Shop Dogs!

This is by far the #1 Christmas or Father's day gift. Even if us girls do not quite get it- your man will be super excited. You will not believe how much use they will get out of them!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkqhJh2wSgM

By the way the price is so very REASONABLE!

good read......

Just finished this little jewel. I really enjoyed it.........the only downer is I now have to wait until November for the next one which means with my "not so functioning brain" I will have to read this one again to keep up!

Cereal House....

My friend Kellieanne found this cute idea I think in Family Fun. She had saved boxes forever and after she made her house she donated to our pile so we could make one of our own. It has been a really fun family activity. With the low heat glue gun the kids have even been able to build their fort. It is hard for me to let crafts go when the kids participate- Chad and I wanted to do it correctly and organize the boxes in size and shape and build a masterpiece. After we had our plan all organized we found that the kids had already started and were gluing boxes every which way. Oh, well It was supposed to be about them after all! We are far from being done so if you are a flagstaff friend SAVE YOUR CEREAL BOXES!

Penga-lins!

Everybody knows about Tate's obsession with penguins, so I was quite happy to find this fun kids craft on Martha Stewart. The cool part about it is you use up material scraps and use artwork from your kids as the pattern. I am so frustrated with our new computer (we made a switch to a MAC) in many ways it is amazing but as far as making links copying and pasting I am at a loss. If you go to Martha's website and click on kids sewing projects you will find this one. I will learn how to make a link soon- I promise!

{bomb.com curlers}

I had quite a few e-mails regarding the curlers I had posted Livia in on my family blog. I decided to do a post here in order to give you the info you need to go and getcha some. The name of the curlers are "Curlformers" They are so easy to put in. I have it down to a science now and the curls last a few days which is great when getting ready for school. There is a hook (which is sold separate from the curlers) that pulls the hair through a tube. The tube is formed in a coil and pops back into that shape after the hook is removed. Livia (who is ever so concerned about how things "feel") has not once complained about sleeping in them. You can also put them in and blow dry the hair for a quick curling. I bought mine at a beauty supply place like Sally's. They come in bags of different sizes and I think mixing up the size of curls makes it seem more natural looking. Hope this answers some questions!

re-vamped frames and pictures

I have been trying to consume less and reuse older things in an attempt to prove to my husband I CAN be thrifty. I had these black frames that Livia and I painted and distressed and then used just some simple scrap book paper for the mats. It was so easy and simple and I love how it turned out. Plus I only spent ten bucks on the prints. A whole wall over haul for almost nothing!

{getting NAKED}

Right now I have been working on updating myself with a new fresh face of makeup and even a new hairstyle. I have been getting makeup tips from a great tutorial website that was given to me by my most amazing makeup friend, Nicole. Her tutorials are amazing and very helpful. This is my number one recommendation out of ALL of the makeup I just purchased. It has changed my life- silly- I know. But seriously if you have cute hair and makeup, you can wear your trashy mom sweats and still look hot. It is worth the investment. The Makeup website is called: Makeupgeek.com I have also copied the description on the pallet below. They are always sold out of these but you just have to be persistent. Mine actually came with a black and brown eyeliner in the place that the picture shows a brush. I think my next post will be on brushes because you really have to get the right ones I have found to apply makeup the RIGHT way. You should be able to click on the picture below to get to the tutorials!Naked Palette
What it is:
A universally flattering palette that features 12 eye shadows with a distinctly Urban look.

What it does:
This long, lean, and seductive case comes packed with 12 gorgeous neutrals that work for absolutely everyone. Shades range from delicate champagne to gritty gunmetal, and feature five stunning new shades. A variety of textures, including glitter, shimmer, and matte, ensure that you'll never get bored. This versatile palette can go from office appropriate to a night on the town. The mirrored case also features a new professional-quality, cruelty-free Good Karma Eyeshadow Brush, plus a travel-size Eyeshadow Primer Potion in original formula.

This set contains:
- 12 x 0.05 oz shadows in: Virgin (nude satin), Sin (champagne shimmer), Naked (buff matte), Sidecar (beige sparkle), Buck (brown matte), Half Baked (bronze), Smog (golden brown shimmer), Darkhorse (bronze-plum shimmer), Toasted (taupe-bronze), Hustle (mocha shimmer), Creep (near-black metallic), Gunmetal (dark grey metallic)
- Good Karma Eyeshadow Brush
- 0.13 oz Travel-size Eyeshadow Primer Potion

{my comeback}

I have to begin with how very shocked I am that so many people have missed my posts on this blog! It seems that there is an explosion of cool domestic loving blogs out there and I figured no one was even looking at this little silly space on the web anymore. I was wrong. I have received so many ego building e-mails requesting that I please inspire and post again. That I am missed and my blog has great realistic projects and ideas. I am flattered I tell you. And as a result I have decided that I too have missed sharing thoughts and projects on this blog. It has been so much fun and kept me going through many a boring mommy stage in my life. So I am pumped and ready to get inspired again. Thank you (and you all know who you are) for taking the time to e-mail me and motivate me. And- NO!- I never think that people are crazy that I have not formally met who enjoy my blog- are you kidding me? I have been doing a lot of organizing and de-junking as of late and have tons of ideas swimming in my head- I will share them all. Thank you again for making me feel special.

{it is time}

Heather Bailey's Studio

So here is the dealio- I am drowning................completely submerged in a crafting chaos. There is no nice way to put this- It SUCKS! I have always known crafting is messy but it is still a balancing act. If you get too messy the creative juices come to a halt. That is where I find myself. I have decided to give the ENTIRE house an organizational overhaul. Why?- that is just how I roll. None of this little project here and there stuff for me. I am all or Nothing baby! So my list includes the following:

• Organize Kitchen cabinets
• Organize linen closet
• Organize Laundry room
• Organize all crafting spaces
• Organize Garage
• And just for extra credit- organize the under house storage!!!

I know it is ambitious but I feel like after the summer we had I need to get things back in order. I will keep you posted on the outcome and who knows maybe some great crafting and decorating will be the result.

{Tanner's Room}

Tanner was kicked out of the nursery and so it was time for Shannon to turn the guest room into a little boy's domain. We had a great time basically copying a room out of Pottery Barn that Shannon loved. We ordered the bedding from PB and then we made our own version of a piece of wall art they sell. The dinosaur was not difficult to make what so ever. We probably made it for under 12 buckaroos and I think PB sells it for over 100. The only headache with that particular project was dealing with Isaac at the Home Depot (I bet Shannon is cracking up at that thought) Another great find were the paint buckets sold for around five bucks at Wal-Mart. They are located in the paint section and they had many different colors to choose from. Of course Tanner had to have the camo. We used a coffee table and these buckets to create Tanner a little play table in his room. Shannon and Tanner were thrilled with the end result and so was I............

{baby girl room}

While in Alaska, My sister in law and I gave the nursery a makeover! We had to get it ready for a little girl. We painted the walls, painted a mural, made easy canvas/paper wall hangings and bought some of the cutest baby bedding from Pottery Barn. It was so much fun getting ready for Shannon's first little girl. Thank you Shannon for always giving me my way.............

antlers without the kill................

Go to this delightful sight to make some classy antlers out of foam core and wrapping paper. My dear friend Theresa sent this one to me a while back and I think it is just Terrifical! (stole that word from Ramona Quimby) This will fit quite nicely in Mr. Tate's room.

{robot fiasco}

For Tate's birthday this year we focused on his electronic love affair and went all out robot style. It was a success down to the very last computer chip. Here our some pictures of our party favors and activities. My personal favorite was the "build-a-bot" activity. The kiddos were able to build their very own robot head with magnetic nut and bolts and other robotic looking facial features (it was like a robot Mr. Potato Head) we also played pin the sprocket on the robot and had a robot dance lesson from the birthday boy. All of my ideas came from Family Fun and the cake was made with a whole bunch of help from my friend Morgan (click here for her cake site) We made a cd filled with robot music for each guest. I realized quickly that I might have gotten caught up in impressing the mothers of the kids more than the actual party guests (5 year olds). They really could care less about robot labels and fondant icing- ha! It is just how I roll- I know Tate loved his party and that made it all worth it!

{washi tape}

This tape is just beautiful and affordable. I am a sucker for ribbons and trimmings and now I think I will be adding Japanese paper tape to the list!

Click here to order

the new table and the not so new chairs.......

My poor hubcap must think he married a crazy lady. It isn't unusual for him to help me complete a project in our house only for me to change my mind the very next day and have a new inspiration all together. So he was not too surprised a couple weeks ago when I sent him to a rough part of town where a girl with the e-mail address Dirtygirl @ blah blah.com lived so he could purchase a table for me from Craig's list. Isn't he a peach? He was truly nervous about going there and who could blame him? I mean, he is hot- what if she came onto him? It was just a risk I was willing to take- I wanted the table too bad not to (yes it was that good of a deal) I took some of my hoop back chairs and had the poor hubcap do a little painting project with me.. Here is the finished result and I could not be any happier. It really brightens up our kitchen and I enjoy having a round table in this space much more than the bulky rectangle one. I Will say that paint really is the least expensive way to update and change your home. A couple of months ago I found a round table and chairs that I wanted to purchase and decided to wait- boy am I glad I finally am getting the hang of this whole delayed gratification thinga ma jig because I think I like my less expensive version even better!

{Brooch Ribbon Necklace}

Learn How to make this beautiful piece. A while back brooches had a bit of a come back. I hung onto them and now I know why- they are meant to be around my neck! Think how amazing this would be if you used family heirlooms- breathtaking. Now I will be on the lookout at every junk store I enter.

{deep thoughts by tired mothers}

"I totally believe in positive thinking, it just NEVER works"
Amber mother of 2

"Annoying people are just not really fun to be around..."
Lauralee mother of 4

Leave me some of your deep thoughts..............

{bedding Inspiration}

{teacher gifts}

Found THIS great little teacher appreciation project and knew immediately that it would be perfect for Liv's teachers. We do really need to show some love to educators. They are just amazing.We love you Mrs. Skeen and Mrs. Larson!

{a little surprise}

Don't you just love these beautiful rugs? Yes, they are Amy Butler rugs! You will never guess where I found them.......Click here and be amazed......(maybe everyone already knew this and I am just out of the loop as usual these days)