My stuff has coats...

...OF SPRAY PAINT THAT IS! My name is Tabitha and...well, this isn't easy, ya know? I have an addiction.  I buy things with the intent to change the color.  Is that bad? TO LITERALLY pick up something and say it would work if it were just the right shade of -- WAIT! That's where my addiction gets focused... my preferred color weapon of choice is WHITE! It's clean, chic, modern, unifying, just *perfect* and great and... have I said perfect? I am a certifiable white spray paint addict.  An I-think-I-have-a-permanent-cramp-in-my-pointer-finger-from-the-act-of-spray-painting kind of addict... It's a problem and I. love. it.


It's not a BAD problem just makes me think, if I like something, COLOR doesn't make me not buy it! I have the power to instantly update a piece to perfectly match my room for $1 (or less). CRAZINESS I know but I was taught a long time ago that color is not a boundary in life unless you LET it be. I was raised by parents who taught me everyone is brown, we're just different shades... As the only minority in my class, this mindset leveled the playing field and made the mental road block of my color SUDDENLY non-existent.  I learned to think independently of others and, to this day, march to the beat of my own drum... I like to think the world is watching so sometimes I give them a show to behold (like when I let my hair BLOW in the wind or sing out loud on the metro...) BUT THIS WHOLE SPRAY PAINT THING?! I MUST SHARE WITH SOMEONE so I'm not the only one getting locked up in the crazy house when I start spray painting sock bottoms white :)


It started with munchface's room. I wanted a Princess and the Frog theme without it being theme-y, ya know? Something about character sheets and blankets that everyone else has just puts me off... Anyways, while in Ross...I stumbled upon this garden statue of a ballerina frog...you know that garden gnome color that's like brownish green (as if it's already conditioned for bugs and outdoor conditions)? Well, THAT's the color it was...but it was cute and the perfect size and REALLY spoke to me (I think I said something like that to hubs when I carried it in the house)... $6 later, it was in my car and on the shelf in munchface's room.  Though, something was off, no matter where I put it, the frog was just...a garden frog and THAT needed to change.  2 coats of white spray paint later, I had a fabulous ballerina frog that was fresh and girly and...perfect! I spray painted all of munch's frames for her room white, found a green, lavender and white bedding that was a perfect mix of polka dots, and stripes.  WOW, the bedroom was on its way Fabville! YAY!


I've been on the hunt for some overhead lighting in munchface's room. The tiny size makes every surface important and every piece important - there's room for smart design choices ONLY! Requirements: girly, sparkle, lamp (it couldn't be permanent for when if I change my mind).  Long story short, to Goodwill I went. I found a Brass (gross) chandelier for $4 (GREAT). I know!! It was one of those, 'if it were in my house, I'd probably snatch it from the wall and replace it too' kind of chandeliers... BUT, it was the right size and I knew my spray paint would spruce it up... Re-cap:


$4 victim + 3 coats of white spray paint (that I buy like toilet paper when I run out) + $2 lamp kit + leftover rhinestones, and an ornament AND she's beautiful... I made a cord cover (in the background) but check her out:

The mounting happened during Zion's bath time.  She came out of the tub eyes wide and said, "IT'S! BEAUTIFUL!"  *insert girly squeal-y happy dance in a towel... until it fell on the floor.  OMG go lotion your hindparts, the lamp isn't going anywhere, child!*

I love that she loved it but I promise, after all that work, her approval didn't matter!  I'll get around to posting some pics of things I've changed and, my mom has chandelier shades that I will be girly-ing but, for now... I really want to enjoy the chandelier.  O and I want to thank my hubs for helping to make this small dose of fabulous possible. He went into the attic (eek!) to figure out the location and, after like 4 holes, we had it up! I could stare at it all day :)

Frugal and Fabulous

If things were too easily come by, what would be special?

That's my mindset when I make things around the house... If I had money to buy anything I wanted, I probably would.  I wonder, though, if it would feel as awesome as getting a compliment on the things I make...I doubt it...  No sense in wondering! I'm not rich so here goes a post series...

Today's topic is a frugal and fabulous material - COFFEE FILTERS. My appreciation for the morning brew's bff started in November with my job's Christmas party.  We had next to nada for a budget and I became this I-can-do-anything-for-next-to-free party person... A fabulous party was born from what we had immediate access to in bulk - office products! One of my favorite, versatile products has (hands down) GOT to be COFFEE FILTERS!  With a Winter Wonderland themed party, the coffee filters made great decor and prop items.  However, in my real life, I can buy 1,000 filters from the Dollar Tree and I have some personal goals in my life for this weekend.


First, I SHALL finish the feature wall in Zion's room. I SHALL, I SHALL, I SHALL...if it kills Brian :) Zion's room started out with lavender walls and a butterfly theme... It's still lavender only we've gone lavender, green and white for a Princess and the Frog (without commercial decor) theme... Polka dots, stripes and tiaras? I'm in heaven... AnYwAyS, I decided earlier this fall to remove this Ikea shelf that really cut into the design and space. It was just too wide... So, I took it down and painted an accent wall of soft green (truthfully, I did this taping technique for a striping effect but it really needs some touch-ups, and some simple but girly wall art... Queue the COFFEE FILTER WREATH!  I saw alot of these around blogland over the holidays and I just love the ruffles and frills of the filters when folded... The perfect addition to my design. So, last night, while I cooked dinner, I folded and glued to create this:

Total cost: $3 (not including the 3 glue sticks and glue gun I already had).


Total time: 1.5 hours (I completed other mommy projects while making it so it might take less time)
 


Other fabulous uses for coffee filters? Check these out:

1. Coffee filters are lint-free and make the perfect partner for Windex when cleaning windows, mirrors, and other glass items(including ornaments, decorative jars, etc.)

2. Protect your fine china by separating with a coffee filter between each dish

3. Filter broken cork from wine by straining the bottle's contents through a filter... I wish I would've remembered this when I gulped some coffee with the grinds...GROSS!

4. Recycle frying oil. After frying, strain oil through a sieve lined with a coffee filter to rid the particles of food that make that coffee can or jar or whatever smell so badly.

5. Use strips of coffee filters to wax your eyebrows.

6. Put a few in a plate to absorb grease from your fried foods like bacon, fries, chicken, sausage, etc.

7. Use as inexpensive Doilies under a plate full of cookies or mini cakes

8. Decor items: not only is the coffee filter wreath fab but a coffee filter topiary (hot gluing around a styrofoam ball), party decor possibilities are endless and O, if you take a paper lantern and hot glue coffee filters around it, you get this:

*Picture from here.

 Coffee filters for design.  Loads of money? Nope.  Loads of awesomefantastic-ness? Yes!  Possibilities are endless.  Pull out your creative goggles and look for where you can make an everyday item with a dose of fabulosity.  I love the reward of seeing an ordinary thing used in an unexpected manner.  Now, I need to just find a way to fabulositize laundry :)... Wish me luck! 

P.S. - All made-up cool words are accepted and used 'round these parts! 

Resolve.

To come to a definite or earnest decision about; determine.

It's the time of year to make a deal with myself.  I don't believe in shaky resolutions made to be broken by February... I believe in making real goals for my REAL life...no crash diets here, heck, I'VE got a KID! A fruit snack chewing, 1 juice-a-day bargaining, "if you let me have a cookie, I'll be your best friend" kind of KID.  SO, I set small goals in January and celebrate a year of taking small steps to improve our life longterm. So, sorry NYE heros who THINK dropping 150 pounds by completely changing your lifestyle will happen because you watch a glittery ball drop on t.v. As for me and mine, we will have a good time NYE celebrating the lives of loved ones who are here...and remembering those who have gone on... 

SoOOOoooOOoOoOoOoo...

No, I'm not going to promise never to fall behind on laundry because, well, that is my kryptonite. sort. piles. wash. piles. fold. piles. REPEAT? no thanks... 

NO, I'm not going to promise my craft area will never look like a pile of crap wrapped in ribbons and Spraypaint. "Brian, you better NOT trash that...it's going to make a fabulous hoodamajingything that will COMPLETE my life and solve some serious house dilema that you didn't know existed!"

No, I can't say I won't fuss if the hubby eats all of munchkin's snacks because..."when I eat them, it is DIFFERENT!"

NO, I probably won't get my granite countertops... and that's ok...NOT gonna cry...CUT, *turns off spotlight and walks off stage* I need a moment... I feel a temper tantrum coming on :[ I mean, is anyone else thinking like this on New Year's?! Something feels unright about this whole granite thing...

BUT... I promise:

• To lay in the bed an extra couple of minutes with the hubby 
• To stop whatever I'm doing for a hug
• To enjoy my little girl while she's still little and thinks I'm the coolest person on the planet...
• To not let sitting still make me feel bad... no matter what my house looks like (pray on this one)

I resolve that my life is perfect in all its imperfections.  Yes, hubby can get on my LAST nerve, and yes munchface can get sassy, and YES I have a family full of crazies and my dishes pile up and my carpet has stains and I have holes that need to be patched and chicken that might be overcooked from time-to-time or hair that needs to be combed but in 2011?! Shhhooooot, in 2011, I'm going to live like I'm going to heaven! WhY?! Because I am. The things that matter aren't... well, things. So, I'll work a gazillion times harder at being a better Christian, mommy, wife, sister, daughter and friend to those I encounter. After all, I. owe. it. to. myself.

Happy New Year!!!

Cheers to setting goals and enjoying the celebration when you surpass them :)

Christmas Rewind

YAY for holiday rewinds! I always get sad when Christmas ends. I just heart this season so much! I hate taking down my decorations, I hate putting presents away, and I hate the end of sweets and big dinner leftovers... Well, my MIL is coming into town for Christmas today so guess what?! Christmas isn't over! I don't have to be sad! I get another day to hear the joyous tearing of wrapping paper and I know she'll love her gift, I smell an excuse to bake something... :)

Seriously, hubs and I were discussing this year and we both felt, for the first time *like* ever, we got to ENJOY the holiday.  I was lucky enough to not have to buy for anyone - hubs took care of it all!  If you have never handed over the gift buying responsibility - DO IT! Even if it means making a shopping list and sending pictures of the items just so you can tackle something else - DO IT! I didn't have to make a list.. Hubs is big on buying people what they want so, everyone was happy.

I planned the munchkin's gifts and he (happily) bought them all... I did get some small things here-n-there (the pup got a new boat bed... which was originally $100 but I got it on sale for $8, real live bake set and a cleaning set for munch's playhouse) but, for the most part, he handled the rest. How awesome is that?! Well, anyways, with the gifts off of my list, I got to enjoy decorating the house and I planned some pretty awesome crafts for the munchkin... I still didn't mail cards but I DID get some pretty ones and think, NEXT YEAR IS THE YEAR (who am I kidding?)... So, some crafts made this holiday season (pics coming soon) were:

1. Ice Cream cone Christmas trees: Requires: ice cream cones, holiday green icing, M&Ms, sprinkles, marshmallows and a plastic knife.  Flip the cones upside down on a mini cookie sheet and cover with icing.  Use the knife to spread it out.  Decorate the "trees" with toppings... Zion made 3 trees then covered the cookie sheet with marshmallow snow...

2. Christmas Light goodie bags: requires lunch bags, 1 potato, paint ($1 paint in the craft section), black permanent marker. Cut the potato in half. Shape the half to look like a light bulb.  Dip the potato 1 color and dot each bag with that color (i.e. put red "bulbs" on each bag), rinse the potato then do the same for the other colors. Once dry, use the marker to make the base and spiraling cord... It made for the perfect goodie bag for our family desserts.

3. Reindeer Chow: In the off-season this makes a great party snack... I love BAKERELLA and she has an awesome recipe (and name) for this quick treat.  Background info: While in Goodwill, I purchased a cute little baggie that says "Reindeer Treats" and hung it on the back of our front door.  I told Zion that, because Santa gets cookies everywhere, we would give him something for his reindeer and, who knows, maybe he'll leave something extra in her stocking. Her response: "O mommy, I'd love to get some lip gloss like you have in my stocking." So, I pulled the recipe and we got to work... I love my Wilton Chocolate melter...it's like a mini crockpot for chocolate...no burning, minimal stirring...Anyways, the recipe requires: 5 cups Chex (I bought corn) cereal, 1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips, 1 box powder sugar, 1 cup peanut butter.  Bakerella has much better images than I ever could've captured... Check it out here.  We put it in a baggie with a bow and Zion put it in the bag.  We have 2 trees and Gramma and Pop-Pop brought their gifts to the first tree upstairs, she opened them and then asked if Santa got her gifts too... "O, well, check the reindeer bag to see if he came and it's empty..." She peeked then yelled, "it's empty, IT'S EMPTY!" Well, of course we had to run to the other tree to find the gifts! It's the little things I tellya.

4. Sugar High Sandwich Cookies: Semi-Homemade Tabby Keese *singing like Sandra Lee's commercials*  Well, I SO wanted the Christmas tree sugar cookies that come pretty much slice-n-bake ready but I swear either they aren't made any more OR they sold out... NOT that I didn't search...in my rush shopping trips to Super Wal-Mart and Shoppers... Anyways, I bought the pack sugar cookies and when they were done, I put some icing in the middle and rolled them in sprinkles... Hubby was on a sugar high after one bite, thus the name...Might be too sweet for some people's taste but me? I likey mucho :)

5. Easy Breezy Beautiful Bark: Requires, I pack of milk chocolate bark or light coco candy melts, semi-sweet choc chips, and a party nut mix... Melt the bark or candy melts in your fancy pants Wilton Chocolate maker.  Pour melted chocolate into a wax paper-lined cookie sheet.   Sprinkle party nuts onto chocolate. I try to make sure every bite has some nuts on it.  lightly sprinkle the chocolate chips on the mixture.  I gently press the toppings down so that as the chocolate cools, the goodies set in place.  Drizzle some remaining chocolate on top. Refrigerate 30 minutes.  Lift wax paper to loosen the mold a little.  Break (or cut) the bark. Place in container for giving or saving.

We gave each of our family members a "lightbulb bag with little Mason jars (decorated with ribbon and a scrapbooking sticker) filled with the goodies... The best part was hearing Hubs describe (braggingly) how delicious everything was...  A busy but tasty holiday and all of these things were done... My amazing office Martha Stewart, Suz, bakes for like 2 weeks straight and gives fabulous tins of print-worthy delicacies... seriously, her treats should be models... they're like the Cindy Crawfords of cookies... SHE IS AMAZING and maybe I'm kissing up to remain on her DISTRO list for next year's batch :)...

I may not be fancy pants like Suz but I'm proud of my goodie jars and I made mine on my timeframe - 1 night! I'm tellin' ya, categorize and CONQUER!