My First Before and After

This past Sunday was Hope's baby shower and of course, in true Jessica fashion, my thinking cap went on.  I love being creative and practical at the same time, all within a budget.  At that time, it was hot and heavy yard sale season so I was on the prowl for ideas.  What is something that they will need, nobody else will get and something that I can use my creativity? 

And then I found this?

I know, you're jealous right?

Immediately, I text Hope to see if they wanted one.  I wanted her to know what my plan was so they didn't register for one or buy one themselves.

I must admit, mom definitely did a lot more of the hard work on this makeover than I did.  She did the upholstery work, as well as the monogrammed E.

Sanding, 2 coats of primer and 4 cans of ivory spray paint, here is the final product!

I am so excited about this makeover and how it turned out.  It was the perfect chair for her to use during the shower & now in the nursery.

I am sure many sleepless nights will be spent in this glider rocking baby Emmalyn to sleep.

Step 1 - Stair Makeover

So this post has been a long time coming and I am finally to that motivated stage that I am ready to get this damn project over with!!  I know when it is all said and done, it is going to look great, but just getting there has seemed to be the issue.

So of course, after my inspiration photos / blogs here, I couldn't wait to get started on our stair makeover.

And it began!!  I got out a razor blade, a pair of needle nose pliers & a flat head screwdriver.  I took the razor blade and made a cut into the carpet so I could start ripping it up.  Oh yeah and I did this one night while Cody was gone, but he came home & caught me in action.  Luckily for me, it was perfect timing!  I had pulled with all might and about tumbled down the stairs, but he walked in just in time to help me catch my balance!

Let me tell you that ripping up the carpet was a hard task, but I was not about the let the carpet win!  I pulled and pulled and pulled until all the carpet was up.  By the time I was finished, I had scratches up & down my arms from the staples that were still in the carpet.  I should have had long sleeves and gloves on my list.  You live and you learn!  

Next came time to pull out all of staples.  If there wasn't a gazillion, then I don't know how many there were.  I didn't think I was ever going to get done.  I did do this process over several days since this was not an easy task either.  I tried my hardest to pull most of the staples out when pulling up the carpet, but there were still a lot left.  And, of course, they used the toughest and longest damn staples.

Here are some pictures of our progress!    

Oh yeah, and this may look all pretty, but white carpet on stairs is a definite no! I was fed up with steam cleaning them all the time!

 No more carpet!

**I went to Home Depot and got 2 paint samples so we are moving this process right along.  Next we will decide which color to go with and start purchasing our materials!

Homemade Laundry Detergent

I hate going to the grocery store and standing in the laundry aisle just staring at all the laundry detergent options.  Usually I'm searching for the cheapeast I can find.  If I have taken the time to search for a coupon, it makes it that much easier, but that's usually not the case.

I have made this before, twice actually and not really sure why I stopped.  After feeling like I have been buying laundry detergent at least twice a month, I was sick of it and told myself next time we run out, I'm making our own!

Here are all the supplies you need!

Up front, it does cost you between $15 - $20, but trust me, it's so worth it!  The Dawny Unstopables are completely up to you if you want to add them or not.  Because this laundry detergent leaves no scent on your clothes, I added these to my mixture to give that clean, fresh smell.  Oh and trust me, even though the fels-naptha will smell up your entire house while you are grating it, it leaves no scent on your clothes whatsoever.

This has to be the easiest thing to do too!  You literally just open the boxes and pour.  When it comes to the Oxy Clean, you can buy a small bottle and use it, but I already had the big container on hand so I used about 2 cups.  The hardest and longest part is grating the fels-naptha.  I make this in a 5 gallon bucket so you can mix all the ingredients together.

Once my laundry detergent is mixed all together, I pour it into this pretty container I vinly'd up!

All the supplies can be found in the laundry aisle, whether at the grocery store or Wal-Mart.  I bought this last batch of supplies at Wal-Mart and it was a little cheaper.  I also bought my glass container at Wal-Mart for around $10.

The best part is that this will last Cody and I around 7 to 8 months because you only use 2 tablespoons per load!

This stuff works wonders and for as long as it lasts for us, it is well worth the money up front! 

Shop Open

It's official, I have finally opened an Etsy shop!  I have come to love crafting and helping mom with projects so why not put my time to some good use and hopefully make a little extra cash on the side.  

My shop is called JFB Designz and can be found here.

I am super excited about this new endeavor and will be adding new items as I get samples made!

Tub / Shower Cleaner

We don't have a tub in our master bathroom and Cody is a bath kind of guy.  With his kind of work, I guess coming home and soaking in the tub is as relaxing as it gets.  For me on the other hand, cleaning it can be a nightmare.  And it's in our guest bathroom so I want it to stay as clean as possible if we have family or friends over.

I can picture it now, a guest sitting on the toilet peaking in the shower and seeing that I only half ass cleaned the bathroom.  Insert horrified face!

With Cody being a mechanic, you can only imagine, the tub does not stay white long!  It was that time again and guess what?  I was out of cleaning supplies.  So before I headed out to the store, I searched on Pinterest and found exactly what I was looking for - even parts vinegar and blue dawn.  Heat them up in the microwave and funnel into your spray bottle.  Couldn't get any easier than that!

Here are some before and after pictures!

My cleaning schedule is every 2 weeks, and this was a little longer than 2 weeks so it normally is not this bad!  Hey, life just gets in the way sometimes and cleaning the bathtub is low on the totum pole!

Not really sure about the green glare, stupid iPhone camera!

Now it's time to see what else I can find on Pinterest to make when it comes to cleaning supplies!

Baby Epps' Gender Reveal Party

A few weekends ago, we threw a gender reveal party for Hope and Wayland.  Family and friends joined to see if baby Epps is going to be a girl or a boy.

Thanks to Sarah and Melissa, we had a fun craft night making decorations and tie dying shirts for Hope and Wayland to wear.

I DIY'd the confetti for each table with the Cricut.  I just cut out circles and onesies out of card stock paper.  

Sarah and I stenciled the chalkboard with the names they have chosen depending on if it's a girl or a boy.

The votes are in - boy it is!  Let's see if they were right!

We also decorated this box with the Cricut as well.

It's a girl!

Wayland has 2 girls so he was hoping for a boy.  A curse word might have came out when he saw the pink balloons, but hey it's his fault it is a girl, right?!?!  Honestly, they are excited either way and are praying for a happy and healthy baby!

It was suppose to rain that day and it ended up being perfect weather.  Next - shower planning time!

Graduation Take 2

Friday night, Melissa graduated from Dalton State College with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration in Management.

 

This is Melissa's friend, Katrina.  Melissa stayed with her one night a week and her 2 kids instead of driving back and forth from Canton to Dalton.

I guess they needed something to do while waiting for the program to start.

Finally got the show on the road!

Katrina warned her that she was going to yell for Melissa so I'm sure she was a little concerned at this point!

 

Congratulations!  Now it's time to see what the next chapter of your life holds ahead of you!