A little something for your "Best Friend"

We love our little Lucy and after seeing a similar carpet in the store the other day for $15, I came up with a way to make it for $1.60 !

 All you need is a carpet sample that you can pick up at any hardware store, pen , scissors, Xacto knife or razor.

Flip the carpet over and place bowls on top. This ensures you make the dog bone shape large enough to hold it! Now using your pen, free hand a basic dog bone . If you want it to be “just right”, use a template to help you. Just Google "dog bone template" & take your pick!

 Using the Xacto knife make a slit large enough to fit your scissors. Then start to cut. I found the Xacto knife worked better in some areas (like the curves) and the scissors worked better for others.

After cutting the shape pull off any little extra carpet yarns that are left on the edges. The carpet I picked happened to be glued very well & I didn’t need to work with it too much. But if you find that yours is loosing small yarns on the ends, just add a little liquid stitch around the edges.

Now call your dog & show them their new eating space!  : )

Something different for your Valentine

Here’s something fun to do with those paint strip samples you probably have laying around. Any color will work, but since Valentines day is on the way I decided to use shades of pink.

You’ll need a paper paint sample, yarn, heart punch , hole punch, and some fun stickers.

First use the heart shape punch on the top or bottom color square. Then with the heart that has been punched out, use the circular hole punch at the bottom . Now with the yarn ,tie it to the open shape on square .

Next have fun & decorate!

Addy made one for her sister. She had so much fun creating hers, I decided to use this idea for her class party craft. I’ve been collecting them every time I hit the stores. I won’t tell you which ones…..I don’t want them to find out why they’re suddenly missing all their pink samples!!!

Great book! Thanks Desert Canyon Living!

This would also make a sweet gift for that crafter or decorator in your life. Everyone should have an extra book mark around!

I entered this fun Idea at......

There are so many cute Valentine Ideas there! If I only had more hours in the day!!!

Another way to "pay it forward"

You know how much I love to pay it forward! Well a blog I follow called Saturday Mornings is having a fundraiser.


Dana’s friend Nicole ( a middle school teacher ) has a small group of seventh grade children who are struggling with basic reading and writing skills, and a ton of pressure has been put on them to pass benchmark exams this spring. Nicolle has been working diligently with this group and they are making progress little by little. When she asked them what they would like as a reward after testing is complete, all they wanted was a treat from Sonic. That's a big deal to them. They come from environments where they are given no help studying, little encouragement, and a meal from Sonic is like a dream come true.

Anyone who signs up for an ad spot (or extend a spot already in place) with them will be helping out PROJECT KIDS! Until a notice is up on top of the page that the campaign is over, 100% of proceeds will go towards this fundraiser.

Each person donating will  also receive a personalized letter from the kids they help.

I thought I’d throw this out there for any one that might have a shop to promote or a blog you may want to advertise. It’s a great way to do some good along with it  : ) 

Now I'm off to unload the large item in the back of the car. You never going to believe what I got at Goodwill today.  Its going to need some work, but hopefully I'll have it ready to post about sometime next week!!!

Thrifty Thursday

Last week my Husband mentioned that a friend at work had a small desk they didn’t need and would I want it ? WOULD I WANT IT ? UHH…YES! Can’t get thriftier then free! It was actually from an apartment model that was getting make over. So Thursday he brought it home. Here’s the before ……

I love free!

This was such great timing. My 5 year old has grown out her jewelry table & we were on the hunt for something new. Heres her little table.......

(But I have to say, that table was a great deal too! I only paid $10 at a thrift store 5 yrs ago & its been used by both girls.)     On to the redo of the new set....

With left over paint in the garage and a quick trip to Hobby Lobby for some cute fabric to match her room I gave this desk a new look.

After 3 coats of paint it was finally white. Then it was time to recover the seat. First I unscrewed the seat & laid it on top of the fabric.

I then cut the fabric leaving enough to fold over the old cushion. Folding & holding fabric tight, I secured it with a staple gun. Its kind of like wrapping half of a present. Then I just screwed it back on to the base.

Done!

The old “kid friendly” mirror that came with her little jewelry desk fit perfectly on top. But since I couldn’t actually attach it to the desk top, I just used some 3M COMMAND strips (the ones from those removable hooks) on the back of the mirror stand to secure it to the wall. Now it looks like it was meant to be, but if I ever need to remove it, it should come off no problem.

This is the cleanest this table will ever be! When she got home from school that day she spent the afternoon organizing her jewelry etc. As well as putting all her little important things on top for display. Its such a great size & will last her through all her growth spurts!

 

This is why we had kids.....

How cool is it to get to play in a gigantic hamster ball?

Look at that static!

This is something me & my sister could only dream about when growing up & now they make them. Best part…I can roll around too!

 But uhhh… it was a gift for the girls. Kind of …

Knitting Looms & Pom Poms

I’ve been knitting for a while now & the girls have got into it as well. My 9 yr old has picked it up pretty well . The 5 yr old is starting to get the hang of it but still needs help. I thought the loom was something that might be a little easier for them. So on our recent “stay in our pj’s” day we started some projects.

I’ve never used one but the after checking out this youtube video we tried it. It seems like knitting went a lot faster. I tried it too ! It was actually kind of fun.

Noelle made a skinny scarf in about an hour. She is now going to start a hat.

Addy had a good start but her little hands couldn’t get the hang of it yet. Maybe a smaller loom? So she made a pom pom. Great to top a hat or add to the bottom of tassels.

Its so easy. First we trace & cut a circle on 2 pieces of cardboard. We used a cereal box. Then cut a circle in the middle of both. Cut a line to the circle. Then cut the edge of that slit into a small “V”. This makes it easy to slide & wrap the yarn around the circle.

Now holding the start of the yarn to the 2 circles, start wrapping. Continue all the way around until you have it covered nice and thick. Slide scissors in between the 2 cardboard circles & cut all the way around.

Then cut a strand of yarn about 8 inches long. Slide the string between the 2 cardboard circles and tie very tight.

Once tied, trim excess yarn & slide off cardboard. You now have a pom pom! Its so easy. Now she can help her sister complete her hat ..... if she decides to share  : )

Thrifty Thursday

I fell in love with this chair when I found it. I’m not usually a fan of other peoples used fabric & cushion type chairs etc. You never know what its been through. But this ones an exception. I have a photo of a chair I admired from Southern Living Magazine.

The shape, style & color were all something I could see fitting perfect in our bedroom.  Its been a few months since I tore this from the magazine. Look what I stumbled upon on a recent thrifty shopping day.....

The most amazing part….ITS NEVER BEEN USED! I could not believe it. It is in perfect condition. Not a mark. The fabric & cushion as wonderful as the day it was made. My only theory is it was in someone’s living room. One that was never allowed to be touched or used….only admired. I bought this for $20. This was a high price piece of furniture for this particular thrift store. But well worth it.

This is the first piece I’ve ever bought thrifting that I didn’t come home & redo. That in its self is amazing! After doing research on this chair I have found out it is a Jamestown Lounge, 1957 designer series . It is made with solid oak. I figured that out when I went to carry this upstairs to our room( Its super heavy)! This company is no longer in existence. I have found that the pieces that are floating around online are worth a pretty good penny.

But this ones a keeper for me! Plus I love finding the story that might have gone along with it. That’s almost as fun as finding the item itself!

Unlike its previous life, I promise it will get sat in….I’m blogging from it right now : )

Done for now...

The mudroom/ laundry room is done for now. I spent an afternoon last week finishing it up. The doors came off & the paint went on. I debated back and forth on if I should leave them off, or keep them to hide the clutter that I’m sure will be back. I’m leaving the doors off for now. Its just so much easier to function in there with out them. Since this closet runs the span of the entire wall I still have plenty of space to hide laundry bins & extra coats out of view. Heres the before......

After taking the doors off , I cleared out the closet & tape off the trim. I painted the wall up to the shelf area.

After it dried, I decided to add molding to the wire shelf to give it a more finished look. I ended up only spending $2.81 for 7 feet! I love when Menards has a sale.

When I added the molding it was important to make it something I could remove.  Someday I might want to hang coats there again .

Glued ribbon tied to the wire rack.

I just added ribbon with my glue gun to the back of the molding, let cool & the tied it to the shelf. It worked perfect. Now if I ever decide I want to hang things on that shelf I just have to untie the molding & store it.

I ended up taking out the small storage bin we used for a bench & using the extra chair from out dinning room. That way there’s still a place to sit if needed, but so much more room for the girls to walk in hang up their stuff, & place our shoes.

I still have some more work to do but its done & works for now. Now I have to move on to my basement craft room. Unfortunately that will take much more time to finish. Maybe I’ll get to that next week…or the week after that…or…..



Award Time!

                                      I WON! I WON! It’s a major award!

No, I didn’t win the lamp (but I soooo love that movie!).
Linda from Olde Baggs 'n Struft Shirts gave me an award! Thank you very much Linda! Rules for my award are to list 7 things about myself and award 15 new blogs I’m following . All the blogs I follow should receive this award !  (I’m never one for following the rules - ask my parents…..sorry mom & dad ). So heres my 7 things  & a few of the GREAT blogs I recently started  following.......

1. I rearrange the furniture quite often here. And more times then not, it just ends up back in the same spot.

2. We’ve lived in this house almost 4 years, and I’ve painted the living room 3 times. I just couldn’t decide! (My husband swears we’ve lost sq.feet from all the layers.)

3.If you read my last post , you know how much I LOVE coffee.

4. My favorite days are the ones we stay in our pj’s all day & just play.

5. I love bed time stories with the girls. They’re both able read now & that makes it that much more fun!

6. One of my favorite books is “Time Travelers Wife”. I read the book a few years before the movie came out. If you haven’t yet ,READ IT. Skip the movie. Nothing compares to the book.

7.I am the “queen” of returns @ my local TJMAXX. I think they have my picture behind counter….

And now the awards to a few of the great  blogs I've recently started to following are.....
1.Puzzle Pieces
2.Homemakin and Decoratin
3.Homemade life
4.Crafty Hearts Warm Home
5.Work,Knit, Study
6.The Chic Chickadee
7.Daydreams of a Cowgirl
 I know...its not the 15 but its a good start. The girls are off from school today & if I spend anymore time on this computer we'll never get outside to go sledding!! Congrats everyone!!

Happy customer & Awards!

I woke up this morning to a great email from Leanna @  The Violet Reaction . She purchased one of my cowls I recently finished last week. Nothing makes me happier then to hear an item I put my heart into is loved by someone else. Nice way to start my day! That cowl looks great on her!

To top it off she has a great blog! Did you know she got those boots for only $11.67 . I know! Caution : this blog will make you want to shop! Check out her Etsy shop too Violet Reaction. You'll love her jewelry.

Then after checking my posts this moring, I’ve found out that Linda @ Olde Baggs’ n Stuft Shirts has awarded me the

Thanks Linda! In order to accept this award I'm supposed to share 7 things about myself & award 15 new blogs I'm following. Perfect timing since  I’ve recently found some great new blogs.  I think all the blogs I follow should be awarded : )   I'll do my best to follow the rules. I'll to get to that in my next post!  Stay tuned! 

I'M HAVING AN AFFAIR !!!

              That’s right….you heard me correctly. I have to come clean and admit my affair.

OK. So its not what you thought. But I couldn't help myself!

My affair is with coffee. I used to drink coffee several times a day. I loved it. I looked forward to waking up to have it…I couldn’t wait to have lunch so I could have my dessert with it….and sometimes when I was tired when the kids got home from school , I would have another cup to keep me going.

Green tea with milk & honey...mmmmm

Sadly when I didn’t have it I would end up with the most excruciating migraine. Loved the taste, but hated the hold it had on me. So last year I gave up coffee. I became a tea ONLY girl. My green tea has some caffeine but nothing compared to my beloved coffee. After a few very tired weeks & lots of Ibuprofen, I made it. I wouldn’t even allow myself decaf. I didn’t see the point if it didn’t have caffeine. Now that’s all changed…..


In all the years of enjoying coffee people told me I should invest in a Keurig brewer. I was just too cheap to pay that much for a machine to just make coffee. But this xmas my husband really wanted one (of course..now that I don‘t drink it). As a surprise, I bought him one.

See my sad tea pot crying in the corner?

I’m in love again. I have no idea how that machine can make it taste that good? I now have bought myself French decaf and look forward to it everyday! I know it’s his gift, but its insanely good . I’m sorry green tea….I love you…but I’m still going to have my coffee ( decaf anyway ) .


Here’s a yummy dessert recipe using coffee ……..

Mocha Java shake

½ cup cold prepared strong coffee
1 chocolate bar ( your choice )
Blend on high speed until chocolate is chopped into small pieces
Add 2 cups of ice cream (coffee, chocolate or vanilla)
Blend on high speed, using On/0ff action until smooth.
Pour into glasses
Serve immediately.
Makes approximately 2 - 8 oz. servings.

Its such a great dessert !!