Short and Sweet (not me the post silly)

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Good Morning

Sorry for the play on words but I couldn’t resist.

I just wanted to share a couple of quick budget buys that I have made and want to share because they are inexpensive but great products.

The first is from Target( Tarjeey)

RE Towels from Target $4.99

Room Essentials® Fast Dry Towel

These bath towels I bought as a quick attempt to inexpensively dress up my bathroom before company was coming over. At only $4.99 each for white towels just to hang and look pretty I thought to myself what the heck. They looked nice hanging in the bathroom until one of my teenage boys used the “for looks only towel” as a real one. So off to the washer and dryer it went. I thought to myself the perfection would be gone, but oh no I was completely wrong. It turned into this amazing soft fluffy towel. It absorbs water is super soft and dries out quickly. Plus usually once a month Target puts them on sale for $4. I am slowly getting rid of my old “wedding gift towels” and completing a set of white fluffy towels. They have lasted in the same condition for almost a year now. Why spend more on towels especially with teenage boys around???????

My second favorite inexpensive product right now is a beauty product. I don’t know about you but I think I have tried almost every mascara out there from $30-$6.99. Never finding complete perfection. But by golly I think I have found it. I am completely smitten I must say, every morning when I put in on little hearts flutter above my head as my lashes go from barely anything to long and pretty.

Falsies by Maybeline

Walmart sells it for $5.94 and I had a $1.00 off coupon. Take that Dior. When was the last time you spent $4.94 on a mascara and fell in love?

Have a great day! The sun is shining here in Napa Valley.

Amy

Life as a working winecountrymama

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Hi Everyone

No, I haven’t fallen off the face of the earth. I have been working hard on my PT and getting back to work at my day job as a hairstylist. I feel so much stronger and am loving working without the chronic shoulder pain. While it is so amazing seeing my clients and doing something that I love to do everyday again, I have to say it has been a challenge for me. I feel like my head is spinning all the time. I think I got used to being alone all day and now trying to still keep up the house, groceries, work, paperwork etc. is so much harder. I know it will get easier each day I am very thankful for that.  When I was reading one of my favorite blogs Centsationalgirl and saw her quote today it made me feel so much better!

Image

I put it immediately up as my screen saver. I need to remember this.

I am working on some DIY projects to share in the upcoming week, but first I am working on something else for you…….

My husband and I started a class called Financial Peace University it is a program developed by Dave Ramsey. It is a great program! We have been working on our budget, looking where we are and are not spending our money etc. So because my brain isn’t swimming enough already, I am trying to come up with ways to spend time with friends and family while maintaining  our (low for now) entertaining budget. I am excited to say my next post will be all the ideas that I have come up with, or if you have any ideas leave me a comment. I also want to include some other money saving tips so please share!

 

Take Care

Amy

My first Giveaway, Very exciting!!!

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This is the first of hopefully many more giveaways to come.

Have any of you heard of CAbi? It stands for Carol Anderson by invitation. Well I am very lucky to know the best (in my opinion) CAbi consultant: Theresa Frappia, she has offered the lucky winner of this giveaway a $50 gift certificate for anything you want to purchase in the CAbi line from her*.

Here is a little background on Carol Anderson: After 25 years of selling her designer collections in Nordstrom and other upscale department stores and specialty boutiques across the country, Carol decided to bring her expertly designed clothing directly to the customer in the form of the ultimate personal shopping experience!

And here are just a couple pics of this seasons Spring Line:

CAbi

CAbi spring

I can honestly say her clothes are so well made, fashionable and come in a very wide range of sizes for all shapes. They have many special touches to make us women look better.

Here are the ways to enter the giveaway:

1) If not already become a follower of winecountrymama by entering your email in the box on the right hand side of the page that says become a follower of winecountrymama.

2) Visit Theresa’s webpage and leave a comment telling me if you could pick anything in the line what would it be. www.theresafrappia.cabionline.com

3) Start following @cabiclothing on twitter

4) Start following me @amykaydee on twitter and/or pintrest

Leave 1 comment for each way you entered and the winner will be picked on Tuesday the 21st. Winner will be picked by random.org.

Also, I am hosting a CAbi show this Sunday, but for everyone not able to attend (either not local or busy Sunday) Every purchase you make from Theresa at: tfrappia@sbcglobal.net you will be entered in a drawing to receive 50% off 1 item of your choice. So what are you waiting for get shopping. Want to know what I am crushing on?? The Bree jean capris in that lemon yellow. Maybe I am getting bolder in my old age? My show will close Tuesday the 21st at noon.

Thank You Theresa for sharing this giveaway!

*$50 gift certificate is only valid with purchase made with Theresa Frappia CAbi consultant

Fun Stuff Fridays

Chalkboard Paint Served up on a Silver Platter

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I spotted this idea last summer while visiting Kay in Orange. The town of Orange is filled with Antique Stores. It has the cutest old fashioned downtown area. We have spent hours browsing through the stores many times. On one of these visits I spotted the cutest shabby chic section that had a silver platter hanging on the wall, the middle was a chalkboard, I thought how cute until I saw the price tag. So, since that visit I have had the project in the back of my mind  and have slowly been collecting silver trays from Goodwill and thrift stores. Each averaging $5-$12. So after some trial and error I came up with the perfect way to copy the look, without the high price tag.

chalkboard trays before and after

My first attempt was in September (warm weather here in California) So I used Blue paint tape, taped off the rim and used chalkboard spray paint. It worked great, but…….. I decided to spray the rest in December for Christmas presents. I learned chalkboard spray paint and lower temps do not mix well. My paint turned a shiny black. So unfortunately they were not given as Christmas gifts. I came up with a new plan though, it worked great. I used liquid chalkboard paint with a sponge craft paintbrush. Two coats and perfection.

What do You think?

Chalkboard Trays

Here are some trays in action!!!!!!

Go Napa High Water Polo

Valentines Mantle

Valentines Mantel

The possibilities are endless…… Kitchen menu’s, to do list’s, love notes to your hubby or kids.  Do you have any other ideas?

Amy

The Shabby Nest

See Vanessa Craft

Tickled Pink at 504 Main

First “Feature” story

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I did a great big happy dance today when I found out my old window project was featured on Better After blog. Thank You Lindsey. If you haven’t checked out her blog, do it it’s so fun. She features before and after projects but my favorite part is how much her personality comes through in her writing. She is very witty!

 

Stay tuned for a couple more projects this weekend. It’s also my first Saturday back at work hairstyling. The shoulder is holding up very good. I am relieved to be able to work again. I hope you all have great plans for the weekend. It is Superbowl weekend after all. Also, stay tuned on Monday for a big announcement my first giveaway.

Take Care

Amy

Project Valentine

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It is almost the end of the weekend waaahhh. But I really don’t have too much to whine about because I am officially going back to work (as a hairstylist) tomorrow. It’s been over 4 months and to be perfectly honest I can’t tell you what was worse the physical pain from the shoulder surgery or the emotional pain of being housebound with no income. I have worked since I was 13 and I didn’t realize how much value I put on being able to work. There were plus sides too! I started my blog, something I have wanted to do for over a year. I was able to bake Christmas cookies with my kids and their friends since I wasn’t the crazy overbooked hairstylist they have always known in December. I enjoyed time with Kaylee while she was home for the Holidays. So yes my reality changed a lot but it has as much good as it did bad. I can’t wait to see all my clients and catch up on what they have been up to.

Well enough about me, honestly this was supposed to be all about my Christmas Valentine’s project I have been working on and I am soooo excited to share! This project started in my mind in November and they were going to be Christmas presents. I was visiting one of my favorite blogs Shanty 2 Chic and saw Whitney’s Joy Plaques
 I fell in love and thought “hey I could do that”. I ordered the supplies online because a) we don’t have a Hobby Lobby and b) most of our Michaels stores don’t carry a lot but, as Christmas shipping goes I didn’t receive everything until 2 days before Christmas. Since then all the materials have been sitting in my craft cabinet until I had a brainstorm, why not adapt them for Valentine’s day decor. I am very happy with the outcome.

Here is what I started out with:

supplies for Valentine's plaques

Ignore the rock in the background, I didn’t use it. I did how ever use 3 pieces of wood cut from a 2×4, my sweet husband cut them and slightly rounded the corners for me. I used 3 wooden candle sticks 2 shorter and 1 taller. 3 finials and Gorilla Epoxy glue, not gorilla wood glue, it foams up, attaching them all with the epoxy and let them dry for about 30 minutes. Hindsight I think I would paint the pieces individually and then glue them.

unpainted plaque

After the Epoxy dried I spray painted them with Rustoleum Colonial Red. 2 coats

Plaque spray painted with Rustoleum Colonial Red

I then cut out some burlap into rectangles a little smaller than the plaque area, created stencils with my Cricut, using thick card stock so it could be used  as a stencil.

cutout burlap

I was a bad blogger and didn’t take any pictures of me stenciling but I used a Martha Stewart pouncer sponge, black craft paint and then stenciled on a piece of the cut burlap. I used spray adhesive on the back of the burlap and attached it to the painted plaque. To add a decorative touch I used fancy furniture tacks on all 4 corners. Here is the finished project. Do you Lurve them as much as I do???

I Love You Plaques

Buffet Vingette

I Love You Plaque Closeup

I can’t wait to share a few more projects, my Valentine’s mantle, Mister old window dressed up for Valentines Day and a new chalkboard paint project. Sometimes it’s hard to sleep with all of these ideas swimming around in my brain. Do you ever have that problem???

Amy

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Home Stories A2Z

Home Stories A2Z



{Junk in their Trunk}

shabby creek cottage

The Shabby Nest


Lovely Crafty Home

http://www.thegirlcreative.com/2012/02/just-something-i-whipped-up-valentine.html

Fun Stuff Fridays

Martha and Annie work well together

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I found this lonely tray at Goodwill  and knew it was meant to be special.

wooden tray before

It was scratched up but it had dove tailed corners and was really solid. Then on a trip to Micheal’s I was looking at all the amazing Martha Stewart Craft Paint, additives and stencils.

Picture from   justsomethingimade.com

Well a nice stencil caught my eye and they used a stucco additive to the stencil paint to make it appear bumpy like stucco.

Martha Stewart Products I used

Then I got out my favorite new Love….. Annie Sloan Chalk Paint.I purchased at Roost here in Napa

Annie Sloan Chalk Paint, Waxes and Brush

I decided to use Tartan Red in the Martha Stewart Craft Paint and Stucco additive for the stenciled part. First I applied 2 coats of ASCP Old Ochre with a sponge brush.

After 1st coat of ASCP

No sanding before painting and after 2 coats I had great coverage. I sanded down edges to distress it a little, applied the stencil and stucco paint with a Martha Stewart Sponge Dobber (love them!)  Lastly applied a coat of clear wax and a few streaks of dark wax for the aged look. I LOVE the way it turned out!!!! What do you think?

corner and side of wooden tray

wooden tray after

I love the bumpy stucco look of the stencil.

So see how fun it can be to combine your two Crafting loves Annie and Martha!




The Makena Mae Lamp

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Hi this is a story of a little PB lamp that got left behind at Goodwill she was never used, still with her price tag on. She looked so sweet and lonely there.  My friend Nicole and I decided to rescue her for the small amount of 6.99.  Lucky for me, Nicole is having a baby girl…….Makena Mae any day now. So I had a sweet burlapy vision and this is what I came up with.

The Makena Mae Lamp

She is sharing a room with big brother Mason so we couldn’t get to froufrou, but I couldn’t resist adding a sweet burlap/tulle flower and a little burlap ruffle.

Now to be honest this is my first lampshade makeover and it is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be, so it definitely not perfect. There’s a lot of “shabby” in the shabby chic. I had the material and buttons so for 6.99 it was worth a shot.

Here she is when we found her.

Makena Mae lamp before

Makena Mae lamp before with PB price tag

I spray painted and distressed the base with Rustoleum Heirloom White spray paint. I took the material off the lampshade covered it with the light burlap material and used spray adhesive to attach it. Then put the trims on with a glue gun, hand cut the flowers out, hot glued them and attached the buttons.   Here is almost the identical before from Pottery Barn Kids, Check out the price.

This is a small scale project compared to Mr. Goodwill Hunting but he definitely is an inspiration to me!

Burlap/tulle flower

Burlap/tulle flower

One more look……..

The Makena Mae Lamp

What do you think?

I hope you are having a great weekend!

<3

Amy



shabby creek cottage

Furniture Feature Fridays