curtains

I finally made some curtains for our living room.

Well, we have two big windows.. and I only did one, so I guess I'm half-way there.

I almost don't want to do the other side.

I'm scared it'll start to look small and cramped in there.

But, it looks weird since only one window has curtains! Decisions! LOL

Here's how I made them!

This..

plus.. this..

and some of this..

Equals my curtains!!!

The only thing that drives me a little crazy is that the wrinkles will not come out! I was able to smooth it out.. but I'm sure you could see some of the wrinkles in these pictures. I ironed for hours and finally just had to give up. I have a wonderful sewing machine, but I'm so scared to use it! So I didn't sew one thing on these curtains. Easy peasy AND cheap! ((the drop cloths were $9.70ea or something like that .. the fabric was $4.12 and the hemming tape was just a couple of dollars)). My kind of decorating!

**I think I'll be changing the lampshades out... that's the only white thing in this room. **

** I didn't take a picture of the actual drop cloth and iron-on tape packaging that I bought.. I just googled some images. I think my size drop cloth was different. **

** if you google (use swagbucks.com!! sign up at the bottom! ;)) drop cloth.. you will actually find a lot of projects like mine! they are quite popular! **

**ignore the length on the left side.. that one turned out to be a little bit longer! lol.. I'm done with the notes now! **

free decorating!

I love our house, I really do. I love having a bigger house.. an extra bedroom.. lots of cabinet space, but I don't like all the extra walls I have to decorate now! It wouldn't be a problem if I was, ya know, a millionaire and could afford to go out and buy all the cool, stylish things. We're a one-income family.. not a whole lot of money going towards beautiful landscape pictures. We also happen to be military folks. Which means, we move a lot. Our next house could be itty-bitty, so I really don't want to buy so much for this house when our next might not even be able to hold it all.

Anywho, all of that to say, I made something and I want to show you guys! ;)

I had to be creative and use what I had around the house.

Before.. another blank wall in the hallway.

A piece of cardboard that came with a package.

(I'm having some real issues moving my pictures around!!) My little sign. I just put some scrapbook paper on the cardboard. Some ribbon on the edges. Glued a little sign onto some more scrapbook paper and that was it!

My not so boring wall! :)

The hallway is kinda tiny (and dark!) so I couldn't get a picture of it all together. Had to do angle shots.

I am sooooooooo happy with it. I love that I used stuff that I had around the house and didn't have to pay a dime for it!! =)

spring wreath

The other day I was just itchin' to make a wreath. I wanted something bright and fun!

After a trip to the dollar store, some cutting and lots and lots of hot glueing, here's the end result.

One question! Should I add a bow to the top center or not? I think I kinda like it as it. But, feel free to tell me your opinion! The best part is that it cost me about $4 to make.

Circle cardboard cut out - Free
3 bags of plastic eggs - $3.00 (still have a few leftover)
1 bag of shredded green paper - $1

I originally wanted some of the easter grass. But my dollar tree didn't have it, so I used the shredded paper, which is all they had.

I looooove it! Now the only thing that bothers me, is that if centered it hides my peep hole. I use that hole every.single.time someone comes to the door, so it has to be off-centered. Oh, well! My family's safety is more important than a wreath being centered, right?! =)

a big blur

That's what life is like for me right now! My days just seem to blend together. I seriously cannot believe it's already November.

Here's a little glimpse of our schedule right now.

Sundays- Church all day. Services are 945am, 11am, and 6pm. A nap is always needed in the afternoons.
Monday through Thursday - watching my neighbor/friend's two boys, 12-4pm
Monday night - I have my Faith Bible Institute class (I recommend this class to every one who wants to learn more about the Lord and the Bible.. it's excellent!!) to go to, 630-915pm
Wednesday night - Hubby has school, the kids and I have church
Friday night - My husband and I volunteer at our church for the Reformers Unanimous program.

Every Saturday it seems like something is going on. Doing things/helping at church, a wedding, a car show, shopping, something!

Add in housework, homework, running errands, grocery shopping, having a yard sale and dr. appointments (we seem to have a lot of those right now) you can see why I have neglected my blog!!

I'm not complaining at all, I am enjoying life! I'm sure once we move and get settled next year our life will slow down and probably be boring! hehe.

My next post is going to be overloaded with pictures! We went to a wedding not too long ago and I've got some cute photos to share!

Until then, sayonara!

Christmas mood

I can't wait for Christmas! I just want to skip Fall/Thanksgiving this year and go straight to Christmas. I'm excited to decorate for it! =) Although, the closer it gets to Christmas the closer we get to moving and that is not something I am looking forward to!!

I found this idea on Melissa's blog and I could not stop thinking about this (cheap!!) project! I went to my dollar store and had a hard time finding the platters/plates/whatever they are called. I wasn't sure what section they would be in, but I finally found them on the bottom of a shelf in the baking/cooking section.

Please excuse my horrible pictures. I am a lazy photographer, haha!

Here they are just after I bought them.

Another shot with me in it :P
Spray painted them red

Here's the backside. Look, I'm a lazy spray painter, too!!

The snowflakes that will be hot-glue'd to the tray.

Ta-dah!

Closer up

Aren't they adorable!?

Okay, I said this project was cheap. Here's the price break-down for ya!

2 trays from the dollar store (not dollar general) - $2.00

set of 3 snowflakes again from the dollar store - $1.00

red spray paint from Walmart (have a ton leftover to use for other projects!)- $.98

Total cost - $3.98 for 2 cute Christmas decorations!!

Love it!

I'm going to have to go back and pick up some more. They even have some oval ones. Think of all the possible things you could do with these trays!!

fall decorating

I'm not big on summer. I hate being hot and sweaty. I prefer the cooler months. I love wearing sweaters, lying underneath a cozy blanket, and, uh, not being hot. ;)

I know it doesn't officially become Autumn until mid-September, but I couldn't wait to put up some fall decorations. I only put two things up, but there was one thing I wanted to show you. My homemade wreath!

Isn't it CUTE!? I think I did a pretty good job for it being my first wreath. All I did was grab some garland and wrap it around a metal coat hanger!! So easy. After that I tied it to my wreath hanger ($.50 yard sale find, btw) with some metal wire, and that was it. =)

Here's another view with my little model!

Am I the only one who is glad summer is coming to an end? Sometimes I forget I live in Florida, it really never does get freezing cold (what I miss) here. *sigh*

before and after - tray

Serving tray that I got for free.

Serving tray after some spray paint and wrapping paper.

Here's another before.

And the after.

Right now, the tray is sitting on top of our microwave holding a picture frame and a candle. I love it! I have a small obsession with black & white, black & silver combinations, and black toile!

creative mood strikes

Recently, I have been reading way too many craft/decorating blogs!!! I've been in a mood to do something...anything creative. This afternoon I found this old picture frame. The back part of it wasn't even there.. just the frame and the glass. I set the frame aside because I knew I could do something to it. Well, I just happened to be bored this evening and had an idea!

What'cha think?? Me? I really, really like it. =)

All I did was add two magnetic strips to the back of the frame, glue on some scrapbook paper and add a scrapbook embellishment (blessing) to the paper! Ta-da~! Super cheap, super fun, and super cute!


1.)Please ignore the rest of the stuff on my fridge. Right now it's super messy and needs to be cleaned off.
2.)I took the pictures a little off on purpose. On top of our freezer it says "Mr. and Mrs. Last Name". I'm not too comfortable (yet) sharing our last name, so I cut it off.
3.)That's Kyle's ultrasound picture. My sister bought us the picture frame.. isn't it cute?!
4.)That recipe on the freezer? It's yummy. I just found it not too long ago and I've already made it twice. It's one of those recipes you cook when you are STARVING (super fast to cook up), but are too BROKE to eat out, LOL.

Keepin' it real - part 2

I caught a nasty cold on Thursday and today the cold is 100% gone. But, now Kyle and Leah seem to be a little sick. *sigh*

Remember when I said my husband had his test date pushed up because he was going TDY (a business trip) to another country? Well, he applied for an office job as a security manager and he might be getting it.. sooooooooo, they took him off of the TDY. He really wants to switch, so if you all could say a prayer, we'd appreciate it a lot! If he doesn't get the spot, he's going to be bummed. Not only because he doesn't get to leave the CV-22, but also because he lost the opportunity to go a military paid vacation, haha. Okay, so it's not always a vacation, but we do get paid extra!

Whenever Leah wakes from her nap, I am heading to the gym! I will step on the scale and check my weight. It will be the first time I have checked in over 2wks. Last time it said I gained 2lbs. You can see why it's been that long! ;)

I've got nothing else for ya! How about another 'keepin it real' post? I should make that a weekly meme or something, haha!

Man, oh-man, oh-man! I am quite embarrased to show these pictures, but I like to keep things real around here. haha. Here's a before and after picture of my sink. No matter how much I scrubbed those sinks, there was still a nasty yellow stain on the bottom. I thought I was doomed and it was permanent. I didn't think to use bleach! duh! So, I put a little bleach in the sink, let it sit, and wow, don't I feel dumb!! =)

Tackle it Tuesday

Our closet next to the front door was a disaster! It needed to be cleaned out and organized. This closet held mainly my hubby's work gear, so I was a little apprehensive to touch anything! I guess that's what took me so long to get in there and clean it up. But, I did it!

Here are the before pictures.

Half-way point!

All done! I even arranged our jackets.. mine and Leah's are on the left side, and Brandon and Kyle's are on the right. I took a photo with and without my exercise ball. I have nowhere else to store that thing, so it has to go in there. But, the ball just makes the closet appear messy. *sigh*

If you'd like to participate in Tackle it Tuesday or just want to browse, head on over to 5minutesformom!

Chewy Milk Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

After Christmas, I got a TON of candy on sale for dirt cheap.. as in, like, $.20 a bag! Well, I got a bunch of M&M's not only because those are one of my favorite types of candy, but because you can make some awesome cookies with them. I love, love, love Paula Deen's Monster Cookies, but I decided to try something new with the M&M's. I went to the M&M site and was pretty amazed at all the desserts you can make! I ended up making these cookies and now they rank high on my favorite cookies list .. well, if I had one of those, right? ;)

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups butter or margarine, softened

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups quick-cooking or old-fashioned oats, uncooked

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 3/4 cups M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Mini Baking Bits (I just used the regular-sized ones)

Directions
Preheat oven to 375°F. In large bowl cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy; beat in egg and vanilla. In medium bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda and salt; blend into creamed mixture. Stir in M&M'S® Brand Milk Chocolate Mini Baking Bits. Drop by rounded tablespoon about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 9 minutes or until set. Do not overbake. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; transfer and cool completely on wire racks. Store in tightly covered container. MAKES ABOUT 4 DOZEN COOKIES.

Accomplished

I am happy to say that yesterday was a very productive day! Very tiring, yes. But, I feel great. I got almost everything checked off of my list. I didn't get a chance to scrub the sinks/mirrors or finish dusting, but I'll get to that today. I even did more than what was on my list. Don't you love it when that happens?

I ended up vacuuming THREE times yesterday! Miss Leah has two teeth coming in, so I have been giving her crackers to chew on, to help ease the pain. Needless to say, she has been making quite the mess.

From the comments I received, I am glad to know that I'm not the only one who gets a bit, er, lazy? distracted? when her husband is home from work.

Brandon works tonight and tomorrow night and then he is off for the rest of the week! I think my to-do list will be the same come Monday morning!! Even if I have a ton of cleaning up to do after long weekends, it's so worth it. Any time I can get my husband home, I will take it!!

Here are two pictures of the kids opening their one present on Christmas Eve. I think I will have to end each post with a picture or two so I can catch up on picture sharing ;)

Lots to do

I have so many pictures I want to post. So many things I want to say. Did I already say I have super cute pictures of the kids I want to share? But I have had no time. We have been on the go for the past 3 weeks and I am honestly ready for things to just be normal.. and calm.. and slow. Phew! The husband goes back to work tonight after being off for 3 whole weeks! It was nice having him home, but I did not get anything accomplished!! My house is seriously a disaster, especially since Christmas just passed. Now I have a million toys and packaging all over the house. So, for the next few days, I will be trying to get the house back in order. Well, that all depends on how this cold treats us. Kyle caught a small cold (sneezing and coughing), he gave it to me and I've had a sore throat for a few days now (hoping to not the runny nose thing!) and now Leah woke up this morning with a runny nose! Seems like we all took on just one symptom of this cold. Brandon is fine.. for now, haha.

Here's my to do list. I hope to get a lot of it done today, since Brandon will be gone and we have no plans. But, sometimes life gets in the way, so we'll see!

~Dust

~Vacuum

~Swiffer the floors

~2 loads of laundry, plus the bedding on our bed and also Kyle's

~Unload dishwasher

~Make Chicken Alfredo for lunch (I have to make dinner at lunchtime so Brandon has something to take to work tonight)

~Reload dishwasher

~Clean out the fridge

~Scrub toilets and sink

~Help Kyle clean and organize his room

~Organize beneath our bathroom sinks (Leah got in there and made a mess, and I didn't want to deal with it, so I just kept throwing stuff around in there. Needless to say, it really is a mess!)

Well, that's it for now! I'm off to get started, but here's a picture I'll share right now!

Tree

That's our Christmas tree this year! For the past 3yrs we have done a red and silver tree. I like things to match. I like to be organized. So, I just can't put up random ornaments and a ton of stuff. It all has to go together. I know some people who can have colored lights, different ornaments, tinsel, and you know -the works.. and have it look really nice. Just not my thing (it's okay, if it's yours though!!) This year I convinced my hubby to let me do a BLUE and silver tree;it only took 2 years of begging!! I bought the blue ornaments on clearance after Christmas last year, but even then my hubby said no. I really thought I was gonna lose the battle, because I give in to every thing. I just couldn't give in this year!! I'm glad I was persistent, because I think it looks just lovely. Even though Brandon says blue isn't a Christmas color, I think deep down he likes it, too! LOL

((ignore the star on our tree.. it went out a few days after we put it up!))

Paper towel vs Rags

You're pouring yourself a glass of milk and you accidentally spill some on to the counter.. which do you grab? .. a paper towel? or a rag?

Me? I grab a rag. I love rags. I'm not a paper towel person. I probably buy a roll every six months or so, if that. And I don't use them for cleaning or to dry my hands either.

When we wash our hands, we use towels to dry our hands off.

I have a stack of towels in the kitchen that are just to be used in the kitchen. And I have a stack of rags next to my washer, that I use for cleaning the house.

My Mom is a paper towel person. She dislikes using rags and is constantly buying paper towels.

I go to great lengths to save money and honestly, I think paper towels are a waste of money. Plus, it's bad for the environment! :)

I think it's funny that even our exterminator knows that we don't use paper towels. He asked the first time where we kept them and the second time he asked, I didn't even get to answer him before he remembered, LOL.

So, which do you prefer to use? Paper towels or rags?

These towels on my oven door are just for decoration, well, until my husband or my son start using them to dry their hands! But, aren't they just beautiful? Ignore the fact that they are wrinkly and not straight.. I just pulled them out of the box! ((I wrote this up a few days ago.. the next day, Kyle spilled some milk (!!!) and before I could stop him, he was cleaning it up with my only-for-looks towel!!))