Excited? Perhaps...but only a little

A couple of weeks ago, my mom and dad bought a play set to put in their yard for all the grandkids to play on when they were visiting. Here is a picture of a very similar playset:

Photo credit: Playset Services

They wanted to keep it a surprise until the kids saw it in person. I was able to record Jaylinne's reaction and, boy, am I glad I did! Was keeping it a surprise worth it? You tell me...

Haha! This video kills me. Where does she come up with this stuff?!

2 Shades of White? More Like 7 Shades of Crazy!

Ever since I thought about doing the headboard (refer to last post!) I have also wanted to find another tv stand for the TV in our bedroom. The one we were using was functional, kind of, but it didn't look as good as I knew it could. Initially, I was just going to refinish it. However, our TV was wider than the stand itself, so it actually looked a little ridiculous.

Before. Don't judge ;)

 And so began the hunt for the perfect TV stand. Also began the frustration of not being able to actually find the perfect TV stand. Turns out, I had an idea in my head of what I wanted...and anyone that knows Jessie, knows that generally equates to "bad news." Although I wasn't completely sure of what I wanted it to look like, I knew what features I was looking for: Wider than the TV, tall, and storage space. After searching, and searching, and SEARCHING I was ready to throw in the towel. That's when I decided to go to a little place called Chic and Unique on the corner of 800 S. and 3rd West in Salt Lake....

 and BA-BAM! It might as well have just hit me in the face. I was staring at our new TV stand! It was exactly what I was looking for, and everything I didn't even realize I was looking for all rolled into one! The best part: I loved it exactly how it was. No refinishing necessary! This is something that has only happened once or twice before, so it was a pretty big deal :) Not only was this bad boy there, but two of its homies were there too: nightstands to match! SCORE! So I paid for them and made arrangements to come pick them up the next day.

I was so excited I could hardly even sleep. It was like Christmas for me! Well, low and behold, we brought the set home...only to find out that it was 2 different shades of white! UGH! I'm fairly certain this was God's way of making me realize I know better for not wanting to add my own "touch" to them ;) For those of you who have never had to match shades of white paint, count your lucky stars! It is most definitely, for lack of a better term, a pain in the ass! Bless the ones who have experienced this same dilema. To make a long story short, my "matched shade" of Snow Cap was not a match. So, I had to paint the whole thing. However, while I was at it, I decided to paint the knobs as well. I love the finished product!

Before and after

 

Sometimes A Treasure Hunt Is All You Need!

Since we moved into the place we live currently (a little over two years ago now) I have been trying to figure out what to do with some dead space in our living room. There have been several attempts, but much to my disappointment, none of them turned out the way I wanted them to. I knew I wanted pictures in frames, all different sizes and colors. However, when I put the "Wall of Frames" up, I hated it. Since then, I have been on a mission to get it just the way I wanted it. And finally....IT'S DONE!

Before. Could this space get any more...blah?!

After. I was looking around for a table of some sort, and I found this beauty. I knew it was the one as soon as I saw it! I bought it at Osmond Designs. 

My favorite part might just be the turquoise, old fashioned clock, which was bought at Rod Works.

I knew I wanted to have some old fashioned looking books on top of the table, and I knew D.I. was the place for me! Each of the books I found there for $1.00 a piece, except, "America's Garden Book." That one broke the bank at a whopping $2.00. The brown one is dated 1931, which I thought was pretty dope. Book ends were bought at Rod Works.

These frames were purchased at Pier 1 Imports. I got 2 of them, and just hung one upside down to add some "balance." Love the colors! I wanted to leave a few spaces empty to add a pattern, and I chose the gray and white zig zag.

Finished Product

Now that Jaylinne is in kindergarten, I thought I had better make some time to finish up some of my projects I started. Although I have several that I need to get to, the most important one, in my mind, was our headboard. Believe it or not, this idea began 2 summers ago when my friend Stephanie planted the seed in my head. She came to my house to pick up some old windows to turn into picture frames. She mentioned she regularly visited a blog called, "Purposely Repurposed." (How clever is that name?!) While on said cleverly-named blog, she came across the idea of turning an old, antique door into a headboard. HUH?! Immediately I was intrigued. Stephanie has got to be one of the most creative, crafty people I know, and I knew if she thought it was a cool, unique idea, I would as well. I wasn't quite sure how it would turn out, or how it was even supposed to look, so to Google I ran. I pulled up some pictures, and I determined that the door would not be vertical, it would be horizontal- which my little brain was more capable of grasping ;)

Almost immediately, my head took the idea and ran. I was picturing mustard yellow, and dark distressing. There was just one problem; where the hell was I going to find an antique door?! Fast forward to spring 2012. Still with the idea pulling at my brain, I set out to find a door. After checking KSL, Craig's List, Ebay, and even a Habitat for Humanity donation center...it was quickly determined I was screwed. There were several on Ebay on the east coast that I could get shipped to me for a mere $700, however I quickly vetoed that. As it was completely absurd. Then, just as I was about to give up hope, I recalled that my bedroom door when I was little looked just that way! After calling my mom and dad, and squealing my plans in their ear, they said I was welcome to the door... if I could replace it. The house my parents live in is the house I grew up in. It is also the house my dad grew up in. It was built in 1903. For those of you out there not familiar with houses this old, they seemed to have one thing in common: Oddly shaped doorways. Really?! Another hoop for me to jump through? Ugh. But low and behold, I was able to find one!

Now that I had found the actual door I was going to use, the rest was easy! Until I realized it was almost the end of summer and I had only sanded down one side. I decided to buckle down and get it done, and I love the way it turned out! The best part is that it has sentimental value. I grew up in the room behind that door, as many people did before me. Even though I may not live in that house still, I can have a little piece of it with me always :)

Before...

 

 

After

close up

One week down!

Week 1 of kindergarten is officially over! And surprisingly enough, we survived! After the first day I wasn't so sure that would be the outcome ;) Jaylinne didn't seem to be too pleased with the whole situation when we got there to pick her up. As it turns out, she just needed some food in her belly :)

The second day, we were ready for whatever the day threw at us. Except for a hair-do. If that's what the world had in mind, well...then the world had another thing coming! Since Jaylinne's hair is so long, it's hard to just leave it down. In what seems like a matter of mere seconds, she manages to gather all sorts of things in it. Peanut butter, tape, dirt, you name it. And between you and I, I'm pretty sure she holds the secret as to the whereabouts of Al Capone in there! Add a little natural curl into the mix and you've got yourself one tangled mess. I decided to try out something new: a mohawk made out of buns. It turned out really cute, but took longer than I was expecting. Bless her heart, she sat and let me do her hair for a good half hour! That might have been the longest half hour in the history of time!

Also on day 2, I decided to try and take advantage of the alone time I had. Generally, it's pretty hard to clean the floors in our house with my dirty-footed little helper always two steps behind me. Well...with him at work, and Jaylinne at school, I decided to shampoo our carpets! ;) So after I dropped her off for school, I got crazy with the Bissell. I could get used to this kindergarten thing! Besides a scratch she got on her arm, day 2 went down as a success!

For her third day, we decided to let her follicles rest. When I dropped her off at school I got to see her "two best friends." Their names were Sylvia and Emma, and both are just as cute as a button :) After school, we had just enough time to run home, grab a quick snack, change into her soccer clothes, and head to her game. Which is coincidentally where we ran into her "best friend," Savannah ;) As far as I could tell, the Purple Princesses didn't go lightly on the opposing team, and were the victors over the Purple Unicorns. (Woo hoo!)

Friday was a big day. At 8:30 she was scheduled for her 5 year visit with Dr. Anderson at Utah Valley Pediatrics, which went awesome!

 Besides being the last day of school before the coveted Labor Day weekend, Friday was also....HER DAD'S BIRTHDAY!?! So we woke up- at what we like to call an ungodly hour in the Sanders household- and we hit the ground running. The first thing she wanted to know was where was Daddy's cake?! Good question little lady, good question. It has been a good week, but I need a nap...and a drink! However, I'm thinking the drink and nap might have to wait until at least after I pick her up from school ;) Bring it on, kindergarten. I'm fairly certain we can take you!