Picture Plaques

I have wanted to show you all these picture plaques I made but kept forgetting to take pictures of them.  I finally took pictures of them this weekend.  I have no clue why I didn't get pictures of these when I was making them.

I found a picture from AC Moore that looked similar to the before pictures.  I also bought a package of small clothes pins. 

I spray painted all of them.  Then sanded the edges and put a touch a brown paint on the corners.  Then I used a glaze to make them a little antique looking.

I am definitely planning on making a few more.  The reason I used the clothes pin were so I could update the pictures when I wanted.


I am linking this up to a party this week.  If you want to check out more crafty projects click on the link below.




 Edit: Reinvented Link Party

Foot in Mouth!

Remember yesterday when I was talking about my schedule.  Oh yeah I love my schedule.  It makes the day go by so smoothly.  I know what I am going to be doing at all hours of the day.   Everything was going just as planned for the day.  I went to put both kiddies down for a nap this afternoon.  Jackson fell asleep right away!!

 Can't say so much for Bailey.  She cried when I rocked her for a minute, she cried when I layed her down, she cried, and cried.  She cried so loud that she woke Jackson up all the way downstairs.  So now I have two screaming babies...wonderful!  I go downstairs rock Jackson for a minute and then lay him back down...he is still crying.  Back upstairs to rock Bailey for a minute and lay her down...she is still crying.  They both lay there and cry and feed off of each others cries.  Needless to say Jackson got a 20 minute nap and Bailey got 0!  I guess thats what I get for saying how I stick to schedule. 
FOOT IN MOUTH HUH??

Don't mess with my schedule!

I had a doctors appointment yesterday and had to have my mom come babysit.  Not only did she have to watch Bailey, but Jackson was here too.  That was the first time since Bailey was a little baby I had left her during the day with my mom or anyone besides Jason.  She obviously was really excited. I put Bailey down for a nap before I left because she hadn't one and it would have been too late once I got home to put her down.  Well to my surprise and my mom she ended up sleeping til after I got home aka about a 3 hour nap.  My mom isn't really around Jackson that much except if she stops by occasionally during the day.  So I was telling her everything she needed to know about our schedule and I kind of got exhausted thinking of how "scheduley" (totally made that word up) I am.  So I thought I would let ya know how a normal day goes for us in the "Brouse House." 

• Anywhere between 6 and 7:30 Bailey gets up and then I drag my butt outta bed.  (If she gets up early we watch tv and play for a bit.)
• 7:30 we eat breakfast
• 8:00 Jackson gets here
• 8:15-9:30ish we play downstairs and watch the news
• 9:30ish go upstairs and give Jackson a bottle and lay him down for a nap/Bailey and I go back downstairs and play until he wakes up
• 11ish or whenever he wakes up we go back upstairs and play
• 11:30ish we have lunch and then play til naptime
• 12:30ish I give Jackson a bottle and take him downstairs to lay him down/come back upstairs and lay Bailey down
• Jackson usually wakes up about 1:30 or 2 we play downstairs until Bailey wakes up
• Bailey wakes up about 2:30 or 3/ Jackson and I go upstairs then
• 3ish We play upstairs and I get Jackson's things together
• His mom comes about 3:45
• I start making dinner around 4ish (That is if I make dinner)
• 5ish we eat dinner
• Play until 7
• 7 is bathtime then play a little
• 8 is bedtime for Bailey
• Jason and I watch tv and hang out til 11 and go to bed!

This is my life every single day and I swear it goes like this give or take 30 minutes or so.  I get so aggravated when something doesn't go the right way or something gets me off schedule.  It seems like a pretty easy schedule, which it is at times.  There are just so many details in between like:

• We have 2 sets of baby monitors for each kid.  Jackson naps in the pack-n-play downstairs so when I lay Bailey down I have to make sure the downstairs monitor is off or she will wake Jackson up and vice-versa.
• I also have to make sure I turn them back on or I won't hear them crying when they wake up.
• Did I mention I need to shower??? Usually happens when Bailey goes to bed at night. Sometimes when Jackson takes a morning nap I can.  I dont trust both of them together in the family room while I shower.
• The dogs go in and out about a million times a day.
• I try to keep the kitchen clean during the day. 
• I vacuum up dog hair constantly.
• Did I mention they need their diapers changed?  Yeah that gets mixed in there too!

I know everyone has days just like this, but thought I would share with you so you can keep track of what I am doing at all hours of the days.  Do you have a schedule or just go with the flow?

Bailey got a booboo.....

Well we all know once toddlers learn to climb they think it is the greatest thing ever.  Bailey now climbs on the dining room chairs and sits there like an adult.  Well mostly she climbs up there to see what all she can reach on the table.  I had just put some things on the table for dinner inlcluding an A1 steaksauce bottle.  I walked back in the kitchen and had my back to the dining while Bailey climbed up on the chair.    Next thing I hear is a big boom on the floor and her screaming.  I have no clue exactly how it happened, but when I go to pick her up she is still holding the steak sauce that she grabbed. The next day I made her stand still for a minute so I could get a picture of her first  big booboo. (Its really not that bad but is the worst thing she has done). You would have thought she was posing like a model! Now she walks around and points to it and says booboo.

Her face is just breathtaking with a booboo or not!

So excited!

Last year around this time we decided we wanted to take a trip somewhere just to get out of town. Who doesnt like to just get away for a day or 2? We ended up going to Columbus, OH to do a little shopping.  It was great to get away and fun for Bailey to stay in a hotel for the first time.  The shopping had a great deal to do with the fun too. We ate out, shopped, and even got in the pool at the hotel. 

 Anyways, we have been thinking the past few weeks about where we wanted to go.  Do we go back to Columbus?  Do we go to indoor water park?  NOPE!  We go to Louisianna!!!  Your probably thinking why thats random.  WRONG! Remember my best friend, Lindsey, that I randomly talk about.  She lives in Lafayette, LA which is 18 hours away from here.  She gets to come in twice maybe three times a year.  I keep telling her I am coming to see her and her husband.  But I have always been kind of scared to fly with Bailey by myself considering we haven't flown with her before.  So Jason came up with the great idea to go see her since we can use his frequent flyer miles and stay at her house.  I am so excited I just can't stand it.  We are going in less than a month!  I can't wait and neither can Bailey!!!!!!!!!

(I am still trying to figure this whole lens out.  I have been reading and reading different websites to learn better techniques.  For some reason I can not focus very well and my pictures are turning out blurry.  If you have any tips please share.)

Right now I am sleepy, very sleepy.  Both kiddies are sleeping and hopefully I will be too!  So instead of me boring you with everything thats not going on in my life.  Heres a few more practice photos.

Boring days and a package

Wish I could say something exciting has been going on thats why I haven't posted anything.  Jason got home on Friday and was tired from traveling.  We sat around all evening and had a really lazy Saturday.  Well actually we did laundry all day, so it wasn't that lazy.  Sunday we ran a few errands and then went to my parents for dinner. 

Guess what I got Monday??????  A new lens for my camera.  I have been debating for months whether or not I wanted to get it.  I have read several different blogs saying that its their favorite and highly suggest it. Its not like I am a professional and need all these lenses, but I love taking pictures!! I finally caved in and bought it with my Christmas money.  I have been playing with it all day.  So there will be lots of pictures coming up that I have been taking because I am totally obsessed.  I don't really know exactly how to use it that well yet so some pictures are a little blurry! 

We also got a package in the mail today!

YAHHH Thanks Nanny!!  First off Jason has decided to stop smoking.  Jasons mom sent us the start up kit of chantix and the next few months.  This has been a long battle to get him to stop, but hopefully it will work.

 She also sent Bailey a little something in the package and she loved it!

Recap and good deals!

I have had several questions about painting the table and hutch.  I am just going to answer them on here because I can't find a link back to some of your pages.  So if you have don't have any questions feel free to  skip this section.  I did a posting on the furniture when I first started and you can check it out here.   We didn't like the engraving that the furniture so I filled it in with wood putty and then sanded it until it was flat. After that I started out by primering both pieces of furniture.  I found a primer at Lowes that doesn't required sanding.  It is Valspar Multi-Purpose Primer.  I then painted  the furniture several times with this until it was completly covered (probably 2 or 3 good coats).  I used sponge brushes and then sponge rollers for the flat parts.  They work best because there are less drips to deal with and it goes on smoother.

After letting the primer dry I started by painting it black. I chose a semi gloss as the finish.  I didn't want it to be too dull but not too shiny.   This took several coats as well.  We also used all sponge brushes and sponge rollers so we didn't have as many drips and brush marks.  Since we use the table A LOT we wanted to put something on the table to protect it so we didn't chip the paint or anything.  I have read that several people have used polyurathane to put on the table.  When we asked the lady at lowes she said she didn't know if it would strip the paint off or not because it was pressed wood.  She reccomended  Deft Clear Wood Finish, it is a Semi Gloss Brushing Lacquer.  I haven't heard anyone say that it stripped the paint but didn't want to take a chance at doing it all over again.

I then covered the chairs with a white vinymaterial I got at Joanns.  It really looks pretty close to white leather in my opinion.  It wasn't really that hard to cover.  I had never covered anything before so I looked at the way the material was put on before and just copied the corners.

Things I wish I had done or knew:
1.  We couldn't decide which finish to use so there was a few weeks in between painting and then gloss.  So the table got messed up a little from heat from plates. So decide what you are going to do and do it before using the table.
2. Don't rush.  I put paint on too thick on the chairs trying to not have to paint them again and in some spots it doesn't look as nice as I would like.
3.  I would have left the house after the gloss was put on  because it was a VERY strong smell.  We had to hibernate downstairs all afternoon.

I think that covers it for now.  If you have any other questions please feel free to ask.  If you leave an email I can answer you directly.
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Jason has been out of town this whole week.  Once again I will say it again....I give MAJOR props to all single moms or army wives that their husbands are stationed elsewhere.  It is totally crazy how much a toddler can wear a person down.  I know I do it all day everyday, but I at least get a break in the evenings of sharing duties.  I am totally worn out and I am totally ready for him to be home this evening.

Bailey and I went out to shopping last night just to get out of the house.  Wow there are LOTS of sales going on out there.  We went in Pier One and they had great deals going on.  If I didn't have Bailey with me I would have spent lots of money.  But considering its not the type of store to let a toddler run around in without breaking things I couldn't stay long.  Then we ventured over to Target.  If you haven't checked out their clearance stuff you need to get there NOW!!!  I bought Bailey a wooden highchair for her babydolls that was originally $20 for 4.97.  If you know someone that is into dinasours they had one there that was originally $200 on sale for $37.  Lots of good deals and they all weren't on just the toys.  There was clearance in every department.  Just thought I would share that because I have never seen sales as good as the two had going on.

I also have been doing a lot of thinking recently.  I am going to try and start eating healthier and try and get rid of my pepsi addiction.  So far I haven't had any caffiene since yesterday morning and oh boy is it hard.  I have had the worst headache since yesterday evening. I have taken tylenol twice and tried to sleep it off and its still here.  I tried to post last night but just looking at the computer screen last night made my headache worse. Don't be surprised if my next posting admits I am back to drinking it again!

As you can tell one dog loves to be outside (its like 41 degrees) it feels like spring time because I am so used to it being like 15 out.  The other one could care less she just wants to eat!!!!!!

Due to the lack of caffiene this posting has very random things in it.  Enjoy your weekend!!!

Toys and Awards

Ok So when I last posted my thoughts kind of got away from me and I went somewhere else.  I was looking through all the toys and had so many thoughts and memories.  First off when I was looking at the baby toys and thinking wow those look really old.  I feel like I am not old enough to have toys that look that old.  Then after looking through so many baby dolls (knowing that it wasn't even half of what we really had) I was amazed. First off because I was like wow we spend so much money on all these toys and in a few months or years they get boxed up and put away. 

Does anyone else feel that way?  It makes me sick every few months to pack Bailey's stuff away.  We have tubs after tubs just of her clothes.  I get so mad at myself for spending so much money on her clothes when she just grows out of them so fast.  But I turn around and do the same thing for the next season.  The toys are just as expensive and she doesn't even play with half of them.  But I insist she needs them at the time of purchase.

Ok back to the subject....It made me feel better knowing that one day she can look in our attic or her grandparents attic and get the same feeling that I got.  Memories!  What I wouldn't do to be a kid again. 

I came across a camera that actually looks familiar to my canon.  I thought I would bring it down for Bailey to play with.  She really does carry it around and act like shes take pictures and says cheese.  When you hit the button to snap the picture the lens turns on like a flashlight. 

This is Bailey trying to put my lens cover on hers.

Then I came across this little tape player.  Bailey loves music and loves to turn the radio on on Jason's alarm clock.  The radio doesn't work so I am going to try and find some tapes for her.  She doesn't even realize its supposed to play music, but she still has carried the thing around since we got it home.

Is it just me or do you remember when they didn't come with rewind buttons?  If we wanted to hear a song over again we would take the tape out, turn it over, fast forward a bit, then turn it back over and hope it got to the right spot and repeat.

On a different note I received an award from Amanda at La Blondie Peruana.  I was so excited to receive this.  I apolgize for taking so long to repost this.  I really am bad at reposting awards! SORRY!!  I love reading her blog.  She is living in Peru right now with her husband and has lots of stories of all the new adventures they are taking each and everyday.  Stop by and check her out!

Rules

1) Thank the person who nominated you for this award.

2) Copy the award & place it on your blog.

3) Link to the person who nominated you for this award.

4) Tell us 7 interesting things about yourself

5) Nominate 7 bloggers.

6) Post links to the 7 blogs I nominate.

Interesting Facts

1.  I had two imaginary friends when I was little, Tommy and Girlfriend.

2.  My goal is to learn to make a quilt this year.

3.  I have had grey hair since I was 18.  I am totally not ashamed that I dye my hair.

4. I love staying in hotels.

5.  I normally buy kids tennis shoes for myself because my foot is that small and they are cheaper.

6.  I am thinking of chopping my hair this week.

7.  I have never broken a bone in my body. (knock on wood)

Friends I am Nominating

 Mommy Words

Hatching Hudson

The Mcmommy Chronicles

Me and my boys..Our life, one laugh at a time

The Francis Family

Remodelaholic

Wind Beneath my Wings

Go check out all these lovely ladies.  One is about to have a baby and two have giveaways going on.  Some have hilarious stories and adorable babies they love to talk about.  So make sure you show them love and see whats going on right now on their blog.

Dreams do come true

This past Saturday Jason, Bailey, and myself went to my grandmas.  Jason had to hook up a DVD player for my uncle.  While we were there I wanted to go through her attic just to see if I could find anything cool to bring home.  She has lots of my toys when I was a kid that my parents stored up there.  I started going through tons of boxes and bags, and more boxes and bags. It brought back so many memories of my childhood.  My sister and my favorite thing to do when we were little was to play with our dolls.  We really played everything out to a tee like we were real mommies.  We had real diaper bags we would carry when we would take our dolls places.  They were filled with lots of clothing changes, bottles, and diapers.  Pretty much anything a real baby would need, we carried it for our babydolls.  Looking through all of it almost brought a tear to my eye.  I remember people always asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up and the answer was always  "a mommy."  Afterwards  I just started thinking wow all my dreams have come true.  I actually met that someone that "swept me off my feet" just like I thought my husband would do.  Best of all we had a little Miss Bailey Shae and made my dream title come true!  I was finally a Mommy!!!!  Through all the sleepless nights, early mornings, and aggravated days its totally worth every single second.  Why? Because all the little kisses I get through the day, how her head fits perfectly on my shoulder, how she looks at me and thinks I can fix anything, how when I dance or make a funny face she thinks its hilarious, the way her little tush fits perfectly in my lap to read a book, but most of all because she calls me Momma!

 OK Ok I could go on and on just like any mom, but I can barely see the screen from the tears running down my face.  Plus this totally was not where I was going with my posting today.  So just think of the fun things that could be coming up.  Plus I have a blog award that I received in the past few days that I want to share.  Oh yeah I also just hit 100 followers today.  I can not believe it and am so very excited!  Thank you all for reading my part of the web!

Last Showing

Alright ladies I posted awhile ago pictures of the hutch we redid.  Well here is the table finished too.  Jason along with others didn't think I should paint it.  I didn't care for the color and definatly couldn't afford a new table and hutch.  So what else is a girl to do.....PAINT IT!  Well now that its done, everyone agrees it looks good, actually it looks really good! Well at least I think so!!  I also promise this is the last time I will post about this.

This is the chair, obviously. The seat is so distgusting because we had some sippy cups that leaked and that happened to be wear Bailey always sat her cup. 

After!  Yeah I know what your thinking...You used white?? Well its vinyl!  So sticky fingers can touch it all they want we can just wipe it off.

Before

After

Before

After

(Part of one of the chairs looks white, its really not.  If you didn't notice thats even better.)

I am linking this up to

 Finding Fabulous!





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