Monthly Archives: January 2011

New Year New Room

Happy New Room~
Sunday I got a wild hair up my {you know what}…
Let me first tell you how this all started.  I had this awesome print hanging in my house {not pictured} and it fell. And broke. In a million pieces.  Not the print {silly} but the glass.  I immediately started crying and I am still not sure why.  I wasn’t sure if I was sad because it broke or because I just got through mopping my beautiful wood floors and that meant {not clean floors anymore}.  You get the picture.   After I cleaned all the GLASS I found myself staring at the “frame” that the picture was in.  A beautiful hollow frame.  I guess that is what you would call it? Or maybe a {soul-less} frame.  I kept thinking of things I could possibly do with it, instead of throwing it out to the wolves. Well you know me, when I do things I do them BIG… Nothing can be simple or easy.  Well, I finally (in my head) decided what I was going to do with the frame.  However, in order to do this I had to change the whole layout of my extra bedroom/laundry room/guest room/sewing room/junk room.  I even {in my head} knew exactly where I was going to place it! How wonderful and easy this was… The vision was now turning into reality! HA, so I thought.  

As you can see below the bedroom has a BROWN strip in the middle.  Believe it or not I actually loved this color when I first painted it.  Then after moving things around and putting all the stuff I didn’t know where to put in the rest of my house in this room, I started to dislike it. Like alot. Like I didn’t even like being in it.  I mean, it’s just the extra bedroom. Right. Ok. Moving along.
The frame that broke is black.  We all know a black frame on a brown wall does not work.  And that frame just HAD to go in the middle of these two windows…(it’s not the frame below).  

Now off start this “simple and quick” project.  Mind you this is now all flowing around that measly little black frame.  After searching through all of the paint outside I quickly realized I don’t have enough of the color I wanted.  So what did I do… You guessed it! I just mixed the two colors that I liked.  One was a Ralph Lauren color called “juniper breeze” and the other was just “white”.  I know, I know your wondering if I measured. Of course I didn’t.  That would take all of the fun out of it!!! 
(fyi: I just took my medicine because I broke my foot. I think the medicine made me do all of this)
What do you think? 
Ok so we have done the math (not really) and were ready to paint. I was praying that I had enough to do 2 coats cause I couldn’t mix that color I conjured up for the love of God again if you paid me too!!!
I was kinda smart. I painted a “test strip” or “test wall” (again I think it was the medicine)…Who really paints a test wall. Next. 
I am finally almost done.  Phew.  
TADAHHHH
It’s done! Can you believe it! OH. Did I tell you I did ALL of this in 3 hours.  I mean, like moved everything, painted, waited for it to dry, put furniture back in it’s spot and kinda moved things around.  If I were you, I would be wondering right about now, where is this “frame” that caused all of this change.  Well, it’s coming.  Not only is it coming but in the morning I will be putting up the tutorial for it. 
{in your high voice say YAYYYYY}
I even put up some flags I made.  If you want to buy some (YOU DO) click here!!!
  Below is the frame. It may not seem like much to you but I am in LOVE with it!  I guess that is how seeing a “vision” works, right!
All I did was put cork board in the inside of the frame and painted the top with chalk board paint.  You know I LOVE my chalk board paint.  You can see another project I did with chalk board paint HERE
I just changed a few things up but as you can see I like the clean and crisp look.  Do you feel clean and crisp looking at these pictures?   I love bottles.  Check out my post HERE about them!
The picture on the bottom left is just a corner in the room, which I love.  The picture on the right is my ceiling.  How cool.  A wood plank ceiling.  <3
Seriously, I hope you enjoyed my blabbering tonight.  Make sure and come back in the morning for the tutorial!!!
Modern Country StyleCopy Me Challenge

First EVER quest on my BLOG

EXCLUSIVE : FIRST TIME EVER Stitch by Stitch Embroidery
I hope you enjoyed it because we surely enjoyed making it!!! It was fun to go outside of my box and see what others do on a daily basis~ For all of you mums who think you can’t work and be a mum, Becky is a good example that you can do it! If you put your heart and soul into something you can do anything!!! I hope everyone has a GREAT weekend!!!
live. love. create. 

Mardi Gras Mambo, Mambo, Mambo

It’s almost that time of year again! Time for the fun filled weeks of Mardi Gras! Yes, I said weeks! It’s the one time of year that you just let yourself GO! You know, Mardi Gras does not happen all over the world, so once you get a taste of it you will wish it did happen all over…{the world that is}. 
Other cities famous for Mardi Gras celebrations include Rio de Janeiro in BrazilSydney in AustraliaQuebec City,Quebec in CanadaMazatlánSinaloa in Mexico; and New OrleansLouisiana in the United States. We all know New Orleans is the BEST so far! 
I am sure you are wondering why I am doing a post about this and it is only January and Mardi Gras isn’t until March 8th, 2011.  Incase you are not familiar, Mardi Gras is French for “Fat Tuesday” (in ethnic English tradition, Shrove Tuesday), referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods {yay} before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which starts on Ash Wednesday.  Did you learn anything yet…:)

It’s really interesting because Mardi Gras festivities begin January 6th and last until March 8th.  Yep!  that is right.  WE DO IT BIG IN THE SOUTH.   Yesterday I walked into a local grocery store and {picture lights shining and bells ringing right here} I ran into a table of King Cakes. When you see these in the stores then you know it’s time to start celebrating.  

There are a few things that make the King Cake special, one of them is the “plastic baby” that is put inside.  When I was younger they used to bake them into the cakes and you just prayed that your piece had the baby in it!!!  The Baby is said to represent Baby Jesus and the person who gets the piece of cake with the baby in it has certain privileges and obligations {such as buying the cake for the next year’s celebration}.
Unless you are a kid! 

The most simple, said to be the most traditional, is a ring of twisted bread similar to that used in brioche topped with icing or sugar, usually colored purple, green, and gold (the traditional Carnival colors) with food coloring. Cajun king cakes are traditionally deep-fat-fried as a doughnut would be, and there are many variants, some with a filling, the most common being cream cheese and praline.

I thought I would share some great moments from Mardi Gras 2010.  
I have to tell you about Mardi Gras in New Orleans.  First of all, it’s CRAZY!!!! For real, it’s is something that does not happen anywhere else!  I promise if you come you will have stories to tell for the rest of your life.  
Yes, the lady who “stepped” into my picture was passed out, {sitting UP}… Did I mention that you will only have stories to tell if you actually remember them 🙂 The picture on the right is my friend Ne and myself having a BUHLAST!!!
You will find everyone dressed up in the greatest costumes and don’t worry about asking them to take a picture with you because that is what they live for!!!  
I think one of the greatest things about New Orleans is that you will always see policemen on horses.  And the horses are HUGE, and friendly… 
If you know anything about Mardi Gras in Nola, then you know it’s all about the Balcony and the Beads…
The parades. The best parades happen during Mardi Gras.  I mean, the parades start like 3 weeks before Mardi Gras.  I know, us Southerners like to party!!! 
And did I mention you will see the BEST costumes EVER during this time!
I am not sure what I am doing right here…..I think I was trying to warm up with the “wolf”. If you are not familiar with the “wolf” you can click here to read more about it…. LOL.
The wonderful face is from our camp.  What great things happen there.  And last but not least is my friend taking a picture of me, taking a picture of her… It’s our yearly ritual…
I hope you enjoyed a preview of what Mardi Gras is like…. Hope to see you there!!!

I do it for YOU

Don’t forget to check out my ETSY store!!! I am so excited…  I am finally pursuing the things that have always felt like just a dream.  I zoomed in and saw that it takes heart, a LOT of heart to get things done.  It doesn’t come easy but it is absolutely worth it. I started blogging in June and I never thought it would effect me the way it has.  I have met awesome, talented people on here and I am so blessed for that! My business is already going great this year and I have YOU to thank… Just remember, I do everything for you..
the end.
goodnight.
sleep tight. 
don’t let the bed bugs bite.
xoxo, jaderbomb

MY FIRST SALE

I know this is quite crazy, but I have to share with you my excitement~~~Let me begin by saying that I promised myself over the Christmas break that THIS year was gonna be MY year {and every year after 🙂}.  I did not make any resolutions {quote} but i did make goals. I promised myself that I would finally take action.  And I am.   

 Yesterday I FINALLY put up the FIRST item in my etsy shop.  I just had time to put 1 thing in it…I never thought someone would see it, better yet BUY IT!!! 

BUT THEY DID!!! Today I made my FIRST sale to a great person…. It might be a small thing to many, but it a great thing to me. 

LOOK OUT WORLD, HERE I COME
XOXO, jaderbomb