Making it pretty with paint…

Howdy! I hope everyone is doing fantabulous! Jax and I are dong wonderful. I’ve been meaning to do an update post on things I’ve painted for my bedroom to get back into the blog-swing-of-things. But with everything going on around here…I’ve had to work on a little bit at a time!
PLUS…this morning I found that my email had been HACKED into! What the french…toast!!!
I called YAHOO and evidently it’s like a spammer that is in their system…and it sends out SPAM mail to everyone on your contact list. OH MY GRAVY…yes I said everyone. It’s very embarrassing. There are people (esp. soon-to-be-EX-in-laws) that it sent that darn message to. Not including my work contacts and just everyone in between. E.M.B.A.R.R.A.S.S.I.N.G.
My BFF had the same thing happen just a few weeks ago and I laughed and laughed. It was a link to a website to buy Viagra. When it happened to me I realized….it’s NOT AT ALL FUNNY!
Soooo peeeps…FYI…if this happens to you…the Yahoo lady said all we can do to defend ourselves is change our password. That’s it! I’m thinking about just creating a whole new email. I haven’t decided yet. But…now I guess not even our email accounts are safe from hackers. Isn’t that LOVELY!!!
Anywho…here are some pics of my bedroom progress. I’ve been on a mission to go mainly white. My Mom and I had found all of the elements to re-do my bedroom long before the bottom fell out of my world.  I’ve slowly been working on it now that things are somewhat calmer. So far I’m digging it. It’s part of my NEW LIFE. And I LOVE IT!

I found my headboard at Goodwill for $15. It was funky oak…but I knew those chunky features would be gorgeous with my favorite…white paint. And BTW…there are little hints of Jax in all of these pictures. I thought about staging the pics…but where’s the personality in that?? This is our {REAL} life.
My side tables started as this:

$4.99 at Goodwill

Free family hand-me-down.
And here they are with a coat of fresh white!


Here they are in their little spaces.



See the little toys on the bed…ha ha ha ha.

Here are a few wall decorations that I’ve redone as well.

Thrift store items…the shelf was a yuck brown and I painted it.

This is a pair of shelves that were a flat, dingy looking black. I think they were $2.99 each at Goodwill. Silver spray paint made them have a whole new life!



My lamps are also Goodwill finds. They were either $5 or $6. I love them!

This round, leaf frame was goldy brassy yuck. It’s now pretty silver…but I have yet to figure out what I want to put in it. Ha ha ha.

This pair of metal tins and frame that hang above my bed are all thrift store goodies. They were black. White is so much better!!


Also items I had…that needed a coat of white paint.
My curtains were also super cheap bargains that I already had…but needed to hang up! White flat sheets from Wal-mart. The twin sizes are $4 and Full are $6. You cannot beat that for curtains. Just snip a hole at the top inseam of the sheet and voila!!  I love how they are flowy and airy. In time…I hope to add some fluffy ribbons or poofs maybe to them. I found a cool tutorial to add ruffles…but that’s way down the line in time for me!

A few other pieces in my bedroom are….

This super cool dresser…a Salvation Army find a few months back. $25. I am thinking white paint…but simply haven't’ decided. Jax works on the handles as you can tell from all the missing ones!!! I also don’t know what hardware I would switch those out to? That’s 4 handles a drawer…times 6 drawers! Sheeesh!! I guess in time I’ll have a creative idea hit me for it!!!

I’ve had this vanity forever now. I love it. It was also a past thrift store find.  I don’t think I’ll paint it because I like the old woody look it has. I do need to make a new little chair cushion though. That’s a treasure I found pre-divorce at a estate sale for $5. The red silk seat pad just isn’t happening. For now though…it will work!!
My favorite part of my new room is my pillow I made recently. It’s a JAXON HUG pillow. I traced those cute little hands for the pattern!


I was able to make-over my room with what I had to make it MINE & JAXONS room. I think making your home YOUR OWN during a divorce helps the healing process. And as you can see…you can do it with what you have. I don’t have one extra penny to spare at this point…but it didn’t matter. USE WHAT YOU HAVE!!
Well I hope everyone has a SPLENDID and BLESSED week!!! Remember…change your YAHOO email passwords!!!
XoXo

²⁸And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. ³⁰And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
³¹What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:28-31

Be not the slave

of your own past.

Plunge into the

sublime seas,

dive deep and swim far,

so you shall come back with

self-respect, with new power,

with an advanced experience

that shall explain and overlook the old.

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Making lemonade!!!

I have some cutie pics for you! I have some updated pics of the baby creations that I made for my BFF’s little girl. They are just too cute and I wanted to share them!!
First of all I made her a little bow-board from this….please excuse the blurry shwecka photo…it’s all I could find of this project!!

And this is how it looks in her little room filled with bows!

Photo by Mari Annelise
Here are some of her other goodies I made her…remember the “M” frame…the shower invitation frame…the little jars decorated with ribbon that held mints…all from her babyshower??? Isn’t it too cute how Lorie incorporated them into the decoration?? Love it!!

Photo by Mari Annelise
And look at this darlin’ one with the tissue balls I made to decorate her porch when they brought Miss Mya home! And there’s the door mum decoration too!

Photo by Mari Annelise
Here are a few extra pics of these cuties!! Arent’ they just precious???

Photo by Mari Annelise

Photo by Mari Annelise

Photo by Mari Annelise
These photos are all taken by a local photographer: Mari Annelise. Aren’t they just gorg! She does an amazing job. Check out her work here!!!
Hope your August has gotten off to a wonderful start. Fall will be here before we know it!! I’m so ready to start spray painting some pumpkins!!! Whoop-whoop!
XoXo

Homemade finger paints…

Maybe it’s because I used to teach high school art…or perhaps it’s because I love a brand new box of crayons…or any new art supply for that matter.  Art supplies make my {heart} happy.
I tried a recipe I found recently for making homemade finger paints for Jaxon…because…you know…I’d prefer him not eat paint made with funky chemicals. And let’s be honest…he’s 15 months old and he’s going to taste-test it. I just know it. I loved how these turned out and I had to share.

Aren’t they so pretty!!! Yaaaay! I’m totally in love with them!
I used left-over baby food jars for containers…you know the ones you hang on to because you swear they are good for something!. Lol.

**Please note: This recipe has been featured in many places and I've had TONS of questions about the texture outcome. If you add too much cornstarch you will get gloppy paint. Just reduce cornstarch or thin with water for a smoother texture.


Also - I NEVER said these were meant to be literally EATEN by kiddos. When we made these - Jaxon was at the stage where  he was putting everything in his mouth and I didn't want him to accidentally eat some crazy store-bought paints. For me at least these were safer and homemade. Please do not re-post the recipe as EDIBLE paints for kids to eat as they are not snacks or food for kiddos! Thank you bunches!!

Here’s the recipe:

XoXo
 

Don't forget to swing by and read THIS POST and leave me a comment to win a $50 Visa gift courtesy of BlogHer! Great for the upcoming CHRISTMAS holidays!!

Amazon backyards-summertime fun & white paint love

We have been up to our ears in fun, activities, projects and grass!! Thanks to all of the wonderful rain our front and backyards look amazing. Considering when we first moved in we had dirt with a few weeds…our backyard has done a complete 360 in the past couple of years (thank goodness).

It’s finally pretty and a place where we enjoy spending our mornings and evenings. Jax especially loves his backyard play-time. He also loves to help work on things such as hammering wood and even….helping his Dad mow. He thinks he’s really BIG.


He loves to mow…almost as much as he loves those boots. Which I might add are a tad too big…but he could care less. He loves to hear them click on the floor and when he goes outside…he thinks he must have them on. It’s really quite funny and precious.

When this little boy works…he gives 110%. He’s very serious. And it’s very cute. He doesn’t even stop to smile.


Can’t you just see how hard this little boy has been working.


He is 100% all boy.

And his Mamma loves him {and his boots} oh so very much!!!
He was very excited when our neighbor popped in for a visit too!

I just think these pics are too cute.

So anywho…we’ve been working on lot’s of goodies around here in Easie Peasie land. I can’t wait to get everything posted. But in between summertime fun…I get distracted and behind!!
I did paint my pretty little French desk…which looked like this…


….and it now looks like this!




I can’t wait to reveal what I’ve done with this pile-of-lovin’-junk-mess!!!

XoXo