Catching My Breath!

This has been one of the busiest weeks I have had in a long time.
I am trying to finish up all the "little" things in the kitchen that would go completely un-done if I just stopped right now. They are those things that no one would notice but should be done, like sealing the grout to avoid stains, etc. (I did get all that done yesterday before I had to leave for an evening of dinner and friends...yippee!)

We are in the midst of VBS at our church....200 singing, laughing, happy, hysterical children and 80 hysterical leaders. So much fun and yet so exhausting!

To end my rambling, I am working on ideas to make my kitchen NOT look industrial....I found this picture of these simple jars that are canning jars (something I have many of) that are just stenciled with numbers....a simple DIY that just may do the trick for me...tell me what you think!!!!

(I do not remember where I snatched this picture from, so I am giving credit to the Internet for this lovely picture)

SNEAK PEAK!!!!!

At the Kitchen.......

More to come when I catch my breath!

Small Update, Kitchen & Garden

Things are back to full swing at our house now that birthdays (yesterday was my Brother's Birthday!) and slip covers are complete.

Just a quick up date on our garden bounty, or lack there of. Blight has befallen many of our tomatoes due to major rains we had the past few months. If it had only waited because man could we use the rain now! Blight on our poblano  and green peppers too...bummer.

But I did get a few beauties from the garden last night!

The tiling has begun in the kitchen. I have gotten about 1/3 of the north wall done. I only have short amounts of time after work and dinner, hoping to get it all done this week so I can get the grouting completed on Saturday.

Big bummer tho.....my drawer pulls are ceramic and I thought they would match but alas, NOPE! They are just enough of an off white to be very noticeable. Ugh. I may go with stainless to match the appliances but do not want my traditional kitchen to become to contemporary....sigh.

Oh well. If that is the "worst" thing to happen, I am a VERY blessed woman! 
 

Slip Cover Saturday!

We bought a slipper chair for our Daughter and Son-In-Law about a month or so ago, as they needed a non-intrusive chair in their living room, and it was a steal at $45!!
However, it did not match their living room. Easy remedy...make a slip cover!
Much has kept us from that in the past month, so Saturday was the day.

Let me walk you through the ease of making a slip cover for an armless chair.
Here is the before picture.

Here, my daughter is holding the material she picked for the slip cover (upholstery material).

We simply draped the material over the chair INSIDE OUT and pinned it snugly where the seams are to be.

Next, we carefully pulled it off of the chair and my daughter began sewing the seams with upholstery thread.

We sewed the back seams first, returned the inside out material to the chair to pin the seams to form the seat of the chair.

Once all was seamed, and the fit was approved, we cut the excess material leaving about a 1/2 inch seam allowance.

To finish, I put the chair on the table and measured up to the desired height from the "floor" (it turned out to be 2") and pinned the hem.

One last time the cover was pulled off and the hem was sewn.

Done!

It took about 2 hours which for a first timer, I think she did it quite quickly!

And the chair looks amazing!

Best thing is, if it gets dirty, she can throw it in the washing machine, hang dry and put it right back on the chair! And if they get tired of this pattern, she knows just how to make another!

Mom's Party Decor

The party was a success! All had a great time, lots to eat and caught up on the busy lives that we all live.

 

My goal was to decorate with things that had meaning to my Mom, so here is what I did. (all DIY and SUPER CHEAP TO DO!!)

 

 Above, was the "memory tree" which is a large branch that my husband cut from our maple tree and my daughter and I painted with 88 cent a can white spray paint. I gave her a few strands of white Christmas lights and a couple of bushes of dollar "silk" flowers which she pulled apart and then stuck the separated petals over each light. I then wrapped the flower lights around the painted branch and my daughter re-applied the flowers to the lights as 1/4 of them fell off when I wrapped....who knew?

 I then hung small "islet" pots (.99 each at Ikea) with a single bud of hydrangea inside which were cut from my bush.

 Behind the table I put large pictures (engineering prints) which were printed at my local staples. They were of my Mom crocheting and things that are special to her like her kerosene lamps, etc.

 In the middle of each table were simple, un-hemmed, printed material pieces that were all differing patterns but all in the same color scheme. The "vases" were canning jars (my Mom has canned all her life and loves to do it) filled with orange day lilies cut from Mom's yard.

 The large (rather ugly) construction water coolers were just to awful to consider without sprucing them up a bit....so I bought a one dollar roll of wrapping paper that fit the color scheme I had going on and my daughter "wrapped" the coolers! Cutting out for the handles and spigots, they worked nicely.... coordinating cups and straws & the eye-sores were averted!!

 On the food table were simple canning jars that I colored with food dye and painted the rings to match. More flowers from my yard and it just added a bit to the table.

 Small buckets bought from the dollar isle at Target were the holders for the plastic silverware...again in the fun colors that were spotted throughout the area.

99 cent picture frames gave the guests the information that they needed for the day. Such as the menu, water or lemonade, where to put the cards, etc.

I love that it was personal to my Mom with the color "flair" that I am know in my family for! It was a great day, filled with pretty color, lovely things, friends and a wonderful family.

 

Any questions on any of this DIY party décor?

Leave a comment and I will answer to the best of my ability!

My Absense...

Things have been a bit, shall we say, crazy here the past 10 days.
I found out that I do not have the antibody to keep from getting Micro plasma Pneumonia.
It was not pleasant. I am feeling much better now, but it will be at least another week before I am back to "peak" performance.

"A" the most handsome 9 year old in the whole world is now the most handsome 10 year old in the entire world!!! July 10th....how did THAT happen???!!!!!

My Mom's surprise birthday party is this Saturday! All things are in place (I hope) and it should be a lot of fun seeing all our family coming in from far and near! Old friends, new friends and lots of food and fun!

Our counters are being installed as I type! It has not been the best of experience, but at least it will be done. We have the tile bought and that will be the end of the reno once that is up! Huge SIGH!!!!

Our daughter from northern Michigan will be here in a few days....cannot wait to get time with her!

We took a day trip up to Green Bay WI. with a young man who has never been to Lambeau Field and is a huge Packer fan....can I tell you how much fun we had seeing the amazement in his face all day!!! Soooooooooooooo much fun!!

I will take lots of pictures of all of the DIY that I used for my Mom's party and catch you all up with that and the kitchen very soon!!!

Oh, and least I forget, my sweet Husband and I will be celebrating 34 years of marriage this Sunday!!

Yes, when it rains it REALLY pours in our lives!!

Take Something Ordinary....

And make it AMAZING!
My husband calls me the "Pop Of Color" Queen...
He has a point. I love a good pop of bright color done in the right way.
 
We are going to put up white subway tile as our backsplash and there is nothing more void of color than a white backsplash. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE white subway tile! Have always wanted it and am now getting it! (it's on sale so we will be able to do the entire kitchen for eighty bucks! Woot!) AND it allows me to pop a lot of bright color in the kitchen, changing when I want BECAUSE of the white tile! Second score!
OK, back to my pop of color.
We bought an industrial looking pendant light to put above the sink. My hubby picked it and I really loved it....all but the color.

What an easy fix! A can of spray paint, 10 minutes of time and looooky what I have!!!

I am in love with the bright "Key Lime" green color and how much fun it brings to a rather traditional kitchen. (or it will be when finished)

It is so easy and in-expensive to take something from ordinary to amazingly extraordinary!
Now you give it a try!