It's My Birthday and I'll Paint If I Want To

All I wanted for my birthday a few weeks ago was to give our Master Bathroom a make-over. Yes, I realize how lame this sounds. Birthdays are for flowers, fancy dinners, and spa days. In some cases. But I really am a simple gal at heart and all I truly wanted was to paint our bathroom (and not have a single person complain about it).

So that is what we did. And can I just say that if you need me, I'll be in my bathroom staring at my beautiful walls. Because I could NOT be happier with it.

Halloween Costumes on a Budget

It's almost time for Halloween! If you've been following me for awhile, you know I love a good homemade or unique Halloween costume. And the hubs and I love getting in on the fun too. :)

I almost always make or put together our costumes in some form or fashion instead of buying them outright. It's easier on our budget and I love that our costumes are one of a kind or have a unique spin in some way. That is why you'll be surprised to hear my shocking confession...I bought the children's costumes this year. Sorry, I should've made sure you were sitting down for that one.

DIY Chalkpaint

I love a good home project in the summer time. Last summer I repainted our front/back doors and the garage. This summer I decided to update our master bedroom furniture. And yes, I realize it is Fall now. Come back for Simple in '16 later this week to see why I am just now getting around to sharing about this DIY. #procrastinator

When we first got married we bought some nude furniture for super cheap and stained it ourselves. The bed we chose was a higher quality wood and turned out beautifully. The 2 nightstands and dresser were not quite as nice and looked decent at first but fast forward 14 years later and they look pretty beat up. The clear coat we put on top of the black stain was streaking and peeling off in places. And it was a beating to keep dust-free. Shiny black furniture is a dust-magnet. Drives. Me. Nuts. So this summer I decided it was time for a little furniture make-over...and that it was time for me to see what all the fuss is over chalkpaint.

Now, I'll be the first to admit that I'm more of a "wing it" kind of gal when it comes to home projects. This probably surprises many of you. But if I start doing too much research on how to do something properly it totally stresses me out that I won't do it the right way and I end up not doing it at all. So, yeah, I thought to myself, "I got you, chalkpaint. Bring it on."

Simple Tooth Fairy Pillow

We were at the State Fair last night when Channing discovered that she has her first wiggly tooth!!! Like really wiggly. She has been waiting for this for a long time. We are beyond excited for her (seriously...I think I'm more excited than she is!!).

Laundry Room Make-Over

As I was doing my January Purge earlier this month, I discovered that my laundry room was the room that was making me the most crazy. Like most people, our laundry room connects to the garage. It's the place where we go in and out each day. It's where we dump our backpacks, coats, lunch boxes, shoes, and pretty much everything else. 

Our laundry room isn't big. But luckily, it isn't super tiny either. There's space in there for an extra refrigerator, but we've never had the need for that. That room has some extra space, but not tons. And we haven't been using the space to its potential now that we are a family of four on the go. So I decided to change all that! 

Here are some before pictures. Not total disarray, but it could be more organized...and cuter. ;) 

When I first started planning how I would organize this room (and try to make it look cute without being clutter-y) I envisioned something totally different. And to be honest, it can be super hard for me if I can't find exactly what I have envisioned in my brain. However, I really tried to go into this make-over with an open mind. And I'm glad I did because it turned out a little different than I first imagined, but I love it! See for yourself:

I've had that awesome window since last summer and I just now got around to hanging it up. So for all you lovelies who think I am so 'on top of things' you can see that sometimes I'm not! ;)

And those green tubs may not be for everyone, but I LOVE the pop of color...and they were only $1.50 each at IKEA. Ummm...now do you see why I snatched them up?!? Side note: for all you peeps who like things symmetrical, I apologize that the 3 green tubs aren't all lined up in a row. What can I say? I like things a little funky. ;)

Oh, and in case your wondering what's in that adorable metal trash can...yep, you may have guessed it...it's my homemade laundry soap! 

It was Brad's idea to hang the hooks on 2 separate walls instead of 1 like I had planned. I loved his idea and in fact, I think it looks less clutter-y this way. And I love how the children can now be responsible for hanging up their own things since one row of hooks is at their height. #momwin

And lastly, I decided to hide my ironing board (that rarely gets used anyway) right behind the door. It's still easy to get to, but totally out of the way.

Now doesn't this laundry room make you want to do some laundry??? Ok, ok. Let's not get carried away. ;)

My Adventures with the Free Desk

Some of you probably remember my post about snatching a free desk and 2 chairs off my neighbor’s curb earlier this summer. I bet you thought I gave up on it, right? Yes, I know I’ve left you hanging concerning the end of this story and for that I apologize. To make it up to you, just know that this little project made me laugh, cry, and sweat for about 3 months, but I will always remember my adventures with the free desk.

Oh, the free desk. Nothing is ever really free, is it? Now don’t get me wrong. It was free in the sense that I didn’t have to buy it. And it cost me very little money to actually fancy it up a bit. And I LOVE how it turned out (don’t worry; you’ll get to see some pics I promise!). But that “little” project sure did give me some headaches!

Drab to Fab

My hubby and I served in the toddler class today at our church. I always grab the easiest "mom" clothes for this task because A) I know I'm gonna get dirty, and B) I know I'm gonna be on the floor playing at some point. So this is what I grabbed for today. 

Not the trendiest of outfits. In fact, I told my husband that I felt so bleh in these Capri pants, but we were running late and there was no time to change. 

When we got home from eating out after church I had the brilliant idea to change these drab pants into fab shorts...and that is just what I did! 

I used another pair of shorts that I love as a guide to decide on the length. I measured and pinned them all around leaving 2 inches for the hem. 

I decided that it would look super cute to have a cuff instead of a traditional hem so I folded them up about one inch and pressed them. 

Then I folded them up again about an inch and a quarter and pressed and pinned them. 

Then I just sewed them. I actually didn't have enough grey thread so I used grey for the top thread and white for the bobbin (underneath) thread. You won't be able to tell anyway! :) Now that's spontaneous sewing!!

Here's the finished hem/cuff. 

And here's me looking a little less drab and a little more fab! 

I was supposed to be cleaning my house for our out of town company who is coming this week. Maybe my cute new shorts will distract them from my less than perfectly clean house? Who am I kidding? Y'all know I'm gonna clean the house too!!

Homemade Laundry Soap

Today I made homemade laundry soap. Wait! Don’t let that scare you away yet! It is simple, super cost-efficient, and lasts FOREVER so trust me on this one. It’s worth your time. I stole this recipe from one of my favorite friends and I haven’t regretted it for a moment!

 

Here’s whatcha need:

 

1 box Borax (4 lbs)

1 box Arm & Hammer Baking Soda (4 lbs)

1 box Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (55 oz)

3 bars Fels-Naptha Soap (grated)

3.5 lbs Oxy Clean

Purex Laundry Crystals (optional)

Use 1-2 Tablespoons per load.

 

**I found all these ingredients in the laundry aisle at the grocery store (many were on the same shelf).

 

 

Here's whatcha do:

Use a cheese grater or a food processor to grate the Fels-Naptha. I’ve done it both ways with similar results. It is simpler with a cheese grater and then you don’t have to lug out the heavy food processor and take it all apart to clean it. It will look like grated cheese so make sure no little hands try to come snatch some as a snack!

 

Grab a big container (I mean BIG!). I use this metal trash can I found at IKEA when I did my laundry room makeover. It is the perfect size to mix it and store the extra. Dump everything in except the laundry crystals (I usually just add those a load at a time).

 

Then grab the biggest spoon you have and start stirring. You won't have to go to the gym this day because you'll get an arm workout from grating that soap AND stirring everything together. Whew! I bet you feel stronger already.

 

I used the empty Oxy Clean container to store a little at a time so that it’s easier to get on and off the shelf. Not fancy, but simple.

 



So there you have it! This recipe lasts our family about 9 months and cost me around $20 (remember to use 1-2 Tablespoons only per load) . And the best part is that it actually gets our clothes clean without all the fillers found in many brand detergents! And look how cute it would be as a little teacher or shower hostess gift? 

 

 

Now who's ready for a laundry soap making party??? :)

 

 

 

"Property Rehab" Wanna Be

My new favorite shows are “Property Brothers’ and “Rehab Addict.” I stumbled upon both of these accidentally and have been hooked ever since! One morning I was out in my yard picking weeds (insert disgusted face here) and lo and behold I see a beat up looking old desk and 2 chairs sitting on my neighbor’s curb in the trash pile. It’s like they were calling to me, “Make me pretty again!” Do I sound like Nicole Curtis yet?

I have a house full of furniture and absolutely nowhere to put such an addition. So I did what naturally came to me…I decided to snatch them right up! (With a little over-the-phone encouragement from my Austin BFF!) This is what I got myself into:

They’ve been sitting in my garage for over a month. Which means we have been forced to park one car in the driveway instead (shock, gasp!). My precious hubby has not complained once. Not once, people! Now that IS love! It is time to stop procrastinating.

Since I fall somewhere between the philosophy of the Property Brothers (total renovation) and the Rehab Addict (total restoration), I decided to give it a fresh coat of paint and “antique” it a bit.

So off I went to the local home improvement store to get some supplies for my new project. After hearing the paint guy’s suggestions on how to do it “properly” I almost gave up. Stripping, sanding, and glazing! Oh my! This was not sounding simple enough for me. And then it hit me…Oops Paint. And leftover fence stain. I felt like my brain grew just a little bit at that shining moment!

Now, here I am all ready for my new project…with my $5 Oops Paint and leftover fence stain. Oh, and I did splurge on a new paintbrush.

I have been a busy little painting bee this week (with help from some little hands…and I use the word “help” very loosely here). 

I’m a Property Rehab wanna be. Here’s a sneak peek:

Stay tuned for the finished project!!!