Work In Progress Cont. (The Final Piece)

So I found the really cute headboard design via my favorite little addiction (pinterest.com) and I thought well I could do that. But theirs had a color scheme that didn't fit mine AND I didn't want it as a headboard, even though it could be used for that one day, but I would rather use it as a statement piece for on my bedroom wall. I have this huge blank space right across from my bed where it would be perfect and is! The total cost for supplies was $21 and some change however I already had the 5 bottom items listed below. What you need:

A plank of raw wood
Stain (in your choice of color I picked navy blue)
Paint (in your choice of color BUT remember it has to pop against the stain)
D ring hooks and wall mount ( you can get this in a kit but make sure it can support the weight)
Screw driver
Ruler
Pencil
Leveling tool
2 paint brushes ( one big and one small but not thin/super tiny for the writing)

Step 1: stain wood according to your liking. Some prefer to show some of the natural wood. Once complete allow to dry for 24 hours or more depending on the humidity.

Step 2: paint whatever word, phrase, symbol, etc you want displayed. You may need to do a few coats and allow to dry another 24 hours.

Step 3: attach D rings to the wood and hooks to the wall according to the directions listed on the box or the hardware store attendants directions.Also do not forget to make sure the piece will hang level on your wall and FYI eyeballing it rarely works. ;)

Not Enough Space

Okay so every holiday season I face one major problem...a complete lack of space for the bulky sweaters and bulkier scarves. Finally this year I thought "well something has got to give!" My solution was to reuse an old idea I have implemented for years with my abundance of sunglasses. What I do is make several loops and knot them with fishing lines and then hang them to the wall. This makes for a great solution to a space issue that keeps everything in plain sight and within reach. Oh and did I mention that this is crazy cheap? ;)

Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes

I came across this recipe on the Betty Crocker website and thought I would try it out. In my opinion it looked much harder than it really was to do. Oh and the wonderful smell the pecans give off as you mix them with the sugar over the stove puts you directly on the mood for the holidays. The only draw back I had was that the icing they suggest you use is oil based and even though the cupcakes were completely cool the icing would slide right off even 3 days later. So I suggest that you skip the lazy way of buying the icing premade and make it yourself. Mmmmm...so good ;)

How to Antique Paper

Okay so I had an idea to take my favorite and one of the most popular excerpts from the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13, the part that is all about love and frame it. However I wanted it to have some flare to it. So I aged it. This is not hard to do at all.

So what you do is print out your favorite quote, saying, etc and print in word in a easy to read and slightly girlie font. After you print it on regular computer paper ball it up, un-ball it and do it again about 2 more times. Next what I like to do is to fold it over with crisp lines as if you had it folded up in your pocket for awhile. Then of course unfold it again and flatten it a little bit but you still need it to be crinkled. Now you need to heat up some water in a mug or glass and dip a tea bag in the hot water to get the tea to darken and then gently rub the tea bag over the entire surface of the paper. Make sure you are careful not to tear the paper because until it dries completely it is going to be super delicate. Oh and btw make sure it dries on a flat surface.

Okay this next step is only to be done once the paper is completely dry, done outdoors and not to be done by anyone under age just to be clear. Now be super careful during this step because you will be setting the edges of the paper on fire. At the very edges in small section burn the paper but make sure you do not burn an entire side otherwise you could be biting off more than you can chew. Also you want to make sure that it is manageable enough of a flame to blow out quickly. Afterwards you can frame it any way you want.

My Work In Progress Continued

Okay so I took some canvas, a string of lights and an exacto knife and created some awesome lighting to create a kind of faux headboard. It has a beautiful sort of mood lighting. It's easy to made with a total cost of $25.

My Newest Workout Routine

Okay so I was bored one night and thinking "geez I feel fat." Every girl has this feeling once and awhile so I received a sudden burst of inspiration to get off my butt and do something. Then I noticed that while I was watching television I had completed

30 squats
30 crunches
30 girl push ups
30 windmills
30 jumping jacks
30 windmills

Now after all of this your legs will feel like jello the first time and if you are anything like me your legs were so sore it was almost comical but the result when consistently done in a short period of time while watching your favorite show is great. Most of the time you don't even realize how fast the time is going by and how great you will feel at actually doing something. I try to do this every other day in 15 minutes or less. I suggest trying it out a few times but make sure you do not over do it.

Chicago's

After our DMA we had worked up an appetite so I chose to take her to Chicago's which is a local pizza joint where you guessed it they serve Chicago style pizza. This is possibly one of my father's top 3 restaurants ever, mainly because he is from Chicago, but also because they have great food, wonderful service and a laid back atmosphere that keeps you coming back for more. Oh and did I metion they deliver ;)

posing for her close up hehe

yea that hit the spot lol!

that grin she has is the grin of mouth watering excitment