one year anniversary giveaway

yup, it was one year ago this coming friday that i finally decided to start a blog. so here you go you freeloaders. didn't get to win last time i gave this little cute bag away? didn't know my blog then? well here's your chance. go ahead use me to get free stuff, it's okay i won't think any less of you (no really, i won't. i'd just think you were being thrifty and you know how i feel about a cheap find and how much cheaper than free can you get?) so leave me a comment and i'll pick a winner friday morning at 10 a.m. mountain standard time. and hello to all you first timers coming to visit from this that and the other (thanks jodi for the shout out!)

my holiday season resolution

so it's not yet that time to make a new years resolution, but i thought this holiday season i was going to make a short term resolution. like a one month-er instead of a 12 month-er...this last year i made the resolution that i was going to stop talking about the things i wanted to accomplish and just go ahead and start doing them. even if it meant that i would fail at a few of them. it was a great year to finally start making clothes, selling things online and in a store here in the middle of nowhere, attempt to learn to play the drums (i sucked royally at that) and now learning to play the piano (i don't suck as bad at that). did i get to try everything i would of liked to try? no way, i still want to try to learn to knit and crochet, i would love to try my hand at silk screening ( i would need resources for this), make soap, grow a bigger garden...oh and i'm sure there are many more interesting crafty things i'd like to try in the coming years. this year has taught me not to be afraid to be bad at some things and just go and do it. it's been a good year.

with the holiday season in full swing often times we forget ourselves in the rush of christmas shopping, neighbor gifts, teacher gifts, family gifts, the decorating, the un-decorating, the whole hustle and bustle, so this made me think, i'm going to take care of me this season (on top of all the other crazy stuff) i'm going to continue to make sure i get to the gym every day (and the days i miss i'll jump in place for 30 minutes while the little one sleeps, my kids think this is funny) i'm going to continue my goal to not drink carbonated drinks on a daily basis, i'm going to add more vegies to my diet and less carbs (but don't touch my chocolate!), i'm going to go to bed earlier (not so hard these days without the caffeine!), i'm going to laugh more with my kids, i'm going to read scriptures more often, i;m going to soak in baths more, i'm going to continue to get on my knees and pray for help, i'm going to read good books and some stupid ones too, i'm going to do whatever i want to do to make me healthier all around. that's a pretty scary list there, but i think i can handle it for a month.

have a great weekend, i'm going to try to also!

before and after:: the fireplace (and a confession)

well you guys guessed it alright! another thing i didn't love about this house was the fireplace. very 1970's...

also in sort of an awkward place (the kitchen) but that's where everything happens in our house so i guess it's in a good place (trying to look at the positive here!)

so i painted the fireplace (what a pain in the rump to get all the nooks and crannies), and then i painted the wall behind the mantel the same color as my wall behind my buffet. which is also the same color for my WHOLE KITCHEN now (yeah i changed the buttery tan color, it just didn't go as well). love this color though!

it's still not my dream fireplace, but it's an improvement... baby steps! baby steps!!!

oh and here's the big stinkin confession news:

wait for it...

it's been 7 whole dog gone weeks since i've purposely drank Diet Dr pepper with caffeine in it! ( i say purposely because there has been two times since the 7 weeks that i "accidentally" had a fully loaded diet dr pepper. unbeknownst to me the person gave me one with caffeine not the caffeine free so i can not and WILL not be held accountable for that)...and the even more awesome news is that i try not to drink the caffeine free stuff either! only for special occasions. ha! i kicked the trash out of that habit! my mom would be so proud if she only knew that i still had the problem!

sad to say i'm not as funny as i used to be without my drinks, and i don't know how to have a good time without it, i'm sort of boring these days, i go to bed early, and wear a house coat... but at least i'm drink free baby! i'm no longer a caffeineholic! whoot! whoot!

tutorial:: pottery barn looking frame ornament

so i'm sure some of you already have the pottery barn ornaments that are silver and are monogrammed...if you are looking to replicate that, look somewhere else cause i don't have an engraver and i'm cheap remember?! but if you want a cute little knock off of a frame ornament then this is the tutorial for you!

first you'll need a little frame this one measures 4 x 3 1/2 you can go to Micheal's and find small frames or i'm sure you could find them in the frame isle anywhere.

next get your glue gun out, don't burn yourself (i usually do) and if you do burn yourself don't swear, cause you're going to have to repent for that one (i usually do). now glue gun your cute ribbon onto the back of the frame or if you are lucky like me and your little frame came with a matte (sp?), glue gun it to the back of that.

place it in your frame, put your picture in and...

put your back on and...

voila! presto! finito! that's it ...really...but it sure looks cute on your tree!
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christmas decorating and what i'm working on

thanksgiving is over... and it's full speed ahead christmas now...so this week expect a tutorial on your own pottery barn style ornament, a before and after, and some sewing thrown in there... the three boys have been helping with decorating the sad little fake tree, maybe next year GI joe husband will be a manly man and cut us down a real tree... katie has been helping destroy all the hard work the boys did by taking down what they just did and re-arranging it the way she wants it...both sides are pretty upset with the whole situation...this is going to be a looooong christmas season. so this is my newest redo on the house, sorry it's blurry...what do you think i'm working on? this has been bugging me since we moved in, and well now there's no turning back and i hope i like the finished product! we'll see in the next few days.