Outlaw

No food in the living room!

Sheldon sure did notice it.

Busted!

Plastic Puffies of Joy

My bedding arrived from BB&B.  The stuffing gave them such joy.

The wind would catch it and you could make it do waves.

This is probably why they have safety warnings.

Millie's Safe Space

 It's the only place in the house she can do her "work" without 

someone taking away her paper and pen.

"Follow me."

"This way."

We have a problem.

I'm pleading with my big beautiful eyes, "Let me get in."

Millie was ready for him to join her.

He quickly gained control of all writing things.

Well...

...I did have a note pad given to me for my birthday. 

I did have to add a little bit to one.

Sweetness!

Emogene is the one unnecessarily labeling things.

Hattie was the one that gave the note pad to me for my birthday.
She also left me the sweet note.

Playing with Brazil

Sneaking a banana

All tuckered out

Do you ever get the feeling the orangutan doll was for me?

Teeth Brushing Time

Little Friends

They may fight sometimes, but they sure do show sweetness every now and then.

He was a little bit dirty.

We Had a Cat...

...for 15 minutes.

A very loud cat followed Emogene and Millie home from a walk.

His collar was super helpful for learning his name and calling the owner.

Tyson lived two streets over.  The whole family climbed in to the car, and Tyson rode on the dash.

It was such a great night of excitement.

Sweetheart's First Rider

It has finally happened.  I found a kid that is the right weight, 

and will actually sit on the tortoise.

Dawdee loved it and did it over and over again.

Ottoman Redo

Have you ever not known you wanted something until a friend texts you a picture and says, "Do you want this?"  It happens to me all. the. time.  I'm kind of known for wanting things someone is no longer needing.  I like to decorate on a budget and my friend Cheri helps me accomplish it.  

Here is my most recent freebie provided by Cheri.

 Putting an ottoman in my living room was not on my wish list,

but I snatched it up anyway and had an idea.

The colors weren't working for what I have planned for my living room, so 

I researched the new craze, painting furniture, specifically upholstered furniture.

 I took out the bag of pellets.

I chose a light blue paint that I had left over from painting our kitchen island.  

So to me, that means the paint was free.  

I ordered textile medium from Amazon, $5.48.  

I mixed half of the bottle with a cup and a half of paint.  

I had a little over a fourth of the quart left in the paint bucket.

It is two parts paint to one part medium.

I painting the bottom first just to see how it looked. 

I was pleased and moved on to the rest.

Eric made me a quick clothes line in the front yard.

We are always pleasing our neighbors.

As you can see one coat wasn't going to do it.

I painted three coats on each side except I cheated and did just two on the bottom. 

Nobody will be looking at the bottom.

I following the directions on the medium bottle and ironed the whole thing, 20 seconds at a time, piece by piece.

I LOVE IT!

You may be thinking, I wonder if it is soft.

No it isn't.  Eric kept giving his input on that point.

Remember, it is for people's feet.  I've heard that 

if you sand it a little, it will soften up.

It feels like canvas.  

I have a couple more things I want to do in the living room, 

a pillow for that chair and a little side table.

  I'll get to work on them soon.  

Do you like my chair?  I got it at Walmart.com.  I have the matching couch too.  

When you have a Great Dane and small children, you buy inexpensive furniture.

What do you think about my ottoman?

Have you painted any upholstered furniture?

A Table Redo

My mom had mentioned many times that she wanted some chairs under her tree in the back yard.

When I saw Starbucks changing out their patio furniture, I asked if I could have a table and some chairs.  They said yes!  They were also surprised I asked, because nobody else bothered.

Here is my beautiful Lydda modeling the before pic of the table and chairs.

Here is the end result.

I love it!

  

I made sure to really scour the Internet and find clearance pillows and cushions to continue my CONSTANT thrifty obsession.  I think I spent about $50 on the whole thing.  It has been a while so I can't remember the exact amount.  

This was the before picture, specifically before my children played "make dirt soup" on top of the table and scratched up the top.  We can't have or give nice things.

Special Things

My parents' house flooded along with thousands others this past August.  

We had to go through everything and move it out so everything could be redone.

In the process, we were able to throw away things to help declutter for when they move back in and also we got to reminisce over some things, like pictures and letters long forgotten.

I was very excited to be chosen to receive a beautiful clock once belonging to my grandparents, Nana and Pawpaw Pete.  I never really knew Nana, she passed when I was two.  I have fond memories of Pawpaw Pete.  He passed away the summer before my fourth grade year.  I didn't get to grow up knowing them as well as my other grandparents, and it makes me very sad.   I am so glad to have something that I know Nana loved.    

Isn't it beautiful!  It still works and plugs into the wall.  PawPaw Pete installed a special outlet right where Nana wanted to put it in their house.  The hanging parts have long ago fallen off, but I found a solution, my cookbook rack.  I have a special Lydda art work piece showcased next to it.  I have another one in my bathroom.  I need lots of little easels for my girls' little things.
Also, ignore the way the furniture and the wall blend in together.  I'm redoing lots of things, and painting my walls seems to be last on my list.

Thanks for the special clock Mom and Dad!  

Rampage

Please tell me my teenagers aren't the only ones to not care that their bathroom looks like a hoarder episode.  I was about to snap yesterday.  We had some discussions about the bathroom and it went through a thorough cleaning, not by me.  

Here are a few of our discussions:
1.  A laundry hamper cannot hold a month's worth of clothes.  It can't even hold a week's worth.  If the clothes reach the top, SORT IT IN THE LAUNDRY ROOM!

2.  Cabinets are provided to help hide things.  USE THEM!

3.  Although the toilet paper on the actual toilet paper roll is annoying to one of my children, I DON'T CARE.  Keep the roll in it!   It's like I'm having de ja vu all day long.  I go in and put it on.  I go back ten minutes later, and it is off.  I put it back on.  I go back in ten minutes later, and it is off.  I put it back on. I go back in ten minutes later, and it is off.  I put it back on.  It is never-ending.
"It is just weird to have it there," does not change my rule.  The toilet paper roll goes on the holder.

4.  The bathroom has room for very few things, 1-2 stools aren't one of them.  I don't care if you can't prop up your phone, iPad, or Kindle to watch a show while you bathe for two hours.  DO NOT bring another stool into this particular bathroom.

5.  The floor IS NOT the trash can!  If a shampoo bottle is empty, throw it in the trash.  Also, let me know if you are out of any hygiene items.  Sometimes I wonder how you don't stink to high heaven.  I will purchase soap and shampoo for you whenever needed.  Just let me know when you need it.

They were warned and threatened with me putting a picture of the bathroom on Facebook, TAGGING YOU,  and on the blog if it happens again.


Next project, convincing the seven year old that neat piles of things on the edges of her room creating pathways for her, does not mean it is clean.  Again, episode of hoarders.  I have no desire for myself or my children to be on tv in any way, shape, or form.  Being on a hoarders episode is definitely not part of my desired future.

Improvising

Because heating up frozen soup and eating it from the same jar it was frozen in means one less dirty dish

Invention Needed: Mason Jar Coozies (no idea how to spell that)

Mischief!

 I ran outside, literally ran to throw something in the car.  I ran because a little boy I know loves to climb on things.  I hurried back, and found a locked door.

 I walked to the backyard and came in the back door.  Millie was jumping on the couch.  Dawdee was coming from the area of the door.  Hmmmm, who locked me out?

Millie the Tattler Informer quickly let me know it was Dawdee. 

It did appear he was the prime suspect seeing as he was coming from that area, but I wasn't so sure.  He could have simply been coming to my aide.

Which of these angels did it?

One looks clueless, the other looks like she knows too much.

My informant may not be reliable.

Tubby Time

I promise you they wanted to play in the tub.  I didn't do it so I could get something done.

On a different subject, I got the bathroom vacuumed.  

Thanks to the loud noise of the vacuum, I didn't hear the water come on.  They were trying to soak each other.  They just got a little bit wet as Millie calls it.  Millie put the blame on Dawdee when I asked who turned it on.  He did have his hand on the handle.  

She also managed to pull the handle off.  She looked at me and said, "I do that."

Is it safe to give them each a Clorox wipe and have them wipe down the tub?  Since they are in there, I might as well make them useful.   I think they would have fun.

Sister Loves

Being Thrifty

When Eric and I first became parents, I spent so much money on holiday outfits.  Emogene and Hattie wore some outfits one time and I had spent $30+ on each outfit.  I am older and wiser now.  I buy a lot of second hand items or I find something that can be worn not just for a specific holiday. 

I found primary.com and really liked it.  I ordered a plain blue dress for Millie and have used temporary vinyl on it three times.  She has a holiday themed dress, that can be worn after Christmas.   

I pull off the vinyl before washing.

This one was my last decoration.  I loved the cute snowman.

I did this first.  I loved the sparkly and white snowflakes.  I also added a monogrammed ornament to Lydda's second hand dress.  She wore it last year too.  I added a silver glittery initial on it for church on Christmas day.  Lydda loved it!

This was my least favorite.  It looked good on Lydda's dress but not on Millie's.  I ordered all the vinyl online and didn't realize it was so shiny.  Also, Millie's dress is pleated on the neckline.  This is why I think it didn't work as well.

I love being thrifty and I hope this helps other moms save some money.

We always have a cool snap around Easter.  This dress will appear again with a bunny and flowers.