jennifer jensen

Front Room {after}

2011-10-20T18:15:00.002-06:00

Here are some shots of the newly improved front room. I typed up descriptions to go along with the pictures twice and for some reason I could not get the words to show up so I quit. Comment if you have questions or concerns.

Choosing Paint

2011-10-12T09:00:00.000-06:00

I had a hard time choosing the new color for my upstairs living areas. I knew I wanted grey but its hard to choose a good grey because they look so differently when put on the wall. I ended up buying 5 samples and I am glad I did.

I ended up choosing Sharkey, by Martha Stewart at Home Depot. It is the left bottom swatch in the picture above. I went with Elephant Skin for an accent wall and I am almost ready to show pictures. I kind of ran out of steam painting 600+ square feet. Plus, I am making pillows, looking for art and tables. Lots to do when the redo is spur of the moment.

Halloween Mantel

2011-10-11T09:00:00.000-06:00

Here is this year's Halloween "mantel". I mostly used stuff I had from previous years with the exception of the crow (Dollar Tree find) and art (see below for links). My mantle looks good on the new, darker wall. The color is Elephant Skin by Behr.

1. Subway Art

2. Eat Candy printable

Here is what the room looked like before the paint change, although its hard to tell the difference in color. Trust me, its about 3 shades darker.

Another Room Re-Do

2011-10-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

You might be wondering what Martha Stewart's dog Sharkey has anything to do with it.

You will have to wait another day while I finished up the painting.

25 Way to Wear a Scarf

2011-10-05T09:28:00.000-06:00

Love this video!

Easy Earring Holder

2011-10-04T09:00:00.000-06:00

I was pleased when I found this frame at the DI because I am always looking for this style.

I planned on ditching the cherub and wire, then I had an idea to hang my earrings from the wire.

I got lucky because I didn't have to do much to make this work, but you could easily replicate by using chicken coop wire.

Another Barn Wood Sign

2011-09-30T09:00:00.000-06:00

I've gotten a little crazy with these barn wood signs. The wood sat for months, untouched, and now all the sudden I've decided I must make use of them. Using the same technique as I did on the Egg Sign, here is my latest-

What Do You Think

2011-09-29T09:00:00.000-06:00

About my amazing find? Its been sitting at my parent's house for a few weeks and I forgot how much I love it.

I have not decided what I am doing with it or where its going. Any ideas?

24 Hour Craft-A-Thon

2011-09-28T09:00:00.000-06:00

Last week I had a 24 hour Craft-A-Thon with my sisters, friends, aunts and cousins. There were 10ish of us at any given time. It was so fun.

Erica and Kelsey worked on re-fashioning some clothes. They took in some dresses, shirts and made up a skirt extender as seen here. Calleen and her mom Linda (sorry, no pic) were working on hairbows and pillow cases. I didn't get a picture of my mom, but she also came and worked on an apron.

Here is my awesome aunt Rachelle, who was working on a tulle wreath for her door.

This is my cousin Hailey, who showed up late (she left her friend's party to come party with us!) but still managed to sew this adorable owl pillow.

Adian was also present but he didn't craft. He was actually really good and kept us entertained. His sister Sydney was also hanging around, but no picture of her because she was probably too busy getting into the canny ("candy" how Aidan likes to say it)

This is Sarah and she worked on a cool Halloween Banner. We were glad she was able to come despite her husband being gone and having to manage a few kids. Thank goodness for babysitters!

Rachelle and "Owlie"

The party was at Heather's house but I can't seem to find a picture of her. We are planning another craft-a-thon in November and I cannot wait!

Ps. Go Utes ;)

Farm Fresh Eggs Sign

2011-09-26T11:12:00.000-06:00

I decided to make a sign for my parent's chicken coop (they have16 chickens...give or take). It was pretty easy but still took me awhile.

I took some barn wood and cut it a little bit smaller than the width of a door frame (Thanks to Amanda and Kim, Brad's friends, for the gifted wood).

Next I sprayed two coats of KILZ and 1 coat of Krylon White.

Next, I drew up the design using my Silhouette and cut the images from vinyl.

Here is the stencil of the chicken

I used some cheap WalMart spray paint to paint the chicken and the letters.

Here is the final product. I think it turned out pretty good!

Ps. Don't tell my parents about the sign since its a Christmas present ;)

DIY Necklace Holder

2011-09-24T11:59:00.000-06:00

One day perusing Pinterest I came across this necklace holder- (I love all those necklaces btw)

Source: karapaslaydesigns.blogspot.com via Jennifer on Pinterest

Being a good sister, Erica took note and later made it for my birthday present. Here is what my necklace situation was before:

very organized and not annoying. at. all.

I believe this was made by taking a board found at DI, painting it white and adding cute knobs from Hobby Lobby. Simple, yet so cute. I really love it!

Nothing New Antiques

2011-08-29T09:06:00.000-06:00

This antique shop in Richfield, Utah was packed from top to bottom with wonderful treasures. This sign greeted me in the kitchen area:

Lots of beautiful colored glass, hobnail, apothecary jars, vintage Pyrex, etc.

Thrifting in Rural Utah

2011-08-28T08:58:00.001-06:00

A few weeks ago I went on my annual camping trip to Torrey, Utah. The girls decided to pile into two cars and head into "town" to look for antique stores and yard sales. We did not have much luck. See for yourself.

View Larger Map

We started out at point A and did not find anything until point B. We found two yard sales in the small town of Aurora. Picture this- you have had 1 or 2 visitors all day then two cars roll up and 13 girls pile out. We were like the sister wives.

grandma, heather, ginger, rachelle, penney, hayley, calleen, lexie & morgan (in the back)

this guy was for sale

New Blog

2011-08-19T22:16:00.000-06:00

I have a new blog, Mayfair Market you should check out {in a few days since there is NO content yet. lol} I am in the process of setting up my Etsy shop where I will be selling vintage, home made and antique wares.

Owl Baby Shower

2011-07-24T09:01:00.001-06:00

Recently my sisters and mom hosted a baby shower for our cousin Jesi. I designed the invitation copying my sister Heather and Tiny Prints. The owls came from a kit by Holly Brooke Jones and the papers are from Persnickety Prints in their freebie section.

We made lettuce wraps using recipes from Sunny Anderson and Our Best Bites.

Cowboy Caviar was made by Heather. Idon't have her recipe but its a delightful mixture of avocados, black eyed peas, tomatoes, cilantro etc. The recipe I use calls for black beans which is a nice addition.

Cupcake toppers made by Sweeten Your Day. I won them from a giveaway at Kara's Party Ideas. The cupcake stand was found in my parent's backyard.

These little disasters are supposed to be chocolate covered rice krispie owls. Make the rice krispie treats as usual, cut out with a cookie cutter, dip in choc and add eyes.

Here is the full spread. Don't you love the cupcake stands? Most of the plates, jars and owl figures are from thrifting.

Erica made this wreath and my mom made the owl pillow using a tutorial from Toad's Treasures.

Guests filled little treat bags full of sweets as a favor.

I used a free printable set from TomKat Designs for the favor tags and food labels. In Photoshop, I changed the colors to match the invitation and used the same owl from our invitation.

Can't forget a picture of the cute mom-to-be

Iron-On Project

2011-07-20T21:15:00.002-06:00

Awhile back I found this fun shaped sign at the DI-

I sprayed it white and it sat around for about a month.

I got an idea to use an iron-on transfer to transfer an image onto the wood. To say it was a success is only a partial truth. The image is from the Graphics Fairy.

The process is much the same as if you were transferring onto fabric. Beware not to keep the iron-on for too long or you will pull up the paint. Also make sure you put your image on straight.

My sign has three problems- 1. Image is crooked 2. The glue from the iron-on is noticeable (how can I fix this??) 3. The image is not big enough. I will probably sand it down a little and put on another coat of paint and try another method of transferring the image.

One Project Closer

2011-07-19T22:13:00.000-06:00

I am entering my master bedroom redo in One Project Closer's yearly Before and After contest.

It is a contest that goes till September 22 with weekly winners ($50) and a grand prize winner ($150). Click the button below for more information.

A Little Peak

2011-07-18T15:31:00.000-06:00

Erica and I took some pics of her cousin-in-law's baby on Sunday. It was fun experimenting on someone other than Erica or my niece Sydney.

Prepping for Vacation

2011-07-07T09:00:00.001-06:00

I just returned from my summer vacation and have come up with a few tips. This information is probably a no brainer but here we go anyways.

1. Get a Deal. As soon as you decide on a location, sign up with the daily deal sites for that location. Here are a few-
Groupon
Living Social
Buy with Me
Plum District
Circle Buzz

I would suggest having these sent to a secondary email if you have one so your inbox isn't inundated with daily deals. Also, check with the local city's news website because they always have deals on their site. For example, the San Diego Union-Tribune has a website called Sign on San Diego where they have a daily deal.

2. Hold Please. Consider having your mail placed on hold. You can even request this by going to the USPS website.

3. Price it Out. I like using Hotels.com or similar sites to compare pricing on hotels. You should also consider a vacation rental so you can stock the fridge and avoid eating out too much. Try VRBO, Homeaway, or VacationRentals.com. To me it comes down to price, location and quality. We recently stayed in the La Jolla Beach Travelodge for under $90 a night, which is a fabulous price for La Jolla. I was willing to sacrifice a few stars for a 5 minute walk to the beach.

4. Pack it Up. Don't we always forget something when packing? I would recommend finding an online packing list to assist.

5. Clean Up. I recommend cleaning the house and getting all laundry done prior to leaving out of town. You will be happy you did when you come home and have a suitcase full of clothes to wash and items to put back.

What other tips do you have for travel prep?

Road Trip, Part II

2011-07-06T09:00:00.000-06:00

We learned the hard way that one of the beaches we hiked down to was a nude beach! There was a few nude old men. Yikes.

Road Trip, Part I

2011-07-05T09:00:00.000-06:00

Self portrait on our way to San Diego!

Here is a picture of the ~~boring~~ scenery

Luckily there was no wait at the inspection station

Upon arrival in La Jolla, we walked a short 5 minutes from our hotel to this-

Ahhh, I love the sun, surf and sand.

2011-07-04T08:00:00.000-06:00

La Jolla LDS Temple Grounds

Yard Sale Finds

2011-07-03T09:07:00.000-06:00

Erica and I hit up some yard sales and a few Deseret Industries on our way up to Layton to do a final walk through on her new house (yay!). Don't you love when you happen upon something you have wanted from Ballard or Pottery Barn for months?

Enter: Rope Knot Doorstop

Ballard Designs
$45

Yard Sale Find
$2

On a side note, Erica and I were stalked by a man in the Layton DI so we hid out in a dressing room till we could no longer see him. Later, in the American Fork DI, we may or may not have stolen a beautiful apothecary jar from someone's cart! I can't help it if a cart full of merchandise is left unattended for 5 minutes. When we saw someone come back for the cart we were laughing so hard we could not even look at each other.

Around the House...

2011-06-27T10:00:00.002-06:00

I haven't been working on much lately except for trying to spruce up my front porch.

I am putting on new coats of black spray paint and wood stain

Painted the pots with Cherry Red from Krylon

On a side note, my mail box is also getting a make over since it was assaulted a week ago. We are getting a nice wood post with a black box.

Fashion Smashion

2011-06-24T08:25:00.000-06:00

I was at WalMart yesterday and noticed a section of the women's clothing with a seriously cute new line. I think the brand is Bella Bird. It is DownEastesque, only a little cheaper of a price.

$16 Ruffle Shirt

$19 Lace Skirt

$22 Dresses

**WalMart is not compensating me for the post, although I am opened to that *wink*

Craft Fail?

2011-06-08T15:45:00.000-06:00

With my first Subway Art project under way, I can say with perfect confidence that it is an utter disaster. The vinyl was difficult to work with and the lines are a mess. See for yourself--

At this point I am out about $7 and I may or may not finish it. Next time I might consider using paper as my template rather than the vinyl. Oh, and a ruler would be ideal.

Here is another shot just in case you didn't catch all of the crazy lines--

Prepping

2011-06-02T18:43:00.000-06:00

I am doing my monthly purge, only this time its for a yard sale. Erica and I are having a yard sale this coming Saturday at our other sister's {alli} house.

Thanks to the anonymous donor of
these campaign signs ;)

Master Bedroom {reveal}

2011-05-26T09:00:00.007-06:00

We have finally made it to the end of the master bedroom makeover. I could not be happier with the results. I literally jumped up and down when I came home to new carpet. This carpet was a special buy at Home Depot so it looks good and is well priced.

Here is a reminder "before"

Without further ado:

Bedding: Simply Shabby Chic, $60 from Ebay

Curtains: LILL, $5 from Ikea

Dresser: $75 from KSL

Lavender: 50 cents from yard sale

Glass pitcher: $3, DI

Candles: Shoppin' the house

No cords showing: Priceless

{more on this later. the outlet we used is genius!}

My very first handmade pillow cases!

The white is made from two Ikea napkins, $1.50

Graphics from Graphics Fairy.

Second pillow is made from painting canvas

Chair: $3 from DI

Mirror: Yard sale, $5

Fake plant: Ikea, $3

White frame: Yard sale, $1

Candle Holder: Bed Bath Beyond, 99 cents

French books: Ebay, can't remember the price

Candles: Shoppin' the house

Plant: Home Depot, $3

Chicken wire frame: frame from DI, $3. Thanks Dad for the wire!

Linking to:

Master Bedroom, Part II

2011-05-25T20:44:00.000-06:00

This part II post isn't shaping up to be that great since I cannot locate half the pictures I took.

Anyways, the inspiration for my bedroom make over is from Rare & Beautiful Treasures. I saw her house on the Poppies at Play Parade of Homes 2010. Her home is amazing.

Once we put down a new sub floor, we painted a bunch of pre-primed MDF boards for the baseboards and wall treatment.

Brad spent a lot of time working on the board and batten. If I locate the pictures I will add them to the post. Who cares about the in between anyways? If you are like me you just want to see the end result.

Master Bedroom {redo}

2011-05-16T19:45:00.001-06:00

Here is the "before" after a minor change. We moved the bed one wall over.

The room turned into a tri-mess with three different colors on the walls. Sadly it was like this for several months.

We put some blown-in insulation in the floor to help keep the room a little warmer in the winter.

Here she is ready for the wall treatment. The room is looking so much bigger and brighter.

Stay tuned for Part II {board and batten treatment}

Old Dresser {Update}

2011-05-16T13:00:00.001-06:00

I bought this old dresser a few weeks back. I hardly ever find stuff with as many cute details as this dresser has. I primed it {ever since I inherited a large can of KILZ I prime almost everything}then painted it Blue Hubbard.

Office Chair {updated}

2011-05-15T15:28:00.000-06:00

I previously posted about this chair here. I primed, spray painted it white and added a little distressing. Can't wait to use it in my new office.

PS. My mom helped me sew the blue and white pillow case from IKEA kitchen towels. I love cabana stripe prints!

Curbside Pick Up

2011-05-14T17:13:00.000-06:00

My sister, Allison, found some free stuff while perusing the streets of Springville. She called me and I was in my truck 2 minutes later.

She graciously let me keep this desk. I even paid the owner $10 because I liked it so much and I was planning on going to the DI that day anyways.

I am working on painting it my favorite color-of-the-minute:

Finished pictures to come.

Tissue Paper Flower Arrangement

2011-05-10T13:00:00.001-06:00

I etched a bird design onto a yard sale vase for my mom's Mother's Day gift. I needed something to put in it and I opted for something that would last longer than fresh cut flowers.

I did a Google search for paper flowers and found a tutorial at Zakka Life to make tissue paper flowers. I used pale pink tissue paper, glue sticks and branches from my house.

Look close and you can see the etched bird.

sheet music, lace and a potato sack

2011-05-09T13:00:00.001-06:00

What do all these things have in common? Not much except they were all for sale throughout Springville on Saturday.

Not sure what i am going to do with the sack and lace but I think I am going to make a wreath with the music.

etching

2011-05-08T08:42:00.001-06:00

I finally broke down and bought a Silhouette cutting machine. My first project was etching, so I bought some etching cream and vinyl. My first two attempts were sub par-the etching wasn't very noticeable. Not to worry because while running errands I saw a few yard sales and couldn't help but stop.

I found these vases for $1.50

I decided to make a "treat" jar

I find glass so difficult to take a picture of

but you get the idea {i hope}

I hope the person I made this for likes it!

Voting Opened {Vintage Revival's Epic Make Over}

2011-05-01T15:01:00.000-06:00

You can go here to vote. I am number 39!!

Persistence Pays Off

2011-04-28T17:32:00.000-06:00

I have been searching for a reasonably priced office chair that doesn't look like this:

Source

No offense if you have one or love 'em...I am just looking for something more like this {Um, without the $300 price tag}:

Pottery Barn

Enter this chair {please excuse the poor picture. I really need to learn how to use my camera}:

Wood: Check

Swivel: Check.

Cane backing: Check {perfect condition I might add!)

$10: check check!

Its amazing what some people just donate when this could have easily sold for $50 on KSL.

Beachy Flag {Tutortial}

2011-04-27T13:00:00.001-06:00

We recently installed beadboard with a small shelf in my bathroom.I thought this beachy flag from The Lettered Cottage would be perfect.

I took some left over 2" pre-primed MDF and glued them together.

I let it sit for about 5 minutes then screwed in 2 other left over pieces of MDF to the back

I then painted it Swiss Coffee {Behr}and Blue Hubbard {Sherwin Williams color mixed in RL}

I sanded it a bit then added pencil star fish and here is the final project:

Shelf Decor Cost:

Jute covered bottle, $3 for a roll at WalMart

White frame with rope, already had

"Flag", already had the materials

Pencil star fish, $12 from Ebay

Gray picture frame, $1.50 from D.I. {a brand new IKEA frame!}

Picture frame at the very end, already had

Total cost: $16.50

Master Bathroom

2011-04-17T09:00:00.000-06:00

Here is the master bathroom with the floor torn up

Here are the new tile floors-

A new awesome wall in the bathroom with a little sneak peak of the bedroom

Finished pictures will be coming soon.

To Distress or Not Distress?

2011-04-16T18:49:00.001-06:00

I have been working on painting my new dresser.

I have been painting inside my house because the carpet is out, which has been good since the weather is so sketchy

So many cute details

So the question is- should I leave the dresser neat and pretty or distress it?

Weekend Update

2011-04-11T08:15:00.001-06:00

I am without a home computer which is why there is a lack in posting. There has been a lot of work going on at my place. I have paint in my hair and probably on my arms and legs. Here are some sneak-peaks as to what I have been up to.

Painting baseboards
(sorry bad cell phone camera)

Installing trim

Someone Call the Clean Sweep Team!

2011-04-05T09:00:00.001-06:00

Due to the ongoing renovation, this is what my basement looks like. Yikes!

Here is my walk-in closet

Weekend Projects

2011-04-04T09:00:00.000-06:00

This weekend started out in the awesome 70s and ended with 6+ inches of snow. Utah weather is such a drag sometimes. Saturday morning I woke up early to go to the gym and then do my favorite thing: thrifting.

Erica and I hit up the D.I. to see what we could find. And oh did we find. We had a cartful of goods but we had to go through the rounds of "do we have a need/use for this"?

She only bought 1 thing. I bought some CDs, Nancy Drew book (starting a collection), pic frames, lamp, pitcher, this Audrey Hepburn clock {which turns out is from CB2 and retaield at $50!!) etc.

Since the weather was so nice, I started working on a really cute dresser I found on KSL and spray painted some frames and the lamp above.

Sunday, while watching General Conference, I worked on this sunburst mirror and chair

More details on these two projects to come.

Bathroom {Update)

2011-04-03T17:07:00.000-06:00

I have actually had a lot of content to post about, but I apparently ran out of space on my account so I had to either upgrade my storage or delete pics from Picasa. I opted for the later since I have the pictures saved to my computer anyways.

Last night we upgraded the lighting in the bathroom that I showed a few days ago. Wow. What a change. We went from a 4 light fixture that used 75 watt bulbs to a 4 lighter that uses 100 watts. It is so bright in that bathroom that it looks so different.

I also made one other change in the bathroom. I have been ~~coveting~~ admiring Shelley's towel hanger that she found at the D.I. for 50 cents. I have been looking high and low for one. It is not that easy to find something that was previously bought at the D.I. however, I actually had luck. Can you believe it? I found one that was painted red at Hobby Lobby for $17.99. It was 50% off so I bought one. Actually, I bought two *just in case*

I really like this look as opposed to your run of the mill towel hanger. Thanks Shelley for the brilliant idea. Thanks Hobby Lobby for having one and thanks to me for searching every store I went to!

I've Found IT {My Theme for the Year}

2011-03-28T11:36:00.000-06:00

uno dos tres {Remodel Diaries, Part Three}

2011-03-27T14:04:00.004-06:00

I thought I took a better before picture, but who cares?

In this picture you can see that we have tools everywhere and the

ugly linoleum has been torn out. I am still undecided

on a new paint color and what I should do to the walls (beadboard, wainscoting, etc.)

Here is a shot of my closet sans carpet and clothes.

Without going into too much detail, we are spraying the subfloor with a Zinsser primer

Up next: painting the shelving a bright white, priming the floor, blowing insulation into the floor

Tearin' It Up {Remodel Diaries, Part Deux)

2011-03-21T22:18:00.001-06:00

Here is the "fishing room" on moving day

{moving everything downstairs}

Looking a little better

Tearing the baseboards off...now you can see why we are replacing the carpets. They are dirty!

No more carpet!

We are getting our rooms measured tomorrow, which means we will be able order carpet and start painting!

Burlap Pillow {take one}

2011-03-20T18:22:00.000-06:00

I bought some burlap at Hobby Lobby and Iron-On Transfer Paper from WalMart. I found this image from Graphics Fairy to put on my pillow-

Don't forget to print as a mirror image or it won't turn out! Here is what it looked like after printing-

Here I am ironing the image on

Here is the finished picture...sadly, this picture makes it look so much better than it really does. Good thing this is "take one"

I didn't pull the iron-on up fast enough so you can see it on the pillow. Boo.

Good news! This is the picture of the back- you can't even see the iron-on so I can try it again.

I will be back with take two!

Remodel Diaries, Part 1

2011-03-17T20:35:00.002-06:00

When we bought our house 5 years ago it was pretty much builder-basic {no offense to builders, since my dad is one} We have done a lot work including finishing the basement, planting a garden, putting in hardwood floors, etc.

In this post I wanted to show you our main bathroom update. Of course, I do not have a real "before" picture so you will have to use your imagination here.... picture Plain Jane linoleum, ugly-shade-of-white walls, and basically no imagination.

Here is a picture of the before flooring:

To change up the bathroom, we tiled the floors, added beadboard and some bright linens.

Unfortunately the "hollywood" lighting is still there but I am taking steps to remedy that in the near future.

Here is a shot to show the new tile floors

A Trip to DownEast Outfitters

2011-03-15T18:01:00.000-06:00

I am searching for a white couch, dresser/sideboard, and a glass lamp base so I decided to pop into DownEast in Orem. Even though I didn't buy anything, I found some pretty cool stuff-

Cute knobs on a daybed

Doesn't this look just like Miss Mustard Seed's dresser?

I love this base but it is $115 just for the base

This cute jar is only $10

They had lots of great couches

Treasures

2011-03-14T08:38:00.001-06:00

A couple of weeks ago I stopped by Treasures, a local antique mall

This key thing jumped out at me because
I have been trying to find something to re-create
this towel hanger...I decided to pass because
it isn't quite right

Rows and rows of stuff

Treasures

1045 North 2000 West

Springville, UT 84663

(801) 491-0749

These pictures were all taken with my phone camera...not too bad.

Checkin' In

2011-03-13T10:37:00.001-06:00

What I did this week:
1. Home Office
2. Master Bathroom Vanity
3. Master Closet

I trashed a bunch of papers no longer needed in the office, ditched stuff I haven't used in ages in my bathroom and went to IKEA for some storage containers to clean up my closet. I am donating some sweaters that I haven't worn in awhile {I don't like to keep things I haven't used/worn in one year}

I am also following Clover Lane's progress.

Bag {box} Two, Day Two

2011-03-10T18:07:00.002-07:00

I cleaned out my master bathroom cupboards and
drawers and got rid of this

Tomorrow I might tackle the hall closet!

40 Bags, 40 Days

2011-03-09T21:17:00.002-07:00

Ooops. It's almost been a month since my last post. Got a little busy and a lot lazy. Today is Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent. While my church doesn't observe Lent, I wanted to come up with something I could do to make myself better. Last year I quite Diet Coke for 6 months *smile* This year I have decided to do 40 Bags, 40 Days like over on Clover Lane.

I am going to work on my office first. Here is my closet-

Needs a bit of cleaning and organizing

A box of stuff I have saved throughout the years...report cards, newspaper from 9/11, 2002 SLC Olympics stuff...general stuff I can't bring myself to throw out

A box full of "Farmers Variable Universal Life " Prospectuses. Do I honestly need theses? What a waste of paper.

Valentine's Day Menu

2011-02-15T20:14:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to stay in so I created a menu and made almost everything from scratch

Bruschetta
Recipe from Our Best Bites
This was so delicious

Chicken Marsala
Recipe from Olive Garden

Sparking Cider to drink

Not pictured was the Molten Lava Cakes from Our Best Bites.
While they tasted okay, I could taste the bittersweet
chocolate and would have preferred a different taste.
It was very rich but a little bitter if that makes sense.

Working with Actions in PSE

2011-02-15T10:43:00.000-07:00

I decided to play around with some of the "actions" I have collected from The CoffeeShop Blog. I know have mentioned this several times, but the Sun Kissed action is my favorite. Let's be honest, I like the actions that don't require a lot of work on my part.

Before:

View from Manuel Antonio Hotel in Costa Rica
Picture taken by my sister

After:

This picture looked pretty good before but I decided to try the

Vintage Blush action on it

Here are a few actions, all from The CoffeeShop Blog

Finished End Table and Ballardizing My House

2011-02-11T17:55:00.000-07:00

I am just now getting around to posting the pictures

of the finished end table

Here she is. I am so bad that I didn't bother taking the time to lighten up my photo...or better yet, take it during decent light.

I have been trying to incorporate some of the Ballard Designs ideas into my home and here is what I have so far:

$6 "Antique" Books from D.I. compared to:

$18 Antique Book Bundles

To my husband's delight, I incorporated antlers into my decor.

I saw them all over the Ballard catalog

but can't find them on their website

{maybe they decided they were't cool any more?}

Free from the mountains in Utah!

{basket was $2 from DI and books from TJ Maxx. I love coffee table books!}

End Table Redo

2011-01-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

I worked on this end table/night stand this weekend. Its been around awhile....hiding in the corner of the basement. I was perusing KSL and Craigslist in hopes of finding an end table for the front room. I found something that was really cute but then remembered that we had this not being used. To most people this is just a regular old end table that looks a bit dated. However, its a little more special than that.

If you turn it upside down you will see "Jensen" on the bottom. Brad made this table when he was in high school. He was a bit hesitant to let me paint it but I promised him I wasn't going to paint it a crazy color or paint it and sell it on Craigslist {which is something I do a lot}.

It is all painted and ready to be revealed but I decided to replace the handle with a knob. I need to fill the holes and drill a new one {actually, I probably won't be doing any of that- Brad will}. I will be back shortly with the "after" pictures.

2011 Home Goals

2011-01-22T18:13:00.000-07:00

I am a little late for Nester's Home Goals Party but I want to get this on record. Some of these are lofty ideas but a girl can wish. My first goal is important to accomplish because it will lead to my second goal.

Source

First, I need a shed. At this point I don't know what size, shape or color but it is a must for me to clean out the garage. My second goal is to make my garage look like this:

Source

Okay, my garage won't really look like that but I plan on trashing, organizing, painting, pouring concrete steps (currently wood steps), putting down an epoxy floor, and adding a little mud room area like this:

Source

Another goal is to finish the master bedroom. I started painting the walls white and Blue Hubbard (Sherwin Williams), but I have not finished so there are some areas of my old paint- yellow (yuck!). Here is my inspiration:

Source

My room is not quite this large but I do plan on copying it somewhat. My walls will have the same wainscoting detail with Blue Hubbard above the white. I am keeping my cherry wood sleigh bed and matching nightstands (unless I can miraculously find some cute pedestal nightstands for cheap). I have a beautiful new flat screen on the wall directly across from the bed so now all I need is a cute dresser to go under it. I hope to be able to reveal this room by April. Not sure how long I can stand looking at my tri-colored walls.

My fourth goal is to add some wainscoting to the front room like this:

Source

My fifth goal is to de-clutter my entire house. I hate hate hate clutter and when I start to feel clutterphobic I start throwing stuff away. Thank goodness my house hasn't ever looked like this!

Source

My sixth goal is to add crown molding to my main bathroom and frame around the mirror similar to House of Smiths

Source

Here We Go Again

2011-01-17T18:59:00.004-07:00

I am about to get obsessive....there are a bunch of Silhouette Giveaways going on right now. I. Must. Win. One.

Go enter!! Beneath My Heart, House of Smiths, Keeping It Simple, All Things Thrifty, Design Dazzle, Craftaholics Anonymous, and The Shabby Chic Cottage.

Lucky Break

2011-01-15T17:00:00.000-07:00

Back in December I was desperate to win a Silhouette machine so I spent a lot of time entering giveaways. Needless to say, I did not win. However, I did win two other giveaways. One of which was a contest on Swell Swag for credit to Wheat and {Wildflowers}.

The necklace came in a pretty package

When I saw this "lucky" necklace, I knew it had to be mine.
I especially love St. Patrick's Day!

I also got this tiny type initial necklace

Go check out Wheat and {Wild Flowers}

A Birthday

2011-01-13T20:46:00.004-07:00

We recently celebrated a birthday at our house...Brad turned 32 on 1.11.11. I managed to forget to take pictures of the two of us but got some shots of the goodies.

I found the cute cupcake circles at Paper Glitter and
I got the idea to make colorful cupcakes at Our Best Bites

I found this banner and other birthday printables at
Draw! Pilgrim

Spicy Story

2011-01-07T15:09:00.000-07:00

It all started when I got sick of my spice rack taking up space on the counter...

Things did not improve much when I put the glass jars in a plastic container in the pantry. The problem was that I could not see what spice was what without lifting them out. Then one day Kelly came to my rescue. She showed a picture of her new spice organization. Enter RATIONELL VARIERA {don't even ask how to say that}

I went from a pile 'o glass jars

To this! Thanks to Brad for a lovely Christmas gift

I had hoped to put them on the inside of our cabinets but It just wasn't working out for us. They ended up hanging on the pantry door. Now I have 28 new glass jars to deal with!

Can't Get Enough...

2011-01-06T09:29:00.002-07:00

You've seen this print all over the place:

I know I am not the only person obsessed {maybe I am?} with Quatrefoil. {some pronounce it "kat-er-foil" or kwat-ra-foil"} Basically it means quatre 'four' + foil 'leaf'. Grammar lesson aside, I first saw this print when one of my sisters pointed out a necklace similar to this:

Here are a few great finds:

$320 from Amazon

Of course I could be like Beckie at Infarrantly Creative and make my own mirror . I know this would require my husband's help and he isn't as excited about this kind of project as me.

Living Livelier found this mirror at HomeGoods for
only $13. Where have I been?

I love this pillow from Shop Ten 25

This rug is only $1,198 for a 2'6''x10' runner

This rug from Shop Ten 25 is practically perfect in every way

I love this 'Tini Table' from Oomph

My Favorite Model

2011-01-05T09:11:00.001-07:00

No, I am not talking about the likes of Heidi Klum, Tyra Banks or Gisele Bundchen....

Here is Little Miss Sydney....

She is not afraid to do a little "hip pop"

Or "shoulder shrug"

Christmas Eve

2011-01-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

The dessert was so good that Brad couldn't keep his eyes open
{or it may be that the flash is always so bright!}

Celebrity Sighting!

2011-01-04T14:56:00.002-07:00

I saw Ryan Seacrest and Julianne Hough at the Jazz game last night. When they were shown on the big screen she even gave him a kiss on the cheek :)

This is the part where the Jazz Bear hugs Julianne, then carries her off the court

Not too shabby coming from a phone camera

New Years Resolutions

2011-01-03T09:39:00.003-07:00

Happy New Year!

2011-01-02T10:18:00.002-07:00

Our first picture of the New Year!

Been on Christmas Break

2011-01-02T10:13:00.001-07:00

I forgot to blog for 19 days...shows why I am not a good blogger. Here is a recap of what I have been up to:

Decorated the house for Christmas....

Bert & Violet's Annual Christmas Get-Together

Visiting Temple Square

I have lots more pictures to post in the coming days...

{Photo Shoot}

2010-12-14T21:03:00.002-07:00

My talented, flute playing sister, Erica, asked me to take some pictures with her flute. Here are a few shots from the hundreds we took:

50 bonus points if you can guess the locations!

Have You Seen the New Color of the Year?

2010-12-14T08:12:00.000-07:00

I am sad to see turquoise go but next year's color from Pantone is fabulous: Honeysuckle. Oh, how I love pink!

Source Here

Why There is No Facebook at the North Pole

2010-12-13T08:20:00.002-07:00

An Oakley Christmas

2010-12-04T08:46:00.000-07:00

Here is my last event for 2010 located in Oakley, Utah{45 miles east of SLC}.

I only come and go during the early hours of morning and late at night so I never really get to see the actual town. However, it always has a lot of snow when I make my annual trek.

I packed this table as much as I could

A mix of Christmas and other home decor

There must be some Utes fan there!

Threw a little Valentine's Day stuff because its only like 2 months away

Lots of Mirrors

A last minute project

Holiday Wishlist

2010-12-01T17:05:00.000-07:00

Mama’s Holiday Wish List Meme

TodaysMama and GameStop are giving away a sleighful of gifts this holiday season and to enter I’m sharing this meme with you.

1. What is your holiday wish for your family?

Another healthy year.

2. What is your Christmas morning / Hanukkah Nightly tradition?

Crepes for breakfast!

3. If you could ask Santa for one, completely decadent wish for yourself, what would it be?

Hmmm. This is a hard one. A Silhouette, black boots, a closet full of Juicy, new BMW...the list could go on!

4. How do you make the holidays special without spending any money?

Making hand made gifts, spending time with family.

5. What games did you play with your family growing up?

Monopoly, Scattergories, and other board games.

6. What holiday tradition have you carried on from your own childhood?

I am still working on this one...

7. Where would you go for a Christmas/Hanukkah-away-from-home trip?

Hawaii baby!

8. Check out GameStop and tell us, what are the three top items on your GameStop Wish List this year?

Wii with lots of games and accessories, Xbox 360, and Nintendo DS

To enter, link to your Mama’s Holiday Wish List post using the Mister Linky box below.

BUT WAIT. Did you think they were done? Oh, you must not know them at all.

They have another stockpile of gifts from GameStop that you can enter to win with our extra entry options.

Runner Up #1 will receive a XBox 360 250 GB with Kinect and a $250 GameStop gift card.
Runner Up #2 will receive a Nintendo Red DSi XL Bundle and a $250 GameStop gift card.
Runner Up #3 will receive a Nintendo Red Wii Bundle and a $250 GameStop gift card.

Extra Entry Options include:

“Like” Gamestop on Facebook
Follow @gamestop on Twitter
Head back to the tippy-top of this post and hit that “Retweet” button.http://todaysmama.com/2010/11/mamas-holiday-wish-list-2010/

Another Giveaway

2010-11-30T11:45:00.001-07:00

I did not win a Silhouette this weekend but I did win a Pillow Pet from Moms Review 4 You! Sweet. I entered another giveaway over at Half Baked, the Cake Blog. Go enter for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Crate and Barrel!

Shoe Love

2010-11-29T09:29:00.001-07:00

I've been drooling over these shoes from
White House Black Market and finally scored them at 50% off

{they are sold out now}

Silhouette Giveaway

2010-11-26T11:12:00.016-07:00

No, I am not giving one away. Sorry! I wish I had one for myself and one to giveaway ;) I actually just discovered that the Silhouette office is about 2 blocks from my office so I am tempted to pop in and beg and plead for my own machine.

However, there are lots of sites out there that are giving one away. To name a few, Just a Girl, Thrifty Decor Chick, Tater Tots & Jello, The Idea Room, Kara's Party Ideas, Kevin & Amanda, Infarrantly Creative, Colie's Kitchen, Sew Dang Cute Crafts, Shanty 2 Chic, MomsReview4You, Love Stitched, Decor Chick, Dollar Store Crafts, Be Different Act Normal, House of Hepworths, A Beautiful Mess, Tom Kat Studio. Hop on over to all these blogs to enter for a chance to win.

What Happens In Vegas...

2010-11-23T08:27:00.001-07:00

Here are some shots from a recent trip to Vegas

There was a race going from Mesquite to Las Vegas

Shaq's hand

You can't see this very well but the black screen was reading an error
"Keyboard Failure"
"No boot device available"
Stupid Dell computer!

I have an obsession with these gaudy mirrors
And yes, I was taking a picture in the Paris bathroom

Just outside of Bally's

Yummy cotton candy from the Spice Market Buffet

Posing in front of Treasure Island

I love Las Vegas. There is so much to see and do!

First Snow

2010-11-22T10:11:00.000-07:00

2010-11-19T12:18:00.002-07:00

I put together this collage using the House of 3 Storyboard Kit

Here is my official 2010 Christmas card

2010-11-19T09:44:00.002-07:00

Shimmering Ornaments Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly for elegant custom Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

bw funky retro

2010-11-18T12:03:00.001-07:00

Shimmering Ornaments Christmas Card

Get custom photo Christmas cards online at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

3 dolla chair

2010-11-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

I picked this chair up for $3 at a thrift store. I am painting it Blue Hubbard and ditching the awful cushion. I hope to have an "after" photo soon.

End Table Update

2010-11-04T08:23:00.000-06:00

I found this table online for $5. I used some paint I had on hand (Blue Hubbard). At this point I have not touched the hardware. That's because I don't have any on hand and I kind of like the one that is on there. We will see.

Total cost: $5

Should I sell or keep??

Fresh Designs in Photo Cards {Shutterfly}

2010-11-01T09:43:00.002-06:00

Is it too early to be thinking about Christmas cards? I think not! Christmas is a little over 8 weeks away. In the past I have ordered photo Christmas cards from another retailer but the designs only come in a 6 x 71/2. That is one of the reasons I am choosing Shutterfly this year. Another reason is because they seriously have the cutest designs.

Did I mention that they have 748 Christmas designs? {plus they have a bunch of non-Christmas holiday cards}This means that you and your aunt aren't going to show up with the same design. Here are some of my favorite flat cards {you can check out the other card options by going here}:

I love the use of non-traditional
colors in these two cards

Who doesn't love damask??

Don't forget a cute address label! I am loving on these:

AND, If you want to be super creative and on top of it, send one of these pretties:

Thanksgiving cards start at just .31 cents each!

How cute are these colors??

2010-10-31T12:54:00.001-06:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Nightstand ReDo

2010-10-31T00:12:00.000-06:00

I picked this nightstand up for free on Craigslist. It was an old high school wood shop project that was never completed. My husband built me a drawer and fastened some beadboard on back. I picked the knob up at Hobby Lobby.

Wood and screws: $4

Knob: $4

Sold in one day on Craigslist!

Chalkboard Take II

2010-10-30T09:00:00.002-06:00

Awhile back I posted about another chalkboard but I couldn't leave well enough alone so I changed it up a bit!

Sneak Peak

2010-10-29T21:31:00.000-06:00

A little peak of my Halloween costume!

Girl Cave

2010-10-25T14:30:00.001-06:00

The lovely Kate at Centsational Girl is hosting a giveaway from HomeGoods. There is a HomeGoods about 40 miles away! The key is to write a post describing your "Mom Cave" or in my case, Girl Cave.

Over the past several months I have been "working" on my craft room. My favorite color is hot pink so it was a no brainer to paint at least one wall in that color. My husband obliged (because its my room) and even did the painting for me.I scored the hanging bird cages for a mere $2. I'm loving look but need to add something else{enter $250 giftcard *wink*}.

The workspace is made from Ikea cabinet bases and a top from Home Depot. I still need a dozen baskets or some other storage containers for the shelves. You will also notice that there is no chair at the work space {the cute aqua stool is too tall}. I would love a sassy chair from HomeGoods, but since I'm messy at the craft desk I should go with something that is easy to clean. Because this whole room is dedicated just to me, I want it to be girly, fun and creative just like me!

DIY Banner

2010-10-23T21:52:00.000-06:00

Some close-ups

Caramel Apples

2010-10-21T12:59:00.001-06:00

A few days ago I made caramel apples with a friend. My hands were too candied to take pictures during the process but later I took a picture of the apple my husband made. It looks a lot better than the ones I made!

Fall is Here

2010-10-20T20:10:00.001-06:00

Some beautiful fall pictures taken in Woodland Hills, Utah from our moving motorcycle :)

Some crazy motorcycle hair!

{Recipe} Yummy Caramel Sauce

2010-10-20T11:54:00.000-06:00

I have not made this yet but it looks good. Recipe from How Does She? The design is from Shindig Parties.

Wordle

2010-10-07T10:01:00.000-06:00

I discovered Wordle while visiting Organize & Decorate Everything.I decided to make my own little subway art the easy way. One of these days I will make a "real one".

The Ugly Duckling

2010-10-02T23:16:00.001-06:00

This is the tale of an ugly duckling...

This sad disaster was free from my local online classifieds. Only one of the 5 drawers was salvageable due to water damage. As you can see, the back also had some serious damage.

We tore the back off and decided to put beadboard on instead. You will also notice that the wardrobe is a few inches shorter. My husband used the jig saw to cut off the space where the bottom drawer was to go. This was because the "legs" were too damaged. I also talked him into turning the space where the drawers were into shelves.

This Krylon "Blue Ocean Breeze" is my favorite spray paint but instead of buying those $3 cans over and over I decided to have my husband (my personal Home Depot Consultant) color match me an entire can of latex paint! I decided to paint the wardrobe with this new paint-

I had this drawer pull hanging around the house...

Not counting the paint (which I paid $10 for awhile back when the Ralph Lauren paint was on sale at HD) I only spent $6 on MDF to make the shelves.

I learned a few valuable lessons during this project: 1. Do not sand a piece that has layers of paint unless you plan to sand the entire area. 2. Act really disappointed when your husband thinks a project is a waste of time and he will be guilted into helping!

Linking To:

Day Off

2010-09-28T16:44:00.001-06:00

Today was my day off so naturally I was up at 6:30 a.m. and ready to work. I am really inspired by House of Grace and her recent garage clean out. My garage is on the side of my house so I rarely use the front door and many guests go in through the garage, which is atrocious. I have so many unfinished projects, tools, wood pieces, etc. scattered around that neither of our cars will fit! This morning I walked out to the garage and decided that the door and the walls near it were so bad they needed to be painted.

{Please don't judge me}

After an hour and some $5.00 oops paint from Home Depot here is the result, What do you think?

Am I the only person who struggles with this new blogger?
This picture keeps going wherever it wants to!

I love how its so bright and fresh and new looking. You will notice that I didn't take a picture of the ceiling, which is very much still paint-less. No fear, we are planning to paint the whole garage and put down an epoxy flooring next Spring!

The stairs did not get painted today but perhaps next week? I have some black paint I might use.

Saturday Yard Sale Finds

2010-09-26T20:41:00.000-06:00

Here is what I found driving around Springville and Mapleton early Saturday morning :)

Wreath $1

Cradle $2

2 leaf plates $2.50

Set of 3 jars $1

2 picture frames $1

2 bird cages $2

Book $1

Wooden box $1

I am so excited for this little bird cage.
He is going in my craft room- I will show you pictures later!