Thursday, October 13, 2011

Galvanized. That is right I said Galvanized.
Do you know what I speak of??? 
If you haven't noticed I am pretty fond of it. I have it in alot of pics that I post, and cannot get enough of the stuff. I think it started when my mom had a tub she always let us play with. It was the old fashioned laundry tub type. Most Grandmas have the wash tub, they usually have pansies or petunias in them. {at least my Grandma did once upon a time...} I scoop them up when I find them at a good price, however now they becoming popular, which means they going to get expensive. uggh. I have done some amazing things with Galvanized buckets, truly. I will show you some examples.......{above, is my favorite...love the wooden handle} hopefully these will inspire you the next time you see them at a yard sale or antique store for 5.00..... Yes I know that much pretty for 5 bucks........

Friday, September 30, 2011

October 1st.......

So we are near my FAVORITE month of the year, and I get all giddy with excitement! Pumpkins, fall leaves, pies and apples! I have new pics to up load and tips to share, so get ready y'all! What do you like to do to get ready for fall? Don't forget to visit TheNesting Place, to see Nester's 31 days blog...... knowing her, it will be mind blowing!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Fall Fabulous on a Budget

So now that I have a wee bit of time squeaked out for me to type to my hearts content, I will answer a question I get a lot from clients, and from friends who come to my house and need decorating ideas. So over the next couple of days, I will be posting ideas and if your not a stalker {which by the number of subscribers I doubt it..} I can tell you the name of my go to spots for the best stuff.

1. First if you haven't noticed, fall is one of the best times to redecorate, because there is inspiration everywhere. With that said, my go to, 2nd week of  September pick me up, is the Glade Apple Cinnamon candle. Dirt cheap, at $2.48 each, how can you go wrong?

2. Safeway {grocery store here on the west coast..} starts bringing out the small pumpkins in bags of 10 for $4.99 each, umm ya hello, can I tell you that is one of the easiest things and cheapest things to do......! seriously!

3. Farmers Market. So, I am a decorator, so I can get flowers at a wholesale price. Now even still, I am a cheap gal, and I try not to spend money on much. However, at the farmers market, you can get a bunch of Sunflowers for $5.00 that is 10 stems!! AND if you didn't know, Sunflowers last a very long time.

4. Lastly, the freebie!!!! {save the best for last ya know!} Branches. These are my "ace in the hole". They are everywhere. Mossy, Birch, Corkscrew, ones with fallish leaves, Maples....... My family has a rolling joke about my sickness for branches......{still trying to find help for that, ok not really!} However, they make the best statements, and if you find one with beautiful leaves attached, its a bonus!

So there you have it. A few go to tips, no go and make your house pretty!
xoxoxoxox

Monday, September 26, 2011

Broken Toe and Frustration.........




   {my booth that used to be at Found on Fremont}




So here it is, the first weekend of fall, and I have a broken toe. Its been in this state for about 3 weeks. uuuggh. There is nothing and I mean nothing that is more frustrating for you then to have to slow down and take it easy during what can be the most exciting part of the year.{for me at least}So I did little things here and there to "fall up" the place. So here is the list of the "go to. must haves" of the fall season:



1. Galvanized buckets, they are amazing, old. and can hold anything from pumpkins to corkscrew willow, and those yummy cinnamon scented pine cones......

2  Pumpkins. Nuff said.

3. Corkscrew willow and maple leaf branches: they are everywhere and people always have them. Its easy to take a branch and just incorporate it behind a stack of pumpkins on your porch. Instant texture {for free!}

4. Grasses and kale: they are the easiest fix. When I do people's porches or do the mantle, that is the go to item. They add height and they add drama. You  don't even have to take them out of the little plastic pot they came in... just put your pumpkins down, then the grasses behind, and kale on the side {sounds like I'm ordering dinner...} after the season is over, you can plant them in the garden.
So there you have it.  Enjoy your Monday, while I have a cup of Joe, and elevate my toe.
xoxoxox
Em

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Fall

Well here it is. My favorite time of year. Fall is the best isn't it? I mean when can you see crisp mornings fresh with dew, and chilly east wind, warm up to a sunny beautiful day? Seriously. The colors are amazing, most of the best produce is out during fall, and there is an energy in the air. I remember when I was a kid, walking home from school, and the east wind was blowing, just thinking how fresh it was, so clean the air seemed. Even now when I know the east wind is coming, the windows need to be open. To air the house out. So when this time of year rolls around, I get a little {just a little}excited. Take pumpkins. Just looking at them makes you smile.
 Fall is the last hurrah  for all plants and flowers to show off before they go to sleep for winter. So take time and enjoy the sights around you and really take it in. Its quite intoxicating!

Monday, September 5, 2011

back to school...........

So its that time of year, which is always a conflict for me. On one hand I am happy to have my quiet and to be able to have freedom knowing that my kiddos are in a "safe environment" and I know where they are. But on the other hand, I miss them being near me. I have been called a helicopter mom, a hoverer {if that is a word..} and have been told on occasion that "you need to cut the cord". But I have had the same thought since they were all born, God sent these miracles to me to take care of, feed, love and watch over, and if I screw up its my fault. Now I do let them have their freedom but in times like these, {kids getting snatched at Target and the like} what is a parent to do? I am rambling, but like I said, I am always conflicted this time of year. Happy and sad. Enjoy your back to school time moms out there!

Friday, June 24, 2011

cleaning.......

 People are vastly different on how they clean, and trust me, I used to use everything under the sun. Until I worked with my sister in law. {she has her own cleaning company} {"Touched by Angels"}
 Then she taught me about cleaning products and what is ok to use and what you should not use.
My kids have severe allergies and bad asthma. So this year I started using her recommendations on cleaners and this was the first year that we did NOT have pneumonia in our house. Everything she recommends is plant based environmentally friendly, and aromatherapy based. Mrs. Meyers is the first one I got, and used it faithfully, learned that the bottle you get is a concentrate and you can change it up, add bleach or make it not as strong for each individual application needed. The next was Caldrea,{ this is Mrs. Meyers big sister.} And she rocks! Same said for all the uses and the bonus is that they smell good, they work very well, and your house doesn't smell like a chemical lab! The other thing she recommends is:  if you use a vacuum, look at how it works, does it suck well? If you have a bag version, do you change your bag? How often? Where is the exit valve? In the back or front? Are you confused? Well I will clear it up for you. First, canister vacuums in my opinion {remember I said my opinion} are not very good at their job. I have used plenty and I'm hear to tell you that they are not that great. They generally have the blower {exit valve} in the front and where is your canister???? That is right, in the front. Blowing back the dust mites you just sucked up....You can clean out your canister to stop it from keep blowing out those particles and maintain your valves. If your concerned, about how well your vacuum suction is, put some paper clippings on the floor and see how much it picks up. Also what will help in the suction department, are you changing your bag once a month? {at least...} I vacuum everyday, that is right everyday. {kids with allergies and a husband that won't take out the carpet.}I change the bags every three weeks. The next thing to check is your front brush, take it out and clean it off. Open underneath and get in the nooks and crannies to get out the stuck dust inside. If you have carpet and pets and shoes coming and going, are your carpets clean? Are you breathing in cleaner air or dirty air? A vacuum is an investment. You need to remember carpet is only clean when you have a good vacuum. Hope you find some of these tips handy!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

busy

as a stay at home momma I have this guilty conscience. and let me tell you sometimes its on overload. I secretly think that sometimes, I don't do enough. seriously. I think I am not worthy of staying at home and doing all that I do...... which frustrates me to no end. I know what I do. sometimes I write down what I do each day for a week and look at it. its really a lot. so this week my kids had the opportunity to see what its going to be like for them with a momma that works. my oldest decided to do her own laundry..... did you hear me??!! her OWN laundry. I shudder to think it would happen again, but she did it. I like the idea of being able to work, make money, {which helps the house hold} but want to be able to keep the ship running..... so that is what is happening this week. i have had many people ask how do you do what you do? so I am going to give anyone who is going to be reading this, a clue into my insanity........

Saturday, February 5, 2011

long weekend.......

So for this long weekend, {which I love, by the way!} my oldest ended up getting ill. Normally I would be a little pill about the whole thing, and not be able to get anything finished, but on the contrary I got alot done. Remarkable. However, I really am not great at taking time for myself {ok there I admit it, in black and white.....} so this weekend with baskeball games, and First communion classes, and a superbowl, I decided to just let me be, do what I wanted {with in reason, I mean I have a sick kid at home...} and got to watch all of my favorite design shows, {it helps when your daughter likes the same ones...} caught a couple of movies, and did a few craft projects......and best of all we snuggled...... nothing like snuggling your soon to be teenager to make you feel great!!!!! and needed!!! xo Enjoy your weekend!

Sunday, January 30, 2011

disapontment.......remix....

So in an earlier post I was disappointed in the wall behind my piano, which happens to be in my dining room...All because there was a this very ugly light in that space...However I am proud to announce that the divine Mr. P. delivered!! and its gone! bye bye! whoo!~ the eyesore has left {not really its in the garage..} and now in its place is nothing! clean and purty! I also took some inspiration from a lovely lady: Emily Jones.....and her design blog. I will be posting pics to follow so you can see how pretty it turned out! Keep posted and have more fun stuff to come!~ xoxo

Monday, January 24, 2011

Monday



This weekend was a long weekend. Not only was it jammed packed with "have too's" but we also had a sick kiddo at home to contend with.... Do you have to deal with "have too's"? I hate them. {very strong word I know but it was necessary here...} I really do. My mother once told me that if you "have too" do something, it means you don't really want to do it. I cannot stand it when she is right. Anyhow, I am a busy person, I have long laundry lists of all of the things I am responsible for and some of those things are "have too's". Does that mean I don't have to do them?? No, because they won't be done by anyone else. You all know that out there in blog land....... For instance, this summer, Mr.P. was especially busy and no one would mow the lawn, did I want to?! No, but I had to because the neighbors would make a comment. {Why they don't tell my hubby when he is home and working outside I don't know, but they must feel like if they tell me I will hop to it......}I would like to know what happens when you finally put your foot down, and say no. Does the world fall apart? Will your house crumble down around you? Will you have a visit from social services because your children's beds aren't made? Do you know how many games I have missed playing because the dishes had to be done? uggghhh. I think PCC needs to offer a class on how to not be busy. I think it would be pretty popular........ Enjoy your Monday!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

so on this {what I would call...} a dreary Tuesday, with a mountain of laundry, piles of dishes, 5 unmade beds, and a bored dog....... This is where I wished I was....Me and the hubster on horses, casually trotting along the beach. Of course, now if this was REAL, my dog would be making the horses crazy, my kids would be fighting about who would be riding ahead of the other one, and Mr. P. would be complaining that the saddle was too small and his butt hurt. But I digress....Not many of you know a lot about me, and that is ok, {I am mysterious! hahahah...} I would love to sell off this suburban lifestyle and home school my kids, I would love and I mean love to have a working farm. The simplistic lifestyle that we see from the outside is actually a lot of work...My parents sold their life in suburbia when I got married and my sister finally moved out to do just that. My dad for years wished that we could get out of the city and buy a farm. My mom didn't like that and we never did. However now I see why he wanted it, the quiet, the fresh air, the boundless opportunities to be creative out of doors....Mr. P and I contemplated it, when the kids were little....We would go on the weekends to visit and the chores that you had to do just to keep the place up was enormous, seriously. However the best part of that, was when the chores were done you could see the fruits of your labor. IE: chickens fed, eggs gathered, horse stalls cleaned and horses ready to ride, cows fed and happy..... not like now when you get maybe 2-3 hours of clean house and dishes only to have your kiddos home and destroy it like a tornado came through. {so not complaining, just observation...} The jet set city life has its ups and downs, but farm life is about family, in its essence. The family is a team, you work as a team to get it done. Everyone pitches in. Otherwise it doesn't get done.  When we moved back to Portland, we thought we could do the urban farm thing {which I completely miss..} and have chickens and for that brief time of having them, my kids were completely happy. They wanted to help. It was amazing to them to see how the chickens laid eggs, how many they got, what they loved to eat, and how cool it was to have chickens as a pet instead of the typical dog or cat. Now fast forward 3 years, and I cannot get them to help take the dog for a walk unless its 74 degrees out and not a cloud in the sky! We have conversations about selling and moving to a farm a lot here, and they all would love it, but would miss the city life...  I guess that is why we haven't as of yet, this city mouse is really not ready to be a country mouse quite yet. But someday she will and will be completely content.......So for now I will stare longingly into this photo and wish upon a star that we can be that couple someday..... Mr. P only has 9 more years until retirement, and that isn't that far off...... It may happen just yet! xoxox

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Well I did it.....I have made the decision to post a blog that will do what everyone has been asking me to do... I will "try" to incorporate decorating ideas, bites from my favorite blogs {I have quite a few that I follow...} and hopefully, you will find some inspiring ideas and thoughts along the way! Thanks for reading!
Emily~