Where black pictures frames go to die

My creativity juices have been flowing lately!
Anyone who says I do not suffer from SAD (Seasonal affective disorder) has clearly misdiagnosed me.
The sun comes out, temperatures go up and BAM, I want to paint the world.

I have been doing several different projects around the house. I wanted to show you one and ask your opinion on it!

As some background information, I have A LOT of wall space in my staircase. And it is one of the first things that you see when you walk into my house.

Front door = 2 sets of stairs staring right at you.
See?!

Please excuse the laundry.

Side note: When Greg and his family were in between houses, they rented a townhome 2 doors down from the one we are currently in. (The layout is exactly the same.) When Greg was little and he walked through the door at the rental for the first time, he looked up the staircase and asked "Is that where God lives?"

If you've been to my house, you can understand. I feel like I need an oxygen tank to make it up to the 3rd floor.

So this is the before picture.

So blah!

And this is the after.

Now be honest! Too much? Not enough? Too much black?

I think it needs one more on the "bottom row", 3 up from bottom. I feel like there is a hole there.

(Can you spot my assistant?

Just like her father.

They both just sit there and watch me do all of the work.

THEY ARE BOTH FIRED! )

I still need actual pictures to put in there, but that is a whole other project!

I would eventually like to get pictures of my grandparents , Greggie's grandparents, both sets of parents, Greggie and I baby pictures, current pictures etc. All in black and white of course!

Also a little sneak peak into what else I am working on....

You'll never guess who they are for!

And the best part.... they were on sale for 75 cents!

I'm kinda like a Wiseman

'Cause I come bearing gifts.

Since I have only blogged once in the past year, I thought the least I could do to show you all I still cared, was to share some of my new favorite blogs with you.

I also want to give you a run - on sentence.

The later I can now check off my list.

You know how I like lists, so let's get this party started:

The first three are in the same category - DIY and home decorating


Thrifty Decor Chick

http://www.thriftydecorchick.blogspot.com/

This lady comes up with some pretty cute ideas.
I have yet to actually do any of her projects, but the ideas have inspired many spin off projects that I have tackled.

Also, TDC has a major obsession with moulding. Like, on every wall obsessed.
This would be my only critique about her style.
Some of her decorating ideas teeter on the line of just enough vs too much.
Sometimes it looks cheap, sometimes it looks like she paid thousands of dollars. So pick and choose the projects wisely my friends.

But she is faithful blogger and thus being the reason she has made the gift list.



Shanty 2 Chic

http://shanty2chic.blogspot.com/

The first thing to grab me was the name. I think that it's pretty catchy shanty ladies.

This blog is a pair of cutie patootie sisters who transform trash into treasures. Very similar to TDC, but just a touch more of my style.

Be sure to scroll down a few blog posts to the entertainment center. I think that this is super cute! Although the color is odd, I think that it works for the room - the playroom!

Again, some of the projects can look DIY- ish, but cute ideas none the less.


Southern Hospitality

http://southernhospitalityblog.com/

This is fairly new to me. I am about 3 weeks in and so far so good.

The first item to pop out at me was the tagline.

Adventures in Decorating, Thrifting, Cooking and Gardening

Decorating: Yes. Yes, I like to decorate.

Thrifting: Check, I like to yardsale.

Cooking: Si. I'm into cooking now.

Gardening: Squealing. I love to garden.

And that was that. I have been visiting her daily.

She is older than I am and I can sometimes see that in her style, but I still get useful ideas from her. Plus I am just proud that a 50 something lady can create such a cute, organized blog.
Cause Jo still can't leave a comment to save her life.

Love you mommy.


Next is a blog that took me a while to warm up to it. But now I am warm and toasty and I love reading about Nie's life everyday. Some of you may have already been to her site.

Oprah's a fan, so that's automatic cool points.

http://nieniedialogues.com/

I don't want to spill too many beans, but this is not a 'typical' blog that I would normally read everyday. I think that may be the major appeal for me. Or maybe its her cutie pies also known as her children. They do not look a thing alike, but completely match when all put together. Kinda like a quilt. And I love that colorful aspect.

And that youngest one. I could kiss his chubby cheeks right off of that wittle face!



Next is http://marriageconfessions.com/

The layout and font of her blog drive me up the wall, but I love her message.

Laugh. Fight. Stay married.

And she and her husband do just that!

Her truthful blogs about marriage make me feel human. They are funny in the right spots, but also make me sit back and think, all within minutes of each other. I think she definitely "gets it" -

A little less than a year ago, they welcomed a little baby boy named Bean into their lives.

And. He. Is. Precious.

This one is a personal favorite.


Another one of my favorites is Matt and Madeline.

http://www.mattlogelin.com/

Here is your warning. If you are pregnant, PMSin, hormonal for whatever reason or just a plain ole crier - grab a box tissues. Because. this. is. one. sad. story.

I am not going to tell you anymore.

I'm zipping my lips. ZIP.

Up at the top of his page is a tab entitled "hadn't been here before?"

Go there.

And call me later to discuss this story so we can cry about it together.

Oh. And here's another warning. He uses the F word.

No, not all of the time. It is very limited - but in my opinion, it's always at the right moment.

Cause sometimes no other word will do.


After Matt's heart wrenching story, you will need some laughs. These blogs will make you laugh out loud.

They really don't need an explanation - they are just plain old cheap laughs

http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/



And my last bloggy gift is certainly not least!

This blog is from one of my oldest Ferrum friends.

http://crazylewishouse.blogspot.com/

Wen just hopped on board with the blog train and she already has a professional looking blog. Jealous!

She and Jay just had baby Britten in January - he is a major hunk! I mean look at that hair! I am so excited that she started a blog so that I can watch this little man grow up!

*****


It took some of the above sites a couple of blogs before they got the AJ seal of approval. Don't let one bad blog ruin it for you.

After all, you know every dog has his day.

Lord knows I did.

For close to a year.

Where have ya'll been?

I have been here.

Where have you guys been?

I have been here blogging day after day, pouring out my heart and soul into these posts.

Blood, sweat and tears folks.

And what do I get in return?

Nothing. Nada. Zip.

For this blog to continue we are going to HAVE to work on this. mkay?

Okay. So maybe I am partly to blame in this here blog relationship. But I have a good excuse.

Really. I do.

See.

This is how my laptop has been for a little over a year now.

Remember back when we remodeled the kitchen? Well. We had to move everything around and nothing was in it's normal place. Everything was packed into the living room. And I mean everything. Dishes, groceries, kitchen table, toaster, everything!

Including the kitchen sink.

Literally.

Junk started piling up, laptops ended up at the bottom of large, heavy piles, and before you knew it, a busted screen.

Happens to the best of us.

Greggie and I have been been living with the ink blob by minimizing the screen to fit in the "clean" area. But then it started to spread like the swine flu and, well, we didn't get a flu shot.

Thankfully I married a honorary member of the Geek Squad and he hooked us up.

Once again, literally.

And just like that - we are back in business!

One little problem.

I have a love / hate relationship with electronics.

I love what they can do for me.

Fast internet, wonderful smutty reality shows, power to my coffee pot-

BUT I hate the cords that come along with them.

Hate them.

Detest them.

So what am I going to do about above picture? Ugg.

And I am not talking about the yellow tow strap holding together my grandmother's antique bench.

I have bigger fish to fry people.

Like keeping up with a blog.