Now that it's summer break, I get to

Problem is, it's

waves his magic wand and..


tomorrow night.

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Shabby Apple Winner.

Congrats to Suburbsmama, winner of the Azure Coast dress from Shabby Apple!

Please contact me as soon as possible to claim your prize.

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School's out!

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Shabby Apple Giveaway.

Now that I'm no longer pregnant I'm re-visiting my wardrobe and realizing that I need some new clothes. I've always loved the line of dresses from Shabby Apple.

Good news...for all my readers, you can get 10% by entering coupon code: 3menlady10off at checkout. You can also get in on special promotions and exclusive discounts by liking them on Facebook here. AND, there's more...


Yes please! Did you know...

they've even added maternity wear to their collection.

and swimwear,

and even a children's line,

not to mention fitness?

From now until Friday, May 27th at midnight, you will have the opportunity add this lovely Azure Coast dress to your closet.

Simply leave a comment on this post.

You can also score additional entries for:

1. Becoming a follower.

2. Blogging about this giveaway.

3. Facebooking about this giveaway.

4. Tweeting about this giveaway.

Winner will be picked via Random.org.

Good luck!

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Table progress.

Natty has been working hard on my table. She's been so kind to give us a little update...

Michelle's table is almost ready to be conditioned and stained! After stripping, I tried several tricks {laundry bleach then oxalic acid} to bleach the stain on the table legs, but to no avail. So it's been lots of hand sanding for me!

I was unsuccessful in finding a stain the color Michelle is going for so I did a little research and decided that it woudn't be too difficult to make my own water-based stain. I started by mixing black and white latex to get a basic gray, then I added a little brown for warmth. Once this was mixed I added water until I reached the desired consistency. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it turned out and how easily it applied.

Only a couple more legs to sand and the table will be ready for my homemade stain :)

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Colorful appliances.

Keeping the house clean at all times in case someone decides to drop by for a showing is tough. The most difficult things to keep clean are the stainless steal appliances. Seriously! Clean 'em and not more than 30 minutes later they're showing everyone's finger prints. Retro, colorful appliances are not only easy to keep looking clean, they’re also easy to fix with sites like PartSelect available.

I'm strongly considering something other than stainless steel for my next home.

Check them out:

What kind of appliances would you choose for your home?

*This is a paid post written by myself.  All thoughts and opinions are mine.*

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The truth about DIY.

This weekend my Craigslist farmhouse table took a trip to Mesa, Arizona to undergo a little reconstructive surgery. The reason...sometimes DIY projects aren't as successful as you originally plan for. After two failed attempts at refinishing the thing, the table took up permanent residence in the garage.

Here it is before, then an almost successful finish (twice), and then back in the garage where my boys used it as a place to put on their shoes.

Enter Natalie of Natty by Design.


This girl knows her stuff (and is totally glamorous...definitely not the type I would peg to have a thing for power tools and a paint gun).

She takes blah furniture and turns it in to "I have to have that" furniture.

Check out some of her work:








I always think that I can save money and get the exact look I'm going for by doing it myself. Most of the time that's how it works out. Some of the time I end up spending much more time and money than I originally budgeted for (like in this case) and it still turns out botched. I'm learning that sometimes you have to know when you are in over your head and let a professional take over.

Take it away Natalie! I should have called you from the get-go. Can't wait to see the results.

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Thursday radoms.

-Keeping your house in a constant state of cleanliness for showings is hard.

-3 year-olds don't take well to being de-throned as the "baby" of the family.

-Newborns smell delicious.

-Botched circumcisions bite.

-Hands down, the best gift for a new mom is a hot cooked meal and/or a cleaning lady for a day.

-Breastfeeding does wonders for your waistline.

Now, onto meaningless "stuff" that brings me so much happiness...

Apparently, I have a thing for metal. Because we're moving I had to hurry and use all my store credit and my favorite boutique, A Fine Line. Lookie what I scored.


I couldn't pass up these metal numbers.

I've already found several uses for them including...

A gift wrap tag.

And numbered seating assignments at the dinner table.

These baskets are my fav's (and they are seriously heavy). There's also one size in between that didn't make it in to the picture.

For now, they're boxed up ready to move but I'm thinking of making liners for them and using them as toy storage at our next home.

Loving these vintage inspired office baskets.

I snatched up two of these rectangular baskets which I currently use for recycling.

(Thanks Jeanne, I'll miss working with you!)

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What are LITTLE BOYS made of?

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