Craft Room Re-do

I have a serious problem.

My art stuff is EVERYWHERE.

GAH.

So I have been researching some ideas to clean it up.  Here are some photos of ideas that I like, I found on Pinterest

 

I love the green/white color scheme in this one

 

I love the shelving & organization in both the picture above & below!

I really want some drawers & table space like here, plus I LOVE the wrapping paper organizer!

I am obsessed with apothacary walls like this one, but not sure if it will be too busy for the room.  

The biggest problem is getting this kind of organization on a very slim budget.  I did though get an awesome sauce deal on Craigslist on a pair of super cute end tables for the MB.   I want some new ones because the ones we have are going to be moved into the living room.  Both sets I am going to re-furbish in the next week.  I am thinking I am going to paint them yellow.

Well its the weekend, happy Friday everyone!

And The Winner Is...

Research Randomizer Results 1 Set of 1 Unique Numbers Per Set Range: From 1 to 4 -- Unsorted

Set #1: 1

Congratulations! 

Comment number one said...

• 
  Susan Flory

  I would love to have an official letterhead for my freelance graphic design business. Perhaps I would appear more professional. As it is, I type up my invoices and print them out on plain white paper. So boring!

The winner will receive an email with the details about your prize.  Thanks to those who entered!

 

Green of the Week Link Party #2

 Click HERE to go to the latest GIVEAWAY!

 
HOMEMADE CLEANING PRODUCTS!

This week is all about Homemade cleaning products.  I HATE how costly cleaning products are.  I would say I am a pretty clean person & I use them often so it adds up pretty quickly for me.  There are still a few products I like to use for heavy duty jobs but for the basics here are some recipies that I use around the house.  To make them it costs about 1/10th the cost per ounce of product, saves you money and saves the planet!

WINDOW CLEANER

1/4-1/2 teaspoon of your favorite liquid detergent

3 Tablespoons of vinegar

2 cups of water

1 spray bottle

Put all the ingredients into a spray bottle, shake it up a bit, and use as you would a commercial brand. The soap in this recipe is important. It cuts the wax residue from the commercial brands you might have used in the past.

OVEN CLEANER

1 cup or more of baking soda
Water
A squirt or two of liquid detergent

Sprinkle water generously over the bottom of the oven, then cover the grime with enough baking soda that the surface is totally white. Sprinkle some more water over the top. Let the mixture set overnight. You can easily wipe up the grease the next morning because the grime will have loosened. When you have cleaned up the worst of the mess, dab a bit of liquid detergent or soap on a sponge, and wash the remaining residue from the oven. If this recipe doesn’t work for you it is probably because you didn’t use enough baking soda and/or water.

ALL-PURPOSE SPRAY CLEANER

1/2 teaspoon washing soda
A dab of liquid soap
2 cups of hot tap water

Combine the ingredients in a spray bottle and shake until the washing soda has dissolved. Apply and wipe off with a sponge or rag.

FURNITURE POLISH

1/2 teaspoon of oil, such as olive (or jojoba, a liquid wax)
1/4 cup of vinegar or fresh lemon juice

Mix the ingredients in a glass jar. Dab a soft rag into the solution and wipe onto wood surfaces. Cover the glass jar and store indefinitely.

VINEGAR DEODORIZER

Keep a clean spray bottle filled with straight 5 percent vinegar in your kitchen near your cutting board and in your bathroom and use them for cleaning. I often spray the vinegar on our cutting board before going to bed at night, and don’t even rinse but let it set overnight. The smell of vinegar dissipates within a few hours. Straight vinegar is also great for cleaning the toilet rim. Just spray it on and wipe off.

MOLD KILLER

Tea Tree Treasure
Nothing natural works for mold and mildew as well as this spray. I’ve used it successfully on a moldy ceiling from a leaking roof, on a musty bureau, a musty rug, and a moldy shower curtain. Tea tree oil is expensive, but a little goes a very long way.  I buy mine from the local health store or Body Shop.  Note that the smell of tea tree oil is very strong, but it will dissipate in a few days.  I like the smell though!

2 teaspoons of tea tree oil
2 cups of water

Combine in a spray bottle, shake to blend, and spray on problem areas. Do not rinse. Makes two cups.

Vinegar Spray
Straight vinegar reportedly kills 82 percent of mold. Pour some white distilled vinegar straight into a spray bottle, spray on the moldy area, and let set without rinsing if you can put up with the smell. It will dissipate in a few hours

CREAMY SOFT SCRUBBER

Simply pour about 1/2 cup of baking soda into a bowl, and add enough liquid detergent to make a texture like frosting. Scoop the mixture onto a sponge, and wash the surface. This is the perfect recipe for cleaning the bathtub because it rinses easily and doesn’t leave grit.

Note: Add 1 teaspoon of vegetable glycerin to the mixture and store in a sealed glass jar, to keep the product moist. Otherwise just make as much as you need at a time.

Happy green cleaning!  ADD YOUR LINKS!!

Highs & Lows

 Click HERE to go to the latest GIVEAWAY!

HIGHS

After selling our old motorcycle last fall, Spencer has been itching for a new one & this week he finally got a new baby.  He is in love of course.

This weekend was "Tax Free" weekend for back to school in Florida so we went shopping.  I got lots of awesome clothes and some killer boots.

We finally got our wedding pictures! I am going to do a post about our big day soon but here are some sneak peeks :)  Photos taken by Jillian Bowes Photography

 

LOWS

I have had insomnia almost every night this past week.  I am hoping that this week will give me more sleep.  Spencer hopes so too because that will mean a less grumpy wife!

I wanted to get the paintings I have been working on done by today but that unfortunately didn't happen.  Maybe next Sunday they can be on my "Highs" list :)

LOOK! Shaydes First Giveaway! - CLOSED

GUESS WHAT?! GUESS WHAT!?

The time has finally come for the very first giveaway here at Shaydes of Life!  OHH AHH, I know you are all SO excited.  What is to be won you ask? Well...

The wonderful people over at UPrinting.com have offered to team up with Shaydes & give to ONE lucky winner 500 pcs Letterheads!

Each letterhead will be 5.5" x 8.5", 70lb offset, & front side only printing.  For you there will be 4 business day print turnaround time & FREE shipping of course :) Feel free to check out UPrinting.com & their letterhead printing , letterhead designs , & envelope printing options.

ENTRY RULES

**You MUST be a U.S. citizen & over the age of 18 to enter**

Leave ONE comment PER ENTRY

1. You must be or become a follower of Shaydes of Life - 1 Entry

2.  Check out UPrinting.com (This is on good faith) - 1 Entry

3. Tell me what you would use your new fancy shmancy letterheads for - 1 Entry

The winner will be chosen by a true random number generator on AUGUST 18th.  PLEASE, if you have won this same offer from another blog within the past six months do NOT enter.  We want to leave room for others to win a little too!

Comment away & good luck everyone!

 Disclamer: Required as per FTC ruling; This giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given & I will receive Letterhead printing by hosting.  Letterhead design inspiration and envelope printing is also available.  Please visit UPrinting.com for more details.

Wordless Wednesday: My Birthday Wish-list

 

Giveaway @ Southern Lovely

One of my new fave blogs is doing a giveaway over at SOUTHERN LOVELY

It is for a FREE exclusive to you blog design.  This includes a banner, background & two buttons...a $35 value!! Click the button to head on over there and try for the win :D

Lady Gaga High Heels

Here is a little confession about myself...

I am OBSESSED with shoes. 

It is a little bit of a problem sometimes, but I am getting better about it.  At one point I had over 80 pairs of shoes, sick I know.  I go through serious phases when it comes to shoes & I have had the same size foot for forever so they easily accumulate.  I recently went through them all and tossed out anything that was falling apart and donated ones that I no longer cared for.  I am now down to about 35 pairs...kudos to me.
 
After going through all of those shoes I was left with these.  Comfortable plain black pumps.  I like them, but they are REALLY boring.  


So I grabbed my trusty glue gun, some old CD's & a pair of scissors and went away at it.  I cut up the CD's into little pieces, the smaller the better, then hot glued them to the shoes.  I took my time to make sure each piece fit just right and I LOVE how they turned out!  It was a super easy project and now they are definitely my new favorites.

Kinda Lady Gaga-esque don't ya think?

Here is some more shoe eye candy for ya...

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!

 I think Gaga would be proud :) Happy Monday!

Linking to...

Highs & Lows

Highs...


Since the husband was gone for the week to North Carolina on business, I went to Orlando, Florida to stay with some family who was visiting from Michigan.  It was a nice little vacation that kept me occupied while he was away.







While in Orlando we went to Universal Islands of Adventure! It was SO much fun being a kid again & it was a gorgeous day.

 One night for dinner, my cousin Megan & I went to Downtown Disney for dinner at Planet Hollywood.  We had a spinach manicotti that was amazingly good, tasty drinks, & one of the best seats in the house on the second floor overlooking everything.


I FINALLY got a new phone today, a 3rd Gen iPhone which I LOVE.  I can't stop playing with it.

I found out I am officially enrolled in my new school, Aveda Jacksonville & started my new job all in the same week!  Go me.

My brother moved out on his own for the first time, I am so proud of him!  It doesn't hurt he lives right next to my absolute favorite hot dog joint in all the world.  I know where I'm going next time I visit Michigan :)

My cousin had his surgery and it went really well!  He is well on his way to a full recovery, thank you for all your prayers xx

Lows...


It was so hot while we were at Universal my forehead got sunburned & now the skin looks funny.

I cant think of any other lows actually so looking back it was a pretty great week!  Hope you all had one just as awesome.

Gimme S'more Cookie Bars

Im not a huge fan of brownies so I am always on the hunt for something similar but more to my taste.  During my daily blog-browsing at Sweet Escape I found a recipe for S'more Cookie Bars, and they are delish!

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
4 (1.55 oz. each) HERSHEY's Milk Chocolate bars
1 cup marshmallow creme

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 8-inch square pan.

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla; beat well. Stir together flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt; add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Press half of dough into prepared pan.

Arrange chocolate bars over dough, breaking as needed to fit. Spread with marshmallow creme. Scatter bits of remaining dough over marshmallow; carefully press to form a layer.

Bake 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Makes approximately 16 bars.

Enjoy!

NEW BLOG PARTY!! Green of the Week #1

I have decided to start something new and fun here at Shaydes.  Since I love all things 'green', color and eco-friendly, I am starting a bi-weekly post party called

Though I do love the color green, this time I am referring to the eco-friendly kind.  Every first and third Monday of the month I want to show you something cool and 'green' you can do for your house, self, or family either by myself or from another awesome blog that I have seen. 

 To keep all the GREENESSS going I want all of you to link up anything awesomely 'green' you have posted about.  It could be something old you restored, something re-purposed, something you planted, or something you recycled.  It does not have to be something you just did, you could have done it 3 years ago, as long as its GREEN! If you don't want to link up, leave a comment about the green of the week, I luuurve comments!

I strongly believe in being GREEN and I always find accomplishment in giving back to the environment as much as I can.  I hope you will join me in recyclemania!

This week is....dun dun dun...

A Dresser Drawer Herb Garden 

My Aunt picked me up four of these super cute & simple looking old dresser drawers for FREE at a garage sale a couple months ago.  Unfortunately one of them was destroyed during the move to Florida but that is okay, I like odd numbers better anyway.  This week I decided to turn one of them into my new mini herb garden for my apartment (I will do the same to the other two when I live somewhere with more space).




This is what I used to have, worked fine but I have used most of the plants and needed to purchase more.

I went to Home Depot and picked up some new herbs.  I was only able to get Chives & Sweet Basil because it has been too hot down here for anything else to survive.  I will add Rosemary & Cilantro to the mix later, those four are the herbs that I use most.



To start I painted my dresser drawer a light teal-blue.  I didn't totally cover it in paint to make it look a little bit more weathered.  Gotta love the shabby chic!

I let it dry then added some cute butterfly knobs that I picked up for $3 on clearance for a set of four (I got two sets so I can add them to my other ones later).  I didn't screw any hole in the bottom of the drawer for water, it had some cracks/holes in it to begin with & that will be enough with how hot it is here.  Water drys up quick!  Finally I added the plants and some potting soil to the drawer....

Recycled herb goodness!  Not only is the planter re-purposed, but growing my own herbs is also a way to be self sustainable.  Now show me your GREEN GOODNESS!