Menu Plan Monday

Here is our weeks worth of meals.  Lunch is usually leftovers (if there are any), pasta, wraps, or sandwiches.   I usually try to bake a sweet of some sort towards the beginning of the week to include in the kids lunch boxes and for snack time.  And forgive me for the reverse order of breakfast and dinner... this is copied from my app that I do my meal planning in and I am too lazy to reverse it!  Promise we do eat breakfast first though! Lol

Monday (8/20/2012)
  Dinner: Spaghetti, homemade bread

  Breakfast: Biscuits and gravy (w/sausage)

Tuesday (8/21/2012)
  Dinner: Tacos

  Breakfast: French toast bacon

Wednesday (8/22/2012)
  Dinner: Sticky chicken crock pot, rice, green beans

  Breakfast: Oatmeal fruit

Thursday (8/23/2012)
  Dinner: steak, butter noodles, peas, yeast rolls

  Breakfast: Eggs toast

Friday (8/24/2012)
  Dinner: Pizza party (homemade pizzas)

  Breakfast: Blueberry muffins

Saturday (8/25/2012)
  Dinner: Shrimp scampi

  Breakfast: Cinnamon rolls

Sunday (8/26/2012)
  Dinner: Hamburgers, potato or pasta salad, baked beans

Monogram Bow Special

MONOGRAM BOW SPECIAL~ $8 each for Missy (4“)or Large (5") sizes, or choose Jumbo size for $2 more (6“). Free shipping! BONUS* Buy 5 get an additional bow free! Choose your ribbon colors, single initial, 3 letter monogram, or name. You may also choose thread colors too. Choose alligator clips or french barrettes. Great to match outfits, sports teams, school colors etc. To order comment here or on facebook "SOLD" with email address, size, ribbon/thread colors and name /initials wanted, clip choice.  Some samples below... possibilities are endless for color combos!

Over 100 solid colors of ribbon to choose from!  any questions??  Please shoot me an email

Laundry Room Dresser/Shelf

Ok, Although I am not completely done with my Laundry Dresser I am posting an update.  I don't have my doors completely done and hanged... but other than that fully functional.  I have had it in place and using it a few months now and absolutely LOVE it!  Read more about my laundry room here

Here is a BEFORE of my rickety rackety sorter and hanging space:

And an after!!!

I still need to figure out what to do on the top of my shelf... Look at all of that space!!!  I think I can fit 6 or so fabric/wicker/wood bins.  Yes I am undecided :)  I do know that I want a home for items to donate, things that need to be mended... and... hmmm what else can I store up there??  ideas anyone??  I think I want to either stay in a woodsy wicker look (nothing too dark... or go with a creamy/tan neutral color up there.

As you can see clothes are filled in the baskets an they are very sturdy! Each person in my family has their own basket now.  the 6th basket is for fabric napkins and towels.  They can hold dirty clothes... or clean, and slide in and out just like a dresser drawer. 

I ammended the Ana White Laundry Dresser plan  I built 2 dressers, however for the top piece I cut one piece (instead of 2) to help keep them together, then  I squared them up when I put the backing on.  I was going to do a ceramic tile countertop and build in the whole thing like cabinets... but then I started thinking about if we ever needed to replace the washing machine or dryer and needed to move those out of the room.... I had to keep the laundry dresser moveable too... so it is NOT attached to the wall and I left the baseboards in place :) 

Eventually I will build a sink cabinet... and replace the utility sink... I will secure that piece of cabinet in place and the dresser will butt up to it.  I had to keep this under a certain height so that my ironing board cabinet would still open and be usable :) 

So all that said I joined varied lenghs of 1x3's which I sanded an distressed.  The stain is ebony and red mahogany mixed with 2 coats of poly on top for a smooth finish.

I also added wooden brackets with a rod for my hanging area.  I came out enough to allow for hanger to hang and had to add a block of wood to the tops because I didn't account for the shelf being in the way when hanging... It works... same distressed look :) 

How about some more pictures???

For the rod I drilled a hole in my wooden brackets.  The design was free handed and then cut with a jigsaw.  I added another bracket for the end pieces that do not have holes drilled for the rod.  This was they are set in place and will not shift or slide

Close up of bracket

Close up of folding area.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE my finish!!!

And I have made my doors... aside from my beadboard backing that I need to purchase and cut.  an I need to figure out the hinges.  I have bought euro hinges that hopefully will work and be hidden.  The doors will be painted glossy white like the bottom of the dresser.  and I plan to glaze them with dark walnut stain.  Which I plan to also do on my existing white cabinets that hang above my washing machine and dryer!  Here are the door frames:

I have decided to wait until my kiddos go back to school to finish the doors.  This summer I am commited to getting my oldest son moved into the bonus room (which was the playroom) and have a BED to be built!!  All 3 kiddos will be in school this year and I will have plenty of time to myself for projects!

DIY Hanging World Globe Lamps

I saw the idea on pinterest to use an old world globe, cut in half and add a light kit to it to make hanging lights... although I couldn't find much info on how to actually make them.  I had an old globe that was broken off the axle and knew it would be perfect for my son's desk area.  He loved the idea and was on board!  I went to my blue store and with the help of a kind lady that worked there selected the longest length of electrical wire with the plug I  could find... I think it was around 10 feet.  and the I purchased 2 ceramic sockets for the light bulbs.  that was it.  I think I spent around $7-8.  From there I decided that I shouldn't mess with wiring and it was right up my hubby's alley :)  Trust me... he was thrilled!  He just loves my projects ideas :)

I descibed to him what I wanted ... to which he said...  "huh?"  so then I pulled out the pin with a photograph from pinterest... He rigged it up wiring both lamps on the one cord... I didn't want them on 2 cords or using up to outlets.  Here are some pix.  Hanging about the desk I built.  Best of all my son is completely thrilled!  Here's to hoping he will spend hours upon hours delightfully doing his homework now :)

 

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Checking in on my goals for the year

OK, first off... I am way behind in my blogging, and my apologies!  As I sit here and ponder my unfinished fireplace... well, I feel behind, unaccomplished, slacker, you name it... haha... I feel like I have been super busy though with project after project, keeping up with my business, kids, house, etc.

Tonight I decided to read my goals for the year... which mainly were house things I had hoped to accomplish.  Here is my post

Only when I read it do I realize just how much I have gotten done, and even though my fireplace is not done...  I have completed my laundry room cabinets/hanging area aside from finishing my doors for the front of the cabinets (need to blog and take pics), I did build my farmhouse bench for my dining room!  Here it is!

 and in the past few weeks we have been slowly tackling converting the bonus room into a bedroom for my oldest son.   And I have also done some projects that were not on my list... yo know all those interest inspired things LOL.

So far here is what I have done:
      built him a desk
      made DIY hanging globe lamps for above the desk area (actually hubby and son did this for me :)
     decluttered tons of toys and slowly moved many of my son's belongings upstairs
     purchased a bedding set.  Which in itself was not an easy task.  Taking my boy who hates shopping
         to store after store and trying to find something that was not too expensive, good material for
         washing and durability... something that wasn't a "theme" per my sons request... oh that day
         was fun.  Walking by the bra section as there was giggling from my son... preteen hood...
         I am not sure if I am ready for you!

OK on with the list here!

     buillt a trophy shelf.... well actually 2 because my younger son wanted one too...
     Promise pictures are coming!
     Made a NFL Saints pillow for his couch, and a USM Eagle pillow too!
     built a room divider to section off my ribbon section from his room.  And since hubby said I was not
           aloud to slap up 2x4's and sheet rock for a real wall :-)   The room divider turned out awesome,
           with built in cubby's ,  hooks for hanging, chalk board, bulletin board, and magnetic
           board section.      Post is coming I promise!

The 2 main things I have left are to built a angled wall piece thing that will sit on a bookcase and serve as a wall to hide the remaining ribbon area visible. And the biggest, most scariest, overwhelming thing... will be building a queen size captains bed.  Complete with headboard, foot board, and 12 drawers... yes I am a little scared.  I know myself and once the project begins it will consume me.  I am not sure if my family will get a meal type of consume me :-)   I am going to purchase my wood this week!  Eeeek!  The drawers are daunting!  Once we have a bed though he can begin sleeping up there....

Here is the plan I am going to use  Ana White Fillman Storage Bed Plan

Oh and the crazy part I am trying to work into this crazy mess that drives my husband crazy?!  I am planning on taking my queen mattress upstairs for my son to have... and some how simultaneously built a king bed for my room and purchase a  king mattress set.  Yeah, not sure how this will all work out.  Thought about buying king mattresses and just setting them up on the floor temporarily.... but hubby vetoed that idea immediately...  building will take a few days, and staining with take a few more... and well throw in life and 3 kids I am thinking each bed will take 2 weeks or more.  Perhaps I can build the queen bed and use his twin mattress on it until I can get the other bed built....  hmmmm... we shall see

School goes back the beginning of August... and I will be on my own for the first time in 10 years!!!  Yes all 3 will be in school. Bittersweet, bittersweet!

DIY Desk and a plan!

our DIY desk!

This summer the big plan is to give my oldest son his own room.  He is almost 10 and shares his room with his 5 year old brother.  Come August my youngest will start big school!  And this is the summer that we planned to make the transition converting the bonus room (which has been playroom/mommy's workspace) to my oldest son's room of his very own!

Here is a picture of the playroom a few years ago.  Over the years the space has evolved and toys have changed

My youngest... always the dare devil :)  This is the main part of the room

This is a view looking back toward the door/staircase

A view from the entrance of the room.

This is a little galley next to the staircase.  It was used a our reading nook.

Little by little we have downsized furniture and toys in preparation of this big move!  All will be done on a budget of course!  I will post more pictures of the room and the challenges we will face making this change in the next week.  We have a few pieces of furniture that will remain from the playroom.  A love seat , TV/media center, and a few bookshelves.

We have given a lot of thought to what will be needed to make the space work as a bedroom, and still keep my storage space needed for my ribbon business. Mainly there is a hallway that my supplies are in right off the bonus room on the way to the attic door.  Here is a picture of that space.

This is the little hall that leads to the attic and where my ribbons are stored.  This must remain, but will be partitioned off from the main room

We decided we will have 3 zones.  A play zone, study zone, and sleep zone.

One if our biggest challenges will be a lack of closet space.  There is one small closet near the staircase to the bonus room, but it I us jam packed with supplies and crafts for my business... and maybe down the road can be cleared to another space, but for now won't be used.  It is only half tall, so not much for hanging space anyway.  The plan us to build a queen size bed with 6 drawers on each side... this will also serve as the dresser :-)

We also needed a desk and chair.  And decided to go for a narrow desk that would fit perfect when you enter the room.  More on all that later :-)

Here is the start of our summer project!  We went digging in my in laws shop.  Found some pieces of wood... one being a tabletop section of a farmhouse table my father in law made and downsized a section of it!

This is the part of an old tabletop my father in law cut down from his farmhouse table when they downsized it.  It was the perfect width for the place I wanted the desk.  We wanted a long desk area too and this looked perfect!

We stripped it down added a frame and legs.   I cut the legs at 30“ in length... mainly based on other desk dimensions and I measured off of a desk my boys have in their room currently (but is attached to the bunk beds :-)  My son chose a darker stain... which will also be what we use on the chair, bed and nightstand eventually.

My oldest helping sand the new desk we built

Here it is all stained and complete!  I am thrilled we have the start of our "study zone" for just the cost of stain!

My son is amazed.... we built this for free... besides my sweat and muscle in almost 100° heat and I did spend $7 on the stain... which will be plenty to do our remaining pieces.




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New weekly SandraBees Bows Specials

Several new weekly specials posted over on the Sandrabees Bows Facebook page. This awesome set of 6 Large Bows comes with an interchangeable skinny headband you can clip on and of any bow that is on an alligator clip!  Sandra is modeling a couple for you to see just how cute this look is!