digital scrapping

How do you do it!  I have not a clue and I see all these other cute blogs, and start to whine because mine is so boring!  Somebody help me!

Anthropologie addict

I admit it.  I'm an anthropologie addict.  Anytime I am remotely close to one, I will spend the extra on gas just to go to it, since I can't spend the dough to actually buy something from there. The ideas in there are just amazing. You should see the butterfly japanese lanterns they have right now.  And, I believe I've gained a lot of my inspirations in there.  For example, this picture frame. I was bored, again, with how it looked.  So I borrowed an idea from Anthro, which is cover everything in fabric.  The picture above is the before.  And below, the after.  It's hard to see, so let me explain.  I spread watered down elmer's glue all over the wood part, dipped the fabric in watered down glue, and draped it over the frame.  After it dried, I trimmed it because the fabric was stiff and stuck. Anthro does this all the time.  It makes it a little more organic and not so stark. So, thank you Anthro for the ideas.  That's all I can afford.

I think I'm crazy.

Know why?

Because I'm seriously considering running for 13 miles non-stop.  It's insane, and yet, the temptation is so real, just to say "Yeah, I ran a half marathon."  Yep, half and half only.  I've not totally lost it.  This is just a moment of temporary insanity.  And one that I am completely committed to--I think.  (That doesn't sound complete, does it.) Anyway, if anyone has any advice, post away!  I'm going to need it!  

My whole family's asleep!

Except me!! That's why I can post another post!  But maybe I shouldn't, after all, it is getting late.  But not that late, you say.  It's only 10:30 and by anyone's east coast standards, the night's just begun! But you see, as a former westcoastian, I admit to still thinking like one. So I'm torn, do I stay up late, as my west coast mentality says it must be, or do I stay up early, as the east would insist?  Alas, I don't know which coast to pick.  Now normally, I would be right there in bed snoring with the best of them (grinding my teeth actually, but I digress) and as a mother, that sleep time is precious.  It's like a card I got just before my son was born.  It said, "when you become a parent, you begin to realize how important the little things are.  Like sleep."  And that has been all too true for most of my motherhood years.  But then there comes a point when you stay up late just to get something done because your day is full of good little things that keep you from doing other, not-so-important-but-good-to-do things.  It's a vicious cycle. But just because I'm feeling chatty, and because my whole family is sleeping in a tent in the front room (camping trip got rained out, but I'm okay with that-running water and good bed on my list of absolutes of sleeping), I'm here.  I'm up.  And in the debate of to snore or not to snore, I choose to not to.  I'll regret that in the morning.

Dresser redo

So I got bored with a plain brown dresser.  I painted it white, then decided to take a picture. Still boring.

So I did this to it...

Not boring.  This was done with wrapping paper, ribbon, and handles from the dollar store.  I modge-podged the wrapping paper to the drawer. (I wonder if there is better glue for that, I got a few bubbles.  Ideas anyone?) Then I glued black & white polkadot ribbon for the edging of the drawers, and put black handles (they are hard to see in the picture) in the middle. Cost: $7.50.  The dresser was a hand-me-down. It'll do.  I probably won't move it, though.

Frame collage

I get a lot of inspiration from just observing, then modifying.  This one is a twist on something I saw in PotteryBarn.  Instead of using (and buying) all matching frames, I just took all my old unmatching frames, painted them matching black, and put sepia tone pictures in them.  I put this in my entry way, which is where the initial idea was in PotteryBarn.  Very cost effective.  Oh, and the big center picture is actually the Family Proclamation.  I used wordart to make some of the key words bigger and printed it out on my computer in a different format than what is standard distribution. I glued it to foam board, (which had been painted black, too), then had B build a frame for it out of moulding. The picture of the Arizona Temple right beside it was drawn by my sister.

Something else

At the suggestion of Annie, I am going to include some of my crazy craft ideas.  I hadn't planned on including that in this blog, since it was originally just an outlet for random thoughts.  But that's just what some of my crafts are: random.  So, here's this week's little idea (with a picture! what luck!).

I wanted a headboard for my room (married 8 years, and master bedroom is the last to get the attention it deserves--and still this is only a temporary fix!) The headboard had to meet some pretty stringent limitations:

1. had to be dirt cheap

2. had to be easy to move or disposable

3. had to be big impact and add weight to my light room

4. had to be interesting enough to look unique but good

5. had to be done with little or no prep

6. had to come together fairly quickly (not a ton of contruction.)

Here's the inspiration: (found at anthropolgie.com, cost: $998)

My cost: $9 to make this headboard.  I used yarn.  Wrapped pvc pipe and two golf balls in yarn.  I used tacky glue to attach the yarn to the wall in the pattern above.  Gives it a little 3-d effect and moldability.  

Wind storm

That's what we are having outside right now.  It was interesting to watch the storm come in, tearing off siding of the house, blowing leaves and debris, even trees, sideways.  It blew over two trees, two of my favorite trees that give us some privacy during the day.  I hope they get put back up soon.  The heavy grey clouds seemed to skim our house top and moved so fast.   The power went out at the church which canceled our ward's pinewood derby contest.  This actually was a bit of good news since my kids are sick and couldn't go.  Now, we will be able to reschedule and hopefully we will be well.  Especially since my dh made the pinewood derby car into a corvette, no surprise.  Candy apple glossy red, and it really does look like a corvette.  Amazing. And my son really wanted to see it race.  But this has nothing to do with the windstorm outside, or maybe everything to do with that storm.  I'm just glad to be inside, even though we are sick. How pleasant to be sick in a place that is warm and dry and safe and comfortable.  To me, that is a blessing, sick and all, to be physically uncomfortable only because of a cold, not because of the cold you feel from the wind or weather. You are probably going to get sick, no matter where you are.  I'm grateful to be sick in such a comfortable place and have the conveniences of life that help to ease the misery of the sniffles. It really could be so much worse. Gratitude shows up in funny little ways, doesn't it.