Nine years ago we moved into this beauty. The grass was completely dried up. There were bushes all across the front and wild trees right by the foundation.
We took out the bushes and overgrown trees and planted lot's of pretty flowers, my favorites were the double bloom daffodils and tulips. I painted the door a few times and ended up with this pretty blue color. Over time we spruced up the mailbox, got new exterior lights, door handle, roof, and took off that stained glass film on the windows.
We sold in the spring so you can't really see all the pretty perennials in bloom or how well the lawn greened up. But, I think it's good to know that if you move into a home with a dead lawn, there is hope. It takes some work. But, lawns can improve with TLC.
It's been 3 years since we applied feather finish concrete over our laminate countertops and I get lot's of questions about how they're holding up. Long story short, the feather finish holds up great! The only downside is oil leaves dark spots.
I ended up sanding them down, filling a few problems areas with more feather finish and re-doing the topcoat about a year ago. I used Surecrete XS-327 and liked that finish better than the original product I used.
Guess what else is new? We moved! I will be posting a home tour soon so you can see how things changed over the 9 years we were there. Also, there will be lot's of pictures of the new house as I decorate room by room.
I just received another request for a printable from a friend today to create a printable for her Sunday School class. I believe this quote is from Henry Eyring. I am excited to be studying the Book of Mormon this year in Sunday School. I love the way I feel when I read it, the lessons I learn from it and the way it testifies of Jesus Christ.
Please enjoy this free printable for your own church or personal use. Special thanks to Min An from Pexels for the lovely image of the sky and leaves. When I think of change, nature comes to mind. So, I thought it was fitting.
I encourage you read the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it's true.
A friend of mine just got called to lead the girls in her congregation in the new Children and Youth program by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She asked if I could make a poster with this scripture for them to display and recite. I decided I would like to share it with everyone. Please feel free to use it for church or personal use.
I am really excited about the new program and planning to use the concept for myself personally as I set goals. The other day I was watching this YouTube video on setting goals and found it super helpful. One goal I would like to set it writing one blog post per month this year. I have done so many projects I want to share!
Hey, Everyone! It's life funny sometimes? I realize it's been over a year since I wrote a post on this blog. The funny part is how in my last post I was so excited to finally quit working and start focusing on my family & Etsy shop.
But, this year I have actually been working more than ever before! For the first few months after I quit, I worked really hard on my Etsy shop. Soon it became clear that wasn't going to be enough to support our family.
I started teaching kids after school art classes. Then we had some unexpected medical expenses. So, I added on working at a local elementary school as a math aide. If you count all the things I was doing for income, there were about 6 different things going on at once for a while.
This summer I've been catching up on the projects I wanted to do throughout the year and wondering what to do next. I printed this scripture out so I can see it every day. I think what I've been missing to fulfill my goals and dreams is finally sinking in... CONSISTENCY.
Now, I have a new plan to keep hustling. It's not some big scheme to flip houses. But, keep my focus on where it belongs, doing small and simple things each day toward reaching my goals.
I don't want to spoil the surprise. But, I'm excited to share a big announcement today. This is something I've been wanting to do since my first baby was born. I give credit to my Etsy shop in the video. But, really, I have to thank my Heavenly Father most for hearing my prayers and providing the way. You'll have to watch the video to find out!
To celebrate this exciting news, I am sharing this free printable. It has been a great reminder to me to focus on what matters most. Enjoy!
Please enjoy these printables for your own personal use. If you'd like to share them, link to this post, not the downloads directly.
Hey, Everyone! I'm so excited to share my concrete countertops with you! I've been wanting to do this forever. The hunter green had to go!
I have done tons of research and felt like this was the best, budget-friendly option I could find for up-dating laminate countertops. I made a video to share the whole process with you.
I'm not a professional and this was my first time trying this. So, your results may vary.
Check out this awesome green sink! It was sure heavy to take out. I'm surprised how much I love my new faucet.
The main steps are:
1. Prepare your home for dust & concrete.
2. Sand & clean your countertop to accept the feather finish.
3. Apply feather finish in about 4 thin, even layers.
4. Let it dry about 3 hours between layers.
5. Sand & clean your countertop between layers.
6. Apply 2 coats of 511 Impregnator about 1 hour apart. Cure for 24 hours.
7. Apply 3 coats of Safecoat Acrylaq in even strokes.
8. Let it dry about 3 hours between coats.
9. Sand between coats. But, not after final coat.
10. Cure for 24 hours.
I go through the entire process quite thoroughly in the video. So, I won't write too much more about it here. I also share the top 3 things I'd do differently.
One of my favorite things is how the white outlets blend in so much better with the white backsplash instead of sticking out like a sore thumb.
Have you seen the new Easter video put out by mormon.org? If not, go check it out! It will really put you in the Easter spirit. They will be sharing neat stories that feature different "principles of peace" leading up to Easter.
Have I mentioned that Easter is my favorite holiday... and spring is my favorite time of year? Well, it is! So, I designed a special Easter printable for you. It's one of my favorite scriptures, John 14:27. I explain all about it in this video:
If you don't have a couple minutes to watch it, the message I want to share is that faith in Jesus Christ can bring us peace. In the video, I share an example in my own life of searching for answers after my miscarriage. I feel like this scripture was an answer to my prayers.
Above you can see the printables I designed. There is an 8 x10 printable, 5 x 7 printable & 5 x 7 card. I really love how they turned out! I think they will go great with a variety of home decor styles.
Please enjoy these printables for your own personal use. If you'd like to share them, link to this post, not the downloads directly. Happy Easter!
Hi everyone! I can't believe it's been so long since I posted anything... eek! Sorry about that. I started a new job in January and I've let a lot of other things slide. So, I'll make up for it this week with 2 posts including a free printable (coming Friday).
Until then, I decided it's about time I shared my DIY nursery-toddler room. My baby is a year old after all!
This room was a lot of fun. But, a bit challenging to combine a boy and girl's room. I tried to solve this by using a lot of yellow, white, and teal with pink on my daughter's side of the room.
My goal was to spend the least amount possible. But, still have a room I was excited to put a newborn in. One way I saved was by re-using things I already had, like the banners & garland from my daughter's nursery and fabric I had on hand to make a pillowcase.
Above the changing table I did a shared gallery area. I used some prints from when my boys were little, a pretty crewel flower piece I got at the thrift store a while ago, and some free printables I found on-line. I already had the frames. Some just needed painted white. So, I didn't need to buy anything here.
I always worry about putting anything too heavy over cribs and beds... What if there's an earthquake and it falls? So, I designed this banner to coordinate with the nursery. I attached each letter with two tiny clothes pins. I will probably list this for sale in my shop if there is interest?
I painted the wooden dresser aqua and suddenly loved it so much more. The frame on top is another free printable I found on-line. I was going to buy some new hardware for this dresser. But, decided to go through my stash. I found these handles from a dresser I re-did. So, I painted them white and sanded them a little. Big savings there!
The bifold doors & wreath behind my daughter's bed are 2 of my favorite things. My neighbor was going to throw these doors out. But, I rescued them. I didn't have any yellow paint. But, I did have a little bottle of yellow craft (acrylic paint) and some white interior paint. I mixed the two to make this pale yellow color. I had my husband screw it into the wall really well.
I made this wreath with a foam wreath-base and felt. Making all those flowers was a lot of fun. My daughter was excited to see me making something for her. It helped lessen the blow of sharing a room with her baby brother. (She REALLY wanted a sister!)
I hope my kids' shared boy nursery and girl bedroom has given you some ideas on decorating on a budget. I'll be back Friday with that printable, as promised.
Hi, Friends!! I wanted to quickly let you know what we're working on this month to focus more on service. Maybe it will inspire you to do something similar.
One of my favorite parts of the kit is the service ideas. There are 4 little cards jam packed with great ways to serve. I read through some of the examples to my kids. They got really excited, saying "I did that!" It was fun for them to realize that they are already serving.
Then, I had my kids write ways they had served on the strips included in the kit. They had fun telling me about the simple things they had done to help... cleaning up at school, putting away chairs at church, helping a classmate put on his coat, etc. We curled the strips using pencils and put them in a glass jar.
After we talked about ways we had already served, we talked about some things we wanted to do this month. My kids like the idea of leaving a note for your letter carrier. That is one we still plan to do. I want to use the cute little stockings from Melia's kit to put a candy bar and some candy canes in and leave on our mailbox (check it out on the Sugardoodle blog).
We're looking forward to continuing to add to our jar and placing it under the tree as our gift to the Savior. Download Colette's service kit here. Merry Christmas!
I wanted a useful, inexpensive Christmas gift for my kids' teachers. So, I ordered some pretty lip balm. I thought it would be cute, along with some candy kisses with a "Merry 'Kiss'mas" tag.
I was getting ready to put the bags together tonight when I thought, wait a minute, why am I the one doing all this? Wouldn't a gift mean more if it actually came from my kids? Then, I remembered this adorable thank you card printable kit Melissa Esplin designed for the #LIGHTtheWORLD service initiative.
So, I printed out her cute little flat cards, gave my kids a pen and told them to write their teachers a note or draw a picture. She also has printable cards that fold in half, ones with lines for young kids, and coordinating envelopes... all free!
I think they turned out cute. My daughter had a lot of fun with it. The boys didn't have the best attitude. But, I think it's good for them to show their appreciation anyway. I hope their teachers enjoy their notes!
Since Melissa's design is so pretty, I wanted the "Merry 'Kiss'mas" tag to coordinate with the card. So, I designed one with a little bough to tie them together, even though they don't look so lovely with the bags I grabbed at Walmart. ;)
I decided to offer the FREE TAG DOWNLOAD for you, in case you decide to do the same thing. Just print it out, cut on the faint lines and attach to some kisses or lip balm for an inexpensive gift!
One of the neatest things about participating in the #LIGHTtheWORLD initiative was seeing what other designers did with the same challenge. I was lucky to get a sneak peek of 8 great kits.
I knew I wanted to use the kit. But, wasn't sure how to fit it into my schedule. Saturday my family was getting ready to head over to my parent's house to help. Suddenly, I realized I don't have to schedule a special service project, I can make a service we already do a little more fun for my kids instead!
Before we left I told my kids that we were going to do something special that day. Each of them could color an ornament. Then, they should look for something they could do to help and leave their ornament after they finish the project.
We decided to keep it a surprise and let grandpa and grandma find the ornaments without pointing out the service. The kids were really excited and all wore their Santa hats! (This cute little guy just got braces Monday.)
As soon as we got there, my kids were looking around for things to do. My 7-year-old found some old fruit in a basket. He threw it away and excitedly asked if he could leave his ornament. Of course! Everything "counts", big or small!
My 9-year-old went outside to play. After a while, he came in and asked where he should leave his ornament for raking leaves. We decided to hang it on the front door (looks like it needs a coat of paint.. another day!). I wish I would have taken time to tie a ribbon around the top, like Neisha suggested. That would be cute!
Our 5-year-old helped decorate the tree. Decorating the house was one of the fun projects we got to do, even though grandpa was quite particular about how it should be done. ;)
So, after all was said and done, my kids enjoyed helping a little more Saturday than usual. Success! But, guess what? To my surprise so did I!
Sometimes when I go help my parents I leave feeling like I didn't accomplish anything. They are getting into their late 70s and there's always way more to do than can ever be done. But, this time I left some ornaments around the house too. It was fun for me to look around and see that I had in fact made progress!
We had so much fun with this, I decided to print off enough for all the kids in our neighborhood to do at our church's Christmas party this Friday.
I hope you will take time to serve and pass along some adorable ornaments Neisha designed, along with some holiday cheer. Download her service kit here and check out more ideas on the Redheaded Hostess's site. Happy Worldwide Day of Service!!
I'm so excited to finally share the special project I've been working on! It's a service kit I designed for the #LIGHTtheWORLD campaign! Learn about my kit, two more kits, and other ideas of how to use them on The Red Headed Hostess.
Special thanks to Made by Madie for filming my video! She's amazing. I edited it myself. It was my first time using the software and it was actually kind of fun. Thank you, Kristie for letting me use your lovely new home to film in. (She put up her Christmas decor early, just for me!)
The purpose of the kit is to help families follow Christ's example of service this Christmas. It doesn't take a lot of time, just pick one night to do this with your family. The kit I designed has 4 main parts:
PART #1: FAMILY DISCUSSION & GARLAND ACTIVITY
The first part is a discussion paper and gingerbread garland. Print out all the printables. Then, sit down together and talk about how Jesus served His loved ones. Think of your own examples, or use the examples from the discussion paper.
Have each family member share ideas of how they can serve. Each person can choose a gingerbread person from the kit, cut it out, punch holes in the hands and string them together with string, ribbon, or brads to create a cute garland.
My kids like to design their own. So, we printed the blanks ones and had each person color their own. It's fun to see their personalities shine through! Even me and my hubby got in on the fun. The only one missing is our 10 month old. He doesn't color yet. He'd probably eat the crayons! ;)
PART #2: GINGERBREAD COOKIE RECIPE
My photographer friend, Sarah, made these cookies for a Christmas party several years ago. They are so soft and yummy, I had to ask for the recipe! They are one of her family's specialties, she got the recipe from her mom, Linda. They like to put raisins on them, which is quite tasty.
My kids love to eat and decorate cookies. So, I knew I had to incorporate this into the kit. My kids are usually so excited to make some special cookies for themselves. But, this time I asked them to make some for someone else. They loved it! It made me so happy to hear them talk about the friends and cousins they were making them for.
If you haven't made these before, don't be intimidated by the fact that it starts out a little different than other cookie recipes. You boil the molasses and shortening together. Then, add baking soda dissolved in water. It's not hard! After that, it's just like any other cookie recipe. If you have helpers, like me, they are really fun to roll and cut out too.
PART #3: COOKIE OR GIFT BOX
This little cookie box was so fun to design! I knew I wanted to make a cookie box. I was trying to decide what it should look like. Then, it hit me! It needs to look like a gingerbread house, of course. Gingerbread people would live inside a gingerbread house. Ok, maybe I'm cheesy. But, I thought it was clever.
It's really simple to make! Just follow the directions on the sheet (print, cut, fold, glue & attach your ribbon). When you're done, you'll have a cute little box to put your cookies in to deliver. Really, you could put any gift you want inside.
PART #4: CHRISTMAS TAGS
Add a tag to your gingerbread cookie box or if your kids want to deliver their special cookies individually, you attach the tag to a little sandwich bag.
After you share your cookies and serve others, you can add more gingerbread people to your garland and see how long you can make it. I'm so excited to see what everyone does with this kit! I hope it will help other families serve this year.
Don't forget, to get 2 other service kits and ideas of how to use this kit, hop over to The Redheaded Hostess's site. More kits can be found on Sugardoodle and Lolly Jane soon. I hope you enjoy my gifts to you this year. Merry Christmas!!
*UPDATE: You can now download the files directly from my site, using the individual links throughout this post or DOWNLOAD THE ENTIRE SERVICE KIT HERE. Thanks for your patience!
I have some special Christmas gifts for you this year! First, I designed this printable with names of Christ for my church group to do a simple Christmas decoration for their home or gift. Now, I'm giving it to you! It comes in gold or silver (gray) so you can pick which works best with your decor.
Click on one of the links above to download the file you want. Print out the pdf from your home printer or send the jpeg to your favorite photo lab. Then, place it in an 8x10 inch frame (you can even find them at the dollar store!). Voila! You've got a pretty reminder of the reason for the season. These also make great Christmas gifts.
The next Christmas gift I have for you is a special surprise I will share on black Friday. I'm really excited about this one!
Please remember my freebies are for personal use only. Do not share, sell, or distribute my files. I retain all copyright. If you would like to share these, please link to this post, not the downloads directly.
I reached 3,000 sales on my Etsy shop! So, I want to celebrate by sharing a special freebie. I have a complete TMNT inspired party set for you today. I hope you enjoy it!
I designed these for my son's birthday party a few years ago. He wanted a ninja turtle party. So, I designed my own decorations and accented them with some specific things like napkins and balloons I found at the store.
I had a lot of fun designing this set! I tried to keep everything clean and simple while using a lot of green and hints of the bright red, blue, orange and purple that go with each turtle.
The different weapons are really important to little boys apparently. So, I made sure to include them on the cupcake toppers.
My favorite was the pizza "cowabunga" banner and favor tags. We attached them to homemade sugar cookies. We used white frosting and cinnamon candies to make them look like mini pizzas.
So, here you are! There's no charge for this party set. But, it would make me so happy if you left a comment about how you use them and share the love with a link on your facebook, pinterest, blog, etc.
Please remember my freebies are for personal use only. Do not share, sell, or distribute my files. I retain all copyright. If you would like to share these, please link to this post, not the downloads directly.
Thanks for your support and remember to check out my shop here! Enjoy!
