Fix it!... For free:)

It's that time of year again!! You know, pull out the ole tree thats been shoved in a box for a year, put it up, fluff it up, and pray to Jesus that all the lights still work? Well every year, I curse the same thing. The hideousness that is.....the tree stand. Really? Someone hasn't figured out how to make a fake tree base that somewhat resembles a real tree trunk??? Ugh!! And I don't care how fabulous of a tree skirt you have, you can always see some of that ugly green metal pole!  

Well enough is enough! I had the hubby grab this old trash can that was literally  sitting in the back yard filled with dirt and bring er in!

He emptied the dirt, filled it with bricks, and used baling wire to secure the tree and voila!! Success:)

This little tree sits in our front guest bedroom, centered on the window. Well that meant playing musical furniture to make room for the tree. I took out the table that usually sits in front of the window, and after placing the tree I thought the room still looked empty. I grabbed this chair that usually sits in my craft room. Yeah, not lovin that fabric. So I did what any gal in a pinch would do...

Remove the slipcovers silly!! I wrapped fabric around the seat because that was the only part that didn't have the cream color upholstery:) Sunday I reopened the pillow factory (as the hubby calls it) and busted out all my Christmas pillows:) 

Here's the room at night. Mmmmm  me loves!

And the best part?

It didn't cost me a thing:) And hey, I'm thinkin about leaving that tree nekkid. I'm liking the simplicity of it:) Your thoughts?

The other side...:)

Saturday morning (whilst still enjoying some shut eye) my hubby leans over and whispers "hey, isn't today that Salvage thing?" I jolted awake for 2 reasons. Number 1- I swore I was sleeping with this guy, because surely my hubby was not saying what I thought he was saying! Number2- I was NOT going to miss Sweet Salvage!!

I wanted to find something for my bathroom. Not sure what, just that thing that would scream TAKE ME-TAKE ME!! :) While you all have seen this pic of my master bathroom, I've never actually shown you...the other side.......

Yep, go ahead and soak it all in (pun totally intended)!! I mean seriously? Who doesn't want to spend hours relaxing in that bore! A broken towel rod, that always chose to fall at the crack of dawn when my hubby would get out of the shower- scaring the *&%#$ out of me! And on it's way down would chip my original 1916 tub. UGH! This room has it's challenges I tell ya! Like those AC vents for one, and the weird ceiling height as well. Yeah, let's move on...FAST.

 

Well look at her now!! The hubby (again, being the Nate that I love) spotted this sweet old mantle in Nancy's area at Sweet Salvage for.....$299!!! Perf:) The topiaries on the toilet, the lantern and topiary on the mantle are from FOUND. I'm a lucky gal to live (literally) around the corner from that fab store!

  After installing the mantle (and realizing that if I could burn that other towel rack I would) the sweetness that is my hubby made me a new towel rack using scrap wood and some hooks that I bought years ago at Domestic Bliss:) Aaaaaah!!

 I love this pic because the sweet little cabinet on the wall by the toilet used to hold the "necessities" in every shape and size.  It's empty now:) I know!!! I hear you all a clappin!! :)

 I just wish I was a bath kinda gal. I'm not:( I get bored before the bathtub gets full!  

It's Little Bully who gets to enjoy it. Every Sunday:) Well almost every Sunday:)

Pumpkin Soup? Yes please! ...:)

So it's finally cooling down here in AZ! And cooler weather always sings soup to me:) My sis in law told me about this soup. A friend of hers made it from a mix she found at World Market. Now normally I steer clear from anything made from a mix, but she made it sound so good and so easy, I thought  I'd give this one a try:) 

All you need for this soup is:

1 pkg. soup mix

5 3/4 cups water

2 3/4 cups heavy cream (yeah, you read that right!)

1- 15 oz. canned pumpkin

Combine soup mix and water in a stock pot and mix to blend. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, uncovered, stirring occasionally.

While that simmers, warm up some bread. I buy the par baked bread from Trader Joe's. 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven and it's done!

Add pumpkin to your soup and cook for 5 minutes.

Get your hubby to slice your yummy warm bread and slather(yes, slather!) with butter:)

(Want that fab cutting board? It's a fantastic 16x36" long walnut board. The hubby is cutting on the "veggie" side, the other has the drain channel for juices:) You can get them at this really cool place that I happen to work at:)

Finish your quick and fantastically yummy soup off with a big 'ole dollop of what else? Creme Fraiche:)

Sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds, that yes, you could make yourself- orrrr you can grab them off the shelf at Trader Joe's:)

The hubby wasn't messing around with that butter!! But I say who cares! It just joined hands with the heavy creme in the soup and did a happy dance on it's way to my tummy:)

So my opinion of the soup mix- was it good? easy? worth the $3.99? Yes, yes and yes:)

Thanks, I'm in a hurry!...:)

I'm thankful for a lot of things. Red wine, YouTube, and blog tutorials to name a few.  You know, all those things that make life soo much easier:) (I'm not however thankful for my horrible handwriting! Ugh!) Moving right along...

My new obsession? The 5 minute pillow:) You see, I'm a learn by seeing it kind of gal. I mean please, these pillows are by no means difficult, but I just had to see it so I could do it. You gettin me? Anyway, I haven't stopped making them. I make them for my porch furniture out of scraps of whatever I have or I buy remnant pieces of fabric. Because (I swear I have some form of ADD) I get tired easily of the same ole pillows, and then I don't feel so bad if I haven't spent a fortune on the fabric to make them:)

Yeah, they're cute, but they were crying out for something....

So I did what any girl in a pinch would do! Find any fabric flower you have and pin em on!!

Already planning my Christmas pillows. And then Valentine's. And then St. Patrick's Day. And sew on and sew on....

Saaaweet Salvage!!

Last week I told you about some fantasticness that the hubby was building in the garage. Well it all started with a trip here. Sweet Salvage:) It's an awesome little place that only opens once a month. And boy oh boy! Are there goodies to be found!! We came home with the two columns and old stair railing in this pic. For $189!! The hubby spotted it and immediately knew what he was going to do with it:) Seriously, I could see the wheels spinning in his head.

It went from this....

To this!! How stinkin cute is that!! I sewed pillows like a mad woman and begged my fav Brown's Upholstery to upholster the seat cushions in less than a week. And they did:) And that's why I love them:) And I may or may not have had wine when the next pic was taken, please don't judge:)

It was the perfect place to take the hubby's big 5-0 birthday picture:)

Happy Birthday my most talented man in the world:)

Better After...:)

I get a real thrill looking at before pics of my house. I really do! They make me laugh. I mean, seriously- who has a pool ladder and no pool?! This was originally (in 1916) a carriage house. Until some yahoo decided it would make a fabulous house.Yeah, there were PEOPLE living in there! Ewww. It was as you can imagine. AWFUL!  (And yes, we were some of those people. But that was after we quickly converted it into a 500sq. ft. cutie and lived in it for a year while we were restoring. Read about that here:)  And see all those red doors on the left? You can't miss them, there must be 17 of them! They went to these weird little "closet" like rooms. 

Well, this weekend we said a tearful (yeah right!) goodbye to all that hideousness! Waiting for the cooler weather before I fill those urns, because sadly, I had to say goodbye to the mums I planted in the other ones already. Yep, they fried:( Moving on...

Here's another before. Ugh. We painted the doors the body color of the garage while we decided whether to keep it a little guest house or make it back into a garage, or put siding on or not. The hubby got his garage, and we went with the windows to add some much needed light to the inside:)   

 Now I can see the him from the kitchen window while he hammers away building lots of goodies:) Oh, and that's lantana you see in those window boxes. I got a grip on the fact that I live in AZ and went with some hardy plants:)

 And honestly. I DID NOT tell Little Bully to get in that pic. I swear he watches me grab my camera and runs to get in the shot. Silly guy:) And just you WAIT to see what the hubby built me in that new fabulous garage!! Pure awesomeness, that's what:) Till next week!!

New this week...:)

Juuuust take a gander at these fab terrariums I got at FOUND this weekend:) I think that's what they're called? I could be wrong, because when I went to the nursery to buy plants for them, I had 2 people ask me if I was putting animals in them!!! What the?? Cold blooded what?? Slimey, slithery WHAT?? Ewww NOOOOO!!! I'm getting shivers just writing about that. Moving on... while the terrariums (or whatever) were beautiful like they were, I thought they just needed a little something- you know, to make them adorieable:)

So I went a hunting in my trusty box of orphaned hardware in the garage. Came across these two knobs that, while they were not old (they were actually hideous bright shiny brass-the horrors) I knew I could paint them up and they'd be cute:)

I painted them Rustoleum Oregano and the hubby screwed the bases into the wood tops, and then I gorilla glued the glass knobs on the top:)

Took myself to a nursery in these parts and got totally depressed when they had no "terrarium"plants. I mean really, who am I kidding? This is AZ for heaven sakes! I think the guy was looking at me, mocking me, thinking- sure lady, we have what you're looking for! Right over there! By the hydrangeas! And the peonies! And all those other plants that you dream about having in your yard! Muuuahahaha!! Cackle cackle!! Head down and sniffling, I headed for my car and went to.....yep. Home freaking Depot. Where they carry all kinds of lovely AZ drought tolerant plants:(

At that point, I didn't care. Just get me some stinkin greenery that I can shove through a hole that I can barely get my chubby little hands thru, whilst sweating away half my body weight (that wouldn't be a bad thing) and GET IT DONE!!!

And here we are! 2 sweet terrariums (until someone corrects me) creature free and steaming their little hearts out:)

Theeeeen, true happiness. Right here. In this beaut mustard color granny purse! Me loves!! My always coming up with things to do to occupy her already busy life daughter Rio, fired up a little purse biz:) She sells these fab purses on her website- ChasingRio. Ohhh yesss. That little cutie is mine:)  

Aaaand this one too:) Isn't it the cutest?? And the best part? They're ALL $39!! Yep. $39!

Check em out! ChasingRio. That girl of mine- ridiculously creative and always doing something! And obviously wasn't raised in a "terrarium".