Upholstery Project #2: My Croffice Chair

Here is a little sneak peak at a part of my Croffice. This room has yet to be shown on my blog because for the last 4 and a half years it has been, well, a mess. It's getting better and getting closer and closer to it's cyber debut. However, I think it is high time I show you My Croffice chair Before and After. After all, this chair has been kicking around these parts for almost a year and has been finished since September. I love it!

I found this dirty little cutie on KSL for $10. It was hanging out in a garage in Layton just waiting for someone to come along and rescue it. It definitely needed a new chance at life.

Although slightly disgusting, the chair had GREAT bones and was actually surprisingly comfortable. It hung out in the garage through late spring into late summer when it finally got a chance to be made over. In the meantime I sat on it a ton while working on other projects.

I wanted something with a little pizazz. Something I knew would be fun and would give my Croffice a little personality. So I found this super fun upholstery fabric online for like $8 a yard. I stripped it down, sanded and repainted the wood and away we went. Doesn't it look so much cuter! Unfortunately I wasn't able to do the new reupholstering myself this time. Mr. Upholstery Guru was just too busy to take the time to show me. :( But, I still just love her to pieces. I was also given a foot stool by my Mom, so I repainted that and with the left over fabric recovered that too. It will be shown later with the Croffice reveal. I forgot to photograph it for today. I love quietly going down to my Croffice, turning on a little lamp, grabbing this cute little vintage blanket I got at a consignment shop, putting my feet up and secretly reading. Inevitably the family usually finds me but still it's great!

Hope you enjoyed seeing my new little chair. As well as the little sneak peek of the Croffice. If it weren't for the fact that reupholstering involved sewing (HIVES) I think I would redo a different piece a month! It just gets under your skin to remake something old into something new again. Love It!

Photo Shoot Sunday: Youth Speaker of Today

Today's Photo Shoot Sunday is dedicated to Ethan. Today he was the Youth Speaker in our Sacrament Meeting program. It was his first time speaking while not in a Primary Program. He did awesome! I am so extremely proud of him. He even wrote his very own talk, with VERY little help from Nate or I. He gave me permission to post his talk on here for me to always remember.

I'm here to talk a little about the First Article of Faith. The first phrase says "We believe in God, the Eternal Father", now in it, it says that WE, we believe in God, Jesus Christ, and in the
Holy Ghost. Well of course we do! But what it really is saying is, to believe their three separate souls and that they all exist. Now God created all things, and will forever be our Eternal Father. No one can or will replace him. In Acts 7:56 it says: 'Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing on the right hand of God,' that Son of Man is Gods beloved Son, Jesus Christ. In the second phrase it says, "and in His Son, Jesus Christ,' Jesus is God's Beloved Son, he's our Savior and he's our Heavenly Brother, he died with everyone's sins bearing upon him to make it so we can be resirected. No matter how long it takes for the second coming, I promise to never stop believing and to wait for him to come again. Now the last phrase of the First Article of Faith is, 'and in the Holy Ghost'. What the Holy Ghost is, is kind of like God's left hand man who helps us know when danger is coming, kind of like Spider-man with his Spidey sense. In St. Matthew 28:19 it explains what one of the jobs of the teachings about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ when they are true.

I thought he did an excellent job! I'm so proud of him.

Nate and I also spoke on the First Article of Faith. In my studies to prepare for today I came across an article written by Bruce C. Hafen in 1974. It was very powerful to me. I have provided the link to the article below. I truly hope that you will take a few minutes to read it. It's such a wonderful article.

http://www.lds.org/ensign/1974/09/is-yours-a-believing-heart?lang=eng

To Do List: Revisited

So, I was reading through some of my past posts and came across My To Do List back in July. I was curious to see what I had put on it and how much of it I had accomplished since then. I will let you be the judge of whether or not I. Am. A. Slacker.

• Repaint Ally's ceiling - check
• Repaint Master Bath
• Laundry Room Project
• Garage Sale - check (but, back on the list!)
• Clean out both cars - check (but again, back on the list!)
• Organize desk - check (back on list, hang head in disorganized shame)
• Organize my Croffice - in process
• Drop not so subtle hints to Nate to organize his office - check (but I give up, one of these days he will be SURPRISED, and learn the meaning of the word PURGE! Shhh.....don't tell.)
• Organize the garage - check (and yes again on the list... again)
• Weed the veggie garden - check (and start back up in 8 weeks)
• Get bids for insulation for basement family room
• Finish dripline
• Finish rock path in veg garden
• Finish trellis and plant clematis
• Deadhead the Perennials - currently renamed: finish dividing the perennials
• Organize plant tags - haha
• Change sheets on my bed - okay, yeah, I have done that a bajillion times, and it's time to do it again
• Finish my Upholstery project - check (only it's back on my list because I have a new one! Btw, the one I was referring to will finally be shown next week, stay tuned!)
• Finish my croffice paint project - check (hopefully my croffice will be ready to be revealed in a couple weeks! It's only taken me 4 and a half years! Gah!)
• Finalize Primary Quarterly activity details - check (and there have been like three of them since, but since it's Quarterly I'm sure you can guess......it's back on the list!)
• Deep clean the downstairs - In the process so.....che-
• Fill my empty picture frames - some of them check, some of them not so much, I guess it would help if I would STOP buying them! Yeah, never gonna happen. :)
• Scan some more photos - just when I think I am making a dent I find more!
• Organize my bedroom closet - CHECK CHECK CHECK, it feels SO good!
• Work with Ryland on tying his shoes - check
• Buy more toilet paper - check (and you guessed it)
• Transfer CD's to itunes - 85% done, who knew we had that many CD's?
• Take Clothes to dry cleaner
• Find another bathroom rug - still searching
• Send some thank you notes - does writing them and then forgetting them inside my other purse after I changed purses count? If so, then a resounding CHECK!
• Sand and paint exterior door - yeah and then there were two!
• Put down more soil pep

My feeling, Eh, could have done better FOR SURE! However my winter list and my summer list are two totally different beasts. For example, on my To DoNE List:

• repaint toy room ceiling
• repaint toy room walls
• change out light fixture in bottom landing
• reorganize (almost) every closet in the house
• steam clean my master bathroom
• sell a bunch of crap on ksl
• get ready for the spring/summer garage sale season
• refinish/repurpose our old kitchen table into a desk for the kiddos
• redo the barbie doll house
• work on downsizing the crap in the unfinished area so we can finish it already
• reorganize and clean out ALL Christmas decor bins (that was a doozey)
• add cabinet lighting to the kitchen - LOVE IT
• update my journal
• volunteer in the kids school weekly
• enjoy Christmas and my kids during the break - totally did it this year! Yay me!
• PURGE whatever I can get my grubby little hands on

So, I guess it balances out. :)

Flashback Friday: My Dad

Today's Flashback Friday is dedicated to my Dad. Today is his 67th Birthday.

(1944 - 1945ish)

Wasn't he a cute baby?

(Thanksgiving Day 2010)

This recent photo definitely shows that he is still a child at heart. That old Moose definitely didn't get the best of him. The grandkids can always count on him for a race, a tickle, a sledding partner, someone to push them on the swings or to color with. Just like when I was a kid. He is an awesome Dad and I sure love him. Happy Birthday Dad!

Do You Have An Opinion?

Alright, I need some advice. Nate and I recently acquired this sectional off of KSL classifieds. (Photo of the listing, not at our house.) We are currently playing a game of musical furniture at our house. Selling pieces of furniture left and right, moving pieces upstairs, downstairs, this room, that room. You name it, it's been moved. Not really, but it sure feels that way. Anyway, we have been on the hunt for a sectional that will fit the room downstairs that we are in the slow process of finishing. It has been much tougher than I thought it would be. We are also looking for a sectional to go in the Great Room upstairs, that one is even more challenging. In the interim this sectional is hanging out upstairs til the downstairs family room is complete. Is that clear as mud? Well, this sectional is perfect for downstairs, the problem is, is that it is ten years old, the fabric is shot and the cushions are a wee bit lumpy, but it has great bones. So, what's a project crazy girl to do? Reupholster it of course! Like I have nothing else to do with my time, right? Well, Mr.-I'll-Teach-You-How-To-Reupholster-Man has an opening in the next ten days to help us get this sucker done. SO, I gotta hurry and find the perfect fabric. The perfect neutral, durable, INEXPENSIVE, fabric that can reside upstairs til heck freezes over and we actually have the downstairs done and not give me hives because it doesn't match AND look right at home in the downstairs room as well. That's a pretty tall order and a lot to ask of a fabric. Can it also raise my children and mow the lawn? So, I have compiled a bunch of fabric swatches to choose from and Nate and I have narrowed it down to three different groupings.

Option A

The top is a fabric I am in love with for pillows and maybe curtains. The bottom left is also for pillows, the bottom right is the upholstery for the couch. It is a heavy duty chenille with a subtle paisley pattern to it, it soft to the touch as well. What do you think of this combo?

The next photo shows the other chair in the room that it has to coordinate with. It's another KSL find, that may or may not get reupholstered some day as well. It also shows the rug, a little bit that is in this space.

Option B

This photo shows Nate's top pick. Funny I just realized that the actual upholstery pick for the couch is the same in this sampling. I guess we really love this one, eh? Only so far we have only seen it in pictures and read great reviews about it. When the sample arrives in the mail in a few days I will know if I REALLY love it. What do you think of this grouping? The large print is for the larger throw pillows and the top right fabric which is shown in a more zoomed in way than the actual print should be in person is for the smaller throw pillows.

Option C

I am really kinda diggin this one too. I like that it incorporates the black which is definitely throughout the room but that the other pillow fabric isn't stripes which the chair and chair pillow currently have in spades. Hmmmm

I LOVE pillows and blankets. Especially soft ones you can snuggle into. It's important to note that the pillows might remain upstairs once this couch goes downstairs, I am hoping for a darker chocolatey-ish brown leather sectional for upstairs, or a saddle type color. Probably more likely saddle, we shall see. It's also important to note that I tend to get bored and cover up pillows with slip covers, so really I'm probably agonizing over a 6 month decision. Yeah, I'm ocd that way. Any how, help a girl out and cast your vote, so I can sleep already.

Wordless Wednesday: 52 Days Til Spring

(july 2010)

Barbie's New House

So, Barbie has a new house around these parts. Well, I should say more like a renovated house. It's been a long time coming. Back in August, ( or was it September?) I was given this doll house by my sister. Her two girls had outgrown it. Luckily it was given to me during garage sale season so I was able to sell our old slightly flimsy doll house. Ally and I had great hopes of getting this house fixed up quickly. However, the most that happened was that the wallpaper got steamed off and it got a thorough cleaning. Then it sat, and Ally impatiently waited.

Finally around the week before Christmas it got my attention. Suddenly I had a ticking clock over my head. I had to do 4 coats of primer. It had been painted multiple times, with both oil based paint and water based paint. It had been scraped off, drawn on with permanent marker and nail polish. I had just painted the roof pink and was starting on the actual white paint for the base of it when Ally saw it. She immediately wanted "pink carpet". So off I went, taping, painting, taping, painting, you get the idea. I was working down in the unfinished basement and it was cold, so the drying time in between coats was forever long. But I had it ready Christmas day when the girls opened up all of their new Barbie furniture. The house was ready to move into.

As you can see it was a hit. The only thing this house needs is a little artwork on the walls. Ally and I are keeping our eyes out for something cool, and Barbie worthy.

Flashback Friday: Ice Skating January 2004

Flashback Friday today is from way back in January 2004. It was the first, and now come to think of it, last time, we ever took our kids ice skating. Ryland was just an infant, about 2 months old. I left him in my mother's care while Nate and I braved the ice with a 2 and 4 year old. We went with my Dad and my sister Jen's family to the Ice Sheet in Ogden. It was a definite adventure, especially considering that the only way Nate and I know how to stop on ice skates is to either wipe out or just plain run into the wall! We survived with our bodies in tact though, so I guess that is something.

Nate and Ally

Grandpa Burke and Ethan

Jen and Sawyer

Nate and Ethan

Me and Ally

Nate, Ethan, Me, Shaylen and Ally

Shaylen, Ethan, Me, and Ally

Flashback Friday: 503 Leona Ave

I thought it would be fun to dedicate today's Flashback Friday to mine and Nate's first newlywed apartment. Thirteen years ago we were just home from our weekend honeymoon. We were trying to set up our little home and decide how badly we really wanted to leave it, (or rather each other!) and go to school and work!

503 Leona Ave

We lived in the basement of this little home for the first 3 months of our marriage. It was quite an experience. We didn't have our own entrance to the basement so we went through this door and then went immediately down the stairs. Our door at the bottom of the stairs didn't lock since the communal laundry room was downstairs. Our "roommate" was this sweet little old lady named Jenny. She would knock lightly as a "warning" and then proceed into our apartment. It always kept us on our toes. The one and only time I ever convinced my husband to go running with me. Since we only lived there a short time we don't have many photos of this place. I found a few odds and ends to show you. It was NOT a large place so the tour won't last very long!

We bought those couches, the coffee, end tables, lamps were from La Quinta Inn in Layton when they were remodeling. They were our couches for about a year when we received my Grandma Sargent's navy blue and maroon couches as an upgrade. :) The Lazyboy was given to us from my Aunt LaRue I believe. It stayed with us for around 5 years.

I remember taking this photo. We were setting up house, we had just gotten home from waiting tables at Garcia's in Layton, where we both worked the first 3 months we were married.

I remember being terrified of our furnace. It was gas and really old. I was completely unused to it and lived in fear that it would blow up on us whenever Nate touched it.
This photo is looking from the Living Room into the kitchen. I guess I don't have any other photos of the kitchen. Didn't spend a lot of time there, I guess. Although I think Nate remembers, quite vividly, eating quite a few of my "homemade bean burritos" in there. I'd like to think my cooking has improved dramatically since those early days.

Unfortunately this photo of the shower doesn't show the bare light bulb hanging dangerously low inside the shower. I thought for sure we were gonna be electrocuted every time we used it!

We had a lot of good times in this place, even though we didn't live there all that long. For $175.00 a month it was AWESOME! Of course our next place was FREE! Can't beat that! Keep your eye on an upcoming Flashback Friday to get a looksie at that sweet Home Sweet Home!

Wordless Wednesday: On Your Mark, Get Set......

(christmas morning 2010)

Ward Christmas Party 2010

Brace yourselves. Just when you thought the Christmas season was truly over you are about to be smacked right along side your head with many Little Mills Kingdom Christmas posts. Because

once again I am so far behind in my blogging. I all but took the entire month of December off. I was too busy Decking the Halls and being Merry and Bright with my kids to sit down and blog. My apologies. So for the next week-ish, I will be catching up with the great month O'December.

The Friday before Christmas we had our Ward Christmas Party. Here are some of the photo highlights of that awesome night.

Tess L., Kai M., and Evelyn, they are cute little Primary buddies.

Ethan was asked to play Joseph in the Primary program. So sweet. Ally is just to the right of Mary.

This night brought to the foreground a bit of emotion for me. As I sat visiting with some friends while the kids were in line to sit on Santa's lap I noticed that Ethan was no where to be found. He was at the other end of the gym hanging with his friends. I was a little taken aback that he wasn't anxious to sit on Santa's lap. What?? When did this happen? My friend was feeling the same way about her son so we hunted them down and all but begged them to PUHLEEASE go sit on Santa's lap so we could get a picture. I have a feeling this will be the last time I get one. I'm so not ready for this. He asked Santa for a laptop with internet connection. Totally not ready.

Ally was sure that if she asked Santa for a Bratz doll she would finally get one. She had been denied for years because I think they look like, well, Brats.

Ryland was more than eager to sit on Santa's lap. He asked for an Obi Wan Star Fighter.

Evelyn at first wasn't too sure about sitting on Ol' Saint Nick's lap, but the promise of a candy cane swayed her. If she had had any idea he was gonna give her a "hot" one (peppermint) she probably still would have refused. She asked him for Princess Dollies.

At the party they had a photo booth. It was a riot to watch the kids experience this and have fun getting their pictures taken with their friends.

Mondays with Marjorie

"Think about your particular assignment at this time in your life. It may be to get an education, it may be to rear children, it may be to be a grandparent, it may be to care for and relieve the suffering of someone you love, it may be to do a job in the most excellent way possible, it may be to support someone who has a difficult assignment of their own. Our assignments are varied and they change from time to time. Don't take them lightly. Give them your full heart and energy. Do them with enthusiasm. Do whatever you have to do this week with your whole heart and soul. To do less than this will leave you with an empty feeling." - Marjorie Pay Hinckley

It's been a while since I have posted a quote from Sister Hinckley. When I came across this one again I thought it would be a great time, what with the new year and resolutions and all, to post it. It is a great reminder to me to put my shoulder to the wheel. Or like my friend Mary likes to say, "Time to pull my big girl panties up" and get to work. But not only that, but to get to work on the things I am supposed to be doing. Not necessarily the stuff I think I am supposed to be doing. There is a difference.

Photo Shoot Sunday: Thirteen

Today's Photo Shoot Sunday is being dedicated to January 9th, 1998. Thirteen years ago Nate and I were sealed for time and all eternity in the Bountiful Temple. Time sure goes by fast. As I look at our wedding photos I can't help think that we looked thirteen! So much has happened since this photo was taken. I am forever grateful that he chose me to spend his forever with. We have had our share of ups and downs and I know for a fact we will be in for some more the next thirteen years, and the thirteen after that. I look forward to having him by my side as we navigate our way through them. So today I wanted to tell my Mr. that I love him dearly and thank him again for choosing me.