Day 1- Weird things you do when you're alone.

I really want to start blogging again, but I just haven't felt motivated to start. I found a little 30 day challenge questionnaire on Pinterest and I think it will be a fun way to get me back into it, so here it goes.

Day 1- Weird things you do when you're alone.

First of all I am rarely alone. I always have Cutecumber with me during the day, and even when I run errands in the evening, when the kids are out of school, one usually tags along. On the weekends I do get to hit a couple of thrift stores alone (usually) and the trip goes something like this:

I get out of bed and "freshen up" my PJs. That is a step below getting dress. This usually consists of me putting a bra on under the t-shirt I wore to bed, changing into jean capris (my bottoms of choice) and throwing my hair into a ponytail, sliding on some flip flops, a quick face and teeth cleaning, a little deodorant and I'm out the door! I think I rush it because I want to go before anyone notices I'm leaving. If Cutecumber sees me getting dressed, I get the "Where are you going? Can I come?" and if the others see me it's "Will you pick up ____ for me while you are out?" It's my only "me" time and these things ruin my vibe!

First thing I do is turn the radio from Kids Place Live to XM9!  Usually a song from the 90s brings me right back to who I was before kids, before marriage. A really selfish time in my life that was all about me. It sets the mood! And I belt it out, especially the songs that I normally wouldn't play with the kids in the car. CAUSE I CAN!

"...REGULATORS! Mount up! It was a clear black night, a clear white moon..."

*I can sing that whole song word for word. Ms. Thang caught me once. She was shocked..I felt amazingly cool, her omgosh-my-mom-is-such-a-nerd face did not phase me at all. 

I hit up Helping Hands first. I have this route that I always take through the store. Basically I leave the home decor (my fav) for last. I usually rush a big circle around the rest of the store, glancing at a few things, but I'm in a hurry to get to the back, where I spend 90% of my time and buy most of my items. I am slightly oblivious to everyone around me (aside from making sure people can get by) and I pick up lots of things, hold them up, turn them over and figure out what exactly they are for, or what I could use them for. I talk to myself A LOT. It's not so bad if Cutecumber is with me because I can pretend to ask her things (although I did this even when she was unable to talk). The fact that she can  doesn't make much of a difference. She's learned to ignore me. I answer for her and when she isn't there I answer my own questions.

"Would this shelf hold fingernail polish?" "No, I think it's too short."

Don't worry, I whisper it. I'm not "full blown" crazy.

After I'm done there, I usually want a snack or breakfast that I don't have to share. I love the bacon egg and cheese tacos at the donut place that used to be a Taco Villa (way back!) that sits across Midland Dr. from Goodwill. It takes them a little while to make it so I usually have to pull around to the front and wait.

"Can't stand it, I know you planned it. I'm gonna set it straight, this watergate...."

Oh, you startled me. I didn't see you bring my order around. Hope my singing skills didn't intimidate you...

 Then I drive across the street to Goodwill and I do a parking-lot-scarfing of my breakfast. Taco gone in 4 giant bites, rinse it will OJ. I pop a breath mint and head inside. Same routine as Helping Hands, except that I end up in the toy section and I always try to  grab a little something for the kids. It's a  transition back into my real life where it isn't all about me. Even though the kids have learned that I don't always walk in the door with gifts, the truth is,  they are hoping I have something for them. The rushing to the door, eyeing my bags for clues as they try to hide their suspense with "You're home!"  showering me with hugs.  I like to be the good guy after a good morning. I love coming in the door and confirming that I do, in fact, "have something for you guys!" :)

There is also the rare occasion when I have an evening to myself once the kids all go to bed and my Honey turns in early as well. Nothing interesting there, I just watch a little Netflix (Scrubs, Parenthood) enjoying the moment until my head jolts up from that "almost falling" feeling you get as you start to nod off on the couch. I really need more alone time....

Not everything turns out great

I had this ugly (and disgusting) storage ottoman in the garage. It was filthy so I couldn't give it away and I didn't want to just throw it out because it had a bit of sentimental value. Ms. Thang's BFF gave her this for Christmas filled with gifts. (Talk about awesome wrapping idea right?) but after a bunch of abuse, it started to look a little icky. So it sat out there in the dust for about a year.

I was thinking the living room could use a touch of fun fabric and seeing this ottoman outside, I decided to recover it. Now, I should say that I have had a lot of trouble when it comes to picking fabric prints that work well together in a room. That's why most of my throw pillows, blankets, curtains etc.. are solids.

Yes, I am foreshadowing. This project did not go as I had hoped. And it started out so well!

I found a few reupholstering blogs on pinterest, specifically for these storage ottomans (originally from Target for $20 and if you are interested in doing one yourself (which I doubt after you see mine finished) there is one on Craigslist right now. It's even pink.) anyway, the tutorials were great. I looked up a bunch of fabric inspirations on pinterest as well and came up with these.

Take a good look at #2. See how its kind of the odd ball out? That should have been a sign NOT to go with it, however, when I went to Hancock Fabrics and I found something SO similar for HALF OFF, I took it as a sign to go for it!

Here is my fabric. Pretty close right?

When I got it home, I put it in the room and I felt hopeful. The print seemed a little small but the colors were working...

Oh, there are a few changes to my tray? How nice of you to notice! Lets zoom in...

Flowers were in the Target section at Salvation army. I paid $3 and they are still at Target currently for $15. Score! Also grabbed a bird from my fall decor box and sprayed it with silver metallic paint.

Ok ok...I'm procrastinating the bad ending. Back to the ottoman... so the fabric seemed ok. I was hopeful but leery because, as I said before, I have trouble when it comes to working patterned fabric into a room.

The tutorials online were great and with one quick seam (made a giant tube to go around the box) and my staple gun, I was done in a flash.

Hmm. Does it look like mosquito larvae to you? WELL IT DOES TO ME! I tried it around the room and it just wasn't working. Once the larvae thing was in my mind, I couldn't get it out. And the color just seamed to be reading as gray and...I don't like it. I've been hoping it grows on me.

I stuck it over by the yellow cabinet (I love the cabinet, but hate the decor on top and inside. It needs help) and I've been looking for something to put on either end, thinking of  something like these, 
but the ottoman looks wrong. boxy next to boxy. It's the stack of Christmas gifts I don't feel like opening. lol

At least someone loves it...

My precious Cutecumber sitting on the larvae box.

I whipped up a couple of other projects to make myself feel better. I found 3 fabric covered canvases for under $1 each at Helping Hands. I ripped off the fabric (FYI, hot glue peels right off canvas) and used one of them to show a little Beatles love on the mantle..

I need to paint the edges black. Not sure if it will stay here, but I like it. I just printed it off, colored the back with pencil, retraced it onto my canvas (pencil acts like copy paper) and filled it in with a sharpie. Done. And while I was printing, I came up with this too. I think they call it subway art? I don't know if I did it right, I just put it together in a way that looked good to me.

I was going to put it on canvas too, but I got lazy and just stuck it in a frame I already had. Hey, 3 projects in one day, I'm allowed to take short cuts. I added sticky tabs I had left over from some command hooks since it's near the door and in danger of being slammed off the wall.

I still have two more canvases to play with. One is really narrow and long rectangle, the other is about a 10x13 or something. I thought about painting a lucky horseshoe to put above a door, but then I started wanting a real horseshoe and painting it a fun color. A fun solid color, because patterns are not my thing....

Coffee Table

So after seeing that black ottoman in my last post I knew I had to replace it with a real table.

 It's just been really hard to find one low and small enough to fit in the strange little space of my sectional.

Found this table on Craigslist for $15.

Although I had my heart set on something a little more dainty and perhaps a pedestal bottom to make it easier to move around, the slatted top and legs (there is a round medallion at the bottom of each leg that matches the medallion on my fireplace mantel exactly) plus the extra storage of a drawer, helped me be a little more open minded. Not to mention it was solid wood for $15.

I knew I wanted to paint it white. The Fireplace is on the right of this photo, across from the sectional, and I needed something weighty and white to balance it out.

After an ungodly amount of time (no kids..took advantage of it) looking at handles and knobs in Lowes (Hob-lob was closed and I wanted it NOW) I decided on a really simple brushed nickel piece.

Once I got it painted and in the room, it was like a huge sea of whiteness. I needed some coffee table decor. I hit up Pinterest and by accident I came across this photo of a Hermes tray. I had never heard of a Hermes tray before, but I was IN LOVE!

Until I saw that they range from $300 (knock offs) to $6000. Yes you read that right. And why is it so expensive? Because I love it that's why. So yeah, I'll never have one, but I was still inspired by the color. Again, I looked at thrift shops and craigslist for a round tray, and although I could have bought one online or something, I have a limited budget and I wanted it NOW. So I hit up Goodwill and this was seriously the only tray they had.

Definitely not what I was looking for, but I bought it for under $1. Accessorizing it is still not quite where I want it, but I've saved a few things on pinterest and I've got a few ideas in mind, just need to find them at the right price :) but for now....

 I was really lazy and just painted the whole thing orange, then used the side of my paintbrush to rub off paint along the edges to let some of the navy blue shine through for a more rustic look. Not quite the black and orange beauty of Hermes, but cute anyway.

and with the table...Ta-da!

There is more room around the table than the picture lets on, but for $19 (table=$15, tray & new handle=$4) and some paint..I'll take it. I really love it with all the poppy prints I have in there. It helps with balancing out the fireplace which I wanted.

 
Now if I can just get my Honey to make that cornice board with crown moulding for the window. I have high hopes because income tax is coming, then my birthday..then Mother's day, oh and Valentines Day before all that. Skip the jewelery honey, just give me a cornice board lol

Like this:

Now for those before and afters...

Oh, one last thing, the succulents on the coffee table, totally fake (pulled them out of another pot I had in the garage and stuck them in that yellow ramekin I got from the kitchen) so don't worry. No plants will be harmed in this decor decision even though I can't keep a plant alive for more than a week. :/

Reality

After looking at a million blogs and their well staged photos of perfection, I thought I'd give those that are reading today a little dose of MY reality.

So here it goes...

 This is the current status of my living room. My dog/kids and I play a game. They throw the pillows around and I pick them up. Repeat 50 times a day!
The dresses are on loan for Ms. Thangs upcoming formal dance. I literally have no place to hang them so they've been laying here for 3 days. (btw the top dress in rainbow animal print..hideous!)

Now this is my counter basically every day. I heard somewhere if you respect your money, you'll end up with more of it. That's my purse with half my money falling out. :/ The empty tray was this grand idea of mine to have a veggie tray out at every meal and THIS tray would be so easy to wrap each section with saran and refill and clean each section without having to remove all the left over veggies. HA! It was a pain in my butt! A plate and small bowl work better. I get a sheet every month for box tops and they will not accept them unless they are glued to said paper. I hate it. I can never find the glue (along with tweezers, scissors, and a working pen). Homework from the night before is here too. Do you know the capital of the Bahamas? I do. I remember because going there would kick nASSau! That's right, I allow cursing in my teenagers homework phonetics. It works for me.

More homework and you may have noticed a trend in our family of half empty water bottles. We are so healthy like that...which might bring you to question the fork in the empty cake plate. Lets just say I've quit smoking and found another fun past time. Are my kids the only ones that won't drink anything without a straw?

 Cookies (again, I've quit smoking!) which goes so well with the tape measure. (my head is only 2 inches wider than the Scientists).
The empty week planner may allude you to believe I am not busy, however I'm just so busy I dont have time to fill it out ok!? (that could have been a lie)
My finished project is actually craft paper in a quatrefoil gray cut to fit in my clear plastic mail file. Cant tell in the picture, but it actually looks super cute. The unfinished is the stool I bought for my closet to reach the high stuff. The quatrefoil paper was actually supposed to go on the stool but I messed up and since I didnt want to waste it, I stuck it in the file. The stool is there because Cutecumber stands and watches me every second of every day.

 Here is a bookshelf in the den. The metal feathers were christmas ornaments at Target for 70% after the holidays and I thought they would be perfect to add along side the resent bird pics I painted (representing my family) but I want to paint them before I put them up (currently gold). They have been sitting there for 2 weeks.
The lotion and hair accessories are actually a part of my favorite past time. Beauty Shop. I practically fall asleep while Cutecumber adds an inch thick layer of lotion to my feet, legs, hands and arms, topping it all off with a fancy hair do that she always tells me to leave in and somehow I always accidently forget and throw it in a ponytail before I head out. ;)

 Here is the worst of it. The kids bathroom. It looks like this everyday, all the time, with the exception of guests coming over.
The black thing is a foaming soap dispenser. My Honey was sick of going into that bathroom and finding the soap empty, knowing the kids were not using soap when washing their hands. This was the solution. I'm soooo happy! Cause I love the pile of foam it leaves on the floor and it's right above the toilet paper too! Great plan! ....I hate it. It WILL break soon. I'll make sure of that.


Well there you go. TMI about the everyday junk laying around my house. I hope it makes you feel a little better about not having a photo perfect house all the time. And really, I'm glad I got it up here on the ol' blog. I hear I'll miss all the kid messes one day. :)


*No way in hell was I going to show you my kids rooms, sink, or laundry room! :P