Antique Vanity refinished

My kids great-grandma gave this lovely vanity to my daughter...

It's an old antique vanity that has definitely seen its share of years.  The wear and tear on it was numerous and the amount of time I spent on it was many hours.  It really took me months to do, but that is because it was hard to strip all the paint off and so I could only get an hour here or an hour there to work on it.  Here is what it looked like after I got done sanding as much as I could off...

Then I got some water-based stripper and covered the remainder of the paint.  It still took a while but I finally was able to get most of the old pink and green paint off!  As you can see, I could not get everything, but I sanded the remainder down as well as I could.

Then I painted the entire vanity this color...

This color showed every knick and disfiguration, which really bugged me!  I almost sanded it down again, but I don't think this wood can take much more sanding.  So I got my handy burnt amber glaze out and wiped the vanity down with it.  I made sure I wiped off any excess with another rag as I went along, so it wouldn't over power the blue.  Here's the glaze...

And here is the final product...

We still have to get some of the paint off the mirror, because I was too lazy to tape it.  But it shouldn't be too hard.  Definitely easier than stripping that paint!  My daughter loves the final outcome and really that is all that matters.



Healthy Habits

I have lost 13 pounds... in 10 weeks.  I actually lost 7 pounds in 2 weeks, gained 1 pound back the next week and then began working out the next week.  From there in 7 weeks I lost 7 pounds and in total 13.  I have changed my eating habits, beginning with those first two weeks, where I did the South Beach diet.  From there I have learned to eat smaller meals, have small healthy snacks in between my meals and keep the chocolate and sweets out of my diet as much as possible.  Now don't get me wrong... I still eat chocolate and sweets, but I am so much better about it.  For example... my friend at work brought in chocolate covered macadamia nuts (my favorite).  The first day I had 6 of them... was a bit rough, but before I changed my ways I would have had 20.  On the second day I only had 2.  Much better! 

I am working out 4-6 times a week.  I really LOVE the feeling of finishing a 45 minute interval jog/walk.  I LOVE the feeling of finishing 45 minutes of Zumba or Yoga or riding my exercise bike.  It makes me HAPPY!  My best weeks are the ones I complete 6 days of exercise and so my goal is to do as many days of exercise as I can.  Even if I only get 20 minutes in... that's better than 0 minutes right?!!?  The hardest part of working out is starting.  Once I start I feel like I am on top of the world.  And losing around 3 inches of my waist has made a huge difference in how I feel.  I've gone down a size in my jeans and all my clothes fit so much better.  But really it isn't about the pounds, at least not entirely.  It's the way I feel. 

I found this awesome little home boot camp work sheet on pinterest and it will be my new workout, for at least 2-3 times a week.  I'll probably repeat the drills so it will be around 50 minutes to complete the whole boot camp.  Give me a few weeks and I will let you know how things are going.  Hopefully, with the boot camp, jogging, yoga and zumba I will begin to completely transform my body!

Here's to a healthy and strong life!  Cheers!

Old Wreath gets a Make-over

I've had this wreath for a few years now and it has been whipped around in the wind on my front door and taken a real beaten.  So this year I wanted a new one.  Then I was on pinterest and saw some fabulous ideas on making fall wreaths.  I pulled out my poor wreath and I refurbished it and I love the new look! 

BEFORE:

I bought some ribbon from the $1 box at Walmart, a box of little fake pumpkins and one bouquet of fake fall flowers.  After I placed the ribbons where I wanted them (randomly around the wreath), I heated up my hot glue gun and placed the flowers, fall leaves and pumpkins around the wreath as well.  I had bought a letter W a while back and decided to throw that in the middle.  I spray painted it white and stapled it to one of the ribbons and Wah-lah...



It has a whole new look to go on my newly painted front door.  LOVE IT!

Creating my own Shelves

I have wanted to make these shelves since I saw them shown on Studio 5 here in Utah.  For the life of me I can't find the blog of the lady who showed these.  I had her in my favorites on my blog, but I can't find it for some reason. 

Anyway, she got the idea from Pottery Barn.  I believe she used either 1x4 or 2x4 boards.  I don't know if mine are 1x4's.  I think they are maybe 3/4" instead of 1".  They had been the slates in my kids old beds, so when I got them new beds I thought they would be perfect to use for the shelves.  Here is the final look...

And here is them on the wall in my living room...

So here is how I created them...

I nailed two boards together and then nailed the molding on with small nails.  I just bought a basic molding from Home Depot to use as an edging.

I then sanded the whole thing and applied a white primer...

I then took my handy Burnt Amber glaze (bought at Kwals Paint) and a rag and I wiped the glaze on.  Make sure you use gloves when you glaze.  It can be pretty difficult to get off especially if it gets in your fingernails (I had a glove break on me before).

And here is the final product after the second coat...

Here is the picture of one of Pottery Barn's shelves...

Mine are a bit more rustic, but they are pretty similar.  And they cost me next to nothing to make.  And even if you don't have all the supplies, I know Home Depot has scraps for really cheap.  I believe these are $35 for 3 and mine were maybe $3 for all 3. 

I then added a Polyurethane coating to protect them from wear and tear.  After I let that dry for a few days, I used long screws and screwed the backs directly into the wall.  I thought of other ways to mount them, but considering any screw would be hidden with whatever I put on the shelves, this seemed to be easiest way.  Here is the final product on the wall before I put anything on them...

Right now I am still experimenting on what I want to put up there.  I definitely want my Thomas Kinkade painting up there and since it is fall, I added the fall dishes.  I want the picture frames too, but I still might change it up. 

We will see.  For the fall I will leave it this way, since it will all change for the Chrismas season.

After the New Year I will look at other ways to put the deco's and maybe change things up.  It was definitely fun to create these shelves and a lot easier then I thought and cheaper than buying them from Pottery Barn.  I plan on making more.  One for my bathroom, except it is a 1x6 shelf and a couple each for my kids to put their dance and Taekwondo trophies on.  If you have any questions about the process let me know and I will be happy to assist.

Using Rustoleum stone spray paint

I have had this old metal milk jug for about 12 years.  The last couple of years I had been looking at it, wondering how I could change it up with the least amount of effort!  Lo and behold, I was in Walmart the other day looking at their spray paints, when I discovered Rustoleums stone spray paints!  It was perfect!  Here is what the jug looked like before:

Notice the darkening on the bottom.  It really was getting outdated and ugly.  Here is the spray paint I used.  I forgot to take a picture so I just looked it up online!

And here is the end result and it has a made a world of difference in the whole look of my family room!

So simple and so easy to do!  Those are some of my favorite projects.  It isn't really anything wonderful color wise, but it did make a difference in how the flowers stood out.  It also matched my the color of my new doors, another project found here: http://nikisoddsandends.blogspot.com/2011_04_01_archive.html



Week #1 update

I had a great week last week!  It was the 4th of July weekend, so I did over indulge when it came to eating, but not as much as I usually would.  I stopped eating once I began to get full and I didn't go back for more.  I did work out more than usual last week.  I did my Zumba and Yoga and some weight lifting, especially for my upper body.  I really have to strengthen my back since I can barely function if I pull it. 

My goal this week is to up my cardio output.  I want to continue with the Zumba, but only every other day.  I want to add some kind of interval training to the other days, either biking or running.  I'm not a big runner and I have really never enjoyed it, but interval training has always been the best workout for me.  I seem to see better results in less time.  I also want to continue to do Yoga, almost every day, if not every day.  My back feels so much better after a good Yoga workout and I really love the stretching. 

My other goal is to continue eating smaller portions several times throughout the day.  It is easier when I work from home than when I'm in the office, but I only will be in the office once this week, so hopefully I will have a better routine by the end of the week!  So here's to a great week behind me and a better week ahead of me!

Mirror magic

I always loved my parents mirror they had hanging up in our living room growing up, but the color of it definitely went out of style a while ago.  About a year ago I found it hanging up in one of their rooms in the basement and asked my dad if I could have it.  This is what I did with it.

BEFORE:

It was this beautiful gold color that was fashionable back in the 70s and 80s.  I roughed it up with some sand paper and painted it this:

By the way, don't mind the mess you can't help to notice in the mirror!  I was cleaning out our storage room (across the hall) and all the empty boxes got thrown in here for the time being along with anything else I wanted out of my way.  Eventually I will get it cleaned up and organized... but for now...  I then took my chocolate glaze and dabbed it with a cloth and small paintbrush on top of the blue:

Ta-da!  My new beautiful mirror to forever remind me of my mom:

Holes

I had been in that hole for a very long time
In the dark and the damp, in the cold and the slime.
The shaft was above me; I could see it quite clear
But there's no way I ever could reach it from here.
Nor could I remember the world way up there
So I lost all my hope and gave in to despair.
I knew nothing but darkness, the floor, and the walls
Then off in the distance I heard someone call:
"Get up! Get ready! There's nothing the matter.
Take rocks and old sticks and build up a fine ladder."

This had never occurred to me-- had not crossed my mind.
But I started to stack all the stones I could find.
When I ran out of stones, then old sticks were my goal,
For one way or another I'd get out of that hole.
So I soon had a ladder that was sturdy and tall
And I thought, "I'll soon leave this place once and for all."
I climbed up my ladder. It was no easy chore,
For from lifting those boulders, my shoulders were sore.
I climbed on up the ladder, but soon had to stop
For my ladder stopped short-- some ten feet from the top.

I climbed back down my ladder and started to cry
I'd done all I could do. I gave my best try.
And in spite of my work, in this hole I must die.
And all I could do was to sit and think, "Why?"
Was my ladder too short? Or my hole much too deep
Then from way upon high came a voice, "Do not weep."
And then faith, hope, and love entered into my chest
As the voice said to me that I'd done my best.

He said, "You've worked very hard, and your labor's been rough,
But the ladder you've built is at last tall enough.
Do not despair. You have reason to hope.
Just climb up your ladder; I'll throw down my rope."
I climbed up the ladder, then climbed up the cord.
When I got to the top, there stood the Lord.
I couldn't be happier; my struggle was done.
I blinked in the brightness that came from the Son.

I fell to the ground, His feet did I kiss
I cried, "What can I do to repay thee for this?"
Then He looked all about Him. There were holes in the ground
They had people inside, and were seen all around
There were thousands of holes that were damp, dark, and deep
The the Lord turned to me and He said, "Feed my sheep."

Then He went on His way to help other lost souls,
And I got right to work, calling down to the holes:
"Get up! Get ready! There's nothing the matter.
Take rocks and old sticks and build up a fine ladder."

It now was my turn to spread the good word.
The most glorious message that man ever heard.
That there's one who is willing to save one and all
And we've got to be ready when He gives the call.
He'll pull us all out of the hole that we're in
And save all our souls from death and from sin.
So do not lose faith; there is reason to hope
Just build up your ladder; He'll throw down His rope.

~Scott Lewis and elders from his mission

Painting my doors using Chocolate Glaze

It has been a long time since I have put anything on this blog!  I have been super busy with several different projects at my house, along with work and my usual family activities.  But I want to start posting again.  Here is one of the projects I have been working on at my house.  I sanded my doors and then stamped chocolate glaze on them.  They look great and I have gotten multiple compliments on them!  I only have 3 doors complete, but I am working on getting all of them done along with the outside doors before summer time.  Wish me luck!

Finished product:

Front door:

Cheesy Potato Soup

This is my favorite potato soup!  I actually took pictures the last time I made it and I wanted to share it on this blog.  I started with a cheesy potato soup I pulled from allrecipes.com, but then I did not like it very much.  So, I altered it and played around with it until I found a flavor I love!  Here it is...

4 cups water
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
5-7 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1/2 cube butter
3-4 Collisimo sausages
10 oz Velveeta
2-3 cups shredded Mexican blend cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken Soup w/ herbs (or without works as well)
2 cups milk
Parsley flakes
Montreal seasoning
Salt

In large pot melt butter and add chopped onion, saute.  Add water and potatoes.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. 

Cover and let simmer until the potatoes are tender, usually 15-20 minutes.   Meanwhile cut skin off of the Collisimo sausages and shred the meat onto a frying pan.  I love Collisimo sausages, but you can probably use any sausage or bacon and it would still taste delicious.  You can also make this soup with no meat, it still taste great.

Fry the sausage meat until brown.  When the potatoes are tender, stir in sausages, milk, chicken soup, Montreal seasoning and salt.  I can't tell you exactly how much seasoning I put in, maybe 2-3 Tbls.  I do it by how it looks and then I usually add a little bit more at the end to taste.  You will have to play around with it and add what works for your family.

Heat until soup is nice and hot and then add Velveeta cheese.  After that has melted into the soup add the Mexican blend cheese and parsley flakes.  Melt cheese into the soup.  This makes about 8 servings.  I hope you all enjoy this tasty soup as much as my family does!

How To Raise Competitive Kids

It all starts with UNO or Skip-Bo.  At least in my family it does.  We are loud, we are obnoxious and we are not afraid to call each other names and scream when someone ruins our plans for the ultimate win.  Take this past Sunday for instance.  The four older kids and I were playing UNO on our kitchen table.  We were so loud and some times even violent (Kortnie nearly jumping over the table to yank cards out of Chandlers hand because he was taking too long) that when our home teachers from church showed up they thought we were playing full contact UNO!  Nothing unusual in my family when we get all together and enjoy a great card game.  Makayla growled under her breath, “You idiot” when Kortnie foiled her plans and Chandler screamed like a girl when mom sent his plans plummeting down the drain.  It is all fun and games and in the end we all laugh, but boy do I have some competitive kids.  Luckily none of them are poor losers, but spend the five minutes after playing telling each others plans to smear the others win into the past and bring their victory to the front and center.

Finding meaning in Life

Finally, a night where I got a some what good nights sleep!  It seems like it has been weeks since I felt like I got some good zzzz’s.  My 17 month old baby has been teething and getting over an ear infection and so every night has been waking up around one and again at four.  I felt like he was an infant again!  He has been getting eight teeth for almost six months.  Yes, six months!  Six of them have broken through in the last few weeks and two more are just about there.  His gums are extremely swollen and I know he is miserable, so when he let me sleep until 3AM this morning my heart was overjoyed!  I actually slept for four hours straight for the first time in a long time.  However, he did not want to go back to sleep so I spent the next hour and fifteen minutes coaxing him to lay next to me in bed and watch cartoons.  It was rather painful for me to not be able to go back to sleep, but once we both returned to slumberland it was almost another two hours of great sleep before my alarm hurdled me back into reality.

As I look at my baby I know it is all worth it.  The sleepless nights, the crying, the whining are all worth it.  My kids are everything to me and I would do anything for them.

Overcoming Fears

Remember the days of being young, stupid and supposedly indestructible?  Once upon a time I used to believe I was invincible.  I used to never worry about what might happen to me.  I could not even imagine myself not being in this world or having something bad happen to me.  I lived my life as if nothing or nobody could touch me.  Well, then reality hit me and I suddenly realized I COULD actually die any moment or something bad COULD happen to me.  It was really an eye opener to me and I spent a couple of years after this realization living in constant fear.

My ex-husband passed away five years ago.  This was the moment I realized I was not invincible.  Although I had lived in fear during my marriage to him, I never really believed anything would happen to me or my kids.  Bad things only happen in the movies, right?  Well, then he died and I was left to pick up the pieces with my two children.  I realized if I died my kids would be orphans.  Although I had remarried and I knew my husband would take on the responsibility of my children, it frightened me to no end to think my kids could lose the most important person in the world to them.  And then what?  The two people who loved and cherished them the most would be gone and  the thought of that drove me up the wall.  I was constantly fearful of dying and leaving them alone.