Love a Bargain!

About a month ago, we had an air conditioner mishap. I discovered that the drain was clogged and drain pan was overflowing when I opened my daughter's closet to get her clothes for the day. There the water was...pouring from the closet light. Ugh! So, after MANY attempts and two a/c companies later (Aramendia in San Antonio rocks, btw...but that's another post all together), we figured out what the problem was and had it fixed. Needless to say, the light was ruined. So, we took the ruined light out and let things air out. A month later, time to put a new light in. I head over to the chain home improvement store (*ahem* Lowes *cough*) to purchase one. Well, the bargain hunter that I am finds out that I can get 1 light for $20 or 6 for $40. Doesn't take a rocket scientist...I go for the 6! Now, I have the closet light fixed and the 2 outdated lights in the hall updated too! So excited!

Hall Light Before:

Hall Light After:

Bathroom Remodel

BEFORE:

AFTER:

I'm a Cheap Date

If you know me, you know that I love a bargain!!!

I recently found this site...

which lead me to this site...

Also, I joined Swagbucks. Not really sure how it works, but someone said, 'Free Starbucks', so I was all over it!

Easter Egg Craft

I am the coordinator of our neighborhood Easter Party. Every year we do a craft, decorate eggs, decorate cookies and hunt for eggs.

Last year, I thought I found the perfect egg coloring activity. It ended up being a HUGE mess!

This year, I am using this activity. I just had my children be my guinea pigs and it worked perfectly!

I think this activity will be a huge hint with children and parents alike.

New Window Seat Cushion

As I have said before, the kitchen remodel is postponed for quite awhile. I don't want to do it half way and to do all that I want done, we are going to have to save for quite awhile.

So, in an effort to keep myself from feeling like none of the projects are getting done around the house, I am trying to finish the little things.

I put new sheers up in the entryway quite a while ago. I touched up the paint and removed the ugly blinds that were covering the beautiful windows. I did these things probably about 10-14 months ago. The last thing to do in the entryway was to replace the HORRIBLE window seat cushion. It was BBBAAAADDDDD!!!

Now, my entryway is open to the dining room and living room. The dining room is maroon and chocolate brown and the living room is ice blue and chocolate brown. The entryway had to somehow tie everything together.

I was at Hobby Lobby in October purchasing the material for the Halloween costumes. They had their upholstery fabric on sale 40% off. I thought I would just stroll thru...and there is was...the PERFECT fabric to tie everything together! I was so excited!

So, I have now replaced the old, faded, terribly worn and ugly window seat cushion with a beautiful one that a friend from church made for me. Then, I found some throw pillows on sale at Pier One Imports and *viola*!

Beautiful!

Kitchen Remodel on Hold

Well, I told you recently that I wanted to remodel my kitchen.

It is bad...I mean, formica hell bad!

I had a few remodeling companies come in and give me quotes to gut and re-do. I thought they were actually quite reasonable.

So, I called the bank to talk about a home improvement loan. OUCH! To get the amount of money we need to do what we want would have a payment of $1000 a month! Holy Cow! That's another house payment!

So, we will need to be waiting and saving some cash.

My husband and I did agree that while we are waiting, we can do some of the little projects...like the window seat cushion in the entryway and the downstairs bathroom. Things that will make me feel like there is progress being made.

Keep watching to see the upgrades!

September Ended with a BANG!

The last week of September, 2009 will be one my family writes down in the history books!

Last Monday, Jake was pushed down at the bus stop and broke his wrist!

Then, Wednesday night at church, I parked in the street, like I always do...except this time, I forgot to feed the meter (we got there at 430 and the meters run until 6pm). So, I came out of church at 830pm with a nice parking ticket stuck to my front windsheild.

As we are driving home from church, Jake keeps saying, 'I feel weird'. I kept asking him what that meant, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Well, he woke up Thursday morning with fever...stayed home Thursday and Friday.

Saturday, he has enough energy to go to his acting class. David takes him to class and I am to pick him up and take the kids to my mothers in Austin. Well, I get about 5 miles from home, to one of the busiest intersections in town, and rear-end someone. Yup! In my new truck! You know, the one I have made one payment on and that has now been smashed twice! Ugh! The poor kid that I slammed into had never been in an accident before.

So, we are hoping for a better October! Can't get worse at this point!

Now I am driving my father-in-laws truck (thanks!) until I get my truck back!

What To Do, What To Do...

I really want to remodel my kitchen!

I really don't know where the money would come from.

I am up for all options.

Any thoughts?

UGH!!! Really?!?!?!?!

Don't you have it when you erase the pics from the camera before you download them to your computer?!?! Can't believe I did that!

I would have some really great before and after photos of the playroom rearrange...but...

Trust me, it looks really good!

(BTW...don't forget about my giveaway. See the previous post.)

My New Ride

Hubby got tired of pouring money into my previous car. This is what I got instead of an oil change and a tire rotation...

We Got Flocked!

Tuesday morning my husband woke up to take the dog out front and found a few visitors...

Apparently one of the private schools in town has a unique way of raising monies for their teachers to attend a conference every year!

My good friend decided we needed a good laugh and paid to have our yard flocked! So funny!

Not to worry...I have paid it forward...to her! I may not have a job when it is all said and done, but it will be worth the laugh!!!

New Curtains

I have been saving for a while for new curtains in my living room. I found them quite awhile ago, but...as many or you know, I have champagne taste on a beer budget, so I had to save and save.

I think they look fabulous!

What do you think?

Before:

Living Room


Dining Room

After:

Living Room

Dining Room

These rooms are 2 rooms, but they have no wall in between, so I wanted the rooms to coordinate. I think they turned out really well!

Now, if you look really closely in the before pictures, you will see the sconces that are holding the valances (I know, hard to tell because all the bland color blends together).

My mother-in-law had the brilliant idea of using them as small sconce shelves on this tiny wall in the dining room (we also spray painted some of them gold for her house and mine. When I get those up, I will post those too.)

I think those turned out fantastic too!

Looky What I Found!

Travelling around bloogy-land the other day and stumbled upon something yummy!

Don't thank me now :)

A Few Updates...

The bag covers finally arrived. They look great. It just took FOREVER!

I am finally doing laundry. WOO HOO!

I found some missing items. The boots were under Kaylee's bed. The stool was in Jake's closet.

Still working on the Quad Squad bed...

That catches you up for now.

Redecorate Jake's Bedroom - Check!

Remove nasty blinds/window treatments - check.

Strip Wallpaper - check.

Find SECOND LAYER of wallpaper - check.

Strip second layer of wallpaper - check.

Remove everything from room, except necessities - check.

Scrub wallpaper glue off walls - check.

Clean baseboards - check.

Repair walls and baseboards - check.

Choose new wall color - check.

Purchase WAY TOO MUCH paint - check.

Paint ceiling - check.

Paint walls - check.

Decide blue next to the shocking orange would be a bad call - check.

Paint these walls with ceiling paint - check.

Paint ALL woodwork (and there is A LOT) - check.

Caulk all woodwork - check.

Replace all outlets and covers - check.

Move Furniture - check.

Hang cool Container Store desk unit - check.

Choose new window treatments - check.

Hang new window treatments - check.

Hang stage curtain (you'd have to know my som to fully understand this)- check.

Take way too long trying to get stage curtain right - check.

Reload 10 year old son's junk into room - check.

Clean up - check.

Take photos - check.

Whew!

Here it is!

Before:

After:

Not Yet

The repairman came today...

The heating coil shorted out...

They don't keep them on the truck...

Another week without a dryer...

I Must Be Getting Old...

...because I am loving another thing from shopping TV.

Those who know me, know that I am FOREVER cold! Those of you who know me also know that I LOVE my laptop! Well, when trying to cover up and use the laptop, the arms freeze! So, when I saw this, I knew I had to have one.

I received it today as a late birthday gift from Suzanne.

Love it! As I sit to type this, my arms are oh, so toasty!

Ahhhhh...

A New Little Addition

I was blessed to received some birthday money this week.

I love that!

I ordered my purse.

Then, used the remainder to finish out the living room. If you remember, I bought myself a new chair and side table. Well, that table looked a bit sad. So, I went shopping and found some things to give the table some life.

Here is what I found:

This sweet thing was on sale for $3.49! Great find!

New Chair

My birthday is next week. I had been eyeing a chair for the living room. The empty space in the corner of the living room needed some life!

So, I went to the furniture store and checked out what they had.

I fell in love with this little number...

When I decided to go ahead and purchase the chair for my early birthday present, I decided it needed a side table. After all, what's a good reading chair if there is no place to set your soda while you're there? I found this side table at Hobby Lobby. Furniture was 30% off, so I grabbed it!

Next, a cute little lamp to go on the table. Maybe with an ice blue shade!

Remember, it goes with this.

Don't you think it is a lovely addition?

The Black Hole

I have neglected to mention that our house has a black hole.

A place where things seem to go...never to return.

When we first moved in, we 'lost' the stool to Kaylee's keyboard. By lost, I mean, I saw it one day and didn't the next and haven't seen it since.

Then, about a week later, my phone charger joined the stool. I knew where it was and went to plug my phone in...and no charger. I bought a new one thinking, 'As soon as I do this, my charger will appear.' Nope, that didn't work either...charger still having rendevous with the keyboard stool.

Now, Christmas has come. Kaylee got those precious hot pink fuzzy boot/slippers from my sister. Well, I haven't seen those cute things since I took that picture.

Now let me say that I have looked under beds...in closets...in the backyard...in cupboards...under the couch...everywhere I can think of...

They are NO WHERE to be found!

There has to be a black hole...

I wonder if the socks are wondering why these 3 foreign objects are invading their space...