Function is Beautiful

My sweet man took me out to the outdoor antique market a few weeks ago and we stumbled across the perfect storage solution. My workout gear was taking over the corner by the fireplace. Multiple sets of dumbbells, yoga mat, kettle bells and medicine ball and resistance bands spilling everywhere and if you have ever stubbed your toe on a metal dumbbell you understand this is a major hazard! Not to mention the risk my boys could learn a new word that would net me a call from the school when repeated to his friends. Don't judge me!
I thought I was looking for a metal wire basket with the plan to make it a cloth liner. Until I saw this genius answer and I knew it was meant for me when I saw the low number on the price tag. Gotta love a TODAY ONLY price in red sharpie. SOLD!!!!
I love that it has a lid to shut on the chaos and crazy colors of all my gear and it is still convenient to me for my workouts!!

B for Crafty

hey y'all,
 I made an inexpensive quickie art piece for the half bath when I felt it needed a change. One quick craft store run and 10 minutes of spray painting and a little bit of glue and call it...
Done!!!!!
 It's not the Mona Lisa but I think it works. I had the canvas, it was in a 2 pack I bought for another project months ago and so all I needed was a wooden letter. You know I keep a full shelf of spray paint so no worries there!

and in case you were worried about what happened to my eye chart art I made last year...no worries it found a new home on our gallery wall for now

World's Longest Yard Sale Queen of Light

Ok, I posted this picture on our Facebook page and forgot to tell you about it here! I am so sorry, darlings!!! I saw this mirror an instantly pictured it in my half bath. The one I redid after the big plumbing leak a while back. All I could find in my budget when I repainted originally was a smallish black framed mirror but I just knew it would look bigger with a metallic framed larger mirror. I had brought home a wood framed mirror back in the spring only to discover it was to big so it ended up in the master bedroom over my dresser instead.

Now this newbie was coated in gold paint when I found her and to be honest when I brought her home I wasn't entirely sure if she would keep her clothes on or if she would get a new coat. I tried her out and just knew she needed to go icy cold. Silver was what she cried for. So I taped her up and pulled out my handy dandy favorite metallic paint and gave her 3 coats of liquid gorgeous! I hummed while I painted because I was picturing her in her fabulousness in her new spot.

I hung her and the while room sighed in gratitude for the  new shine and sparkle it now had. I was so inspired I pulled our cast iron horse down and gave it a coat of ultra thick clear gloss to add some shine and refreshed a few accessories. I will share one of those in a future post....no peeking!!!
Here she is....the Queen of the Half Bath!

I wish my photog skills lived up to her loveliness, alas I suck at pics. So I hope you can FEEL the difference in the room. I will say everyone who has used the potty has commennted on how much bigger the room seems and how much lighter! Gotta love that!

Summer Steps

I did it! I met my summer goal and I did it almost 2 weeks before the deadline! I love a good deadline!!!! I work well with a goal to reach. This summer I made a goal to walk (or run) 100 miles before Labor Day. When I hurt my knee in July and didn't walk for almost 2 weeks I really thought I wouldn't make it but my knee started feeling better and I was back on the treadmill at a run! Husband Darling joined in the fun and walked many of the miles with me every chance he had. # miles, 6 miles, 2 miles... we marked them off increment by increment. Some days I hit the treadmill after the kids were in bed and walked at 11pm, to tired to run,  but I was determined to reach that goal.  Success of a goal met is so so sweet!

my chart on the basement door in my kitchen(doorway to the treadmill)

marking off the last three miles!

Did you have a summer goal you were able to reach this year?

New Life Tables

I have always loved nesting tables but have never had a set. When I saw this one at Goodwill I just had to have them. I knew just the project to perk them up from their slightly battered and unattractively faded orangy wood color. I made a quick stop after picking up the kids at school and as soon as they were busy doing homework I was in the garage with paint on my hands! They get several coats of metallic silver spray paint to liven them up and now they are the perfect upgrade for the living room to go with my new tables I scored on Craig's List. So within 3 days I procured all new tables for my lovely room. Best part? These little lovelies cost me 4$ and a 3$ can of spray paint!!!  Tell me you love them!

I love the subtle shine they have and the glossiness the paint gave them. I think maybe they need mirror tops the next time I am at the craft store but I am still undecided. Oh and the glass vase and rattan ball filler were freebies from our Craig's List table adventure!!! Can't argue with a woman who wants to gift you good stuff!!  This whole project took me one afternoon. They were in the house after dinner, freshly painted and newly fabulous!!!!

Treasure Found!!!!!

For over a year I have had a vision in my head of how the living room should look. I got the right flooring, this spring we got the perfect rug I had picked out before we did the floors and one of the last things on my purchase list was tables. I knew just what I wanted but I couldn't afford them on Wayfair or Amazon or Overstock or..... so I have watched Craig's List every time I thought I might be able to fit it in the budget that month and finally...finally I found them!!!!A little above my preferred dollar figure but the style and quality I wanted. I messaged and negotiated a deal I thought I could manage and ran it past the husband. He hemmed and hawed and waffled but I kept showing him. We asked for measurements and checked the room from a couple angles to make sure it would fit. I made the poor man sit thru a full description of what the room should look like and finally, possibly just to shut me up, he agreed they were just right. We went to look them over and make sure and I was a little upset to notice just the tinisest flaw in one corner. I mentioned it and she dropped the price 40%!!!!! SOLD!!!!!  I also managed to broker a deal for some fabulous apothecary jars and she threw in some glass vases and vase filler! Not bad for a morning's work!!! We were s lucky to find her and so happy to help her lighten her load before moving!

So without further ado, here they are!!!!!!
Ta da!

I am over the moon with these new tables!!! They are just right!!!

ABC Back To School Time

UGH!!!!
It is already time for pencils and crayons and folders and glue and paper and books and highlighters and ear phones and....... and the list goes on and on and on!!! Back to school is already here in our little town. I hate that the kids go back so early but no one asked me my opinion on that subject!

My babies went back to school yesterday, luckily this year we have 2 in the same school and the oldest graduated in June! But my baby started middle school!!! How, oh how can this be true?? Especially when I look so young and fresh, you say? Well, I have no idea! Just a moment ago he was a toddler pouting at the zoo with his arms crossed and lip out because he didn't want to discuss where the hippo lived and get his picture taken in front of the hippo enclosure! And now he pushes me away with an, "aww Mama!" when I try to kiss him. <sigh> life is so unfair.

If I were one of those super awesome every day kind of bloggers who are constantly finishing new projects to share with you I woul have totally had my new back to school door decor BEFORE my kids did their annual back to school first day photos in front of our fabulous red front door. But alas, I have failed yet again because I just finished it today, yes, on day 2 of school. That's it, folks, that's how it is around here. But I did manage to have all their school supplies, new school clothes clean and folded and made them some pretty freakin fabulous pumpkin protein muffins for their first day breakfast so I do have some saving graces!
And a day late here is my brand new, super awesome back to school door decoration! Ta Da!!!

You love it, right??!! Me too!!

I used unfinished woo letters and some spray paint. The B I hit with chalk board paint because I am just that smart. Then a little hot glue and ribbon and it was all ready to go. I do wish I had managed to pull it off for the first day of school but hey, there's always next year!