Love it . . . Keep it. . .Friend's Babies

Y'all, my friends are all having babies. And they are irresistible. I want one too...but not for awhile (relax mom!). Right now I'm enjoying lovin' on other people's babies. Last weekend we went to visit our friends Chris and Jamie and we finally got to meet their precious little girl, baby S. Isn't she adorable? She's six months old and was an angel the entire time. I held her for a long time and even got the husband to agree to sit with her in his lap.

I didn't snap any photos until it was her bedtime...so please excuse my low light editing. Regardless, baby S is adorable.

And she loved the camera. Thanks baby S for being so sweet and perfect, and thank you Chris and Jamie for letting me love on your little girl!

Wordless Wednesday

I think I've got the decorating bug...

Remember last week when I posted the new chandelier in my dining room? Well, not only did I hate the old chandelier in there but I also hated the lights above my kitchen island.

Ugly, right? They are too big for the space and don't match the feel of my kitchen. And they sort of look like boobs to me.

See what I mean? Maybe Madonna would like them in her kitchen.

Ideally I would love to install a light fixture pot rack combo above the island. But that would mean we would need to drill a new hole in the middle to hang the fixture, re-work the wiring, and patch the holes left by the old lights. Which basically means we would have to hire someone to do the work. And my budget for this project is $20. So, as a compromise I began looking to just replace the ugly glass globes. Easier said then done because the fixtures seem to be an odd size. Anyway, I finally found some that would work!

First I needed to paint the bases black to match the pretty chandelier we hung last week.

It was too much work to take them completely down, so I just loosened them a bit and taped some newspaper around the bases. The husband thought I was crazy. Maybe I was, a little.

My supplies: spray paint and a Cheerios box. Only the most sophisticated materials were used for this project.

I know what you're thinking....you spray painted something inside your house? Yes, I did. And it worked fabulously. I just opened some windows and went at it. I used the Cheerios box as a shield for stray spray paint so it wouldn't go everywhere and make a mess. Then I just snapped the new globes on.

And here they are! SO much better than before, don't you think?

Here they are with the chandelier. I'm so happy I've finally gotten rid of the ugly fixtures! It feels much more me now. Next project: work on the dining room chairs.

Love it. . . Keep it. . .My iphone

This week I'm really lovin' on my birthday present from the husband....an iphone! I've been wanting one for forever....and now I don't know what I did without it! I'm obsessed. I waited patiently (sort of) for it to arrive on my birthday....and it didn't. It came five days later....and then I my computer decided it hated the iphone and I couldn't activate it. So I cried. Yes, I cried...I know it sounds lame but I was just so frustrated. Luckily I got it working the next day....and after 30 minutes on the phone with at&t I was good to go! Totally worth all the trouble.

So now, I need some apps! So far I've added Facebook, Words with Friends, Flixter, iBooks, and Photoshop Mobile. What apps do you love?

Wordless Wednesday: Make that cone work for you!

How to curl your hair

Are you ready for the big hair post? Several people have asked me to share how I curl my hair, and I a so flattered! I asked my mom to help document the process...so here we go!

First, a word on my hair: it is really thick and somewhat wavy so I only have to wash it every other day. I usually wash it at night, let it air dry for an hour, and then blow dry it for a few minutes. And yes, after an hour of air drying my hair is still not dry! I told you it was thick. Anyway, I go to bed with straightish hair and then curl it in the morning. The next day I usually just have to touch up the curls instead of having to curl my entire head, so it really saves time!

First up, the supplies. I use Aussie's Sun-Touched Shine Hi Hold + Hi Shine Hairspray. It is fabulous. My curling iron is just an old Conair from Target. It is really beat up, but still works great!

I section my hair off into 3 parts. The fist is the bottom layer, then the middle, then the front/top. I just pull the un-curled hair into a bun on the top of my head. Here is the bottom layered already curled.

To get the perfect curl, start by grabbing a small section of hair and squirt with a little hair spray.

Then begin to curl from the top. Hold the top section for 3 seconds or so.

Then, open up your curling iron an smidge and move down to grab more hair. Hold for 3 more seconds.

Next, open your curling iron again to get the rest of the hair. Hold in place for 3 seconds.

Then release down.

I part my hair on the left side, so I curl my hair in different directions depending on which side I'm working on. For the left side I curl counter-clockwise. In this picture I'm curling the right side so I go clockwise.

Once all of my hair is curled I secure it in a loose bun at the nape of my neck. Then I usually put my make-up on. I've found that this allows the curls to settle a bit and not be too stiff. Make sure the bun is really loose.

After I'm done with my make-up I take the bun out and gently toss my hair around to separate the curls. I don't want to look like Shirley Temple!

The finished product. I would love to hear if this method works for you! Happy curling!

Edited to add: the curling process usually takes about 20 minutes!

Chandelier Re-do

Thank you for all the birthday wishes! I had a great few days off with my mom and the husband. Mom just left to go back home to California, which means I have to go back to real life....cooking dinner and doing the dishes instead of hanging out and decorating my house. I had such a great time with her...it is always sad to see her go.

Since my mom is really handy I always put her to work when she visits.One of the projects she helped out with was replacing the ugly chandelier in my dining room. I have hated that chandelier since we moved in! 

Here is the before. Ugly. Totally not my style.

Another shot. Please ignore the mismatched chairs...I'm working on fixing that problem too...one project at a time.

Ta da! Isn't it beautiful? And it fits in so much better with the decor in my house. It only took about a hour to install....and of course the husband lended his muscles to the cause too. (Holding that chandelier above your head gets heavy!). I did most of the wiring and my mom was the brains of the operation. When we were finished and the husband went to turn the power back on I got a little nervous...so I made sure our fire extinguisher was handy...just in case. Needless to say we didn't need it!

View of the dining room now....with Pancake. Much better right? The chandelier and mini shades are all from Lowes.

The next day my mom installed a dimmer switch for the chandelier....so we can have some romantic lighting. It was really easy to install....but I mostly watched.

Thanks for all your help mom! I'm ready for you to come back and help me paint the front door and install a new mail box!

Wordless Wednesday: It's my birthday!

The Cone of Shame

Has anyone seen the movie Up? If not, go watch it now. Trust me. In the movie a dog named Doug  has to wear what he calls the"cone of shame" whenever he is in trouble.

Well.....

We've got our own cone of shame wearing dog around here. Only it isn't because he's in trouble. Wrigley isn't too fond of his new collar....and I don't blame him.

Last week he had surgery to remove a growth on his right leg...and now has 7 stitches. See the little bald spot on his leg? He keeps pick pick picking at the stitches so on went the cone.

He's still cute, even with the cone! Hopefully he gets his stitches out in the next few days and we can toss it in the trash!

A Blog with Substance

Happy Monday everyone! I usually am not a fan of Mondays, but this week I only have to work today and tomorrow and then I'm off for 5 days! My mom is coming out here from California to help me celebrate my birthday. I'm so excited!

Anyway, I am honored to let you know that Kristen, from All In My Twenties, has given me the Blog with Substance award! Kristen is one of the sweetest bloggers out there and I just love reading her blog! Thanks Kristen! I am truly grateful for the award. You totally made my day!

I'm supposed to talk about the philosophy of my blog...which I've never really thought about before. I guess I just want to talk about everyday life, things I love, and friends I meet. I have really enjoyed getting to know people through their blogs and I am honored that other people want to read about my life too. So thank you readers! I'm definitely planning something special for you all soon...so keep an eye out!

I'm going to pass this award on to a few fellow bloggers:

Ally @ He's Still Got the Whole World in His Hands
Sara @ Perfect for a Blonde, But I'm not that Blonde
Sarah @ Classy and Fabulous
Kelsey @ The Seattle Smiths