Saturday, May 31, 2008

Saturday bargains

HA! Instead of going out to find the bargains today, I hosted a yard sale of my OWN! We were surprised at how much we had to sell, once we got it all out there. Even as late as midnight last night, I was still going through closets and poking around under sinks to add items to the sale. The purging process feels sooooo good! I ended up selling about $225 worth all told, including quite a bit of jewelry (it's my home-based business but these items were major deals). Once I paid back what I bought in jewelry (so when I sell it now, it's pure profit), I still had about $80 to myself. Woo-hoo!! Most of that is ear-marked for my mother-daughter trip next weekend, when we go antiquing.
The stuff that was left is going to a friend's fundraiser rummage sale next weekend, so I feel like it's going to a good cause and saved me a trip to where I was going to donate all the leftovers. I'm SO glad to be rid of all my palm tree decor, the purple stuff I was saving for some future guest room and a slew of stuff I've had for WAY too long. The closet space now available is amazing and will allow me to get even more organized! I'm thrilled with how it went. I got a nice tan on my arms, too, and enjoyed visiting with neighbors and friends alike.
Now my mom is coming over to hang out and we're going to go shopping (I have gift cards) and to dinner so I'm super-excited. Good day...good day.
How was yours?? Any bargains??

Friday, May 30, 2008

Friday's Find


This one is from "The Craft Pantry" on Etsy and my favorite part is that her bags are "EcoBags," made out of recycled cotton canvas. I'm wanting it for my mother-daughter trip to use as a purse/tote to carry my drink, purchases, wallet, etc. I love owls and the three colors I allow myself to buy (wardrobe-wise) are blue, pink and green--so it's perfect!! She has lots of other cute ones, too, and in different sizes.
Check her out at the link below:
Craft Pantry Shop
UPDATE!!! I purchased said tote. I love everything about it and I'm selling so much of my stuff tomorrow, I need something that's "me" and that I really love. So I splurged and got it!! Woo-hoo!!

Thursday, May 29, 2008

All about your birthday!!

My hubby sent me this and I said, "You know I'm posting a link on my blog." This gives you lots of really cool information about your birthday--including celebrities that share your big day. I share a birthday with C.S. Lewis, Howie Mandel and Louisa May Alcott, among others!! I was born in the Chinese Year of the Snake and my Native American Zodiac sign (I do have Native American blood from my dad's side--Cherokee) is the OWL. I love owls!!! My age in dog years is about 4.4, which is certainly how old I feel sometimes. And I am coming up on a billion seconds old. Wooooow.
I think this would be neat to print out for someone and enclose in their birthday card.
Check it out at the link below and enjoy!

Birthday Calculator

Lipstick to Crayons...

...is having a HUGE 1st birthday bash with TONS of cool prizes!! Click on the graphic in the right sidebar or click below:
Lipstick to Crayons
Looks like a hoot! Head on over to check it out!!
AND...you crafty, Etsy types out there!! Donate a prize and I bet you'll get tons of exposure!! :) Plus I'd like to win it!!

I looooove birthdays!! For my 30th this past November, I hosted a polka dot pajama party at a local B&B--it was a blast!! I've always had terrific birthdays (thanks for my mom) and now do the same for my husband and son. We all need a celebration, at LEAST once a year!!

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Mother/Daughter Getaway

Little known fact about me: I am my family's designated travel agent. Maybe I missed my calling.
So my mom has a brief spring break soon but more importantly, I get a break from my duties at church on Sundays in June so I immediately thought, "We need to get away, just us girls!" Gas prices being what they are, I thought we could stay local so we're headed to...Glendale, Arizona!
Glendale is an older town and known for it's quaint shops and many special events throughout the year like "Glendale Glitters" (Christmas lights) and the annual chocolate festival. We've been there many times, mostly to shop in the cute shops and frequent their tea rooms and a friend's sandwich shop. Here's me and my SIL there in Feb., isn't it cute?? Mom and I will be going there!

The shops in "Catlin Court" are utterly charming and take hours to walk through because they're full of such lovely treasures. Here's one of my favorites, "The Cottage Garden." I want to live there. I'll be saving up my money for this one.

BUT, we have never had the luxury of actually taking in the sights and shopping in their renowned antique stores--until now!! I love antiquing!! And best of all, there will be no stroller to push or cranky toddler to deal with and no husbands rushing us or questioning our purchases. I'm picturing very liesurely strolling in and out of the stores, sipping a latte...a late night in our pjs, gabbing and playing Scrabble...tea and pastries for breakfast followed by more shopping and talking...aaaaahhhh...
So! We're staying in the "Trellis Room" at the Glendale Gaslight Inn. To visit their site, click the link below.
Glendale Gaslight Inn
It has a queen bed plus a day bed and is only $70 for the night. Here's the room:


And here's the front of the place.

Besides being an Inn, it also houses a wine & jazz bar...

and a coffee & tea house!

Here's the back:

We are sooooo excited!! Mom said now she has something to look forward to, plus a better answer for the "What are you doing on your break?" question! I'll be posting more about it as it gets closer--woo-hoo!!!tte.

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Saturday, May 24, 2008

That's what I'm talkin' about!

Yup, I've got the redecorating bug again. Did our son's room, did the guest bathroom...now I want to repaint the whole front of the house to change the paprika and dark green to softer colors. Well, softer yet also more vibrant. More HAPPY! And less earth-tone-ish. I'm kind of over earth tones. Boooorrrriiiinnnggg. I need to happy up the place so I can bring in more happy colors!!
Ok, so see the circle mobile? There's a hint of a sage green, possibly my all-time favorite color. My current green is probably too saturated to really "go" with a melon or aqua. I may need to tone it down to be able to successfully incorporate the new colors. The color on the legs of the bench is perfect. Seriously.

See, now there's just a shot of the orange and turquoise here. It goes so nicely with the whites and beiges, though. I can see the aqua and orange on throw pillows, rugs, artwork, etc. rather than large doses of it.

Now, here I'm loving the citrus colors, ALL faves of mine. In fact, make me a lemon, lime and cantelope salad in a turquoise bowl and I'm in heaven. No, wouldn't eat it, I hate melon. But the colors, yes. So this look hits the mark.

This is just fun. Love the stripes!!

So, yeah, this is how my ideas grow. I'm not shy with color and once I commit, I'm all in. I go for it. So I'm in the prelimiary planning stages now. Stay tuned. I'll probably be painting within the month! :)

The Perfect At-Home Pedicure

I'll let you in on a little secret. Lean in real close, OK?

Nail techs at your local salon don't have any magical tools or skills to give you a pedicure that you yourself don't possess. GASP!!!

Every time I give myself a pedicure, I tell my hubby, "I just saved us forty bucks." $12, $25, $50, whatever--it's money in my pocket. I buy a $4 bottle of nail polish every-other month or so and maybe a new file here and there but once I assembled all my tools (for under $20), I was set to give myself a year of pedicures. And no one believes that I do it myself. You have the power to make your feet beautiful!!! Save the pedicures for special occasions and use that money on new flip-flops!!

So! To commemorate the holiday weekend and what is perhaps the official start to sandal season (it's sandal season in AZ 12 months out of the year), here is my tried and true "15 Steps to the Perfect Pedicure." This is not a "change your polish and go" pedicure, ladies. Your feet will look and feel like you just left the salon.

Here's what you need to assemble before you start, or maybe a trip to the local drug store is in order. Just remind your hubby about that money you're saving!! All the tools that you can use for at least 6 month will cost a tiny fraction of a pro pedicure!

TOOLS:
1. polish remover. If your polish is extra-stubborn (which some of the more expensive brands are), get the pure acetone one.

2. cuticle sticks (a.k.a. orange sticks)

3. scissors or clippers

4. good nail file

5. nail file with a fine surface (or a buffing block)

6. pumice stone or other callous remover

7. foot bath or plastic tub (or a bath tub!)

8. exfoliating foot scrub

9. foot lotion

10. nail polish (I prefer Revlon, L'oreal and OPI because they don't have the harmful ingredients)

11. toe separators, if desired

12. clear top coat

And here are the 15 steps. Yes, there are a lot but it makes all the difference!! Start checking out the nail section of your favorite stores--there's a lot of fun tools out there AND cute nail decals that really give you that professional touch!

15 STEPS:
1. remove old nail polish
2. push cuticles back with orange stick and gently scrape away dead skin
3. trim toenails to desired length
4. file toenails into desired shape
5. use fine file or buffer to smooth nail surface (removing small remnants of polish, dead skin and ridges)
6. use pumice or foot file around toenails to remove dead skin
7. soak feet in warm water (add salts or oils if desired)
8. when skin is soft, use pumice or foot file on calluses, paying special attention to heels, ball of feet and beneath big toe
9. apply foot scrub (it can be made by simply adding olive oil to salt or sugar)
10. remove and dry feet; apply lotion (you may want to leave it on overnight before continuing)
11. remove lotion from toenails with nail polish remover so the polish adheres better
12. apply toe separators
13. apply polish, allowing to dry between coats. After second coat, apply nail decals, if desired.
14. once dry, apply top coat
15. remove errant polish with a cotton swab
Enjoy your beautiful feet!!

Happy pedicuring, ladies! Let me know if you try it!

Friday, May 23, 2008

Fabric: feedback?

Ok, I am love, love, LOVING this color palette!! I got this wallet and already took it to color-match some paint chips, especially the peachy-orange color and the turquoise.

My home is aleady saturated with green, plus khaki and paprika. I'm thinking of neutralizing some of the green (not the kitchen, though--it stays); changing the paprika to a softer, peachier terra cotta; doing some cocoa or chocolate accents; and adding a good dose of my favorite color: TURQUOISE!! More of an aqua, actually. Here's some more Amy Butler fabrics. I'm picturing throw pillows and new cafe curtains for the dining area. Thoughts?? I'll number them. Feel free to comment.
1.
2.
3. The wallet is actually this fabric. Cool, huh?

4.

Friday's Find

This one is from Elm Studios on Etsy and sells for $12 ($15 with shipping). It can be personalized with your family name!! What a special gift.

They have lots of other fun things, many of which can be personalized, too, like this one that you can put your kids' names on. So cute!!

And this one is just precious.

Check them out by clicking the link below.
Elm Tree Studios

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Marital Rating Scale

Created by Dr. Crane in 1939. My score was an 17 which is Very Poor. It is HIL-ar-ious!! Stuff like "wears red nail polish" gets you points deducted while "dresses for breakfast" earns you points. Definitely a sign of the times. Check it out and post your score in the comments!! (click link below)

Marital Rating Scale

Mmmmmm


Mmmmm&Ms!! Limited edition "Mint Crisp" M&MS. Need I say more?

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

Giveaway at My Two Cold Feet!!

YES, it's a giveaway! Check her out--she's a fellow Arizonian!! Pop on over and leave a comment to enter. It's yummy!
(click link below)

TwoColdFeet

Weren't you dying to know...

...where my garage sale flowers ended up???
Well, here's the yellow roses for now, on my dining room table. I like the pop of color. When we entertain outdoors, they'll probably be moved to the back patio.

And the other arrangement is now on top of my curio cabinet in the Morning Room. It adds height and some nice brightness.

The other small project I did over the weekend was to create a little "book nook" in my son's room for him to sit and read--or just chill out. I wanna sneak in there with a glass of iced tea and a magazine!

I haven't accomplished much since so there's nothing else to report. Monday night was Bunco and last night I got a haircut and massage! Life is rough, huh??

Sunday, May 18, 2008

This is...my way of recycling

I'm a good recycler! And since I may be the only "This Is..." blogger in Arizona, USA, this is how we recycle here.
I keep a trash can in my kitchen to fill and my hubby takes it out and dumps it in the big blue bin about every-other day. I recycle absolutely EVERYthing I can, mostly boxes/cardboard, junk mail/magazines, aluminum cans and glass bottles.

Then Big Blue goes out once a week. For us, it's Friday. I wrote this on Friday so I snapped a photo. Ours goes out absolutely every week, usually overflowing.

Here's two of my other recycling tactics:
1. I keep a bag in my closet and when new clothes come in (and that's new-to-me new), old clothes go in the donation bag for Goodwill. I drop off at Goodwill at least once/month. I also shop a lot at Goodwill. THAT is good recycling!

2. I keep absolutely every shred of ribbon I get with invitations or gifts to use in my card making.

Can't wait to see everyone else's ideas!

Saturday, May 17, 2008

TGIS

I love Saturdays. I spent my my morning garage-saling, my afternoon shopping with my SIL and my evening having dinner and conversation at a friends' house with my hubby. Seriously. I couldn't have asked for a better day.
Naturally, I documented all of my shopping finds. You'll see a lot of "snagged" and "grabbed." I'm too tired to be more creative.
Here's the books and videos from the garage sale. The Mary Engelbreit decorating book alone was worth getting up early. My son found his books right away and sat down to read them.

I snagged a few clothes for my son, too, including Old Navy pants for fall.

With my black thumb, I grab any nice artificial flowers I can find and these were $3 each. Yeah, baby.

I grabbed this pile of stuff for my son to eat off of--all for $2. The sectioned plate alone would cost double that at the store. The bowls are a big ol' stack, perfect for popcorn or cereal.

At Old Navy, I snagged this tee plus the "2 for $5" flip flops--gotta have 'em.

I don't buy shoes very often so I'm making up for lost time. I got these for less than $8 at the Sketchers outlet--"Cute as a Button." SO cute! Buttons, rick rack, stitching, sequins--the works. My SIL bought a pair she loved so I got mine for half price! :)

I even scored these paper goodies--including manly paper to make Father's Day cards--at the Dollar Tree! See the BBQ tools?? And I love the colorful composition book!

And finally, here's me before our date tonight in my Old Navy tee. I love the pink bird!!

I'll post on Monday about what I did with my new flowers and the little project I did in my son's room. Can you wait that long??? :)

Friday, May 16, 2008

Tagged!!

For a fill-in-the-blank. I loooooove to fill in blanks and put little checks in boxes and all that. My mom worked at an insurance agency when I was about 8 and would give me forms to fill out. I'm a sucker for surveys in the mail. I'll even fill it out then throw it away. I like quizzes, too, like the "What's your decorating style?" quizzes in magazines. LOVE 'em!
So! Here ya go. I was tagged by my bud over at
Lily Eden
My answers are in bold.

1. There is absolutely NO way you can get me to...live someone else's life, not even for a day, and not for all the money in the world.


2. Bright red toenails and new flip flops...remind me that summer is almost here! Must be close cuz here's my toes!

3. I cannot live without my...ridiculously comfortable king-size bed. How did people ever sleep on the ground??

4. Running a bed and breakfast and publishing a book...are two things I’d like to try.

5. When life hands you lemons...whip up some lemon toner! It's just the juice of a lemon and half a cup of witch hazel. Mix it and shake it, then apply with a cotton ball. Store it in the fridge for an extra dose of refreshment!

6. Vacations at the beach...are my favorite childhood memories.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I’m looking forward to...a relaxing evening in. Tomorrow my plans include...shopping & having dinner at some friends' house. Sunday, I am going to...do the usual day-long church activities marathon.
I want to tag: anyone who wants to with the “fill in the blanks” questions! Enjoy!

Friday's Find

I'm on a budget, OK? So I gotta think ahead to the upcoming occasions and holidays so I can get things purchased and shipped on time, before I run out of money!
So my mind has turned to Father's Day and, naturally, Etsy never disappoints!! This is a super-cool "Me & Dad" album/scrapbook from my friend who made my Mother's Day cards, which were such a HUGE hit, I could've just sent the cards and they'd have been happy! Here's some of her pictures and here's the link. There's more pictures in her shop. Wouldn't it be so much fun to just add the pictures and captions?? What a sweet gift!!



LemonTreeStudio

Thank you, MsAzadi, for the help with the hyper link!! I finally did it!! :)

Thursday, May 15, 2008

flip-flop'n


I loooooove these! They're the new Pois flip-flops from Havaianas and are supposedly known for their comfort and durability. And they're CUTE!! The strap is actually metallic. And just $20! These are "golden sun."
I also found this pink pair. Oh, yeah!!

Wednesday, May 14, 2008

What I want for NEXT Mother's Day

I'll alert my family so they can start saving their money now. This baby retails for $350. It's the Olympus Stylus 770 SW camera.

Here's the blurb (emphasis mine):
"Shockproof. Waterproof. Freezeproof. Crushproof. Introducing the world's most durable digital camera — the Olympus Stylus 770 SW. You can drop it (from 5ft), dunk it (to 33ft), freeze it (-10°C/14°F) or even try to crush it (up to 220lbf), and it will still take amazing photos. But the 770 SW isn't all brawn and no brains. It features a bright 2.5" Hypercrystal LCD so you can easily compose, view and share your images underwater or in direct sunlight. Digital Image Stabilization (DIS) creates sharp, blur-free pictures, even if your subject is moving. And the 27 Shooting Modes, including movie with sound, allow you to master any shooting situation."
Holy mazoli!!!
It comes in blue, silver and brown. No pink??? I'll take the blue, then.

Dark and stormy skies...

...to match my mood.
I tried to get out yesterday (a little cabin fever) and take my son to the park but THIS is how it looked when we got there. This huge cloud moved right over us and it got all crazy-windy and even rained a little. It felt nice but we had to run to the car once and then he was more interested in changing the stations on the radio than on playing. Grrrr. I wasn't really in the mood to fight him, so we sat in the car and enjoyed the storm. I actually went to take pictures of the park because I'm hosting a play date there in a couple weeks but THIS was all I got before the battery died. Figures, huh?

Then this is the spot in the yard where we've decided to plant a tree or bush in memory of the baby that wasn't meant to be. We chose an angel (nay, a fairy, at my husband's insistence) to place next to it, just as a small memorial of sorts. The anniversary of our loss will always be Mother's Day in my mind so this will be a place I can go to say, "We will never forget you."

Monday, May 12, 2008

FYI

My pregnancy is over, for the handful of you who knew. It seems it was a "blighted ovum." After a very long week, I'm feeling better, except I now have a stomach bug. Ugh.

We are at peace with everything--our God is bigger than our circumstances. We know God has great plans for our family and we look forward to seeing them unfold. In the meantime, we have much to be thankful for!

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Happy Mother's Day!!

I hope you all enjoyed your Mother's Day, being honored yourselves and honoring the mothers in your life.
We had a very enjoyable day today!
My parents attended church with us and my hubby and I got to attend a service together--a rare treat because one or the both of us are usually serving. A dear couple took our place in the two-year-olds class--what a blessing.
Why is there a picture of me with my car? Because for Mother's Day, my husband treated me (or my car, actually) to a much-needed wash, detailing, transmission flush and oil change. My main love language is "acts of service," so this one hit the mark! MUCH appreciated!! He got me a lovely card, too, that made me cry. Even better, he got a card for my mom from our son and even had him "sign it" (scribble inside) and surprised us both. He is soooo thoughtful. He also got me a "Princess" tag for my car! See it in the back window?? That's my dad and our home in the background--a rare glimpse!

My parents went to a dinner in a local orchard last night and brought me back this basket o' peaches, right off the trees! They also got me this adorable over-sized tea cup and saucer/planter with fresh basil. YUM! I'll try to keep it alive long enough to EAT it!

After church, my mom and I ran to the grocery store (OK, mosied) and got fixin's for lunch--sandwiches, cole slaw, pasta salad and "junky" dip and chips. And root beer, yum! Plus THIS CAKE with the butterfly on top. Mmmm.

I got my mom this beautiful card from my buddy at Lemon Tree Studio on Etsy--all the ladies in my family got different variations of this one. She loved it.

She also got this flip flop bag from Baffin Bags, another Etsy friend! Loved that, too!! She was going to use it as an occasional tote bag but liked it so much that she's using it as a purse!

And this will be the test of who actually gets to the end of these long posts...
it was a bittersweet day today, too, because I'm having complications with my pregnancy and will be going to the doctor tomorrow. We're praying for a miracle but only God knows at this point. Will keep you posted.
Hope you had a great day, too!!