DONE

I fell down the blogging rabbit hole....and lost my way.
And when I say that I mean, I was trying to do all things, well...bloggy.
I wanted people to be interested enough in my blog to come back and read it. I thought this meant DIY projects, subjects about budgeting & parenting, & kids & meals.
I had a Stay at Home Mom pipe dream that maybe I would make a dollar or two through sponsors that were dying to have a spot to advertise on my blog because there were so many "hits" per day.
Um guess what? Didn't happen. And frankly, I never worked at it hard enough for it to possibly happen.
It was too much for me.
The fad wore off pretty quick trying to keep up with the "real" home bloggers.
I think they call it burn-out, but I will just call it me being lazy.

#1- The Projects.
Yes I do them. Occasionally. Certainly not enough to be considered a DIY guru in the blogosphere.
However, I am the DIY guru inside my own home.
Aren't we all? To some degree?
Most of us DIY our meals, our cleaning(not to be confused with cleaning products), our make-up, our kids hair(unless they are a Tween, you can just forgetaboutit), and basically everything else in our worlds.
And for that, we need to be taking some cred.
But what I am done with is trying to keep up with projects I see online. Better Homes & Gardens, this blog, or that blog.
I. just. don't. have. the. stamina.
There I said it.
I might paint a wall or a table. Or who knows I might get crafty and make a wreath for Easter.
But I need to start just being happy with what I have at the moment.
Not constantly trying to change it, because that is what blog reading does to me....and Parade of Homes. Ugh talk about a rabbit hole!


#2- The Budgeting
I have a serious obsession with budgeting. I love to do it.
Does it mean I follow my budgets 100% of the time? No.
I try. I always have a plan. But life certainly likes to laugh at our plans sometimes.
So for lack of a better term, I have loosened the purse strings a bit.
My goal as the main budget-er in the family, have a plan, save when we can, and don't spend it if we don't have it.
Sometimes I get off track. It still makes me nervous but I take a deep breath and take baby steps towards making it better, without disrupting my household too much.
So I am done with these articles I read about how to save a dime here and there. I realize I have to do what works in that moment for my family and not be uptight about whether I have followed the monthly plan to a tee.

#3- Kids, lunches, and meals, and keeping my house tidy....
Listen, I am not a parenting expert and I hope I have never portrayed that here.
I love my daughter the best way I know how.
I don't make her sandwiches for her lunch that look like Elsa from Frozen.
She doesn't get vegetables in her diet everyday, even though she has tried to convince me that most things she eats were once in contact with some sort of veg so that must count for something. Whatever man, I'll run with it for now.
As much as I would like to make our meals "clean" and 100% homemade, there are still more times than I would like, that we have processed foods included in them.
As far as my tidy house goes, the majority of the time it is picked up.
Are there things laying around?
Of course.
I mean I just cleaned out 5 junk drawers and a junk cabinet.
By the end of that endeavor I had "junk" that I didn't want back in the junk drawers!
It's also that junk that couldn't be thrown away.
I eventually made it work, but seriously, who has 5 junk drawers?
My guess, a lot of people.
But for may sanity, keeping a tidy house keeps me a little less insane.
I am more comfortable in my home when things are cleaned.
It's far from perfect but it's good enough, most of the time.
Plus it's part of my job :)

So what I am saying here is, I am done trying to have a blog like everyone else.
I just like to write, and share. Nothing fancy, so please don't expect it, because I am over the fancy stuff.
It's pretty to look at but not very reasonable to have around.
So maybe I should change my blog name to The Messy Point of View.

move

 

I was fed up but it took me 3 weeks to get there. So I decided to move.

At the end of January, after suffering for 3 weeks with chronic low back, hip, and leg pain…after several chiropractic adjustments, some x-rays, and lots of ibuprofen, and nothing appeared to be wrong,  I was advised to move. Move my body more, that is.

I was reluctant because I am kind of lazy by nature when it comes to formal exercise. I like to walk or hike outside. I DON’T like that gym, AT.ALL.

But Folks, it’s been one hell of a winter in Minnesota. So cold you would die, literally, if you were outside for more than 5 minutes at a time. And it is not letting up anytime soon. If it is not Polar Bear cold out, they sky is dropping some serious snow on us. Can you tell I am ready for Spring?…I’m all singing. “where have all the flowers gone?” Seriously!

Well I gave in to Old Man Winter, and got a gym membership just so I could walk on the treadmill. I admit, I was a bit of the unbeliever when I was told that walking on the treadmill alone was going to cure this most annoying pain but I am here to tell you it has! It took about a 1 1/2 weeks to really make a difference but now that I am in my 3rd week of walking 3-5 times per week, that annoying pain is gone!

PLUS I have also added an hour of Yoga 1 day a week at a cute little studio, and I absolutely love it. I have always loved Yoga from the first time I tried it. It is challenging but it is so gentle. I will admit right now am not the girl who will be a runner(I don’t like my lungs burning or the pounding against the pavement) or pumping weights like a maniac at the gym. It is just not my style. I like gentle but effective exercises like Yoga, Walking, Hiking, and Pilates.

My ultimate plan is to get to 2-3 days per week for Yoga,( 2 days at the studio, and one day at home) on top of my 3-5 days of walking for 30 minutes on the treadmill. I might even throw in a day of Pilates if I am feeling super ambitious.

As I get older I can clearly see that inactivity is NOT my friend. This body needs to move or it starts to get belligerent and nasty, wreaking all sorts of havoc in the neighborhood.

It’s all about baby steps! I started on the very lowest level on the treadmill, 3 days a week for 30 minutes. I have now moved up a level, with a higher incline and a faster speed because I feel just a little bit stronger than I did when I started.  I am also to the point where if I don’t go walking my body starts to crave it. That is when I know things are really moving in the right direction.

What are you doing this winter to keep active? If you are not being active and getting exercise, what is keeping you from doing so?

Enjoy The View~ Jenifer

light

 

Remember how I had this grand plan to make my own light fixture so it would look something like this:

But with this type of light fixture:

Well this fickle girl changed her mind.

The original light I wanted was the one I ended up with. I saw this light fixture and really liked it because it was reminiscent of an old school house light. But then I saw the industrial farm house light with seeded glass and it kind of stole my heart.

After it was sitting around for a couple weeks I had a change of heart because I wanted 3 lights above the mirror instead of just 2 and I think 3 of the industrial farmhouse lights would be overwhelming.

So I headed to Home Depot and exchanged it for the original light I had my eye on, and Folks, I love the look. However, it is incredibly hard for me to photograph this bathroom. I think I need a wide angle lens or something. It is not a real small bathroom but it is narrow, so I don’t know if you will ever get a full shot of it all in one picture.

Anyway, here is the new light, plus you can see the new paint color better on the wall. It is Glidden Polished Grey:

Again, I am so far from being a photographer and the space and lighting are a huge challenge in this bathroom. Someday I might learn  

 

Stay tuned for updates further down the line. My plan next is to do a peel and stick floor & frame out the builder grade mirror. I am also on the lookout for a shower curtain I love and vanity hardware.

 

EnJoy The View~

Jenifer

vanity

 

For those who do not know, I am in the middle of a bathroom redo on a budget. This is our main bathroom on our upper level of our home. My budget is right around $250. It’s gonna be tight, but fingers crossed, hoping I can stick to it. This may or my not include a new floor

First things first…painting the yellow/orange oak vanity:

 

 

 

 

 

ALL of the wood work in our house is this color. While I am blessed to have such a nice house, I do not love this wood tone. I would like to paint it all, but that is a HUGE job, so, I will just start with the vanity.

I choose the color Kendall Charcoal by Benjamin Moore. I came across a kitchen on The Inspired Room, and I LOVED her colors she used in her kitchen. I thought it was a great starting point and inspiration for something different in this bathroom.

I had a couple hiccups along the way. My first thought was to use Benjamin Moore Advance paint, because I have heard rave reviews on painting cabinets and trim with this. It is a hybrid paint that is part oil, part water. It is also self leveling. The paint cleans up with soap and water but hardens and has the durability of oil based paint.

But lazy ‘ol me wanted to short cut and thought, “Hey, I will make some homemade chalk paint with this color and then it will not need any prep.”

UM, NO! I either didn’t mix the chalk paint strong enough to adhere to the glossy finish of the stock cabinets or something, because when I tried to polycrylic them, the brush took the homemade chalk paint right off the wood

So I went back to my original plan and went out and bought some of the fabulous Benjamin Moore Advance paint in Kendall Charcoal. DUH, I should have done this in the first place. It is such a great paint. Easy clean up, slower dry time compared to a latex so you have more time to work with it, but not too slow where there can be paint sag like some oil based paints can cause because they dry so slow.

Here is an example of paint sag:

(image source)

So far I am loving the result, even though I have a ways to go on this entire project.

Currently I am on the hunt for some beautiful hardware for the vanity, it never had any. This girl needs some jewelry!

Let me leave you with an AFTER picture of the vanity. Do not mind the messy paint on the back wall..all those walls will be painted a different color, this is why I started with the vanity, because I knew it would be messy and I do not tape anything off.

This color is actually a little darker in person than the monitor shows. The flash washed it out a bit, and there is no natural light in this bathroom, plus I am a total amateur in the photography department.

Next step: Paint walls Polished Grey by Glidden, and change out the light fixture above the mirror.

Here is a sneak peek at what the light will look like(there will be a couple tweaks).

 

EnJoy Your View~

Jenifer

Spark!

 

Great News here at House of Views…..I am now an affiliate for a wonderful Essential oil company called, Spark Naturals.(SN)

I am beyond excited because SN is a certified Pharmagrade company at very affordable prices!

This is not an MLM company & there are no sign up fees(for you or I)! What this means is I can offer you 10% off of all your orders through Spark Naturals. AND if you order $99 worth of product(after discount) you will get free shipping too!

I will do some blogging on the blog here, but I do a lot of my daily writing on facebook at House of Views, especially when it comes to my journey with essential oils(EOs).

I am pretty new to the world of EOs, with so much to learn, but the small amount of knowledge I have right now, makes me all the more excited to learn something new everyday about them!

They really are natures pharmacy.

All I ask is that you always use coupon code(at checkout): houseofviews. This will get you your 10% and little something in return for me for referring you to this awesome company!

If you have any questions I will be happy to help, if I do not know the answer I will try my hardest to find one!

goals

 

I spoke about living my life with intention & setting mini goals for the New Year  in my last post here.

I imagine my mini goals will change and evolve throughout the year. The whole purpose of setting small, attainable goals is to make them simple enough that they are achievable but have a purpose.

 

                            

Here are my first steps to being successful in health:

#1 goal:  Drink 75 oz of filtered water a day. Purpose: staying hydrated, being more alert, flushing toxins.

#2 goal: Drink 1 green smoothie a day. Purpose: add extra nutrients to my diet & more energy to my day.

There ya have it folks, this is how I am rolling in the New Year.

What are your New Year goals?

birth

 

I sat on my couch in the very early hours of Christmas Eve Day…many thoughts were running through this brain of mine but none of them pertaining to Christmas exactly, or were they?

A hot coffee, a warm fire in the fireplace, and the Christmas tree lit with everything mostly quiet, except for the faint sound of Suzy Bogguss quietly playing in the background as the B’Dog unwound on the computer, playing Free Cell, of course

I sat there, thinking about the many blessings in our lives, but then I felt a wave of guilt, the guilt of being a fraud….mostly because I take them all for granted. All.The.Time.
My health, my good fortune, material things, friends, family…

It always seems to be this time of year when I think about how I am going to live life differently.

The New Year approaches and I ask the same questions…”What will I resolve to do?”….”Should I have a word of the year, like last year(Simplify) or should I just throw out a random goal I want to accomplish?”

I happen to come across a blog post about how we as people are too vague when it comes to setting goals. OH! That is so me. to. a . tee.
She suggested picking 2 things that would lead me to the success in what is usually a grandiose goal…losing 50 pounds, reading 100 books, exercising 7 days a week, yada yada yada. We all know the song and dance.
I am here to tell you, THOSE NEVER HAPPEN. ever.

So I am setting my goals that are small but intentional.

And there it is…my word for the year.

Live my life more intentionally.

I am not quite sure what that looks like but I am imagining it will mean I am doing things with purpose, leaving my comfort zone(OH BOY!), being extra kind to others, remembering to set a daily intention every morning, being more available as a parent, wife, and friend. I want to be more intentional with the time I spend with God, because too many times he is just an after thought. And I want to be more intentional with my health more movement, more clean eating, more stretching, and more journaling.

So along with the season of the birth of a baby Jesus, for me comes the birth of living lifeintentionally. Getting real and doing things with pure purpose and for me that takes planning. Not just winging it.

stay tuned for my mini goals….

Life View- If you are happy and you know it clap your hands (cue awkward silence here cuz I ain't clappin')

*Disclaimer...I LURVVVE Miss L, more than I have ever loved anything or anyone in the whole wide world. This post should, in no way concern anyone that I am going to leave her on the 1st street corner I see, with a "Will work for my Moms sanity....because my Mom thinks summer break is 4 weeks too long" sign around her neck. No sir-ree. Please do not turn me into social services.

Okay!.......I am keepin' it really real today.

Parents....Are ya done with summer break yet? 

I mean, really, really done with summer break?

I am.

No routine, no schedule, makes a Mama more cray-cray than normal.

It's all.... "MOM, can we go...." Mom, can you make me...."MOM, MOM, MOM"......and it's always when I am just getting into a project. It.never.fails.

These last couple weeks I've been nothing if I haven't been... touchy, crabby, impatient....and if there are any other adjectives out there to describe a part time stay at home Mom's disposition 10 weeks into summer break...I am probably that as well.

I've been on all sides of the fence as far as working full time outside of the home, full time stay at home, and now part time working outside the home kind of Mom.

As far as my sanity goes, working full time outside of the home was clearly the winner for me.

YEAH YEAH, I know, sounds like I am complaining. Yes I might be, right now. 

However, I also know how blessed I am to have the opportunity to be at, and take Miss L to, all of her activities, make her dinner, bring her to school & get her off the bus..

I know, I know, I really do! 

But mentally 10 weeks in, the blessing of it all...is a bit....out of focus. 

Want to know something that has become a bit more clear, as the blessings of summer break become a bit hazy?

If Mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy!

True Story.

For some reason, I have become the go to person for mood setting in our home.

If I am happy...everyone else seems happy, or the ones that are happy can easily overlook the "unhappy" one(s).

If I am sad...the rest of the house gets sad right along with me.

If I ain't happy...there ain't nobody happy. 

They can be happy when they walk in the door, but the minute they smack into my wall of unhappiness...BAM...they pissed...just like ME.

I don't get it. 

Why do I have to be the designated mood setter?

It's way too much pressure and guilt!

Are you the mood setter in your home too?

I assure you I am not always Ms. Crabby McCrabberston. 

Most of the time, like 3 weeks out of 4, I am a pretty happy camper. 

But a girl has her psycho moments and 10 weeks in,  my 3 good weeks have dwindled down to about 3 good days....and that might be stretching it. 

I KNOW I am not alone. 

Because all you frazzled Mamas out there have been lighting up the Social Media world with "Summer, you are dead to me" posts.

Tell me how you are coping with the last couple weeks of summer break.

I'm not counting but....22 Days until my partial sanity makes its return.

EnJoy the View~

Jenifer

Life View- Summer! It turns me upside down..summer, summer, summer..

Completely lacking in the blogging department?
Yep, that's me.

I don't know how you run your home in the summer, but apparently we fly by the seat of our pants here.
We have absolutely no structure to our summer days around this house!
It throws me for a loop most days, and I say I am going to implement some sort of schedule to the day, but it just never turns out that way.
It is a good thing I have only one child, or we would be running amuck, I tell ya!

I am curious.....Do you keep a structured summer schedule or do you wing it like us as well?

I had nothing planned for the blog this week. Again...flying by the seat of my pants.
However, we went to a fun little fair/festival/"days" type of event yesterday called Pioneer Days at the Little Log Cabin.
Most of the time it is so dang blasted hot, that I don't find it super enjoyable, even though I am fascinated by this village that has been built from old signage, buildings, cars, gardens ect.
It is ADORABLE!
BUT yesterday, it was picture perfect for this thick blooded Minnesotan.
70 degrees in July!
God must have seen my electric bill coming in the mail from last month and decided to grant us some relief.
Talk about a budget buster! I opened that baby up to a cool $270!! SAY WHAT?
How blessed am I to have A/C and stay comfortable? Completely..(trying to stay positive here folks).

Ok so anyway, I will leave you with a few pics of our day yesterday.....

No turquoise-ish toy at the flea market was safe from being photographed and oogled by Miss L and I!

(in case you didn't know, I am having a love affair with all thing turquoise-ish)

Cool vintage car signage.....

Old rail signs, depots, and a caboose....

Little blonde girls sharing root beer floats with their Grandpas.....

And bigger blonde girls sharing her Grandpa's lap...

All in all it was a great day spent with family in a quaint little man made village that gives a cozy feeling of stepping back in time....something we all know moves way to quickly.

Enjoy your View ~

Jenifer

Life View - She's got...Personality, Ya! Personality!

I ran across this "Type" or "Personality" test today via maskCARA.com
She did not create this test but she blogged about it(at her fun little blog)..... and I found it pretty fascinating.

I have taken personality type quizzes before but this one is pretty close to being right on.
For instance the trait: "being committed and faithful to my family and friends".
You could probably ask anyone who knows me and they would agree with that.
However the: "confronting danger bravely" trait....not me at all!
And again, ask most who know me, and they would enthusiastically agree with it, especially the B'DOG(my hubba hubby).

Me+Danger=PANIC ATTACK

Of course I took the "sample" test because you have to pay $10 for the full version, but you get a really good idea of your personality type with the sample test.

BTW, if you are wondering.... I tied between a 5 (The Observer/The Investigator) & 6 (The Questioner/ The Loyalist).
After reading the descriptions and traits, I am much more a 6 with some 5 tendencies.

Here is a long little blurb about a SIX according to 9types.com: 

A SIX is titled:  The Loyalist/The Questioner(I have seen it titled as both)

How to get along with me:

Be direct and clear

Don't judge me for my anxiety

Laugh and make jokes with me

Try not to overreact to my overreacting

What I like about being a six:

being commited and faithful to family and friends

being compassionate toward others

being a non conformist

What's hard about being a six:

the constant push and pull of trying to make up my mind

fear of being abandoned or being taken advantage of

exhausting myself of worrying and scanning for danger

Sixes as children often:

are friendly, likable, and dependable and/or sarcastic, bossy, and stubborn

are anxious and hypervigilant: anticipate danger

take on the fearfulness of an overly anxious parent

Sixes as parents:

are often loving, nurturing, and have a strong sense of duty

are sometimes reluctant to give their children independence

worry more than most that their children will get hurt

You can take your TEST HERE.

Then you can check out a description of your type HERE. 

Make sure to click your number at the top of the page, as this link will start with One.

Stop in at my FaceBook page House of Views, and share what personality type you are, according to the test, and let me know if you agree/disagree with the results.

Have fun with it!

I love a good personality quiz, don't you?

And if you want to check out a couple more fun follow-up links to the personality quiz, head over to visit Cara at maskCara.

Linnked up here:

Design, Dining, & Diapers

Craftberry Bush

five days five ways

Love of Family and Home

ENJOY your VIEW~

Jenifer

House View -- I'm gonna have to face it, I'm addicted to....dressers?

It has shaped up to be quite the busy summer!
As always, right?
I don't know why I am ever surprised at how fast the summers go, especially here in Minnesota.
Us North-men( & women) like to shove 9 months of outdoor activities into 12 weekends...because, well we kind of have to if we do not want frost bite!
It seems like every weekend is booked through August for our family. A good sign that we are having fun!

In between running Miss L around to all of her "social events"...I have been itching to start a new furniture project redo.
I found the perfect piece and cannot wait to get started on it.
There are so many great options & styles of "redo" out there I can't seem to decided.


Here is what the piece looks like right now minus the baseball piggy bank:

Beautiful, isn't it? 

What you cannot see real great in this picture is the beaded detail around the 2 bottom drawers. 

And what about those feet? UGH, so fabulous!

After drooling over this big wooden sweetness for a day, I set out searching high and low, like I do, on the internet and found some great inspiration!

An antiqued white finish with dark dresser knobs?

source

Aqua & white two-toned with brass knobs?

source

Distressed white with black top and black hardware?

source

Distressed bright aqua with dark stained top and copper-ish hardware?

source

 Or....classic black with a medium tone stained top and gold hardware?

source

See what I mean? 

Not an easy decision.at.all.

There are so many great ideas just on this page alone, image how many I found and had to then narrow it down?

This is where you, my lovely readers come in....tell me.....What do you think?

If you were in the market to purchase this dresser, what style would most likely seal the deal for you?

BTW, I am still loving Penelope, my 1st large furniture redo! 

If you missed that blog post, check her out here!

I am looking forward to hearing your opinions.

Until then.....

Enjoy the View

~Jenifer

House View- Gonna Dress(er) you up in my love!

Old School Madonna, anyone?

Ok anyway.... I am done with her!!
The big beaut, that intimidated me so much, that is.
I am now going to lovingly refer to her as Penelope.
Because she looks a bit like a Peacock.
And when I think of a Peacock, I think her name must be Penelope, right?
She's looking all rich and gorgeous now.
You want to see her don't you?
Ok but before I do the "BIG" reveal...let's revisit the TomBoy version of Penelope, shall we?

She has great bones! But just not my style any longer. Hasn't been for a long time. 

Remember, I was too intimidated to do anything about it?

Well I finally mustered up the courage and dipped into the world of Annie Sloan Chalk Paint. 

Not to be confused with Chalkboard paint. 

(not my photograhy)

Annie Sloan(AS) was SUPER DUPER easy to use. 

No prep work!! Unless the piece that you are painting needs to be dusted or washed.

No sanding, no priming, only painting!

Word of warning, AS is on the spendy side...about $34 a quart. 

But it was so worth it! 

AND I only used a 1/2 quart on the Beaut!

So plenty of left over for other fun projects down the road.

I did purchase an AS paint brush too, which was around $25.

After researching the project and talking to an Annie Sloan expert, I figured it was the best way to go to ensure the project would go as smoothly as possible.

 After I got it all painted and let the 2 coats dry for 24 hours, I used AS Soft Wax in clear on the entire dresser. I just used an old t-shirt and buffing cloth they gave me at Denim Rose.

The wax seals the paint & makes it more durable.

And that was basically it.

It took me a little longer than I expected it to because we had so many things going on & I kept getting interrupted. 

But now Penelope looks like a star! Take a look-see.....

Yep I went with Aubusson Blue. 

Miss L told me I should jazz it up a bit. So I went blue instead of white.

I like it...a lot. She has a rich quality to her now.

I also went with a basic brushed nickle knob. Surprisingly I had 14 of them laying around the house back from when we built our townhouse in 2004. 

I knew they would come in handy some day.

I really want glass knobs for Penelope, but for now, the silver will have to do, until I can find a good deal on 14 glass knobs! 

One part that still needs some love....the mirror. 

I thought I would get away with NOT removing the mirror from the frame. 

And upon first glance it all looks very nice, but I just could not get close enough....and this is a close up of what I got:

Pine peeking through on the edge closest to the mirror. 

So eventually I will have to unscrew the mirror, take it out and touch up the paint.

But for right now, I am enjoying our bedroom being put back together. 

It was total chaos for a week in there, and it just about drove me to insanity.

Let's do one more side by side before and after on this project I am so proud of:

The lighting isn't real great in our Master Bedroom and these pictures were taken at different times during the day, but I think you get the drift?

Quite the change!

The only problem, now I have a hankering to paint the walls something lighter....

Are you DIYing anything this summer?

If so, please share! 

I love to see other peoples projects and ideas!

Until then....

ENJOY the VIEW~

Jenifer

House View - Step Right Up Folks!

Yesterday on my Facebook page House of Views, I said I was finishing up a small project.
I finally finished it, yeah!
Like I told you before, I can paint walls and such with no problem, besides an achy neck and shoulder afterwards, but as far as painting a piece of "furniture"....well it always seems sooooo tedious.
All the little nooks and crannies you have to shove the brush into?
And no matter how careful I am, there is always a drip and runny paint lurking somewhere on the piece once it is finally dry and finished.

Anywho, I had this half painted wooden step stool just hanging out around my house that the B'Dog DIYed for me a few years back. It has been super useful because I am vertically challenged, but it was never really cute. Especially with my half ass attempt at painting it 3 years ago! I must have been super annoyed & void of all patience the day I started it and then I just never went back and finished it.

But this week I got bit by a little painting bug and wanted a project.
And there was the step stool, looking all sad with her half dressed paint job, or lack thereof.

So I pulled out some black chalk board paint(which I have loved for a couple years now), a brush, and some newspaper and went to work.
Thinking it would be quick.
But noooo, it took me the span of 3 days to finally finish it.
Between having to let the paint dry in between coats and entertaining hanging out with Miss L this summer, it seemed to take FOREVER!
But she is all done up purdy now!
Step right up(pun intended) and take a little look-see:

Isn't she cute now, with all of her chalk board love?

As you can see, I am no artist, people. 

Those flowers(Yes, they are flowers) were the best I could do, haha.

I actually think I picked a small project as a diversion to my large dresser project. 

I am totally procrastinating  on that intimidating project. 

I think I am ready and going to check out some colors in person this weekend. 

Hopefully I will have some sort of a post about the "beaut" sometime in the next 2 weeks.

Are you working on any fun DIY projects. Let me know and share them on my Facebook page!

Happy Friday Everyone!

Enjoy your View~

Jenifer

 

Book reView- The Castaways by Elin Hilderbrand

To me there is just something about summer reading. It just seems appropriate to get lost in a good book, during the lazy days of summer.

I have always been a reader, but my interest ebbs and flows. 

There are seasons in my life where I will devour one book right after another, not being able to get enough.

AND there have been other seasons in my life where it will be months of literary drought. Where I can't seem to get my mind to slow down enough to comprehend anything. Almost like I have ADD, but I know I don't. The older I get, the worse it gets. Anyone else with this problem?

I am happy to report that reading season is in full swing. In the last month I have read 3 books!

I blogged about 7: an experiment mutiny against excess here.

While I was on my 7 day hiatus I finished reading: Cross Roads by Wm Paul Young.

This is the same author who wrote The Shack. Which was a great book! 

I had 'Cross Roads' downloaded to my Kindle FO-EVAH! I picked away at it little by little. 

It was an interesting book and a great concept, but there was something about it that didn't quite hold my interest enough. 

However, I finished it, and I am glad I did. I really do not like starting a book and never finishing it. Especially if I buy it!

Last week on our first summer outing to the local library I searched for an Elin Hilderbrand novel.

When I see people's reading lists this is the author I see the most. 

So I thought one of Hilderbrand's books would have to be a safe bet. 

I chose 'The Castaways'.

'The Castaways' was a very fast read. 

It kept me entertained and riveted, just how I like my summer reading.

I see why she is a best selling author.

There are 8 main characters who each have a story of their own.

Even though it was fiction, I found so much real life woven into the story.

It's about life getting messy, and stagnant. 

It's about love and loss. 

It is about friendships and marriages.

AND it also takes place on Nantucket Island.... it just feels like summer.....and now I want to go there.

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for a nice & easy summer read.

I will definitely read more of Elin Hilderbrand.

What are you reading this summer? Let me know, I love a great book suggestion!

Enjoy the View~
Jenifer

Home View - a loooonnnggg overdue redo of a large pine dresser

For about 3 years I have been considering revamping this beaut:

It is our master bedroom dresser.
At one time I liked the look of  pine furniture.
I don't hate her now, but I have a different vision for her.
One that includes paint.
She's big Folks.
So that means a lot of painting.
Intimidated much?
Um Yes, yes I am.
Why, you ask?
Because I think painting furniture is about as fun as clipping a toe nail too short(which isn't fun at all).
All the prepping: sanding, priming, painting...coat after coat after coat. UGH!
Take me out to pasture and shoot me please!
Sorry, that was a little dramatic, I know.
Hey I can paint a wall like nobody's business, but furniture....no thank you!

However, I have been reading about a certain product for the past 2 years that eliminates all but the painting step.
It is chalk paint.
And every time I go to an occasional sale, where they redo old furniture, the pieces that are painted with chalk paint are the ones that I get most excited about.
They have that cottage-y look I love so much.

So with that being said here are a few pieces of inspiration for my pine beauty.
These are all Annie Sloan brand chalk paint.

Provence Blue with gold hardware

Duck Egg Blue with glass knobs

Aubusson Blue with gold pulls

White with oil rubbed bronze pulls

Keep in mind the wall color of our master bedroom is:

Storm by Benjamin Moore

I am thinking a nice pop of color, like Provence Blue will do the room some good. 

But then my practical mind gets thinking that White is a universal color and what if I get sick of the blue(which I cannot imagine because it is my favorite but I am fickle like that, remember?) and White goes with dang near everything, so the chances of having to paint it again go down drastically, right?

What do you all think? 

Which one would you pick? 

Or would you go with a different color all together?

Please don't tell me you would stay with the pine look, because that is just.not.happening. :)

Enjoy the View~

Jenifer