A little sneak peek...

So, my ottoman project has been put on the back burner because I'm super excited to finish our hall bathroom (aka 'The kids' bath').  Yesterday, I removed everything from the walls and spackled .  The bathroom is in a shambles, but still usable.
Here are a few pictures of what it looked like before I started everything. Not too shabby, but not exactly 'perfect.' It's in the original shape from when we bought our house and we haven't changed anything about it. Later on down the road we'll replace the vanity, but it's not in my budget right now.





Before




Paint choices, we're going with the one on the left - Perfectly Teal




Craig's list find - $30, spray painting black or white



What I envision our walls to look like when finished
(courtesy of http://inmyownstyle.com/2011/07/bathroom-remodel-update.html)

That picture frame cost how much?

Labor Day weekend, we were lucky enough to have our kid's pictures taken by my sister in law's brother.  He recently started his photography business and was in town for the holiday.  We went to the Hampton Roads Soccer Complex a few miles from our house and let the kids do their thing.
The weather was perfect for pictures, a little overcast.  We let them run wild kicking the soccer balls, playing chase, digging in the sand pit, playing dress up, riding in the wagon and then ending everything with some lollipops.  The results were AMAZING! 

When Garry sent me the pictures, I had such a hard time choosing 3 or 4, so I had 10 photos printed.  10 photos usually means 10 frames and that = mega bucks.  I remembered my favorite 'bargain shops' (aka Goodwill Store and Habitat Store) had picture frames.  It didn't matter that I didn't like the color or the artwork in the frame, the idea was to find shapes and silhouettes I liked since I was going to spray paint them anyway.  I scored 7 frames for less than $10, I'm still on the hunt for 3 more.

I was a little scared of painting the frames since I'd never done it before, but heck, if I can refinish side tables and dressers and desks, surely I can redo a few little frames.  I can now see why people get addicted to spray painting stuff.  It's fun and easy and cheap!  So I lightly sanded and sprayed all the frames on newspaper out in the yard.  A few hours of dry time and they were ready for pictures! I just had to add some hanger clips to the back and cut some paper for the matting.

4 frames from Goodwill - $6



Sand the frames lightly to remove the shine



Spray them lightly and evenly



Measure where you want the hanger



The finished product, excuse the bean bags



I didn't hang them level on purpose for the sheer fact that I didn't have a level on hand and I like the look of having the frames grow 'organically.' There is a little tweaking and straightening needed, but I'm very pleased with the final outcome.

Total cost breakdown: FRAMES 10 for $12, PICTURE HANGERS 2 for $2.50, SPRAY PAINT 1 for $5, PICTURES 10 for $14.  Project total less than $35.

Let's make a deal...

I love to find a good deal. I love to scour the aisles of thrift stores, antique shops and craigslist. Great deals of the day: 4 picture frames (all sizes 5x7 and larger), fitted wool blazer = $16 (Goodwill). Round mirror for the bathroom = $30 (craigslist).


The kids had their pictures taken by my sister in law's brother. GRG Photography in GA. He did an amazing job and I needed new frames for the photos. Off to Goodwill I went and scored 4 frames that will need to be sanded and painted for less than $2.50/frame. GREAT JOB!

I am making plans for redoing our hall bathroom and the mirrors I've wanted have been $60 and up. This mirror is exactly what I wanted minus the color. All together = <$40 for spray paint and mirror. AWESOME!

Now if I can find a vanity light fixture and a new vanity I will be one happy lady.

Things that make my heart thump, thump

Today is the first day of Fall.  It sure doesn't feel like it with the 80degree temps and humidity.  Nonetheless, I begin my Fall decorating/crafts.  But first, things that make my heart thump, thump on a regular basis:

1. While speaking with my 4yr old daughter I forget what something is called.  I say, "I don't remember what it's called."  She says, "It's okay Mommy, just sound it out."
2. My children love this pet store (Animal Jungle) and we've recently been making weekly trips to visit the animals.  My almost 2yr old son says, "Amal Yungle Momma" when we pass the road that takes us there.
3. Feeling a sense of accomplishment when I finish a task or project.  One that I love right now is finishing a row of crocheting this ridiculously large blanket for my little girl.  It's very likely this blanket could become a king size bedspread.
4. The more 'awake' I am while carrying around my new camera.  I'm constantly looking for the 'next thing' to photograph.  Bugs, my kids, food, crafts.
5. Cooking and perfecting recipes.  I've been a little obsessed with this Tyler Florence Sesame Chicken recipe lately.  I think I've made it 4 or 5 times since I found it last month.  Last night it was made brilliantly with a few tweaks.  Who knew Worcester Sauce was a good substitute for Soy Sauce?
6. Coffee time with friends sans children.  I love coffee time with friends AND children, but love it even more when the kids are at school and we get quality grown up time.
7. Consulting with my Dad about remodeling and carpentry.  I'm far from the amazing craftsman he is, but I like to ask his advice and seek his knowledge.
8. Getting unexpected hugs and kisses from my little ones.  Those little smiles are simply priceless.
9. Enjoying a Filipino style lunch with my Mom.
10. Random acts of kindness from friends and strangers.

Runner toe nails?

My medal along with my medal from the Surf n Santa 10 miler

I am so proud of myself for finishing my first 1/2 marathon.  I felt aches and pains for a few days after the race and was happy that I didn't lose any of my toe nails.  I did notice a blood blister under two of my nails, but that's it.  I took my nail polish off my toes this morning and my toe nails on my right foot look like a truck ran them over several times.  They don't hurt and they don't look like they're going to fall off, but they look hideous!  I guess I could compare it to a discolored tooth, it looks normal, but the color is a little off.  My husband says I should stop complaining about them or stop running so it doesn't happen anymore.  I won't stop running so I guess I just have to get used to them.  It could be worse right?  I could be missing those two awful looking toe nails.

Baby it's cold outside...

Well, it feels like summer has officially left us.  I love the crisp, cool weather that we're having right now.  I do miss the mornings at the beach and afternoons at the pool, but I'll take living outside all day long any day.  It's gorgeous without all the humidity!
With one kid in school and the other at home, what do I do while my little guy is napping?  Aside from the regular house chores, that is. My list of projects, that's what I do for an hour or two during nap time and if I'm lucky after the kid's bedtime.

1. Storage ottoman, all the pieces are cut.  Now it's just a matter of assembly, foam and fabric.  Doesn't sound too hard right?  If only I can find the perfect fabric.  As for now, the project is at a stand still.

    2.  Rag wreaths, I love them.  I finished one for Halloween/Fall and it took me all of about 5 hours to finish.  Lots of fabric tearing and tying.  My fingers were numb for a few days, but I can't wait to hang it on our door.  I even had enough fabric left over to make a little one for inside the house.

http://www.google.com/reader/view/?hl=en&tab=wy#search/rag%20wreath/4

 

     3.    Pictures!  My honey got me a new camera for our 10 year anniversary and I have been taking pictures every chance I get.  The weekend's weather was not the best for photos, with all the wind and rain.  This week is supposed to be perfect for photos so I'm sure I'll do lots of 'shooting.'

     4.  Crocheting, yes, I love crocheting.  I have a huge bag of yarn that's been sitting around the house since Stella's birth that should have transformed itself into a blanket, but has failed to do so.  I'm working on a Granny Stripe pattern and I found another bag of yard to make a blanket for my little guy too.

    

5.   I really want to do 'faux' wainscoting/beadboarding in the hall bath.  I have the paint, all I need is the lumber for the 'paneling' and the hardware for the towel hooks.  Maybe my Dad can help me with this project. http://sassysanctuary.blogspot.com/2011/08/bathroom-is-done.html



Love this look, from 'Sassy Sanctuary'



So, there you have it folks, I'm a project kind of gal.  Thanks to Pinterest, I will be a busy lady this fall/winter.

War of the Wings and Yuengling...

Last  night my hubby tells me he saw or heard something about a 'Wing fest' at one of the nearby farms.  It definitely piqued my interest since I am a lover of chicken wings and beer.  This morning he looked into it and Hunt Club Farms was having their 'War of the Wings' battle today.  My parents had offered to take the kids and off we went to HCF.

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Round one

It was a good thing we got there early.  We breezed through the first 6 stands without much of a wait, found a nice picnic table to enjoy our wings and beer and then discussed how we liked or didn't like the wings.  I really wasn't impressed with our first round of wings.  I like my wings crispy and hard slathered in sauce.  I am also a bit of a traditionalist when it comes to sauce.  I prefer the traditional buffalo or mild sauce.  Most of the wings seemed grilled and didn't have great flavor.  We did round 2 along with round 2 of beers and it improved a little.  The texture of the wings got better as did the flavors.  We were both starting to feel the fullness of gobbling up these little wings, but trudged on to our last booths.  I really liked 2 of the booths for their flavor and texture and couldn't wait to get my vote into the little box.

 





Saucy



The lines were starting to get super long and slow and I'm sure many of the booths were starting to run low on their wings.  One of the first booths we stopped at (Thumbs) ran out of wings within the first 30 minutes.  We returned almost an hour later and yet again, they were out.  We waited and boy was I disappointed.





Last chance!

My top three picks for wings ended up being: Geared Up (mild), Lendy's                                                     (parmesan garlic), and Bailey's (parmesan garlic).  It was a nice afternoon date with the hubby and not something we normally do.  I think this will make it on our calendar for next year.  Now I just have to wait and see who the winners were.  Hopefully my picks will be close to the judges picks.  As for my love of wings, I still love them, but I won't miss having some any time soon!



When I was 4...

For those with children, do you ever think back to what life was like at your child's age?  I was doing that today and thought about things I did at 4years old.  Here's my list of favorites:

1. Wonder Woman was real - I truly believed if I spun around fast enough, I too would turn into WW.
2. Living in Illinois had it's perks - I remember my Dad testing the ice on the pond behind our apartment.  If it was safe we'd skate in our cowboy boots.
3. I loved to wake up early and watch 'Bozo the Clown' with my Dad before he left for work.
4. One of my favorites smells to this day is Oil of Olay, I used to love to smell my Mom's face after she put that on.
5. The one time I had to sit in 'time out' in pre-school was horrible.  I don't remember what I did, but it must've been bad because I had to sit in a 'box' that was that was outlined on the floor with tape.  Those were the longest 4 minutes of my life!
6. I was convinced that when I grew up, Magnum P.I. was going to be my husband.
7. It felt awesome to run around the house in my undies, now I know why my kids love to do that sometimes sans undies/diaper.
8. Blowing bubbles with your gum was a true talent, getting your hair cut like your brother's because the bubble burst and engulfed your head in it was devastating.  Note to self: when that happens to my children, slather on peanut butter or mayonnaise to get out the gum.
9. Tire swings were the best invention on the planet.
10. Julia Childs was one of my idols.  She had her own tv show, she talked with a really cool/funny voice, she got to use neat utensils and was a great cook.

When else is it okay to eat cake in your undies at the table?  Certainly not at 33years of age.

Good bye summer, see ya next year travelers!

Who can find Dory first?

I love that we live so close to the ocean.  I DON'T love that our beaches are over run by tourists in the summer.  Yes, they bring millions of dollars to our city - but they also bring crowds to anything that is fun and family oriented.  Take the Virginia Aquarium for instance, it's our refuge in the winter/spring months and every now and then we take a chance in the summer months.  In the summer, forget about getting a turn at the touch tank or even having 'personal space.'

Bro, push the button

 Today, we ventured to the Aquarium after school around 330pm.  It closes at 5pm so I figured there wouldn't be a ton of people there.  Vacations are over and kids are back at school.  We normally hang out on the marsh side, but we changed it up and paid the ocean side a visit.  Guess what?  There was hardly anybody there!  We practically had the place to ourselves!  I loved that the kids could guide our way through the museum without keeping them at my feet the entire time!  We saw everything we wanted and took our time at the Ray tank.  Unfortunately, we didn't get to touch at the second tank because their filtration system wasn't working.  The kids were so well behaved, they each earned a lollipop on our way out the door (thank goodness I have a stash in my purse).  We watched the seals for a while and then headed home.  We still had to deal with traffic, but that's another story.

He loves to 'Captain' the sub, do you see the shark?



Yes, we ride the dolphin every visit



Things I love, especially about today...

Today was my little girl's 1st day of school.  No hankies for this Mommy.  Thank goodness I got crying out with last year's 1st day of school.

Just a couple of things I loved about today:

1. My sweet little girl was super excited about her 1st day of school - no fighting about getting dressed, eating breakfast, brushing teeth, washing face.  She carried her backpack and lunch bag, with no fuss, to the car.
2. After getting home from dropping her off at school, her little brother ran through the house saying, "Sissy, are you?" (where are you?).  He was bummed she wasn't home, especially when he did something he was proud of.  He likes to show off to her.
3. I got some one on one time with my little guy - playing trains, cars, feeding baby dolls, playing with Barbies.  Yes, he loves his sister's dolls and I'm okay with that.
4. The house is much quieter - although, I missed hearing the giggling of the kids when they're together.
5. I loved that when picking up my little girl she was so caught up in a game with her classmates, she didn't even see me waiting for her.  I got a glimpse into her little pre-school world.
6. I hear Stella walk up to her baby brother and say, "Bro, I love you" and then walk away before he can acknowledge her presence.
7. I loved to hear about her first day of school even if that meant she got a little frustrated and angry with my drill sergeant questioning.
8. Stella liked the fact that her brother missed her while she was at school and she wanted to hear every little tidbit detail of how he looked for her or called for her while she was at school.
9. I loved that both kids ate all their dinner with no problem and my little boy had 2nd helpings of mashed potato and 3rd helpings of meatloaf.  Oh how I love to see that little guy eat.


10. I loved that my babies were in bed before 8pm and I actually got to zone out on the couch for a few hours.

Today was a day of newness for us all and it was great!  I can't wait to see what this new school year brings for my little girl.  I hope she keeps her excitement for school as she grows older.  She was so excited to do homework tonight and was really bummed there wasn't any.

I'm officially a half marathoner!



Me and Gina after the race, finishers!



Finally, after 4 months of training, it's over!  The Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon training occupied many hours of my time, but was all worth it.  Getting up at 430 in the morning is not how my usual Sunday routine goes.  Catching the bus to the oceanfront, not usually in my routine either.  13.1 miles waiting to be run, right again, not in my usual Sunday routine.  I was lucky enough to have 2 girl friends run it with me.  We tried to run together for as long as we could, but eventually everyone ended up getting into their groove and separating.



Me and my babies



From mile 1-6 was fun, lots of singing and dancing and cheering.  Then a little past the 6th mile, my i-pod goes berzerk and stops playing music.  A little fiddling and still, no music.  I gave it a little rest and thankfully it came back on a mile later.  I could feel my body slow down at mile 8 and also started to get a really bad cramp.  I really didn't want to walk at all during the race, but the cramp refused to go away as I tried to 'run it off,' so I did end up walking at the 9th mile.  I sent my running partner to keep going, I wanted her to get a good time and not slow down because of me.  The cramp wasn't completely gone, but I kept going and to my surprise saw one of my girlfriends cheering me on at mile 10.  That was exactly what I needed to get pumped.  3 more miles was all that was left ahead of me.



Stella's shirt I made for race day









It was great to see all the spectators cheering for their friends and family, having the local community out to support the runners.  It was amazing to see the wave of people running ahead of me.  I started to get a little emotional after mile 11- I was filled with joy, pride, a sense of accomplishment that I was almost finished.

Bro's shirt I made for race day

Once I got to the boardwalk, I could faintly see the finish line ahead.  I couldn't get there fast enough!  I sprinted past many runners and finally did it, I finished!  Walking through the crowds, I was looking for my friend and my family.  Of course, I also scooped up all the freebies and snacks too.



 



We ended our journey with a beer from the beer tent and an icecream cone from Kohr Bro's.  If only I could say the morning after a race like that was just as great.  Sore muscles = slow moving.  I almost forgot, my goal was to finish at 2hr20m, my final time was 2hr24m.  I'm really proud of myself, it's a huge accomplishment for me, and I get to check it off 'my list.'  Now, on to the next race? 













I am a finisher!