Together on Tuesday: Workin' for a Livin'

So yesterday was Tuesday and conincidentally, Michelle over at After 9 and Some Weekends was the only one to actually post on Tuesday!  We are all just outstanding with timing. :)
For serious though, I was busy all day yesterday...from the time I woke up late to the time I fell asleep on the couch at 9pm.  If I fall asleep on the couch, that means I'm tired and that even if I were awake, I'd be a fairly useless waste of space. 

After you finish up here, head on over to Michelle at After 9 and Some Weekends, Charlotte at The Dog Days of Life and Nancy at Purple Peaches and see what they have to say (if they're caught up.  Be patient...we all have busy moments in life.)

Today's topic is something that is near and dear to my heart.  I have a desk job and I go stir crazy.  I am the creative type and there is NOTHING creative about a desk job.  Seriously.  It bores me senseless on some days, but it is reliable, provides me with benefits that are very needed in this day and age and puts food on the table.  At this point in my life, I can't give all that up and risk going for broke.  I have a child and other responsibilities that force me to act responsibly. 

So here it is:  What is your dream job?  How would this job affect your ability to be a mother, wife, etc.?  Would you go back to school?  Would you relocate? 

"I want to sing and dance.  I want to sing and dance.  I want to be a pirate in the Pirates of Penzance.  Wear me silver buckle slippers and me tight shiny pants.  I want to sing and dance."

Whoever gets that reference gets 10 bonus points.

Really I don't want to sing and dance.  In fact, I'm pretty bad at both.

First of all, I actually know some people who have something close to my dream job.  And they actually LOVE what they do.  I think that makes it harder and easier at the same time.  See, my dream job is unconventional. 

I want to create things and sell them.

That is the long and short of it.  Would you like me to be more specific?  Okay.

Knowing people who do this?  Well, that just makes me slightly jealous.  BUT...it gives me hope that it can be done effectively.

I have many creative interests.  And I'm actually pretty good at a lot of creative things.  I can hold my own with a crochet hook.  I can paint.  I can scrapbook.  I can effectively repurpose furniture.  I can use power tools.  I can bake AND decorate.  And I simply LOVE all of those things.

I basically want to be Martha Stewart minus the felony conviction and jail sentence.

This will absolutely not come as a surprise to anyone who knows me.  They all know that I love all of those things.  Many of them think I'm wierd for it.  Many of them think it's pretty cool.  They all know that they can ask me a vast array of questions regarding crafty and creative things and I'll help out.  I've made many decorated cupcakes for friend's kid's birthday parties.  I've made invitations for those parties.  I've painted paintings and murals for friends.  I've made scrapbooks for more people than I can count.  I've crocheted things for friends.  I even recently redid a piece of furniture to suit my needs.  And I do it ALL FOR FREE because I love my friends.  Now if I could only find a way to get paid for it...

A few years ago I asked Chris if I could quit my job and become an event planner.  I'd start small with kid's birthday parties and stuff and then work my way up to weddings.  He then asked me if I was on serious drugs. :)

For what it's worth, I really do think I'd be good at it.  I just don't know if I could make a living out of it.

My friend Kelly owns her own business called FireWheel Tie Dye.  She tie dyes things and then sells them at Farmer's Markets and things.  She is fabulous!  I have 2 ombre dyed scarves from her and I wear them often.  I envy her. 

This is one of Kelly's beautiful ombre dyed scarves.  She's fabulous.  Check her out of Facebook at FireWheel Tie Dye.

There is a woman who lives near me who makes her living like this and as a blogger.  Her name is Beckie.  She doesn't know I even exist, but I read her blog religiously and love some of the things she comes up with.  Find her here at Infarrantly Creative.

Would I relocate for it?  Nope.  As much as I complain about Indiana weather, I do really like living here most of the time amongst family and friends.  Would I go back to school for it?  In a heartbeat!  If I could've gotten paid to go to college, I'd still be there.  I LOVE learning. 

How would it affect my ability to be a mother, wife, etc.?  I actually think it would have a positive impact on my parenting skills.  I would be working from home, so I could come and go as I pleased and have Jayna there with me.  When she goes to school, I'd be able to pick her up and drop her off and take her to various classes, events, etc.  I'd have more time to do household things since I'd automatically be there.  And it would be great for Jayna and Chris if I were doing what truly makes me happy.

Here is a random sampling of my creative life, past and present:

This is one of my more recent projects.  I needed a cabinet to house my bedroom television, computer and junk, but I also need it to be something I could sit at and use the computer.

This is what it looks like when you open it.  The printer shelf slides out to access the scanner and the top drawer hinges down so the keyboard can slide out to be used.  Thank you, dad and Chris for your help!!!



This is the inside of one of my baby books.  I have about 5 of these to finish up for various people.  I just need to DO IT!!  

First of all, sorry for how terrible I look in that picture.  That was the day we had to let go of Morgan.  I finished crocheting that cowl (THAT I LOVE BY THE WAY) to keep my mind off of it.  I hope KT's mom (or KT if she kept it) likes it!

Spiderman cupcake toppers for Chance's birthday.  They just sit on top of the icing.  They were way cute. :) 

Crocheted flower hair barrettes for Jayna's girl friends for Valentine's Day last year.  I STILL have people asking for more of those. 

Picture frame wreath for the front door at Christmas.  My mom and Aunt Mary and I made these.  Sorry for the terrible pic.  It was night, it was 10 degrees and I can say that I probably was taking it without shoes on. 

Homemade Christmas gifts:  The pink jar is salt and sugar peppermint foot scrub.  Totally organic.  The left one is vanilla brown sugar body scrub.  Again, totally organic.  And the little one is chocolate mint lip balm.  And it is also totally organic.  I still use ALL of these.  I'm on my third batch of brown sugar.  Soooo good for your skin. 

This is the first page of my 2012 Project Life album.  I love it.  And thank you Nancy at Purple Peaches for those AWESOME photos!!! 

I had an old canvas that had dimensional tape all over it that I couldn't peel off.  I couldn't bring myself to toss it, so I joint compounded over it and made it a painting.  I love it. And of course I love The Beatles. :) 

The tree in Jayna's room.  Although now the coral flowers are orange.  My JBird and her orange.  Orange this, orange that.  You'd think with her princess complex that she'd love pink.  Nope.  Orange it is.  I also painted them orange to match her new bedding. 

Fondant cows for Layla's first birthday.  I have never had more fun making something out of fondant.  I think they're pretty cute. :) 

Mickey Mouse Club House cupcakes.  Stars, gears and Mickey ears for Kaesyn's second birthday.  I loved this project too.

WOW!!  This entry is LONG!!  No wonder it took me 2 days to write it!  Good thing I only wrote about ONE of my dream jobs...

What do y'all want to do with yourselves in a perfect world?  Are you okay with your current job or do you yearn to do something completely different?

Now head on over to Michelle, Charlotte and Nancy and see what they want to do for a living!

Make It Mine Monday: Christmas Edition

This isn't so much a Make It Mine in the sense of buying things, but things that I am going to crochet.  I love crocheting and have been commissioned to make a few Christmas gifts.  I'm currently working on one and the other one had me stumped for awhile...but I think I have it now.  If I could make crocheting a money making hobby, that would be GREAT!  Soooo much quicker than scrapbooking for money. :)

Here we go:

Fingerless Mitts/Wrist Warmers

I HATE gloves with a capital H.  I can't stand my fingers covered, but my hands still get cold.  Something like this was the first thing that I *tried* to make after I made Jayna's scarf.  I scratched the idea after my gauge was off.  I'm now ready to try again...but mine won't be as bulky because I don't want to look as if I have casts on my hands.

The Black Hole Cowl

This is one of my commissioned works.  And I'm making one for myself also.  The yarn is so comfy and cozy that I'm sure I'll be wearing it often.

The Infinity Scarf a.k.a. My Crochet Nemesis

This circular scarf (it has no end and no beginning) is kicking my ass.  There are some techniques that are probably a little advanced for me since I have limited crochet experience, but I think I've figured it out through a series of Youtube videos and picture tutorials.  I better get on it too because this is also something I've been paid to make.  I'll get you, Infinity Scarf.  I'll get you my pretty.

Loop D Loop Scarf

This one is a little crazy, but I have a friend who'd LOVE it and wear it well.  Hopefully she doesn't read this.  The entire scarf is made with JUST the chain stitch.  Interesting.

Half Hour Neck Warmer

I've made 2 of these already and I plan on making a few more.  I'm making them for Jayna's preschool teachers and then I'm making one for KT who is training me for the Mini.  It's part of her payment. :)

The most awesome thing about ALL these projects is that they only take me a couple of hours...except that damn Infinity Scarf.  That one will probably be 4 hours.  Crocheting is a pretty gratifying hobby as far as someone who doesn't have alot of time.  Learn 3 stitches, buy 2 skeins of yard and a speed hook and you'll have yourself a scarf in 2 hours!!

Note:  All of the patterns for these items can be found on Ravelry.  I cannot link them because Ravelry is a member website.  It's free to join if you're a crocheter or knitter and the resources are awesome!!

Five for Friday: New Music

I'm pretty sure I'm going to have to buy some new CDs.  I just can't help myself...

Florence + The Machine - Lungs.  She has an awesome voice.  Sort of reminds me of Feist but a little more...feisty. Haha.

Cake - Showroom of Compassion.  I've never pre-ordered a CD.  Until now.

John Prine - John Prine.  An old one, but new to me.  I heard a version of Spanish Pipedream done by the Avett Brothers and  now I'll probably have to have that version too.

Toadies - Feeler.  Vaden Todd Lewis is one of the most underrated frontmen that ever lived.

Shawn Mullins - Light You Up.  I'm actually ashamed to admit this...but the song Light You Up is very convincing. 

What are y'all listening to?? 


(I TRIED to add photos, but Blogger is stupid today. )

Make It Jayna's Monday: Christmas Edition

I began a few weeks ago with explaining the ins and outs of Christmas to Jayna.  She remembers that we had a tree last year and she remembers that she got new stuff.  Other than that, nada.

So we've been talking about Santa Claus and how he "makes a list and checks it twice."  How she has to be a good girl and Santa will bring her presents.  How we'll see our families and eat good food and talk to one another.  How we'll see lots of Christmas decorations and lights and how we'll decorate our house and make cookies and gingerbread houses and have parties, etc.

And...she's totally down.

She is soooo excited that she can hardly contain herself.

Right after Halloween, we received not one but TWO toy catalogs in the mail:  Toys R Us and Target.  And after I explained what those were all about, she was on board and promptly picked out 37 items that she wanted for Christmas.  She then looked at me and said, "Okay, mommy.  Let's go to the store and get my presents." 

She apparently has no concept of the future.

Here are the things on the top of Jayna's Christmas list, in no particular order.

Alphie The Learning Robot. 

This is always the first thing she says when I ask her.  She really loves robots.

VTech Kidizoom Camera. 

There are actually some out there that are real digital cameras that are cheap!  And this way she won't play with mine.

Fisher Price Loving Family Doll House.

She's definitely a girl.

Furreal Friends - Biscuit.

She has 2 REAL dogs at home that she sometimes is afraid of, but she wants a fake dog that acts like a real dog.  How's THAT for irony?? (And at $170.00, she DEFINITELY will NOT be getting this.)

Strawberry Shortcake Fresh Fashion Boutique...or ANYTHING Strawberry Shortcake.

Nothing compares to her reaction when she smells the Strawberry Shortcake figurines she has.  She's just as surprised EVERYTIME as she was the first. 

A train set that can be configured to her liking.

She isn't really partial to Thomas the Train, so I'll definitely be cheaping out on this one.  She just really likes to put together and take apart the track and make the trains go down the hills.  I'm not sure she even knows who Thomas is.

This is a tall order!!  I'm sure she won't be getting it all (unless I win the Lotto), but she'll definitely get Alphie.  She's been asking for that for WEEKS.  And, of course, I'll have to get her some girly toys.  :)

What do y'all want for Christmas??

Moody Monday: Creativity

I'm not really in a shopping mood today.  I know, right?  But whatevs.  I'm in a creating mood.

I have been in this very creative mood for about a month now, but not in the scrapbooking realm.  I have some furniture that I'm finishing/refinishing.  I'm making bookshelves out of skids for Jayna's room.  And I have a painting floating around in my head that will be painted on...plywood.  Last week my mom introduced me to Infarrantly Creative.  I can't stop reading and learning and oohing and aahing!! 

This woman does exactly the things that have been floating in my head.  I also learned that she and I live in the same state!!  How cool is that?!? 

I especially love her series called Roadkill Rescue.  Those are some amazing things that came from trash.  Truly creative.

What mood are y'all in today?  I bet I can guess since it's Monday. :)

Make It Mine Monday: More Furniture

For today's Make It Mine, I have only one request:  I want to move into a Restoration Hardware.  Or I'd like one of everything they have, but I'm thinking that living there and just paying rent would be WAY cheaper.

I seriously love almost everything on the website.  And it's a good thing I have a good sense of self-restraint or I'd be in some serious debt. 

The two things at the top of my list:

17th C. Monastery Table

Apothecary Display Cabinet

Love, love, love!!  What are you shopping for today?

Make It Mine Monday: Take a Guess

I want this very badly...I NEED this.  You know, for all the stuff I build.

And the first person who guesses what it is gets a cookie. :)

Friday/Monday Mashup: It started with an old dresser.

What seems like a million years ago, my father-in-law had an old almost-antique-but-mostly-just-vintage dresser that he was just going to throw away.  Rick doesn't throw things away, so I was curious as to what this dresser looked like and in what sort of shape it had to be in for him to throw it away.  "It's up at the lake in the spare bedroom.  It's that '70's green one.  You can have it if you want it." 

Um...yeah!  When Chris and I visit his parents at the lake, we reside in that room.  And I fondly remembered the dresser and remembered that even though it was painted '70's green (and probably lead-based paint) that it was a dandy vintage dresser probably from 20 years prior to the '70's.  And it was in decent shape except for that paint.  Oh, that paint. 

And it even came with a mirror that I didn't even know about that I just adore.  It was made to attach to the dresser, but the supports were nowhere to be found.  So the mirror now resides on our wall above the dresser.  And I love it.

It took Chris and I 2 weeks of working almost everyday to remove that paint.  And we had to use chemicals instead of sanding because of said lead-based paint.  Sanding lead-based paint and making it airborne is NEVER a good idea.  So we stripped the dresser.  It was so funny for us to come home from somewhere and I'd say, "I'm going to the garage to do some more stripping."  It still makes me laugh 5 years later.

After the stripping was done and the wood was sanded one time for consistency and to remove some red wax stains (probably from a candle spilling on it before it was painted), it was ready to be finished.  I'm not usually one for light wood...I prefer a darker mahogany color...I really liked the grain and the age of the dresser.  But it looked...unfinished. 

We ended up watering down some antique white paint, brushing it on and the wiping 90% of it off.  Some of you are saying, "That's called white-washing, moron."  But no, it isn't.  White-washing turns the wood white.  All this did was let the white settle in some of the grain and in some of the ornate details.  The dresser looks wooden, but it looks like it was at one time or another painted white and was then sanded.  We polyed it 3 times and VOILA!!  Beautimous.  Unfortunately, I don't have a picture.  Because I'm just that prepared.

About a year later, I wanted a new coffee table.  I had very specific plans...and noone made what I wanted.  So I did what any crazy person would do...I asked my husband to build it.  With matching end tables.  And he did.  And I love them.  Again, no picture because I'm that prepared on this glorious Monday morning.

My point in these seemingly random stories is to project the fact that I enjoy coming up with an idea, implementing it and then doing with it what I want.  My tables are nothing special.  Nothing ornate.  But they are EXACTLY what I wanted.  And I love that I have Chris to help me with these harebrained ideas I get.

I love to refinish things...especially furniture.  I love to build things.  And by "I" I mean Chris.  I'll come up with a loose plan and he'll take it from there.  We work well as a team...we just need more powertools!! 

Recently I've been looking for inspiration to work on some household things that I want.  I mean, I could go buy lots of expensive furniture.  But it's not the same.  I like the furniture that we've bought and invested in, but when I look at the coffee table, I think, "Remember when it was 45 degrees outside and I couldn't get the poly to set?  Haha!  Those were the good ol' days!"  I know, I'm weird.

So, without further adieu, here are my recent inspiration sites for building, finishing and decorating for NOT ALOT OF MONEY and with LOTS OF CHARACTER AND HEART:

1. Tiffany Ruda.  It started with her.  I WILL have that farmhouse table in the near future.
2. Funky Junk Interiors.  I haven't gotten a chance to go through all of this blog, but it looks amazing!  I'll be told in the near future that my tastes are going country...but they aren't.  They're going lodge/homemade and down to earth. :)
3. The Design Confidential.  This used to be called The Frugal Designer and is very popular in the DIY world.  And you'll see why if you visit!  Scroll down on the left to the categories to pick and choose what content you'd like to view.  Furniture is one of my favorites.
4. Ana White.  Her site used to be called Knock Off Wood.  It gives plans and such to build almost any piece of furniture you want.  Awesome!!  Chris better get a table saw for Christmas. :)
5. Apartment Therapy.  I like this site because it has alot of content about doing things to your spaces that aren't permanent.  I REALLY want those wall-to-wall shelves in my new house!!

There you have it...lots of wants and a list of five on a not-so-bad Monday morning.  What are y'all up to today??

Make It Mine Monday: Furniture

I am always looking at furniture.  Not that I *need* any new furniture...just that I always want it.  We have decided to not buy anymore furniture until we are in a different and bigger house.  But a girl can dream.  Here were my finds for the day:

LOVE this one!!  I really want a new dining room set, but my dining room is tiny and I want big furniture.  Hence the waiting for a bigger house.  I'm just not sure about upholstered seats.

I only *like* this.  I don't love it.  I just wish the first one up there didn't have upholstery.

Love this sofa.  Not really sure why, but I do.  If I had a place for it, I'd buy it.

Sort of like the other one, but better!  Again, not sure why I love it, but I do.  And it would go perfectly in my current living room.

How cool is this thing??  Storage and a bed in one!!  Neato!

What are y'all shopping for on this glorious Monday morning??

Make It Mine Monday: Furniture

I would like some new bedroom furniture.  This isn't as simple as it sounds...and not only because I'm a cheapskate and don't like to spend money on things like new bedroom furniture.  It's difficult for a few reasons, including but not limited to: 

1. I have an antique-ish dresser that I refuse to move out of my bedroom but it will be difficult to find furniture to match it. 
2. I want a king-sized bed and a king-sized bed won't fit in my current bedroom.  Well, it will...but then nothing else would fit in there. 
3. Chris and I usually have a difficult time choosing things like furniture that we both like.  So we don't like to shop for it. 
4. My preferred furniture style lies somewhere between modern and traditional which is hard to come by.

As I see it, I have only a few options.  They include, but are not limited to:

1. Bite the bullet and buy new king-sized bedroom furniture for our bedroom (that undoubtedly will NOT fit into the room properly) and put the antique dresser in our spare bedroom (given we have a spare bedroom when we move, as we do not have one now).
2. Just wait until we move.  That's just stupid though. :)
3. Have Chris fashion a headboard out of wood much like he did our tables and such and then I can make it whatever finish and style I want.  It wouldn't cost as much that way and then we could maybe figure out how to make it fit a queen-sized bed and a king-sized bed if we put our heads together.

As I see it, those are the current options on the table.  I'm opting for the third. 

I have been looking at bedroom furniture online today and I am finding it difficult to find anything that I really like.  Here are two options that I sort of like, but not whole-heartedly:

Our current crappy headboard has storage in it.  I love it because the clock can be between us instead of on one side or the other.  This headboard has that.  But I don't care for the color of this furniture.  It is somewhere between black, cherry and mahogany.  I like black, cherry and mahogany and have all three of those wood shades in my house, but I do not care for what happens when you mix them all.

I've always been a fan of the upholstered headboard.  I like this one alot, but it seems a little too modern for me.  Maybe it's because it's a little too simple.  Who knows??  I also think if there was different bedding on it that I'd like it better.  Seems a bit too monochromatic for me. 

So that's that.  What are y'all wanting today?

Make It Mine Monday: Housing Styles

I tried to post this yesterday.  Blogger was being a...well, Blogger was down.  I'll leave it at that.  I won't subject your pretty little eyes to that sort of language.

By now you all know that I want to move very badly.  And I am now headed in the right direction to acheive that goal.  By this time next year, it is my strong belief that I will be in a new house.  Come on, Karma.  Do me good.

I am always extremely drawn to houses that have some sort of architectural detail.  When I wrote this post, I said that this house was Cape Cod style.  That isn't necessarily so.  It does have Cape Cod influences, but there are attributes from the Cottage Style also.  Anyhoo, I liked it because it had some interesting exterior details.  And when we originally began looking at houses, we looked at this one:

Before the new owners (the dreaded flippers who put lipstick on this pig and raised the price to something completely ridiculous) painted all of the outside, you could tell that this house was a little bit Tudor Revival Style meets a little bit Craftsmen Style.  It was a beautiful house and the new owners made it look cheap.

Since I've discovered that I'm drawn to architectural details of houses, I've begun researching housing styles and which ones I like best.  And obviously, I want this one:

I mean, who doesn't want to live in Forrest Gump's house??  So maybe the roof is a little different, but this is it people!!

In all seriousness, it would be so awesome to have a house that we could restore to make it look like it should.  One of my favorites is the Queen Anne Style:

I would love to live there!! 

So there you have it.  Today (and yesterday) I want an architecturally interesting house.  And someday I'll have it.  I got all of my information from here.  Go take a quick look and report back.  What is your favorite housing style?

Make It Mine Monday: Yummy!

So it is Tuesday.  I don't blog on holidays. :)

As most of you know, I've been dieting.  I mean hardcore.  Stopped drinking for the most part.  Stopped eating sweets and most breads and potatoes.  But today (after a weekend of breaking EVERY diet rule that ever existed) I am craving Dairy Queen...

Specifically the new Blizzard of the Month:  Strawberry Golden Oreo.  Unfortunately the Dairy Queen website is defunct and I can't get a picture of it.  But, I assure you, if I had a picture here, your mouths would be watering!!

What do y'all want today??

Make It Mine Monday: Cakes

Do you understand how much easier my life would be if I owned this??

Please click here for explanation...

And now I just have to get my hands on an extra $325.00.  "Extra" money.  That makes me laugh even just typing it. 

What would make your life easier??

Make It Mine Monday: Gifts

I may or may not have an occasion approaching in which I will receive gifts.  Here are some viable ideas at the request of a certain someone...

• Adobe Photoshop Elements 8.  Not too difficult.  Not too expensive.  This would make my pictures very happy.
• Linden Street Autumn Chenille Bedding.  Pretty but not too girly.  Chris won't have the flowers and pink and stuff.  And really...neither would I.  We really need new bedding.  Really.
• Coach Poppy Floral Graffiti Bella Tote.  Y'all knew it would make the list.
• Wusthof Classic Santoku with Knife.  I actually do ALOT of cooking...this would be really handy.  And cool.
• Clothes that actually fit me.  There is no link here because that category is way too broad.  Having lost 13.5 pounds so far, almost all of my clothes are too big.  Things that fit me would be awesome.
• Tessie Twist Slide Sandals.  From Target and totally affordable.  And cute!

I really could go on and on, but what I really want is world peace. :)

Make It Mine Monday: Tuesday Edition

I was having such a good day yesterday that I forgot to do my ritual online shopping to make myself feel better!!  That's sort of untrue but in a weird way.  Let me explain.

Chris and I regularly check Zillow for foreclosures, short sells and REO properties.  We're weird like that.  We don't necessarily need or really want to move right now...unless it's a REALLY good deal.  We've found a few good deals, but haven't acted on them quickly enough.  So there you have it.  We're leary about dealing with realtors and mortgage companies again.  The sting still hasn't worn off after 5.5 years.

We drove around a neighborhood on Sunday morning before lunch (the kid was asleep in her carseat and we were doing the classic "drive to nowhere and waste gas so the kid gets a good 15 minute nap before we take her in public and she acts like a maniac."  I'm sure all of you parents out there know EXACTLY what I'm saying there.) and we saw a few houses for sale.  The neighborhood is cute and quiet...but the houses are a little out of our price range. 

Yesterday morning I did what I always do after driving through a neighborhood that I like but know I won't be able to afford a move-in ready house.  I scoured Zillow for foreclosures/short sells/REOs.  And I found one!!  It is in an adjacent neighborhood of the one we were looking in, but this neighborhood is just as quiet and nice as the other one.  And the house is sooo darn cute and big!  We are going to look at it tonight.  It will be quite interesting I'm sure.

Here is the outside:

It looks so much better when all the snow is gone!!  It's a Cape Cod style house with the brick walkway and cool wooden shingled roof (that very sadly needs replaced).  It needs loads of work, but if the price is right we don't mind doing the work.  Alot of the work also seems to be things that could be done over time.  I'm sure there are things that need fixed right away, but other things can wait for a few months or even a year.

It is a 2200 square foot house...which is over double the size of our house.  Crazy!  And the yard is about 50% bigger also.  I'm trying not to be too excited since I'm pretty sure things won't work out.  We've tried for about 3 other houses sort of in the same condition and missed out on all of them.  But it would be so cool if we could live here.  I loooove houses with neat architectural detail (unlike ours now) and this one definitely has it!!

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

Make It Mine Monday: Kitchens

I spend an unprecedented amount of time looking for a new house and/or new decorating ideas for various rooms in my (new) house.  HouseBeautiful is one of my favorite websites to window shop for ideas and pipedreams.  Go to the Photo Galleries tab and you'll see what I mean.  I'm learning alot about my decorating style (or, more importantly, what I would like it to be) by looking at all these pics.

I've decided that I'd like a more traditional kitchen...sort of old world Italian or something.  Not that I really know what that is. :)  Here are my top 3 choices from the HouseBeautiful slideshow:

LOVE the oversized and beautiful square rangehood in this one.  Love the color and the material and everything.  Awesome.

Love the stone and the rustic wood floor and cabinetry.  So rustic and old.

And this is IT people!!!  I could really LIVE in this kitchen.  I suppose I'd have to have a bathroom also, but look at this!  Look at that arched ceiling and that awesome tile backsplash.  I'm dying here...mostly because I'll NEVER be able to afford this.

So, if you're anything like me and like to dream, go to HouseBeautiful and take a gander.  You can look at kitchens, bathrooms, living and bedrooms...you name it, they've got it.  What do you want on this lovely Monday?

Make It Mine Monday

Mondays suck.  We all know this.  But what makes me feel better on Monday is online shopping.  And then dreaming that I can actually afford what I look at online.  It's a blast.  And so was born a new weekly entry:  Make It Mine Monday.  And then one day when I have a zillion dollars, I'll just refer to all these entries.

Carmen Marc Valvo - Ruched Charmeuse Dress.  Me likey.  You know, for all of my fabulously formal occasions.  Atleast it's black and crayons won't show up on it.  I think every woman should have this dress.

(I'd just show you a picture, but I can't find one that will allow me to put it on the blog.)

Five For Friday: Handbags

Yep.  You read that right. 

When I was young, I was never into accessories.  I really still am not into accessories.  I wear the same 6 earrings everyday.  And that's not six pair...that's six TOTAL for the six holes in my ears.  I wear necklaces on the weekends and I wear my wedding ring.  The exception to that is my major soft spot for expensive handbags.  And these are the newest ones that make my skirt fly up...

1. Coach Poppy Floral Graffiti Bella Tote.  I...must...have. 

2. Valentino Rouched Petal Zip Satchel.  So flowy and fun.

3. Burberry Knotted Leather Hobo.  Oh. My. God.

4. Lockheart Lizzette Zop Code Bag.  I LOVE apple green.  It is probably my favorite color.

5. Fossil Isla Hobo.  In turquoise.  Beautiful.  And the most affordable.  Chris wouldn't miss $188.00 out of our savings, right?  RIGHT?!?

What makes your skirt fly up?

Gimme a head of hair...

...but maybe not long and beautiful YET. My hair is in bad shape. I mean bad. I'm not sure you know the extent of what I'm saying. It is dry and damaged and breaks off all the time. It falls out by the handfuls. Yuck. And I need something new.

I LOVE my hair long and layered. Like this...

That pic is from Christmas of last year before I stopped breastfeeding and my hair was cooperating. Sorry for the bad pic quality, but it's the only pic I have available at the moment that is a good representation of my hair. I love my hair that way. It is easy to deal with curly or straight and I have alot of options with it that way. The problem is that it looks like shit that way if your hair is damaged and in need of lopping off.

So, I pretty much know that my hair person is going to tell me that I need to go shorter (maybe significantly) to get my hair back into shape. And now I can't decide how to get it cut. There is this way...

This was a few years ago at my friend's wedding. That was the first time I got my hair cut short and I loved it. Still had options, but didn't have an option for a ponytail...which can be good and bad. Anyhoo, I did like it that way. But it's short.

I went to a medium length that was the same idea as my long hair, but I hated it. It just didn't handle the same way as my long hair. It looked like this:

Doesn't it look crappy there?? And that's fixed up nicely. I just hated it. And I need something else.

So I'm thinking I want to go with something new. Maybe the ever-so-coveted angled bob. Or the Posh Spice/Victoria Beckham bob for those of you who follow the media. Sort of like this...

That's the idea anyway. I don't particularly like this certain haircut and I'm not sure if I could bring myself to cut it THAT short, but this is a good representation of the angled bob.

I do have naturally curly hair, so I need something that can work with that also. That's the main reason I'd like to have it a little longer, sort of like this length:

Maybe just a smidge shorter, but you get the idea. I've also researched what this sort of bob looks like curly. My hair seems to curl better when it's shorter, so I think something like this is totally doable:

Again, it would be a little longer, but the idea is there. I could even sponge-roll it at night and it would wave like this.

So, what do I do? I eventually want to have long hair again. If I get it cut now it would be grown out by Christmas of next year. My hair does grow fast, so I'm not worried about it if I do end up going shorter than I originally planned. What do y'all think? Go with how it was at my friend's wedding (something I KNOW I like) or go with something new? Any other suggestions? Thanks everyone!!