Three Dollar paint!

So I shop at Walmart....A lot! I have done everything in my power to shop there less. Not for any other reason then my safety! Our Walmart is a scary place. I went to exchange a lamp(which took way too long) and the police showed up and set up camp for the day to watch surveillance.So I am finally trying to sever the ties with Walmart when possible. With that said....I got a quart of paint there on clearance for THREE DOLLARS! Which was plenty to do my dining room wall. I picked a random not white but not cream color just so I didn't have to go back, we already had lot's of painting supplies from the kid's rooms(to be blogged soon) and my math genius husband taped off the wall and wa-la, a whole awesome statement wall for 3 dollar's. They still have paint on clearance. I might be going back soon!

***Notes***
The stripes are one foot wide. Tape with a level ALWAYS and press tape down firmly before painting, let paint dry before removing tape.

The light fixture WAS nickel the hubby spray painted with rubbed oil bronze spray paint and replaced the frosty white glass. Highly Recommended!

Furniture and Accessories list:
Table: LL Bean Farm house - Free (hubby used to work at an outlet it was damaged)
Chairs: Bi-mart on clearance 80 bucks or so for the set
Curtains: Lenda ikea 14.99 pair
Curtain Rod: Ikea 9.99
Decorative wood box: 3$ Yard sale(was red, I hate red!)
Clear Plastic floor protector: Free(but a life saver under the kid's side of the table)
Mason Jar: Free (mom in law) Mason jars=love for me ;)

I still need to finish the other curtains and a few decorative items. Not bad considering my little girl with the flu on my hands too ;)

Yick...I did attempt a yellow accent wall month's ago....This was a do over. I had to paint it back to the original interior color before doing the stripes. Well worth the extra work.

Inspire

My goal THIS year has been to finally get our home in order and somewhat decorated to fit our style(still not sure what that is).
We bought our first home in August of 2009 and it's a Very Fine House for a cookie cutter subdivision. I would have loved to have something with character but we didn't have the time or money for "character" so we settled for a newer home with a great lay out and a good sized lot for the money$$.

Since we are now house poor(which is a good thing) I have been challenged to decorate/redecorate on a tight budget. I am learning a lot about resources, craftiness and DIY and I hope to be able to share those wisdom's with you. Or at least inspire some creativity and save you a few dollars along the way.

-Rachel

Our First Home

I'll light the fire
You put the flowers in the vase
That you bought today

Staring at the fire
For hours and hours
While I listen to you
Play your love songs
All night long for me
Only for me

Come to me now
And rest your head for just five minutes
Everything is good
Such a cozy room
The windows are illuminated
By the sunshine through them
Fiery gems for you
Only for you

Our house is a very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Now everything is easy
'Cause of you
And our la,la,la, la,la, la, la, la, la, la, la.....

Our house is a very, very fine house
With two cats in the yard
Life used to be so hard
Now everything is easy
'Cause of you
And Our

I'll light the fire
And you place the flowers in the jar
That you bought today

Pay it Forward

Came across this today. Ava has been a lucky girl thus far(no major diabetic emergencies or hospitalization since diagnoses!) and I think it is time we make another little girl feel special some where around the world. I will be making and donating a dress Asap! I hope you can do the same :D Happy Sewing!

Bath Time Body Paints

I think it is time for some fun (updates will have to wait;)

My kids love bath crayons, paints etc but they always leave a weird residue or don't always work as planned. So in a usual me sort of way I decided to make my own it was EASY,Cheap and FUN....so Enjoy!

You will need:
Baby Soap (or whatever body wash you use for you little ones) I used a generic all over baby wash.
Corn Starch
Food Coloring
Measuring cup
Measuring Spoons
Small Containers (Baby food jars would be awesome for this) I got little plastic containers at the dollar store!

I mixed my colors batch by batch it seemed to work well :)

Mix in measuring cup:
1/4 cup baby soap
2 TBS Corn Starch
1/2 TBS Warm Water
4-5 drops of food color

Mix well and poor into containers THAT'S IT!

We used a paint brush to paint ourselves and the bath it didn't seem to stain and washed right off I did read vinegar will remove it from your bath IF it does stain(I would assume you would have to leave it on there for a while)

The kids loved this stuff!

Team Ava Rocks walking for a cure October 3rd 2010

May 28^th 2010 Ava was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes leaving her insulin dependent. Andy and I have decided if ANYTHING we would like to raise awareness of Type 1 diabetes and the challenges that we are faced with every day. We have also decided to support the search for a cure (which Ava's Dr believes we will see in her lifetime!) by walking in the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Walk for a Cure Saturday October 3rd 2010 @ Oaks Park in Portland, Oregon. We have a donation account set up at Bank of the Cascades under" Donation account for Ava Grace Morris" from this account we will be allocating funds to be donated directly to JDRF on behalf of Ava's team and some will be used for travel to Portland (she also has a Dr's appointment at Legacy Emanuel the Monday following the event) any additional funds will be used to help with Ava's daily diabetic supply needs and travel to and from Portland every 3 months for her appointments at Legacy Emanuel(which is where her care is being managed). We are asking every one to help us by spreading awareness of Type 1 Diabetes and if you can, join our JDRF team and Walk for a Cure. A BIG warm THANK YOU to everyone who has been so supportive and helpful already, many of you have already learned a lot and have been able to get the word out there about Type 1 Diabetes and JDRF on Ava’s behalf, Thank You!

-Rachel

Team “Ava Rock’s” walking for a cure! (**click here for Ava's team page**)

At Least

My mother spoke a few words this morning that I thought I would never hear her say “At least Ava only has diabetes”. Don’t get me wrong it is a life we didn’t expect or feel like we deserved and I have always believed that god will give us what we can handle, so this we can handle, that I am sure of.

I was telling my mom about the Hales family and what they are battling and how I can’t even imagine how hard it must be. Then she says to me while looking at Ava “At least Ava only has diabetes”, those words made me feel so thankful to have our daughter home and that soon (hopefully) we will be managing her disease. It is amazing how God can put things so simple like a facebook/blog update in front of us to humble us and be thankful for what we are given. My heart goes out to the Hales and I hope they have some answers this week. Thanks Mom for the positive thought and thank you Hales for the updates as hard as it must be, it is greatly appreciated in so many ways.