Free Fix

BEFORE: A pile of castoffs. The table was a gift to my parents when they got married. The mirror was a housewarming present in our first house. There are also some spoons in this pile that were in my grandma's trash. All of this worked together to solve a huge lack of closets in my house.








AFTER: It all pulls together to create a launch pad for coats, backpacks, and shoes. Also, that awesome, red basket was a trash salvage. This whole thing cost me $0. Zero. Zip. The paint was even a leftover from other projects. Three hours of my time and this. I'm so happy to have a place to hang coats, because up until now they've been thrown on the floor in the front. Little things like this are helping me this house our home.

Have a great week and stay warm. Brant had me in full giggles saying, "It's colder than a well-digger's butt out there." The kids laughed not because they got the expression, but because Dad had said "butt". That's rough language around here.

Bear Down

This is a work in progress. Really, let's call this a labor of love. Only someone who loved their spouse immensely, would paint those stripes. Oh, those stripes. What a pain, but they do look really cool. After the stripe painting fest, I've taken a bit of a break on getting the rest of the room pulled together. There are no pictures hung and still a mess everywhere.

Brant loves it and is scheming up a poker night. I fell there needs to be a curtain between the Bear den and the toy room. Nothing screams poker night like piles of Barbies, Polly Pockets, and Matchbox.

Snow Day

This quiet, lazy snow day brought to you by "Little Big Planet" via PS3. I keep thinking they will soon complain of sore thumbs or sore bottoms, but no, they are in it to win it today. I can't complain, since they rarely watch t.v. During their mind-melting play, I have been able to start some painting in the basement, so it's a win/win situation.

Sewing Lessons

We've tried small projects before: pillows, doll quilts, pillowcase. These went well. Now we're on to doll clothes. These are not going so well. It's requiring a massive, tongue-biting, amount of patience on my part to make it through two sets of American Girl pajamas. All the best thoughts were there, but the excitment is starting to fade fast. I've cut the work down to a mere 20 minute session a day with each girl. This seems to be working, but these tiny pajamas (that I could whip out in under an hour), are now on day five.

However, I do feel a swell of pride as I look at my girls working hard and biting the tip of their tongue. Only truly skilled laborers do this (right, grandad?!). It always gives me a chuckle when little, odd, heredities show up in my kids.