Well, did you?

I really do remember how many times my mom asked if I washed my hands when I was little. Because it was a lot of times. Heck, she still asks me every now and then! And now, I sure do grab my little guys' hands to see how wet they are and if they smell like soap. 

The sticker labels of the Wal-mart brand hand soaps come off very easily. I thought about getting a friend with a vinyl machine to make the letters for me but then I thought, what can't I do with a Sharpie?! A few minutes later, voila! Less than $2 for custom mommy nagging. And, it's refillable. 

Now these directions make me laugh every time: "Use ... to wash hands as you would use any liquid hand soap." What if I don't know how to use any liquid hand soap?!!!! Seriously, what is the point of these directions?

Made by You Monday

A word or two on the wall

I've been waiting to make a book page wreath for quite some time. One night I just got too it — two hours of television later, I was finished and quite happy with the results now hanging above the mantle. I won't go into details — Google "book page wreath" and you'll find many tutorials and many examples. I skimmed through several tutorials and then just winged it. This size (roughly 26 by 20 inches) took two books; both were vintage and rescued from the trash. I wouldn't do this to a new book! The pages are tri-folded and hot glued to a cardboard backing. The cardboard works here but I want to experiment with other materials (plywood? canvas? ideas?). 

I would have shown you the whole mantle but it is such a dumping ground for mail, lego projects, toy pieces found under the sofa waiting to be put in their proper homes. Do you have a picture-perfect mantle? Or take a quick swipe before company arrives like me?

MADE BY YOU MONDAY

MONDAY FUNDAY

THE SHABBY NEST

This month's featured artist

I love every piece of paper my boys scribble on. I don't keep every piece of paper, but I do keep enough to embarrass them in high school. The frig was an okay space to display but I wanted something more "artsy" plus I had a large blank space on which to play. Our walls are paper-thin so I wasn't keen to use nails and string and things. Some sticky velcro tabs were just right for attaching clip boards and old school slates (hot glued with mini wooden clothespins) to the dining room wall. I found the huge frame on the side of the road already painted red — sweet! I'm happy with the results. And so are the boys. 

(The mini-poster in the middle is hard to read. It says "Good Moms Have Sticky Floors, Dirty Ovens and Happy Kids." Awesome! It's a free printable from Paper Coterie — double awesome!)

Showing off at The Southern Institute and Skip to My Lou.

Come and sit awhile

My neighbor and friend Christine is starting her own decorating business — Reinspired Living. She can help you redecorate, restyle, repurpose and reorganize. In other words, she takes what you got and makes it look a hundred times better!!!

Christine offered to redecorate my porch to fatten her portfolio.* Took me about five seconds to say, heck yeah! It could use it! In the winter, the area turns into a dumping ground — stuff that should go in the shed but it's too cold to walk the extra five steps. In the summer, the area turns into a dumping ground — stuff that should go in the shed but it's too hot to walk the extra five steps. But in the junk, Christine found a few pieces to transform with a little paint and a lot of creativity and now I have a wonderful space to relax, entertain and/or enjoy dinner alfresco. 

Before she could get to work, I had a lot of work to do. From the porch and shed I took six big outside trash bags to the curb! All the stuff on the porch that should go into the shed finally got moved to the shed. It took several days but when I was finished, Christine pretty much had a blank slate to work her magic. I got out of the way (okay, I tried to stay out of the way).

BEFORE I CLEANED

(I know, can you believe it?!)

AFTER I SWEATED IN THE HEAT CLEANED

CHRISTINE'S MAGIC 

She painted the chairs to give the space some color, using the pillow/tablecloth fabric as inspiration. The desk now acts as a buffet. The file cabinet is repurposed to hold napkins, candles, plates, stuff for entertaining while the bottom has a cooler for cooling drinks. Cool!

BEFORE I CLEANED

(A toilet?! So ashamed.)

AFTER I SWEATED IN THE HEAT CLEANED

CHRISTINE'S MAGIC 

You're welcome to come over anytime for a visit. Be warned, you must follow the rules!

*Christine did not ask for anything in return, like this post. Of course I was going to show off my new digs! Love it too? Contact Christine — reinspiredliving@gmail.com

A long, hot August

August is here. Yes, and it is wicked hot. So we'll be doing more of what's pictured to beat the heat. But what else to do? At the beginning of summer I wrote out a quick "summer plans" list to motivate me to make the most of the long days of sunshine with the boys. While most folks we know are starting school this month, we have all of August to enjoy. Our Parents' Day Out program has two short summer sessions but takes a long break to gear up for the fall. So I'm checking our list, checking it twice and here's how it stands. Items in green are considered crossed off.

Pick blueberries
visit The Barnyard in Tuscaloosa
have Christy and kids over for play date before they move 
splash in fountains at the zoo
don't forget to use pool membership
Check out the farmers' markets: Pepper Place/East Lake
visit Anniston Museum of Natural History

visit Gardendale Splash Pad

spend weekend at family cabin

Have JoJo over
Have Hudson over
Have Jacques over
Have Sykes over (getting a theme here? Will wants company!)
check out the newest yogurt places in town, Yogurt Mountain first
annual visit to Memphis 
reschedule 4th of July cookout canceled do to illness
Plan Girls Night In
Make margarita popsicles
let Will stay up late to catch fireflies
A plethora of summer craftiness

How about you? How will you spend the rest of the summer?

Where did I park my Viper?

We've got lots of Hot Wheels. No really, lots and lots of Hot Wheels. (NO, REALLY! My husband collects them so we've got boxes and boxes of Hot Wheels in the house and shed.)

Will's own collection has already outgrown two cases. The solution? A shoe organizer. Now Hot Wheels does make its own over-the-door storage solution but this plain one can hold triple the cars (and is cheaper so I won't mind replacing as needed*). It's very easy for Will and Joseph to see which car is parked where. And easy for the boys to help park the cars at the end of the day. Win-win.

*Will has learned that the bottom pockets will not hold his weight. He gets a chair now instead.