Silver Planters Finished!

Ok, so first off I have to tell you how many times I have written this post.....

Three. Ugh! "But yes, I love technology, but not as much as you, you see- always and forever. Always and forever."

 Here is the finished product! 

I was going to put the soil in it with seeds and flowers…...

but then Tyler reminded me that plants won't grow very well being planted on spray paint.

that made sense.

And if you look closely at this picture you will realize that there is a highchair in it. Todd's high hair. This cutie. 

So cute. 

his cheeks. 

I mean I can't take it I just have to GUSSSSH them :) ha ha ha.

 There were five planters and now there are four. And if you look even closer you'll notice that one of the planters happens to be missing .....

Hmmmmmm....

 Yeah that cushy cheek baby loves to crab everything around him which brunt one crashing down to the floor.

And then there were four.

so these actually can't even live in this window so anyway. 

 talk about DIY fail! :D 

but that's okay it was fun to make them anyway.

I will say one thing. Even coats, people. Even coats. I usually get too spray-paint-excited (it's a thing) and LAYER on the paint. Then I go, "hey! That was easy, and looks great!" 

*2 seconds later* 

"Wait, the paint is dripping! That doesn't look good."

*repeat thought process about 2 more times*

Then you are left with a not-so-good-looking spray paint job. 

Thin, even coats is where it's at. So someone, PLEASE remind me of this before I get spray-paint-excited again haha :)

I'm so glad you all understand my craziness! Or at lest pretend to! :)

Something else that's going on this week is that little baby got two little teeth!!! they're so cute (and a little painful) but cute. My sister was letting him play with her fingers when all off a sudden she went, YEOWWW! ha ha ha 

she didn't realize the weapons that Todd wields in his mouth. and sharp ones too. :)

Also, Tyler is a bus driver for special needs children now and he COMPLETEY loves it. I mean, he comes home saying," I love this job, jamie!" 

this is the perfect job for him.  He can be consistent every day, just Drive, not too many hours, we can enjoy him more at home, and it's just the perfect fit for him. Which is funny because this would probably be the worst job for me. I hate driving, the buses are HAUUUGE (huge), you have crazy airbrakes, and you have to be on time. Every. Day. (Not my stong point)

 My dream job dream job would be like a waitress. That would be so fun. If they paid you better. Just to be able to chat with tons of people, always be busy and moving, eating delicious food, etc. all of that sounds amazing to me! yet for Tyler that would be like his most hated job. It's funny how everyone's different! What would be your dream job?

In my life I've been a chocolate fountain assistant, a sandwich artist (a.k.a. subway), also a tax collector, a debt collector (not fun), a Mervyns retail employee, a call  Center job, a checker at a grocery store (this one was so fun for me!), a customer service rep at a bank, and finally a financial planner! 

 What jobs have you had and what was your favorite? 

As always,

Jamie

A pretty little project

I have this little windowsill...... 

It needs a little love....

The mint plant in the black container on the left was a sad loss. Especially since the lady I bought it from said it was like a weed and grows like crazy. Hmmmmmm. I guess it had the opposite effect with me :(

 But hey! Trial and error- right??? 

The pot in the middle is empty and the one on the right are green onions. They are just ones from the grocery store and I put the ends in water. Not even in dirt! And they live!!! :) now that's my kind of plant.

Anyway, this corner has been bugging me. I can't open that drawer on the right without hitting the in-a-better-place-mint plant, and the mis-matched pots are visually distracting (aka: clutter)

So I bought these:

Candles holders from the $1 store :) 

They needed some pizzaz - something sparkly...

So I taped them up in preparation for some spray paint :) 

The easiest way was to stretch out the packaging tape ( since I couldn't find the painters tape) 

And stick a plastic bag halfway onto the tape. Like so:

And THEN to tape it around the candle holder.

My plan was to do something kinda like this

(Via: liitlegreennotebook.com)

Like Jenny Komenda did for her vanity. :) soooo pretty, right??

So I painted mine.

Outside, of course :)

I left them outside in the cold which was actually a blessing!!

It must have frozen the packing tape which made it SUPER east to pull off without any of the sticky left behind.

YAY for procrastination! Lol.

Pretty!!

But it doesn't shine through the glass like I was shooting for...

But with some dirt and plants I think it will still look beautiful :)

I'll get to planting tomorrow :)

I'm also excited to enter into an art competition that Provo Library is hosting. I'm just not sure what to paint. And WHEN to paint it.....

Because painting is hard to focus on when I have 3 cuties (4, counting Tyler) that want my love and attention! 

You know, sometimes I wish I could be one of those people that can follow a schedule. Every. Day.

The SAME schedule.

 Because I don't think waking, eating, and sleeping really counts as a schedule.... :)

Hmmm what would it be like to have consistency? 

Or to actually be on time to things. Wow! That would be ah-mazing!!!

One Sunday I made a goal to be on time that week. And guess what- I made it to something on time the week after- ha! :) 

If you can do either of these things (follow or schedule, or be on time) then pleeeeease.....

TELL ME YOUR SECRETS!! :D

Please tell me how you do what you do :) because if I don't work on this now- man. Let's just say kindergarten will be rough next year! Unless I teach maybelline how to set an alarm, get dressed, eat breakfast, and get on the bus all by herself.....

Love you all!!

Jamie

It's been awhile

 I'm sorry. 

That feels so much better.! 

 I'm sorry for not posting for a long time! I don't want to leave anybody waiting. I know how it can be to try to read a blog you love- and day, after day, after day, there's nothing new and you want to know what's going on! 

Well, here I am :) 

To tell you,

I'm alive and still me!

 Actually, even better version of me, I would say. Because we just went through a very difficult time.  We went through a trial that God has given us and we have been refined by the refiners fire. And I have to say....

 It feels good. Real good. To be in a more secure position within myself. If that makes sense... :)

  My husband had to quit his job-  And now he has a new one. Yeah-hoo!! And not just any job-a good job. So that's kind of where I've been the past few months. We have been busy talking about our desired destination in life and making some really important life decisions. Which- as I'm sure you know- is exhausting!!! Add three babies in the mix and that leaves me as a puddle on the floor! Lol.

As a look back, though, I can see how valuable this trial has been for our entire future. So it's totally worth working out a few brain muscles to figure out. :)

Sure...... It was stressful and I mean really stressful. But it's a comfy place to be when you're in the Lord's hand :) and I feel like we've gained a new perspective.

 Now we kind of have the end in mind. Like where do we want to be in a few years?? Or in 20 years?? We realized that where we want to be isn't where we were headed. 

I am sooo grateful for Heavenly Father granting to us this trial to teach us and help us get our compass back to true North. And it's been good.

 Especially now that the trial is over.  Ha ha!! :-) 

 But I guess that's easy for anybody to say once they've stepped off the hot coals. But ask them how hot the coals are when they err standing on them and it's a different story! :D 

 I guess that's how it was for us-in the trial it was difficult.

 But I would feel moments of peace. Telling me that is was all ok,

 that it was all going to be okay,

 that He loved me,

 that He was there with me. 

I hope that you can feel:

That it's all going to be okay

That He loves you

And that He is there with you

:)

I am so grateful and so incredibly blown away at the love and support has been given to us. 

 I could feel the prayers of family and friends within me, strengthening us.

 I can see why we are put in families on this earth. It's the most amazing amazing support system ever.

 I've been meaning to write this post for a while now but I just didn't know where to start.

 I'm excited to just pick up where I left off with some more DIY ideas and just with life. Love you all!!!! thanks for reading thanks for being my friend  :)

Jamie

A 20 min. Before and After

Ł So I have a before and after for you today. 

Aaaaaannnnd, it's a good one.  :)

My neighbor recently moved out and didn't want these old shutters.

COME ON!!! Who wouldn't want this???? (If there was a sarcasm font, these words would be written in it) :)

 as you can see you they are not in the best shape....

but I saw potential! Even if Tyler might have seen something annoying that kept falling out of the stroller on the walk home.  

I thought maybe a coat of paint would do it- so I set the kids down and broke out the paint. Yellow. Because, I looooove yellow :) neighbors joke that they know which house is mine.

In fact, I used the same paint can for the shutters :)

 And it only took. . . . .  

Get this,  one episode of Arthur. 

I know!!! That is about 20 minutes people!! I painted as if my free time depended on it. 

At first I was getting really frustrated because each little shutter was taking Foreva!! but I just kept telling myself, "Even though this is taking forever, I'll be glad for the end result." It totally helped me stay on task and motivated.

Pretty right?? :)

Totally worth the slightly tedious part. I have a hard time keeping with one project till it's done. Sometimes I just want to jump from thing to thing to thing to thing for from project to project to project. 

 For example I have the two rocking chairs I talked about my last post that I'm working on.

Then there's the laundry room that's still half painted. 

Oh yeah and the gallery wall that still needs more pictures. And the couch that I decided to recover.

 And those chairs I started way back when that just need the top part recovered.

 Oh and of course how can we forget.........

 Yeah that's still going on strong I'm talking wood chips and sawdust everywhere. I think I vacuum every day. Okay not really. I vacuum once a week. Maybe. :)

 And then there's this extra carpet that I'm going to make into a rug. 

So basically I just need help. I think I just start too many projects. I'm just ready to get rid of them so I don't have the added stress. But projects are fun! And they're supposed to be fun.  I guess I just really love the fun things! :)

 If you don't hear from me in the next week please come and pull me out from all the projects I'll be working on, give me chocolate milk, and throw away all the projects toppled on me. Please. 

 There is one project I really want to work on that I think will be beneficial for everybody not just for the prettiness of the house. I really want to work on a morning schedule for my oldest daughter. She is really structured and loves schedules and order. I love that about her! So I want to encourage her in her strengths. 

 So I'm thinking of creating a little morning schedule that when she wakes up in the morning she can start to follow right away. Something thank goes kinda like: prayer, brush hair, make bed, get dressed, feed the chicken and get the egg. 

 That's really the one project I should focus on even though all those other ones are driving me ca-ra-zy! :)

One more before and after pic for you:

 Well until tomorrow love you all!!!!!!!! :D

Jamie 

Update on Chairs and Gallery Wall

Just wanted to give an update on these chairs (oh, these chairs) and the gallery wall I've been working on.

So, if you haven't noticed- I like to jump from project to project and from idea to idea.... :)

these chairs have kind of been a headache. not because they've been hard but because I put them in my front room,and now they're just staring at me.

 mocking me.

 Because I haven't finished them yet after all this time! 

 Oh, don't you worry chairs, you'll get finished and you won't know what hit you! 

 I got ready and motivated to again tackle these chairs.

 And THEN! .....I saw..... my two-year-old daughter ...... with a permanent marker ......

  

I know, I know. I shouldn't have let the marker in reach. 

But it was actually a blessing in disguise! Because I needed to recover the seats anyways. Let's just say, my first time job of covering the seats wasn't the most professional looking job. 

 

 The old covering is on the left and my new covering is on the right. You can tell the folding looks a lot more smooth.

 Here is a look at the bottom of the new covering. You can see that it covers the entire board instead of just partly covering. That way it won't hang underneath the chair.

 

  It was a lot faster and easier to recover it the second time. I wonder if it's because everything was already held tightly together or because I'm just that much better at it. :)

 So I decided what my plan is with the rest of the chairs. I think i will recover the top part with batting and fabric. Because it's just not as soft without some sort of covering. And we NEE D soft and comfy. otherwise no one will sit in it! And that kind of defeats the purpose a chair....if no one will sit in it.... ( Other than obliging strangers that won't tell you that there's wood sticking into their back! Haha)

 Next up is the Gallery wall I'm working on. I have a few more pictures put up. Buuuut it's just not done yet. It's getting close. I just have a few more to put up. Here's what it looks like now. 

 And here's all the other random things I'm working on:

these two rocking chairs are on my hit list. I also recently restored (I guess restored is the fancy way of saying it-but really just painted) an old window shutter that my neighbor didn't want. I'll be posting about that next week. As you can see my mind goes everywhere at once and I have lots of projects and ideas that I just can't wait to accomplish. so hopefully my husband will be able to keep me in line and only work on one or two at a time instead of eight or 10 ! Haha! :)

Jamie

An Entryway Gallery Wall

I have been kinda stumped lately of what to write about. 

Which is strange... Usually Tyler can't get me to stop talking about house projects, ideas, and all pretty things.

Yet here I am. Haha.

I think it's the typing. It takes for-ever. I think faster than I can talk, which leaves me stumbling over my words. And I talk faster than I can type. Sooooo basically I don't know how more than half-words make it onto the posts! Maybe because I proofread :)

I'm thinking of buying one of those apps where you just talk and the app types the words for you. That would make typing ALOT easier. Tyler has it on his phone for texting. Since I have used his phone a few times, I find myself giving up on a text on my own phone because it takes so much longer! Haha, I'm such a baby :) but seriously, my phone is an un-smart phone. . . . . I think I like it better that way. Then I feel like the smart one in the relationship. ;)

Anyway.

I am redoing this little wall in our front room/family room/foyer/only room other than the kitchen.

And if you look closely, then you can see the farm animal magnets on the door. :) they are a favorite around these parts.

I wanted the pictures and things to have a frame, and I wanted a mirror so I can wipe the mascara left from yesterday off from under my eyes before I rushed out the door to preschool. :) 

I have another mirror I was using for this important task, but Tyler built stairs in the way....

Gotta love that handyman :) 

So I collected some mirrors and frames (yard sales, di, friends and family) 

At first I was afraid I wouldn't get enough, but now I have too many!! It's amazing, really.

I laid them all out on the couch so I could see all the possibilities. (Good thing Tyler wasn't home. He has a hard time with the messy part of projects!)

I quickly cut out or folded a piece of paper for each frame and mirror. And I mean quickly. No time to waste on something like that!

Then I even more quickly taped them up on the wall.

I rearranged and slightly scooted until I liked the arrangement. 

Then I got these babies at walmart...

Velcro command strips! They were kinda pricy. $9 for 12. But they are great for someone like me who never levels pictures. :)

Now I have slowly started replacing the paper with the corresponding picture/frame. And I mean slowly. It's been a week since I put up the papers and this is how far I am :)

:) but I like it so far!! And I wanted a mirror the girls could look into and make faces. 

Check and check. I love seeing them double take at themselves in the mirror. Then walk over to it and proceed to make the cutest faces to themselves. Man, little kids are the best!!!! They don't hold any part of themselves back, but are just open and honest. I honestly have an easier time talking to children than adults.... I know they won't judge me! :)

Love,

Jamie

The strange term of 'wearing your baby' applies here

Hey all! So I've been M.I.A. For a little while- I realize that. I just ..... (here comes the excuse....)

Ok, really, I have been going on Facebook ALLLL the time and haven't left time for my blog. 

There. 

I said it.

'Hi, I'm jamie. And I'm addicted to Facebook.'

Well, not anymore!!!!! Mwahahahahaha I am showing self control and will be doing priorities in order. In order, you hear me, Facebook!! You are very lowwwwww on the list- so it will be a while before we can rendezvous again. It's not you, it's me.

A-hem. 

I have a great simple Do It Yourself to show you today.

A baby wrap! And this lovely photo was taken by my awesome photographer that I keep on hand. 

And she's only three years old!

Granted, there were a lot of these...

But hey, I don't judge the work of a professional.

So basically, my neighbor has a baby wrap that she got at target for like $35. What? Cheap I know! But, that was still to pricey for my DIY mind. 

So I raided my moms fabric stash and found this pretty thaang. 

You can't really tell, but it a pretty mint green. And mint is allll the rage right now. Even though that has been in my moms fabric stash for probably some 20+ years :) 

It wasn't quite long enough so I cut it in half longways or hotdog way if you remember back to 4th grade. 

Then sewed it together!

I used two seams, one straight and one zig-zag. Just in case it starts to rip, then the zig-zag will keep baby safe and secure until I can resew it, if that might ever happen. But so far there has been zero sign of fabric ripping. This seam isn't going anywhere! :)

And neither is this cutie! It is sooo nice to have him so close and still have my hands free.

He likes to be faced out usually and faced in when he's tired. He actually fell asleep today on our walk while being wrapped!

I found this tutorial has been the most helpful :)

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1wmJTWF1fM

Here's to better time management!

Jamie