D.I.Y. Card Table Makeover

I don't know about you, but I had a super productive and awesome weekend.

How's that for leading a story? 

I spent Saturday re-reading the first book in the Hunger Games series for several hours.  It was a beautiful day, so I spent it inside with the windows open and an e-book in my hands.  Honestly, it was glorious. 

Sunday was pretty much the complete opposite of my lackadasical Saturday.  When the world tells me to "Spring Forward"... I do it!

We woke up early and headed to the mall and miraculously ended up going to Home Depot.  Where we were super inspired to do awesome things like grill and plant stuff on our patio.  But more importantly, we got some stuff to do some real projects at home.  Like wood glue to fix some chairs.  And wires and picture hangy stuff for a crafty project I had in mind (more on that later - when I finish it).

I think it's safe to blame Home Depot for my decision to detour and go to Brown Elephant (a local thrift store a la Salvation Army).  I needed to get a wooden picture frame and John stumbled across a wooden card table with legs that fold up.  It was looking a little worse for the wear but it was 8 bucks! and it was on sale!  So, he convinced me that we needed it (ha! like I needed convincing!) and we brought it to the car. 

Once we got it in the back seat and got on the road, we were talking about what we wanted to do with it when we passed by a local hardware store (Crafty Beaver) and decided to see what they had in the way of paint.  We've never really done anything like this, so we had a ton of questions and the employees were more than nice enough to help us out.  So, we picked up some sand paper, sponge brushes, and a quart of lucky green paint. 


I think it's safe to say that the reason this project happened is that it was insanely beautiful out yesterday.  Like, sunny and amazing.  So we drove home and John got to work sanding the table down.  It only took the boy like 20 minutes to completely sand it and make it perfect for painting.

We brought it upstairs, wiped it down, and set up a safe area in our kitchen with parchment paper taped to the floor and paint ready to go.  At this point, John was a little wary about the color we chose since it was looking a little girly but we powered through painting the top and took a break.

John took full advantage of the break by going to the park to play frisbee whereas I took advantage by not taking a break and just going ahead and painting the legs and doing touchups to the top.  He was so surprised when he came home to a finished (albeit wet) project.

But seriously guys.  It's dry now and it's so amazing.  The paint really breathed new life into this baby.  And now we have the most perfect setting for game nights ever!  No more sitting on the ground and having a hurt back! No more dog hair!  You should come over and play with us! 

Total project:
Time: about 2 hours maybe
Price of Table: $7.50
Price of Paint and brushes: $16.00
Total: $22.50

March Photo a Day - Week One Recap

It's Friday!  I actually wrote "TGIF" in my planner for today.  That's how much I longed for the weekend.  Let's just say this week has been unnaturally exhausting for no real reason.

Anyway!  Let's jump right into my success with the March Photo a Day challenge on Instagram!  Here's week 1 with some bonus days from the half week of March last week!

Prompts:
1.) Up    2.) Fruit (har har)    3.) My neighborhood    4.) Bedside
5.) A smile    6.) 5PM    7.) What I wore    8.) Window    9.) Red

An Open Letter to Jason Segel





Dear Jason Segel,

 

I'm sure you hear this a lot, but I pretty much love you.  In a completely non creepy admiring your work way and also in a more creepy want to have your large babies kind of way. 

To the former, I seriously love watching your movies and tv shows.  Like, when friends give me the opportunity to select a few movies for the evening, more often than not, at least one movie that you're in will end up in the mix.  Because I'm fully aware that anything you're in has the instant ability to make me laugh out loud.  Not just say I'm finding it funny, but genuinely laughing out loud. 

 

I brought "I Love You Man" home for the holidays last Thanksgiving and watched it with my dad and step mom.  They weren't to sure about it when we started but they ended up loving it and making jokes about it the whole week I was there.  Which couldn't have made me happier.  They also couldn't get over just how socially awkward Paul Rudd's character was, but that's a different letter entirely.

 

Now, for the latter.  As a celebrity, I'm sure you're aware that us non famous people (is it weird that I wanted to say "non-famos"  as though that's a term famous people have for us normies?  Yes, normies is another term I think you should use.) have lists of our Top 5 Celebrities for leaving or significant others for.  And, I'm sure you can tell what's coming next, but you are on my list! Shocking, I know.  But not only are you on the list, you're number 1 with a bullett (although, I think that terminology is used when you've recently moved to that spot and that's not the case now, but whatever).  Like, my list goes 1. You (Jason Segel). 2.) Ryan Gosling. 3.) Joseph Gordon Levitt and so on.  And those other spots?  They're constantly changing.

 

So, to catch you up.   I love your work and I think you're fantastic.  Your comedic timing is amazing and your sense of humour is pretty on par with my own.  If you ever get bored living the famous life and need a cookie or something, let me know.  Because I can provide that for you.  Cookies.  And cupcakes. And cake balls.  Mostly just baked goods.  I'm not good for much else.  Maybe some crafts.  Like, if you need anything staple gunned - I've got a staple gun.  So, there's that. 

 

I guess I just wanted to let you know you're well liked and appreciated.  In case you were ever curious.  People love you and think you should keep up the good work.  People being me, and work also being me. Wait, that makes no sense.  I'm clearly rambling.  Oh well.  Stay awesome!

 

Sincerely,

Amanda

Twins!

Have I ever told you guys that I found my doppleganger?

I know I've told some of you, but after showing a dear friend today I realized I hadn't properly shared this mystery with the world.

See, several months ago, I was reading the blog My Girl Thursday when I came across a sponsor spotlight feature that highlighted the blogger So Fawned.  And I instantly thought. "That girl has my face! Why does that girl have my face?" (Sister, Sister reference, in case you're keeping track).

Naturally, I prepared a side by side comparison and sent it to several of the closest people in my life and they validated my thoughts on the matter.  So, me being a total weirdo, I emailed the super sweet Desiree of So Fawned.  Because I just had to double check that we weren't both adopted to different families only to run into one another at a department store when buying the same sweater. (we weren't.)

But now, time and time again, I check her blog and giggle that I clearly have a long lost twin living in the great white north living an alternate version of my life.  And I get to see if outfits work on me without trying them on via her style features. :)

But enough words, you be the judge!

Right? Maybe I'm crazy.

(ps - I'm the sans child one of us.  In case you aren't familiar with our back stories)

February Photo A Day Challenge - Instagram

So, we're all fully aware I got this fancy iPhone, right?  Well,  it also has the best camera of any phone I've had and it has access to Instagram.  Like any good iPhone owner, I'm obsessed with it's instant qualities and shareability.

When I read about FatMumSlim's photo a day challenge I was super intrigued.

The gist is - you're given a list with photo prompts and you take them. Daily.  Pretty simple, right? Yeah, not when you get to Day 5 and it's prompt is 10am and it's Saturday and you don't wake up til later than that.  Not a great start.

Then, I get to the prompt that tells me to take a photo of my closet and I bypass it by taking a different photo entirely.  But when it prompts me to take a photo of my medicine cabinet all hell breaks loose and I just give up.  No one wants to see that.  But March will be better!  I'll keep up with it.  Maybe do more updates throughout.  Yeah, that's the ticket.

Anyway, here's the best of the bunch!

I'll organize this better next time too.  More aesthetically pleasing. 

PS - This is my 100th post!  It took long enough to get there!  Better do better from now on! :)