Sunday, July 31, 2011

So Tired....

Okay, this one will be short because I am beat. After spending the morning helping Scott at his office file and do detail work, and going by the grocery store for dinner, I got the basics of the closet done. 



We(or shall I say I) have it completely covered in paper and tomorrow after we shop for Braxton's first day of school outfit (cross your fingers we find something to fit that tiny waist!) we will do the first coat of Mod Podge or Decoupage as I called it before. 

I switched my original method of putting the paper on in the first place. I used Spray adhesive to speed up the process.  I feel like my kitchen & myself are coated in it. But it was much smoother and definitely quicker, didn't make the paper wrinkle as much. Still pieced the Blue together to give it texture, but did the printed paper flat because of the VERY BUSY PRINT!  thank you Paige Alise for you 1970's taste.   


NOW GET THIS....

"Then I planked it!"

I know it is busy, but I am the black pants, pink top under the burgundy curtain with shoes and brown hair, ON TOP of a dresser/closet in the making ON TOP of a table in the middle of a kitchen acting like a PLANK of wood... "Jealous Much" by Bobby Cobb (Stupidly named, yet I can't quit watching it and totally amazing sitcom on ABC, Cougartown)
We still have a ways to go, but I think after a couple days of Decoupaging we will be excited to send it up to her room and get the clothes on the hangers, shoes and accessories in the drawers and ORGANIZATION going!! 
Train up a child in the way he/she should go and when he/she is old they will not depart from it... Proverbs 22:6  Now I am sure this is about following our Lord Jesus, but I think it holds true for organizational skills as well.

Hope tomorrow starts out a wonderful week. Also I am only going to be an open group for about a month.  If you would like to keep reading, please get a Gmail account (free) and FOLLOW me!
Many Blessings :)

Doll Closet Project has commenced......



As you know I posted a few pictures last week of a dresser that has been converted into a Doll Closet and now Paige Alise and I are going to take on this project.  We spent all of last Saturday driving all over Wichita trying to find a good used furniture/thrift store to get a cheap beat up dresser, you know the kind you would have better luck finding by a dumpster, only to go to our base thrift store on Friday to discount this month's expiring items to find, that my neighbor down the street that moved out on Wed, took exactly what we needed to the our thrift store to consign for $10.00.  BEAUTIFUL price.  Their was some water damage, drawer bottoms had been replaced with wood, but still rolled in and out great, top warped... See!
And here is why we are doing it!!  Kit; An American Girl and her friends Mia and Molly as well as baby Lucy and her new Bitty Baby Alise.


Then I took out the drawers, measured how far her longest dress would be and decided the bottom drawer needed to be cut in half.  No problem we have an AMAZING wood shop on base and Scott and I can do that together... We did Sat AM, working together is always fun.  Anyway, Paige Alise and I went to Tuesday Morning to find scrapbook paper in bulk so we could Decoupage her dresser, but instead she found the loudest, make me think of the 1970's with a 2011 flair wrapping paper to go on the outside and a complementary color to go inside.  WAY cheaper!

So far, I have rebuilt the drawer, covered it with the patterned paper, covered the bottom part that is shaped (not super easy, but treated it like I was sewing and did notched and clipping) and made a shelf for the bottom so the drawer would be separate.  Here is our progress as of tonight, we ran out of Decoupage.
Paige tore up the complementary paper into smaller pieces.  I thought that would be an easier way for a 1st time decoupager to learn.  With some assistance, she completed this whole blue side. (I just made sure edges overlapped and lines were straight)

She also reminded me she had a neat big pull handle that had the letter "P" on it and wanted to use that on the drawer where there already whole for the decorative piece we are NOT putting back on...
So that is where we stopped tonight.  Tomorrow, we will go to Daddy's work so I can do more exciting organizing and filing and then out to Michaels with my 40% off coupon to get more Decoupage.  Hopefully we can get it completed tomorrow and moved up to her room.  She got the 7 1/2" doll hangers today in the mail and is just dying to get her clothes hung up.


I can't wait for it to be finished.  For some of you the paper choice might be a bit busy!  But she just loved it.  She loves COLOR and I love watching her plan. So this is a fun project... Updates to come......

Thursday, July 28, 2011

Everyone wants a LEGO room!!!

So, how do you keep all those pieces from being vaccummed up, stepped on, lost or used as a device to send an OCD mom to the brink of craziness???  By beating you kids into submission..... NAAA, that just plain crazy(ier) than I am!!  By seperating them from all other toys, into a closet that the door can be shut on linoleum so they can move them around easily and top it off with color coded organization... that's how.. So that is what I did.
Braxton and I sat down one day and broke all his LEGO's down into Categories by colors.  He helped, so He knew what went where.  We wrote the size (small or large) and the color in the color that was suppose to go in there.  He knows how to spell his colors, but this is a way to trigger his eyes!!  I used Clear Duct tape to put it on the drawer front.  In some there are more than one color and there is even one that is just for tiny peices of all colors.  There is even a drawer for the books that tell them how to put stuff together!

Now you ask, do they use the room!!!!

                                      YES THEY DO!! But do they put things back where they go...

 Here they are doing that... It turned into playing, but then that means HOURS of quiet time for mom... So often you will hear me say. "Is the LEGO room clean?  Do not come downstairs until that room is CLEANED the RIGHT WAY" and away they go to play, together!!  I love LEGO's and I embrace being CRAZYish!!



Wednesday, July 27, 2011

I am a real woman!

You know how you see TV shows about being a mom, and everything else that is expected of you. It isn't as bad today as it was in years past, because I think REAL women/mom's got tired of a life style that truly cannot be achieved. 

Let me tell you a little about myself...
1.  I yell at my kids!  In discipline but also in LOVE.
2.  I tell my kids I love them at LEAST 20 times a day, because I can and because I want it to stick.
3.  I don't tell them they are perfect, or that I am perfect... we both have a long way to go.
4.  I don't wear pearls, heals or an apron.
5.  I can't resolve all of life's issues in 30 mins. to an hour!  (I don't even try)
6.  I too have a life of my own, it does not revolve around my children... it includes them.
7.  I expect as my kids age for them to start taking more responsibilities around the house... I AM NOT A MAID, nor do I want to be treated as one... You live here, you contribute to the home... husband included.
8.  I am not afraid if someone thinks I am a bad parent.  My job is to bring up two well round, well adjusted kids that can take care of themselves... not write a book or make a name for myself.  I only care what the end result will be on what Paige Alise and Braxton think of me and I see that reflected in them everyday.
9.  I am not the perfect wife, but I am in it for the long haul.  So I expect good and bad days, but I tell him everyday too, that I love him... because he deserves to know.
10. I fart, so deal with it... We all let air blow!  YOU TOO!!

So thanks for letting me rant... I could go on for hours, but I have two little slaves that are finally picking up the game I shouldn't have had to tell them to pick up, as well as make the bed I shouldn't have had to tell them to make.  Don't forget the bathroom I shouldn't have had to tell her to clean and the trash I shouldn't have had to tell him to gather up... For now the house is quiet.... And it will stay that way, because the Electronics have been sacrificed today with all our "shouldn't have had too's" and Momma, can enjoy herself...
Now to the kitchen, that I don't have to be told to clean.... to clean!!

Enjoy your Wednesday.

Monday, July 25, 2011

What a sale!

Okay, all of you that want to get those pictures off your computer, but don't want to break the bank, here is your chance to try it out!!  Go to http://www.mypublisher.com/ and check out their FREE software.  Down load it, and drop your pictures into a book... They can even AUTO BUILD a book for you the first time, just to get one done in time to get the 70% off discount.  You have until July 26th, so settle in, get a bag of your favorite snacks and a big drink!  Go at it and you will be hooked.  I have been waiting for this sale to come along, so now I will get off here and focus on getting Paige Alise's 7th year book completed.  Hopefully my total book with 50 front and back pages and around 600 pictures in color, linen bound will be under $50.00.  Wish me luck and stop read... go PRESERVE those memories!!

Happy Scrapping.

Sunday, July 24, 2011

All Star Sports with Girl Scouts

Wow what a night we had.  5 of the girls in our Brownies troop showed up this evening to hang out and have some fun at the All Star Park.  We started at 7:00 hoping that the sun going down would lessen the 109 degrees that it read on our car thermostat.  Fortunately after being there for 30 minutes it felt like a storm was coming up in the West.  We got a cool breeze, but no rain, so the night went on. 

We started on the Tilt-a-Whirl... I loved that ride at a kid. Then I soon realized, I didn't love it so much as an adult.  Wow, it really did spin around fast... I just closed my eyes. I will be fine.  Praise the Lord it is over.  Then we try another ride, I don't recall the name, but you sit back in a covered seat and it slowly goes around like a ferris wheel but a little different.... WHOA! More than a little different, that sucker picked up and was flying like a jet airplane put on a spin cycle.  Let's just say after  a couple minutes I just closed my eyes and swallowed hard knowing that if I threw up on Paige Alise's friends I would never hear the end of it.  I swear we were up there spinning in circles for half an hour!! Okay, it might have been 7 minutes, but I will not make that mistake again. Let's leave the circles for the young kids!!

Luckily after that we did bumper boats and go carts and the kids did the slide.  They had a great time, got to know each other better and made lasting memories. 

We do have 4 Goupons to do it again, but we will try out the one on the West side of town.  I hear they have more inside activities, like a rock climbing wall inside.  I also wanted to play some miniature golf, but the course was crazy busy and Scott's foot was tender from wearing his "boot" so we called it a night, went by QT for a milk shake and water and came home.  We watched How to Train Your Dragon (awesome movie if you ask me!!), Brax fell asleep and told me he needed someone to carry him to bed because his legs were cold and sleepy.  Scott said he told him at the theme park he needed someone to carry him to the car because his legs were bored... What... So I took it one step at a time, carried him up 13 steps... all 48lbs and put him to bed. 

On that note, it is good night to all and I check my email, update my blog and get use to this new habit!  Let's see what I do tomorrow that might interest you???
Heather

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Thrifting in Kansas

So today Paige Alise and I were on a mission, with our driver Scott and  his rusty/hungry side kick Braxton to find a cheap old piece of furniture we could RESTYLE into a American Girl Closet with shoe and accessory storage.  The idea is there, the resources... well a little difficult to come across.  So we googled Thrift Stores in Wichita, KS.  Printed the list and took the day driving.  NO LUCK!  But we did find a few stores that were clean, well organized, and had some potential for a return visit, if they weren't so stinking far away from where we live!  These are moments that I really miss knowing my city.  On NW 17th and N Penn Ave. on the East side of the road is a pink run down scary looking building.  From the window, you see furniture stacked to the very tall ceiling.  And you wonder as you step out of your car if the trashy little junk stores to the right are going to rob your car while you are in shopping. DON'T WORRY!  The people are wonderful and once you get over yourself for a quick moment you walk into a hidden gem of unwanted old school furniture!!!  To some it is really junk.  To those of use that can see life in what others have discarded it is heaven.  I so wanted to stumble across BJ Furniture today... but no such luck.  However I have not given up hope.  And I truly look forward to sharing the experience with my lovely daughter. Here is an example of the project we are considering, but we would like it shorter.. We found it on http://obscurobjet.blogspot.com/

Here is a copy of what the Unwanted furniture looked like.
doll armoire - before

Here is a copy of the front when it was finished.
doll armoire

And this is the concept from the inside.  However I would use a dowel rod and hangers for the 18" American Girl and Our Generation Doll Clothes. 
doll armoire
Paige really likes the idea of the cute curtains to push open.  I won't put bowls in the bottom, but create a shoe storage.  Also I thought it would be neat to put something metal along the sides so you could use magnetic hooks or clips to hang hats/purses/glasses. 

So tell me what you think, or is you are from the Wichita area, where is the best place to find a 30" tall used piece of furniture we can RECYCLE and keep it cheap.

To another day of shopping and spending not a cent!!

Friday, July 22, 2011

Where to begin, well with MY HERO of course!

I had the opportunity to present a workshop at our Annual Spouses Appreciation Conference last Saturday at McConnell Air Force Base.  WOW, what would I have to offer.... Well Scrapbooking.  I first spoke about the world of Digital Photography and how "I" get my pictures off the computer and into print.  FAST, CHEAP & EASY with http://www.mypublisher.com/.  Then I switched over to my passion!  Traditional Scrapbooking.  Check out the 8x8 page I did in a quick 20 minutes session!  I also gave one kit away at each session.  It was wonderful.  Can't wait until the next time I can help out and contribute.