mug of fun...

it's no secret that i'm always on the lookout for loverly things; be it crafty or a fun way to organize, funky styles, etc. & lately i've really been inspired to create. (i'd like to say that i had fired that part of my brain a few months back, but the truth is, she  just quit! we've since made up & are back on track)

enter today. cold & rainy. sis & niece in town. what to do...what to do...

i had seen this super fun creation via vlog by one of my fave daily must-haves, kandee johnson. mommy of 4, makeup artist, youtuber, blogger, & overall awesome creative lady! (you're gonna need to check her out...sooo cool!) anyways, back to my inspiration for today's boredom buster. i had remembered watching a how-to for "mustache mugs." & had been dying to do it. who doesn't love a mustache?

monkey & i made a quick trip to the local craft store for the supplies. then, it was time to play!

the amazing kandee: (is it too stalker-y to say i adore her without personally knowing her?) enjoy!

cute, huh?

so, how'd we do?

or, you can do your own thing! not into mustaches? maybe you prefer sonic the hedghog or mario...or want to keep your joe warm in a starry mug! no matter...just have fun!

ames, monkey, maizy, moms, & ash...cheers!

slowing down a bit...

this time of year is craziness...it is, for everyone. it's seldom that i can afford to zone out around mid december because there is just too much to do. i didn't get a whole lot accomplished yesterday except for getting cookies baked for a xmas exchange thingy & then going to said thingy. there was a good hour in there where i could have done something productive, but i didn't. on the verge of beating myself up over it last night after i returned home & settled in, a picture caught the corner of my eye.

it is framed on the book shelf in the center room of our house & i pass it every day, but i really noticed it last night. i stopped...remembered this beautiful moment frozen in time.

the picture i'm referring to is of monkey & his very first visit with santa. he was just 5 weeks old. & he was such a good little traveler. it was a busy day in december. we waited in a super long line at the mall for the meet & greet with jolly ole st nick. monkey tried to stay alert; taking in all the sights & sounds without a fuss. unfortunately, by the time it was our turn...the wait had taken its toll & santa would encounter a sleeping baby. what would happen next was incredible & turned out to be my most favoritest picture ever!!

does it get any sweeter? when the man in red closed his eyes & posed as if they had fallen asleep reading together, i got so misty-eyed...kind of like i am now.

taking a few minutes to enjoy this picture led me to then losing track of time all together & looking at other old pictures for awhile. i think that's what this time of year is really about anyways. not getting too consumed with the hustle & bustle, but slowing down a little & looking back on special moments; people.

oh, & another pic that is close to my heart is one with our 1st child in it. delia wasn't a "dog," she was my sweet baby girl. this was our last christmas with her...i still miss her every day!

the things i do for vanity...

i don't know what's gotten into me this week?! oh yea, i have a condition called bi-polarism (probably not the technical term, but it sounded good)...true story. it's not like super wonky crazy-i'm gonna hurt myself or someone else if i have a bad day-sort of thing...so, don't worry!! it's actually great when i'm on a manic "high"...it means that i get things done. & my passionate frenzies lean on the more creative side...with the help of holiday stress & a timeline, i frantically make impulse decisions & magic happens! i kid, but that's really how my brain functions. & besides, didn't every genius person in history have a mental condition of some form or another? i'm gonna stick with that excuse anyways.

okay, prologue aside, i have been up to another project. i actually decided, gathered materials, & completed it in the time 'silence of the lambs' played in the background on tv last night (love that movie). it started with a chair. which led to vinyl...yummy. & a shirt.

meet the shirt! it's a very leopard-y maternity sweater that was worn & loved by my sis, ames, when she was prego with my niece. it would be an understatement to say simply that the girl loves animal print. she's obsessed! when i found out that i was a gal in trouble (totally joking), this gem was bequeathed to yours truly. at first, i was like, "holy me-ow, batman!" but the beauty of this sweater is that it is the softest, most comfortable garment around!  & so i embraced it...don't judge me!

i've held on to it all these years, thinking that i might eventually take it in, make it into a little wrap dress or over-sized cardi. you know, something. i found it earlier in the week during the big closet clean out. it was on it's way to my hope chest full of material...



the canvas, if you will: i have a really neat vintage chair that i adore. i have a soft spot for chairs. i gravitate towards them. i've never figured that one out, but i always grab them (if they're in okay shape structure wise) at yard sales or the like. this particular one was with a group of 3. two of which i had redone a few years back & resold. i was hanging on to this guy for "hard times." i just thought the frame was too cool & because i was bound to need it eventually, yes?! i was right...i would & i do.

i smell an upcycle!

throw in some red vinyl (saved from a project past) & i've got my misfits in ready formation. add a hammer, staple gun, gerber tool, & electric drill, of course. POWER tools are awesome!! the new purpose of this chair is strictly for vanity! it's going in the guest bedroom to partner with an heirloom buffet & be the make-up, hair, pretty-fying area. "vanity, definitely my favorite sin." (name that movie) but seriously, i'm pretty excited to have my own space. did i mention how small the rooms & bathrooms were in this house & how much "stuff" i have? i am really pleased with the fruits of my labor...tomorrow, i bake 4 dozen cookies for a cookie exchange...hooray! oh, the chair...i almost forgot!

ta-da...so easy & super quick to do. man, i love saving things from the big bad landfill if i can. viva la green!

DIY? Y not...

we love candy!! we do. it’s my weakness & the monkey, well, he’s 7…sooo, there’s that. & we buy it, but not in mass amounts. i mean, every time we turn around there’s a holiday or special occasion that warrants sweet treats (or sour, our personal fave). there is candy in the cabinet, in the fridge (i like my candy bars cold), & finally, leftovers in the trick or treat bag.

i wanted to have it all in one place, so i settled on one of my vintage pyrex dishes, but i secretly pine for a fun or unusual apothecary jar of some sort to display in the kitchen.

so, for a few weeks now i have been looking around for one. ever notice that when you’re “looking,” said object doesn’t want to be found? yes, i’ve had this experience. locally, i’ve been unlucky…& online, well, the small plain jars start at 10 bucks. not bad, but i don’t want an ordinary one (of course) & the larger start at $30-35 & go up. ooh, i saw a super fancy, schmancy one for $70 dollars, but figured i could find something cheaper to break.

since i’m in no rush…at all, i thought i’d just wait. maybe after the holidays, i’ll come across something cool at a random location. then it happened. i saw the coolest idea via my new loverly addiction, Pinterest!! & geez, so awesomely simple…why couldn’t i have thought of it? that’s okay, i’ll take it. heck, while i’m at it, i’ll share it, too! (i thought that maybe some of you might just like it/get inspired/et cetera, et cetera!)

the materials were easy to come by. 2 jars saved from landfill...check. 2 candle sticks thrifted last winter for a couple of bucks; glad i grabbed those for these just in case moments. all i needed was to swing by the craft store & grab some funky fresh spray paint!

so with supplies in hand, i am ready for my nifty project...yay! jars are cleaned; labels removed. candle sticks are prepped for the luscious key lime paint. 2 coats & 24 hours later, i'm in business...the candy display business. (jars are affixed gluefully to sticks for a smaller chance of accident...i said smaller, no guarantee around these parts.) & this is the end result...

how cute did these turn out? so excited. this was just too easy not to try & it suits our family's needs to a t!

skeletons in the closet...closets...floor...

i have to admit...i am probably one of the most unorganized gals around. & i wonder why i can never find anything. my house stays fairly tidy-ish. i mean we do live here & it's apparent that there's a monkey abound, but it's really not that bad. until, of course, you head to the back. yes, folks, there is a very good reason why the doors to the bedroom & guest room stay closed! it's awful.

it's not filthy with junk & papers & boxes or stuff like that. no, my huge issue is...wait for it...my closet, or proper use of. i simply haven't the space to accommodate all my clothes. & i never have anything to wear despite what appears to be wardrobe jackpot. so here i am with one closet packed to the gills, an antique buffet that i re purposed as a "dresser," all of my shoes piled in the bottom of hubs closet, & various piles here & there. it is quite embarrassing to say the least.

anyone else have this problem? how in the heck do i accumulate all this stuff? i'm not a serial shopper. & a day or two behind in putting laundry away is just bad news for me. vicious cycle, for sure!

i had been planning on figuring out a solution for, hmm, forever now, but the thought totally overwhelmed me. for some reason though, this week was the week! yesterday, on what could have been a super lazy sunday, i decided to jump off of my rump & get to making the impossible possible.

i knew that i didn't wear the majority of what i had, but as the donation bag got bigger & bigger, i was like "whoa!" i was holding on to some crazy stuff. clothes that i figured might fit again...one day...by way of tape worm, possibly. but no. & then there were pants (post baby-year one through 3, i think) that were saggy & very unflattering....i saw london & france! & i am not down with the homeys, so into the bag they went!

1/2 way there...ahh, progress!

& it is still a work in progress, but i am feeling almost lighter around here. & i actually feel "put together"...okay, so maybe that's a stretch, but definitely heading in the right direction. & because i'm knocking this out, i can finally get to the changes in my guest bedroom before my sister & niece visit in a couple of weeks for christmas! hooray!

consolidation, baby! & all in the same room...woot!

touching base...

or as lionel richie would say "hello...is it me you're looking for?" so, yeah, i've been a little MIA as of late. not that i didn't have any thing to say (i always have something to contribute), i've just been working on other things. mostly mental housekeeping. i chalk it up to the craziness of this time of year plus a little extra on the side.

if you're wondering (you are, right? oh, well i'm gonna tell ya anyway) here's what has been going on...

i had a birthday. egads! yep, the big 3-0...& add 5 to that. it wasn't bad actually. i was sans friends this year, which kind of stunk, but i understand that people have other jazz going on in their lives. totally. & the hubs made it fun & memorable for me. sushi, movie, & the local irish pub afterwards; where we met some colorful folks...it was good.

thanksgiving...duh. also good. not as drunk as usual in preparation, which is a damn lovely sign, yes?! i think so. & we only visited one house this year. (we usually are a keep the car running while we cram our faces sort of family so we can we cycle around to all) but not this time. & i thought that was the ideal way to go, but you know, i actually kind of missed not seeing everyone. huh...i surprised myself. guess that's why the ginormous holidays are so close together. okay, not really.

also, i haven't been blogging, but have been typing plenty. just on more traditional things; essay for school, financial aid hubaloo, & freshening up the ole resume. yes, good people, your girl ash is heading back to school! so excited...so so excited! come january, i will be entering into the world of cosmetology. pin curls & color & make-up, oh my. i am both beaming & terrified at the same time. but, i am following my passion for this fashion & doing it (instead of just being on the fence questioning myself.) deep breath...exhale...going for it!

& now, gals & guys, you are caught up...you're welcome. i knew you'd appreciate that. & i've been jotting down observations, keeping ears peeled for greatness, & haven't forgotten about this public journal (if you will) of mine. plenty of crazy to go around. until we chat again...ash.