Thursday, September 26, 2013

A new project

I trash picked this ottoman





and I am going to attempt to cover it with this fabric. 



Found here

We will see how it goes!

Monday, September 23, 2013

Menu for the Week

Here is our menu plan for the week:

Sunday: Cinnamon Rolls for breakfast, Pot Roast for dinner
Monday: Tigers Game!
Tuesday: Roast Chicken
Wednesday: Gender Reveal party for good friends!
Thursday: Venison Meatballs, Chickpea Salad
Friday: Homemade Pizza
Saturday: Dinner at a friend's, we are bringing dessert

a beautiful pillow!

Look what Barbie made me!



Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

A new chair!

Look what Kevin bought me for our anniversary! Although I'm not sure he realizes he did that.

It's nice to have a place to set things in the room. Now I need to find a fun pillow!

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

Make your own bathroom cleaner. Fill a mason jar with orange peels (or lemon), as many as you can stuff in there. Pour vinegar over the peels, covering them completely.

Let this sit in a dark, cool spot for 1 month. After a month, pour the vinegar into a spray bottle and toss the peels. Fill the rest of the bottle with water, you want at least 50% water. Give the bottle a couple of shakes before using. 

I clean my bathroom sink with this. It's also great for the shower, cutting through soap scum. I wouldn't use it on marble tile, I will have to find something else for our fancy new shower!

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Look at my beautiful closet!

It's a dream closet! Except in my dream, I don't have to share it.

To build it, we used 1/2 inch gas pipe. We got the black, but there was a large variety of 'black' between the pipes, elbows, tees and flanges. So I sprayed painted everything black.

There was a lot of measuring and swearing to get the exact fit. We also bought and returned a million pieces. But it did not take as long as I thought it would. The frame is attached to the end walls of the closet, but we didn't screw it into the floor.

The shelves are common pine boards, stained with a golden pecan stain and poly in one. We did individual boards and laid them next to each other. It was much easier to do it this way, it allowed us to build the black frame first and then insert the shelves.

Isn't it beautiful!?!



Tuesday, August 6, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

To make your own dry shampoo, get an empty spice jar (or anything with a shaker lid). Mix cornstarch, cocoa powder and a little bit of tea tree oil in the jar and shake it up. How much cocoa powder depends on how dark your hair is, add enough so that you don't get visible roots when you use it.

I use this on days when I don't wash my hair. Sprinkle a little at the temples, along your hairline and your part and massage it in. Wait 1 minute, then brush it out. Works great!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

How to make facial toner: take a small bottle (I used the toner bottle I had just emptied) and mix together apple cider vinegar, distilled water and a few drops of tea tree oil. Approximately 10-15% of the bottle should be apple cider vinegar. Give the bottle a quick shake to mix. Pour on a cotton pad and wipe your face after washing to get off any residual make-up or oil.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Closet Progress

The left side is done! Unfortunately, it was the easy side, no cuts needed. Now for the right side!


Tuesday, July 23, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

You can make your own eye make-up remover! Use a empty glass jar, jojoba oil, baby shampoo and distilled water. Do a few squirts of baby shampoo, a few drops of the oil and fill the jar with distilled water. You may need to increase the shampoo or oil if you can't get your mascara off. Give the jar a shake and use a cotton pad dipped in it to remove your make-up.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Starting to decorate!

A new rug! Ignore how it is off center, I am trying to flatten the edge of the rug. 

Friday, July 19, 2013

Kevin's new Man Cave

I think the coral door really butches it up. 

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

There is always a lot of lint, moisture and dust in the bathroom. If your walls start looking.... fuzzy, wipe down the walls with vinegar and a lint free cloth. It will get  rid of the lint and any mildew that might be lurking on the walls.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Closet Progress

Check it out! We have the beginning of a closet. And we didn't kill each other while building it. 

Monday, July 8, 2013

Seating!

We moved the couch that used to be in the living room upstairs. It looks pretty sad right now, it needs fun pillows!



Now the living room looks like a sad bachelor pad. Our new couch arrives on 7/15!

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

If you want to hang a mirror that is mostly decorative (not the mirror over your bathroom sink), be sure it reflects something pretty. A window, a piece of art, etc. You don't want to double the view of something boring or ugly.

Monday, July 1, 2013

A busy weekend

We made a lot of progress this weekend! The stairs got primed and one coat of paint. The door frame needs some work.



The sliding door is up and so pretty!



And we moved our bed upstairs. The moving part wasn't very fun, but it's awesome to be sleeping up there! And we definitely need new nightstands, ours look small and sad.


Friday, June 28, 2013

We are making progress!

Check out the beautiful stain on the bookcase! And the pretty new light (with no bulbs in it, details). Also, a sneak preview of our coral door!




And lighting in the bathroom! Still without bulbs, which is why the shades are all crooked.


Tuesday, June 25, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

If you have curtains that have a lot of visual weight (usually a darker or heavier fabric, could also be a lighter colored fabric against dark walls), you will need to hang something of a similar 'weight' on the opposite wall to help balance the room. 

Example: my dining room felt lopsided with just the curtains until my dad made me an awesome mirror to balance them out.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

Toilet paper tubes can be recycled. Don't throw them away, put them in the recycle bin!

Monday, June 17, 2013

Bookcase!

Check it out, it is beautiful!

Now we just need to pick a stain color.


The Tigers glass is a permanent fixture!


Tuesday, June 11, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

As soon as your guests leave, strip the sheets off the guest bed, wash them and put them back on the bed. Then you will be ready for your next guest!

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Our pretty new door!

Well, it's not that pretty yet, primer doesn't look that good, but it will get there!



A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

Keep a shaker full of flour in the kitchen. Something similar to this. It's very handy for sprinkling flour on bread/cookie/pizza dough without making a giant mess.

Monday, June 3, 2013

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

Try to wipe down your stove after every meal. It's annoying, but it's much easier to clean off any food before it gets dry and crusty.

Monday, May 27, 2013

Paint!

We've been painting for days! The bathroom, bedroom and closet are done. However, it's been cloudy for days, so these pictures are terrible. I still have to take a non-blown-out photo of the closet.

Slowly, but surely, it's coming together.

Bathroom: BM Hale Navy



Bedroom: BM Tundra


Thursday, May 9, 2013

Stained!

We went with Nutmeg (the left side, middle stain from the previous post!) Here is the floor with the stain, but no poly yet.



Wednesday, May 8, 2013

Stain Options

This picture is terrible, but which stain do you like for the floor? The top right is hard to see, it's no stain, just a clear coat of poly.


Tuesday, May 7, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

Sorry this tip is late, I've been out of commission with the stomach flu.  

To help prevent your pictures from shifting and becoming crooked on the wall, stick rubber bumpers (the little round clear ones) on the back, on the bottom corners. If you are too lazy to do this and then you start renovating your attic, the pictures in your house will move around EVERY SINGLE DAY AND MAKE YOU INSANE STRAIGHTENING THEM. I might know from experience.

Flooring!


 They started installing the hardwood floors! They are pretty!

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

Keep a sponge under the sink in the bathroom. When your sink starts looking a little gross mid-week, wet the sponge, wipe down the sink and counters and just rinse the sponge. This is also a great way to clean up when dinner guests are arriving in 5 minutes and you realize you never cleaned the bathroom!

Sunday, April 28, 2013

We have a vanity!

And it looks good! It's this vanity with square sinks. It also came with a large framed mirror that we aren't using in the bathroom, so we are trying to find another place for it. 

They had to cut some of the drywall out to get the countertop in, so there we aren't able to paint just yet. Which paint color do you like? They are Symphony Blue on the left and Hague Blue on the right (both are Benjamin Moore).

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

Roasting garlic for a recipe? Roast a few extra heads at the same time and squeeze out the cloves into a big pile. Line a mini-muffin tin (ice cube tray works too) with plastic wrap (this step is important unless you want all future muffins to taste like garlic) and spoon the roasted garlic into the muffin tins. Cover the whole business with more plastic wrap, going around the sides to meet at the underside. This prevents the garlic smell from invading your freezer. Stick the whole thing into the freezer. Once it is frozen, pop the garlic pucks out of the tins and transfer to a freezer bag. Each garlic puck is approximately one head of garlic.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

You can make your own cleaning wipes! If you have a tall, cylinder-shaped container, wait until you have a partial roll of towels (not larger in width than your container). Pour water and a small amount of all-purpose cleaner in the container, closing the lid and shaking it up. I like the lemon verbena cleaner from Mrs. Meyers. Open the container lid, slide in the paper towel roll, close lid again and shake it up. When the paper towels are completely saturated, pour out any extra liquid and you are ready to go! I have found that the entire roll has to be removed from the container and the towels pulled off, the magic lid insert that is supposed to let you tear one at a time doesn't work with these.

Monday, April 15, 2013

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

Got a banana that's getting a little brown? Break or chop it into 1" pieces and throw it into the freezer. You can use 1/2 of a frozen banana in a smoothie (then you don't really need ice) or save up until you have 2-3 and make banana bread.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

Once per month, to clean it, fill the coffeemaker with a 50%/50% mixture of vinegar and water. Turn the coffee maker on, wait 2-3 minutes for the water to heat up, then turn it off. Let it sit for 30 minutes, turn it back on and let it run through its cycle. Once the vinegar/water cycle is complete, empty the coffee maker and run 2-3 more cycles of plain water to get rid of the vinegar smell. This will cut down on the oily residue in the maker and keep your coffee tasting great!

Friday, March 29, 2013

Drywall!

It's getting closer!

The bedroom:


 The bathroom:
A medicine cabinet goes in that open spot and the vanity is below it.



The shower is on the left and the toilet is on the right:


The sitting room:
 

Thursday, March 28, 2013

New Roof!

Check out our fancy new roof!


Tuesday, March 26, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

In the late winter, buy a bag of lemons. Juice all of the lemons and use the juice to fill an ice cube tray. Stick it in the freezer and once the juice is frozen, transfer the cubes to a freezer bag. (You may have to repeat this step depending on how much juice you have.) Now you have fresh squeezed lemon juice to make your summer cocktails, salad dressings, and desserts!

For extra awesomeness, slice up the juiced lemon halves and throw them in the freezer. Once every couple weeks, throw a frozen half down the garbage disposal to clean and freshen it.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

Menu for the Week

Here is our menu plan for the week:

Sunday: Gingerbread Dutch Baby for breakfast, French Onion Soup & Rosemary Olive Oil Bread for dinner
Monday: Potato Chip Chicken Fingers, Sweet Potato Fries
Tuesday: Penne Rosa (made by Kevin)
Wednesday: Venison Meatballs, Chickpea Salad
Thursday: Homemade Pizza
Friday: Pasta with toasted breadcrumbs and anchovies
Saturday: Roast Chicken (unless it's warm, then steaks on the grill!)

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

A tip on Tuesday

My friend Tammy (http://tam-sense.blogspot.com/) says I have lots of awesome ideas and tips on how to make life easier/more efficient. I thought I would share some of them here. I did not come up with any of these, they have been picked up along the way from my family, friends, magazines, blogs, etc.

Before you start the dishwasher, run your sink faucet until hot water is coming out. Then push the DW start button. If you do this, the DW will pull in hot water immediately. If you don't, it pulls in cold water and uses its heating element to warm it up. That heating element is less efficient than your hot water heater, so you are wasting energy. Probably not a ton of energy for each cycle, but over time, it adds up!

Thursday, March 14, 2013

light and walls!

It's starting to look like a real house!