Em's New Dresser

This is my first dresser make-over...
please be kind

you sad little dresser, I think I need to brighten you up a bit...

with some primer... and light green paint!

but I didn't have the primer cover everything...

I liked how it crackled

and with sand paper I gave it the distressed look around all its edges...

Distress and crackle, that aught to make it look weathered!

It's perfect for my sons room, his little clothes will fit in it. hmmm this little dresser needs some accent pieces, I'll blog about that next!

I feel Wide OPEN Spaces and a little nook!

The dividing wall has been torn down and the frame for my hutch and two benched nooks has arrived! Remember what it looked like before. Neal and his guys from Ruff House Remodeling banged that out in just two days! I know it doesn't look like much but there is a process to this madness, the electrician has to work before anything cosmetic can be done. Frame work done, plumbing done, in comes the electrician, then the floor and walls! I can't wait! I always say that slow and steady wins the race. Keep up the good work boys!

Yeahhh a Feature!

I'm sending a big thanks and shout out for being featured this Saturday on Confession of a Vit3babe. She picked me after she read my 5 Favs! They are worth checking out! Her Saturday blog hop button is at the end of that post!

Jazz your front door up with a Wreath!

When we first started looking for a house, I told my husband that I wanted a house with a round door. Ever since college I have been dreaming about a rounded door. There was a whole street lined with Tudors and rounded doors, it was such a pleasure to walk past. My husband looked me right in the eye and said, "a round front door was highly unlikely". But as it turns out, ye of little faith, my front door is round. Round like the moon. 

Front doors are full of character. Sometimes a front door can say a lot about the person that lives there.  I would like mine to say, "welcome neighbors, I've just moved in and I want you to stop by!" I knew I needed to jazz my front door with a wreath.  This year our Christmas colors, besides the good old stand by of red and green, is going to include teal blue.  Incidentally, I am quite particular to this color and I think it is a good a staple in my life. 

 This is my door with out a wreath,     

BORING...

This is my door with a wreath!

JAZZY!

In a couple simple steps you can have one too! All my supplies came from Michael's,

You need:

a twine wreath (don't forget to use your Micheal's coupon)

decorative foliage with a wire base in a variety of shapes and sizes

Get a variety of foliage- some plain, some with glitter or pearlized. It will make your wreath more interesting.

I started with the glittery blue foliage and evenly placed it around the wreath. No glue needed I just fed it through the twine wreath and it stayed put. It's important to bend the wire in a circular shape before feeding it through.

Then I added the green right after the teal blue...

Next up the white, I also placed the white foliage under some twine branches to make it more secure...

                               

and finally I put a clump of red at the top to break up the repetitiveness. Also, a little red for Christmas. 

When Christmas is over I can remove the red and it can just be a winter wreath.  Best part about the wreath? I can take out the fake foliage and reuse the wreath, if I want a different look!

For more inspiration, I walked around the neighborhood and took pictures of my neighbors wreaths...

Wordless Wednesday #1

Thanksgiving is my Favorite Holiday...

I don't know if it is because of the stuffing, the sweet potatoes, or the turkey, maybe the pumpkin pie with extra whip cream on it but, I can NOT live without thanksgiving!  We even have a made-up thanksgiving dinner called Po-turkey. That day we have a big thanksgiving dinner, in February, of course, and we play poker- Texas hold'em style. I know it has nothing to do with the holiday but it's tradition.  Another tradition we have is to let everyone know what we are thankful for.  This year I am thankful for my boy and...  



and chocolate. Lets not forget that I am the only double X chromosome in my house and sometimes a nice piece of dark chocolate is in order.

These Are My 5 Favorite Things...

I am linking up with Sycamore 320 because she is having a linky party with your 5 favorite things. Here are my five favs...

My Dyson vacuum cleaner- ONLY when my husband is attached to it.

Slip-on shoes. Easy, comfy, and practical- like when you need to quickly slip one off to kill a bug.

Gelato ice cream, any flavor any time. Great for the thighs!

The Dishwasher- dirty dishes go in, press button and clean dishing come out-
 MAG-I-CAL! I hug mine every night before I go to bed- you should do the same.

finger foods!

And finally my favorite pair of underwear...just be happy I didn't put a picture up!




  

The Drive By

I'm looking out the window of our building to see if there are any parking spots for my husband. Meanwhile my husband drives by the building for the umpteenth time, hi again honey- good luck parking!

oh wait a minute, I see one...

Award Winning Pumpkin Cookies

My friend Becky gave me this recipe a few years back and every November we make a batch of her award winning pumpkin cookies! She may have been in grade school when she won this award but none the less they are super delicious!

Cookie portion

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt


Mix the softened butter, sugar, and pumpkin together. Add the egg and mix. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and mix. Drop spoonfuls of the mix on a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.


Frosting portion


6 tbsp. butter
8 tsp milk
2/3 cup of brown sugar
2 cups powdered sugar
1 1/ tsp vanilla


Melt the butter with milk in a pan and add the brown sugar, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and add powdered sugar and vanillla. Mix until smooth. Frost your cookies and enjoy!!!

Hedges, Well Put!

In our suburban home there is twenty five feet between our front steps and the neighbors hedges (emphasis on hedges).

In the city you open your blinds and you have a lovely view of your neighbor in his boxer briefs. There isn't much sunlight either, unless you live on the corner. I don't think I am going to miss looking into my neighbors window, oh and by the way neighbor you have belly button lint.

Wall we don't need no stinking WALL!

Many people are often afraid to take down a wall. Its not as expensive as you think. I said bon voyage to one in our new house. It was in the way of expanding my kitchen. I feel mighty since we moved walls. This picture comes to mind

And we did it, we got rid of this Wall...



Bye, bye wall

bye kitchen

No wall with hardly working husband, oops I meant working hard husband!

Okay it is time for new walls, with shiny new appliances, a farm sink, cabinets, hell I'll settle for a floor right about now! I'm not sure what I signed on for but if things don't start progressing I am going to need to do some advocating for the water to be turned on. All this writing is making me thirsty. If only I knew a plumber. Wait I know twelve. Will one of you turn the water back on...? 

It's a "stick" kinda of a day

Here we are on our daily walk...I think it is u-ber important to enjoy the outside. This is part of my parenting style. I have learned from my son that he doesn't need lots of toys, he just needs a stick!

My Korner Office/MomCave- Operation Beautification

This is my space in my new house. Personally, I think every woman should have her own MomCave. Mine comes equipped with an over sized chase lounge, a cute oval side table, book shelves, and a table where I can create all my little projects...

...in my head. Yes, all of this is in my head. It is screaming to get out! I know I have not created the said above space BUT I will soon! This space may look a little rough around the edges, but it has unbelievable potential.

Ignore the layers and layers of linoleum and

this space has great exposed brick, ding! (a great noise barrier from the kids and husband)

rich bead board, ding! ding!

And three walls of natural sunlight, ding! Ding! DING! did I give this a ding?

Now all I have to do is tear up the floor(s), pray there is wood under all that linoleum, refinish it, find the time to do it, and save up money to buy furniture, by the way I have this great vintage stove for sale, if you are interested...

ahhhh the kitchen, it is an entity in itself