This is the time when I just want to run away

This kitchen makeover is taking every bit of "do it yourself-ness" that I've got. And my help keeps getting distracted by bugs and shiny things and the Disney channel. I don't know if this is ever going to be finished!

Drumroll please

I tore Super Mario away from America's Funniest Home Videos long enough to draw a winner for the Pink in the Park T-shirt.
Congratulations!

Favorite Kid's Photo (Blog Hop)

The Young Un enjoying a s'more and a visit with Shamu. (2007)

Stop by Barely Domestic Mama to join in this week's blog hop.

Bits & Pieces

The days are starting to run together as summer vacation starts nearing the end, so we've been packing in as much fun as possible. Thursday night was Pink in the Park, a fundraiser for the Susan G Komen Foundation.
Our local minor league team donned pink jerseys and sweatbands, and even painted the bases pink to bring attention to breast cancer.
Their promo for the night was a fabulous t-shirt, and during the dot race, our section won pink rally towels. Always a fun night at the ball park.

*keep reading for a chance to win one of these shirts!*

Friday night the Mr & I attended a friend's wedding. Amy is a former co-worker of mine and the wedding was soooo much fun. Plus I got a chance to dress up :)

The reception meal was delicious, and I am a fan of the mashed potato bar! Party favors for the night were the best parting gifts ever: doughnuts!

Fueled by doughnuts, Saturday morning tasks featured my nemesis, paint. We have avoided the huge monstrosity of a wall for most of the summer, but as the Mr.'s band schedule starts back up, we had to tackle it. Think 22 ft ceilings and stairs.
Oh, yes, it was that much fun! 10 hours, 1 roll of duck tape and 2 ladders later, we officially banished all signs of builder beige from our house. It's a good thing I like this ole au lait!

Now here's where I share the fun: I have one extra Pink in the Park shirt that I'd love to send to one of you.
Entry is simple: leave me a comment.
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I'll have the young un draw a name from a hat on Wednesday, after dinner. Let's say 8:00 Central? Sounds fabulous!

Six Word Saturday

Some days I just feel old.

Like after a particularly intense crossfit workout. Or open bar at a friend's wedding. Or when watching NYC Prep.

Join Cate's SIx Word Saturday Linky Party:

I might have gone a little overboard

The freezer paper stencil was so easy and so much fun that I just couldn't help myself. I raided the young un's closet, my closet and a rack at goodwill-- no t-shirts were safe!
After letting the young un choose his stencil designs (from this fabulous website), I set to work transferring them to freezer paper. The simpler the design the better!
In theory, you can print the design directly onto the freezer paper using your inkjet, but mine wouldn't cooperate and kept ripping it :( So we went old school!

I let the young un choose his paint colors, and set him to work while I finished cutting out his designs (each stencil only works one time).

It took some effort, but I managed to keep most of the negative images intact and tried out some color blocks on a few shirts. I used painters tape to mark of a square and centered my image in the square before ironing. It made for some neat effects.

All done, I made 6 shirts for the young and 2 for me. We still have 2 shirts blank, and a backpack, but I ran out of freezer paper, so we'll save it for the next rainy day.

A little late night crafting

My living room is still not painted. I have 7 storage bins of crap to sort through in the garage. I have one piece of furniture to refinish. So I went to the pool. But then the rain that has been threatening for 3 days finally decide to fall, so I crafted instead.

I've seen a ton of freezer paper tutorials, and just happened to have some t-shirts from the young un's closet that would work for a quick try.

(*to keep the paint from bleeding through I put another piece of freezer paper inside the shirt.)

1 piece of freezer paper, and 15 minutes later (all while watching SYTYCD) and Tada!
I can't wait to make more!

Wordless Wednesday

She only snuggles on her own terms.

Six Word Saturday

I am too dependent on Twitter.

Seriously. I don't even remember the last time I watched the news (Colleen, pick your jaw up off the floor). I found out Michael Jackson died while tweeting about my Safeco field experience. I get my sports updates & scores while tweeting about my peeling forehead. I learned of Walter Kronkite passing amidst NKOTB webcast updates. If it can't be sent in 140 characters with butchered slang spelling, then it didn't happen. I feel like I live in this little bubble during the summer and have no idea what goes on outside of it. I feel like one of my 8th graders. Egads!

Summer Time and the living is E-Z

I live in central Texas. Occasionally I have to remind myself of that fact. Like on those days when it feels like I live on the surface of the sun. Those face melting days when you burn just stepping out your front door, much less after 6 hours at the pool. Each morning watching the news, I'm pretty sure I'm getting the daily weather report for Hell.


Even the animals need a break from the heat, judging by our front porch visitors.


And I'll admit, there is only so much bejeweled I can play before my hands start cramping, and only so much reality TV I can stomach before I start planning an out of country move. (And I won't even mention the Hobby Lobby field trips!) So with that in mind, the young un and I traipsed off to the local library for some inspiration. Behold! The key to my summer sanity:

Until the sunburn heals, and the sidewalk isn't glistening with heat vapors, I'll be getting a head start on Christmas presents!

Too much of a good thing

I was so excited to spend a whole day lounging by the pool, having adult conversation, and reading a book. And you know time flies when you're having fun... which may have been the reason I forgot to reapply the sunscreen. I figure by next week I'll have a nice molting effect.

It rains 9 months a year in Seattle

But it didn't rain at all on our fabulous vacation to the Emerald City. It was a trip full of ER visits, baseball parks, crazy drivers, garlic, sewing and seagulls--all under the guidance of the wonderful Columbia Lily! We had a blast reuniting with old friends and even some "old" family, and seeing one of my absolute most favorite cities.

Six Word Saturday- the haves and have nots

Too many unfinished projects to handle

Since returning from vacation, I've done nothing but catch up on an ungodly amount of DVR-ed reality TV, washed everyone's vacation laundry, slept till 11:00, and played bejeweled till 2 A.M. I have not painted. I have not finished the apron I started with Columbia Lilly. I have not blogged about vacation. I have not even started on cleaning out the young un's room.

I have 3.5 weeks left to get it all done. Where did my time go?

Play along with Six Word Saturday!

Flashback Friday

Playing in the fountains in Corpus Christi 2006