Made it Without My Hubby

Over Spring Break, I completed a long awaited project.  Last year, Lamar and I built this entertainment center which was a knock off of Ashley's and based off of Ana White's plans.

I knew I wanted drawers for the bottom of the unit, but didn't want just plain black drawers.  After Whitney built the storage crates for her girls' beds, I knew that was exactly what I wanted.

I measured my drawer spaces and then went to HD for my supplies--plywood, 1 x 3 furring strips, Gorilla glue and a brad nailer. I had HD cut the plywood for me, but I thought I could handle the furring strips with a handsaw---wrong!  Without a mitre box, I was making a mess cutting them and it was exhausting.  So...Lamar bought me a circular saw!  Woohoo!!!

Used GG and my brad nailer to make the bases.

Furring strips added on front and back.  NOTE TO SELF---make sure to use the right length of nails next time.  I had to redo this part. :(

While I worked, the girls played outside...it was wonderful!

Finished!!!



Love, love, love!!!



Project Time

I have so many projects that I want to try!

For my birthday, I got a new sewing machine and PhotoShop Elements. Last week, I bought myself a brad nailer and Lamar got me a circular saw. Now, if I could just find the time to sew, build and design I would be thrilled.

Sewing Projects:

• A digital camera strap like this
• Pillows for my living room
• Clothes for the girls

Building Projects:

• A bed for Karsyn like this one from Shanty 2 Chic and Knock Off Wood

Design Projects:

• Maybe revamping my blog?
• Just creatively editing my pictures

I'm so excited for summer to be here so I can work on these things and more. 9 weeks to go!!!

Craft Project - Paper Banner

We are out of school for our 5th day out of the last 7---so crazy! I decided to work on another craft project! :)

Landrie's room needed some updates. I love her patchwork quilt, but she didn't have much on her walls. After getting an adorable cupcake print from a friend, I decided to do a cupcake theme for her room. Landrie LOVES sweets, so it seemed like the perfect decor for her!

I got my inspiration from this post on Shanty 2 Chic's link party this week.



I love the different papers used and knew it would look great in Landrie's room. Since we were iced in, I used what I had to create her banner. Plus, that made it FREE which I love!

I used my Cricut to cut out the letters at 5 1/2" tall. I used my favorite cartridge - Alphalicious. I then used my straight cutter to make 6" x 6" squares and 7" x 7" squares. After I mounted the letters to those, I decided it still needed something else. I backed all of them in 7.5" x 7.5" white squares to give it a more unified look.

For the cupcakes I used torn paper to create the bottom and cut 3 ovals on the Cricut for the icing. Instead of a cherry on top, I put a heart!

I hung them over her bed with white tulle. I may eventually mount them onto wooden plaques, but this works for now.

What do you think?

Karsyn's begging for a banner in her room too. Maybe we'll have another snow day soon??

ICE Day Project #2-3

I find it so crazy that we're out of school for the 3rd day in a row due to ice. Normally we'll have one snow day and the next day it will be 60 degrees and it all melts off. This week, we're struggling to get out of the 20s, so we're still at home. It's not a bad vacation except that everything is closed! We went to the mall yesterday and there was hardly anyone there!!!

I finally hung up some shelves that I painted for the girls bathroom a LONG time ago. I bought them at a tiny antique store for $12. They were already white, but I decided I wanted to crackle paint them.

I used some free Glidden paint in a Watermelon color (Thanks Missy!) and then crackled them with white on top. I love the way that they turned out. It definitely added so much to their bathroom.

Project #3 was to Mod Podge a K to coordiante with Landrie's L. She got the L for her birthday 2 years ago, and it's been in their bathroom ever since. Poor Karsyn felt left out and I finally came through and decorated one for her. I had most of the same scrapbook papers that our friend used, so for $2.99 she has her matching K now. I also framed a picture of them for the top of the shelf.


I love going to my friends houses and seeing personal touches in every room. I'm trying to do the same here now--little by little and on a budget!


I'm posting this early for Shanty 2 Chic's - I Made it Without My Hubby! For once, I'm ahead of the game! :)

The Stockings Were Hung...

Just for me...our 2010 Christmas Decorations:

The cutest little elves I know with out Charlie Brown tree. Our big tree won't fit in our living room any more, so I moved our little tree in here. The girls handmade ornaments and the ones from our Christmas events (Ice, Polar Express, etc) go on this tree. I also added the presents that we were giving on that day under the tree.

Not a Christmas decoration, but this is my new window treatment in my living room. I am IN LOVE with it! It is exactly what I've wanted and waited 4 1/2 years for!

My "Joy to the World" banner - a Shanty 2 Chic tutorial found here.

Landrie's Tree

Karsyn's Christmas tree - another Shanty 2 Chic tutorial!

Our big tree is in the formal living room. I love that I actually have presents under the tree right now! I'm usually still shopping and not finished wrapping on Christmas Eve. I can't believe I'm finished this early! I love that you can see the tree lit from the front yard.

I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas surrounded by family and friends! I am so thankful for all of my family that we get to spend our holidays with.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!

Great Teacher Gift

I am always trying to think of what to get my girls' teachers each year for Christmas and End of the Year gifts. I have a personal limit of $15, so it can be difficult to find something that is nice, yet personal. I have made clipboards in the past and given custom totebags also.

This year, I had to work a little harder because my youngest daughter now has the same teachers as my oldest did. So, the gifts had to be different this year.

I made a custom dry erase board.

Here's the list of supplies:

• metal stand from HL - bought when half off $2.50-3.00
• glossy white 8 x 10(ish) tile from Home Depot - $1.07
• 4-5 7" strips of ribbon in your color choices - FREE (scraps)
• dry erase marker - $1
• thin ribbon 12-15" long FREE (scraps)
• hot glue gun

Knot ribbon in the center and attach to top of tile with hot glue gun.



Attach ribbon to dry erase marker and to stand.


And you're finished!

This took less than 15 minutes and cost less than $5. I love the way it turned out. It could be embellished more with vinyl lettering or decorations, too.

Make sure to visit Shanty 2 Chic's I Made it Without My Hubby for more great craft ideas!

While I've been away...

We have had a lot of activities lately, and the holiday season is just beginning. I still have pictures to upload, but here's a run down and a fun contest you can enter too:

• Family pictures - THREE times! We took pictures in August (NOT good!), again in October (better) and last weekend (BEST!)...thanks to my new family photographer - Missy!!!
• Football, football & football - We're still in the playoffs, so that's been fun and busy. Especially combined with 8th grade basketball too. Lamar is gone most days from 6 am - 8 pm! At least it's all for a good reason.
• ICE! @ The Gaylord Texan - We were able to go to the first week of the ICE show at the Gaylord. This year's theme is Charlie Brown. The girls really loved it. We also visited Santa while we were there. I'll post pictures and share a few funny stories on that in a separate post.

And now, for the contest/giveaway:

My favorite crafters are giving away a Silhouette Machine. It is the latest and greatest in crafting and I would LOVE to have one...HINT, HINT Santa!

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with your family and friends! I know we will! And hopefully we'll cap it off with a WIN Friday night!

A Tale of Two Chairs

Last summer I rescued two chairs from my neighbors trash pile. They had good lines and I saw lots of potential, but they were UGLY!!!

This doesn't really do justice to how ugly they were. The seats were covered in a rust corduroy fabric and they were extremely weathered.

I painted the first one black and added a wooden decal to the back. I distressed it all and then recovered the seat in a goldy damask print that I found in the remnants at JoAnn's.

I saved the second one not sure of where I would put it. I decided to paint it white and use it as my daughter's night stand. I painted the first coat of white and it was weathered just like the rest of her furniture so I left it like that. I added the other wooden decal to the front of the chair and cut a piece of MDF for the top. I love how it turned out and it really finishes her room.

Candlestick Revamp

After seeing Ashley's awesome work on her entertainment center, my husband and I decided to build the same one. The only thing different was that we left out the vertical dividers.

That left me with spaces to fill, so I cleared off my mantle and moved things in to the entertainment center.

A good family friend had these candlesticks in her garage and said I could have them if I wanted. The brass wouldn't do, so...

I mixed a brown with a copper paint and brushed it on. I didn't really like how it turned out, but wasn't sure how to fix it. I decided to dry brush some black over it and was really pleased with the turn out!

I filled the bottom with some rocks from JoAnn's and added my painted candles.

I still need to add something underneath the picture, but I'm really happy with how it turned out!!!