29 June 2012

Blogland

  I am having a tough time keeping up with blogland lately! I don't know how either, as all I have been doing is errands/unpacking/tanning...you know, the good life. I need to get into some projects ASAP and get to photographin' pronto! I know I keep saying that, but I mean it. I am making a week goal list tonight. Do you have one of those? I've tried the fancy pants planners, but i've learned what works best for me is my good ol' mead college ruled 5 subject notebook. Do I divide it into 5 subjects? No, but it sure does work best for me.





Look at that beauty. In all her glory. Really though, it works, from grocery lists, to "honey do" lists, to projects you want to tackle, its very effective.

see! Budgets and pictures!

Legal forms!

grocery lists, oh my!

Whats the point you ask? Well there wasn't one...really, I just wanted to let you know I enjoy organizing my life on Mead notebook paper.

  On another note! I got the job I was hoping for at a Interior design/furniture gallery here in Arkansas. Can you say DREAM JOB?! I'm not even kidding here, thats like stickin' an alcoholic in a liquor store for crying out loud. My jerk new manager called me after what was an AWESOME interview and said, " After much consideration, we decided to go in another direction" cue tears. "oh, okay...well thank you for your time", "we're just messin' with ya! Welcome to the family! Can you start tomorrow?". cue excitement! I've already been to the mall today (hello sales!) to boost my business casual wear, and I am so eager to go in tomorrow! (I've even joked with Jake that i'm his new suga mama because he doesn't have his first day until July)


  So today, my friends, was a really good day. Oh p.s. did you know that we just passed the day they traveled to in back to the future? June 27th, 2012. COOL right?! Except not so cool!! I just found out that it was a HOAX! Bummer! I was so excited about it. We are still 3 years away from the REAL back to the future day, October 21st, 2015, so don't you worry techies, you still have 3 years to invent flying cars, and cell phones implanted in our brains.




I look forward to a week full of fun posts! (next week..after I plan them...you know, in my mead notebook :D)




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27 June 2012

Vacation is getting old...but we have cable!!

  If your one of those fantastic mothers who believes in no TV during the week, or you don't watch it yourself, hats off to you! Your a better person than I am, cause I freaking love TV. Especially my housewives shows (or smut as Jake calls it). I had the best time tonight eating my leftovers, while Jake was at the gym, and catching up on the OC. What does that have to do with anything? Well I will tell you. Its getting boring around these parts. I am so hopeful for this job (my interview is Friday woo hoo!) because all this tanning, crafting, and swimming in the lake sure is getting old. (HAH! keep the eye rolls to yourself.) But really, we've been here almost 2 weeks, and while its totally awesome not having to wake up earlier than 9 am every day, I am getting bored. My house couldn't get any cleaner, and I am running out of things to spray paint! Like these lovely sconces:

not a terrible color, but we're in to more "cools" around our house so they just didn't fit



ahhhh, I sure do love Krylon ocean breeze. 
 P.s. how awesome is that portrait? Thats ME! My Aunt actually made it for me a few years ago, and its taken a nice place in our home ever since.

  Tonight i'm planning a delicious pinterest inspired treat to go along with mine and Jakes movie night:

This is not my photo, I can't find the source of it though!

um hello delicious. Its caramel marshmallow popcorn. YUM. Calories you ask? Don't worry about it! Its so dang hot around here lately, i'll probably sweat it all off in no time!

  So to sum this post up, I don't have a whole lot of new fun stuff to share with you. I need to begin photographing and editing some pictures of my slowly-being-completed home and get them to you very soon! Maybe tomorrow I can try to fit it in, between my oh so busy schedule of laying by the lake, and hot-gluing flower arrangements. ;)




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25 June 2012

Ikea mirror revamp!

 Hello lovelies!


Here is a super simple project that took me only MINUTES (literally) to complete. I took some super cheap ikea mirrors I have had FOREVER and totally revamped 'em into something adorable for our space. I've been wanting to do this forever, and I saw Sarah over at the Winthrop Chronicles remake hers, and I was totally inspired!!

You will need:
paint of your choosing
sand paper
painters tape
protectant spray
cute little frames/lame ikea mirrors



 Start by taping the mirror part, as to not get any on the mirror itself


Next give a really half hearted coat of white (or whatever color your using). You can coat it twice for extra coverage, but I wanted some of the black to show through for a more "worn" look.

Next sand that coat down just a bit, and wipe off your dust

tape out your design, and then spray over it with whichever color your little heart desires.


remove your tape, antique it up a little, spray with sealant, and enjoy your new wall art! Totally revamped right?? I love em in my room! I can't wait to show you the entire room completed, I am LOVING teal and yellow right now.





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Our first week in Arkansas, in review

 PHEW!

  We made it through our first week!! What an extreme adventure it has been. The fam and I were floating in the lake earlier, enjoying the fact that it is FINALLY cooling down, (by a degree or two, I mean I thought San Diego was hot, HAH! it is nothing compared to here!!) and we were feeling so content and at peace, like we made the 100 percent right decision coming out here. That being said, I had my first bit of homesickness today. Jake and I were sitting at Hooters of all places, enjoying a beer and some fried pickles, and it hit me and I just started crying! Don't ask why or how or if it made any sense at all, 'cause it didn't, but it happened, and I started thinking how I need to book a trip back home to visit asap!!

  I am absolutely loving it here though, infatuated really. I can honestly say I would NEVER of thought I would end up in ARKANSAS of all places, but it is so pretty here, and I have a feeling deep in my soul, that this is now "home". Let me share with you a few fun events from the week:


this is the paper the movers used to wrap our things, in a pile, on the floor. INSANE! It took a total of 12 trash bags to contain it all. And a very nice man named "Swifty" came to pick up our boxes. (ha! Swifty, only in Arkansas). Thank goodness tomorrow is trash day, because we need to UNLOAD! Our home is finally feeling like home, and I am so excited to share with you pictures as it is completed.



we turned this little munchkin into a fisherman! How darn cute is he with those poles?! My heart just melts!!! I love his chubby little tummy more than words can describe. He LOVES the water out here, he will kick kick kick and splash splash and I swear its just about the sweetest thing I have ever seen.


We "facetimed" with our very best friends. Which was awesome because it was almost like they were here with us!! We miss them so much, and they are planning a trip out sometime in September, so naturally I already have a countdown started.

 The unthinkable happened and I turned into a fisherwoman!!! Each night I have easily been smokin' my Dad and Jake, catching anywhere between 2-4 fish before they even catch one!!! It comes with a price though, bugs love me out here, and I counted today, I have a total of 37 bug bites on my legs and arms. ITCH! Any tips on how to keep em away from me? I don't know how much longer I can stand this!! (oh and don't get any ideas on the jug...its sweet tea I promise!)



and to wrap up our week, we attended our very first church service Sunday, at Cross Church, and we LOVED.IT! It was as Southern and Southern can be. You wouldn't know it by how HUGE and beautiful the church is, but the preacher is just about as Southern as the day is long. He has long pauses between words, "church, can you give me an AAAAAA       MENNNN!", he has a very strong accent, and he seems to be a very, very good man. We are so excited to go back next Sunday, and we are looking into joining their "young couples" bible study on Tuesdays.


  Overall our first week here has been beyond words. It still feels like we are on an endless vacation, but we are so eager to begin integrating with the community, and already feel we are home. I can't wait to share more adventures and projects along the way!!





p.s. I think I may have FINALLY found a job out here! It seems like a really great one so keep those fingers crossed for me!! (or say a prayer, I could really use the big man on this one!)

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23 June 2012

DIY initial stools

 I am so excited about these! Our Arkansas home is a big upgrade from our tiny California house. Which is hilarious cause its sort of a down grade, (we moved into my parents guest house) as far as movin' on up in the world, but its perfect for right now, until we get our feet on the ground here in this new town. (not to mention I never want to leave this lake view). Our space is very large, but I knew I wanted to for-go a dining table here, because we have such a nice "bar" area, and its only the two of us, so a table usually just becomes space for clutter. Soooo, I needed some stools. My Dad had these ugly oldies hangin' around, and they were the PERFECT canvas for this project!

Before...

After!


This project was super simple, only took about 2 hours, and turned out fantastic.

You will need:
1 can of colored spray paint (I used Krylon Ocean breeze)
3 cans of white spray paint (Krylon flat white with primer)
1 can of protectant (satin, Krylon of course)
a printer/silhouette/cricut machine
fine, and medium grit sand paper.


  Start by sanding the top of your stool, and then spraying your colored paint all over the seat

It doesn't have to be perfect, as you will just be coating it in white anyway.

Next step is to print your initial/number/shape that you'd like on either your computer/cricut/silhouette machine. (thats my next purchase! I've been dying for a silhouette)



I taped my down with a little bit of double sided tape.
At this point, I sanded the blue lightly with a fine grit, just to make sure it was even, and then I took the medium grit to the rest of the stool.



now comes the fun part! Break out your white and get to sprayin'. I did one coat of white all over, let it cure for about a half hour, and then coated it a 2nd time.

Now comes the even more fun part! Take your sand paper, and "antique it up" a little. I wanted to strip some of the paint to show the wood beneath, to give it a nice worn look.

Then spray a protective finish all over the stool, and add an extra coat to the seat since it will get the most action anyway!

Let that dry for about an hour, and enjoy your new stools!!






Sorry for the shadowy after photos, I was too excited to wait till tomorrow, and we don't have the best light in the kitchen!

  I hope you can enjoy a nice DIY afternoon like I did. Bedtime for me, we are attending a new church here in Arkansas for the 1st time, bright and early!




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My first room reveal! Patio:

 Hello bloggies!

   I have my first completed "room" to share with you today in the new place. I have the downstairs deck in order thanks to some help from lowes, wal mart, and Jakey:) Its the MOST perfect spot for lunch, morning coffee, or just sitting at dusk enjoying the fireflies. (with my bug candles lit of course so I dont get attacked!) Take a look:

These pillows were originally inside, but I loved them so much with the furniture outside they went!

I LOVE these giant pillars. Originally BIG bucks from Pier One, handed down to me from my Grandma :)

Its like being in a forest under all of these trees

Citronella candles=LIFELINE out here!!

I will never get sick of that lake behind me.



Pretty right?! VERY simple but a great place to kick back and enjoy the view. Time to go get started on a few new projects I have up my sleeve. MUAHAHAHAH!





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22 June 2012

2 dollar flower arrangements

  Hello my favorite bloggy friends!!

  First let me say, I am so sorry for being MIA lately, you can't even begin to imagine how busy its been getting this house into shape after the cross country move! (not to mention I have spent a considerable amount of time tanning by the lake) I have so many projects that I have been working on this week to share with you, but in order to keep my sanity, i'm going to try to take it 1 day at a time!! I am going to start with these awesome 2 dollar flower arrangements I made with some leftover things I had around the house, and dollar items!!

 You will need:
  Fake flowers (these fake carnations were only 1 dollar at wal mart!)
  Decorative pots (dollar store baby!)
  Butcher paper (I used some of the extra from unpacking)
  Double sided tape, or hot glue





Start by filling the bottom of your pot with some butcher paper, like so:


Then pluck the bulbs from the fake flower arrangement you picked up, and begin hot gluing (or double sided taping) them around the rim of the pot, and into the center.


you will eventually end up with this!


cute right?!

I used these light blue tin pots, and I also used some dark blue plastic pots, and I love them both!!



a very simple little spring/summer decoration, and at 2 dollars a pop, who can resist!!

 I will be posting lots more throughout this week, I am officially back in blog action! I look forward to catching up on all of your blogs as well. Thanks for stoppin by!






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