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.  

Owl Cupcakes

 

I have seen these cupcakes all over the internet this Halloween season and wanted an excuse to make them.  Sophie has Girl Scouts snack duty today, so we went for it!  They are so simple and so cute.

You will need:
1 Package of Oreos
3 Packages of M&M's -- you will need a lot of brown ones -- for some reason we barely had any brown.
20 baked cupcakes, iced with chocolate icing.

Split your Oreos carefully.  Use the plain side for the ears.  Take a serrated knife and saw the two sides off of the circle, (see pic).  Place ears at an angle on top and a little bit poking through the cupcake.  Attach  the eyes with icing and then place brown M&M, M side down, onto the white part with a little dot of frosting.  Place a yellow or orange vertically for the beak.

 Super cute and easy!

The Kids Are Alright

When we moved back to Hilltop it was hot mess, to say the least.  Griffin did not want to move -- at all.  He was so happy in Brenham at his Christian private school, B.C.A.  Sophie was bummed to leave, but was excited to come home to Hilltop and live in a house again, and not in a commercial building that was under construction.  Well, it was a bumpy restart here.  Sophie adjusted fine, Griffin - not so much.  Without going into the details - we are now  "accidental"  homeschoolers.  It was the BEST decision we have EVER made.  I am grateful for the wonderful years that both kids experienced in school.  Homeschool is something that I would have never considered unless for  the events that transpired.  It is new adventure in learning for our entire family.    Some days are tough.  When cabin fever hits us  we take action and go on a field trip, take a hike or go read outside.  I will include more about our homeschool adventures in the future.  

From Trash to Treasure -- Literally

Found this very old dresser on big trash day in my neighborhood. It was so heavy, but somehow the kids and I managed to lug it home hanging out of my trunk. It took a lot of cleaning, sanding, and Modge Podge, but I think it turned out pretty cute. Note to self: Don't ever try to wallpaper.

Sophie has a Parisian themed room, so it now holds her "stuff". You know the "stuff" you would love to get rid of when your child is spending the night at someones house? Surely, she won't miss ticket stubs, 100's of jelly bracelets, stickers, bits of this and that -- right?? Well, Sophie would.

So now it is housed in a funky dresser that she helped to create. Problem solved.

Sophie and The King of Pop

You would think after 40 years of being alive that I would master the art of taking a decent picture. You can totally tell that I am sucking in my gut, keeping my chin down to avoid a double one, and I am smiling like I am a weirdo. I really thought my aviators were cool, but in reality, they make me look like Micheal Jackson.

Patriotic Photo

My kids absolutely love it when I pull over on the main drive in our subdivision, in the 100 degree heat, and make them take a patriotic photo while wearing floppy Uncle Sam hats.

Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes!

My oh my how things have changed in the House of Gillespie. Let me start by setting things straight. We are doing well. Really well, in fact. After 39 years of worrying about what the masses think of me and my choices I have grown up, ( I think), and have started to make decisions based on -- well whatever I'm rambling. Decision #1 We have moved out of Brenham and to Hilltop back in August 2009. Griffin was not a happy camper about this -- at all. He was out numbered in the family vote.

We had to tell the renter that lived in our Hilltop House to scat.... and well, he was not eager, to say the least. Finally, he got over it, found another abode and we came back to our home (incidentally, I had not been back here in 3+ years!) We walked in for the first time to find the doorknob missing from the front entry, and it smelled like smoke, wet dog, and a 70's fish fry.

A Little Piece of Paradise

My fantastic brother Ryan entertained us during Spring Break by taking us to Hamilton Pool in Austin. Amazingly cool place highly recommend going if you enjoy hiking and almost busting your butt in order to see the coolest waterfall and cavern/cave-like structure. OMG I look so fat in this picture but the good news was that I lost a pound from the trek.

39 and Holding buts it's complicated -- of course.

So today is my actual Birthday -- not the 20th. What? How? Well sit back and let me tell you the story about how I found out my Birthday was not my Birthday -- or was it???

The year is 1985. The location is Dallas, Texas at the Sears driving school -- yes, Sears. My Dad and his new wife had just moved to Dallas and I went to stay with them and to take drivers ed. I know no one. I am awkward. I am feeling so out of place at the Sears Driving school in Dallas, Texas. The class is watching a film and we have just turned in our paperwork. You know the stuff -- your name, D.O.B. etc.... Just when my eyes are glazing over from the BORING film...

"Christina Wilson?"

"Yes?"

"Do you not know your own Birthday?"

"I'm sorry??"

"Christina, when is your Birthday?"

"Ummm August 19th."

" No, it says right here on your Birth Certificate August 20, 1970. You , Miss. Wilson, wrote August 19th all over your paperwork. You would think by this point in your life you would know your own Birthday.!"


I was mortified. The class started to snicker and laugh. Thank goodness it was dark in there -- because my face was on fire and I'm sure it was blood red.

My Dad rolls into pick me up after class and I tell him what happened.

"Oh yeah -- that's right. The hospital made a mistake -- we told them about it but I guess they never fixed it. It's no big deal."

"Daddy, what day was I born on? Are you even my Dad? Who am I really?"

"Tina, you were born on the 19th -- that is your Birthday."

So, ever since that fateful day during the summer of 1985 -- I have used August 20th as my legal Birthday on forms and such. My Birthday that I consider to be my Birthday is the 19th.

Superstar Sophie

My sweet Sophie's pictured graced the Girl Scout Possibilities Fall/Winter 2009 catalog.

FYI : Now accepting resumes for her agent.

Our 24 hour Vacation

We have had a pretty uneventful summer. We took a 24 hour mini vacation to a hotel that is 45 minutes from where we live. The good news -- it was wonderful, the kids loved it, and we had good weather. The bad news it was our old high school's class of '89 reunion weekend. (Brad class of '87, me class of '88) I felt like I was in a bad dream, running into to people that I haven't seen in 20 years -- in my bathing suit.

Roller Babies

Jackpot!

We were at Main Event in Austin over the 4th of July weekend and Griffin hit the Jackpot and won 1,000 tickets. He is in shock -- Sophie is near tears.

What is my deal?

Good gracious! Why can't I take a decent picture? We went to Ryan's over the 4th holiday -- and it was pretty eventful to say the least. My favorite part was the incredible fireworks display in Austin. Why haven't we ever lived in Austin? We enjoy visiting there so much, and I think we would fit in better.

* Note to self: stop wearing sleeveless garments.