Happy Anniversary!

It's been 4 months since I closed and I still love my little house!  Can't wait to see what changes come in the next 4 months.

Chore Incentive

So as I mentioned yesterday, I normally do my grocery shopping at Super Target.  It's mostly because it's a convienent after work errand and because I always seem to need one random non-grocery store item.  Examples:  A book (although my Kindle has curbed this), a clothing item, a gift, another random piece of the Missoni Collection for Target.  You get the idea.

But October brings a new mission and a new store:  Alberstons

Alberstons, where now I will be collecting stickers to get free stuff.

  I'm hoping for the Panini Maker AND the Waffle Maker.  I know, that's really reaching for the stars but a girl has to have dreams.  So far I have 5 stamps and 3 full months to make my dreams come true.  Wish me luck! 

Yes, I know I could just run to a store (Super Target, even) and buy a waffle and panini maker.  But what's the fun in that?  I have to have something that motivates me to go to the grocery store and for the next 3 months it'll be a chore I look forward to! 

Couldn't Resist

The fact that I do most of my grocery shopping at a Super Target has not helped my Missoni obsession.  But I swear, I'm almost cured.  I just couldn't resist this one last piece.

It was just sitting there, lonely, on a shelf.  The black and white stuff in this line is looking great in my living room so I added it to the cart.  Who can blame me?

Don't worry.   Tomorrow I'll tell you about why I'm switching grocery stores (temporarily) and what my new obsession is.

DOs and DON'Ts for a Successful Party

1. Do offer refreshments for your guests

2. Don't overclean.  Sock Monkey injuries will ensue

3. Do recycle

4. Do offer fun activities for your guests to partake in

4. Don't let the toddler mistake your Washers game for her training potty

5. Do capture pictures of your guests to remember what a fun time was had by all!

Giant Jenga

Original Jenga is fun.  But super-sized Jenga awesome.  I have seen them at a few places around town and decided I needed one for my backyard.  I also decided it seemed simple enough to make myself. 


The Original Jenga

First I grabbed some 2x4s at Lowe's while I was buying my plywood from yesterday's post.  Total materials cost: $14.

I ended up using 4 10 foot 2x4s.  Sadly, I do not own a table saw.  Instead, I hand sawed all the 10.5" blocks using a saw and miter box. 

If I ever decide to go into the Giant Jenga making business...I will invest in a table saw.  It took two long nights to finish all the cutting.  This is the reason I set up shop in the living room.  At least I could watch my shows as I sawed for hours on end.

I generated a lot of sawdust, but thanks to my Dyson everything cleaned right up. 

After finishing all my cuts it was time to sand away all the rough edges.  Luckily I do own a palm sander so this process didn't take too long.

I'm pretty sure I've got massive arm muscles after 3 nights spent on this project.  But it was totally worth it!  I can't wait to play when people come over on Saturday.



One Man's Trash...Part 2

As you may recall, I rescued an old trash bin from my alley and was determined to make use of it.

I got it cleaned up and spray painted it with a hammered copper paint hoping to class it up a little.

Now it was just a matter of figuring out what type of surfaces I wanted to use to create the tabletop and shelf.  Real counter tops would require a special order since my dimensions were more narrow than an average countertop.  My dad suggested trying plywood.  It was definitely an economically solution so I decided to give it a go. 

A sheet was only $30.  I had the top cut by the guys at Lowe's and also brought home about twice as much wood as scraps from the sheet.  I figure I'll surely find a way to use all the wood eventually.

It fit perfectly.  I debated whether to stain the wood or paint it.  I went with spray paint because it would be easier.  And I choose a bright blue because I thought it'd look good with the copper and give the table a little personality. 

Since the table will live outside, I needed to seal it.  I used Rust-Oleum Spar Vanish, used on the wood on boats, because it not only protects from water but also from UV rays as well.

Several coats later my table was ready to reassemble!  It turned out great.  My old trash bin will now be perfect as a serving table for entertaining or a potting bench.  It's even light enough to move around if the mood strikes.

I still need to figure out if I want a bottom shelf but other than that, it's good to go.  Not too shabby for a dingy old trash bin.  I'm glad I was able to give him a new purpose.

Party Lights

I'm having a few friends over this weekend so I thought it'd be the perfect time to throw up my outdoor party lights that I snagged on sale at Home Depot for $5.

It's a pretty short string of lights but festive nonetheless.  I used cuphook screws to hang them up.  This makes them easy to throw up and take down on a whim. 

They weren't quite as exciting as I had hoped (next time I'll buy 2+ strands) but they will be fine for my little get together on Saturday.

Coupled with my solar path lights, my back yard is now oozing with ambiance.  Ha!

Closet Control

While my house is jammed packed with closets galore, my master bedroom's is smaller than I was used to at my old condo.  I've had to keep shifting things around to find a configuration that works.  First I added a new dresser.

This helped me thin out my clothes a little bit.  Once I switch my closet over for fall/winter, I suspect I'll thin clothes out a little more via Goodwill.  The main problem was my shoes.  I was trying to use an over the door shoe rack but it made closing my closet difficult and was tacky looking when I left my closet door open all the time.  I don't have a good picture of it but you can kind of get an idea below.

Inside the closet I had one tiered shoe rack that I brought from the condo and then some plastic racks I bought for about $3.

I know, shoe racks work better when you actually put shoes on them.  But that became my problem.  The plastic racks were annoying to use.  To get to the back rows I had to climb under the hanging clothes.  I finally just ended up tossing the cheap rack and getting another tiered one.

Not the most exciting post to read, but to me this is exciting.  I hate a messy closet.  As a matter of fact, I really want to reach through my monitor and close that bottom drawer on the dresser. 

I'm just happy I was able to find a solution without, God forbid, having to get rid of any shoes.

Missoni Mission May Actually be Obsession

At some point I'm going to have to step away from the Missoni.  But that point is not now.  Now I am happily snapping up pieces left and right.  Thanks to my friend Miss Nikki in Naples, Florida I have a new duvet.  Being a wonderful friend she called me immediately after spotting the duvet at her local Target.  After checking out the photo she texted me I gave her the go to buy it for me.  It showed up Saturday morning.  Nikki not only finds great finds, she provides fast shipping!

It's the signature chevrons bordered in blue on one side and then solid blue of the flip side.

The colors work great with my grey sheets and curtains and also tie together the black and brown woods in my bedroom.  I like having the option of a reversible duvet as well!

Thanks so much Nikki!  Your check's in the mail.  ;) 

I was also able to snag this glass bowl at a Target this weekend.  It just happens to match a vase I ordered online and looks great on my dining room table.

Don't worry about committing me yet.  I swear I'm pretty much done buying stuff from the collection.  Well, maybe just a couple more pieces.....