Finally getting my living rooms back to livable

Man, I keep forgetting to post new pics on here...
Update on living rooms:

Desk: painted! It's two shades of a purpley grey.  I would repaint the walls to match better, but since we are most likely moving within the year, I shall leave it be.

Stuff inside! (Gotta say I was a little nervous when I pulled out all my supplies to put them in here, but it all fit!) I just need to organize it all now and then I can celebrate! First matter of business will probably be baby shower invites or something for a baby shower I am hosting next month! So excited!

Couch: girlified, somewhat. :)

Still want to add more detail to the pillows, like the button flower above.

If you need me...I will be at my scrapbooking station! :)

Before you buy online...

There are a lot of places online that you can earn cash back through, but my favorite is Ebates (like 'rebate'...I always have to explain the name...) They have so many online sites you can earn from. I've earned cash back from Walmart, Target, Dell, JCPenneys, Sephora, BedBathandBeyond, and most often, Snapfish. They now even have Groupon! I do a lot of online shopping and always go through ebates to see if they offer cash back on whatever site I'm browsing. You get $5 for joining and making your first purchase. Whenever you get more than $5 racked up, you can request your check and they mail it to you! :) Check it out:

http://www.ebates.com/rf.do?referrerid=xH%2Bt3iCurObAr5W1hktpWA%3D%3D

On another note...some progress pics...
Some pillows made from new fabric...more still in the works...

The desk and mirror are sanded and primed. Finally bought paint this morning...let the glorious mess that is painting furniture inside a small living room begin!

A little too masculine for me...

Well, it's been a little challenging getting much done this week. We did get the new couch in the living room. Now I need to rearrange the wall art and make new pillows for the couch. Len and I compromised on the couch...it's better than the old 'bachelor pad' vinyl leather but still a little manly...so I will add some pillows to make it a bit more feminine. I got some fabric and my ideas are to make some with fabric flower details, ribbon accents, and the use of buttons to spell out a giant G. I may also dabble with some fabric paint. All of which I've never done before but seems easy enough to do.

I'm not one to read directions for more than a minute. I just try and retry and see if I get it right...so don't judge my sewing 'skills'. :) Here's my first attempt at some fabric flowers w/ brads...

Here are my before pillows for later reference:
(the above pillow was a shiny black one)

Here is the new couch without any pillows:

Triple the butt space!!
Oh...I scored this awesome heavy duty frame when I bought the couch...only $10! (Going to be another project coming soon!)

I also recently scored these sweet shoes off Totsy.com and they arrived today... I've never owned any converse or anything Ed Hardy...
Let me tell you...these are awesome!! :)

Ok...back to more sewing...after I go buy more thread...

25 Big Ones!

What a busy birthday weekend... Wish I could post pics of something cool, but alas, I do not have such pictures. I had a great birthday party Friday and spent the day today driving from one furniture store to the next searching for the right couch. Well...we (me and my shopping buddy Ashley...and Len via text messages) found the couch we are going to get. It will be here on Monday I hope...then I can finally get this house back together!!

I will leave you with a new recipe I tried, and loved. Talk about EASY! It's a strawberry ice cream pie. (You could do almost any fruit.)

Mind you, this is not a finished product picture. :)
How to:
1. Pie Crust (dry or make your own via nuts and oats. Don't use a frozen one...lesson learned)
2. Grate (via food processor) your fruit...add some agave nectar for extra sweetness
3. Scoop ice cream (can soften if desired) into pie crust.
4. Add fruit...then cover with saran wrap and freeze until ice cream is solid
5. Top with cool whip and perhaps fruit on top.

YUM!  :)

Transactions #80, 81, and 82...

Successful Craigslist transactions that is! (I started keeping track awhile ago and that's as many as I could remember) This week we sold our black couches, a lawn mower and I bought myself an amazing birthday present via Craigslist.

I have been looking for a scrapbooking storage solution for years and have finally found something that will work in this house! I don't need a whole scrapbook room or anything...just something better than having to pull 8 containers out of the closet every time I want to craft, make gifts and cards, or scrapbook.
Here's what I bought!

Literally every drawer pulls out once opened. The bottom middles section is open and slides out and the sides are actual drawers. I will finally have easy access to just sit down and pull out what I need! And these are the BEFORE pictures...you know I'm not going to leave it that color! (Still not sure what color to do yet...it will be housed in the front living room)

So stay tuned for the AFTER pictures coming soon!

And if you aren't taking advantage of Craigslist... get with the program... so many great deals out there!

For the love of all things creative... I shall blog!

Hello World!

It dawned on me recently just how much I've done and learned the past couple years with regards to expressing my creativity. I decided I should blog and post all the DIY projects, organizational tips, money saving ideas, etc that I have and maybe it will help or inspire someone else.

Most of us want to be the best version of ourselves, especially us moms...we wear a thousand different hats and balance everything in our family's world. I know what it feels like to just exist and get through a day and have only accomplished washing the laundry. I also know the feeling of getting a lot done in a day and feeling good about myself because I got to use my specific skills that day.

I want to further develop the skills I have. I'm not the queen of couponing or the dutchess of sewing. I'm certainly not a master chef, but I have skills in each of those areas. My stronger areas would be in: organizing, researching, creating solutions, and repurposing furniture. :) On this blog, I want to share my experiences as I learn and grow in each of these areas of my life and motherhood.