Moo No More!

A few weeks ago I started my first go round with re-upholstering and completely revamping these oh-so-lovely chairs. (You can read a little more about them here.)

Apparently I was so ready to see the the cows go away, that it didn't occur to me that I didn't have to remove the contact paper. (It was stuck to the original upholstery fabric that was going to be removed anyway!) At any rate, it gave me a chance to show what these bad boys looked like in their original state:

Pretty, huh?

And then came the HOURS of removing the old upholstery. Whoever assmbled these chairs back in the day was more than determined to keep the fabric in place. As you can see, this particular assembly person must have been getting paid by the staple...

Between the 2 chair seats and the back piece from the one chair, I removed well over FIVE HUNDRED FIFTY STAPLES...and then my hands ached for days!

For the life of us, we COULD NOT figure out how to get that back piece out of the chair. Apparently beating on it with a hammer, hoping that the little pegs holding it in place will magically cause it to fall out isn't the way to go. Who woulda thought? It wasn't until after this happened...

...that we saw the 2 simple little screws holding it in on the bottom. A little twist here and there and that thing just fell right out. Awesome. So, my wonderful hubby worked some magic with wood putty and you can barely even tell this happened in the first place!

Here are the chairs sans cushions after the first coat of paint. I wish I had known that it would take 5 coats of paint to get them looking sharp.

So, it took several hours of work, and we probably didn't follow all the "rules" of furniture re-do, but I'm MORE than pleased with these results! Without further ado, here's the finished result....

B-E-A-utiful!

And because I love it so much, here's a close up of the fabric I used, thank you Hobby Lobby! And as you can see, you have to look REALLY close to see our big "Oops!".

My super talented step-dad upholstered the pieces for me and he did a great job, don't you think?

I still haven't decided where their permanent home will be. For now, they're set up as a little seating area in the living room.

I have several other pieces that I'm dreaming of painting and redoing. Any suggestions or tips?

-Sarai

Permission Slip

Updated:
This post has been linked up to Kelly's Korner and her fabulous weekly carnival. Go check out her life and, of course, her sweet baby girl!
*****

It's the day after Labor Day, and we all know what that means.

No more white shoes, people. Right?

Really, I have no idea. But I do know that I feel the season has somehow given me permission to start something much more important.

DECORATING FOR FALL!!!

Throughout this season be sure to check back for DIY recipes, decorations, party ideas, costume solutions, and more.

Can't wait to share,
Katrina

Clipboard Makeover

CAUTION...completion of this project may actually lend itself to willful list making and note taking!!

This simple little project takes very little time and yields MAJOR results!

Start with a a simple clipboard (most people use the wooden board type, but all I had was a clear one on hand and it seemed to work well). Next, pick out some fun papers, ribbons and embellishments.
Create a layout with your supplies.
Cut the items to size.
Apply a thin coat of Mod Podge or decoupage medium to the clipboard and quickly apply the items.
Allow to dry COMPLETELY before adding additional layers (like ribbons or other embellishments).
Add additional layers with a thin coat of Mod Podge.
Cover the entire board with a thin coat of Mod Podge, being sure to smooth out any wrinkles along the way.
All to dry completely and add another top coat. (You can add more top coats, but just be sure to let the previous layer to dry completely before adding another.)
Tie a few coordinating ribbons around the actual clip.

And in a matter of 30 minutes, you can turn this...


into this...


Who wouldn't want to take notes on this cute little thing?!?!

Check out more cute clipboard makeovers here and here.

Hope your Labor Day is filled with very little labor and lots of simple projects like this!

-Sarai

Summer Lovin', Summer Learnin'

Can you feel it starting to sweep you away?

The winds of fall are already beginning to blow. Soon there will be simmering crockpots, friendly pumpkin patches, cinnamony smelling cider, and ladybug costumes. Of course, that last one may just be us.

For now, though, we're still chalking up our days on the warm driveway.

Chalking it up and doing some learning while we're at it.


Ever notice that everyday objects and real life situations seem to make for some of the best teachable moments? I'm finding that, even with the smallest ever of all my class loads, this still holds true.

Drive over the shape of a heart... Skip across the letter that begins your sister's name... Hurry up now and run to the number nine!


Sometimes learning is its own reward. And sometimes the extra long, worn out kind of nap to follow doesn't hurt either. :)

Happy Labor Day weekend... making the most of your own everyday moments, we hope!
~Katrina

Not quite simple...

Sorry that this simple gal has been a little MIA these past couple of weeks. As a teacher, the first weeks of school are full of meetings, bulletin boards, parents, late nights, and of course kids! The school year has definitely started out with a bang and life has been anything but simple. This year, I started teaching a 3rd/4th grade combo class. The 4th graders I was teaching were students I taught last year. I was excited about this looping opportunity and the chance for them to be leaders for our new 3rd grade friends. But because of enrollment issues, 4 days into school, I found out I was being switched to a 4th/5th grade combo. All this to say, I have now taught 3 grade levels since school started. And although life has not been simple, I have been reminded over and over again of a simple truth that God has for all of us...

"Nothing, you see, is impossible with God."

Luke 1:36 (The Message)

At times these past days, I have been really wondering just what God was up to in all of this, and thinking He was right on the verge of giving me more than I can handle. But everyday, He has been showing me that nothing is impossible when you believe in Him. So I am thankful for this simple truth...

How has God shown up in your life lately? We would love to hear from you!

Even though I have not had much time to craft and create lately, I did want to share a recipe I made for some friends not too long ago. I did not take pictures at the time, but was able to find a picture on the Kraft Food and Family Website! Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cheesecake Brownie Babies

1 pkg. (19 to 21 oz.) brownie mix (13x9-inch pan size)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
20 maraschino cherries

HEAT oven to 350ºF.
PREPARE brownie batter as directed on package. Spoon into 20 paper-lined muffin cups.
BEAT cream cheese, sugar, egg, peanut butter and vanilla with mixer until blended. Spoon 1 rounded Tbsp. into center of batter in each cup, pressing down slightly into batter. Bake 30 min. or until centers are set. Cool.
SERVE topped with COOL WHIP and cherries.

(very important to make sure they are cooled...when I made them I was so eager to dig in that I put the Cool Whip on a little early and it melted into a big mess! If you want them to look as cute as the picture, make sure they are completely cooled!)

~Brooke

the Whatta Cute Baby! collection

I've been making adorable little handmade gifts for babies for several years now and after MANY requests, I finally have a website! It's nothin' fancy, but it works for now. My brother and his wife are expecting a baby girl in November and it's given me TONS of inspiration for newer and much cuter products!

Please, please, please (don't make me beg!) go check it out at:

http://www.whattacutebaby.blogspot.com/

Here's a taste of what you'll find:

And if you missed out on the giveaway last week, you can snag yourself a cute new bag!

See something you like? Mention seeing this post and you'll get a 15% discount on your order (that's basically free shipping)! Don't forget to visit often as I'll be adding new products from time to time! Can't wait to hear from you!

-Sarai

Daily Vacation

That's what my eldest has taken to calling our "daily devotion" time. I almost corrected her.

Almost.

Then I thought, that girl's just about right.

This time shouldn't be about obligation or mundane routine. It's a blessing, an honor, a vacation.

One where we get to pray, sing, and read all while in the light of the Son. One where, beginning this fall, I want consistency to happen.

And so we decided to pack our bag for this daily trip. Actually, we packed an old galvanized planter. Here's what we included:

* This beautiful, be still my heart, Bible-- most fitting for older toddlers/children
*This colorful Bible-- better fitted for those who are younger
*Our favoritest EVER scripture CD's-- Seeds of Faith and Seeds of Encouragement, our favorite of the favoritest
*A prayer journal and pen
*Our thankful can, or as it is most often called, "Our Jeshush Can"

The last two we made using some pretty simple materials we had lying around. In fact, looking at this picture, we didn't even use that ribbon. We opted for tape instead as you'll see below.
I hole punched some cut-to-size handwriting paper between two pieces of scrapbook paper for the journal.
Measure-smeasure. I, as you'll find to be typical, just eyeballed it.

Then I used a ring clip to hold it together. Here's a peek at the inside.
The can is full of things we can thank God for. First, we brainstormed a list.
Then we cut strips from scrapbook paper scraps and taped them to Popsicle sticks. Letter stickers finished them off. You could also hot glue or tacky glue them or forgo the paper and use good 'ole Sharpie markers. Whatever you have and whatever is easiest.

For the outside of the can, I have two words for you. Modge. Podge. Glorious stuff.
Oh and clipped to the front of the planter is our memory verse from the week, which we choose based on which Seeds song we're learning.
I find that it works best if I keep the planter out where we can all see it and remind each other. I also find that breakfast time or just after breakfast gives me a pretty captive (and contained) audience.

In this almost brand new week, full of possibilities, let's encourage one another! Any deals, ideas, or vacation spots that work for you or for your family? :)

~Katrina