Quote of the day

Oh...how I needed this quote this week with most every area of my life. I wish I know who had said it. If you haven't noticed a lot of my quotes don't have an author's name. I get them from all over so I'm not always sure. If you know though feel free to inform me! 

And it's not only a quote of the day it's a picture of me too! 

I am loving my instagram app on my iPhone! Which is all these new cool effects pictures! Speaking of iPhone's I can upgrade to a new one next month! Yaaay!!!! Major celebration time! And then my instagram will work even better! The good news just keeps rolling in! 

Pumpkin Bread

Hey! I made pumpkin bread! But...I forgot to take pictures. And then I remembered that I forgot to take pictures but decided it was to much work to go back downstairs with my camera to take the pictures. So.. you don't get to see any pictures. Maybe, one day, I will actually take pictures and plan on it since I have a decent camera and all...

But back to the pumpkin bread! I love love love everything pumpkin in fall. (Did we already talk about this?) I love pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin pie, pumpkin bars, pumpkin spice cookies. It's all fabulous! I wanted to make pumpkin bread pudding but my sister wasn't a huge fan last time, which means I ate it all,  and I must admit it was super sweet. Therefore, we compromised and I made pumpkin bread. At 9pm tonight. I am brilliant. (Not the best idea) 

I used my hand dandy tool google and found a recipe that my sister, the cook, said sounded good. If....i did half oil and half applesauce, changed the sugar, and used wheat flour. After giving her a crazy look I asked her to repeat that all about 3 times so I could understand. Here is the recipe I followed. It took an extra 20 minutes to bake for me but it tastes good! I know this because one loaf didn't come out of the pan cleanly. (That is always the best for tasters) 

If you love pumpkin like me start baking!!!! I'm having pumpkin bread for breakfast and a snack tomorrow. Probably not a good diet idea but I can't let it go to waste! That's all I got, sorry you didn't get any photos. I did just realize I could have pulled an Internet photo of a pumpkin but after doing an entire paragraph about not having a pictures I decided it wasn't worth it. 

Now...I need to go to bed. 

Christmas Countdown

Did you know.... that there are only 89 days until Christmas? If you want the precise countdown I have one going to the right. It has the hours, minutes, and seconds. It's awesome! I love love love Christmas. I have already started shopping and am doing pretty good if I do say so myself. I have purchased 8 gifts as of today and one person is completely finished. 

Ya, that rocks and I am seriously on top of it this year! 

I just love everything about Christmas I can't help but be excited. This is our tree last year. 

It gets put up the first week of November, that way you can really really enjoy it.  

I have an Addiction

Hello, my name is Elizabeth and I have an addiction to chapstick and/or lip gloss. 

I must must must always have one of these on my lips. I can't even be downstairs in my own house without a chapstick in my pocket. I am always buying new chapstick's and can't even tell you how many I have in my purse. It probably dries my lips out more than helps but it's been started and I can't stop. One day I may find the perfect and my favorite chapstick, but I'm still searching. But trust me, I will tell you when I find it!  

Rockin' Friday

Do you have a song that just makes any day rockin? One that has phrases in it that just makes you feel better and gives you a little ego boost if you sing them?

I do. 

I'm not going to share a video, cause honestly I'm too lazy to go pull one. And I don't know how to add a play list little thing so I will tell you the title and my favorite lines and you can go look it up if you so desire. 

It's the song Extraordinary by Liz Phair. I heard if in the movie Raising Hope in high school and loved it. My ego boostin lines are "I am extraordinary if you ever get to know me..." and "average everyday sane psycho..." Every time I hear those lines and sing them I smile, feel better, and think that's me. 

So to end my somewhat frustrating work week I rocked to Liz Phair Extraordinary. I felt better immediately. 

Happy Friday, even if it is the end of it! 

Thursday's Thoughts

Beautiful quote of the day, and something that is so true. I love it. 

A 2 left shoe day

That's what my Monday was. (I know I'm posting this on Tuesday.) I decided to wear slippers (that's local Hawaiian for flip flops) to work since it was pouring rain. I brought my work shoes in a seperate bag. Well I thought I did. I got to work and discovered I had two different color brown shoes. At first I was like hey that's not so bad, I'll be ghetto, no big deal. Until I saw that they were both left shoes.

Yep, a two left shoe day. Thankfully my amazing co-worker keeps a spare set of shoes at work that I was able to wear. 

Hope you don't ever have a 2 left shoe day! 

P.S. these aren't my shoes, I was too annoyed at the time to photograph my humiliation! 

Quote of the Day

"Do small things with great love."

-Unknown 

What I'm Reading

I only started reading this book today. I am not even 100 pages in and I'm in LOVE! I must must must get my own copy! (The one pictured is from the library) It is already the sweetest love story. I must have looked like a fool in the lunch room at work today. I know I had the cheesiest grin on my face and kept laughing to myself. If you don't already follow Ree Drummond's blog you must start doing so today! If you don't know what her blog is go here. 

To draw you in even more let me tell you that this book is written off her true life love story. How she met her husband in a bar but when he left she didn't even know his name, four months later he calls her and asks her out on a date. They had a date every single night for 3 weeks. On day 10 he told her he loved her and when he cooked her steak for dinner she ate every bite even after being a vegetarian for years. 

If you aren't already putting this book on hold with your local library or ordering it online I might think you crazy. I will admit I'm rather jealous of the Pioneer Woman's life. She lives on a working ranch, has the cowboy, the horses, the dogs, the cowboy, the love story, and what you dream of as a little girl. 

Now I'm sure you want to read her book and find out how it came to be! 

So enjoy and let me know if you love it as much as me! 

Paint Sample Wall Art

How cool does that sound?! I don't really know what inspired this project. It could be all the commercials for whichever paint store, that I'm blanking on the name. You know the one where everything is made out of their paint sample cards. Or it could be when my sister brought home a bunch of paint sample cards to get my opinion. Either of those. 

Here is what I started with. Paint sample cards from Glidden and Better Homes found at Walmart. They are free. Which is the best price! 

These are the colors I chose. I wanted something bright while adding in the gray to tie it in with my comforter.  Then I rearranged them on my canvas to find which way looked best. 

 These pictures were taken with my iphone and I'm apologizing now for the horrible horrible lighting in my room. 

I chose the second arrangement. The first one was just too busy. After making that decision, I got out my handy dandy spray adhesive (which I may have gotten all over my hands or one hand, maybe) and mod podge. Ok, I'll admit it was my first time using mod podge but I figured it out okay. I started spraying the backs of my cards and arranging them on my canvas. I used my previous picture to remember the placement and got them all glued on.

Then I wiped mod podge all over the cards.

Which looks white and scary but I had already read that on another blog so I wasn't scared. Much.... I let it dry overnight and then hung them up this evening. And you will only be getting a picture of one. They frame my window which is in sad lack of window treatments that I am ashamed to photograph for you. When it is all put together you will see a nice picture, taken during the day with hopefully some natural light.

The finished product!

Once again pretty bad lighting but overall I think it looks pretty neat! You can see the strokes from the mod podge being applied but that brings character!

Overall this project cost me $5 and I'm not even positive on that price!  I used some canvas art I had previously purchased for my bland brown room. I don't think I have a picture of them but trust me they were brown and tan, they NEEDED to be recovered! On another blog they painted their wood or canvas so you didn't see the other color. I just left it. It's only noticeable if you are right up on it.

And I might have forgotten...or been too impatient....but only maybe....


Linked up with....
http://www.beneathmyheart.net/2011/09/best-diy-projects-of-september-linky-party-2/

2 down, countless to go!

I finished two projects tonight! Well I think I could claim three but that's debatable. I feel accomplished! I also finished all three for $12.00. I will be showing you one of the finished projects tomorrow. I can't show you both since one is a Christmas gift. So, you understand why I must keep that under wraps until after the gift has been unwrapped. All I can say is it's AWESOME! 

While I was working on these projects you'll never guess what I found on Tv to watch! 

Love it! Even if it's a little corny! I'm watching the second one too.

And the last thing I want to show you tonight is a picture I found on my phone that a close friend had sent to me. It's blurry because she took it from her car. But this is a real road sign in Arizona. 

Hahaha! Now that we all know red means stop we can move on in life. That's all folks! And if you live in AZ or drive through be careful at all red lights just in case someone isn't sure! 

Cause I'm Cool like dat

Yes, that is a Perry the Platypus t-shirt. I have one because I am cool like dat. My sister is also cool like dat since she bought me the shirt. I don't know if it was a "I'm so sorry your hair turned out horrible" or just a thank you gift. Possibly both. 

If you would like a Perry the Platypus t-shirt of your own you are going to need to check out the kids department. I believe mine is a boys large or x-large. It fits me well and I'm normally a woman's medium. This particular shirt was bought at Sears but I'm sure you could find some at most stores with Disney apparel. And then you can be cool like dat, with me. 

First Pumpkin Spice Latte of the Fall

I love love love pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks! They are just so cozy and yummy! I get so excited when they are "back" at Starbucks and every year I wish and hope that they might let me buy a bottle of the syrup for home. BUT they don't. It's not allowed. 

So I did some google research and found a recipe for a DIY pumpkin spice latte that actually sounds like it would be pretty good. I haven't tried it yet since I just had a latte this morning, I don't think I should drink another latte at 8pm, and I'm not positive if we have any pumpkin. I couldn't wait to share it though! If you love pumpkin spice lattes go here and make one at home! 

Enjoy! 

Hair Fiasco 101

Here is your step by step instructions on how to handle things when you walk out of a salon with your hair looking like this.

Please notice the neon red highlights that were NOT what I requested

1rst  You must have someone you can call immediately! As soon as you get in the car to drive to Walmart to pick out a box color. Someone like my sister, who I called, that will listen as you sob out "I hate it! I look like a wannabe goth kid!" (Please note I usually NEVER cry over my hair! ever) Someone who says  "It can't be that bad." And when you sob again insisting that it is THAT bad says okay if you aren't going to have HER (the one who messed it up) fix it we can do a box color. 

2nd   You must try to stay calm and NOT hate every single person in Walmart with you. You know, the ones who block the lanes, walk really really slow, or take up an entire aisle, or those other people you are just miffed at because you are sooo upset about your HORRID hair color. 

3rd   You must have friends who you can text. One you can just vent at who just says it can't be that bad. You can make it work and be encouraging while you are having a mini break down. Another who knows a lot about dyeing hair and can give you tips. 

4th  You must have another person, preferably the same person as step one, actually agree with you about how horrible your hair really is and that yes it does look like a wannabe goth kid. Like, my sister who walked in the house saw my hair grimaced and said, "Oh." Exactly! Oh.... 

5th   And lastly, if you aren't going to trust any single one of the stylists in the salon you were just in because you are that upset you have to figure out how to fix it yourself. Talk to your friend who knows about dyeing (and I now somewhat fit into that category), use google, and find the box color dark enough to cover neon red enough to be passable. Like this....

You can still see the red but it is far far better than neon. 

So there you have it, hair fiasco 101. Or at least this is how I handled my hair fiasco.  You may have/or will handle yours differently. But I do hope you never have a hair fiasco! Even though then we could relate and all that jazz! Just to add to my story a little I asked for dark brown highlights. This color was supposed to be brown with a hint of red. I was never asked if I liked the color once my hair was washed, my hair was barely cut, and it was not styled. Needless to say I will not be going back.

The color I covered it with is Loreal iced chocolate and I'm just starting to get used to having my hair so dark. Last night was the first time I looked in the mirror without doing a double take. lol

Color Scheme

I need to start adding some pops of color to room of gray and brown. (Gray comforters, brown furniture and floor) I know what colors I want but I'm not sure how easy they will be to find. I have specific shades in mind that need to be added on a budget. A very very very small budget. I found some paint samples on Benjamin Moore that matched what I envisioned in my mind. Without further ado, my color scheme dream. 

 I couldn't decide which bluish green I liked the most. I'm leaning towards option 1. 

Now the search for things with these shades begins. Oh, with adding the basic colors like black, dark gray, white, and brown. AND I just realized I didn't find a shade of pink!!! Hmmm, well I don't have that envisioned yet so that shall have to wait. 

Hmmm.....I need some art. 

Quote of the Day

"Work hard and think clever thoughts." 

Enough said. 

Linen Starched Flower

Well, mine is kinda starched. I saw a tutorial on one of the blogs I follow that I knew I must try! It is called the Starched Flower and can be found here. I think they are very pretty and I have some many things I want to try them with! So last week when I was suffering from that cursed cold I sat down and made one. Once again I did not take pictures during the process. (I really need to work on that!)  But I took a picture of the finished product! A picture of me wearing the finished product but I zoomed in so you don't see me you just see the flower. 

There it is! It doesn't look as nice as the one from the tutorial. I didn't starch my linen enough and I don't think I placed my petals correctly. But I still like it and that's what matters right? Right. I've worn it quite a few times. I wore it casually while I was taking pictures for my sister and her family at the park, I wore it with a white sundress I have to a baby shower, and I wore it too work with a white shirt, gray skirt, and some cute yellow flats. And no, I have no pictures of any of those outfits. Well the one from Saturday yes but it's not as cute as the others. 

 Okay, it is cute and we are absolutely adorable. 

But back to making the flower. I didn't have any linen on hand so I stopped at the Walmart with a fabric section and picked up 1/4 yard of linen. I got some in navy blue and this cool green but I think the green actually turned out to be upholstery fabric or something. It has this plastic on the back and I don't think it will work for flowers but I have some other ideas. It was really cheap to make though. The fabric was less than a dollar, the template was free, and I already had a glue gun. If you like the look of wearing flowers on your clothes or in your hair you should really try this! :) Oh I forgot I did buy some pins for $2. (A pack of 75 maybe)  

Something else to mention before I wrap it up. I wore the flower on Sunday to church (I don't think I mentioned that in my list of outfits) and one of the teen girls asked if my shirt was from Hollister. I said no (because I won't pay their prices) and she said oh, well they have a shirt with a flower like yours. I thought that was pretty cool!