tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81205580696027576862024-03-05T04:18:38.498-05:00Baker's HouseWelcome to my blog dedicated to everything house and home.MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-81863948475092600682012-10-23T15:47:00.000-04:002012-10-23T15:47:17.602-04:00Sign Me UpSaturday morning I met the Petersiks! If you aren't familiar with John and Sherry I suggest you check out their awesome blog: <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/">younghouselove</a>. My cousin and I traveled to the Duke Energy Convention Center to attend this year's Books by the Banks. We got there around 10am and the line already looked like this to meet John and Sherry.<br />
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Their table was somewhere over in the right side of the picture, so it went all the way in front of me and to the right. It was long. John and Sherry were giving a talk at 11am and we knew that if we stayed in line we would miss it. So...we snuck up front and snagged two books to buy before the talk. Here it is:<br />
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We ran off to pay and then to grab a seat in the auditorium. To say I was excited was an understatement. The room filled up fast and it seemed more like a group of old friends than 100 or so complete strangers. <br />
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The talk was light hearted and informative. They covered some tips and advice on how they got where they are and how not to tak yourself too seriously or be too afraid on your way to making your house a home. <br />
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After the talk, it was back in line, for an hour, to meet John and Sherry and have our books signed. It was well worth the wait, but as I got closer to meeting them I was so nervous, like a fangirl, and I completely blanked about what I was going to say. I think that I ended up not making a total fool of myself. John and Sherry were so gracious and completely down to earth. It was a relief I have to say. You think about meeting people and hoping that they aren't completely different than you have imagined all this time. <br />
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Here's my nerdy picture:<br />
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Yes, I have the cheesiest smile on my face, and yes, my scarf is attacking John's arm. Sorry John. <br />
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Here is the (finally) signed book:<br />
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I have to say, the book is amazing. I have already gone through it, twice. I can't wait to work on some of these projects and I suggest you pre-order your copy ASAP!<br />
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Happy Tuesday!MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-86039304311742327272012-10-03T12:33:00.000-04:002012-10-03T12:33:32.862-04:00Vacation MotivationLong time, no blog...<br />
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There have been many changes around Baker's House, none of which got me any closer to completing my to-do list! I have a new full-time job which requires most of my energy on a good day, and sadly that leaves me just enough time around here to work on the basics: laundry, light cleaning, etc. <br />
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This week however, things are a little different. I'm on vacation! 11 blissful days of no work (sorry guys, love you) and the ability to do as much (or as little) as I want. <br />
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I was looking over the to-do list and found it's a little out dated:<br />
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-Upgrade the master bath to match our master bedroom<br />- Switch the "sports room" and our guest room <br />- Updgrade the decor in the sports room<br />- Paint and decorate the guestroom<br />- Paint the laundry room<br />- Install new trim in laundry room (Marypoppins destroyed it as a puppy)<br />- Refinish the dresser in the guestroom<br />- <strike>Re-paint the coffee table</strike><br />- Clean and stain the fence in the backyard<br />- <strike>Freshen up the paint on the outdoor trim</strike><br />
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A few of these items are completed, and a few need to be changed. Namely, some of the rooms have a new function. Presently, there is no longer a sports room or anyone that lives here that is interested in sports. That room will more than likely be an office. I don't have a guestroom either, it's more like a giant box of junk...<br />
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With those changes in mind, here's the new list: <br />
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- Paint the master bathroom to match the master bedroom<br />
- Create an office (old sports room)<br />
- Create an area for crafting/sewing in front bedroom and also an area for guests...(currently my guests either have to sleep with me (hello) or on the couch!<br />
-Install new trim in the laundry room (I am woman hear me roar)<br />
-Paint the laundry room<br />
-Clean and stain the fence (again...roar)<br />
-Refinish dresser <br />
-Refinish Armoire<br />
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As per usual, I'm sure there are 100 things that I am forgetting, but I'll be sure to add to the list, and keep you guys updated as much as I can.<br />
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-Mary MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-60612288181043094022012-07-11T00:10:00.000-04:002012-07-11T16:19:14.537-04:00Cleaning<br />UPDATE: Find shopping locations at the bottom of the post!<br />
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Before getting into cleaning, I just want to say thank you to everyone for reading. This blog is such a positive and creative outlet for me. Creating is something that I have always done, and something I have always loved. It is something I learned growing up from the amazing women around me. From my great grandmother with her quilts, my grandma with her floral business, and my mom and cousin with their talent for crafts. I have learned something from each of them to make my own style, to make Baker's House. So, thanks to them, and thanks to you :) <br />
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Anyway...<br />
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I have a strange love for cleaning. For fun when I was little I would dust my grandma's furniture and clean the windows (the one's I could reach anyway). It provides instant gratification that I am a fan of and then at the same time it is productive. LOVE IT. Since I know all of you are as excited about cleaning as I am, I thought I would share a little bit about my favorite (and only) cleaning products and tools. <br />
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First on the list...<br />
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Mrs. Meyers Lemon Verbena All Purpose Cleaner<br />
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It smells heavenly and packs a major cleaning punch. It is concentrated so one bottle lasts <strike>forever</strike> a really long time. I bought a large spray bottle and mix the solution (follow the directions please) with water in it. The light scent is just a bonus to the fact that it cuts grease better than some industrial chemically (yes that's a word) cleaners. Bottom line: I love it and use it on almost everything!<br />
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Next Up...<br />
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Borax<br />
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Please go to the company website for the many, MANY uses for Borax. It has two purposes in my home: to clean the toilets and to clean carpets. I pour a cup in the toilet bowl and leave it overnight. A quick swish in the morning and sparkling clean. For the carpet, I love it for spot cleaning. Marypoppins is the sweetest dog, but she's a giant. If you have a giant dog, you know there are going to be giant messes. The borax neutralizes odors and takes up the stains really well. I just dissolve it in warm water and scrub away. <br />
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Another favorite...<br />
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Dr. Bonner's Magic Soap's (and Baking Soda)<br />
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Magic is right...I love this soap. It is so versatile I use it to clean my bath tub, and clean my face...yes you heard me right. There are many lovely scents, but my favorite it the Lavender. To clean the tub I squirt the soap in the tub and then sprinkly baking soda on it. Once they are both in the tub, I mix them together making a paste. I let the paste sit for a little while and then take a stiff bristle brush to it. This is really great for me because it provides a deep clean without any harsh smelling chemicals. I have allergies, so this is amazing. I hated cleaning the bathroom for that very reason. <br />
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Some other staples in my home for cleaning: Soap and water. I will take glasswares, figurenes etc, fill the sink and let them soak. It does all the work for you and they come out gleaming. I use lavender mint dish soap from Seventh Generation. It's amazing. Another thing you cannot have enough of are microfiber cloths. Even without any cleaner they pick up dust and dirt like a magnent. Just be careful when washing them not to use fabric softener or they loose their magic powers. <br />
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So there is my list. Those are the only products I use. They keep my house clean and keep me healthy (no allergy problems from these products)! For local people (Dayton/Cincinnati Area) the cheapest price for Mrs. Meyer's is at Kroger. $5.99 is a steal for that great big bottle. Target has been the best place in terms of price for the Dr. Bonners Magic Soap. It is in the makeup section, not the cleaning section. I think they have it for $12.99 the last time I checked. Borax is pretty cheap everywhere. I don't think I have ever paid more than $3 a box. <br />
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Happy Wednesday!MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-15533647821987080892012-05-09T12:35:00.000-04:002012-05-09T12:35:06.061-04:00Paint PartyPaint, a little dab will do you. Unless you have three painting projects going on, then you might need more than a little dab...you might need a lot of dabs! Over the past two weeks, I have found that to be true. There were a few moments where I was alternating between two cans of spray paint and almost sprayed the wrong color on the wrong project. This time around I will be sharing about my chalkboard painting experience. I have wanted to paint something with chalkboard paint for a long time, but couldn't commit to a permanent location on the wall. I thought making a small chalkboard might be enough of a good thing for right now. <br />
Last summer I found this old frame at a friend's garage sale. It had a picture of a horse painted on velvet inside (which I left at the sale for someone else to buy). I have seen a lot of groupings of empty frames and thought that's what I would do. This frame started my collection for a whopping 50 cents.<br />
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Not a great colot, right? It is off white with gold weathering (if that's even the right word). It was too traditional and too blugh (I couldn't even think of another kind, appropriate word to put here), so I decided that I would paint it a nice crisp white. Before painting, I had a few prepping steps which I hate to do, but they really help and save you time from having to do the project all over again. I started out with a quick sanding job. Sorry, I didn't pay any attention to the grit I used. It was handy in the garage so I snatched it up.<br />
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Next, I used a microfiber cloth to wipe off all of the dust from sanding to make sure I was painting a clean surface. I used a microfiber cloth because they are lint free and pick up dust really well. I got 4 in a pack a Home Goods a while back for $2.99, so I didn't have to pay for those either. </div>
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After I gave the from a good wipe down, it was time to paint. I chose a white, satin spray paint from Valspar which I purchased at Lowe's.</div>
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Here is the frame after two coats of being sprayed. Also, you can see that I tried to put the obviously too big frame on one of the dog food bags I use for projects and failed miserably at not painting the grass. It turned out okay though because the grass was short enough that it didn't interfere with painting and once the grass grew out a little the paint got chopped off. </div>
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Okay, now onto the part where I made the actual chalkboard. I needed the board and also the paint. I had a list of things to get for several different projects so off to Lowe's I went. Matt measured the frame so I would know what size board I needed and also the depth of the frame so I wouldn't get something too thick. In the lumber department they had a section of pre-cut boards that you can purchase, but the were still too big (2'x2') so I had the handy lumber guy cut it down for me. Even on a small project like this one they will do two cuts for free on any lumber. It was great because I could have them take care of it for free and not have to ask Matt to drag out his saw for such a small project! I also grabbed a quart of Valspar's chalkboard paint. When I got home I spread out in the living room to get started. </div>
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Here is the board after two coats. I let it dry completely before adding the next coat. I was so excited that I literally watched the paint dry before putting on the second coat and before putting the board into the frame.</div>
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I had to wait overnight until the next afternoon to write anything on it. The can said wait 24 hours, but I thought 12 was enough and I was right! All was fine. I won't make you all wait overnight, here is the finished product, hanging in the living room. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-SH_NDXKo4UeJup8b2mQuctN8Ch5q70hQVcdjcXUObJKrScy4QKjSzK3KnEh4ZJlu1k9pAE4a3GEQ2q4ELkQD7tVSNqbHUSk9XMuAQeSLZtQwguHwC7I1JJ29QxvKl9MXjf4LE0bPLY/s1600/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-SH_NDXKo4UeJup8b2mQuctN8Ch5q70hQVcdjcXUObJKrScy4QKjSzK3KnEh4ZJlu1k9pAE4a3GEQ2q4ELkQD7tVSNqbHUSk9XMuAQeSLZtQwguHwC7I1JJ29QxvKl9MXjf4LE0bPLY/s400/002.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I love it. That's probably not going to be it's permanent spot, but I wanted to see how it looked hanging and I had a free spot there. I have to say that I really like it and want to paint something else to make a chalkboard. I was thinking about the door in the kitchen to make lists and family schedule's on. I also love that I can wipe it off when we want a change, like a different verse, or saying. I hope everyone is having a happy Wednesday! Thanks for reading. </div>
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</div>MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-90825255620355584412012-05-07T16:30:00.001-04:002012-05-07T16:30:27.990-04:00Graduation, Gifts, and Going through the GarbageThe last four days have been a whirlwind of activities and emotions! My sweet husband graduated Saturday from Miami University and this weekend we hosted family and friends celebrating his accomplishments. Here we are just after the ceremony. <br />
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Matt's parents were in town until today, and yesterday we spent the whole day with some of our closest family and friends. Everyone ate more food than should be legal, played cornhole, and talked until we collasped. It was great. </div>
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Speaking of great, besides all of the wonderful gifts Matt got for graduation, my mother-in-law, Cindy bought me a present that I LOVE. She works at a travel resort in Florida (jealous, I know) and they have returning customers every winter. Several of the customers are so crafty they make me jealous. For example, I haven't had to buy kitchen scrubbies in two years because one of their friends crochets them from hand! I've also been gifted a beautiful cheese plate from a flattened wine bottle, and then yesterday, I got these: </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGtG-o6Lwn8aHqcmxk5A9OEdFCrcqi50hL-aGs2KCwsnk5PQCDHjk4y4Ui1ofxR_YqPDPGTKgl8P20ZSEVUdfvuIb8jBlayHuczW7H6szIWHaWwzJL0sHVVKzXwQeOg0ldnRE07RzDeE/s1600/035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdGtG-o6Lwn8aHqcmxk5A9OEdFCrcqi50hL-aGs2KCwsnk5PQCDHjk4y4Ui1ofxR_YqPDPGTKgl8P20ZSEVUdfvuIb8jBlayHuczW7H6szIWHaWwzJL0sHVVKzXwQeOg0ldnRE07RzDeE/s400/035.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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This lady makes them from hand and in several different sizes. Cindy bought me two of the smaller ones, but let's just say that I am thinking about buying a big one when we visit them next. They have the option to hang, but I'm not just sure where to put them. For now I have tucked them away on these shelves:</div>
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I love them so much, and I may not hang them at all. We will have to wait and see. </div>
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Also something that we will have to wait and see about is this fabulous find from the garbage. Don't worry, I didn't crawl through a dumpster looking for it, it was sitting sweetly by the curb waiting to be picked up for the trash. As my father-in-law nicely put, this isn't my best find, but I think it has amazing potential. </div>
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It may look beyond repair to some of you, but it is sturdy and only has cosmetic issues. I am going to paint it a bright glossy color (probably blue) and I'll have to bust out the old sewing machine to make a cushion and pillows for it. I love it...that's all. </div>
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I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. I've got a lot of projects to share with you so you'll be hearing from me soon!</div>
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</div>MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-54935672432822024802012-04-09T22:26:00.002-04:002012-04-09T22:34:09.773-04:00My "Precious"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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No, not <i>that</i> "Precious." What I'm talking about are Office Supplies. I have to admit I get a little "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gollum">Gollum</a>-ish" at Staples or in the office supply aisle at my favorite stores. I have had a love for office supplies even before I had an office. Back then we called them school supplies. I've been a junkie for a long time and at this point I do not have the strength to quit. I have found solace in the fact that there are others out there just like me. My friend Brandi and I bonded over the release of the Sharpie Liquid Pencil...strange I know! We are always talking to each other about the newest things that we have seen out and usually end up with the same style and color of whatever we buy...love her :) <br />
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For some other folks who love office supplies please see exhibit A:<br />
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"Don't you love New York in the fall? It makes me wanna buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms"</div>
~ You've Got Mail<br />
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Great movie, great smell. Moving on!<br />
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So I thought I would write up a post about my favorite supplies and include you all in the nerd-love. <br />
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1. The sharpie retractable medium point pen (that's a mouthful).<br />
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I was so so happy when the sharpie company came out with their pens. I am left-handed and always have the unfortunate "stained hand" at the end of the day. When these pens first came out I thought I had arrived. Then, a little later, they came out with the retractable option and then a little after that the retractable option with a medium point. I've in love. They do not bleed through paper like the sharpie makers and do not leave with the ink all over my hands. </div>
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2. Wite-Out Tape, Ecolutions</div>
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<a href="http://www.officemax.com/office-supplies/correction-fluid-erasers/correction-tape/product-prod2840163"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPmgGxk65XsSp1hx9viUFf2G1AmeamHTgG7dFH_BosDAlEPO4Isk4j2PEDvjshn7anM7wVNOq2ZIh4Gdj56gJs4WalePGppVYGaKEEbFIOFvhjVkA8Cc3G1LGTLvARqnBj4yiDPkFk5iE/s320/21801971i_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I love the wite-out tape because it is cleaner and you do not have to wait for drying time like with the liquid option before writing on the paper. What I love about the ecolutions is that they are teeny-tiny. They are so small I even carry one in my purse just incase (do not judge what you do not know). I know they made them smaller to save the planet (which I am a fan of) but that's not why I bought 6 packs of them when they were marked down to 64 cents a two-pack after the back-to-school season was over. What is better than an office supply? That's right, a miniature office supply...on to the next!</div>
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3. Post-it Super Sticky Notes</div>
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<a href="http://www.post-it.com/wps/portal/3M/en_US/Post_It/Global/Products/Notes/?PC_7_RJH9U5230OT440II987MUE3CM3000000_nid=517X7978GXgs20914V5CD9glP5SCF4S689bl"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUcSWW-aINBCuRHCZ1XvkQaj8stsoB4BViNPNT2b0NZ07ske1lZqFns9V0JvEDBh1VO-EJGwsi7gM1tN9730_W_eSbPuP8FO4dDkiw_-KhB9MbWUVkgKwOf8ME_xM-nDlPirvO-4_iew/s400/post+it.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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I am a traditionalist when it comes to sticky notes. They must be post-it brand, they must be canary yellow, and they must be...sticky. I have several "posted" to my computer monitor at any given moment. Currently, there are three of them staring back at me reminding me of the things I still need to accomplish. </div>
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4. Martha Stewart Home Office </div>
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Martha, Martha, Martha...despite your criminal past, my love for you continues to grow. Ms. Martha has recently released the most fabulous line of office supplies with the help of Avery and Staples. Everything is impeccably detailed and beautiful. The only thing I could justify buying were the reusable chalkboard labels. That's right...reusable (which means removeable) chalkboard labels. I love some chalkboard paint, but I do not necessarily want to paint everything with it. I like the idea that I can stick them on jars and bins and then take them off and use the label on something else or pitch them in the garbage. Here they are in action in our kitchen:</div>
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The first few pictures are of a plain jar that I bought at Target (I think for like $4). I used it to keep homemade dishwasher soap, but I switched to the Seventh Generation brand and did not need the jar for that anymore. </div>
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The next few pictures are of our kitchen canisters. They contain sugar, flour, and Stevia. The only problem was that we could never remember which of the canisters held what, especially the two in the back. There is also a close up of what the jars were decorated with before. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQu1kzSBkArJZElLwsv3_HDD98kDOmWDqU2o6KNBjPSv5Ao315mqCqeh79AULAvv3TKtRovBkxZi8zvaEMarKMsEdkeIoX5Uv-QXzl4FAW4F90idM-nET6tHDTmIFGhDQkT2FA6Tv9nc/s1600/012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmQu1kzSBkArJZElLwsv3_HDD98kDOmWDqU2o6KNBjPSv5Ao315mqCqeh79AULAvv3TKtRovBkxZi8zvaEMarKMsEdkeIoX5Uv-QXzl4FAW4F90idM-nET6tHDTmIFGhDQkT2FA6Tv9nc/s400/012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMoQ4Zgg9nTwopWyWHlxk2KGkXg7i_wUq55yCPV7iAvon-N1RF77eE-X_ggXVMOQcDOA2Yr29HrDsc4Q5llA-0JswDji3-pgsG5UGyh5_u24zy-wJdR5RY-NU_w8Uy2BVmosbYH60WZ8/s1600/017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMoQ4Zgg9nTwopWyWHlxk2KGkXg7i_wUq55yCPV7iAvon-N1RF77eE-X_ggXVMOQcDOA2Yr29HrDsc4Q5llA-0JswDji3-pgsG5UGyh5_u24zy-wJdR5RY-NU_w8Uy2BVmosbYH60WZ8/s400/017.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Ta, da! I love them. The labels revived the otherwise usable and functional canisters. There is no need to replace them, as they still have a good seal and the latches work. The labels make them a little better for us and it was a quick, frugal upgrade. SO cute...anyway...</div>
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5. Notebooks and Notepads</div>
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This might be considered the same as post-it notes, but I love a good notepad. I have them stashed all over the house, in my purse, car, desk, you get the point. The smaller and cuter the better. Here are a few cute options for you to puruse:</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.verabradley.com/product/Category/Office/Pocket-Papers/154868/defaultColor/Lime%27s+Up/pc/638/c/0/sc/644/p/154868.uts" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFB-MOiMWfUyl8-Ghwqi306MFgd_KCyR7DphnjOjmAOeRbaTVwv8_FZreX0pIN6Xq2s0Go-ddxVSJrfftMGza7HuSVE78_EamidZpVnZ3uMAbQa-qLFg_djL5qWvsCQGB59Lc-JOl6g_4/s400/10601116.jpg" width="376" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute Vera Bradley option<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.knockknockstuff.com/media/products/2008/10/22/12003_PRO-CON_.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="467" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcxcGVsWsTaMNqU8dvzoFYRGavBftxOVbjestK7bOdkYrCdlffxSp07g2o3HE-UBRNvvBiWy0lqLjwlP60SyjoE-B81thEgUPUEM-fHQL8A6Wicp9f5J8VudDQSaohNSw7nDNYZA9gjw/s640/12003_PRO-CON_.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite notepad write now that was a gift from a sweet friend, <br />
and if you love Gilmore Girls like I do you know how cool this notepad is.</td></tr>
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So, now that you have wasted 15 minutes of your life reading this list, I say goodnight. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I enjoyed writing it even though you may not share my affinity for office supplies. Happy Monday (sorry, it sounded bad as soon as I typed that)!MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-37494610990712264192012-04-01T21:21:00.002-04:002012-04-02T16:18:31.582-04:00The Great OutdoorsHappy Sunday everyone! I have for the longest time written exclusively about the inside of our home and have yet to do a post about the front or backyard at Baker's House. Just like the inside of our home, I love order and neatness. Mother Nature has a since of humor though and try as I might there's <em>always </em>something. <br />
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For example...have a look at the mutant dandelions I found in the yard this afternoon. Disgusting, right? <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETrCjh2hWLrYCD0rSmCm7-w3NV-HPGeRb8kGZBUUtylI4D-PCYBpmyMxX-nfmtj-UW7wbXiLi8jJVXo0IyHtPVv1W6GoMEC4aNu5KtCPtHDjYyin6agl9C375DOlrRBZYRpqO4jfhWvc/s1600/mutant+flowers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETrCjh2hWLrYCD0rSmCm7-w3NV-HPGeRb8kGZBUUtylI4D-PCYBpmyMxX-nfmtj-UW7wbXiLi8jJVXo0IyHtPVv1W6GoMEC4aNu5KtCPtHDjYyin6agl9C375DOlrRBZYRpqO4jfhWvc/s400/mutant+flowers.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have an unnatural hate for these yellow weeds. They are evil and are nearly impossible to get rid of completely (especially if you are lucky like us and have neighbors who have no grass and only dandelions for a yard). I spent the majority of my time outdoors spraying a nasty chemical on the yard to get rid of these pests. That being said, I thought I would give some tips on eco-friendly ways to improve your outdoor space. </div>
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My first green tip for working outdoors is one I recieved from a sweet friend a few years ago. Many of you know Marypoppins (our fur-baby) and with having a big dog means you are going to have big bags of food. For years I would just throw the empty bags in the trash, but not anymore. These bags are great for stuffing yard clippings from your flower beds or from raking the grass. I have found them to be even stronger than the average lawn bag that you pick up at the store. I keep them in a bin in the garage (and stock up over the winter) to have on hand when spring time rolls around. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqmlLOnBhJZR_xuwCmHMrXR3HH2PtBwLG4vJp0OyeS_cGX7DcQyxnKQbPgMv_V_DuWHHkp5wy38rbZKmfWwvn1u5jqORl69yFeQgS0drFyUSLAXsA7fYy3PK-YQel8XJHhZUuuvMqnVzw/s1600/iams.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqmlLOnBhJZR_xuwCmHMrXR3HH2PtBwLG4vJp0OyeS_cGX7DcQyxnKQbPgMv_V_DuWHHkp5wy38rbZKmfWwvn1u5jqORl69yFeQgS0drFyUSLAXsA7fYy3PK-YQel8XJHhZUuuvMqnVzw/s320/iams.JPG" width="239" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLW3-zlyeeZ8-SUiKIav0w15wCBtKEmNKu5oKIb4r6c6edqwQ6grWLUz7mcXsLblcjkjcT4Fx49BNbwXLR7fi3CrJPsw-OA7BcYSeKGglZatHqdBXSpmap8cJYO3bfOlcn8DRVvXD2Hd0/s1600/bags.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLW3-zlyeeZ8-SUiKIav0w15wCBtKEmNKu5oKIb4r6c6edqwQ6grWLUz7mcXsLblcjkjcT4Fx49BNbwXLR7fi3CrJPsw-OA7BcYSeKGglZatHqdBXSpmap8cJYO3bfOlcn8DRVvXD2Hd0/s320/bags.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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My next tip involves baking soda. Geez, I love that stuff. I use it for cleaning ALL THE TIME. I was googling around one day and found several eco-friendly options for killing weeds in the cracks of your pavement. Just take a handful of baking soda and sprinkle it in on the weeds in the sidewalk or driveway. When I did it, the baking soda went everywhere, but I just took a broom and swept it in the cracks. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32lN2ii8hP55hFjirfLiCHI4q7lMzUvBmNUMsF707eJTqpGR4f0LSN8vqbh43xBKWw5G8MRqMJ0cqDSjCnl5vtNj3n8DoAZ5XqjTrG8RVGq0RBKJTe5BnK1DBFAqiZZ6zVxmRlFt4vyY/s1600/Baking+soda.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj32lN2ii8hP55hFjirfLiCHI4q7lMzUvBmNUMsF707eJTqpGR4f0LSN8vqbh43xBKWw5G8MRqMJ0cqDSjCnl5vtNj3n8DoAZ5XqjTrG8RVGq0RBKJTe5BnK1DBFAqiZZ6zVxmRlFt4vyY/s400/Baking+soda.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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If you doubt my friend baking soda, here is a picture of a weed that I sprinkled on Thurday of this week...crispy and dead as a door nail...victory!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpX91UmE7WLHoZrxS86aEBfnvt_-KS-WEnAaDvHRD67uyNGvg89PNb1qFLeVyiL135DjOX3EFWHQ7vgPP0SV4BiePRkLg8iEZxxzvHg4z8IFYE1URaXtpfG9VzQwbltIJlij0K4zPiBZc/s1600/dead+weeds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpX91UmE7WLHoZrxS86aEBfnvt_-KS-WEnAaDvHRD67uyNGvg89PNb1qFLeVyiL135DjOX3EFWHQ7vgPP0SV4BiePRkLg8iEZxxzvHg4z8IFYE1URaXtpfG9VzQwbltIJlij0K4zPiBZc/s400/dead+weeds.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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You can also poor boiling water on your sidewalk or driveway to help with these little critters (just be careful). Something else that I read, that is not eco-friendly at all, but cool, is spraying WD-40 on those flat thistle weeds that murder your feet when you step on them. When I was little, a friend and I name them "little Joeys" after this mean boy Joey D. in our fourth grade class. We were so funny...I have to say that I have not tried this tip and would say give it a try but use caution and try to keep it just on those weeds only. I have no idea what it would do to grass or other plants. </div>
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Well, those are all of the tips I have for now! Happy outdoorsing (totally just made that word up)!</div>
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</div>MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-79166733040163557872012-03-16T21:57:00.001-04:002012-03-17T10:29:38.252-04:00Baggy Bag<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/2012/03/winter-pinterest-challenge-bag-it/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+YoungHouseLove+%28Young+House+Love%29"><img border="0" height="147" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRKJzbYWEKbkHLqdcR1X9vmnK_Fcq09AGdQYytSgSp1JEIbGaY0c1xGfj6uy03hKG-FvuVi6qIdKajvb2KU-ko5gai4nEmWG3K-9TpeRjhClC-6cyyFKMC8x5T81JVrei1X6WqbAqz2Bg/s400/pinterest-challenge-banner.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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It's that time again! The winter Pinterest Challenge is here. <a href="http://www.bowerpowerblog.com/">Katie </a>and <a href="http://www.younghouselove.com/">Sherry</a> use this unofficial challenge to motivate their readers and check off a to-do from their lists. For the fall Pinterest Challenge, I submitted <a href="http://mmbakershouse.blogspot.com/2011/11/wooden-pallet-and-pinterest-challenge.html">this pallet art</a>. This challenge, I am going on a much smaller scale with some homemade reusable shopping bags. I got the idea from <a href="http://www.moredesignplease.com/moredesignplease/2010/6/6/diy-recycled-t-shirt-tote-bag.html">this wonderful blog, More Design Please</a>.<br />
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This is their finished product, which I saw on Pinterest and pinned right away:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7teftMCRPMAY2raXpg7p5xkX0Smpu6RRxZz6zdhz5BmXqP5cjdh9gYX6VwhdVH_nxQU6saIQMqWU60ZtliPBTEybIbYuzg-VsUCJP-HQN_YHEmQudOvWNPSlYptae6EmqTN-T01EFqM/s1600/STEP-6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ7teftMCRPMAY2raXpg7p5xkX0Smpu6RRxZz6zdhz5BmXqP5cjdh9gYX6VwhdVH_nxQU6saIQMqWU60ZtliPBTEybIbYuzg-VsUCJP-HQN_YHEmQudOvWNPSlYptae6EmqTN-T01EFqM/s640/STEP-6.jpg" width="386" /></a></div>
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I thought this is a great idea, and something I could accomplish relatively easy. Easy once I figured out how to use my sewing machine....yeah, I know. My mom gave me a sewing maching for Christmas FIVE years ago and I have never used it. I loved the gift and thought that I would get great use out of it, but married life, college and work prevailed and I never got around to using it. This challenge gave me some courage and some get-off-your-hineyness to call my mom and get a tutorial on my five year old sewing machine.<br />
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After a quick basic this is where you put the bobbin, needle, etc I thought it would be a good idea to put foot to pedal and get sewing. I had a few old t-shirts that I have been hanging on to since high school that are sentimental, but I never wear and I thought they would be great to use as bags. They would have a function, I would see them all the time, and it would free up space in my shirt drawer. <br />
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First, I laid the shirt flat and cut off the sleeves. I cut on the side of the seam that is closest to the design on the shirt, so in other words I cut the seam off:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqNoDkg1cGAqs6u5nKy9IRBpPB3xuD0YmgdncpMvCQV2VjyLsboJwBzLvuaYtEQtEhURJusxuPc2vADMSnl6IG2_ZO-tHIFk7R-KxMhHJEs-uf948bD0bZy-IMDc3tz7KfVHGRL7eZdc/s1600/109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyqNoDkg1cGAqs6u5nKy9IRBpPB3xuD0YmgdncpMvCQV2VjyLsboJwBzLvuaYtEQtEhURJusxuPc2vADMSnl6IG2_ZO-tHIFk7R-KxMhHJEs-uf948bD0bZy-IMDc3tz7KfVHGRL7eZdc/s400/109.JPG" width="400" /></a> </div>
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I also shortened the bottom of the shirt by several inches to make the bag a little smaller.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwWUcvkqSZfwWhn-OT7J-f1sFPsTrZLe1By5C77kk7drLQDvlU9HertTRW_2CeJ1uS-xGDlYZR3SzrjoZr3qAFjq3BGIW9jTuin1vSNE4LYAtz9Bc9cJEiXRHQG66_u9l2FrS4Zk2b0k/s1600/113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdwWUcvkqSZfwWhn-OT7J-f1sFPsTrZLe1By5C77kk7drLQDvlU9HertTRW_2CeJ1uS-xGDlYZR3SzrjoZr3qAFjq3BGIW9jTuin1vSNE4LYAtz9Bc9cJEiXRHQG66_u9l2FrS4Zk2b0k/s400/113.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next, I needed to cut the neck hole. When you cut the neck (after you've cut the sleeves off) it creates the "handles" on the bag. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ML4x1162MLTECI_WMI5Di8o3vWGPO9VG7lfUJxAV2XGDT4OtoVsw73KCyLPYwcCeG7jkqxP4VmtII-kDgyLXV9175cy26NI0B_GkgsHNTtfObwH0NShCVUGkPl5oOjDEP9RHpSq3t_8/s1600/116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ML4x1162MLTECI_WMI5Di8o3vWGPO9VG7lfUJxAV2XGDT4OtoVsw73KCyLPYwcCeG7jkqxP4VmtII-kDgyLXV9175cy26NI0B_GkgsHNTtfObwH0NShCVUGkPl5oOjDEP9RHpSq3t_8/s400/116.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I was working with a design on the front and back of the shirt that I wanted to keep intact so I had to be very mindful of where I was cutting. If you are less attached to the artwork on your t-shirt you can make it as scoopy as you want. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqoar20rDL1n7iV3iR8gdyIsCco8eFJhAuzDHaCSJAgNAxLdd7Jw4mwHIgcbC9ZGJJd_9wVPW7VkKIWL0Wx78ik7X_iSEIG6ilkxSqwix6e_6HV8rBXWuaKC1HH5nayVDuzAmBNCz9bsE/s1600/117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqoar20rDL1n7iV3iR8gdyIsCco8eFJhAuzDHaCSJAgNAxLdd7Jw4mwHIgcbC9ZGJJd_9wVPW7VkKIWL0Wx78ik7X_iSEIG6ilkxSqwix6e_6HV8rBXWuaKC1HH5nayVDuzAmBNCz9bsE/s400/117.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Now came time to go (wo)man versus machine. Since I was only sewing one line straight across the bottom, I did not use any pins, but feel free to pin the bottom closed to help guide you as you sew. Make sure you turn your shirt inside out before sewing. It will look nice and neat when you are all finished. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGneN1Qr7VZQcuSFVSHq6_PfqCcjspaePZOzONsVP6uwZZVvoxCorHNsjHXmsASfnRsv69pxlsltNZxpG0xg98w_WflfjN6MQv8yxp1YkUcksFLPbCbYs657vhOn9x1LCUgSwYSQa6I4/s1600/111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihGneN1Qr7VZQcuSFVSHq6_PfqCcjspaePZOzONsVP6uwZZVvoxCorHNsjHXmsASfnRsv69pxlsltNZxpG0xg98w_WflfjN6MQv8yxp1YkUcksFLPbCbYs657vhOn9x1LCUgSwYSQa6I4/s400/111.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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One line across is all it takes! Take your shirt, and pull the bottom through the neck hole to turn it right side out. I used my index finger to push out the corners, but you may feel inclined to use a more sophisticated tool like scissors or a pen...show-offs. </div>
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Here you go, the final product: </div>
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I made three bags of various sizes all using the same instructions. I used a Hard Rock Cafe shirt that I bought on my and Matt's Honeymoon in Gatlinburg. When I turned it inside out I saw it had a Hard Rock tag. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfxAF4GV5FrZz7bssmZDP72VaYl8OxOZFhlu_wWfVSP0Jb8AG0ItbHeOVTakq9OWMiCeTkWhrRv3YqOpiszzMniYk9yl3vny1-cvjB2QJdV5U8o1z7jLOuGVMXqtKsoCt7W4WgDoBO3A/s1600/122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEfxAF4GV5FrZz7bssmZDP72VaYl8OxOZFhlu_wWfVSP0Jb8AG0ItbHeOVTakq9OWMiCeTkWhrRv3YqOpiszzMniYk9yl3vny1-cvjB2QJdV5U8o1z7jLOuGVMXqtKsoCt7W4WgDoBO3A/s400/122.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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You know sometimes when you cut the tag out of a shirt it makes a hole in the seam? Well, I placed the tag on the inside of the shirt (when it was inside out), pinned it in place where that hole was. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6b3BfeN6m-Cv8apd4IkFz_99yqGCY41_I4KBY5Oun_JQCxmLnj-n_bzSSyermxoXw0kHMBjqRM7PZCJpjHvylIUaVbl9vE337gsCTJ5NgjFKeOef7I0xItPXdX-4vLJguqZnmIw2o7CM/s1600/125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6b3BfeN6m-Cv8apd4IkFz_99yqGCY41_I4KBY5Oun_JQCxmLnj-n_bzSSyermxoXw0kHMBjqRM7PZCJpjHvylIUaVbl9vE337gsCTJ5NgjFKeOef7I0xItPXdX-4vLJguqZnmIw2o7CM/s400/125.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I sewed the tag and the seam and when I turned the shirt inside out it looked like this:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBBDPkKviQHbuEULAIGchO2zniJWsDDmamke6IDaOYLtWkYqSWQ6v6RKJaw969NY2Vzpt3uHJZK2PoISp1Ouqv_PkF3ZrFPhdVimhurVK7nIPX_RoRQzH6YkABj8TlY56TnGXKCoqAX0/s1600/127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglBBDPkKviQHbuEULAIGchO2zniJWsDDmamke6IDaOYLtWkYqSWQ6v6RKJaw969NY2Vzpt3uHJZK2PoISp1Ouqv_PkF3ZrFPhdVimhurVK7nIPX_RoRQzH6YkABj8TlY56TnGXKCoqAX0/s400/127.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I think it turned out really cute and it made it a little more unique. Here are all three of my t-shirt bags:</div>
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I have already used them, and gotten compliments on them! I went shopping with my friend Lisa last week (at Ikea, where else) and the cashier was like, "are those t-shirts? What a clever idea, you are a genius!" Okay, maybe I exaggerated that a little but she did think it was a cool idea :) </div>
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Alright, it's your turn. Ever make anything that you pinned on Pinterest? Let me know, I'd love some more cool ideas! Happy Friday everyone!</div>
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</div>MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-49696228892141463652012-02-27T21:49:00.001-05:002012-02-27T22:02:15.196-05:00Frame wall and The HomiesSo, as you can read this post is all about the frame wall in the Master Bedroom and what I finally found to put in the frames! You can read all about the process of arranging the frames <a href="http://www.mmbakershouse.blogspot.com/2011/12/framing.html">here</a> but this is what I ended up with:<br />
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I was really happy with (and I still am) how the arrangement turned out. I only had one picture so far that I was committed to and the rest of the frames were empty. By the way, I've had lots of questions about where I bought the big "B" and I got it several years ago, probably 5-6, at Hobby Lobby. Since then initials have blown up so I am sure there are many many places that you can buy all the letters that your hearts desire.<br />
So here are the frames one by one: <br />
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First is a vintage postcard from the early 60's. In the fine print on the front it says, "let's go home, I'm exhausted." I thought it was really cute and also really reminiscent of how we feel after trips. Matt and I are constantly on the go and sometimes we get back needing a vacation more than before we left.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXwKyuMLNuilW3OvzJCuW0H6DXWARU1YQVUF6ASuSiVIhgdzrafbFKAgRUkj57U3Etm54xbvI3LxZjzJZeFu2rwbeRihORjd4b5GyJ3RdyqicxVvg37HwVzc37DFa9lWLopangpFUoZs/s1600/006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUXwKyuMLNuilW3OvzJCuW0H6DXWARU1YQVUF6ASuSiVIhgdzrafbFKAgRUkj57U3Etm54xbvI3LxZjzJZeFu2rwbeRihORjd4b5GyJ3RdyqicxVvg37HwVzc37DFa9lWLopangpFUoZs/s400/006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Underneath the postcard is a silouette. Don't laugh, but I tore this off of the front of a composition book. It's from Target (surprise, surprise) and it's when they had a line from John Derian last year. I LOVE office supplies and this line was so cute and vintage-y I bought several pieces. I loved this cover and the notebook is full and put away in a cute basket so I just tore off the front and framed it. I love it...enough said. Also, I am NOT a photographer and you will have to excuse the glare from the light fixture and any shadows you may see from here on out. <br />
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The next picture is very special and more than a little personal for us. Matt and I are were going to have a baby in July. July 3rd to be exact, but during a check up appointment it was found that our baby did not have a heartbeat. While it was incredibly difficult to deal with (still is), we find a lot of comfort knowing exactly who holds our daughter. This was given to us by one of our very sweet friends and is very precious to us. I also want to put out there that if anyone knows who this artist is I would love to know. </div>
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Okay, enough with the heavy, this next print is from <a href="http://lovelylittlesnippets.blogspot.com/2011/11/i-love-us-free-printable.html">Lovely Little Snippets</a>, and it is actually something that Matt and I say all the time. For example, when we are having a Harry Potter Weekend one of us might say, "I love us!" It comes out sometimes when we are at our sweetest, silliest, most fun.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RGkG5aEiWx_XhdRu5Dq0si_dn5aLWLBMPZDI1e9soEViP-jCcylHOEMOmDvN3PuWRHcuQL9ZjpGv2EA1S59WSxQNs_zc-kpQToZtQQwD8bSOoCspptXRcOqibpDZor7qfQOl0WpCWEY/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7RGkG5aEiWx_XhdRu5Dq0si_dn5aLWLBMPZDI1e9soEViP-jCcylHOEMOmDvN3PuWRHcuQL9ZjpGv2EA1S59WSxQNs_zc-kpQToZtQQwD8bSOoCspptXRcOqibpDZor7qfQOl0WpCWEY/s400/008.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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Here is a close up of the "B":</div>
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Last, but not least, this next print from Making it Lovely will have you singing (I'm so sorry). I love this print, this song and how it helps me remember to take things as they come:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguy-AM0OXNsnk3A4D0Ws-WM3nxL134rcto4rDbFTQw9chV1e1s0yxfQ3zHDARknglIcEoNupEPFqAuos7W1JJhmFy93FyJfnV9wW6BephKMQtPVLTwPTWf5jmTGXTGI9WMAlOP9fjSwGI/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguy-AM0OXNsnk3A4D0Ws-WM3nxL134rcto4rDbFTQw9chV1e1s0yxfQ3zHDARknglIcEoNupEPFqAuos7W1JJhmFy93FyJfnV9wW6BephKMQtPVLTwPTWf5jmTGXTGI9WMAlOP9fjSwGI/s320/009.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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For the fun of it....</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/xZbKHDPPrrc?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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Now that Que Sera is stuck in your head for the rest of the day (you're welcome) I wanted to say thank you for all of the sweet comments about the blog and about Matt and myself. I have a lot of fun writing and sharing our home with everyone. Have a wonderful Monday (is that possible)!</div>
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P.S. Baker's House is nominated for Best DIY Blog on Apartment Therapy for a "Homie." Follow the link <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/best-diy-blog-nominations-the-homies-2012-166618">here</a>, scroll down to the bottom of the nominees, log-in or sign up if you aren't already registered with them (it's three steps by the way...so easy) and vote for us. </div>MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-29642078405433343512012-02-24T20:00:00.000-05:002012-02-24T20:00:21.310-05:00Cleaning out my closetI don't know about you but we <strong><u>NEVER</u></strong> have enough storage. Our home has 6 closets, which sounds reasonable, but somehow we have filled them all and I am still scrambling for storage. I've always tried to be a good steward of our storage spaces but upon recent inventory I have somehow fallen short...waaaaay short. In addition to the closets, I have stocked our house with handy pieces (3 armoires, a buffet and hutch in the dining room, etc.) that have two functions: whatever and storage. Okay, maybe that doesn't make sense, but take our T.V. "console" for example, it holds the T.V. and has 6 drawers for me to fill with junk. It is an old desk what was used as a receptionists desk at a local municipal court building which I love. Yes, that is Grey's Anatomy on the T.V. <br />
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Basically, we have a lot of stuff that I have tried to fit into small creative spaces. That being said, I have been wanting to condense even more and really pair down to things we use and need as opposed to things we have not looked at in years and think we <em>might</em> need one day. <br />
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Meet our hall closet...<br />
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It is a measly 24 inches wide and 20 inches deep. It is a standard 7ft tall door, but it is skinny, skinny and not very deep. It certainly was not maximized to the best potential see...<br />
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I hated getting in this closet. I almost always knocked over a roll of wrapping paper or got tangled in one of the four dog leashes we had hanging up (that we do not use...) while trying to get something. I was over it and decided to start my purging this with this closet. I immediately started sorting into piles. A keep pile, a donate pile, and a garbage pile. <br />
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I ended up with one garbage bag full to donate and one grocery size sack full of garbage. I was sort of on a roll and didn't get a picture of the completely empty closet...sorry. Next, I had to figure out what I was going to do with all of those rolls of wrapping paper. I had gotten several ideas from Pinterest and other blogs and decided that I would attach a basket to the door to hold everything. I had the perfect wooden box for the job. It has three sections and is pretty sturdy so I thought that it would hold the weight well. I started by drilling three holes in the back...<br />
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I couldn't get a picture while I was drilling the pilot holes in the door and attaching the box to the door, it was a little tricky...so tricky in fact that Matt had to help me! I was really trying to do everything myself this time, but I ended up needing a few extra hands in holding the box in place and screwing it to the door. I also could not get a picture of the wrapping paper falling all over the place because I was trying to hold them all together. I needed to attach something to the top to wrangle the tubes. Matt attached two hooks to the door and I tied a pretty ribbon across them...viola!<br />
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Here is a shot with the items that survived the purge. I used boxes and baskets that I had on hand. They all ended up white for the most part which was freaky and unplanned! It works though. On the top shelf is a basket of yarn, string and ribbon. The large two white boxes have an assortment of table cloths, runners, and placemats along with fabric remnants for future craft projects. The second shelf also holds extra tea-light candles, and my sewing kit. </div>
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<br />So there is my first step in organzing and purging all our unwanted/not needed items. What about you? Any deep cleaning or organzing going on this weekend? Happy Friday!<br />MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-47913864646680656392012-02-16T20:52:00.001-05:002012-02-16T20:52:25.246-05:00The Sports Room<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
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<a href="http://www.polyvore.com/sports_room/set?.embedder=3283740&.svc=blogger&id=43716516" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Sports Room" border="0" force="1" src="http://embed.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/cid/43716516/id/NNPfUjn0QPO1DfyGL6-IYA/size/y.jpg" title="Sports Room" /></a></div>
Behold, the Sports Room. You may be wondering...what is it? The Sports Room has the same function as a man cave, so you get the general idea as to why we have it. Another reason is that Matt is obsessed with sports. Crazy for sports...some of you can probably relate and are either obsessed yourself or have a family member with the illness. While it is a completely foreign concept to me, I love my man and therefore he gets an entire room devoted to his love of athletics. <br />
<small><span style="font-size: small;">The problem with the Sports Room now is the fact that it looks like a college dorm. No offense to anyone living in a dorm, but you understand what I am saying. You know, the mismatch furniture that is either "found" or was a hand-me-down from upperclassmen or your siblings. Instead of frames on the walls there are posters taped up. In addition to the posters, Matt is a collector of "things." A lot of it is sports memorabilia: signed jerseys, footballs, basketballs, etc, but also it includes an innumerate amount of bobble heads, baseball cards, and pennants. </span></small><br />
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<small><span style="font-size: small;">My thought is that with the rest of the house coming together and looking a little more "grown up" we want the Sports Room to fit in with the over all feel. So here is the number break down...</span></small><br />
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<small><span style="font-size: small;">1. Two words: Sofa Bed. We gifted our guest room bed and are hoping to turn our guest room into a nursery in the near future, so our family and friends will need somewhere to stay when they visit. I'm not crazy enough to put guests in the same room as a baby, so the Sports Room will need to function part-time as a guest room. This particular model is from Ikea and comes with a full/queen mattress. It's a good size and our guests will not be too cramped on it. </span></small><br />
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<small><span style="font-size: small;">2. A low profile television console and a very large television. The console is small enough for the space and has clean simple lines. As for the TV, Matt wants a flat screen in the Sports Room more than anything, but I am holding out until the current television dies. It's not happening soon enough for Matt and he's threatening to pour water down the back of it. He's desperate. </span></small><br />
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<small><span style="font-size: small;">3. Paint colors! I love the taupey-grey hues on either side of the picture, and the dark blue for accessories. </span></small><br />
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<small><span style="font-size: small;">4. Side table. I loved this side table, and it reminded me of the modern touches that Matt wants in the room. His design aesthetic is "leather, steel, and pointy edges." That is exactly what he says. </span></small><br />
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<small><span style="font-size: small;">5. Nice sports memorabilia. and accessories. Matt has some great pieces that are signed and deserve to be on display. I am looking for nice display boxes for them as well as frames for his jerseys to go in. Also, Matt hunts (boo, I know) but as an alternative to an actual animal head, Z Gallerie has a plaster cast substitute that I think is pretty cute.</span></small><br />
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<small><span style="font-size: small;">So, there you have it! That is the new Sports Room. Now I have to start cleaning, organizing, shopping, and getting ready to switch things up. </span></small></div>MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-72754017100944235212012-02-12T15:11:00.000-05:002012-02-13T16:31:08.748-05:00T-shirts, Shmeshirts...Matt LOVES t-shirts, see...<br />
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He does not discriminate either. Whether it is a t-shirt he picks out himself from a merch table at a concert, or one that comes free with a credit card application (this happened at a Reds game, he applied just for the shirt!), he loves it just the same. Why am I telling you this? Because his love of t-shirts is so strong that he never wants to get rid of them. They can be riddled with holes and he is just as happy to wear them as when the shirt was brand new. Early on in our marriage I threw out an old t-shirt three times. The same shirt. I thought I was going crazy and that I just thought about getting rid of the shirt. No, Matt had dug it out of the trash each time. By the way, he STILL has that shirt, almost seven years later. It now serves as a sleevless undershirt. <br />
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So what is a girl to do? Let my hubs go along wearing ratty shirts, or throw them away and break his cotton t-shirt loving heart? Neither! I sneakily started hoarding Matt's favorite shirts that were well beyond their wear and was planning a craft for them. I have seen so many t-shirt quilts (<a href="http://blog.tshirt-factory.com/recondition-your-old-sentimental-t-shirts.html">like this one</a>) that I had pretty well decided on that as a gift for him. I was going to need a lot of t-shirts and I was okay with that as he has many to spare. Also great was the fact that Matt didn't seem to be missing the shirts that I was putting aside, bonus! It looked like my surprise was going to work! Then I had an idea...(an awful idea, a wonderful awful idea, sorry...I love the Grinch). I would frame some of the shirts instead. <br />
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I was looking for something to group with this canvas in our master.<br />
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I picked it up from Kirkland's for something like $3. Matt loves architecture almost as much as t-shirts, so this seemed perfect for him. The canvas stood alone for months and after I finished the <a href="http://www.mmbakershouse.blogspot.com/2011/12/framing.html">frame wall</a> on the other side of the room I was dying to add something for balance on Matt's side. The t-shirts proved to be just the ticket. I had some black frames on hand and along with the t-shirts, this craft technically cost me nothing. There are not a lot of steps to this project...<br />
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1. I started out with empty frames<br />
2. Then I cut out the logos I wanted to frame<br />
3. I arranged them in the frame (which takes me foooorrrrreeeeeeeevvvveeerrrr. It always looks straight and then I put the back of the frame on and it's crooked).<br />
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And here you go...<br />
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He loves them! These two shirts have a special meaning for Matt which is why I saved them from being rags. The top picture is a shirt from the concert he went to for his bachelor party a few days before we got married. He and a bunch of guys piled in his car and went to see one of his favorite bands, The Ataris. The bottom picture is a shirt he picked up at Wal-mart while we were visiting his grandparents in Kentucky. Where his grandparents live there used to be a Wal-mart and that was all, so you if you needed anything while visiting that is where you went. He thought the shirt was so cool and bought it just so he would have a piece of his grandparents here in Ohio. <br />
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I'd love to hear what you all think! We love them, and the idea that we can switch out shirts or prints for a different look or be "themey" if I want. <br />
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Happy Sunday!MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-23329492426082835922012-02-04T13:58:00.001-05:002012-02-06T09:29:32.103-05:00Casper the Friendly Ghost Chair<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif; text-align: left;">So, no sooner than I posted about the <a href="http://www.mmbakershouse.blogspot.com/2012/01/dining-room-dream.html">dining room makeover </a>did I stumble upon this ad on craigslist: (Please forgive my terrible iphone picture of the computer screen)</span><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Two Ghost Chairs! <span style="text-align: left;">I love Ghost Chairs. There, I said it. I have been admiring them for months and considered purchasing chairs like them (knock-offs if you will) due to their price. </span><span style="text-align: left;">What is a Ghost Chair, you may ask? </span><span style="text-align: left;">Well...as <a href="http://blog.interiorexpress.com/2010/05/what-is-ghost-chair.html">Interior Express</a> states: </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;">The </span>ghost chair<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20px; text-align: left;"> was designed in the early years of this century by Philippe Stark, one of the most prolific designers of the modern age. Made of polycarbonate, the chairs come in a variety of styles and colors that will appeal to any taste. Injection-molded, they are constructed in a single piece, flowing from the designer’s imagination through technology and into reality. They lend an air of lightness to a room, never impeding the view of more important focal points like picture windows or fireplaces. "Real" Ghost chairs will not have any seams where several pieces are glued/screwed together. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I was so excited that I emailed the seller right away! Sadly, she emailed me back saying that someone was already coming to look at (and probably buy) the chairs. Picture me doing this...</span><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"> After I dried my tears, I saw that the owner emailed me back and not only did that person not buy them, they didn't even show up! I mean how could they stand up these chairs...they're so preeeh-taaay.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Also, you may have noticed the price for TWO chairs was $100. I know that may seem like a lot, but consider this: THESE CHAIRS ARE $400 EACH RETAIL. Sorry, I had to yell, it's exciting. So 2 chairs = $50 a piece which = a $350 savings each. Basically, chairs + me = Happy! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">So this afternoon Matt and I drove out to Oxford (bonus, we got to go through Miami, our Alma Mater) to get the chairs. Barring some sort of major deformity, I was coming home with these chairs so we drove the truck. I wanted Matt to go with me for safety (hello, Craigslist Killer anyone?) and so we could get lunch in "our" town. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">We met Ginny the owner at her beautiful home to pick them up. They had a more traditional (BEAUTIFUL) home and didn't think that the chairs went in the space any longer (lucky me). We looked the chairs over for a milli-second and saw that there were no seams and the Louis Ghost Chair and Stark stamp on the back. SOLD! We paid for the chairs and left. I was perma-smiling of course, and Matt was laughing at me the whole way home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">When we got them in the house Matt immediately started looking them over to figure out how they "work." Matt says, "they look like that have two main plates with a slide to form the arms working together to make one seemless piece." He also said that he could tell that by the "parting lines" which are teeny tiny barely visible lines where the metal comes together but doesn't leave a perfectly flush service. The Hubbs used to work in injection molding design, so he has some expertise. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">Here they are in the house....sigh....</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oAe1apVmd-EMfEKJGa2zVO0dcGbr244SDlPo4ua1CHj9w6giwGZVD346qXBdhx-SvZOOjh5-ZVgxbvNyZJ72y4eqUwEToE_EDz3vyDO3LojsQWTkb-Zmu2qWmFBucQu_89lk8Xr52mw/s1600/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1oAe1apVmd-EMfEKJGa2zVO0dcGbr244SDlPo4ua1CHj9w6giwGZVD346qXBdhx-SvZOOjh5-ZVgxbvNyZJ72y4eqUwEToE_EDz3vyDO3LojsQWTkb-Zmu2qWmFBucQu_89lk8Xr52mw/s320/005.JPG" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">I just love how they mix with the traditional pieces that we already have, and I am excited to add new modern touches to make them "feel" at home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;">That's my Saturday morning for you, what did you guys do? Any other acrylic chair shoppers out there? Any furniture buying going on at all today? Happy Saturday!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">*Casper the friendly ghost image from silverscreenclassics.com, Tantrum video from Youtube. </span>MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-63080175471221543922012-01-31T19:56:00.001-05:002012-01-31T19:56:43.405-05:00Dining room dream<div xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">
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<img alt="Dining Room" border="0" force="1" height="600" src="http://embed.polyvoreimg.com/cgi/img-set/cid/42955064/id/UtSfwsgvTYelI4E6NMWkyA/size/y.jpg" title="Dining Room" width="600" /></div>
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Behold...the hopes for our dining room! I do not have experience putting together mood boards for rooms, but with several comments from friends about wanting to know how I put rooms together, I whipped this up. This is basically a mock up of images that float around in my mind of what I want for the dining room. First, I want to say that I try to decorate any room spending as little money as possible, it's kind of a game to see how small of an amount we can spend on any given room or project. Secondly, I almost always have something on hand, and rarely ever have to start from scratch. Take the dining room for example: we already have the dining room table, a side board, hutch and the shelving (#5). Speaking of numbers, allow me to break down the picture for you...</div>
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#1: represents the camel paint color already on the walls in the dining room. </div>
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#2: these are the two types of chairs that I am wanting for the dining room. The amazingly awesome completely clear chairs are called Ghost Chairs. They are made entirely of acrylic which makes them modern, but their traditional shape make them oh so adorable to me. The white chairs are from Ikea that I want (4 please) to go with the Ghost Chairs. </div>
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#3: These are white Ribba frames from Ikea. I have a lot of pictures and prints that I want to display on the the floating shelves. I like the idea of the frames all being the same and letting the pictures be the "star." </div>
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#4: This is the color palette that I am decorating with. A sort of cornflower blue, bright green, and grayish brown. Oh, and white...of course.</div>
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#5: These are the floating Lack shelves from Ikea that we already have installed in the dining room. Don't let the picture fool you, the are over five feet long leaving us plenty of display place.</div>
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<small><span style="font-size: small;">#6: These are the fabulous prints that I want from Crate and Barrel...I love them...sigh. I am considering making something similiar, but I am hunting these two down (on clearance right now and I have a discount code from Crate and Barrel). </span></small></div>
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<small><span style="font-size: small;">Finally, #7: These are just representative of some of the accessories that I want for the space. I love the idea of filling hurricanes with strange items. Right now I have them filled with conversation hearts for valentines day with a candle in the middle (Matt keeps trying to eat them). I love the blue bottles, well any bottles for that matter. I think I've said before that I like to decorate with found, or non-traditional items. </span></small></div>
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<small><span style="font-size: small;">So, that's it. This is how I plan a room. I look at what the function of the space needs to be, look at what I have, and plan out what I need. Hope that helps!</span></small></div>
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<small><span style="font-size: small;">*Image from Polyvore - by Mary Baker</span></small></div>
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</small></div>MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-17430996056118176192012-01-22T12:43:00.000-05:002012-01-22T18:09:34.960-05:00Ding, dong, dead...We had a death in the household yesterday, may we have a moment of silence for our Dirt Devil vacuum cleaner (insert moment of silence here).<br />
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Okay, so let's say that I vacuum ALOT. Matt and I both have allergies and of course we have a giant, shedding (but lovely) dog. I wouldn't say that I vacuum everyday, but if my cleaning senses are tingling and the dog is particularly "sheddy" it has been known to happen. <br />
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Our poor vacuum has been heading down this road for a while....doesn't it look sad?<br />
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You may have noticed the yellow band at the end of the hose. That is tape...yes, shameful, I know. Before the tape there was super glue (in full disclosure) in an effort to keep the hose hooked to the base of the cleaner. The super glue failed and the "cap" started cracking even worse, so in came the tape.<br />
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Everything was working really well the last few days but then an unfortunate smoking situation happened while I was using it yesterday, so we had to go shopping. <br />
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I've been purusing vacuum cleaners for a while (I had a feeling it would kick the bucket soon) so I had a good idea of what I wanted. <br />
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<li>Something light</li>
<li>lots of attachments to clean in nooks and crannies</li>
<li>Something with filters</li>
<li>Bagless (I hate having to run to the store to pick up more bags)</li>
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So I hit the pavement (or Google) and started searching. Of course, the first thing that came up that met my criteria was this...<br />
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This is the Dyson Animal. It would easily fulfill all of our vacuuming wants and needs. It is light weight, bagless, has filters, and built-in attachments for easy cleaning. Something I really liked is that it is certified to have an anti-allergen seal. Very handy in our house. Everything looked great until the $599.99 price tag hit me in the face. I mean, come on...and with our <a href="http://mmbakershouse.blogspot.com/2011/12/thank-you-santa.html">middle of the road buying technique</a>, this is a top of the line price, that we were simply not going to pay. <br />
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On the complete opposite end of spectrum was this Bissell:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4efq338Kxcq2fgKqqT-cabtlXNdxjb7tzyiEQlgpVfZv73AXfClbEEA_ms-UveVREanl290EgcA2QYiQwdQwabE7E1fhkYJD7uCuJZ0sLmuDwIoskgUjZdsNZkph91KHaXH-6KnCm3o4/s1600/Bissell-CleanView-Helix-21k3-300x266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4efq338Kxcq2fgKqqT-cabtlXNdxjb7tzyiEQlgpVfZv73AXfClbEEA_ms-UveVREanl290EgcA2QYiQwdQwabE7E1fhkYJD7uCuJZ0sLmuDwIoskgUjZdsNZkph91KHaXH-6KnCm3o4/s1600/Bissell-CleanView-Helix-21k3-300x266.jpg" /></a></div>
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It's the Bissell Cleanview Helix, and it cost around $75.00. It has most everything that we wanted, but it is a little bulky and we had something very similiar to it in the past (before the Dirt Devil). It worked for a little while, but started leaving more on the carpet than it was picking up, so I was hesitant to buy something like it again. <br />
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So far, I wasn't sold on anything and then I found The Shark. I think it came up while I jokingly typed "cheap dyson," into Google. The Shark is something that you have probably seen in an infomerical. I was a little skeptical, so I searched for product reviews and found that it was ranked the #1 affordable vacuum in 2011 and #2 all around vacuum cleaner, 2nd only to the Dyson! Also, there were a thousand videos on youtube with real people using their Shark for the first time and being amazed by it. I watched three of the videos (nerd alert, I know) and decided this is the vacuum cleaner for us. <br />
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Irony of all ironies, it was on sale at Target. I go there... a lot. I remembered it was on sale, but what I didn't see was the $20 giftcard with purchase. The Shark was 179.99, but with the $20 giftcard, it was $159.99. A great middle of the road price that we were comfortable with and something that (hopefully) works! An added bonus to all the criteria that I wanted, The Shark is Anti-Allergen also!<br />
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Oh, by the way, it works! I had just vacuumed before we left. Our Christmas tree sheds a lot, and since I had just taken it down (leave me alone) I needed to clean up after it. This is what came out of the carpet, after I had just vacuumed the same day, from one room...</div>
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Amazing, and disgusting at the same time. It is safe to say that I am vacuuming everything in the house. I cannot believe how much it picked up, how easy it is to use...I could go on all day. As Buddy the Elf would say, "I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it!" <br />
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So there you have it. Does anybody else have a Shark and just love it? Did you do any recent searches and product comparisons? Let me know!<br />
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**Dyson and Bissell images from Target.com.MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-86234274242310185672012-01-16T19:00:00.000-05:002012-01-16T19:07:19.791-05:00FramingFrames are the name of the game today. This project was not on my list (<a href="http://mmbakershouse.blogspot.com/2011/12/changes-around-bakers-house.html">here</a>) but is something that I have wanted to to do for a while now. In the last year our Master bedroom has undergone a huge transformation. We did not knock down walls or anything quite that dramatic, but it went from a white box with no personality to paint on the walls, matching bedding, furniture...etc. <br />
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The walls are Secret Passage from Olympic Paint (Satin, NO-VOC). Not a huge game changer from the white, but the paint makes the room feel a lot more special to us. When we first got married we bought a chest of drawers, the four poster bed and a side table all in black. The two armoires you see (you'll see the other in a minute) were painted black to match (Black Magic, Olympic Paint) and the smaller bedside table was purchased in the same color. If the exercise bike assaults your senses...we are oh so sorry! We actually like the bike where it is and if it's good enough for my gal Bethenny Frankel, it's good enough for me. I bought new bedding, curtains and rugs for the room and stopped there. I never knew what to hang on the walls before I painted and I was stuck again. Frame collages have been popping up all over the place on Pinterest and other DIY blogs that I love, so I thought that I would give it a go.<br />
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I started by laying the frames out on the floor...</div>
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Sorry for the bad
picture, my iphone was handy so, there you go. My careful planning ended
there. I am far too impatient to measure everything out and ended up
with a few extra holes in the wall than I intended. Matt laughed at me a
little, but I am quite handy with spackle and paint, so it's okay.
This is how the frames ended up on the wall... <br />
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While at <strike>the Holy Land</strike> Ikea I picked up all of the small white frames that you see. They were $1.99 each, for the two beveled frames and $4.99 for the other frame that can double as a shadow box. The two larger silver frames are from Target. Normally those frames would start at $9.99-14.99 depending on the size. I don't have the receipt in front of me, but I paid around $12 for the pair as they were on clearance. I did not mind that they were silver because I was considering painting them. I am leaving them silver though because of the subtle metallic "thing" that I am going for here. It also ties in my sweet antique mirror which you can read more about <a href="http://www.mmbakershouse.blogspot.com/2012/01/quick-change-mirror-image.html">here</a>.<br />
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You will notice that there isn't art in any of the frames yet, but one step at a time I say. I am having a hard time finding something that I "love." That may take a while, but for now, we are enjoying just the frames! I know that sounds crazy, but they make me smile when I see them...I love our home, what can I say (besides thank you, thank you, thank you, Jesus.) </div>
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*Paisley bedding is Liberty of London, curtains are Target Home, as well as the black lattice mirror. The gray rugs (on either side of the bed) are from ikea along with the light fixture. Any other items were thrifted, bought at garage sales or hand-me-downs.MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-33940471408882772502012-01-05T19:27:00.001-05:002012-01-07T22:17:00.193-05:00Quick Change: Mirror ImageHey everyone! We had a quick change in the master bedroom recently that I thought I would share with you! Our bed is a queen size canopy bed that can be converted into a four poster bed with the removal of the canopy pieces. A few months ago we removed the slats to make it a four poster bed. Once those were removed, the space above the headboard was much larger and needed "something." <br />
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While at Ikea (of course) Matt and I picked up two large white frames that I thought were the right size for our room. I had a harder time finding prints that I liked to go in the frames and half heartedly added some green wrapping paper into the frames as place holders. It ended up looking like this...<br />
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I didn't love it, I have to admit, but I liked it enough to leave it until I found something better, which I did! While garage-saling (yes that is a word) I spotted this gorgeous antique mirror at a friend's sale. I loved it, but Matt wasn't so sold and I was short on money (after shopping all day) so we passed and grabbed some other things. Weeks later at my sweet friend Jenny's house she said she still had the mirror and would GIVE IT to us if we wanted it because she wanted it gone. Matt couldn't argue with free so we snatched it up and brought it home. It hung in the garage for a little while until I decided where it would go. I wanted to hang it in a nursery, but I am sadly not pregnant so it got bumped to the big show...the master bedroom. Here is the mirror in its new home...</div>
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I LOVE IT! Matt did not know if the mirror would "go" with the room, but agrees that its antiquey goodness mixes well with our newer pieces. We hope that you like it as much as we do. Happy Thursday!</div>
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</div>MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-72909185761731395742011-12-27T13:35:00.000-05:002012-01-07T22:17:37.650-05:00Thank you Santa!I hope that everyone had a Merry Christmas, we sure did! I am happy to say that Santa brought us more than we deserved and also that he reads this blog and brought us some new tools for our DIY projects (note: Santa = Me and Matt). <br />
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While Santa brought me beautiful jewelry and an entire store of Bath and Body Works, Santa brought Matt some things to help cross to-do's off of our list.<br />
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On the left is a Black and Decker sander with "Smart Select Technology." That is a fancy term for the fact that you can change out the base for different jobs depending on what you need to sand. It was $59.97 at Lowe's. That was a pretty middle of the road price. We do take price into consideration when purchasing items for our home (we aren't millionaires) and it usually ends up with a process of looking at what our dream item would be, looking at what we think is a cheap aka bad quality that we are going to have to replace, and end up with a middle of the road "good quality item," as cousin Eddy would say. <br />
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The other item is a book (shocking I know) from Popular Mechanics on trim carpentry. I was purusing through the local Half Price Books store looking for carving books for my grandpa (they do not exist by the way) and found this handy little number. Matt has been dreading fixing the trim in our laundry room because he is not an expert on trim work. Hopefully, this will help! The best part is that the book was way less than half the list price on the book ($19.95) and I scooped it up for $5.97...score!<br />
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Well, what about you? Did Santa bring you everything you wanted? Did he bring something to fix up your home? Let me know! MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-18876416661331988672011-12-23T12:16:00.000-05:002012-01-07T22:18:07.521-05:00Changes around Baker's HouseOh my, how time flies. Matt and I hope that everyone is gearing up for a wonderful Christmas with your families and loved ones. I have many projects scheduled to share with you all and I am excited to get started working again around the house. The New Year promises a fresh beginning and also lots of changes around our home.<br />
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Just a list of things that I want to accomplish this year...<br />
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- Upgrade the master bath to match our master bedroom<br />
- Switch the "sports room" and our guest room <br />
- Updgrade the decor in the sports room<br />
- Paint and decorate the guestroom<br />
- Paint the laundry room<br />
- Install new trim in laundry room (Marypoppins destroyed it as a puppy)<br />
- Refinish the dresser in the guestroom<br />
- Re-paint the coffee table<br />
- Clean and stain the fence in the backyard<br />
- Freshen up the paint on the outdoor trim<br />
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Looking around, this is all that I can think of right now! This is a list of the major things that we will be working on, but this does not include all the quick changes that might happen and the little changes in accessories that make our house, our home. <br />
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Thank you for reading! <br />
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Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year!<br />
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- Matt and MaryMaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-67615712597270251292011-11-01T15:15:00.000-04:002012-07-07T00:54:56.186-04:00Wooden Pallet Art...So, as I have mentioned at least twice in previous posts, I love <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/">Pinterest</a>, and get a lot of ideas from my virtual boards. It's not just home decor that I have gotten inspiration from Pinterest, but also crafts, recipes, fashion ideas etc. After pinning ideas for sometime, I decided I needed to get started on some of these projects. <br />
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My first major project that was inspired by pinterest were the drop cloth curtains that Matt and I made for our living room which you can see <a href="http://mmbakershouse.blogspot.com/2011/10/curtains-curtains-curtains.html">here</a>. This next project is in the living room too. I wanted to turn the pile of pallets into some great art for the living room.<br />
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We have this great expanse of wall behind the TV in the living room. I've always had a difficult time filling. Most things that I choose are too small and and make the room look unfinished. For a long time, I had a ladder hanging on the wall, which I loved that you can <strike>kind of </strike> see in this old picture. <br />
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I've been thinking of something to update the focal wall in the living room, and I started pinning pallets. I seem to have an affinity for decorating with industrial objects. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg464cirUmMC8EyucAzimJf0W6J5W8i1Pr8VhaQRAMasTMbgNDdibFWKfgRFgwl6GxdZIW5QBNfhAc93cwwUsedKPyufhJgyE9YlkwAdIlk3m7W0Ke93Cv1iLJNpvO8A75Wu4laWM4nOW8/s1600/p2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg464cirUmMC8EyucAzimJf0W6J5W8i1Pr8VhaQRAMasTMbgNDdibFWKfgRFgwl6GxdZIW5QBNfhAc93cwwUsedKPyufhJgyE9YlkwAdIlk3m7W0Ke93Cv1iLJNpvO8A75Wu4laWM4nOW8/s320/p2.jpg" width="238" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3cjqkdJPUKDikgm6LgDi8pqYd9jL2-HaO9U2Gjx2cYLYJfJ8f1na8-LUq2g8XfOr_mKPIhLPki8rL-LFbIQdzaBKMoR8qPW6FI66eTNvbM198lu7e6-Q7lFgT_gx2KsAdczUgdzMhYM/s1600/p1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY3cjqkdJPUKDikgm6LgDi8pqYd9jL2-HaO9U2Gjx2cYLYJfJ8f1na8-LUq2g8XfOr_mKPIhLPki8rL-LFbIQdzaBKMoR8qPW6FI66eTNvbM198lu7e6-Q7lFgT_gx2KsAdczUgdzMhYM/s320/p1.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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First, we had to find a pallet. Matt was going to check at work, but one day at an electric store down the road from our house, we hit the motherload. Middletown Electric frequently puts out used pallets and these huge wooden spools that they roll wire on and they are free for the taking. We could not find one pallet that was whole which also didn't look too new, so we grabbed two pallets of similiar shape and weathering and threw them in the back of the truck. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oBadjdfajHesFYatnP8XD9l-jGzJLDLYycbUkO1RPh5mHGULxs7tYN96hXLt-oJBFKeRO87Rp3kHdl0Xd_GyPPnUMk2h7RLSCphyphenhyphen9CCTU3RcidcDi9sUgVlk9SBxiFMyZDPGTlCiE24/s1600/177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-oBadjdfajHesFYatnP8XD9l-jGzJLDLYycbUkO1RPh5mHGULxs7tYN96hXLt-oJBFKeRO87Rp3kHdl0Xd_GyPPnUMk2h7RLSCphyphenhyphen9CCTU3RcidcDi9sUgVlk9SBxiFMyZDPGTlCiE24/s400/177.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With a little elbow grease, Matt was able to remove an extra slat from <br />
the pallet we were not using and...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">he removed the broken slats from the pallet <br />
that I wanted to hang on the wall...<br />
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Here is it, looking as good as new after adding the new slat to it!<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Matt used four #8-10 screws and the #8-10 anchors to hang it on the wall. He estimates that they hold 50lbs each and since the pallet did not weigh 200lbs he thought it would be well supported. Sorry I do not have pictures of the hanging process...hubby does not like heights and let's just say he wasn't agreeable to a photo-op while standing on a ladder trying to hang a 100lb pallet on the wall for his crazy wife! Here is what it looks like hanging on the wall, without the picture frames inside. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WXLwKuZ-hkJQm_WDepHMQbLvnG9Moby2X1xPSXCAvMaW9Mq0pqNpSeT1s43lNnKbASpU-PVKMmASxFwzVImJcCT0kQg8p1VFdcTtm98rEhRJp8ZYqPW5slRfXUyxH5hvjHUzA0E9qXo/s1600/p4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-WXLwKuZ-hkJQm_WDepHMQbLvnG9Moby2X1xPSXCAvMaW9Mq0pqNpSeT1s43lNnKbASpU-PVKMmASxFwzVImJcCT0kQg8p1VFdcTtm98rEhRJp8ZYqPW5slRfXUyxH5hvjHUzA0E9qXo/s400/p4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Yeah, I thought since it wasn't hanging in the kitchen or dining room, that plates or serving ware wouldn't be very appropriate unlike my inspiring pins. By the way, the prints on either side of the pallet are from Target (of course). I bought them over the summer. They were originally $45 a piece, but after watching them on clearance and checking at two different stores I was able to score both of them for $12.48 a piece! As for decorating the inside I decided on white frames. I had a few extra lying around the house and on a recent trip to Ikea I picked up a few more frames in varying sizes. I bought eight more frames for $20. Most of the smaller frames you will see cost $1.99, which I why I love Ikea so much! Here is the pallet from a few different angles...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBc1obr4KNQ4X25WnZKDsI-1j3WTXEm-Ximv71KGzRrAGFe77cBU8T3b5Fke0YrJXwRSK_MhXh2vXwIHJFffoeAWRNpCjX8gKdZkdHmEcnu8_MiPYeoG_oCyyqc0Gxc31cgSrZRXVJUrw/s1600/196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBc1obr4KNQ4X25WnZKDsI-1j3WTXEm-Ximv71KGzRrAGFe77cBU8T3b5Fke0YrJXwRSK_MhXh2vXwIHJFffoeAWRNpCjX8gKdZkdHmEcnu8_MiPYeoG_oCyyqc0Gxc31cgSrZRXVJUrw/s400/196.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ08F5kiUfuJjoIlDzgu9jQK2NdHhf4yR6SzqvrHAWr_ElvUZXvKm8-TGYQMQem0o64z1qJG_lK7w1H28YAYdyUW8gSOJcQWgDkeIb1xTXBKTWf3gyrIzrKxwpJAlVegvf3SKrZ4f_N50/s1600/197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ08F5kiUfuJjoIlDzgu9jQK2NdHhf4yR6SzqvrHAWr_ElvUZXvKm8-TGYQMQem0o64z1qJG_lK7w1H28YAYdyUW8gSOJcQWgDkeIb1xTXBKTWf3gyrIzrKxwpJAlVegvf3SKrZ4f_N50/s400/197.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">And here are some close ups...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS411A7E-mucAc-MDxKDoPfJTHewP3PX_F9XfhDnejFQY4gpj8YWcS6fzAxXAD2LVI-0oHtcKh2wVwswLipxQix7AneqdY0ejB5h4erSLiH1DZmHFdCuHqCOOPKkRCuITHSRDinExHt_E/s1600/192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS411A7E-mucAc-MDxKDoPfJTHewP3PX_F9XfhDnejFQY4gpj8YWcS6fzAxXAD2LVI-0oHtcKh2wVwswLipxQix7AneqdY0ejB5h4erSLiH1DZmHFdCuHqCOOPKkRCuITHSRDinExHt_E/s400/192.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Just a few details: the large prints on the sides from the pallet are from Target, as well as the largest white frame inside the pallet. The rest of the frames are from Ikea. From the left of the pallet starting at the top, is a cobalt blue glass bottle I had on hand from Ikea. Next I strung three skeleton keys from inside the shadow box frame. The black and white print is of the Brooklyn Bridge that I found in a clearance bin at our local grocery store.</span> <span style="font-size: small;">On the bottom is a quote from Harry Potter because I am <strike>obsessed</strike> a fan. The middle one is from an old calendar of Paris that I have, and finally the last is a print from Ikea. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">I love it, and I am happy that it is finished. Let me know what you think!</span></div>
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</tbody></table>MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-38693009224590422372011-10-21T20:52:00.000-04:002012-01-07T22:19:37.441-05:00Quick ChangeNot every project has to take 3 or 4 days, or even a weekend for that matter. This post proves that a change of accessories can be a quick fix to freshening up a space. In our entry way we put in the Hemnes shoe cabinet from Ikea seen <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/images/products/hemnes-shoe-cabinet-with--compartments__0105251_PE252353_S4.JPG">here</a>. It is a great solution to the shoe problem we <strike>have</strike> had, which is crazy because it's just us and the mountain of shoes is ridiculous... I digress... Anyway, I wanted to hang some art and accessories over the cabinet and this is how I did it.<br />
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Here is a close up picture:</div>
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This is the full length shot, which Marypoppins (our dog) had to make her blog debut! </div>
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I liked this look, but after a while it felt a little matchy-matchy and maybe too much yellow for me all the time. Plus, the "B" would always be crooked! Just laying around the house I had white frames and I thought that would be too much white and well...boring. So on one of my many trips to Target (I LOVE Target!) I picked up this little square number for under $5, $4.98 if you were wondering! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgweB-7c1-AXOj_nmw01ZgY7WqJF6TmNkeFOa8EYaN7nIagbUD0tYxaNDQHgf7yZ4KkP4TBC0o_MsEuo4XrpYPO8jODg_5mlW8JMEBgka6Pcc4-ptQMmcExUGPHGETr9ZpV6GMWHm7WAp8/s1600/photo5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgweB-7c1-AXOj_nmw01ZgY7WqJF6TmNkeFOa8EYaN7nIagbUD0tYxaNDQHgf7yZ4KkP4TBC0o_MsEuo4XrpYPO8jODg_5mlW8JMEBgka6Pcc4-ptQMmcExUGPHGETr9ZpV6GMWHm7WAp8/s320/photo5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It's really cute, a great pattern, and in my new obsession color: blue. I actually thought that I would hang it up in our bedroom, but it was too blue (our bedroom has aqua colors and saddly, it clashed). So, what did I do with it? </div>
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This:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWifxSEBOgJznP1q8XxGf-bCUr1QBDQZgdSPlnH-kPh_a3PsYV2x9jjYL84GftIPqFkWKUTnFu8Z0RlhiGoIBNYZhVI2Z1Bwjm9zuyli7OFCp7WNp0yDN6ZkN64Ds7nDD__HgAp34EbV0/s1600/photo4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWifxSEBOgJznP1q8XxGf-bCUr1QBDQZgdSPlnH-kPh_a3PsYV2x9jjYL84GftIPqFkWKUTnFu8Z0RlhiGoIBNYZhVI2Z1Bwjm9zuyli7OFCp7WNp0yDN6ZkN64Ds7nDD__HgAp34EbV0/s320/photo4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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And this...</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzMJ7mTKphOeLKyyBxSMhflfM2wp9GYAOO9Sx8eu4iyehB26JIXM-hszlrxmk_tWHcwALZD3bUm9Ajvm_nullbitIstVy0qdzaTXH1RcVVquFz66DmWwU2L0UBv8K8DoFUoQ3yjN8SHk/s1600/photo1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzMJ7mTKphOeLKyyBxSMhflfM2wp9GYAOO9Sx8eu4iyehB26JIXM-hszlrxmk_tWHcwALZD3bUm9Ajvm_nullbitIstVy0qdzaTXH1RcVVquFz66DmWwU2L0UBv8K8DoFUoQ3yjN8SHk/s320/photo1.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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I love it! It is just the right color and it broke up all the yellow we had going on previously. Let me know what you think!</div>
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P.S. Incase you were wondering, the yellow bowl, gold desk calendar and metal lunchbox were bought at a barn sale down the street (this guy has the best sales). The picture frame and blue art are both from Target, the shoe cabinet (as previously stated) and white ceramic pot are from Ikea. Also, you can get the art I have in my home from <a href="http://eighteen25.blogspot.com/2011/05/filler-print.html">this free printable website</a>. They have several different colors of this cute saying about who you share your home with. </div>
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</div>MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-30677254631246372242011-10-16T23:13:00.000-04:002012-01-07T22:20:04.967-05:00Curtains, Curtains, Curtains...I have been wanting to change the curtains in our living room for some time now. I have been slowly changing up the decor in our living room with more "inky" blues and the pale blue curtains were not cutting it anymore. I knew that I wanted to make a bigger statement, so definitely something with a pattern or color...or both! I did some scouting on my new favorite obsession Pinterest and I noticed a theme. See if you can guess...<br />
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/44014594/"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZjBp8Epr4c1J7vmUt4r8-9iLx5q8guvF5-IXnKi-WN5FPCJjCcD6MpsVRdzOPEGhAaklesp7CDOP5hzo5J6iBp7mziWOSNlEaqnune0Jm1tx-inHRBvAPRTFHupexX0cOhcHWHh1aU6g/s200/stripes2.jpg" width="139" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1gWiZagw4cBkYPVrPPKwP2aiejAoF-5FT7mlbVWKvfjJ_yWsUkK1kJF3w2dGnuNxSAoR8fmjyW36-of7zwhNQw_2MdlU7HOuXhb9nx_sScanr3xs0iIZon2zuQQ-VPk_U6O9vfpfOSk/s1600/stripes1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1gWiZagw4cBkYPVrPPKwP2aiejAoF-5FT7mlbVWKvfjJ_yWsUkK1kJF3w2dGnuNxSAoR8fmjyW36-of7zwhNQw_2MdlU7HOuXhb9nx_sScanr3xs0iIZon2zuQQ-VPk_U6O9vfpfOSk/s200/stripes1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/33431999/"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4SMiJ6yLKYr0ZZToakYedUmTMsklkXvQIjGTiqUAAeW4AXK2a1DPN7z1Q26a8i_ojnCQ4HvHgWj8jWw0RcRBfZ6bWGQ4s4gcH1mPEJ9GHfJR1GsPTprGxytoyOPlHORQ-vO3ryk5u9VI/s200/stripes3.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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If your guess was stripes...you were right. A few problems presented...Matt did not like them. Wah, wah, waaaaah. He said they reminded him of a lighthouse, and then that was all I could think of when I looked at them. Secondly, this type of curtain starts around $60 a panel, and I needed at least four panels. That is around $240. That is not bad, but it was more than I wanted to spend. So I started "googling" around and found this...</div>
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<img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2myJYzpkxlBQhEvEsbK6DzYJtIMeEB9aifHRpxXoUa7_SAhRn6qpMCmyWwWHDP0SCRonBUv3OlImt1ofAptopUYqUupAyWv3DzhOcwwXRqlTYol8SVK_LJE7OZlduPry5cMmzUFqAL8M/s320/painted-dropcloth-curtains+%25282%2529.jpg" width="320" /></div>
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Sorry that the picture is sideways :( I tried 100 ways to straighten it out and just couldn't. Anyway... these are painting drop cloths made into striped curtains! I found them <a href="http://www.housetweaking.com/2010/10/08/feature-friday-my-kids-bedroom/">here</a> on Dana Millers blog: House Tweaking. She gives a great tutorial that I followed to make the curtains. </div>
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I started out by heading over to Lowe's to get drop cloths and paint. I bought three drop cloth panels each 6' X 9' they were $12.48 a piece. What a steal compared to the $60 a panel that I was looking at paying before. Next, I choose the color and ended up with Admiral Blue Olympic, No-VOC interior paint, in eggshell. I bought a quart thinking that would be plenty for $9.98. That would be three curtain panels for under $50 ($47.42 to be exact)!</div>
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I needed Matt's help to measure out the spacing and make sure that the lines...lined up. I did not want them to be wonky! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTEPJ1VZmqSIPaOiNSATqRaO4CPggHB8AvDI90xCd2VFn-c5AtvDEgmK9gZopzO6swLRscsR0x2vnWKHtZP7RoKi9Q3BepvP7uaBe8RdTX1rSODkEJvrCgm7pobzaM4HwsNU34og1vXs/s1600/185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJTEPJ1VZmqSIPaOiNSATqRaO4CPggHB8AvDI90xCd2VFn-c5AtvDEgmK9gZopzO6swLRscsR0x2vnWKHtZP7RoKi9Q3BepvP7uaBe8RdTX1rSODkEJvrCgm7pobzaM4HwsNU34og1vXs/s320/185.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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They did line up perfectly, they only look crooked because they are not lined up together on the garage floor. I did not want them to be too dark so I opted for a alternating pattern with a big <strike>cream </strike>white space in the middle. Here is one of the three panels:</div>
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<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1W87LSYMizR6UzGKHsHYKsS7ggUVJS-5afWCz9i7DeFNwnTZJBvYUVoUcERAI2thZmRnkM4tkfzsgLYjw3FmDwHrWQ417i309vATlGYVxUIfEnAm_f6vfBwDi0I6N_QDAWBv18J7Px5Q/s320/192.JPG" width="239" /></div>
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Now didn't that look easy? It wasn't! This one panel took two hours of work. I promise that I am not a slow painter. First, lining up the frog tape for the stripes took a good amount of that time and two people. Once we had the lines straight, I had to start painting. Because it is fabric the paint soaked right in which meant lots of reloading the roller. I got one panel finished and had used 3/4 of the quart of paint that I purchased. I was finished for the day, but on Sunday I went back to Lowe's and bought a gallon of my paint to finish the last two panels (making the total for this project $71.90 with the addition of the extra gallon). By Wednesday they were finished and ready to hang. I am in love! Just one thing, I wanted to change out the curtain rod and clips that we had in the living room. The curtain rod was a textured white, and I purchased silver clips from Target a while back, but wanted a cohesive look for the next curtains. I chose Oil Rubbed Bronze spray paint by Rustoleum (which I had on hand). I laid everything out on paper bags. It took several light coats to achieve the look I wanted (oops, I forgot to take a shot of the curtain rods). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfON4u3o9jRXzF7LIk69-y5MegGlKKXqEap8wN9FvIPmay3-qRQTiAhQkN9oTj_QU-Qq5ipQRPgHiLNDhyphenhyphenDoUJlVag1cJj6mAnhP0LXCaA2472lPymTJusg25LV72e53nWk3_JZqV2QFU/s1600/184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfON4u3o9jRXzF7LIk69-y5MegGlKKXqEap8wN9FvIPmay3-qRQTiAhQkN9oTj_QU-Qq5ipQRPgHiLNDhyphenhyphenDoUJlVag1cJj6mAnhP0LXCaA2472lPymTJusg25LV72e53nWk3_JZqV2QFU/s200/184.JPG" width="149" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNsrERr1o65KcumsOzuITofZ2J3E8ibG7YQlyC26npEbRUSur-YriLBgMdYDB1UoyOZQsDf1bbcada1pj-nxlyv-uQ0ksZML77sGZ7zmzwpy8knGomSW56aIkjKoy6oWMsxY6dYBWuMo/s1600/182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNsrERr1o65KcumsOzuITofZ2J3E8ibG7YQlyC26npEbRUSur-YriLBgMdYDB1UoyOZQsDf1bbcada1pj-nxlyv-uQ0ksZML77sGZ7zmzwpy8knGomSW56aIkjKoy6oWMsxY6dYBWuMo/s200/182.JPG" width="149" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1h8uyG8STpbMvu-WX_uEULET-tQPQi3n2n_oN1FBCtGTVHoQD3CMDTIwcpJo8DZX4gGKJE1F3KUnIP-2wxmtDQkLTv4A73D2Sqmmi9WQhbSVvmsBwGTQaSRgmGK-u370PghSlgDkGZtU/s1600/183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1h8uyG8STpbMvu-WX_uEULET-tQPQi3n2n_oN1FBCtGTVHoQD3CMDTIwcpJo8DZX4gGKJE1F3KUnIP-2wxmtDQkLTv4A73D2Sqmmi9WQhbSVvmsBwGTQaSRgmGK-u370PghSlgDkGZtU/s200/183.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
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Anyway, all that being said, I am in love with them, and here is the before and after you have been waiting for...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8oF_IiPQqX615yrC457YS_sU0sbSACgq85KWKzsnuRJBZCnJI1U0hpJ3YjNn_mEGOrtW_WUXSfQK6zMm0Jle5jB_JhzouVsf7Mp9bXq5NLUy8Tatm2_9qNJDjZPClXsw9GPioo-Z8C4M/s1600/171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8oF_IiPQqX615yrC457YS_sU0sbSACgq85KWKzsnuRJBZCnJI1U0hpJ3YjNn_mEGOrtW_WUXSfQK6zMm0Jle5jB_JhzouVsf7Mp9bXq5NLUy8Tatm2_9qNJDjZPClXsw9GPioo-Z8C4M/s320/171.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Before</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLa3HSjlDEXR7pVkUebGyzxsokXZFameY7in6FO2LUaIsh9eA4Gr6MO_BiwKa342JzSdKvN9wZb1zVujlSbU6RsKF6E_sQikJd18cP1-EHtJGJUqbo7sTCkUXXtaZzGFjJ7029j-xS-S8/s1600/194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLa3HSjlDEXR7pVkUebGyzxsokXZFameY7in6FO2LUaIsh9eA4Gr6MO_BiwKa342JzSdKvN9wZb1zVujlSbU6RsKF6E_sQikJd18cP1-EHtJGJUqbo7sTCkUXXtaZzGFjJ7029j-xS-S8/s320/194.JPG" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsseehFunvrVJKLvzBtVsrhbnGIBjfIk8yU34HEezS6Q3G8-LUQQA3U31122ap5y9UlGB4khDXGjj_Nvrfu7SDakS73krX7j-4rthSURHGDyRkHK0EwzxQMbqmETCCCK3t2DQ18jWOrk/s1600/195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhsseehFunvrVJKLvzBtVsrhbnGIBjfIk8yU34HEezS6Q3G8-LUQQA3U31122ap5y9UlGB4khDXGjj_Nvrfu7SDakS73krX7j-4rthSURHGDyRkHK0EwzxQMbqmETCCCK3t2DQ18jWOrk/s320/195.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Another after, sorry for the bad quality</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Let me know what you think!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">- Mary</span></div>
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</tbody></table>MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-80079198017916522972011-10-07T22:09:00.000-04:002011-10-07T22:09:24.528-04:00My husband and I purchased our home in 2005 just before we were married. We were new to being married and new to being homeowners...needless to say we had no idea what we were doing with anything! For the longest time (4 years!) our house was "builders white" with a mismatch of furniture. Sort of like this...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6oLpTfzrI4hkxHrBTb5US3ro_JKgQ1z9fiZRnTYxZnmb0cvWyUvAdLCQesLjXiMJAzI_tMJK8CUGN72ezyESdqfcO-B-FzYma3RgWbzEDx47vjXMtTVYbDPF4TFi6vE_7uq2tS_rBsM/s1600/147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6oLpTfzrI4hkxHrBTb5US3ro_JKgQ1z9fiZRnTYxZnmb0cvWyUvAdLCQesLjXiMJAzI_tMJK8CUGN72ezyESdqfcO-B-FzYma3RgWbzEDx47vjXMtTVYbDPF4TFi6vE_7uq2tS_rBsM/s320/147.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We had some nice pieces, like the 1930's deco buffet and china cabinent, but everything was in a wash of white and did not seem very cozy. It took some convincing of the hubby, but finally we decided to paint the majority of the interior in two tones of brown. They are camel and saddle, both purchased from Lowe's (Olympic, No-Voc Paint in Satin). Which you can see here. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwrKL0YfEyioZevDHs85kO93UFc8F6rnOtssigWpu1gMrD1dvZbbrGG4dWOFzXnEhu82uGL7P-0Jz1BsCSECO_wJ94HvgD5LUuESjGDoEmjzOsxy9LD_l5aXFHceGUH8rBrJXyHBK9VQ/s1600/172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwrKL0YfEyioZevDHs85kO93UFc8F6rnOtssigWpu1gMrD1dvZbbrGG4dWOFzXnEhu82uGL7P-0Jz1BsCSECO_wJ94HvgD5LUuESjGDoEmjzOsxy9LD_l5aXFHceGUH8rBrJXyHBK9VQ/s320/172.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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It definately warmed things up and gave us a neutral backdrop to use for when we want to inject color with furniture and accessories. I know that brown or beige can be boring but I love it (and with 15ft cathedral ceiliings and lots of weird angles, I would rather change out accessories and furniture than repaint the main section of our house ever again)! It took three days of work for my friend Melinda and I to paint my living room, dining room, and kitchen. I had to find colors that would blend throughout all the rooms and have a cohesive look as we have a newer model home with an open floor plan. I think that it has worked out really well for us so far...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8oF_IiPQqX615yrC457YS_sU0sbSACgq85KWKzsnuRJBZCnJI1U0hpJ3YjNn_mEGOrtW_WUXSfQK6zMm0Jle5jB_JhzouVsf7Mp9bXq5NLUy8Tatm2_9qNJDjZPClXsw9GPioo-Z8C4M/s1600/171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8oF_IiPQqX615yrC457YS_sU0sbSACgq85KWKzsnuRJBZCnJI1U0hpJ3YjNn_mEGOrtW_WUXSfQK6zMm0Jle5jB_JhzouVsf7Mp9bXq5NLUy8Tatm2_9qNJDjZPClXsw9GPioo-Z8C4M/s320/171.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have lots of updates to post already throughout the house and I look forward to sharing them with you! I hope to turn this blog into a diy home decor blog where we can work and learn about home decor and home life together. Thanks for stopping in to the Baker's House and you'll be hearing from me soon. <br />
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-MaryMaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8120558069602757686.post-90036981106106806062010-01-14T13:10:00.000-05:002011-10-07T21:30:41.841-04:00of Mary's WorldWelcome. You have entered my world. This blog is intended to be a about my home life and all that goes along with that. <br />
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My life is ever so ordinary and completely bizarre sometimes in the same day. You will adventure with me through being a wife and homemaker, while leading a full and sometimes crazy-filled life...<br />
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So, that being said:<br />
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Please lock all tray tables in the upright position, fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride.MaryAnnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12334278076394375365noreply@blogger.com0