owen's olivia: August 2011

8/31/2011

Hurricane, Brownies, and . . . a Fort?

Naturally, any woman would bake brownies, invite neighborhood kids over, and build a fort in her living room during a hurricane.

Lowe's Home Improvement dropped off a bunch of boxes in our living last week.
I can't wait to open them!
They are filled with our new kitchen cabinets. A splurge I know, but we really
need them. Wait until you see the hot mess in our kitchen.
I mean, who puts paint over stained wood (didn't sand or prime)? On top of that, who lets paint drip and doesn't clean it up (Seriously, we have paint drips on our cabinets ALL OVER THE PLACE)? Who hangs doors improperly on their hinges? Who doesn't install the counter top properly? Who screws up the electrical wiring in the kitchen and somehow passes inspection? Who uses the wrong plumbing parts under the sink?

A particular contractor here in Raleigh.
(I really wish we had used Angie's list.)

Okay, back to those large boxes filled with goodies.

I knew I needed to keep Owen entertained during Irene.
Rain + Rain + Wind = No outdoor play
Rain + Rain + Wind = 1 bored child
Rain + Rain + Wind = (1) "I'm going to go crazy" parent
Chocolate + Kids + Fort = Good times and (1) "I'm going to read a book" parent

Forts.
Loved them as kid.
Still love them as an adult.

Last mention. My camera is literally in its grave, and I keep trying to resurrect it.
My flash no longer works.
I just haven't gone out to get a new one yet.
I would love to hear suggestions in the comment box on recommended brands/models! I can't afford SLRs, so don't recommend those. Point and shoot baby.

Before photos.

And here is the fort I built for little Owen and his friends.

This fort had 3 rooms, 1 dungeon, 3 hallways, and 3 entrances.

And lastly.

This is the extent of the damage by our home. This is our neighbor's tree. A few more feet

and it would have landed on our house. We are blessed to not have anything worse than this.
My heart goes out to all those who have lost anything meaningful in their lives.

8/29/2011

KitchenAid Mixer Rehab {DIY}

Rehab:

My KitchenAid mixer needed 1b and 2b. It was literally dying in my kitchen. Who knows what the hubby and I were thinking when we thought Pistachio Green would look good in our kitchen. We do not own any retro decor, and that is exactly where my mixer belonged. (We I originally chose this color because I wanted to please my man. Hubby's favorite color is green, and I am absolutely clueless. It doesn't mean I have to buy everything green.)

So . . . what does a cheap person do?

Fabric Friday {Shades of Gray}

Angela Adams

Schumacher


HouseFabric

Like it? Did you buy it?

I do not receive any compensation for showcasing works. For Etsy items, I would love it if you let the seller know that you saw his or her name on my blog, if you happen to purchase an item from that seller. Thanks! :)

8/25/2011

You dang Closet . . . {with a mini tutorial}

spent

the

day

folding

and

folding

and

folding

fabric.

I have to admit that I am stunned.

1. That I did an amazing job.

2. I really don't own as much fabric as I thought.

3. My closet space is small giving the illusion my

collection was great.

You see, this is what I started out with.

Now don't be fooled by the angle of the picture.

That mound you see was pretty decent in size.

But, the closet fooled me good.

You dang closet.

I thought I had a decent stash of fabric.

Here you go bruising my self-esteem.

(Though I do have 2 large bolts of fabric in the closet that are not pictured.)

Okay, my self-esteem is boosted

a wee bit.

Are you like me? Is your stash wrinkly, messy, chaotic, and unorganized?

It was time to clean up my act.

{Folding Tutorial}

Take your fabric and fold selvage to selvage.

Fold it again lengthwise, so the fold rests against the selvage.

Take some cardboard, and cut it to fit. Wrap your fabric around the cardboard. Once all the fabric is wrapped around the cardboard, pin into place. I took the edge and folded it over again. You can see it in the last picture.

Update: I pinned my fabric in the middle.

Here is the final product in all its glory.

And once again, I am bruised. Almost a third of my collection are whites. Blah!

The two bags to the far left hold my scraps.

Pin It

8/24/2011

The Frugal Girls

First off, a BIG thank you to Heidi for featuring my DIY Snack Bags.
Second, if you have not been to The Frugal Girls and you are
money saving fool, you totally need to check out her
site. Her website is filled with a wealth of information in regards to spending less, couponing, DIYs, party ideas, recipes, and much more!

Go check her out!

8/23/2011

Etsy {Back to School}

The summer has flown by so quickly. Hubby is back in school, which means

full-time mommy duties for me. I don't mind though.

One day I will be crying when Owen goes off to school.

savariabags

Don't forget to check out my snack bag tutorial, which are ideal for lunch bags!

Boredom

Now that school is starting up, hubby is home less. I noticed Owen's growth of boredom over the last few days, and all I can think is, "Great. School just started."

Did someone just say park??

Owen was so determined to catch up with the geese, and I couldn't break his little heart and tell him

he never would.

He's stubborn. Just like his mommy. :)