My Latest Obsession

Couponing!!!  I can't believe how much I am saving and the deals that are out there are just amazing! I have to give credit to http://www.happyhomemakercindy.com/ for showing me the light.  If you haven't checked out her website, I highly recommend that you do.  She makes it so easy!  Here are the deals I got today:

3 cans Cream of Chicken Soup
Advil
2 bags of Nerds candy
2 bags of Reese's candy
Hungry Man dinner
2 packages Lipton Alfredo Noodles
Totino's Pizza Rolls
Oatmeal Creme Pies
5 cans Delmonte Pears
Bread
10 lbs. Ground Beef
2 packages of Freezer Bags
Olive Oil
2 containers Mayo
4 gallons Milk
5 packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese
Chunky Soup

All for $45.68 with a savings of $53.78!!! 

Sugar Cookie Bouquet

I made this sugar cookie bouquet for a friend of mine who had a baby boy.  I used the recipe "No Fail Sugar Cookie" from Cake Central.  It's really good!  If you like to make and decorate cookies and cakes, it's a wonderful site to check out and everybody there is very helpful.  I didn't take any pics while I was making them, darn it, but had to show off how cute they turned out anyway!

Back To School!

Today was my son Justin's first day back to school!  7th grade!  I can't believe how fast the time is going.  I have to say, I did miss him not being here. :(  So, here he is, being forced to pose for the back-to-school pic before leaving to catch the bus.  Hope you have a great year, Justin!!

Bar Stool Makeover

I have a pair of bar stools that were in need of a makeover and this is what I came up with....

Here is what they looked like after I had given them a base coat (forgot? to take a before photo of them, one of them I had used as a plant stand and water had damaged the top of the stool, it was GROSS!)

I printed out stencils from my Print Shop program and traced them on.  After tracing the words, I was going to try and paint them in but that would have taken me forever. So instead, I just colored them in with a Sharpie marker. Way easier!!

                  

This is how they turned out, I LOVE THEM!!

Did I mention that I work at a doggie daycare?

I thought about finishing them off with a coat of poly but got distracted and haven't done it.  So far, so good!  They've held up well!

****UPDATE: ABSOLUTELY seal them with something! I have to re-do them now because they are so banged up. Lesson learned! :(

 

Kitchen Countertop Re-do

For a long time I have been wanting to replace my kitchen countertops but wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do. After alot of searching on the internet, I came across Wallpaper Illusions. It was the answer to my prayers! Not only was it easy to do, it was fool proof and cheap but not cheap looking (at least not in my opinion)...just the way I like it. I'm not affiliated with this company whatsoever, just have to sing their praises for creating such a great, inexpensive product!

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Not bad for under $50.00!

This is how easy it is to do:

1. Prime the countertops. (Don't remember the exact type of primer I used, this project was from about 2 years ago.)

2. Tear the pieces of wallpaper into the sizes you like.

3. Dip the pieces into water and place on countertops.

4. Repeat steps 2 & 3, overlapping the pieces as you go. When placing the pieces around the sink, use the straight edge of the wallpaper.

5. Let dry completely.

6. When dry, put on 5-6 coats of Minwax Polycrylic sealer, sanding lightly in between.

7. Let cure 7 days before placing anything back on the counters.

It's held up fabulously for the past 2 years!

*Note: I don't place anything hot on the counters, I use the trivets that I conveniently have hanging on the backsplash. ;) I also don't set food on the counter, I always use a paper towel or plate underneath.

Here we go....

I'm new to the world of blogging and I'm excited to get my feet wet!  So, first things first....I'm married and have a 12 year old son.  I work part time at a doggie daycare. My house is small, less than 900 sq. feet so I'm always on the lookout for new storage ideas. I've painted my living room twice in the past 6 months and still don't love the current color.  Contrary to popular belief, it's not my favorite thing to do and my husband swears the room has shrunk an inch since we moved in because I've painted it so much. I, on the other hand like to think I've just added some extra insulation. ;) So, welcome to my blog!