Saturday, June 26, 2010

Decorations for Summer

Lately I have not had that much time to do many projects bc of school. However I have made some time to finally finish one of my projects!!

Here it is:

Sorry about the crappy picture. It's all I took and I'm too lazy to take another! lol Why did this take me so long you may wonder? Well that blue glass started as this:

 A blue bottle of an energy drink. Joey and I loved the blue color of these bottles. In his (then our) apartment Joey had these bottles decorating the top of the cabinet. Nice for an apartment, but I didn't want that for the house. So I decided to bust up the bottles. I have a candle holder sitting in the top of the glass to hold a candle. It's beautiful at night! I was so glad to run across a   tea-light candle holder that was the exact same blue! :D

I also changed our mantel decor. From a red vase to a beautiful blue milk jug I was given. Then I added the little blue vase and the stain glass. I did have three leaf candle holders where the stain glass is. I love the blue color!


Then I changed my red hurricane glass to this:


I LOVE him!!! :D I got the owl planter at Hobby Lobby for 6.20 (normally 19.99). He does have a hurt toe nail, but I liked him too much to pass up! The plant we already had - from IKEA. I got this lil one with some of my birthday money. 

The blue looks pretty with the blue on the mantel. 

                                                  
Look what else came in! My cute 50's era pitcher! :D It's sitting on my cart that holds my cookbooks, that I got for free from my father-in-law :) Then I thought I needed to add something, so I added the $1 grater I got from an antique store. I am really happy with the way they look together!


 I did this project last night. Just got the fabric on clearance yesterday from Hobby Lobby (.89!) I had the frame and the glass from another picture. I'm using it as a memo board. :) The wording looks hard to see in the picture, it's not as bad in real life. The busy pattern makes it where you have to make a lil more effort to read it, but I think it's too cute! :)

These lil cuties were given to me by my mom. She got them at Goodwill :) These originally were from Pier 1! They are photo holders! I plan on making the red kitty hold Burney's picture, the white one hold Daisy's picture and the black one hold Yao's picture. :)



Last but not least:
Sorry it's a lil blurry. I got the little house at Home Goods. It was on clearance for $10. A little pricey, however the potpourri inside can be taken out, where I can use it as a vase filler and then I can but my cute birdies in the house with a fake nest. So really I paid $10 for at least 3 different type of uses! :)
P.S. Those cute lil birdies kind of in the picture I got at Pier 1 for $3. They are salt and pepper shakers! :)


That's all for now! I'm gonna go make some cookies!
Have a nice day!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Goodwill Finds

After all the things I've been seeing on the craft blogs I read, I was really excited to go to our local Goodwill. I've  seen so many different blog posts that have something a woman got from goodwill and then spray painted it and it looks amazing!

There is a big Goodwill store on Highway 6 in Sugarland...I figured Sugarland would have some nice things. So my mom and I spent an afternoon and went to check it out :)

Here's what I found:
A bunch of different baskets!

Man there were SO many baskets there! I could have gone crazy! lol I kept my craziness to a minimum and chose three I really liked. 

The tissue holder was 1.99. The basket was .99 and the little one was .70 :) I thought they were a good deal! The little one might be used for a gift later on, for know its holding some cute soaps and such in the linen closet. 

My mom got 2 candle holders, a wine holder, and a thing with hooks to put in her closet. 

Overall, it was pretty good :)
So if you need "new" house items on the cheap, I recommend heading to your local Goodwill. Depending on where you live, you could find some really nice things! :)

Sunday, June 20, 2010

My "ugly" quilt

So today Joey and I went and saw my dad for Father's Day. We went and ate yummy Mexican food, got to see his new horse and of course talk! It was a good day :D

A few weeks or so ago, Nana (Cat's mom) messaged me on Facebook to tell me that she made me an "ugly" quilt.

An Ugly Quilt is a quilt that Nana makes for just her family members. She uses all the different types of scraps she has leftover from her other projects.

Nana calls them ugly quilts, but I think they are beautiful! That's why I kept putting quotations around ugly. :)

Cat told me that these quilts are special, she only makes them for her family. And of course they are all unique.

Here's my quilt:

It is big! For some reason I thought it would be baby size...this is like a twin bed quilt or maybe bigger!
I had to take many pictures to try to let you see it all!

                                
A close-up


One of my favorite pieces! I love ladybugs! :D


I am the proud owner of "One Ugly Quilt #30!"

I think it is so beautiful! The photos don't do it justice! Nana said she's made 32 ugly quilts and 10 pretty ones and she hasn't even put a dent in her scraps pile! 

P.S.
Look what dad got me for my birthday! (He's going to be gone this week, so he gave me my present early)


:D I am excited about reading it! Joey and I have listened to him on the radio. He has such good advice! Thank you again Daddy!

Yikes, it's almost 11! Time for bed! Goodnight!

Lima Beans and Turtle Eggs!

Well, I have been busy these past few weeks with summer class. I go M-F for 2 hours. It is tiring, simply because I have homework every night and a whole semester is crammed into 4 weeks.

So last weekend I did this:

For my class, I had to spray paint 8 lbs of Lima beans. Yes...you read that right. 8 Pounds!!



Here's another picture so you can really appreciate how many Lima beans that really is! The shoe box was just a tap away from spilling the beans!

These beans are to be used as manipulatives for teaching math. We are learning how to teach math in my class and these are used in games and such. 


I finally got the energy and motivation to clean the house. Being honest here...it needed it! It was driving me crazy! So now our floors are clean and I am one happy lady! :D

Here's what else I've been up to recently.



Gettin' a picture of Daisy's heart on her paw. (Tilt head to the left) See it?

Also here is my cute Burney


He loves that he can see the turtles again! The turtles like looking at him too!


Oh...speaking of turtles. Interesting story. Last month, while Joey was trying to repair the turtle tank we built (seen above picture- under the glass tank) we had the turtles in the guest bathroom's bathtub.

One morning I woke up and went and checked on the turtles. I noticed something very strange in the tub with them.  I immediately called Joey and told him. He looked it up. Plus I sent him a picture:


Apparently our two "male" turtles were not so. One is a female!! SURPRISE! lol

So Joey looked up what I should do to incubate them. I got a plastic storage box and got to work making it a home for the eggs.

Here's the result:
We are hoping to have at least one baby turtle by the end of August.

There are many variables that make it to where we won't have any baby turtles. But you never know, God may let us have a lil miracle turtle baby. To go along with our miracle Burney :) (Burney's story)


Interesting happenings in our house! A "male" turtle having babies, a mountain of Lima beans getting painted, and of course our kitties being cute!

I am blessed :)

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Yay!

I've been looking at cute glass 50's style pitcher for a few days now on Etsy. I thought it was really cute, and I loved that the seller was throwing in some of those cute mini green apple vase filler!!

Well last night I went on Etsy to purchase it. It was gone!! I was so disappointed. I checked the seller's sales, it was not there. So I messaged her. I am so glad I did!! She said she pulled it off because she was going to try to sale it at her yard sale! lol So she re-listed it for me with it reserved just for me! :) Yay!! I just paid for it, so it should come right around my birthday! Yay!!

Here she is!
RESERVED FOR GEEKYRACHEL Vintage Glass Pitcher Fish Bowl Design 50s era
50's Era Glass Pitcher Fish Bowl Design

Isn't she cute!! The possibilities are endless! I could just leave it filled with those apples and display it, put fresh lemons in it and display it, flowers, or even use it! It's such a cute pitcher! I'm excited!

Have a lovely day!

Monday, June 14, 2010

Our stockpile

Ok, before you watch the video, I should warn you.

I sound extremely Texan.


I really don't sound that way.


However whenever I am talking on camera, I sound either like I'm twelve or very Texan.

Just a warning.

Please don't make fun of me! :)


I'll allow you to laugh...but just a little.

Oh and the videos are a little shaky. Sorry about that! :)

First the picture:
This is just our toiletries. It has changed since then (this was taken in April) since I have donated some items.

Now the videos:







As I have said above, this has changed since then. A lot of the free razors I am donating. I have given a few things away to others also.





This has gotten a lil more and a lil less. While I am donating a few items, I also won a giveaway that I won 4 different cleaners :)


This is what we have been blessed with. This post is not to brag on what we have. While I am happy that we are able to stockpile, I try to never forget Who it is that has enabled us to do this.

Being able to find good deals and stockpile is a blessing, with that, I want to be able to bless others with it too.

I hope you enjoyed the lil peek into what goes on behind the scenes at our house :) Stockpiling can be a blessing, but always remember Who it is who allows you to do so and give thanks!

Saturday, June 12, 2010

Stockpiling

What is stockpiling?
- Buying products at the lowest price you can find (with coupons or without- coupons usually make the sale better!) and stocking up on them.

Scenario with coupon:
Mustard is on sale for 1.20. I have a coupon for .50 (will double at Kroger), the mustard will cost me .20! So if I have multiple coupons, I get as many as I need or have coupons for.

Scenario without coupon:
Listerine is on clearance at Target, a big bottle for 1.49. That is a great price, it may never be that low again (or it will be a long while till it is) so get as many bottles as you want or your family will use.


Is stockpiling a budget breaker?

- One thing I had to learn is just because it is a good deal doesn't mean you need it. Saving can be addicting. I stockpile on items that I know we will use, are at the best price I have seen, if they are free, or if I can get a gift card back for the purchase- which makes it a good deal.

- I know we will not use 20 things of mustard. (hypothetical- I've never bought that many of one thing at once) So even though it is at a good price I will not get any or I'll get one.

- I have bought things for the stockpile(some like to try to get everything for cents or free), like my favorite lotion- Nivea Smooth Sensation (?). At Target it is 3.49 a bottle!! That is crazy! So one day I had coupons and I ran across a good sale. I got 3 lotions under 1.50 each. So I bought 3. I got three almost for the price of one!

- If things are free, I grab them. How do I get them free? Coupons. No it's not a "Free ____" coupon (sometimes you find those) but I shop the clearance and see if I have a coupon for the items I would like to get.
Ex: Had a 2- $2 coupon for BIC women razor. I found two in the clearance at Walgreens for $1.xx. I used my coupon and got both free! :)
- This type of stockpiling is the funnest, however if even though the item is free, think about if you or your family will use it or can it be donated. Getting every little free thing (although it doesn't happen a lot to me) can take up space. Think about if you have space to store it. In the end it may not be worth it to get every free item. It may cause you or your family stress.

- Getting back gift cards. This happens, for me, at Target. Not every gift card deal is a good deal. Buying 3 full price Listerine for just $5 back is not a good deal. Unless you have a very large family and will need that many Listerines anyways.
- What makes this a good deal, again, is coupons. A while back, there were coupons for the Fusion men's razor and the Venus women's razor. Then Target had buy 2 of either Venus or Fusion razors and get $5 gc. I was reading on the blog that ladies were using their coupons and paying just .98 after the gift card ($5.98- then getting the $5 gc).
- That is when the gift card (gc) is worth it. In my opinion and if you shop at Target regularly. If you don't then that might be a type of stockpiling strategy you want to skip.

Is stockpiling hoarding?

- I'm going to be honest and say that I have struggled with this question. The thought- what if this is a thing that I am seeing these things as my treasures instead of storing my treasures in heaven.

After reading this post:
http://aproverbswife.com/2010/03/how-a-stockpile-can-triple-your-grocery-budget-surplus.html

I felt better.

- I believe if you stockpile, just in the sake of keeping stuff or buying a lot of stuff, then that's hoarding.

- Stockpiling has allowed us to be able to donate items. I have a small box of toiletries about to go to the women's shelter. I'm not saying that to make us look good, but an as an example of what stockpiling can help with. If I would have bought everything full price, then I would be much less likely to donate because we spent so much money on it. If I would have gone out to buy all the things at full price, it would have been a burden on our budget. So instead, stocking up on items- some free, some super cheap- has allowed our family to give more freely to others in need.

Here is another great post about stockpiling:
http://lifeasmom.com/2010/06/grocery-geek-presents-learn-to-build-a-stockpile.html

Coming soon: a video of our stockpile.

Have a lovely day!

Friday, June 4, 2010

Antique Shopping!

My friend Evelyn and I had a fun girl's day. We ate lunch and then went antique shopping!! :D We both love the old, uniqueness of antiques! Yay! I found an antiquing partner!


We found this great place on highway 90, in Stafford! The best part is there was a CLEARANCE section!! YAY! lol Everything was 50% off the price.

Evelyn and I scouted and scouted that clearance section. There were a lot of neat things! In there, there was a old trunk, like the footlocker ones- for $15!! I almost bought it, but the inside needed work. Plus I didn't want to spend all my $20 yet!

So here is what I bought:
Wooden Tiles- $2 each ($4 total)
Ceramic bowl- $4
Cute plate- $1
Old grater- $1
Total: $$10

Here's a close up of the plate:

"A good friend is like sunshine...always welcome" I love the yellow color, so I got it :)

Closeup of bowl
I really liked the blue color. So pretty! The blue matches our comforter, so somehow I think I might try to use this for something in our bedroom. 

Evelyn found some cute plates there.

We went to another shop, which was WAY overpriced. So we left there and went back to this place again, just to look around again. It was then I got the grater. I'm going to use it on the top of my cabinets, with all the other vintage stuff I got from Joey's grandma. 

I have discovered that sweating and sweating in an antique shop, with no AC, on a hot May day can be made  fun when your with the right person/people :)

My Projects

So I have mentioned in my previous posts I have been doing many different craft projects :)

I'm not going to show you the plastic graduation tray. Since I am unable to use it. I didn't buy any primer, so the spray paint did not adhere to the plastic surface. Sooo the paint rubs off pretty easily. Oh well, I can start over or just chunk it. I'm not sure what I want to do yet.

Before:
Ugly gold color. Well it's a pretty gold, but it just doesn't fit in with what I wanted to use it for.

After:

Pretty silver! :) It's leaning because I was trying to take a pic.



Here's my favorite!!! :D

Before:

The one on the right is what the birds looked like. Cute, but I wanted them white. P.S. I got these at Dollar Tree!! $2 total. I used my white primer to paint these. 
After- totally finished!


The stand is a candle holder I also got at Dollar Tree (turned upside down). I added some moss stuff I had leftover from my planters. Ta-Da!! :D Total for project: $3!! I LOVE them!!

I am thinking about changing out the moss stuff, since it is kinda messy. We'll see :)



Jar: $2.97- Walmart
Ribbon .50 for a 5 pack (Target Dollar Spot)
Put OxyClean in the jar, just wanted to make the laundry room a lil cuter :)


I received a FREE $5 gift card from Walmart in the mail!! So I bought 2 of those jars. 

Other Jar:

Cute ribbon- came in the pack with the other ribbon above
This is awaiting some bath salts. Then will be put in our bathroom :) I have a cute wooden scoop. It should be cute! Maybe I should have cleaned off the desk before I took a pic! lol That is all my other craft stuff in our box room. 

Now for an EZ-PZ decor project:
Mardi Gras beads- Free! (No flashing necessary! lol)
We go to Galveston's Mardi Gras almost every year, Joey's dad has the parade go right in front of his house. Plus this spot is all family friendly. So I just layered these beads for a cute 4th of July decoration! 


I mentioned in my last post that I put shelves up in our master bedroom, I really like how much more home-ier  it makes our bedroom feel. Since we have all white walls, it was needing something!
My spray painted frame, craft project birdies, and my antique find! Wooden tile was $2 (I found 2 of them!) 


My little shelf. I love this picture! We had a quiet time before we got married. It took the nervousness away plus we started our marriage in a way that it should be focused on glorifying God. In the pic, I am praying and I am just having one of those "I'm so happy I am bawling moment." A moment of pure joy! :) 
The cup next to it, Joey made in ceramics at HBU. I love the colors! There was a twin, but the kitties decided it needed to go. 


The last shelf. There is the other tile :) I created that frame a long time ago. Then I made that pillow for Joey a few years ago :) 

Ta-Da!! That's it! :) I hope you enjoyed! Have a great day!

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Softball,Bees, and Spray Paint

I want to write a post. However I am too lazy to go and get my pictures of my before/after pics of the crafts/stuff I've been spray painting. So that will come later.

Summer school starts Monday. My month of vacation is almost over!! :( Part of me is not worrying about it, but then again I am afraid that my class will be hard. Really, if concentrating on my class will be hard. The good part is that I only have 1 class, each summer session (1&2) and each session the class is only 2 hours. So if I need to do things in the day, I will still be able to.

We have been pretty busy this past week! Rachel, my sister-in-law is on the Needville Softball team. We've gone to 3 games. Which each time they have won! They are going to state!! :D Rachel is just a freshman and she's going to the state playoffs! How exciting! Joey and I are so proud of her! She has a game tomorrow in Austin to see if they keep going to play the state champion game or if they go home. It's basically a death round. Lose once and you go home. Saturday is the state game, at 2:00. I am so excited for them!

We went to a game last Friday (not this past Friday,but the one before) we went to Rachel's softball game in Victoria. We paid for our tickets, it was windy. We were walking towards the bleachers. Something flew into my hair. I felt it. Naturally I reach to get it out. As soon as I put my hand in my hair to get it out, I feel a sharp pain in my finger! I look at my hand, I got stung!! By what, I am still not sure. I am guessing a bee. My first time ever getting stung and I am hour and half away from home. I had no idea if I was allergic to whatever stung me or not! That was the scary part! We hurried and tried to find my MIL, Mary, since she is a nurse. We couldn't find her. So I just pull the stinger out myself. It hurt SO bad!! Joey suggested I run some cold water over it, since we couldn't quickly get ice from the concession stand(there was a HUGE line). The water hitting my finger hurt! Finally, about 30 minutes-hour the pain went away. Then my finger swelled. Oh, did I mention this was my wedding ring finger!

Saturday my finger was still swollen and it ITCHED! I didn't find out until Sunday that if you scratch your stung body part that it will itch more and swell more.  By Tuesday the swelling was almost gone. Then I did something stupid. I felt that where I was stung, there was something kinda sticking out of the skin. Well I squeezed around it to try to make it come out. BIG mistake!! That made my finger swell again, plus the itching came back!!

The good news is yesterday I realized the dot, where I got stung, was gone! There was something in my finger and it fell out on its own! :) Yay!

So I have learned that I love to spray paint things! lol No, not in a "I like the smell" way. I just like turning something from an ugly color to something I like! :) So far I have spray painted: 2 gold frames, 1 plastic tray, 1 bucket/pencil holder thing, and 2 ceramic birds!

It took me a lil while to realize that primer is my friend. I didn't prime the plastic tray, so when I touch it now the silver spray paint rubs off on my hands.So I am not sure on what to do with it. I can't put finisher on it since the paint didn't adhere to the tray to begin with.
 I spray painted a frame and the bucket/pencil holder thing without primer, but on metal you really have to try to get it to come off.
I used primer on 1 frame and the birds. I just wanted to turn the ceramic birds white, so I used the primer paint (which is not for ceramic, but it worked). I just didn't want to go and buy several different types of primers and paint for my lil projects! Spray paint is affordable,but it depends what your getting.

Oh! We now have shelves in our master bedroom. They are black shelves that I bought when I was  living at HBU, I put them up at my mom's and I'm just now getting them. I put them up and am now in the process of trying to find cute things to fill them with! lol I am almost done! The little birds I've painted will go on one shelf. Our bedroom looked pretty plain and bare before, but with the shelves on the walls, it looks so much more personal and pretty! :) I'll take a picture for you and share later.

That's all my ramblings for tonight! :) Have a nice night!