Sunday is Funday

Now, Sundays around here are usually pretty laid back. The hubby goes into work at 4:30pm and works a 12 hr night shift so he doesn't get to put Raleigh to bed like usual. Which means this is mommy & daughter night!!! We turn off the TV & just roam around. We read books, throw books, play tag, hide-n-go seek, and be a little louder than normal. ;)

Today, I got brought waffles for breakfast while I was working (4am-12:30). Plus I got a few surprise visits from Raleigh when daddy would pop in because he knows I just like to see her sometimes. Seeing her smile makes all those terrible calls so much better.

Side note: all you folks who order off TV, be nice to the sales rep on the phone. They get crappy calls all the time. Be the one they remember as the highlight of their day.

We have a tradition on Sunday afternoon; we go eat Mexican food. Kind of weird, but hey who turns down something that delicious! It got started because after church we would go to the Mexican restaurant, then I had to start working first shift, but we still went to Mexican. Is it bad that the waiters know exactly what you want to order & know if you miss a week??? I call it being a loyal customer. ;)

Anywho, after Mexican we brought our sleepy, full baby home to take her afternoon nap. She knocked out so hard you would've thought that we gave her NyQuil. 2 hours of peace. I got some dishes done, laundry in, and then set up my pre-draft for my family fantasy football league.

Ms Raleigh woke up just in time to say bye to daddy. We always wave bye on the porch. This time I rushed us back in when I saw a massive, suspicious spider by the door. Reminder: get hubby to kill it in the morning or no steak for dinner! I am always afraid they are going to jump at me when I lean down to smash them to bits. Once daddy left the fun could begin!

First: LUNCH

This little pouty face was because momma wasn't feeding her fast enough. She has a 6th sense for when I'm making food.

 Next: ROOM REORGANIZING (on both our parts)

Peek-a-boo momma!

 Those are dirty little feet from crawling everywhere. Child just walk already!

 Can you tell she loves her blankie? I bought two because she loves it so much. Here it is blanket

Being lazy while we play

We learned how to close doors a few weeks ago. She thinks it's so funny.

Now as my baby girl snoozes away, I can't help but ask myself...How long will she want to play with mommy? I am going to try to keep her a happy, healthy, sweet girl for as long as I can. 

I am also very excited because my hubby has agreed to help me paint Ms. Raleigh's room!!!! I usually have to undergo big projects alone or with very minimal help, but we had to move the baby monitor today. Which got him to move the crib, then we slowly got into maybe changing the room around, then into painting. I got him to agree to help, but we'll see how that holds up. That post is hopefully soon to come. ;) 

Playtime Pictures

I take so many pictures of Raleigh everyday when she is playing. I end up having to delete a lot at the end of the day after I upload them just to have enough room for tomorrow. So yes, I am the picture crazy mom at the parties that you want to take the camera from & throw it across the room. I'm nice enough to keep the flash off though ;). These are 2 days of pictures with Ms Raleigh on my "weekend" off work which is Tuesday & Wednesdays. I'm not lucky like most of the country & get off the actual weekend. Raleigh is standing on her own more & more everyday. It scares her to stand on her own but the kid can fearlessly be thrown into the air or flipped onto a bed. She obviously doesn't have my fear of heights, another thing like her daddy *eye roll*. Everyday is a new adventure with her. She is learning something new on a daily basis. I tell her she is a smart girl & praise her when she's good. I think girls should hear that they are smart just as much (if not more) as they hear that they are beautiful.

Oh if you can't tell by now, I do love black & white pictures. They are timeless. I also am IN LOVE with her baby sweatpants. She now has 3 pairs in navy, green, & gray. It was nice they were on sale & I used a coupon. Who doesn't love to save money?!

These capture those blue eyes so well. I joke with my husband saying that she's not mine because I don't have blue eyes & she doesn't look like me at all very often. I carried her for 9 months so I know that there's me in there somewhere.

Hope you liked seeing my little one being her crazy self. She's everywhere & into everything, but that's okay she keeps me on my toes. Now to get her off hers. We are practicing standing flat footed & she doesn't like it at all. I have to distract her with a yellow tin pail to make her stand alone. I love every minute of it. :)

                                

Repurposed Crates into Cabinets

Living in the country you fall in love with certain things & want to use them in different way & places: Like mason jars, baskets, & crates. If any of you know me then you know I get bored with decor & want to change it often. From repainting, new furniture, or just wall stuff being switched out. I love updating pieces that are boring or plain into something that's unique & instantly eye catching.

I went to Michael's in search of some unfinished crates...i know not Hobby Lobby! That's my usual go to place. I was so surprised at how many different sizes they had & at good prices plus a 40% coupon which is always a winner! I love me some coupons! 

After a long debate on sizes I finally chose 2  

I knew I already had some stain at the house that was intended for a vanity redo, but I haven't gotten that adventurous yet. I'm just terrified of ruining my vanity  waiting for the right time. Anyways, I love dark wood & would have it through my whole house if I could, so I chose some dark stain: Mona for Rust-o-leum. 

First, be prepared to get stain on you. My first stroke splattered satin all over my hand; by the end of the project it was even on my forehead! I just barely tipped the brush with stain & usually went with the grain, but that doesn't matter. After about 5 minutes on each side, wipe off the excess with a rag & make sure you go WITH THE GRAIN! You have to go with the grain or you will see the stain lines. 

I didn't want a glossy coat & it wasn't going to be outside so I didn't do the polyurethane coat like I usually do. I wanted it to look worn & aged so I didn't mind if the color wasn't perfect all over either. 

I let it dry, which only took about 15 minutes. To get that distressed, worn look I damaged it with hammer, chain, & screwdriver. Just put some dents & scratches in there. I can tell you that I am again in love. I knew I would like the color, but I can't get over seeing it on there. AMAZING! Makes me want to jump into that bathroom or kitchen.

I finally got some brackets for these and of course my hubby comes up with a better & cheaper way to mount them. NAILS! Why didn't i think of that? I'll say because it's simple & I complicate things lol. So we got them the level we wanted, put 2 nails in for each crate then just placed the nails between the top slits and perfection.

I didn't notice that run until after, but it adds a little to this so I don't mind :)

Those candles being lit definitely changed the feel of the bathroom; it went from boring & bland to cozy & relaxing. Perfect bath mood lighting ;)

DIY Chalkboard Cards

I'm in full party planning mode! Raleigh's birthday is less than 6 weeks away & if it comes up as quick as she's grown up then I better jump on it. It's hard though when she wants to play with me & hug me all day. She is a little speed demon when shes crawling. She is already behind me before I can even make it to the bathroom. I have a feeling that she will be that way for a long time, attached to momma's leg. Like right now she is on my shoulders sticking her fingers in my mouth. Crazy baby!

So for Raleigh's theme I wanted to do a rustic, shabby chic kind of feel. Chalkboards, twine, mason jars, the whole thing. I have the chalkboard banner done already and a few things here and there. I found a cute idea for label cards for food using chalkboard. We loaded up in the car & headed to where...??? HOBBY LOBBY! After searching for cardstock (for her invitations to be printed on) & envelopes, we got started on the best way to make label cards. My friend Ashley found the perfect 12-pk of labels for under $4 & i got 3 sheets of brown craft paper cardstock.

It was super simple to make. I just folded & cut the 12x12 sheets of cardstock into 1/4ths then folded those in half. I ended with 11 labels, because there must've been someone sleeping on the job in the label department. I opened my package & 1 was chopped in half. I was sure glad they all weren't like that. I had a little panic attack when I pulled the first one out & it looked like that.

Then, squirt some glue on the labels & smooth out evenly with a brush (helps it not to make bulges underneath). After that just place them where you want & stick under a heavy book to dry. I had to use a few heavy books since munchkin wanted to play with them.

 When they dried I just covered the label with chalk then wiped off with a wet rag for the chalkboardy (is that a word?)
feel.

I think these will be cute labels for food or tables. Especially good for under $6, since I already had the glue & foam brush. They are everything I wanted in her party theme so of course they are perfect. More to come from party planning mode soon.

Perfect Patty Melt

If you are like me then when you go to a diner you like the same thing. When I go to Steak & Shake you can bet there will be a Frisco Patty Melt & fries with cheese sitting in front of me...but not for very long. I could devour that in minutes if it wasn't for a grunting baby next to me who has to eat quicker than I do.

I have tried making a patty melt a few times and it never had that diner taste. Well, the trials are OVER! I have done it! The perfect patty melt! So here is my secret:

Ingredients:
    (4 servings)
8 slices of bread
Spreadable butter
1 lb ground beef
4 slices Swiss cheese
4 slices American cheese
1 Chopped Onion
Garlic powder
Worcestershire
Sauce (optional)
    2 tbsp Mayo
    1 tbsp Ketchup
    pinch sugar
    dash kosher salt

First, heat up your pan to medium heat. Get your ground beef & add a few splashes of Worcestershire sauce in there then flatten out as much as possible. Place on a non-stick cookie sheet or plate. Sprinkle garlic powder onto each patty. Put in freezer for 15 minutes so they hold their form better.

While those are in the freezer go ahead and get out your onion & chop that up then throw it in your heated pan. Get those nice & browned then put them in a container to use in a bit. These onions are optional if you don't like them. My hubby loves them but, I don't so I opted for none on mine & it still tasted delicious. They do add more flavor though. Keep the pan on medium heat.

Go ahead and butter your bread evenly on 1 side of each slice. This will give it that nice toasted outside, so don't be stingy with the butter. Get an extra clean pan out & put on medium heat. Also mix your sauce.

Next, get your patties out of the freezer & place in the pan you used for the onions. Cover until it's nice & brown on the bottom & cooked about half way through. Then flip (Watch out for that grease! It burns like no other). Immediately spread your onions on the browned side of the patty then add swiss cheese over top the onions. Cover & let it melt. By this time my mouth was watering, and I had to refrain from digging in because it wasn't done. :(

While that's melting, place your buttered bread (buttered side down) in the clean pan. Put a piece of american cheese on it. Then smear a dab of sauce around the bread. A little goes a long way. Once your swiss cheese has started to melt on your patty then move it over on top of the bread in the other pan. Immediately place the top bread slice onto the sandwich. Cover & let it all melt & goo together. YUM! After a few minutes, once the bottom of the bread is a beautiful golden color, flip the whole sandwich. Be careful not to let the top half slide off. I used another spatula to hold it together. You can then press down on the sandwich with your spatula to flat it. Mine gushed out some cheese and sauce which made me consider how bad the burn would be if I ate it right then because it looked so darn good. Let that side brown & your good to go!

Sorry for the quality of the picture. My camera was dead & I'm pretty sure Raleigh hid the charger. I thought these tasted pretty close to Steak & Shake. I definitely had another one for lunch the next day. :)

DIY Inexpensive No Sew Curtains

I love curtains! I think curtains & paint can change a room drastically. Unfortunately, curtains are so expensive. A good quality panel can run $15-$25...for one! That's crazy in my opinion, especially when you have 3 windows in one room. That could run you $125 for curtains in one room. Now I am a design on a dime kind of girl. If I can find a solution that looks just as good for half the price I'll jump for it.

So I've been trying to redo my living room in small bits. Throw pillows, bookshelves, wall art, paint, & curtains. I've gotten a few throw pillows gradually, only 1 bookshelf, and the paint is picked out. Since I work at 4am in the morning I search hgtv.com & other decorating sites & blogs for tips. I had seen several using duvet covers as curtains, but I was looking for less still.

I kicked myself when I realized that I could use sheets! Raleigh's room has a twin sheet with layered ruffles, courtesy of Auntie Ashley, that reminded me of a fabulous idea. Now Raleigh's twin sheet didn't  stretch far enough across to cover the whole window, so I was extra careful and measured my window & then got one bigger just to be sure. 1 trip to Walmart & I have a fabulous curtain set!

Walmart list:
       Full Flat Sheet $8.96
       Hem Tape $1.96 (5/8wide 10 ft long roll so you can use a long time)
       Curtain Clips $6.96 (already had)

The sheet was already folded in half so I just cut right up the middle long ways. I had the thick seam for the bottom since it was going to be on the floor I wanted it to be more secure. Heated up my iron & got to work. The Heat n Bond has instructions on the back, but its super simple even I could do it...and that's saying a lot ;)

After it was ironed out & hemmed up then it was time to clip them on. I love these because I don;t have to cut into the fabric or add anything else on like ribbon. Plus if I ever want to change them real quick then I just unclip. Odd thing is that the pack I had only came with 7 clips, which makes my 2 panels uneven on the rod. So when I get my next batch this weekend then I'll take one of of those to make it even out. It looks uneven til I get some so bare with me.

Before & after curtains. Such a change from a dark room to a lighter feel with only one curtain. I'm excited to see it done this weekend. Also you might have noticed that it is higher on the wall. It gives the illusion of a bigger window. I've seen it countless times on design shows. 

Hope you like my 2 pillow covers on that chair. Pattern & Solids so it's not too busy. Navy, white, & tan is the kind of my color scheme I'm working around. I love that I can change them on a whim though for the different seasons.

I hate that the windows in this house are not centered to the wall. It irritates me and the hubby. He won't shut up about it since he noticed again when I was putting these up.

 See! 3 on one side...4 on the other. Grrrr

I kept the pull backs just in case I want to use them, but most of the time I will just have them hang & let them blow in the wind air conditioning.

 This little munchkin only wanted to help. I had to lock myself in a room to iron these out. She kept banging on it yelling MAMA MAMA. lol

Such a sweet little turd. 

So that's my solution to those expensive curtains. These are perfect: they are long enough to go to the ceiling, washable, comes in different colors & sizes, & you can paint on them to add more color too. I'm thinking chevrons or stripes one day. ;)

Mirror Redo for less than $25

Hey yal!

I know in my last post I gave you a sneak peek at Miss Raleigh's new mirror. It's finally done & ready to hang. It's a heavy one so the hubby has to hang it to make sure it stays put. If i did it then it would probably fall off the wall in the middle of the night & give me a heart attack. I'd be up with a gun & never go back to sleep. I'm paranoid at night.

Anyways, about a month ago I was lucky enough to catch a sale at Hobby Lobby for 80% off there furniture & wall accent pieces. I found this massive mirror I'd been searching everywhere for. Seriously, Craigslist with an addiction for me because I was trying to find something like this. Well at Hobby Lobby it was originally $100, my sale price...$20!!! The only problem...it was neon ORANGE! Nothing a little can of yellow spray paint can't fix (less than $4). That was not the color I was hoping for & the material was like some plaster kind of plastic, but the frame is heavy duty. The weight was ridiculous!

After boasting to the hubby about my find & grinning from ear to ear, I decided to find my spray paint. I knew I had a lot of yellow left over from my fan & that bright pop of color will look good on her walls when I finally paint the stripes I want. Gray & white stripes to be exact ( I am super excited to do this one, but have been putting it off because the stripes are a little scary).

I covered the mirror with some paper & tape. I told you...BRIGHT orange!

After many, many, many coats I finally got all the nooks & crannies. I had to go over the detailed scrolling a couple extra times to make sure it seeped into the cracks.

I pulled off the paper & tape. Unfortunately some spray paint got on the mirror, but the hubby was sweet and scrapped it off with a razor blade while I cooked dinner. Then cleaned it with Windex for that shine.

I have to say that this was a STEAL. I love it & it's perfect for her room. I've been looking for so long for this kind of frame. It looks like the wait paid off. ;)