Burlap Revamp

So back in December of last year you may recall a post about a wreath that my mother in law helped me create. You can find that post here. Well I have revamped it to go along with the upcoming season! It was the cheapest makeover, only costing about $7 to change out the flowers.

She went from this...

and here she is now (sorry there was different lighting)...

I absolutely love her! 

So if you are interested in making a wreath like this you can either check out my earlier post or check out this blog. They are a bit similar. Thanks!!

Cupcakes to Spaghetti

My family is so not normal. Well maybe I shouldn't say not normal, the word should be BUSY! Not just my little clan of five but trying to get the Miles/Wright/Hart herd together in one place is pretty hard to do. So as a family we are celebrating Mother's Day/my Nana's birthday a week later on May 20. What makes this great is that I get to polish my cake making skills before then. I must say that my husband loves it while I am practicing this little hobby of mine. He may not like it when he has to put a swim suit on in a few weeks but right now he is loving it!

So my cupcake adventures continue! I am trying to perfect my rose and I must say it is a bit harder than I thought. It is a little sneak peak into what my Mother's Day cake will kinda look like. But trying to get these roses to all look the same will take just a bit of time. So last night I made some strawberry cupcakes and cream cheese icing so that I could practice making my roses. So here is my first rose...

I know she needs a bit more work but I love practicing! So hopefully by our family's Mother's day it will be almost perfect!

But now onto sharing one my family's favorite meals, turkey spinach meatballs and spaghetti.

We absolutely love this meal! It is healthy and sneaking spinach in the meatballs gives your kiddos the greens without them even knowing it. You can also make it with whole wheat pasta. My husband isn't fond of the whole wheat thing or I would make it with every pasta dish! So here is the recipe if you are interested...

Meatballs Ingredients:

1lb turkey meat
1 cup of spinach
1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp basil
1 tsp oregano
1 cup of bread crumbs
1 egg (slightly beaten)

Directions:

In a medium skillet heat 1 tablespoon of oil
Mix all ingredients together
Roll the turkey/spinach mixture into 1 inch in diameter balls.
Fry each meatball until cooked through.

Put on top of your favorite type of spaghetti and sauce then garnish with extra Parmesan and some fresh basil and enjoy :)

Cupcakes and Graduation!

So this past weekend I finally became a graduate of Regent University! It took me quite a bit of time to get this degree but what I have accomplished in between that time could never be replaced by some little piece of paper! But it is so nice to finally be finished! Now to look into getting my Masters in Special Education. Hopefully that will not take as long. I honestly could not have made it through without my family. They definitely kept me going and gave me the strength when I was just about out of gas.

It was such an awesome day! Now onto something a bit different. My love of baking has grown and when I say grown, I really mean it has become something I love to do more than knitting and that it saying something! I was also informed by my family that I should start a little side business. How to even begin that, I have no idea! But here are my newest creations that I made for my graduation party afterwards. Oh and that is how much I love to bake, I make stuff for my own parties!

I had such a great time making these. It was just a simple vanilla cake batter with some simple cream cheese frosting. I added a bit of red die to the white frosting to make the pink stars (stargazer lily?). I love using different cupcake papers. It makes them fun! So word of mouth. Help me spread the word. If you know anyone that needs or wants some cupcakes or a cake let me know! I am just a beginner but excited to bake more!

Yard Sale Mania!

Usually about every quarter the Financial Peace University class at our church does a yard sale to help people get rid of some junk, make some money and maybe pay some debt off. But you know the one bad thing about having a community yard sale? I always end up leaving with something! It never fails. But I must say that this time was one of the best deals I have ever gotten! Oh and my husband agrees and that is major in this house folks.

So this year, even though we were not apart of the class, we decided to purge the attic of some junk. I knew no matter what I was not leaving with anything that I brought because our church always gets the Goodwill people to show and take the rest of our crap!

I did sell quite a bit; enough to buy a few things and still end up on top. The first thing I saw was something for my kids. I knew immediately that it was a must and just seeing the reaction on my sons face when I showed it to him was priceless!

Here is item #1

Oh and I forgot to mention the best thing about a community yard sale...we always get a better deal when we buy each others stuff :). I saw this beauty as soon as the previous owners unpacked it and I knew right away it belonged to me. The best part is I only paid $20. Yep that's right and that sucker works like new. My kids love it!

This next purchase was solely for this momma. Here is a little background if you care to read on...the end tables in our den were sorta temporary. They were given to us by friends and we loved them but those same friends gave the matching coffee table to my sister and her boyfriend. So as much as I loved them, my sister really was wanting a matching set when they move out of their apartment. That time is nearing so I knew that I needed to try and find two end tables for cheap. Oh baby did I do just that and I love them even more than the others. They actually brighten up our living area and they are smaller so there is quite a bit more room as well.

Here they are

 They look cream/yellowish but I am not sure if I like the color or if I will change it.

I love how they match not one thing in my living room! I am not really into matchy matchy furniture and these babies throw everything off. Oh and I do not want to forget to tell you the best part, I got both of these babies for $30. That's right, $15 a piece! Now if that's not cheap I do not know what is.

Best. Yard. Sale. Ever!

Blue Light Special

So over the past few months we have been trying to get rid of the red that pretty much surrounded our home. The first thing to go was the red shutters. I guess I never blogged about that update, sorry! I also painted the front door the same color as the shutters. You can take a look at that here. Along with the front door, I also painted the rest of the outside doors. So it is all unified! Anyway moving on...

I knew that with trying to snuff out the red around home, I was in for some work. Now that I have the shutters and the doors changed, I started to move onto the outside furniture. A few years ago my dad gave us their red Adirondack chairs that were just collecting dust. They weren't in the best condition but I was beyond happy because those suckers aren't cheap! And secretly I have been coveting them for a long time, just praying that they would want to get rid of them. Oh and like I mentioned above, they were red. Back then I was happy about that because they matched everything else. I actually sprayed painted them a brighter red! I know I know! I was obsessed with red! Why I have no idea. Anyway they have stayed red for the past 3 years and this year I knew that I wanted a different color. So here is what they looked like after I sprayed them a brighter red three years ago...

Bright red, I know! They definitely are a bit beat up but I love that! With this circus of a family, we can't afford to keep anything nice anywhere near this house! After I realized the red had to go, off to Lowe's I went. I literally stalked the spray paint aisle for a good 30-45 minutes. I actually had a another color picked out and changed my mind while I was in line to check out. Then back I went to the aisle and continued to stare down the colors. It was crazy! So after way too much time in Lowe's I walked out with this color...

I went there with the intent of a bright color but I honestly didn't think that I would choose a blue, but I did and I love it!!! I have only finished one of the chairs as of yet. It took a bit more paint than I expected so now I get to go to my favorite store again. Darn!

Here is the first one in all her glory...

I actually may put another coat on there but I love love love the new color! I can't wait to get the other one painted and put them on the deck.

Here is a side by side...

Blue definitely wins this round :)

Getting All Wreathy On Ya!

So after a lot of thinking I decided it was time to change up my wreath on my front door. I love love love my burlap one that my mother in law helped me make but I needed something a bit more cheery! So after a trip to Garden Ridge and Michael's, I have finally settled on the one. I may be adding a bit more color once it gets a bit warmer, but for now it is perfect!

It took me a few tries before I settled on the right one. Here is a shot of the my first try...

It was pretty simple. I just stuck the flowers in there. No hot glue was needed! It was very easy but to me it was missing something. So I went to Michael's and got a few things.

I just started by taking the leaves and bending them to fit the circle and hot glued every two inches to the wreath.

Once I was finished with that I added these cream berries.

I also added some simple white flowers to the inside of the wreath but for some reason didn't take a picture. But this is the finished product so far. I know that I want to add some more color but I haven't found the right flowers as of yet.

But I love it and can't wait it tweak it some more!

Red to Brown...

A few weeks ago I decided that I wanted to paint my front door yellow. Don't ask me why, I just thought it would be a good idea. Well it turned out harder than I expected. There are so many different shades of yellow and it about made me crazy. So I decided to back away from that idea right now but I knew that I wanted something different than my faded red door. I also know that in the near future I want a new door, one that does not have the stained glass. So whatever I decided would just be a temporary fix.

So as I walked out to my paint shack I decided to paint the door the same color that  painted thee shutters a few months back. I knew that brown would be a big change but with the new yellow bench and my new wreath (more on that in a minute), I would have enough color. So brown it is and I actually like it. I think it tones down the stained glass and makes the wreath pop a bit more.

So now onto the wreath. I decided that I wanted to try and make a wreath that will carry me through until the fall but I wanted it very simple. So off to Garden Ridge I went! Next to Lowes and Target its one of my favorite places! With three kids in tow I found some simple but pretty flowers. With the leftover wreath in the attic and using left over paint this little project cost about $5. Not to shabby!

Here is a picture of my old door color and wreath...

Sorry for the shadows in the second picture. It was early this morning! So there is my new door color and wreath. Its hard to tell but I added a few blue flowers from my previous wreath on to this one. You can barely see them but in person they are most certainly there. I am still getting used to not having a red door but I like having something new! Oh and I am sure something about the wreath may change! I love tweaking :)

A Little Bunny Business and A Quick Home Tour

So with the changing seasons I decided to lightly decorate for Spring. This is my very first time adding decorations to my home for this time of year but when I walked into Target the other night, I fell in love with their Spring decor. So I decided to purchase a few things. Oh and must I say the prices were very nice. I probably spent a total of $9 to add a little spring to our home. Oh and I only decorated my kitchen table. Didn't see the need to add spring to the whole house since with the Virginia weather it will probably only last a week ;)

I just bought a bag of plastic eggs and added them to a bowl and smacked them on my tray on my table. I fell totally in love with the little pinwheel. When I bought it I had no clue where it would end up. The little bunny is probably something I could have made but since it was only $3 I figured it was a great deal. Oh and it matches my kitchen and let me tell you, that is hard to do! The little chick found a home on the back doorknob. He gets kisses daily from Miss Emma. She absolutely adores him! So there is my spring decor. I know, I know...hold your excitement!

Ok so now onto the home tour. I have had several people request pictures of my home. I blush when people say they really like my house. It is just something that I love to do. Its a part of my job as being a stay at home mommy. I pour everything into making it a place where my family loves coming home too.

This is our family room. Pretty much the first room you see when you walk in the door. 

The green chair is a piece from my grandmother. It is from the 40s and I love love love it! It is a lot brighter in person. The picture does it no justice. 

Sorry the bedroom is nothing special. Still trying to figure out what to do with my little cardboard box size of a room!

This is the girls play room. Those stripes took forrrrreeeevvvvveeeerrrr!

 Here is the kitchen. Not a huge space but we make it work. 

The mirror is one of my favorite pieces in my home. My nana gave it to me. It is over 100 yrs old. It definitely needed a little love. Even though I painted it, I still let the "old" shine through!

 This is another piece that my nana gave me. She couldnt even tell me how old it is! I love old pieces. I didn't even touch this one. I love how beat up it looks! 

So there you have it. Thats our little home! I take pride in it and thank you to everyone who asked to see updated pictures. Bye!

A Little Bit of Everything!

This is kinda a mosh posh post. A little bit of everything! So my last post was about my new sitting arrangement and I mentioned that I probably would change a few things about it and I did. I got rid of the fake plant and decided not to put a plant there at all. I have a fetish with live green things (more on that in a bit) so I knew that my husband would kill me if I brought another one into the house. So anyway here is a picture of the updated space.

I added a new ottoman from Target which was on sale! Booyah! I love a good sale! I also brought our basket full of blankets to this side of the room to add a bit more. I love this ottoman because the color matches our couches and it also is a storage ottoman. I slides wonderfully on the floor so you can use it for your feet as well! I love it! Oh and I added a little Yorkie too. Isn't he adorable?

I also decided to paint our kitchen cabinets last weekend. I didn't realize how bad they were unit I started painting. When your cabinets look yellow next to the new white paint, its long over due! I don't think I have touched them since we moved in the house. Here are some pictures!

Next on our to do list in here is to install new countertops and some new backsplash. I wanted new cabinets but I think they will do for now. Although I do not have the biggest kitchen, I love my little space!

No onto my live green thing obsession...

I love the look of living greens things in my home. I think it brings in an extra warm feeling. Here are our greeny family members...

Added a little pinwheel for spring!

This one we adopted yesterday. Isn't she lovely? She hangs out by the kitchen window.

Meet the big daddy! I love this one. He is in our family room soaking up sun by the front windows.

I will probably add more but don't tell my husband!

A Little New Mixed In With The Old...

So after we refinished our hardwood floors this past weekend, I knew that I wanted something different to go under my front windows in our living room. What used to go there was a red hand-me-down armchair from my parents. It definitely was a bit beat up but we needed something so we took it. Oh and it was free and this woman never turns down something free. But the chair had run its course and lucky me it had a few bad legs that, even with chair pads, would scratch our newly refinished floors. So today I ventured out to plenty of thrift stores to find....nothing! Those places are always hit or miss and I always find something when I don't need it. And today I needed something and of course walked out empty handed!

So after I had lost faith in the Hampton Roads area thrift stores I decided to take a quick look in Pier One. My intention was not to look at chairs but to head straight to their clearance section. They always have the best sales! Even if I walk out of that place with something as small as a candle holder, I am one happy lady. Well this particular evening and for this weekend only they are having a nice sale on their papasan chairs. I only noticed this because they had a huge sign that you could not miss! I pretty much ran into the thing.

We used to have a papasan chair and now I am trying to remember why we ever gave it away! But needless to say I was pretty impressed with the sale. They combined the prices of the papapsan frame with a cushion of your choice for a total price that was about 30% cheaper than if you bought each item at its regular price. This made me smile! So guess what I did? Yep you guessed it! I got the frame with the cushion for under $140. This may sound steep to some but finding a piece of furniture to fill spot doesn't come cheap. This is why I was searching the thrifts stores. I knew that there was no way I could afford a new, well made armchair.

And I had always thought that I needed an arm chair to replace the old arm chair, but I was totally wrong! I needed something completely different and I must say....I love it!

Oh and not only did I spruce up the new spot with the chair but I also grabbed things from around my house and garage to create a little side/reading table. Everything you see next to the papasan chair cost me nothing! I am not sure if I am digging the fake plant right now. I am researching nice inside plants that my kids can't destroy and my dogs won't eat. So hopefully soon I will have a replacement for the fake!

Here are some pictures...

I decided not to use a flash because I wanted to show how the light it the room makes it look. I love love love the pattern of the cushion. It just ties everything together. The table that I made will probably not be permanent but it will do for now. I would rather spend a few extra bucks on getting an ottoman for the chair. But we will see!

And here is a picture of our living space. It has taken me almost four years to get it to where I love it. It has come a long way since we first moved in. We definitely feel at home here.

If you are in the market for new seating, head over to Pier One. Sometimes they can be a bit steep but then they can pop up and surprise you. Trust me! They just did it to me! Bye for now!