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my milk paint experience

July 15, 2014

awhile back i found this buffet on pinterest.
i think i entered “green buffet” to see what came up.

and that was that.
i was in love!
i tracked down the artist and asked her HOW did you make this look like this?
she told me she used milk paint and a dark cream and wax.
(she has lots of beautiful pieces that she has created!)

so i started looking around online for these things… i know… you probably know all about this but i didn’t.

i ended up on amazon and i came across Jodi from Back40Life and thought “hey… i know that girl!”
because i did!
i have worked with Jodi in the past over the internet so i emailed her and said “tell me the real scoop on what i need to make my buffet look like this”
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She sent me all the supplies i would need to complete the project that i was dying to work on.

i had NEVER used milk paint before.
honestly i didn’t even know that milk paint was a “thing” let alone how big of a following it has.
did you know that people go to milk paint classes?!
huh?
where have i been?!

this is the buffet i wanted to paint.
i got it from an antiques shop 9 years ago and haven’t done a thing to it in those 9 years.
it was finally time!
(disclaimer…our bedroom has really funky lighting and it is HARD to get a great photo)

very first…i rubbed all the edges of this piece with the wax puck for sanding later.

did you know milk paint comes as a powder?!
i used my blender to mix it up (because the package told me i could).
i thought “this is crazy that i am using my ninja for paint!”
but i did.
and it worked.
and the ninja survived.
BUT you can buy a little hand mixer that would be way better… i recommend that.

i decided to not use the bonding agent since i wanted the paint to be super chippy.
that was me just guessing and hoping it worked.
i figured if the paint didn’t stick then i would just start over… it’s only paint!
nothing that can’t be fixed. 🙂

this color is called Boxwood.
i painted a few coats.
and let it dry.
it is very flat paint. i was nervous. this is not my style at all.

and then came back and saw it was CHIPPING RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!
my mood changed immediately!
i was giddy.

i used this scraper and the paint just fell off.
i wasn’t putting pressure on the scraper… just moving it over the green paint.

before and after the scraping.
after i scraped the chippy stuff off… i lightly sanded everything to get it even chippier!

i LOVED this stage!

i wiped it all down with a rag to remove the dust and extra dry paint.
THEN i used the hemp oil over the entire piece… put it on a clean rag and applied it.

when it was completely dry i finished the piece by sealing it with Antiquing Wax using that great big brush.
i was nervous about this part but really it just made it look finished and not flat anymore!
i like it!
of course i can’t decide on the drawer pulls so those are still missing.

i was so pleased with using Milk Paint!
there are so many different styles and variations you can do depending on color or the piece you painting… if you use the bonding agent or not…SO MUCH FUN!

You can get all the supplies for any milk paint project you have from Back40Life in their etsy shop.
They sell Miss Mustard Seed Paints and supplies.
they were great to work with…helpful and knowledgable!

and look at all these great colors there are to choose from?!
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have you ever used milk paint?
what do you want to paint next – or for your first project?
Which color would you pick?

i am crushing on that mustard seed yellow…. or the tricycle… or typewriter….

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our best father’s day gift

June 10, 2014

of course i have no ideas about what to do THIS father’s day for my husband but i thought i would tell you the BEST gift we have ever found for Craig in past father’s days.

he loves ice cream.
L O V E S.

about 4 years ago now… we got him a homemade ice cream machine!

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he is not into gifts or celebrating really but he was surprised and very happy with this gift.
which made me so happy!
(i AM into gifts and celebrating so when someone loves my gift… it’s a gift to ME!)

he makes really yummy ice cream too!
we even took it on vacation with us so we could make ice cream there too.

it’s the kind of machine that turns & turns, is really loud and you fill the outside with lots of ice and salt.
it is the sound of summer.
does that make you think of your childhood?
i don’t even remember WHERE we had homemade ice cream when i was a kid… but i remember the machines.
i have one memory of an ice cream party outside the library in the town we moved from when i was 7.
i can see it from a short 7 year old’s perspective… everyone is tall… the building across the street is tall… and there is LOTS of ice cream right at eye level on folding tables.

🙂

anyways… back to the ice cream MACHINE.
i chose the White Mountain Ice Cream Maker based off reviews from my friends of what is “the best”.
also because we have a big family so 1 – 2 quarts of ice cream isn’t even enough for each of us to get a bowl.
so i went for the big machine… that is electric… not hand crank.
this machine is pricey but from what everyone says, they last forever.
i wanted it to last through my kids childhood. i wanted to create a memory for them.
making homemade ice cream, outside on the porch, on a summer night… that’s the good stuff.

if you wanted something quieter, smaller, sleeker and i guessing much less messy… you could try this one.
it makes 2 quarts each time.

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Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker

this one looks similar to the white mountain one but the motor attachment is plastic instead of metal.
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MaxiMatic 6-Quart Old-Fashioned Ice-Cream Maker

then this one i have seen at walmart and all over.
could be worth a try?
it’s about the cost of 5 gallons of ice cream.
and it makes FOUR quarts… that is pretty good!
anyone have this one? does it hold up?

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Hamilton Beach 4-Quart Ice-Cream Maker, White

and then i saw this?!!
WHAAAAAT?
an in-home soft serve ice cream maker???
ummm….. my kids would think this was THE COOLEST thing ever!?!!

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Cuisinart Soft Serve Ice Cream Maker

there is also an attachment you could put directly onto your KitchenAid mixer that makes ice cream?!
did you know that?

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KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment + Bonus Soft Thumb Release Ice Cream Scoop

and this has nothing to do with ice cream machines but don’t you think this green mixer belongs in my new kitchen?
it is gor-ge-ous!!!

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KitchenAid5-Quart Mixer – there are a million colors but this green is just the best!

i was looking for recipes and came across these books.
i am a sucker for a beautiful book cover.
this one is just that.
out of curiosity…. are you a fan of waffle cones, sugar cones, regular cones or NO cone… bowl only?

Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones: 90 Recipes for Making Your Own Ice Cream and Frozen Treats from Bi-Rite Creamery

the thought of a cute ice cream shop in brooklyn just seems dreamy…

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Ample Hills Creamery: Secrets and Stories from Brooklyns Favorite Ice Cream Shop

and hey… even if you are dairy free there is still ice cream to be enjoyed!
woo-hoo!
everything in this book is based off coconut, almond or cashew milk.
i would be up for trying that!

Dairy-Free Ice Cream: 75 Recipes

we made milkshakes the other night and annie requested Oreos in chocolate ice cream.
i tasted it.
it was U N R E A L.
how is that not a flavor in the store?!!!
how are they not making millions off of Chocolate Cookies & Cream?!!
what is wrong with the ice cream makers of the world?!

🙂

what is your favorite flavor ice cream?

and help me…. what should i get craig this year for father’s day???

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i think you need a coach.

May 12, 2014

🙂
i had to make sure i got my work out in today before i could write this post with a clear conscience.

back in december i found Marta.
on Instagram i saw she was starting a 30 day nutritional group… and in a split second i signed up.
i had no idea what a nutritional group was.
i just said YES.
and i will admit that i took the same group two months in a row because
1. it was very interesting
2. i started it over the holidays so i wasn’t fully paying attention
3. i didn’t do ANYTHING she said the first round.

that’s right. i did nothing.
but i read her words… and got to see her heart right out there caring for each of us in the group.
and i began to really think about my nutrition.
so round 2 i started trying a few of her suggestions… baby steps right?
and then i joined the 21 Day Fix group.
i was hooked!
Marta is my girl.
she has got it goin’ on!
i love her encouragement and positive attitude… it’s contagious!

i thought it would be fun to interview her here on the blog!
because i want YOU to get to know her too.

so i asked her a bunch of random questions… here goes:

– what is your favorite time of day?

I’m a night owl. I love, love, LOVE staying up late.

Everyone’s asleep and it’s where I find ME time to sew, read, craft and lately, WORK on my fitness biz.

– your favorite movie of all time?

I love, love, LOVE movies. A lot.

I could never pick one. Ever.

A few of my faves are Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window & classics like It’s a Wonderful Life & Meet Me in St. Louis….. I love old movies. I recently became obsessed with The Way We Were….. and have always loved Pretty Woman, Field of Dreams and Goonies. TOO MANY I tell ya!

– top five things in your grocery cart?

blueberries, dark chocolate, hummus, spinach salad & lately coconut milk ice cream (since going dairy-free this has saved my ice cream loving taste buds!)

– favorite type of exercise?

If you asked me a few years ago it would have been Kickboxing (which I still love!) when I fell in love with Turbo Fire. Now it’s lifting weights. I do a program called Les Mills PUMP (an awesome program my company offers) and I have never felt so strong! I love feeling healthy and fit, but feeling STRONG is even better. I feel like a rockstar athlete again with muscle. Such a cool feeling when you are a mom of three.

– what kinds of things tug at your heart?

Anything sentimental. I have such a nostalgic heart. I save everything from when I was little and when my girls were little. On any given day I have been known to pop in some home videos and cry.

– extrovert or introvert?

can I say both? I’m very shy and would prefer no one look at me. I think it’s because I often get stared at while in public places due to my height. I’m almost 6 feet tall and I would rather just blend in at times. Dealing that with the majority of my life has affected me in many ways. However, when I’m around my family or close friends, I’m definitely loud and pretend to be a comedian. I crack jokes, am very sarcastic and am not a very serious person.

– what is your dream saturday?

A family get-together. I’m from a very close family. My sisters and I are best friends and we are always together at one of our homes or over at our parents having a BBQ or party for someone or celebrating an occasion. Between the four of us we have eight children so there is always something going on!

– who or what motivates you?
Many people motivate me every single day- my husband, my daughters, my sisters, other people in the fitness world– however, I’d say what motivates me most is not being able to meet my mom’s father. He died of a massive heart attack at age 44. 2 months prior to my mom’s wedding to my dad. This has stuck with me so much over my entire lifetime. Most eight years olds probably don’t dwell on the fact they never got to meet their mom’s dad. I did. For whatever reason. I felt so connected to him and still do to this day. I imagined him. What he was like. Why my mom was the way she was because of him. I thought, how sad that he didn’t get to see my mom get married and walk her down the aisle. How tragic. And unfair. But this created in me, a reason to honor MY body and my life. I know we can’t control everything. But I can control what I eat which impacts my health which impacts my life and how long I may live. I’m only 34 and not many 34 year olds think this way. But I do and always will.
When I have a slump of a week like filled with hectic schedule and CANDY. I re-group and motivate myself to be BETTER. FEEL BETTER. LIVE BETTER. This motivates me. My grandpa, whom I’ve never met, has touched me and impacted MY life so much. What a crazy concept. But he is a big reason I do what I do and am who I am. And he’s impacting what kind of mom I am and what kind of children I am raising. This is all “the big picture” of life in my opinion.
Other things motivate me as well. Wanting to feel my best, look my best, be energetic, be a role-model. But overall, we must all connect to our inner-self and figure out our main goals in life and then make a plan to achieve them.

– what did you eat for lunch today?

Ground turkey, avocado and tomatoes.

– if you could be someone famous… who would you be?

I would say Jackie Kennedy. I have always had this weird connection to John F. Kennedy and that entire era. Sounds so strange, I know, but when I see video footage of him, I feel like I know him…. like I’ve met him before. It’s weird. I would love to have lived during that time in America. I’m very drawn to the 50’s and 60’s and always have been nostalgic.

– where should someone start when they don’t know how to start… excerise or health wise?

I would say the first thing to do is get honest. Honest with what foods you are feeding your family and yourself. Do you really know what is in the foods you are eating? Do you know how to pronounce the ingredients listed on your box of crackers, chips and cereal bars? If not, throw it out and NEVER look back. This is what I feel is the most important thing starting off. Eat REAL foods. Real meat, nuts, seeds, fruit, beans, veggies….. real foods. Not processed fake things that resemble foods. If you start with this you will immediately feel changes and then you’ll see changes. I promise!

***************************** THANKS Marta for answering my questions! ******************************

so here are four facts i wanted to share:

1. Marta and her 3 sisters are ALL Fitness Coaches!
Isn’t that something amazing?!!
you can read their group blog for advice, recipes, information & inspiration… FOUR FIT SISTERS.

(ALL of Marta’s contact info is under her photo on that blog)

2. Marta is a a Beachbody Coach.
It is free to sign up on BB for a coach…. takes about 30 seconds.
when you do sign up, there are no high pressure sales or constant emails.
but what there IS is information, education & HELP with questions about everything.
when you order BB programs like the 21 Day Fix, Turbo Fire or Shakeology through your coach, of course your coach gets a percentage of that sale… but that is the perk of being a coach!
if you don’t sign up under a coach… BB gets ALL the money and you don’t get the care from Marta, a hard working mama trying to help so many women take back their health.
to me it is a no brainer.
sign up for free to have her as a coach and she tells you when all the sales are going to be, what new programs are coming out & answers questions you may have.
She can tell you which programs are her favorites too.

3. Marta has special nutritional groups that she runs each month dealing with all kinds of health issues.
you get daily questions and information that is fascinating.
i have learned SO MUCH this past 5 months.
i have changed my eating habits completely.
and i feel so good!!!
for real…. it has been awesome.
she starts a SUGAR DETOX group next week. (all the details can be found HERE )
i am enrolling.
and afraid.
but ready… please join with me so we can hold each other’s hands through it.

4. Follow her on Instagram.
because she is FUN!!!
handstands? black eyes? fire alarms and burnt bacon?
it’s all there along with the fitness inspiration.

i know so many of you out there don’t feel your best.
trust me… I KNOW.
you are tired, worn down & discouraged.

It is time to be done with that. (stop being sad and be awesome instead 😉
it is time to get strong…physically and emotionally.
do it for YOU!

I’m not talking about bikini bodies… i am talking about feeling healthy!

who else is going to take care of you?

ummmm…. N O B O D Y.

i think Marta rocks.

and she can help you get where you want to be.

she is a busy mom like so many of us.
she gets it.

the end.

🙂

i just started the 21 day fix workouts again,
but hey Marta… when those are done how about we try this record i found?
HA!

thank for continuing to help me reach my goals MARTA!!
maybe someday we will have a handstand challenge?!
just kidding!

do YOU have questions for me about any of this?
leave them and i will try to answer them IN THE COMMENTS so everyone can participate.

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meals, answers and a sale

February 25, 2014

so here is my meal plan for week two of the 21 Day FIX.
this is what i love so far – i am a visual person – so when i look at this chart i know that i don’t HAVE to eat chicken if it says chicken.
i see the word chicken but i mostly see the color RED so i know that i can grab chicken out of the frig OR any other protein/meat that i have on hand.

WEEK TWO:
WEEKTWO21DAY
i spelled broccoli wrong on my chart.

also i noticed last night that i categorized dried fruit wrong… oops
don’t tell Autumn.
AND confession… i cracked on annie’s cookies she made this afternoon.
darn it… but man they were yummy!
but that happens and life goes on.
we just pick up from where we screwed up and move on.

the question several people emailed me about was “how are you feeding on your family while working on this plan?”
great question!
something i noticed last week… we are never home!
that makes meal planning difficult… and easy at the same time.
BUT the way i worked it out for OUR family was to cook some things ahead.
i grilled 6 lbs. of chicken one evening, i hard boiled a dozen eggs and i roasted a bunch of broccoli and sweet potatoes.
then i put all of that in the refrigerator and i had food prepped all week for most of my meals.
if my husband isn’t going to be home at dinner time… i rarely make a meal.
it is usually make-your-own meals those nights. Everyone is able in our house to fix what they want.
i will help them if they need it but they rarely do.
they can also eat that chicken if they would like.
the nights we were home i modified the meal for me – they ate soft tacos… i ate a taco inspired salad with no tortilla, cheese or sour cream.
i make sure to cook extra of the healthy things i served and saved those for the next day’s lunch.
i know my kids won’t want a big spoonful of broccoli so i set out other options too… apple sauce, cottage cheese, yogurt or fruit.
so… my answer is probably not too helpful for you moms that are planners.
but surely you knew i wouldn’t have the answer for you. 🙂 ha ha ha
i am to distracted to have a big plan.

and last tip of the day…. for one of my daily “yellow containers” i use for 16 oz. of unsweetened almond milk and i use it slowly over the whole week in my first cup of coffee in the morning.
i use my frother and make it seem like more than it is and then the rest of the day i drink my coffee black.

ok… moving on from that stuff. ———————————————————————————-

how about a little sale on prints & canvases in my shop?!!
woo-hoo!
saleprint
there are two new prints in my shop!
one of a sleepy Stanley and one of the craft table happiness.

AND i have the COW and the GLOBES in 16 x 20!!!!

they are so big and p r e t t y !!!

click over to THE SHOP to use the code 15SALE on all prints AND the canvases too!!
that is a super deal!

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i am sore… ouch.

February 19, 2014

so i have done three of the workouts on the 21 Day Fix.
i love how short they are – 30 minutes!
but holy heck my legs are SORE. wowza.

A bunch of you have asked where to get this program…
it sold out when they released it but they will be restocking soon enough.
i see it on preorder through BeachBody.
email Marta at hausofgirls@gmail.com about details and she will hook you up!
i am in a small-ish accountability/support group through facebook that Marta leads and i LOVE that part of it.
i like being able to ask questions and get encouragement as we are doing the program together.

AND update… i am not hungry.
there is plenty of food using this plan.
it just doesn’t include nightly large bowls of lucky charms or milkshakes. (darn)
but sticking to my meal plan (that i made for myself so there is no one to blame but me) has worked.
so far so good!

here are MORE meals that look so good!
i wish that squash soup was right here in front of me NOW.
Yummmm.

1. Salad in a Jar

2. Cheesy Spinach Muffins

3. Stuffed Peppers Soup

4. Thai Red Curry Coconut Squash Soup

5. Clean & Lean Lettuce Wraps

6. Sweet Potato Quinoa Patties

7. Asian-Style Cobb Salad

8. Santa Fe Turkey Stuffed Peppers
i have NEVER eaten a stuffed pepper or even desired to until this recipe! YUM?!

which one of these recipes looks the best to you?

and also… what are you making for dinner tonight?

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10 points on a tuesday

February 11, 2014

1. i am drinking black coffee because i have no choice… i am out of half & half.

2. i am watching It’s Complicated.

3. i am SO cold… i am wearing a coat inside.
and a scarf.

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4. how fun is this photo? i was making waffles in the kitchen and saw that she was reading on the other side of the kitchen window/wall cut-out. i just reached out and took a shot holding the phone facing down. She’s reading The Hunger Games in her jammies….stanley is all wrapped up in her knees…. the house is trashed. SO normal. so…so normal.

5. i went to see Monuments Men on saturday night by myself while two of my kids went to a different movie.
(that is one of the awesome things about kids growing up – you don’t always have to spend two hours watching a movie you don’t want to see and you can go to your own theater down the hall) (not every time… but sometimes)
i liked the movie!
i mean… Clooney is in it so… duh.
It was a very “feel good” movie if a movie about war and nazis can be in that category.
other than the lady giving the world’s most obvious play-by-play behind me…. it was a movie i would see again.

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6. i am loving this devotional book….Opening the Door to Your God-Sized Dream
it’s gets my heart pumping, mind racing, creativity swirling and reminds me to give all the glory to God.
she also has this same idea but in a book too…You’re Made for a God-Sized Dream
i think for me… this little tiny bit at a time is all i can handle.
i have so many ideas… so many dreams… that when i get going on my dreams it can be too much all at once.
does that make sense?
it sounds backwards when i say it because you are supposed to DREAM BIG right?
but i want the dreams i pursue to be the ones that God wants for me. Not my own ideas that please me.
So i am loving the way Holley has broken it down into 40 days… a little bit of dreaming at a time… for the BIG dreams God has in my heart.
Taking it slowly helps me discern a bit more.

7. Annie really wanted me to make Chicken Pot Pie the other night after we ate the CPP soup on our snow day.
The family was talking about how they love pot pie and annie said “I have NEVER had it!”
So… i made it. Pie crust from scratch… made the whole thing…. TWO pot pies.
And it wasn’t good.
it wasn’t soupy so it was really heavy.
i was SO disappointed.
like… i wanted to cry. doesn’t it stink to work SO hard on something and have it flop?
cooking is often like this for me. So much work to most often a less than expected ending.
cereal is so much easier.
oh well… maybe someday Alice will move in with us and take over cooking our meals, pouring the kids kool-aid after school and helping them solve their problems.
afterlight-2
8. we got to take lauren out for her 19th birthday last week.
it’s been a long hard road to get here but we did it. she made us a family way back when i was only 19 myself.
she made me a mommy.
she has taught our family so much. we have so many amazing memories together.
here’s to MANY more miss laurney. keep up the great work at school! You are a smarty pants.

9. i am getting very excited to start the 21 Day Fix program that i blogged about last week.
but it hasn’t come in the mail??!!!
silly thing.
i saw that a bunch of you joined too! Woo-hoo!
i know there are a bunch of groups with Marta so we may not be in the same group.
but i am going to talk a lot about it here… i hope… so we can share what we think together in the comments and stuff.

10. THiS.

i have watched it a bunch of times now.
it is so crazy hilarious. WHO comes up with stuff like this?!!

and are you excited for Jimmy Fallon moving to the Tonight Show?!
i am beyond happy.
my bedtime routine just got so much better.
that guy is just the best.

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snow day and a recipe

February 5, 2014

i have had times where i dread a snow day but i was actually excited about this one.
it was as if we had the time for a break.
that is kind of sad but it is true. I was caught up enough that i was excited for a snow day.

first off… we made hot chocolate donuts.
snow6 this was our recipe…. a boxed cake mix we had in the cabinet. Two mixes actually. the marshmallow frosting comes in the box. and we have a donut pan. AND a few weeks ago my little girls BEGGED for the Mallow Bits so it was perfectly meant to be on our snow day! donut we each just watched it snow all day long while still in our jammies. snow3 oh these dogs. they LOVE this stuff!we finally ventured out of the house at 4:00. it was so beautiful! snow7 “HEY MOM!!! I”M CLEANING THE FENCE FOR YOU!”
thanks sweetie. it had really been bothering me how “messy” it was. ha ha ha
snow1 doesn’t he look like bigfoot combined with the abominable snowman?! snow4 snow2 we wore this guy OUT!

for dinner i looked through my computer for something yummy to make.
and looked.
and looked.
snow8 snow9 between a bunch of different recipes… i threw this soup together and it was YUMMY!!!
we made bread to dip in it too.
seriously…SO GOOD.
ALL of my kids ate their whole bowl…. WITH VEGETABLES IN IT!

you could add broccoli too or other veggies.
i didn’t put the peas in since i knew i pushing it big time with the celery AND carrots in one pot.
but maybe next time they can handle it.

it was delicious comfort food after playing out in the snow.

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