Stocking stuffers for the older girls used to be a breeze. Bobby pins, hair ties, socks, lotions and potions and sugar and spice. Well every since I applied a magnet (with adhesive, can find a 3 pack at Jo-Ann Fabrics or Michael's) inside my medicine cabinet we have not lost bobby pins. They are nice and organized, magnetized right within easy reach when doing hair. I also have a magnet on the wall in Paige's room right next to her full length mirror. I bought hair ties that come with a metal ring, similar to a key ring to store hair ties on. Organized....never lost. We have missing socks boards to help when putting away laundry and located singles that get seperated in the laundy. What am I to put in their stockings now?! The Grinch aka Pinterest has stolen my go-to items!
Cindy Lou-Who shall fear not for there is still on the wish list. I have checked off quite a bit of projects...PVC pipe shoe racks to keep pairs together and easily accessed. Cereal boxes cut into organizers to neaten our junk drawer. Old shutters sitting in the garage were pulled out, washed off, spray painted and hung as ceiling tiles in the enclosed porch. A piece of spray painted (I love you Krylon) wood and some glued on clothes pins to make a masterpieces display for artwork created by my little one. My house has literally been Pinterestisized. I should have taken house before Pinterest and after Pinterest pictures. I went from loathing this old farmhouse to loving it. I would see gorgeous mansions and in the same moment of being in awe I would think ughh...I would never be able to keep up with cleaning that monster. It's hard enough to keep this two floor, four bedroom house clean and organized on my own. Pinterest was literally my bff in helping me make a house into a home.
One room I was never fond of was the kitchen. It was okay, done in a grape theme that at one time was very stylish but now is an outdated look. The worst aspect of the kitchen was the carpet. I HATE carpet in the kitchen. There are two rooms that you never ever have carpet in. The kitchen and the bathroom. Even worse, the carpet was a dark green so every little bit of dirt or food would be like a neon light. Every spill would be a stain. Cupboards were a nice solid wood set, but outdated. One day I just snapped. Decided to start with a backsplash. I grabbed the car keys and drove off to my FantasyLand aka Lowe's.
$100 later and I had a tiled backsplash. I also had the start to a several long month fire that burned in me to motivate and complete (yet thrifty) revamping of our home. Living room I painted opposite walls a deep Ox Blood red (yes really the name of the paint) that I got off the clearance rack at a local Ace Hardware. I left the other two walls a beige. I spray painted an old wicker stand black and used it for DVD's. I took an old dresser in storage, took drawers and braces out, spray painted it black and use it for blanket storage. I spray painted all my picture frames black and put a new rug in the living room and LOVE the results.
I took an old and FREE entertainment stand that I saw by the side of the road and made a kitchen play set for my daughter. Lesson learned from this was to measure the staircase prior to doing a project meant to go in an upstairs bedroom, but this issue was fixed by borrowing a Load-All and some man power. Easy peasy!
I revamped both girls rooms with some paint, decals and new bedding. In my oldest daughter's room she had a corkboard that I covered with some fabric to update the look. Decals and paint in my staircase. Paint and painter's tape to create an abstract designed wall. Fabric and some plywood to create wall hangings. Decals and a new shower curtain in the bathroom. Finally I had run out of projects to do except finish the kitchen that had sat with a new brown and white tiled backsplash with green and purple walls. I did a faux finish with two tones of brown on the wall. I took apart the cupboards and steel wooled years of built up grime off the wood. Instead of buying all new hinges and cabinet handles I cleaned them up by soaking in vinegar for a few hours, scrubbing with some dish soap (the grime comes right off after the vinegar soak) and then, of course, spray painting the handles, hinges and screws. Voila, new updated cabinet hardware! I was going to leave the cupboards but the plain wood really bugged me and clashed with the new colors. I started by painting the upper cabinets white. My husband asked me to leave the bottom cupboards the wood colored. I didn't like the thought but reluctantly agreed.
Until this weekend that is.
My husband always goes to the Southern Tier opening hunting season weekend and camps for the whole weekend. This used to bother me in our newlywed stage but now does not phase me at all. Honeymoon phase is over. However, my five year old was an emotional mess over Daddy leaving for the weekend. She clung to him and her older brother, begging and pleading for them not to leave. She was petrified they would never come back or in the course of a weekend, forget that she existed. Thursday night he hugged her tight and promised to wait until she got back from school to leave. Guess who broke his promise? I was irritated that he wasn't keeping his word to her but didn't put up too much of a fight, especially after he said he would call her right around the time she got off the bus. That time came and went, no phone call. That phone call never came that night at all. I had to break the news he left already and she was hysterical. Furious does not even come close to how I felt. No excuse for not keeping his word to her.
So I let that emotion simmer over night, of course after a quite pleasant text message to him. The next day it hit me. Perfect timing to go against my word and paint the cupboards. And that is exactly what I did. Not white, like the upper cupboards but I used the deeper of the two brown tones on the lower cupboards. It is gorgeous. I am so pleased. With the outcome and of course the decision of retribution. Oh you forgot to call your daughter? I forgot I told you I wouldn't paint the lower cupboards! Whoops!
Female praying mantis' kill the male after mating. Well played, bitches, well played. Looks like I know what animal I want to come back as in my next life!
So he came home, took one look at the cupboards, said, "Disgusting" and that was that. Ugh, disappointing reaction. I am not sure what I expected though. He was well aware of what he was getting when he married me. An alpha male would not be able to handle the woman I am.
So now hopefully Santa will drop some wooden laminate flooring down our chimney or at least a Lowe's gift card. I am willing to exchange extra cookies and milk for this gift. I can find some mind blowing cookie recipes right on Pinterest.
In 2013 I plan on doing our extra bedroom over that my stepkids sleep in when they come over as well as our office/gym area and our bedroom. So for now, sugar plums can dance in my head as I dream of those finished projects. I am a bit fearful of what will happen when all my projects are complete. I think I have already proved my idle hands are the Devil's workshop. All the Who's in Whoville should fear that day....
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