The Coat kinda Took Away From it a Little

My little BEE. Too bad it was FREEZING and she had to wear her coat.

She had a blast though and that is all that matters

Happy Halloween!

Getting ready to make these:

Baking Bites Halloween Oreo Cheesecakes

My Grocery store didn't have the Halloween colored oreos.....shoot.

I bought the all chocolate ones and just got the little Halloween Toothpick Flags to stick in them so they have a Halloween look. No where near as cute but you do what you gotta do, right?

Syd's Room

I don't think we have any before pics of this but it was varnished pine paneling. We added new windows, doors and carpet. We also did some serious painting in here.

What we Bought on Our Ikea Trip.... Woot Woot!!!

And so...with our child safely with her Grandma and Grandpa we headed across state to IKEA in Canton, MI. OUR GOAL: Storage for Sydney's Crap....I mean toys.

So we looked and looked and looked. I was beginning to think this Ikea trip would turn out like so many others where I showed up with big ideas and high hopes and left with $4.00 worth of tea lights and a $1.99 throw rug.

Then I found the EXPEDIT.

Now don't get me wrong I've seen this there a zillion times before but on this trip it spoke to me. So Mark and I loaded it up and home it came. We also bought these cool door insert things that hide some of the crap... I mean toys. You'll see those below.

Here is Mark looking mildly psychotic.... his usual look it seems. He's got his tools and he is ready to assemble!

Mark breaking into the box here. Josie (dog) always finds her way into the photos. Nevermind the swept up pile of dog hair in the corner.

Here she is all finished and loaded up. See the doors I was talking about.

Bucket (also Ikea) for blocks and random small toys.

I usually don't get so excited about Ikea stuff but this really worked out great. I'm pretty geeked.

Sydney Goes For The Off The Shoulder Look

Trying out a new look.

Quickie Art for the Spare bedroom.

click on the collage to get the full up close experience.

I had a 18x24" canvas in my basement that I painted blue with some paint left over from my daughter's bedroom ceiling. Then I cut strips of scrap book paper and Mod Podged the thing all over. Little birdie print was one of those scrap booking rub-ons and I added a little strip of the same scrapbook paper from the canvas.

The burlap strip of paper really bubbled on the canvas but other than that turned out OK... all in all.

By the way I know that dresser is U-G-L-Y!

Got it Framed

Hanging in the hall!!

Upstairs Bedroom Pitifulness...

We stripped wall paper painted trim and put in new door and windows. Then I painted it very dark and heinous shades of blue and green (2 walls blue/ 2 walls green). Then I painted it an equally heinous shade of yellow as it still remains. Modern looking furniture from the old (more contemporary house) need to make its way to craigs list!! Maybe I'll try a frugal fix up this week....

Anybody have a cheap recommendation that doesn't involve painting?

You Want Some Free Paint??????

REGISTER TODAY AT GLIDDEN AND GET A FREE QUART OF PAINT:
Link:

GLIDDEN

You have to register TODAY though (10-11-09). Also once you register you will have to print out a form to send in with a label off an old paint can of another brand. Not really a big deal I promise... took me 5 minutes total.

By the way I picked Deeepest Aqua........

I Likey my Coffee

I like Coffee. I also like my coffee cup from Cafe Press.

My Sydney

Halloween Mantel Finished.....I think????

BEFORE: Sparse Summer Mantel

DURING: I knew this was kind of sad looking but was having trouble figuring out what to do about it.

AFTER: Finally looking pretty good!!

This mantel is super long and super narrow, uneven and off kilter. Makes it hard to decorate......

Salvation Army End Table

My new purchase from the Salvation Army. I have plans of painting her AQUA. Maybe with a little glaze and distress. Italk like I know what I'm doing....

Me and My BEAU

Here's My husband and I looking rather dorky on our last trip before Sydney was born. We were in the U.P. (Michigan)

TV Camouflage

I don't know where this is from but I love it.

Tired Reader

This is my Sydney reading her book in her Daddy's chair before bed tonight.

Well I Guess I'm a Collector Now

I found these beauties at "The Upscale Thrift Store" today. I didn't know I loved "Hob Knob" stuff until I spotted these and had to have them. The cashier said "You must really like Hob Knob" , to which I responded, "Why yes, I do." Now I must have more!

My Halloween Mantel

I spent some time working on my Halloween mantel today. Mostly getting stuff out of storage and shopping for new decor.
Before:

During:

I've decided the second picture is a during because ...well.... I looks pretty uninspiring. I went to Hobby Lobby for supplies for a Halloween Wreath and got completely overwhelmed. I even had a plan. I still bought some wreath decorating materials, but I was unimpressed with my purchases.

On the way home I stopped at this little shop by my house (it is in an old red school house) and found a really cool wreath made of feathers and some sort of flower pod thingys. Loved it. I'm still gonna make that danged Hobby Lobby wreath, I've just gotta keep talking myself into it.

Here is a Close up of the Wreath:

That Cat Picture was quite a process and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I searched black cat images on line and finally settled on this. Printed it out. Then I gave it a coat of my husbands left over coffee to age it up a little. I went out to the pole barn and searched for a frame...which I found. I bought those letters for BOO from Hobby Lobby today. Had to Paint them out black. They were meant for the wreath I haven't made yet. They are just resting on the frame for now. I kind of like them there. That House of Voodoo print is from New Orleans. It's a postcard I bought about ten years ago that I never used.

I will keep you updated on any additions to my Halloween Mantel.

Eww!!! That Kitchen Was Nasty!!

I'm still finding before pics stashed here and there of the house. This is actually not completely before because we had painted the cabinets and got a replacement stove and fridge by this point. Look at that sink.....and the crap sitting out everywhere!!!!

Heres what we did (with some help):
completely demolished cabinets (wanted to keep them at first because original to the house but they were too far gone)
remove paneling and repair drywall
new lights and pendant light over sink
new appliances
new slate floor
new cabinets from Ikea (requiring several trips accross the state!)
new granite counters
paint (black wall is a chalkboard wall)
under cabinet lighting
new door to deck
new sink

--------------------------------------------------

BEFORE:

Click on the pic to get a great close-up of the sink and everything else!

AFTER:

POOR JOSIE!

An Ode to my Dog Josie

This is my 7 year old black (obviously) German Shepherd. We got her 2mos. after we moved into our first house. She is a great dog. She treats Sydney great and puts up with constant ear pulls and eye pokes. Happy upcoming Birthday Josie!!!

I found some more before pics!!

When we bought this house and closed on it and moved in I cried and cried. We had just sold a perfectly nice house in a nice neighborhood to move to a stinky dump in the country. Think serious buyers remorse. It was beyond anything we ever experienced in home renovation for sure. At the old house Mark installed a new ceiling fan and we did a little painting... that was it. At the new house soooo much had to be done:

1. New Furnace

2. New windows

3. New siding

4. ALL carpet ripped out

5. Hardwood floors refinished

6. upstairs recarpeted

7. All rooms painted

8. Both bathrooms gutted with all new fixtures, floors, lighting, etc.

9. Kitchen completely redone, cabinets, appliances, floors, lighting, sink, and on and on

10. pine paneling in recroom sanded and repainted

11. tile laid in recroom.

12. ALL doors interior and exterior replaced

I think your starting to get it..... I thought when I was done putting my blood, sweat and tears into this place I would love it and never want to leave. I'm finding that to not be the case. I want out. It feels like a money pit. If someone buys this place they will be buying a really great place that requires almost nothing but I'm just done.

Anyway I found some before pictures of the dining room... well kind of before. It was after we pulled off the fake wood grain panelling.

Mark filling holes after scraping glue for days.

Did you see the beautiful light fixture?

Now I know you've seen the afters before but they have a little more meaning now having seen the before pics I think...