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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