EEKKKK sooo excited...

So as per my last post...I am doing a nautical theme for my kids room.  (and yes...it's still nautical this week too) I'm excited to announce I might have gotten one of these

to replace the book case they now have in their room....exciting I know...my grandfather made a few about 3 years ago which I did not know about...boo for me...and my two aunt each got one...lucky for me one of these above mentioned aunts decided to sell hers...yes it sucks that I have to pay for it, but it's less than I would have to buy one for in the store right??  I wonder if I get a family discount non the less?  Hmmmm?

ANYWAYS...that's my update for today...I'm lookin for an old boat oar for the curtain rod too...then I can post you more photos of sneak peeks and soon enough....the grand finale, so stay tuned and don't touch that dial...

Undecided

SOOOO I'm about the most undeceive person I know...Cat in the Hat is out the window....mainly because it's soooo hard to find anything around here like that....and the other reason being when I was in the fabric store the other day they had the FABULOUS fabric I had fallen in love with last season ON SALE for only 3.00 a metre..so I got a metre and made these....

Then I bought some grey sheer stuff (only 2.79 for 2 metres) to cover an old barrel shade mom picked up for me at a yard sale for only 2.00 and look at it now....fab...if I do say so myself...and I do....mind you it also came with a huge headache from my kids hanging over me and stepping on the material while I was trying to wrap it...and burnt fingers from trying to glue sheer to a shade...but non the less it still was worth all the hassle

I also found a snake today and decided to get a few good shots of him....I love his colors don't you?  I uploaded this photo to my facebook and tagged on of my good friends who is terrified of snakes...just because I though she would see how cute he is...not because I had intentions to make her cry...or did I ?  I'll let you decide....

Well it's Been Almost 3 Months

I've been really slacking lately...on my blog and on a lot of things really...I'm about to start working and overhauling on the kids room...the decal is up, the walls are the same, I made a curtain for the bunks but now am thinking I may take my son's toddler bed out and just place the bunks side by side because I really love the look of two twin beds beside one another.  My daughter and I are spending the day tomorrow weeding everything out measuring and figuring out placement...the frames have photos in them and are ready to be hung...I have a few finishing touches left as well to either look or make bedding for their beds to match one another.  I hope to have an actual update for you after the weekend as it's going to be Canada Day here on Friday and we are going to be celebrating with Friends and Family!  Enjoy your weekend everyone and I will be back before you know it....no more 3 month disappearances

Sailing Away...

Did you read the title of this post? Did you think maybe I was going on a cruse? BAHAHHAAA

Hardly, but that's the theme (or not so much the theme) of my kids room. That's right...My idea for the "Nautical Theme Room" is sailing away...right out the door. My kids have now changed their minds...and quite frankly I don't blame them...thankfully the walls I just painted will go just fine with this theme as well.

Have you ever seen this movie?

I'm sure you have...but..embarrassing as it is to say, up until the other day I hadn't. I know right? What planet was I on. Some of my favorite lines "honey, it was ruined when she bought it..mmmhmmmm" and "I'll get you and it'll look like a bloody accident" and my son's personal favorite.."your FIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRED!" at two years old he now goes around yelling "your fired" at people, not that they get it and he kind of just says rrrrrr iiiiirrrrrrrrd, and I then have to explain it's off a movie, then go into this full length story no short version of why everyone has to watch this movie. I went out and got the movie and we've seen it about 20 times since that GLORIOUS day. My son gets up in the morning and as I'm getting his breakfast ready he curls up on the couch with his blanket looks at me and says "Hat? I ont Hat peeeze mom!" I love it, and that's how we start each day. Since it's a short movie, it's not too much TV time.

And now your probably thinking...ok.....right....soooo....what is she getting at?

Why the Cat in the Hat, there's no doubt about that. :) That's what my kids want. I am super excited about it too!

Pottery Barn have some versions of this theme..and of course I'll be creating some of the awesome knock offs we all like to do from those fabulous stores, as well as some of my own twists on things.

Day One starts tomorrow with the purge, and if I have time I'll make some sketches to place on the wall for artwork, then post them here with some how too's for you all to use, if you too are cat obsessed.

Wish me luck and lets hope tomorrow doesn't end like this...

Happy Ground Hog Day Everyone!

Before you start...I KNOW...I'm a slacker....I haven't posted a good post in ages...yeah yeah yeah...It's not that I don't love you all...it's just that there's been a lot going on to much work not enough house stuff so I can blog. I promise though (and no I'm not crossing my fingers) that I (or toes) WILL be posting soon.

In honor of Ground Hog Day...though I still have no idea if he has or hasn't seen his shadow...we are storming here and I guess it's hard...I thought I would let you all take a peek at my favorite ground hog video clip...This is sure to brighten your day.

Please click here to see Ground Hog Awesomeness

Secondly...here's some Valentine's Day Artwork...Courtesy of yours truly...so if you don't like it...shhhhh...you might hurt my lil heart!

Etsy?

Is anyone else as addicted to Etsy as I am? Oh My...

Lets just say some days it's caused a near divorce.

I could stay on that site all day...and still not feel fully satisfied that I've seen everything I could.

I mean it's like a little land of awesomeness.

I'm drooling....totally

Some people are so creative and talented.

I'm thinking though....I know right...

but really I am....

I'd love to start a shop...

ETCH|designs...

but this time only on Etsy, and only ready made products...

this way...I can't get over whelmed like I did before with all the custom orders.

I would love to hear the imput of some of you that A. have a site of your own and/or that B. are shoppers on Etsy.

What would or do you love to shop for?

Here's one of the products I will be selling once my shop opens. This one included.

Would love love love to hear your opinions on this piece as well. How much would YOU pay for something like this (maybe if you don't like this one pretend it's colors you love...how much would you pay for it?)

On another Spell & a new Name

well Hello There! The new year has brought a new name and a new motive for me...my blog will pretty much be the same only more focused on my before after and finished projects!

however...I've been neglecting you all..I know....shame on me....my new year resolution is something wonderful!....ORGANIZATION and SIMPLIFYING and FINISHING projects.

This week I have two hats to complete because the orders given were too small...also I have to finish Emily and Cohen's curtains and bed curtains...

I won't get the bedroom FULLY finished...I know I know....I'm also getting a head of myself and buying material for my bedroom....ahhh and I've convinced my Mano to let me put some purple in there....he soooooo sweet...either that or he knows I'll do it anyways...here are my inspiration photos...with real ones to follow soon (I hope)

This photos below show similar versions of what I'm looking for the first photo shows the color of my room right now which I intend to keep, just freshen up.

I'll have brown bedding with grey sheets, and dark purple accents. My floors are light wood and I'm hoping to get a good deal on a faux fur rug... :)

This photo shows how I want the tops of my curtains to look...they will be grey with a band of purple not sure if I'll use this style yet...we'll have to wait and see. If I can find a pair with grommets I'll use them

No, I'm still alive!

I bet you all thought that I was a goner...nope just extremely busy over the holidays...so busy I didn't have time to take photos of any of my hand made gifts...

My intentions for this post was to post them so you could all see why I have been MIA.

I really want to show you what I've been doing so I am going to steal other peoples photos of the similar type to what I've done.

I've made a coffee cozy for a friend of mine in an Elvis Presley fabric....she's so in love with him she has him tattooed on her body. It was the perfect gift because she drinks about 3 - 4 cups of Timmies a day! yeah...I know.

I've made some glass bead magnets to go with a round magnet board I got for my best to attach to the wall and tag memo's for herself in what will one day be a craft/art room when I get her into the swing of the idea....she totally deserves a room to herself for that type of thing...

I made some ribbon etched dishcloths to match her kitchen as well.

I've made a rag quilt Super Hero style..

I've made a camera strap cover for a fellow photographer friend...sooo cute

I made some pan scrubbies & Some washer Jewellery

FAMILY FAB!

I finally found a photographer that is to my standards that doesn't cost me a fortune...here's one of our family photos!

Gawsh my family is sooooo cute!

I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THIS PROJECT!

Quick & Easy Jewellery Solution!

So the last time I was home I was helping my organized obsessed best friend (and when I say best friend I don't mean the kind that come and go from your life, I mean a 20 year friendship that keeps getting stronger every day of every moment) Now that we got that cleared up...She was organizing her MASSIVE collection of accessories such as bracelets, earrings, necklaces etc. She had no where to put her earrings so that they weren't just sitting on her shelf soooo...

I thought for a second and then WHAM....I asked her if she still had the old square frames she had on kijiji...she said yes, I went running looking for them then told her...I'll be back have to go to the dollar store...

I can back with a rubber placemat type thing that had holes in it (similar to those under the rug grippers or in between plate things so they don't slip) and some velcro...then started ripping apart the frames and took out the glass, grabbed the scissors, measured and cut the placemat to the size of the glass I took out...then...put the frame back together using the placemat instead of the glass. The I added the velcro dots to each corner of the frame...stuck the other side of the velcro to the side of her jewellery armoire and this is what it looks like!

Of course this is not ALL of her earrings I took the picture before she finished but...now her earrings all have a place and do not take up space on her shelf! YAY ME all for $2.00

Happy Yesterday Halloween!

I just wanted to share with you the excitement we had trick or treating yesterday...although I would have better pictures but forgot to take my memory card for my camera...so when I got into the house to load them I thought...uhoh as I seen the card already sticking out of my drive slot. So here's the meezly little pictures I got..

The Funny Halloween story:

Cohen was suppose to be the Dumbo Elephant in one of the photos...only my husband took him out to one of our favorite thrift stores and showed him the monkey suit in the other photo...once he seen it he wanted to put it on...and there it stayed. My husband tried to take it off him and he flung himself on the floor taking a fit, so out the store they went wearing the costume and he stayed in it for days on end. So through my efforts to make him an elephant I needed to get at least one photo of him in it.

Cohen the scary Elephant and Lydia "aka Emily"

Moma made her costume out of cotton and flannel. If you are interested in a tutorial on how to comment below and I will set one up!

This photo was taken last year well after Halloween

The Loot!

The |sick| Monkey Trouble!

Please read my Rantings from a Crazy Person

So as most of you know my hubba has been gone : ( This I must say is sad, and amazing : ) First I'll say I love my husband he allows me to have some time to myself without the kids and sometimes when I do get the urge to clean (which in itself is a miracle) he takes the kids OUT of the house so I can do just that. BUT MAN it's been sooo nice having no where near as much laundry to do, no where near as much dirty dishes and the house stays relatively cleaner...until last week....you may all remember my closet madness, well I'm delighted to say (BAHAHA yeah right) it's still not done! And now because I didn't finish that I decided to pull off another project. I must say at times I'm pretty "unintelligent". NOW my sons birthday is tomorrow my house is completly ripped apart...and I have to stay up all night to clean it. YAY ME...boooooooo.

Terry please come home......

So there that was my sad story and no he's not coming home for those of you who are wondering. He is coming for a visit on the weekend before returning back to the "take your spouse away to learn stupid stuff course" for another 2 weeks....but thanks for nothing that's two days too late!

On a plus note I got two wonderful packages in the mail today. One from my US swap buddy full off tons of US catalogue and one from my printing company (also US).

Note to you US followers....it's no wonder you all have such amazing things on your blogs. Apart from being totally creative you also have AMAZING inspiration cataloges PB, Ballard, Hanna Anderrson, CW kids, I could go on and on. I was buried for hours in them. My creative juices are flowing like crazy. Can't wait until this week is over with the Birthday and Halloween out of the way I'm bound to have time to whip some inspirational stuff up!

Keep your Eyes Peeled!

YUMMY PUMPKINS!

I've been sick and lazy this week so my posts and my goals have been put on the back burner.

SPEAKING OF BACK BURNERS though...I made something Yummy today !

E.D Smith Pumpkin Muffins stuffed with Cream Cheese Icing...mmmmmmm

I want to share the recipe with you as well as how I made them.

NOW keep in mind this was an after thought when I woke up this morning so my photos won't look exactly like I describe in the recipe (in other words: no pumpkin seeds)

To start you will need....

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (also known to me as - 1 tsp of cinnamon 1/2 nutmeg & 1/2 ginger)
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup canned pumpkin

1/4 cup Veg oil
1/2 cup buttermilk

lastly PUMPKIN SEEDS!

-------------------------------------------------

Icing Stuffing:
1/2 pkg (8oz./250 g) cream cheese, softened
1/2 Tbsp. butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup icing sugar

Next follow these instructions:

preheat oven to 375 F

Next add all of your dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Leave enough pumpkin seeds to sprinkle on top of the muffins once they are in the muffin tray.

If you only have enough to sprinkle on top SAVE THEM

Then whisk your eggs in a smaller bowl and add the wet ingredients to that.

Finally combine and mix.

Fill paper cups until they are almost at the top (I did not use cups, I don't like the waste of paper unless it's for something special)

Sprinkle remaining pumpkin seeds on top of the batter

Bake for 25 Mins or until cake stick tells you they are read...I use tooth picks!

Finally while they are baking prepare your Icing. To do this you add all ingredients together and fill an icing bag with it. When muffins come out...while they are still a bit warm, stick the icing bag tip into the muffin and squeeze slowly pull it out until the icing peeks at the top...

*if you don't have buttermilk add 1 tsp of lemon juice in a measuring cup and then continue to poor milk in until it hits the 1/2 c. mark. Let it sit for 5 - 10 mins, give a quick stir and WAHLA!*

YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!

Have a great day everyone!

Light at the End of a Tunnel

If you folks don't hear from me in a while it's because I've gotten lost inside my mess of a closet.

I'm serious...and even though I'm embarrassed to show you it, I'm going to anyway...why?

In the end when it's all nice and clean...or something like it, I will be proud to show you just how hard I worked!

This is actually a picture of AFTER I cleaned out the floor a bit...and the back shelves..oooh this is so very shameful.

This is some of the stuff I pulled off the floor of the closet!

I did do some more laundry today like my tasking said, but didn't get it quite put away. I'll do that before bed tonight.

Tomorrow....More closet and possibly some shopping for material.

My Competed Tasks Are:

So today I took out all the winter / fall jackets and clothes and put away all the spring and summer clothes that will still fit them next year...then I put the rest in a bag to donate (which I will deliver tomorrow)

though this is not my actually house this is what it looked like at the time of the event

I did two loads of laundry and folded them YUCK...

I went to the Dollar Store and bought needless Halloween decorations, and then bought bright orange yarn at Michaels to knit hunting mitts for the hubba for when he gets home off course.

I REALIZE THAT THE ABOVE THING IS NO WHERE ON MY LIST (BUT) I DON'T CARE...I get side tracked easy!

I did go to the ReStore and no molding, no paint and no rollar shades.

so all in all my day went great NOT and I got lots done NOT but tomorrow will be a better day! YOT.

aaaaanndddd I mowed the lawn!

I also got a surprise gift card for my PartyLite! wahhhhoooo!

What will I buy???

TOMORROWS TASK:

More Laundry

&

Beginning to clean out Master Closet (this in it's own should be a month long process)

Totally Slack...

So yes it's true...I have been totally slacking on my blog posts. It's only because I've been so busy with my photography these days. This is the worst time of year for me to get anything done because people are requesting me left and right....However my blog posts are not the only thing I've been neglecting. I haven't done much around the house these days either to get ready for the colder weather or craft wise...I need to get on the ball....Soo....since my photo session madness has come to a slow down, I'm giving myself challenges every day to complete. YOU my friends will be my motivation to finish them.

From day to day I will have to alter or |remake| my list, only because I'm on my own these days with the hubba away on course and with kids nothing is a sure thing.

Here's a list of things I hope to achieve (weather and money permitting)

- Clean out dressers from summer clothes to fall/winter

- Find curtains or material and make curtains for dining room (fall/winter weight)

- Buy baseboard heater for living room and dining room

- Buy baseboard molding for living room

- Buy semigloss white paint for trim

- Buy top molding for Living Room

- Buy two rollar shades for Living Room

- Make a few Mercury Glass vases or holders

- Mow Grass and Rake Lawn

- Price facia for around house

- Install new to us patio door

- create 3 prints to order for dining room

- Hang up Sticker in Craft Room

- Clean out Craft room

Ok I think that's a long enough list for now...NOW challenge starts tomorrow I will keep you all posted and updated with photos...feel free to do the same and join me on this journey! Each day I will do my post of what I did that day and each day I will let you know what my following days job will be.

Tomorrows journey includes:

Cleaning out all the closets and drawers to fill them with fall / winter clothes

& if there is time going browsing at the Re store for some molding, roller blinds & / or cheap paint!

Fall Photo Licious...and how tos

These First bit of Photos are from my Entryway: With a little inexpensive way to dazzle!

The vase close up was decorated with acorns that I picked off a tree and the park...shhhhh cause I don't think I am suppose to have them....And the pine cones I got there too. The candle is a coffee candle from the dollar store and the reed diffuser and vase holder are from Party Lite....ahhhhh Party Lite...how I love everything you have! Although I'm just noticing from the photo it might be a little full cause the top isn't level...guess I'll have to smush it more. So since I already had the diffuser and the vase holder...and you can use other things you have around your house to get this similar effect...my total cost was 0.00 for this lil diddy.

What's this?

This is an arrangement that cost me....you guessed it 0.00. I went outside into my side ditch...you can find the same stuff just where ever on the side of the road, in your ditch, neighbours ditches (hehee) Bring a pair of scissors and cut the hay/tall grass at one of the joints...yes they have joints (or at least that's what I call them)...get a bunch...a whole bunch...I would have liked more but ran out of my supply, until I can raid the ditch of someone else...shhhhhh. Then I got some extra ribbon from my stash and this is what you get when you put them together.

Just Lovely isn't it? I think so too...just don't look at the side wall not done yet and omit the mess of shoes I need to side up and de-clutter and it looks like a magazine. Bahahaahaaa.

Next up we have some more Dollar Store Craftiness. Did you know Craftiness IS a real word...seriously it didn't put red lines under my spell checker...just thought you'd like to know.

Of course you've all seen my Dollar Store Wire Pumpkins...they were featured on an amazing Craft Site...you can check out the tute on how to do them HERE and the site they were featured on HERE.

And my Candle Stick Hurricane Candle Holders ... the tute for these can be found HERE...and yes I am aware one of my candle sticks is missing a ribbon...you can talk to my son about that.

Also tied into the mix are some party lite tea lights, and a white PL oil burner with Pinecones and bows decorated on it and a bowl of scented STUFF (pinecones, etc.) Glass balls I got on sale at Walmart after Christmas last year for 75% off I think they cost me 1.50 Mercury Vots. and a glass mercury ball I ALSO got on sale after Christmas at Home Hardware and lastly a table runner I made with scrap material.

A really Simple yet stunning table top Decor...there's a brown ball missing from my son who again you can talk to about stealing my stuff.

The Balls were from the dollar store the large one I think was 1.50 I got it in the summer. I got the other three (2) from a friend because they came in packs of two for a dollar so I got the extra of each color! WHOOHOOO for free stuff!. I tied raffia around an old yardsale candle...which was also in an older post from the summer and stuck some FREE cause they are off my front yard...leaves into the raffia. I think it looks just so sweet.

And though it is in the lower photo these pumpkins are not staying on my coffee table. I have seen some VERY cute topiaries around blog land that I am trying to recreate with these that I bought years ago at Walmart. I'm showing you this photo because I wanted to show you my new wall hangings...yes they are done being painted and are hung up nicely I think....what do you think? Not bad for 5.00. And look...there's mr Banjo lying on the couch...aweee

This sits on my table at the far end of my sofa. Pinecones...free orange berries...1.00 at the...you guessed it....dollar store. There's even a small wasp nest my hubba found outside the other day.

And the tray also 1.00 at the DS I just roughly painted it white...surprised? Really though, what other color would I use.

And this piece below....PARTY LITE...hehee...but really though folks...this piece I LOVE and...it's a host special this month if you book a show...there's a set of three...I just have the one :( The photo doesn't quite do it justice...but with my dark walls it was hard to get a real good photo...well that's just an excuse...I was just lazy.

Well Folks that's it...but I will leave you with one more photo...we went picking pumpkins the other day and I just HAD to take a photo of just a PART of the pumpkin patch...because I was sooo blown away but the THOUSANDS of pumpkins.

Look at em all! the wrapped all around the parking lot and around the large gazebo that I'm standing beside to take the photo, on all sides, and then across to the other side of the parking lot...it was amazing! My daughter's head looks so small in this photo she's become one of the pumpkins in the patch