The Berry's Patch

Pssssssst, hey you....

2010-04-20T04:00:00.000-07:00

Yeah you.

I would like for you to meet someone.

Someone very special to me and super duper talented....

This is my young sweet second-cousin-first-removed.

But let just call her my cousin. First removed sounds dysfunctional.

Anyhoo, she has just opened her own etsy shop....

Why?

Well she has a passion for photography....

And she has decided to share her passion with us...

Her style of photos are fun, artistic and passionate....

Creative....

Original....

Imaginative...

Romantic...

And right now she is offering 15% off to anyone that I refer.

So go!

Just click on any of those beautiful images on the right side bar.

Your other right.

Or click here.

Just make sure you mention me when checking out to get the discount. :-)

Happy Easter Weekend....

2010-04-02T18:35:00.000-07:00

I finally dug out a few Easter decorations...talk about last minute....well last minute for me anyway. I'm usually a month ahead of the game.

This patch of grass is from Hobby Lobby. I tied two patches together for the center of my kitchen table. We are having friends over this weekend which is a good excuse to buy fresh spring flowers (not that you need an excuse!)....

I was also persuaded by Walmart to purchase these cute and so delicious looking cupcakes.
Darn them....

Here are a few bunnies around the house....

Happy Easter!

One easter decoration and a few changes...

2010-03-27T10:25:00.000-07:00

I suppose I'm not into decorating for Easter this year.

I only have this one little (but super cute) bunny out....

I have spent lots of time making changes to my sofa table....

And I've finally added some accessories above the cabinets....

I'm trying to keep this baby alive....

While these pictures have found their final resting place (I think)....

I haven't made any changes here but I love how it turned out so I'm sharing again...

And finally, I found some frames for our pictures...

This is my next project....

About a year ago I had this elephant chair reupholstered.
Now I'm thinking I should paint it black...what do ya think?

Family Picture Arrangements

2010-01-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

No I'm not MIA. Unless you call major focus on my house MIA. I thought I would have more time to blog during break but alas I've completely ignored you. All for a good cause though...my house.

I've been working on the following project for a month and a half. It's taken me that long to gather old family pictures, buy frames, arrange frames, re-arrange frames, find picture mats that fit frames and purchase vinyl lettering.

So how did I accomplish such a symmetrical picture arrangement you ask?

First, I purchased a package of frames from Walmart...an after Christmas sale. I picked up 13 frames for $13. Once I realized what a killer deal this was, I went back and got a second set. I didn't use all of them though. Only enough to make a perfect symmetrical square of pictures.

Starting on the floor, I arranged the pictures several different ways.

Once I was satisfied with the arrangement I hung them. I'm not about to mislead you at this point...there are several dozen holes in the walls behind those frames. I'm anal retentive when it comes to this kind of stuff. I moved each frame until I was satisfied.

Once the frames were in place, I then went through my old pictures and limited them to my favorite. I wanted to keep an "old" theme to this arrangement.

Here are a few...

That cute little guy in the front left corner...the one with the trouble making smile on his face...that's my dad.

This is also my dad...he's so darn cute!

This is my Maternal Great Grandparents holding my Grandfather...

My Maternal Grandparents. My Grandma was 15 and Grandfather 30 when they married.
(check out their washing machine to the left)

My mother when she was 16...

My Paternal Grandparents during the depression. The little girl who would have been my Aunt Carolyn died when she was 1 1/2 of spinal meningitis.

The man on the left is my Paternal Great Grandfather. He is pictured here with his brothers...NO it's not the James brothers.

I printed the pictures at Costco and placed them in the frames.

I also purchased these double sided sticky dots to keep the pictures in place.

The vinyl wall letters are from a local company called Polka Dot Skull. They customize any saying for a reasonable cost. Mine was only $19. I was able to choose the font, size and saying.

And there it is...first project of 2010.

PS. Hobby Lobby will cut picture mats to fit any size picture.

Merry Christmas...

2009-12-25T05:00:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

From The Berry's Patch

Christmas Picture 2009...

2009-12-23T05:00:00.000-08:00

My cousin did our pictures this year.

She did a fabulous job and it was so much fun.

Our Christmas card...

Happy Holidays!!

Cute Christmas Bathrooms...

2009-12-21T04:00:00.000-08:00

I found this cute stocking at Sam's Club for $6.00.

I had no idea what I was going to do with it but for 6 bucks it had to fit somewhere.

So, I decided to hang it on the mirror in the bathroom.

I stuffed it with one of my favorite ornaments and some greenery.

I have always wanted a Christmas soap dispenser. But, they are normally breakable. I found this one at Bath and Body works and it's a soft plastic. Perfect for little sometimes clumsy hands.

What's a cute Christmas bathroom without cute Christmas hand towel?

And there ya have it. Simple.

Also, my MIL is visiting from Florida so I thought I would hang these cute ornaments in her bathroom.

They all contain a picture of one of the grandkids.

I also want to thank all of you followers for sticking with me. I haven't had time to post a lot this year because of school and you all just hung in there with me. So, thank you! I finished my last final Thursday and have about 4 weeks off....which means more time to blog...yay!!

The Halls are Decked....

2009-12-11T04:33:00.000-08:00

Let's begin at the front door...

I purchased a simpler wreath this year for the front door....

Front Entryway....

I really tried to keep decorating simple this year.

I found this garland at Target last year for half off.

I added more berries and pine cones to make is fuller....

This is one of my favorite Santa's....

He has so many cute details...I must point them out.

I changed out my Fall pic's to Christmas pictures.

Formal living room....

Oh, she just had to be in the picture. Look at her beautiful green eyes...she's so pretty.

And if she doesn't keep her darn paws off my Christmas tree, she will be an outside cat.

Here is my tree topper.

I just wired him up there.

I must show off a few of my favorite ornaments....

Dining room....

You'll notice I'm missing a charger at one end of the table. I decided to keep my table extended after Thanksgiving. All I needed was one more charger. I had everything else. Well Walmart stopped selling them. I spent a day going from one Walmart to the next....nothing. Words cannot express the disappointment.

This little reindeer is one of my favorite Christmas decorations.

I placed him in the center of the table this year.

I used pine cones that my kids collected for me and garland underneath.

The kitchen did get a few Christmas decorations...

From the kitchen to the family room is one of my favorite views...

This year I added a small Christmas tree to the family room...

I purchased a skinny tree for the kids this year. I LOVE it. Takes up less room.

I used red and white lights...

I just had to make one of these ornament wreaths that I've seen around blogland.

Directions here.

And the kids Santa...
(which, in short means all the other Santa's are mine)

Next week is finals and then I'm on break for about 6 weeks. Just enough time to catch up with work. Did I mention I also work in addition to going to school? Anyhoo, see ya soon. :-)

Topiary Project...

2009-10-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

I was lurking around Miss Kitty's blog and found a simple but cute topiary that she made with items she already had. Since I'm on a holiday accessory diet, I thought I could tackle this project without spending a dime AND add some Fall to my outdoor eating area. (we have to add Fall colors here in the desert, they don't come naturally)

So I grabbed a pot from my pot stash and added a saucer.

I wrapped this old swag around the saucer.

And added a fall wreath/swag (whatever you call these things).

I didn't have a pumpkin...which is what I really wanted.
But I did have this iron pumpkin and candle.

And viola! A little more Fall to the Fall-less scenery.

A little more Halloweeny....

2009-10-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Halloween Decor in the Front Entryway...

I just noticed the kids shoes in the floor. :(

Remember Matilda from last year? Her mother is mysteriously missing this year.

I won this candle holder at bunco. I use those battery operated tea lights. I don't have to worry about forgetting to blow out the candle. I just turn it on and go.

Can you believe this cute little pumpkin is now 10 years old? Where does the time go?

A shoeless picture. :-)

Say hello to my little friend Bruce! Don't get too close though.

My youngest placed these huge spiders in the front window.
Do you think they'll keep solicitors away?

And of course the wickedest witch of them all is hanging out in the bathroom.

Oh she's not that bad. ;-)

You're probably sick and tired of seeing my dining room table.

However I can't help but show off two new items that I found at Ross.

This cute little...

well I'm not sure what the heck it is.
It's too small for a pitcher.
So I thought I could use it for gravy.

These cute little jars are for cream and sugar...I couldn't resist.

The temps are finally lower which means fuzzy blankets and hot cocoa every evening.

Oh, and one more thing...to the person that keeps buying all the candy cane cocoa at Sam's Club...watch your back girly...I will find you! ;-)

It's Fall Ya'll....

2009-10-01T05:00:00.000-07:00

Updated to join Rhoda's blog party at Southern Hospitality.

Well, technically it's not Fall here in the desert. In fact it was 104 degrees yesterday. But that wouldn't stop me from decorating for Fall...no not at all.

Here is Fall in the kitchen.

Although that big ol' jar of candy corn no longer exists, it sure made a nice picture.

Here are my dollar store pumpkins from last year.

Fall in the Family room...

This cute little box is from Darlene of Darlene's Days.

I changed out my pictures to my favorite Fall/Halloween pic's.

This cute little kitty box is from Cherry at Cherry's Jubilee.

And here is the only Fall you'll see outside.

My witches and spiders are out but that's for another time.

I can hardly wait for cooler weather. Bring on the fuzzy blankets and hot cocoa!!

Fall Table, A Few Scarecrows and School....

2009-09-24T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm slowly but surely getting my Fall Decorations out.

I bought these cute leaf plates at Walmart. An idea I got from Ceekay's blog. She has such great table scape ideas. In fact, it's completely her fault that I'm even decorating my table. ;-)

I bought this little tea light holder from the dollar store last year.

The S&P shakers are from Walmart.
(Maybe Walmart should start paying me for advertising?)

You probably remember my scarecrow bird house from last year.
He is sitting on a small fall wreath.

This little guy is also sitting on a fall wreath.

Well that's hardly it. I have lots more Fall and Halloween decorations to get out but it's going to take time with my school schedule.

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School...

I had a terrible week at school. Two tests and a quiz. My philosophy class was seriously kicking my butt. It's probably the hardest class I've ever taken.
(this being my second degree...I've taken a lot of classes)

Over the weekend I was studying for the test. I've always believed that if you didn't understand something you study more until you understand.

Well I finally laid my head in my hands and cried.

I'm NOT grasping the concepts. After reading the chapters over and over, it still wasn't clicking. It's part of philosophy called Logic. Maybe I'm just not logical, maybe I think with only my right brain. How in the heck do I get my right brain to expand its horizons?

I decided to go through with the test but if my grade was bad I would have to withdraw. The idea of throwing $300 bucks out the door doesn't appeal to me but neither does the stress. And for pete's sake, I can't cry over a test in front of my kids.

I would have to admit defeat and move on.

So I returned to class to get my test. The teacher lists on the board how many students got A's, B's, etc. It look like this:

A=9
B=15
C=11
D=1
F=0

There is one D. Could that be me? Could I be the only looser in the class?

This could be a huge hit to my self esteem.

Low and behold the teacher handed me my test....an A. What, is this my test? Talk about complete and total shock. I almost cried again. The young lady next to me was looking at me like I had lost my marbles. I had won this war, I had conquered this test, I fought the test and I won. Okay, so maybe it's not that big. But is sure felt BIG.

So I'm going to hang in there. It may take me extra study time, more crying and more stress but I'm determined to kicks its butt.

Fall and Halloween Inspiration...

2009-09-18T19:47:00.000-07:00

While I'm still arranging (and rearranging) my Fall/Halloween decorations...I thought I would share some inspiration pic's I took last year at a local store.

If these pictures don't get you in the mood for Fall...nothin' will.

I should have picture's of my Fall decor soon...but seeing that I have a this need to arrange and rearrange my decoration many times,
it just may be awhile. :-)

Dining room, play date and new do....

2009-09-11T10:47:00.001-07:00

Whew, that's a lot to cover in one blog post so I'll keep is short & sweet.
(emphasis on the sweet)

Dining Room Tour.....

Remember my new dining room table that I purchased off of Craig's List?

Well, I've been busy decorating it.

I purchased these wicker chargers at Walmart.

The glasses are from a yard sale.

I made these napkins out of fabric that I loved.

And placed an already made napkin under it.

Don't ask me why I needed to double up on napkins...I have this weird decorating sickness.

I found these sparkly napkin rings at Bed Bath & Beyond.

I also changed out my side table for this dresser. It may be weird to have a dresser in the dining room but it works.

I have room to keep my holiday plates, napkins, etc.

I also got out a my pumpkin that I made last year.

This is a wise man from Japan that my mother in law gave me.

He doesn't say much, but he looks wise...huh?

Play date.....

I had the honor of babysitting my niece a few weeks ago.

She is so sweet!!

My youngest couldn't keep his hands off of her.

Or in this case...his head.

New Do....

Last but certainly not least...I couldn't take my hair anymore in this 113 degree weather.

It takes about 5 minutes to do.

And that gives me an extra 20 minutes to type a blog post.

Summer in a Nutshell...

2009-09-04T18:23:00.000-07:00

How do I begin this post? I've been gone for so long.

See, I thought I would get a class out of the way during summer vacation. Well that class (English 102) took up most of my summer. Darn class.

Anyway, I'm back...and here is my summer in a nutshell...

It began with a homework burning ceremony. Followed by roasted marshmallow.

Lots of time in the pool with the neighbor kids.

Lots of swimming in our undies...because we can. ;-)

Fun in scout camp.

Picking up creepy crawlies.

My attempt at growing a watermelon garden.

Visiting my favorite Aunt on the 4th of July.

A quick trip to Universal Studio's.

And a cruise in the Caribbean.

Well, that's it...summer's over.

Bring on the fall leaves, sweaters and hot chocolate.

Okay, who am I kidding.

Summer isn't over until October here.

I do have one fall decoration out...just to hurry things up a bit.

Finals...

2009-05-05T10:01:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I haven't posted for over a month. I'm having blogging withdrawals. I just wanted to post today to let you all know I miss you. I'm studying for finals the next two weeks. However, I have my summer project list and can't wait to start blogging again.

Easter Decorations....

2009-03-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

I've finally taken out all of my Easter decorations. Boy, what a task.

Let's start in the front entry way.

These cute wooden bunnies are on the stair landing...

I love the little details on them...

Here is my dining room.
Ceekay, close your eyes girl.
My table is no where near as cute as yours.
Maybe you could help me in this department one of these days.

Kitchen...

Family room...

Guest bathroom...

Guest bedroom...

And take a look at my spring flowers. :-)

I'm trying to stay outdoors and enjoy the beautiful weather we are having (77-80 degrees). Eventually it will be 110 degrees out and yucky!

St. Patrick's Day Treasure Hunt

2009-03-17T10:07:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I wanted to share a treasure hunt that we did for the kids.

Supplies:

Green Construction paper,

A downloaded clover template,

A few silly, made up clue's,

And chocolate coins

Here are my silly, made up clues. Feel free to laugh at them and copy. Or, make up your own. :-)

We ye Irish,
yes that's what we are,
to find the next clue you
must Jump afar.

You are excited as can be
but to find the next clue little Irish man,
you must look in a Shoe.

Now that you're running amuck
you must look inside a Truck.

Your excitement is higher
but to find the next clue
you must look where it's Dryer.

Although it sounds bitter your
next clue is next to the kitty L*****.

I'm cooking and hot,
guess where I am...or not.

I've got giants and robots running around,
can you guess where your next clue is around?

Don't get hit by a puck
looking for your next clue...good luck?

St. Patrick' s Day Decorations...

2009-03-03T04:00:00.000-08:00

I've had these decorations for about 8 years and this is only the second time I've taken them out of the box. I usually get out my bunnies by now. But this year I thought I would take them out for a couple weeks (at least) before I get out the Easter decorations.

I bought all of them from Terry's Village. Does anyone know if they are still around? They had the cutest holiday decorations.

These 3 leprechauns are made of wood from a stair railing.

This guy is supposed to hang from a door knob.

I think these blocks are my favorite.

I placed this plaque behind the sink. I just love the two little leprechauns.

Well, I'm officially addicted to Craig's List. I don't think I'll buy any furniture new again. I can find just about anything on there for less. I'm now looking for shelves for my sons lego collection. They have taken over his room. It may take me a few weeks to find what I want but, like my dining room set, it will be worth the wait.

Replacing Furniture, Avoiding Homework, Guest Bathroom Update...

2009-02-26T04:08:00.000-08:00

Some of the side effects of being in school are amazing. Yep, while you're studying and doing homework, the most amazing thing happens....you're all of a sudden motivated to clean bathrooms...no kidding. Once your bathrooms sparkle, you notice the base boards need to be dusted. Once that's done you start replacing furniture.

Remember my family room? It went from dark and cold...

To soft and fuzzy...

Dont'cha want to curl up and watch a movie on it?
Dont'cha wish your couch was soft like mine...dont'cha?

Moving on to the dining room. I recently discovered Craig's List. Yes, I realize I'm the last person in the United States that has heard of it. But better late than never, right?

Anyway, here is my table before...

And here is the baby I got on Craig's List. Isn't she a beaut? It came with 8 chairs and a 14 inch leaf.

Moving on to the guest room. *I told you I've been busy avoiding homework* This sleigh bedroom set was also on Craig's List.

I bought this just in time for my Aunt and Uncle to visit on Valentines. I still have more decorating to do in this room...stay tuned.

The guest bathroom, which is also the kids bathroom, got an update. New shower curtain...

New soft white towels hung under the family pic's.

My basket of goodies for the guests...

New white shower mat...

I figure it's best that the kids don't share shower mats with the guests. I like it also because it doesn't have a rubber backing...hate those.

Anyhoo, I'm so thankful for school. I'm getting a ton done now at home. Who knew?

Don't Call The Police!

2009-02-13T12:08:00.001-08:00

Some of you are emailing me making sure I haven't fallen off the planet. You sure know how to make a girl feel loved! I've had my nose stuck in books the last few weeks...National Government and World Religion to be exact. Talk about interesting!

Anyway, I want to wish you all a Happy Valentines Day. My hubby is out of town...sadly. But I'll be spending it with my favorite Aunt. She should arrive anytime now. I have goodies set out...

Here's a tip...buy flowers a few days before Valentines. They're 3 times cheaper.

My kitchen smells wonderful with these roses.

I also want to thank Pajamamama and Kitty Scraps for this award! Thank you ladies for thinking of me!

I'm checking your blogs daily and keeping up with the blogging world. It's a nice break from homework.

Valentine Project & Decorations...

2009-01-26T01:00:00.000-08:00

Thank you all that left supportive comments on starting school last week. Sadly, I was lost the minute I walked onto campus. Even though I had a map and highlighted exactly where my classes were located.

Anyway, I learned two things last week.

1) Never answer "yes" on a questionnaire that asks you if you know what caused the mortgage crisis...without being capable of explaining it in front of the WHOLE flippin' class.

2) I need to exercise. Holy cow my arms hurt from carrying two books....that's really bad! And I had to walk two miles from my car to the school. I was out of breath...which caused me to become disoriented and get lost. (I can come up with the best excuses for stupidity!)

Moving on....

Recently I was visiting Jen ni at A Nest to Keep and found this fun Valentine project. She purchased little mailboxes for each of her kids. From now until Valentine's Day they will each get a little treat and/or card. Oh, I just love this idea!

So, I found these mailboxes at Walmart for $4.00 each. They came with valentine stickers & stencils.

I had the kids get to work decorating...

And viola, they are ready for Valentine mail...

I bought little gifts for under $1.00 to give them inside their mailbox...

Now, for my Valentine Decorations...

I really didn't have any Valentine decorations until last Tuesday. I was shopping at the local grocery store and found these cute little bears...oh, I'm in love!

I wondered if there could possibly be a boy bear that matched. I dug down to the bottom of the basket and found him...

So, here is my Valentine display. Yep, that's it. That's all folks.

I know what you're thinking...I need more Valentine decorations. I'll get right on that. ;-)

I'm heading back to school...

2009-01-20T01:00:00.000-08:00

Well, I just wanted to let you all know I'm starting school today. I've decided to go back and get my bachelors degree. I've thought about it for years now and decided to just DO IT.

I'm a little nervous. It's been awhile since I've been to school. I won't tell you how long.

I was talking with my husband and kids over dinner and casually asked what I should bring on my first day. My youngest said "scissors". Then I proceeded to ask if I could borrow his crayon box. I also thought it would be fun to find a Holly Hobbie backpack. My kids just looked at me confused and asked "who is that?"

Well, wish me luck. Do you think the other kids will like me?

Award & Addictions...

2009-01-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

I'm updating this post to join Hooked On Houses blog party.

Girly Stuff has given me this "Fabulous" award and asked that I list 5 addictions. So here is goes:

1. Coffee - I hate to admit it but I would be a cranky, unlikable person if I didn't have my morning cup of joe.

2. Blogging - If you're NOT addicted, raise your hand......I'm not seeing many hands.

3. Tinkering - I love trying accessories in different areas of the house or moving furniture around. My husband laughs at me and tells me I'm sick. I agree!

4. Little Debbie cakes - I can eat a whole box during certain times of the month.

5. Lamps - I LOVE lamps. This is a sickness that has been passed down to me by my ancestors. I also love moving my lamps around to different areas of the house. See below...

Okay, I'm going to share with you just how sick my lamp addiction is. Anyone that wants to donate to my therapy fund may do so. I take paypal. :-)

Remember these lamps? Come along with me while I show you their journey around the house. They started out here in the foyer...

They moved to the family room...

To the front living room...

A better pic...

Back to the foyer. I should have just kept them there but what fun is that?

These buffet lamps were moved from the dining room...

I painted them, added fringe (don't have a fringe pic handy) and moved them to the foyer table....

Now they are back in the dining room...

I may move them back to the foyer next Halloween. I thought they looked great with my Halloween decorations...

The family room lamps have gone from these...

To these new lamps from Costco...

When I decided to buy these lamps, my son said "that's the last thing we need, more lamps".

I wonder what other areas of the house I could try these lamps?

Here are more lamps around the house.
I told you I was addicted.

I have more lamps (no kidding) but I've decided to share them in another post.

Before you take me...the mad, psychotic lamp women off your blog list, come back next week for my Valentine project and decorations. I had to buy Valentine decorations just for my blog...is that pathetic?

Thank you Girly Stuff for the award and tag!

Slumdog Millionaire...

2009-01-11T09:50:00.000-08:00

Hi there my dear blogging friends! I'm so sorry I haven't posted yet this new year. I've been taking a blogging break. To organize, read, catch up with work, etc. All those things that I couldn't do over Christmas break.

Anyway, I wanted to share with you a movie that I absolutely LOVED. (I'm not exaggerating here)I don't think I've ever posted about a movie on this blog but thought Slumdog Millionaire definitely deserved a shout out.

It's won 4 Golden Globes and could possibly be an Oscar favorite. It's not in all movie theaters yet but should be soon.

Anyway, I should be posting more throughout the week. I've got a cute Valentine project I want to share AND I'm going to share my "addiction".

Favorite Projects 2008...

2008-12-29T19:37:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share a few of my favorite projects over the past year. Most of these projects were ideas that I took from your blogs. How awesome to share ideas with others out there in the world.

Here is our front entryway that I painted. I should have done this project earlier but I procrastinated like usual...worried that it wouldn't look right. Well, I should know by now it's only paint. (note to self)

Before:

After:

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This diaper cake was the CUTEST project. Don't you agree? Go here to get directions.

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I organized a ton over the past year. One area that was bugging me to death was the TV area in the playroom. (Gosh I hate those wires!)

Before:

After:

After, after:

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Remember when I bought my new blogging/work desk? I was skipping out to my car.

Before:

After:

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This was another area in the kitchen that kept bugging me. More wires!

Before:

After:

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Remember when I went on a red paint rampage?

Before:

After:

Before:

After:

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These turkey cookies from Thinkin' of Home were a hit at Thanksgiving dinner.

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This last project would win project of the year award...if I had such an award. It was the most needed project.

Remember I have a dog that eats kitty poo?

Before.

After:

I drilled a hole big enough for kitty but small enough to keep Rustolium out.(Darn dog)

This box works double duty as a time out spot...

Well, I feel as though I accomplished a lot over the year, thanks to blogging. I'm excited for the new year and new projects. Please keep them coming and Happy New Year!

New York...

2008-12-16T12:10:00.000-08:00

This past week I visited New York for the very first time. I had an amazing time. It's such a beautiful city. My hubby had to work for the first two days.

So what's a girl to do alone in New York?

Well, you go here...

And see this...

And when you haven't had enough, you go see this...

On Sunday, my hubby didn't work so we put on our walking shoes for some major site seeing.

First, we got a tour of Fox News. My cousin, Rick Reichmuth, does the national weather for Fox.

Here we are on the set of Fox and Friends with my cousin.

More pictures of the studio...

Anyone know who's office this is?

Here is Rockefeller Center. Our hotel was right around the corner.

Saint Patrick's Cathedral...

My very handsome cousin also gave us a tour of Central Park.

Can anyone guess who this is...

My hubby refused to leave Central Park until we found this statue. It was very important for the kids.

Can anyone guess which recent movie this building was in? You probably have kids if you know.

Look at this beautiful carriage. Talk about romantic!

Speaking of romantic...we took the subway to Greenwich Village. There was a very romantic restaurant called The Place.

This was our last dinner in New York. We were tired but not ready to go home. We hopped back on the subway to meet one more special lady before we headed home.

We made it just before the sun set.

What a beautiful city. I truly did not want to leave.

Christmas Pic, Take 20...

2008-12-10T20:11:00.000-08:00

This year I thought it would be COOL to take pictures of the kids jumping on the trampoline for the yearly Christmas card.

I took a few pictures of my daughter and oldest son and sent them on their merry way.

I get to my youngest...

Okay, this one is my fault...

Rapper Z here...

Ornery little booger.

I've also been tagged by Girly Stuff

1. Egg Nog or Hot Cocoa? Definitely hot chocolate every night during the winter.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just put them under the tree? Santa wants to save a tree and skips wrapping

3. Colored lights or white lights? White inside, colored/white outside

4. Do you hang a mistletoe? No, but I should

5. When do you decorate for Christmas? Usually the day after Thanksgiving. This year was the week before because I was so excited about my new tree.

6. Favorite Holiday Dish? Ham with pineapple sauce

7. Favorite Holiday Memory as a child? Asking Santa for two dolls and receiving them. What a shock!

8. When and how old did you learn about Santa? About 8 years old, my stinkin' brothers.

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Yep, tempted to open all of them though.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? With lots of Santa's. I just love that man!

11. Snow, love it or dread it? Love to visit but hate to live in it.

12. Can you ice skate? Slowly

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? My husband

14. What's the most important thing about the holidays to you? Being with my family

15. Favorite Holiday Dessert? Mom's Fudge

16. Favorite Holiday Tradition? Waking up Christmas day, seeing what Santa brought and going back to sleep.

17. What tops your Christmas Tree? Santa

18. Which to you prefer, giving or receiving? Both

19. Candy Canes, yum or yuck? Yum! I love minty fresh breath

20. What do you want for Christmas? Hmmmmm, nothing really.

22. Do you attend an annual Christmas party? No

23. Do you dress up for Christmas Eve or pajamas? Neither

24. Do you own a Santa hat? Yep, one for each dog.

25. Who do you normally spend Christmas with? My husband and children

Kids Tree...

2008-12-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Last year one of my best friends gave me this adorable snowman for Christmas. I loved his scarf so much that I went shopping for Christmas ornaments that matched.

I also bought a little of this...

A few strands of these...

A bundle of these...

Lots of these...

And one of these... (Actually, we already had her)

I let the kids go to work and viola! Their very own Christmas tree.

I thought I would help out and make a beautiful bow for the top.

But the kids protested (something about it looking girly) so they settled for these...

We used only red & white lights.

And placed it at the top of the stairs...

They also have their own Santa...watching their every move (so they think)

Hulk says HI!

Thank you all for helping me with my blog design. I've decided to go with Laura from Making A House a Home advice. She said to make a blog for each of the 9 pictures. You would visit all 9 blogs, right? I have a feeling some of you Rob Pattinson's fans would. ;-)

New Blog Layout...

2008-12-06T09:31:00.001-08:00

I've been thinking of changing my blog layout. I'm wondering if you could help me pick the design...

Design #1

Design #2

Design #3

Design #4

Design #5

Design #6

Design #7

Design #8

Design #9

Although I took these pictures off the internet, don't even think about it. He's mine, all mine!

Help, I need some Edward therapy?

Decked the Halls...

2008-12-03T06:00:00.000-08:00

Last year I knew I would need to stock up on ornaments. I was determined to buy a new tree this year and let the kids have the old tree to themselves. After all, the tree was 11 years old...in dog years...that's old.

So I hit the after Christmas sales last year...

I wasn't sure when, what, where or how I was going to get a new tree but determined to find one...at a reasonable cost of course.

A few weeks ago I driving through my neighborhood and low and behold there were 3 yardsales...yikes!

Sitting out on the curb was this beauty. It was meant to be.

I had an absolute ball decorating my own tree.

I have a secret crush on Santa. I own about 13 little statues of him.

Of course he is my tree topper.

Here is the front entryway...

I love the details on this Santa.

The kids also had a blast decorating their tree. I'll show you the results in another post. Meanwhile, go ahead and laugh at my new header...it's wishful thinking on my part.

Antique Christmas...

2008-12-01T08:52:00.000-08:00

I recently visited my Aunt. You would love her! She loves antiques, decorating, cooking, etc. Her house is full of antiques. I took pictures of every inch of her house. Don't worry...I'm only sharing a few pictures this post.

She loves to accessorize...

I love this little bench with the adorable teddy bear.

Dining room...

You can find antique furniture through out her entire home.

Including antique pictures...

Her front porch was also decorated for Christmas...

My beautiful Aunt...

I wondered where I got my accessorizing gene from. I will show the rest of her house in my next post. She has tons of wonderful collections.

Of course, I'm getting my Christmas decorations out. I will share when they are just right...promise.

Happy Thanksgiving...

2008-11-26T08:00:00.000-08:00

While you're getting ready for the big day...

I thought I would show you an easy recipe I found recently on Thinkin' of Home.

It just two striped cookies, a chocolate covered cherry and a piece of candy corn. Then you use chocolate frosting for the glue.

I almost hate to eat these cuties.

I hope you all have a relaxing Thanksgiving. I'll be pulling my hair out as usual. Let the fun begin!

Friends House At Christmas...

2008-11-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

Okay, I'm in need of a post title idea for this one...I'm drawing a blank.

I wanted to share my friends house during Christmas last year. She lives in Palm Springs and is probably my only friend that decorates like me. Well, I decorate like her. :-)

Here is the entry to her courtyard.

One of the reasons I love her decorating so much is that she keeps it simple.

It doesn't look like Christmas threw up all over her house. Just simple Christmas touches here and there.

My friend knows how to entertain. She always has the table set just right. (I take notes every time I visit)

And here is her Christmas tree...

I love how the ribbon looks. She said it only took her a few hours to get it just right.

Have you all started your Christmas decorating yet? I can't wait to get more ideas! :-)

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I would like to thank Girly Stuff for this award. She is a very funny girl...that girly stuff...and she knows how to decorate. If you haven't met her yet, you're in for a treat!

I would also like to thank Life with Lisa Ann for this beautiful butterfly award. I think I'm the only one that has this award...I haven't seen it around anyway. So nana nana boo boo!

You should check out Lisa Ann's blog for great recipes, ideas and beautiful country pic's.

Obama & McCain's Meeting...

2008-11-18T08:09:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Welcome Home...

2008-11-09T17:53:00.000-08:00

Welcome to my new home.

Here we have the FORMAL living room...

Here we have the FORMAL dining room....

And here is my drop dead gorgeous kitchen....

I know what your thinking....

This looks like a model home....

Well, I say stop ruining my dream please...

And here we have the family room...

The gorgeous stone entertainment center complete with faux TV....

Shall I show you the upstairs????

Here we have the master bedroom... You can see the tray left from my hubby bringing me breakfast this morning. BTW, he does this every morning.

Okay, okay...a girl can dream can't she?

Did you miss me?

2008-11-06T20:24:00.001-08:00

I'm so sorry I haven't posted in over a week. I've been cleaning my shower.

Yep, is was that bad.

Actually, my hubby and I took a little trip to Palm Springs. We needed some alone time. It rarely occurs at home with three kids, three dogs & a cat.

We stayed at the gorgeous Bermuda Dunes.

We must have "animal lover" tattooed on our foreheads. This was at our hotel door all night.

It was a relaxing getaway. Except for worrying about the darn cat outside the door all night. I tried to let him in, which would have been awkward to say the least.

Anyhoo, glad to be back. Missed you all.

I also want to thank Carrie of Carrie's Little World for giving me this award.

Thank you girlfriend. You are awesome!

(BTW, I did clean my shower but it only took one day. Scrubbing Bubbles did an awesome job) :-)

Halloween Favorites...

2008-10-28T23:59:00.000-07:00

I've gathered some of my favorite pictures from the past.

My kids are so excited for the Halloween party on Friday at school. They always have a parade so everyone can see the cute costumes.

I hope ya'll have a safe and fun Halloween. Don't eat too much candy. You've got save room for the turkey coming up. :-)

I couldn't help myself....

2008-10-26T23:59:00.000-07:00

Remember this adorable scarecrow that Darlene of Darlene's Days made?

Well, I couldn't help myself. I begged her into making me one. All I had to do was send her a picture of me on my hands and knees begging.(Not really) He is now my favorite Fall decoration.

She used colors that fit in with my decor. Thanks Darlene! Sorry you had to see that awful picture of me begging. ;-)

I also promised to show you the diaper cake that I made for the baby shower.

It turned out to be the cutest thing I've ever made.

And since he is the cutest thing ever, here are a few more pictures.
(I only took about 60 pictures)

I'm so glad the shower is over. We had about 30 guests for the shower. It was a total success. ~~Thanks to my diaper cake.~~ Thanks to all the people that helped. I didn't have to worry about anything but the diaper cake and punch...oh and a clean house.

If you would like instructions for the diaper cake go here. I must warn you though, her blog is addicting.

Oh My....

2008-10-23T18:27:00.000-07:00

I'm totally blown away by the friendships that I've made through blogging. What a great network/support group to have in our everyday lives.

Yesterday I received a gift from Cheri of Gamma's Gab. In the box was peppermint cocoa and a mug. You probably remember in my last post I said peppermint cocoa makes me happy. Thank you Cheri for such a sweet gift!

I've never told Cheri how I found her in blog land. I was checking my google analytics and found her blog as a referral site. I didn't recognize her blog name so I looked it up. I was so excited that she had listed my blog under her favorite blogs. So I commented on one of her posts (I'm sure she was wondering how I found her) and then she commented back. And so, the friendship begins.

Some of you have asked what the heck have I been up to since I haven't posted in awhile. Remember that babyshower I promised to host? Well, I'm officially running around like a headless chicken. I promise I'll be back after it's over. I can't wait to show you the diaper cake that I made. I turned out adorable.

Brandee :-)

Awards & Running Through Grass...

2008-10-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

Ruby Red Slippers from Lions, Tigers and Boys, Oh My has given me the BFF Gold Card. Thank you Ruby! This is the first time receiving the BFF award.

I would like to pass this award on to the following friends...

1. Connie from Connie's turning 50

2. Cheri from Gamma's Gab

3. Darlene from Darlene's Days

4. Cindy from Love from MN

5. Rae from My Life on the East Coast

6. Laura from Making A House a Home

7. AJ from A Work In Progress

I've developed such a great friendship with these ladies that I can truly call them my BFF's...Blogging Friends Forever. I feel like they would stay my friends even if I don't post for awhile. Like real life friends that don't talk for awhile and then can pick up where they left off.

Ruby Red Slipper has also given me this beautiful Kreative Blogger Award. I've seen such talented ladies in blog land receive this award. So I'm very honored to receive it.

With this award, I need to list 6 things that make me happy.

1. Legos (I have boys)

2. Decorating (no surprise here)

3. Peppermint Hot Cocoa (I can't find it anywhere yet)

4. My Hubby (for all sorts of reasons)

5. Christmas trees (I could have one in every room of my house)

6. Reservations (I hate cooking)

Last week I listed 6 unimportant things about me and had a hard time listing them. Well my good friend Debbie of Ribbonwood Cottage had a few questions of her own.

(Debbie) I enjoyed your tag info...I have some more questions.

Are you project oriented, do you procrastinate, how long do you blog everyday?

Most of the time I'm project oriented but get lazy every so often and then procrastinate. I probably blog a few hours most days. Sometimes I have to ignore my computer totally and get housework done.

What is your favorite beverage, meal, treat?

Peach tea from Logans Roadhouse, steak at Logans Roadhouse & fudge.

What excites you when you shop?

I get excited when I find something for my house that is on sale. I could seriously skip out to my car.

What do you dream about, hope for, wish for?

I dream about living on a farm with lots of animals, tons of green grass and a rider mower to keep up with the grass. Whenever I've been depressed or in pain I always picture myself running bare foot through hills of grass. I have no idea why this makes me feel better.

Thank you Debbie for asking such great questions!

Scariness...

2008-10-08T23:02:00.000-07:00

No, I haven't fallen off the planet. I've been busy. I seriously don't know how the supermoms out there do it. Life is just too crazy sometimes. Between soccer practice, cub scouts and life in general, I hardly have time for myself. I'm just now catching up with housework and have finally taken some pictures of my Halloween decorations.

Meet Matilda...

This was Matilda's mother, until she turned her into a pumpkin.

They are placed happily on my front entryway table.

This is Bruce. He is happy I let him stay inside this year.

This picture is for Shaila at de Bergs. She loves clocks and I promised her I would post a picture of my Halloween clock. At every hour it makes scary, haunting sounds. It scares me almost every time.

Here is my cat from Cherry at Cherry's Jubilee. He sits on my entertainment center.

This little lady hangs out in the bathroom. The one that gets the most action.

My MIL used to buy us stuffed Halloween characters every year. They sit inside this basket by the front door.

And now for the REAL scary stuff....

This is me 4 wheeling last weekend.

Feel free to enter this photo into the next America's Top Model contest. I'm sure it's a winner. ;-)

While 4 wheeling with my family my youngest found a tarantula. He was so excited. My father, who is a real outdoors man, caught it for a photo and then let it back into the wild. Now, that is scary!

Last but not least...

Taking a picture of oneself in the mirror seems to be the blog thing lately.

Plus, I really don't want you to remember me by the 4 wheeling picture. Yucky!

What time is it ?

2008-10-02T21:44:00.000-07:00

Is it weird to want a clock primarily for it's beauty and not it's time? If so, I guess I'm weird. I've come to accept this genetic trait that's been handed down from my ancestors. It's all their fault that I'm weird. I just know it.

I was reading one of my favorite blogs My Life on the East Coast and noticed something beautiful above her desk in which she blogs from. A gorgeous iron clock. I wanted one really bad.

Well, Hobby Lobby was having a sale (can you believe it?) on all their iron stuff. It wasn't exactly like my friends but it was close.

You would think with this large piece of iron I would know what time it is. However, my working/blogging space is in my bedroom. I can't have anything that ticks and tocks all night. But I think it's beautiful just the way it is. Even if it doesn't speak.

Did I mention that I have my own little personal back supporter and space heater? Yes, she sits on her pillow while I work and/or blog. She is very warm.

I also have a black kitty that sits on my desk while working. Isn't she pretty? I think those that say they're not cat people have never been loved by a cat. The relationship between a cat and her owner is special.

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I've been tagged by The Hinesley House to post 6 random things about myself. So here is goes:

1: I love pets. Including the lazy kind.

2: I'm a very political person. I take my voting privilege very serious. I read each and every proposition and watch all debates. I know my ancestors before me didn't always have this right.

3. I love reading with my youngest every night. He is the only one of my kids that loves reading. (I know, sad) So, I take advantage of it and let him read for almost an hour. He is 6.

4. I'm a very loyal friend. Once we are friends, it's hard to get rid of me.

5. I'm feeling very tired at this point and can't think of any other random things about me.

6. Are you still reading this?

Thanks Hinseley House for tagging me. Anyone that would like to play along is welcome.

Halloween Extravaganza...

2008-09-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

I recently visited a local store called The Gilbert Manor. They had the cutest Halloween decorations. Keep count of how many project ideas you get here.

I'm salivating over all the ribbon.

Oh, they have a nice little statue of me.

Forget the decorations here, I want the cabinet.

Here they placed those Christmas candle sticks inside the jars.

Look how cute those plates are.

Oops, dropped my hat.

I would love to have this arrangement at my front door.

My mother just asked me if she could host a baby shower at my house. With a gulp, I said yes. I tend to go nuts knowing lots of people are coming over. I go into project overdrive and ignore the kids and hubby for a few days. I'm excited though. I've always wanted to make the diaper cake that I saw here. I plan to dress it up with Halloween colors.

Have a great week! Thanks for letting me know I wasn't the only person in the world that didn't know how to can food. I actually just finished my second jar of peaches. Yum!

It's never too late and awards...

2008-09-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

It's never to late to learn new things. I was having lunch with some friends yesterday and mentioned that I've never canned food. Well, they decided to teach me. So today we all went to Millie's house for the canning experience.

I started with a hostess gift...

And some jars...

Meet Millie a/k/a hostess and canning expert.

Meet Millie's mom a/k/a Millie's canning mentor...

Meet Cyndi & Rosalyn a/k/a the helpers...

We peeled...

And we sliced...

And we talked, joked and had fun...

We even licked the bowl clean....

And viola! Don't they look beautiful?

Okay, let's get real. I don't really need to can food living in Arizona. But, I LOVE peaches and what a good excuse to get together with girlfriends. Not that you need an excuse.

Peach Cobbler Recipe:

1 stick of butter
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup sugar
dash salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup milk

Melt one stick of butter in 9x9 baking dish. Mix together flour, sugar, salt, baking power, vanilla. Gradually add milk

Pour over butter, don't mix

Spoon on peaches

Sprinkle on Cinnamon

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes

You must include vanilla ice cream

Yum!

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I would like to thank Carrie from Carrie's Little World for passing along this award...

And Bella from Bella Casa for giving me this award...

Thanks Carrie & Bella. You know I love your blogs too!

I'm would like to pass on these award to everyone on my blog list. I just can't leave anyone out. :-)

Welcoming Fall...any day now!!!

2008-09-21T19:02:00.000-07:00

Yes, at this point I'm begging for Fall. Cooler weather to go with my cool decorations. I guess the word nowadays is sick....sick decorations. You must have a teen to know what "sick" means.

Anyhoo, I decorated my newly painted door with my Fall wreath. I kept the decorations simple since I'll be decorating for Halloween exactly a week from Wednesday.

I finally finished my dining room. I must warn you P.O.O.P.I.E members that my house has numerous poopie violations. I'm not a member of poopie, nor could I ever be a member. I love faux flowers and plants. It's never going to change!

In fact, I didn't join the poopie party post for fear of poopie post participants picketing outside my door.

I realize this is a large centerpiece that will require walkie-talkies to speak to the person across from you but I needed something large under the large light. It's all about balance...right?

Since I follow the sheep I had to go to The Dollar Store to check out the decorations. Only mine was a 99 cent store. Look at these two pumpkins that I purchased. They actually say nice things on the other side, so I turned them around and added ribbon.

I honestly wasn't a hundred percent satisfied with this table. But since it will only be seen on Thanksgiving, I'm willing to let it be.

Another 99 cent find next to one of my favorite pictures.

I thought I would share my foyer table once more before the witches are added.

I sadly left this scarecrow out during my scarecrow post. Sorry cutie! He's actually quit tall. Almost as tall as my 6 year old.

Here are the fall decorations in the kitchen. You know what I love about this picture? It looks like I actually cook in the background. My MIL was visiting. We ate really good for almost two weeks.

Last but not least is my kitchen table centerpiece. I just added flowers to a pumpkin bowl.

I hung the lid next to it using a paperclip. This centerpiece was the perfect size so that you can see and talk to the person across from you.

Have a great week!

Fall in the Bathroom...

2008-09-18T22:03:00.000-07:00

I've gathered a few Fall decorations for my bathrooms.

This first bathroom is our downstairs bathroom. It's gets more action then any other bathroom. Here I tied together two swags from Hobby Lobby and finished it off with the same ribbon I used on the pumpkins.

I've had this pumpkin basket for years. I just threw in some fall picks from Walmart.

This little guy...well he watches you go potty. Hope your not shy.

This is my daughters bathroom. One day I'll show you the entire bathroom but today I'll just show you her Fall decorations. (In short, I didn't have the energy to clean it)

This last bathroom belongs to the boys. I haven't finished decorating it, so that will be another post as well. I usually don't decorate it for Fall but it happens to serve as the overnight guest bathroom. I try to make it guest friendly by placing towels on the counter so guest don't have to search for them. (I also spend hours before hand scrubbing toothpaste off the counter)

I also add toiletries just in case they forget something. Sometimes my husband has business guest stay and they always compliment on the toiletries.

I'm still working on my dining room table decorations. Why is it so hard to decorate the dining room table? I've changed it a million times. Please don't get sick of Fall decor before I finish showing you mine...please?

Welcome Black and Award...

2008-09-14T20:00:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to paint my front door another color. Blue is not in my color palette. In fact, there is nothing in my house that's blue. It's not that I don't like blue, it's just not a color I'm attracted to.

A few weeks ago I saw a post on Marie at Watch The Wind Go By blog. She had a picture of her door and I knew instantly what color my door was going to be.

I also needed some greenery to soften the entryway. So I grabbed some of my old pots in the garage and painted them.

I placed these risers under the pots so I don't get those darn brown rings from the water.

And viola! What do you think?

I think it really makes my wreath pop...as in stand out.

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One of my favorite blog friends, Sheila at Life at Number 17 has given me an award.
It's such an honor to receive an award from Sheila. She is my daily dose of laughter. Whenever she doesn't post for awhile, I get antsy. (no pressure Sheila)

I'm not sure the meaning of the award. I'm assuming it says "this blog rocks" or "best blog in the whole wide world" or "blog goddess". Anyone of those will do. ;-)

Show and Tell & Alzheimer's...

2008-09-11T19:43:00.000-07:00

Kelli at There's No Place Like Home is hosting Show and Tell Friday. Kelli is one of the craftiest bloggers I know. I'm always amazed when I see her posts and the beautiful things she has made.

Recently I was digging through some boxes and found a couple of dolls that I made a million years ago. I was pretty crafty back then.

They are sister dolls.

I actually made them from scratch. The little bodies, hair, clothing and toys.

This one had a little horse on a stick. What do you call them?

This is the younger sister.

She is holding a little doll.

I made their little shoes with a sharpy.

I honestly can't believe the details that I put into these dolls. I must of had a ton of free time back then...a million years ago. :-)

***************************************************************************

Alzhei me r's

I also wanted to introduce you to a real life friend and bunco sister, Krista. Her father was diagnosed with Alzheimer's. She has created a blog with lots of information and research on the disease. If you know anyone who has a family member that is suffering from Alzheimer or dementia, please let them know about her blog. It's a great way to build a support group.

Scarecrow's....

2008-09-08T14:21:00.000-07:00

I have a confession to make.

It's not even Fall here in AZ. In fact, it's about 107 degrees out.

If my neighbors knew I was decorating for Fall they would laugh and tell their friends.

You won't tell anyone, right?

I've had this bird house scarecrow for about 7 years now. He has fallen apart many times and I just keep gluing him back together. He's so happy. I think he loves me.

A dear friend gave me this scarecrow. She chose him because he has a red jacket and green pants. My favorite colors. I just love his little checkered shirt.

This little guy just sits around all day...on the hay.

My mother-in-law bought me (us) both of these fiber optic scare-a-crows. I have them on timers. They go on in the morning when my kids get up for school and in the evenings. I do the same for Christmas tree lights.

Right around October 1st I'll get out my ghoulish creatures for Halloween. For now I'm just enjoying my Fall decorations.

Fall Decorating Part 2...

2008-09-04T10:48:00.000-07:00

Melissa at The Inspired Room is hosting Fall Nesting Week.

I couldn't get enough of that Fall ribbon. It's all over my house now. I decided to make a couple of small swags with it. I bought these little picks from HL and tide on the ribbon. For some reason I'm really into decorating my lamps. Not sure why.

I also changed out my photo's to my favorite Fall pic's of the kids. This was not hard to do. I already had the pictures in the frames. I also have Christmas and Easter pictures in there too.

Next week I'm going to share my scare-a-crows. Don't you love that name...scare-a-crow. I suppose they couldn't think up a better name. It's sort of like calling bleach...kill-a-germ or a vacuum...suck-up-dirt. Why didn't they call it garden caretaker or Bob. Okay, now I understand. ;-)

A Pumpkin Project...

2008-09-02T13:49:00.000-07:00

The Inspired Room is hosting Fall Nesting Week.

Have you seen these wicker pumpkins? I bought this one from Marshall's and a smaller one from HL.

I also loaded up on ribbon in Fall colors. Don'tcha just love ribbon?

After watching a tutorial on ribbon making on youtube.com, I made this bow.

I liked it but wanted to play around with it a little. So I made the bow smaller and added some garland pieces.

I can't decide which way I liked it best.

Which way do you like it?

A) Big ribbon or

B) Smaller ribbon with garland.

C)Neither - if you pick C, so help me.....

Thank you for your help! :-)

Red Alert...

2008-08-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

Update on Red Alert.

If you decide to paint your lamp shades, paint the first coat lightly so the paint doesn't bleed through. Add additional coats, making sure they dry in between each coat. Turn on the lamps each time you paint so you can see how they look with each coat of paint. You will lose the brush strokes after a couple of coats. It took me 3 coats of paint to get the desired look.

Also, the paint is acrylic paint from Walmart...called Barn Red. The fringe is from Hobby Lobby. I just hot glued the fringe to the lamp shades.

I don't mean to alarm you but I've gone on a MAD red paint rampage. I love red and wanted to add some of it to my foyer.

Hmmmmm, what else could I paint red...

This lamp shade could use some color.

What do you think?

I couldn't remember any decorating shows that painted lamp shades. I wasn't sure I COULD paint lamp shades. Thanks to all you wonderful bloggers out there I gathered enough nerve to paint them. I purchased the trim from (who else) Hobby Lobby.

I've started my Fall projects. I'm taking pictures along the way. My mother-in-law arrives Wednesday so I wanted to have all my Fall stuff out by then. Thank you all for stopping by. I have the sweetest commenter's out there.

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Also, I've been tagged by my sister Darlene of Darlene's Days. Well, she's not my real sister but don't tell anyone.

I'm supposed to list 6 unimportant things about me. I really couldn't think of anything so I asked my husband and children to come up with the answers. So, here is goes:

1. (my husband) She doesn't know the difference between fahrenheit and celcius

2. (my daughter) She likes to read magazines in the bathroom.

3. (my middle child) She likes fish.

4. (my youngest) She likes candles.

5. (my husband again) She calls her car Edward.

6. (me) I hate peas.

Now I would like to tag:

Karen at Our Place in the Sun

Carrie at Carrie's Little World

Maybry's Gamma at Georgia Peach Ramblings

Melissa at 3 Ma'am's and Their Guys

Deb at My Life's Little Pieces

Cindy at Love from MN

Girly Stuff

Nest with Feathers...

2008-08-28T20:19:00.000-07:00

I visited another model home. This one had feathers all over.

This wall is faux stone wall. If you check out Screaming Meme's blog she is teaching faux finishes.

What a darling place mat. I could probably make something like this.

I love getting tile backsplash ideas. One day I'm going to tile my backsplash in the kitchen.

More feathers added to the pillows. Cute!

Here they used two end tables for the coffee table.

I love how they added these copper corners to the tiles. Small details!

Thanks for visiting my home (I wish), I mean my post today!

After I visited this model I went to Hobby Lobby and bought a bunch of feathers. I have no idea what I'm going to do with them but I was in a feathery mood.

Brandee :-)

One kid home sick from school...

2008-08-26T21:49:00.000-07:00

Can you tell which one?

I know what your going to ask.

Is that dog smiling?

No, she has an overbite. Shucks!

I wish she was smiling!

Awards & Outside Eating...

2008-08-24T18:54:00.000-07:00

I have received a couple awards from my blog friends. Yeah! I know I shouldn't get all gushy about receiving awards but I truly like receiving them. Who doesn't?

Cindy at Love from MN has given me The Smile Award. Thank you Cindy!!

Characteristics for the Smile Award:
1. Must display a cheerful attitude. (not necessarily at all times--we are all human).
2. Must love one another.
3. Must make mistakes.
4. Must learn from others.
5. Must be a positive contributor to blog world.
6. Must love life.
7. Must love kids.

And Diane at A pictures worth 1,000 words has given me the Kreative Blogger award. Thank you Diane!!

With this award I'm supposed to list 6 things that make me happy.

1) Eating dinner at a restaurant
2) Eating lunch with friends (okay it looks like a trend here but I really don't like eating all that much)
3) Playing with my dogs. This is such a stress reliever!
4) Building legos with my middle child.
5) Watching my youngest do just about anything
6) Decorating
7) Getting along with my daughter
8) Spending alone time with my husband

Thank you ladies! There are so many wonderful blogs out there that it's almost too hard to choose a couple to give awards. So I would like to pass on these awards to each and every blog on my list.
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I'm so darn excited to show you my newest purchase. I've been drooling over this outdoor table for weeks and it finally went on sale.

A few days later it went down another $100. So I grabbed my receipt and took it to customer service. They thankfully refunded it.

So now that I have an outdoor table, we can eat meals on the porch, drink coffee, enjoy the weather. Okay, so I realize it's August and 115 degrees out. But I'm thinking of the 7 months of great weather we'll eventually have.

Speaking of outdoor areas. Some friends of ours recently purchase a home in Palm Springs. I couldn't get over how beautiful the back porch was. What do you think?

They had a sitting area...

A dining area...(inspiration for my table)

An area with a fireplace...
The outdoor kitchen...
And a fountain with flowers...I could spend hours outside (during the cooler months) and lounge by the fire, roast marshmallows, gaze into the sunset. I can hardly wait until it's cooler out.

I wanted to thank everyone that left birthday wishes on my blog over the weekend. And also thank my husband who hacked into my blog to let my blog friends know it was my birthday. You are so awesome hunny! The birthday message line was perfect for bloggers. When someone left a message it would email me and I could play the message right from my computer. It was fun to hear the voices of blog friends.

Birthday Surprise!

2008-08-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone,

This is Brandee's trouble making husband. . . you know the one who made the mess of the wires for all the computer games.

Today is Brandee's birthday (yes, she is turning 29 again) and I would really appreciate it if you would either comment your birthday wishes to her, email her, or call a special birthday line 602-652-2875 (grandcentral.com is great) that goes to voicemail after 4 rings, and leave birthday wishes.

Thanks, and please pass this around to as many people as possible as I would love to surprise her with a ton of messages.

Tim

Bonita's Box...

2008-08-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

Kelli at There's No Place Like Home is hosting Show & Tell Friday.

I'm so excited to show my newest project. This is my new storage bench in my laundry room. Isn't it nice?

It's not just any bench, it has a hole in it. So it's a holy bench.

I used the jigsaw (well my dad did) and drilled a hole right through the door. I also added weather stripping around the hole to finish it off. It's for my kitty, Bonita

Isn't she pretty?

I also have a dog...Rusty aka Rustolium.

He likes to eat kitty poo.

So that's why we came up with Bonita's box.

The bench is also great for folding laundry.

And it makes a great time out spot...

Thanks for visiting my show & tell today!