Ironing Board Upgrade

I woke up at 3am this morning to watch the Royal Wedding.

Yep, I'm one of those people.  Totally worth it!  I, of course, just wanted to see the dress (and see them together... hopeless romantic I am!)!

Swwwwoooooon!  If only we could all be that gorgeous, right?  Oh well, us peon commoners will have to live with being homely I suppose!  Ha.  My sissy called me at 5:30 my time (6:30 her time) to ask what the dress looked like because she was on her way to work.  I described it and said it looked just like Grace Kelly's dress(pretty sure I wasn't even alive then, but I've seen the pictures!) but cut deeper in front.  Then, behold, 45 minutes later they interview Tim Gunn from Project Runway and that's exactly what he said!  I felt super special.. for a moment =)

So gorgeous.  I hate when I see beautiful weddings and think, "Oh, if I could only do it all over again..."  That is so dumb!  I'm sure I'm not alone in that thought.  I loved our wedding- it was perfect, despite the blizzard and less than half the people there that were supposed to come.  Stupid midwest weather!

Check out that prince!  Ohh, nice "royal wave" ya got there!

 I also adore these:

She's my Pippa =)

Anyway, I stopped this morning to get some gas and caffeine so I could function at school today.  I paid and the guy said, "Have a good day at school!"  I didn't really think anything of it until I got back in the car and realized my badge was still in my console.  He thought I was in high school!  I felt so dumb.  Oh well.  I'm sure the Diet Mt. Dew and 2 Mini Reeces PB Cups sold to a girl in jeans on a Friday morning didn't help my cause.  =)

The ironing boards in my classroom have been pretty gross all year (We iron...a lot!), and they finally reached the point of appauling. 

DIS. GUST. ING.

I decided I needed to recover them.  Stat.  The other FACS teacher said to just buy them.  But no, I am cheap and picky- not a good combo.  This usually means I have to make everything myself.. so I did!  SO much better!

The first thing I did was take off the old cover... and it had been a recover!

 Still gross.  Kids just don't understand that the water isn't supposed to come out of the iron.  Sheesh!

I discovered that the bottom of the old covers had velcro straps to keep them tight on the board.

So I figured I could salvage them and sew them into my covers.  What did I do?  Make a mark on the side that is facing up and chop them babies off!

I laid my ironing board on top of my fabric and cut around with with about 5-6 extra inches.

I then folded my fabric to the wrong side to create a casing, slid the old straps in, stitched it down, and threaded it with about 1 1/2 yards of elastic and wam bam shazam!

I straightened the lines, I promise!

Mit the straps underneath:

SOOO much better.  The casing is embarrassingly awful, but who cares-  it's underneath!

 I also covered two others and made a new Press Cloth Corner- Me likey!

Press cloths are so ugly!  I'd hate to ruin pretty fabric, though!

Ahhh, organization.

Welp, I slept 4 hours and just got home from a 14 hour day at school.  Kill. Me. Now.  I will leave you with this photo of what I found on our supply order list for next school year:

Prosím?

Děkuji!

**Note-My school is wholesome, I promise- they are for stripping the wax off of the floor!**

Pick Your Plum

I am obsessed with this site!

Pick Your Plum sells "totally swank" craft and decorating supplies for BEST CHEAP!  They have one item/set of items per day and when they are sold out, they are gone 4-eva.

They post at 6am each morning (mountain time) and let's just say it's 10 am CST and they are already sold out of today's item:

Set of 3 for $18!

Can't say I would have bought this anyway, but some of their other stuff has been SO cute!  They just launched last week and you can get their daily emails with the deal o' the day.

Here are some things I wish I would have gotten



Rand-o Handle- cute on something!

 

I just bought one of those silver tins at Salvation Army for $2!  Would have been perfect.  Guess how much those where?!
$1.50 for all 3 labels.  Holy cow!



Anyway, check them out!

On a side note, I am totally flattered someone reads this bloggie- Thanks to Janet Peak for facebooking me a link for customized clothing labels!

Clothing Labels 4U

On a side side note, I held a newborn for the first time last night.  Incredible.  She is so perfect and sooo tiny and so incredibly beautiful.  Makes me look forward to the day when I can hold my own.  I just can't believe that the same God that made the Earth and sewing and pink lemonade and tater tots made that baby grow to be a beautiful little girl and sent his Son to die on a cross so I could have a relationship with Him.  Crazy!  How can you be thankful enough for something like that?

New To-Do

Remeber my seemingly short to do list way back when?  Well, that took waaaaaaaay longer than I thought.
It needs an update!
Refinish/recover padding on a chair for the master bedroom

Refinish Craigslist coffee table (GORG) for the basement

Make/cover pillows for the bedroom, decorative chair, and living room couches

Refinish sewing desk and computer desk

"Frame" bathroom (master and hall) mirrors
 
While I wish I could be busier than I have been, school will be over in no time and I will have all summer to do some upgrading, decorating, and sewing.  The sewing desk and computer desk haven't even been touched, but I'll get to it!  I am still in the process of convincing my husband to frame our mirrors- as loyal as he is to everything in his life, he is a commitment freak when it comes to decorating the house with permanent changes.  Hmmmmm... I'll let you know when that status changes ;)
 
The decorative chair and coffee table redos went great-you can see them on my tutorial page!  I just finished all of the pillows for the living room- I am a total sucker for pleats and ruffles- so I combined them on the couch.  Loooooove them!
 
My next project will be to redo my patio furniture from Craigslist- it was only $20!  Some of the paint is chipping so the metal has rusted just a little in some places.  It's nothing a wire brush and some Rustoleum won't fix.  My husband and I put some molding up in my in-laws' house as a Mother's Day present for my mother-in-law, so that occupied the whole weekend- BUT I'm always looking for ideas and mini project to do in my free low stress moments at home when I'm not worrying about school and counnnnting down the days to my first summer of freedom since... I came of age to hold a job.  Wow!  {22 school days by the way!}
 
Lookie at things I am loving right now:

• Have you been to iShareFunFood.com?  CRAZY.  Complilation of creative/adorable/delicious recipes from random blogs.  These egg molds from Making Memories with your Kids is so cool!
                                                                               

 Yep, that's an egg!  You have to hard cook them, peel them while they are still hot, and put them into the mold to cool.  I just can't believe that we have such an awesome God who made eggs #1 The beginnings of life, #2 Versitile, and #3 all around nutritionally and culinarily (word?) awesome.  Nonetheless, I hate eggs (ha!) so I will be making these yummy peanut butter bars from Amanda's Cookin'

Helllo!  I can feel my gut growing in size already!  Anyway, iShareFunFood is awesome!  Check it out for ideas =)

•   Sewing tutorials- She Wears Flowers has this absolutely adorable dress tutorial that I'm going to make for... someone!  Or maybe it will sit in our one-day nursery closet.  Looove it!  I want one in my size.

JAQS Studio has a super duper cute washbloth/burpcloth tutorial that I just love- I want to make a bunch for my house!

                                                                                                

See her little tag?  I want those with my initials.  Anyone know where to find them? 

• Teacher Appreciation Projects- Whhhhhaaaaat??  I thought you were a teacher! Yes, Yes I am, but my students are sewing teacher appreciation gifts for the other teachers in our school.  So fun!  We teachers love goodies!  Here are a few things I've found and LOVE- rosette bookmarks (super easy and fast- hard to mess up!) and no-sew flowers that we are putting on the end of pens, not dowel rods.  Found these on Skip to my Lou, which I tend to stalk daily. =)

No Sew Fabric Flowers

Handmade Bookmarks

• Inifinity Scarf!  So easy to make and so versitile- I will show you a tutorial when I actually make it! 

Love it! 

Wow, am I ambitious! 

Well, it will have to wait for the weekend.  For now it's school. zumba. home. dinner. TV. 

Sorry for the pointlessness of this post- I am really ready for summer, but still don't have time to make anything!  Oh well- discover new foods on iShare until I get back this weekend! 

Penny Pincher

That's me!  Penny Pincher at its finest.  As my father says, I "make pennies bleed".  I learned from the best- him!

Momma and Daddy Kurowski!

Anyway, there have been so many great finds in the last few weeks for me.  I love spring!
To me, the grungier the store, the better.  My husband hates this about me and refuses to shop anywhere that uses grocery sacks that do not come from their store to bag your items or asks you to buy your own bags- i.e. thrift stores, Aldi, and the Bargain Zone!

The Bargain Zone is probably once of the junkiest stores I've ever been to.  Lots of expired food items and random clothing/cosmetic/office/craft/garage items.  So weird!  Definitely hit and miss with this one.  However, I did find some good finds on my last trip:

I found metal gardening shovels for $.78 each, a gas container for the lawn mower for $4 (the cheapest I could find was $10 at Hope Depot!), $3 cute kleenex holder for the bathrooms (I bought 2), and new with tags guest room fitted and flat sheets and 4 pillow cases for $6!  Wow!  Love it.  Random junk, but all needed!

I stopped by a few thrift stores over in Kansas where I teach and also found some great things.  I bought a new pair of Banana Republic wide-leg trouser jeans and work pants from The Limited for $4 each.  Crazy.  I used to skip over the clothes at thrift stores and just look at interiors and furniture, but now I quickly look over the clothes (I know, one more thing to make my thrift trips longer!).  They have some great finds... and I can always alter something with my handy dandy sewing machine. =)
We've been in the market for a new vacuum for the longest time- actually, since we've been married!  Our first apartment was in brand new married housing on campus, so our carpet was basically dorm-room style.  Our vacuum worked for what we needed it for, but now we had real carpet (and light beige at that!).  I told my husband 2 weeks ago that a new vacuum would be on my Christmas list this year.  I was at Savers in Olathe (not my favorite- they price things too high!), lookin around, and I saw this beauty:

$32.99!  I was at Walmart right after this and the model below this was $150.  Crazy!  I had to clean out the air filter, but it. is. awesome.

Then, last night (I know, my savings never ends!) I went to a baby consignment sale with my friend Ellie and found some sweet sweet clothes for her baby to be and baby Claire (again!  Haha.  Sorry Jenni!).  I bought all of this for only $11!

Most of it is either Carter's or Gerber- not sure about the dress.  That's 6 onesies, 2 dresses, 2 hats, and 2 pairs of mittens.  Wow!  So so cute and all in fantastic shape.  Love it!  I also found a little shirt for... heeehemmm... a future baby girl of mine.  I know, I know, silly.  As much as I am looking forward to dressing up and sewing for a little baby girl in the future, I will probably have an army of boys.  GO figure.  But I could not put this shirt down.  It was only $3 and it will sit in the closet of our one-day nursery closet.  Precious!  I can just see a mini me in this with baby skinny jeans and little flats.  Making Auntie Chrissy proud!

I have neglected my blogging commitment lately because of the craziness of school, but I promise I have been busy... with a new fireplace mantle-scape!

The big flower arrangement on the left picture cost me a total of $10- the container was $5 from The Salvation Army Family Store and the flowers were on clearance at Michael's for $5.  The arrangement on the right (my favvvvvvorite) only cost me $22.  Brown vase was on clearance at Joann Fabric for $4, flowers on clearance at Michael's for $6, candles priced at $4 each at Home Goods, and the candle holders were $2 each at Salvation Army- they participated in Spray Paint Sunday!

Best cheap-o $1 can of white enamel spray paint I've ever bought!

Love. Love. Love the fireplace now!

New goals:  Finish new landscaping, put up molding in in-laws house, and repaint new patio furniture!  Updates to come =)

Spray Paint Sunday

Sunday it was sooooooooo nice outside!  {Little did we know we'd get pelted with golfball sized hail at 9:30 that night!}

 Daniel and I moved in to our house in December, so yesterday was the very first time we were able to spend the afternoon outside doing yard work.  I reminded me of my parents and how they used to do the same on the weekends in the Spring and Summer.  It made me feel so grown up!  Daniel pruned our rose bushes (he is a landscaping wizzzzz!) and showed me how some of our bulbs (he's teaching me the lingo!) were starting to sprout and flower.  Hot Dang!


Oscar loved being outside with us!  So sunny- he couldn't see!

 My sis-in-law came over and we spray painted some items for our houses.  While they dried, I washed up those lawn chairs we found during our hunting trip.  Kaleigh was not in the mood to help- she "supervised" the drying process- and yes, that is a mini chair.  $1.75 each (I bought 3) for our church nursery.  They are adorable and a great thrift find!

Wow!  Exciting.

Kaleigh painted a mirror she found at the Bargain Haus and I painted some candle stands from a variety of stores- all of them were under $2.50!

Here are some before shots:

I also spray painted a soap pump.  Say Whaaaaaaa?  The coolest thing ever- I saw the tutorial on House of Hepworths (the gal that writes this blog is hilarious- her blog is linked on my home page!).

The original tutorial shows you to buy plastic spray paint and then you can {optional} paint over that with any other spray paint, which she did.  I didn't want to pay for two cans of paint, so I took a gamble on this:

I bought Rust-Oleum Textured spray paint- it said on the front that it works on "wood, metal, and more!".  I bought it in black- the cap felt really rough, so I thought, "Mmmmeh, feels like it will stick to plastic".  Sure enough, it worked great!

Here is what you need:

• Soap Pump (I looove the foaming ones), preferably without a logo embossed into the plastic
• Rust-oleum textured spray paint
• Cardboard and items to prop pump up on
• Cup/bowl for soap
• Embellishment- vinyl letters, buttons, whatever you fancy!

Here is what you do:

• Peel labels off of the soap pump.  Use Goo Gone to remove any access label goo.  I bought Up & Up from Target because 1.  I had a coupon, so it was $1, 2.  The bottle isn't embossed with their logo like Dial soap pumps are.

• Pour the soap into a container that will allow you to easily pour it back in- I used a liquid measuring cup with a spout.
• Assemble spray paint "stage" and prop bottle upside down, pump right side up.  I used a sprinkles bottle to prop up my soap bottle and a tums bottle for the pump.

• Spray away!  I did 3 light coats =)  I also hadn't used the pump yet, so it was still in the down "off" position.  It came up when I was done without a problem.  I don't know if it would make a different if you sprayed it in the up position- the paint might clog it up- who knows!  Also, make sure to spray the bottom of the soap bottle and lightly  inside of the pump mouth!
• Once it is dried, apply your applique.  I glued on this cute button!
• Voila!  Easy makeover!

To.Die.For!

If you like what you see, become a follower!

{Precious Ones}

My Father-in-law is a {fantastic} Pastor and has led a church he planted since.. well.. my husband was wee.  I love our church because it's rather small and we know everyone by name.  What I also love is that Daniel has relationships with people that have watched him grow from a little boy to a man {and they still love him... haha joking.  From what I hear, he was golden}.  We're friends with so many people that Daniel grew up with- especially Matt and Jenni (Jenni's blog is so fun!  She writes on it constantly and shares so many fun tips!).

Daniel, Matt, and Jenni have known each other forever {I didn't come into the scene until college}.  We don't get to see them a ton because we used to live in Manhattan (K-S-U!) and, well, we all have big boy/girl jobs, but we love our time with them!

Amanda Eaton Photography took their wedding pictures and some of our family pictures.  She. is. amazing!

Anyway, they are having a baby!  Such an exciting time- hopefully Daniel and I will join the ranks of parenthood sometime soon, but not right now.  In the meantime, I adore sewing baby things for friends {like my binkie clips for baby Claira}.

Jenni's shower is on Saturday and I could.not.wait. to put these on here to show you.  Is this not precious or what!

The are naming little one "Claire"- Hot Dang!  Must be a popular name!

Tutorial?  

Nope!  Sorry!  I am starting an Etsy {woooo hooo!} to have something to do this summer whilst not teaching and will have some there.  It would be silly to sell my secret!

=)

I'll let you know when it is up and running!

Tomorrow is Spray Paint Sunday- come back and see!