Before and After Room Makeovers Part 1

This summer, we tackled a big project. Move three teenagers to different rooms in the house, repaint two of those rooms and redecorate, and turn one of the rooms into a craft room for me.

Here is the first installment.

This was my son's bedroom before (I didn't decide to take pictures until I started moving things, so it is in complete disarray):

This is the room we moved him into... before painting and redecorating (ick! It was my step-daughter's room)

This is the finished product (He chose the paint color):

I still have to hang the valances in my daughter's room before I post part 2.

Friday Fill-ins

Play along with Friday Fill-ins! It's fun!

1. It's time for me to get back to blogging more often.

2. Schlitterbahn; it's not a bad place for young, skinny chicks and hot guys with lots of energy. But for the rest of us... No. Really. It was fun.

3. I must be getting old. Dumb and Dumber isn't funny anymore.

4. The unconditional love of my father is the best thing I have ever known.

5. My cat is simply crazy! She's meowing at nothing.

6. The last time I laughed really loudly was yesterday when I was reading Fingerlickin' Fifteen by Janet Evanovich.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to a massage, tomorrow my plans include scrapbooking and a date with my husband, and Sunday, I want to hug and kiss my kids because I haven't seen them in so long!

Stay tuned this weekend for photos of our summer room makeovers!

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Christmas in July Swap

Angie from Antics with Angie organized a great swap! She called it Christmas in July, and it really was! I was partnered with JoAnne from Barely Domestic Mama. Here's what I received:

And here is what I sent my partner:

Thanks for hosting a great swap, Angie! And thanks for all the lovely gifts, JoAnne!

Thursday 13

Here are 13 images from our weekend trip to New Orleans.

This is the bar at the hotel.

A nice place to eat Seafood in the French Quarter.

Harrah's Casino

The first place we stopped in on Bourbon Street

I love shopping near the French Market.

A yummy shrimp po-boy from Daisy Duke's

New Orleans is called the Big Easy for many reasons.

The Mighty Mississippi River

A Paddlewheel boat

This place serves the best roast beef po-boy in New Orleans.

A red chandelier in the registration area of the hotel

I love the balconies!

My favorite watering hole. Love the Rainstorm! (drink)


Visit more Thursday Thirteen participants by clicking here.

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Wordless Wednesday

Visit more Wordless Wednesday fun!

Mildew on the "mildew remover." I thought it was pretty humorous.

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Heads or Tails

The prompt for this week's Heads or Tails is "pile" which couldn't be more appropriate right now!

I have come to the conclusion that my children are packrats! Oh, they come by it naturally. I'm a saver of yearbooks, programs, photos, memorabilia, one who doesn't like to throw things away, but as I have used the excuse, "I'll use it someday" over the years, and it's proven not to be true, I now have to attempt to downsize and minimize the PILES of stuff I have accumulated! I've always known that I have a difficult time throwing things away, and now I have learned that my children do, too.

What started out as a seemingly mundane task, letting the kids switch bedrooms and painting their rooms while they are gone to their grandmothers, has turned into a monumental ordeal. Where did they get all this stuff? There are PILES of cards, PILES of photos, PILES of pens and pencils, PILES of clothes, and PILES of notebooks. Then we have PILES of stuffed animals, PILES of blankets, PILES of posters, PILES of tickets they've won at Gatti's, and PILES, and PILES, and PILES of an endless amount of useless paraphernalia! How, in 13 short years, did they accumulate so much stuff?

When they return, we are going to have a PILE-reducing contest! Whoever reduces their PILES more, wins. Wins what? Who knows? Maybe something from one of my PILES!

Sunday Scrappin'

Sunday Scrappin' is a weekly meme for all paper crafters. Won't you join us?

Ta-Da's
I went to Archiver's to scrap with a friend from 5-11 Friday night. I got 9 pages done. I'm so far behind that I needed to use as many photos as I could on really simple pages.

To-Do's
I need to get some of my craft supplies moved and stay on a roll.

Optional Challenge
Last week, Christine asked us to use patriotic colors. I did that last week when I made a card for the Red, White, and Blue swap. This week, here's Amy challenge: Pull something out of your "someday" file and give it a try. Always wanted to try a certain technique? Been thinking about experimenting with a new layout or embellishment? Let's get one of those things crossed off our list this week!
Happy Scrappin'!

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Heads or Tails

Sorry I'm late posting this week! This week's topic for Heads or Tails is "spin."

Do you remember Spin Art?

Image source

I used to love to watch people on their big machines making spin art on paper or t-shirts. Later, along came smaller machines for kids to use at home. I loved it!

And now, you can even play an online spin art game at nick jr.!

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Sunday Scrappin'

Please join us for Sunday Scrappin' where we post our ta-da's, to-do's, and take part in an optional challenge. Sunday Scrappin' is open to scrapbookers both traditional and digital as well as other paper crafters.

Ta-Da's
I finished the journaling for this layout.

I can post the card I made last week since it has been received. I made this for Mamarazzi's Red, White, & Blue swap.
And I did four digital pages.

To-Do's
Scrap as many pages as I can! I plan to go to Archiver's Friday for their crop night. Should be fun!

Challenge
Last week's challenge was to create something related to summer. I don't know if my RW&B card counts. This week Christine has asked us to use the colors red, white, and blue in a layout, although it doesn't have to be something patriotic.

Happy scrappin!

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Red, White, and Blue Swap Package

I received my swap package this week from Amy at 6FlowerMom. Oh, what fun to open this package and get her four and a half page note explaining why she chose each of my gifts. Not only that, but she sent me a great dessert recipe! I think this swapper is a much better baker than I am, but I can follow a recipe, so I may give it a try.

In the meantime, look at these goodies!

Three containers of Lindt chocolates. I love these! They are already open and being consumed as I type.

3 boxes of nostalgic cracker jacks. Will share these with the kids!

A red, white, and blue fan for this Texas heat!

Big Red chewing gum.

An assortment of tea bags.

A pretty candle that says "peace" and smells wonderful!

A journal. One can never have too many of these!

Pens, red and blue, that will be great for teaching.

An adorable tea cup.

A re-usable grocery bag. She's going to help me go green.

Incense. I haven't seen this in years, but it smells wonderful.

Dr. Bronner peppermint soap.

A lovely magazine, "Traditional Home" which is perfect as I work around the house this summer.

A red, white, and blue lei.

A red, handcrafted bracelet made by a local artisan. It's beautiful!

A little garden: flower pot, gerbera daisy in a can, and a strawberry plant in a small terra cotta container.

Lacy even wanted in on the action.

Luckily, she received my package before the 4th of July Festivities. Here's what I sent her. In the first photo, I forgot to include the cutlery caddy and utensils, so I had to take a second photo.
A box of goodness to help her create the perfect patriotic picnic:

Notepad for to-do-lists
Woman's Day magazine for ideas and relaxing reading
Star cookie cutters for cookies or sandwiches
Gel cling for decoration
Socks for festive fashion on the fourth
Candles for the centerpiece
2 serving bowls
dinner plates
dessert plates
napkins
cups
tablecloth
cutlery
cutlery caddy
Bath & Body Works anti-bac hand sanitizer
can cooler for a soda or other canned drink
red tin pail full of after dinner mints
and... Blue glo bracelets for the kids after it gets dark
You can read her post about our swap here.

Amy, thanks so much for all the swappy goodness! Have a safe and happy 4th!

Friday Fill-ins

I thought it would be fun to play along with Friday Fill-ins this week. Care to join me? Click here.

1. When I heard Michael Jackson died, I was genuinely heartbroken.

2. Blogging is the best medicine.

3. It's late, but I'm not pregnant! LOL!

4. Love you daddy, always.

5. My eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. (I'm singing now!)

6. Stand up for yourself strongly.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to getting some things moved in the room change going on at our house, tomorrow my plans include finishing my painting and something for the 4th, and Sunday, I want to see my sister before she goes on vacation!

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Amazing Giveaway

Here's a LINK to an amazing giveaway of over $100 worth of scrapbooking/stamping supplies. You know you want to win it! If it can't be me, it might as well be you. Visit Creative Antics.