Color there, Color Here, Color Bare?

It's summer time and I have committed a cardinal sin....I have NO color on my toe nails! EEK! Summer time is prime time to express yourself with color on your toes with the appearance of cute summer dresses and flip flops.

Now, I'll admit I don't have beautiful feet (far from it with my soccer and running activities) but all the more reason it's necessary for me to add a bit of sparkle to these battered feet. But a las, I do not and this needs to change! I'm calling on all my followers, random readers or heck, maybe accidental stumblers to my blog to help me select a color. I've tried purple and blue (both colors I think look great for tanned bodies, which I am not) and I dislike pale colors like pink (I'm already white, let's not have my toes blend in with my skin)! :)

So what'll it be? What color would you pick for these bare feet?? The more specific the suggestion the better...we're talking brand name, color...whatever!

See...they are screaming HELP ME! :)

First DIY Project

So I've been craving a little craftiness activity (to which my husband responds 'we just painted the bedroom!' blog to come). I want to take someone's "trash" and make it into a TREASURE! Some of my best girlfriends have done this with much success so I wanted to try my hand at it!

So on Saturday with my girlfriend Missy in tow, we went to a consignment shop off Volvo Parkway. Don't be fooled by the outside, it's a small little shop but packed to the brim. Tons of stuff piled up from floor to ceiling...tons of great stuff too! And all at 50% off. That's dangerous words to a girl who's on the hunt for a do-it-yourself challenge. :)

I ended up buying a few cute items, one in particular is a rocking chair. I apologize for not having the exact photo, apparently the camera on my phone agreed it was so horrible looking it refuses to show it anymore! ;)

Picture Pepto Bismol color by fading & underneath color showing

So I took this wonderfully pink creation and turned it into a shabby chic creation with spray paint called Eden! I just whipped the chair clean with a rag, water and soap. Then used a fine sander (I like the "worn" aspects) just enough for the paint to stick. After wiping off the sand particles, I used a spray paint primer to cover the pink. After waiting twenty minutes for it to dry, I took charge of changing the color! I am so pleased with the results...

First view

Second view

This was just my first, but certainly not my last! I already have in mind my next DIY project for the house....this wooden bench inside the guest bedroom. With me on the loose, no furniture is safe! Mwuahahaha! ;)

Bye-bye Fireplace

This year seems to be the year for renovations! In addition to our amazing bathroom renovation, Ryan and I will also be getting some work done to our living room. When we bought our house we had a home inspection, highly recommend for everyone looking to purchase a home, and the inspector stated that the fireplace box was cracked. We knew this would have to be replaced, but given that the home was a foreclosure we were getting it for a sweet deal. So now we have this hideous fireplace in our living room that doesn't work (see photo).

Disclaimer: The carpet and surrounding tile
has since been changed!

We had an inspection completed just for the fireplace to see what the damages would cost to fix. Let's just state that the amount was monumental! I was complete shocked at the cost, could be worse but definitely didn't help my case. See I wanted to get this fixed by the end of summer; however, Ryan wasn't so keen on the idea. The high price tag meant he was going to win....but not for long! :)

Instead of fixing it, we compromised by boarding up the fireplace to allow future buyers to have a fireplace but allow us to utilize the wall space by mounting our television and having storage options through a nifty media center. The price was cut in half and we signed the paperwork that day! I'm excited to get put on the project  list and have our living room transformed!!

I found our doppelgangers

So Ryan and I are big into the television series How I Met Your Mother. If you haven’t watched it you must, and I do mean MUST, go watch it! It’s hilarious. Anywho, so one of the things they talk about in How I Met Your Mother is doppelgangers. Basically a doppelganger is a double of someone. Pretty much there can be two of you out in the world!

The Luce Clan! :)

So....in my quest to hunt for more mommy bloggers to reach out to for this contest I have found Ryan and I’s doppelgangers....well, our future doppelgangers! This couple is my idol! They bought a home (well, two) and are really into DIY projects (not necessarily us, but my heart is there). They are full time bloggers and publish content on all sorts of fun, crafty stuff! Their décor style is modern, classic, colorful and relaxed all at the same time. I love it! And….

Drum roll please……they ALSO have a Chihuahua named Hamburger! This is Burger's blog...http://www.hamburgershouse.com/  No lie (I’m gunna let the cat out of the bag) I wanted to get Bailey a shirt like his when I became preggers! Too stinkin cute.

 Additionally, they just had a cute baby girl whose name is Clara! A name I recently brought up to Ryan & have been digging paired with Elizabeth. (Clara Elizabeth). Freakin insane!! (Disclaimer: NOT preggers) Here’s a link to their blog should you wanna take a look: YoungHouseLove.com

So yeah, I’m pretty pumped about that. They are WAY more into the DIY stuff than we are (let’s be honest, I have a heart & passion for it but just haven’t embraced it quiet like they have), but I totally relate to this couple! <3

Thirty One Things about ThirtyOne

So...have you heard about the latest and greatest ThirtyOne? I first heard of it when my friend brought in a catalog at work. Much like Mary Kay, ThirtyOne is a home consulting company where you invite a consultant into your home to throw a party with your best gal pals.

I've attended one party, hosted a party and plan on attending another one in a month! These accessory items are truly fantastic. Last month I bought a sweet purse and lunch tote. Anyone who knows me knows I pack lunch religiously. As such, a lunch tote was a much needed purchase! The purse, however, was a fun buy. ;)

Here is my purse, I got the brown patchwork! :)

For my hostess party, I got LOTS of goodies! In addition to Christmas gifts (yes, I'm a planner), I got more FUN items for myself...

Organizing tote I bought at my party!

So here's thirtyone things I love about thirtyone! 1. Very trendy 2. Practical accessories 3. Style for everyone 4. Functional pieces for every day 5. Personalization 6. Patterns that match your personality or decor 7. Vibrant colors 8. Polka dots 9. Paisely 10. Great storage solutions 11. Reasonably priced 12. Cute baby items 13. Girly or gender neutral 14. Old and young can appreciate 15. Beautiful BLUE 16. Gorgeous Green 17. Seasonal colors 18. The great hostess gifts 19. Purses 20. Luggage tags 21. Luggage 22. Nail files 23. Scarves 24. Bibs/Robes 25. Storage totes 26. Baskets 27. Cosmetic cases 28. Compact mirrors 29. Backpacks 30. Umbrellas and finally, 31. Beach totes to get you through SUMMER!