XTRA LONG CHEVRON CURTAINS!

Posted by Lori~

Recently I was reading Our Fifth House and Carmel had a post regarding xtra long curtains that she purchased at Hobby Lobby!  SOLD.

I have actually planned to buy these for a few weeks, but every time I am in big city, ND, it is on a Sunday, and Hobby Lobby is NOT OPEN on Sunday.  I believe this is because they are a very religious business.  Recently, I happened to be in Fargo on Saturday and swung by Hobby Lobby.

There they were…the perfect curtains for my office.  And, better yet—they were on sale for 50% off!  That equaled just over $17.00/panel and I needed 4 panels total.

TOTAL DEAL!  

And I LOVE THEM.  I opted to hang them 7 inches higher than the window (I plan to add crown molding soon) and 7 inches wider than the window.

I AM IN LOVE!

I do need to do some painting touch-up work on the window, so please ignore the chipped paint!  

I also need to add one more bracket to the curtain rod for stability.

PINTEREST CHALLENGE: MAGNETIC CHALKBOARD SPICE CUPBOARD

Posted by Lori~

As you already know, I had BIG PLANS to have this project done yesterday to link up to one of our favorite blogs, YOUNG HOUSE LOVE, and their Pinterest challenge.  However, this project took longer than expected.

First up, a shout-out to friend and WOM-MOM follower Reagen for the idea/inspiration.  She always said she would paint my spice cupboard and turn it into a chalkboard.  LOVE THAT IDEA!

The spice cupboard was originally an ironing board cupboard.
However the change was already made before we bought the house,
but we have made several updates!  WE LOVE IT!

Next up, a shout-out to Pinterest and the many inspiring photos and ideas. Some of them included:

click here

click here

click here

Why the delay?  Actually the magnetic paint took much longer than indicated on the instructions.  After reading other blogs (even YHL) and experimenting with magnetic paint, Ethne and I both knew that I would need to do at least 6 coats of paint to make it more magnetic.

I ended up doing 6 coats of magnetic paint (honestly not sure if it really mattered--4 coats seemed to be similarly magnetic) and it really still isn’t as magnetic as I would like.  I have come to realize that I will not be able to use super heavy items.

I also managed to get 2 coats of chalkboard paint on.

The next step is to let it set for 24 hours and then chalk it (or spread chalk all over it and wipe it down with a wet sponge).   You are then ready to go.

I actually am still mid-project because I want to wait the full 24 hours prior to chalking…and of course, I always wait until the last minute to start a project.

In addition to turning my spice cupboard into a magnetic chalkboard, I also managed to move what used to be a match holder by my fireplace (never used, because we always use a cigarette lighter) to the spice cupboard and it will work great to hold my chalk.  The best part is that this item cost me next to nothing. I actually purchased it at a flee market.

THANK YOU YHL FOR THE INSPIRATION!  I love it!

Pinterest Challenge Post ~ Coming Tomorrow!

Posted by Lori~

Hey everyone!  Today is the start of the Winter Pinterest Challenge on Young House Love blog!  I’m working on a secret project for you, but it’s taking longer than I thought!!  I should (hopefully) have it up tomorrow, so check back.

In the meantime, Ethne’s Cereal Box Organizer post is linked up for the challenge and you can see what other people did to create things inspired by their Pinterest pins by clicking on the YHL link here.

Tuesday at Noon: Shoot it down!

Posted by Lori~

Hey North Dakota WOMS! (or any WOMS...this could soon be headed your way!)

It's time this mom gets political. The ND House just passed HB 1215, which will allow school boards to conduct secret meetings about allowing school staff to carry concealed weapons. No matter where you stand on guns in schools (my house says Hells No!), this legislation needs to get shot down. Conversations this important, this controversial, this divisive, need to happen in the light of day. Why on Earth would any of our legislators think that we shouldn't be allowed to be a part of a conversation about the safety of our children!

ND WOMS, we need to turn this around. Get the word out. The House already passed this bill 60-33 but we can get our senators to counteract it. There is absolutely no sense in this. The ND media are opposed to this, as they should be. Defending our right to know what's going on in government is what the news media are supposed to do. But even most of the education boards and associations in our state oppose this! (click HERE for more information). So who is this benefiting other than ignorant or scared politicians? NO ONE!

Call your senators or leave them your thoughts here.

I repeat, we don't have to agree on whether there should be guns in schools. But if you believe you have the right to debate that issue later on, we've got some work to do. Almost all of us can agree that we as parents, voters, taxpayers, and WOMS have the right to be a part of important decisions about our children's safety. If this doesn't get turned around, North Dakota will have a major WOM-bargo on its hands!

My phone is really confused.

Posted by Ethne~

I think I’ve mentioned that I got a new smartphone.  I had the option of getting an iPhone, but I decided to get a Samsung Galaxy SIII.  Let’s just say there were several reasons I wanted it, but pretty much the biggest was because the Galaxy is KILLING the iPhone 5 right now!

I don’t use it near its capacity for intelligence.  In fact, I probably don’t even know 50% of what it can do.  But hello, there was no book that came with it that said, this is all the sh!t your phone can do.

The sucker is almost creepy.  Its front-facing camera watches my eyeballs and it won’t go to sleep if it sees my eyes are still looking at the phone, even if I haven’t touched it in over a minute (my sleep-set time).  Whit and I call it bionic – like we call our mom’s bionic eye after her lasix lens replacement surgery: if it hits the light just right, she could totally be the Terminator’s blue-eyed twin.

One of my favorite features is I can slide-text.  In other words, I can slide my fingers across the letters I want to type on the keyboard and my phone, for the most part, gets it right.  The texting keyboard is smart, and the sliding function is awesome. 

But it’s not that smart.  This morning I was typing the word “grandbabies” via slide-text in a message to my dad and my phone guessed that I meant this word instead: transvestite.

Cereal Box Cord Storage (Winter Pinterest Challenge)

Posted by Ethne~

Update~ YHL Pinterest Challenge Today (2.27.13)! This post is being linked up the Young House Love’s winter Pinterest Challenge.  Check out the things everyone else does tried out from their Pinterest pins by clicking here and scrolling through their post.

Sooooo, despite the great amount of storage I have available in my kitchen, I’m always looking for ways to make it better organized.  And organization, somehow, wasn’t genetically programmed into my DNA.  Piggishness wasn’t either, but I would far rather do a craft than clean my house.  Or play on my kindle.  Or watch Duck Dynasty.  That show is cray-cray!

CREDIT: A&E - dudes, check this show out, it's genius.

Lori and I have been following a blog called I Heart Organizing lately.  The lady, awesomely, is from our next-door-neighbor, Wisconsin – which means she even shops at our very own Ikea!  I pinned her post on making drawer organizers out of cereal cardboard boxes (my interpretation is any random box) and pretty paper.  So I saved a cereal & a Velveeta box, found the few pieces of scrapbook paper I had (wouldn’t have been my first choice of colors, but I don’t do much scrapbooking), and got to work.

My pin-spiration

The organization problem: I was storing all of our electronics cords in the nice, deep kitchen towel drawer.  I intend to keep these two misfits together – but we’re gonna do better.

I cut my cereal boxes down to size – about 5-6 inches tall.  It didn’t matter for my drawer since it’s so deep.  The small box was from a Velveeta cheese so it needed no adjustment.

I took a box cutter to mine - it coulda been neater, but I was covering it up!!

I found I did not have enough paper for complete wrapping, so I just covered them enough that all visible area would be pretty.  I just used Scotch tape – nothing fancy – I’m not sending these suckers to the moon or something.

I used my 3M full-adhesive-backed tabs for labeling each box.  I also used strips of that paper for labeling the cords, and then “laminated” the labels with Scotch tape since I don’t have that fancy tape everyone is using these days. 

I used the orange, not for contrast, but so Shaun wouldn't gag (as much).

I did discover that I have multiple of the SAME charger, but given my loss ratio, I am glad for it.  UPDATE: none lost so far.

Now all into my drawer – it’s a thing of beauty.  Look at it!  Towels!  Washclothes!  Potholders!  Phone chargers!  It all makes my heart pitter-patter.  Shaun said he’d try to keep it all straight.  Bless him.

That is a very deep drawer.  Now it is very well organized too.

DAILY DEAL SITES

Posted by Lori~

Not ONLY is Target one of my favorite stores (Ethne's too), but they feature a daily deal each and every day on their website (more like multiple deals).

I have been wanting a Spa Sonic Skin Care System, and there it was THE DAILY DEAL!  

 

Are you signed up for different deal sites?  Some of my faves include:  WOOT, GROUPON, GRAVEYARD MALL, ZULILY, AND TOTSY!  And of course there are others too!

Most of these sites allow you to sign up for a daily email blast with their big-time savings!  It's a GREAT way to save!

I keep my Spa Sonic in this pretty dish on my bathroom shelf.

Mur-Man also had fun with it!

CHRISTMAS CARD ORGANIZATION

Posted by Lori~

CHECK OUT THIS!

AND...THIS!

What a mess!  Steve and I both love the Christmas season and the abundance of Christmas letters and cards.  WE FEEL BLESSED.

But what do you do with those cards?  You can save them, file them away, and never look at them again?  Or have a mess, like the photos above.

Or you can do what I did...I simply hole punched them and created a "book" by year.

Soon, I am hoping to have Steve create a template for the cover that can be updated each year.  I promise to share once done!  

I feel much more organized!

Of course, Ethne and fam are on the front cover! 

They fit perfect on the tray on the ottoman!  It's like a coffee-table book.
Guests can enjoy our cards too!

"Oral" History and HLN Reminder

Posted by Ethne~

Friends, my computer is still messing with me, but I thought that, in honor of President’s Day being this Monday – and since I received this rad picture yesterday from TD from my book club, I thought I’d share it.

George Washington’s dentures were made out of lead, human teeth, cow teeth, and elephant ivory. 

Credit: Minneapolis Star Tribune; I wish I'd have know this little fact when I was a park ranger at Mt. Rushmore in college.

PS, be sure to watch Headline News today.  Should be interesting.

Hide Yo Brushes! Hide Yo Blushes!

Posted by Ethne~

I had some really great ideas planned for today, but somehow, nada.  I made a turkey pot pie with store-bought biscuits which was tasty – but despite following directions, did not turn out well enough to be a blog post: it took over an hour to bake, despite one recipe’s directions saying 16-18 minutes and one recipe’s saying 30 min.  (When things were getting sketchy, I began to scour the helpful internets.)  I am positive, almost, that this cannot be my fault.  I blame my oven.  Why not a blog post?  Well, the outer biscuits were dark chocolate brown on top and the inner biscuit was still doughy in the center of my round cake pan.  Hmmm.

Thrifty Nana, Whit and I made a turkey dinner Saturday, complete with German Potato Dumplings.  This is totally blog-worthy, but we took so many pictures, it will take a while to narrow things down.  Tune in.

Plus, my computer was being an a-hole and wouldn’t work.  It’s a Mac, so I’m pretty sure there’s nothing really wrong with it – those computers are champs.  Still, I needed it in the clutch to write something and it let me down.  It had a time out.

Instead, I’ll tell you what my girls did this weekend.  They got up at 5:00 a.-effing-m. each day.  And they got into my make-up.  They used my best eyeshadow brushes in the crème rouges and shadows.  They destroyed my new highlighter/bronzer combo that is *one week old*.  They put ‘nscara (Emma’s term) and eyeliner on (really well actually, which scares Shaun).  And the best part of all – Emma has ringworm on her cheek, so everything she used, I had to THROW AWAY. 

My make-up is now out of reach.  For now.  

PAINT IT CHALLENGE: CRAFT STORAGE

Posted by Lori~

A BIG THANKS to one of our favorite blogs Our Fifth House for providing some major painting motivation.  They have a link-up and we took them up on the challenge.

I actually have been staring at these thrift store glass canisters and their old wooden tops for some time.  I have been planning to paint and this was the much-needed motivation.

I opted to go with a cream paint.  Several coats later and they were looking good.

I also decided to take a silver sharpie to the outer edge to add some interest.

They look great in my IKEA storage shelving.  And the best part is that this project cost next to nothing!