? Take a look at these pictures and tell me what you think.

Picture 1

www.igougo.com

A beautiful autumn day.

Better Homes and Gardens

The bright wall and sofa color are similar to the glowing orange leaves in the picture above. The pale blue sky is mimicked in the ottoman and throw pillows. The dark wood tones of the tree trunks are seen in the trim and furniture. The fireplace surround mirrors the color of the asphalt road, and lastly the green that accents the room can be seen in the surrounding trees and grass.

Picture 2

www.sodahead.com

A field full of golden yellow sunflowers.

Better Homes and Gardens

The luscious green of the sunflower leaves is duplicated in the wall color, table cloth and upholstered dining chairs. The rich chocolate brown of the flower centers can be seen in the wood flooring, dining table and chairs, as well as the oil rubbed bronze light fixture and drapery rod. Finally the brilliant golden yellow of the sunflower pedals is picked up in the drapes and the tableware.

Picture 3

www.bohol24.com/

Your gonna hate me for this one but...A glorious, sugary, sandy white shoreline!

Coastal Living

Sorry but it had to be done! The beach is very inspiring when it come to design. I know most of us are freezing our burlap off right now. But at least we can dream of warm summer sun!

Now back to the beach picture. That creamy white on the wall and slipcovers duplicate the sandy beach. The grey and taupe of the fabric and accent furnishing mimic the colors seen in the rocky shoreline, the wet sand and the trunks of the palm trees. Last the pops of turquoise in the throw pillows and accent pieces are pulled from the shimmering blue/green water.

Well there you have it. What do you think? Is is possible to design a room from nature?

DIY Lamp Shades

Whew!! That was a whirlwind of a Christmas holiday! It came as fast as it went. Yesterday I battled our semi-dried out tree and took down all the decorations. After hubby hauled the shedding beast out the front door, I got the honors of vacuuming up the precious needles. There were so many, my vacuum cleaner staged a protest! It took me 20 minutes to unclog the vacuum head and wand attachment. I never knew a vacuum cleaner could have three separate clogs! If you look at it logically, the first clog should have pretty much stop the flow of air...so how did it get three clog??? Oh well, next year I plan on avoiding this sort of debacle by starting my decorating the beginning of November. That way it will take me until February to take the stuff down...Heehee

Now that I have my living room and dining room back to normal, I had the overwhelming urge to decorate something. Being that I have a gazillion (is that even a word?) projects around the house that need to be completed or started for that matter, I thought it best to choose something rather easy. I grabbed some fabric, left over wrapping paper, spray adhesive, hot glue gun and a lamp shade from my dining room Chandy.

First things first, I used a piece of red wrapping paper to draw a pattern for my little shade. I added 1/2" inch to all sides of the pattern. This was to accommodate lapping of edges and folding of the top and bottom.

I used my pattern to cut three wedges of my decorative fabric. Typically when I recover an "A" shaped lamp shade, I lay the shade down on the fabric as a guide and cut out what looks like a giant donut shape. But this time I had to do something different because the fabric I choose just wouldn't work that way.

I took each piece and folded one edge down...about 1/2". I made sure to only spray adhesive on one piece at a time. To insure permanent contact, I had to spray the shade as well. Now...here's the most important part! WEAR RUBBER GLOVES AND TAPE OFF THE PARTS YOU DON'T WANT EXPOSED TO ADHESIVE OVER-SPRAY!! I ended up looking like one of the Sticky Bandits from Home Alone 2.

I used the hot glue gun to glue the edges around the top and bottom of the shade. Now that its complete, I think I will go to the fabric store and pick out some vintage looking trim for the bottom of the shade.

Back to work...one down five to go!!

I'm linking up to Met Mondays


Talk to ya soon

I just wanted to say...

Thank you so much for being my bloggy friends...

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!