Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Thirty-One Tips and Tricks: Awesome Mom Solution


Hello There!

It's time for another organization solution with my favorite bags from Thirty-One!

This one I'm pretty darn proud of because I thought of it on my own (so if you see it on Pinterest, don't tell me!)

So, if you have a little one, you probably have experienced this. You get a diaper bag (may I suggest our very popular Organizing Utility Tote?) and you use it for the first and maybe second year? Then, you kiddo needs less supplies like bottles and chew toys (I mean teething toys...can you tell I have dogs?!?) and you start just needing your diapers and wipes. You start using a purse again (and feel like a million bucks to have something that is yours), but you need something to put the wipes and diapers in.

I've got a solution for you!!

So, first of all, you will love the Organizing Utility Tote for your diaper bag. You can wipe it down, it has a ton of pockets for bottles and toys, you can personalize it, it comes in fun prints, and there are a 101 uses for when you're done using it as a diaper bag.

Since you want some sort of pocket that zips on the inside of the diaper bag, you can Pocket-A-Tote to add on to the bag. It just snaps right in and you can personalize this as well. You could use it for your diapers so they are easy to grab (and personalize with something like "Diaps and Wipes") or use it as your "mom" bag (and personalize it with "Mom's Stuff"). 

When you want to use your purse, you can simply snap out the Pocket-A-Tote and snap it into your Retro Metro Bag. You say, "What?!" Yes. The Pocket-A-Tote actually snaps into the loops of a Retro Metro bag (a fact that isn't well known!).

Now I have a super cute diaper "clutch" I can move between my two bags. The diaper bag when we're going out for the day, and the purse when we're just running to dinner. 


You still have time to order a purse at 1/2 price with a purchase of $35.00 dollars! It's our August Special, and you'll be happy to know that if you get the Organizing Tote and Pocket-a-Tote, you've already reached your $35.00. So you can get the Retro Metro Bag (or the Elite Retro Metro Bag which is pictured here) at 1/2 price!

And if you're not in the market for a Retro Metro Bag, one of these items may be on special next month....just sayin' ;)
My Pocket-A-Tote. It came with my Enrollment Kit, and I LOVE it. I use it all the time.

Two diapers and a wipe case.

Pocket-a-Tote in my Organizing Utility Tote..tons of room for spare clothes and toys
Outside of my bag. (Woodblock Floral)

Inside of my Retro Metro Bag. See how it loops through the top? Tons of room this bag. I can fit a lap top & iPad!




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Monday, August 19, 2013

Even Sleeping, He's Diabotical!

It's time for another edition of "What My Husband Did Last Night."

Last week I posted my long post of all things my husband has done in his sleep. (Click here for the post) That night my husband decided to bestow another sleep story to me and really on to all of you out there reading this. Thank you husband.

I forgot to let you in on a little joke I have. My husband isn't particularly nice in his sleep. Kinda like how I am when I first wake up. I have warned my husband that I will probably do and say whatever to get a couple extra minutes of sleep...even if that means I'm hitting the snooze button for an hour. I realize while awake that it's completely pointless. How good could the sleep be in 10 minute increments with three different alarms going off? 

Anyways back on topic, I have decided I'm married to two different people. "Boyfriend"....my nickname for my husband that started when we were dating, but now just confuses people especially when I answer the phone. I assure you there is no boyfriend on the side. and "Sleep Husband." As I mentioned in my previous post, I was not aware I was marrying Sleep Husband until I had already signed the papers. Sleep Husband is crazy and mean. He is also hilarious. So, I guess it's a trade-off.

I came to bed later than my husband that night. This sometimes happens when he has to get up insanely early the next day (sometimes he has to be up at around 3 am....uh, no thank you). It's the best time for a Sleep Husband sighting.

Last week, I had just laid down when he got up out of bed. I somehow knew he wasn't getting up for any purpose, so I stopped him and told him to go back to bed. (For the benefit of all of us, I probably should have let him get up and do what ever crazy thing he had planned.)

He immediately laid back down on his back, put his hands on his chest and proceeded to tap them together reminiscent of Dr. Evil from Austin Powers. Then, he started quietly humming and turned his face to me slowly and stared at me. I just started giggling, and he went back to sleep. I don't know what Sleep Husband has planned, but I am thinking it involves "One Million Dollars."


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Before & After: Getting Ready for Geneva's 2013 City Wide Show

I have (finally) fixed up a couple of the items I found during City Wide Clean-Up/Garage Sales and Junkin' in June. The pile of junk in the yard is starting to shrink...well at least it's starting to be relocated to the "finished" pile. That's good, right?

Now, what do I do with all these items? Do I keep them all? I would love to keep every single item I fix up. However, my house is full of stuff, and my husband has started to notice.

So, recently I started selling things I fix up. Nothing too much. A show here and there, and a couple of postings online. I'm thinking when we get a house in the country with a big beautiful barn, I might start doing something more regular. At least it would be an excuse to go garage saleing/junking/ awkwardly trash rummaging more often.

I signed up for my first vintage show in September, the Geneva City Wide Market aka "The Market". Two days (eek!), outside (double eek!), and I don't know if I'll have enough inventory. Yeah, I think I'm crazy too!


I know there are some junk lovin' readers out there, so I'm hoping you can make a trip to Geneva for a great junk event on Friday, September 20th from Noon to 8 and Saturday, September 21st from 9 to 5. There's around 50 vendors at the show, plus about a mile outside of town, the Franklin County Historical Society gives demonstrations, such as blacksmithing and tours of an old stone home located there. It's the first known home in Franklin County. This year they are going to bring in a weaving loom and spinners and weavers are coming in to make items on it. Tell your family it's educational for the kiddos and then do the really fun part, hunt for some treasures!

I hope you can make it. It's always a good time to see other junk lovers and get inspiration!

Anyways, on to the Before & Afters.

Up first: Cabinet Doors. I found these fun doors at the Once Was sale in June. Love her and all her stuff.

Before:


After: Chalkboards! I love the new navy blue chalkboard paint at Lowes. Both items sold pretty quick. Gotta love a chalkboard!



Next: Metal tray and old springs 
(Those red rails have a future as a picture ledge. Now, I just have to figure out how I'm going to do that.)



After: Now a fun junky centerpiece. I love when I figure out something to use old insulators for. It seems like such a waste to throw out nice heavy cool colored glass. This was a fun piece to make because it involved some power tools beyond my sander! (It's available for purchase! :) )


Last: Old director's chair. 

Now, I don't have a good director's chair "before" picture. It was missing a top and had a super ugly blue cloth seat, plus it had a beat up light wood frame. Basically, visualize a pile of junk.

Update: I found the "before" picture!

 


After: Now it's a fun teal/aqua director's chair. I love director's chairs. They fold up nicely, are more exciting than a card table folding chair, and can be way more personalized. (Available for purchase!)

I have several items in my to do pile that are going to get fancied up (hopefully) by the junk market next month. So far I have: 1 headboard and footboard (which will remain as a bed with a fun paint job), another headboard and footboard (might become a sign or a bench), 1 headboard (thinking it will need to become something else fun), 3 end tables (1 is too cool to not keep as a headboard. The other two are going to get jazzed up), a chair (with a destiny as a planter), a old crib (not sure if this will become anything or just make a trip to the dump...it's in pretty rough shape), old metal owls (they are going from grandma's attic to urban chic), and vintage fabric that is going somewhere unique and inspired...if you know where that is, please tell me. 

See you in September!!

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Friday, August 16, 2013

New Feature: What My Husband Did Last Night

Hello!

I’m not sure if I have ever shared the hilarity of my husband’s night time escapades. I’ve decided they warrant a new feature called “What My Husband Did Last Night.” I'm sure he'll LOVE this feature.

My husband and I at our 5 year anniversary this year.
Before I share what my husband actually did last night, I probably should catch you up on what he has done on previous nights. I’m sure many of you out there are either “the crazy sleep person” or know someone who is, and can probably relate to living with “a crazy sleep person.” I encourage you to share your own hilarious sleep hijinks in a comment below.

I first learned that my husband wasn’t a normal sleeper a few months into our relationship. I was back home visiting my parents when I got a phone call at 4 in the morning. It was my (now) husband, and he was whispering (why is whispering always SO much creepier?) “There’s ants all over the bathroom, and I can’t get them all.” Since most normal people do not call people in their sleep, I thought that a) he had clearly taken some sort of illegal substance, or b) was having a complete nervous breakdown. I answered back, “What do you mean?” He went on a tirade about ants in the bathroom and the total mess they were. Then, he abruptly hung up. I was worried that I had just received some sort of “mayday” call, so I called back. He answered in a voice that indicated he had just woken up, which was a bit alarming since he was so alert just seconds earlier on the phone. He argued with me for calling him so late and insisted he hadn’t called me. It took one view of his recent calls to realize he had called me, and it was a fairly long phone call. 

Next time we were around his family, I told them about his late night sleep call. His brother informed me that this wasn’t anything new. My husband shared a room with his brother throughout their childhood. Sometimes my husband would go to bed before his brother and when his brother came in the room, my husband would yell at him, or simply sit at the end of the bed glaring at him. Many times they would just have unusual conversations.

The second incident was another late night phone call. He called to yell at me for saying "something" to his sister (this was a fabricated story made up in my husband’s mind, and I never found out what the "something" was). At this point I knew he was sleeping because he was talking nonsense. I decided to mess with him a bit. I fed into the story and argued back. Eventually, he got so worked up that he hung up on me. I should explain that this is the only time in our ten years together he has ever hung up on me, and one of a few times he’s been angry. He’s one of the most patient people I know.

I was having a good laugh about the phone call when my phone rang again. He sleep called me back to say sorry for hanging up on me, but then continued the argument! Eventually he hung up again. I called him back until he answered. He was groggy, and once again, in disbelief that he had called me, let alone several times.

Once we got married and moved in with one another, I got to discover a whole new level of sleep talking and walking. I’m lucky that, for the most part, he doesn’t sleep walk. I haven’t caught him doing anything like eating everything in the fridge or leaving the house. I know some people have to deal with that ordeal. I just get funny conversations and occasionally he’ll walk around turning lights on.

One night he shook me awake. I turned around to look at him, and he’s lying on his side. He flexed his arm, kissed his bicep and gave me a “What’s up” head nod. Then, he went back to bed without saying another word. It was very “Jersey Shore” of him. I laughed so hard it was difficult to get back to sleep.

A different night he woke me up and pointed at the window. He exclaimed there was someone out there. Well, we’re on the second story, and there was no way that was possible, but it pretty much gave me a heart attack. There have been a couple of different times when I have woken up to him whispering in my ear that there’s something outside the door. Makes sleeping real peaceful.
Another time he got up, stood at the doorway and just kept opening and shutting the door until I told him to go back to bed.

One night I was reading in bed and he started listing a grocery list. He stopped on “bread” and kept asking how much it was. I asked him how much he thought it was, and in a sing-song voice he responded, “About a buck-ninety-five.” Then, he started giggling like a school girl.
I did catch him once making a severe miscalculation of our closet for the bathroom. Thankfully I caught him. I recently heard several people on the morning radio show I listen to commiserate their bathroom incidents. 

Sometimes he’ll wake up and just start yelling things. Random words. Sometimes he’ll sit up or start doing odd maneuvers (Wrestling moves? Dance moves? Who knows…) I’ve learned that if I say “Husband, you’re sleeping. Go back to bed” to him he usually stops and goes back to bed.
About two months ago I woke up at 4:00 am to my husband standing on the bed with one hand on the ceiling jumping up and down. I asked him what the heck he was doing. He responded “Waiting in line for tickets.” I did the normal go back to bed routine, but this one time he wasn’t having it. He kept jumping. Finally after three times of asking him, he laid back down. But then he grumbled for about 5 minutes about how he wasn’t going to get the tickets now and it was all my fault.

One night recently I was downstairs working on something. I heard someone/thing fall out of bed. Our dog came racing down the stairs. Suddenly, my husband came running down the stairs like he was being chased by a herd of bulls. (It sure sounded like a herd of bulls) I jumped up and asked him what was wrong. (I had assumed we were having yet another bat incident. Read about our other incidents here and here.) He kept shaking his head and mumbling something about fish. (?!?) He walked into  the kitchen, and got a drink of water. He was still mumbling about random animals. Finally, he told  me there was a bunch of spiders. At that point I realized he was still sleeping! The next morning he only vaguely remembered getting a drink of water.

Last week I brought our three year old daughter into bed with us after she had a huge freak out. I set her down next to my sleeping husband, and I asked her why she woke up crying. She told me it was because there was a monster in her room. I was about to say “Monsters aren’t real.” Or “Monsters are friendly…remember Sully”….instead my husband said in his sleep “Monsters are really scary. You should probably sleep here. I’ll protect you.” Nice. Real nice. I’m sure she’s going to be super excited to sleep in her room now.

This brings me to our adventure last night. I woke up to my husband mid Kung Fu move on our German Shorthair Pointer. He thought the dog was a very small intruder dressed in black. I stopped him, and got him woke up enough to realize that not only was the dog not an intruder, but that he would have most certainly woke both kids up with the deafening howl the dog would have let out.


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Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Gone Junkin': Vintage Pyrex

I did a bit of vintage shopping as I crossed South Dakota a few weeks ago. Pyrex finds are easier to come by and definitely are more reasonably priced (compared to the fifty dollars Iowa dealers want)


Finally found a stripe bowl! 

Large red mixing bowl. Might may this part of a set although traditionally the large bowl isn't red.

Turquoise "Embroidery" bowl


Square yellow and square red bowl.

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