June Self Portrait

It's amazing the amount of stuff we accumulate. We have been in our home just more than a year now and I am dumbfounded at how we've been able to fill pretty much every nook and cranny in our 1,400-square-foot condo. I'll admit, a lot of this stuff is mine. However, I do own a business that requires a lot of closet, drawer and/or room space. And I'm just a flat out pack rat. I take after my dad, what can I say? One thing I do not hoard is toiletries. It actually annoys me to have so many products, why do we need six bottles lotion? Why must we have two shoe boxes full of pills and empty pill bottles? Why do we own two cans of shaving cream when we don't even use it!? I found pills that expired in 2007 and the meds I purchased in Thailand (in 2011)! I've always had the mentality, "we have room, why not buy extra? or hang onto it for just a little longer." Not anymore! I pitched quite a few pounds of toiletries and I'm sticking to my mantra of only buying what we need and what works.

Let's see how the fiance deals with that.

#51: Organize closets, you're off the list!

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating. 

#16: Freebie

Crab picking on a beautiful afternoon with great friends. This is what Summer is all about!

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating. 

#18: Oil Pulling

I read this blogspot about Oil Pulling months ago and added it to my 92 Days board on Pinterest. I've never been one for trendy diets or health fads, but this one had me intrigued. The benefits include whitening and strengthening teeth, gums and jaw, preventing cavities and gingivitis, banishing bad breath, relieves headaches and hangovers, helps you sleep better, clears sinuses and detoxifies the body. While I don't have normal issues with headaches, hangovers or sinuses, I figured the other areas could all use some help. Plus, I can't use whitening strips for more than a day or two without my gums being in pain.

So I bought a jar of the Organic Refined coconut oil at the grocery and let the jar sit in the cabinet for a week. I did some research on any possible side effects or cons to doing it, but really couldn't find any. I was a little nervous about this process and "swishing" for 20 minutes, but after a week of successfully Oil Pulling, I'm totally a fan. And like the blog said, 20 minutes just breezes by (except the first day, that was hard).

Here are a few things that I've found work (and don't) for me:
1) Start with just a teaspoon of the oil. You can work up to more if you want, but not necessary.
2) Aim for 20 minutes your first day, but be happy if you can make it to 10.
3) I like to do it in the morning for a couple reasons. They say that's when your mouth is full of the most bacteria so it's best to pull it out. It's also my quiet time. No noise or anyone to talk to. I also then drink a glass of water and brush my teeth and am done with the routine for the morning.
4) I was trying to multi-task by showering and doing my normal routine. Let's just say I had more success when I was sitting and concentrating on one task.

My teeth seem whiter and breath seems fresher longer. Not sure on the other benefits, but I suppose time will tell.

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.  

#32: Dry Shampoo

I've always used Baby Powder as my dry shampoo. Before our trip to New Orleans, I found a Treseme travel-sized aerosol can at Target and it was my saving grace. But the cost can add up and I knew there had to be some DIY recipes on Pinterest.

Here's what I found:
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/3 cup cocoa powder
a makeup brush (or powder bottle)
a few drops of essential oil *optional

I can't believe that this Pinterest mixture actually worked! Even though I was a little worried about walking around smelling like a candy bar, I opted to not add the optional essential oil. Surprisingly the corn starch does a great job of muting the cocoa smell out...but not completely. I would definitely advise using the "optional" essential oil and plan on adding some to mine.

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.  

#56: The Sunday Paper

Peace, quiet and The Sunday Paper.

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating. 

Grapevine Wreath

Another score at Hobby Lobby....a grapevine wreath for only $7! I attached a bouquet of felt flowers and am sorta loving how it looks. Good thing Hobby Lobby is opening in just a few short months and I'll be able to grab these wreaths all the time!

#9: Teach a Class

Tonight I taught my first class at Kitsch! For $35 students had the option to make a bouquet, a flower crown or a 3-foot garland. All the materials were included in the two-hour course and I think the girls walked away with some pretty fabulous creations.

I showed the girls the variety of flowers you can make from three simple patterns through bouquets I brought. We practiced the varieties and then got to work.

Look at all those felt flowers in progress! The color combinations were stunning and I didn't help one bit with that. Some of the girls incorporated buttons and came up with entirely new felt flowers, I may just have to borrow :). We ran over a little with time but everyone finished up their projects and three bouquets and two garlands left Kitsch heading to new homes. Thanks for a great first teaching experience and a fun evening crafting!

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.  

#54: Interview Caterers

So far, this has been the most annoying part of wedding planning. Although, I think I said that about the venue decision. However, the caterers are pretty the main act of the show. We decided with such a late wedding, we were going to do hors d'oeuvre stations with a big dessert bar, which would be made and provided by friends. How hard (or expensive) could hors d'oeuvre stations be? Apparently, very. Especially when you add in the linens, dishes, serving ware, bar ware, tables, chairs...and the list goes on and on.

We talked with Omar's Carriage House, East Beach Catering and Cusiene and Company and ultimately decided on Omar's. We did a tasting last night with Omar himself and it was perfect. He let us taste 10 different items, which I think we'll be serving almost all of! I loved that everything, down to the cocktail sauce, is made right there and was super fresh. It was also a huge plus that Omar wasn't trying to sell to us. He gave us his honest opinion and tips, and is more than willing to work with our somewhat intricate schedule. And seriously, his crab cake and mac 'n' cheese (bar) are to die for. We put down our deposit and are relieved that this task was such a delight.

Caterer can be checked off the 92 Days list and the Wedding list.

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.  

#7: Visit Friends

Last Wednesday we packed up the car with golf clubs, felt and a suitcase of clothes, downloaded 28 podcasts and headed to Charlotte, North Carolina. While I was a little worried about the timing being bad (work and personal reasons), it couldn't have been a more fantastic trip. Mike and Hayden won their golf flight - and second overall in the tournament. I had a successful trip at Ikea and Hobby Lobby, where I nerded out on crafty goodness. I spent an entire day with strangers in a hot pink limo with eye lashes! And possibly the highlight of the trip (yes, after all of that it gets better), seeing Hayden's face when we asked him if he'd marry us. So. Very. Exciting.

#38: Podcasts (which have been also very useful while running)

#86: Play Cards

#13: Freebie: Ride in a Hot Pink Limo with eye lashes

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.  

#73: Felt Flower Garland

My new favorite felt flower project. Approximately 5 feet of the flower garland is now on sale at Table Seven in Ghent, for $50! Also to debut later this month at Lorak Jewelry - but more to come on that later!

You can also sign up to take a class at Kitsch to learn how to make this your self! The class is June 24th, at 6 p.m., for only $35! Quite a steal on this garland, if you ask me!!

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.  

#87: Celebrate a Birthday

How did this little babe turn two already!? It seems like #5: Meet the Nephew just happened yesterday! He's so much fun to be around and has a wonderful little personality developing. Oh, and he has a thing for turtles...which is good because everything he got was in some form of turtle...including his fruit. Which I'm using as my #66 freebie, but it's just so darn cute!

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.  

#25: Make Something for a Friend (of a Friend)

You know those projects you put on Pinterest and they sit there for months just staring you in the face? I mean, that's like 93% of all the things on my Pinterest boards. Thanks to Emily, I can finally cross this one off the board. She's giving them as a baby shower gift for a friend who is due this month. I altered them slightly from the ones I saw online, mainly in the clothing and I used fabric layered on the houses.

Even though they took a little longer than I predicted (2+ hours), I now have the patterns and the steps down to make lots more in the future.

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.  

#77: Tint Jars

I'm a hoarder of glass jars. When we moved last year I was hiding them in boxes everywhere so Mike didn't realize just how many I had collected. And why? I have no idea. I feel guilty throwing away a perfectly fine receptacle for pens, or cutlery at a party, or an upcycled vase for felt flowers. And what are we supposed to do with all the grease that you can't put down the kitchen sink (which I have used a jar exactly once for this purpose)?? Anyway, when I saw this tutorial on Pinterest, I knew I had to give it a try. Besides, my jar collection could double as wedding decor! However, I learned a few tips along the way the other bloggers are not reporting.

What you need: Mod Podge, food coloring, paper bags to cover your countertops, jars, wax paper and a cookie sheet. Mod Podge tends to get a little lumpy if you haven't used it in a while, so beware of clumps or dried up pieces within your bottle.

This mixture goes a long way. If you're just planning on doing one jar per color (like me), you need about a tablespoon of Mod Podge and a few drops of coloring - depending on the size of your jar. Make sure the inside of your jars are clear of any dust or dirt or crumbs.

You can forgo the water. I think it made the mixture way too watery and was tricky to get the rims of the jar covered without it spilling out the top. Swish the color around until all the sides are covered.

Dump the excess out and NOT IN THE SINK! It will dry and coat your pipes with a thin layer of dried glue. I emptied it all into another jar and threw it away. Yes, I threw a jar away.

Turn the jars upside down so they can finish draining the excess color. When you pick the jars off the paper, be careful, there might be a lot of liquid hiding under there and will start rushing everywhere :) Which brings me to another point. Even though it's diluted, you are still working with food coloring. This will stain your fingers, clothes and other surfaces, so be cautious when you're working.

Turn your oven to "warm" or about 200 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with wax paper and place your jars top down. Here's my advice. Either have a second wax-paper lined cookie sheet ready, or place your jars in a straight line (if they'll fit). After about 10-15 minutes, you'll flip the jars right side up and there will be leftover liquid on the tray. If you distribute habhazardly like I did, you run out of room and end up playing a juggling game with hot jars, a hot oven and a food-colored mess. Also, these are glass jars in an oven. They will be hot!

The last thing I will point out is the smell. I'm not a fan of the smell of Mod Podge. It grosses me out. But throw some Mod Podge-covered jars into a hot oven? Your whole house is going to smell like hot glue. Not a very flattering smell for someone who just came home from a run and was going to throw some chicken in the oven (sorry, sweetie). Overall, the jars came out just like the tutorial said. I love the yellow and the black created that nice green you see on the left. I want to try it again with red to make a nice shade of pink. Until then, I'll be finding uses for these lovelies around the house.

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.  

#91: Make a Map

This outcome is not what I had in mind when I put this on this list, but definitely another highlight of the Summer! Andrew from Better Block emailed me last week to ask if I was interested in compiling another map for the weekend community transformation project (see my first one and second one). How could I refuse? Even if with my mom in town, wedding dress shopping, Harborfest and beach season upon us!

Lucky for me, the talented 504 and a 1/2 created the fun event poster, so I used that as my color palette and went from there. I'm going to try my very best to make it up to the event this weekend. Looks like they are getting bigger and better every time. Although, you know there will never be one better than Better Block on Granby Street :)

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.  

#11: Plant Something

This was our year for yardwork. Last year when we moved into our house, it was already a little late to start too much serious work, but I gave it my best effort. This year we devised a plan and got started early in the Spring - in the cold and rain. We removed the stepping stones and decided to create a barrier between the rocks and grass, with the thought the grass would grow better and be easier to maintain. We then brought the rocks back about three feet. The rototiller we borrowed from a friend wouldn't start, so we dug up the entire backyard (yeah, it's only 200 square feet).

Last year after the "work" I did.

Bringing back the rocks and planting grass. And watering. A lot.

After a lot of research, and advice from the oldest most-outdoorsy guy I could find at Taylor Do-It, we mixed the soil with some manure and fertilizer, layered with grass seed and covered with peat moss. And watered it. Every day. Twice a day.

The tree out front coming down!

After the tree and before any of the work began.

But all of a sudden we had grass! We took our full-proof plan to the front yard where we had a half-dead tree removed (and bagged 20+ bags of tree mulch), and made the front flower bed half the size. I did some rearranging of the existing plants, which unfortunately killed our biggest bush, but planted daisies, salvia, tickseed and some other random on-sale bushes. The final touches were mulching and hanging baskets. For about $300 we got our yard under control for the Spring and early Summer. I know the crazy temps are just around the corner, so fingers crossed we can keep the momentum going for another few months!

I'm participating in the 92 Days of Summer challenge. Click here to read all about it and here to a see a gallery of pictures of everyone participating.