Holy DIY Headboards

 

http://chicandcheaplifestyle.blogspot.com/2011/03/diy-upholstered-tufted-headboard-guest.html

www.imperfectblog.com/2009/01/diy-headboard.html

via Country Living

DIY slipcovers from Martha

http://gardenberger.blogspot.com/2011/04/finally-finally-finally-finished.html

Be Different Act Normal Strikes Again!

Lori found this DIY lampshade at

http://www.alittleglassbox.com/2011/08/horsin-around.html


This gal took a simple (it looks like linen) lampshade and wrote love notes from to her son on it. Very cute! What a fun keepsake that can be a sweet little reminder all year round. I would have to have someone write it for me because my hands shake so badly, BUT if you have steady hands, it's super easy. I think she used a sharpy.

You also have to check out Lori's Halloween posts on her blog. She has so many easy and cute ideas for this very quirky holiday, from mesh ghosts to cute little Halloween hats.

http://www.bedifferentactnormal.com/

Is it a holiday? I don't know, I guess not.

Finally!!!

You know that feeling where your stomach is in your throat and you can hardly catch your breath? That's been me for the past six weeks or so, waiting for the first parent's weekend at Oliver's school! I miss my boy so much, but he is doing incredibly well and was definitely ready for this experience.

We had such a great time visiting with him and hearing all the great things he's been up to! The campus is lovely and the weather was beautiful. It was a wonderful weekend!!! Can't wait for Thanksgiving now, his first holiday back home.

We're Going to Party, Fiesta, Karamu, Forevah....

Jenny from Pearl Street Interiors and www.littlegreennotebook.blogspot.com is pretty much a genius. I love her blog for all the beautiful photos, but this might be my most favorite of all. It kind of makes me mad it's so pretty!

10,000 Free Round-Trip Tickets to Japan

(I just saw this on Yahoo news... do you think it's true?)

If you’ve ever wanted to visit Japan, this may be your chance.

In a desperate attempt to lure tourists back to a country plagued by radiation fears and constant earthquakes, the Japan Tourism Agency‘s proposed an unprecedented campaign – 10,000 free roundtrip tickets.

The catch is, you need to publicize your trip on blogs and social media sites.

The number of foreign visitors to Japan has dropped drastically, since a catastrophic earthquake and tsunami triggered a nuclear disaster at the Fukushima Dai-ichi Power plant in March. Nearly 20,000 people have been confirmed dead, while more than 80,000 remain displaced because of radiation concerns. In the first three months following the triple disasters, the number of foreign visitors to Japan was cut in half, compared with the same time in 2010. The strong Japanese currency has made matters worse.

The tourism agency says it plans to open a website to solicit applicants interested in the free tickets. Would- be visitors will have to detail in writing their travel plans in Japan, and explain what they hope to get out of the trip. Successful applicants would pay for their own accommodation and meals. They would also be required to write a review their travel experiences, and post it online.

“We are hoping to get highly influential blogger-types, and others who can spread the word that Japan is a safe place to visit,” said Kazuyoshi Sato, with the agency.

The agency has requested more than a billion yen to pay for the tourism blitz. If lawmakers approve the funding, Sato says visitors could begin signing up as early as next April.

No no no NO!!!

There's a mouse in my house and I want to die.

(update: Scott killed it last night with a broom.)

100 YEARS / STYLE / EAST LONDON

I just saw this on Alice's "I'm So Funny" blog and it put a smile on my face! Fashion today has such a broad range, a girl could sport every one of these outfits. Seriously, even from the early part of the last century. Anthropology, for example, has made new vintage so desirable and brought even Victorian to the street. You want wear lace ruffles with ballet flats, go ahead... how about a fringy flapper dress with a big ole' flower in your hair, okay.... dookie pants and converse, sure why not?! The Internet has changed fashion forever because everything is so accessible and everything is in. I love it!!!

Mormons Are Christians

Mormons are Christians! "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints" even has His name in it. It's not a trick! We love the Lord!!! We want to be more like Him, be His hands here on earth by showing love, kindness and serving those around us. We love the Gospel message of hope and charity and strive to become more patient and long suffering, even when others don't show us the same respect and say things that are hurtful and untrue.

I know my Savior lives and will not be defined by someone else's definition of what a Christian is. If a Christian isn't someone who believes all of the above, reads their scriptures, attends church, serves the community, seeks answer through sincere prayer, loves their neighbor, and is so humbled and amazed that they have access to the greatest gift that was ever given to mankind, the gift of true repentance and atonement only through our Savior Jesus Christ, then I don't know who or what is!

Korean Celadon Pottery

Korean celadon pottery is absolutely beautiful, and I am so lucky to own a few pieces myself! I'd love to collect more, but it's not cheap. So, I wait for my very generous mom to hand me down a few pieces every now and then. (hint hint) Anyway, these first pictures, of course, are not pottery, but I wanted to include them because they are so beautiful. Both are paintings of garden scenes, the first of a watermelon patch and the second of chrysanthemums and other flowers. So pretty!!!

My mom owns a lot of these celadon vases and they are just
beautiful. Way more impressive in person by the way. The green color and
pattern vary in each piece which, in my opinion, makes them
even more desirable!

Chopstick rests for serious Asian cuisine foodies! The little ducks
are so cute.

A bowl with the very traditional crane detail.

I LOVE THIS TEA SERVICE. I am a sucker for a beautiful set of china, but this pink and green
pottery is my new favorite. I may have to ebay my other sets and concentrate
on collecting this one pattern. LOVE IT!!!

All of these items are available here:   www.korean-arts.com

I'd Rather Eat My Weight in Cheese Than...

... fold another fitted sheet.

I'm no good at it. Every attempt ends with me red faced and shoving the sheet in the back/bottom of the closet, wishing it was disposable. I actually think that would be a great invention. Probably not super eco-friendly, but sometimes I don't care about that.

Just kidding, I do care.

Anyway, Martha has a tutorial that I will use next time:

http://www.marthastewart.com/269141/how-to-fold-a-fitted-sheet

This will help I think.

Wow.

I love all things Martha, but her Halloween cover of MSL is freaking me out. I've had pink eye for like three weeks now/allergies and those butterfly wings on "Motha's" face are making me feel ill. Itchy, so itchy, right?! I don't like it.

Fall Fashion Tip from Home Stories A2Z

It is almost scarf season!

I've had so many people (2) ask me how to tie a scarf. I pretty much wear one 6 months out of the year, because I don't like being chilly and I think they're cute... plus, turtle necks are horribly uncomfortable. They make me feel super claustrophobic/ my head's going to explode.

It's like, "Renee, it's June, so why do you have a scarf on?"

and I'm all, "None of your beeswax, dummy!"

Anyway, I found this helpful tutorial on "Home Stories A2Z", a really cute blog with all kinds of decorating and fashion tips. She includes a link to a free printable with easy directions showing how to do all the different styles shown in this photo the left.

www.homestoriesatoz.com/2011/09/fashion-friday-how-to-tie-a-scarf-free-printable.html

Seriously?

Ice Cream Cone Mascot Mistaken for a KKK Member

An ice cream shop in Ocala, Florida thought it would be a clever marketing tactic to have an employee dress up as an ice cream cone and stand out in the parking lot with a sign advertising their goods. Little did they know!

Managers and staffers at the two-month-old Ice Cream Family Corner and Sandwiches say that many townsfolk have avoided their shop because of the ice cream cone man, whom they've mistaken for a Ku Klux Klan protester. The Ocala Star-Banner reports:

Liza Diaz, who manages the store... said an employee at the bank where she does business told her a co-worker was so frightened by the white dollop patrolling the street corner that she called her husband crying and refused to drive through the intersection.

"One (customer) told me, 'I had to think twice before coming in here because I thought it was KKK,' " Diaz said.

Diaz is from Puerto Rico and had never heard about the KKK until a reporter informed her about the group. The shop owners are named Jose Cantres and Jesus Diaz, which seems to disqualify them from KKK membership. Photographs show that the men who wore the foam ice cream cone costume—which features a hole cut out for the wearer's face to show through—had brown skin. Also, KKK robes don't usually come with sprinkles.

So how could anyone conclude that Ice Cream Family Corner was some kind of white supremacist operation? The Star-Banner offers a credible hypothesis:

The costume tends to sag around the wearer's shoulders, and the waffle cone is mostly obscured by the sign the mascot holds in front of him. So to a motorist who gets only a glance cruising past at 40 mph, it can—and apparently does—look like a menacing Klansman.

Ice Cream Family Corner isn't using the ice cream cone mascot anymore.

They only had to think twice?,,, dang, they really wanted that ice cream.

Color

The green is so incredible in this room. I'd love to do that
kind of a vibrant punch in my formal dining room somewhere. 

 So my husband told me the other day that he thinks I've been too heavily influenced by Martha's prison chic and he wouldn't mind a little color in the house. Luckily, I totally agree and am ready to add some big pops of color. No more living in a sepia photo!

Here are some beautiful rooms with lots of color and hints of color. I don't know that I want to do an entire room in hot pink or anything as daring as that, but here and there yes. Martha's been out of prison for a while now and I need to liberate myself as well.

When I start redoing walls and repainting furniture, I'll totally post before and afters. Those are my favorites!

Okay, so maybe not hot pink in my living room, I don't think Scott
would go for that, but it still inspires me. It's super fresh feeling!

There isn't a ton of color in here, but the dark teal and orange are enough with
all that gorgeous artwork! Maybe I could do a darker color around my fireplace?
Hmmmm...

That persimmon color is my favorite right now and I love it on
that lamp! It just brings everything else to life!!!

I've always loved this room. Bright color doesn't have to be jarring,
it can be cozy and fun at the same time!

This is probably a little more country than what I typically like,
but I love it anyway. It's happy and homey. I need a little of that
here! 

Soup

I love soup, all varieties... cold, spicy, creamy, chunky, smooth, etc... Soup is so good!

Here is a kind of Mexican soup I make when I am stressed for time and money. You can make it as fresh and fancy as you want, OR you can use canned/frozen veggies and it's still good.

I start off with a basic chicken broth. Whenever I boil chicken, I always keep the broth. It's much healthier than store bought (no MSG) and all you have to do is skim off the fatty bits on top and freeze it in a marked container. However, store bought is still good or even chicken bouillon cubes and water if you're out of everything else.

So once you get that nice and bubbly in a pot, you can add a little chicken (canned is fine if you don't have a frozen or fresh piece as well) and fresh garlic if you have some. Then let it simmer for a bit. I also salt my soup a little between each step.

Then add your veggies. My favorites are: carrots, potatoes, black beans, corn, green beans and onions... in that order. It takes a lot longer to cook carrots and potatoes, but again, you can also just get a big bag of mixed vegetables too!

Then goes in a little tomato paste and a can of ROTEL. This is my favorite ingredient! It adds a little spice and color.

Then a little garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Last but not least, I always throw in a handful of cilantro right before serving.

You can serve this with some tortilla chips sprinkled on top and buttery rice with lime on the side. YUM!!!

Seriously?

"There's Black Friday, then there'sTarget Tuesday.

In a scene that was reminiscent of the shopping frenzy that typically comes on the day after Thanksgiving, Target's website crashed several times throughout the day and more than hundred shoppers lined up at many of its stores early in the morning on Tuesday for a sale of limited offerings of its Missoni for Target collection of bikes, luggage, clothes and housewares.

The 400-piece line made by the Italian luxury knitwear designer Missoni exclusively for the cheap chic retailer features its trademark zig-zag patterns for between $2.99 for stationary and $599.99 for patio furniture -- a fraction of the price of the designer's real duds that can cost $595 to $1,500.

"This was Missoni mayhem," said Joshua Thomas, a Target spokesman. "This is unprecedented."

Okay, so while I think the Missoni line for Target is kind of cute, I don't know that it is worth the "mayhem that ensued" this morning. To me it looks a lot like the other brands they regularly carry. Nevertheless, feeling a little curious after reading this article, I went in to check out what all the ruckus was about and am extremely underwhelmed. I can only take so much zig-zag or chevron and have no desire to throw someone into a full-on epileptic seizure upon entering a room or walking down the street. However, BRAVO to Target and Missoni's brilliant marketing team. When the time comes for me to unveil my own line of nothing but, oh I don't know, matelasse 70's inspired sweater dresses, ottomans, makeup bags and rubber boots etc..., I'm totally giving them a call!

V & Co.

http://www.vanessachristenson.com/

This tremendously talented girl, Vanessa Christenson, has a very well written and simple tutorial on how to make a ruffle skirt. Check it out!

Random Things I've Thought/Learned Today, so far...

-I love the work I do at church. I love working with the Young Women, they are beyond wonderful!

-I am not that good at putting makeup on. My husband says he likes me better without makeup anyway so that's good. I also need a haircut in the worst way.

-It's okay to cry in public. It really is.

-DO NOT buy too many boxes of Graham crackers (food storage) because they will start to smell and taste like the box and plastic they come in. Buy in moderation and make sure you eat them quickly. Luckily we had another new box and little Sophia got her snack.

-There isn't much better than an honest, sincere and humble testimony that our Savior lives and knows us each personally. He knows what we need, what we are struggling with and what our true potential is. He can see far beyond the pain and troubles we are dealing with in this moment. He will put us in the position, difficult or simple, to learn the things we need to learn to be able to take that next step down our own individual paths. Every soul is important to Him.

-Missing someone you really love can hurt so deeply that you almost can't catch your breath sometimes. It's sort of unbelievable.

-10:00 PM... Frozen custard is very time consuming and difficult. Buy Culvers and forget about it!

Stenciled Curtains

I can't tell you how many great ideas I've found on Lori's "Be Different Act Normal" blog, but this one might take the cake!

She found this stencil idea from Beth's "Home Stories A2Z". Beth was inspired by some lovely but expensive Ballard Design curtains and decided to make similar ones herself.

I think her curtains are even prettier than the more expensive ones and I can't wait to try this myself.

I love blogging!

http://www.homestoriesatoz.com/2011/08/royal-design-studio-stenciled-curtains-knock-off-ballard-designs.html

Yes, Please.

I only buy Anthropology if they're having a really good sale because I'm not rich. BUT, I might have to start selling stuff  on Craigslist to order this pretty little number. It's actually not THAT expensive, but on top of Oliver's tuition, Target's looking too rich for my blood.

So yes, yes yes please, and can I also get whatever super expensive shampoo this girl uses to get that full bodied hair? I'd also like to go to India and grow a few inches.