Ideas For DIY!

Life is busy, but not too busy to throw a few
DIY links at you!

3 Links to be exact. 3 super cute and fun ideas!

First, for all of you who have summer parties in your future
why not wow your guests with a lemonade bar!
I mean, how cute is this?

 

http://www.cleanandscentsible.com/2013/05/lemonade-bar.html

Second, some mini pies to go with that lemonade!
Finger food, no plates or forks needed!
Awesome!

http://www.twiggstudios.com/2013/05/raspberry-mini-pies.html

And third, you need some "bling" to wear at these summer parties!
Make your own, cheap as can be and pretty as can be!
Love this idea!

http://thecreativecrate.blogspot.com/2010/04/easy-diy-rings.html

Hope I have inspired you....I know I have inspired myself.....now to find the time...hmmmm.

My thanks to The Creative Crate, Twigg Studios and Clean & Scentsible for these amazing DIY ideas!

Kitchen Thoughts

We are moving along with the kitchen reno.....
nothing but dust, destruction and decisions at this point.
I have been "cruisin the net" for ideas.
I am not sure if I have come closer to finality or further from it!!
Eeekkkk!!!!!

I am putting it out there. A few ideas. Please feel free to comment. Although it may not sway me, it will make me feel better if even one other likes at lease one of the ideas that I have liked...no comments will be laughed at...at least not to out loud, I promise!

 In the above photo, the cabinets are the color of mine. I am loving the dual pendent lights above the sink!

I do NOT like the granite carried up the back splash...I am a differing back splash kinda girl!

 

 Hmmmmmmm, windows put into my cabinets???? If possible, I would like that!



I was COMPLETELY convinced that light gray would be my wall color.

But after seeing this picture I am not so sure that I will not go with a light mustard color...I am going with white subway tile as the back splash, no question at all about that!! 

See how lovely white subway tile can be!

I however will not pair it with a gray counter. 

 We are going with an area of open shelving on the stove side of the kitchen.

I am loving how they brought the yellow into this kitchen thru the lovely pottery on the open shelves!! 

In the above picture, again the cabinets are light wood as mine are.

I am crushing on the dark counters with the white tile back splash.

My head may explode before all this is over!!!

And at last, I AM getting a farmhouse sink.

I am proposing a single bowl as I love (and always have) the look of a single...

I believe it is a bit more authentic looking. But I love the white counter with it! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!

(all photos were snagged from google images)

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly!

We are in full swing on the kitchen reno.
That's the good.

The bad? The Ungly? Most of my house looks like this!

And...We tore down the north soffitt without covering the floor....bad idea!

 No damage, but the inability to get off dry wall dust within the normal means of a mop, etc. was GREATLY under-estimated.
Soooooooo, I had to get on hands and knees with cleaner and paper towels to hand clean the floor. NOT MY FAVORITE JOB.....EVER!

So I laid down construction paper before we tackle the south wall soffitt. Let me just tell you, that whoever gets that job on the work site is grossly under paid!!!!

 

Our kitchen belongings are all over the dinning area, in baskets etc.  I do not function well under these types of circumstances.
 

 

But the dogs handle it just fine....go figure!

Getting Started

On the Kitchen makeover.
This is our kitchen.

Pretty enough, big enough. One flaw?
Where the fridge is.
You see, each time a little one or someone who has not used our fridge before, opens the door, the door handle hits the window! I picture glass shattering every time.

When we built the house, the kitchen planner who came in and laid out the kitchen did a great job with the "work triangle" in mind. It works perfectly that way. But neither of us took into consideration the refrigerator door hitting the window.
Oops.
So now we will move the spot for the fridge, take down the soffits and put the existing cabinetry back up.
I will take pictures along the way and I am praying that it will be a quick renovation (3 weeks or so) and I will have my "all new" kitchen pictures soon!

Have You Ever Had One Of "Those" Days?

You know, the kind where the birds are singing,
you hit every light green,
there is a smile on your face from the moment you wake up?
Well, I had one of those days yesterday! Sunday.
My hair cooperated (yeah!)
I put on a new dress for church and at least 20 people stopped to tell me how cute my outfit was.
Came home from church and put on yet another really cute outfit and out to the yard I went.
Cut for my Mom a huge bouquet of flowers and surprised her....she LOVED them!
Came home and cut flowers for myself. Aren't they beautiful!!!

And then IT happened.

Insert the "wreeeet, wreeet, wreeeet" horror movie three notes of doom here!
While out in my yard cutting flowers and really expecting Mr. Blue Bird to come and perch on my cute little finger, our female dog took a walk.
An ugly, ugly walk.
GOOD FEELING GONE.
Why you ask?
This!
What ever this is that she rolled in!

The smell was simply vomitous....no other word fits here, just sayin! 

Well, she is quite un-happy with me now.
She did not like the bath that followed.
I used a hairbrush to scrub her.
Serves her right.
Bet she won't take that walk again!
I ate an ice cream sandwich.
Feeling better now.

Thursday Link

I really thought that this was the coolest flower making craft EVER!

I hope that you like it....link included!

http://www.marthastewart.com/271365/paper-bag-flowers

 

Thank you Martha Stewart.com.

 

Mother's Day Dinner

We had a Mother's Day Italian Feast....
I forgot to take pictures along the way...
Anesthesia hangover.

But I did snap a few pictures near the end.

Family, so much fun.

Centerpieces were fresh pots of rosemary and long bread sticks in pretty glasses.

Dessert table was decorated with bistro style lighting and lovely pom-poms.

All in all, quite a lovely affair!

Did You Miss Me????

You do not have to answer that question!

I have taken a week off due to just too much on my plate.

I have had a procedure done at the hospital that required me to be under anesthesia for a morning. They were looking for reasons for weight loss, found nothing, but I had a very, VERY hard time coming out of the anesthesia (much to the abandoned laughter of my family, I sure do not remember but I am sure that I was quite animated!)

My husband sang at a Reunion Concert (played the bass guitar, acoustic guitar, mandolin, etc....show off!) and I joyfully sat with my daughter and cheered him on!

He is the handsome one on the left!

 

 

We had our big Mother's Day Italian Feast on Saturday (pictures tomorrow) and everyone had a lovely time!

 

My husband and I are currently getting the garden completed and then moving on to a bit of a kitchen remodel. We will be removing the soffits (yeah!!) painting and a few other minor re-do's. I will take before, during and after photo's.

 

I am excited for the projects I have in the works, and getting back on track with blogging, life and the simple joys of living this life I have been blessed with! 

Simple Joys

It has been a while since I have done a simple joy post.
 
I find that if we don't notice the simple joys in our lives that we will surely notice the annoyances.

So I am choosing to have a really joyful Friday!
Hoping that you are having one as well!

Pretty flowers on a table. Joy. 

A friendly horse posing just for me! Joy. 

A simple gate with lovely angles. Joy. 

A little boys riding glove on a little stool, so sweet. Joy. 

My plants gloriously growing in my green house! Joy. 

Three of the most beautiful children running to the park. Without a care, loving life, talking, laughing....Great JOY.

My Life's Story or At Least The Past Few Days

1. I work in an office full of men.
2. One is a carrier Monkey.
3. I got the stomach flu.
4. Yes, from the carrier Monkey.
5. Last Friday was a blur.
6. Blame the carrier Monkey.
7. I am a leader for our church's children's choir.
8. Saturday was a long day!
9. Practice, practice, practice!
10. Sunday's performance was spectacular!
11. My throat was sore Sunday Night....
12. Note 8-10.
13. I wanted to lay in bed Monday morning sooooo badly!
14. I didn't get to.
15. Ugh.
16. Today I went to visit a friend and pick her brain.
17. My brain is fried.
18. My friend is so sweet and shared so much.
19. My brain is fried.
20. OK, so my brain did not have much to fry. Did you see 1-15??????
21. The above picture was taken in my friend's barn.
22. Yep, barn cat.
23. I cleaned up my kitchen today.
24. OK, I cleaned up the counters and emptied the dish washer...that counts doesn't it?
25. Thought so.
26. Today (4/30) is Olivia's 6th Birthday!!!
27. The above is so shocking....how did 6 years pass so quickly?
28. Love this girl. So very much!

29. The rest of the week?
30. Don't even ask!!!!!!