Fabulously Domestic: May 2011

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Don't Hate Me, Please!

I have just made THE most amazing cupcakes ever.

Seriously.

I found the recipe on Tidy Mom back in April, and was tempted, but put off making them.

Thank goodness - I'm not sure my hips and thighs can hold up against this kind of temptation!

You HAVE to make these cupcakes.

And you will love them more than anything on earth. Promise.

Well, maybe not your hubby and kids.

But you'll definitely love them more than, say, that annoying neighbor or nosy aunt.

Just please don't hate me when you can't stop eating them and your pants get a little tight!

Giveaway Winner!

I cannot begin to thank Sew, Mama, Sew enough for hosting the May Giveaway Day!

I have had more traffic and comments than ever in the last few days and I'm thrilled!

I love seeing new friendly faces and new followers around here -

and I hope to keep you coming back for more!

I loved reading all of your comments - some were just down right funny!

And can I say that this expecting mama is craving eggs like crazy right now - but at least I have tons of ideas for how to cook them!

And thank you for the sweet compliments on the apron set.

I had a lot of fun designing and sewing this set - one of my favorites.

It will be up in the shop very soon!

So without further ado - the winner of the Sunny Side Up Apron Set is...

Comment number 54 - from Catherine who said she hasn't had an egg she doesn't like!

Catherine, I'll be emailing you this morning.

Please check your spam folder just in case and respond within 48 hours! Congrats, girl!

Thank you, again to all who participated in this giveaway.

I am thinking of holding a giveaway once a month or so - what do you guys think?

Sunday, May 22, 2011

May Giveaway Day!

I'm very excited to be participating in Sew, Mama, Sew's Annual May Giveaway Day!

I'm joining 300+ other businesses in giving away handmade items.

For all of you that are new here to Fabulously Domestic, let me tell you a little about me:

I'm a SAHM to three boys (and another baby on the way). With all that testosterone, I needed a feminine outlet - that's where Fabulously Domestic started.

I LOVE to sew and create and I have a little etsy shop to showcase some of the items I love to make.

I started sewing aprons - in fact, my very first sewing project was an apron!

From there, I moved on to baby items and gifts.

I've got a few more ideas in the works for my shop, so stay tuned.

The Fabulously Domestic shop is excited to giveaway a brand new item from the shop - not even listed yet!

The Sunny Side Up Apron Set!

Included in the set is a sassy half apron featuring black, white and yellow polka dot material, two ruffles at the bottom and a super cute sunny side up egg pocket! You will also receive a coordinating ruffled kitchen towel.

To Enter:

Simply leave a comment telling me how you like your eggs!

For extra entries, please:

become a follower of my blog via Google Friend Connect

"like" my Facebook Page

*Leave a separate comment for each entry -
include an email address if it's not already connected to your profile!*

(Giveaway ends Wednesday, May 25th and winner will be drawn randomly via random.org)
Giveaway only open to U.S. residents.

Friday, May 20, 2011

Oh, What a Little Paint Can Do!

Most of you guys know we moved here almost a year ago. What you may not know is how empty my house still seems! I feel like I have NO furniture!

We did buy some new pieces when we first moved here, mostly so the house wouldn't echo like a cave. I would love to just go out and furnish every room today - but I can't.

Part of the reason I can't is because I don't really know what I want! I don't really know my style or what I want each room to look like, so I hate to pay all that money and commit.

What if I hate it next month?!

So I thought maybe I'd find pieces here and there that I like and add them in.

Sometimes that means finding the potential in something and making it work.

Do you guys know about Altar'd? Well, you should!!! Mandie does amazing, beautiful work. I'm always so inspired by how she transforms furniture from something old and forgotten to something absolutely fabulous! She also has 2 great DIY guides that can teach you some techniques to do the same - I HIGHLY recommend them!

Now, I'm never going to be the artist that Mandie is - or so many others that can refinish furniture.

But, I'm very proud of the little makeovers I just did on two recent finds!

A little sanding, ok - a lot of sanding, some paint, and I'm a happy girl!

Here are the before pictures:

The table smelled like it'd been in a musty basement for years. It was so dusty and dirty.

But, it was very sturdy, and the glass was in perfect shape. I thought it had potential.

I saw this mirror and immediately loved it! Not the gold, but the detail!

And judging by the original tags, I'm guessing it's kind of old.

And very heavy!

Now, I could have gotten by with just cleaning up the table, I suppose. But that wood stain color doesn't go with anything I already own. And honestly, I kind of thought it was ugly as-is.

The gold mirror frame would look amazing in some houses, with some decor.

And I was tempted to leave it.

But I knew I wouldn't LOVE it.

And I really wanted the guts to paint it an amazing color - like turquoise. Or red.

But I didn't. Maybe another time.

Here are the after pictures:

I had to do a lot of sanding on the table, and then three coats of paint.

I love this table, now! I think it looks much more modern.

I took the mirror apart and just sprayed it with a glossy black enamel.

It covered great in two coats and I LOVE the shine.

I think it helps bring out the detail.

I'll be honest - I'm not in love with the way I've accessorized the table.

But I'll keep working on that until I do love it!

*Oh, in case you are wondering: both were found at the local Salvation Army store.

The table was $35 and the mirror was $20!*

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Shopping for Maternity Clothes - In My Closet!

After we had our little Monkey-Man, I really thought we were done having babies. I donated ALL of my maternity clothes. Even my very favorite things. So when we changed our minds and tried for this little one, I kind of panicked. What am I supposed to wear?!

Right now I'm at that weird in-between stage of pregnancy. My belly is MUCH bigger than it was, but still not big enough for actual maternity clothes. I'm getting by now by wearing loose dresses, stretchy skirts and a belly band over my jeans.

But you know, I'm pretty excited about making my own maternity clothes this time around! I'm finding some amazing inspiration on DIY Maternity. I especially love the patterns and tutorials that involve repurposing clothing I already own!

This shirt is first on my list, I think:

And then this super cute dress that upcycles an old tank top!

Monday, May 9, 2011

Mother's Day

I hope all you moms, stepmoms, moms-to-be, grandmas and fury-kid moms had a fabulous Mother's Day yesterday!

Mine was really really good.

I told my kids I wanted two things - for the to NOT fight, and for me to not cook. :)

I was surprised when all three of my boys woke up and their first words were "Happy Mother's Day!"

They remembered without any help. So sweet.

All three boys made me homemade cards.

Monkey-Man had a bit of help from daddy, but it still counts!

ConMan went above and beyond! He made me an awesome card, a placemat and a breakfast menu!

The Chief made me a book called 26 Reasons I Love My Mom. One reason for each letter - some of these were HILARIOUS!!

When my hubby woke, he stumbled to the kitchen, told me to get out and he made breakfast.

I can't tell you how huge this is! He never cooks {though he does grill}. He needed help finding everything, but he did a great job!

I had bacon and pink blueberry pancakes. Yum!

Hubby spent most of the day outside with the boys, telling me to relax.

Then for dinner he grilled out - ribs, burgers, brats, beans, potato salad - everything. It was great!

I love Mother's Day!

I think it gives us all a special day to reflect on those special women in our lives, while also knowing how important our own job as a mom is.

I am a SAHM, which is tough some days, but is still the best gig I could ask for.

My boys make every day worth living - they are fun, loving, and kind.

My husband goes out of his way to let me know that he appreciates me and he sees the hard work I do for him and the boys.

I really appreciate that he sees my effort and of course I love him for all the VERY hard work he does to allow me to stay home with out kids.

I had a really great Mother's Day, though I wish my family was closer so we could have seen the kids' grandmas! Maybe next year!

Thursday, May 5, 2011

My Life List

You have probably seen other bloggers talking about their life list.
I read a terrific list on one of my favorite blogs today.
It made me want to make my own list.
This is to inspire myself.
To set goals.
To strive for more.
To give myself permission to live!

So here is my Life List:
1. raise great kids into great adults
2. take a photography class
3. go RVing with my hubby & kids cross-country
4. grow a big veggie garden
5. visit Europe for a month
6. go deep sea diving
7. learn to surf
8. sew my own wardrobe
9. make my husband proud
10. make a name for myself
11. write a children's book
12. go one week without raising my voice
13. send 4 kids to college
14. hold my great-grandchildren
15. learn to decorate my home
16. go on a cruise with my WHOLE family
17. take a girls weekend out of town
18. drive a race car
19. be the best friend everyone wants
20. ~~open an etsy shop~~
21. stick with an exercise routine
22. recycle
23. take a writing class
24. stop drinking soda
25. contribute to a charity in a big way
26. anonymously help someone in need
27. read a book a week for a year
28. read the Bible every day
29. tame Mt. Washmore
30. set up a cleaning routine
31. get my kids involved in #30
32. host a huge family reunion
33. help my mom
34. convince my dad to move to Texas
35. see my brother get married & have babies
36. run a marathon
37. get up early to make my husband breakfast before work
38. start making my own cleaning products (again)
39. come up with my own go-to cupcake recipe
40. be confident in my own skin
41. see the Grand Canyon
42. take my boys to Carlsbad Caverns
43. go skiing
44. take up yoga
45. organize my craft/sewing/computer room
46. weed out all the ugly clothes from my closet
47. start a journal
48. remarry my husband - with a big ceremony
49. host a tea party
50. scrapbook for each of my kids
51. learn to do a cartwheel
52. waterski
53. take photos with my children, not just of them
54. learn to ride a motorcycle
55. own a horse
56. grow beautiful flowers in my yard
57. use my DSLR camera on manual
58. learn to speak Spanish
59. participate in an Alzheimer's Walk
60. knit something other than a scarf
61. make nursery bedding for my baby
62. attend blogging conferences
63. climb a mountain
64. watch the sun rise on a beach
65. convince my boys to eat sushi
66. go camping - in a tent - as a family
67. ~~pan for gold~~
68. buy a bike for me
69. master twitter
70. ~~teach someone to read~~
71. decorate my boys' bedrooms
72. ~~wear pearls often~~
73. teach my boys how to replace the roll of toilet paper
74. become someone's favorite blogger
75. perfect a mitered corner
76. own a Silhouette
77. get a tattoo removed
78. learn to make the perfect margarita
79. ~~go to Jamaica~~
80. have a daughter
81. crochet cute baby items
82. make homemade lemonade
83. go out on a date night with my hubby
84. ride a roller coaster without fear
85. learn to fly a plane
86. build a piece of furniture (hello Ana White!)
87. teach someone to sew
88. learn to cook {and like} fish
89. learn to play guitar
90. beat my hubby at pool
91. throw a block party
92. get back into couponing
93. implement weekly family game night
94. visit New York
95. dine with famous people
96. fly on a private jet
97. skinny dip
98. ~~learn how to eat crawfish~~
99. get paid {well} to do what I love
100. have a popular booth at a craft show

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Fab News to Share!

I've got some news.

Fabulous news!

I've been working on a project for a little while now - a few months.

It's making me totally 100% exhausted.

And stressed.

And super happy!

I'll see it's completion towards the end of {November.}

The best things are worth waiting for, after all.

Guessed it yet?

Yep!

I'm having a baby!

It's still early in the pregnancy, but everything is looking perfect!

I've had 4 losses, so I've been cautious to get too excited,
but I've had 2 ultrasounds and everything looks great!

I can't wait to find out if I'll finally get my little girl, or if I'll have another
{4th!} boy!