Seamingly Simple

Good Morning.

2011-02-15T09:40:00.000-05:00

Good morning so far. Both little ones actually ate their breakfasts! No cajoling, threats or rumbling bellies on the way to school. I try to make our morning routine as pleasant as possible. Who wants to start their day screaming and hollerin?' Mornings are also time for Ian and I to spend a few moments alone. Chit chatting about stuff he's interested in while I prepare breakfast.

Ian lying on the couch watching Full House

Sweetpea eating her breakfast in Mama's chair

Sweetpea and Harley playing under the table

Anyway, I thought I'd practice my photography skills this morning. Figure you gotta start somewhere, right? The resource I'm using to help me learn to take better blog picture is Darren Rowse' Digital Photography School forum. If I work a little bit at it every day I can't help but get better, right?

Hmm. Wonder if I can make a light box today?

Spring Fever

2011-02-15T09:29:00.000-05:00

I'm so ready for Spring! The cold, wind and snow have made me impatient for warmer weather. To bide the time I've been busy making seasonal preparations. The living room is where I've focused most of my efforts so far. Believe it or not, my color palate is pretty calm and light. Which is the exact opposite of my original intent!

I started off wanting juicy bold colors like citrus fruit! Pops of orange, green and/or yellow here and there. So I went out and purchased a pair of brass lamps at Goodwill to paint green. They came out pretty good but I had the hardest time accessorizing and making the green work with adjacent rooms. So the next day I painted the lamps light blue. Looks like the decor will be North Carolina Coastal! But I can work with it.

When the lamps were finished I decided to work accessories. Just grabbing things from around the house to make interesting vignettes. I bought a set of craft markers at Michael's and decided to experiment on a Thrift store vase I picked up for a couple of dollars. It originally had multicolored homemade flowers strewn across it with a shiny glaze. Very 1980's. So I primed and spray painted it blue. The white flowers and squigglies were done with white acrylic paint markers. I think I'll add yellow blooms for a shot of color later:

Next up: layering a second accent color and textures to make the space come alive. Oh, and artwork! I need to do something with the big blank space behind he couch.

My Living Room

2010-10-07T13:23:00.000-04:00

We've finally sold our townhouse and I can finally do some serious shopping for our new house. When I say "new" I mean new to us. Our current home is a rancher built in the 60's! We have neighbors who've lived in the area for 40 years! Ain't that sumthin?'

The hubby and I agree that we want to save a majority of the money we'll make on the sale of the townhouse. We're taking a small percentage to put the house together before November. That's prior to the holidays, our son's birthday and super cold weather.

My first challenge: the L-shaped living / dining room. This is what I'm working with:

My hubby wants chocolate brown leather furniture in here. Which is fine, I guess. I mean, we have leather furniture in the family room. Having it in both living spaces isn't ideal. But we have 4 kids and leather is so much easier to clean. Just wipe it and go.

So once again I'm faced with the the challenge of warming up the space with accessories. Throw pillows, carpet (I'm replacing the one under the dining table), lamps, etc will have to do the trick.

However, too much crap would clutter the place quickly. So I have to be thougthful in my selections. Tomorrow I'll post a list of accessories I think may work in the room.

I Went Dumpster Diving

2010-10-07T13:03:00.000-04:00

I found these two babies at the dumpster near my mother's townhouse. They were dirty but in fairly decent condition. I thought my husband would be irritated when I lugged them into the house. But he simply looked at me cleaning them up then pitched in! Maybe his attitude changed when I said, "Look honey, they were free!"

Originally I envisioned painting them with some light antique-y finish. But Michael was all like "NO! You can't paint wood." So I'll have to figure out a way to make them seem "less heavy." These are big honkin' end tables. And our living room isn't the smallest (granted we haven't furnished it yet). What we put on, under and near them will make a big difference. Cuz if the scale is all wrong and weird I'll have to get rid of them. And I don't want to do that.

If I can't paint them then I'll just have to be satisfied changing the knobs. Some kind of fabric insert for the basket would be nice too. I may put books in there. Something colorful and functional for sure.

Beach Inspired Bathroom Art

2010-07-24T21:25:00.000-04:00

The hubby and I have been racking our brain trying to come up with a beachy bathroom theme that kids and adult will like. The kids bathroom is also the "company" bathroom. So we want to keep things colorful, yet nice. we also don't want to spend too much moolah.

So last week I bought 2 Malma Mirrors at Ikea for $5 a piece. I pulled them out today and made great bathroom art. Even my hard to impress hubby likes it:

The supplies I used are:
2 Malma Mirrors ($5 a piece @ Ikea)
Torquoise craft paint (59 cents @ Michaels)
Primer (already had)
1 Sponge (already had)
Sand ($1 @ Michaels)
Wooden cut outs from Michaels (89 cents a piece @ Michaels)
Elmers Glue (already had)

Instructions
Paint the mirror with primer and dry.
Apply 2 coats of torquoise acrylic paint.
Lightly drag a sponge over the wet paint in one direction, then the other. Let dry.
Apply Elmers Glue at the bottom. Make sure you have good coverage. No gaps.
While the glue is wet pour sand on top. Wait a minute then pour excess onto a napkin or whatever is handy.
Affix wooden cutouts to your frame with glue or heat gun.

Cheap World Of Warcraft T Shirt

2010-06-24T08:40:00.001-04:00

Here's a quick tutorial for making cheap WoW shirts.

Supply List:
Plain T-shirt ($5)
Fabric transfer paper ($7)
Image (free)
Iron

1.) Plan your World Of Warcraft shirt design. Will the shirt be dark or light? Choose transfer paper based on the color of your shirt: light or dark.

2.) Find the image you'd like on your shirt. You can find free graphics all over the web. I think we found the Horde Symbol used in the picture above on Picasa. Or you can do a search on World Of Warcraft art.

3.) Download the image to your computer.

4.) If you want, edit your image with a graphics program. There are tons of free ones to download. I used Irfanview to sharpen the image here.

5.) The free Avery Design & Print Online application can be used to create the layout. You can add images and texts under the Basic Designs Category.

6.) Once you're finished print your design onto transfer paper. It should print in reverse. You may need to use more than one sheet as you figure out which size looks best for your shirt.*

7.) Cut your decal out. Cut excess transfer paper from your decal. Otherwise it leaves a hard shiny film on your project. Not cute when working on dark material.

8.) Place your decal/s on your shirt and iron for a few minutes.

9.) Let cool then peel the back of the transfer paper off.

10.) Finished!

*Note - You can print more than one image on your transfer paper if you have space. It wastes less paper.

I Have My Eye On You

2010-06-20T16:20:00.001-04:00

Instead of the usual couch/love-seat/chair furniture grouping I want to try something different this time around. Our new living room is much longer than our current one and has a wider window. Two wing-back chairs with a half moon wooden table between them would look great in there. It's perfect for quiet conversation, reading or entertaining.

Here's a fantastic wing back chair for $25 on craigslist:

I've emailed the owner to see if it's still available. If so, I'll pick it up tomorrow and sneak it into the our new house before my hubby gets home. sssshhhhhh! It's our secret.

BTW, is this slipcover the cutest thing or what?

Yeah! It's all very "neutral-ly." Nothing that brightly colored or patterned pillows couldn't remedy. Besides, hubby wants a wine or chocolate hued leather sofa.

$55 White Craigslist Desk

2010-06-16T13:58:00.000-04:00

If only I had a babysitter and a truck today!! I love this desk set. It would look great in my 17 year olds room.

Two Days Til Closing

2010-06-16T13:55:00.000-04:00

Wow. Time seems to be flying by. We can hardly wait to move into the new house. The boys are excited about having their own bedrooms. So much so, we bought sheet sets at Wal-Mart today.

Ian chose "How To Train Your Dragon" sheets and drapes. Darrin just wanted black sheets. I'm still trying to figure out how to create a World Of Warcraft theme in his room.

The girls are getting the diva treatment. Pink and Green for Katie. Black, white and torquoise for Ebriana. I've got my work cut out for me!

Craigslist will definitely have to come through for me. We could probably buy brand new stuff for the kids. But I really want to save $$ and create one of a kind looks that suit each kids personality.

Look what I found today:

This $50 dresser would be nice in Ian's room.

Painted white (I know, I know) this would be darling in Katie's room.

A little bit of glossy black paint and new drawer pulls could turn this $65 dresser into a great sideboard.

Questioning My Taste

2010-06-15T22:01:00.000-04:00

I easily read a couple dozen home decor blogs each week. Thrift store finds, high end knock offs and tutorials catch my eye. The thing is....when I find something I love it throws me off. One day I'm all about Tuscan kitchens. The next I'm into the clean lines of minimalism. Then off on a Cottage inspired vibe.

I really need to narrow down what I really like. What's MY personal style.

Not sure I know the answer yet. But I'd better get a clue before we move into our new house and end up with a hodge podge of crap! In the past couple of weeks I've gotten a little clearer about what I DON'T like. And please don't take this as a criticism of anyone else's style but....

1.) Painting everything white is boring to me. Sure it looks chic. But with 4 kids and a hubby running around it isn't practical. We need furniture that hides dirt!

2.) 50,000,000 patterns in one room gives me a headache.

3.) I don't want my house to look like everyone else's. This is where personal creativity (or lack thereof) comes in. I need to get some PRONTO.

4.) I no longer like cheap stuff. I mean, cheaply made....not inexpensive.

5.) I don't really know why everyone is over the moon about subway art, chore charts, barn stars and pottery barn. Maybe I'll figure it out as my taste develops.

DIY Kitchen Art

2010-06-12T09:40:00.001-04:00

Wow! Didn't know Etsy had so many amazing artists. I did a search for "kid's room decor and discovered 2 artists that really appeal to me. Kathy Jeffords from TheDreamyGiraffe and Renie Britenbucher. Both have a whimsical colorful style befitting the happy kind of aesthetic I envision for our new house.

Though I love color I can't imagine painting a room in loud primary hues. The way around that dichotomy is to use juicy punches of color to accessorize the room. And these two artists provide lots of that:

Kathy Jeffords

Renie Britenbucher

Since we're moving soon I don't have the $$ to purchase original art work. So I decided to make my own:

It's not as nice....but I like it. Mine is acrylic paint on a small canvas board purchased from Wal-Mart.

New House. New Projects.

2010-05-22T09:58:00.001-04:00

It's been well over a year since we started our house hunting effort. The six of us were bursting out of this little townhouse. Some days it seemed like the house was trying to eat us! Just too much stuff and not enough space.

In 3 weeks we'll be moving to our lovely 5 bedroom single family home in a nearby town. We're so excited. Yet the scope of work ahead of us crazy! There are so many things I want to do. But until we actually move in I have to be contented with planning and creating small crafty items for the extra space......

I can't go overboard. My husband will be so annoyed if I create more junk to move. So here's what I'm working on: Kid's Decor.

I'd like to create custom pictures for my daughter room. She'll have a fairy theme in her room. Her furniture is white. So I'd like to create art work that's bright, dreamy and appropriate for a toddler. Green, pink and orange will be prevalent in the room. Though I haven't found nor created the pop of orange I want.

The lamp was $7.99 at Target. I'd like to embellish it with contrasting ruffles. Kinda like these Pottery Barn Lamps:

I picked up the frame for $3 at AC Moore. The initial was $1.99. I painted it a pale pink with the crap load of acrylic paint I have in the house. I'll likely hang this over her crib.

We Bought A House!

2010-05-12T08:09:00.000-04:00

Gosh. Michael and I have been looking for a bigger place for a whole year. The six of us are bursting out of the 3 bedroom townhouse I purchased BEFORE becoming a mom and wife. This little home has sustained us well. But I'm SOOO looking forward to having more space.

Yesterday I pulled out all of my home decor magazines looking for stuff I want to do in the new house. You know, quick things we can do within the first few weeks that will make the house feel like it's ours. So here's my quick list of Homecoming projects:

Outside

1.) Door Wreath.
2.) New House Numbers
3.) Barn Star for the exterior (I'm on the fence about this one)

Inside
1.) Family room curtains
2.) Kitchen table and chairs and/or bench
3.) Storage shelf for kitchen
4.) Floor pillows for the family room

Goodwill and The Salvation Army will be my two BFF's for the foreseeable future. There's no way I'm spending more money than I have to to create my domestic ideal. Now that I'll have my own space to create stuff in the sky is the limit.

Oh, I just hope I can contain myself long enough to pack our stuff up and get the townhouse ready to sell. My husband will be so annoyed if I start buying stuff BEFORE we move.

Broccoli Soup

2010-03-20T08:06:00.001-04:00

This was a record week for my expanding culinary repertoire. I think I've mastered broccoli soup! Sweet Pea loves this stuff. And so does mommy. We warmed it up for lunch yesterday and it was just as good as th enight before.

I used stale homemade bread for the croutons. The Soup recipe is from FoodTV's Down Home With The Neely's:

Ingredients

4 tablespoons butter, room temperature
1 1/2 pounds fresh broccoli
1 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup cream
Homemade Croutons, recipe follows

Directions

Melt 4 tablespoons butter in heavy medium pot over medium-high heat. Add broccoli, onion, carrot, salt and pepper and saute until onion is translucent, about 6 minutes. Add the flour and cook for 1 minute, until the flour reaches a blonde color. Add stock and bring to boil.

Simmer uncovered until broccoli is tender, about 15 minutes. Pour in cream. With an immersion blender, puree the soup. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and then replace the lid back on the pot. Serve hot with Homemade Croutons.

Cut bread into cubes and place in a large bowl. Drizzle cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes. Mix well.

Spread seasoned bread onto a sheet pan and bake for about 15 minutes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Easy Peasy Chicken Parm

2010-03-16T20:01:00.000-04:00

I'm all over The Pioneer Woman Cooks these days. After discovering her website last week I've spent a lot of time perusing the recipes and pictures. Trying to decide which delicious meal to try first.

Well, the Braised Short Ribs and Chicken Parmigiana won! I'm not as talented as Ree. But just look at my handy work!

Both dishes have wonderful flavor and texture. I've never made short ribs before. But we'll likely have it on occasion now.

The Chicken Parmigiana is my favorite. The meat was well seasoned, tender and juicy. While the sauce was slightly sweet and subtle. It's a great combination. I followed the recipe exactly....OK....except I pureed the sauce a bit with my hand mixer. My son eats better when his veggies are hidden.

The kid doesn't like tomatoes....or so he thinks.

Weekday Projects 3.14.2010

2010-03-14T09:34:00.002-04:00

Well, my first stab at redecorating Ebriana's room failed. So I'll have to come up with new ideas for recovering her lamp and doing something with the blank wall above her bed. Perhaps I can plan this week, purchase supplies then put it together next Saturday.

In the meantime, I have a minor kitchen project to attempt. You know how everyone has a junk drawer? Well I have a junk board. My memo board is trashed! Everything goes on that sucker. My dream is to find a way to organize and maintain it stylishly.

I dunno. I think the boys wouldn't mind having a prettier kitchen.

But what to do with their World Of Warcraft calendar?

Here's the before picture:

I'll be following the memo board tutorial just posted at Centsational Girl. I'm forcing myself to complete this mini project before heading upstairs to Ebbi's room for round 2.

Wish me luck.

Help For Hopeless Domestic Diva's

2010-03-13T14:46:00.000-05:00

Just found a great site called Ruffles and Stuff that is full of simple projects a hopeless Domestic Goddess like myself can master. You know my motto: "fake it until you make it."

Some women seem to be filled with so much creativity they can throw a house together at lightening speed. Not me. I've lived in my home for years and it looks just as incomplete as the day I walked in. So.....

Mommy needs a little help. I spend a considerable amount of my online time reading home decor and craft blogs to help me create my ideal space. The thing is......I'm cheap. Er...I mean frugal. So any savings or shortcut I find is helpful.

Since I'm doing a mini-makeover for my 16 year old I may try this pleated lampshade tutorial. If only I could find a way to make a complimentary slipcover for her headboard.

Cheap Bathroom Art

2010-03-13T07:46:00.002-05:00

Michael and I have been trying to buy a house for months now. We just can't find the ideal characteristics we want. Namely great schools (elementary, middle and high school) and proximity to the base where my hubby works, I shop and the kids go to the doctor.

My time in our crowded townhouse isn't wasted. I have tons of little projects to do while we get it ready for the next family who'll occupy it. My primary focus (besides the usual paint and carpet redo) is updating the kitchen and bathrooms.
Here's an inexpensive craft I tried this week to spiff up the downstairs powder room. All you need is scrapbook paper and inexpensive frames. The ones in the picture were purchased for $1 each at Target.

The theme I'm going for is calm and beachy. I want to feel like I'm sitting on a private North Carolina beach at dawn. Gray, blue and sandy brown really appeal to me here.

Next go 'round I think I'll try my hand at fancy frames for the living room.

Sweetpea Turned 1!

2010-03-12T14:19:00.001-05:00

Hard to believe it....but our little SweetPea is a full grown lady-baby! We celebrated her birthday at Chuck E Cheese with a few family and friends. Nothing outlandish, ya know.

The celebration was all the more poignant since it was the first family celebration we've had since Granny died in January. We miss her so much. But her mischievous spirit is always near! How lucky we are to have the spunkiest Guardian angel around!

Feeling Creative

2009-12-16T16:06:00.000-05:00

Saw the cutest toddler dresses for Spring/Summer at Target yesterday. So I'm feeling itchy about preparing my lil' princess for warmer weather. As much as I procrastinate....I'd better get started now.

Twirly skirts and applique tees seem easy enough to do. right? right?

Bandanna Skirt Tutorial
I can sooo do this! Bandannas are like $1 at Walmart.

Baby/Toddler/Adult Skirt
I love the style and fabrics used here. I'm definitely going to make this look fancy with a fabulous print.

Made: Market Skirt
Love the pockets here. May be a bit much for a 1 year old. But I think it's cute anyway.

Infant Hair Bows and Clippies

2009-09-19T16:31:00.001-04:00

Yep. That's my new obsession.

I'm a really simple mommy. Frilly frou-frou clothes and accessories don't appeal to me. Simple lines and uncomplicated patterns are more my style. As a result, my beautiful daughter and I leave the house looking.....well...undone most days. We need to jazz up our look!

Improving Sweetpea's wardrobe is pretty easy. Just add a few bows and we're done. Bows are like makeup or high heeled shoes for babies. Seriously. They're super easy to make. And they can be made to match any outfit she has.

I made tuxedo bows last week:

Oh, and here's a fabric flower I'm working on. I know it's almost Fall. But maybe I can get away with Autumn hued ones?? Just a thought.

New Projects - Sew What Skirts

2009-04-21T13:37:00.000-04:00

Picked up some great material from Joann's Fabric. I'm planning to make a few skirts for my daughter and I: Check it out.

I want to make A-line skirts that look great with T-shirts and tank tops this summer. Something similar to this:

Precious Little One

2009-04-10T19:21:00.000-04:00

Little Katie is here!

I'm Back

2009-04-10T19:12:00.001-04:00

I'm finally getting the hang of being a mom of 4 now! Little miss Katie is finally letting her mommy sleep a few hours uninterrupted.

Not sure which sewing projects I'll work on next. But I do have my eye on a 25 stitch Brother XL-2600i. It costs less than $100 and sews circles around my 10 year old "antique."

Having The Baby Today

2009-02-27T04:14:00.000-05:00

I'll be away for the next week or so. Will check in when I'm feeling better and we've gotten to know our newest addition.

Sewing Contest Day 2

2009-02-19T14:13:00.000-05:00

Well, I finally made my first pair of boys boxers. These are for my four year old. he can't wait to wear them to bed tonight! They were so easy to make I'm itching to buy more fabric today. He can wear these all summer for pj's or play clothes:

Thanks to Blueyonder for the great tutorial!!

February Sewing Contest

2009-02-15T08:51:00.000-05:00

So....I've decided to challenge myself with the sewing contest found on LHCF. I'm leaning toward boxer shorts for the boys (my hubby, skinny 11 year old and skinny 4 year old). The boys will get a kick out of having something just like Dad.

Here's the free tutorial I'll use: Threadbanger Boxer Tutorial (skip to the middle of the video for the boxer instructions).

Hmmm....wonder if I can find cheap red fabric at Walmart today??

I haven't Done Much....

2009-01-30T09:31:00.000-05:00

This week. still getting things ready for the baby's arrival. Kinda burned out on diaper making. Maybe this weekend I'll give myself a break and work on something else. Spring wardrobe maybe???

I think I need to do something totally indulgent and cute....for myself!

Playing Catch Up

2009-01-22T03:03:00.000-05:00

Well, I'm slowly but surely getting my newborn stash together. Just finished 4 pocket dipes yesterday. Before that I dyed matching pre-folds and tee's. Think I'll stick with plain white ones from now on though. White goes with everything. I don't want my little one look like a one-baby-Mardi-Gras parade! Mixing colors and patterns is cute....sometimes. But one can easily go overboard.

The fleece longies were super easy to do. But I have to tweak the pattern. The NB pants seem too small for cloth nappies. I'll try to knock out 3 larger pair and fleece soakers this weekend.

More Cloth Dipes

2009-01-19T13:53:00.000-05:00

I've spent the last two days building my diaper stash in preparation for our little one's arrival late next month. The process is getting easier and easier. Initially it took all day to make just one! Now I can whip them out in 30 minutes or so. Of course, it helps to pre-cut your fabric!!

Anyway, after I build my stash I'll likely try my hand at fleece longies. Then maybe I'll be satisfied enough to work on other projects....like clothing for Spring!

I'll add embellishment today or tomorrow. Not sure how I'll finish the enclosure though. I want snaps but don't have a press.

Mama Bird Diaper Mock Up

2009-01-11T07:36:00.000-05:00

After looking at numerous diaper patterns online I finally decided to try the Mama Bird newborn pattern. Some of the others (like Ottobre) were nice but WAY too big! Who has the patience to break out a calculator to figure out the math? The Mama Bird Pattern was simple and sized right. It fits newborns up to 12lbs. So I'll likely make several more. Maybe opting for the All-In-One next week.

This one was made for practice. Making mock ups of my projects for practice and learning works well for me. It's comforting to know that the item doesn't have to be perfect. So I'm patient and willing to try new things that ultimately increase my skill and ensure sewing success.

Personal Notes:
1.) Shorten the soaker from 12" to 10.5"
2.) Try wider/colorful velcro.
3.) Lengthen leg elastics.
4.) Stick with coordinating thread. It hides mistakes well.

Sewing Insight No. 1

2009-01-06T10:07:00.000-05:00

After my first attempt at making a sleeping mask I became a little impatient. Thought I could whip out another one for my hubby before bed: WRONG. Instead I made an even sloppier version of the first mask.

The next morning I woke up and did two things:

1.) Since I'm a visual person I watched a sleeping mask tutorial on youtube. Paying close attention to how the instructor finished the edges.

2.) Instead of rushing through everything I took my sweet time. The outcome was well worth it.

Note to self: take your time.

We Made A Sleeping Mask!

2009-01-04T16:31:00.000-05:00

Yeah, it's pretty simple. But I'm still really proud of our work. My DD wanted to make a gift for a friend at school. So I figured this would be easy enough tackle. She did all the cutting and piecing. While I sewed things together.

Couldn't get the finish I wanted. But it's still pretty good for the the first one I've ever done.

Think I'll make one for my hubby too.

BTW, if you want to make one here's a super easy sleeping mask tutorial to follow.

Yellow Sweater Update

2009-01-03T09:19:00.000-05:00

So I finished re-dying my DD's yellow sweater. It was old and kinda dingy. So I freshened it up with Golden Yellow RIT dye and added an applique to the breast. She loves it! But we both though the E could have been positioned better. Also, I'm not sure how or if I should finish the edges of the E. I don't want to take a chance and ruin and otherwise OK project. Hmmm....maybe I could hand stitch something contrasting thread around the edges??

Weekend Projects 1/1/2009

2009-01-01T08:33:00.000-05:00

This weekend is shaping up to be very crafty. I'd been toying with the idea of reconstructing clothes in my teenagers closet. It's a great way to save money by updating and extending her wardrobe. Luckily, she loves the idea! So I've started with the simplest recons:

Item / Projected Outcome:
Black Corduroy Pants - ruffled mini skirt.
Khaki Flea Market Pants - change button and possibly embellish leg.
Yellow Faded Sweater - Freshen with color wash and possible applique.

Welcome To Seamingly Simple

2009-01-01T07:06:00.000-05:00

This is a blog dedicated to those just beginning to sew. I'm not sure how or why I was bitten by the sewing bug. But I'm so excited to learn.

Since my skills are kinda....eh...I'll begin this journey by focusing on cheap (free whenever possible), simple and functional items. As a stay at home mom my projects will likely revolve around home and family life. But don't get me wrong...fashion is high on my list!

Though the economy sucks and things are likely to get worse I plan to save money and be totally "gawgeous" in 2009!