Friday, December 28, 2012

New Year tradition

Can you believe 2012 is only DAYS away from coming to an end?!  
It's baffling to me how fast time can go by.  We get in the mind set of "hurry up, already" and then before we know it.. POOF.. those days are long gone and a mere memory.

Anyway,  that has nothing to do with my post, so I'll move on..

I am starting a new-to-me New Year tradition this year.  
My sweet friend, Terri, from Crafty Workin Mommy told me about this little trick of purging your closet.

Take all the clothes in your closet and flip the hangers backwards.



As you wear the clothes, turn the hanger the right way.  

Every 3-6 months (I live in Tx so the weather is either hot, kinda hot, or a little cool)
 purge what you're not wearing.
~ I think she may have suggested to purge at the end of the year, but I figure, if I've not worn it in 6 months... chance are, I'm not wearing it. ~

So instead of looking at your clothes like this....



You'll be more like this....




I'm thinking I'm going to find out real quick just how little of my clothes I actually wear. 

What comes next?
Well, I can either purge and replace 
(I am a woman after all... it's what we do)
Or
I can purge and be satisfied with what I've got left.
(Nahhhhhh..... shopping sounds sooo much more fun!!)  ;)

SO
Will you join me in this fun little experiment?  Will you have all the members in your house do it too??


hugs,
k. 


Friday, December 14, 2012

Shining a light on Rub 'n Buff

As you know, we are moving.... which for me, means BLANK SLATE!  My, oh my...  To say I am excited about decorating our new digs is quite the understatement!  New walls to adorn, new colors to try... a whole new look for our new life, in a new city, in a new house! {{AHHH}}  

Momma is HAPPY!

It's also quite the undertaking and can get costly, which will make daddy UNhappy...
 so I am re-vamping as many things that we currently have to keep the budget to a minimum.  
In doing so, I'm trying things I've never done.  
Like using Rub n' Buff.  
I've seen several things on Pinterest where it's been used and I love the transformation, so I thought "eh..why not". 
My color palate is quite eclectic and I'm using lots of gold accents so I thought I'd try Rub n Buff's Gold leaf on my lamps.




I'm sure you're thinking I'm crazy.  These lamps are gorgeous the way they are.
I love these lamps.  I love the wood... I love the shape... I love everything about them...
But 
They need to work in my new space, so... I had to change em up a little.


 Let's get started.


 This is the BEST tool you can use for this product!

YOUR FINGER!

My first attempt was somewhat of a flop. I didn't know how to really use the product
... so it was clumpy. 
And let me tell ya.... a little goes a looooong way.
I was afraid of rubbing it off, so I didn't rub it enough. 
Ugh.  
I began rubbing it a little harder to see if I could rub the clumps off.  
And those areas did this...  



Which really looks pretty cool.  Happy accident for a new look..
 but it's distressed, and that's the opposite of what I'm going for. 

SO... What now??  What's a girl to do? 

SAND IT!  

Yup.  

I used 320 grit paper and voila!  
Smooth as a baby's butt and ready for a fresh coat of the Rub n Buff.


{Still... if you like distressed... this looks WAAY cool!}

I added a new coat and guess what?

It's smooth! 




I used a q-tip to get in the crevices.
This is only the first coat.  I will need two.  
You need to wait hourrsssss before you add another coat (another lesson learned).

Patience is golden.  (ba dom domp... pshhh)

Whatcha think?!  Once I get new shades (either black or emerald green), I think they'll be stunning!
  



But you'll have to wait until we're in the new house for that reveal  ;)

So go out and try something new! 

hugs,

k.



Spreadin the love:

seven-alive

Happy hour projects 

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

The new me... well, sort of.

Today....  

I got a haircut.

As in C.H.O.P.P.E.D!

And guess what?!


I LOVE. L♥VE. LOVE. IT!

And I'm wondering why I waited so long to do it!?!?



BEFORE:

and no, you may not judge my tacky gray roots.. it's simply not allowed  ;)


AFTER


there's tons of texture that the camera (it's from my phone... sorry for the quality) just couldn't pick up



And what's better?? 

The hubs LOVES it too!!




If you've been considering doing something drastic with your hair, what's stopping you?! 

I say.. 

GO FOR IT!

hugs,

k.  




Monday, December 3, 2012

11 Magnolia Lane and a give away!

If you've not yet "found" the blog eleven Magnolia Lane... you really should follow the link below and head over!   It's a fanTAStic blog and has just been recognized by Cottages and Bungalows ~ Jan 2013 issue!  Plus, they're giving away a $50 gift card to Homegoods/TJMaxx!  And who wouldn't want THAT?!  {btw, if you don't want it.. enter any way and I'll happily take it}


Here's a little sneak peek of the article :)


Just click this link... and enjoy!!   11 Magnolia Lane  <<-------  click here ----



hugs,

k.

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Onions... A cure for what ails ya!

I recently read this article on Facebook and thought it so fascinating, I wanted to blog about it!





~ ONIONS ~ ONIONS ~ ONIONS ~ ONIONS ~


 In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help them combat the flu...
Many of the farmers and their families had contracted it and many died.

The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser. She said that several years ago, many of her employees were coming down with the flu, and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu.

Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:

Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmer's story...but, I do know that I contacted pneumonia, and, needless to say, I was very ill... I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put it into an empty jar, and place the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs...sure enough it happened just like that...the onion was a mess and I began to feel better.

Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties.

This is the other note. Lots of times when we have stomach problems we don't know what to blame. Maybe it's the onions that are to blame. Onions absorb bacteria is the reason they are so good at preventing us from getting colds and flu and is the very reason we shouldn't eat an onion that has been sitting for a time after it has been cut open.

LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS:

I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, Makers of mayonnaise. Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I learned from a chemist.

Ed, who was our tour guide, is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed's answer will surprise you. Ed said that all commercially-made mayo is completely safe.

"It doesn't even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but it's not really necessary." He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment. He then talked about the summer picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting on the table, and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick.

Ed says that, when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it's not the mayonnaise (as long as it's not homemade mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It's probably the ONIONS, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES.

He explained onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion.. He says it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator.

It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit, that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!). Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you'll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.

Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions.




Original source: unknown to me.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Can you believe Christmas is right around the corner?!?!  
What... like 41 days?!  GAHH!!  
(and I've not even BEGUN to Christmas shop!) 
  
I don't know about you... but my gosh, time sure seems to just fly after Halloween!  
So, with Christmas on the brain, I decided to do a post with some super fun and adorable crafts you might want to make during the OH-GOOD-GOLLY-I-ATE-WAAAAY-TOO-MUCH-TURKEY-DRESSING-PIE stupor on Thanksgiving day  ;)
(cuz you know your hunny is gonna be all tummy rubbin and horizontal watching football!)


**** LET'S CRAFT, LADIES  *****


{{this first craft... I've already got the supplies for!!  and I am SOO excited to make it!!  SO stinkin adorable!}}






Source: babyrabies.com via Jill on Pinterest


OMGsh!!!  Serioulsy!  Love it!!







Source: etsy.com via Kristy on Pinterest



Don't have a silver tray?  Girl, get chur self to Goodwill!  They've always got whatcha need for a few bucks!  If you can't find the silver creamer/sugar this has... what about fancy ornaments? OR small pictures frames with your kids in them?  Think outside the box.



You could totally customize this and make each ornament different... and if you don't sew or choose to do things quicker (like me) use Witch Stitchery! It's fabulous and so easy!  And if you don't want a pillow, what about a runner or a valance?




I love what you can do with embroidery hoops!







Great front door (inside or outside) decor!!  You could even wrap garland around it! Make it your own :)   So simple!! 




This wreath is simply STUNNING!!!  I may need a few of these in front of my windows!
Grapevine wreaths are always cheap and on sale at Michaels and Hobby Lobby!
(again... make it your own!)





The kids would L♥VE to do this!  Don't want the glitter mess?  Do it in a paper bag!  :)








♥ The reason for the season in word garland! ♥





Every table needs these super cute "vases"!  Just think of the color combinations you could do! :)








Make your own Christmas cards!  How cute are these!?  Again, the kids can do this!




I have tons more ideas on my Pinterest board!  Go take a look... You're bound to find something that you just HAVE to do!!  :) 

Oh, And while you're at it... go ahead a "follow me" on Pinterest too.  


SO.... Did you see any thing here you're just dying to do?
  
Do you have a Pinterest that you want to share with us??  Leave your link!!


hugs,
k.

[update from my last post: I attended Spirit Fest this past Sunday (an outdoor Christian concert) and God moved my heart in the direction it was needing.  I am in a MUCH better place now :)  He never leaves me where I am!  If I'm wandering... He always gets me back on His path.  And I could not be more grateful!]


♥♥♥♥♥

~Linking up at~

i should be mopping the floor 

Friday, November 9, 2012

Poops gettin real people!

Today....  I am laying it all out on the line here and asking for prayers and/or advice or any thing you can offer!   I am being more transparent than I ever have in hopes that in doing so, I can have clarity either thru my thoughts and words, or thru yours.  PLEASE feel free to leave a comment!!
And thank you in advance for caring for me.. admitted faults and all.  ;)

As you know, our house has been on the market for almost 70 days now.  We've dropped our price by $30k since it first hit the market with only one bogus offer.  The hubs has moved to start his new job and we've been a split household for over 70 days.  To say it's been trying and difficult at times would be a major understatement.  I fight being bitter, I fight feeling guilty for being bitter, I pray for God to take the worry and the incredible sense of powerlessness from me.. only to pick it right back up again.  We are provided for.  Every. day.  We have food, clothing, shelter, and automobiles that work. We have money in the bank.  What else could we need??  We NEED to BE TOGETHER.  And that's all I seem to focus on.  I recognize and acknowledge our blessings and I truly am grateful. Truly.  So why is it not enough?  Why do I insist on dismissing it all and focusing primarily on the one thing we don't have?  Why... when I claim to live a life of faith... am I not living it?  I soo struggle with this!  The guilt of not trusting God to fulfill His plan for us in HIS timing, which I KNOW far surpasses what we have planned, is literally eating me alive. I have seen God's hand in our lives, repairing and healing hurts that may not have ever been addressed... My relationship with my girls could not be stronger...  the value of having both parents present at all times is never to be taken for granted again... There are SO many little things that God has revealed... but still.. I focus on the "one thing".  I am broken.  I am a sinner... and all I want is to please Him and be an example of what living a life faith looks like.  And I am failing miserably.


Have you ever had feelings of powerlessness?  How did you cope?  Do you have any words of wisdom to share?

hugs,
k.

{disclaimer:  please know I know things could always be worse and my problems are so miniscule "compared to".  I do not mean to come across selfishly if I do...} 

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Day dreams and design

I have been day dreaming, via Pinterest, about the new house we have not yet bought or moved in to!  We found it... You know.. the "one"... howevs, until we sell our sweet humble abode, it's not yet ours.  Pssht!  When have I ever let a little technicality like that stop me from moving on and right in {in a manner of speaking}.  I mean, if I can't do projects in my current house (bc for some crazy reason my realtor thinks perspective buyers wouldn't take too kindly to it.... whoever heard!!)  I just assume design and dream online.
So here are some of my inspirations for our new digs....  You can get a feel for the direction I'm going anyway.  A little traditional-glammy-eclectic, if you will.

btw... in case you didn't know or couldn't tell... I'm a little in love with the color pink. In all it's magnificent shades!





Source: hgtv.com via Kristy on Pinterest


I actually bought replicas of these sweet little white chairs off Craig's list!  I'm so pumped!  As of now, mine will not be white.  They'll be gold with hot pink cushions.  I'm liable to change my mind AT LEAST a dozen times, so don't hold me to it.  For now, it's just a thought.

Source: houzz.com via Kristy on Pinterest


And I love the curtains!  But, I don't know if I'm all in for solid tho. Hmmm....  See... another benefit to online design!  Change your mind as much as you'd like without it costing a single penny.  :)













I like the art/composition ^... not the furniture.  However beautiful, a tad too fussy for my taste  ;)












Bought me some crystal lamps from the ol Goodwill and I most DEFINITELY will be making these shades for them!  The perfect amount of funk!



Ok... now these 2 picts are just too fun!  Who knows if I'll actually do it... But MAN do they ever make me smile  ;)  Knowing me (and I know me!) I'll say "Aw to heck with it... why not!!"  and do it!  Guess you'll just have to wait and see. ;)







My bedroom will be painted a Celery Green.... I think.  This Kelly green is growing on me too.  
My sweet hubby has been warned... we WILL be making a fabric headboard {tufted~ if I can get my nerve up}



I think our half bath will be BOLD!  Graphic, colorful and bold.  Why not?! 




I am so enamored with these mirrors!  I love this bathroom :)



I really REALLY love the look of not one, but TWO shandys above the island!  GAHH!! ♥



It's like a little surprise every time you open the cabinet.  So cute!




And I'm sorry... but you can NEVER EVER go wrong with Lucite! ESPECIALLY when it's paired with white leather and brass!  I mean com'mon! Seriously!


So, do you think I'm off my rocker?  Does any of this heart palpitating inspiration inspire you??

hugs,
k.

**Feel free to FOLLOW ME on PINTEREST.... I'm always pinnin somethin!**

Follow Me on Pinterest

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Take a tour... then BUY MY HOUSE!

One thing I really love when I visit blogs of designers/decorators is taking a house tour!  I love to see their taste in fabric, furniture, color palette..  Do they love color or all white?  Do they think outside the box and get funky or is it more traditional?  I love to be inspired by others!  Don't you?!

Well, our house is currently on the market.  Our realtor provided a stager that came in & basically just had me take down/remove the items in my home that were personal to me and the way I decorate.  She gave me huge compliments on my style and decorating and lifted my confidence so much {like I might actually know what I'm doing!  She even said so!  haha...  (I mean, com'mon... she is a REAL, ACCREDITED interior designer/decorator!!) 

So today I thought I'd share my {professional} house tour with you!  Keep in mind.... It's definitely staged!  Over half my over-decorating-personal-picts is gone.  And I must say... I'm shocked at how much I am beginning to like it!  At first it felt soo naked in my house!  Kind of like leaving your house without your jewelry.  *gasp!*    But I'm thinking once there's a contract on the house, I'll be having one heck of a garage sale!
But that's still yet to be determined  
;)

Just click on the link below. 
Leave me some love.
 
OH and if you wanna buy my house... 

Good news...

IT'S FOR SALE! 




hugs,

k.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

{Sugar Free } Coconutty Fudgie Goodness

Y'ALL!  

Omgsh!  

I just love when I make something (either a project or a recipe)  and it far surpasses my expectations!  

You know what I mean... like when you step back and go  "Holy crap! That's FANTASTIC!"  

WELL

I made a little sugar free sweet treat last night and I love it so much I really MUST share it with you!  I mean, who am I to keep all the yummy goodness to myself?!  ;)

So, here's what I did...

I first roasted  raw coconut, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and whole raw almonds on the stove top (just in a non-stick pan on med-high heat til the coconut begins to brown and the almonds are shiny).  Remove from the pan and set it aside.

Get yourself a box of Sugar Free Chocolate Cake mix by Pilsbury and make it according to the directions, only use COCONUT OIL in place of the vegetable/canola oil you might have used.  It's sooo much healthier for you!  {Does the body reaaaaal good}


 This is what I used.  PURE. YUMMY. GOODNESS.

This particular brand does, in fact, taste like coconut.  A more refined coconut oil will not have any smell or taste.

Now, since it's a solid, I decided to just nuke it for about 15-20 sec to liquify it without making it hot! (you don't want to cook your egg that's in the batter!)

Mix all your batter ingredients together and pour in an 8x8 or 9x9 pan.  
[your batter will be thicker than normal.  That's ok] 
If you need to grease your pan, just rub some of the coconut oil around the bottom and sides.

Next, remove the almonds 
(we just wanted the oils from it for flavor, but you can use them if you want to chop em up and add them to your batter.  This was actually an afterthought for me~ d'oh!) 
and sprinkle your coconut/nut mix on top.  Pat it gently, pressing it into the batter.

Bake to box instructions.

Let cool completely.

And what you are left with is a 

YUMMY,    FUDGEY,    COCONUTTY    DELIGHT!  

(and it's SUGAR FREE)



OH, and now you have toasted almonds to snack on too!

hugs,

k.


Linky love!
Mop It Up Monday
HomeStories A to Z
Cowgirl UP at Crafty Texas Girls

Monday, September 24, 2012

Clarity and the value of family

Oh good grief.... Life sure can knock ya clean off your feet!!  

This is not going to be a happy-go-lucky post... it's real life.  My life.


On top of my house being on the market (which can be ridiculously stressful), my husband moving to his new job, me left to parent 3 teenage daughters and ALL that goes along with that (I don't EVEN want to elaborate.)....

My grandfather passed away.

It was somewhat suddenly and we weren't really at all prepared.  Not that you ever are.  We found out after the fact, that he had Leukemia and has known about it.  He chose to either protect his family from the diagnosis or was in denial himself... but either way... It was not a peaceful way to go.
He and my grandmother have been married for 65 years!  Can you even fathom that?!  So surreal... and inspirational!  She is soo incredibly strong and she has a love for Jesus that is remarkable! I know in my heart that she's gonna be ok.




The gift my grandfather left us with was a family reunion that was looooong over-due!  I have not seen a side of my family in almost 14 years and MAN!  We have missed out on so much!  TIME is something that once it's gone... it's gone.  There are no do-overs, no rewinds!  BUT we have the ability to pick up where we left off and cherish one another.  Second chances are the BEST because it helps us realize the value of what we stand to loose. 




hugs.

k.