Getting CRAFTY

I had a number of ambitious projects this winter and have finally completed a few and I am so excited our house is feeling more like a home!

In January I had a surgery and was laid up for a few days. When I was finally able to get out I decided to head to the Home Depot, wandered around there for an hour or so, then to Target for a few things. On my way home I stopped into the Salvation Army and saw the hutch I had been dreaming about. Saturdays are 1/2 off EVERYTHING in the store so this was the perfect day for me to stop in. the hutch was priced at $299 so what a DEAL- So of course I had to call my husband and get his approval, he wasn't as excited I but I managed to sell him. One thing about being a creative mind married to an analytic mind is I can see the finished project and have to draw it out for him... So here we go!

I started the project by sanding it down with a fine sand paper and an electric sander. Since I was using the materials we already had I decided to go out and get some additional materials to help move the project along faster. I wanted to see some of the dark stain underneath so it wasn't sanded perfectly...

The second project was a dining room table. One of my favorite stores is in Long Beach, CA called Orange Ave Estate Salvage and Garden www.orangeaveestatesalvageandgarden.com/
Every time I go in there I come out with a treasure. This project was pretty quick, electric sander, course paper and some elbow grease. I used the same white wood stain from the hutch project and wasn't 100% happy. So I found some old paint in the wood shed and put a light coat and wiped it down to get the perfect tint. Once I did that I then decided to add the same light coat to the hutch to finally feel like they were complete...

Another project was a quick face lift- our range hood was looking extremely dingy and I just couldn't get it to look CLEAN enough. So with a little help of some black chalkboard pain we have a new look!

New music interests...

I've been spending quite a bit of time at my computer lately, therefore have been enjoying Pandora. I'm not sure how I found this group (Rend Collection) but I'm LOVING the lyrics and the sound of the banjo.. The way the beat just picks up makes me happy and I just want to dance! Christian music is very new for me, since attending Clairemont Emanuel Baptist Church (in my new neighborhood) I've found a love for it:)

Another group I'm enjoying is Needtobreathe, I first heard them in the movie P.S. I love you and just recently (again thank you Pandora) have heard some more of their songs. Love the sound and the energy they have-

Stationary Organization..

I was in a wedding 3 years ago and the brides father was in the printing business.. I would say we received about 200+ pieces of stationary. In my business I do send a TON of thank you cards and get a wee bit bored with the same look each time. So I am always purchasing more and running out of room and want to be organized. Being that I represent Thirty-One Gifts I decided to invest this last year in our personalized baskets... Here are a few before and after photos..
My goal is to use the remaining 170 personalized cards this year!! Maybe now that I can see them they will be my first choice? I'm actually hoping to reach out to people that don't receive much mail and cheer them up... Maybe I'll start with one of my aunts :)

New year, new me ~2013

My oh my... Almost a whole year has gone by and now that I have more time on my hands I'm going to try blogging at least once a month... Have I said that before? Well, this time I mean it-

2012 in a nutshell- Eric was offered a new position in San Diego, CA and we decided to move last February. Shortly after we moved we found out we were pregnant, then we found out our offer was accepted on our house... Then we found out exactly a year after our first pregnancy loss we were losing our 2nd pregnancy. I didn't share about our loss the year before. I'm sure it would have helped to get it out but I didn't know how to do that and keep our family privacy- private... This year, I'm sharing... I find that the more I share with others the more others have suffered similar losses and it helps me heal. Im sure at some point I'll post our story but I'm moving on..That being said its been 9 months since that horrible news, and 8 months since we have been in our new home- so this blog is really going to take on a life! Woot woot!!

in June 12' Eric and I decided it was time for me to leave my FT job with Residential Elevators .  I was pretty successful there and really enjoyed the industry and coworkers but I needed to focus on ME, US and our home. I did recently promote again with Thirty-One, I'm now a Senior Director which helps me cover a few bills each month (more than a few but not quite as many as I used to pay) :) My team is growing but more importantly the people I am having the opportunity to meet because of Thirty-One has been priceless. So that is what I do- I run my business, go to coffee with my new friends, I started attending bible study on Thursday afternoons, and I'm becoming CRAFTY!! I really am! I can't tell you how excited I am to share the projects that are on my list for this year!! Can you say DOMESTICATED?? Yes I think it's finally happening- I'm domesticating :) officially
Here is a picture of our little family on Thanksgiving in Santa Barbara visiting my in-laws- (I'm using my new iPad so I'm not sure where that photo is going to end up - haha

Ok- this project for January is going to be the BEST! I have been searching for a hutch that was in our budget and worthy of refinishing and here it is!!
(2) photos I'm excited to document this one :) well as long as it looks nice- so that's it for tonight, I'm back and excited! 2013 is our year!! Mine, yours or OURS together :)