tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7188131176247521432024-03-14T10:13:30.998-07:00Our Forever HouseOurForeverHousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03345537233258587492noreply@blogger.comBlogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718813117624752143.post-55878080417696825402013-11-04T05:00:00.000-08:002013-11-04T05:00:10.623-08:00Mason Jar: Turkey Treat JarsHow fun is Thanksgiving?!? I love the spirit of gratitude and of course the turkey. Now, I don't mean eating turkey (although I do love that too). I mean little turkey crafts. Over the years I have made hand turkeys, feet turkeys and the like with my kids and they were so awesome. This year, I decided to make a bit more sophisticated turkey treat jar.<br />
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They turned out amazing and were so easy. First, I filled my jar with M&M's which gave the perfect amount of color and yummy goodness to the project.<br />
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Next, I used the feather cut out from the turkey pillow box pattern I had downloaded from Silhouette online. The size was perfect. I did, however feel that it needed some color so I took brown, orange/red and gold crayons to add some layers of color to the feathers.<br />
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Finally, I used my scallop circle punch to make a face. Again, using the beak and wattle pattern from the pillow box I created a face with the addition of some googly eyes. I used hot glue to attach the feathers to the glass and the head to the lid ring. This allows the recipient to open the jar and still keep the cute turkey.<br />
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I just love these and while these were made for the Sunshine Committee, I plan to make some for table decorations at my house as well.<br />
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Part of my bag of goodies provided by the team was a bunch of these small half pint mason jars.<br />
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I love mason jar crafts because there are so many possibilities. I have done a number of gifts in the past with sugar scrubs and bath salts so I decided to mix up a fall version for the Sunshine Committee (note, I totally need to make some of these for my family and friends too because they turned out awesome).<br />
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The recipe is quite simple. <br />
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<b>Basic Recipe:</b><br />
2 cups Epsom salt<br />
1/2 cup baking soda<br />
few drops essential oil<br />
food coloring (optional) <br />
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I decided to make a Cinnamon Apple Pie Soaking Salt so I added the following ingredients...<br />
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cinnamon essential oil<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 tsp nutmeg<br />
1 tsp cloves<br />
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I stirred it up and spooned it into the jars. I cut a circle of scrapbook paper and designed a label using the Avery website.<br />
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Of course, I could also fill these jars with candy. And I did. The beauty is they can be filled with any number of types of candies and decorated with a simple round from fun, seasonal scrapbook paper. For October I also filled some jars with candy corn and Halloween paper.<br />
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Come back Monday for my cute turkey treat jars.<br />
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The Sunshine Committee is a group of teachers who have come together to offer little gifts of sunshine to teachers, staff and students who for whatever reason may need a little boost of sunshine. They offer encouragement, cheer, a pat on the back and more. I love the idea of this committee because I know how the simplest gesture of kindness can totally make a person's day.<br />
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Each month, the committee brings me a bag of goodies and I work my magic. Since everyone loves a little sweet treat we always have some candy. This month I was working with M&M's and candy corn. I decided to make some little pillow box treat holders with my Silhouette.<br />
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I downloaded this adorable turkey pillow box from the Silhouette online store. Perfect treat for the month of November. I added googly eyes instead of the paper eyes because, well, googly eyes are just plain fun! Inside, I put a small plastic bag filled with M&M's. These would work great with the fun size candy bars too as they are the perfect size.<br />
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The Silhouette website has a number of other cute Pillow Box ideas including an owl. Of course, even though the downloads are cheap, I knew I could make my own owl using the Turkey box since it had the same "ruffles" on the chest. For the eyes, I used a scalloped circle punch that I have used in the past. A simple yellow beak and some larger googly eyes and there you go.<br />
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I love these pillow box owls because they can be so many different colors to fit the seasons. I will definitely get the use out of this pillow box download. <br />
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A few months ago I had downloaded this fun owl treat holder from the Silhouette website as well. Using some fall colors, I created a few cute treat packets using the candy corn as well. I just love how they came out.<br />
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I sure hope that these fun projects bring some sunshine to our most deserving students, teachers and staff! I look forward to making more creations in the future.<br />
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My original hope was to find a pair of cute denim overalls. However, that was more difficult than I anticipated. Of course, my good friend Heather from <a href="http://www.nobusinesslikesewbusiness.blogspot.com/">No Business Like Sew Business</a> came to the rescue with a pattern for overalls - she just so happened to create the pattern the week before for her own son, albeit for a different costume. The boys happen to be the same size. Woo hoo! By the way, Heather rocked out 26 costumes this year! Amazing!<br />
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So I headed to my favorite discount fabric store and picked up a couple yards of navy gabardine and whipped up the overalls. Perfect. The shirt is from Old Navy - yay, did not have to sew! I painted the Gru symbol on and then, to make it stand out a bit, I used some glitter glue! It is a costume after all.<br />
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I am not a huge seamstress, in fact, I am pretty bad. The details are not pretty but it works and my boy was ecstatic! I will NOT be showing you the construction. It is U-G-L-Y!!! Speaking of which, it laid there for nearly 2 weeks unwearable because I was afraid to attempt to make button holes. Confession, I have never done one. Anyways, Heather came to the rescue again. She reminded me, it is a costume, use a snap or Velcro and fake it (she did with hers). So that is just what I did. Perfect!<br />
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The hat and goggles were a ton of fun. Confession, Heather made the hat! (Have I mentioned, I LOVE <a href="http://www.nobusinesslikesewbusiness.blogspot.com/">Heather</a> - you should too!) The goggles were easy. I used a pair of safety goggles that the kids got at the Lowes builder workshops. I hot glued a couple of canning lids and added some "eye" circles to the inside. Easy peasy. The goggles sit up on my son's forehead on top of the hat. I simply hot glued some black pipe cleaners on top for hair.<br />
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Oh, how we love our little Minion!<br />
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Each day we talk with our kids about their day. What was great? What was not so great? How can we start tomorrow with a fresh outlook. I wanted to remind them of the words we tend to use when helping them through their struggles and their triumphs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiib35rW2XgtDnlD7KccWMQk2ShBQdZ9KYfATsK7JQcEzXpK7HUbXyuzBOXb7gy8FpPcz3jsFpGD3hFJ4Ol-pbDBqWRmjh3twhJ5SMBWFnG11ow4LmIZqeiYPhBnUpMjjn8PjDjmAvukybE/s1600/brave+silhouette+sign+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiib35rW2XgtDnlD7KccWMQk2ShBQdZ9KYfATsK7JQcEzXpK7HUbXyuzBOXb7gy8FpPcz3jsFpGD3hFJ4Ol-pbDBqWRmjh3twhJ5SMBWFnG11ow4LmIZqeiYPhBnUpMjjn8PjDjmAvukybE/s640/brave+silhouette+sign+2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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I have seen versions of this on other blogs and on Pinterest. I love how it reminds us that there are many sides to us and that each and every day we should be proud of who we are. This is a great mantra as the kids leave for school each day and a perfect reminder at the end of the day.<br />
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I had the perfect spot for this sign, a small wall right between the kids bedroom doors. It is right at the end of the hallway so it will always serve a reminder as we reflect on our days.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EMosPSRMY-hcXpVv4Zevr47U4PkT-4DAYkomU-FvrRt59WXeijnS3ltK9yQ2kxUsz6Nn1cpegOPI4pg0az2TtLVok-1lCpTX-d_WSrdjmaliOq9h-7R574yGCDWKU5W7aoFz87-HuJqY/s1600/brave+silhouette+sign+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8EMosPSRMY-hcXpVv4Zevr47U4PkT-4DAYkomU-FvrRt59WXeijnS3ltK9yQ2kxUsz6Nn1cpegOPI4pg0az2TtLVok-1lCpTX-d_WSrdjmaliOq9h-7R574yGCDWKU5W7aoFz87-HuJqY/s400/brave+silhouette+sign+4.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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I used a dark gray vinyl and some craft paints I had on hand. After painting my board a creamy white, I used my Silhouette to create the words in a variety of fun fonts to help each word stand out. I placed it on the board, slight off center. This allowed me to add some color with a simple dry-brush technique using blue, green and gray.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgctiEjazlKa9IL6Ro1qfA-Tv0urwjf5AmtCJuEYVwEIg7rtvBqzXwJmP5s2jgfbfgDyPE893VRaucqJqSSnU4Kv9yJbbItAsG3jR1wzF4R-m5ZCexXHgF_B6_DL8XKgby8P_KILegWyh/s1600/brave+silhouette+sign+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEgctiEjazlKa9IL6Ro1qfA-Tv0urwjf5AmtCJuEYVwEIg7rtvBqzXwJmP5s2jgfbfgDyPE893VRaucqJqSSnU4Kv9yJbbItAsG3jR1wzF4R-m5ZCexXHgF_B6_DL8XKgby8P_KILegWyh/s400/brave+silhouette+sign+3.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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It still needed a little something so I decided to put a banner across the top. I found a fun chevron card stock in my stash with just the right blues and greens. I used the Silhouette again to cut out a bunch of 1" circles. I then pulled out the sewing machine and quickly sewed the circles together. Gluing the end circles in place the banner was perfect.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisW0mxR8lLmT0Rbv_p_Klazn47drGH0_hFFGCHX7hmiFBdPJSNgP0tM1SxZuaKvqAQgNThE4S-061P3ije4gpMWEwE1FVVydt3SQHQgT6MX1p4xaNIqkCkRBwCeDGWETXc4wb8qs1akfUy/s1600/brave+silhouette+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisW0mxR8lLmT0Rbv_p_Klazn47drGH0_hFFGCHX7hmiFBdPJSNgP0tM1SxZuaKvqAQgNThE4S-061P3ije4gpMWEwE1FVVydt3SQHQgT6MX1p4xaNIqkCkRBwCeDGWETXc4wb8qs1akfUy/s640/brave+silhouette+sign.jpg" width="444" /></a></div>
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I love the reminder for the kids (and for me too - as we all can use a little encouragement).<br />
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Last week I saw<a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2012/08/16/back-to-school-gift-for-teacher-free-printable/"> this great printable from Skip to My Lou</a> (one of my favorite craft blogs). I really liked that it was a gift from ME and not the kids. I enjoy spending time volunteering at my children's school and want their new teachers to know that I am available to help in any way needed. This is one of the many blessings of being a stay at home mom with a flexible schedule.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlgCfMSKjQ4xDnOPo47bvBsmYKzyCJcgd_GvVx80YD6TC3KmxkezSIoA8RIdW0nbd4QLP1RS1dEI-dyc2_jvBgvKy5peh75wLT96hIDZSBqUQJB0BYLWyqwxthtvuBBkgRzGAgcvSu0f8/s1600/bts+lotion+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlgCfMSKjQ4xDnOPo47bvBsmYKzyCJcgd_GvVx80YD6TC3KmxkezSIoA8RIdW0nbd4QLP1RS1dEI-dyc2_jvBgvKy5peh75wLT96hIDZSBqUQJB0BYLWyqwxthtvuBBkgRzGAgcvSu0f8/s400/bts+lotion+1.jpg" width="347" /></a></div>
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Living in Arizona, I decided that lotion would be a nice touch. I printed and cut out the tags and grabbed a couple of bottles of lotion from my coupon stash. I have hoarded some fun printed card stock packs from Michael's recently. In addition to plain colors, they have started carrying some very fun prints. This particular pack was colorful chevrons reminiscent of Missoni. I loved it. I used the sheet that was mostly teal with the design only at the bottom. I adhered the tag to the card stock and cut a hole at the top to go around the lotion bottle.<br />
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Volunteering at school is something that is so rewarding. I am blessed with the time to spend helping out at school as I know working parents are not afforded. I know the teachers appreciate it too. It is so wonderful to spend time
helping young readers and kids who struggle with their math facts.
That small group and one-on-one time can make all the difference for
some kids. I have also spent time in the classroom helping with center
work and assisting the teacher who can't be everywhere when the kids are
working on independent projects.<br />
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We are all looking forward to another amazing school year.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1oP7hyphenhyphenlJS6-wW1riJr-zsXGUVbaAGiv9F9swOOa3DlA-IAnsbDvyEGPQl4McHRL7Nn9R6OAGBv3HYQ1gcM5Lfd5IG4Y-Sr5_P_OV0K08imLY-b1thyEim_JxPObAMLzbXhWywxvBwgBV/s1600/homework+station.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh1oP7hyphenhyphenlJS6-wW1riJr-zsXGUVbaAGiv9F9swOOa3DlA-IAnsbDvyEGPQl4McHRL7Nn9R6OAGBv3HYQ1gcM5Lfd5IG4Y-Sr5_P_OV0K08imLY-b1thyEim_JxPObAMLzbXhWywxvBwgBV/s640/homework+station.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Our kids are young enough yet that I still have them sit at the kitchen table after school to do their homework. One of the big frustrations I had from last year is that we could NEVER find a sharp pencil or other supplies needed to complete their work.<br />
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I had the perfect thing to create this station - a picnic organizer that I picked up at Target a few years ago in their summer section. It is designed to hold utensils, plates and napkins but the compartments were perfect for notebooks, paper, pencils, markers, etc.<br />
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Using my Silhouette, I cut out some vinyl letters to remind the kids that the items in this bucket are to be used for homework. I don't know about you, but everything I own gets "stolen" by the kids and hauled upstairs to their bedrooms, never to be seen again. The kids know that these items may NEVER be removed from the bucket unless being utilized for homework! I will have to let you know how that goes! hee hee!<br />
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This year when doing our supply shopping, I decided to pick up extra supplies to put in our homework station. With elementary age kids, the supplies I have included are:<br />
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<ul>
<li>pencils (only Ticonderoga - they are the best)</li>
<li>markers</li>
<li>colored pencils</li>
<li>crayons (only Crayola - again, the best)</li>
<li>highlighters </li>
<li>ruler</li>
<li>school glue & glue sticks (Elmers - the best)</li>
<li>index cards (to make flash cards)</li>
<li>wide ruled loose leaf paper</li>
<li>pencil sharpener</li>
<li>scissors</li>
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I will not be surprised if I need to add a few things once school starts. As I typed this I thought of scissors. I will need to head to the store this week and pick up a couple of those.<br />
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Now if I can just get the kids to sit down after school and do their homework without whining! Wish me luck!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eXmB4jqzn_89t8ZE-aGSnoyjNYoHzpfTl6jyEotFY9oGTGjssOKo9v8g3EzMtCo1fEQ7un9bVsTa9lnz7LvLDCmgwPr4MAtIowE4ryhlrShzkiPdQMoPsKSBi_W3kZ-tQbialTrRfsud/s1600/water+bottles+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0eXmB4jqzn_89t8ZE-aGSnoyjNYoHzpfTl6jyEotFY9oGTGjssOKo9v8g3EzMtCo1fEQ7un9bVsTa9lnz7LvLDCmgwPr4MAtIowE4ryhlrShzkiPdQMoPsKSBi_W3kZ-tQbialTrRfsud/s320/water+bottles+before.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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These are the bottles I chose for this year - actually the same style we used last year. I love these bottles by Embark because the lid is tethered and therefore can't be lost. I also love the wide mouth which allows for super easy cleaning. It is also really easy to fill with ice in the morning, rather than struggling to push large cubes through a small hole! We are a busy family, I don't have time for that!<br />
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To make sure that we don't lose our water bottles, I always try to make them easy to spot and differentiate them from everyone else. This year I decided to use my Silhouette machine to put the kids names on them. It was quick, easy and the kids love the results.<br />
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Just a few more projects and we are going to be ready for school!<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I personally like a sweet barbecue sauce. I remembered a sauce that I had made a year ago but I couldn't find the recipe anywhere....on-line or in my recipe files. Of course, that never stops me. I decided to whip up my own recipe. And I must say, it turned out spectacular. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_wL7_3AGj8SGl6zVd_OfVo0_BGvx80B4TJ98ZivZoGv1-cuuz2MueZWZVbI7JdEDlpBA_2nct4ROpjWxzl6HvPkNu8Z7ihAmC33NoYT5M0Jq-U_4u4RSdAQbxu2yfubiA1zkNdproGzp/s1600/cherry+chipotle+bbq+sauce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiv_wL7_3AGj8SGl6zVd_OfVo0_BGvx80B4TJ98ZivZoGv1-cuuz2MueZWZVbI7JdEDlpBA_2nct4ROpjWxzl6HvPkNu8Z7ihAmC33NoYT5M0Jq-U_4u4RSdAQbxu2yfubiA1zkNdproGzp/s640/cherry+chipotle+bbq+sauce.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I am really in to creating sauces, salsas and dips lately. They are so versatile and can totally change a meal from boring to spectacular. While this sauce was spectacular on our ribs, I can't wait to try it with chicken, pulled pork or even steak. I have an idea to turn it in to a dip or spread too (consider that recipe coming soon).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I knew that the recipe I had used in the past used canned cherries and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, so that is where I started. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOUd6aQ41VSF9Ld6zY5q-fjePFozT8B2twQInPTtOMBBus91ATGRUDM5835lq1ECW_193U6P2ghIFUfhF4cPlgiSdi9sW_UgC_hghvWN1T28VdCdtveECwfwrRdaxnwIFoEODZ_cZSEk_/s1600/cherry+chipotle+bbq+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOUd6aQ41VSF9Ld6zY5q-fjePFozT8B2twQInPTtOMBBus91ATGRUDM5835lq1ECW_193U6P2ghIFUfhF4cPlgiSdi9sW_UgC_hghvWN1T28VdCdtveECwfwrRdaxnwIFoEODZ_cZSEk_/s320/cherry+chipotle+bbq+1.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As a general rule, barbecue sauces consist of an acid, spice and sugar. </span>With that I in mind I developed a sweet, fruity and tart sauce with a subtle, smoky heat on the back side. I love giving sauces a unique depth of flavor that progresses as you eat it. Here is the recipe I came up with...</span><br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;">CHERRY CHIPOTLE DR. PEPPER BBQ SAUCE</span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cans Sweet or Tart Pitted Cherries with
liquid</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>7oz
can Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cups Ketchup</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cups Dr. Pepper</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cup Apple Cider Vinegar</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">½ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cup Lemon Juice</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>cup Brown Sugar</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tbsp Cocoa Powder</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tbsp Finely Chopped Garlic</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tbsp Nutmeg</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tsp Cloves</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1 <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>tsp Cumin</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Bring to a boil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turn down to a medium simmer until the liquid
has reduced by half, stirring occasionally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Liquid should have a thick syrup quality that richly coats the back of a
spoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using an immersion blender, purée
the sauce until all cherries and peppers have been combined into the
sauce.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsLqgbLWRG8QHviYz4sQsu92GRh8a0Qzla8Xb7YMklObN2eENlxbTrSVQjoVUcUoil4nb-cbsZytiMk_3j-Oro30AncYDr9HifLx_wGAvoBKOVWhsoaoAA86bJDt6gj5K6odiwTO53KkJ/s1600/cherry+chipotle+bbq+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2MD-gFwuUqT665QeRKMshyyu_Eo5nUMUjNVlCz2AtUblOnEZ2FHzivoT5aH1jZxtqQvcj32pJlKA9gThULMgqeg9eHnqS4ri4It9pTRkpIRwkEM1DBSyw01sDdrNhyphenhyphenlLVsdrGmatBx0OY/s400/cherry+chipotle+bbq+2.jpg" width="400" /> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsLqgbLWRG8QHviYz4sQsu92GRh8a0Qzla8Xb7YMklObN2eENlxbTrSVQjoVUcUoil4nb-cbsZytiMk_3j-Oro30AncYDr9HifLx_wGAvoBKOVWhsoaoAA86bJDt6gj5K6odiwTO53KkJ/s320/cherry+chipotle+bbq+3.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If you do not have an immersion blender, get one! They rock! Otherwise, you can use a regular blender. Since you are blending a HOT liquid, only fill the blender half full (or less) and hold the lid on with a dish towel. The hot sauce can burn you if it splatters so proceed with caution.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This sauce can be canned by placing
in jars with ¼” head room.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Using a water
bath, process for 20 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> The recipe made 12 half pint jars. {Friends - you know who you are - these jars have your names on them!}</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">For the BBQ today, I made some ribs in the slow cooker - low and slow all day - and then through them on the grill with some of the BBQ sauce.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">The ribs were amazing. They melted off the bones and the sauce was a huge hit. Just the right amount of sweet and heat. I should have brought more jars with me to the party!!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Mmmmm, mmmmm good!</span><br />
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<!-- end ZEDO for channel: ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com , publisher: ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com , Ad Dimension: Medium Rectangle - 300 x 250 -->OurForeverHousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03345537233258587492noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718813117624752143.post-65144813791647593612013-07-02T15:59:00.001-07:002013-07-02T15:59:07.510-07:00Back Yard Upgrade: New ChairsHave I said how much I LOVE THRIFTING!?! I do. There is nothing better than the surprises that comes when you enter a thrift store. Last week I shared the amazing <a href="http://ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com/2013/06/back-yard-upgrade-catering-cart-makeover.html">catering cart</a> we found at the local salvage shop. Well, a few days later I totally scored at Goodwill.<br />
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After taking the kids to the library we ran in to Goodwill which shares the parking lot! {heart} This particular day I was greeted by a variety of amazing outdoor furniture. In the mix were 6 matching large metal chairs. They needed pads and a little love but the price was right and they were totally meant for our pool area.<br />
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With our hot sun and dry air, well-made metal outdoor furniture is a must. Wood dries out and plastic becomes brittle. These metal chairs were perfect so I immediately scooped them up and brought them home.<br />
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If you follow me on Facebook you may have seen this sneak peek photo. Hubby and I decided that freshening them up with a coat of oil rubbed
bronze would give them the like-new look. The finish was just a little
weathered and faded but not bad at all.<br />
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Next step was finding the right cushions for the chairs. I will admit, this part sort of broke the budget, coming in at twice as much as the cost of the chairs themselves. We chose a great, super plush cushion-back combo from Home Depot. They fit perfectly and look amazing.<br />
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I took this photo after sitting there this afternoon watching the kids swim. So comfortable.<br />
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They work well with the little side tables we picked up last year on clearance at Target.<br />
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I love that we were able to add 6 new, comfortable chairs to our backyard pool area.<br />
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The thrift store has totally brought new life to our back yard! The additional storage is amazing and the new seating is so inviting. Come back next week for a full tour of the back yard upgrade 2013!<br />
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<!-- end ZEDO for channel: ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com , publisher: ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com , Ad Dimension: Medium Rectangle - 300 x 250 -->OurForeverHousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03345537233258587492noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718813117624752143.post-45971347645634976602013-06-25T17:22:00.001-07:002013-06-25T20:54:09.780-07:00Back Yard Upgrade: Catering Cart MakeoverThis weekend here in Arizona we are under an Extreme Heat Advisory. That means 110 degrees and higher for several days. Having a swimming pool is critical in our attempt to stay cool. Going in to this summer, we knew we wanted to make a few additions to our back yard to make it more usable for our family and for parties.<br />
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Our objectives for the back yard are as follows:<br />
<ol>
<li>Storage/Bar Area</li>
<li>Comfortable and more seating</li>
<li>More table space</li>
<li>Create a purpose for west side of yard (currently a dirt patch, this will be next summer's project - need to save $$$)</li>
</ol>
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Today I am very excited to share the results of our first objective - creating a storage/bar area.<br />
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For the past 6 months, we have been on the hunt for a piece of furniture to make over. The piece needed to provide storage for towels, sunscreen, pool toys/goggles, etc. It also needed to have a surface to be used like a buffet for drinks and snacks when we are out back. We really thought we were looking for a dresser or buffet similar to the buffet we found for our living room.<br />
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Then one day, we were at one of our favorite salvage shops and came across this beauty...<br />
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Yep, an old beat up catering cart that reminded us of those that are used by the airlines. It was sitting just outside the dumpster. Had we not rescued this gem, it was going to the junk yard! Nooooo! We knew it was just what we were looking for - <b>a conversation piece</b>, a piece we could bring back to life and make our own.<br />
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This dirty, faded, sun worn, dried out, rusty cart with missing doors
was a bit of a challenge. It took a few attempts to take it all apart.
We broke a few bolts in the process but got it apart with the help of a
blow torch to loosen a few rusty pieces. After a lengthy pressure
washing we were ready to go.<br />
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Since we immediately thought airline beverage cart when we saw it, we decided to go that route with an aviation color scheme. We chose a dark blue for the shell - painting both inside and out. We kept the metal pieces as is for an industrial feel. We gave them a good clean and buff and reattached them with new hardware. <br />
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We removed the broken door hardware. With no doors on the piece we decided to create a simple roll-up dust cover for the front of the unit. I went to my fabric stash and found the perfect orange and white awning
striped outdoor fabric. I love how the orange played off the blue. I sewed a simple curtain with pockets at the top and bottom.
Through the top pocket we placed a metal strip. We bolted the curtain to the top of the piece. The bottom pocket has a piece of dowel to add some weight and structure for when we roll up the cover.<br />
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I added a couple of ribbons to hold the cover up when we were using the cart. I plan to add a couple of pieces of Velcro along the sides of the cart to help hold the cover in place when not in use as the wind catches it and blows it around.<br />
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We created a few adjustable shelves for the unit. I then hit the dollar store and found the perfect baskets and tubs to store items on the cart. I was so excited to find our colors. <br />
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The best part about this piece is that we rescued this forlorn cart and turned it in to an amazing gem.<br />
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I'll be back next week with part 2 of our back yard update.<br />
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<!-- end ZEDO for channel: ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com , publisher: ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com , Ad Dimension: Medium Rectangle - 300 x 250 -->OurForeverHousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03345537233258587492noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718813117624752143.post-41403385225743148782013-04-15T13:58:00.000-07:002013-04-19T12:17:47.589-07:00Master Closet Makeover<!-- Javascript tag: -->There are a ton of changes going on at our house right now. It sort of feels like we have hit the home improvement lottery! We didn't but that doesn't stop me from
grinning from ear to ear on the big and small changes.<br />
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One area that has proven to be a "big project on a small budget" has been a DIY makeover of our master closet. I am so excited to finally share it with you.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE PROBLEM:</b></span> <br />
First off, we are blessed with a nice large walk-in closet. It is more than adequate to house our clothes. Yet, it just didn't seem to function for us. There was an excessive amount of hanging space, inefficient shelves that did not serve our need for folded clothing storage and it was dark and messy. Okay, the messy part is all on us, but that was because it just didn't meet our needs. Half of our clothes was in the bedroom in dressers and half was located in the closet. We really needed it all in one space.<br />
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So here were our issues:<br />
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The end of our closet had a large built in shelving unit. This unit had deep shelves that were spaced very far apart which made stacking items impossible as they would tumble over if you stacked too high. We did have 2 large, shallow baskets that were great but there was still a lot of unusable space between the shelves.<br />
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Behind the door to the closet was an area over 6' long that offered some additional hanging storage. The previous owners had placed the shoe rack on the wall as well. As you can see, we had shoes on the rack, on a rack on the floor and in hanging storage. We really do not have that many pairs of shoes but they seemed to take up a lot of real estate in the closet. Actually, after going through the shoes, we have been able to take out nearly half of them that we rarely if ever wear anymore.<br />
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The end of the closet opposite the shelving was yet more hanging storage and as you can see, we really didn't use it. This area is where we tried to create some accessory storage with hats and scarves on hanger and a plastic drawer unit. Such wasted space.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>THE SOLUTION:</b></span><br />
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<b>Area #1: Hanging Storage</b><br />
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I think we all dream of having the fancy closet systems and while they have become more affordable, they are still crazy expensive. As we looked at our closet, we determined that the back wall of hanging storage was more than adequate for our hanging clothes. There was no reason to take out the existing hanging storage, only to replace it with "fancy" hanging storage.<br />
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That being said, this area still needed a little work. The weight of our clothes and the storage up above was causing the shelving to pull away from the wall. We realized that the supports were not secured into the studs. We fixed this problem by adding screws through the header board into the studs every 16" or so. Additionally, we added one more bar support to the upper bar since it seemed to be sagging a bit. The upper bar was a single rod and the supports appeared to be a bit too far apart. The lower bar is a series of smaller bars so we didn't have the sagging problem.<br />
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To improve the aesthetics of the closet, we decided to spray paint the supports using a brushed nickel spray paint. <br />
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<b>Area #2: Folded Storage</b><br />
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Since we determined that we really did not need any additional hanging storage, we pulled out the hanging rods on the wall behind the closet door. We also took down the shoe storage from the wall. This area was just the right size to put 2 Malm dressers from Ikea as well as 2 smaller Closetmaid drawer units I found on clearance at Target.<br />
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These two units are perfect for our folded items such as t-shirts, shorts, pajamas and swimwear. The smaller unit and the small top drawers of the Malm dressers are just right for socks, underwear and other small accessories.<br />
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We decided to go with a white laminate finish on these items for two reasons. First, the white brings some brightness to this small space. Secondly, we have been able to easily mix and match different storage solutions from Ikea, Target and other big box stores.<br />
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<b>Area #3: Shoe Storage</b> <br />
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I am loving our new shoe storage. I picked up two large Closetmaid Shoe Cubicles from Target. They are perfect for us. The individual cubicles work well for our shoes. Larger shoes and items we don't wear as often are placed on the top and side of the unit. I like that there is still room on the edge of the dresser if needed.<br />
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<b>Area #4: Dressing Area</b><br />
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We found an awesome long mirror at Home Goods which is great for getting ready in the morning. I love it's size. It was hung at the end of the closet where the shelving unit was previously installed.<br />
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I would like to add a small bench somewhere in the closet so that we have a place to sit to put on a pair of socks or shoes. This will likely be placed on the wall opposite the mirror. <br />
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<b>Area #5: Lighting & Flooring</b><br />
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As stated above, our closet is essentially becoming our dressing area. In order for this to function properly we needed to address the lighting which often felt too dim. We removed the old dome lights and replaced them with a bright 3-bulb halogen light. We have a similar fixture in our kitchen. what we liked about these lights is that it allows us to focus the lights on specific areas within the closet.<br />
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As part of our larger flooring project (more information on this will be shared in the weeks to come), we pulled up the dirty old carpet in the closet. We replaced this with the same wood flooring we are putting throughout our house. The wood offers a clean and surprisingly soft surface for getting ready.<b> </b><br />
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<b>Area #6: Te Be Continued...</b></div>
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Just to the left of the door, opposite the mirror we again removed the hanging storage rods. Right now this area houses our laundry bin. Ultimately, this area will become our accessory storage area. We are still trying to determine what this will be like. I think we need to live with the space for a while to figure out exactly what our needs are for this area.<br />
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We are so happy with this newly remodeled area of our home. I love when a few simple changes make things so much easier. The bonus of this project is that in true spring cleaning fashion, we have tried to simplify our wardrobe and what is taking up space in our closet and our life.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlMKgZZ_vhJWyiytwhVFWfTzW6pd_i5piyFaoO8bOAJmZQDCDZ2HIfBTlnuaaMefU8MoKS85C9-DFTWjjDGLlYnDTDpiDUf5AafU3Gym8rg3_4gz3PrsRmHagSaeR0OrU-ek7BKPJ9TZf/s1600/m+closet+makeover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTlMKgZZ_vhJWyiytwhVFWfTzW6pd_i5piyFaoO8bOAJmZQDCDZ2HIfBTlnuaaMefU8MoKS85C9-DFTWjjDGLlYnDTDpiDUf5AafU3Gym8rg3_4gz3PrsRmHagSaeR0OrU-ek7BKPJ9TZf/s320/m+closet+makeover.jpg" width="289" /></a></div>
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linked up at ... <a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2013/04/15/made-by-you-monday-148/">skip to my lou</a>, <a href="http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/2013/04/take-look-tuesday_15.html">sugar bee crafts</a>, <a href="http://todayscreativeblog.net/diy-art-for-walls/">today's creative blog</a>, <a href="http://funkypolkadotgiraffe.blogspot.com/2013/04/too-cute-tuesday-linky-par-tay-138.html">funky polkadot giraffe</a>, <a href="http://www.notjustahousewife.net/2013/04/show-me-what-ya-got-115.html">not just a housewife</a>, <a href="http://www.madiganmade.com/2013/04/time-to-share-at-project-inspired.html">madigan made</a>,<a href="http://www.52mantels.com/2013/04/thursdays-are-your-days_17.html">52 mantels</a>, <a href="http://www.ilovemydisorganizedlife.com/2013/04/wicked-good-wednesdays-20.html">{i love} my disorganized life</a>, <a href="http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2013/04/17/hookin-up-with-hoh-144/">house of hepworths</a>, <a href="http://www.chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/2013/04/flaunt-it-friday-150-and-winner.html">chic on a shoestring</a> <br />
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<!-- end ZEDO for channel: ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com , publisher: ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com , Ad Dimension: Medium Rectangle - 300 x 250 -->OurForeverHousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03345537233258587492noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718813117624752143.post-18953213581945758872013-04-08T14:51:00.000-07:002013-04-08T17:49:57.440-07:00Curb Appeal: Outdoor Lights RefreshedNothing is better than a fresh coat of paint to bring new life to something that is old and worn. Last year when we had the exterior of our house repainted it became evident that our light fixtures were showing the effects the Arizona sun and elements.<br />
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Since I have proven to my husband the wonders of Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint, this was the natural fix to our faded, dirty and tired lights.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPX2OvG7Ukx-ser3V9cZ74eP8HzB9nL6kvw5osdT51DKoLaFbsX9PTtxOJrcpUBY3wFHsWvQrrVk9EkfpDuCfgnjXkHt30Mpdxj5QhvWTtLYXQzODYvvqzDK-_Z5qz1eGeL0lTsF4qBK78/s1600/Outdoor+Lights+refreshed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPX2OvG7Ukx-ser3V9cZ74eP8HzB9nL6kvw5osdT51DKoLaFbsX9PTtxOJrcpUBY3wFHsWvQrrVk9EkfpDuCfgnjXkHt30Mpdxj5QhvWTtLYXQzODYvvqzDK-_Z5qz1eGeL0lTsF4qBK78/s640/Outdoor+Lights+refreshed.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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This was such a quick and easy fix I often wonder why it took us so long to do it. As you can see from the before pictures, the metal and paint was faded and starting to get a dirty, uncared for patina. What you can't really see, is how filthy the glass was.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gNxPq_lGbz1PpzbOH6edg5hldXUhizNcS8tcAklSqwDKn_nURO_Tq5oTINRuVMTZmPDsf0ObLOFlqfU-r9_4jqRrIJvM_sCTQGQeCeqEMx7xU5tC6Ga6sg7wCTdAFtCD2Qf4VaI8AaB9/s1600/outdoor+light+before.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gNxPq_lGbz1PpzbOH6edg5hldXUhizNcS8tcAklSqwDKn_nURO_Tq5oTINRuVMTZmPDsf0ObLOFlqfU-r9_4jqRrIJvM_sCTQGQeCeqEMx7xU5tC6Ga6sg7wCTdAFtCD2Qf4VaI8AaB9/s400/outdoor+light+before.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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We simply took down the lights and gave them a quick wipe down with soapy water to get the dirt off. Then we used some rubbing alcohol to do a final cleaning to remove any oils, etc. My husband taped off the electrical components. A couple light coats of ORB gave them an instant freshening. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AQtzWwJDASLcY08uPEa_U0ExpvJFwx-oK0L-W2dM4sI2RKPXvaM7Y6QVkSafugiFkZKKXzEDCPJkX_GZGOHiPID5kJUkHSIeNkk7T6qBeR9TrEOlSv_IUanXbzT1ehwn2JR-N3TXqR5Q/s1600/Outdoor+light+after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AQtzWwJDASLcY08uPEa_U0ExpvJFwx-oK0L-W2dM4sI2RKPXvaM7Y6QVkSafugiFkZKKXzEDCPJkX_GZGOHiPID5kJUkHSIeNkk7T6qBeR9TrEOlSv_IUanXbzT1ehwn2JR-N3TXqR5Q/s400/Outdoor+light+after.jpg" width="280" /> </a></div>
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It immediately looked so much better. Note: We have a couple different types of fixtures. The ones on the garage have 2 smaller lights while the one by the front door has a single, larger bulb.<br />
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Here is a side-by-side comparison. So much better. I love how the fixtures have a new glow to them and how the glass now sparkles in the sunshine.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GyKhQtS9y46VvO11BFJEhKjJ8JuVDIF9vy-XS9NYZqXg7W9duHGuuYglruQrU9OFwzSWsIB52UtVBjh7D9OR6bUXNgUBMDOZzWIqRjc9URonsDkOXKDdOB-saMzLGslz__gdr9SQVnB_/s1600/outdoor+lights+side+by+side.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GyKhQtS9y46VvO11BFJEhKjJ8JuVDIF9vy-XS9NYZqXg7W9duHGuuYglruQrU9OFwzSWsIB52UtVBjh7D9OR6bUXNgUBMDOZzWIqRjc9URonsDkOXKDdOB-saMzLGslz__gdr9SQVnB_/s400/outdoor+lights+side+by+side.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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While we were at it, we also gave a fresh coat of paint to the doorbell plate which was a horrible gold color and the frame to our house number. I love how now all of these elements match.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcWPcedgpB57hnTx-koh3XNf90vJPz_panZnVmJAbtW0fg9FONtu12pnqXQeLBX9Tt_Gc3HHzCfAzJ9FsMCw8slmvcRAw1bT4UgMTnoCvXu4RBbiT3DvI7MIZx3OfMn5QEOeEk39QBhxP/s1600/doorbell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPa0A3G1BzeDRWgVVvCnf4z3Wo245HnWrFGMMnj9sC32Pay8t8tX6tbkRL824NHUXIkuNHg-TYV1ZNOCJ00DHJvkSeL1xzBTolShvgRX4LeierQGd17LMG420QopWDHmkwjeB9GpeIeJE/s320/outdoor+light.jpg" width="212" /> <img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZcWPcedgpB57hnTx-koh3XNf90vJPz_panZnVmJAbtW0fg9FONtu12pnqXQeLBX9Tt_Gc3HHzCfAzJ9FsMCw8slmvcRAw1bT4UgMTnoCvXu4RBbiT3DvI7MIZx3OfMn5QEOeEk39QBhxP/s320/doorbell.jpg" width="212" /> </a></div>
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Such a quick and simple project. It only took a few hours and the house looks so fresh. I love it!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd85mjKUGWhLxWQnbj07IJhMnuVMJCSzQ0ME9QPMbhiG8Wccp15aBQIL1MmCMwRHMZgCtEFyLwydlc3PsS1Q0tz8lwgm0rW42EFcfRtU9WJU9y084yfBe_bu2pF6YO3iR-6pnhMlQ82U5v/s1600/Outdoor+Lights+refreshed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd85mjKUGWhLxWQnbj07IJhMnuVMJCSzQ0ME9QPMbhiG8Wccp15aBQIL1MmCMwRHMZgCtEFyLwydlc3PsS1Q0tz8lwgm0rW42EFcfRtU9WJU9y084yfBe_bu2pF6YO3iR-6pnhMlQ82U5v/s400/Outdoor+Lights+refreshed.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<!-- end ZEDO for channel: ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com , publisher: ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com , Ad Dimension: Medium Rectangle - 300 x 250 -->OurForeverHousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03345537233258587492noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718813117624752143.post-1193647201978657062013-01-24T17:34:00.001-08:002013-01-24T17:34:33.887-08:00Quick & Cheap: Back Door MakeoverI love to wake up and make a quick and cheap update to my house that brings a smile to my face. Today's project does just that. <br />
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I was wiping down the door knobs and light switches around the house to help tackle germs during this flu season. When I got to the garage door I noticed how dirty and scuffed it was so decided to wipe it down...to no avail, it was just too dirty.<br />
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I decided to give our back door - the one that comes from the garage - a little freshening up. The perfect subject for a <b>Quick and Cheap</b> makeover.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiXjjHTT8VrqsmZziPzK2lAtYOzW81B-Dfeean6ldqPpB1-z8ZzyemLyJczAp0Q7_0wKZIRDGa-_7o2kGCYioe5jeHzo0n49jHnFzQhyphenhyphenHJCCbSg6obPSm2E5ouBV0b1HHaASqhSx0ur6b/s1600/back+door+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiXjjHTT8VrqsmZziPzK2lAtYOzW81B-Dfeean6ldqPpB1-z8ZzyemLyJczAp0Q7_0wKZIRDGa-_7o2kGCYioe5jeHzo0n49jHnFzQhyphenhyphenHJCCbSg6obPSm2E5ouBV0b1HHaASqhSx0ur6b/s400/back+door+1.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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To start this makeover I headed to my paint stash. I found a great little sample jar of green paint from Lowes. It was a little duller than I wanted so I stirred in some blue paint I had on hand which gave me the color I was looking for.<br />
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Within a few minutes, I had a coat of paint on the door. A little later, I brushed on a second coat. Perfect.<br />
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While the paint was drying, I pulled out the Silhouette Machine (my Christmas present from the hubby - LOVE HIM!). I did a little search of Pinterest for ideas but didn't like what I was finding. Welcome home seemed to boring. Instructions to remove shoes and hang up coats seemed to nagging.<br />
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A quick web search and I happened upon some quotes from Dr. Seuss. Fun. Simple. And brings a smile to your face. A quick download of the "Grinched" font and I was in business.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9SYsOD_EU16l6ylDFpQGMNVobG3Gav1zha7Az9as-B4zpq5r3IysxDpalEAXvDiFws1hBR2z0e-jnkkrVrfIeSIc8iL9RpTwDUqEiX7oLYj4anUqLKYxdAaf5vJevDNwkYQqKFohaqjjO/s1600/back+door+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9SYsOD_EU16l6ylDFpQGMNVobG3Gav1zha7Az9as-B4zpq5r3IysxDpalEAXvDiFws1hBR2z0e-jnkkrVrfIeSIc8iL9RpTwDUqEiX7oLYj4anUqLKYxdAaf5vJevDNwkYQqKFohaqjjO/s320/back+door+4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Now, isn't that an awesome saying to greet us when we come home from a long day away!<br />
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Here is the before and after...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxm3Qq_bqK7nwCDWvPg54Xsfu6bDBhHFzdxAGp5ZTWYM_q3lRKM2WFJGp7zl2qS-JTUdSawK3TeIJ_cT0IHMa6AEB1Sw1j_mQEyiS4UYuKkiEgHifyznkNAj6VLDaRf9MxB6sNQV4H-CNm/s1600/back+door+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxm3Qq_bqK7nwCDWvPg54Xsfu6bDBhHFzdxAGp5ZTWYM_q3lRKM2WFJGp7zl2qS-JTUdSawK3TeIJ_cT0IHMa6AEB1Sw1j_mQEyiS4UYuKkiEgHifyznkNAj6VLDaRf9MxB6sNQV4H-CNm/s400/back+door+2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELymGenXyjqSQou41Y8arby-vJW5nBWLsKC7fkjT74HH3bi22W7WZeuINICyhGlouZzcRPBPVbS-ppzzEL-Kgwt6s8c3Pt9Mt6sS5jKHiQ54rkLAg0uqFUJMJmkhG0LMIdPqgzrxl5VTy/s1600/back+door+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiELymGenXyjqSQou41Y8arby-vJW5nBWLsKC7fkjT74HH3bi22W7WZeuINICyhGlouZzcRPBPVbS-ppzzEL-Kgwt6s8c3Pt9Mt6sS5jKHiQ54rkLAg0uqFUJMJmkhG0LMIdPqgzrxl5VTy/s640/back+door+3.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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By definition, Quick and Cheep makeovers are just that - quick and cheap! So here is the breakdown...<br />
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<ul>
<li>$3 Paint Sample (1/2 left)</li>
<li>$1 Vinyl (if even)</li>
<li>45 Minutes (not counting paint drying time)</li>
</ul>
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I kind of look forward to leaving the house, just so I can come home and see this greeting me! <br />
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Since this is our forever house, our goal is to eliminate the cookie cutter appeal of the house to better reflect our taste and style. We have done a few things like replace the cheap brass door handles with brushed nickel and change out a few of the light fixtures. This weekend our focus was on the upstairs bathroom - also known as the kid's bathroom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRiWVnB0Yooq9v60m_iul4O6BDIT2598-EvtmtJlsJhMEYfYjP1rMyJNWeU6H_RFpuQHkTVv7UXB84KUcsbXqes5dI4Kmb4DyIcZYTWyJJnd476A4FYeOL6sFEL_r8JQsGfFThsJOiVEIo/s1600/kids+bathroom+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRiWVnB0Yooq9v60m_iul4O6BDIT2598-EvtmtJlsJhMEYfYjP1rMyJNWeU6H_RFpuQHkTVv7UXB84KUcsbXqes5dI4Kmb4DyIcZYTWyJJnd476A4FYeOL6sFEL_r8JQsGfFThsJOiVEIo/s640/kids+bathroom+1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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These mass produced homes are notorious for the "Hollywood" light fixtures in the bathrooms and the over-sized naked mirrors. Another name for these standard features ... builder cheap and builder basic.<br />
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Our updates included a simple installation of a new, brushed nickel light fixture that we were able to find a local used building supply store at a deep discount. My husband also installed a new "hotel" shower head that we picked up the used supply store as well. When we bought this house, we were able to find some amazing new and gently used light fixtures at the local Habitat Store. We recently found another similar store here so of course, we had to check it out for other possible updated fixtures. <br />
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For the mirror we utilized some left over baseboard molding that was in the garage to create a simple frame. Following some of the many tutorials out there, we mitered the corners and painted the molding white to match our existing trim. Then we simply glued the molding directly to the front of the mirror (making sure to paint the back of the frame since it reflects slightly in the mirror).<br />
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I love how these simple changes give a fresh new look to an otherwise boring room. Of course, these updates inspire me to want to do more changes.<br />
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Right now, since our kids are young, they bath in our Master bathroom since it is downstairs and a bit larger for us to assist them better. However, soon they will begin to shower on their own. I know kids are not good at hanging up towels properly on a towel bar. I would love to put up board and batten on the wall opposite the sink to add to the beachy feel of our "fish" bathroom (every house we have lived in has had one). The board and batten is ideal for hooks to hang towels as they secure better to solid wood.<br />
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Maybe I can get that done in the next few months! In the mean time, I will enjoy the wonderful updates that my darling husband did last weekend! Thanks!<br />
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<!-- end ZEDO for channel: ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com , publisher: ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com , Ad Dimension: Medium Rectangle - 300 x 250 -->OurForeverHousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03345537233258587492noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718813117624752143.post-87970579895411931682012-12-07T09:27:00.000-08:002012-12-07T09:27:35.188-08:00Introducing...the buffetI know I have stretched out the dining room update series but let me tell you, this is the <i><b>pièce de résistance. </b></i>Through a series of unexpected events, this year has seemed to be the year of the dining room. Many of the changes at our house this year have involved the two eating areas - the kitchen table and the formal dining room. This series came to be when I found the most amazing piece of furniture at a flea market.<br />
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About a month ago, my friend Heather from <a href="http://nobusinesslikesewbusiness.blogspot.com/">No Business Like Sew Business</a> and I got the hubbies to drop the kids at school so we could hit a big flea market like sale that a local church hosts each November. They always have a TON of stuff from furniture to housewares to cars and more! Their prices are amazing which makes it doubly awesome. You never know what you might find.<br />
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For a while now, I have been looking for a dresser or buffet to offer some more storage. Well this year, I found this ...<br />
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Isn't she lovely. Let me tell you, the picture is VERY deceiving. It was an "interesting" cream colored piece that has, over time, yellowed into a splotchy, nastiness. Additionally, it was covered with a thick coat of dust, grime and a few stickers. </div>
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The lines were amazing, the craftsmanship was awesome (dove-tail joints) and it was wonderful solid wood - no particle board here! It is 6 feet long and heavy as sin! The best part, it was a mere $35! It was meant to be. Yikes, now to get it home! It was super heavy and while we had a van, there was no way my friend and I were doing it ourselves. Fortunately, my husband called as we were having the guys at the sale were loading up so he met us at the house to help get it out. Ah, timing!</div>
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Admittedly, I was a bit nervous for him to see it, but in true hubby fashion, he was able to see the vision. Clean it up, a wonderful coat of paint, some new hardware and it would be amazing. Thanks for staying with me on this darling!</div>
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I was so excited, I got started almost right away. I decided black would look amazing and rich. There are some awesome tutorials out there for how to repaint furniture. I am know expert in this area so I read a few methods and decided upon a very light sanding, Zinsser primer, satin paint and a couple coats of polyacrylic. I removed the hardware and filled in the holes with wood filler </div>
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After the first coat of primer I realized how amazing this project was going to be. The lines were even more beautiful than I realized. I had removed the center door in order to spray paint the hinges and better paint the complete piece. Next came the final coat and new hardware.</div>
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Seriously, I am in love with this piece. I just can't believe how wonderful it looks. The hubby suggested the hardware - a combo of cup pulls and a simple long bar all in a brushed nickel. I can't stop smiling!</div>
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I still have some styling to do. I am trying to determine what to hang above it. I am debating between some family photos (aren't our new family photos amazing - thanks <a href="http://www.facebook.com/CarrieOrdPhotography">Carrie Ord Photography</a>, you are amazing) or a picture or mirror. Until then, I went with a simple display on top.</div>
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This has been a really fun project and has further shown us the pride in taking a piece from sad to fab! The total project cost was just over $100 with paint and hardware. Trust me, we NEVER would have found a piece this amazing for that price. Maybe 10x that price. Plus, we get the joy in saying we did it ourselves!</div>
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Thanksgiving this year was so fun in our new dining room. My beautiful chairs, the perfect sideboard, great food and family. I couldn't have been more thankful for another great year.</div>
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Thanks for stopping by. I have many more projects I have been working on and can't wait to share them with you. </div>
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<!-- end ZEDO for channel: ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com , publisher: ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com , Ad Dimension: Medium Rectangle - 300 x 250 -->OurForeverHousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03345537233258587492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718813117624752143.post-10677685610187887052012-11-24T14:14:00.000-08:002012-11-24T14:14:17.169-08:00Recovered Dining ChairsThanksgiving was a couple days ago and we were so excited to utilize our newly updated formal dining area. I am so happy that this random series of events has allowed us to bring a fresh look to our dining areas. Today in the series, I am sharing our newly reupholstered dining chairs.<br />
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Last week I shared our new kitchen dining chairs, <a href="http://ourforeverhouse.blogspot.com/2012/11/new-chairs-in-nook.html">the leather parsons chairs</a>. Oh how I love them. However, I recently fell back in love with our larger, formal dining table too! The upholstered seats were boring, uninspired and nasty dirty. Not anymore.<br />
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Over a year ago, I was perusing the mounds of fabric in my favorite local discount fabric store and came across this beautiful gray and white graphic upholstery fabric. I literally scrounged through the mounds of fabric to find a couple of pieces that were reasonably good sized. <br />
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The difficulty of the discount fabric store is they buy left-overs, end cuts, etc. so the pieces are generally not real large or can have damaged areas and flaws. Any piece under 2 yards you must take the entire piece. I didn't care because I payed $3.99 a yard for this designer fabric that is available at Jo Ann's for almost $30 a yard. I was ecstatic.<br />
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While I have wanted to redo these chairs for quite some time, I feared ruining this beautiful fabric since we were still using these chairs on a daily basis. Now that we were moving these back to the formal dining room, I was free to proceed.<br />
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Here is the dining table before. As you can see, the fabric on the chairs was neutral and uninspiring. (Never mind that it was snagged, stained and disgusting.)<br />
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And now with the beautiful new chair covers. The subtle print and neutral gray brings some character and style to the seats.<br />
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I am absolutely loving the chairs. The table itself got small makeover too. In our previous home, this was our only table and we used it everyday. The finish was beginning to look dull and scratched. After cleaning it thoroughly to remove any grease or food residue I used a 220 grit sandpaper and gave the top a very light sanding. I followed this up with a couple of layers of fresh polyurethane. I then declared this table off limits for a week in order to make sure that the finish had plenty of time to cure. This simple one day project gave the table a bright and beautiful new life.<br />
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Finally, in order to add some accent to the head chairs, I made a simple lumbar pillow out a gray velvet I bought at the same time I bought the chair fabric. With an elegant silver fringe, the pillows add a touch of glam.<br />
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Come back later this week when I share my favorite addition to this room, a new sideboard that has undergone an amazing transformation in the past couple of weeks.<br />
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<script language="JavaScript" src="http://d3.zedo.com/jsc/d3/fo.js"></script>OurForeverHousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03345537233258587492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718813117624752143.post-75491323826074734872012-11-12T16:28:00.000-08:002012-11-12T16:28:15.824-08:00New Chairs in the NookAs I mentioned last week, we have experienced an unintentional updating of the dining areas in our home. Over the next few weeks, I will be sharing some of the updates. Expect to hear about some fun purchases, makeovers, sewing projects, art projects and simple styling.<b></b><br />
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It all started at the kitchen table.<br />
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We found an amazing like new Pottery Barn table on Craigslist when we bought our house a couple of years ago. It is a beautiful round pedestal table that allows us to add a leaf when we have guests. The table came with a wonderful piece of glass to protect the table top. Unfortunately, the table did not come with chairs. Bummer.<br />
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In the interim, we have used 4 of the chairs from our larger dining table. This has worked fine but has never been our long term goal. These chairs have cloth seats and after 2 kids, the seats were beyond nasty.<br />
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The series of updates was originally supposed to start with me recovering the chairs to give them a fresh, clean look. I even purchased some fabric. Well, the fabric sat here for a long time. Then this summer the plan took a sudden change.<br />
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We happened upon a really nice chair for this table at the most amazing price. As my husband wandered the aisles of Costco he found a simple brown leather parsons chair. We went back over the weekend and in true Costco fashion, they were gone! Bummer. Fortunately, we returned from vacation and found that they had been restocked! Yahoo.
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These new chairs are awesome. The rich chocolate color of the leather looks amazing with the dark wood tone of the table. I love that we can wipe down these chairs after meals.<br />
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Just prior to finding these chairs, we had a slight problem with the table...<br />
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Our daughter was counting the money in her piggy bank and managed to not only break open the pig (not the intention) but crack the glass table top too! She was so sad, but honestly, I should have known better than letting a 7 year shake a giant ceramic pig over the top of a glass table. Life happens. We have not replaced the glass yet because well, it is not cheap. Soon though, I am tired of the lovely vinyl table cloth we have been using to protect the wood.<br />
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Isn't she beautiful.<br />
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OurForeverHousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03345537233258587492noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718813117624752143.post-44442618718496958622012-11-09T10:00:00.000-08:002012-11-09T10:00:20.509-08:00Dining Room Updates: a seriesIt has dawned on me over the last several months, that without even knowing it, we have been updating the dining areas in our home. We have two dining areas in this house, a combined formal dining/living room and our kitchen nook.<br />
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As my blog implies, this is our forever home, the house we plan to grow old in and it is and always will be, a work in progress. While we have a long wish list of projects for our home, sometimes you just "happen upon" a great deal and then that item jumps to the top of the list. Ironically, the dining areas have been the focus of these perfect finds and projects recently.<br />
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Over the next few weeks, I will share a series of posts on the updates we have made (and still working on) to these rooms in our home. This series involves new chairs, broken glass, upholstery, refinishing, sewing, styling, savvy shopping and more.<br />
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Let me start by sharing the "before" of these two areas in our home.<br />
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<b>Kitchen Nook</b><br />
The majority of our meals happen at the kitchen dining table. This nook located just off the kitchen screamed for a small round table, perfect for our family of four and our everyday meals.<br />
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We were fortunate enough to find a beautiful Pottery Barn wood pedestal table on Craigslist when we bought the house 2 years ago. It came with a glass top to protect the wood which is awesome. Unfortunately, the table did not come with chairs. Chairs has been our wish list ever since. For the past 2 years, we have been using 4 of the chairs from our large dining table until we found the perfect chairs for this room.<br />
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<b>Formal Dining Room</b> <br />
As you enter our home you are greeted by a large open concept "formal" dining and living room. I use formal in quotes because we are so NOT formal people. Even when we have dinner guests, we are more likely to put the leaf in the kitchen table than use the dining space designated for this.<br />
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The formal living area was a new space to us, therefore we did not have any furniture for this room and it has not been a priority. I know, we have lived here for 2 years and it still largely sits empty. The only thing in this room is our large dining table from our other house. The "nook" area in our other home was huge so we purchased a large table for this space. This is what it looked like for the past couple years.<br />
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As a reference point, I wanted to share what our dining area/kitchen nook looked like in our previous home. As you can see, the "nook" allowed us to have a dining table that seated 8 people comfortably. That always baffled me but I loved that it freed up a space in our great room for other family needs.<br />
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I can't wait to share with you some of the amazing projects I have been working on. Let me just say, I can't wait to host Thanksgiving this year in our new formal dining area. I still have a lot of work to do but it is great to have a deadline! We have so many blessings in our life and this year is not any different.<br />
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Hey everyone! I know I have been off the grid for a long time, but I am going to try to get back at the blogging thing. A month ago or so, I shared this project on <a href="http://thecsiproject.com/2012/09/04/glitter-book-rackour-forever-house/">The CSI Project</a>. My daughter loves her new book rack which sits on her desk with her journals and diaries.<br />
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This weekly challenge that week was "glitter" and I must admit, when Dee challenged me with this I was more than a bit scared. I like glitz and glam and all (and so does my seven year old), however I have never really tackled any "glitter" projects. I had visions of glitter EVERYWHERE, and not where it was supposed to be.<br />
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Immediately, I had an idea to make a book rack for on my daughters dresser to hold her journals, doodle books, etc. Perfect - complete a fun challenge and fulfill a need in my home! Bonus!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5l-ZMlKlSuCNPYvX9ZsZV3YgQ9Xx4JPROhWTNwCbmrJn200Dd4N72HWe7OYT3erQfbEc5eQmwtuuaxAXRJPA-D0BataSVved6YtzP4ZtW-OYBTe72WIvDnR_iLZNS0PxNu4lfRDEDwbyC/s1600/bookend+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5l-ZMlKlSuCNPYvX9ZsZV3YgQ9Xx4JPROhWTNwCbmrJn200Dd4N72HWe7OYT3erQfbEc5eQmwtuuaxAXRJPA-D0BataSVved6YtzP4ZtW-OYBTe72WIvDnR_iLZNS0PxNu4lfRDEDwbyC/s320/bookend+3.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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My plan was to find a couple figurines at the thrift store, glue them to a board, paint them and glitter them up using Glitter Blast spray paint! Well, I tested the Glitter Blast spray paint and it was a huge fail. It was splotchy and messy and really not the effect I was going for.<br />
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So plan "B" was to use Modge Podge and glitter. I walked around the craft store for nearly an hour holding a large container of glitter and the glue. I was not looking forward to this project. Honestly, I was PRAYING that I could find another solution. I knew I still had to find the figurines and my thrift store visits thus far had not been successful. It's THURSDAY! This project is due and I am frozen!<br />
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After walking up and down EVERY aisle, there it was, in the dollar bins by the check-out. I found two wooden peace signs - just the right size and they even had a flat bottom which meant they would adhere easily to my board. Wrong color but who cares. I would paint them. For the glitter, I saw some fun glitter ribbon in the back of the store. Perfect. I would wrap the peace signs and get the effect of glue and glitter without the mess. <br />
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I headed home and immediately go to work. I quickly painted my board and the peace signs blue. I decided to go with blue because my daughters room is mostly pink and green and we are trying to introduce a few more accent colors to tone down the pink.<br />
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Then, using some craft glue, I glued the glitter ribbon along the outside of the peace signs (not the bottoms) and around the base of the board. The ribbon was porous which surprised me a bit. It allowed the glue to bleed through which was okay because I had planned to use a layer of Modge Podge to contain some of the glitter loss. To add some more glitz I added some ribbon to the inside of the peace sign as well. It was just the right amount of glitter.<br />
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I then glued the peace signs to opposite ends of the board. My plan is to screw these in with a couple of small wood screws from the bottom, however my husband took the drill to his office a couple of days ago to work on a project so I couldn't complete the project. It will definitely need to be secured as the glue is not very strong.<br />
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Overall, I love how this project turned out! And I learned that glitter does not have to mean containers of loose glitter and sparkly dust all over your home. There are a variety of products out there that give you glitter, without actually spilling 2 ounces of loose glitter.<br />
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</script>OurForeverHousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03345537233258587492noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718813117624752143.post-61060180565185939652012-08-02T12:46:00.000-07:002012-08-06T10:47:51.963-07:00Pineapple & Habanero Sauce Knock-Off<script language="JavaScript">
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We LOVE Costco at our house and sometimes you can find the most amazing
foods there that you can not find anywhere else (well, maybe online but I
am not a big online shopper).<br />
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This sauce is absolutely amazing! So far we have tried it on grilled chicken, pork chops, shrimp tacos, poured over a brick of cream cheese as a dip and straight up salsa with chips. I swear, if you like sweet and spicy - this sauce is the bomb!<br />
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The bottle from Costco, while large (37 oz), is around $8. Not a cheap condiment. Looking at the ingredient list, I knew it was very doable. There is absolutely nothing I wasn't familiar with so I headed to the store. Grabbed my ingredients and set out to develop my recipe. I don't have an exact breakdown of cost, but I am certain I spent no more than $8 and I was able to get over 4 pints of sauce.<br />
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Honestly, I thought it would take me a couple tries but it turned out amazing, right out the gate! So here it is.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pineapple Habanero Sauce</span></b><br />
<i><b><br /></b></i>
<i><b>Ingredients:</b></i><br />
4 cups sugar<br />
1 cup apple cider vinegar<br />
1 cup pineapple juice<br />
3 Tbsp lemon juice<br />
3 Tbsp cornstarch (mixed with a bit of water to create slurry)<br />
1 medium to large pineapple, roasted, finely chopped<br />
1 medium onion, finely chopped<br />
1 red pepper, finely chopped<br />
1 yellow pepper, finely chopped<br />
1 mango, finely chopped <br />
5-6 habanero peppers, roasted, finely chopped<br />
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Create a simple syrup in a large pot by whisking the sugar, vinegar, pineapple juice and lemon juice over medium high heat until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and bring to a boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and let sit while you prep the remaining ingredients.<br />
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Roasting the pineapple and habaneros will bring out their inherent sweetness and richness. This can be done on your grill outside or using a grill pan on your cook-top. (I chose to use my George Foreman since it was pouring rain outside when I was working on this recipe.) Slice the pineapple in rings and grill until the sugars begin to caramelize and creates grill marks on both sides. <br />
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Note: Before finely chopping my pineapple I trimmed away the outer rind.<br />
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Lightly char the skins of the habanero peppers over an open flame or on a searing hot grill pan. Do not grill your red and yellow bell peppers in order to maintain some crunch and texture in the sauce.<br />
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Make sure the habaneros are super finely chopped. If you want to tone down the heat slightly carefully remove the seeds. (I used my chopper so that I would not have to touch the peppers - I have a habit of getting hot pepper oils on my fingers and touching my eyes. The pepper oils not only make your hand tingle but burns like crazy on your face. NOT FUN! Additionally, the chopper allowed me to make sure the peppers were in super tiny pieces so no one bites into a large piece of super hot pepper.)<br />
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Next, finely chop all fruit, peppers and onion into 1/4" pieces (or smaller). Stir the remaining ingredients into the simple syrup you prepared earlier. Stir in the cornstarch (mixing with a few tablespoons of water first to create a slurry). Bring the mixture to a boil and the turn down the heat to simmer for 5-10 minutes. The consistency should be syrupy and chunky.<br />
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This recipe makes 4-5 pints of sauce. The sauce may be canned using a water bath for 15 minutes. Or placed in jars and frozen. Sauce should remain fresh in the fridge for approximately 2-3 weeks (if it lasts that long).<br />
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As with the store bought sauce, it is the perfect pairing with so many things including chicken, pork, fish and seafood. It makes a great appetizer when partnered with cream cheese or goat cheese and used as a dip or a topping on crackers or croutons. We love it to just dip tortilla chips (alongside a margarita and life is good).<br />
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I am going to take a small jar and pour it over a few pieces of chicken in the crock pot for dinner tonight.<br />
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I just love the versatility of this sauce. The sweetness is awesome when paired with the heat of the habanero. Plus, the vinegar offers just enough tang to help cut some of the heat as well.<br />
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I hope you enjoy!<br />
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Linked up with: <a href="http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2012/08/01/hookin-up-with-hoh-110/">House of Hepworths</a>, <a href="http://www.somewhatsimple.com/blog-link-party-with-cutting-edge-stencils-a-giveaway/">Somewhat Simple</a>, <a href="http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/2012/08/flaunt-it-friday-113.html">Chic on a Shoestring Decorating</a>, <a href="http://thefrugalgirls.com/2012/08/chic-and-crafty-party-82.html">The Frugal Girls</a>, <a href="http://www.naptimecrafters.com/2012/08/friday-favs-party-74.html">Nap Time Crafters</a>, <a href="http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/2012/08/recipe-link-up.html">eighteen25</a>, <a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2012/08/weekend-wrap-up-party-and-borsa-bella-design-co-giveaway.html">Tatertots and Jello</a>, <a href="http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2012/08/sns-146-diy-link-party.html">Funky Junk Interiors</a>, <a href="http://www.iheartnaptime.net/sundae-scoop-link-party-37/">I Heart Naptime</a>, <a href="http://www.acraftycook.blogspot.com/2012/08/1-month-of-fun-august-link-party.html">A Crafty Cook</a>, <a href="http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2012/08/the-sunday-showcase-party-no-113.html">Under the Table and Dreaming</a><br />
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</script>OurForeverHousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03345537233258587492noreply@blogger.com83tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718813117624752143.post-88676016819140877842012-06-20T11:56:00.000-07:002012-06-25T15:11:33.569-07:00Girly Spa PartyMy baby girl turns 7 in a couple of weeks. With summer birthday around a holiday, we have chosen to hold her party a couple of weeks early. This works great for being able to pass invites out at school and catching friends before the frenzy of summer travel and activities.<br />
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This year we did a spa party. Back in February a local spa had a half-price deal on one of the local deal sites for a party for 6 girls. The price was right and the wheels were in motion for a fun party.<br />
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With such a fun inspiration and theme we set out to create a fun day for the girls. Given that the party was limited to my daughter and just 5 of her besties, it was easy to go all out. Couple that with some amazing clearance deals from the dollar section at Michael's and a few craft projects it was an amazing party!<br />
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To start, I searched Pinterest and created an inspiration board. We loved<a href="http://meandmyinsanity.com/2011/05/spa-day-birthday-party-nail-polish.html"> these nail polish invitations</a> so that is what we started with. They were a definite hit!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjO1E5a4uq0JTUnm94sl9gzO4qny9SmZJReBweojNiqAmTrAP-SKiNFYgDqQtk-x8EvNfzd_8jqYObVfpXFzfoa8Ybzw83a85ASFuVvzdPUBEhJtQHWRCMhwyMvAsf927XW4orkyNxMnJl/s1600/spa+party+8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjO1E5a4uq0JTUnm94sl9gzO4qny9SmZJReBweojNiqAmTrAP-SKiNFYgDqQtk-x8EvNfzd_8jqYObVfpXFzfoa8Ybzw83a85ASFuVvzdPUBEhJtQHWRCMhwyMvAsf927XW4orkyNxMnJl/s400/spa+party+8.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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This was our starting off point. We next started going crazy with the pink, black and zebra theme.<br />
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The party started at the spa with painted nails, edible chocolate facials, up-dos, face paint, body glitter art and making their own bath salts. If you have a spa near you, I would totally look into doing this. The girls had a ball being pampered!<br />
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Then we headed home for a fun photo shoot. I scoured my daughters room for hats, boas, sunglasses and more. The girls glammed up and I took their pictures - the entire group, BFF's and individuals. The back drop was simply a dollar store pink plastic table cloth stapled to the wall and embellished with some black & pink crepe paper. I quickly edited a few photos using PicMonkey and sent them off to Walgreen's. Each of the girls got to take their photos home with them. <br />
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Pizza and cake were a big hit. The girls loved the nail polish cake. I used 4 6" cake rounds, stacked up and topped with a stack of 3 cupcakes for the wand lid. The surprise for the cake was in the layers. I did 2 layers of zebra stripes using rings of chocolate and strawberry cake sandwiched between a pure chocolate and pure strawberry layer. The girls loved this.<br />
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Decorations were kept simple but the highlight was the handmade nail polish pinata. I had seen a similar one online for approximately $23 (after shipping) and knew I could make one for way less. Using a structure made out of a single sheet of poster board, I taped it together, added a couple layers of paper mache and covered with strips of tissue paper that had been cut to look like fringe. Easy 2 hour project (over the course of 2-days due to drying time) for less that $4. Technically it was free because I already had everything in my craft room to make this!<br />
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We didn't end up using the pinata since we simply ran out of time with all of the other activities. My daughter is excited to use it as a decoration in her room.<br />
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One of the first gift bag projects I came up with was a hand mirror. Hoping to find a pink mirror at the dollar store with no luck I found these great black ones. I simply used some pink zebra scrapbook paper cut to the shape of the mirror and applied with a couple layers of decoupage. The girls loved these (and so did I).<br />
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I lucked out one afternoon at Michael's when I found a variety of items including bath fizzies, bath poufs, small pink frames and these great journals for 25 cents each. Using some zebra scrapbook paper, I simply cut a new cover to size and used spray glue to adhere them to the journal to fit the theme. Total cost of the gift bags was under $3 each.<br />
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This left room to do a couple of craft projects to help fill the time. This was a sleep over party and our spa appointment was at noon so we had a lot of time to fill. The girls made ribbon flip flops using some ribbon I found at the discount fabric store in town (3 rolls for $1 - score) and pink flip flops I found on sale at Michael's for $1.25 each. I also bought some $1 wood picture frames and 50 cent craft paint to make a photo frame for one of the photo booth pics!<br />
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Finally, since no party is complete with out thank you cards, I took one of my daughters photos and created a thank you card using PicMonkey. (Have I said how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE PicMonkey - well I really do!)<br />
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How fun is the posterize effect with one of the newest features - sketchedy mats. So fun! Any who, we sent these to Walgreen's and will be mailing them out this week!<br />
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Now that the party is over, it is time to actually get ready for her actual birthday! AND I NEED A SPA DAY!!!<br />
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Linked up to...<br />
<a href="http://www.52mantels.com/2012/06/thursdays-are-your-days_20.html">52 Mantels</a><br />
<a href="http://www.notjustahousewife.net/2012/06/show-me-what-ya-got-79.html">Not Just A Housewife</a><br />
<a href="http://www.somewhatsimple.com/blog-link-party-with-4th-of-july-t-shirts/">Somewhat Simple</a><br />
<a href="http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2012/06/20/hookin-up-with-hoh-105/">House of Hepworths</a><br />
<a href="http://thefrugalgirls.com/2012/06/chic-and-crafty-party-621.html">The Frugal Girls</a><br />
<a href="http://www.alittleknickknack.com/2012/06/ebtks-link-party_21.html">A Little Knick Knack</a><br />
<a href="http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/2012/06/flaunt-it-friday-107_21.html">Chic on a Shoestring</a><br />
<a href="http://romantichome.blogspot.com/2012/06/show-and-tell-friday_21.html">My Romantic Home</a><br />
<a href="http://www.naptimecrafters.com/2012/06/friday-favs-party-68.html">Nap Time Crafters</a><br />
<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2012/06/weekend-wrap-up-party-and-win-the-full-boho-line-from-styled-by-tori-spelling.html">Tatertots and Jello</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2012/06/patriotic-projects-for-sns-140.html">Funky Junk Interiors</a><br />
<a href="http://www.iheartnaptime.net/sundae-scoop-link-party-35/">I Heart Naptime</a><br />
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</script>OurForeverHousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03345537233258587492noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718813117624752143.post-44368452201767567762012-06-18T13:34:00.003-07:002012-06-25T15:11:59.593-07:00Dive-In TheaterSummer is in full swing and we could NOT wait to start the pool party season. This year we decided to put a huge twist on our pool party...our very own dive-in movie theater. This project got my husband very excited and before I knew it, he had hit the hardware store for all of the supplies.<br />
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The beauty of this fun addition to our backyard...it was under $40!!!! A few PVC pipes, connectors, grommets, zip ties and a simple canvas drop cloth. We were in business.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_VQsw4pt6tRiGkhO0q2YNtmm9PvXk6XY9ds038zwgRNq-qfpJyXZhtrvI1t8WVVbycitWyZEc9MnQtAxM5iJowe5L0yJ43DD7LKlqP8t7k6JMdKzFXQmU8Wi0hePuNJbkHl9tWUsVR_M/s1600/Dive+In+Movie+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_VQsw4pt6tRiGkhO0q2YNtmm9PvXk6XY9ds038zwgRNq-qfpJyXZhtrvI1t8WVVbycitWyZEc9MnQtAxM5iJowe5L0yJ43DD7LKlqP8t7k6JMdKzFXQmU8Wi0hePuNJbkHl9tWUsVR_M/s640/Dive+In+Movie+.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Now, the process was quite simple but the design could use some fine tuning. As you can see from the photo, we placed a few grommets around the edge of the canvas painters tarp and created a frame using PVC pipe. We placed a support down the middle to help with stability. The bottom of the legs has a T-bar connector. Since we placed it against the wall, we only used one pipe pointing away from the wall.<br />
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This screen and design is most definitely a work in progress. It works and we are having a blast but it is amateur for sure. Here is what we have learned (so far)...<br />
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It must be almost completely dark before we start the movie. We have a pretty good, professional projector but it still needs to be dark. You also do not want bright light behind your screen. It is probably best against the house or a large wall or hedge. <br />
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Stability is a concern with our design. With even the slightest wind, the screen is not self supporting and would likely take flight with a strong gust. To deal with this, we placed the screen against our back wall and used cement pavers to hold the base. We also utilized bungee cords to hold the screen against the wall.<br />
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The bungee cords have created another issue due to the flexibility of the 3/4" PVC pipe. We are still working to address this issue. Our plan is to put a metal pipe "inside" the PVC pike to create more stability. As the bungee pulled on the PVC pipe, it began to rip the canvas where the grommets were placed. I will update following our next dive-in movie to see if this added stability worked. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMSb3njS4s1sOMS7nQ4eKlUUvIa0e9Vnc_IatF_5QYBtl3xoMCRCdy9_MoF84ssR961v0Dg9BW5TIbVwd_7fmhB21HyuE4RZOLSnsSwE3WkjmjmzyiDyW5tRli5LNAPAeBUTDhFNs6YXM/s1600/Dive+In+Movie+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZMSb3njS4s1sOMS7nQ4eKlUUvIa0e9Vnc_IatF_5QYBtl3xoMCRCdy9_MoF84ssR961v0Dg9BW5TIbVwd_7fmhB21HyuE4RZOLSnsSwE3WkjmjmzyiDyW5tRli5LNAPAeBUTDhFNs6YXM/s400/Dive+In+Movie+6.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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The movie set-up is quite easy as long as you have access to a projector. Our set-up includes a projector, a DVD player, and a stereo receiver with speakers. The projector is something that my husband purchased several years ago to do seminars for work - he normally is using it attached to his computer for PowerPoint presentations. Eventually, we would like to place permanent wires/speakers around our pool but for now, we run wires and place speakers on each side of the pool.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkbZSBfOT0vtHDZLVIVIHD1TUVTNMno5tzPK1WouZ4QGUGQs4A1tHsmDlsaCSaFcG7vvmi0CILLRCB0juJDz-239Mh_2ueR7zU-qJHsiouLP1w_cI6XIN5HsBd2Z__EtiqgQwO0NnZ5Na/s1600/Dive+In+Movie+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivkbZSBfOT0vtHDZLVIVIHD1TUVTNMno5tzPK1WouZ4QGUGQs4A1tHsmDlsaCSaFcG7vvmi0CILLRCB0juJDz-239Mh_2ueR7zU-qJHsiouLP1w_cI6XIN5HsBd2Z__EtiqgQwO0NnZ5Na/s400/Dive+In+Movie+Collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We have had a couple of parties so far and are having a blast. With guests watching the movie both in the water and on deck, everyone has had a blast. So far all of our movies have been family friendly but we look forward to a few action films too!<br />
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What are your movie suggestions for our Dive-In Movie Theater?<br />
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Linked up to...<br />
<a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2012/06/18/made-by-you-monday-105/">Skip to My Lou Made by You Monday</a><br />
<a href="http://www.tipjunkie.com/homemade-projects-6-19/">Tip Junkie Tip Me Tuesday</a><br />
<a href="http://todayscreativeblog.net/crafting-projects/">Today's Creative Blog Get Your Craft On</a><br />
<a href="http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/2012/06/take-look-tuesday_18.html">Sugar Bee Crafts Take-A-Look Tuesday</a><br />
<a href="http://thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/2012/06/show-us-your-outdoor-spaces.html">Thrift Decor Chick: Outdoor Spaces</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.igottatrythat.com/p/blog-hop-linky-colde.html">I Gotta Try That</a><br />
<a href="http://www.52mantels.com/2012/06/thursdays-are-your-days_20.html">52 Mantels</a><br />
<a href="http://www.notjustahousewife.net/2012/06/show-me-what-ya-got-79.html">Not Just a Housewife</a> <br />
<a href="http://thefrugalgirls.com/2012/06/chic-and-crafty-party-621.html">The Frugal Girls</a><br />
<a href="http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2012/06/20/hookin-up-with-hoh-105/">House of Hepworths</a><br />
<a href="http://www.somewhatsimple.com/blog-link-party-with-4th-of-july-t-shirts/">Somewhat Simple</a><br />
<a href="http://www.naptimecrafters.com/2012/06/friday-favs-party-68.html">Nap Time Crafters</a><br />
<a href="http://romantichome.blogspot.com/2012/06/show-and-tell-friday_21.html">My Romantic Home</a><br />
<a href="http://chiconashoestringdecorating.blogspot.com/2012/06/flaunt-it-friday-107_21.html">Chic on a Shoestring</a><br />
<a href="http://www.alittleknickknack.com/2012/06/ebtks-link-party_21.html">A Little Knick Knack</a><br />
<a href="http://www.midwesterngirldiy.com/2012/06/ready-4-summer-blog-party-day-5-summer.html">Midwestern Girl DIY</a><br />
<a href="http://tatertotsandjello.com/2012/06/weekend-wrap-up-party-and-win-the-full-boho-line-from-styled-by-tori-spelling.html">Tatertots and Jello</a><br />
<a href="http://www.funkyjunkinteriors.net/2012/06/patriotic-projects-for-sns-140.html">Funky Junk Interiors</a><br />
<a href="http://www.iheartnaptime.net/sundae-scoop-link-party-35/">I Heart Naptime</a><br />
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</script>OurForeverHousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03345537233258587492noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718813117624752143.post-86079724960889963292012-06-04T17:30:00.001-07:002012-06-22T16:51:02.593-07:00Our Not So Bummer Summer!We have had a full week of summer vacation and I can't believe everything we have done already! Granted, we counted and while Phineas and Ferb tell us there are 104 days of summer vacation - we only have 74! Not that many when you make a huge list of everything you want to accomplish. Then throw in swim team which has daily practice and 2-3 meets a week and the time flies!<br />
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My 5 and almost 7 year old are very visual and want to SEE that they have actually been doing a lot of things. So I decided to make a chalk board sign to list and mark off our summer fun activities.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAx0zJPowawUip9_18WIEmJNODD__UJWjg7-34jRawBHul9yuhrG4-C9RnVmZE1W5VJ98xGyrYymMm_6ex-TJb0cccab5LL8tbQ56b5nYpAkAGEFlLHFD-HCx5__hWi3_VOanyYFxEF3D/s1600/Summer+Fun+Sign+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAx0zJPowawUip9_18WIEmJNODD__UJWjg7-34jRawBHul9yuhrG4-C9RnVmZE1W5VJ98xGyrYymMm_6ex-TJb0cccab5LL8tbQ56b5nYpAkAGEFlLHFD-HCx5__hWi3_VOanyYFxEF3D/s640/Summer+Fun+Sign+1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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Awhile back I had picked up a can of chalkboard spray paint on sale and was waiting for the right project to use it. Then it hit me, our Summer Fun List! Perfect! Of course, I did not have an appropriate size piece of wood in the garage so I headed to Home Depot. <br />
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I immediately went to the back to check out the "cull lumber" bin. Cull lumber is cut-offs of boards that a customer does not want. The best part - they are 51 cents a piece at our store - no matter the size. You often need to inspect these boards as they may be warped, have a lot of knots or other flaws. But generally speaking, you can find some great bargains. <br />
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On this particular day, I found a beautiful piece of culled 1x12 that was 35" long - perfect for our Summer Fun chalkboard. Another thing to note, they generally spray paint the end of the lumber to designate it as culled. This was fine since I was planning to paint it anyway.<br />
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I love a project that ends up to be under $7 - chalkboard paint $4.97, board $.51 and colored chalk 1.99.<br />
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I took my list that I had put together and started to write them on the board. As you can see, we have already checked off a number of items.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeLwl9EGp9TS8EwprwJ2ci_92WqggjCsjz1u9omqnEM4pVUPG4LCOH_jeIslOOa-XyWV2P6gIWJl35aKu3a6E-fZxqU8NgYMvO3J8DUD-5RWCtlZw1ApkxPVfUTB-p10KOZu8G6_xzBiI/s1600/Summer+Fun+Sign+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeLwl9EGp9TS8EwprwJ2ci_92WqggjCsjz1u9omqnEM4pVUPG4LCOH_jeIslOOa-XyWV2P6gIWJl35aKu3a6E-fZxqU8NgYMvO3J8DUD-5RWCtlZw1ApkxPVfUTB-p10KOZu8G6_xzBiI/s400/Summer+Fun+Sign+2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Here are a few pictures of some of our fun. Most of this happened in just one day of "staying home". I actually love a day when we can just hang out inside, avoid the insane desert heat here in Arizona and have some good old fashion creative play fun!<br />
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What have you been doing this summer?<br />
<br />
Linked to...<br />
<a href="http://www.midwesterngirldiy.com/2012/06/ready-4-summer-blog-party-day-3.html?utm_source=BP_recent">Midwestern Girl DIY</a><br />
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</script>OurForeverHousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03345537233258587492noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-718813117624752143.post-22933203306003081672012-05-31T12:20:00.000-07:002012-06-23T15:11:34.146-07:00Swim Ribbon HolderMy daughter joined the swim team this year and she is so excited. They have been swimming since the beginning of April but had their first meet on Tuesday. It has been such a great experience for her. We are so proud of the fact that she has found a sport that she loves so much. We suffered through a couple of seasons of soccer. And by suffer I mean, lots of tears, lots of "I don't want to go to practice", whining, etc. This was not fun for ANY of us.<br />
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That being said, my little fish is competitive, she loves to win and more importantly, she loves to be recognized! Swimming is wonderful for that, EVERYONE gets a ribbon in each race they swim (unless they are DQ'd but in the 6 & under division, the rules are pretty lax).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPa4wkloP21susMnihbTdFxT31tGhBRZfbctYAtjm-zyVuWNN4g4gCz_MV6fO51y3i0p5e0B2pAuuvWTbC-K9ytYd_oHQB_msJB9H6Mkqlx_ZY077np-S7UVsaPXHvFIg6PMYIlbzjp1Vd/s1600/swim+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPa4wkloP21susMnihbTdFxT31tGhBRZfbctYAtjm-zyVuWNN4g4gCz_MV6fO51y3i0p5e0B2pAuuvWTbC-K9ytYd_oHQB_msJB9H6Mkqlx_ZY077np-S7UVsaPXHvFIg6PMYIlbzjp1Vd/s640/swim+1.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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As soon as practice started, I knew I needed to make something for all of those ribbons. I had a few ideas and knew I had all of the supplies for a wood sign with hooks for the ribbons, so I got to work.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfF4G5ECHBRHcdx6-GAoajn-hRdD9q6PLAB7ViEv1TGLK-xZzK0EawXXGE_299KtUYCv5PcqN8d95BKz8kRZoUjrDuRJArGhsom5XYWJxAJh-32AILw4khXDqrW8p99PIJgdgLG5oL2czK/s1600/swim+ribbon+holder+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfF4G5ECHBRHcdx6-GAoajn-hRdD9q6PLAB7ViEv1TGLK-xZzK0EawXXGE_299KtUYCv5PcqN8d95BKz8kRZoUjrDuRJArGhsom5XYWJxAJh-32AILw4khXDqrW8p99PIJgdgLG5oL2czK/s400/swim+ribbon+holder+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I started with a 2x6 board. Given the size, I determined my letter height to be about 2.5". Using my trusty PowerPoint program, I found a font I liked and created my design. (I don't have a fancy cutter and honestly, I like the painted letters better anyways.)<br />
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Since my daughter chose the phrase - peace, love, swim - using symbols for peace and love I first found the shapes using clip art and sized them appropriately. I then selected my font and layed them out. They actually worked perfectly on and 11" paper so i added a few inches to each side and cut my board to 17".<br />
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I painted the board a pretty pink that matches her room and the got started on the letters. To assist with the transfer when I traced the letters, I scribbled the back of my paper with a soft leaded pencil. I then laid it over the board and began to trace.<br />
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Once my design was on the board, I pulled out a pretty blue color and painted in the design. I felt like it seemed a bit flat so I created a shadow effect using a complimentary green. I love how it turned out.<br />
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My original plan was to put 7 hooks across the bottom but a couple of them broke off when twisting them in so I had to go with a plan B. Which, by the way, turned out amazing! I simply added my daughters name down in the corner and I love it (so does she).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_i-u3Kh0WFBBy7MUEN6i_D3mjrtrVjiLGWyC-y4EUmR25wZYhvuT1FND9egK7SmUHQvWs2xqeRLNCArkk8i8XYMNhx6W_gFiWrbk5kP6E03qg9MWIx3Tjl_PyixaiAai9-JcbLrv7xsI/s1600/swim+ribbon+holder+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhq_i-u3Kh0WFBBy7MUEN6i_D3mjrtrVjiLGWyC-y4EUmR25wZYhvuT1FND9egK7SmUHQvWs2xqeRLNCArkk8i8XYMNhx6W_gFiWrbk5kP6E03qg9MWIx3Tjl_PyixaiAai9-JcbLrv7xsI/s400/swim+ribbon+holder+2.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
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So there it is! (Notice the soccer trophy on the dresser! Couldn't resist pointing that out. She has a medal too but I need to find that!) <br />
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I have a plan for a bit of a fun collage on this
wall to add some more color and fun to her room but here it is for
now. A place of honor for her 2 first place ribbons! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjPoyn3p46bUZMkmxs_bskROkD19fqlvotu8kzgcUJdKM4hJ7rnasEPOUttmACELjLO4Sl-ZbeZ8_4CSuwz2kBdutmh7t7mM0XCcohZ2gdpmhyphenhyphenzwxJFpWIcw7KWSRM4V3dZkunHYR6L0u/s1600/swim+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinjPoyn3p46bUZMkmxs_bskROkD19fqlvotu8kzgcUJdKM4hJ7rnasEPOUttmACELjLO4Sl-ZbeZ8_4CSuwz2kBdutmh7t7mM0XCcohZ2gdpmhyphenhyphenzwxJFpWIcw7KWSRM4V3dZkunHYR6L0u/s320/swim+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So far, she has learned freestyle and backstroke. I am so excited that swimming is her thing! I was a swim instructor and lifeguard from the age of 14 all the way through college so I love that the love of water has passed on! (Note, my husband has a huge love of water too and can't wait until she is old enough to scuba dive!)<br />
<br />
Linked up with...<br />
<a href="http://www.skiptomylou.org/2012/06/18/made-by-you-monday-105/">Skip to My Lou Made by You Monday</a><br />
<a href="http://www.tipjunkie.com/homemade-projects-6-19/">Tip Junkie Tip Me Tuesday</a><br />
<a href="http://www.sugarbeecrafts.com/2012/06/take-look-tuesday_18.html">Sugar Bee Crafts Take-A-Look Tuesday</a><br />
<a href="http://todayscreativeblog.net/crafting-projects/">Today's Creative Blog Get Your Craft On</a> <br />
<a href="http://www.somewhatsimple.com/blog-link-party-with-4th-of-july-t-shirts/">Somewhat Simple</a><br />
<a href="http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2012/06/20/hookin-up-with-hoh-105/">House of Hepworths</a><br />
<a href="http://thefrugalgirls.com/2012/06/chic-and-crafty-party-621.html">The Frugal Girls</a><br />
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