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!

 

You've Been Booed!

Do any of you know what this "booing" business is/do any of you do this during Halloween? I'd never heard of it until this year. Basically, it's a way to get into Halloween and spread some spooky fun...I've never really been in to Halloween, but I think this is a super cute idea.

You take one a poem like this:

The air is cool, the season fall,
Soon Halloween will come to all.

Ghosts and goblins, spooks galore...
Tricky witches at your door.

The spooks are after things to do,
In fact a spook brought this "Boo" to you!

The excitement comes when friends like you,
Copy this note and make it two.

We'll all have smiles upon our faces,
No one will know who "BOO"ed who's places!

Just two short days to work your spell,
Keep it secret, hide it well.

Please join the fun, the seasons here .
Just spread these "BOO's" and Halloween cheer.

You have been BOOED! Please keep it going by following these directions:

1. Enjoy your treat


2. Place the BOO sign on your front door or visible in a window


3. Within 2 days, make 2 copies of this note, make 2 treats & 2 BOO signs


4. Secretly deliver to 2 neighbors/friends without a BOO.


5. Keep an eye on nearby front doors to see how far and fast it spreads by Halloween.

Then you leave them with a sign to hang up that says, "We've been Booed!" and they are supposed to hang it up and pass it along. Cute, no? I think I'm going to do it and start a little tradition.

Ideas:



[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="320" caption="So cute"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="You can also download her printables."][/caption]

You can get free printouts if you don't want to make your own cards at these links:

Here.

Here.

These are really cute!

Here.

or here.

Oh, and consider yourself booed!

DIY by Brooklyn Limestone

Remember how I talked about that porcelaine paint? I was perusing on Pinterest and saw this picture:

and I was all like, "Cute!!" So I clicked on it...and the lady does a tutorial on how to make your own custom Halloween dinner sets. Love it! Just click on the picture or click here.

Reusable, Cute Halloween Deco!

I've never decorated for Halloween besides carving the obligatory pumpkin every year...but once the pumpkin is carved it sits out on the porch and you never see it, forget to light it, forget about it til it rots, wrinkles, and dies.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="and this is how I picture it."][/caption]

Then you have to get out the hazard suit to scrape it up and throw it away.

Gross.

Here are some reusable ideas for Halloween this year if you haven't already decorated. (Some people really love Halloween, okay?)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Spooky looking, but still classy. I love the silhouettes. "][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="What is up with the baby carriage on the left? Creep!"][/caption]

You could probably do this with paper plates and black construction paper or stencils and stamps.

Or you could buy really cheap, white porcelain plates from a thrift store/Goodwill/D.I. and use this awesome stuff called Pebeo Porcelaine Paint. Basically, it's this paint that you can use to paint on porcelain/ceramic, then you bake it in your kitchen oven and boom! You have new dishes.

I'm pretty sure it will start to wear off if you don't use some sort of protecting sealant after it has cooled. I used it a couple of years ago on some teacups. It comes in pen and bottle form.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="220" caption="Pen form"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="bottle form"][/caption]

I got it from Michael's craft store and they have lots of different colors, but I'm not sure if you can get it there anymore. Moving on!

*EDIT* I just found this blog post about painting glass and she uses a paint called PermEnamel. You can use it on tile, glass, and ceramic and you don't have to cook it in the oven! It is also oven, microwave, and dishwasher safe. Yes!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Fun and kid-friendly! Halloween should be fun, not scary."][/caption]

If you click on the picture above it should take you to the site with a tutorial.

This site has a bunch of cute Halloween blocks you can buy--or just get ideas on how to make your own!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="200" caption="Like this!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="358" caption="This lady has a tutorial on how she decorated her Dollar Tree pumpkins."][/caption]

Or you could go all shabby chic and do like this:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="428" caption="This is what I plan on doing! You can never go wrong with glitter!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="213" caption="Modge podge paper onto fake pumpkins."][/caption]

For those of you who love a holiday wreath:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Use whatever colors you want! It's so glamorous. "][/caption]

and one more: Click here for how to make a "Halloween Tree".

These are all things you can do on your own and the best part is: You can keep them for next year!

Holla!

Hear Me Roar!

This goes along with yesterday's post. A parent by definition is “a protector or guardian.” Let’s break it down even more; a protector is one who protects or defends. Think of a mother bear and her cubs in potential danger.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="478" caption="You think you're going out dressed like that?! Think again, sista!"][/caption]

 Yikes.

A guardian is a person who preserves. To preserve something means to keep safe from harm or injury; to protect or spare. See below:



Notice how mama is all up in their business and looking around. These little cubs seem pretty alert, but not all cubs are. Like this little cub:



Totally taking a snoozer, but the mom is business. Come at her kid, see what happens.

So basically our job as parents is to keep our children safe from harm or injury, whether that injury is physical, emotional, or mental. We need to do everything within our own ability to set up boundaries for our children regardless of what other parents are doing. Values people!