re store adventures

Today my re store ( like goodwill but no clothes) had 50 percent off.  I think the restore is a little over priced on the furniture but they always have sales and if you watch a piece they will slowly mark it down. I got their at 9 a.m sharp to get this little dresser I had been eyeing for a couple weeks. I scored it for 20 bucks and also got a old coffee server table for 15.

Now comes the hard part, convincing my hubby to go pick them up for me. I will post some pics this weekend and hopefully will have them done by Tuesday. I know the dresser is going to be turned into a shabby changing table to put for sale . The coffee server I am searching for some inspiration.....

the ultimate multitask-er

cooking

helping

cleaning

 I am the ultimate multitask-er.  Not in a good way, I just have to much always going on upstairs, and have to do everything at once. So it was a cook meatballs, mop the kitchen and have kids work on math work all at once kinda morning. Only to be followed by me driving down to my shop and put in 6 to 8 hours at the salon too.

love letters

I don't think i have ever took a pic that has captured your amazing personality so well.  My little gia gia pumpkin pea, you are sunshine and rain, lightning and rainbows, laughter and tears all rolled up into one very small package. You constantly bully your older brother. You think at the ripe old age of 4 you know everything. You love to snuggle in bed with me and rub backs. We make up new back rub names, so far we have, karate chop, drums, tickle spiders, rain drops, explosion, shoulder heaven, water, crabby legs and skeleton vibrator.  I put you to sleep last night by  gently rubbing your face, you were out like a light.
You love to sing and dance and have the best fashion sense I know.  So this photo embodies all of that spunk and light you have.
I love you nannie poo poo...

paint by numbers

I live "waaayyyy out there", as my friends in Scottsdale call it.  So everything is kinda far from my house. Going to the closest Goodwill is about a 20 min drive...so if I am going to be in the area I always make a stop. My son was patiently waiting for me to take him to see Harry Potter as I didn"t want to go on opening weekend. To my luck the Goodwill is right down the street....my kids just looove shoping with me....NOT.

I found two paint by numbers for 14 dollars and had to have them.  I really was into the boy but, im so glad I got the girl to , because after a little googling I found out they go together.

Meet pinkie and blue boy.

pinkie

i repainted the gold frames

 and blue boy...

I repainted the gold frames in graphite by annie slaon  chalk paint...then lightly distressed the frames.
I love the quirkiness of them..the french meets haunted house vibe, but my husband, hes not digging them.
I might have to put them up for sale...we will see...sooo what do you think?

yummy salad

I loooove salads.  That is a good thing being a diabetic. This salad was inspired by what i had in my fridge. That's pretty much how i cook, unless i am super organized and prepare a specific meal....yeah right.  I also cook smaller portions then i used to and use lower fat meats.

This salad was made with artisan lettuce, blue cheese. raspberries and a little granola for crunch.

I made the dressing using a store raspberry dressing that only had 4 grams of carbs...then thinning it out with a little rice vinegar salad dressing and a little balsamic, it was little sweet for my taste.

I love pretty food...

and this salad was like a dessert.

love letters

taken by you!

E....... I had such a great date day with you yesterday.  You we very excited to see the last Harry Potter (i was too).
It was just you and I . G stayed home with daddy and she was not to happy about it. We got popcorn and I let you have a little soda and we settled in for a very long movie. I think you enjoyed the movie, but i know you loved the special time we had together. I got you a hot chocolate after the movie and you were a good sport to go thirifting with me for a little bit. I know how much you love shopping.

I stand in awe of the little man you have become. I love your long shaggy hair your amazing blue eyes and of course those dimples. I thank you for being such a mellow boy who enjoys a good book and hours of lego play. Most of all I love that giant, open to the whole world, heart of yours...keep it open...never stop being E......I love you bo bo bear.

Sneak peek

I found this old piano bench at my Re-store.  It was covered in a very dried out yellow fabric that i tore off in the parking lot.  I did not want dried up fabric shards all over my Flex.  I loved her legs and then when i flipped her and saw how she was put together i was sold. its constructed with burlap panels and I'm not sure really what is used for stuffing.  Honestly now I'm scared to reupholster.. so I am just going to paint her for now.. using old white and then....

Hopefully I will have some finished pics on Monday...I have a feeling this one is going to be a challenge.

for the love of food

I am married to a Italian man. That means FOOD and a real clean house. The really clean house part, no problem. One of the first comments everyone makes when they come into my house is, "how do you keep your house so clean."  I respond with, "You do not want to know my secret," because its not as much of a secret as a mental illness. I started cleaning up after my family at the age of 12. I would spend Saturday mornings vacuuming and dusting....I still clean my moms house when I go to visit. Like I said its my sickness and it doesnt control my life but I think it helps me feel more IN control of things, and I like Control.

procuitto and melon...turkey meatballs and whole wheat pasta and sausage and peppers.

Like I said married to Italian man means learning how to cook.  I think over the past 12 years I have become a great cook, but now I have the new element of the d word ( diabetes). That word has really made cooking no fun at all.  I have no problem using turkey instead of beef and whole wheat instead of white. I have always been a healthy eater. Its the everyday ups and downs with the numbers and feeling like I try so hard and eat so good and you never know what the meter is going to say....ahggggg... sorry for my little rant.  Lately food just has me all twisted up inside.


On to the positive....I still love cooking a big meal to fill E and G's tummys.  And i love that four out of seven days a week we gather around the table and eat as a family.

turkey meatballs and wheat pasta in olive oil and red pepper sauce

                                       
                                         E and G
 One day you will love my meatballs and pasta (with sauce) not just butter. One day you will Love that you grew you with great family traditions of being an Italiano. You will always remember grandma linda's amazing cooking..( and how she never sits down because shes to busy taking care of all of us) You will hopefully pass on the love of the meal to your kids. Gia, I think you will have cooks in that castle you plan on living in but, hopefully you will still manage to sit down at the table every night.
                  


  disclaimer...I cook by taste and intuition and not by measurements .....sorry




recipe: turkey meatballs are made with turkey meat grounded, whole wheat bread crumbs, garlic crushed, sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes and a egg to bind the meatball.


pasta sauce is just olive oil heated with garlic and crushed red pepper flakes....the Italian sauce staple.


the melon...is cantaloupe and prosciutto..( a Italian ham)

credenza

I bought this credenza from craiglist....I think i paid to much money for it (100).  The lady had a photo but no dimensions....when i saw it, it was not as tall as i thought it was in the pic.  Lessoned learned...when i got there I  felt guilty to pay her less...or leave with out getting it. 


Its a cute piece and looks good all done up ...but not quit the piece i wanted for under the t.v....

I used the famous annie slaon chalk paint in graphite then i did a little distressing and clear wax.

I used old white to highlight and distressed it to make it look softer

I guess shes growing on me...Her name is denny..after the lady who owned her 30 years. I don't own a fancy camera (yet)...so bare with me on the photos.  
Their is a monster of a man tv that sits right above it on the wall. 


I have plans to paint the wall grey and put up some amazing treasures I found at goodwill yesterday!

TYPE 1

My pledge

MY LOVES... Unfortunately you will grow up knowing your mom as a diabetic. I was diagnosed in feb right after my 34th birthday.  I had dropped about 15 pounds in two months and was up all night peeing and had a unquenchable thirst.  I went in and my a1c level was 15 at first diag. They had to hospitialize me for 3 days to rehydrate and get controll over my sugar levels.
You now know what the word means, how to alert people if i go low and what needles and insulin are. I am sorry this is how you will remember me....but determined to show you how to live life the best way possible....i Pledge to take care of myself to keep this

Disease

in check so that i may hold my beautiful grand-babies on day.

I am sorry that this is a term you will use when describing me on day. I am sorry for the fear in your eyes e when you are witness to my injections, or the worry you carry for me. ( you randomly ask if I remembered to take my insulin). I love you both for the everyday joy you bring me .

gigi

my little nannie poo poo
man oh man how fast time flies by.  We went camping and u had to pee outside in the woods...you didnt really get the concept of squatting and u got really upset that i took this pic....i love u nannie poo poo...aka gigi...aka g$

frames

i have been wanting curvy frames forever...i found these frames at goodwill for 59cents.  i painted them in duck blue and then sanded the edges...and the best feature my hand cut silhouettes of my loves.  i adore them and cant wait to place them on the cradenza i have been working on.

CAMPING

OK e AND g , we went camping to escape the heat last weekend. We  go basic, tent, hot dogs and smores. unfortunatly their was a no fire or using of the camp grills in effect that weekend... which meant no supper and not a whole lot to do with out a fire. We had to run to Walmart (20minutes) from the campsite to get a grill. it turned our cheap camping night to 50 dollar hot dogs. In the end we had pan roasted hot dogs and smores and a long night on a hard ground....but the next day it was 80 degrees and beautiful. We fished and went to an antique show and ate hot dogs (again) for lunch.

my new love..

she still needs to be waxed but shes getting closer

primed in sherwin willams primer

sanding her down before

I have always love design and decorating.  With the dawn of instant access to all things, i have fallen in love with re purposing furniture. I fell in love with thrift store in high school. I had a brief period of wanting everything high end and only shopped at nordys in my twenties. I have found myself and voice again and i am having a blast redoing my house... probably to be redone many, many times. I started with this great little frenchy side table...her name is Anne Boleyn.. I primed and painted her and then did a glaze only thing left is to wax..