Treasured In My Heart

I'm back!

2011-02-16T10:32:00.000-08:00

After a llloooooonngg break from blogging (almost a year), I am ready to get back to it. Here's a quick recap of the last year to get everyone up to speed:

March - the beginning of a two month long series of DRAMA at work - financial ruin, being laid off, being "un-laid off", hours cut, pay cut, etc. - it ended with me (and most my co-workers) being laid off.
June - the beginning of intense low blood pressure making me very sick for over three months during the middle of my pregnancy with my 2nd daughter, Eden-Joy.
August - I started a new job at a local community college - been working 16 -19 hours a week since then.
September 7 - Eden-Joy was born ~ 7 lbs, 11 oz, 20.5 inches after 13 hours of drug-free labor
January - Eden-Joy's eyes were examined and it was determined she needed glasses.
February - Evan (my Mr.) has been working 50+ hours/week (some weeks of 60+) since December and it looks like he might be getting a break soon (48 hours/week).

I plan to continue documenting our household "treasures" and will start blogging about other "treasures" like my Mr. and my girls.

Show Me the Progress! Window Treatments Revisited

2010-03-10T14:12:00.000-08:00

I'm joining Amanda at Serenity Now, in her Show Me the Progress! party. Head on over to see other blogger's transformations.

I showed you all my window treatment dilemma in January (If you missed it, you can read about it here: http://treasuredinmyheart.blogspot.com/2010/01/window-treatments.html).

After reading all the wonderful advice, here is what I did:
I decided to take down the bamboo shades and hang the black curtains and cream rods I already had on the smaller windows. I also hung a decorative rod for the black curtains on the picture window.

Here is what I still plan to do:
Purchase curtain clips for the black curtains to hang from the rod above the picture window and move the sheers to hang behind them. I plan to keep the sheers closed when the black curtains are open. Putting them behind will solve the problem of them being sewn unevenly by the manufacturer because that part will be covered and having the sheers closed will create some more privacy when the black curtains are open. I will likely add clips to the new black curtains on the smaller windows as well. I also plan to make tie backs in a colorful, patterned print for all three windows in order to tie them together even more. If you can't tell from my photos, I'm a "matchy-matchy" kinda gal!

Now for the photos...
Before:

Before:

After (my daughter, of course, thought I was taking a photo of her!):
Ignore the table in the corner by the couch... it is a temporary solution for my husband's "office." He has yet to use it since he prefers sitting on the couch, but it has to stay there until the office has room for it!
I also created a "window seat"/reading nook using an old coffee table, a GW cushion, and a couple garage sale pillows. It is actually quite cozy!

You may be wondering what I did with the bamboo shades, I actually put them up in my daughter's room. She used to have brown curtains that blended in too much with the brown trim. I like these much better and they work much better in her room than the living room!
Ignore the paint, that is a work in progress. We are adding a chair rail and plan to paint over the stripes with a creamy tan color.
The other dilemma I posted about (in October) was my bathroom cabinet (you can read about it here: http://treasuredinmyheart.blogspot.com/2009/10/bathroom-cabinets-decorating-dilemma.html). I have not done anything to fix it yet but I plan to paint the cabinets linen white (leftover from another paint job) and spray paint the handles oil-rubbed bronze. Eventually, I want to also remove the doors from the linen closet and hang fabric over the lower half and put dark brown baskets in the upper half. This will require a lot of work since the inside of the cabinet is currently painted sea foam green and fire-engine red!! Those doors are hiding a lot!!

DaySpring Customizable Signs

2010-01-13T20:19:00.000-08:00

In case you haven't heard, The Nester is doing a fabulous giveaway! Check it out here.

You could win a DaySpring customizable sign from here like this one:

How cool is that? The Nester also has a code for 20% off your order!

Window Treatments

2010-01-07T18:51:00.000-08:00

I hope you're comfy because I've got a lot of explaining to do so that you can help me with my latest dilemma that is stumping me. Thank you Amanda and Linda for hosting these wonderful parties!

I just want to start by saying that these pictures are not the greatest I've taken. There are lots of reasons for that... I'll skip those and just tell you what to ignore in each photo. =)

I use the phrase "window treatments" as often as I can because it drives my hubby crazy... in a good way. He makes fun of me for not just saying curtains (that's what he calls everything that covers or decorates a window). It makes me smile. I know that you understand the reason for the phrase "window treatments." You know that this is a broad category that includes many different window coverings... mini blinds, roman shades, curtains, valances, etc. He just doesn't get that....

Anyways...
My dilemma (since we moved in 7 months ago) has been : WINDOW TREATMENTS. I have bought so many different ones and returned most of them. I have extra curtain rods tucked behind my buffet and I still have two windows (in my kitchen) with no window treatments on them at all (I recently found a solution for them and can't wait to get them! Check these out from Shabby Chic Cottage).

The biggest hangup for me has been the fact that the front of our house faces South so the five windows in the front let in a lot of sun and it gets VERY hot in the summer. We have single pane wood sash windows and new vinyl ones are not in the budget right now... besides, the wood sash ones are way prettier! Those windows have to have thermal backed curtains in order to block out some of the heat. These curtains help tremendously but there is not a huge selection of them in our price range...

Enter: second biggest hangup. One of those five windows is a picture window (see below). It is nearly 90 inches wide and 77 inches tall! To put that into perspective, we would have to close up the opening some to put in a sliding glass door or French doors... We currently have FOUR black thermal backed curtains on it because two don't cover the whole thing and three doesn't work because of the hook that holds the rod up in the middle.... anyhoo. That's not the point, the point is, I don't know what to do for a valance for this particular window that we have made prettier by adding sheer embroidered curtains on top of the black thermal ones.

Things to ignore in this photo: black curtains sticking up above the top (part of reason for said valance), sheers not covering all of the black and black fence that kept our toddler away from the TV that used to be in that corner...

Most of the time we keep the curtains tied open. We close them at night and when it is sweltering hot outside (read: afternoons/evenings during July, August and September). Here is what they look like closed. Here you may notice the second reason for needing a valance...

The embroidery on these "high quality" Target curtains goes all the way to the top on one side of each curtain (where they meet in the middle) and not on the other side (the outsides), this makes the embroidery lopsided. Unfortunately, these sat around for so long before I hung them that by the time we noticed said imperfection it was way too late to return/exchange them at Target. Anyone else annoyed by their stingy return policy??? Fortunately, it is hardly noticeable in person unless you are looking at the top.

Here is a close up of the detail on the bottom of the curtain:
And the middle:
The other dilemma that has me stumped (and factor to consider in the valance debate) is the adjacent windows in this room. They are both normal sized windows that do not face South and currently have very pale pinkish/off-white wood Roman shades on them (here is the corner that used to house the television)... Please ignore the ratty pink chair that I absolutely love and that is patiently waiting for me to slipcover in black. Her twin sister is also patiently waiting...

Looking a little further to the left, you can see both the windows with my fabulous mantel makeover. You can read about that here, here and here. This picture is from the fall, hence the squash and mini pumpkins on the mantel, you can ignore those too...

And here is a closer view of the window (ignore the balled up string... again, it's there to keep the toddler out of trouble!):
And an even closer view (this is very close to the actual color):

So, my dilemma that has me stumped for these windows is whether I should hang curtains or a valance or both on top of the Roman shades... I do have curtain rods for them. They are cream and I have two extra black curtains. By the way, my living room theme, for those who didn't pick it up, is black and cream with touches of sage and dusty pink. I do not have any more of the sheer embroidered curtains and I think that might be too much of one thing in the room.

Now, that I am done writing this very long post, here is a recap in case you have forgotten the beginning already (or maybe the actual dilemmas got lost in all the other blabbering)!

Dilemmas that have me stumped:
1. Valance for picture window

2. To curtain or not to curtain the two smaller windows

I am looking forward to all your ideas and input! Thank you all in advance!!

Are you a Blue Cricket Design follower?

2010-01-06T21:21:00.000-08:00

I love her stuff! So inspiring and right now she is doing a giveaway for $50 to spend at The Vintage Pearl!

You need to check it out. I've seen these types of necklaces a lot before and every time I do, I am more convinced I want one!

Silhouette Art

2009-12-21T14:49:00.000-08:00

I have seen DIY silhouettes all over blogland and have been itching to make my own. The tutorials I have seen involved taking a photo, cutting it out and coloring the back with a black marker. That probably would have been easier and faster but I decided to take a different route so I could put the photos back in the albums I took them from. My first step was to search my photo albums to find profile pictures. Here are two of my daughter that I decided to use:

I taped them, one at a time, to a window (it was a nice rainy day craft).

Then I taped a sheet of printer paper on top and traced the profile. I had to improvise a little with the top of her head for this one since it was cut off in the photo.

Next, I taped black cardstock onto the back.

...and held it up to the light to make sure the profile fit and didn't overlap any of the holes on the edge.
Then I cut it out

I was lucky in that the frame I put my silhouettes in came with inserts that are white on the back. I just flipped the inserts over and used double sided tape to stick the silhouettes to them. If your frame didn't come with an insert that is the color you want for the background, you can use either the glass or the backing of the frame to trace the right size on the paper you want to use.

Then I repeated the process with the photo of my daughter standing up and one of my husband and I on our wedding day. My hubby bought me this awesome frame set one year for my birthday. The fourth frame is very small so I drew a bird silhouette to go in there. I am very happy with how it turned out and that it cost me $0 because I already had everything I needed!

Fireplace Makeover: Part 3

2009-11-18T23:24:00.001-08:00

This was the final part of our fire place makeover (until we can rip out the whole thing - including the red tiles on the floor - and replace it with a gas insert). If you want to see what I did in the first two parts, you can go here and here. Overall, this makeover cost me less than $25.

As a little reminder, this is the lovely before:

And here is the after:

Yes. It is the same fireplace!

The final step was the faux stone finish to cover up the maroon-ish formica. I used three cans of Krylon "Make It Stone!" textured spray paint in obsidian color. Each can did one coat.

The slowest part of the whole makeover was taping and "newspapering" everything I didn't want stone-ized. It took me an hour to do that part and about 10 minutes for each coat with dry time in between.

A close up of the "stone":

Another after shot that includes more of our living room:

I am so happy with this transformation!!

I am linking up to Transformation Tuesday at

and
and

and
Before and After Party at:

and
Decorating Dilemmas at Serenity Now

I wanna win $50 for CabinetKnob.com!

2009-10-17T21:56:00.000-07:00

Do you?

If so, visit CentsationalGirl by Wednesday, October 21st at 8 p.m. PST.

Visit www.cabinetknob.com to see their products.

I wanna win an iTouch!!

2009-10-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

I am hoping to win an iTouch from Living Locurto.
You can enter to win one too at the link above.

Fireplace Makeover Part II

2009-10-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

Since, it was rainy and in the 40s today, I decided opening all the windows for ventilation while I sprayed the faux stone finish on the fireplace would not be prudent. Instead, I painted the glaring white mantel and trim work. To do this, I used leftover "sunnybrook farm" by ACE paint from the accent walls in the living and dining areas. It is a beautiful shade of green. I'm not sure these photos do it justice (it could just be the off coloring of my computer monitor though...).

Ignore the smudges around the edges. Those will be covered by the faux stone and the ones on the black tile will be touched up... eventually!

I can't wait for part three to be completed!!

Fireplace Makeover Part I

2009-10-04T00:35:00.000-07:00

From brass to black...

Since a new fireplace (preferably a gas insert) is not in our budget right now, I HAD to do something to make this fireplace tolerable and somewhat compatible with our decor without breaking the bank. Thank you Rustoleum spray paint!

Before:

During:

After:

I used Rustoleum's High Heat black spray paint:

The whole project (including taping it off) took about an hour. I LOVE how much better it looks.

Part II: Paint mantel and trim
Part III: Faux stone finish on the brown formica. (Seen here)

Edited to add: I am joining "A Soft Place to Land's DIY Day."
and Shanty 2 Chic's

Bathroom Cabinets Decorating Dilemma!

2009-10-02T23:08:00.000-07:00

I am joining Amanda's (at http://serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com) Decorating Dilemma's party at http://serenitynow4amanda.blogspot.com/2009/10/decorating-dilemmas-partyround-3.html. For some reason I can't get the party icon to work!

Welcome to my bathroom!

The only changes we have made to our bathroom since we moved in are the yellow paint (Benjamin Moore Golden Straw), the window (mis)treatment and the L-shaped shower curtain rod. My major dilemma right now is the cabinets.

The cabinets definitely need to be painted. My dilemma? I don't know how to paint them or what color to paint them. Here are some pictures of the bathroom decor:

The shower curtain:
My attempt at making the toilet more pleasing to the eye:
Some of the wonderful character our 1940s house came with:

Here are some pictures of the cabinets (there are 8 drawers, 2 cupboard doors below the sink and four doors on the floor to ceiling linen closet):

The drawers:
Here is a close up of one of the drawers:

The linen closet just has plain doors (no grooves) and the same handles as the rest of the doors/drawers:Above the counter is beadboard. Above (and behind?) the beadboard is tile that is painted white. The tile goes from the floor to about 5-6 feet up all around the bathroom and the ceiling is also tile. All of these will remain white.

Here are some thoughts to ponder (and respond to please!):

Should I paint the whole cabinet the same color and the linen cupboard the same as well? Should I paint the inside of the groove an accent color? Should I paint the inner part of the drawer front a different color than the outer part?

After painting, a second dilemma will rear its ugly head... what should I do with the handles???

Should I keep the handles? Should I paint the handles? Should I toss the handles?

I would love any and all input and ideas! Thanks so much!

Hoping to Win a Poster Print!

2009-09-23T22:56:00.000-07:00

I am entering a contest at MoneywiseMoms to win a 18x24 Rolled Poster Print from LargeFormatPosters.com with FREE shipping.

We decided a while ago that our master bedroom needs something on the wall on the left - it is actually longer than the right side one but you can't tell from the angle:

I would love to get this photo of my little girl in a large print for that wall:

Not Me Monday

2009-09-14T22:07:00.000-07:00

When I first read my friend's post for this blog (http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2009/09/not-me-monday.html), I thought, "there aren't that many things I would claim I didn't do..." Then, I started thinking about my day...

It wasn't me who put socks on my one year old to cover up the fact that her feet needed to be washed but we didn't have time.

It wasn't me who packed veggies and chicken (without realizing it) for my one year old to have for breakfast at Gramma's house today.

It wasn't me who didn't feed my one year breakfast before taking her to Gramma's house today.

It wasn't me who inwardly rejoiced when 4 out of 6 of my meetings today were postponed or canceled.

It wasn't me who ate a granola bar mid morning after skipping breakfast.

It wasn't me who said "I'll watch the baby" and then went and sat down at my computer.

It wasn't me who wanted to keep watching TV and fed my one year old dinner while propped up on the couch instead of in her high chair.

It wasn't me who made instant mashed potatoes and reheated leftovers for dinner.

And it certainly wasn't me who posted these things for everyone to read!

Free is very good price!

2009-08-11T10:50:00.000-07:00

I am linking up to Reinvented's Trash to Treasure Tuesday. This is my first time linking up a blog post - I hope it works!!

Since we moved in, I have been completely stumped about what to do with our 16 foot wide wall in the living room. I painted it "sunnybrook farm" by Ace and then had no idea what to hang on it.

A couple weeks ago, I got these rustic glassless window frames for FREE (found them in the free section of Craigslist - I check it everyday!). Here's what they looked like after I hosed them down (I forgot to take a before cleaning picture).

I painted three of them black and hung them in the living room. Note the pile of birthday presents on my great grandma's desk - Evie will be one in 3 days!!

The other two I spray painted (first time I ever spray painted) "heirloom white" - which I've read about in so many blogs. And those will hang on the wall above my bed - awaiting hubby help! I will post pictures of those when they are hung. Anyways, I love how these look empty. Before hanging them I contemplated putting fabric or scrapbook paper or even photos in them but for now, I am going to leave them empty.

Beginnings

2009-07-27T19:39:00.000-07:00

So many thoughts are running through my head as I think about this life that I am living and the glimpse of it you will see as you read this blog. So much has changed for me over the last year. We had a baby, moved 4 times, changed jobs, and bought our first house. Amidst all the changes, one thing has stayed the same, God. He is the number one inspiration for the way I live my life. As I have started "stalking" other bloggers and realizing the impact a person can have through this media outlet, I began to dream of what my blog could look like. I want to use this blog to share with you all of my inspirations and the resulting projects, disasters or successes, that arise from them.