Celebrity Sighting

A funny thing happened  at Home Depot...

The family and I  are BIG TIME fans of The Food Network show Restaurant Impossible.  The hubster and I were at our local Home Depot and spotted Lynn Kegan , (designer extraordinaire on the show) shopping.   We totally acted like the biggest nerds and approached him.  He was super nice and let us take a quick picture.  Our kids would of never believed us if we didn't have hard evidence to show them. Come to find out, he's an Aggie .  How cool is that?  

Pinterest Project #4

Go Big or Go Home!

I am in the process of painting an accent wall in our Gameroom/Homeschool room.  The great news is that it is a bright, big, airy room with a big window that breaks up the wall.  If it wasn't this accent wall would be way too dark and goth!  I am using RUST-OLEUM Chalk Board paint in black.  I was going to mix up a homemade version of chalk board paint, because I needed alot for such a large wall, and it was expensive.  When I went to Home Depot to buy the materials needed for my concoction, the price had been reduced to $9.98 for 30 oz. so I just bought two cans.  I am still on can #1, it has a very thin consistency,( a little goes a long way.)  I used a brush at first, but I am going to switch to a roller. I will post the finish project soon and give you the scoop on the coverage.  I am going to apply a few coats for good measure.  My kids have started to draw and write with chalk on it and it looks really cool!  

Pinterest Project #3

Pinterest Project #3

We have a very dated seventies ranch house, that is way overdue for an update.  My sweet, sweet husband agreed to take on this project, (after I begged and begged.)  You can get the step by step directions here: 

http://www.thenatos.com/2012/01/entry-way-re-do-yes.html


Ours will be a little different, but not by much.  I am going to try and hide the hooks.  They are  not to be used by us, but for our guests when they come over, (which is never - but I am hoping to change this one day! )   

We are still working on it - so stay tuned for the reveal.   

Fall Wreath - On The Cheap

Fall Wreath on the Cheap 

Tutorial

I love, love, love fall!  How could we possibly have a true fall here in Central Texas?  Well okay, we don't. Maybe for about 8 days of sporadic cool, crisp weather spread over the course of two months and then low and behold, it's winter.  We just make it and fake it!

View of the finished product.  It looks as if my scarecrow lost a limb, grrrrrr -  dang dog!

I haven't made a wreath since the Spice Girls came out with their first hit single.  Pinterest is my new best friend, so I thought it was time.  There was only one problem , the cost.  I am really, squeaky, freakin' cheap.  I'm not sure why, or where this trait came from, but I am.  Unless its buying a purse, but that's another story.  

Up close and personal with the monogrammed dollar store pumpkin.


I wanted my wreath to be long and narrow, (I have a funky front door with a wonky little window.)  I used a piece of insulating foam for pipe from Home Depot, in the plumbing section,as my wreath base that set me back $1.38.   I had to cover that business up with something so I went with burlap from Micheal's craft store  that was around $6.00 for two yards with a coupon.  (I felt like this was on the high side, I'm sure you can find it much cheaper somewhere else.)  The ribbon came from Micheal's as well,on sale for $2.88.  The leaves and pumpkin came from Dollar Tree and cost, (you guessed it), a buck. 

Cut it down to the size you desire and duct tape the two ends together.  

I
 I cut the strips of burlap too wide, but it worked anyway.  You could also use burlap ribbon. Wrap it around the wreath using a glue gun to secure it on every other turn.  




After gluing the burlap all around the wreath, it's time to put the fun stuff on.  

The dollar store finds.  The pumpkin was very bright and garish.  I had to tone it down, and age it a bit with paint.

I used water downed  brown craft paint to highlight the grooves on the pumpkin.

I printed out a fancy-pant G font and glued it directly to the little guy with cheap, white school glue and a small paintbrush, but you could use Mod Podge.

I attached everything on that wreath using a glue gun, and made a simple loop bow with the ribbon to hang it. It's not the best, but I like it, and it's super light. When the door slams, and you know it will, it actually stays on.  Happy Fall ya'll!

                             Rock Candy

Oh how I love Pinterest!  We made rock candy last week, and while it took forever for the crystals to form -- it was worth the wait.  

You will need:

Wooden skewers (clip the points off)

Food coloring

Tons of sugar

Water

Glass jars

Clothespins

Boil a mixture of 3 parts sugar, 1 part water until it becomes a syrup.  Take off the burner and let cool for ten minutes.  Pour mixture into glass jars and add your food coloring.  Place sticks in jars, if your jars are larger you can fit two sticks, if they are smaller only use one stick -- they seem to crystallize better if they have a little elbow room. Hold the skewers in place with a clothespin on the lip of the jar.  Place the jars in a sunny spot, like a windowsill   It took about 8 days for ours to form completely, but it was a little humid that week.  

Blast From the Past

Sophie was over the moon with her latest and greatest Halloween costume this year - "80's Girl".  I catch myself referring to the eighties as if it were The Golden Age of my life.  My husband and I were kids and teens during this decade, so I feel like were are experts in all things eighties.  I start my sentences with, "We would of never shown our midriffs in the 80's."  or "We would of never left the house without makeup in the 80's".  Sophie must think of the 1980's as a magical time, where the people were fully made up to the nines everyday, and life was like a Molly Ringwald movie.  Maybe it was -- I'm not too sure, my memory is not as sharp as it used to be -- mostly due to the chemical warfare that I endured with my excessive grooming, ie Aqua Net.