An update.

Oh lordy.
I know, I've been neglecting the blogging world this week, and the guilt is finally settling in, probably because this is the first time I have even thought about a computer today ! My mind was on our basement, and not for good reasons.
As you know from my previous we were unfortunately victims of a....flood. Yeah, yeah, I know these things happen. Well at least that was my thought when the whole thing happen on Friday.

Remember how I said, "Oh well, things could be a lot worse".
Well today, they got worse.
Did I jinks myself ?
Does that even happen?

Today as the 5 men were here ripping up our lovely ceramic tile floor, they discovered something that frankly, I could have lived without hearing.

One of the guys came upstairs and calmly said "You don't have a cement slab under the house, we have never seen that before."
"What? You are joking right ?" was my response of course.

He brought me to the basement and showed me the proof.
Nope, no cement.
Turns out the guy does know what he is talking about, go figure.

At this point, I'm laughing.
The men must have definitely thought I was a crazy one. And to be honest, at that moment, I'd say I was nothing short of it.

I mean, we bought the house 2 months ago, this stuff doesn't happen right ? We purposely bought a new home so this stuff doesn't happen.
"Ha Ha" you say ?
I know, jokes on me.
My luck has been known to be a bit poor when it comes to getting rear ended, but, Come on ! Can't a girl get a break?

"Alright, alright, it's totally fine, I'll call the insurance and everything will work itself out right?"
The men just stood and stared at me. I wondered why they did just that, but now I know exactly what they were thinking.
"That crazy woman thinks insurance is going to pay for this? She is crazy."

Guess what? They were right. (About the insurance part. Not the crazy. Yet.)
And so my Wednesday afternoon took a plunge for the worse, yet again.

Wait, is noon too early for a drink? Or maybe 5 ?
Cheers.
Alright, alright,  so it's still true. It still, despite what happend today, could be worse. (But, please no more jinks okay ? At least until next....year!)

It's times like these when I wish Mike Holmes was my BFF.

Anyone have his number ?

Okay, okay, pity party is over !

On a brighter note. I did paint an old mirror today. Oh, and Older DM bought me an awesome dresser for C.A.P's room, best part is  that it needs a "makeover", gotta love me a new project !

Don't worry I will be sharing as soon as it's done.

So, in closing, I know today's post was....late, short and perhaps a bit boring, but I hope everyone understands. I'll be back on Friday with, hmm, something good I promise.

Here's to a new basement, eventually ! Now go to your basement for me, hug the non-wet floor while having a sip of wine, would ya ?

Hope everyone is having a great week !

Post ya Friday.

Bye.Cya

:)

Fabric me a new lamp shade

Alright, I know, I know, I didn't post Mr.'s Favorite meal of the week yesterday. But before you decide to call me names at me through your computer screen please here my explanation ! :)
I'm sure my Facebook friends are sick of hearing about it so I'll make it short. Here is a recap of the last few days of last week.

Basement flood.

New couch AND fridge were delivered damaged.

Cell phone broke.

Thank goodness I wrote that positive POST on Friday because it was a must to go back and read it a couple lots of times. But all in all, things COULD have been a lot worse, so, life goes on, wet basement and all !

I've already completely almost forgotten about it anyway, so let's move on !

As I was writing today's post, I thought maybe I should just rename my blog "Tales of the many lamp shades" because I feel like every second post lately have been about just that ! I do love new- ish lamp shades, so here is another for you guys.

All you need for this is one is :

A lamp shade

Fabric of choice

Glue gun

Many glue sticks (Many...I'm not kidding)

A few hours

Cut your material in little squares. I didn't measure them so they were not equal or perfectly straight but to give you an idea, my squares were about 4 X 4 (inches) give or take.

Warning : This project takes A LOT of material. I underestimated how much fabric I would actually be using, which meant I had to return to the local store 3 times. Yes, 3 times. A metre each visit. Phew.

 Bunch the fabric in the middle of your little cut out squares and apply glue to fabric. Immediately glue to shade. Continue this until shade is completely covered.

 This picture is to give you an idea of how much of a difference in size the material actually gives the shade.

PS - My shirt matches my wall. Neat.

This picture is to let you know that this is almost 1 metre of material. I warned you ! :)

 This project took a few more hours than had planned BUT it was totally worth it. I split the work up into a few days, and I'm so happy I committed and finished this project.

Does anyone else want to pet it ?

No? Just me ?

 Here it is in our living room.

Ta-DA

 Here is a link to a couple other lamp shade DIY project of mine :

Bright & Blue shade

Coffee Filter Shade

I've linked up with :
http://www.notjustahousewife.net/
http://www.hopestudios.blogspot.com/

Hope you enjoyed this DIY, let me know how yours turns out !

Thanks for dropping in - Post ya Wednesday

Bye.Cya.

Appreciate the little things

Today, instead of sharing one of my latest DIY's or crafts with you, I'd like to do another "FFFF".
And, I'm not using the "F" for what you are thinking !
Remember back in December, I did a post about called "Friday's Fab Four Favorites". Well, it's been a while, so "I'm bringing it back", as Justin Timberlake would say (except we aren't really talking about the same thing...but you get the point right?)

This time I've decided to share some of my favorite moments of this week.

I'll include some pictures to keep you reading. Or maybe that's just to keep me reading, I'm kinda like a child and need pictures to keep me interested, let's pretend that means I'm...unique, okay ?

Buckle up, here we go !

1) Choose Joy.
 I've recently found another blog. Meet Ashley.
Besides being a super duper crafter, she is a mother, clothing designer of "Lil blue boo", and a fabulous blogger. Ashley is currently undergoing treatments for cancer. After being diagnosed last October, she decided to add a new section to her blog, calling it "The Cancer Chronicles". In this section she blogs about her treatments, experiences, feelings, and choosing joy.
This week I found this video (link below). A soon as I watched it, it became one of my favorite moments of the week. Not because of what Ashley is going through of course but because after reading a lot of her blog she has changed my way of thinking, for the better.
Take a look at her blog, read only 1,10 or all of her blog posts, I swear, you will not be disappointed, she is a true inspiration for all, plus she is super funny and her posts are a riot to read.

   http://www.lilblueboo.com/2012/01/a-rite-of-passage-a-video.html

2) Date night.
 The Mr. and I were able to have a dinner date OUT! Can I get a "woohoo"?
 This is of course a highlight of my week as we don't often get to dress up and go out for supper. Even though it was a business supper, it was still awesome to get out ! Movie maker (that's my brother's super hero blog name) was kind enough to watch C.A.P for us, another little act we truly appreciated of course.

3) Pay it forward.
Earlier this week I brought C.A.P to an indoor amusement park, after a few kiddo rides, we were ready to head home for a nap. Before we made it to the door, a couple of teenagers stopped us and handed me a small piece of paper. Before, I could say anything one of the teens said "Here you go, take these points we won at the arcade and get the little guy something at the prize counter", I was so surprised and quickly thanked them for their generous act. I told C.A.P about this unexpected surprise and off we went to the prize counter.
While in line at the counter,  I noticed the 2 sweet little girls ahead of us picking out their prizes, they were with what looked like their grandparents. Before leaving the counter I saw the man say something to the cashier while pointing to us. As we got to the counter, the cashier told us that the man had said to give the rest of his points to C.A.P.
Two very generous acts by two different people in one day ! They really made my day, and I'm sure C.A.P's as well, as he got 2 special prizes.
Yesterday, C.A.P and I went back to the same amusement park and gave our points away to another family. Hopefully they will continue the pay it forward act.

4) Friendly neighbours.
Alright, I'm cheating with this one. It didn't happen this week, it was more like a couple of weeks ago; however, it's too nice not to include.
Shortly after the move into our new home, we came home to a card and a bag full of chocolates on our door step. I opened the card to find that it was from our new neighbours, they wrote a small note welcoming us to the neighbourhood and that they were around if we needed anything. Small kind gestures like this always give me a nice warm fuzzy feeling inside. Thanks new rockin' neighbours ! :)

There you have it, another Friday's Fab Four Favorites.

Even though some days are harder than others, I always try to remind myself that appreciating the small things in life is what is important in my heart.

Happy Friday everyone - Thanks for dropping in !

Post ya Sunday 

Bye.Cya 

Stripes are the new plain.

Before I begin...
In the past couple of weeks I have been emailed by a few readers suggesting for me to do a post about some tips on fitness and healthy eating. I have written one previous post on this topic; however, it was a "guest post" on another Mama's page. But since a few of you missed it, I will attach the link to the site with my guest post, please check it out !

Here is your link - MY TIPS GUEST POST

Alright, moving on now to today's post.

Stripes !

This one is a post from my dining room; however, unfortunately it won't be revealing too much about the room as it's not done yet ! (I know, I know, I really need to get my bum in gear with this "finishing" all rooms  at least one room in the house) I'll get there, eventually.

But for now, here is my version of a "how-to" stripe up a plain wall.

There are so many different ways to create this look on a wall. Horizontal, vertical, evenly spaced lines, etc (I could go on for hours, but I'm sure you get it, so I'll spare you the reading)

I decided to try an unevenly spaced look my stripes.

For my lines to look unevenly spaced, BUT still have a pattern I decided to use this pattern :

2inches, 3 inches, 1 inch, 4 inches

Gibberish to ya ?

Okay - what I mean is, I measured 2 inches slapped carefully placed a piece of tape the whole way down the wall.

Then measured another 3 inches (from the beginning of the last piece of tape) and placed another piece of tape down the wall.

And so on and so forth.

Following ?

To be honest, I think I'm actually confusing myself.

Alright, so your wall should look something like this, if you are using the above patten,

remember to measure your wall in a few places and pencil mark it every time, otherwise your lines will not be placed in a straight line the whole way down.

Believe me, I messed up once or twice in the process.

 When the tape lines are complete place a check mark in every second space, this way you remember to paint the marked spaced and not the others. 

Again, I messed that one up a couple of times. Like previously mentioned in a past post, "I ain't no Martha !"

So, if you understood the above explanation (fingers crossed) then you are now ready to paint your stripes.

 IMPORTANT TIP : Remove your tape BEFORE your paint dries. This way, it doesn't allow the paint enough time to bleed under the tape. Otherwise you might end up thinking "I could have done this better free hand".

Here is my finished product.

Since this picture, a few wall decorations have been added but the dining room is still not complete. Stay tuned for that one !

If you are also interested, here is a link to my up cycled table runner shown in the above picture.

Hope you enjoyed and understood my confusing post today !

Thanks for stopping in, post ya Friday.

Bye. Cya.

DIY Tees

Alright, I'm just going to get right to the point with this one.
It's been proven, (well, by me.) that there are way more kids clothing for little girls than there is for little boys.
Fact. Right ?
I feel like all I ever find (at a reasonable price) are plain tees, and really, one can only handle so many of those.
So lately, C.A.P has been rocking a pretty plain closet, to say the least.
But all this is about to change !
Yippee.
I have found yet another love - DIY Tees

I've done a bit of research on fabric paints and what you can do with them, and I hit the jackpot.
Ding - Ding - Ding
Use them as paint for designs on plain tees.

Fabric Paint - Definition : Paint for fabric.

Who would have though right ? Sheesh, I need to give my head a shake sometimes.

I'm so excited about this DIY project, as it's cheap and easy. Don't pretend like you don't love hearing those 2 words. 

I'm sure this whole thing would work better with the Silhouette cutting tool; however, this is still a "wish list" item for me at the moment, so I have to improvise for now. Challenge accepted.

Alright so, the silhouette cutting tool (can you say obsession) can make pretty boyish designs into stickers, which would make this whole painting process way faster. BUT since stickers are like tape, it should do the trick too, right ?

The only trouble would be to make any rounded edge, but since that wasn't in the plans for this Tee, I can worry about that later.

Here is what I did to created C.A.P "new" Tee.

I used:

A 4 dollar Tee (Walmart)

Some painters tape

Tulip fabric paint (Walmart)

Paint sponge brush

 Using the tape, design your Tee whichever way floats your boat.

 I decided to give plain lines a shot.

Tip 1: Make sure you press the tape firmly against the fabric, to prevent from getting paint in unwanted areas.

Tip 2 : Place a sheet of carboard inside the shirt to prevent paint from seeping through to the back of the tee.

Paint away !

 When you've finished painting, peel the tape off before the paint drys to prevent the it from bleeding under the tape.

 TA-DA you are done !

This makes for such a simple and quick project,  I did it all in under 10 minutes.
 I'm so pleased with the way it turned out, and C.A.P seemed amazed as I was pulling the tape off revealing his "new" Tee !

 The Mr. even asked if I could make him one.

DIY Tee project = Successful !

Hope you all give a try - Thanks for stopping in !

Post ya Wednesday

Bye.Cya

Pasta me a new recipe.

As I'm sure everyone knows, there are lots and lots of different pasta sauce recipes out there. I love to hear about all the different ways to make them, so today I will share mine with you, so you have one more for your recipe book !

I made a batch of it this week, I usually do every 2 weeks or so, as I freeze most of it for those quick supper nights. This way, even if we are in a hurry, we can still have a homemade meal in just over 10 minutes ! Nothing beats a home cooked meal right ?

Alright, bare with me as I never measure anything when making my sauce. I'll do my best at giving you the approximate measurements !
Oh, one more thing. I didn't take any pictures of the "sauce in the making" this week, my apologies on that one, BUT, I'm sure you all know what sauce looks like...it's red and delicious ! :)

Here we go :

A family pack of lean ground beef
One onion
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 small cans of tomato paste
2 cans of tomato soup
2 jars of tomato sauce - different types (I switch these up every time I go to the grocery store, but most times I use the Classico sauce - spinach & tomato and 4 cheese)
A bit of pepper
1/2 - 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 1/2 - 2 teaspoons of Basil
About the same for Oregano
And about the same for Thyme
Sheesh, I told you I don't measure - I usually just dump some in, then let it cook for an hr and taste it and sometimes throw some more in !

Chop your onions and cook them with your hamburger meat until cooked.
Add all ingredients and cook on medium heat - keep stirring.
I usually make mine first thing in the am and let it cook on LOW all day long.
The longer it cooks the better it tastes.
 BUT if you are in a hurry you can do all this in 30 minutes.
 Like mentioned above cook on medium but keep checking and stirring it to prevent burning.

* If I have some Parmesan cheese I usually grate some up and add that to the sauce as it's cooking. I also sometimes chop a few mushrooms up really small and add those too. You can really add anything you want to the sauce, but the Mr. (& I) like it best with just the original recipe.

Hope you  enjoy my pasta sauce !

Post ya tomorrow

Bye.Cya

Stencil me please !

 I've doing a lot of reading on other blogs, and noticed that quite a few people use the Silhouette Cameo for doing all sorts of projects. I did some research and, well, now it's on my wish list ! My birthday is coming up, maybe I'll treat myself ?

Anyway, if you haven't hear about it, it's an electronic cutting tool. Here is the website you can learn more about it, if your into crafting and re-dos, please check this baby out !  http://silhouetteamerica.com/

Alright, since I don't have the Silhouette, I was SO excited to find the next best thing at Homesense. (That store never lets me down, which is why I should really spend less time in there, well the Mr. thinks so anyway.)

Stencils ! Yippee ! I found some, like all kinds actually. AND for only 6.99$ ! I saw these and immediately put them in my cart. I had no idea when or where I was going to use them but really..."I couldn't afford not to". (Thanks to Older DM for that quote)

After a few weeks of staring at blank walls in our entryway, I decided to put the stencils to great use. Unfortunately, I don't have a before picture of my blank wall, but just picture it....it was, well, blank.

This is the pattern I used.

I'm sure you would love to hear that the stencils turned out perfectly. BUT, it really wasn't what I was going for anyway. The paint bled through a little bit, which helped get me the look I wanted. It's fun when thinks go better than you planned. Can you say BONUS. 

Shabby chic maybe ?



See what I mean ?

With another little 7 dollar key hook purchase from you know where, my little wall was complete.

It's very subtle, which was what I wanted. There is another wall in the entryway taking the title of "main focus", I'll show it to you as soon as the whole package is complete !

But for now...

here she is, the new wall art.

Stay tuned for the "I spy with my big brown eye" series, where I'll show you a few finished rooms in our new home.

PS - I found the exact website that you can purchase these stencils from. Check it out, they are definitely worth it - http://www.jansdotter.com/shop/paper-goods

Thanks for stopping in and have a great weekend

Post ya Sunday - Bye.Cya



An apple a day keeps the doctor away

It still counts if it's topped with caramel and syrup right?

Today's post is inspired by pictures found on Pinterest.
While C.A.P naps, I always take a few minutes to skim through Pinterest for some yummy food ideas.

Look what I found last week...

Looks delicious right ?

Here are my versions of the apple nachos & apple pancakes !
Enjoy !

Apple Nachos

These are simple, easy and the best part is you can top them with whatever you like. Although the picture found on Pinterest looks so much more appealing, I promise mine were delicious too! 

Here is what I did :

Cut my apples into think slices

Topped apple with :

almond sliced

mini cocoa chips

caramel topping.

 These were a hit for our movie snack !

Apple pancakes

Again, very simple - my cup of tea.

Mix your pancake batter as directed.

Slice apples and cut out the core

(TIP: I suggest cutting the apples quite thin - this will allow the apple to soften and heat up nicely)

Dip apple slice into batter and place on frying pan, cook as usual.

Top with syrup and enjoy ! 

Happy Wednesday Everyone - Post ya Friday !

Bye.Cya



Homemade solution !

 Ever since we moved into our new home, I have been running around all stores trying to find "grip socks" for C.A.P. Our hardwood floors are so slippery, and we have had one too many falls already (even a weekend guest...down the stairs !)

One problem, (well...aside from the falling part) those babies are harder to find than I thought, and since C.A.P has so many socks without grips, it would be a waste to buy all new ones.

Solution : make my own ! Fun and cheaper...just what I like.

Here is my version of our homemade non slip socks - Hope you Mamas enjoy this one !

Here is what I used:

Tulip paint to make the grips on the socks. You can get the Tulip paint at Walmart or Michaels.

And of course....lots of socks !

Here is what I did:

Make sure you lay all socks flat so that the bottom is facing up.

You can make your "grips" into whatever design you want. Anything from the plain dots to little stick figures. The possibilities are endless with these babies.

Just make sure you lay the paint on pretty thick, as the sock will absorb some of the paint.

There you have - your very own homemade non slip socks !

Easy right ? 

That wraps up Monday's post - Thanks for stopping in, post ya Wednesday !

I've linked up with : http://www.creationsbykara.com/2012/02/look-what-i-made-link-party-2-22-2012.html, http://www.houseofhepworths.com/2012/02/22/hookin-up-with-hoh-88/, http://www.theshabbycreekcottage.com/2012/02/how-to-make-your-own-bias-tape.html, http://www.somewhatsimple.com/sys-blog-link-party-with-chalkboard-paint-crafts/

Alfredo with a twist

I'm happy this was the Mr.'s pick of the week, it's a favorite dish for many, except this time it has a tiny bit of a twist.

Here is what I used:

Fettuccine noodles
2 boneless chicken breasts
1 Spanish onion
A package of white mushrooms
1 large tomato
Parmesan Cheese
1 package of Alfredo sauce mixture
Chicken broth (1/2 cup or so)
Mrs. Dash
Crushed garlic (1/2 a tea spoon or so)

Here is what to do :

Cut mushrooms, onions and chicken.

Add all three above, along with chicken broth, garlic and a bit of Mr.s Dash - Cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked through.

In separate pot boil water and cook fettuccine noodles. When cooked drain and place aside.

In another separate pot, cook Alfredo sauce as directed.

Slice tomato and grate Parmesan cheese - set aside.

When chicken and veggies are ready, place in oven safe dish. Distribute chicken mixture evenly in dish.

Place tomatoes on top, and sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the top.

Bake at 350 for 7-10 minutes.

Place noodles on plate then place chicken, tomato & cheese mixture on noodles, and top with Alfredo sauce.

Enjoy !

Thanks for dropping in today

Come back tomorrow - Bye.Cya

"Thanks for that"

Sometimes, it just takes a few kind words from a stranger to turn your whole day around.

To the sweet lady working at Winners,

Just when I went in looking for a new wallet and a pair of discounted shoes, you helped me find something more.

"Are you an 8 dear?" you said while holding up the cutest pair of heels.
I answered yes.
"These would be so lovely on, don't you think? I love heels, I try to wear them all the time now as I didn't when I was younger. Sneakers were my calling - I was a stay at home mom"
I looked down at my feet.
Sneakers.
"Me too" I replied with a smile.

You told me you loved it.
You told me, looking back, you would have never changed your decision.
You told me that with time, I'd never regret mine.

You said you had bad days.
You said that people had hurtful things to say...even back then.
You said it was the most thankless job out there.
You said that it didn't matter.
You said it was worth it.
Every second of it.

You told me a few stories about your children.
You seemed so happy and content with the precious boys you had raised.
You told me that 32 years later, your son, who is now a police officer, thanked you for what you did.
You said it was the best present anyone could have given you.

All this, while standing in the size 8 shoe section.

I replied with a simple "Thank you for that", when really I wanted to say so much more.

I wanted to tell you that you had just made my day.
I wanted to tell you that I needed to hear all that, from you, right at that moment, more than you'll ever know.

I wanted to tell you that some days I don't know what I'm doing.
I wanted to tell you that I have bad days too.
I wanted to tell you that some days I worry myself sick over the thought that I may not be teaching C.A.P enough.

I wanted you to know that sometimes I feel C.A.P needs more interaction with kids.
I wanted you to know that sometimes I rethink my decision of not putting him in day care.
I wanted you to know that sometimes I rethink my decision of staying home, period.

I wanted to say that sometimes I cry.
I wanted to say that sometimes I yell.
I wanted to say that sometimes I get fed up.

But all this didn't matter, because in less words, you told me the same thing.

I put the shoes and wallet back on the rack, and left with a smile and tears in my eyes instead.
I walked to my car.
Got in and cried.

Not because I was sad about what you said.
Not because I didn't get my wallet and shoes.
But because you had just made my day.
Because the 10 minute conversation I just had with a stranger was so meaningful.

You'll probably never know how much your kind words meant to me that day.
But I will always remember them.
Thanks for easing my mind, just when I needed it the most.
I hope one day when I can do the same for someone else.
So thanks for that.

"You will always be your child's favorite toy."

quote by Vicki Lansky

Thanks for dropping in today !

Post ya Sunday with Mr.'s favorite meal of the week.

Bye.Cya.

Flea market love.

 I have found a new love. 

 The flea market.

It's my new favorite place to go.

I love everything about it. 

The friendly vendors. The amazing finds. The tiny green animal statues which remind me of my Nanny's living room. Sometimes I just stop and stare at them, it brings me back to my childhood, and I like that feeling.

Last weekend, I was lucky enough to find this sweet older lady selling these amazing lamps. She had two of them and since Older DM was with me we decided to each grab one. We bought both lamps for 25 dollars, I tried to bargain but the lady wasn't having it. She was sweet, and the lamps were beautiful, so she won. But I have to say, I did put up a good fight.

The lamp was in excellent condition, but I knew I wanted a little something more for the shade.

Something bright.

Something blue !

Luckily, at last weeks fabric sale, (...before white lamp and I met) I found this material.

I used 404 fabric adhesive to glue the fabric to the shade. I love this stuff, if you haven't tried it, you're really missing out.

I found the best way to cut your fabric is to roll your shade on the fabric and cut as you go.

 

 Fabric glued to shade - Check.

Poor looking coned shaped shade - Check.

Cut off the excess fabric at the top and bottom of your shade.

 Apply the adhesive and tuck it inside your shade.

 Do the same for the back of the shade (where the fabric meets). If your fabric doesn't match up (like mine) you can always use ribbon to hide the connecting material line. Since mine will be facing a wall, I wasn't very worried about it !

After the shade was done, I decided to add a few buttons to spice it up. Since my new lamp is for my craft room (in the making) I thought buttons would be a nice touch.

I've decided the craft room will be filled with bright colours and patterns. Mostly reds and blues.

 So prepare yourselves, because this lamp is...LOUD.





Happy Wednesday everyone - Thanks for stopping by.

Come back Friday !

Bye.Cya