This is my year in Review

This is actually a new concept for me.  I was inspired by a fellow blogger friend (you know who you are).   When she put all of her stuff in one blog it really blew me away how awesome she was.

Here go check her out Junkin Junky you will not be disappointed.

So talking to myself, self had a pretty good idea to do something similar.

My is still a little apprehensive.

Ok, look at my attempt first and then click on Mel's link.  That way you won't be so disappointed with my lame attempt.  I'm not dogging myself, just being honest.

I lack finesse.

So I decided to choose one project from each month and then throw a link out there if you wanna argue with me.  I'll let ya :)

January brought craft items for my daughter to organize her stuff, a rewired chandelier made to look French for one of her friends, and tiling my son's bathroom. Jan 2011 stuff

This is what I chose to showcase.  (I feel like I should have an envelope)

(Play award music here)

I really did enjoy this project, it came from an old free dated light fixture and it's makeover was exciting.

Next up is February Feb stuff

It was a short month and there were only 3 posts.  A little harder to choose, would it be the cake stand, the frame or more organizing objects?

I went with organizing.  Plus I got to slip in the previous months object as well.

This is a headband holder and the upper left is matching necklace holder.

I like it because it is an original and the only one I've seen like this.

March is blowing in with lots of ideas and inspiration.  March Madness is full of beginnings.

The bedroom inspiration from brown and down to up and green. a trip to Seattle. odd findings which helped to find more things.  Winning a rug, installing a fan, and finding one of the most bargaining finds ever.  I chose (envelope please)

Flashback Find

The Woodland Trio made a comeback.

April brought many more posts.  A frenzy of activity as I finished up my bedroom.

From the giant owl, to quick change mirror and faking reupholstering a wing back.  I really loved that chair and I loved the price even more (under 20 for the whole thing) but ultimately I had to pick

The whole shebang!  The bedroom was such an amazing transformation.

I still love it and am still blown away with how dark and brown it was before.

May was not to be out done.  With my new found excitement of planning things first.  I tackled the butt ugly patio cement slab thingy.  Which led to many posts but this was my favorite.

It even got featured on Better After.  Le Sigh

June was filled with more of May and another trip to Seattle.

A friend gave me some awesome vintage chairs and that is what I chose for June.

So how about a nice round of applause for June

It just feels like summer, doesn't it?  Besides I won the sewing battle with this project.

July was just fun, fly hats, finials, flowers and finished projects.  It was flipping fabulous!

The patio was FINISHED!

On to August,..... August was not fun.  It was short and nothing fun at all. From destroying my back yard, cutting down giant primitive shrubs, and Kiki being injured and a friend of mine being diagnosed with cancer stage 3.  I just chose this pic

because no matter what life goes on and I am not in control.

September came and made up for August.  It was full of new beginnings and changes.

There were healings (Kiki and my friend) another plan to bring order to chaos and finding things and giving them new life.  I chose new life.

I actually gave this to someone who helped a teen friend as a thank you.

October brought much satisfaction with my art center complete.  I was able to craft again!!

So much more crafting going on than previous months.  I just had to choose the amazing transformation!

You really have to see the before pictures to appreciate the amazingness this picture is.

November came quickly and was filled with preparation for the holidays and a Good Will Hunting find.  Which of course won out.  I just love a good transformation.

I think I might of amazed myself on this one.  It's almost classy.

December really is the one to remember.  The grinch theme was so much fun preparing for and the new plan forming in my head for my living room exploded one day, into a wood accent wall.

So hard to choose on this one so I mixed up two.  Grinchy decorations on the accent wall.

Well, that was my year in review.  Hope you enjoyed the show, don't forget to comment and discuss this new addition.  Exits are on the left.  Have a great day and a very happy New Year.

 



Grinch and Whoville Decorating 101

Lots of pictures on this post.

The first up is the chocolate candy cane hearts that I made for favors for the party.

Melt chocolate

Having people to stir chocolate very helpful 

They came out awesome!

I'm pretty sure they are delicious as well, I haven't eaten one yet but I was covered in chocolate. 

 All of them were a little different.



We made about 2 dz.

The grinch in the middle?

oh, well I couldn't find plates to go with my theme sooo I made them. 

Not as hard as it sounds.

Clear plastic plates and printed out images from the web and some paint pens. 

Paint the outline on the back of plate and then color in the lines.

I had help with this as well. 

I tried to keep it simple and only did 3 images for the larger plates. 

The smaller plates were a little different.

I did the outline in sharpie and then acrylic paint and tried to seal it with spray paint. 

The spray paint ate the acrylic.  I did not realize the nature enemy of acrylic was spray paint.

I will still use them, I will just point out they were caught in a snow storm. 

One of the grinches looks quite insane, I will make sure he will not end up in a child's hands.

Nightmare fodder for sure. 

I am getting excited for the Christmas Eve Grinch found Christmas Party...

Want a quick look around?

Of course you do, that's why you're here.

First up is the fake mantle with sock garland. 

The penguin has no purpose, he kinda snuck in and I didn't have the heart to make him leave.

The sock garland was super easy to make.

Insert "duh" here. 

This is my fireplace wall.

Yesss, my wood stove is wearing a tutu.

A better question would be, why isn't yours? 

Even my awesome cool/hip wall got dressed up.

But not too much, it is cool after all. 

Found the stockings at a thrift store for 29 cents.

Poinsettias found last year for a quarter. 

Candy garland, found at a thrift store for under 2 dollars.

Although it was not fully put together.

Also no one knew what it was.

Yay for Pinterest and the wisdom I gained to understand the previous owners intent. 

Another look at my uber cool wall.

It's so cool, I may have to loose weight and dye my hair just to fit in. 

Up shot of candy garland 

Wall of windows rocking the bells and green ribbon 

Other side into dining area. 

Then back to the tree. 

I think after Christmas I will have a grinch bulb give away.

If anyone is interested.....

So thank you for coming with me on my tour of my living room Whooville decor.

I hope you enjoy the holidays and have a Merry Christmas.

I'm back and reflecting

So I was sitting in my bedroom and was still tickled with how it came out.

I was just really thankful for everything in it and the people who helped me.

The awesome chair given to me in an old post.

The sweet "i love you because" diy art that even my daughter now uses.

 So many things in here that make me smile

Those awesome floating shelves I found at a thrift store.

When asked how much they were, they said "those things?...how about free." 

Then I found a couple of Easter baskets for 10 cents and spray painted them grey.

Yes, I know, my window treatment is still pretty horrible.  Still plotting on that. 

The green makes me happy.

Speaking of thankfulness and green.

We decorated our tree last night, very late for most people, I know.

Yet, I am ok with that. 

So everyone was pitching in this year.

If you were in the house you were decorating the tree. 

Rooo was in charge of guarding the sparkly stuff.

There was much excitement over participating in the festivities. 

It was evident on all their faces. 

I have a tendency to gather random teens. 

Loving my wall even more!! 

Ok back to the tree.

Are you ready?!?!?

This is my cartoonish grinchy Christmas tree TAAAA-DAAAAAAA!!! 

Having the teens decorate helped in achieving random and bizarre.

It's perfect!!!! 

I am excited to finish up the decorating and adding to what they have accomplished.

So much to be grateful for.

I think the reason I don't start on Christmas early is because Christmas never goes away.

It lives in my heart everyday.



Almost Fabulous

I have achieved almost Fabulous. Kinda, ok, how about better and working on it

This was my fireplace/stove .  Yeah not much to look at, mantle too small and the whole thing just way too big.  I think the people who put this in were just too lazy to cut the backer board.  It's 4x8 and takes up way to much of my living room.

Plus they used thin tile so they broke easily and I'm gonna assume dropping wood on it did not help the state it got to. 

So I said to myself, "self how can this be fixed?"

Glass mosaic tile!

I looked around for quite a while trying to find something affordable.

I finally found this tile at cooltiles.com.  It was only 2.34 a square foot and shipping was extremely affordable.  I also got some dark grey/black for a border. 

I also decided to reduce the size and increase the mantle.

I love the before and after the grout :) 

See how shiny it is!!!  Shiiiiiiny

So I still need to cut the backer board and tile the border but this thing called Christmas is upon us sooo I have to put on hold until after. 

Leaving it in this state would not go well with the Grinch theme party that is coming up.

I dug out a few things and used other things to give the illusion of a mantle and completion. 

Do you like how I used a couple old tiles for the top of the stove?

Giant stockings help to hide future columns for chunky mantle.

I will post more but not for a while since I will be busy getting ready for all the festivities.

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

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