From The Side Of The Road

(aka... boredom busting project #1)

Today I bring you a cheap and easy project to combat an otherwise boring day. All you need is an hour and at the end, you'll have a really cool art project for any area of your house. My project, it got hung in the newly remodeled bathroom.



What you need: 1 salvaged window left on the side of the road or found in some falling down old barn (my sister actually collects these to do paintings on, so I stole this one from her apartment)... price ZERO Dollars.



1 old book with neat line drawings, mine is from an estate sale and is titled "Life and Adventure Medieval Europe" from 1936... price 25 cents. I grabbed this book from my collection of old books to recycle for this project because it was very yellowed. I wanted to bring more yellow into the bathroom to make it look like those old yellow tiles might actually be there for a reason. HA!



1 jar of Modge Podge... you can get it at any craft store, and I consider this a negligible cost because I have used it on some many different projects.

What to do: Flip the window over so you are looking at the back. Coat the glass in a thin layer of modge podge. Rip pages from the book and tear them into large chunks. Lay the image side down on the modge podged glass. Add more modge podge to the back of the paper pieces. Roll out any bubbles that form. Let dry... then hang it up.



This is just one way I filled by bored Friday. I will let you know what other project I worked on tomorrow.

Bonfire Fire Writing

We had a bonfire last night. Lots more photos of the fire writing on FLICKR!

Soooo Bored...

Oh.My.Stars. I am so bored! LOL!!

I am sure you are hearing it enough for your own kids (if you are the Mom type) so, I am guessing you don't wanna hear it from me too. But. Ugh. I am so bored!! LOL.

I finished the rest of my must-do's yesterday and took the kids to the park to play in the creek. While there, the boys discovered a cave-ish place and went in to explore. They came out screaming having been stung by yellow jackets in an underground hive. Nice. According to the kids... we. are. never. going. there. again. We rushed back home for ice and Benadryl (thankfully, no one is allergic). Then proceeded to sit on the couch with my sister just staring at each other totally bored. And I fear there is going to be whole day of that today... not just an afternoon full.

I am not just bored with the kids either. I am bored with everything. I don't want to knit... bored with the project... I don't want to work... the time is always cut short by the kids anyway, so why bother... I don't want to read... book are dull, except for yesterdays, lol... I don't want to craft... I just want to whine until someone figures out a way to entertain me. Hey, the kids do it, why can't I, right?

Anyone have good ways of combating summer boredom for Moms, not just for kids? Tell me I am not hopeless... tell me I will be inspired and excited about something again someday... tell me I haven't fallen into an abyss of dull-drums... tell me... tell me...

Browsing Over Morning Coffee

Yesterday was such a nutty day. Just plain hectic and hectic doesn't sit well with me. I am happier in a lazy day. Well, lazy sometimes... I am really really happy in a day that flies by while doing something I love. But then, aren't we all. Thankfully, today isn't an over scheduled day like yesterday. I do have a few must-get-done things, but other then that, the day is open. I started it at the dining room table, with coffee in my favorite mug, and a fresh copy of 101 Wire Earrings.

It was released to bookstore shelves on Aug 1st and I have been stalking the Barnes & Noble website waiting for it to read "In Stock" for my zip code. Why didn't I just pre-order it? There is just something about walking into an honest to goodness bookstore and seeing it there on the shelf with all the other books. You might remember my reaction this time last year when I discovered Wire Style by accident. This time, I had Lauren and Andrew with me to help find it. Lucky for us, there was one still in stock.

As an aside, I must say, strange things are happening at my local B&N stores. I went to the one in my town and one just one town over (Rochester has several of them) and the "craft" section where the jewelry books are held has gotten very. very. small. Where I used to see 4-5 copies of a book, I am only seeing 1-2. And where there used to be 6 shelves for jewelry, there are now only 3. Anyone else seeing this? Is it just a sign of the times? Hmmmm...

Anyway, I am babbling. What I really wanted to talk about today is the earring deliciousness that is ooozing out of this book. Over my morning coffee, I went page by page checking out all 101 earrings. Denise has really out done herself, the inspiration in here is FANTASTIC. If I am totally honest, although I am a contributor (seven designs in the book are mine), I really struggle with making earrings. There have actually been shows where I didn't make a single pair to sell. I like earrings to be unique and sometimes unique earrings ideas can be hard to come by. I think this book is exactly what everyone needs to keep the 'unique' ideas flowing. There are just so many possibilities that can come from these examples. You can make one of the pairs in the book... totally love them... and then think "what if I do this..." or "what if I do that...". Now do that for every pair in the book and you are going to have hundreds of designs to make.

*sigh* earrings

Actually, I have an earring challenge coming up. Next week is my friend Lindsey's birthday. We always exchange handmade gifts (remember her birthday is my half birthday and thus, vice versa) and this year, she requested some handmade earrings to add to her collection. With this book now in my hands to spur on new ideas... I think I can handle that.

Did You See?

I told you I wouldn't send you out to buy anymore magazines until Fall but I didn't tell ya I wouldn't send you to buy another book!! Yep, I am in another one. Check out Kalmbach's latest Creative Beading Vol.4.

Creative Beading is a collection of the "Best Of Bead & Button Magazine" and my bracelet that was in the Dec 2007 issue was selected for the book. It is beautiful, hard cover, coffee table style book with tons of projects, photos, and the instructions to make them all.

Also, my post on Making Felt Beads will be on Watch Me Create later today. Pop over and check it out!!

That's Manager Not Mom

And so it begins again... football.



Yep, Jacob started another season of football last night. And this year, I actually have a title! I am the "Team Manager", not "Team Mom", lol. Which basically means, I send emails to the team when coach asks, and I hand out paperwork at practices, and I make sure the coaches get a cool gift at the end of the season, lol.

For those of you without pre-teen boys that play football, lemme tell ya a little about what these kids do. First of all, Jacob, although he is only 11 years old and 105 pounds, he has been moved up to A-Team. (teams are divided by age into A, B, and C teams) Technically, he could have stays on B another year, but coach wants him up on A. From now until early November, these boys will be practicing 4 nights a week (and parents will be cooking dinner at 4:30 in the afternoon, lol), they will be having 5 hour scrimmages on Saturdays starting in two weeks (where parents will stand in the full sun of open fields and watch kids bash into each other without the benefit of cheering for a touchdown), and once school begins, they go down to 3 nights a week of practice, plus Saturday practices, and then Sunday games.

It is really hard work and Jacob wouldn't trade a minute of it for another thing. He loves it. Don't worry though... I promise not to blog about football too much. ;) only when they win.

Weekend Review

Oh what a full weekend I had.



First... my time with Kelley. I.so.cherish.it. We get so little time together and I just want to eat her up every minute she is near. There is a freedom to be myself around her that I rarely truly feel. She knows every stinking little thing about me and loves me anyway. That rocks. She is the kind of friend that will tell ya to tighten your bra straps because your girls are hanging too low... and the kind that will run out and buy a different color hair dye when you mess up your color chunks (more on that in a minute)... and the kind that makes sure you are happy, because that is all that matters to her. We had such an awesome time... and such a large amount of booze. My stars! I haven't drank beers two nights in a row and as long as I can remember. HA! But hey, I still did my run Friday morning, with a hang over, thankyouverymuch.

Pink streaks. Yeah, I streaked my hair, just a little. I have been wanting to do it for months now, but my sister refused to help. Told me I wasn't cool enough for pink streaks... that I didn't have the right "life style" or wardrobe to support a color chunk in my hair. Hello? Glass artist that work with wild colors all the time... gimme the dang color streak. Of course, Kelley agreed with me 100% and helped me pick out which brand of bleach and color to buy.



See why I love her. Our visit was over before I knew it. And I swallowed really really hard several times not to burst into tears when she left. Hopefully I get to see her again soon. H.o.p.e.f.u.l.l.y.

As soon as Kelley pulled out of the driveway, Andrew and I pulled out too for a special birthday adventure.



A few months back on a drive to Albany, I mentioned to Andrew as we passed Herkimer NY on the thruway that there is a diamond mine in Herkimer. The Herkimer Diamond Mines to be exact. And I had been there. Instantly it was all he could talk about wanting to do since April. We made plans to go with his good friend, Matt, this weekend. So even though I wished I could be with Kelley longer, while nursing a 4 alarm headache and urge to puke, I threw Andrew and Matt in the car and the three of us drove the 5 hours round trip to dig in a pile of rocks. They had a blast. And yes, we found ourselves some very pretty and sparkling Herkimer Diamonds.



Click on this photo and it will take you to Flickr where you can see a note on the image showing one of the diamonds we found.

I was so beat by Saturday night but, stayed up editing photos and emailing all the Lickety Split Round 2 beaders. Can you believe I have made over 50 discs in the past couple of weeks?!? FIFTY! I am going to close the orders as of next week. So you still have a chance to order. Send me an email!! Round two beads are already in the mail heading to their homes. *sigh*

Sunday was another full day around here. Lots of working on the yard by Ron, while I made more beads and worked on laundry. Oh, and we took the kids school clothes shopping too. AND, I had fun after dinner making some felt beads. I wrote a post for Watch Me Create about it. I will let y'all know when it is posted.



See... a full weekend indeed.

What did you do this weekend?

A Visitor

I am going to be MIA for the next few days. My best friend, Kelley from VA, is driving in today!! The trip is sorta last minute. I thought she was was coming in next week, but plans changed, I convinced her she should come Thursday instead of Friday (so we have more then a few hours together). Now, she is in the car and on her way!! I love my Kelley and can't wait to see her!!

I couldn't leave you without a little peak at a new piece of jewelry. When I was in Cleveland a few weeks back, Melanie Brooks gifted me some components made of raw brass that she uses in some of her jewelry designs. She also used them in her demo for the show we were taping. I thought it would be a fun, and very different look, for one of my KABachons. I don't like the chain at all... I think it needs some cool brass chain, but over all, I love the look of my bead in that setting. And has ideas stirring for new bead designs that could be highlighted by this style of jewelry!

ANDREW ~ TEN

It happens this time every year... my middle child gets a year older.



I am thankful that this year is done for him and a fresh one is ahead. Nine was, by far, the most difficult we've experienced in his life. (For those new to the blog, Andrew was diagnosed two years ago with Early Onset Childhood Bi-Polar Disorder.) I am stubborn in my resolve that we are going to find the magic *thing* to help him get to a place where life isn't such a struggle. And then, one of these years, I will be able to give you a post of all the wonderful things we experienced we him, rather than the hardships we've had.

I put extra love into his quilt to help wrap him up in the traits I hope he will someday have. Hidden in the stitching of the big blocks of fabric in his birthday quilt are the words LOVE, HOPE, THANKFUL, HAPPINESS, HONEST, STRONG, BALANCE, COURAGE, KIND, and CREATIVE.



Happy Birthday Andrew, your Momma loves you.

(more photos of Andrew's birthday quilt can be found HERE on Flickr.)

Bead Fest Wire 2010

Yesterday I received an awesome email asking if I might be interested in teaching at Bead Fest Wire in PA in April 2010. I am thrilled to have been asked!! And will be jumping at the chance to be at such an exciting wire event. I am scrambling to come up with class ideas and would love your help.

I had it in my head that with the release of my book, I would teach an intro to wire class, but unfortunately, I have heard intro classes don't do so well. Students like classes where they get to spend a few hours learning a new technique and leave with a finished project in their hot beading hands. I have a couple ideas for projects from the book that I can teach, but I was thinking I should come up with a few fresh things too. OR, I could teach some oldie but goodies. There are just so many options and very little time to get the proposal pulled together.

So... give me some ideas. From you, the future wire students, what would you like to learn! What projects have you seen me make that you would want to see available as a class or kit? Feedback people. I need it.

Blueberry Bliss

Friday morning, the kids and I set out on our second blueberry picking adventure of the season. We tried to pick blueberries last year, but a small crop at a local farm and birds eating up what little berries they had led to no picking. The kids love blueberries. Love love love them. Everyone but Lauren that is. She continues to have an extreme aversion to fruit (and has since she was 6months old). So she is by far the best picker, unlike the boys who tend to eat their weight in berries rather than filling their berry baskets.



I, of course, had my new camera at my side. I got to play around with the depth of field (areas of focus). And I got to hear lots of "Mom, take a picture of this..." comments. I was very happy to oblige. Little outings like this, just a few hours out of the house after some hair raising days, are what save my nerves during summer. And I promise not to mention how many more days until school starts, Cindy ;)



By the end of the picking, in just about an hour, we had 7 1/2 pounds of berries. Some went to my Mom's house, some were eaten at a little picnic lunch at a playground on our ride home from the farm, some went right into a batch of yogurt muffins with some mini chocolate chips, and some more are being saved for Andrew's birthday on Wednesday. He has requested blueberry cake for his birthday cake. The boy, unlike his Momma, hates chocolate and only sorta cares for vanilla... makes a blueberry cake just right for him. Hopefully, I can keep Jacob from eating them all before then!!





I have lots of things to share this week. I finished Andrew's birthday quilt!! I made two pieces of jewelry and I am not so sure I like 'em, there will be birthday post of course, and I am working on round two of the lickety split beads. I hope you'll come back and check things out this week. (and oh yes, I am still running! I started week two of couch to 5k this morning.)

Wild Weather

We keep floating between sun and this. This truly has been the wildest summer, weather-wise, I have ever seen.

It's Mom's... Don't Touch!

Oh how much like a spoiled child I am! Want to improve my grumpy mood? Give me a new toy!!



EEEEKKKKKKK!! I decided that I bitched long enough and it was time to get myself a new camera. I hemmed and hawwed for months about this, but finally bit the bullet on Monday and placed the order. My new Nikon D90 arrived yesterday morning. OH. MY. STARS. I am in camera heaven.





Honestly, I am a half-ass photographer. I don't deserve this nice a camera. I took a few photography classes in High School, so I recognize words like ISO, F-Stop, and Apature, but really, I don't know what to do to set or change them. If I want to get a certain style shot, I look up setting online, change my settings to something similar and start clicking. I learned a few tricks in college to edit photos with Photoshop, but even with editing, I don't know a lot. I am so excited to finally get to learn more. And this camera demands an owner that knows what she's doing. It said so.





I know you are probably thinking, Kerry... the pictures from your old camera were fine. And yeah, they were okay, when on the super macro setting, but that thing couldn't take a candid to save it's life. I think it was the mega pixels, but things were grainy or blurry or just ugh. I still need to invest in a marco lense for this new camera but it takes such amazingly clear photos that I don't have to shoot as close and I can crop in without affecting the quality. Plus, the high mega pixels allows me to get good shots even in really low light. Several of the magazines I write articles for and others I would like to submit to, want images at least 300 dpi at 8.5 x 11. This camera can do that.





The kids are begging to play with the camera and when told they may never touch it, they make jokes. "Hey Mom? So what would happen if I had your camera out on the deck and accidently dropped it?" to which I reply "you had better call the police before you drop it, because I will probably kill you after you drop it." I am going to give them my old camera to play with. They are most likely the reason it doesn't work great anyhow. They like to make mini movies and have let it tumble down the stairs during action sequences.





*sigh* I love taking pictures.

One of *THOSE* Days

Yesterday was one of *those* days. The kind of day that erases all thoughts, wants, and wishes of thankfulness for the life I have. Monday I was all calm and peaceful, feeling so good about things and Wednesday just pulled the rug out from under me. Forty seven days, people. Forty SEVEN days and school will be back in session.

I can't even say what was so bad about it. The days blend together so much this time of year. I think it was the constant bickering centered around the middle child that had my jaw clenched. The new meds don't seem to be doing much good for him. In fact, we are seeing a new symptom now, annoyance. Everything, right down to Lauren breathing, gets on his nerves if he isn't being allowed to do exactly what he wants in a moment. I limit his computer playing to two hours a day, 1 in the morning 1 in the afternoon. He could play for hours on end if I let him, and some days I think I should. It sure as hell would be a lot easier. But, I think it is wrong. I think it is neglectful. And I don't think my kids should be parented by a computer screen. They need to get off their bums and go outside. Use their imaginations... play catch... explore the woods... ride their bikes... anything but sit in the computer room on a beautiful day zapping orks.

And all day, all I wanted to do was work on something special for HIM! Andrew's 10th birthday is next week and I am trying to get his quilt done in time. I finished the facing and the back throughout the day yesterday and even got to start some of the stippling.

I refuse to wake up to a new day hopeless though. Today is a different day. Today can be different. Even if it is as bad as yesterday... it has a chance to be a good day. That is my motto. It is pouring out which means I think a movie day is in order. We haven't seen Night At The Museum 2 yet. It also means I didn't get to run this morning in the thunder and lightning. (Maybe it will dry up enough to be able to run this afternoon.)

For those of you having *those* kinds of days too... misery loves company. Feel free to gripe in the comments. Get it off your chest and face the day with the power that you aren't alone. That sounds so corny, LOL.

Listening To A Whisper

Anyone remember back in January when I talked about the lovely Kelly Rae Robert's book, Taking Flight? I mentioned that one of the things that Kelly Rae talks about is listening to your heart's whispers. Well, there is a whisper that I have been hearing for a long time and tried to ignore. Today, I listened.

I used to be a runner... way way back in junior high. The fact that my running days were about 18 years ago and I still long to have them back really says something. I loved running. Probably because I was that girl in school that was tormented by bullies to no end, and running, running was something that I was really really good at. It was a place to escape to, listening to the rhythm of my breath and the drum of my step on the ground.

Then... my knees started to hurt. One year, I grew about 6 inches, and when my hips popped out it threw everything out of alignment. My knee caps were grinding against my femur bone and I was loosing cartilage. I went to an arthroscopic surgeon who told my Mom, and I quote "she isn't the next Jackie Joyner Kersey... just have her stop running". And being that there was no way for my parents to afford that kind of surgery, I had to stop. Even though I was running 5min miles at the time. I used that excuse to get out of gym class anytime running was involved for the remained of my time in the public school system. Soccer, nope, my knees hurt... field hockey, no way, my knees hurt. You get the picture.

For a couple of years now, I have been saying I want to try to run again. I mention it to my aunts that are runners. I think about it when I drive down the road and see the bobbing pony tails of girls running along side traffic. There is a demon in my head called self-doubt that has been eating at me. If I buy the sneakers, will I actually run? If I run, will it hurt? Am I too out of shape? Where will I find the time?

Finally, my spirit is getting stronger then the self-doubt. Enough is enough. I want to run again. I was out last night getting Jacob his new cleats for football and I bought myself some running sneakers. They are Target cheapies, but they are a start. I woke up at my usual time this morning and threw on my shoes. I started a pot of coffee (so it would be ready when I got home). I grabbed my cell phone to keep time and I went out.

Oh how my body fought me. So I did more of a run/walk. I would run a few hundred yards, then walked a few hundred... ran... then walked. My hips are sore and my ankles are clicking, and my lungs felt like they were been squeezed in a vice. BUT, I used the time to talk to myself in a way that I hope combats the horrible ffu-s I have been feeling. FFU stands for "frumpy fat and uglies". In my head, I said things like "come on Kerry... just get to that tree... I can do this...". I think it is an amazing way to start the day. I did my walk/run for about 35 minutes, came home to a warm shower and hot coffee. And, I still have all the time I need to get done they usual things I do in the morning. My emails are answered, my kids are working on their chores, and I have 15 more minutes to hit my favorite blogs.

I don't know if I will stick with it. I hope that I do. I hope that writing about it here holds me accountable. Let's see how bad the shin splints are tomorrow, lol.

Things right now...

eating: lots of berries, freshly picked... and the raspberries are lovely in a little pink lemonade with a splash of vodka.

feeling: slightly odd... there is a quite sense of longing that is getting bigger very slowly and I can't quite put my finger on what I am longing for. More time to work? Time for other art? Time that is kid-free and just for me? Maybe just to have time slow down?

watching: the veggies in my garden as the struggle against the wants of an all too smart groundhog. I was so excited by the hope of having carrots to pick, and now they disappeared.



thinking: I should be more thankful then I am. I got a pretty sweet gig of a life and I think I should be more thankful in each day for getting to live the life I do.

hoping: that Andrew's new meds work this time. After several straight days of meltdowns the first week of July and a kick that left a bruise the size of a baseball on my arm, it was time for a change. We went two weeks med free, now, we are trying Lithium. It is very scary for me, and I am sure it is for him too.

wishing: that this cool, rainy summer lasts until fall. I would take this over sun and heat any day of the week. This summer has been incredible.



loving: having my first ever girls weekend, celebrating friendship and the 10 year wedding anniversary of my friend.

I like it when the writers of some of the blogs I read have a post titled "right now" followed by single words with in the post like "loving", then add a ":" and tell what they are loving. (I think that is a run-on sentence.) So, I am going to jump on the band wagon and give it a go myself.

Lickety Split Super Quick Beads - Round 1

For those of you wondering... round one is ready and will be mailed out on Monday!! Aren't they perdy? I love the colors!!

Did I Mention...

... that I have a couple of Projects in Creative Jewelry? I looked through the last few weeks of posts, and yeah, I think I forgot to mention that I am in CJ. It is on news stands now!! Grab it. There are tons of inspiring projects. It is just dripping with ideas.

I promise, I won't send you out to buy more magazines again until the Fall. LOL. One of my glass bead friends that works in a bead shop commented that I am in every magazine on the shelves right now. I told her it is really only three and I have plenty more bead world out there to conquer. HA!

I would love to hear from you all the kinds of tutorials you would like to see from me. I tend to hold back on submitting things more regularly. I have this idea that something has to be really really original it be in print. So things just straight stung, I don't send in. But then mags like Stringing are primarily straight strung projects... and there are always great ideas for twists to take on basic stringing. There is always more wire up my sleeve too.

(edited to add) I have had a few comments about my "straight stringing" comment. So I wanted to come back and add some more to that statement to better explain myself. *I* have been feeling lately that I need to work on submitting things more to magazines. I know I am in a bunch right now, but I went a good nine months before that not in any. In my mind, I have the silly idea that everything *I* submit needs to be wirey and wild designs. I think people don't want to see "straight strung" things from me. BUT, there are a bunch of magazines out there made up of nothing but strung projects and they are VERY inspiring. Some people think stringing isn't original, but my point is that it can be.

I do apologise if I offended anyone. That wasn't my intention at all. I was writing that on a whim and should have taken more time to better explain myself. Stringing can be awesome!

I Hurt My Finger

There is a little boy's birthday right around the corner. And while the little boy is away during the day at baseball camp this week, I started working on his birthday quilt. You might remember the birthday quilt I made for Lauren a few months back. Turns out everyone wants one this year. I am happy to oblige actually... this designing a quilt thing is really fun.



I started a few weeks ago with a sketch of what I wanted to make for him. I love "stacked coin" style quilt designs. Those are the ones with lots of stripes sewn together, usually with a solid color field for them to float on. Check it out, there is a whole Flickr Pool dedicated to stacked coin quilts. For my design, I decided on something a little different. Leave it to me to find a way to not follow design rules, right? HA! Anyway, I decided to turn the coins on their sides. Maybe there is a name for this out there already, but as I am not an avid quilter, I know not what it is. I also decided that there would be no sashing, and I want big fields of a print. A big block of sorts in the rows of stacking. I can see it in my head, and I think it is loverly.



I asked my little boy what color he wants his quilt. Yes, he knows I am making it. There is no way I could work on something of this size without him knowing. His request was for orange and black. Hmmm... interesting combination. However, not likely, sorry. I did find as much orange as I could, and there is several black and white prints too. But, the color artist in me wanted blues too and some browns. Though not exactly what he requested, I think he is gonna love it. It is so bright and cheerful... wild and crazy... how could you not love it?

Monday, I started cutting the strips according to my directions I came up with and although I breezed through pre-calc my senior year of high school, my math leaves much to be desired. My brain doesn't work that way. It is much more visual. Just hand me a block of fabric and I will get the pieces out of it that I need... don't make me plan ahead. I was able to figure out though that I need 100 strips that are 9x3.5, 70 at 9x2.5, and 40 at 9x1.5, plus 10 pieces 9x18 to get ten rows that are about 68inches long each. Did that just make your brain hurt? It did mine.

Speaking of hurting!! Ugh and grrrrr.... I cut my cutting short on Monday (LOL, yes, pun intended) because the blade in my rotary cutter was dull and it was eating my fabric. Tuesday I set finishing the cutting with a fresh blade and... damn it... I sliced my finger. I sliced it good. It bled for about 9 hours, through at least 6 bandage changes. "Kerry, you need stitches..." you say. Ah, if only there was a skin flap to stitch back on!! Ugh. I called my best friend in VA and emailed her photos of my sorry pathetic left index finger, she is surgical nurse, and she told me how to bandage it and said there wouldn't be much a doctor could do. So, now I sit and type with my finger perched in the air and a giant q-tip like bandage protecting my poor hurt finger. It is both comical and painful.



I persevered though, and got 7 out of 10 rows sewn yesterday. I hope to finish the other three today and start the backing. My goal is to start the stippling by Friday. His birthday isn't until the 29th, but I want it done before then. July 29th already? Where did the summer go?

And for those of you who can't get enough of me... pop into Watch Me Create for a new post on something I have spent the past few weeks working on.

Operation A.E.I.O.U ~ Complete

Okay, so we weren't able to finish it in 4 days like my impatient inner child wanted. But I say getting it done in 9 day ain't too shabby. The bathroom is DONE!! No more icky ucky yucky oder... no more gross grout... no more ugly cabinet... just crisp clean sparkling white porcelain goodness.



The new treatment for the mirror is my favorite new touch in the bathroom. I found the frame for $3 at an estate sale. It was way too big, but Ron was able to cut it down and it fills the space perfectly. And I love it with the light from Lowes too that rang up $3.53. LOL... new mirror and light for less then $7... not bad.



While we are talking prices, before we started the remodel, I read somewhere that the average bathroom remodel costs between $10,000-$15,000!! Granted, those people are probably putting in Italian marble shower surrounds, but seriously. $15K for a bathroom? Not us!! We ended up spending around $650.





There are few more finishing touches. I need to hang a reclaimed window frame on the wall and touch up some paint on the moulding. I plan to hunt down a lace edged bed sheet at an estate sale and use it as a shower curtain (until then, the circles remain). And we gotta caulk the tub too. But isn't it pretty?