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Glazing and Plank Wall Tutorial

2012-02-22T20:27:00.000-08:00

I found a BEFORE picture. That I just had to share!

(my cute daughters sneaks in every photo she can)

I have had several questions about my cabinet. When I went back and read my post I realized I didn't really expand. Which is so strange to me. All my life I have been given awards {if you can call it that} for talking all the time, I at one time had the nick name Babbling Brooke. For some reason when I write I clam up. So I am going to try to expand...

This cabinet started out black. I then painted it with Annie Sloan's Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint. If you have not heard of this paint it is AWESOME. You don't have to sand or prime!
I painted this piece and then I sanded down the areas I wanted to look old. The other awesome thing about this paint is if you get a run...just sand it off it doesn't gum up like latex it actually sands off in the consistency of chalk. You can make any kind of paint job nice and smooth! I then glazed it with Burnt Umber Universal Tint from Lowes.

How do you glaze? Let me explain it......

First you need the tint, then you are going to mix a little glaze with water. It should be pretty runny. With your brush apply the glaze and follow right behind with a wet rag to wipe off all the left over glaze.

Once this is dry than you can wax it. I used Annie Sloan's Clear Soft Wax. I really liked it as you apply it with a brush and it buffs to an awesome shine!
{Tutorial to come soon}

As for my plank wall. I have always loved plank walls and I have always wanted one. Since my house isn't quite old enough to have it's own, I created one! This project is great because it is cheap and adds a very dramatic affect. I did take a few pictures.....they are not the best pictures, but maybe they will help a little!

The first thing I did was cased everything in. {casing is the molding under the stairs and around the whole wall} Since this is a floating wall I needed something to butt the planks up against.

For the planks I purchased 2 sheets of Hard Board from Home Depot, I think they were about $8 a sheet.

I ripped the hard board down to 5 inch strips and cut them to random lengths. I started at the bottom and let the first row sit right on my base board. For spacing I used the width of the hard board, as it was easier than trying to use tile spacers.

I then just used my nail gun to hold it in place. I went easy on the nails, I don't like filling nail holes! After it was all up I first primed it and then painted it. I used Benjamin Moore's Halo for the planks and Benjamin Moore's White Dove for the moldings.

To finish the top off my husband hung crown for me! I just love my wall! I use it for lots of my photography shoots too!!

I hope this helps explain better...

Girls Bathroom {DONE}

2012-02-22T10:41:00.000-08:00

The Girls Bathroom is DONE!!!

( I took 2 pictures of the bathroom, one in the morning {above} and one at night {below}. As the window behind the shower curtain can be so BRIGHT!)

I must apologize first, I forgot to take a before picture.

This bathroom is probably the biggest overhaul of the 4. My husband really put a lot of hard work in. He retiled the floors, which I love the 16 x 16 tiles he put down. He moved the light up, because I just HAD to have this mirror in here. But it was actually in his favor, being that he is 6'4 if we hadn't moved it up his head would be cut off! He had to redo the plumbing too so the free standing vanity would work. It is a good thing I married a man who loves to remodel too, and of course keep his wife happy! ;)

The shower curtain was my inspiration for this room. I was wondering around the clearance section in Kohl's when I saw this curtain for $7!! I love the colors and I wanted to add something fun to this bathroom since it is for our 2 girlies! I am not much of a "themed room" person, so this seemed to suit me well.

I love how it turned out! 3 bathrooms down 1 to go!! {the last one is only a half bath...HOORAY}

My First Chalk Paint Project

2012-02-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

Before (just the wall with wall paper)

After

This piece of furniture used to be black and I didn't actually hate it black, but we had to put it in storage and between all the moving it got all banged up.

It isn't actually wood, it just has a vaneer on it so I was not sure how to make it look good again.

When I heard that chalk paint would adhere to it with no sanding or priming I got the paint brush and went to town! I loved how easy chalk paint was to work with! Once it was painted I sanded some areas, and then I used a glaze to distress it. After everything was dry I used Annie Sloan's soft wax and buffed it. I couldn't be happier with the final product!

As for the wall itself. The wall paper didn't come down to great, it left some residue behind. I have always wanted an exposed plank wall.... so rather than sand it like a mad women I created a planked wall. I actually just used hard board and ripped it down to 5 inch strips. For the whole wall I believe it only cost me $20 and some paint!

Happy Weekend!!

Brooke

Buckets!

2012-02-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

I was at Ace Hardware yesterday and they had BUCKETS!! I have really been wanting to get my house {toys} organized. My husband took me to Ikea but everything was so expensive for a BOX and not quite what I was looking for. So when I saw these buckets for $3 each I didn't buy just 1 I bought 8! They are working really well to contain toys, they just aren't cute {yet}. So I got on Pinterest and look at all these cute ideas for Buckets!

Source: flickr.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: bhg.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: firstratefurniture.co.uk via Brooke on Pinterest

I am so excited to get started on my buckets!!

Happy Thursday!

Brooke

Happy Valentines Day

2012-02-14T13:42:00.000-08:00

My daughters and I have been busy making sugar cookies for all of our Valentines! We do have a lot of them, as my oldest has been asking everyone to be her Valentine! The more the merrier right?

It has become a fun tradition at our home to make sugar cookies for every holiday! Whenever I tell my girls it is cookie time they get so excited. I have looked for a long time for a good sugar cookie recipe, and wouldn't you know my mom had the perfect one!

Here is the recipe for you too!

Sugar Cookies

3/4 c shortening

1/4 c butter

1 c sugar

2 eggs

2t vanilla

3 c flour

1 t salt

1 t baking powder

beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, and butter together

in a separate bowl add flour, salt, baking soda, and cut in shortening until fine crumbs. add to sugar mixture and mix together.

Refrigerate for 1 hour, roll out dough and cut out cookies

Bake at 400 degrees for 7 minutes

and what is a cookie without frosting?

Butter Cream Frosting

6 c shortening

3/4 c butter softened

1/4 c shortening

6 to 8 Tablespoons milk

1 t vanilla

Mix together and add coloring if desired

xoxoxo

Brooke

Pallets and a Tea Party

2012-02-10T20:43:00.000-08:00

I have finished my first Pallet project. A table for my girls! I love that it looks so old! The wood was splitting like crazy, and at first I was trying to redo and undo to get it all smooth and perfect. Yeah, well what was I thinking? I love the old charm.

A new {old} table calls for a tea party and {of course} the camera. My 3 year old was in heaven that I let her use MY teapot. She kept telling me "mom don't worry, I am really careful and promise not to hurt your teapot." She was very careful, nothing was hurt!

Vintage Mellie was my inspiration for this table if you want to make your own she has a great tutorial!!!

Happy Weekend!!

Brooke

A little bird told me....

2012-02-09T22:20:00.000-08:00

My chalk paint came today at exactly 4:04pm, and by 10:30pm I had painted my table, a chair and my couch cabinet table thing-a-ma-jig and managed to go out to dinner with my dad. Thanks to a wonderful husband who watched the kiddos for me!

So the big question....is chalk paint all it is chalked up to be (he he)?

I would have to say YES. NO SANDING, NO PRIMING, just get the brush and paint. I even painted my couch cabinet table thing-a-ma-jig in the house and it doesn't really have a smell.

Everyone was saying how they only needed one coat. That is true for my Duck Egg Blue paint, but the Old White that I used on my table and chair does need a second coat!

They are not quite finished, but once they are you can expect a final REPORT :) with pictures!

As for the title of my blog, I had the wonderful opportunity to photograph my nephew today! He is almost 2 weeks old and he is the cutest little bird around. When I saw the hat I knew we needed a nest! So last night my daughter and I bent, twisted, and taped sticks together!

Isn't he a cutie! Welcome to the world little guy!

GOOD Night all!!

Brooke

I won't go down without a FIGHT!!

2012-02-06T21:25:00.000-08:00

You know when you were growing up and you made fun of your parents because they didn't keep up on technology? I fear I am falling into that category, my 3 year old can use my iPad better than I can! BUT I won't go down without a fight, so today I joined Twitter!

Twitter Buttons

If you have a Twitter account leave a comment or follow me...I would love to follow you too! THIS IS SO FUN!!!

COLOR!!

2012-02-04T22:26:00.000-08:00

I LOVE bright cheery colors! However my house seems to be lacking in this department. At this point it is brown, tan, light brown, cream, black, white, well you get the picture. I do love these colors as they are so light and inviting but now we need some spunk!

I have found my inspiration color THANK YOU PINTEREST! {seriously where were we before pinterest}

I am IN LOVE WITH THIS FLOOR...I may just have to do this to my painted white floor!

Source: myhomeideas.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: thehouseofsmiths.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: blog.effortless-style.com via Brooke on Pinterest

I have ordered me some Duck Egg Blue Chalk Paint

As soon as it arrives LET THE PAINTING BEGIN!

TTFN

Brooke

Back to Reality

2012-02-03T17:50:00.000-08:00

We just got back from a relaxing week in Park City Utah!! What is it about getting away for a couple of days that just allows you to clear your head and welcome reality back? I have had a few projects on my mind this last week that I am so excited to start. I EVEN dreamed about them....{is that a good thing}

Project #1

My husband has caught the THRIFT vibe! He often stops at the DI (the local thrift store) to see if there is any good furniture. Last week he hit the jackpot with this table. I am so in love with it I am going to refinish it for myself, and sell my other table of course!

I have been wanting to order some chalk paint for awhile now, so I decided this is the project for it! The chalk paint order is in and should be here next week, I can't hardly wait.

{If you have not heard of chalk paint and you enjoy refinishing furniture it is worth looking in to, here is a link to Annie Sloan's website.}

Project #2

Pallets......

I have a piece of furniture for my family room I have been wanting to make with a pallet top {this is the project I was dreaming about} I am hoping this project comes out as planned {and dreamt.}

Happy WEEKEND!!

Brooke

A Book Party!

2012-01-27T10:34:00.000-08:00

I am really not much of a reader. I wish I loved to read, well maybe that would be a bad thing. It seems if I find a book I love I can't put it down until I have read the whole thing and any sequels there may be. During this time my kids seem to run wild and the house becomes a mess so maybe I better stick to my kind of book parties.

My daughter and I had lots of fun making this together. She enjoyed ripping the pages out of the book {I hope I don't find any other shredded books around the house.} and I glued them all together. I added a burlap rose to the center to top it all off!

Whats cooking!!

2012-01-23T11:56:00.000-08:00

This kitchen is actually an add on to the house. The previous homeowners added it on about 2 years ago. When we first went through this house I fell in love with the kitchen. I loved the farm house sink, the large bar, the pine plank flooring, and the light cabinets.

Before:

After:

I am so happy with the transformation. This kitchen was quite the journey, it really pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to take a few risks. I really like high contrast so I thought I wanted dark granite. When my husband and I went to pick out the granite I didn't see a dark granite I loved, I was so sad, I took home some samples of light granite to see what I liked with the cabinets. Trying to match cabinets with a sliver of granite is quite the task. I stewed over it for a few days went back to the granite yard a few times and finally decided on this granite, and I couldn't be more happy with it. The best part about this granite is you can't tell when it is dirty. Very helpful with kids.

My next task was the backsplash. I have always really wanted a glass backsplash. Being that we have SO much area to tile complete glass was out of the budget. I was determined to have at least a little glass, this is what we came up with and I love how it turned out. The glass tiles bring in the color but doesn't overwhelm the space.

My husband and I put up the backsplash. Yes, this was our first time. I thought we would just start it one night and be done. Boy was I wrong, we got a row and a half done in one night. I believe it took a week to get it all done!

I never realized there was so much to tiling. Make sure it is spaced right, don't put too much mastic on, don't put too little mastic on.....etc etc etc. I have a new found respect for people who tile for a living! It was worth it I loved how it turned out!

We also put knobs on the cabinets. I looked high and low for square knobs and ended up finding them on Overstock. I am so pleased how they look on the cabinets.

I also repainted, I wanted to make sure my paint was lighter, as I didn't want your eye to go straight to the paint I wanted the cabinets to stand out.

I love this light, the previous homeowner put it in. I love that it hangs over the sink, at night when I am doing the dishes I turn off all the lights except this one and I love the mood it creates. It KIND OF, notice the kind of, makes doing dishes fun!

We really wanted a new hood for the stove, but we ran out of money as they can be quite pricey, so I invested in a can of spray paint and sprayed it oil rubbed bronze!

I love how my kitchen turned out. My daughter and I have made sure it is broken in. We have spent many hours in there making treats. We do share, what we don't eat first!

Brooke

Click HERE to see where I am linking! I LOVE LINK PARTIES!!

2011 We Loved You!!

2012-01-18T21:30:00.000-08:00

I have a love for photography. A picture to me says a million words. Needless to say I have tons (which translates to 1000's) of photos that just sit in my computer begging to be put to use. As more children come there seems to be less and less time to scrapbook, which made me sad, as I love to look at scrapbooks.

SO....for 2011 I made a 100 page book with as many events and pictures as I could squeeze in. It is my way of journaling and recording all the amazing things that happened last year!

As I said earlier I love to take pictures, our trip to Disneyland for Halloween resulted in 1500 pictures. So I made a book for our trip to Disneyland as well!

I leave these books out on the coffee table, my girls love to look at them as well as guest that come to visit. It is a great way to capture, in a mess free way, all the fun things that happen in a year!

A Tinker Bell Birthday

2012-01-17T12:31:00.000-08:00

It was my birthday yesterday..... one year older and wiser too right?

My 3 year old really wanted me to have a Princess birthday party, I do love the Disney princesses but I love Tinker Bell even more, so we compromised!

She bought me a bag full of my very own Tinker Bell toys and helped dad pick out a Tinker Bell cake complete with more toys!

My husband took me to IKEA....for my first time! WOW, what a store, I found some fun things for my house. Pictures to come as soon as I finish my Bedroom!

I also got to go shopping BY MYSELF. Not that I don't love my girlies my brain just seems to work better when it is alone! So I got me a few things for my kitchen.

Here is a sneak peek of my kitchen. It is almost done too ( I feel like I say that a lot LOL)

I love Glass AnyThInG glass really ..... I wanted to decorate my kitchen with things that were functional. Sometimes when I get too much going on it feels more like clutter than it does decorations.

Link Party Friday

2012-01-13T08:37:00.000-08:00

I love Link Parties! I linked up to the following.

The Shady Porch - Rock 'n Share
Where the Grass is Greener
At the Picket Fence - Inspiration Friday
French Country Cottage - Feathered Nest Fridays
2805 - Potpourri Friday
Common Ground - Vintage Inspiration Friday
LaurieAnna's Vintage Home - Farmhouse Friday
Stuff and Nonsense - Fridays Unfolded
The Shabby Nest - Frugal Friday
Miss Mustard Seed

Todays project will be to finish my daughters bedroom.
Wish me luck this project has been dragging on forever! Pictures coming soon!!

Bathroom REDO!!!

2012-01-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

Before.....

After....

Don't mind my daughters pink lego! :)

This bathroom has been quite the reno. We thought we would just do it in a weekend right? LOL we sure fooled ourselves! But it is finally done and I just love how it turned out.

I love link parties! Click here to see where I am been linking!

Black and White

2011-12-26T21:56:00.000-08:00

I love black and white photography....So I must have a wall dedicated to my photos!

Here are 2 of my favorite black and white pictures I took the other day. I love pictures of my princesses just playing and being themselves.

This picture warms my heart.

Here are some of my loves from PINTEREST, which, YES, I am an addict. It is almost 11 pm and I am sitting on the computer pinning...a mothers Heaven right!!

But I am so torn......There are so many options.....do I only do photos or do I mix it up a bit......

Oh the possibilities!

Source: prettyspace.tumblr.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: houzz.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: blog.effortless-style.com via Brooke on Pinterest

aregrre

Source: paloma81.blogspot.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Gingerbread Houses {best frosting ever}

2011-12-21T19:14:00.000-08:00

My cute little mother every year makes ginger bread houses...the real things...where you make the dough, roll it on to a pan, cook it, cut them out by hand and hot glue them together!!! Pretty impressive huh? We always look forward to go to "Grammy's" to make gingerbread houses!

Just getting started...and our faces are already a mess!! She is concentrating very hard!

If you don't have a recipe for the frosting I would highly recommend this recipe. You can make icicles with it and it also drys hard!

3 egg white at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon of cream of tarter

1 pound of powdered sugar

Mix everything together and continue mixing until your frosting will make peaks!

Also make sure you keep it covered with a damp cloth, if you don't it will dry out and harden!

Happy Gingerbread House Making!!!

Minnie Birthday was a success!!!!

2011-12-20T20:04:00.000-08:00

My little princess turned 3 Sunday, Sniff, Sniff! I can't believe she is growing up so fast. It seems like yesterday that I was pregnant and thinking "this pregnancy will never end." I guess the saying, "time flies when you're having fun," is true!

For every birthday I have bought her a new dress. She believes girls only wear dresses, to quote her "mom, girls DON'T wear jeans, they wear dresses they can twirl in."

As you can see this dress met her expectations, so, YES, pictures must be taken!

I LOVE black and white pictures and I love how these 2 turned out!

She really wanted a Minnie Mouse birthday party. We just got back from Disneyland and everyday she wakes up and tells me what ride she wants to ride on today, because all we have to do is get on an airplane and go to Disneyland...right?

She really wanted Minnie Mouse candles....so this is my creation for candles...no we didn't light them on fire!

I actually drew what I wanted for a cake and had a local bakery make it for me. I put pearls around the bottom, it seemed to be just the right touch!

I created a Mickey Mouse silhouette on for my vinyl machine but couldn't get the bow quite right! I decided to try a bow out of ribbon and I love how it turned out! Surprisingly enough it was actually easier then cutting out bows, BONUS!!

All in all her birthday was so special for her and she loved being a princess for the day!

I LOVE YOU BABY DOLL!!!

Pottery Barn Pillows {look a likes}

2011-12-13T16:24:00.000-08:00

I saw these pillows in the Pottery Barn catalog and really really wanted some....

but they are $36 a piece!

I found an awesome tutorial here and I made my own!

I would have to say I am quite proud of myself as sewing is not one of my favorite things and often times when I start a sewing projects it sits for MONTHS...but not this one, they are DONE and I love how they turned out.

They are going in my daughters room. Her room seems to be the project that never ends...I just can't get it just right...but it is getting closer!

Living Room Progress...

2011-12-12T19:03:00.000-08:00

Living Room Before

The Landing Floor Before

Desk Before

Living room AFTER (but not quite done) with a hint of Christmas.

I love how the casings around the windows and the chair rails POP with the dark paint color.

I repainted the landing floor white, which turned out awesome except it gets dirty FAST!!! I have always wanted a Planked wall so as you can see I made me one under the stairs....I will expand on that later.

And the Desk...I LOVE IT!!!

This is a 6 foot desk that easily weighs 500 pounds it took 3 large men

{I mean BUFF men} to get it in my house.

It had to be refinished inside because it was so heavy.

I found 2 chairs to go in front of the desk, I am in the process of remodeling them right now!

Lamp Redo

2011-12-11T21:00:00.000-08:00

Before

After

I found this lamp at an Estate sale and even though it wasn't pretty to start with I LOVED THE LINES and DETAILS!! The best part was it only cost me $5!!

With a little paint and a new lap shade it is the perfect accessory to complete my night stand! And it has become quite a conversational piece....I call it my little old lady lamp gone modern!

Triangle Banner

2011-11-17T21:09:00.000-08:00

I have always seen Triangle Banners and LOVED THEM....so.....I finally made one.

To make this banner I actually just used12x12 scrapbook paper {cardstock}, cutout one triangle per sheet, making the top of each triangle 12 inches and coming down to a point I then...used my favorite thing...a hot glue gun to glue it onto my ric rac.

Painting....Molding.....

2011-11-16T21:07:00.000-08:00

The last 2 weeks my husband and I found some motivation.....

Before

After

I am in love with our new paint color! Which is a good thing because painting a 2 story entry is no easy task...so it will have to stay for a very long time.
My favorite this is how the darker paint color makes the new moldings pop and look so clean! Moldings are something so simple yet I forget sometimes the drastic impact they have on the feeling of a home. I will not expand right now...we will save that for another post!

I have also repainted the banister a dark chocolate color which I also love. There again a very good thing because painting a banister is no easy task...it takes FOREVER! And I really don't want to do it again!

Now it is time to decorate ... the best part right? I have never had so much wall space before...I AM SO EXCITED!!!

An Early Morning and a K!!

2011-11-14T05:58:00.000-08:00

WOW, it is 6:30am and I am up and moving...not by choice but since daylight savings time my daughters think 6:30am is a good wake up time. I decided I might as well get up and blog right?

Here is yet another sneak peak at my daughters room...geez one of these days I will get it done right? It is so close....I am currently working on pillows for her room hopefully I can post them tomorrow!

I just love letters, I thought she needed a few. I actually drew the shapes on this letter and then painted them and outlined them with a ball point pen. Such a fun way to add color to a letter!

Night Stand Redo!

2011-11-08T21:50:00.000-08:00

I am so please with how this nightstand turned out! The best part is the cost...I found the night stand at a Thrift Store for $7 the knobs cost $6 and the best part is my neighbor had left over paint I used! I know, right, a night stand for $13 can't beat that. I am so pleased with the Chandelier hanging over it, it seems to give it just the right touch, don't you think so? (name that movie, all you moms out there with a Cinderella addict will know)

Hope you are having a wonderful evening

TTFN,

Brooke

WE are BACK and Happy HALLOWEEN

2011-10-30T19:53:00.000-07:00

I just spent an amazing week with my family in Disneyland! We had so much fun, even though my legs ache from walking so much and waiting in lines it was well worth it.

Disneyland was a magical place for my 3 year old, the princess' and all the characters were so real to her. I loved to watch her eyes light up. I am so grateful we had this opportunity as a family to create a life time of memories!

I hope you all have a wonderful Halloween...Here are my 2 princess in their costumes for the Mickey Mouse Halloween Party!

Make Your Own Scrapbook Paper

2011-10-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

I LOVED doing this project! All you need is a little paint, and a ball point pen...well if you are like me a pencil too!

I first with my pencil I mapped out how I wanted all my squares, rectangles etc
I then watered down Acrylic paint so it was the consistency of ALMOST water colors...mainly because I didn't want my color to be too bright...just soft and faded.
Next I took a ball point pen and went around the boxes and added more lines and hearts and circles and so on. The best part of this project is if you mess up it looks like it is supposed to be that way!!

I am using this in my daughters room .... golly her room is taking too long to finish. Some days I feel as though I am in the FAST LANE going very slow...I guess when you have a 2 year old and a 5 month old it is to be expected!!

DIY Spoon Rose

2011-10-18T22:15:00.000-07:00

ahhh would you ever guess this rose is made out of spoons? I LOVE IT and they are so easy to make...really...I did it on my first try! Yes, that is a big deal. I found an awesome tutorial on Can't Stop Making Things....try it out!!

Napkin Pumpkin!!!!!

2011-10-17T22:32:00.000-07:00

This weekend my Mom and I made this cute pumpkin.

{I LOVE crafting with my Mom}

I know it looks like we are super crafty and excellent with a paint brush but don't be fooled!!

IT IS A NAPKIN!

To make:

Paint your pumpkin Black, cut the design out of a napkin you wanted to use (it is easier if your napkins design is rectangular rather and square we bought these at Target) and Mod Podged it!

Mirror REDO!!

2011-10-16T20:52:00.000-07:00

I have come to find behind every piece that is refinished there seems to be a story...My Mirror Story...

This mirror was the first piece of furniture my husband and I bought together {ahh so sweet} I always wanted a free standing mirror and felt like a million bucks to bring this home! As I have mentioned before we have moved 5 times in our 7 years of marriage and so things get broken. Such was the story of this mirror. on our 4th move the movers accidentally broke the glass and I realized it too late to get it fix, so it too found a home in the basement. I decided to paint it and make it a bow hanger for my daughters room. I love how it turned out and she LOVES it too...she can now change her own hair bows everyday {I don't know if that is a good thing}

ENJOY

Sneak Peek

2011-10-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

My oldest daughters room is coming...SLOWLY...but surely! I love how these boxes turned out! The best part is they are great for a ON A BUDGET project! I covered paper mache boxes with white paper, the fringe is actually just tissue paper you use for birthday presents {you probably have some in your closet} and random ribbon...really anything I could find around the house that were the colors I wanted. Her room is coming together so nicely, hopefully it will be done soon...my next project is sewing a slip cover MY WEAKNESS!!! Wish me luck!

halloween fever

2011-10-06T08:42:00.000-07:00

I made candy corn sugar cookies!! They were delicious and super easy.

Separate your dough into 3 equal parts
Dye 1 part yellow and another orange
Flatten each color
Stack them with Yellow on the bottom
Squish them into each other SOFTLY
Now just cut it like bread to desired thickness
AND the most important part...ENJOY

I don't know about you but I think for every holiday I have a favorite decoration and for Halloween it is my witch. My friends mother made her for me a while back and I have been in Love ever since. She is one of those dolls they actually cook! So fun! If you look close she is holding the cutest little cat bucket!

Barn Wood

2011-10-05T21:55:00.000-07:00

Where to start with this piece. My mother in law gave this to my husband and I when we got married...ages ago and it has sat in the basement...as a gem waiting to be discovered.

My husbands grandpa actually made this out of old barn wood! My main concern was keeping the integrity of this piece, I lightly sanded it down to keep all the imperfections and texture. I then brushed stain on and rubbed it off IMMEDIATELY with a wet rag. The stain picked up all the imperfections as I had hoped.

I LOVE THIS PIECE!!!

My Dresser.....

2011-10-04T20:38:00.000-07:00

It is done! I just love how it turned out! I actually did my whole bedroom set. After 5 moves in 7 years your furniture starts to look a little banged up so why not give it a fresh start right?

The only hard thing about my bedroom set was it is a veneer. After some trial and error and research I found when refinishing a veneer...PRIMER IS YOUR FRIEND. I sanded it down LIGHTLY just to get the top coat off and them primed away with Kilz Primer. I even used a paint with primer just to be safe!

Too Beautiful to Wash

2011-10-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

My mother made my girls this beautiful blanket. All the corners have cute little bows and she weaved the ribbon in and out of the slits all around the blanket! I am seriously amazed by this blanket! BEAUTIFUL

Mommy School

2011-10-03T07:56:00.000-07:00

Every morning my daughter races to get ready so we can do Mommy School, but I think I love it more. Life always seems to be so busy, there is always something to be done whether it is mopping the floor, changing a diaper, running to the doctor and the list goes on, but Mommy School is OUR time together. I put Luci down for a nap and Klancee and I sit down for one on one time. Just the 2 of us! I love to watch her learn and to be so excited about it makes it even more fun!

The best part of Mommy School is the one on one teaching. I have never done this before so things are trial and error, but with the internet and all the other wonderful mothers out there I have been able to tailor our daily lessons to Klancee. I thought I would share our fun week ....

Letter of the week ... A

Number of the week .... 5

Fun matching colorful apples. I found these at confessions of a home schooler Klancee loved these so much we did them every day!

We made pipe cleaner letters and hung them on the fridge. We talked about the letter all day, it helped it to sink in.

we also played Worms in an Apple. Great for counting and matching

We decorated our A with shapes and talked about their colors too!

I hid apples all over the house and we had a scavenger hunt.

Klancee loved this game...Five little apples...you can get the printables here

We also went in the back yard, picked apples, and ate Apple sauce with our lunch.

We marched around our house singing the Ants Go Marching.

This week was a success, I am writing this as a proud mother of a wonderful daughter. It amazes me how important the little things in life are. Mommy preschool is not an easy task as you will find out or may already know. But it is worth all the late nights getting lessons ready, cut out, laminated, prepared to see your child succeed. That truly is one of the greatest gifts of being a mother!

Towel Hooks

2011-09-30T08:11:00.000-07:00

Instead of having a towel bar try some hooks! Love how functional they are!

Pictures & Stairs

2011-09-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

I am starting to work on my staircase that goes upstairs! When I saw the fun ways to display photography I was sold! I love to take pictures but they all seem to sit in a book......LETS GET THEM OUT!!

This picture is actually of my moms stairs. I love the old windows!

I love the black and white pictures!

Source: kristendukephotography.com via Brooke on Pinterest

I just love this for under a staircase ..... what an awesome idea!

Source: traditionalhome.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Thrifty Lace Slip Covers

2011-09-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

{I LOVE PILLOWS}

I have tons of pillow forms but nothing to go on them. So with a little help from my AMAZING mom....We made some thrifty pillow cases! From a white sheet we made the white slip covers that you can see under the lace, and for the lace overlay we used the lace curtains that used to hang in this house.

For the white pillow case we just did a traditional slip cover that overlaps in the back. For the Lace I didn't want to cut off the ends, as you can see it is so pretty! We just made a traditional pillowcase that slides right over the top! Super simple and cheap!

Candy Corn Fever

2011-09-24T21:08:00.000-07:00

I would have to say one of the best things about being a mommy is doing things I love to do with my kiddo's and watch them enjoy it too!

My daughter and I LOVE to make cup cakes and sugar cookies! We both love Candy Corns. I think we have our work cut out for us ... we must make all of these!!

Source: glorioustreats.blogspot.com via Amie on Pinterest

Source: kathiecooks.blogspot.com via Wanda on Pinterest

Source: thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com via Angi on Pinterest

Source: sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: reallc.blogspot.com via Cookin' Cowgirl on Pinterest

The BEST fresh Salsa EVER

2011-09-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

My Mom and I had been looking for a good salsa recipe forever...until we found one a couple years ago. I have taken that one and made it my own. The thing I have found with fresh salsa is that it always tastes different sometime I love a batch and sometimes it is not my favorite. So just experiment.

Every time I take this salsa somewhere I am always handing out the recipe! It is so easy too!

I would recommend chopping everything in a chopper NOT the blender. It is better chunky! You will also want to take the seeds out of your peppers if you don't want it to be spicy!

Here is the coveted recipe

20 Roma Tomatoes
2 Green Peppers
3 Sweet Banana Peppers
2 Jalapenos
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic minced
Celantro (optional)
Garlic salt/onion salt to taste (I used lots)

ENJOY!!!!

Outside update, Rivalry, and a word of caution....

2011-09-17T10:06:00.000-07:00

Here is the before...you may have already seen it...but just as a reminder!

Yes, there is a house under all of that! My brothers and sisters all came over and wow it came down pretty fast! Anytime you give my Brother in Law a chain saw things seem to move, he gets a little chain saw happy. I had to stand in front of a few trees to insure he didn't cut them down! To give you an idea we had a dump trailer full of foilage and the dump weighed us in at over 2 tons. WOW...and to think there is still more! We will be pulling out all the gravel and planting grass as it is much softer for the kiddos to play on.

The blue must go. Today is the BYU vs University of Utah game. We are Utah fans, for those of you who don't know their colors are RED, and yes BYU's colors are BLUE. My husband is a big smack talker and really enjoys getting into the spirit of the game...apparently someone felt the need to get him back. But I do have to say it was quite a wussy attempt on their part.....LOL...but thank you for that as it is less clean up!

GO UTES!!!!

All the vines you saw on the house were Wisteria...Let me give you a word of caution before you plant them. Yes, they are pretty in the spring, however with the good always seems to be the bad. They ruin everything they touch...I think this picture speaks for itself.

Happy Weekend

TTFN

Brooke

Reliance

2011-09-15T17:23:00.000-07:00

One of the many wonderful things about this house is ALL the produce that is growing!

Yesterday we had taco's and everything with the exception of the meat and tortilla's came from the backyard. What is it about growing your own food that makes you feel so fulfilled?

The previous owner of our home was an amazing gardener, I think I have one of everything

*Asian Pear

*4 different apples, one that she has trained to grow on a fence(pictures to come)

*Plum

*Peaches

*Pears

*Grapes

*Raspberries.....and yes the list goes on

We also have a stream they put in by themselves...however I have a love hate relationship with this stream....it attracts snakes! AHHHH!!! I HATE THEM!!!

Pictures of the stream to come too!

So much to learn about grapes...I hear it is best to pick them after the first killing freeze to seal in the sugar!

Aren't these tomatoes cute...they are Pear Tomatoes!! I usually HATE tomatoes but I LOVE these guys!

I also have red and white raspberries...I never knew there were white raspberries but they are good

And Asian Pears...I had never even had one but they are good. I am going to try canning Asian Pear sauce.

A whole new adventure so excited!!!

ttfn

brooke

Nursery Update

2011-09-13T21:15:00.000-07:00

Before....GREEN....ahhh

Amazing what moldings and a little bit of paint can do. Now to decorate!

{MASTER BEDROOM}

2011-09-12T14:58:00.000-07:00

After a week of renovation we moved in on saturday! No, everything is not done...but done enough that we could move furniture in! Below is the progress of our Master Bedroom!

I didn't get a Before Before picture .... so this is the best I got!

We laid pine planks, stained them, and then waxed the floor to seal it. They turned out so rich and colorful. I love the rustic feel of them, we used finish nails but left them exposed to add to the style of the floor!

Here it is almost finished! As you can see the crown molding is not up yet! I can't hang crown molding, as I found out after much trial and error...so we have to wait for it to be put up! Hopefully soon! I love how all the molding just brings our room to life.

The doors casing just looks outstanding, thanks to my wonderful husband who stuck with it. Casing can be a very trying task!

The Headers are AMAZING!!!!!!!

Our Dog {Pebbles} even got into the reno spirit and started painting things with her ears.

TTFN

Brooke

Awesome WEBSITE

2011-09-06T07:40:00.000-07:00

The style I have gone for with our new house is hmm....a vintage, picker, shabby chic look!! LOL is there such a thing? I guess we will find out! I found this awesome website {wuslu} that sells super fun Items for much cheaper! They have one deal a day and they are awesome!!! I just ordered one of these!

Yesterday was quite the productive day! Devin finished getting the pine planks down and we stained them!!! I am in LOVE! Our room and the 2 girls rooms are painted and waiting for molding, which hopefully comes today! And Devin's family came and torn out EVERYTHING in our front yard....Here is a picture of what is used to be. I have pictures of everything...I just left my camera at our house....so pictures to come!! Here is the outside of the house before.....

Had to have this.........

2011-09-02T22:18:00.000-07:00

I am addicted to Miss Mustard Seed....so I HAD to have this!! Isn't it so cute? I ordered me one today! Go to her blog and she gives you details on how to get your own! I JUST LOVE IT!!!

I don't think I am going to get any sleep tonight...we get to move in tomorrow at NOON!! Well, we will not be moving in but the renovations begin! I am SO EXCITED! I think I need some sleep medicine!

We bought our pine planks to redo the Master Bedroom floor, all the paint is ordered and ready to pick up, and I have even packed most of our little mother in law apartment. Think I am a little excited? AHHHHHHHH......Well good night!

TTFN

Brooke

A Good Start

2011-08-31T20:12:00.000-07:00

So I forgot to take a picture of the BEFORE so the picture above will have to do...but I think it will at least give you an idea of what my night stand looked like before. The problem with this bedroom set is, it is a vanier. So I really had to make sure it was primed right! But IT WORKED!! and here is the finished night stand.

Closing day!

2011-08-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

We closed today....hooray. However we do not get to move in until Saturday....and it cannot come soon enough! But I have a crush on Miss Mustardseed.....have you ever looked at her blog.....WOW.....there are no other words. She is amazing, she has created me a new addiction of refinishing furniture. I am doing my bedroom set...pictures to come tomorrow. If you have ever wanted to refinish anything check out her tutorials, this one is what I did to my bedroom set.

Ttfn

Brooke

My First FINDS!!

2011-08-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

We survived! The Estate Sale wasn't what it was made out to be...but none the less..I got a white teapot and a vase to hold my dish soap! I call that a success! We (me, my 2 1/2 year old, and my 2 month old) all made it out the door and to the Estate Sale by 9 am...and I EVEN MADE MY BED!! When you start a day like that you feel invincible!

Paint Color

2011-08-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

I have been STRESSING about paint for a long time...do I want a dark color for lots of contrast, do I want a light color, all the same color, all different colors...the list goes on! But I think I have found my answer! I am so amazed at peoples ability to decorate! I LOVE this house @ for the love of a house. AMAZING! I love the paint color as well, everything just seems to flow! So my problem is solved!

We close in one week!!! I am so excited to move in and begin making this house our home! I am going to my first Estate Sale in the morning...A new adventure for me, I will have my 2 little girls, so WISH ME LUCK!!

Kitchen Ideas!!

2011-08-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

Above: my soon to be kitchen...look closely at the sink.....
Below: my inspiration for my kitchen from Pottery Barn

And I think it needs one of these too....I saw this awesome idea at My Sweet Savannah!!

Ideas, Ideas, Ideas

2011-08-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

I think one of the best parts of blogging is finding everyone ideas and bringing them together. My hardest thing with our new house is deciding what style I want? There is so much out there to choose from. I thought I would start looking and updating as I find things, to help keep them organized.

I just LOVE THIS SAYING...I think it needs to be in my house. Saw it over at Forever Cottage.

I found this awesome blog Funky Junk Sisters...I LOVE this idea!!!

My daughters room in our old house were these colors...

I LOVE this idea from My Sweet Savannah!

Our soon to be home!!

2011-08-22T12:01:00.000-07:00

Hooray our soon to be house!! I just fell in love with this house when we walked through it. Even though everything is not my style. I LOVE THE FLOOR PLAN and more importantly, as I found out, THE LOCATION. This house seems to have space everywhere were I wanted it. It has a Large Kitchen, Family Room, and Dining room. It has a large master with 2 other bedrooms upstairs so I can keep the little ones close to me.

I loved this house because I knew I could make it a home for our family and it seemed to have just enough work to be done to make a crafter like me so excited to dig in and make it just what I want!

I have created this blog as a journal of our house. I love to see before and afters and sometimes it seems after you have worked so hard for so long you forget where you started! Also you out there reading this...I am not a designer by any means I really just fly by the seat of my pants and try things out until I find what I love. I would love to hear any feed back or ideas from anyone that would love to share...the more input and ideas the better something always seems to turn out.

And so the journey begins where to start....paint, lighting, molding, landscaping...ahhhh so much to do...and so so anxious to start!!!

,/.m/.,m,.m