more bedroom makeover-ing

I dismantled this window which was previously blue and had a mirror behind the panes. Yesterday, I spray painted it white, roughed it up with a bit of sand paper and...

placed 4 coordinating fabrics in each pane. I need to find a 16x20 piece of glass to cover it but I could not wait to assemble it, so I did. I am really loving these Nicey Jane fabrics which have been the inspiration for most of the bedroom decor.

This week I completed my second pillow sham successfully (also from Nicey Jane).

And up next will be a cushion for my new bench, throw pillows and who knows what else.

Looking forward to dinner tonight with my Mom and sister. I cannot remember when only the 3 of us last went out together. It should be fun.

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menu plan monday

Instead of just referring to my jotted down notes for the week, I thought I would share here as well.

Sunday: Birthdays at the Cousins
Monday: Bobby's Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime (just ate this and it is SO good!, just not crispy skin? this time I just made two huge split breasts)
Steamfresh Frozen corn (tastes just like corn on the cob)
Bob Evans Sour Cream and Chive mashed potatoes
Tuesday: BLT (for Dave and I)
bacon and toast with watermelon for the girls
Wednesday: Brownies til 5:30 so probably pizza...
Thursday: fast food for girls b/c Dave and I both will be out
Friday: metts and hot dogs on the grill
baked beans
Saturday: TBA

I sorted through a bunch of my recipes that I have torn out of magazines. There are some great ones in the stack to try that include more summery ingredients. I also unearthed some successes that will be put back into the rotation. On my list is to purchase some small herbs to get in pots after Mother's Day: basil, dill, not sure what else? Pin It

today: parts 1 and 2

First, there was a baby shower for a dear friend of my husband's family. I wish I could take credit for this DIY garland made from onesies, but the grandmother to be whippped this up. Great, isn't it?! We took inspiration for the shower from another shown at Hostess with the Mostess and you can see part of one of the displays on my sister in law's kitchen island. And in the lower righthand corner you can see my OH BOY banner.

Next, it was time to prepare for the Brownie Father Daughter Sock Hop. Olivia was just a little excited, can you tell? She was pose happy and I was all too happy to click a way. The sweetest is when Dave gave her the corsage though. I mean seriously a tear jerking moment. I hope they are having fun "twisting the night away".

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a collection of earth day tidbits

Last night, I was introduced to a dozen organic cotton fabric companies via Betz White's blog. Wow. I will admit, this has swayed me to pay more b/c they are all so beautiful.

Today, I enjoyed Tara Whitney's post and many of her links too. I am going to try and sell my kids on the Laptop Lunches for next year.

I'd like to embrace cloth napkins a bit too. It would be fun to sew some reversible ones out of fun fabric and maybe that will translate into them traveling in the packed lunches as well? And while I am at it, I might try to create a few re-usable lunch baggies like these from Nora Griffin's sister. Seriously, teaching yourself to sew with 3 babies?!

What we do now:
recycle newspaper
magazine share-for the past year or more I make a conscious effort to pass mine on to someone else instead of tossing them
I am about 80% accurate in remembering my totes at the grocery store-the plastic bags I do bring home get used again or returned to the store

What do you do? Pin It

home improvement overload!

These are not even in order, just random in an iphone download but they tell a good story about my week.

My niece Kacie and I went to the Burlington Antique Show for the first time on Sunday . OH MY! We loved it. It was totally overwhelming but so much good stuff if you are a thrifter...and furniture painter like me :) The retro shelf is for Kacie, she lives in an older two family and this is just a perfect fit. The globe is for me, I am going to start collecting them :) The other is a stool for her bathroom vanity. The stool is slated for a makeover on Sunday--new paint, new upholstered top etc. I also got a wooden shelf to go above my new headboard but it is not shown here.

This is my comforter draped over my lawn furniture. It smells fresh and clean after being washed by my exceedingly kind neighbor who has a giant frontloader that can house a king size comforter.

This bench was delivered today by my wonderful Father in Law. I *may* have hinted with an email linking to Knock Off Wood. He is so good that we did not even discuss it, he just arrived with it complete and primered. Am I lucky or what? So tonight I spray painted it and tomorrow I will rough up the edges to match my headboard. I cannot wait to find some baskets for the cubbies and to make a cushion for the top.

After making this pillow sham, I feel like I could tackle a piped cushion...ok, not really but I am proud of my sham. I followed these directions and it came out great. I just need to make a second one now. The fabric is Nicey Jane and I got it from Hawthorne Threads. I could place an order from them every day of the week-there is that much good stuff!

So that pretty much explains what has been going on around here.

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feeling lucky

It has been a long busy week. I started out kind of dreading it b/c there was so much on my schedule but last night I realized that I am actually quite lucky.
On Monday I got to:
help with school play dress rehearsal
meet with my "boss" for my second PT job...a job that I really enjoy :)
On Tuesday I got to:
grocery shop
help again with the school play in the afternoon
enjoy an infrequent visit from my parents on a weeknight!
return for the final performance of the school play at night
work the school bingo after the play...and was treated to pizza afterward

On Wednesday I got to:
enjoy an hour at the park before Shelby went to school
pick up Olivia from Brownies with Shelby and Skipper and there was another dog friend there so we hung out over an hour playing
witness Dave opening the pool and the kids playing in the sudsy clean up water

On Thursday I got to:
take Shelby and a friend to dance class
enjoy another hour of play time at the park before school began
had a meeting with my "boss" at my 1st PT job--one that I also totally enjoy
be the parent helper at Shelby's Daisy meeting
sit outside and chat uninterrupted with a neighbor

Today:
I have mopped all the hardwood floors
I have completed a load of online work
I have gotten ready for a lunch meeting at 20 Brix
I will have a night out with the neighbor ladies

I am not always the best about putting things in perspective but I think I will try harder after seeing the good in my week :) Pin It

bedroom makeover: before & after

These are from a few weeks ago. No headboard, white walls, atrocious wallpaper and border, closet door still exists.

This is today. Pretty headboard, attractive paint color, bed is made. Still lacking: wall decor, new lamps and a bench at the foot of the bed. Those will come. As will more pillows for the bed. It is hard to tell the scope of the closet transformation but trust me when I say it a BIG change. Those shelves alone are worth their weight in gold ( I nearly crippled myself painting them if that counts for anything). There is also more room to hang clothes too. The mirror above my vanity is slated to receive a thick white frame which I am exited about and the closet shelves are going to be filled with more of those Target storage totes. That's about it for closetville though. What do you think?

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a collection of adoption stories

I think my own long and often hard road to becoming a mom makes me especially drawn to infertility and adoption stories. I wrote this post for Little Dreamer Designs and am sharing it here as well. Please give it wings and help spread the news of this family's desire to grow to 5.

scrapbooking: serving an even greater purpose

A few weeks ago, creative team member scrappinbec (Rebecca) shared that she and her family were about to embark on a new journey, one they had traveled before and were ready to revisit for a third time...the adoption journey. I was so moved by her sharing this with us at Little Dreamer that I asked if I could share her Adoption Collage on the LD blog.

(View layout details HERE)

Rebecca and her husband have been blessed by the adoptions of their two sons and hope to grow swiftly and lovingly into a family of 5. Their adoption blog can be viewed here and I urge you to read it and share it. You just never know who will make the connection or when, so this is a chance to pay it forward.

Just this week, I read of a wonderful adoption story whose happy ending was fueled by the good of the internet, especially the blogging community. Their "adoption button" was shared and they are currently snuggling a little girl born in March. I love happy endings!

And as an avid blog reader, I hope each day for the official announcement of this baby girl's anticipated arrival into her parent's arms over at Posie Gets Cozy. And while I wait, I am thrilled by each creation made for their expected bundle of joy.

These wonderful stories just make me feel good. I hope they strikes a chord with you too.

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one room makeover-in progress

I have been super scarce b/c Friday and Saturday for me (and continuing into today for Dave) were totally occupied by the master bedroom makeover. It is painted, a brown that I really love. And as of yesterday, the headboard is finished and in place. Dave is still working on the gigantic closet overhaul and no new decor has been installed but I was too anxious not to share at least this. The headboard is kinda short so I think we may raise it if possible b/c with shams, it would be completely covered. And I worked too hard for that to happen...

I just ordered 4 yards of this fabric to make my shams:You can see the side table peeking out here. I think I may paint those both white like the headboard and distress them and go with black knobs. Input?

And one more of a corner of the room where the paint is a bit truer.

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spring break

We are enjoying day 3. So far, the weather has been wonderful. We have had sleepovers, an afternoon at the park, much bike riding and playing outdoors and even 3 XL pizza shared with the neighbors last night outside. Fun. In between all of this, I have been squeezing in my work.

For today, Wednesday, I had some burritos from an old Rachael Magazine (which the page is dateless unfortunately) slated for dinner. I cannot seem to find the recipe online so I am going to share it here. So simple and from my taster bites straight out of the pot, extra yummy too.

Southwestern Burrito Bar (I think it was recommended for a party in the mag)

In a large skillet, simmer 1lb lean ground beef, stirring to break up the meat. Add a 16 oz jar salsa, 15 oz can of black beans, rinsed and a 10 oz bag of corn, thawed. Season with salt and cook through. Serve with flour tortillas and your favorite burrito fixins.

** Ok, I only had about a 1/3 of a jar of salsa so I added 3/4 or a can of enchilada sauce to that. My corn was from a can...I made due with what I had on hand and it was great.

Another aside, after I made the Deen Brothers lime chicken, I saved all of the left over meat removed from the bones. Yesterday, I mixed some of the meat with ranch dressing and added that to a soft tortilla lined with lettuce and I sprinkled bbq sauce on top--it was delicious. I am having that again for lunch tomorrow.

Happiness is quicky, easy but tasty meals. If only my kids would eat them too... Pin It

Menu Plan Monday

I am not sure which blog was the first onewhere I stumbled upon this concept but many clicks and links later, I have read, bookmarked and printed many o' recipes! Tonight we had this recipe from the Deen Brothers: Bobby's Baked Chicken with Dijon and Lime. And this recipe Cheesy Potato Strips. which I read, failed to bookmark and had to unearth through an extensive google search involving just the right combination of phrases!

Both, totally yummy. Those potatoes that have soaked up the milk during the baking have an amazing and different taste. The chicken was perfect, super moist. I only wish the skin had been crispier and wonder if this could be done on the grill ?

Back to the Menu Plan Monday...this blog looks to be the originator, and if not the originator the keeper of the links! Just today, there are 260+ blogs linked with their meals for the week listed and MANY have links to recipes. For the past several months, I have been listing out a rough outline of my meals on a pad of paper designed for Sun-Sat meal planning. It has helped me to shop better and avoid eating out or bringing home fast food quite as often. This has given me a refreshed outlook and a new source for quick, easy recipes. Pin It

what's new?

new camera strap.

new much shorter haircut

dad riding a bike: that's new

practicing how to achieve sun flare=tricky

up next: showering my girls and getting ready for the easter bunny, church in the morning, lunch and egg hunt here, dinner and egg hunt with the in laws and then a week of spring break for the girls!
final photo: wonky, TALL, skinny shadows. i'd be so diggin' these long legs :)

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