Outdoor shed inspiration.

When you can no longer park in the garage because it's filled with bikes, skateboards, strollers and tools it's either time to sell it all on Craigslist or get a shed.  

A shed it is.

My sweet husband warms up to most every hair-brained idea I come up with.  However, my mention of putting a chandelier in the shed for lighting was a "Not over my dead-body am I doing that!" type answer.

Apparently he hasn't seen my inspiration pictures...

Source.

Source.

Source.

Source.

Source.

Source.

Is that still a "no" honey?

BTW, Happy Halloween everyone!

 

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Treasure Hunting Tuesday...Wooden Cars.

I'm on a roll...first it was "Foodie Friday", now it's "Treasure Hunting Tuesday."

I come across all kinds of Treasures from all over the place that I'd love to share with you so Tuesday is now my official day to do that. 

The other day I came across these wooden trucks and car at a thrift store.  

Orange tags were 50% off that day so I only paid $1.50.

I actually loved the look of the unfinished wood and was tempted to leave them that way.

But, I decided to give them a little color instead.

First primer then Frog tape on the wheels to make sure there was no bleeding paint under the tape.  

Rustoleum is my spray paint of choice to which they got a coat of the primary colors.

He's happy, I'm happy.

 
(Disclosure: I was given Frog Tape to use on my projects).

 

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Gift wrapping 101...ditch the gift bags.

Next time you're at a party take notice of how many gifts are actually wrapped.  I'll bet you 99% of the gifts are given in gift bags.  It makes little sense to me that we spend so much time, thought and money picking out the perfect gift then skip out on the rest of the process by throwing the gift in a generic, impersonal gift bag with a plume of tissue paper exploding out the top.  Every good chef knows the presentation of the meal is just as important as the meal itself...same can be said for gift wrapping. 

Last Friday I did an appearance on Studio 5 where I talked about how gift wrapping is becoming a lost art.  I came up with several ideas on ways to wrap gifts that will make a big impression with supplies you might not normally expect.

The only time I think it's okay to use gift bags is:

1. You have a gift that is an odd shape and hard to wrap.

2. You personalize the bag.

Here, I spray painted some bags and boxes with chalk board spray paint which you personalize by writing directly on them with chalk or a chalk marker.

I love the idea of collecting things that are pretty.
Every time I'm at the bakery I always get an extra box and keep it in my stash for use as a gift box. 

The pink color is so great that I wouldn't even cover it with paper
(unless you're layering and leaving some of the box showing).

I also love using everyday things you'd find around your home to wrap gifts with.

I think the song actually goes, "brown paper packages tied up with string."  Oh well, These turquoise boxes "are a few of my favorite things".  I love that the color isn't gender or event specific. You could give them to a friend, at a baby shower, for a wedding, etc.  It feels so "Tiffany's".

Turquoise boxes found at Xpedx.

Found the stickers on clearance for $1.00 at Tuesday Morning in the scrapbook materials.

These brown boxes are also more bakery boxes...ever heard of a sinful place called Sweet Tooth Fairy?
You can also find them on Etsy (search "bakery boxes").

Polka dot boxes from World Market.

 

I talk more details here on Studio 5.

 

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Foodie Friday: Pumpkin Spiced Trifle.

I like to cook but find it's one of those daily chores that goes out the window when we get really busy and opt for waffles for dinner yet again (the mr. hates that).
My thinking is that if I have some sort of accountability by reporting to you what's cooking each Friday I might be more motivated to plan meals.  Can I get away serving my family a trifle for dinner?
Here goes our first Food Friday.

You may have guessed by now that I love a good trifle.  

(Remember my post about Chocolate Trifle)?

It's super easy to make, delicious to eat and has a dramatic "wow" factor.

This Pumpkin Spiced Trifle is a slight variation from a Paula Deen recipe and fitting for Halloween.

Trying to pipe cool whip with one hand and take a picture with the other is no easy task.  

When you can use both hands it will look much prettier than this.

I try and go easy on the cool whip and pumpkin pudding layers and go heavy on the cake layer.

Pumpkin Spiced Trifle

-Pumpkin Spice Bread (I like Krusteaz mix).

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon

-30 ounce can of pumpkin pie

-2 boxes (3 ounce each) of Vanilla Cook and Serve pudding.

-Tub of Cool Whip or whipped cream.

Cook pudding according to directions on box then let cool.  Mix in pumpkin pie, cinnamon and brown sugar until smooth.  In a trifle bowl, layer bread then pumpkin pudding then Cool Whip until you reach the top of the bowl.  Add Gingersnaps to the top (optional).  Refrigerate. Enjoy!

*If you liked this post, please consider Pinning, Facebooking or Tweeting below.  Thank you!*

 

 

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Tinkertoy Note Card Holder.

My boys each have a drawer in their dressers dedicated to their "treasures".  

Mostly it's just junk, but to them it's all special.

I used some of their Tinkertoy's to create a display place for their "special" cards.

 *Tip: If you find the slat in the stick too loose try putting an extra piece of thicker paper behind the card being displayed.*

If you liked this post, please consider Pinning, Liking or Tweeting below.  

Thank you!

 

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So we attempted a family photo...

 Having done many family photo shoots we've become pros at mastering a disconjointed, uncooperative, chaotic portrait. Here are the shots that definitely didn't make the cut.

Let's face it, trying to get 5 people to hit that perfect pose is next to impossible.
Here's what I've learned about getting a Holiday Photo worthy shot.

1. Shop around for a great photographer.  Look at their portfolio to see if your tastes and styles are a good fit. You'll be able to get a good read on them through a an interview. 

2. Pick outfits that have personality.  Gone are the days of white shirts and jeans.  While some photographers still prefer 1-2 colors on everyone don't be afraid to wear things that fit the personality of your family.  Do try and stay away from prints though...especially stripes.  They can play funny tricks on the eye and add unwanted weight to your figure. 

3. Stay calm, cool and collected the day of the shoot. This is a day to pick your battles.  You don't want to show up with mad kids who refuse to cooperate and smile.  Keep it light-hearted and remember...this is supposed to be fun.

4. Let the photographer do their job.  The best thing a photographer can do is take the reins and let you just smile for the camera.  I tend to go in to drill sergeant mode and stress about everyone looking perfect.   A great photographer stopped me in my tracks right away and said, "no, no...this is supposed to be fun." (in a very sweet way...thanks Michelle). With her sweet disposition my boys were putty in her hands.   

5. Don't starve yourself the day of the shoot.  Your coloring will be off and your face will look gaunt.  Stay away from foods and drinks that will stain little lips and cheeks such as Koolaid, suckers, etc.

6. Don't stress.  Hard to do when you're paying a small fortune on the photos and outfits but you just have to be relaxed and let everything run it's course.  The more stressed you are, everyone around you will feed off that energy. Plus, with digital photography and Photoshop heads can be swapped, smiles can be fixed, tummies can be tucked all with the click of a mouse.

Despite our exasperated efforts we did get a really great photo which I'll share during the holidays.
Big thanks to Emily Loveland for photographing us.

 

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Hardwood flooring pros and cons.

One of the questions I get asked quite often are about the details of our wood floors.

So here are my thoughts on everything you wanted to know (and didn't know you wanted to know) about hardwood flooring options.

Photo by Michelle Rasmussen of Wondertime Photo.

I've admired classic, plain-jane oak hardwood flooring in many high-gloss design magazines for years.

When we embarked on our home remodel I knew I wanted to go that route.

Installing and finishing hardwood flooring is an involved and detailed process.

The wood has to first acclimate to the temperature and humidity in your house for a few days (the longer the better).

Once installed they're ready to stain.

Looking at the 1 X 1 inch sample on the color pamphlet I for sure knew I wanted dark walnut.  

Then when the color samples went on the floor I didn't like it all and went for Jacobean.  You apply a heavy coat then rub off the excess with another rag. What I was also told is the more coats you apply and longer you let it sit the darker it will be.  It will also fade slightly over time so you may want to go a bit darker in the beginning.  I've found a noticeable difference in fading right under our sky light.

The other thing that is important is only one person should apply the stain.  Everyone applies different pressures and you want to have only one person do it to keep a consistent application.

Once the stain was all applied we noticed sander/buffer scratches ALL over the floor.  

So the guy had to sand everything down and start completely over.

We had the floor finished with a matte finish.  Even though it is matte it's still quite glossy.

Photo by Michelle Rasmussen of Wondertime Photo.

So how have I liked my floors? They were lovely in the beginning but they have proved to be high maintenance.  They scratch SO easily.  When I was tiling the back splash I dropped a box of tile on the floor and have a 14 inch line of dents and scratches right in the middle of the floor that makes me say naughty things in my head every time I walk past it.  In a house full of boys I knew I would have minor issues but they are all over the floor and really bother me.

In our Arizona home we put in a hand scraped, engineered hardwood from Lumber Liquidators.  I believe it was called Potomac by Virginia Mills.  I loved it but wanted more of a classic look which is why I went for the unfinished oak.  

Photo by Michelle Rasmussen of Wondertime Photo.

Looking back I really wish I would have installed these in our Utah home instead of the oak.  Handscraped have a lot of texture so if someone makes a boo-boo then you really can't tell.  They also have Sharpie markers that come in several wood color options that are for your hardwood floods.  If you got a chip you could just color it in with the marker.  I honestly could not tell where the chip occurred when we colored it in.  For kids or pets, this is definitely my pick.

Photo by Michelle Rasmussen of Wondertime Photo.

If you want something practically indestructible there is the ceramic tile option which we installed in our bathroom.  I'm really impressed with how much it looks like hardwood.  

Photo by Michelle Rasmussen of Wondertime Photo.

My only wish is that I would have done a darker grout.

Check out some more ceramic tile, wood look-a-like options:

 
Do you have hardwood?
What has been your experience with them?

 

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