Etching Glass with Martha Stewart Etching Cream. Oh and deciding I should give this spot a little attention.

Well, Howdy.  Thanks for stopping by.  I've been negligent. Actually, I've been parenting and living.  But I've forgotten to take care of this little spot.  My spot.  So, welcome back, to both of us.

I've decided to open with a revisit.  I left you (and myself) hanging on a project that I was so excited about a year ago!  So without further ado, I'd like to show you how my doorway to Hell turned out.

What?  What did this crazy woman just say?   Well, last I left you, I had a door that looked like this.....

And then after additional sketches and a whole lot of cutting with an Exacto knife, it looked like this.....

Then, I enlisted Martha and her Etching Cream.   Now, Martha usually uses her cream on small little pieces.  A monogrammed wine glass?  yep.  A vase with a jazzy design?  you betcha.  But a big old door with big old letters?  It was a leap of faith people.  A LEAP OF FAITH!

It turned out great!  It totally worked!  Don't be afraid to try Martha's etching cream on a big project.  This was a big project and we are thrilled with the results.  Our see through pantry (careful how you read that) now has a fun graphic message and gives a bare wall A LOT of interest.   The cream is not cheap but if you save your Michael's coupons it's completely do-able.

Alright..... get your creative on.  Wednesdays are now my "Pinterest Test" days.  So keep your eye out. I will be trying out a "pin" that I think is interesting and see if it really works.  

Hugs all around.  I've missed this.  This Stella is thinking about getting her groove back....... seriously.

Putting Lipstick on a Pig

It's a funny thing, remodeling a kitchen.

It requires a lot of patience.

It requires a good sum of money.

It requires a lot of decision making and then flexibility in those decisions.

And then once complete, it requires you to wear blinders when looking at the rest of your home.


Mr. Handsome and I discussed this when we first threw around the idea of remodeling the kitchen.

           *He said, "You know it will make the rest of the house look like shit."

           * I said, "Maybe, it will inspire us to work on some other plans for the rest of the house."

           * He said, "Really?  You know you are going to want to change everything."




Hrrrrumph.


I totally want to change everything.   However, we are flat broke.  There is no more cabbage.  The wallet chirps like crickets upon opening.  It's goose eggs in the ol' bank account.  Nada, no more.  Gonzo.


So I have to make cheapo changes.   Like, re-arrange vs. re-do.  clean-up vs. demolition.  vacuum vs. replace.  spray paint vs. re-frame.  All oldies but goodies and most can be done for Zero Dollar$.


Let's start here shall we?  This is Elvis's closet.  Elvis is a hoarder.  Elvis will perhaps be on a TV show one day about kids who never really learned the fine art of "playing."  Just the fine art of dumping every bin of toys they own into a giant pile.  You could not even open the door.  Frightening.

So in an effort to keep me from calling in the contractor to build an elaborate set of shelving and then bringing in the professional organizer to set up a system that works for the average hoarder, I dove in with a trash bag.

Truth be told, it's a rare day that I "call in"  the experts.  I have a very high regard for my skills and blindly believe I can pretty much take on any task.  Seriously, maybe it's too much HGTV, maybe my self-esteem is better than I lead on but I'm willing to tackle a task before consulting an expert.

Open heart surgery, anyone?


With garbage bags full and vacuum plugged in, I am proud to say, this is how it looks now.

And then I went and did this.

Tomorrow I shall paint.  Because I have it in the garage.  So essentially it's free.  And it will be fresh and new and I will be happy.  

On a side note,  the kitchen is nearing completion but not complete.  Once it's done, I promise to provide a final reveal.   

When Pinterest and Real Life Collide....that's supposed to happen right?

I hang around Pinterest.  Not too obsessed but when I can't sleep it's a great joint.  And I don't mean "joint" in a "doob" kind of way more of a "library" kind of way.    I find some interesting stuff there.  Food, nail polish, hot guys in a creepy kind of hot guy way (not my fav), some religious stuff I could do without but what the hell, it's there and I can skip over it and I see some GREAT ideas that suit my current sitch (as Kim Possible would say.)

So today,  I took one of those "sitches" and am making it my own.   I am re-using my pantry door in a new spot.  It's a door with a glass front.  Back story, we live in a "model" home  (oh how far I could take that nonsense.)   As a model, having the pantry door with clear glass obviously opens the space.  In real life, a clear glass pantry door drives one crazy.

With the remodel, the entrance to the pantry is in a new place.  Awesome.  Because we are counting our pennies, we are using the old pantry door.  I don't want it to be see through anymore.  I'm taking care of that.  Thank you Pinterest.

Door, covered in black contact paper with lines and math and lines and stuff.

Door from another angle.  And yes,  it is currently the door to HELL which sadly is so appropriate and inappropriate at the same time.

Praying to Hades that my door way to HELL turns out.  I meeeaaannn, here's hoping that step one leads to a great step two and that when you come to my house you always, always feel welcome.

Progress people.  Progress.

Please add Kim Possible Theme Song to my Life Soundtrack.  Beep Me. Anytime you need me.


 

Robert's Rules of Order, What's new and What's missing, It's all about Dog mama or perhaps dogma..

I personally would like to call this blog post to order.  The following are in attendance........ well, me.  That's something.   I have been attending a lot of meetings lately that require the use of Robert's Rules.  I'm a sorority girl ya' know.  I learned the "rules" when I was in college.  They make me feel comfortable, orderly, in charge.  I love being in charge.

The meetings have been mostly school district stuff.  At first, it scared me.  I felt intimidated.  Education is more than showing up and pulling out your crayons.  Of course, I know this.  However, the "business" side of education, public education, is most interesting.  So needless to say, I've heard some "moving" "seconding" and "holy shit man, you need to stop talking, let's put that on next month's agenda."  AMEN!
However, I have a whole new place to experience Robert.  I plan to hang with a friend of mine at some Utah Swimming Board meetings.  Just so I can feel like I'm in charge.  I plan to come up with some dooozzziiieees when Public Comment is encouraged.  Or at least stand up when that seems to be missing from the agenda.


What's new?  Seriously?  How have you all been?  I'm sorry I've been absent.  I get thinking about writing then I have to do laundry.  I find a picture I want to base a post on then I end up at the grocery store.  So here's the newest, new at our house.....

This is our "old" kitchen.  It is still intact.  While it appears really nice, it just doesn't function.

With the guidance of our builder,  we put our cabinets on our local classified website.  They sold.  Seriously?  They sold.  And, the buyer can wait.  So I am currently caring for these cabinets better than I cared for any of my newborn children.  Wiping them down the minute they have a mess on their face. Someone bumps into them, I hip-check them into the next room.  Damn it, we don't own these anymore, have some respect!

So my thought is, as I bring this blog to order in these next few weeks, I will be showing pictures of our kitchen re-do.  Lots of dust and plastic and maybe some carrerra marble or Kashmir white granite, cabinets and me holding my knees, rocking in the corner.

What's missing?  Besides my lack of inspiration for blog posts?  Well, something big.  She was big and beautiful and part of our family for 11 years.  She was ready.  We weren't but it wasn't about us.  Emma was the most wonderful English Mastiff friend a family could ask to love.  Love her, we did.

Foster mama, a nanny of sorts.

Here's our fabulous, crazy and totally loved Lola.  She believed Emma was her Mama.  Emma was her mama and gave her the best instruction and guidance any dog mama could give.  Another reason we are thankful for our Emma.


Hugs.

PUMP. Please Understand My Pituation.

I mentioned that I wanted to discuss "stuff."  The accumulation of goods,  from clothing to toys to lamps to craft supplies.  Just stuff.  Here at the hive, we have a lot of stuff.  It seems to grow.  Stuffed animals are procreating in closets.  The sock draw is a hot bed of sock love.  A virtual swingers club for socks where I am noticing most couples end up single.

When I had the realization that a lot of my stuff is bringing me down, we had a sign.  A sign from the heavens.  Actually a sign from our gutters.  As Mr. Handsome headed down into our crawlspace to store just a little more "stuff,"  he stepped into 3 inches of water.  3 inches of water that is sitting atop plastic sheeting and then good old fashioned mud.  It's ugly.  It's messy.  It's not life threatening, but it's super annoying.




So this minor inconvenience got me thinking even more about stuff.  As I am pulling up pillows that I have been saving (why?)  frames that I've been saving (why?)  gift boxes I've been saving (why?)  I wonder why is it so hard to let go of stuff and why do we accumulate it?  I know there are reality shows out there that look into this.  I am not a hoarder.  But I am an average American.  There are 3 families (ours included) on our street that have a garage sale EVERY summer.  That is not okay.

I  have decided to work on what I purchase.  I am sick of buying junk.  I am going more high brow.  I want to buy things that I plan on having for a long time.  If I can't afford it now, I will wait until I can.  No longer substituting with something crappy just to fill a void, in other words stop hanging out at TJ Maxx or Walmart.   I think it will make my body feel lighter.  It will make my brain feel clearer.  It will make my house feel happier.  It will make my world feel healthier.



Now, off to use the pump I just bought from Home Depot.  Luckily this purchase is something we will have for a long time, hopefully we will only have to store it in the crawlspace with only a little  other stuff and it will be one of those purchases we never use but are so glad we made it.





Add "Pump up the Jam" by Technotronics to my Life Soundtrack because according to my friend Cal  "That's so you!"  Wow. and I know.

Hope your day doesn't involve breakfast in bed....it's just messy!

This is my Mother's Day loveliness.  Mr. Handsome and I found these shelves at our local Recycle Center.  For $2.00 a piece, I couldn't pass them up.  After a little sanding and painting, I have just what I wanted and needed.  This is my honey pot collection.  It's something I have been working on for a few years.  It's something I will continue to work on.  Some are old (I love these the most) some are new (It's fun to find ceramic artists that make honey pots.)  

My honeypots have been hiding in the pantry.  Now they are out for all to see and for me to dust.  Along with the shelves, the black amethyst pot on the top shelf is new (to me.)  It's beautiful and unusual.

Tomorrow we hope to be outside, hiking and just enjoying each other's company.  It is such a privilege to celebrate this holiday.  And, have it be about me.  I feel so lucky and loved.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you out there.  Enjoy your day, it's all about you!

If I drank Chardonnay at lunch, my house would be prettier.

It must be February.  Today I have been wandering around my house trying to figure out how to make it look entirely different.  I want to totally change it up, go with different color schemes, buy all new furniture, make it bigger and totally eliminate any sign of children.  If I have to try to figure out how to incorporate Ninja Turtles, Playstation remotes and the random blue or green nail polish bottles and hair bands into my decor for much longer I am going to lose it.

We still have quite a bit of snow.  Spring isn't springing here.  I have a ways to go before I can get out of my Winter funk and move onto my Spring mania.  You know the time where I start planning the garage sale I swore I would never have again!  So I went out looking for some inspiration.  Here's what I found that is turning me on and sure to make Mr. Handsome roll his eyes and walk away.

Note the absence of any Ninja Turtles.

I particularly like the fact there are not puppy-sized fur balls collecting in the corners.

It's just so clean!  And fresh.

Notice there is no T.V. in this room, therefore no Playstation remotes. 

I absolutely LOVE those red chairs, that no doubt the owner found while searching the local

antique store after she had finished a lovely lunch with her girlfriends where they drank Chardonnay

and talked about the vacations they have planned for this summer.  I hate that bitch.

Oh and look at this charming table she found.  Love how there isn't a day-old (still full of yesterday's garbage) lunch box, a pair of dirty socks, 2 winter hats, the mail, 2 dog leashes, a cupcake wrapper and the car keys covering it.  

I might just start moving furniture around.  It would make me feel better.  I might even unearth Donatello.  He's been missing for weeks, he's probably hiding because he hates February too.

My house smells like a pine forest. That's a good thing.

So as you can imagine, in between helping study for Social Studies, plowing snow off the driveway and "encouraging" the adolescent bees at this hive to CLEAN THEIR ROOMS (okay there was some yelling and threats of no Christmas tree) we managed to decorate the house for Christmas. I think I mentioned here that I just wasn't feelin' it. It's a lot of work and all I could think was "I'll be putting it all away in 3 weeks." I got over it and it was fun. Wanna see?

Here is Mr. Handsome opening his birthday present. Happy Birthday, honey!

The tree got some twinkling white lights, then I walked away and when I turned around the only lights that were lit were the bottom strand. Stupid Christmas. I figured it out. The strand right in the middle of tree died. So I just took it out. No big. Sorry Christmas, I like you again.

Here's the whole thing decorated. Now when we first moved the furniture around (this is a new spot for our tree) I began to shake, then I felt queasy, then I freaked out. Because this long, narrow room looked BAD! Seriously, making room for a tree in your house isn't natural. But after some shifting and one of Mr. Handsome's rum and diet cokes. I found that it actually looks good. And, because I can justify ANYTHING, listen to this. The space is very intimate this way, meaning there's not a lot of room to move around. Perhaps, because of this, less presents will actually seem like more presents. Are you feelin' me? Less is more. Less is more.
This is a little village I set up. A la, Alicia over at Posie Gets Cozy. For years, I collected birdhouses, including all the little birdhouses the children had painted. But then they started to bug me. I was just moving on from the birdhouse thing. So I put them all with the Christmas decor. They work perfectly with the little elves, snowmen and vintage chenille Santas I've acquired over the years.

Here it is in full and not lit. It really is pretty at night.

And this little fellow is keeping an eye out for naughty children. Won't find any here, Mr. Elf! **wink, wink**

And finally, the stocking were hung by the chimney with care. Note that Elvis does not have the adorable cross-stitched name "pillow" on his stocking. Poor child, he'll actually be the most well-adjusted of the bunch. He was my decorating buddy through all of this. He reminded me of how magical this season is through the eyes of a child. Every time we unwrapped an ornament from it's tissue he would say "Oooooh, this is soooo cute!" Seriously, everytime. Even when we opened the plastic Grinch in a sleigh, straight from a Happy meal ornament. It was awesome. Thanks for helping me find my Christmas spirit, Elvis!