Things to love and hate

Everyday I am... beyond critical of myself. What woman isn't?

THINGS I HATE.

I hate my legs. Like loathe. I wish I had little stick legs.

I wish I had a chest. Maybe one day, I'll buy one.

I get mistaken for a 12 year old girl at least once a week.

I wish my hair was longer.

I wish I would tip less for crappy service.

I wish I had more confidence.

I wish I was smarter. I would love to be a doctor and help people. Not smart enough.

I wish that I had my degree. I felt stupid not having it.

I wish we didn't have hair anywhere but on our heads. I hate shaving.

I wish I could be "sexy" but I am entirely too corny and cheesy to be sexy.

I wish I didn't care what other people thought of me.

I wish I wasn't so closed off to new friends.

I wish my few best friends lived with me everywhere we go.

I wish my dogs could talk.

I wish people could drive. And park.

I actually am confident in style and what looks good. Too bad I don't think it looks good on me.

I hate that I compare myself to others, constantly.

I hate that I "wish" so much.

I hate that I'm not good enough or at least make myself feel that way.

I hate that I can't save every animal in the world.

I hate that I am a light weight.

I hate that I have to have everything matching.

I hate that people speed. And text while driving.

I hate anything scary. I live in a bubble.

I constantly compare my photography to others.

I hate that money doesn't grow on trees.

I wish running came easy to me.

I am extremely insecure.

I am very self conscious of my teeth... my legs...my chest... and my skin color. (pale)

I hate that I want an Equinox. I feel selfish because my husband wants a Tacoma just as bad.

I hate that I want so much.....

I bet you are thinking.... are you done? NO!

Here's to lighten the mood. I have found that this helps... to say all the things that you hate and replace them with things you love. So here goes. And ps, you should try this and be amazed at how many great things you'll find about yourself.

I am a giver. I will help anyone in anyway that I can.

I am a lover. I have a big heart but I am scared to get hurt.

I am a fast typer.

I have nice arms.

I can walk and see and hear and taste. That in itself is a blessing.

I respect my husband's job. I drive the speed limit.

I treat my dogs better than most people treat their kids.

I love decorating and redoing furniture.

I am creative. I can see the beauty in anything.

I am cheap. And yes, that is a good trait. Maybe not cheap, practical.

I have really long eye lashes and they are so pretty with mascara on. But blonde without :\

I love doing things for people without them ever finding out who did it.

I love yardsales and thrift stores.

I have piggie toes.

I love that I am southern.

I love that I hold values and morals.

I love older people, like the elderly.

I love that if I don't know about something, I will research until I do.

I know alittle about a lot.

I love that I can make people laugh. Sometimes.

I love that my husband is my best friend.

I love that I have the most supportive and loving family in the world....

You see... it's not about deadlines or who is prettiest. It's not about how much we make or what kind of car we drive... it's about the ride. Hearing your dogs chase each other and seeing your husband smile. It's about holding a baby for the first time and the feeling of making a house a home.....

I'm being sappy tonight y'all but I really need to decompress. I've been over the top stressed with this move and quitting my job while trying to find another one...

I am a worrier wart and I stress to the max...

but that's not what life is about. There are more important things.



Waterfall dresser redo

Hey y'all! I hope everyone's Sunday has gone great. Mine has! I've been SUPER DUPER productive... with getting our house on base here in Minot ready for inspection and ready for us to move! SUPER BUSY with painting a few rooms back to white which let me tell you, I actually like BETTER than the colors I had originally painted. Leave it to me.

Ok! So... I found this dresser about a month or so ago and KNEW it was old the minute I saw it. It's a waterfall dresser! This particular one was marked on that it was made in the 1930's! How cool is that? It has tons of character...and wasn't perfect before hand but I think now, he would be ADORABLE for a babies room or even a neutral bedroom?

I choose probably the most pale yellow that I could find that I also used on my last desk redo here.

I opted to keep the originally knobs because I think it keeps with the dressers character. I didn't want to do a bold color because I felt like it would impower the lines of this piece.

What do y'all think? Here's a BEFORE and then the AFTER's :)

This dresser is for sale in my shop, here.

This is the only before picture that I took. This was after some sanding of the piece because it was in pretty rough shape...with lots of scratches, etc. that needed to be smooted out.

And here's the AFTER. Isn't she lovely? I just think she's a breathe of fresh air and would look so adorable in a nursery for some reason.



Let me know what you think of my latest repurposed piece. I love her and I think she'd look great in anyone's home! 35 days until we leave good ole' Minot, North Dakota and start our new journey to Florida.... :)



Stew's Custom tables

Hey Tuesday, how's it shakin?

Let me tell you about some dedication to y'all. I'm on my lunch break right now bloggin'. HOLLER.

Ha-ha! Ok seriously! This post is about a dear friend and colleague of mine who wanted a new coffee table and end table set. We looked for awhile for her and finally found a set that needed some work but had good bones.

Here's a before picture of the end tables and the coffee table...I always forget to take good before pictures but this is the best I can do. Sorry everyone :-o Haha!

Here's the coffee table. I was in the process of sanding it and then made hubby bring it in so I could get a better picture :) He must love me, huh? Haha!

Here's the after. She got a deep stain on top with a pale yellow on the bottom with slightly distressed details. I LOVE the way it turned out!

Isn't the stain beautiful? And the distressed detail really pops against the pale yellow!

This stain is SO SO SO pretty, I can't even tell you. It's actually darker in person and not as reddish. BEAUTIFUL.

Here's the corners of the end tables.

I love how the glass is that tinted blue in the right light. It plays well with the deep stain and the pale yellow.

And here's another picture of the distressed detailing.



What do y'all think of this custom makeover? She made some great choices and I hope she feels just as I do that these were well worth the wait! Thank you again Stew for allowing me to customize your pieces of furniture! They are truly one of a kind and it was a privledge to have you as my last custom client in Minot, North Dakota!



DIY Sign

Hey everyone! Happy Sunday!

I've tried to do nothing but relax this weekend and stay inside. I am ALWAYS on the go...and feel like I never stop. I really need to cut myself a break and just relax for a few days. I'm trying to get into that "beach" mindset as they say. "No worries."

Have I mentioned I cannot wait to move?! 50 days today! WOOHOO!

Ok, ok. So, I pin these signs on my pinterest page all the time! You can find me on pinterest here.

I decided the other day while out on the town with Ryan to get some wood and have a go at it!

So here's what you will need!

- Any size wood you would like! I choose 1x3 because I knew I wanted long quotes on my boards.

-Permanant Sharpie Market or black paint. I find it easier to use a sharpie ;)

- Paint! Always check your mis-tinted paint sections in Walmart & Lowes, etc! You can find some great deals there! Remember my post about "How to paint furniture like you know how?"

You can find it here. Also remember brushes! You can find cheap brushes for 99 cent for a pack of like 3 at the BX, Walmart, Hobby Lobby, even the dollar store!

-Stencils. I got mine at Mendards for 99 cents a pack! But you can find these anywhere! Walmart, Menards, Hobby Lobby, etc. And in many different styles as well!

-And a thing of sand paper or a sand block! You can find sandpaper anywhere and for under $2.00 a pack usually! So, this project depending on your preferences could cost you under $10 for a customized sign for your home! So adorable and cute!

So here's a first look at me starting on our sign. You can see my paint behind the sign and the stencils. I choose this quote from a song I love called "Free" by Zac Brown Band. Whenever my husband was deployed, he sent me an email with only the lyrics to this song. I remember reading the email and thought it was sweet and this was before the song came out by the way. One day, I was driving and heard the song finally come on for the first time and I just remember crying...God bless our troops. We should all say prayers for them and be thankful for our freedom.

Here are my stencils. I loved this style!



And here's all the signs I completed today! Super easy and fun project! Just measure the distance between each stencil and write what you want! SUPER easy!

Here's our sign on my buffet in our dining room.

This sign is for sale in my shop! You can find it here.



Here's another sign that I did for us with our anniversary date on it. You can do something simple like that, maybe your favorite quote, lyrics, kids names, etc. Have fun with it!



This particular sign will be available in my shop as well. I LURVE the saying, he-he!



And here's the last one that I'm not sure if I want to keep yet or not. I love this saying and it is the ultimate words to live by! I find myself stressing and always wanting more for us...but when you think about it, we have all we need right here. Right now. Each other.



Hope y'all have a great Sunday! Let me know what you think of my sign makeover and if you decide to make your own DIY sign, show me!

XOXO,

Ally