Christmas busy.

I have to admit, at Christmastime, I'm like a kid in a candy store. I love it so much. The decorations, the music, the cold, the Christmas movies, the anticipation, the sparkling lights - the whole kit & caboodle. So this weekend, I did some of this:



I ♥ traditional Christmas colors. So pretty!

I'm not near finished, heck, my happy little Christmas table here isn't even finished. But both trees are up & semi-decorated, & hubby got the outside lights up today. I'll photo everything when we're done.

Happy Christmastime! So exciting! Ü

How I keep the glass on my kitchen table from sliding.

I think I mentioned that when we got our new (to us) kitchen table home, we discovered there was a cap missing that goes on the bottom. Or maybe the top - we aren't sure. They're interchangeable. Nonetheless, we had 5, but needed 6. What to do.

We rigged it for the time being, also knowing we would need slip-proof adhesives to keep the glass from sliding around.

Hello Target. Hello $1.99 per package -



Tada! For $4.00, I killed two birds with one stone! I am genius, I tell you! Genius! (cough cough)

I took off the five top caps & I popped these puppies into place. They fit absolutely perfectly! They are the perfect size to fit down in the groove (I'm not a genius when it comes to technical terms ;o) - nice & snug & these bad boys aren't moving. Neither is the glass that is resting on top of them! Ü



I couldn't get a good photo due to reflection, but I hope it's clear enough so you can see how I tucked them inside, where the caps screw in. I can't say I love how they look (& they're black) but, it's more important that the glass stay secure than it is that they look pretty.

I love this table. It was worth every penny! A piece of paper stuck to it the other night, & I wiped it right off. I did a glitter project with Jags the other night & I got glue on the glass. It too wiped right off. The kids stuck their Bendaroos to it today & with a little Goo Gone, the wax wiped right off too! It's a beautiful table, very modern & sturdy. High maintenance, yes, but so am I, so sometimes some things are worth the trouble. ;o)

No more furniture up against the wall.

Why? Because of this:



Toys & crap & dirt! Yuck! I'm really trying to simplify things around here. If I just don't love something, I'm getting rid of it. I like clean. Oh heck, I love clean! And the more stuff one has, well, it's just something else that needs to be cleaned. The less one has, obviously, there's less to clean. And I like the sound of that. :)

So now - right, wrong or indifferent - right, wrong or breaking the rules (what rules?) - my furniture is positioned like this:



Might look a little strange, but I don't care. Now I'm able to pick up toys, vacuum & dust. Ahhh. So much better. So much cleaner. Simple. Ü

New (to us) glass kitchen table.

This is what I have been doing for the last 7 nights. Searching on Craig's List for a new kitchen table. Oh. Holy. Cow. It was so time consuming! Thursday night I finally found what I was looking for & the price was divine. :)

I knew I didn't want another wood table. We just have the worst luck with the wood finishes. I'm done with those. Someone recommended formica, but all I could find were Retro tables & my husband didn't like those. So I considered marble. Until I saw one. Glass it is. And with four young children, I was very skeptical about purchasing glass. Some glass tables just have one base, which leaves quite a bit of glass hanging off both ends, & I knew that wasn't going to work. So, I found this one with two bases - we were able to separate them enough to where we feel comfortable & should one of our children lean on the table, it's good & secure. Hubby is going tomorrow to find some glass adhesive to adhere the glass to the tops of the bases & we should be good to go. :)

Once the table was home, we discovered we'd lost a base cap between there & here. Ugh. Couldn't find it anywhere. We then discovered the cap is not lost; they lost one, & stuck a top one on the bottom. She failed to mention that little tidbit. Grr. So, we are a bit in a pickle, but we'll find something to suffice, I'm sure. Hopefully we'll be able to find something on the internet.

Now I get to purchase 2 more chairs. But the best part? This is an Ashley table. We bought if for - because I'm now a frugal shopper (I try :) I'll share - $245! I'll take a missing cap & a few minor scratches. Ü

*It looks rather small in the photo, but the glass is 71" long! Accommodates 6 chairs easily.

Happy.

My camera is back! Yay! Haven't had time to take any photos. Just this one. Well, just two. This photo is a replacement for the first one - which I took & posted & then discovered the Canon repair people had switched all my settings & I failed to check them. ;o) This photo is on my dining room table, versus the other photo that beautifully displayed my neglected kitchen table. That particular table has candle wax on it. That will come off. Should I ever decide to take the time to remove it, that is. And, it also has paper adhered to it; paper that somehow stuck to the surface. Sweet. The kitchen table has truly been used & abused. We use it for literally everything. I would just refurbish it, but I don't like it. The legs/chairs are black & don't have clean, straight lines. Entirely too country for me since my decorating style is now headed the complete opposite direction. Anywho, I love how sun is shining in in the above photo. Ü

Flowers - Walmart - $5
White vase - Goodwill - $5

Love having fresh flowers. Don't give a flyin' flip where they come from. They make me all happy happy. ♥

I decorated for fall!

I never decorate for fall. Usually a few weeks before Halloween I'll put up some silly Halloween decorations for the kids, but that's the extent of it. At Walmart last week, I saw some pretty little fall decor. And Mercedes loved them. So, ok. For $15, we grabbed some.



And then it sat on my counter for a week because I thought 'that's so not me'. I was going to return it. Until I remembered that Mercedes chose the tablecloth herself, & even though I apparently grabbed the wrong size (shocker), I couldn't return what she thought was so pretty. So today I emptied some glass vases & let her fill them with the glittery decor. I had her toss aside the pinecones that had no glitter - I decided I'll save those & we'll spray them for Christmas. I'm sooooo creative. Ha! I also decided not to exchange the tablecloth. Heck, for $5, I'll probably trash it when we're done using it anyhow.



I'm aware this is pretty lame fall decor. Especially when the beautimous, striped tablecloth clashes with my cobalt flowery 1980's wallpaper. Oh well. Can't win them all, I suppose. :)



This little scarecrow was $1 at Dollar Tree. Maybe I'll get lucky & he'll blow away. Isn't he cute?



The big kids love the decorations. Which reiterates to me, that elaborate isn't necessary, & simple can indeed illuminate happiness. And that, to me, is a beautiful thing. ♥

Happy fall, y'all! Ü

Decorating dilemma.

The picture above the fireplace I have had for years. On a wall. I've had it so long, it became a part of the wall. I didn't even see it anymore. Considering it didn't even match the living room, which is where I had it located, I decided to ditch this puppy & attempt to sell it on Craig's List. I moved it into the family room on the floor until I got it listed. During that time, it dawned on me that the picture matches that room perfectly! So while I was couch-ridden on Saturday, I had hubby do some relocating for me. I had him move the mirror from the fireplace & stuck the picture up there:

Group A:



And placed the mirror on the wall shelves:



Hmm! I like it. Even though I like the height of the picture better, I think I prefer the mirror atop the fireplace:

Group B:



With the picture atop wall shelves:



Speaking of my wall shelves, notice the they do not align symmetrically. This drives me crazy! They are Pottery Barn shelves I bought many years ago. I love them. I better love them for what they cost. :) That said, we have never been able to match them perfectly. We went back & forth with Pottery Barn, changing out shelves, changing out the brackets, blah, blah. It was such a hassle & ultimately, they are still unlevel. I finally gave up & just live with it. (But it still drives me crazy. Even though I could probably purchase a tiny L-bracket to lift the shelf on the right. Who has time for that? ;o)

I mentioned the other day that I pulled a muscle in my upper back due to a sneezing attack. Well. Hubby & I remembered that Thursday night, I got blindsided & tackled by my 3 year old. I was sitting on the floor & she flattened me. Since that wasn't funny enough, my 6 & 7 year old decided to join her & I had all 3 of them bouncing on top of me. Ha! Pretty sure that is what caused my pulled muscle. Little nimrods. I think they owe me dinner. Ü

Ok, which group do you prefer, A or B?

$30 chest of drawers.

Though uncleaned, it's in excellent condition. Which is kind of pointless, because I plan on painting it. I have two other projects waiting to be painted (it was 3, but I sold the desk) - I really need to get researching how to refurbish furniture because not knowing is hindering my progress. Ü



I see when I relocated it against the wall, I popped the upper dowel loose & now the top looks bowed. Pfft. Hopefully it'll pop back in. This chest of drawers will belong to Audi. I am so over long, bulky, heavy, obnoxious dressers & this will replace his. Although his dresser is like brand new & in immaculate condition (& it's 8 years old!), it's too big. This garage sale find should do the trick! :)

Jewelry organizers.

I detest jewelry boxes. Have never liked them, so I currently use small, plastic drawer organizers lined with felt. Reading blogs today, look what Megan discovered! Currently on sale for $17.99 each!

So darn cute! Thanks for sharing, Megan! :)

My $12 mirror.

Did I ever show you my $12 mirror I got at Goodwill? I found this months ago. It's in perfect condition. Wasn't sure what I was going to do with it - so for now, it's stuck on the mantel.



I've tried scooting it to one side, only to scoot it back to the middle. Like my bottle collection? I have a glass fetish. It used to be colored glass, now it's clear glass. I got all of these (& more) at Goodwill. I like their uniqueness. :)


I will be so glad to rid this country, heavy, wood mantel! Blah. I prefer, you know, simple.

I think this week calls for another Goodwill run. On 1/2 off day. Ü

Goodwill goodies.

Wednesday the kids & I headed to Goodwill - our first trip on 1/2 off day. Oh. Good. Lord! We pulled up, an hour after they opened, & the parking lot was full. Typically, there's only a few people there when we go so needless to say, I was flabbergasted. Through the windows we could see the store cram-packed. We decided to give it a shot, so in we went!

I got all of the above for $34. I chalk that up to a very successful trip! I'll break it down -

Tall candlestick - $5.95 - $3.00
Awesome hanging candle lantern - $4.95 - $ 2.50
2 silver net office supply (or whatever) baskets - $.95 @ - $1.00 for both
2 mason jars - $.95 @ - $1.00 for both
2 dainty white cups - $.75 @ - $.75 for both
12 shirts - $2.99 @ - $17.94 for all
1 shirt - $1.99 - $1.00
2 articles of clothing - $4.19 - $4.00
1 puzzle - $.25

Those are rounded, but I paid, tax included, $34 for everything. A lot of the $1.99 clothing included:


New hot pink swim cover, like new Hilfiger shirt (white w/ white bling spelling Hilfiger), new Cowboys' jersey (which sell new in stores for about $25!), new Reebok shirt (with tags), new pink/black lounge pants. The brand name clothing is just unbelievable. All of the shopping carts were taken, so we had to carry all of this around. I think next time, if I return on 1/2 off day, I'll go as soon as they open. :)

In other news, we have finally made the decision to move! We've talked about it so many times & have never taken the plunge. This week, both of our a/c units went out, at the same time! It's 105 degrees outside - blah! Hubby got the upstairs working (while he has a ruptured achilles tendon & is in a huge boot!), but he didn't have the same luck with the downstairs unit. It was so hot in here I thought I was going to die! Thankfully, our tech guy was able to make it out the following day & low & behold, he only charged us $50 for the repair! We couldn't believe it. What a blessing! This house just continues to have so many issues, we just are burned out & don't want to do it any longer. Six years is long enough. It's time to move on! We need to wrap up some things first before we listing, but I'm going ahead & selling more furniture to rid big items we don't want/need any more (so we'll have less to move) & we're tossing junk. We're also going to start boxing up things we don't use consistently. It's going to be hard enough to make a move with four young children, so I'm determined to get a head start. Though my desire is to move to a smaller district/town, we've decided to stay in the town we're in. We're in a great booming town, super location, relatively close to hubby's work but most of all,we like it here.

I'm so excited & I hope & pray we can sell this house - houses in our neighborhood were selling, but suddenly the market in our area has come to a stand still. All we can do is try. This time, we'll be selling it ourselves. Wish us luck!

Happy Saturday! :)

In progress. Tutorial.

I have decided to sell the awesome desk I bought on Craig's List last year & I'm also going to be selling my black kitchen server (which I love, but black, Melissa?). I may sell a couch or two, too. I came to the conclusion I need to rid some of my items so I can buy more fun junk furniture! :)

My new 'white dish cabinet' is coming along swimmingly! (Heehee - I couldn't help myself.) I have no clue what I'm doing regarding refurbishing, (or heck, 'just fixing', even) furniture. So I do it my way.

Let me start out by saying the Linoleum nails did their job. I assumed, by their name, they were for, you know, linoleum. But maybe not, because I hammered the backing back on the back (say that 3 times fast) of the cabinet & those puppies worked great. I guess the moral of that story is = who cares.

My next order of business was to glue on the bottom left front of the cabinet, where it had come loose/separated:

My plan was to use Gorilla Glue. I don't have any Gorilla Glue (I've never even used it, just seen it on numerous decorating blogs) & considering it's 150 degrees right now in North Texas, I wasn't going to run out to purchase any. So I pulled out ol' faithful:



Never hurts to try, right? So I squirted generously my Elmer's in there & then I needed to very, very, very tightly, secure the pieces back together. I was going to use one of those sophisticated clamp dealys, but I don't have one of those, either. (See a pattern here?) So I made my own sophisticated clamp dealy:



Tada! It has been sitting in this position for almost 24 hours. In a bit, I'll remove my sophisticated clamp & see if Elmer's did it's job. I'm sure hoping it did. And then, the final step. At this point, I think most people (those who renovate furniture) would strip 'er down & refinish to make her all new & pretty. But me? Heavens no. I'm pulling out the big guns & skipping right over that stripping business. I'll be applying Old English. Ü

My new 'entertainment' cabinet.

Ain't she a beauty? Pardon the dirt, she's not cleaned yet. Ü



She's about 4 feet tall. She came with some issues, but who wouldn't that cost $17? At the store, I noticed the shelves are pretty scratched up, but I never noticed the back was taped on. I carefully peeled the tape off, as to not remove the laminent. The side is fine (the other side wasn't taped), but the top didn't weather so well. Anyway, now I need to hammer her back together.



And because I need to hammer her back together, hubby bought me these:



Linoleum nails? Alrighty then. I'll give them a shot. Definite proof we have no expertise in refurbishing furniture. ;o) The front left of the cabinet is also loose at the bottom - I'm going to attempt to reattach with Gorilla Glue. Wish me luck! Ü

Sunflowers.

Our town has sunflowers everywhere! Since I'm channeling my inner Kelle Hampton & all (ahem), I decided to go cut some! Then I drove home with them hanging out the window 'cause they had bugs all in them. And did you know they sap when cut? They do. And the sap is like super glue. There's some on my leg that I cannot get off & when I got off the couch earlier, some of it came with me. ;o) Currently they're all wilted - pretty sure I killed them all. But aren't they pretty? And they were free! LOL Ü

*Here's an update on the Sunflowers. 'Cause my life is so exciting & I have nothing else to discuss. Ü The pretty, drooping flowers were placed out back, on our patio table, early last night. Bentley is suffering terribly from allergies right now (which I'm sure were enhanced by the Sunflowers) & they started bothering my husband as soon as he got home. I guess they carry pollen, so out they went. Quick. Heehee. :) My leg is still brown (color of my couch) because this sap crap will not come off. It's kind of funny, actually. I just hope it's not permanent. :) Since my good intentions were - epic fail - I do believe I'll purchase the pretty little flower bouquets at Walmart from here on out whenever I get an inkling for fresh flowers. :)

Oh Walmart, how I love thee.

Pretty rug for under my computer desk, flowery/ruffled pillow & sweet little LIVE sign (small print: LIVE the life you've always imagined.) Amen! ♥

Current cleaning products.

I'm happy with my current products. As you can see, I still have two that need to be replaced w/ non-toxic cleaners.

I absolutely love 7th Generation products. Love the disinfecting wipes & love the spray cleaners. I'm thinking the multi-surface spray & the bathroom cleaner are the same thing in different bottles - but I'm not sure, as the bottles don't disclose all ingredients (I wonder if there's a reason for that? I've never taken the time to google it.) What the bottles do disclose is that both are made with Thyme, an all natural disinfecting oil. As a matter of fact, I went & bought my own bottle of Thyme so I could make my own disinfecting spray, but haven't attempted it yet.

I'm discovering vinegar & water can be used for anything, anywhere. I use it often & the smell doesn't bother me bit because it dissipates so quickly. I now even dust with vinegar & water. I don't spray the surface directly, I spray my cloth (currently using cloth diapers - works like a charm) & it cleans as well as Pledge Multi-Surface wipes (used those for years). I clean mirrors, windows, tables (wood), electronics, decorating accessories, shutters, everything w/ vinegar & water. I feel like I'm really saving some money because vinegar is so inexpensive. I typically purchase a generic brand 'cause vinegar's vinegar. Ü

For years I used Bon Ami in my bathrooms (even in the toilets) & kitchen, but switched to Clorox (p.u.!) & Lysol (ditto!) for the bathrooms. Now I'm using the 7th Generation in the bathroom sinks/tubs/showers/faucets/counters. I currently have a white, porcelain kitchen sink & getting stains off that sucker is no easy task. Recently I've used Comet w/ bleach (massive fumes) & it worked the best. I also tried bleach & peroxide. Now I use Bon Ami, apply good ol' elbow grease & I'm totally content with my white sink & I'm pleased I'm not using a potent cleaner w/ bleach. I only use Bon Ami for the kitchen sink.

I use Pine-Sol on my floors (marble, wood, ceramic). Reason being, vinegar & water takes so long to dry! I'm not sure why, but I don't have that amount of time, & the Pine-Sol dries much quicker. My floors look sparkling clean & smell good, too, so I may just continue with Pine-Sol & be done with it.

And alas, Clorox toilet cleaner w/ bleach. Sigh. What can I say. I'm a stickler about my toilets. I only use it inside the bowl & at the time Rebecca told me to stop using it, I had just purchased a 2-pack. Heehee. So I'm still using it. But I flush really well after cleaning so none is left over. When the Clorox is gone I'll attempt a green toilet blow cleaner.

I am such a product junkie, I'm telling you, I had so many products under my kitchen sink it was unreal! About three or four years ago, I switched to cleaning completely green (still used commericial detergent, but went with the perfume-free) & threw away/gave away all my toxic cleaners. I lost a lot of money doing that. But I felt better because the change was definitely a positive one. Then hubby & I battled Staph infections (nightmare!!!!!), each had 2 surgeries with me a possible 3rd lingering (I wiggled out of that one, thank God!) & after experiencing that absolute hell, I was terrified cleaning green wasn't killing the Staph. So, I went out & repurchased all toxic disinfecting cleaners.

Many months ago I was cleaning the shower & I thought I was going to asphyxiate on fumes! I realized that inhaling toxins had to stop not only for me, but my family as well. I'm still not where I need to be, but progress has been made. And everyone is breathing easier. Suffice to say, transitioning back & forth several times has been very costly. No more of that. Ü

Thought I'd throw in a photo of the current condition of our master shower. Ain't she purdy. This renovation is not going well & due to the fact my husband cannot get the tile off the seat, he has come to a standstill. All six of us are still using the upstairs bath/shower & it's awful. We have seldom used that bath/shower & the dap was peeling off, so hubby redid it. He did an awesome job. Now the new dap is peeling off. WTH? I'm paranoid water is seeping in underneath & getting that sheetrock wet, which will land us in the very same position we're in now with the master shower. We just can't win for losing. This weekend one of us will redap & this will prove to be interesting, as it has to sit/dry for a day or so. We ain't got no other shower. ;o) All that said, let me tell you, we are very blessed & spoiled. It's been tough using the upstairs bathroom, but I'm so grateful we at least have another shower to use.


That was one long post with way too many words. Heehee.

Happy Friday! Ü

Breaking up is hard to do.

Sold! To me. Ü This formal dining room was to be my new...space. But, I really love this table. And even though she's not used often, she's staying. I actually breathed a sigh of relief when I decided to keep her. Crazy, I know. But I'm kinda known for crazy. :)

However. Even though she stays, I still have no desire to keep my computer desk in the master bedroom. I have sat in our bedroom, in the corner, 'working', for almost 5 1/2 years now. I desire to get out of the dungeon & into some openness, nice light & active environment. With my other family members. I have stared at brown walls for entirely too long & I'm tired of being tucked away.

Now. How to accomplish this will prove to be no simple task. I have 2 options & both include rearranging (& ridding, if necessary) furniture. My new space will be in either the family room or front living room. Those are the only options I have. :) For some time now, I have envisioned exactly how I wanted my new space to be arranged/decorated. I'm still going to implement those improvements, but now it will have to be in a multi room, versus being in an individual room. But who says I still can't fix up my little space? I may have to tweak a few of my ideas, but for the most part, I still hope to make it sophisticated. Ü

*The dining room wallpaper, shown above? I ♥ it. Didn't use to be that way. I use to think 'ew'. Now, not so much. And the wallpaper is (was) in perfect condition. Even though I didn't care for it, the dining room has always been, & still is, last on the list for redecorating. Notice the 2 white spots (there's 3, actually) in the upper left? I did that. I purchased a new backdrop a few years ago & I wanted to quickly do a test run. So, I temporarily taped it up there. When I went to take it down, the wallpaper came off with the tape! Ugh! I was devastated. My only perfect condition room was perfect no more. I have extra wallpaper up in the attic & fortunately, wallpapering is a forte of mine. So, I hope I can patch it in & make it look beautimous again. I may try to tackle that this weekend.

Happy Friday!

Inexpensive home decor.

I've looked at these a million times at Walmart & today I decided to purchase them. :) I'm extremely sensitive to scents (& they are potpourri, so hopefully they'll die out quickly) but I really like the shapes, textures & colors. Ü

(I had my white balance on the wrong setting = blue tint. Someday, I hope to remember to adjust all of my camera settings for a single shoot. Sheesh. And I call myself an amateur. Heehee. :)



The large container was $10.

The small container was $5.

And the below photo is the result of remembering to adjust the white balance. ;o) Now that's more like it - nice, pretty colors. :)

(This is also natural light. Makes my heart go pitter pat. Seriously.)




Both glass vases I got at Goodwill. The branches/sticks I bought at Hobby Lobby months ago. The large (clay?) vase came from Pier 1 about 8-9 years ago. :)



I really like how they turned out! Thanks Walmart! Next time I'm going to purchase some colored sand. Ü