Friday, April 10, 2009
Playing around
Last weekend we had a baseball tournament in Alton. It was a little nippy, but there was lots of sunshine and they had a great playground. Both of these boys are in desperate need of a haircut. Neither of them like to get their hair cut so I dread the inevitable fight. Meanwhile, they will just look like ragamuffins. The day after I took these pictues, it snowed. Where is spring!!!!????
Saturday, April 04, 2009
I painted my counters! REALLY!
In the beginning, there were very ugly yellowish/greenish counters. Not the worst color I've ever seen, but close. However, said counters are in very good shape. No cracks and only a few very small dings. Could I have replaced them with inexpensive stock counters? Yes. But then I would have had to had help removing the sink, etc. and I didn't want to wait for that to happen. I can't do sink removal but I sure can paint! I did lots and lots of research. I found this very helpful website: THRIFTY FUN and read for hours. I took all the helpful hints and ideas into consideration and after months of debate, I decided to go for it.
The first step is cleaning your counters very well. I even used a degreaser just in case. However, a good cleaning with soap and water would be plenty. Then start taping everything off to protect your walls and cabinets. I was going for a granite look which requires lots and lots of paint spattering which is very messy. Then I put down a base coat using some leftover tan paint from our bathroom. It doesn't have to be perfectly perfect because you are going to add lots of paint on top of it. I didn't even use a primer, but you would need to if your counters had any sheen/shine left to them. After 30 years, mine had no shine left at all.
My weapons in the war against ugly: a kitchen scrub brush, some sea sponges, a sample of faux granite, and lots of pretty paint. I also used a cotton ball.
The very beginning of the spattering. I really studied that little granite sample and it appears to me that it was made up mostly of millions of little dots in varying colors and dimension plus some random shading, etc. I did a 12x12 inch sample board just to make sure I knew what I was doing when I liked what I saw, I made a mental note of what I did to make it look that way. In retrospect, I wish I would have actually made notes. Then, you have to just jump in and start spattering. It takes quite a bit of spattering to have any effect. Every once in a while, I would pat my finger here and there to make some of the spatters a little bigger. I think the trick is to be random. Don't pat every 3 inches! Think natural and free-form. I also used the sponges and cotton ball to add some texture/ soften it up a bit. There is no science to this--it is very hit and miss. I just kind of wing it until I like what I see. Yes, it made me nervous when it wasn't looking quite right. I kept the faith though...
Whew! Done. Well, maybe. I like to look at it for a while and see if there are spots I don't like, or that need a little more shading or some other fix. Wait, it still looks ugly next to that awful green paper I used to protect my wall. Let's get rid of that.
Definitely better without the green. I didn't want to paint that little 6 inch backsplash thing for 2 reasons: 1) I think it would have been hard to make it look right and 2) Even though I won't be fooling anyone into thinking this is real granite, real granite does not usually come with a little 6 inch backsplash. They look a little sponge-painty to me in this picture which is NOT what I want. However, it doesn't look that way up close--I swear!
Next up is the sealer. To me, this was the scary part. I had to keep thinking, "What is the worse that could happen!?" Hmmm......yes, I could think of plenty of bad stuff but onward I marched! I used Envirotex Lite which I bought at Hobby Lobby. It took 4 quart size boxes and I bought them one at a time with 40% off coupons which made them about $17.00 each. It's not cheap, but it's still less than replacing those counters. (It is a product that is used on bartops/tables, etc. and it is sold at craft stores and hardware stores.)
The butane lighters are to get the bubbles out. The directions recommend a propane torch but that sounded a little dangerous to me. However, now I'm thinking it would have been better to use it so I could cover more area.
Please read these tips so you can benefit from the wisdom of my experience. (That's a fancy way of saying "Don't make the same mistakes I did!")
- Paint your entire counter at the same time. My counter is in 3 separate parts. I painted the smallest part 2 weeks before the 2nd 2 parts assuming I would remember how I got it to look the way it did. Oops. It was impossible to get the exact same "granite" effect 2 weeks later. Luckily, they are far enough apart that most folks wouldn't notice. Except now, everyone will because I just broadcasted my mistake.
- Plan way ahead. You will not be able to put anything on your counters for at least 3 days which may affect your meal planning.
- Mix the Envirotex in a BIG bucket and then pour the mixture into a container with a spout. I poured from my bucket and it was way too hard to control where it went. I would also use a turkey baster to get into the little spots--like behind the sink--and to keep putting it back onto the sides of the counter as it slides off.
- Wear gloves--and have spare gloves around when the first ones get sticky. Don't let it get on your skin!!!!! My hands got all red, dry and sticky and they hurt a bit. (The direction clearly tell you to wear gloves, but I always feel like they are huge and I don't have much precision. I wish I had just taken the time to find some gloves that fit.)
-Wear an apron--not a cute one. One you don't mind getting mucked up. And if you have long hair, put it in a pony. Seriously.
- TAKE YOUR TIME!!!! The edges are hard to do. I wish I would have just sat in front of them for a half hour and just kept using a sponge brush to put the Enviro back on when it dripped off. I kind of just let it go and it shows.
-Don't start pouring the Enviro at 5:00 p.m. when your family is going to start begging for dinner at 5:05. Making that silly mistake made me rush the job.
- My final result is far from perfect but I HATED my counters to begin with and now I LOVE them. That is close enough to perfect for me.
You can see the whole kitchen makeover HERE.
****EDITED ON JUNE 6, 2009****
DURABILITY:
I've had my counters done for about 2 months now. They are still holding up great. I've noticed that directly on one of the edges--where the horizontal meets the vertical--it's gettting a little banged up. There are some tiny, tiny little spots that seem to have worn down to where I had to put some paint on a toothpick and re-touch. Then I cover it with clear fingernail polish. These are teeny, tiny spots and I think I just didn't get it covered very well with the Enviro in the first place.
You cannot place a hot pan/dish directly onto these counters. I would never do that with laminate either, though. And did you know that granite is porous and can explode if you place a hot pan/dish directly on it? I do, however, leave my crock pot, rice cooker, toaster and coffee maker directly on it and they get pretty hot and I've never noticed any damage or even softening of the counters. If you cut directly on it, it will leave marks--which will come out, but still, don't do it. That's what cutting boards are for.
CLEANLINESS:
I have been using the Clorox Anywhere spray on them for daily cleaning and Windex when I need to shine them up. I'm assuming the Enviro is food-safe because it is a product that is used for bar tops. I'm not at all worried about my kids eating a cookie that has been sitting on the counter for a few hours. They don't lick the counters--as far as I know--so I'm confident that we are safe. If you are concerned, I would recommend finding a customer service # and asking the manufacturer.
The first step is cleaning your counters very well. I even used a degreaser just in case. However, a good cleaning with soap and water would be plenty. Then start taping everything off to protect your walls and cabinets. I was going for a granite look which requires lots and lots of paint spattering which is very messy. Then I put down a base coat using some leftover tan paint from our bathroom. It doesn't have to be perfectly perfect because you are going to add lots of paint on top of it. I didn't even use a primer, but you would need to if your counters had any sheen/shine left to them. After 30 years, mine had no shine left at all.
My weapons in the war against ugly: a kitchen scrub brush, some sea sponges, a sample of faux granite, and lots of pretty paint. I also used a cotton ball.
The very beginning of the spattering. I really studied that little granite sample and it appears to me that it was made up mostly of millions of little dots in varying colors and dimension plus some random shading, etc. I did a 12x12 inch sample board just to make sure I knew what I was doing when I liked what I saw, I made a mental note of what I did to make it look that way. In retrospect, I wish I would have actually made notes. Then, you have to just jump in and start spattering. It takes quite a bit of spattering to have any effect. Every once in a while, I would pat my finger here and there to make some of the spatters a little bigger. I think the trick is to be random. Don't pat every 3 inches! Think natural and free-form. I also used the sponges and cotton ball to add some texture/ soften it up a bit. There is no science to this--it is very hit and miss. I just kind of wing it until I like what I see. Yes, it made me nervous when it wasn't looking quite right. I kept the faith though...
Whew! Done. Well, maybe. I like to look at it for a while and see if there are spots I don't like, or that need a little more shading or some other fix. Wait, it still looks ugly next to that awful green paper I used to protect my wall. Let's get rid of that.
Definitely better without the green. I didn't want to paint that little 6 inch backsplash thing for 2 reasons: 1) I think it would have been hard to make it look right and 2) Even though I won't be fooling anyone into thinking this is real granite, real granite does not usually come with a little 6 inch backsplash. They look a little sponge-painty to me in this picture which is NOT what I want. However, it doesn't look that way up close--I swear!
Next up is the sealer. To me, this was the scary part. I had to keep thinking, "What is the worse that could happen!?" Hmmm......yes, I could think of plenty of bad stuff but onward I marched! I used Envirotex Lite which I bought at Hobby Lobby. It took 4 quart size boxes and I bought them one at a time with 40% off coupons which made them about $17.00 each. It's not cheap, but it's still less than replacing those counters. (It is a product that is used on bartops/tables, etc. and it is sold at craft stores and hardware stores.)
The butane lighters are to get the bubbles out. The directions recommend a propane torch but that sounded a little dangerous to me. However, now I'm thinking it would have been better to use it so I could cover more area.
Please read these tips so you can benefit from the wisdom of my experience. (That's a fancy way of saying "Don't make the same mistakes I did!")
- Paint your entire counter at the same time. My counter is in 3 separate parts. I painted the smallest part 2 weeks before the 2nd 2 parts assuming I would remember how I got it to look the way it did. Oops. It was impossible to get the exact same "granite" effect 2 weeks later. Luckily, they are far enough apart that most folks wouldn't notice. Except now, everyone will because I just broadcasted my mistake.
- Plan way ahead. You will not be able to put anything on your counters for at least 3 days which may affect your meal planning.
- Mix the Envirotex in a BIG bucket and then pour the mixture into a container with a spout. I poured from my bucket and it was way too hard to control where it went. I would also use a turkey baster to get into the little spots--like behind the sink--and to keep putting it back onto the sides of the counter as it slides off.
- Wear gloves--and have spare gloves around when the first ones get sticky. Don't let it get on your skin!!!!! My hands got all red, dry and sticky and they hurt a bit. (The direction clearly tell you to wear gloves, but I always feel like they are huge and I don't have much precision. I wish I had just taken the time to find some gloves that fit.)
-Wear an apron--not a cute one. One you don't mind getting mucked up. And if you have long hair, put it in a pony. Seriously.
- TAKE YOUR TIME!!!! The edges are hard to do. I wish I would have just sat in front of them for a half hour and just kept using a sponge brush to put the Enviro back on when it dripped off. I kind of just let it go and it shows.
-Don't start pouring the Enviro at 5:00 p.m. when your family is going to start begging for dinner at 5:05. Making that silly mistake made me rush the job.
- My final result is far from perfect but I HATED my counters to begin with and now I LOVE them. That is close enough to perfect for me.
You can see the whole kitchen makeover HERE.
****EDITED ON JUNE 6, 2009****
DURABILITY:
I've had my counters done for about 2 months now. They are still holding up great. I've noticed that directly on one of the edges--where the horizontal meets the vertical--it's gettting a little banged up. There are some tiny, tiny little spots that seem to have worn down to where I had to put some paint on a toothpick and re-touch. Then I cover it with clear fingernail polish. These are teeny, tiny spots and I think I just didn't get it covered very well with the Enviro in the first place.
You cannot place a hot pan/dish directly onto these counters. I would never do that with laminate either, though. And did you know that granite is porous and can explode if you place a hot pan/dish directly on it? I do, however, leave my crock pot, rice cooker, toaster and coffee maker directly on it and they get pretty hot and I've never noticed any damage or even softening of the counters. If you cut directly on it, it will leave marks--which will come out, but still, don't do it. That's what cutting boards are for.
CLEANLINESS:
I have been using the Clorox Anywhere spray on them for daily cleaning and Windex when I need to shine them up. I'm assuming the Enviro is food-safe because it is a product that is used for bar tops. I'm not at all worried about my kids eating a cookie that has been sitting on the counter for a few hours. They don't lick the counters--as far as I know--so I'm confident that we are safe. If you are concerned, I would recommend finding a customer service # and asking the manufacturer.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Ta Da......The "New" Kitchen
First I need to say that it is very, very hard to get good pictures of my home. I think I need a wide angle lense or a better camera--or some camera knowledge. That being said.....here it is....the long-awaited kitchen makeover! I swear it is much better in person. Honestly!
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
I also added moulding to the top of the cabinets to give them a little height and interest. I swear it makes my popcorn ceiling look higher.
And here's the biggie. My newly painted and sealed counters! Again, they look so much better in person. See how shiny they are!? LOVE 'em! Like Jack said, "Now they wook wike Twacy's and they feew wike Twacy's too!" (Tracy's are granite.) You, too can have fake-granite over your laminate because I am going to show you how to do it. But not until Saturday. ;-)
The grand total for this re-do: under $180.00 No joking! I will break it down for ya':
wall paint: $25.00
cabinet paint: $27.00
hinges: $16.00
moulding: $21.00
counter sealer: $68.00
valance & rings: $15.00
total: $172.00
I will be getting a new faucet, stainless over-the-range microwave and a stainless dishwasher in the near future and other stainless when and if the economy ever gets better. I also need to finish painting my table and chairs black. (They are almost done.) I also plan on adding some punches of color here and there, but haven't figured that out just yet. Overall, I LOVE what I've done and I would highly recommend going for it if you've ever thought about doing a makeover! I had been unhappy with my kitchen for a long time and then I saw what Emily from Chatting at the Sky had done and I was sold. Then she went and did it again at her new house! I don't mind saying that I completely took many of her ideas and put them in my house. I was also inspired by Emily's sister, Nester, whose motto: "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." was my mantra as I was pouring a gallon of goo on my counters and hoping not to saw a finger off when I was mitering moulding. Thanks girls for giving me just the kick in the pants that I needed!
Emily's inspiring kitchen.
BEFORE
AFTER
BEFORE
AFTER
I also added moulding to the top of the cabinets to give them a little height and interest. I swear it makes my popcorn ceiling look higher.
And here's the biggie. My newly painted and sealed counters! Again, they look so much better in person. See how shiny they are!? LOVE 'em! Like Jack said, "Now they wook wike Twacy's and they feew wike Twacy's too!" (Tracy's are granite.) You, too can have fake-granite over your laminate because I am going to show you how to do it. But not until Saturday. ;-)
The grand total for this re-do: under $180.00 No joking! I will break it down for ya':
wall paint: $25.00
cabinet paint: $27.00
hinges: $16.00
moulding: $21.00
counter sealer: $68.00
valance & rings: $15.00
total: $172.00
I will be getting a new faucet, stainless over-the-range microwave and a stainless dishwasher in the near future and other stainless when and if the economy ever gets better. I also need to finish painting my table and chairs black. (They are almost done.) I also plan on adding some punches of color here and there, but haven't figured that out just yet. Overall, I LOVE what I've done and I would highly recommend going for it if you've ever thought about doing a makeover! I had been unhappy with my kitchen for a long time and then I saw what Emily from Chatting at the Sky had done and I was sold. Then she went and did it again at her new house! I don't mind saying that I completely took many of her ideas and put them in my house. I was also inspired by Emily's sister, Nester, whose motto: "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." was my mantra as I was pouring a gallon of goo on my counters and hoping not to saw a finger off when I was mitering moulding. Thanks girls for giving me just the kick in the pants that I needed!
Emily's inspiring kitchen.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Kitchen update
I am working on the final touches--well, semi-final, to my kitchen. I am hoping to post the "after" pictures on Friday. Just to remind you, here is where we started. Actually, when we started out in the house 7 years ago, the cabinets were dark brown, the faux brick backsplash was peachyish with black faux soot marks???? and the floor was cream linoleum. I don't remember the light which means it was so bad that it was the first thing to go. The first color I painted the kitchen was red. And I painted the cabinets white. I loved the red, but with the yellow counters, it just gave me a McDonald's vibe. Then I painted the walls the ugliest shade of yellow you can imagine to match the counters. So, we are actually on our third reincarnation of the kitchen!
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Controlling Car Chaos
Check out Julie's great idea over at Tattered Threads and Willing Hands. She made a little car organizer. It is such a practical, simple idea and I just LOVE it! With a summer full of baseball games coming up, we really do LIVE in our car. I am determined to be more auto-organized this year and this is going to be one of the first things I do to make that happen. I sure do love bloggers and their great ideas!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
GOTCHA!
Do you know someone who is adopting from China--or really, anywhere? My friends, Angie and Jody, have a great idea for you. Check it out at Lil' Bow Peeps. And even if you aren't adopting, they have ADORABLE hair bows and accessories. I'm saying, if I had a girl.....she would have a GINORMOUS bow on her pretty little head everyday!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Key Lime Cove
As a little surprise for the boys, we went to Key Lime Cove in Gurnee yesterday. We also went to the Rainforest Cafe. I HIGHLY recommend Key Lime Cove if you are in the Chicago area. We have been to several indoor waterparks and this one was by far and away the best. It is new which is probably one of the reasons, but it is so clean and lovely. There were tons of staff to help out wherever you needed and TONS of stuff for the kids to do even when they weren't in the water. Honestly, a waterpark is wasted on Parker and Jack because they won't go down slides. We rode the lazy river 128 times. I don't actually know if it was that many, but it felt like it. Unfortunately, last night, Parker started complaining about his throat. Today, it got much worse and he actually wanted to go to the doctor. So, for the first time in his life, he has strep. He is still miserable, but hopefully the meds will kick in and take care of that. And, note to self, don't ever schedule a weekend getaway on the first weekend of the NCAA basketball tournament. Not if I want Travis to actually participate in our family activities anyway.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Good buys!
I had been wanting a mirror for my kitchen and I was going to try to wait until garage sale season but then I found this one at TJ Maxx. 
It was marked down to $10 because of a crack in the frame.
I think I can put some wood putty on that and fix it right up. It's a really nice mirror with beveled glass. Well, it's not super nice seeing how it was only $15 to begin with, but I like it's bulk
These are all my deals from Hobby Lobby today. Their clearance was 90% off! That's like shopping at a garage sale! All of this together was just under $25.00 You can't really tell in the picture, but it's all pretty large-scale stuff. I think I'm most excited about the fringed pillows. I will be covering the pillow part and keeping the fringe. They were originally $50 EACH! YIPES! Of course, Hobby Lobby always has them on sale for 50% off, so you would have gotten them for $25 each. But I paid $5 for each of them. The fringe alone, would have cost me more than that. Jack insisted on buying the fleur de lis thing because, "Dr. Clark has them in his office." O.K. It is growing on me. I will likely be painting most of this stuff--definitely the red urn. I love the shape but it's too bright. It's metal so my boys can't break it!
It was marked down to $10 because of a crack in the frame.
I think I can put some wood putty on that and fix it right up. It's a really nice mirror with beveled glass. Well, it's not super nice seeing how it was only $15 to begin with, but I like it's bulk
These are all my deals from Hobby Lobby today. Their clearance was 90% off! That's like shopping at a garage sale! All of this together was just under $25.00 You can't really tell in the picture, but it's all pretty large-scale stuff. I think I'm most excited about the fringed pillows. I will be covering the pillow part and keeping the fringe. They were originally $50 EACH! YIPES! Of course, Hobby Lobby always has them on sale for 50% off, so you would have gotten them for $25 each. But I paid $5 for each of them. The fringe alone, would have cost me more than that. Jack insisted on buying the fleur de lis thing because, "Dr. Clark has them in his office." O.K. It is growing on me. I will likely be painting most of this stuff--definitely the red urn. I love the shape but it's too bright. It's metal so my boys can't break it!
Friday, March 13, 2009
It runs in the family
We were definitely raised with a can-do spirit. Why buy it if you can make it yourself!? There is a fabulous, and I mean FABULOUS store near my sister called Three French Hens. We made a quick visit last weekend. I would have liked to stayed longer but we had the crew with us which makes lingering very difficult. I have to add, though, that the owners of the store are very, very welcoming to children. They give them a cup of animal crackers and make you feel like it won't matter if your kid breaks something. That's very gracious of them, don't you think? Anyway, Tracy spied this flower arrangement and fell in love with everything except the price tag of $300.00 (which is actually pretty darn reasonable for an arrangement of this size) but, why buy it if you can make it!?
So, she made a version that fit her table a little better. IT'S AWESOME! Don't you think!? I think she did a great job. She still spent quit a bit and that's with 1/2 off flowers and such but she did great!
So, she made a version that fit her table a little better. IT'S AWESOME! Don't you think!? I think she did a great job. She still spent quit a bit and that's with 1/2 off flowers and such but she did great!
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Lil' Bow Peeps
If you are going to the Hearts At Home conference this weekend, be sure to look for this sign. It's the one I made for Angie and Jody. It is much cuter in person and it is HUGE--24 x 48! They started a business called Lil' Bow Peeps and they make the cutest hair bows and accessories. If I had a little girl, I would have one of their bows on her everyday!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
The doctor's office
Just some random pictures of the boys playing outside on one of the only nice days we've had in the past 4 months.
-Jack had his kindergarten physical today. I forgot how very, very unpleasant that experience is for both my kid and me. Finger prick, TB test, and 3 shots. Yuck. I hate that look they give you when they are screaming in agony. It looks like, "Why are you holding me down and letting these people do this to me!?" Jack's little heart was just broken and it crushed me. I came closer to crying today at the doctor's office since the very first time Parker got a shot 7 1/2 years ago. It also made me send up a prayer of strength and comfort for all those mommy's and daddy's who have sick children who must endure this kind of event on a daily basis. On the bright side, this is the first time Jack has been to the doctor since his 3rd birthday. We are very blessed that neither of our kids has been sick (aside from an occasional cold/upset tummy) in well over a year. Trust me, I know how very blessed we are! I should add that normally I take my kids for a yearly visit to the doctor for a check-up. However, I skipped it last year with Jack because his birthday is in February which seems to be the height of cootie season and no way was I taking my healthy kid to the cootie-filled doctor office. By the way, he is in the 75th percantile in height and weight! That is just nuts! He is so skinny you can see his ribs!
-We aren't all that healthy, though, because as Parker was heading out the door for his ride to the bus stop, he said, "I think I'm going to throw up." And ran to the bathroom and did. No school for him today. He's had a little bit of a fever but other than being a little mopey, he seems fine.
-I told Jack he could buy whichever Lego he wanted at Target after the whole shot experience. Of course, he picked a big one. A big, expensive one. I cringed, but chalked it up to a sort of co-pay. He earned it, the poor little guy!
-I'm painting a big sign that will be at the Hearts At Home Conference this weekend and I'm pretty excited. Even though no one will know I painted it.
-My kitchen is almost complete and I will post pictures when it's done. It's close, I just need to make some final decisions.
-Jack had his kindergarten physical today. I forgot how very, very unpleasant that experience is for both my kid and me. Finger prick, TB test, and 3 shots. Yuck. I hate that look they give you when they are screaming in agony. It looks like, "Why are you holding me down and letting these people do this to me!?" Jack's little heart was just broken and it crushed me. I came closer to crying today at the doctor's office since the very first time Parker got a shot 7 1/2 years ago. It also made me send up a prayer of strength and comfort for all those mommy's and daddy's who have sick children who must endure this kind of event on a daily basis. On the bright side, this is the first time Jack has been to the doctor since his 3rd birthday. We are very blessed that neither of our kids has been sick (aside from an occasional cold/upset tummy) in well over a year. Trust me, I know how very blessed we are! I should add that normally I take my kids for a yearly visit to the doctor for a check-up. However, I skipped it last year with Jack because his birthday is in February which seems to be the height of cootie season and no way was I taking my healthy kid to the cootie-filled doctor office. By the way, he is in the 75th percantile in height and weight! That is just nuts! He is so skinny you can see his ribs!
-We aren't all that healthy, though, because as Parker was heading out the door for his ride to the bus stop, he said, "I think I'm going to throw up." And ran to the bathroom and did. No school for him today. He's had a little bit of a fever but other than being a little mopey, he seems fine.
-I told Jack he could buy whichever Lego he wanted at Target after the whole shot experience. Of course, he picked a big one. A big, expensive one. I cringed, but chalked it up to a sort of co-pay. He earned it, the poor little guy!
-I'm painting a big sign that will be at the Hearts At Home Conference this weekend and I'm pretty excited. Even though no one will know I painted it.
-My kitchen is almost complete and I will post pictures when it's done. It's close, I just need to make some final decisions.
Tuesday, March 03, 2009
Doughnutty Fun
Picture borrowed from here.I just saw the most adorable thing at Rhoda's Southern Hospitality blog. Her guest blogger says that you always remember the plates you grew up eating on. I think that's fairly true. I actually remember serving dishes more than the plates!? But that's beside the point. Anyway, her everyday dishes have a kind of rainbow pattern around the rim and she uses them specifically because she wants her kids to remember that happy pattern. How sweet! Dang, I use plain white plates. Sorry boys. I made these little doughnuts last night too. Sooooooo easy and fun. Next time I do them I think I will make glaze instead of the cinnamon sugar. Don't get me wrong, these were great, but I want to see how a glaze works. I would also only dip one side in butter--one side is plenty! Yummy! And Parker and Jack LOVED them.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Dollar Tree Validation
This is Eddie Ross. He was on Design Star or another show like that (didn't win) and I stumbled upon his blog recently. Check it out HERE. I didn't watch the show he was on, but I did see a commercial and he appeared to be an overbearing jerk (it could have been the editing). However, anyone who is willing to shop Dollar Tree and Goodwill to outfit a beautiful table is all right with me. I was already a big believer in Dollar Tree, but it's nice to see that someone who actually knows what they are doing thinks so too!
Sunday, March 01, 2009
Allstate, Jack's room and a sleepover
I love Allstate Insurance commercials. Their tag line is "that's our stand". Right now they are running one called "Back to Basics" and I love it. You can see it HERE, just click on "Back to Basics." They pull my heartstrings. However, I used to work for a personal injury attorney and one of the worst cases of insurance company abuse I've remember was committed by Allstate. We had a client who was a little old lady--about 75 years old, I believe. She was just driving along a main road one day when someone on a side road blew a stop sign and broadsided her. She broke her arm. The other driver was insured by Allstate who said that this little old lady was partially at fault so they would only be paying a portion of her car repairs and medical bills. They wanted something like a 60/40 split! Their reasoning was that in a phone interview, our client said that she didn't even see that other driver coming. Well, why would she!? The other driver was on a side road! I can't remember how that case ended but I'm pretty sure that her insurance ended up footing some of the bill--though I'm sure it wasn't the 40% that Allstate wanted. I learned a lot at that job. Some good and some bad.
Jack's room was clean for about 5 minutes before his birthday party so I took some pictures. He has informed me that he needs a big kid room now because he is 5. I don't know why he cares because he sleeps in the top bunk in Parker's room. I don't want to give up my last trace of little kid stuff! By the way, the castle poster by the bed is Jack's addition to the decor. ***edited*** Yep, this is the poster from the Eyewitness book. I'm tellin' ya', they LOVE those books!
We hosted our very first sleepover last night and it was a big success. NO bickering or fighting at all! Parker's buddy, Drew, came over and they did a great job of including Jack which was one of my concerns going into this. Drew has 2 older brothers so I think he is very sensitive to the needs of the "little brother." Whenever he is around, my own two kids don't even fight! Anyhoo, they didn't go to bed until 11:30 and now Parker is a whiny, crying brat. I wonder if he would take a nap!?
Jack's room was clean for about 5 minutes before his birthday party so I took some pictures. He has informed me that he needs a big kid room now because he is 5. I don't know why he cares because he sleeps in the top bunk in Parker's room. I don't want to give up my last trace of little kid stuff! By the way, the castle poster by the bed is Jack's addition to the decor. ***edited*** Yep, this is the poster from the Eyewitness book. I'm tellin' ya', they LOVE those books!
We hosted our very first sleepover last night and it was a big success. NO bickering or fighting at all! Parker's buddy, Drew, came over and they did a great job of including Jack which was one of my concerns going into this. Drew has 2 older brothers so I think he is very sensitive to the needs of the "little brother." Whenever he is around, my own two kids don't even fight! Anyhoo, they didn't go to bed until 11:30 and now Parker is a whiny, crying brat. I wonder if he would take a nap!?
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