2014 Evolution of my Haircolor

A little bit of THIS.

A little bit of THAT.

A little growing it out...

A whole lotta THAT.

Add, a whole bunch more shampoos...

Some growth, and some attempts at re-dyeing it blonde.

Giving up, and going back to the roots with THIS.

Didn't feel like myself so I tried the first one again...

And the second....

And tried a CRAZY style today while plotting what to attempt next!

Reasons to love Nebraska {the Holy Family shrine}

I've been daydreaming for a few years about camping near this gorgeous Nebraska spot so that I can take pictures at dawn or sunset.

Turns out that's already been done...by photographers with much more talent :).

And probably something fancier than my cellphone.

I love the mountains and farmland of my home, but I have much I've grown to love across the prairies of this country too.

On its website, it states the purpose of this shrine is for seekers to have a place to connect with the holy spirit.  Even just driving by has done that for me.

Rustic Christmas Inspiration

As someone who has sold a lot of Christmas tree skirts in my sewing years, I can't believe I'm saying this...but I am:

Try a bucket!

Seriously cute, right?

On a sled is even cuter.

But if you insist, here's some fun twists on the burlap skirt fad:

If you're over that, just throw down an old quilt.  It feels pretty warm and homey to me.

If you like to  make ornaments these couldn't be more simple.  Just remember to leave a little opening for the stuffing and stitch your hanger on in the first stitching.  I got a whole roll of this rope for the hangers at walmart for $10.  I bet they still have some.

 And if ya don't want to sew, tie knots!

 My other favorite rustic Christmas decorations include dried orange slices and cinnamon sticks.  Tie a piece of rafia through them and you can hang just like an ornament.  The smell is one of the best parts.

Sure, it takes a little more time to prepare homespun items like this, but it is a relaxing way to spend cold weather time, and saves a lot of money!

Chalkboard Art Ideas

I've told ya this enough, but I love my chalkboard wall.  Can't wait to pull up these cuties while I doodle!

Quotes for the chalkboard wall

So, like usual when a new season is upon me I get motivated to change up my chalkboard wall.  "Life is better in Flip-Flops?"  Yeah, I'm over that :).

I've decided to really deck it out with lots of thoughts and art in all the nooks and crannies so it's a diversion to look at while eating in our torn apart kitchen.  The floors have been ripped out, the bar will soon be smashed and the island cabinets will be switched.  It's gonna be chaotic!

So yeah, distraction.  And of course I am gathering my ideas here.  One reason is so you can enjoy them too.  Another reason is I need them all in one place I can pull up on my phone to refer to while I'm drawing.

So I'll start with the quotes and then the next post will be some of the chalkboard inspiration art to go with them.

Our very own truck (for a few minutes) of Supplies

The forklift couldn't get everything into the garage....

'Cause it wasn't quite tall enough :)

But it got this much in...

And with a borrowed lift we got the rest in later.

And here's what I can't believe....I thought we'd thought of *everythng*.  I thought every little part and piece was here for non-stop home improvement fun.

Newsflash, Bobi!

I've been to the hardware store 3 times in the last two days.  There's always something you forgot.  Always!

Staining the Banister

Okay, so we've roughed up this banister and stair rail a time or two, trying to get to the look we are going for.

Eventually we dropped it, since we knew we were a long ways from getting the iron balusters we had in mind.

Fast forward two years--the balusters are HERE in our garage, waiting for their new life along our stairs.  So...we had to get movin' and thankfully all the time of waiting to buy supplies helped us solidify in our minds the color and finish we were going for.

We went with a gel stain (color: dark walnut) and the finish looks great.  My goal today is drag myself out into the world (I'm having a lot of anxiety lately) and purchase the spray lacquer and prepare the areas with drop cloths for when my man comes home to finish his wood finish :).

***Hint for later--the stain color corresponds gorgeously with the tile we ordered.  That I cannot wait to show you!