Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Hanging Jewelry.

I've seen many posts on craft blogs and also Pinterest about creating a rack for necklaces. Some have hooks, some have fancy pegs...

Since we live in an older home (Yes, it's still for sale) and have very limited storage options, I've had to get creative. I found an old towel rack that hubs had in the basement. I spray painted it black, screwed it to the wall in our closet, added my necklaces and... voila!



It's very nice to have and looks great in the closet. 


And it fits all my necklaces. 


What have you crafted this week?


Wednesday, July 25, 2012

House for Sale.


**UPDATE***
We did, in fact, sell our cute little home. We moved out right before Christmas last year, lived with my aunt & uncle over the holidays and were able to be in our new home on Jan. 2, 2013. We love it and are excited to grow our family here! Baby due in January 2014! 


Our house is for sale.

I mentioned our home is for sale in my last post about gardening, and it got me thinking. I have a perfectly snazzy platform right here to share about our adorable home that happens to be for sale.


(Click on the above image to view larger)

My husband and I are hoping to move on from this lovely place to something a little larger better suited for a family. We can't move on, however, until this home sells. 

So let me tell you about it...

This 2-story home is over 100 years old. It is well-kept and located in the quant town of Milford, Indiana.

Outside it boasts a large front porch, back deck, split rail fencing, 3 sheds (one looks like a playhouse), and a large backyard.

Inside you'll find 3 cozy bedrooms, 1 bathroom, original wood trim and staircase, spacious living room, formal dining room, foyer and kitchen with updated appliances.

The home is well-insulated and we installed a new furnace and AC unit in 2011 (in other words, the utility bills are low).

Our home is perfect for a first time homebuyer or single person. It would also be great for a couple (young or seasoned) looking to enjoy each other without children.

Please call (574) 453-6077 if you are interested in adopting our beloved home. We are anxious to begin the next step in our lives... minis!

God bless!




Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Amateur gardening.

I've never been much of a gardener.

Until recently.

As a child, "gardening" to me meant pulling weeds in my mom's flower garden and picking green beans and strawberries in my step-mom's garden. Essentially, it was a chore. It always seemed hotter than Houston, too! Bleck!

As an adult, "gardening" has proven to be meditation. A sense of accomplishment. A sense of PRIDE. Who knew I would grow to love gardening? Well, flower gardening. I have yet to tackle that vegetable garden thing. Maybe next year.

Before hubs and I got hitched, our current home [a quant little 2-story that happens to be for sale ::hint hint::] used to just be "my soon-to-be-husband's house." I had no vested interested in the thing. Post wedding, that all changed. That's when I decided I cared about how it looked. It was my home, too, and I wanted it to reflect my taste. 

Earlier this spring when the weather suddenly got nice (mid-March?!), I had a vision. But this was what I was starting with. Check out that mess on the side of the house in front of the windows. YIKES!


Actually what I started with was much worst. These photos were mid-project when I realized I never took official "before" pictures. The front bed was almost completely taken over by lillies. They're evil flowers... 

It was bad. Like jungle bad. You see, my husband has owned the house for over 8 years. He's very tidy. Clean. Keeps the house in order inside. 

But he enjoys gardening as much as I enjoy washing dishes. 


Dreadful.

No worries. Angie to the rescue!

I started by sectioning off the flower bed using sticks and string. This helped me see where to pull weeds/grass and where to leave it. (Keep in mind at times it was so overgrown that it was hard to decipher between lawn and flower bed.)


I kept pulling and digging and transplanting. It became addicting. I could picture what I wanted it to look like and I kept going. Something great about gardening is... its free! Sans the cost of mulch, it's really just a ton of sweat and hard work - a great workout! Some of those weeds were stubborn!

We made a trip to Menards to see about mulch. They had a sale on the red stuff, Ruby somethingorother, so we bought a ton. It was only about $3.50 a bag so really not all too much.


I filled that in all along the front and along the side of the house. 


Then I added rocks along the bed to define it. My dad has a plethora of rocks at his farm - again, FREE! 


It's amazing how much work went into getting it just that far. I had mounds and mounds of weeds and sticks and junk and a few trips with the wheel barrow. 

[call me if you'd like some rose of sharon starts]


I worked until a certain point along the side because at the time what needed done was more than I wanted to tackle. I had done so much, and I needed to take a break. 


At one point in the process it was very obvious from the road what was done vs. what still needed done...



About 2 weeks later I started back up and tackled the rest! I'm very proud of how it turned out. I had it all done in time for our house to go on the market in May. (this picture is still missing the rest of the rocks, but now they're there and it's lovely)


Comparing this year to how it looked last year for sale, I'd say it is quite the improvement! (plus it helps that the grass is greener 2nd time around)

What I've learned.. Gardening is fun. Gardening is a workout. Gardening makes your house look pretty and tells buyers that you love your house, and so should they! It's an adorable home.

If you're in the market for a smaller 3 bedroom, 1 bath home with tons of charm inside and out, contact me. We're ready to upgrade to something larger that is more fit for a family :) 

Happy Tuesday!



Monday, July 23, 2012

iPhone Volume.

I've heard and read things about the speakers on the new iPhones blowing. It generally happens from playing music at max volume too often. Since I didn't get the Apple plan (stupid, stupid, stupid) I'm very paranoid about something going wrong with my phone. Oh wait, a month after I had it, I dropped it and shattered the screen. That's right. Almost forgot about that... [grrr]

So, in an effort to save my speakers on my iPhone but still enjoy my Friday morning dance party while getting ready for work at an energetic level, I fashioned this little contraption. 


It combines the function of a megaphone with my knowledge of the basic echo. And for the official record... it totally works! I keep my volume around 75% and put it in the cup and it increases! I felt like a mini-genius when I thought this up and had to share. 

Happy Monday!

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

Vodka, Bud Light and Freedom Day.

Does anyone else feel like yesterday was Friday and today is Saturday? Too bad tomorrow is Monday again... sort of.

This year for July 4th celebrating, husband dude and I are joining our friends on the boat for a day on the lake. I've incorporated a couple Pinterest finds for the day's festivities.

First up was a special request from girlfriend Rachelle... Skip & Go Naked Punch. The name makes me giggle a little bit. I found the recipe here The It Girl Project via Pinterest. 


The recipe is easy. 
• 6 pack of beer (I used Bud Light)
• 1 can of pink lemonade concentrate (Walmart brand, holla!)
• Vodka (I used Smirnoff Strawberry). 


You pour in the beer, add the concentrate and fill the concentrate can with vodka and add that in, too. Mix it up. That's it. And it.is.delicious! Delicious! My container isn't as classy as the original photo, but glass isn't safe on the water, ya'll. The Bubba Keg is the way to go! (HA!) 

Next up was assembling the Flag Fruit Kabobs. 


Ingredients needed: Bananas, strawberries & blueberries. Also some kabobs picks. 


I'm excited to eat them!



And as an extra bonus, I painted my nails for the occasion, too! 


I used the toothpick technique to make the polka dots and the less than impressive "star" on my thumb. You don't want to see my RIGHT thumb that I made with my LEFT (non-dominant) hand. It's sad. But I had fun doing it :)

Happy Independence Day, friends! Be safe and have fun!