Merry Christmas

I've had a wonderful Christmas this year... except we are not done yet!  We still have to meet up with my family for ours since they went to visit my Mom's parents.

I did a secret santa from my Cavalier forum. Here's a few photos of Maverick with his gifts!

Look at the beautiful wrapping!

He got a matching coat too and he's holding onto a squeaky reindeer

Squeaky Chicken leg for the dog allergic to chicken

He loves it!

It's been a wonderful Christmas season. Celebrating with both of my Husband's parents, our nieces, and my sister and her boy.. I mean "Manfriend".

Looking forward to the New Year, will probably deploy our Red Lobster gift cards soon. Yum Yum!

Last but not least Week before Christmas

The tree is up and beautiful. I think this maybe the 1st year that I've put up all the the ornaments on all sides of the tree.

Most of my shopping is done but I still have my dad and sister's boyfriend or manfriend as she calls him.  Luckily we're doing Christmas after the New Year due to family timing issues.  I'm so excited to own my own home this year as I get to decorate outside.  Last year with living upstairs and having a tenant in the lower unit I felt like I was invading his space when I'd be in the front yard or on the porch.  This year I have icical lights hung from the bottom of the upper balcony and my fake wire deer in the front.  Makes me smile to pull up and see the lights from the street, it feels like I really do own the property now.

I'll post photos later of the lights... tomorrow is the shortest day of the year anyways.

My secret santa gift has arrived for my dog from the dog forum that I'm on often.  I can't wait to open the packages tomorrow.  I feel a bit bad since my gift didn't get out till Friday so it most likely won't make it to Canada till Friday.

Stockings were made my Mother-in-Law when My hubby was little.

Over Organizing = Clean Home?

I've been reading a lot about de-cluttering from this blog. I have found it very helpful and inspiring to the point that I have removed 4-5 30gal trash bins worth on unnecessary items. Some was trash, most of donated and some was given to friends and family.  Taking it a bit at a time has really helped instead of tackling it full speed ahead and running out of energy. I have also taken "A Do It Now" path with cleaning and keeping the house clean.  If I see something out of place I take care of it right then.  Each night before I go to bed I double check that everything has been picked up and then I lay out a new dish cloth and hand towel in the kitchen.  It helps staying on top of the dishes easier since the towels are fresh and clean. Every morning I make the bed pick up anything that got missed the night before.

Here's my husband's over organized  t-shirt drawer.  I am always looking for ways to organized his stuff that he'll put them away or when he pulls something out they don't all come out and the drawer can't be closed.  I also color coordinated them and he's closet too but it all just looks blue.

 

I found the this idea on this blog. I love how quirking and truthful she is.   Her love of thrift shopping matches mine.

November to Remember?

I have been so busy... doing nothing. No just kidding.

Our team got killed in 2nd round playoffs so earlier then normal end to the football season.  I miss the girls like crazy.  Winter season tryouts came and went with no one! So I'm off for the winter.

Thanksgiving and Deer hunting have came and gone with good food but no venison in the freezer.

The tree is up and Monster keeps stealing all the stuffed ornaments from it!

I will try to get one of him with them in his mouth.

I did catch the kitties snuggling

October Updates

Wow Have I been busy!  The school I coach cheerleading at is currently undefeated with only one game left in the season!  Friday night's game we beat the team that we have lost to the last 2 years! We also had the 5th-8th grade cheeleaders join my varsity team.  Here's a photo from when a local TV camera came.

 

A couple home updates.

My Father and Husband installing new windows for the upper tenant.  We'll still be rocking plastic covering.

Painted cupboards and the hubby joking about all the counter space

Scrubbed and Scrubbed all the paint off the Hardwoods

pretty pretty fan

New Feet Upstairs

So our new tenant moved in on the 25th!  Everything is going wonderful!  It was a race to finish the upper unit but it's beautiful now! Here are a couple before and afters.

Bathroom

Before

After

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

More to come on the lower as I get a moment to take them. Cheerleading starts next Monday so I'll be busy with them.

Water and I don't Mix!

So with only a 2 weeks till i need to be out of my upper unit I'm freaking out a bit!

I broke my arm on the 3rd of July in a jet ski accident. We'll it's not fully broken but a tendon from my rotator cuff pulled a chuck of bone off. A lot of pain and I can't lift anything! Luckily we are able to move all our stuff into the basement of the lower unit that we are moving into till we finish everything!

Appliances Make Me Cry

Today should have been a simple day but of course it never is. The delivery company caused the top of the fridge to bend in the doors not to line up. Then on top of that the gouged the brand new vinyl tile floor that we just finished laying.

Photos to come tomorrow.

Here's the floor before it was scratched.

I will never smoke!

Tomorrow I start the cleaning of the cigarette smoke from the walls and ceilings of our lower unit. The tenant lived that since 2006 and was a chain smoker.  I've going to guess that the lady that lived with him for 4 years was also.  Shall be fun.  I will post before and after photos.

We did was the window glass already and that made a huge difference! I can see outside!!! The sunshine is wonderful.

He's Gone, He's Gone- The Tenant that is

Couldn't be happier, the tenant has officially been out for about a week! Wow-y Zow-y! He left it dirty! Cat fur in every corner and dust and inch thick.  I even found clumps human hair in the tub and jelly in a cupboard. Yuck.

The house is a late 30's house and has amazing architecture.


Amazing woodwork and tray ceiling w/ curved corners

Beautiful Arches!

Amazing Woodwork and Tray Ceiling!

View from the Kitchen thru Dinning Room to the Living Room. I love the Light!

Wonderful Weekend

Spring in Wisconsin is here, warm, chilly, storms, hail, and the smell of bbq!  Spent the day yesterday cleaning up the yard. We bought a duplex about 7 months ago and it needs a lot of love inside and out. I attached a rose bush along the side of the house, a shrub in the front so our tenant and walk onto the front lawn and some in our back yard. We also raked up everything from the winter including doggie land mines. The hubby took down a bunch of dead tree limbs and some low hanging eye poking ones.  I'll post before and after photos once the sun comes back out.

Yesterday I also attended a baby shower for a long time friend.  Here's the blanket I made, I got all sorts of awes for it and it was even  one of the last gifts to be opened. It was a wonderful quick shower, and no baby food eating!

 Here's an out take from trying to photograph Maverick in one of my scarfs that will be for sale in my shop.

Monday are for Money?

Normal day in all... Other then I am now the only Avon rep I know. Signed up today. I'm hoping to make some extra money to pay for the fun things in life like vacations.

My views are up on my Etsy items. I couldn't wait to get home from work to check to see if anything sold! But I wasn't holding my breath.

My manicure turned out wonderful.. until I chipped it. It's a copper with a V tip is red glitter.

It's Offical

My Etsy store is now open!  I have posted a few items. Trying not to check it every ten seconds!  The sun shine is amazing today so I was able to get out and take some really nice photos of my purses and dog bandanas. Going to do a manicure today too.

Tiny Multi-Colored Squares

One of mine and my sister's childhood friends is pregnant with her 1st baby. Here baby shower is next weekend, but her due date is the same as my sister's in June. I'm working on a small take along quilt for her. My friends seem to uses them more when they are smaller, great for popping in the stroller or over the carrier. I hope she likes it.

When I was half why done sewing all the squares together I realized I forgot the batting!  So I have to make another trip to the craft store.... not that I mind too much.

I'll post photos soon as I'm done. I might have to make a few of these for my etsy store too.

It's Day One in my new Blog

Hello, My name is Melissa. I've never written a blog before but I read way too many. I live with my husband of nearly 5 year, our 2 cats (Monster and Belle-bel), and Maverick our Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Crafting and Coaching takes up much of my free time other then camping and hiking.

I love to sew.... really love to sew. I design and make one of a kind purses, often times out of re-purposed fabric.  I also make hair bows and flowers and dog accessories.  I will be selling these items from my Etsy store at www.melissadawndesign.etsy.com