{Ali}

Master Bath Sneak Peek Part 2

We finally got the tile laid on Sunday.  No grout yet....that will come tonight (fingers crossed).  You'll have to forgive my horrible photos.  It's so hard to take good photos of bathrooms!  Ugh!  So, to remind you....we started with a lovely sub floor.  After the flood of 2010, we had our oh, so lovely, vinyl ripped out by the restoration company.  We've been living with the sub floor ever since.  Nice, huh?  We repainted the vanity and framed out the mirror a few weeks ago.  Read about that HERE.  We put in the new faucet HERE , and finally got the tile down!  Phew!  I can't wait to paint next weekend, put up curtains and get to decorating! 

 
 
Still a long way to go!  But progress, is progress......Right?

Debbie's Newbie Link Partay!

I'm joining in Debbiedoo's Newbie Link Party!  I'd love to gain some new followers and friends!  If you have some time, please feel free to look around my blog!  I'd love to hear from you!  And please be sure to give some love back to Debbie!  She is a fabulous blogger, who LOVES to help everyone out! 

Debbiedoo's Newbie Link Party!

 

Fabulous Friday Finds!

Lot's of great stuff out in blog land this week!  Check it out!

 
Jen @ Tatertots and Jello made these Valentines Day pillows!  Super cute!  Her blog is one of my most favorites!  She always has the cutest ideas!

Check out this cute wreath, chalkboard and chandy necklace @ Madigan Made

 

I love that she changes out the decor around the chalkboard, and the quote on the chalkboard for every holiday/month!  Very creative!

I love this idea!  Valentine Frames from the girls @ Eighteen25.  When you drop by their website, prepare to spend some time there!  Lots of GREAT craft ideas! 

 

My kids are too old to do valentines for their friends and teachers anymore, but how cute are these?  I've got to figure out a way to make these for SOMEONE! :)  Ashley Ann @ Under the Sycamore made these CRUSH Valentines!  So creative!

 

And finally, Christina @ Creations by Christina  made this CUTE felt wreath

 
She also has some AWESOME recipes on her blog check 'em out!  She is always making, baking or cooking something!

And two Etsy shops I want to tell you about.  My super, fabulously talented cousin and her daughter make these adorable headbands

 
How freakin' cute are they?  She sells all sorts of these darling things!  You can find her etsy shop here: Maisey's Daiseys.  Please go show her some LOVE!

And my sweet, crafty friend Laura has these darling necklaces!

 
I bought one from her HERE and it is even more darling in person!  I love it!  Please take a moment to see how cute these necklaces are!

So many cute, crafty things out there in blog land this week!  If you click on any of the links listed above, please feel free to share some lovely comments with them!  They are some of the most talented women out there!

Oh, and one more thing......T.G.I.F!  Holla!

Linking up to Debbiedoos Newbie Party!

A quick Valentines Day banner

It seems that the first thing I do when I get home from work every night, is sit down at my sewing machine and think about what I can sew.  It's become a daily habit, and somewhat of a therapy for me.  There is something about the piles of fabric sitting on my kitchen table.....just calling out to me.  "Make something withme....make something with me" ... I just have to do it!  Am I crazy?  I've always been creative.  Doing something to satisfy my need to create.  Scrapbooking.  Calligraphy.  Tole Painting. Cross Stitch.  Knitting. You name it, I've done it.  It's like a drug, right?   I went through a period of several years where I just couldn't be creative.  My family suffered a horrible tragedy in 1999, and my creativity left with it.  I dabbled in things here and there.  Mostly scrapbooking for my niece, since her Mom was  no longer here to do it.  And class projects.  Treats and goodies.  The bare minimum of creativity.  It was hard, because being creative was so much a part of me. My identity.  What people associated with me.  You know?  I missed it.  Badly.

Fast forward to Halloween 2010.  I attended a Girl's Nigh Out party with a bunch of friends.  The hostess had reserved 5 psychics for the night.  Soooo cool.  I saw a psychic in 1996.  It was awesome.  I loved it.  But she told me things then, that I look back on now....and it kind of scares me.  She told me so many things that came to fruition.  Some good.  Some, not so good.  So, I was always hesitant to go to another.  But the opportunity presented itself.  So, I did it.  So glad I did.

It was only a 20  minute reading.  BUT, the first thing she told me was this:

You are creative.  It is what you DO.  But, you haven't been creative in a long time. You need to change that.  NOW.

Um, Hello!!?!?!?!?  Duh!  Light bulb moment.  Being creative is what makes me happy.  I need it.  I crave it.  But, for some reason, I wasn't doing it.  Well, I am here to tell you that changed immediately. 

My hubby Carl.....um, the best.  Bought me a new sewing machine.  I was in heaven.  I love it.  And, I try and be creative as often as I can now.  I am happier.  I am more content.  I feel more ME.  If that makes sense.

So, thanks for sticking with me for this whole lengthy post.  I was really going to post a quick little line about a Valentines Day Banner I sewed up.  But, somehow,  my fingers just kept a typin'.  I needed to get this out.  For some reason. For me.  For Anne.  For the love of being creative.

Here is a quick little v-day banner I sewed up.  Nothing fan-tabulous.  Or special.  But I like it.

 

Just muslin.  Binding.  Fabric hearts. 

But it makes my heart happy.

Thanks for listening!

Happy Thursday!

Linking up with Debbiedoos Newbie Party!

It's the little things.....

that make me happy! 

A new faucet in the master bathroom.

Nothing fancy-shmancy.

But the look I wanted.

 

It's the little things.....the make this girl happy!

Still no paint.  Still no tile.  But I have a new faucet!

Happy dance!

Friend Making Monday

I found this fun blog from Jenn @ Tatertots and Jello, and since I'm looking to meet some new blogging friends, I thought I would join in!  She has a feature called "Friend Makin' Monday"

 

1. Where is your cell phone? here

2. Your most significant other? Carl

3. Your hair? Brown

4. Your mother? Awesome

5. Your father? Funny

6. Your favorite? Pasta

7. Your dream last night? None

8. Your favorite drink? Diet Coke

9. Your dream/goal? self-employed

10. What room you are in? familyroom

11. Your hobby? crafting

12. Your fear? failing

13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? happy

14. Where were you last night? bed

15. Something that you aren't? stupid

16. Muffins? occasionally

17. Wish list item? lottery :)

18. Where you grew up? Utah

19. Last thing you did? Decorate

20. What are you wearing? Jammies

21. Your TV? Bachelor

22. Your pets? CUTE

23. Friends? yup

24. Your life? great

25. Your mood? happy

26. Missing someone? yep

27. One place that I go to over and over? facebook :)

28. Something you want: vacation

29. Your favorite store? Target

30. Your favorite color? black

Now it's your turn to play along!

Valentines Day Mantle

I got the Valentines Day decorations up from the basement yesterday, and starting thinking about decorating a bit.  I started with the mantle.  It still needs some tweaking, and let's pretend my walls aren't green, mkay?  I'm over the green and need to paint! :)

 

 

 

 

 

Still needs some tweaking, but it's a start! 

Linking up to The Stories of a2z Valentines Day Mantle Party

 

Weekend Crafting

I had great plans for the weekend, which included a bunch of sewing projects, some more items for my Etsy Shop and paint/tile the bathroom.  Well......that didn't happen!  I did sew a few things, but only finished two of them (really?).  So much for big plans, right?

 

New pear pin cushion for Etsy!  Pretty easy to make, and I love how it turned out!  I received some great fabric in the mail from Poppy Seed Fabrics ( I used some for the pear), and I couldn't resist whipping up this cute pillow for Madi's room.  I fell in love with the print!  Sooo cute!

 

What a great print, right?  I love it!  So much for painting and tiling the bathroom!  There is always next weekend, right?

I also have a favor!  If you stop by to read my blog, I would love it if you could be a follower.  I get almost 200 views a day, but I only have 1 follower!  Help!  I would really appreciate it!

Linking up to Craftomaniac's Monday Craft Party

 

and Polly Want a Crafter

 

Funky Polka Dot Giraffe

 

Creations by Kara

 

House of Hepworths

 

Funky Junk Interiors

 

Master Bath remodel sneak peak!

Our house has been in a bit of a mess the last month, since the great flood of 2010.  The hubby and I have been in a quandary trying to figure out which room to begin working on first....the family room, or the master bath.  We hit Home Depot last Friday night to look for trim, to frame out the windows in the family room (the drywall was removed due to the flood), but got side tracked looking at moulding to frame out the builder grade mirror in our master bath.  I saw this post from Kate @ Centsational Girl a few days prior and I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do to my mirror and vanity.  So we tackled it on Saturday morning.  And I LOVE it!  Still soooooo much to do in the bathroom, but here is a sneak peak at the mirror and vanity. 

 Rule #1...no judging me!  We are in the midst of the remodel, so things are a bit messy and the former decor is a bit unlovely!  :)

 

 

I LOVE the paint color and how rich and creamy it looks in person.  The paint I used is  is Valspar’s latex ‘Betsy Ross House Brown’ #6011-2 in the soft gloss Kitchen & Bath formula.  It is a dark espresso brown.  Love it!  And I followed Kate's directions on applying the paint, etc. and it worked out beautifully.  No brush marks at all!

We purchased a new light fixture on Sunday and also a new faucet for the sink.  I will be painting this weekend, and then we will lay the tile.  Hopefully, we can check this project off our LARGE To-Do list in a few weeks!  Thanks for looking!  I'd love to know what you think!

Linking up to Remodelaholic Link Party

 

Is it only me?

Is it only me that has tons of half finished projects lying around?  This is the corner of my kitchen counter right now

 

Two half finished projects.  On Sunday night, I decided to make some kissing balls for Valentines Day.  I picked me up some crepe paper (1 roll each of 2 different colors), with the idea of making 3 of them.  Well, that not even half finished kissing ball used up one whole role of pink crepe paper, and took about an hour.  Yikes!  No more pink crepe paper on hand, so I put it aside. 

On Monday night, I decided to make some felt heart wreaths for Valentines Day.  I had picked up 3 straw wreaths at the Dollar Store a few weeks ago, and I had some red felt on hand.  Well I cut out a bajillion felt circles, surely enough to cover the heart, right?  WRONG!  And hour later and I wasn't even half done.  Too tired to cut out more red circles.  Put it aside.

Well, here it is Thursday and both projects still sit on my counter unfinished.  And you can't really see it, but in the background of the photo is my kitchen table.  Which is overflowing with fabric and notions for the Coffee Cozies and Valentines Day Towels I have been making.

PLEASE tell me I'm not alone?!?!?  Do you have unfinished crafts, projects, home improvements, just lying around waiting (every so patiently) to be finished???  Or am I really the only one? 

Oh, and I haven't even mentioned the master bath remodel that is half finished!  Apparently, I have a lot to do this weekend!