WINDOWS!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Can you feel my excitement?!

We got our windows yesterday!

This is how My Honeypie feels about that:

[caption id="attachment_649" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="a-DORABLE."][/caption]

and apparently, this is how I felt about it:

[caption id="attachment_651" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="shrug? I think not! and yes, that is my pregnant belly. Say hello to BaybayCae :)"][/caption]

 Here they are; 26 new, beautiful, double-pane, double-hung windows!

During our free quote the salesman actually stood on the window pane and lightly bounced on it...and it didn't break! So cool.

I'm obviously still so excited. This is going to weatherproof our house that much more! and make it look that much better. Yay!

[caption id="attachment_650" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Here he goes carrying the biggest window by himself."][/caption]

If any of you are looking to get windows, I highly recommend Window World (Home of the Original $189 Replacement Window!). The above window cost the same as all of the other windows. How rad is that? It's so huge!

[caption id="attachment_648" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="Sorry for the darkness, I left my real camera at home. Yay for the iPhone!"][/caption]

We have two of the so huge windows in our house. What's even more great about the new windows is they open more than the original ones!

[caption id="attachment_647" align="aligncenter" width="225" caption="This is how far the original ones open."][/caption]

I can't wait until they are installed! It was $2,000 dollars less to install them "ourselves"--I'll just be watching mostly :)

In the midst of waiting for our windows My Honeypie has been working on the drainage for our plumbing. We got a lot of help from his brother, Mark, which is so appreciated! I have pictures, just not today.

Holla!

Picky and Picnik

So turns out our windows won't be done until this Wednesday...We will be picking them up on Thursday! We hope :)

On a different note, I forced my little sisters to do a photo shoot with me. I can take decent pictures of "stuff", but I need much more practice with people. The pictures are all edited differently because I'm playing around with this photo editing site called Picnik.  It's pretty much a super simple, way cheaper version of Photoshop. I really like it because when it comes to Photoshop I'm completely challenged. Plus, it's free! *or you can pay to upgrade. whatev.

[caption id="attachment_633" align="aligncenter" width="236" caption="Sneak attack picture!"][/caption]

I know that these are far from perfect (like the above picture--totally a weed in the middle of her face!)...but practice makes perfect, right?

Anyway, you can also do sweet stuff like this on Picnik too:

I tried doing that on Photoshop and it was a total bust. I love these little art thingys! I find quotes that I really like that have already been made into these little subway art pieces, but they aren't exactly what I want...like this:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="275" caption="Super cute, but not what I'm looking for you know?"][/caption]

But now I can make it exactly how I want! Like so:

[caption id="attachment_638" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="This is totally going on the wall in our entry way once our house is done."][/caption]

Family Values sign by Betty Crocker Wannabe

and I'm all like, "Cute!" but it doesn't have everything I want. I told you, I'm picky. With Picnik I made this:

It's just how my picky self wants it! Yay for Picnik!

I Looked Out the Window

and what did I see?!

I couldn't help myself. Now all of us will be singing "Popcorn popping on the apricot tree!" in our heads. Or some rendition of.

Guess what.
We are going to get our windows this week!!
YAY!

Double-paned, double-hung, with a life-time warranty, all 26 windows. Seriously, I didn't realize that we had so many windows. I love them.

Now if anyone ever asks me, "How many windows are in your house?" I can answer immediately, with confidence, "Twenty-six! How many windows do you have in your house?"

Since we got this house I've been thinking of all the ways I want to pretty it up. There was this nasty, rusting propane tank that I was determined to paint with a unicorn/butterfly/rainbow scene, but the company came and took it back. Boo.

Meanwhile my mind has wandered from the propane tank to just about everything else. Like the windows--and what kind of curtains I'm going to put up. I found the "Ultimate Guide to Window Treatments" on bhg.com. It's great! I'm no interior designer, so I describe curtains like this:

"No, you know, like, the ones that are all flowy and drape-y?"

OR

"The ones that roll, and they have the little pull thingy at the bottom? You know?"

OR

"Those really ugly ones."

The guide gives you a picture of a curtain and then names it for you! So far I've been a fan of those drape-y ones, you know? Turns out they totally have a name:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Double Hung Cascading Panels."][/caption]

Who knew?

Here is a real-life picture:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="326" caption="I think this one is actually paired with a roman shade in the background. Whatev. You get the idea."][/caption]

I plan on pairing my drapes with burlap roller shades with poems, scriptures, quotes, and lyrics painted on them. In every room! Except the mudroom, downstairs bathroom, craft-room, entry hallway, and kitchen. So for sixteen of our windows. Ooooh. I can't wait.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="404" caption="Basically those roller shades, but with burlap."][/caption]

I think I'll just do roller shades and/or lace for all of the other windows.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Lace garland window treatment."][/caption]

 So pretty!

Master Bath Layout

Normally when I think of a master bathroom I think of this:You know, something that is as big as your child's room. but, seriously, how much time do you really spend in the bathroom?

Our master bath is going to be a lot smaller than this, but I am so excited. Excited to have an extra bathroom in our currently one bath home and excited that it will not only be upstairs, but attached to our bedroom! Yay!

Here is the layout:

[caption id="attachment_616" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="master bath"][/caption]

It's an 8x8 room complete with toilet (duh!), sink, walk-in shower, and the claw foot tub that came with the house. Speaking of the tub I'm in the process of making it pretty. Double yay!

To save precious floor space in the bathroom and our room we decided to go with a door like this:



Yes!! We have plenty of old doors to do this with as well. We think we will have it slide in next to the toilet so that we can have more wall space for pictures and stuff in our room.

Oh, and I'm totally stoked to pick out a shower head or two.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="250" caption="why is this so much money?!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="250" caption="maybe two?"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="220" caption="I am liking this one a lot."][/caption]

and I just found this cool site: Plumbing Overstock. Oh Yeah!

If you're remodeling or thinking about changing your fixtures here is another site.

Show & Tell

Have any of you come across the blog Show & Tell? Sometimes I feel super lost in the internet world because people have already seen/done things that I talk about on here.

Anyway, I found this lady's blog...and I love it! Because of this: she quit her job of ten years to do what she loves best: Re-doing furniture! Then she sells the pieces locally in her area on this site. I am most inspired by it all.

A couple of my favorites:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="443" caption="Cedar chest from Sweet Pickins (Show & Tell)"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="442" caption="Chippy round side table from Sweet Pickins"][/caption]

She gives a tutorial on her glazing technique here.

Go explore her blog and you'll be amazed at some of the before and after pictures. Love them!

 

How to Clean Bronze

I got this super awesome bronze vase thingy at a yard sale for two dolla! Now, I pretty much always forget to take a picture of something before I dive in to fixing it...and I almost forgot this time too.

I googled how to clean bronze and there are two ways; lemon juice/baking soda or vinegar/salt/flour.

I didn't have any lemon juice so I went with the vinegar method. Basically, you mix equal parts of flour and salt then pour in just enough vinegar to make your flour and sugar a paste. Then rub it on your bronze piece.

I was in the process of putting "the stuff" onto the vase to clean it when I suddenly remembered I needed a picture!

My Honeypie to the rescue! He snapped me a photo:

[caption id="attachment_594" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Before"][/caption]

The site said to leave the paste on for 30 minutes, but for me, it didn't take that long. I was still rubbing the paste on when I started to see a noticeable difference. Being the impatient person I am I washed it all off before the thirty minute mark Probably at 15 minutes.

[caption id="attachment_593" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="After"][/caption]

Viola! I wish I had a picture of My Honeypie's face when I showed him the after. I am super impressed with the vinegar/salt/flour method. You don't even have to wear gloves!

 

Oh My Shiny!

Rustoleum metallic spray paint=super cool. and it ends up looking like silver! Kind of.

I'm really bad at taking before pictures, but here is an after picture of a pair of candlesticks I got for a dollar at a yard sale.

I also got this green pitcher thing at a different yard sale:

[caption id="attachment_602" align="aligncenter" width="256" caption="Before. Such a nasty color"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_603" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="After"][/caption]

I much prefer the shiny. I'm not sure what all the crackly business is about on the pitcher, but whatev. It makes it look old, and I like old.

[caption id="attachment_604" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="All of it together"][/caption]

So shiny!

 

 

My Shabby Pumpkins

I got some little, styrofoam pumpkins from the Wal-Mart for $0.97.

Then, I made them pretty!

All covered from scraps and odd-n-ends that I had in my craft tub. I think the blue one is my favo. That's why it's sitting on my desk in the library :)

My Plea to Emma Watson.

I've been seeing this picture posted all over my news feed on Facebook:

and I'm all like, "What is this about?" Basically, in an interview, she said this:

"I find this whole thing about being 18 and everyone expecting me to be this object..I find the whole concept of being 'sexy' embarrassing and confusing.

If I do a photo-shoot people desperately want to change me - dye my hair blonder, pluck my eyebrows, give me a fringe.

Personally, I don't actually think it's even that sexy. What's sexy about saying, 'I'm here with my boobs out and a short skirt...have a look at everything I've got'? My idea of sexy is that less is more. The less you reveal the more people can wonder."

I thought, "how neat; that such an icon for young girls (and a surprising amount of women) would say something like that! How wonderful for them to hear from someone so lovely that "sexy" is not only covering yourself up, but it's "embarrassing and confusing". (This is totally how I feel when I get hollered at in the Wal-Mart parking lot. Classy? Sexy? I think no!)

Then I kept reading the article...and I died a little bit. She goes on to say:

"I might be willing to take my clothes off for a Bertolucci film, if it was a part that really made sense as part of my character."

Wut? No!! I don't even know what or who a Bertolucci film is (I'm so kewl), but he/it can't be so phenomenal that you'd just, you know, take your clothes off because it "made sense as part of your character." Why?!

People like who you are now. Like you said in your interview, you're not just getting your "kit" off for anyone. Don't take it off for everyone.

So here is my simple plea in behalf of all those who look up to you as a role model: Stay classy, Ms. Watson, and keep your clothes on. Please!

Christmas Cards

Like I've said before, I've never made a family Christmas card...and I'm totally excited to do one this year! I know, we still have awhile to go until Christmas, but I can't help myself!! I found some cute ideas:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="I love, love, love the colors on this card. The design, layering...everything!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="I like the look of this. i think I would use lace in the shape of a tree instead of embossing."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Christmas card from stamps. I love stamps!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="397" caption="Black and White."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="Clicking on the image will take you to the blog--there are more! But it's totally not in English."][/caption]

You can put a picture in the card or print it right onto the card!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="399" caption="For newborns"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="298" caption="The guy looks like a really young Mitt Romney."][/caption]

 FUN!