Brotherly Love

My 29th birthday was a good one!

My family came in to town for the week-end. 
There is never a dull moment when my brother is around.

My brother and I have mastered the art of ruining decent pictures for my mom. 
Just when she thinks she is going to get a good picture, one of us makes an interesting face during the camera's lag time.
I’m too tired (food coma) to type more but I’ll let you enjoy some pictures of my brother and I.






This week I'll share with you a few thrift store finds and my birthday gifts!! 
I will also (hopefully) have a finished furniture piece (no promises).

How was your week-end?  Anyone else like to ruin pictures for their poor mother?

P.S. My brother is single....let me know if you want his e-mail. 
(It's probably a really good thing that he doesn't read my blog...he he)

Be Our Guest {Guest Bedroom Decor}

Last week I gave you the tour of our guest bedroom (see that post here).

This is what the guest bedroom looks like a week later after a galon and half of Valspar's Gravity, a few sore muscles, and some new bedding and lamps.  (The bedding and lamps are all from Target.)

I was hoping to have the room completed for my family’s visit this week-end but that didn’t work out as planned.  I am happy with the progress though. 

I plan to add a gallery wall of frames on this wall,  Unfortunately I don’t see straight.(I usually end up thinking our level is broke...seriously) so I will wait for Nate’s help on this one.   (UPDATE: See the gallery wall here!).

I am also deciding on window treatments and a few other details (other wall hangings, blanket for the end of the bed).

I’m pretty sure the white duvet cover doesn’t stand a chance.  I have a feeling it will be bleached many times.

What do you think?

Read about the headboard here.

Read about the night stands here.

Read about the trio of mirrors here.

Have a great week-end!

30 Before 30

I turn 29 today.  I’m still debating how I feel about this.  I guess it’s better than the alternative.

29 is a funny age.  I am pretty settled into a life routine.  My days are pretty much the same.  It’s the first time in my life that I’m not actively working toward goals.  Not having goals is pretty boring so I decided to make a list of 30 days that I would like to accomplish before I turn 30…exactly 1 year from today. 

(This is more of a personal post for me but thought some of you might find it interesting.  There will be photos of my guest room later today so check back later if you feel like skipping this personal non-sense…)

1. Eat vegetables every day for 1 week

• I currently don’t eat vegetables.  I take a multivitamin and call it good.
• I will hopefully do this longer..but let's be realistic.

2. Attempt the couch to 5K

• I currently exercise about 5 days a week (but I don’t run). 
• I’m looking for something to mix up my current routine.

3. Pay off my student loans

• I started 3 years ago with $98,000 in student loans (I believe student loans are the only reason the world has pharmacists).  I am now under $50,000.  Nate has projected that if we keep saving at our current rate I can have my loans paid off by July 2012.  So March 2012 is a bit lofty but definitely doable.

4. Make a pie...from scratch

• I should say make a pie from scratch that doesn’t turn into soup.

5. Go to a movie...alone. 

• This is weird but something I have always felt like doing but have never done.
• Who wants to go with me? :)

6.  Read the manual for our Nikon DSLR

• Nate keeps telling me that I can’t use his camera unless I read the manual…so I’m going to.

7. Learn photoshop (or at least some basics)

• We have Photoshop Elements and I would like to do some crafty things with it.

8. Finalize the children vs. no children plan for the future

• This doesn’t mean that we have to have children in the next year…I just think we should decide if this is something we want or not.  We're not getting any younger....

9. Take a stay-cation

• I like to travel but I think it would be really nice to spend some time at home during the summer.

10. Improve my espanol

• This would be extremely helpful at work.  I’m debating between taking a class or finding something on-line.

11.  Try a new restuarant each...month? every other month?

• Nate and I eat at the same restaurants.  We need to expand our horizons.  I mean, Chik-Fil-A is good but there is probably something out there equally as good.

12. Finish my pharmacy CEs by the end of April 2011

• They have to be completed by December 2011….or I lose my license. 
• I think having them done before summer would be a good idea.

13. Don't eat out for an entire week

• We usually only eat out once or twice so this isn't a huge deal but it’s good to prove to myself that I can eat at home/pack a lunch every day for a whole 7 days.  I’m sorry Jimmy John’s…..

14.  Mail birthday cards to friends and family- on time

• I’m doing better about buying the cards this year but getting them sent on time is another story……right Melissa?…..whose birthday was Feb. 8th (your card is on my kitchen counter…I swear)

15. Find a way to organize coupons

• I try to do things to save money and cutting coupons is part of that.  The problem is that I cut them and then do nothing with them.  They don’t save you much money if you don’t know you have them.

16.  Build a bed frame for our master bedroom

• At least shout orders while Nate builds the bed frame :)

17.  Take a yoga class

• I like doing yoga....in my basement.  If I fall over, no one notices..except for Ike. 
• It would be good to get out and try a class.

18. Take pictures with the DSLR in manual

• See #6.  Nate also thinks that me taking pictures on the automatic setting is a crime.

19. Go without the internet for 1 day

• or 2 days if I'm feeling especially goal oriented
• This will be hard but I think I can do it

20. Travel to Georgia

• This may be cheating beings we already have a trip planned but 30 things is hard.

21. Plan a bridal shower

• I’m thrown showers before and I have done a crummy job but this one will hopefully be different!

22. Improve the photos on my blog

• see #6 and #18
• I would also like to start including more personal photos…which means showering on the week-end…I should make that a goal....

23. Stick with blogging

• I like to see if I can do things.  I get bored once I realize that I can “do it.” 
• Having an on-line place to track changes in our house/life will be rewarding
• It’s also a good creative outlet for me

24. Give up diet Mt. Dew for 1 month

• I drink a can a day.  It’s my one vise.  I’d like to think that I’m not addicted but that’s not true.
• I’m pretty sure that there is going to be some big study coming out that finds that diet dew causes cancer….How can something so delicious not cause cancer??

25. Finish the mudroom

• I have plans…and a crafty father-in-law

26. Paint the guest bathroom grey

• Uggg painting.

27. Refinish a dresser for our master bedroom

• I need to find said dresser but I am pretty excited about this goal

28. Hang curtains in our master bedroom

• They are on back order until the middle of March.  Bummer.  Hopefully they’ll be available by the time I’m 30….

29. Switch to more natural cleaners

• I have switched to all natural beauty products (shampoo, body wash, face wash, make-up) but would like to change to more natural cleaners as well.
• I would love to make my own but I have a strong aversion to vinegar….sickkkkkk…and most homemade cleaners need vinegar.

30. Finish knitting a blanket that I started about 2 years ago

• Knitting is one of those “see if I can do this” things.  I will finish this.

There you have it.  How many of these 30 goals do you think I can accomplish?  What are your goals for the next year?

Ribbon + Lamp Shades

This week-end’s painting project sucked up all of my creative juices. 

I did do something a little crafty the week-end before last.

I bought some boring lamp shades and glued some ribbon on them.  Call me Martha. I should have my own show.



I wanted to glue the ribbon to the top and bottom…but I failed. Epically. The ribbon kept bunching up all weird-like.  The fact that the lamp shades were cones and not circles took me down.  Why must I be cheap?  I should have sprung for the circular lamp shades.  But vertical ribbon looks ok, right?

I learned how to remove hot glue from fabric during this epic fail.  How?  A blow dryer.  It reheats the glue and makes it easier to remove. (Or you can stick the fabric in the freezer but I thought it was a little too weird to stick a lamp shade in the freezer). What did I do before google?

And here are the lamps shades are hanging out in the guest bedroom….with the dead-to-me macademia on the walls behind them….


Anyone else had a great idea that they failed to execute?  I like to “keep it real” here on decorandthedog.

Dyson DC28 Animal

When registering for our wedding, Nate and I joked about adding a Dyson to our registry. No one in their right mind would spend that much on a vacuum for us and we definitely weren’t going to shell out the cash for a fancy vacuum.

Fast forward 5 years and I’m writing a blog post about our vacuum, the Dyson Animal….that we paid $47.90 for. (Read more about it here.  I would like to thank Mr. Zuckerberg for his wonderful social network creation). 

Do we like our Dyson Animal?



Short answer: Yes!

Long answer:

It definitely has it’s pros.

It does have amazing sucking power.  We also own a  Bissell Pet Hair Eraser that we paid ~$140 for.  The Dyson does suck up more than the Bissell.  Does it suck up enough to make up for the $500.00 price difference?  I, personally, don’t think so. 

The Dyson is very well designed.  The handle makes it easy for little ol’ me to carry it up and down 2 flights of stairs.



It’s easy to dump out the contents…just a click of a button. The Bissell definitely involves some touching of nastiness while the Dyson is nasty-touching free.



The attachments are nice.  Good for cleaning 2 sets of stairs.

The cord is long and reaches half way across our house.

I don’t really have any more cons about the vacuum.  It is a little hard to push in comparison to the Bissell but I attribute that to the extra sucking power.

Having said that, would I buy it again for $47.90? Absolutely!

Would I buy it for $599.00?  No…unless I win the lotto and researchers have found a cure for every horrible disease imaginable and I have no other useful place to put my money.  The Bissell Pet Hair Eraser is a pretty comparable vacuum with a much more agreeable price.

If I’m going to pay $599.00 for a vacuum, it’s going to vacuum the floors for me…and maybe even fold my laundry afterwards.....

Mudroom

Awhile back I shared with you my "secret" to appearing to have a super clean and organized home.

There is more.  As embarrassing as it is.

Our mudroom looked pretty innocent.

Until you opened the doors....

No matter how hard I tried, we could not keep this closet clean and organized.

One of the main problems was the shoe situation.  Shoes were stored where they landed after we kicked them off. 

Unacceptable.

I found this shoe organizer at Lowe's for $12. 

It was supposed to be easy to assemble. 

Obviously 8 years of college did me no good in shoe storage assembly because this thing almost made me cry. 

They forget to mention in the directions that there are "right (painted)" and "wrong (unpainted)" sides that are important to pay attention to when assembling so you don't end up with a nasty looking finished project. 

(Yes, common sense would be handy here but not all of us are blessed with such skills.)

After about 45 minutes (for a project that should have take 15 minutes...max), I had a nice storage solution.

I then moved on to cleaning out the closet.  This included taking everying out and moving items to their appropriate home.  I threw a few things away.  I then wiped the area down, moved everything back in the closet, and wah-lah.....

It makes me smile. 

Well, it did until Nate told me that the shoe shelf was too hard to use because he can't just kick his shoes off.  A girl can't win.

Have I inspired you to clean out a closet?  Or does Nate's comment make you realize it's probably not worth the effort?

There Are No Words…

This is what happens when my mom takes scissors to her cat….

And she is leaving his hair like this. Wow....

Valspar’s Gravity

Gravity is my friend! :)

Most decorating blogs that I read tape about 50,000 color samples to the wall to decide which color is best for their room.

I go to Lowe’s and pick out the prettiest sample.  I walk away for a few minutes and then come back and pick out another pretty one.  It’s usually the same color.  I take that color sample to the paint counter, buy a gallon, and head home to paint.  It’s a science.

Say good-bye to Macademia and hello to Gravity…..




I tape everything….because I am the world’s messiest painter.  I surprisingly didn’t make a mess.  Go me!  AND….I painted the entire room all by my lonesome.  This was huge for me. 

Luckily, Nate and I were on to this whole “decorating world going grey” thing in a lot of rooms in our house.  I don’t know WHAT we were thinking when we painted this guest bedroom beige when the rest of the basement is grey.  I think we were thinking that we just want to be done painting and we have some of this macademia color left.


It was later in the day when I took this picture but the bedroom grey now matches nicely with the darker hall grey.

(See more finished photos here)

And then I looked at the guest bathroom next door…..


More Macademia…….Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Who wants to help me paint???

How do you pick out your paint colors?  Are you a sample taper or do you just wing it?

Sunday Night Supper

Hope you had a great week-end....I’m exhausted….

On a happy note, the guest bedroom is now a beautiful grey.  Pictures to come this week!!

While I was cleaning up my paint mess, Nate whipped up one of my favorites….Cheeseburger cups…
 


Delicious.  Eat these.  You will not be disappointed. 

Cheeseburger Cups
1 lb ground beef
1/2 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce (my favorite word to say….Worcestershire)
1 tube (12 oz) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
shredded cheese
Brown beef. Drain. Stir in ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. 
Press each biscuit onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased muffin cup. Spoon beef mixture into cups; top with cheese. 

Bake at 400 degrees for 14-16 minutes or until gold brown.

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