Where I've Been Lately & I'm Giving Away A TeePee!

Hi Friends!  It feels like I've been gone forever, but really it's just been a week.  Or two.  I have a big, long, picture-heavy post comin' atcha from our Montana trip and another post from our visit to the pumpkin patch.  Other than that, I have been up-to-my-ears busy with some MOPS fundraisers I'm planning, and my two boys and I have been s.i.c.k.  So sick.

Now that I've given you my totally abbreviated sob story, hopefully you'll understand when I tell you this little bit of information so very, very late and last-minute:

I am giving away the farm a children's play teepee over at my friend Amy's blog, A Good Life!  The part that I need to apologize for is that you only have until tonight at 11:59 to enter.  Head over there now to get all the details on how to enter and do it soon!

I'm always late to the party.

{ photo via A Good Life }

If you win, you'll get a limited edition "P-Ray" teepee just like Parker's.  You'll need to provide the polls (unless you're local to me in the Seattle area) which are less than $10 at Home Depot --and they'll even cut them to the right size if you ask nicely!

I do not offer teepees in my Etsy shop, so this is a very special treat for my readers and Amy's!  My teepees are made from new and upcycled cotton, are completely washable, and fun to use indoors or out.  They make the perfect reading nook for little ones and are even large enough to fit a child and one adult inside!

Hurry over to A Good Life NOW to enter!

Fave Finds Friday #6 and a mini-vacation

I'm basing today's Fave Finds Friday post on my upcoming vacation to Trout Creek, Montana.  

{ photo via }

I heard they're still enjoying summer-y weather in Trout Creek, which is much more than I can say for our three-week-long Seattle summer season.  { Yes, I am one of those disgruntled Seattlites who complains about the weather but is too lazy to pack up and move to a different climate. }

  Sun, warmth, cookouts, family and beautiful scenery equals perfection, if you ask me.  My mom, two boys, and I are leaving the man-of-the-house behind to fend for himself for the week.  For anyone feeling sorry for the guy...He'll be fine.  I'm sure of it.

As far as Fave Finds goes, I've been really into wall art and prints using creative wording, and found this awesome print from Etsy shop, Banda Prints:

{ photo via }

Here's a closer look of the Montana silhouette print,

{ photo via }

 I love how the cities are carefully placed and the font is just large enough to squeeze in among neighboring towns.  Banda Prints offers customization, too.  I know I'll want my hometown listed among the others on the map when I order my Washington State silhouette!

{ photo via }

I think these prints qualify as subway art.  Don't they?  And we all know how much I've been lovin' some subway art!

What's your favorite place to take a mini-vacation within a day's driving distance from your home?

I can't stop...

...Making wall art for my boys' new room redo!

Late, late, late last night after a fun few hours spent away from my family with two of my favorite new friends, I spent a while thinking up some more ways I could fill wall space in my boys' shared room.  I plan on redecorating their room on a tight budget and when I found this print and fell in love, I knew I had to have it...or something like it, anyways:

{ photo via apple jack designs on Etsy }

What I really like about the inspiration print above, is the navy blue on white.  It comes as a pdf file for an 8x10 print your print yourself at home for just $8.  Not a bad deal at all.  But, I have to remember my budget, and I think I could do a lot with $8.

I decided to play around on picnik.com again and use the same grey and white background that I used when I made this rough draft subway art

to make my version of the inspiration print

It is still very possible I'll end up purchasing the original print by Apple Jack Designs because I really do love it.  Until then, I'm adding my copycat design to my Boys' Room Redo board on Pinterest for future reference. 

If you like my design, feel free to copy and save and use however you like.

Dreaming of a Redo

My home decor needs a makeover.  Bad.  Normally, when I feel something is outdated I just apply a coat or two of spray paint and abracadabra...good-as-new!  But I'm really feeling a big change coming on.

I have a ton of great ideas for redoing the room my two boys share, thanks to Pinterest.com.  In fact, I have an entire board dedicated to ideas for their room's face lift.  I'm on a tight budget, so nearly everything needs to be handmade by me, thrifted, or salvaged.  I'm on the lookout on Craig's List for two matching white twin beds for the day my baby turns into a man...or is ready for a big boy bed, whichever comes first.  They'll also need a tall white dresser to take place of their wide, low dresser...It'll save space.

With all the sewing I've done in my life, I've never made a quilt.  But I think I can tackle it.  I plan on making matching grey and white chevron quilts for their beds, 

{ photo via }

making a giant "A" and a huge "M" in navy blue yarn to hang over their beds,

{ photo via }

And hanging fun prints in bright white frames with bright white matting like these:

I've been in love with all the subway art I've been seeing on different blogs and in different Etsy shops lately.  Since my budget is tight, I decided to play around on picknik.com a bit today to see if I could make a great one on my own to go with the boys' new decor.  Here's what I came up with.  Feel free to copy, save and print if you like it!

I consider this one a rough draft.  I plan on playing around on the website to see if I can get all the blue colors to match exactly.  I'd like more of a variety of fat and skinny lines, too.  And maybe even a different font.  

I plan on taking a before and after picture of their room and keeping a close count of how much money I spend doing it.  I think I can do the complete room { furniture, bedding, everything } for under $200.

So far, I've spent $0...

What do you think?  Have you tackled a huge project on a tiny budget?

Have you completed a Pinterest inspired project?  How did it go?

a to z of m.e.

I found this A to Z of me post over at A Sorta Fairytale, and thought it would be fun to copy, paste and share it with you!  { with my own answers, of course!  not hers. }  If you decide to copy, paste and share on your own blog, please leave a link in the comments.  I'd love to get to know YOU!

A. Age: 28...for 23 more days!  But who is counting?
B. Bed size: Queen, and it almost takes up the entire room.  Thankfully my dressers are built-ins to save space!
C. Chore that you hate: I hate loading the dishwasher.  And scrubbing the shower.  And making dinner.  And...
D. Dogs:  None!  Even if you swear you'll never let your dog sleep in your bed when you first bring it home, it will always end up there eventually.  And that grosses me out.  So we'll just stick with no dogs.  Period.
E. Essential start to your day:  Coffee while checking e-mail, FB and blogs, of course!  I make breakfast for my boys in there somewhere, too.
F. Favorite color:  Purple!  And I have a real good reason for that. 
G. Gold or Silver: Silver
H. Height: 5'7"
I. Instruments you play:  None, although I have been told I have "piano fingers", what does that mean, anyway?
J. Job title:  Work at home mom, Etsy shop owner, volunteer event coordinator for my local MOPS group.
K. Kids:  My sweet boy, Mason.  He's 4 1/2.  My funny boy, Avery.  He's almost two.
L. Live:  The beautiful, green Western Washington!
M. Mother’s name:  Donette.  My boys call her Gwamma and Momma.  We're still getting used to the last one!
N. Nicknames: James
O. Overnight hospital stays:  Plenty.  Twice for birthing my babe-uhs, and about semi-annually for kidney stones.
P. Pet peeves:  Is there a limit for how many characters can be in a blogger post?  Anyone?  Anyone?  I guess I'm kind of irritable, because I have a lot of pet peeves.  But the first thing that comes to mind { because it's lunch time } are the sounds people make while eating.
Q. Quote from a movie:  "I love to smile, smiling is my favorite!" -Will Farrell in 'Elf'.  Pretty much anything Will Farrell or Vince Vaughn say makes my day.
R. Right or left handed: Right handed.
S. Siblings:  Four younger half-siblings: Zach, Jake, Scott and Danica.  And a boat load of step-siblings.
U. Underwear:  Yes, please.  The bigger and more cotton-y, the better.
V. Vegetable you hate:  Saurkraut...is that a veggie?
W. What makes you run late:  Over-sleeping.  Always.  Always-always.
X. X-Rays you’ve had: Dental, Collar bone, and Pelvic (kidney stones) 
Y. Yummy food that you make:  Most of the delicious things I make are hand-me-down recipes from my grandmothers or my mom.  Maybe I'll post my favorite ones soon!
Z. Zoo animal: Baby ones.  If you're ever in the PNW, visit Northwest Trek and take the tram ride.  It is especially awesome in the spring season when the babies are running around everywhere!

So there you have it.  A to Z of me.