The Ultimate Pinterest and Blogging web post ever crafted!

Lately, all I've been talking about to my husband is my blog.  Today was no exception.  He is always trying to give me advice on how I should run my blog.  I usually don't listen.  


My husband has been moping around the house today pretty bored.


He said to me "I bet I can get you a thousand hits on your blog."


I laughed, rolled my eyes "whatever."


"I'm serious."  he said, "I can get you a thousand hits."  He then told me his plan.  I laughed so hard I had tears rolling down my face.  So I said go for it.  So here it is my husbands guest post on my blog.

Jamin's Ultimate Pinterest and Blogging web post ever crafted!

Step 1 "Find some old piece of garbage!"

Step 2 " Paint it White!  Oil rubbed bronze, or for super effect, BOTH!"

They paint everything white.  Not sure why.

Step 3 "Gather Yarn, Pipe Cleaners, a toilet paper roll and cloth for flowers, colorful decoration, etc."

Step 4  - "Hot glue that sucker!!!"

Step 5 - " Add a 'Girlie Word' to it.  Girls love that stuff."

Step 6 - "Show an unconventional use for a conventional item"

Wash your dishes with a hose! Using an old insecticide sprayer!

Step 7 - The Reveal "Before and After".  Move that BUS!  Move that BUS!

*** NOTE - My husband hereby retains all the rights and royalties to any such famousness that may erupt for such a mega-awesome super DIY project!****

*** P.S. If this blog post receives 1,000 or more views, Julie forthwith promises to give her husband a foot rub.  Failure to received 1,000 page views within 7 days will result in said (awesome) husband doing the dishes whilst in an apron (awesomely, of course).  Photographic results of either thine foot rub or the awesome dish-washing must be posted withing 24 hours on this here blog! 

2011 In Review

My first initial reaction was to say that I hope that 2012 is better than 2011. However when I really stop to look back 2011 was not bad at all, it was just full of busyness, which in turn makes things seem more stressful than what they really are. I think my biggest problem is that I need to chill. Relax. Stop and enjoy the small moments more, because when I truly look back and reflect on 2011 it was a pretty awesome year.

In January I started out really trying to organize my life and my heart. Traci from Beneath My Heart started posts about "Organizing My Heart and Home". It was something I could totally get on board with, so not only did I start working on my heart spiritually, but I started out by decrapifying (word stolen from TDC) my life. It started with my laundry closet project.

Next I moved on to my medicine cabinet:

Then my girls room:

 

After that I took a break on organization and went on a blogging hiatus.  I was busy doing some pretty cool things!  I went down to Austin, TX for spring break for SXSW, and got to spend some time with these lovely ladies:

I got REALLY sunburnt waiting in line for a band we never got to see, which was a bummer.  But I couldn't think of two better ladies to stand in line with.

I came home, and celebrated SIX years with this wonderful guy:

I went back home to Phoenix for a trip in April.  It was amazing.  I got to spend REALLY wonderful quality time with my sister in law, and of course dinner with my besties.  Miss these gals SO much.  It was a great night, full of fun, laughter and of course Sangria.

 

We traveled to Missouri to see my brother in law graduate from basic training.  So proud of that guy!  My husband decided to go back into the military and joined the National Guard.  Can't tell you how honored I am to be a soldiers wife, and how proud I am of the soldiers in our family!

We had all the cousins here at the same time!  It was great spending time with those kiddos!

Sometime in July, just like Forrest Gump I started running.  I really focused most of my summer on my fitness, working on me for a bit.  I spent time running, in boot camp, in Zumba.  My husband (who does Crossfit) convinced me to do a hero WOD with him, and in September we did 31 Heroes to help raise money for families the 31 Navy Seals that died in Afghanistan. 

Our WONDERFUL team.  Couldn't do it without them.

Then some other great stuff happened, my daughter started pre-k, my oldest made the cheer squad and my son graduated to Webelos.  So proud of my kids! 

Then the weather started cooling down and I got back into the spirit of all things DIY.  I started fall out by renovating my downstairs half bath.

Then I tagged along with my husband to Orlando for an IT conference.  Who knew how FUN some IT nerds could be?  We seriously had a BLAST dancing the night away!

Once I start a project it usually begins a whirlwind of other projects, and this was no exception.  Right after the bathroom I moved onto what is my favorite project of the year, painting my den bookcases white.

I'm so thrilled with this project I just linked it to Thrifty Decor Chicks Before and After Party.  So if you have a before and after you are pretty proud of, go on over there, visit her and link on up!

Then, just when I thought I was done for the year, the week before Thanksgiving I decided to renovate my dining room.  Crazy I know!

I started showing off my projects on Pinterest and other blogs and this little blog of mine started to take off a little.  I got featured on Ana White's blog in December and also on Knock off Decor, and got some great Christmas gifts from my husband!

Right before Thanksgiving, during the middle of my dining room renovation, I got a terrible phone call.  Dad had been taken to the hospital with chest pains.  Come to find out he had a mild heart attack, and a REALLY massive blockage that caused it.  We are all so fortunate that God had his hand on him and he made it through.  He was better and able to visit for Christmas.  I got to go see the OKC Thunder play with him on Christmas day.  I hadn't been to a game with my dad since back in the 90's when the we had season tickets to the Phoenix Suns.  I'm so glad I have this memory with my father, and SO thankful that he is here with me today.  I praise God for his recovery.  My dad is one amazing guy.

Looking back 2011 has been an amazing year, full of great things, some ups, some downs, but mainly ups.  I don't know WHY on earth I get so cynical at times.  Life truly is wonderful.  I have a great family and my life is full of so much joy.  So in 2012 I want to spend more time filling my heart full of joy and letting go of stress and strife.

Home Made Harry Potter Broom

So my son has been wanting a Quiddich broom from Harry Potter to play around in, but I wasn't too into all the cheap looking plastic ones, and the more realistic ones came with a pretty hefty price tag. My husband and I decided that we could make one ourselves and so we got to it.

The first thing my husband did was go out and find a large branch that was about the right size and shape of a broom. Silly me forgot to take a photo of the branch, but that would have been nice, wouldn't it? (I'm still getting used to doing these DIY tutorials so please forgive me).

Sorry.

Anyhow my husband started stripping away with his knife to get all the bark off of the tree branch and get it to some sort of shape. Once he did that he sanded it like CRAZY and got it silk smooth and to the right shape.

We were not trying to go for a prop replica.  Our son is only TEN and he will probably wear this thing out playing with it, we just wanted something similar for him to goof around with! I found  GREAT tutorial online here at Instructables, but it was WAY after we had all ready been building ours.  Anyhow, it's a great post so I recommend you check it out!

We stained it first with a dark walnut stain, then went over it with some Java gel stain.

I then went to Hobby Lobby and found some Prairie Grass for $9.99 (minus 40% off coupon) that I thought would work for the bristles of the broom.

I grabbed an old towel and curtain that I was no longer in need of to wrap it as padding and give it the shape underneath that it needed.  You could also use foam or styrofoam.  I just went for what I had on hand.

 

 

After I got the general shape of it my husband and I added the prairie grass to it and taped it.  There MAY or MAY not have been a slight argument about how to get it to stay on there properly.  I really need to stop questioning his judgment.  The man is always right.  (Please don't tell him I said that though.)

We taped it on there as a temporary hold then went and got pipe clamps to clamp the top and the bottom and screw it on tight.  My husband then COATED the thing in spray adhesive to get it to stick, cut off the top and bottom of the bristles to make it even, then wrapped it in twine.  If I had to do anything over again, it would be that I would have taken the time like the guy on Instructables did to painstakingly put on the bristles, but we were running out of time nearing Christmas eve, so we went for a quick fix.  Also, this is a kids TOY and I'm certain one day we will be replacing the bristles on it.  When we do that I may change some things up.

Next I went and added "Nimbus 2000" in gold paint on the handle.

Then last added a coat of polyurethane to the handle and it was complete!  Someday we may go back and add the footrests, but for now, he is perfectly happy with it how it is, and the total project cost us less than $10.00 to complete for a pretty awesome gift!

I think he was pretty thrilled with his gift!