Thinking Color!

So from my past posts it's obvious I am in remodel mode!  The hardest part of remodeling to me isn't the actual work (though that is tough work!) but is coming up with design elements and colors.  Usually I start with color options for the room I am undertaking.  After playing with some color ideas I start thinking details and how to bring in different elements to make it work.

While I am not right now physically remodeling, I am coming up with ideas for the rooms still needing done.  What is our office now will be turned into a nursery in due time and we already have our design theme ready to go for that.  We actually already have the paint and many knick knacks as originally it was going to be our guest room theme.  We decided it would make a great neutral nursery instead.  Our guest bedroom is almost complete beyond getting a mattress for our top bunk then I'll be sure to share what we did in there. 

So for right now we are waiting on getting a fence.  I have had a bunch of offers come in and we have pretty much decided who we are going to go with. Now it's a matter of finding out specific property lines then will go in our fence to keep our inmate dogs in!  We are considering getting a shed as well as we know it's end of the year and we know an Amish place that has great fall deals so we may just get one if the price is right but we shall see.  After the fence or during the process we are going to start tackling our basement.  We have major plans for down there.  Half is already finished but not anything close to "finished" like we want.  The other half is all storage and laundry area.  We are first going to be building a large room which will become our new office/craft room and guest bedroom.  I recently bought a hutch piece off of craigslist for a great deal and we will be drastically painting it to go with that rooms fun theme (which is super secret but classic!).  Once the room is framed, insulated, and dry walled we will take on painting. 

Meanwhile the other room has a giant bar and cabinets that we are ripping out to make more room.  This will become hopefully like a large family room so we are trying to allow for as much room as possible.  It will be more relaxed and not as formal as our upstairs main family room is.  The basement room has wood paneling all around that we are painting yellow gold with red accents but possibly purple (Brian is not a fan of the purple idea so likely yellow gold it will be).  I love the look of painted paneling so I am excited to actually have it all paneled already, creates sweet depth and texture to a room but right now it is just too dark!  Once that is all painted we have plans to rearrange our furniture and hang our Thomas Kinkade Disney wrapped canvas prints we bought on our honeymoon throughout the room.  What's better than a Disney room?!?!  We are teetering between getting a projector and screen or just a large television right now.  We shall see what we decide to go with, but for now we are weighing the pluses and minuses of each and are really unsure. 

Since I haven't done any real remodeling around the house since my last remodel marathon, I am really getting the itch to start another project.  This weekend since for once we will be home, we have plans to clean and arrange the garage.  In the mean time I am starting to plan out remodeling our kitchen, half bath, and full bath.  Can you tell I am itching for projects?!?!  I know the half bath would be a simple remodel.  I plan to paint the vanity already in there to save on money plus what I want you can't find for sale at the store in stock.  We will buy a new vanity top as ours is no doubt from 1957 when our home was originally built and is plain gross!  We have awesome toilets in both bathrooms that when flushed you feel like you will be sucked down, supposedly they can't be clogged and so far living here for over a year and half that has been true!  So with nice toilets we won't be undertaking any large purchase for new ones wahoo!  I am thinking of going with a gray and yellow color combo in the half bath and being that it is small and will just be taking down more wallpaper and just paint I may stay that soon.

For one reason or another I have had this peacock theme going through my mind for our full bath.  Peacocks?!?  Yes peacocks!  I just love the bright green and electric blue.  Not sure which color I would go with for the wall yet, but leaning towards the electric blue coloring.  If you're wondering what Brian wants...well he really doesn't care.  Home design and such is not his thing, he just likes doing the painting and work....honestly he loves doing the actual work!  I am looking to get a print or something of a peacock like the one above for the room to tie it all in.  I wanted to take a picture myself and blow it up for the wall but last time I checked I don't know any peacocks or anyone that has one!  We are going to change the fixtures in the shower/tub but are keeping the shower/tub as it's in great condition still.  Our vanity and vanity top both are nice and will be staying as is.  Keeping super budget friendly!  I may or may not stain the vanity darker, but that's yet to be determined.  The sink fixture will change to match the new shower/tub fixtures as they are outdated.  I think we will tackle the half bath first as it will be an easier change than our full bath.  After both are done and the basement is finished we will move onto the kitchen.  I'm currently thinking of going orange....yes a very bold change!  Right now it is wallpaper and so outdated.  Maybe not so outdated but it's beige with a repetitive flower print and we all know beige is just so boring!  I think a Clementine orange color (not so bold but rather a bright orange) would look great.  We don't have a budget for replacing our counters or counter tops but bringing in color will definitely update it and brighten it right up!  We may even put up a backsplash.  We have chair paneling that again I love which will be white as well as all trimming to make it clean and crisp.  Who wouldn't love an orange kitchen?!?!  Plus it will go great with my brand new orange KitchenAid mixer, how could we go wrong?!?!

Holy Buttons!

I am known for just randomly looking at different things and picking up inspiration.  Inspiration can come from anything and everything.  For me, when I'm inspired, it is almost scary as I always have "A great idea!"  My newest inspiration that got my wheels turning was no other than buttons!  Yes those simple circle pieces of usually plastic with a few holes in. I have seen buttons used for a bazillion of things from jewelry to lampshades to accessorizing clothes and bags.  I stumbled upon buttons on canvas....and I'm hooked!  It was love at first sight when I saw this Exhibit A:

So darn cute!  I have a little thing for elephants so it comes with no surprise that

combining elephants and buttons is heavenly to me!

What's cuter than one elephant?!?! Of course two!!!!

 

What's even cuter than two elephants?!?! A mommy and baby elephant!  I'm in love!!!!!!

Oh the endless possibilities of button elephants......

 

If you're a semi normal person, unlike me, and aren't too in love with button elephants maybe some of these wonderful button on canvas creations will be more of your cup of tea

4 Seasons

 

Right in time for some Halloween....love the broken buttons used! 

Simple yet love this!

Extreme button portrait

Psychedelic button tree

Simple and elegant

Is it just me or do owls always look pissed off?!?!

Another psychedelic button tree

For the button loving man

How could this not make you smile?!?!

Love these!

Love this though it has no buttons, but cut out paper bringing a 3-dimensional

 look like buttons do.  You can see my wheels turning on what other than buttons

can be used on canvas to create a similar feel.

 

SO WHAT HAS INSPIRED YOU TODAY?  

73 Days and Counting!!!!

That is right, 73 days until my most beloved holiday, Christmas!  Yes I am a Christmas-holic, can't get enough of it!  Not only is the 25th of December Christmas but also my birthday so I'm destined to adore the holiday!

I love Christmas for a bazillion reasons but honestly who can't resist the sight of this:

Warm fires, lit trees, the smell of cinnamon and tasty treats filling the air.  Christmas music on every music station and that oh so lovely Christmas Shoes song that should be outlawed as who can possibly drive safely with all the tears waterfalling down their face?!?!  If you haven't been emotionally shaken by this heartwrenching song here it is, my early Christmas gift to you:

 

Ok now go grab your tissues and I'll wait right here for you to come back

Yes I did have to choose Christmas Kleenex! :)

If I could have a Christmas tree year round I surely would, but someone I will not mention (cough Brian the grinch cough cough) won't let me.  So the day after or a few after Thanksgiving BANG we go get our tree!  We don't mess around, no plastic faking for us, we go all out with the real deal pine tree that seems to shoot out like a bazooka their needles all over my house!  Having spent one married Christmas together we seem to be covered as far as decorations go for this year.  It's nice the bulk of the goods are already purchased ready just to be set back up!

We even have our Christmas lights for inside and out!  Of course Christmas would not be complete without our whole zoo....yes a literal zoo of lit up Christmasy animals we display on our front yard.  You thought I was joking about my serious addiction to Christmas! 



I did just purchase these two little numbers from LL Bean.  I wanted to buy them last year but they were completely sold out by Thanksgiving for the year.  This year I would not miss out and jumped on these when they became available again last month.  I love them being embroidered with our names.  They are heavy duty needlepoint stockings and cost a pretty penny but I know we will use them forever so adios Walmart Christmas stockings from last year!  There were a lot of designs to choose from.  Brians was a no brainer as he a train-a-holic and I played eeny meeny miny mo for mine out of the three I narrowed it down to....no seriously I did!  I'm happy with mine and with many options as we expand our family we will be ordering new ones to add next to ours on the fireplace :)

 

 

As for Christmas shopping I am much like my mom as I'm hunting for items year round.  When I come across something I know better than to just assume it'll still be available by Christmas time.  It helps alleviate having to spend one big hunk of money all at once and I'm able to space it out throughout the year in smaller purchases, which still does add up, but not all at once! 

So far I already have my parents covered.  I have a special undercover "project" I'm in the midst of for a gift for both of them.  I'm close to being finished but have a little bit more elbow grease to put in and it should be perfect.  Their gift I'm most excited about!  I love DIY projects and purposeful handmade gifts so this one is a winner!  For my siblings and their spouses we put our names in a hat and on Thanksgiving we draw who we buy for.  It is not a secret santa deal, we all know who got who but it's a great way to keep costs down.  Being one of 6 and with a sister-in-law, buying for everyone could get crazy!  I already have ideas though for most already so hopefully I get one of those poor unfortunate victims.  We all seem to buy for the youngest who is 8 and we have been contemplating what to get our nephew. I have also snagged two gifts already for my mother-in-law and am still pondering another gift but am kinda wishy washy with what to get her, ya Brian is no help in that department.  My brother-in-law's gift I'm leaving in the hands of my husband!  Haha!  So in other words I'll ask Brian a week before Christmas what he got him and he will say "So ya, about that!"  Perhaps to be on the safe side I should also keep my eyes out for something. 

                         Had to add this in as when I saw it I cracked up because it is so true!
                                 (if you can't read it click on the picture and it will enlarge it)

We also have a few friends we purchase for and I already have most gifts picked out for them but it's a matter of actually going out or ordering them online that I'm only left to do.  I'm feeling great about being organized and ready for Christmas and it's only October!

An Ode to the Terrible Coupon Haircut!

Anyone who knows me knows that I have a coupon for just about anything!  If I can save 10 cents darnit I'm gonna save those 10 cents!  Couponing has gotten me several free/close to free items.  Never do I buy anything online before searching out promo codes and saving myself 20% my entire purchase etc.  Just recently I stumbled across a coupon that my husband had forgotten about when cleaning out our coupon drawer a bit.  It was for a free pair of shoes that he had won.  I was waiting for the catch but we both rejoiced when they total came to $0.00 and free shipping!

Looks at these completely free babies!  Steel toe and waterproof  $170

all for free!

I must admit though last week my couponing got me into a pickle!  See I have been purposely growing my hair out again after chopping it short for the summer.  My hair was a great length but I needed a few layers and my side bands resurrected as it had all grown out into one.  Sounds simple huh?  Well I had saved a $9.99 haircut coupon so figured I would give Great Clips a try.



Ummmm great would not be the best phrase to explain my visit!  It was more like Great Clips: It's Gonna Be a Disaster!  I went in with wet hair having decided after showering that today would be a great day for the little trim.  I sat down in the chair and explained to the hairdresser the simple haircut I wanted, just a little something but keeping the length.  Right away I noticed the woman had chopped off a lot of hair.  I even commented saying, "wow that's a lot you just cut".  She assured me it would look fine and it was just for the layers but would not be as noticeable.  I took her word for it, as surely she would know what she was doing.  I learned during conversing with this woman that the hairdressers go Great Clips to Great Clips so are not just at one location but travel to wherever they are stationed that day.  She had been doing hair for over 20 years.  She was a very nice woman and we chatted away.  When she was done I wasn't impressed with it but thought heck it has to dry and it'll look different....it always does. 

I went home and let it dry all on its own.  I did some chores around the house and watched a few episodes of House Hunters and some Oprah Network and in no time my hair was dry.  I thought nothing of it until I went to use the bathroom.  I walked past the mirror and did my business without even noticing.  It was when I started to wash my hands that I looked up and to my horror I saw this..................................

No offense Tina Turner, but I'm just not rolling on the river like you these days!  My hair when it dries always gets curly and super wavy.  Panic began to come over me.  So I then pondered my next move and that would be to wet it back down and blow dry.  When my hair is blown dry it is always straight, surely that would look better.  After blow drying it and using almost a full can of hairspray and styling it I still was not too happy with it, but knew it was better than my Tina Turner look.  Any new haircut can cause a girl to be unhappy with it because of the change so I thought maybe I was overreacting, that it wasn't as bad as I thought.  I took a picture of it and thought ok it'll grow back but it can't be that bad.....

It was almost bluntly cut to the back of my ears then it dropped long in the back.  There were several pieces though that were longer than others and it was just not cut right.  My front bangs kept wanting to come together in the front like one huge bang and would not stay in the side part.  Almost mullet like with a party in the back going on.  The party in the back swooped upward like a curl.  So here is my result after an hour of playing with it and trying to get a decent picture with it (this picture does not do justice to how terrible it was!).  Can you tell by my smirk I had gone from fully panicked to laughing about it?!?!  We all need to find humor in life! 

My mom and I had plans to go out shopping so I waited for her to arrive.  I got in the car and the first words out of her mouth were......

"Hello Carol Brady!"  I knew then that this had to be fixed!  Sure enough after thinking of Carol I saw the similarity:

Yup party in the back going on!  Side by side verification.  I went back to Great Clips and requested they fix this mess. 

(My mom snuck a picture of the hairdresser offender apologizing and trying to fix it!)

The lady tried again for several minutes apologizing the whole time.  Finally she gave up and said she could not do more to fix it.  I ended up getting my money back and going to J.C. Penney's and paying a pretty penny to try to fix this disaster of a haircut.  At first the hair dresser there said she has seen many disasters that this can't be too bad.  That was until I got into the chair and her jaw dropped as she said she has no idea how this woman butchered my hair but it was bad.  Twenty minutes later and the length had to go for her to even be able to make it look decent.  I left feeling a bit less 70's.  I ended up with a short haircut for Fall....not what I had intended upon when I had left in the morning to get a simple trim and some side bangs.

My husband Brian did comment that if I was going for a Brady look I should have gone more for a Marcia look as he thought she was "dreamy back in the day" haha!

                          I told him look on the bright side....at least I didn't get the Alice haircut!

Finding Your Whatever

I signed up to receive a short snippet of daily scripture every day.  My phone that's linked with my email account does its little jingle around 9 a.m. each morning when it comes into my inbox.  Normally I read it and reflect for a few minutes before I carry on reading other emails from groupon and other such things.  Today I was running some errands all day and didn't end up reading my daily scripture verse until after dinner. 

Today's came from Matthew 25:40, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”

I've heard this specific verse a million and two times before, however something different struck me today.  One specific word stuck out like a sore thumb that I had never noticed before......

“WHATEVER you did…”

WHATEVER.

The Scripture didn't say, "When you have sold everything you own and gave it all away to the poor…you did it for me.”

Nor does it say, “Once you have gone on four overseas mission trips and made a huge impact in the lives of hundreds of children in impoverished countries…then you finally did it for me.”

Neither did the scripture say, “Go out and bring food to a friend who needs comfort, and only then will it be for me.”

No this verse states WHATEVER.  Then I felt a feeling of understanding come over me.  My eyes were opened to the true meaning of this specific verse and teaching.  My WHATEVER may not be someone else's WHATEVER.  Each and every one of us have our own callings in this life.  What I may be called to do may not be what you, or what my siblings, or what my priest has been called to do.  Each and every one of us have our WHATEVER calling, it is our WHATEVER you do….No one calling is more important than another.  God burdens each one of our hearts and whispers (sometimes yells!) to us where He wants us to go or do.  We each have to open our hearts and eyes and dig deep to discover what our WHATEVER may be.  Some may indeed be called to save hundreds of children in impoverished countries, others to give up all their material belongings, but we may also be called to bring comfort to others while living in our suburban home.  Not all of us are called to be Mother Teresa, but we are all called to do our WHATEVER.  As we do our WHATEVER “You did it for Me!”  Every calling big or small are each important.  We live in a society where everything and everyone has to be bigger and better than the next.  It is the keeping up with the Jones' mentality that makes others not appreciate what we may feel are smaller things.  Those smaller things do not go unnoticed, they are just as important as the big world changing things.  He calls each of us to make our own impact some big or small, it is WHATEVER he puts on our hearts for "WHATEVER you did.....you did for ME!"

This specific verse spoke volumes to me today and really made me do an internal search into my own soul.  It caused me to reexamine my own life and what my callings in this life may be.  I have a heart filled with what I feel called to do and it is time I start living out those callings.  If we all found and lived out our WHATEVER callings, this world would be a much better place.

                                                 Remember today and the days to come

WHATEVER you did...

“You did it for Me!”