Christmas Wreaths

I had hundreds of ornaments leftover from my wedding four years ago.  We could have two, even three trees full of ornaments and still have extras.  So finally I decided to do something with them.  Found the idea on Pinterest (of course).  Bend a wire hanger into a circle, untwist the top and slide the ornaments on.  It is smart to hot glue the caps onto the ornaments first so they don't fall off.  I filled in any gaps and added more sparkle with the silver garland.  It is a surprisingly fragile wreath because the caps tend to snap, so I'm not sure that I would have wanted to buy ornaments specifically for this, but if you have a lot on hand it is a nice way to use them up.  I'm going to keep this hanging (in the storage room) instead of packing it away when the season is done, to help keep it intact.

This summer while I was in Oregon my Mom gave me a bunch of tulle.  I made a tutu for Cupcake, and this beautiful wreath.  I didn't want to spend the money on a wreath form (although if you do you'll need to cover it in white fabric before you start), so Aaron brought me home some sheets of Styrofoam from work and I cut out my own.  Cut the tulle and tie it on.  Hot glue stuff in the middle for pretties.  It is such a forgiving project, you can muddle your way through it and it will still look fantastic.  I already had the white snowflakes, so the only thing I spent money on was the red snowflake that I got at the dollar store.  If you like the style you can always use different colors and different middles for each season.  I've started one with cream tulle and will add autumn leaves in the center.  I'd love to see it in pink or green with flowers and Easter eggs for spring.  Or for another Christmas variety, just so the lower half in white, and add a Santa hat on top.  I guess this is my way of pleasing my inner-ballerina.

Tutorial for ornament wreath: here
Tutorial for tulle wreath: here, or here
How to cut tulle: here 

Halloween dinner - chili con carne

I've decided that our traditional dinner for Halloween is now chili. Whenever I think about Halloween, the first thing that comes to mind is 2008 - we went trick-or-treating on Embassy Row in Washington DC and then had chili at at some friends' apartment near there. It was the perfect end to that day. In Mississippi (2009-2012), there was a chili cook-off every year at our church's Halloween activity. So. Halloween means chili for dinner. This was the recipe I made last night from a book, but not followed exactly. This is what I did:

1 onion chopped into tiny pieces
3 garlic cloves chopped
2 lb hamburger
          Put into your big pot and cook until the hamburger is fully browned. Drain off any excess liquid (I use a baster to suck it all up and put it in an empty can.)

2 cans of chopped tomatoes
1 can black beans
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can of water (one of the cans after it's been emptied and rinsed)
2 cubes of beef bullion
3 tbl chili powder
cumin
oregano
cayenne pepper
salt
          I only measured the chili powder. I just sprinkled in the other spices to taste.

Once the hamburger is browned, add everything else to the pot. You can simmer it for half an hour or more. Or you can cook it on medium for 10-15 minutes until it's hot, and then it's done. It was a darker flavored chili and really good.

We had cornbread with it, which recipe I apparently need to add to this blog because it doesn't look like I have yet.

3 months 'til Christmas

I got a sewing machine for my birthday from my Mom, and this is the first thing I've done with it.  I'm not one who sews, but I'm starting to learn.  Christmas present number one, done!  I'd seen these online, and knew I had to make a dragon hat for Aaron.  I didn't follow a pattern at all, and used scraps of red and navy fleece to piece it all together.  It was a learning experience, for sure, but considering it was the first thing I made, it turned out pretty awesome!

Step One: Re-cover Dining Room Chairs

I debated whether to begin my living room update with curtains or captain's chairs.  I had decided on curtains, then cut and pressed the fabric, when I discovered I had no thread.  So, by default, tonight's labor was focused on re-covering the first of nine dining room chairs.

My plan is to use the two antique captain's chairs I inherited from my grandmother to create a sitting area which will replace one of our ratty "couches" (a broken sectional disguised with pillows, a well-placed toy box, and a throw blanket), so I figured I would start with one of them and get to the standard dining chairs later in the update.

The chair was in good shape; it did have a few scratches and dings in it, but not enough that I have any interest in refinishing it.  My major issue with the chairs is the cushion fabric:  it, like just about everything else in my grandmother's house, was pink and had to go.

 I began by turning the chair upside down and removing the screws -- one in each corner -- that held the seat to the body.  Easy peasy.

 Next, I started pulling out the staples that held this black stuff -- which, I'm sure, has a technical name -- to the wood.   (Essentially, it covers the raw edges of the upper fabric and hides the webbing underneath.)  This would have been easier with a staple remover, but, since I didn't have one, I used the screwdriver to pull up the staples.  Also, while the seat was off, I got some wood oil and gave the entire chair some TLC.  It shined up quite nicely!

 I then removed the staples from the fabric, which were securing the fabric to the underside of the wood frame.  Once I got going, I saw that the frame was already riddled with staple holes.  My guess is that this is at least the third (and maybe fourth) time this chair has been re-done.  Somehow, that made me love it even more!

 Underneath, I found some interesting stuff that I had to Google.  First off, I expected to find a seat made of solid wood with foam on top.  Instead, I found woven webbing topped with burlap, then some kind of upholstery filling or batting on top of that.  Apparently, webbing like that is pretty common and is supposed to make for a more comfortable seat, which certainly fits my purpose.

 The filling was another matter entirely.  Most websites I'd seen recommended using foam core for the seat; my mother has recently re-covered her (similar) chairs and simply used cotton batting.  Whatever this is, it was kind of delicate and crumbly, and looked sketchy.  I still don't have a name for it.  But...it is sturdy, soft, and comfy!  I sniffed it; no odor.  And, ultimately, I decided to re-use it, and the chair is very pleasant to sit on.

 Next, I used the fabric I had removed from the chair as a guide to cut my new fabric.  I LOVE this fabric.  And I really love how it looks modern, but it's not permanent...it doesn't seem like it will be a big deal to re-do these chairs in a few years if I love it no more!  I had read that it wasn't hugely important to get a perfect cut, since the edges of the fabric would be hidden under the edge of the seat, so I didn't really bother much with that, as you can see in the photo.

After cutting, I chose to ScotchGard the fabric.  I went back and forth on this, but ultimately I tested a small piece of fabric and was completely amazed to see droplets of water bead onto it and not soak in.  With small kids in the house, I figured this protection was a must.

After that, the process was shockingly easy.  I stretched the fabric around the wood base with the original filling (pulling it pretty tight) and stapled it in place.  Then I used the same piece of black stuff I had removed to cover the raw edges of the fabric and screwed the seat back into the base.  Boom!  Done!  I know that people do this all the time, but it was my first try, and I am incredibly impressed with the results.  From start to finish, I would say this took less than an hour.

There are imperfections; my seat has bumps, and I am not 100% sure the fabric is aligned perfectly.  Still, I'm pretty happy with what I got, and I assume my second captain's chair will turn out even better. As soon as I get it done, I will post pictures of my little sitting area!

Living and Dining Room Makeovers

We've lived in our house for close to six years now, and the process of making it our own has been a lot slower than for most people.  We started with paint, but even that was spread out over the course of several years.  We have gotten new furniture, but it's always been hand-me-downs that we worked into our decor:  a new couch from my brother, a new table and chairs from my grandmother, some bookcases from my parents.  My mother-in-law made us some valances the first month we lived here, and they haven't been changed since.  I genuinely think I have spent $0 on decorating improvements like pillows, rugs, wall art, and knick knacks.  All our major work and purchases have been to our kids' rooms, changing the decor and furniture as they aged out of cribs.  The master bedroom and bathroom, plus our common areas (kitchen, dining room, and living room), have been largely untouched except for the addition of furniture and the updating of family photos.

This summer, the hubby and I decided that we could spring a little (key word) bit of money for improvements, and that they would aim to spruce up the living room and dining room.  To save money, everything we are doing is upcycling and DIYing.  Our total budget for the project is currently $300, but I have only spent $225 and hope to be able to swing another $100 or so in another few months.  Here are the challenges I had to work with:

1. Our house has an open floor plan; the kitchen, dining room, living room, and eat-in kitchen are all part of a big circle with our pantry as a divider in the middle.  The color scheme for this area -- more than half the house -- has to coordinate without getting old.
2. We can't afford to buy new, or even nice used, furniture.  (I discovered quickly that furniture purchases would take huge chunks out of our budget.)  So we are re-using and re-styling as much as possible.  I'm starting with the living room.  We currently have, to the naked eye, two couches and a love seat.  One couch used to be white before my kids got ahold of it; it's sort of a variegated cream color now.  The other "couch" and "love seat" are actually two pieces of a broken sectional that we disguise with cushions.  One part has a broken back, so it needs to sit against a wall; the other has a sunken area that we stuff with homemade cushions. 
3. The open floor plan means lots of windows...four standard-sized ones in the living room and one triple-wide one in the kitchen.  All our panels have to coordinate, and purchasing that many panels at $10-$30 a pop wasn't practical for the budget either...so, again, I'm going to have to aim for homemade.

Here are some photos of the living room as it currently stands:

My master plan for improvements is multi-step:

1. Ditch the brown "couches" (the broken sectional).  [Cost:  $0]
2. Steam clean and fabric protect the white couch, just to spruce it up. [Cost:  $11 for the ScotchGard and cleaning fluid]
3. Bring two captain's chairs from the dining room into the living room to replace one couch; re-cover them with a nice fabric, and set up a little sitting area with a small round table I currently have in the bedroom. [Cost:  $24 for fabric from Hobby Lobby]
4. Get an old wingback chair out of storage from my grandmother; buy a nice slipcover, and use it to replace the "love seat" under the window.  (Side note:  the chair is currently pink.  I checked, and it will cost $300-$400, plus fabric, to re-upholster it.  It's a nice chair, but that's not an option for right now.) Move the ottoman/toy box under the window for extra seating/table, and put a cute half-priced tray on top for magazines. [Cost:  $75]
5. Move the coffee table in front of the white couch to open up the walkway to the back door. (On another side note, we hope to also spend some time -- later -- improving our porch and back yard to make it more appealing.)  [Cost:  $0]
6. Ditch the old, beat-up, stained, faded throw pillows, blankets, and floor pillows, and make new ones.  [Cost:  $20 for fabric]
7. Ditch the dated brown valances and make floor-length curtains out of neutral canvas duck; stamp a lattice pattern in burnt orange along the bottom (for interest, but not too overwhelming, since I'll have eight panels in the room).  [Cost:  $150 for fabric, stencils, paint, and curtain rods]

I've already bought the bulk of my supplies.  I need a little more curtain fabric, curtain rods, and the slip cover, but I have enough to get started.  I think the project will realistically take several weeks, since I'll mostly be working at night after the kids are in bed and if there's nothing else on my plate.  But hopefully, there will be a huge improvement, and once the living room projects are done, I can move on to the dining room!

argh!

And then we unpacked the sewing machine ... the movers broke it. I put the tension all the way at zero to get it to do anything at all, and it won't backstitch. Guess who's getting a new sewing machine! Booyah! I still want to try to fix the current one, though - two sewing machines would be a good thing here, so Adam and I can both work on projects at the same time.

we are here we are here!

We are in our house!

We have approximately 2500 square feet. Most of the living space is on the upper floor - the living room, kitchen, and all the bedrooms and bathrooms. The master bedroom has its own bathroom - hooray! That seems kind of rare here in Connecticut because of all the old houses. This house was built I think in 1967 and is "newer," since a lot of homes were built about 100 years ago and a few even date back to the 1700s. The basement is really well-lit with a ton of windows so it doesn't feel like you're in a dungeon. The family room/play room/rec (wreck) room is downstairs, where ALL the toys reside! No more toys in my living room - hallelujah! Or in the bedrooms. There's also a very large storage room that includes the laundry area, and the garage is downstairs as well.

Our yard is huge - we have 3/4 of an acre. The side and the back property line are all trees - I stopped counting them when I hit 40 because I couldn't tell if I'd counted some of them already or not. Unfortunately, the groundcover growth under the trees gets really tall really fast and you can't play in it because of the bugs (ticks and slugs and tons of other things I've never seen). We're going to try to clear a lot of it out so we can string up the hammocks. There are bushes all around the house - azaleas, hydrangeas, rhododendrons, and some other kinds that I don't know.

We're on a corner in a really friendly neighborhood. Before we even moved in, we took a walk on a Sunday afternoon to check things out and some of the neighbors (who had already heard about us from the previous owners) came outside to meet us. We ended up talking with them for over an hour. They have a daughter who is between our oldest 2 girls, and they're already great friends. RG says that she is "fond of" MB. Too funny! And a number of other neighbors have come over to introduce themselves when they saw us outside.

We closed on Friday June 28 but continued to stay in our temporary place until Tuesday (July 2) when the moving company brought our belongings out of storage. So that was the date we actually moved into the house. We've of course been unpacking ever since and still have a long way to go. The thing that keeps going through my head is, "I can't believe we crammed all this stuff into 1000 square feet."

Don't worry. Pictures are coming. I have to do all the "before" shots for when I really start working on this place!

a whole new level

Operation Domestic Goddess will be going to a new level on July 1. All this time, I've been in rented apartments, and now we're BUYING A HOUSE!!!! Closing is currently scheduled for June 27 - we'll be in Connecticut for about a month before that, but we're waiting for the family currently living in the house to have their kids finish the school year. Anyway, I've never been able to do anything with the structure itself, not even paint the walls. Now I can do ANYTHING I WANT! (And can afford. But we won't talk about that right now.)

Rule 1 for our new house: We are not college students anymore with a college student budget. We can buy furniture much nicer than cheapo junk at Walmart, or even Ikea. And heck - we're not even planning to buy everything. Adam wants to build pretty much anything made of wood, or get used items that we can fix up. The only things we plan to buy (new. No used.) are upholstery/fabric things like couches, chairs, and mattresses. No more pressboard bookcases! He has informed me that if I want bookcases and a butcher-block dining room table and other fun things, he first needs his shop set up in the garage, which means he'll get to spend a bunch of money on saws. Yeah yeah. Just build some darn bookcases because I'm not unpacking the books until they're done!

Rule 2: I want color. I am SO bored with the plain neutral-colored walls that we've been stuck with in all of our apartments, not allowed to paint. If we do have any white, it's going to be WHITE. No off-white eggshell or whatever it's called. It just looks dingy. I've been going through kid design ideas on houzz.com (basically pinterest for house design - good times!) and what strikes me in all the pictures is the COLOR. Really saturated hues. They're gorgeous. The house we're getting is currently painted all the same safe neutral boredom I've been living with for forever. I am so ready to shake things up, it's not even funny.

Rule 3: I need to keep a lid on all the accessorizing that's possible out there, but here is where my chronic indecision will serve me well. There's SO much cool stuff out there, and I'm not a big spender, that I never get around to doing anything about anything. I also have developed a pretty minimalist attitude about STUFF in general. I don't want more junk to have to clean and keep organized. I have enough already. But mainly - lamps and light fixtures, clocks, and curtains on the windows. Those are a must.

I'm still thinking this through, so I'll be back with more thoughts another day. But this is where we're starting.

slight change of plans

The baby is finally here - hooray! 

And in an interesting twist, the day she was born was also the day Adam got a phone call from a job in Hartford, Connecticut that he interviewed for last fall ... was he still interested in the position? Most definitely! We don't have a firm moving date yet - paperwork is still going back and forth. But we figure it will probably be in May. 

So the Make My House Pretty project is, for the next couple of months, Make My House Packed. Then I'll go back to pretty stuff. In the meantime, I do have a bunch of clothes to make for the girls, starting with Easter dresses. SM needs new play dresses and skirts because everything she currently has is getting too short.

February pretties

Continuing the count to 52 weeks of pretty things in and around my house ... to get every week covered so far, I should be at 9. Given that I missed 2 weeks in January and have been in phase 1 of labor (don't ever call it "false" labor because there's nothing fake about it) for most of February, I'm kind of surprised that I got much of anything done this month. But I did! Go me! And I have a couple more projects started that aren't done yet, even!

Project 4: Adam and I rearranged the pictures and everything on the walls all over the house. We took some pictures down awhile back because we shifted some furniture and never got around to putting them back up. That's done now including with updated photos (that are still almost a year old, which tells you how old the other pictures were).

Project 5: I make a new flannel swaddling blanket for each of my babies, and it's what they come home from the hospital in. Baby JK was showing signs of an early arrival (and all labor indicators flat-lined this week, so she's still not here) so I got going on her blanket. I had it halfway done when JE took a chunk out of the side with the scissors (my mom refers to her as a "busy" 2-year-old - yeeeeah, that's a good word for it.) Fortunately, it was the side and not out of the middle. Unfortunately, it was a side that was already done. So I had to trim that edge down to get rid of the cut and do it again. Done, packed in the hospital bag, and scissors put away.

Project 6: When clearing out some drawers to use for the new baby's clothes, I put down scrapbook paper as a drawer liner. I just taped it instead of using glue so I can switch it out when I get my drawers back. Cutsey pink is great for a baby but I prefer something different for myself.

Project 7: Miniature corkboards on the "school wall" in our entry for the girls to hang up their art. I saw this on a homeschool blog but didn't bookmark it. Oops. Sorry, person who should get credit but won't. You get random picture frames, take out the picture and glass, sand and paint them in whatever colors you want, and put corkboard in them. The original link used really bright colors, which I liked. I've kinda/sorta decided that our colors for homeschooling are green and yellow, so those were the 2 colors I used, and I put them up with a pink board that SM built at a Home Depot kids workshop. I also put one in my sewing corner (painted to match my spool board) to display my collectors pins that I used to get while traveling and have been sitting in a box for forever. I gave the girls my Disney pins for their boards and some others from places they've been. I kept my Australia pins and some that have more sentimental value to me.

Project 8: I wanted some kind of sewing hand-work to do while sitting in the hospital for 2 days, so enter this month's Christmas project - fabric gift tags. I used this site to look up embroidery stitches, and still seem to have kind of come up with my own version of a chain stitch. Go figure. This is not done at all - I'm making about a dozen of them, and have the stitching done on 4. It's a decent start, considering everything that's been happening lately. I'll finish all the stitching and then do all the backings at the same time.

I also cut out skirts to make for the girls but haven't sewn them together yet. My March Christmas project will be from the scraps of the corkboard after cutting it down to fit the 8x10 frames. The March priority is definitely Easter dresses for the girls, since Easter is on the 31st.