Week 22 Assignment - More Organizing!!

Well, it looks like the Spring Cleaning Bug has bitten me too!  So this week I'm going to tackle my "Craft Closet"...a.k.a. The Little Princess's Bedroom Closet.  Currently, her closet is home to not only her clothes, but most of my Craft Crap, Photo Albums, Cameras, Office Supplies, and pretty much anything else I couldn't find a home for.  So this week, I'm going to try and get it organized and under control!  I did find some inspiration on Pinterest...

This is my personal favorite...I have a TON of fabric and it is currently in piles on the closet floor.  I just happened to buy a bunch of clip hangers at the Dollar Store the other day...

This one has me pretty excited too...especially since I'm about to buy a bunch of ribbon to make Princess Wands and Crowns for the Little Princess's birthday!  I wonder if the left over basket I have from my Pantry Make Over will work???

For the rest of my small, miscellaneous Craft Crap, I'm thinking of using this rolling plastic drawer set like this that I found in our side yard...guess the Hubs used to use it for work.

And if I can figure it out...I'm going to try something like this for my mountain of punches...

Guess it's official...Spring has Sprung!!  :)  Let's hope the Bug doesn't wear off any time soon!  Wish me luck and see you next week!!

Week 21 Assignment - If I could just finish the bathroom!!

The good news around here is my kids are growing up into cute, polite, happy little people!  The bad news is, I think nap time is a thing of the past...for both of them!  :(  But I'm determined to figure out a way to get the things I want to accomplish done.  A friend of mine, who I am in constant awe of, manages to work a full time job, be an amazing mom, and be one of the craftiest people I know so I know it's possible!  She just doesn't sleep!  :)

So as a test, I am going to try and finish caulking and painting the new "crown molding" in the guest bathroom once and for all!  Since it's been a while, here's a reminder of what I was hoping to accomplish AGES ago...

I am going to caulk all the seams and paint with a high gloss paint.  Since I can't use my favorite Glidden Trim & Door because the instructions for the foam molding say in large, bold print "USE WATER-BASED LATEX PAINT ONLY!!"  I'm going to give Floetrol a try.

It is supposed to eliminate brush marks in latex paint by extending the drying time...pretty much what the Glidden Trim & Door paint does but without the oil based formula.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one...if it does work the possibilities are ENDLESS!!  :)  Since the Glidden only comes in a handful of colors, if this works it may be the solution to the shiny turquoise front door of my dreams!!

See you next week!!  Wish me luck!

Week 20 Assignment - What happened to my house????

Apparently, spending two weeks making pool noodle Lightsabers and Wookie Cookies leaves one's home looking like a fraternity house after Spring Break!  I'm always amazed at how much filth two adults, two kids, and three dogs can muster without even trying!  Needless to say, I feel the need to CLEAN!!!!  So this week, I've decided to try a few tips and tricks I've seen on Pinterest that seem just a little too good to be true, hoping it will turn my house sparkly clean again!!

Here's one that caught my eye from Ask Anna, one of my favorite blogs when it comes time to clean...

Definitely going to give it a try once I get the floors clean enough to not take a whole day to "spot clean"!  :)

Here's another one that I find intriguing!!  I HATE cleaning the bathroom...it's up there with having surgery without anesthesia!!  So I think I'm going to try doing this once a week once I give it a good cleaning...Efficiently clean a bathroom using 3 paper towels??? I'm in!!!

Now to get the bathroom clean enough to even attempt the 3 paper towel system, I think I'm going to give this tip from Joyful Homemaking for removing mineral deposits around faucets...

And this one on how to clean a porcelain sink from The 36th Avenue...

And for the Pièce de résistance...another little gem from Ask Anna to get rid of that "Boy Bathroom Smell" which is especially necessary for the Hubs bathroom (i.e. the Master Bath)...

Once I have the bathroom under control, I think I'm going to tackle some long neglected friends...my ceiling fans!  I'm dying to see if this really works...and if it's really as easy as Real Simple makes it out to be...

And I'm going to see if I can get my stainless steel stovetop clean once and for all using this tip from One Good Thing...

This should keep me busy for the week!  :)  Once it's all done, I'm going to see if this little beauty from Organizing Made Fun is going to change my life...

I'll keep you posted!  :)  Wish me luck!!  See you next week!

Week 18 & 19 Assignment - May the FORCE be with me!

The countdown to B-Man's Birthday Party has begun!!  So this week, I plan on getting the favors out of the way as well as get as much prepared for the party as I can!!  First big project...LIGHTSABERS!!  I found this on Pinterest and figured it was a perfect way for 5 year olds to hone their Jedi Skills without hurting eachother!  :)

Thanks to a trip to the Dollar Tree, I grabbed 30 pool noodles for $1/each!!  I'm hoping cutting them in half and wrapping them with tape won't be a huge pain in the butt!!

I found this link on how to make a "Death Star Pinata"...yes, I am insane!!

I'm also going to make food labels using a cool Star Wars font I found.  Here's a look at my proposed menu:

Ackbar’s Snack Bar
“Sith Snaks” – Takis (Crazy Spicy Corn Chip Tubes that I am absolutely addicted to!!)
“Rebel Treats” – Cheese Puffs
“Droid Parts” – square pretzels and pretzel stick mix
“Wookie Cookies” – chocolate chip cookies
“Slurp Sabers” – Gogurt
“Fruit Sabers with Darth Maul Dip” - fruit kebabs with my favorite "Crepe Creme" for dipping

Mos Eisley Cantina – 

“Yoda Soda” - 3/4 cup limeade, 1/2 cup sparkling water, 1 scoop lime sherbet

“Padme Punch” – Fruit Punch

“Boss Lyonie Lemonade” - Lemonade

"Mon Cala Water" (If I have time and can figure it out, make labels for the water bottles?)

Pizza the Hut – (Gotta love Costco!!)

“Padawan Pepperoni”

“Chewbacca Cheese”

“Count Dooku Combo”

And of course..."Obi-Wan Kenobi Oreo Cupcakes"!!  

I'm going to be realistic and give myself two weeks to get everything done, so I'll see you after the party!  This time, I'll remember to take pictures!!  :)

Week 17 Assignment - Back to Work!!

So, now that I'm rested and relaxed (yeah, right!!) I think I'm ready to get back to work on the bathroom.  My main goal for the week is to get the "Crown Molding" caulked and painted, but I'm struggling with how best to deal with all the seams.  So I'm going to try one (in the back of the bathroom above the bathtub) using caulking and a second using spackle.  I'm thinking the spackle will sand down better and help be bridge the gaps between some of the more uneven seams, but I just don't know.  Regardless, I have to get this done so wish me luck!

I'm also going to try and get some decorating done in the bathroom.  I bought some canvases when they were buy one get one free at Michaels a few weeks back and want to use my cool stencil I used on the cabinet door in there to make some "art".  I started one...

I sure hope it works!!!  See you next week!

Week 16 Assignment - I think I need a week off!! :)

After the last two weeks, I can honestly say I have zero motivation to do anything but "Un-Party" my house.  So, instead of giving myself an assignment that I know I won't finish...I think I'm just going to try and get caught up on my Spring Cleaning (I'm still finding things in strange places...the day after the party I found a full cup of beer in Brenna's doll house and a dirty diaper at the foot of Bradan's bed.  I'm not sure which is more disturbing!!).  If I get the bug by the end of the week, I may give this "Mercury Glass" Tutorial I found at Katies Rose Cottage a try to turn a few Dollar Store wonders into something fabulous...but I'm not making any promises!!  :)

See you next week!!  :)

Week 14 Assignment - My "Crown"-ing Achievement?

With my new invincibility in tow, I'm finally going to tackle installing the crown molding in the Guest Bathroom!  As I mentioned before,  it isn't your traditional crown molding.  It's made of foam and is installed using adhesive caulking.  They also pre-cut your corners for you.   I found it at Creative Crown a year ago and have been dying to give it a try!  I ordered samples a while back and decided to go with the pre-primed molding because it has a much smoother finish.  It's been sitting in my garage for months and it's definitely time to get it up on the walls!!

When I finally opened the box there was a piece of paper in it that said in big, bold letters..."USE WATER-BASED LATEX PAINT ONLY!!"  So much for my favorite Glidden Trim & Door Paint!! Guess this gives me a chance to give a product I found on Pinterest a try...

It's called Floetrol and it's a paint additive that is supposed to eliminate brush marks in latex paint by extending the drying time...pretty much what the Glidden Trim & Door paint does but without the oil based formula.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one...if it does work the possibilities are ENDLESS!!  :)

See you next week!!  Wish me luck!

Week 13 Assignment - I will finish this bathroom too...I WILL, I WILL, I WILL!!!

So here I am...back in the bathroom again!!  (For the proper effect, say that phrase to the tune of "Back in the Saddle Again".)  But I'm confident this weeks project won't turn into my Week 13 Assignment as well.  How can I be so sure, you ask?  Well, because I'm sick and tired of it being half done!  Plus, I'm giving myself a smaller assignment!!  And if I finish it, I'm going to get started on my assignment for the next week.  Sneaky, I know...but I am a little gun shy after my last assignment.  :)

So what am I going to do this week??  I'm going to install the trim around the bathtub that I promised WEEKS AGO! I found this "Miter-less Trim" at Home Depot and am going to use it to frame in the tub surround...and cover up all the drywall damage we have.

And I'm using some of the things I've learned along the way to make sure it goes smoothly.  House of Fara who makes the trim has a great tutorial section on their website, so I'm going to use their "How to Install Window Trim" tutorial as a guide.  And since the Glidden Trim Paint I have come to love takes FOREVER to dry, I'm going to paint the trim after I install it.  I know it goes against my husband's (and probably everyone else's) recommendation, but since there still isn't room in the garage to paint it in place I'm going for it! I'm going to use the tips I found on Ask Anna to make sure my paint lines are perfect so hopefully the hubs won't be able to say "I told you so!"  And the best part??  I get to play with power tools again!!  :)  Wish me luck!!  See you next week...

Week 11 Assignment - SHHHHHH!!!

After the mayhem of the last few weeks, I hate to do this...but this week's assignment is going to be a secret until it's done.  Why??  Well, the main reason is I'm tackling something well outside my comfort zone and I'm not exactly sure I can pull it off.  Considering my track record lately I figure it's better to be safe than sorry!  :)  I'll give you one hint, though...it's outside!!

Check back next week to see how I did!  Wish me luck!!  This time I think I'm really going to need it!

Week 8 Assignment - Back to the Bathroom!

So now that I'm done with my "Kindergarten Homework", I'm ready to get back to work on my Guest Bathroom.  I've decided to concentrate on finishing the functional aspects of the reno before doing the fun stuff, so I'm painting the mirror and storage cabinet this week, as well as doing two more crates like the ones I did for the Master Bath over the toilet.  Why paint the mirror and storage cabinet you ask??  Well, I'll let them speak for themselves...

Let's start with the mirror...I have HATED this mirror ever since we moved in.  To be honest, the mirror itself isn't so bad, but the finish is definitely not my style.  It's kind of bronze with some red stripes and a little silver on top???  Yuck!!  So it's going to get a couple of coats of primer followed by some dark brown spray paint ("Dark Walnut" to be exact) and a little of my silver glaze for some sparkle!  :)  Sure hope it turns out because I really don't want to have to explain to the Hubs that we need a new mirror!

Now for the cabinet...I have also HATED this since we moved in eight years ago but never knew what to do to it to make it better and didn't want to spend money on a new one since I was hoping we'd totally "professionally" remodel the bathroom so it wouldn't be necessary anymore.  Now that I'm tired of waiting for the latter, looks like I'm going to have to get creative!  I'm hoping that with a little paint and a new door pull it might have a little life left in it.  I may even try something I found on Pinterest to liven it up a bit.  What do you think??

This is a picture from a tutorial called "How to Revamp Your Bookshelf" from TheNest.com and I'm kind of digging the idea of using wallpaper on the back to give it some color.  (Just not THAT wallpaper!!)  Now to figure out where to buy wallpaper!  :)  I'm also thinking of replacing the glass with something else but haven't come up with what yet...Any ideas???

I think that's going to keep me pretty busy this week...Wish me luck!!  See you next week!

Week 7 Assignment - Kindergarten "Homework"

 As some of you already know, my son, Bradan, is on the waiting list for the Mandarin Immersion Kindergarten next fall through our school district.  We are supposed to find out this Friday if they will be adding a second class and if he has a spot.  We have been on pins and needles since we found out we didn't win the "lottery" for a spot in the first class last December.  There are two things that adding the second class are contingent upon - 1) finding a teacher and 2) FUNDING!!  Since there was really nothing I could do to help with finding a teacher, I decided to focus my efforts on the latter.  I volunteered to make pillowcase dresses for an upcoming fundraiser and I need to turn them in this Friday.  Nothing like procrastination!!  :)  But no worries, I have an amazing pattern with detailed instructions I found on Etsy a couple of years back that have helped me become a Pillowcase Dress Diva!  She now has her EZ Pillowcase Dress patterns on her own website and I can tell you it's well worth the $4.99 for the pattern!  Here are some of my past creations...

My plan is to make sets with a dress in size 6 and a matching doll dress.  I promised two sets but I'm hoping I can sew like the wind and make three of four.  Let's hope this week is a better week for naps!!  :)

Week 6 Assignment - One Bathroom Down...One To Go!

Now that the Master Bath doesn't make me want to cry, I think it's time to tackle the Guest Bath.  I definitely have some challenges with this one...It is long and narrow with no windows and absolutely NOOOOO storage space!  And did I mention that the plaster is falling off the walls in chunks where it meets up with the tub?  Don't know what I'm going to do about that yet...so let's concentrate on what I am going to do!

To give you a frame of reference, here are some "before" pictures:

I know, I know...YIKES!!  

For my color palette, I browsed Design Seeds and decided on Color Lab (which ironically was posted on my 40th Birthday!):

Finding towels in the darker teal color and the green was a piece of cake, but I really wanted the darker gray color for my paint color and just couldn't find a match by eyeing it.  Luckily, I stumbled across two amazing tools that can take your picture and tell you the corresponding paint colors that appear in it!  The first one I found (and my favorite) is the Behr Color Smart app for iPhone.  Just click on any portion of a picture and it gives you the equivalent Behr paint color.  It isn't 100% accurate but it worked just fine for me and helped me find "Elk Horn" for my wall color.  Sherwin Williams has a similar web based tool - Chip It , but it doesn't work on mobile devices...at least not yet.  Chip It is a little different in that it doesn't let you choose a specific color in the photo but instead matches the colors it can, and when I tried to Chip It with the Color Lab photo it didn't have a match for the darker gray.  But between the two I imagine you can find whatever color tickles your fancy!

I'm also going to install "Crown Molding" in the Guest Bath!  Before you think Tracy's power tool tutorials have gone to my head, I should tell you it isn't your traditional crown molding.  It's made of foam and is installed using adhesive caulking.  They also precut your corners for you.   I found it at Creative Crown a year ago and have been dying to give it a try!  I ordered samples a while back and decided to go with the pre-primed molding because it has a much smoother finish.  It's supposed to arrive today!!

 If it works well in the Guest Bath my plan is to gradually do the rest of the house, since the only room that currently has crown molding is the infamous Master Bath.

I have more in store for the Guest Bathroom, but I think this is enough for this week.  The rest you'll just have to stay tuned for!  See you next week!

Week 5 Assignment - More Organization and Power Tool Fun

After last weeks DIY-a-thon, I think I'm going to take it easy this week...but I still have a couple of projects up my sleeve!

First, I'm going to get rid of the charger cord disaster that is my kitchen counter thanks to an idea I found on Pinterest from Better Homes and Gardens.

The bread box they show in the picture retails for around $70...and I couldn't find another stainless steel one that didn't look HUGE, so off to eBay I went and found this little wonder.

I'm hoping I can sand it and stain it the color of our kitchen cabinets...maybe with a little black glaze just for fun.  Wish me luck!

I'm also going to take advantage of my good friend Tracy and her power tools again to make this planter box from Shanty 2 Chic for my kitchen window sill.

There's a pretty funny story behind this one!  One of my closest friends, Terri, made a comment to Tracy (Bob Vila with Boobs) at my birthday party a couple of weeks back that it wasn't fair that I got to take advantage of all of Tracy's Built-It-Yourself-Talents because I lived closer to Tracy than she did.  So Tracy, being Tracy, offered to help both of us build this when she saw we both pinned it on Pinterest.  Final result of the conversation...Terri is coming down with her kids on Friday for a dual play date at my house!  Her kids and mine will play with eachother while Terri, Tracy and I play with saws!  :)  I can't wait!

Week 4 Assignment - I will finish the Master Bath...I WILL, I WILL, I WILL!!!

If you saw last week's results you know I still have some work to do in the Master Bath.  First priority...something to put above the toilet that will provide additional storage and be adorable!  A couple of weeks ago I saw this on Pinterest and haven't been able to get it out of my head.

It's from a wonderful tutorial at Retropolitan and I can't wait to give it a try!  I'm thinking two...maybe three crates should do the trick!

I'm also going to try and get all the trim in the bathroom painted...something I absolutely HATE doing! But I keep hearing about this amazing new paint that covers in one coat without streaks or drips and doesn't leave any brush marks so I'm going to give it a whirl!

And if that isn't enough, I have a surprise project in the Master Bath that I'm hoping to tackle this week if the UPS gods don't let me down.  Guess I'm trying to make up for last week!  :)  See you soon!!

Week 3 Assignment - Another Honey Do and Some Fun Too!

So I guess I need to confess that I've been re-doing our Master Bath for a while now...let's just say it's been too long!  But the finish line is on the horizon and there is just one item left on my Honey Do List and I'm going to tackle it this week.  I need to finish repainting the above-the toilet cabinet.  I say finish because thanks to some less than helpful advice from my friends at the Depot, I'm having to do it all over again just as I did with the vanity.  The vanity was truly a nightmare...the first time the side peeled off completely in two pieces, so I'm hoping this tutorial at Altar'd Designs will help.  Man I wish I had found this before I painted them the first time!!

And now for the fun!!  I recently got my best friend, Tracy, addicted to Pinterest and when I found this adorable family sign tutorial at Every Creative Endeavor (one of my favorite blogs!!) she said..."When are we doing this??" 

This is especially huge because Tracy (as far as I'm concerned she's "Bob Vila with Boobs") is my Power Tool Princess!  She can build anything she puts her mind to.  I, on the other hand, have a garage full of power tools (thanks to the hubs and his yet unfulfilled desire to become a woodworker) but have NO idea how to use them!   So, wish me luck and see you next week!!

Week 2 Assignment - Getting My Cooking Act Together

To tell you a little about me...I LOVE cooking but I can't seem to get it together enough to plan all my meals for a week and do all the shopping all at once.  Don't know why but I can do it for a couple of meals at a time but always end up going to the grocery store 2 to 3 times a week!  So I'm hoping with a beautiful new Menu Board like the one in this WhipperBerry Tutorial I might be able to pull off my menu planning a week at a time...

I don't have a gorgeous cabinet like this one to use, so I think I will do it on a panel of our door to the garage.    It could definitely need a face lift!

Time to head to Home Depot and Michaels to get my supplies...and dust off the Cricuit!  Wish me luck and hope to see you next week!

Week 1 Assignment - Getting Organized

Well, now that the new year is here, my first assignment is to try and get the toy situation in our house under control.  Since Christmas our house has looked like a Toys R Us threw up all over it and enough is enough!  :)  I found this project on Pinterest and I think it's a winner!

Currently our kids, Bradan (4) and Brenna (2) have separate rooms, but we are thinking of moving them into the same room and making the other bedroom a "playroom" (that being said...if anyone has any insight/advice on room sharing I'd love to hear it!) so I plan on making Bradan's in a blue and brown theme (which matches his current room) and Brenna's pink and brown (which matches hers) so if we do combine rooms they will coordinate well.  I found this fabulous tutorial from Laura Gunn at Paint in My Hair so I'm hoping it ends up being as easy as it sounds!  Wish me luck!!  See you next week!