Top 10 in 2010

Wow no posts in almost a month and then 2 posts in one day!

Oh the excitement is almost unbearable.

Ok, it isn't that exciting. What can I say I am pretty bored right now. I almost jumped out of this seat because I passed a board on Angry birds that I have been working on for a day and a half. So it doesn't take much for me right now.

While I am sitting here keeping the boys content with Toy Story 3 and Mr. Genius happily eating his Beef Jerky...Blech! The smell of beef jerky in a small confined small is just nauseating. But it keeps him awake to drive late at night so I will cloth pen my nose and bear it.

With everyone content I thought I would look back at my projects for the year and then give you an idea of what I have planned for this upcoming year.

The number 1 most viewed project...

$12 Floor Candlesticks

2. Stenciled drawers

Before

After

 

3. A Lawyer's Bookcase

Before

After

4. Christmas Mantle

I have some more plans to use these glitter letters through out the house!

5. Red Accent table

Before

After

6. My Ballard Drying Rack Knock off

7. Blue/Grey Dresser

Before

After

 

8. Make your own message board

aka easiest project EVER!

Before

After

9.  How to redo a $1 picture frame

Before

After

10.  How I am an neglectful mom

I know that this doesn't have anything to do with a project, but this was the 10th most viewed post on my blog. What can I say one persons lack of details early in the morning is other peoples amusement.

Now for my future plans. Since it is so cold outside. Redoing furniture in the garage right now is just out of the question. I personally like to keep all my fingers and toes from turning blue. 

So until it gets warmer. I am hoping to redo our half bath, Wild Man's room, and maybe the dining room. Once it does get warm enough to go back out into the garage to work I plan on redoing LOTS of furniture this year. 

Mr. Genius and I have a BIG financial goal for us. We want to pay cash for a new to us minivan!

The current one I have is starting to a few electrical issues. So the end of ol' blue is getting near. So we are planning ahead with the new (to us) car. It would be GREAT if we could buy it at the end of 2011, but we are not counting on it. 

Hopefully this coming year will come with even more projects to inspire you!

Silhouette Sale!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas!

Our was crazy, busy, and fun all rolled into one. Well actually we pack 5 Christmas' into 2 days. So I guess you can say it is rolled into 5 rather then 1.

The month of December (and November) I worked on a project that completely consumed me.

I will tell you about it later and then some of you can learn from my mistakes. Trust me it will make your life so much easier. You will have less ulcers in your mouth and you will actually be able to sleep at night.

Anyways, I wanted to tell you about a HUGE sale that Silhouette is having...it is actually ending really soon. So if you got some extra money at Christmas....this is the time to spend it.

You can get the Silhouette for almost half off!!

Nope...not kidding.

This is even cheaper then their Cyber Monday deal. I didn't think that was even possible.

All you have to do is use the code PATIENCE and you can get a Silhouette for only $175!

That is $124 off the price! Isn't that awesome!

With this deal you get a monthly subscription to all the Silhouette desgins that you get to keep forever. Also with your subscription it makes the prices of the designs more then half off! Which the prices start at only .99 anyways. So they will be a REALLY good deal.

This sale ends on January 1st. So you are going to have to hurry!

Tata for now, we are literally driving from TN to IL as I type. Isn't technology wonderful! :) The plan is to get the boys to sleep so we can have a "easy" 8 and a half hour drive rather then a crazy and endless 13 hour drive when the boys are awake. We are hoping to land at home around 3am!

So hurry and get your Silhouette's and have a safe and fun New Year's!

Our Christmas Tree

Sarah is hosting a Christmas tree party. For everyone to show off their Christmas trees.

You should check it out cuz there are some amazing trees over there.

Since I am a sucker for a good party...here is ours.

I am a collector of Christmas ornaments. Whenever we go on a trip my goal on every trip is to find a Christmas Ornament.

Every year I love pulling them out and remembering trips we have been on.

This ornament is of the Biltmore Estate in Ashville, NC. I bought it the day Mr. Genius proposed to me. He gave me high hopes of a house to propose to me in front of this one. ;) We also just found out that Mr. Genius' cousin got engaged in the same spot!

Got this one when my whole family went on a trip to St. George's island in FL.

Bought this one on our honeymoon. It is from our cruise ship. Oh how I loved that trip. I would love to go on another cruise one day.

One weekend, Mr. Genius and I went on a quick getaway trip to Chattanooga and went to Rock City. I love this ornament.

Another tradition I started was getting the boys picture taken with the same Santa each year. Then my mom gets the Pottery barn frame ornaments with the year engraved on them and I put the Santa picture int it. This is my favorite thing to pull out every year. It is so fun to see how much the boys have grown.

This is of Wild Man's 2nd Christmas. We actually came home from the hospital on Christmas Day his first Christmas so we had to skip that one.

Then this one is of  Romeo's first Christmas and Wild man was just about to turn 2.

Boy did I have my hands full that year.

This was also the same Christmas I learned a new way to put on diapers in the dark. I do not recommend it.

Hope you enjoyed our tree.

That's how we roll here.

Did you see that Seinfield episode about the wedding invitations?

The one where George's fiance dies from licking all the cheap envelopes for her wedding invitations.

I think of that episode everytime I have to lick envelopes. Therefore I do anything possible to get out of licking them.

Here is my new alternative.

Bad iphone video sorry.

That is only half my cards sent out. I think I need to weed out some of these addresses.

Then on another note.

It has been COLD here. Although today it got the a steamy 16 degrees!!!

16.3 to be exact.

This southern girl is going to have a rough winter.

The boys wanted to go out and play in the snow.

I did NOT.

So I convienced them to go outside without me.

They did but no amount of money or cute and pleading looks through the window would get me out there.

Totally not looking forward to the -50 degrees wind chill weather next month.

Our Mantle Alternative

First of all I need to add a little note to yesterday's post about mom nursery.

That would be for grandbabies...not coming from this house that we know of anytime soon.

I didn't really clarify that the nursery was for grandbabies, I guess I just thought it was obvious. I mean can't you all read my mind? ;)

Ok now that I have that off my chest lets move on to more fun Christmas decorations, shall we?

This year I added the glitter letters to my mantel.

Which I just adore.

The problem is that I felt that if I put the stockings up it would take away from the words.

So where to put the stocking?

Finally I came up with a solution.

Our Staircase!

I thought it would be a neat alternative to ones who do not have a fireplace.

Hope you are getting done with your Christmas shopping!

I am so close I can taste it!

She was surprised!

This weekend I flew back down to TN to surprise my mom for her birthday.

And yes, she was very surprised!

There is such satisfaction when you accomplish a goal like surprising someone.

My flight got delayed for almost 2 hours so I didn’t get to mom’s house til after 10 pm.

She was asleep on the couch when I got there.

My brother (Thanks Reid) made up some excuse that he needed a tool…well he actually did…so mom would open the garage door and turn off the alarm.

It Worked!!

I walked in and it took about a minute for her to realize who I was and what I was doing there. But the reaction was priceless. I am so glad that I was able to do this.

Now because last week I was recovering from being gone for a week and a half and then I was having fun with mom this weekend. I sadly do not have a project to show you this week.

But I do offer you a peace offering…

If you recall me saying a while back about my mom redoing the house A LOT, and that every time I come back there is something new with her house. I was not lying.

So my peace offering to you, are some rooms that my mom has redone.

I give you two bathrooms and a grandbaby nursery.

And YES they are inspiring!

First I will show you the downstairs bath. That we will now call the red bath.

Sadly I do not have before pictures, but just picture a plain ol’ tan bathroom with no personality.

You got the picture in your head?

Alright now here is the after…

Now why would I call that a red bathroom?

Well let’s take a look at the ceiling.

For some strange reason the color is coming across as deep maroon or something but it is actually a deep red. Like the color of the red towel that is hanging.

Isn’t it so pretty?!

We decided that something need to be about to toilet, so I grabbed some white frames from the hall and we ripped out the pictures that were in it. 

Just a little something that won't take away from wall paper but still add a touch of decor.

Now we will move on to the upstairs bath.

You may remember this bath when mom and I built the mirror frame for it.

Here is the updating version of that bathroom.

And guess what?

It is beadboard wallpaper!

Do you ever share a bath with a bunch of family or friends and not sure which towel is yours after you get out of the shower?

Mom came up with a solution!

You number the towels!

Genius!

Now we can move on to the nursery.

You may have noticed a door between the towels.

That door used to lead to a long closet.

After mom got some people to come in a knock out a wall, it is now a grandbaby nursery!

To help the room feel bigger she painted the ceiling the same color as the walls.

Hope you all enjoyed it!