A little bling

Since the boys are on spring break this week and it has been cold in Atl. we have not done much.  A has been working and actually cleaned his room for me.  I find it interesting how it has been cold for the last 6 months yet he put 5 pairs of swim trunks in the wash.  Hum....   S is pretty much a homebody anyway so he has been busy playing football with his friends, shooting hoops in the driveway or playing his guitar.  Gotta love those two, the just don't require much.  They are pretty happy just doing their own thing. That leaves time for me so I am still working on painting the trim.  Almost done with the main parts of the house.  Of course, the little corner that had a nice crack in the baseboard which is what possessed me to start this project is still not caulked or painted.  Today I am touching up wall paint and hopefully getting all of the framed family photos off the floor in the living room and on the wall in the upstairs hallway.  Then I can move furniture and get to that annoying little crack in the baseboard.  I did manage a trip to the bead store earlier in the week.  Beads seem to be my main downfall these days.  I just can't resist all of the pretty sparkly beady beauty. I bought a ton and have been making some new bling for spring, if it ever gets here. (a little sidenote - if I quit buying beads I may be able to afford the island for the kitchen - naw beads are so much more fun!) Ok, back to the painting, but I will leave you with these ... 

Some Metallic Lovin

The other day I had mentioned using some Metallic Rub Ons that I had bought in a Rubber Stamping store years ago.  I had never seen them anywhere since.  Lisa at Living My Life, Outside the Box asked me about them.  There wasn't much info on the packaging so I Googled Metallic Rub Ons and there they were.  Ritz Camera Online carries them.  Look at all of the colors there are  to choose from and the best part, they are CHEAP!!!  (insert happy dance here).  They came in the mail in less than a week. You can use these little babies on everything.  I think they were originally for decorating greeting cards but I used them on this cross and this mirror .  Wouldn't they look cute on some little decorative easter eggs or anywhere you need a little shimmer.   You know what I will be doing tomorrow.  Playing with these of course.

Just stuff

I am still here.  It has been a slow week but I am feeling a bit refreshed.  I had my prayer group on Monday which always gets my week off to a good start.  We have the best discussions.  

It was cold and rainy here today so I finished putting my mistreated Flylady "Control Journal" together.  I had one before but most of the stuff was so outdated, the notebook itself was huge and didn't look nice sitting on my counter.  I was in Office Depot the other day and you know how we girls love our office supplies.  There was this pretty little notebook with matching dividers just calling my name.  So what is a girl to do.  I bought it of course.  The first thing I did was make a new emergency contact list for the front, school info sheet, printed some more of my budget worksheets and started the task of updating my address book.  I didn't do any of this from scratch just copied and updated what I already had. I have been collecting address and phone numbers that are written on little snippets of paper all over the house as well as all of those business cards and half done address lists that seem to be all over.  I had them all in one place and have been wanting to start this for a long time but thought it would take too long so it kept getting moved to the bottom of the list.  I sat down the other day and it only took me an hour to update and compile everything on to my computer's address book and print off the list.  Now I have a it neatly tucked into my control journal.  It has been so handy this week while trying to sort threw and update other things in my home plus I was able to toss a ton of stray papers in the process.  

Oh the pretty little cross pictured at the top was one my mom gave me a couple of years ago.  I painted it and used the metallic rub ons to highlight the design.  I just love the way it turned out.  I liked it so much I did this mirror the same way.  

I have also been sorting threw pictures to make a photo gallery in our upstairs hall.  I have a ton of black frames with white mats that were hanging in the stairwell to our basement.  I love that gallery but it is time for something new.  The photos were getting old and every time someone would shut the basement door all of the pictures would go askew.  Drives me nuts. Today they all came down and are getting new prints and a new home.  I'll post pics hopefully next week.  In the mean time I guess I should get out the spackle and get cracking on all of the holes in the wall.  

Feathering My Nest

I have been so busy around here fluffing and feathering lately.  Must be the spring fever or maybe it is all of the projects you all have posted on your blogs.  So inspiring.  Anyway, the first project came to me in the middle of the night.  Do you have those sort of revelations?  I had made these valances for my bedroom several years back but the window just needed something more.  The other night it dawned on me that I had a bunch of the solid fabric I had used for the dust ruffle just sitting in my craft room.  So here is my first "mistreatment"  Now it is not a true mistreatment as I didn't use my glue gun on any part and I sew so I couldn't bring myself to glue or puddle the bottoms.  The bottom got a nice sewn hem but the top is totally mistreated.  I just folded it over and clipped it in behind the valance.  The little tie backs were made with some scraps from the bedspread and the buttons holding them back were some I had played with that I found in my button jar.  Apparently when I was messing with pillow ideas I covered 2 buttons with some little dragonflies from the scraps of fabric I had used for a throw pillow.  Perfect for holding the tiebacks closed.  I used a safety pin to hold them on, no sewing.  See I am getting there with the whole "mistreating".  The room could still use some work, like new pillows for the loveseat which are on the list (more scraps) but I think it looks a little more pulled together now with the new curtain panels and the best part, it didn't cost me a cent.  

Remember the living room window?  Here it is now with some great little panels I found at the Penney's Home Store on the clearance.  Can't beat the price and they will look fine until I figure out what I am doing with the chair and sofa upholstery.  

I am truly having so much fun.  A little fluff here and a little fluff there.  Before you know it the whole place will make me smile. 

Mom Brain

I have had such adult ADD or maybe a case of mom brain today.  I was trying to clean things up around here a bit.  You know the drill, laundry, dishwasher, put stuff away, etc.  I would find myself working on one thing then all of a sudden I was organizing a drawer in another room.  Every time I went to put something away I would start cleaning out that space.  Needless to say I got a whole lot of random things done all over the house but nothing you can really put your finger on.  Do you ever have those days?  Today among other things I was working on my pantry labels, which I hope to have finished and hung tomorrow so I can post pictures. I did finally get the living room done enough that I can share some pics with you.  For some before pics go here 

Well here it is......

 

my formal living room.  I wanted more of a comfy room to curl up and read a book rather than a lat-ti-da living room.  We tend to be pretty casual around here.  Now keep in mind I was using pretty much what I had so there are a few things that still need to be tweeked a bit.  For instance, the denim sofa.  It is from our formal living room in Florida, as is the white silk chair.  They are both about 12 years old and while they have held up amazingly well they both are in need of a reupholster.  Not in the budget at the moment so I'll have to make due.  I need to find something to go above the sofa, just not sure what.  I did paint the end table and the glass front cabinet.  They were both a finished pine color.  Great for Florida, not so much for Georgia.  Here is a closer look at the end table.

I love the black distressed look.  The lamp needs to be changed or painted or something (open for suggestions here).  The picture frame is one I did back in Florida but still one of my favorites.  It was a TJ Maxx clearance find.  Peach with a whitewash over it.  Now I am not a peach kind of girl but I thought the frame was pretty so I bought it and did what any crafty girl would do. I painted it. Then I  added silver leafing, a little antiquing, a little magic.  Wa-la, a frame that I love.  

The only new purchase for the room was this rug.  It does have some blue in it (doesn't show in the picture very well) so the sofa doesn't look quite so out of place.  When I first brought it home we still had builder beige walls.  It looked so dark but my neighbor told me to keep it and I am so glad I did.  With the new soft gold color on the walls it pulls the gold out in the rug and really looks good.  

Well this shot looks a little blah.  I still have to work on some sort of window treatment and would love any ideas you have for that as well.  

Here is the ceiling we painted.  Yep, it is a high one and with such funny angles.  My head still kinks to one side after painting that thing.  

As you can see the living and dining rooms are a work in progress but they are certainly a whole lot warmer and more inviting than they were a month ago.  

Project and More Projects

Sorry things have been so quiet this week at My Life... but truly the projects are in full swing. I finished painting the living room, ceiling and all. That was quite a job. Hubs came to my rescue and did a lot of the really high parts. Anyway, it is done and I am on to other things. I will post some pictures when I get a little more done. For now I am working on some cute little labels for my pantry make over. I totally snagged the idea from Thrifty Decor Chick. She made the cutest little chalkboard labels for her pantry. So I have been outside enjoying the beautiful 67 degrees we are having here and honing my spray painting skills. As soon as Hubs gets home and tells me where he hid the drill I should be in business. Hopefully I can share some pics with you later today. For now here is a before pic.  

My Chalkboard Project

The other day Lisa over at Living My Life, Outside The Box posted some cute chalk boards made from old frames.  I had to share.  Here is my chalkboard. I had spotted one in a decorating magazine and called my dad, "Can we make one of these?"  On his next visit we headed off to the home supply store.  In a couple of hours this is what we had.  I have the best dad.  It is not made from an old frame but a piece of masonite sprayed with chalkboard spray. The molding was glued directly onto the top.  I originally painted it red to hang in my kitchen but when we moved to ATL it got a good ol dose of black paint and a little distressing.  I love the way the old red paint peaks out in spots.  As you can see it is very loved.  We made it over 10 years ago.  It is still one of my favorite pieces.  

Giving Blogging Another Try and OPAM

A couple of people have suggested I give this blogging thing another try.  I figure after reading so many blogs and what a great way it is to journal all of the things you do during a year, well I thought why not.  Sorry if I bore anyone.  I am not a writer but I do love pictures and project around the house.  

I love to see everyone's OPAM (one project a month) before and after photos.  They are so inspiring so I thought I would give it a try this year.  One project a month.  Anyone want to join me?

This first project is actually an old project I did several years ago but it is something to post while I work on this month's project.  

I am on a decorating kick.  I get this way every year.  You put all of the holiday decorations away and the house looks so bare.  It just needs some sprucing up and I need a good project to keep the winter dull drums at bay.  Here are some pics of my laundry room.  It is not a new project but one I did the first winter we were in this house as I couldn't take the beige paint on every wall anymore.  I need color.  It cost me less than $150 to do the whole thing and I love it.  It makes me smile which is good since I spend a fair amount of time in there every day.  

Here is the lowdown - 

• The pics on the wall I took one summer while visiting my inlaws.   
  
•  The curtain, laundry sorter, laundry basket liner and placemat (to keep the washer from getting scratched) are all made from some decorator fabric I picked up at JoAnn's for $3 a yard.  Can't beat that plus I love the colors. 
• The laundry basket and frames were a TJMaxx find.  
  
• A little paint on the frames as well as a curtain rod from our old house and they were good to go.  
  
• Dad put up the hooks on a piece of molding which  are great for hanging laundry or backpack when the kids get home.  
• I added some tile around the laundry sink which really finished the room off. 

So there you  have it.  My laundry room done on a budget.  

Photo Magnet Project

Here is my latest project. Some magnets for my magnet board in my studio. Found this idea from another blogger.

A Little Here and A Little There

Here are a couple of home improvements I have been working on this last week. Sprucing the place up a bit before the holidays hit.