Monday, February 28, 2011

Oops...

OK...we're back in town...so here is my post on how to turn your hair green. Yes, you read that right...G.R.E.E.N. And not pretty, I wanna run through the grass green. I'm talking Wicked Witch of the West green...with a little dash of blonde and pinch of brown thrown in.
 Last week, I needed a change...a BIG one...but since I had just gotten finished painting the bookshelves in the playroom(and it took WAY longer than I thought it would) I didn't feel like painting. You can't lose 10 pounds in a day...so that was out...and last time I wanted a change...I chopped my long hair all off..but that just wasn't me. So instead, I decided to dye it brown...you know...cause I'm smart like that...and because the girl with the perm-a-grin and bouncy chocolate brown hair on the commercial made it look easy. As soon as the idea came to me, I made a beeline to CVS before I could change my mind. I bought two boxes of this...
promptly put it on my hair...and turned my blonde hair into this...
except with black roots. I looked like I was about to go trick-or-treating and had gone crazy with a can of hair spray paint. And you wanna hear the funniest part? Brian said that he didn't even notice the green! Bahahahahahahaha! So...after all of that, I ended up having to go to the salon anyway, where they stripped as much color out as they could. Then I had to go AGAIN when my lady got back in town so she could fix it completely. Long story short(OK maybe not so short...) I ended up with this...which also caused me to be Queen Dork for the five minutes that Lainey was taking these pictures.




And I'm pretty dang happy with it...for now anyway...

***And good gracious...something happened to me called "I don't own a scale or a full length mirror and it shows". I'm heading to Target...right after I throw away all my chips and complete my exercise video....







Wednesday, February 23, 2011

The Post That Will Have to Wait...

 The kids and I took off on a little vaca to see my parents...and besides the usual...like putting myself into a food coma with all of my Mom's awesome cooking....and seeing my brother, SIL, and cutie pie nephew....we will be visiting here...
http://www.adventuresci.com/
eating home cooked country breakfast here...
meeting up with my bestie...somehow, some way....
and loads of other fun things! So...WARNING...there will be lots of pictures when we return to the homestead. 

***The hair story will make its way to the blog when I get home...someone forgot to tell me that the pictures on my computer don't magically transfer to my Mom's! HA!





Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Pretty things...

 No funny stories today...because I'm gearing up for a good one tomorrow...and if you happen to be a hairdresser...it won't be funny to you...it will be S.T.U.P.I.D. So, while I'm off getting my funny/stupid mistake fixed...here are some pretty pictures to look at!
 I found another black and white kitchen that I am swooning over..and I feel like it is calling my name...because I already have one of those awesome stools. It's a sign...
And these pictures make me want to paint our half-bath all over again. (Brian...when is the next time you are going out of town? ;)

I LOVE this piano...in fact, I would probably start playing again if this baby was in my house! And look...it's even topped with a turquoise vase!
Last but not least...I was talking to my cousin yesterday and she was shocked to find out that I do not own a Kitchen Aid Mixer! I love to cook, but I figured since I didn't bake alot, that I didn't need one. She told me I was crazy and that  you can use it for all kinds of things! Then she told me that http://thepioneerwoman.com/ was having a giveaway...TWO Kitchen Aid Mixers that were designed to look like the cover of her cookbook. WHAT? Be still my heart. I rushed to the computer and signed up....along with over 46,000(yes, you read that right)other people. Sadly...I did not win...but now I am officially obsessed with getting one...as soon as I sell one of my kids...(why didn't I ask for one for a wedding present???)
And THIS baby is looking mighty fine....

***All pictures except mixer are from here...




Thursday, February 17, 2011

Turning old into new...

 In our playroom, we have a couch with a side table on each end. One of them I love....the other...not so much! The one that passed the test is just painted white and distressed. Simple but pretty. The other is was dark wood. A piece that we purchased from Pier 1 about seven years ago. So....I decided today that she needed a make-over. Using this as my inspiration....
http://theletteredcottage.net/painting-dressers-and-planning-a-pocket
I ended up with this...
and I love it. Not bad for a piece that I was going to get rid of in my yard sale. It seems that paint and sandpaper are miracle workers.
Have a great day! 

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

On the mend...

  No...unfortunately this post has nothing to do with sewing...although I will continue to talk about it..and give myself cheerleader pep talks about it...because one day...I WILL LEARN. 
  My throat is being scraped by sharp knives every time I swallow...so this morning, I decided to give in and go to the doctor...only MY doctor had no sick appointments available today. It was only 8:20am...and they were already all taken. So that meant I was headed to urgent care to visit Dr. Hand on my Thigh..who I happen to get EVERY TIME I GO IN THERE....ahhhhh! The strep test was negative but he gave me some meds anyway, because apparently when your throat looks bad enough for even the Dr. to make a face...something is going on in there. So...hopefully I'm on the mend. Although it doesn't feel like it yet....
 On another note...the cute pillows that I got in the mail the other day are from this great etsy shop...
http://www.etsy.com/shop/MasonMoonbeam
and Jen has offered a 15% off coupon for my readers...if you enter happylife at checkout!!! Yea!! :)
 And..last but not least....if I had biscuits and gravy from here right now...
all would be right in the world.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Weekend...

 Here are just a few snapshots our our weekend.....
Hutt and I were invited to a little Valentine party on Friday and I realized after digging through every article of clothing I own...I only have ONE red shirt. So....using my new found crafting skills(hahahahaha), I quickly whipped up this necklace.
And y'all....that goofy dork smile is real because I was proud of myself! :)
Then on Saturday morning, I walked into the kids bathroom and saw this...
A pair of Hutton's underwear...on the windowsill. How they managed to get there is beyond me.
Next...Brian and I couldn't find a baby-sitter...so that meant NO. VALENTINE'S. DAY. DATE. (***If you happen to live near family and have instant and free baby-sitters...please count your blessings...and don't ever tell me about it.) Instead, I decided to drown my sorrows in chocolate..and calories. So the kids and I made this...
Pioneer Woman's chocolate sheet cake...


which put us all into a chocolate coma...and made me have to take a nap.
The kids got two packages in the mail from the grandparents which made their day....and then I caved and ordered them pillow pets for Valentine's Day. Blah! I was able to hold off at Christmas, but Hutt saw them at Target two weeks ago, and has been talking about them ever since! He begged for a bumblebee...which he must have a thing for...because this was Hutton at Halloween...


Lainey looked all cute and festive this morning...
BUT...the funniest thing, is what I bought the kids to play with. An old  rotary phone...and they are in love...
HILARIOUS! 





Friday, February 11, 2011

Cha-Cha-Cha-Changes...

 As I mentioned before, I have decorating ADD. I can change my mind at the drop of a hat...which is fun because it gives me the excuse to always be hunting for something..but can also get annoying because by the time I "finish" a room, I'm ready to start over again! HA!
Case in point: Our office/family room-this room is right off of our kitchen, holds the computer, has no TV...we actually spend lots of time in here. But there is ONE GLARING ISSUE....paneling....and I HATE it. And...it's not something easy to paint over. It's real wood...with deep deep holes(I just put a ruler in one and it's 3/4 in. deep)...like someone went out into our front yard, chopped down some trees, and immediately nailed them to our wall. I am a "light" person. I need light. I crave light. And these bad boys steal it from me on a daily basis. I think that is why I am always working on this room. It has been the number one decorating argument in my house. I say paint...hubby says NO WAY. Ironically enough, every person who walks through my door compliments this room...and I can't for the life of me figure out why. I think it may be the "cozy cabin vibe" that if gives off. 
 ANYWAY...we have lived here for almost five years, and every year this room has looked different. 
 Year 1: White walls above paneling. Desk for computer. No rug. No art.No lamps. One coffee table. Two white chairs from IKEA...and there were three of us..so it was a roll of the dice as to whether or not you even GOT to sit down.
Year 2: White walls above paneling are now painted taupe. White curtains. Same white chairs. Thrift store side table. Desk. No rug, art, or lamps.
Year 3: 
Green rug. Red couch. Black and gold lamps. Gold curtains. Red star. Same white chairs.Too dark.(Hutt practicing the long jump. Mommy needs to clean.)

Year 4:
With the help of Melaine from mysweetsavannah.blogspot.com
I was able to lighten it up! She suggested painting the paneling(yea!) so I told Brian that SHE thought it would be a good idea. He actually kinda agreed and we put it on our list. Then as the list grew...he took it back off :(
Year 5:  I decided that I want more color. It may be because this has been a LONG winter for us southern folk and I'm craving bright colors, or it may just be that my style is changing. Again. Either way, today the room looks like this.
And I think I'll keep it. For a few months anyway...

PS. There is a lot more to this story but for some dang reason this post has taken me entirely too long to write and I need a glass of wine...because ladies and gentlemen...it's Friday!! Cheers!

*****Update! We have decided after looking at this picture that the gold frame is going to become white...the gold brings out the wood trim which is what I am trying to avoid! HA! Off to The Home Depot...picture later!

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Hair Color Debate

 When I was little my hair was white blond. Then it turned to dishwater blond. And now...well...I'm not really sure WHAT color it would be if I put the kibosh on the hair dye.  But I do know one thing...it ain't white blond...because if it was, I wouldn't spend half of the paycheck that I don't make every 6-8 weeks on color. One thing is for sure though...dark roots are not cuttin' it for me. If mine looked like this...

maybe I wouldn't cringe when I looked in the mirror. But...right now, mine looks more like this...

minus the "curl under" bangs...although I did have those in the 8th grade...
Actually, now that I'm looking..I wouldn't mind hair like that if I had those abs. Anywhoo...the whole point of this post is that I need some feedback.
***If you are a hairdresser DO NOT READ ANY FURTHER***
Should I just stick with forking out money every 6 weeks or has anyone had luck using at home hair dyes(with salon results)? For the record, I did always walk out of there feeling great, but would then think of all the things I could have used that money for. In my younger(ahem..nightclub)days, I used do it myself...$5.99 a pop baby! (I'm sure I thought it looked better than it really did. That's the beauty of being young!)But then I started going to a REAL salon and I'm scared to go back. I kinda feel like I'll be cheating on my hairdresser(who I love!)
So....yea or nay?
Salon or home?
Nice and Easy or Tresemme'
Brown or blond?

What do ya think????




Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Oh Happy Day

 Sometimes God sends his happy angels to you right when you need them the most. Today was one of those days. After being in the dumps for a couple of weeks...I can see the light. The sunrise was BEAUTIFUL this morning...and the sun is STILL shining...AND....remember my favorite photographers? Well, they took this picture of us and I had it made into a 16x24 canvas...using a groupon...for $45. YES. I. DID. And my oh my...it looks beautiful. I practically attacked the Fed Ex man when I saw him coming down the driveway. (Please excuse my sorry photography skills. Yet another reason I hired Will and Laurie...)
 Then...I found this hole in the wall thrift store that I had never been in before. And there, sitting all alone on a dusty shelf, was this wooden dough bowl. Priced at $1.99. Yes people..that is ONE DOLLAR AND NINETY NINE CENTS. I snatched it up and started looking around..like someone was playing a mean trick on me. When I reached the register to pay, the happy angels smiled on me yet again...because that baby was 25% off. I skipped all the way to the car and once I closed the door, I screamed y'all. THAT is how happy I was. Then I called Brian and screamed into the phone about my lucky purchase and how it was such a great deal..and on and on. And then he told me he wished HE was a dough bowl! Bahahahahahahahahahahaha--He's so funny....
 AND.....just in case you are wondering why I'm so excited about a $1.50 dough bowl. Check this out....http://www.potterybarn.com/products/found-dough-bowls/?pkey=e|dough%2Bbowl|2|best|0|1|24||1&cm_src=PRODUCTSEARCH||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_-NoMerchRules-_-

Found Dough Bowls - Oblong

$199.00 – $249.00

Monday, February 7, 2011

Hello, Lova.....

 Between the combination of nasty weather, no football games on TV, and me not wanting to clean my house...I desperately needed something to paint.  Since I have a new found love for turquoise, I decided that I would tackle my guest room and give it a color make-over. First on the list...my five dollar thrift store chest...that I bought because it had wooden wheels on the bottom. Is that a reason to buy an entire piece of furniture? Anyway...I begged asked Lainey if she would paint a coat of white primer on while I ran to The Home Depot to pick out my paint. Upon receiving my paint, Mr. Home Depot looked at me with one eyebrow cocked and said this..."Wow. That's really bright."  I just shook my head yes, grinned from ear to ear, grabbed my paint, and ran out...quickly...before I could change my mind.
 So, over the course of the day, my $5 chest went from this...
to this...

Hello, Lova....

I love it. It makes me smile every time I walk by that room. Brian on the other hand gets a "punched in the gut" feeling. But what does he know about style? :)  I am now working on putting the room together with throw pillows and accessories. But that day will be its own post.  Because it will involve the sewing machine...and me.  Lord help us all.


And...apparently, I have always had a thing for turquoise..as witnessed in this photo I dug out of the photo graveyard. Style baby, style.

**Any mean spirited comments about my star quality teeth or perm of the year will be promptly deleted! HA!

Friday, February 4, 2011

A Thank You..

  Today I witnessed something that touched my heart. I trudged to Hancock Fabrics in the pouring rain to purchase the fabric and supplies for the craft Lainey and I were going to complete this afternoon.  As I walked up to the counter to get my fabric and ribbons cut, a lady and her teenage daughter were in front of me...buying fleece...to make Linus blankets. I almost burst into tears right there on the spot. If you don't know what Linus blankets are...they are blankets that are hand made and given to children at hospitals... many who are critically ill or traumatized. I know ...because Hutton has one. When he was two months old, he was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance, sent to trauma, then had a room in the PICU. It was the scariest and longest three days of my life.  He was diagnosed with a heart condition...SVT. Which, praise the Lord, has not bothered him since.
 I was so touched...standing next to someone who was actually putting in the time to make blankets for children they will never meet. I tried three times to say how much that little gesture meant to me...and the knot in my throat grew bigger each time I opened my mouth. Then the tears started coming...and I am NOT a crier. But it brought back a flood of emotions..and I wanted that sweet teenager to know how special those blankets are to the people who receive them. I heard her tell her mom, "We should use fleece. They may not have anything else with them and it will keep them warm." She was right. We rushed out of the house and onto that ambulance with nothing except the clothes on our backs.  I wasn't able to ever say anything. I knew I would end up a blubbering mess..and that might not go over so well at the fabric store.
 So...this is a thank you. To anyone who has ever made a Linus blanket. You will never know how much your gift of love is needed and appreciated at such a scary and life changing moment. Now..please excuse me..I'm off to plug in my sewing machine and learn how to sew...and the first thing on my list is Linus blankets.

http://www.projectlinus.org/

Crafts

 It's rainy and cold here again today...and will be all weekend(surprise!). So...I told Lainey we would cheer ourselves up by making something cute! Yesterday I spotted this! A flower pin! LOVE! Thanks to this awesome blog:  http://jonesdesigncompany.com 
You can check out the full tutorial here:
http://jonesdesigncompany.com/tutorial/flower-pin-tutorial/
 I tried it out while Lainey was at school yesterday and it was pretty easy! I made one for practice...she LOVED it...ran upstairs and promptly hot glued it to one of her headbands. Guess what she is wearing today???
 We are also going to attempt to make these...which I am SUPER DUPER excited about!
http://littlemissmomma.blogspot.com/2010/12/pom-pom-bib-necklace-tutorial-lmm.html
...and if you are a family member, do not look at this link because you could possibly be getting one of these for a present one day!(if I can make it look decent) :)
 Last but not least, we will definitely be playing this bingo game tonight! Hopefully at some point I will be able to get into my ark car and sail drive to the store to get my all of my fabric...and 327 candy hearts for bingo(and eating!). How fun does this look?
http://www.theidearoom.net/2011/02/valentine-bingo-cards.html
 Have a great weekend! I'm off to plan our Super Bowl menu...and see if I can set a record for appetizers with the most calories! HA!

PS. There are 12 exclamation points in this post. I have a problem...

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Random...

This post will make no sense, but these are the things I think about at 3am when I can't sleep. HA!

  • When I have to take Lainey to school in the mornings, I am usually still wearing pajama pants and slippers...except when it rains. Then I wear pajama pants with rain boots. I always pray that I don't have a wreck.
  • I TOTALLY forgot about Lainey's voice lesson the other night..and after screaming "GET IN THE CAR" to both kids and driving like a maniac to get there, I realized that I still had my fuzzy slipper socks on.
  • Trying to be healthy yesterday, I was inspired to make Kale chips. When they came out of the oven, I ate them and made yummy eating noises to try and trick the kids. Hutton spit his out on the floor and started gagging. Lainey looked at me like I was crazy, ate one, and left the room. And to top it off, after they sat there for a while, they made my kitchen smell like poop. FAIL.
  • I have an obsession with decorating blogs...and I love to look into other people's homes...through their blogs...not through their windows. Although I have done that before. Please don't call the police.
  • Right now I am LOVING turquoise....because I found these awesome lamps on clearance for $22 with a big turquoise drum shade. Thanks to that one thing, I'm now adding more color to my family room...and I love it.
  • I'm SOOOO ready for summer...but not the sweat that goes along with it.
  • I need to exercise to get READY for summer.
  • I have cuter short sleeve shirts than long sleeve shirts...and I'm ready to bring them back out.
  • I could eat Mexican food every night of the week. Seriously.
  • My husband wears a size 13 shoe...and yesterday at Target, I found him a pair of navy Converse for.....$7.48! AND HE DOESN'T LIKE THEM! Who doesn't like Converse? I'm still working on trying to change his mind.
  • I need to clean my bathrooms. Please don't anyone show up unannounced to my house because I would die of embarrassment. 
  • I want to copy this...from Country Living Magazine.

  • I found this blog today and can't stop looking at all of the different ways to use turquoise! I goes right along with my new lamp theme!  http://www.houseofturquoise.com/


OK..better run and get something done...before hubby makes me get a REAL job! ;)

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

What your 3yr. old REALLY thinks about you...




 Last night I decided that it would be fun to ask Hutton these questions...to see his perspective on what he thinks of me! It was hilarious! I love that little guy so much!



Hutton’s Questions
1.      What is something that Mommy always says to you?
Hutton! No! (wait a minute now...i say i love you 247 times a day)

2.      What makes Mommy happy?
Not crying.  (true)

3.      What makes Mommy sad?
Not listening to her.  (amen brother)

4.      How does Mommy make you laugh?
She makes silly faces.  (our favorite game)

5.      How old is Mommy?
Four  (this is a compliment)

6.      How tall is Mommy?
Two inches  (hey! It's thumbelina)

7.      What is Mommy’s favorite thing to do?
Play games, sweep and mop (sad...just really, really sad)

8.      What does Mommy do when you aren’t around?
Clean and vacuum  (you're darn right!)

9.      If Mommy becomes famous, what will it be for?
TV exercises  (bahahahaha--must not be working)

10.  What is Mommy really good at?
Eating  (ohhhhh! that's why the above isn't working)

11.  What is Mommy not very good at?
Hangers  (????)

12.   What does Mommy do for her job?
Clean  (and THAT my friends....is why I started this blog)

13.   What is Mommy’s favorite food?
Ham and cheese and tacos  (hello el porton...see ya this week!)

14.   What do you and Mommy do together?
Play games  (yea!)

15.   How are you and Mommy the same?
We both start with…H-H-H-Hannah and H-H-H- Hutton. We match!  (awww! yes we do!)

16.   How are you and Mommy different?
We are different shapes.  (yes..you are a stick and I am a pear)

17.   Where is Mommy’s favorite place to go?
Ikea (how did he know??)

18.   How do you know Mommy loves you?
Mommy…I can’t do this anymore. I just can’t do it. (and he walked out of the room) HA!


***photo taken by my favorite peeps:

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Black, White, or Both?

  B and I have been talking about our kitchen "re-do" since we bought this house almost 5 years ago.  It was the first room I wanted to tackle(who doesn't want a beautiful kitchen?) but keeps getting pushed down the list for things like....dead trees that need to be cut down, holes in the roof, new heating and air, you know...the "fun" stuff that comes with an older home. I'm sure over the course of 5 years, I have looked at 8,427  pictures of kitchens...and dreamed and drooled. I have loved a certain style, then marked it off my list, then loved it again. We have thought about paint vs. stain, keeping all the current cabinets or ripping some out, taking some of the doors off and making open shelving....you name it, we've talked about it. A few weeks ago B mentioned stain instead of paint. Then I threw in black instead of natural wood.  He came back with black paint instead of black stain. Then I  "pretty pleased" white paint..which is what I have always really want by the way. If we're going to go to all the trouble to paint, I would rather have light, bright and airy. I do LOVE the kitchens that have black AND white...but we don't have an island so I figured that was out. Until today....I was reading this blog....
                                                                             http://birchandbird.com/
                                    and came across this picture....


and I now have the perfect idea for my dream kitchen. 
Can you say L.O.V.E???