tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74763221953932698752024-03-19T00:07:12.180-04:00LoveOlympiaJune<center>~Decorating on a Budget~</center>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.comBlogger593125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-89598746861810858672020-02-07T11:17:00.001-05:002020-02-22T21:51:33.340-05:00DIY Wooden Sign (under $10 too!)<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Hello, hello! </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">It sure has been a while since I've blogged, and there's good reason for that. Life has been a little busy around here. While I have been doing some projects here and there, it's definitely slowed down a bit. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One of my most recent projects, aside from moving furniture around (haha!), was "building" a wooden sign for our family room. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Before I moved some
furniture around, we had a large bookcase in this spot. I felt it was a
little too big for the area and I wanted something smaller here, so this <a href="https://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2017/01/a-new-buffet-table-brought-back-to-life.html" target="_blank">thrift store dresser/buffet table</a> fit the bill. </span><span style="font-size: large;">After rearranging some things downstairs, we had room on this wall right above the table. This spot looked a little sad and empty. Considering that I added tons of photos in the same room recently, I wanted to put up something besides a large photo in this area. Immediately, I thought a large wooden sign would look great and would tie in some of the wood pieces and trim nicely. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here is a look at the space I'm talking about:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEQZlQWqahyoR3eQPeHstONCJLqYeVxkXT877pAxbzUXU2tzxyK0VklAjz1STXN-LpGo2wpxq7K9NAUWAIjejd29kgVsLE1gKw8JvZfcbmWOc4lE0pPLkbdjSDrdW-Hp78oMRyMtnPdc/s1600/20200207_101437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnEQZlQWqahyoR3eQPeHstONCJLqYeVxkXT877pAxbzUXU2tzxyK0VklAjz1STXN-LpGo2wpxq7K9NAUWAIjejd29kgVsLE1gKw8JvZfcbmWOc4lE0pPLkbdjSDrdW-Hp78oMRyMtnPdc/s640/20200207_101437.jpg" width="308" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> It's a good sized wall that was just missing something</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Alright, on to the materials I used...all I needed to purchase were a few inexpensive ones...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. Two 8ft pieces of wood (from HD)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. Stain (already had)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. Large poster board (from Michaels) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. Black sharpie marker (already had)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. Large ruler</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">6. Pencil to trace letters</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">7. Nails and/or wood glue</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I think I spent around $5 for everything. It did help that I already had most of the supplies on hand, but even I didn't this project would only be around $10 to complete.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">OK, so here is a quick run down of what I did, with pictures of course ;)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRBbYEXuEfOsNYVgIBcH_Fzpb1W_I4X5wIXebf88cTOASupUBsIL7rKMZWau3XDpqTbCDkRe4NI2E6kQG0Eq3Mcnujp_St9uoZwINYRgEc-DFVRRLVoWN72Jtz2jFrRZHS4ByrLzPWao/s1600/stencil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLRBbYEXuEfOsNYVgIBcH_Fzpb1W_I4X5wIXebf88cTOASupUBsIL7rKMZWau3XDpqTbCDkRe4NI2E6kQG0Eq3Mcnujp_St9uoZwINYRgEc-DFVRRLVoWN72Jtz2jFrRZHS4ByrLzPWao/s640/stencil.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I had already had a stencil set that I purchased last year from the Dollar Tree to use for the letters. Because I didn't want my letters to be rounded, I ended up using a ruler to straighten them out, but you can write your letters however you want, of course. Then I went over everything with a Sharpie and colored it in. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfLHZEKnZXI2uiI7Kv-W9npefCKc5qzgJkbS_hVsveqsOy49seaMmrRZorc57241ovr_7fFk9lm9jGpAi4v0sz71ibZpHevBzMA_D6ymn98NybpWDGtxgi-iCovOIIr4sFDQk9a1Y3CE/s1600/tracing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfLHZEKnZXI2uiI7Kv-W9npefCKc5qzgJkbS_hVsveqsOy49seaMmrRZorc57241ovr_7fFk9lm9jGpAi4v0sz71ibZpHevBzMA_D6ymn98NybpWDGtxgi-iCovOIIr4sFDQk9a1Y3CE/s640/tracing.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I chose a verse from Matthew- Let your light shine!</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGI4sCYZnVPMPXj5VQyd6_7giUDR1AlGbhV589QTrQTeH8RARSj-XLPDELdpm5WTc2HtaiYCA9zLwMqkqwuCKnZnbWmmLD_RHRaEGf3W29lgJkTXEMkE1rpc3AKKMfe4O_xpmCCyGSL4/s1600/marker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGI4sCYZnVPMPXj5VQyd6_7giUDR1AlGbhV589QTrQTeH8RARSj-XLPDELdpm5WTc2HtaiYCA9zLwMqkqwuCKnZnbWmmLD_RHRaEGf3W29lgJkTXEMkE1rpc3AKKMfe4O_xpmCCyGSL4/s640/marker.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here is the hubs cutting the wood trim for me :) </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">*Two pieces at 33"</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">*Two pieces at 22.5"</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmvXUC6Mdm62hIv_s6cGaIpYtXIZC1nOOnRsCj1Y5jK0MBEFn0y_AD9r68zBcROxs7ca1xJbzgSb-V5gX0SM6a-opUD6P9NofuIeoVKHAT_E8FzUV-QpnUv9W7J_Se7VN61EAgg2LKEM/s1600/wood+cut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdmvXUC6Mdm62hIv_s6cGaIpYtXIZC1nOOnRsCj1Y5jK0MBEFn0y_AD9r68zBcROxs7ca1xJbzgSb-V5gX0SM6a-opUD6P9NofuIeoVKHAT_E8FzUV-QpnUv9W7J_Se7VN61EAgg2LKEM/s640/wood+cut.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For the wood stain, I chose to use what we already had on hand which was Minwax in Provincial. It's definitely one of my favs.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMccWn9tNZLx9_sfzuOkwJkX8Cqx2wrv6uCoBlmLXXZ6GgwVNmRMAJhdEBroZLiU-JZQ-ItX69w9O2cuUIvQK6Gtf4ETjRCOYcZ6u8TJZA07EkItrb-6yxgFzFWq1h7C3ZZ-cjzbVbmo/s1600/stain+used.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisMccWn9tNZLx9_sfzuOkwJkX8Cqx2wrv6uCoBlmLXXZ6GgwVNmRMAJhdEBroZLiU-JZQ-ItX69w9O2cuUIvQK6Gtf4ETjRCOYcZ6u8TJZA07EkItrb-6yxgFzFWq1h7C3ZZ-cjzbVbmo/s640/stain+used.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Once the stain was dry, it was time for nailing and stapling (yes, I stapled the wood together because I was too lazy to use wood glue and wait.for.it.to.dry...😂)...</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_IJx1sF_mEbT0K9IPhcOFuJ-6G-xmwgLbmOubDURBSl5V7D5QaFeZUCyeNY5UCON7ltuH41TZz23WnAd3g1u_RmMprYAIhRkASpxGYkB5b-PN0riEcpbrSu6FqWqBrUoKXrwb2vIHFM/s1600/stain+wood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh_IJx1sF_mEbT0K9IPhcOFuJ-6G-xmwgLbmOubDURBSl5V7D5QaFeZUCyeNY5UCON7ltuH41TZz23WnAd3g1u_RmMprYAIhRkASpxGYkB5b-PN0riEcpbrSu6FqWqBrUoKXrwb2vIHFM/s640/stain+wood.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The nails we already had were pretty much the perfect size for this project. Thankfully, they weren't too large that they split the wood and they were just long enough to hold the 2 ends together! Hooray!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtT_D5G_Fsh4Fd4r7GowrWUPaNvMzyOA5iV27xRGxL1NIYhEmhh3HuC9MATzJ0ciPAS-DNV0EVIq7sPWYO3dWbZL9P_b8oLI7GuqhHazuY3zkEln2pB2AFE2A_pCIitoLs7W3i3sfXRpQ/s1600/nail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtT_D5G_Fsh4Fd4r7GowrWUPaNvMzyOA5iV27xRGxL1NIYhEmhh3HuC9MATzJ0ciPAS-DNV0EVIq7sPWYO3dWbZL9P_b8oLI7GuqhHazuY3zkEln2pB2AFE2A_pCIitoLs7W3i3sfXRpQ/s640/nail.jpg" width="310" /> </a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I only used 4 nails (one for each side) and this wasn't enough to keep the frame sturdy. This is where the staples come in handy...haha! </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I stapled the edges together too (no one will even notice) and stained over it so that they are hidden. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwrY_U9nWyaJ-w4I9CTYKRetcTWR43DGY3LflFeFu_mU5IOsgAvjSdnTPgQKFxNDHpu0P9WxnordqkWYNwPQWIEB1EqgPSQz8JdgXg9XYGBegIU1oBdnWUDY8WFbTOsWiemdCsp7nBbs/s1600/staple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSwrY_U9nWyaJ-w4I9CTYKRetcTWR43DGY3LflFeFu_mU5IOsgAvjSdnTPgQKFxNDHpu0P9WxnordqkWYNwPQWIEB1EqgPSQz8JdgXg9XYGBegIU1oBdnWUDY8WFbTOsWiemdCsp7nBbs/s640/staple.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'm so happy with the way the sign turned out! It was just the perfect piece for this spot!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBaTfGAelr0Itchp4nBYb-sbDQLTCMwkBHY0lZoFALNYPS9SYTY9f_wKNVsSnx0LiY_dCK1nQzRT59CUn7XtKk-kr50GKzieVT4ik10mbF4NyiYEjmhhX8MDBqQ2cgbh4VgA3PMnHQSE/s1600/done.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1056" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyBaTfGAelr0Itchp4nBYb-sbDQLTCMwkBHY0lZoFALNYPS9SYTY9f_wKNVsSnx0LiY_dCK1nQzRT59CUn7XtKk-kr50GKzieVT4ik10mbF4NyiYEjmhhX8MDBqQ2cgbh4VgA3PMnHQSE/s640/done.jpg" width="422" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I also chose to write another verse on the other side of the poster board so that we can change up the sign if we want. Also, since the poster board is light enough to just "sit" inside the frame, if I want to replace it with another board, all I have to do is take this one out and put a new one in. 💓💓</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtPS140M7iXQsW0hicRcMfqbYyb4joyDpkrKtA3Rnir2rU3evQm1lnG_k66p1RHQ22yWqJF9IVkO27enAiOI_sQ8IDgEhkfAPMNKSpR-iqwty88-rQFisI_BVkm9b6FzpNflkuCdkMjk/s1600/done+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHtPS140M7iXQsW0hicRcMfqbYyb4joyDpkrKtA3Rnir2rU3evQm1lnG_k66p1RHQ22yWqJF9IVkO27enAiOI_sQ8IDgEhkfAPMNKSpR-iqwty88-rQFisI_BVkm9b6FzpNflkuCdkMjk/s640/done+2.jpg" width="358" /></a></span></div>
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I love that these verses are one of the first things we see when we come downstairs. It helps to know the truth that God is always there...a good reminder especially for us in our journey of foster care. 💕<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLe2RdpVlpnZpK8snf6gCBGy3NigGaYJFeRlhgcUC19P69UPBBV4zjX35aawZI4OrAyu5hJZR-eW7vkbLoi6UnsxhynXSBtypE8Wj9M001OSgGTSIehX8jHt8hqouKSrsyl5qJGb4w_-w/s1600/other+verse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="968" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLe2RdpVlpnZpK8snf6gCBGy3NigGaYJFeRlhgcUC19P69UPBBV4zjX35aawZI4OrAyu5hJZR-eW7vkbLoi6UnsxhynXSBtypE8Wj9M001OSgGTSIehX8jHt8hqouKSrsyl5qJGb4w_-w/s640/other+verse.jpg" width="386" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">So if you are looking for a small project to do and one that is super inexpensive, give this one a try! 😍</span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-67479776441184900432018-10-03T21:22:00.002-04:002018-10-03T21:27:16.926-04:00Faux Granite Countertops (Take 2)<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4lsXFYpdmxxKZJpJv4mCPYvnBoBbSMsEBOn8SKEH_KNiS04dGvMvCx6WoA-RJLnU8I_DbTxWsBRJCqCAkG89BWZPjcr16EHQuLFXORaVrmMpF2l47YiOlpl3vEnau94NllLITHePV20/s1600/counters.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1221" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA4lsXFYpdmxxKZJpJv4mCPYvnBoBbSMsEBOn8SKEH_KNiS04dGvMvCx6WoA-RJLnU8I_DbTxWsBRJCqCAkG89BWZPjcr16EHQuLFXORaVrmMpF2l47YiOlpl3vEnau94NllLITHePV20/s640/counters.jpg" width="488" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's been 4 years since our counter tops have been refinished and they were looking like they needed a facelift. The paint was beginning to chip at the corners and sides, so I decided it was time to update them. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">When I first painted our kitchen counters years ago, I tried to go with a faux granite finish and it worked out okay. The tutorials I watched online called for using a sponge to get the look. Since I was too cheap to go out and actually purchase one (I know, crazy right?), I decided to use paper towels. This method worked out okay and we got lots of compliments on the look of them once they were finished. However, they never actually ended up looking like granite, so I recently decided to give it another shot.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I went out and bought a sponge this time (only one...haha- there I go being cheap again!) and it did the job nicely!! It does take some patience and time, but I think it's worth it in the end if you want to "diy" this. Plus, you save a lot of $$$.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once the painting was complete, I gave our counters a couple of coats of clear poly and let them dry for 24 hours before putting our items back on them. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's to hoping we get another 4 years (or more!!) out of 'em. :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> ****************************************************** </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I will post a quick step-by-step process of how I painted our counters and hope this helps anyone out there who wants to give it a try!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Step 1</u></i></b>: Prime your counters- I used a latex based primer. Use a couple of coats and let it dry for about 24 hours before moving on to step 2.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilb4e6K1-UzocvUF9TYhPhjXzL1UXB_wM2RxoDKaANeuol87Nh8BB4s1dqHM8bZsVlDOBS-i7jv8208-E-rs5qM_bC2QYN8UYTbmArXsPAQ6HnZDDtnN8tVZrcJdefJTvXaGPm7YBrQC8/s1600/prime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="980" data-original-width="980" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilb4e6K1-UzocvUF9TYhPhjXzL1UXB_wM2RxoDKaANeuol87Nh8BB4s1dqHM8bZsVlDOBS-i7jv8208-E-rs5qM_bC2QYN8UYTbmArXsPAQ6HnZDDtnN8tVZrcJdefJTvXaGPm7YBrQC8/s640/prime.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Step 2</u></i></b>: Buy a sponge (trust me, this is a lot easier than using paper towels ;)) and dip it into a dark paint. I chose to use a dark gray that we already had in our paint storage stash. ;)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let your paint dry before moving on to Step 3. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWKx89ncGSlWiImAXFGNA0-sUJp0C1ZN3y6s_1DNsIAluBWWrbkXufhbw_CCWZIQdFzDN2kqlrQUDZsYiXaRuwo4dVpWfotuMgMK92YCGO3MI1I_Ye4hS2KDvFXRpuOo5CQrkQtFX1Do/s1600/sponge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWKx89ncGSlWiImAXFGNA0-sUJp0C1ZN3y6s_1DNsIAluBWWrbkXufhbw_CCWZIQdFzDN2kqlrQUDZsYiXaRuwo4dVpWfotuMgMK92YCGO3MI1I_Ye4hS2KDvFXRpuOo5CQrkQtFX1Do/s640/sponge.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZuXg8P6-KDsQwExO6vKemvQFD288SoFIPIDIvMuiq8xH12nBpqEMc_dNEvACe9DZT8uKKgBbDQIckLpMb2Vh0qAl3QW62IIPa2Lv08Td20MjPp1qDqmx8WW0UyjYee1tN-gbllykD-g/s1600/paint.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTZuXg8P6-KDsQwExO6vKemvQFD288SoFIPIDIvMuiq8xH12nBpqEMc_dNEvACe9DZT8uKKgBbDQIckLpMb2Vh0qAl3QW62IIPa2Lv08Td20MjPp1qDqmx8WW0UyjYee1tN-gbllykD-g/s640/paint.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Step 3</u></i></b>: Take your sponge and dip it into a lighter shade than the first color you started with and start painting over that darker color. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Repeat this process a few more times lightening the color as you go. I chose to use a base white paint as my last color to lighten the counters and achieve the look I was going for.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61LcmhjMcoZ7Zc_ND_bqR-SZnGJ9Jx6_LrgXF4kFofC7gp-0GGOQMylGKsEuSirIHiD-kczHEIfxd4gOhfToj7lducIEQLLSGBaIR6Codms3GWlb3_vdJ_Pys4IFNQYGLAyAn80HWyDA/s1600/layers.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh61LcmhjMcoZ7Zc_ND_bqR-SZnGJ9Jx6_LrgXF4kFofC7gp-0GGOQMylGKsEuSirIHiD-kczHEIfxd4gOhfToj7lducIEQLLSGBaIR6Codms3GWlb3_vdJ_Pys4IFNQYGLAyAn80HWyDA/s640/layers.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Step 4</u></i></b>: Once you've painted all your layers, let it dry completely and add a poly coat for protection.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Step 5</u></i></b>: Sit back and enjo<span style="color: #0000ee;">y all that </span>hard work! :) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzJLfjC2lkBv9bMiQfI7ljQ98aLsNf-Q7CDrjv1dEUR3w5LKsvq73I0yGuUvlCkuI_GQ7snGcR08XZ-f94xkXBCDAaRC8INkqwAohcuqgbh4M3PT26iV5GsMdgTj8lyNN4xpVzMRsNgg/s1600/paint1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAzJLfjC2lkBv9bMiQfI7ljQ98aLsNf-Q7CDrjv1dEUR3w5LKsvq73I0yGuUvlCkuI_GQ7snGcR08XZ-f94xkXBCDAaRC8INkqwAohcuqgbh4M3PT26iV5GsMdgTj8lyNN4xpVzMRsNgg/s640/paint1.jpg" width="360" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We are very happy with the way our counters look. I think they ended up resembling more of the granite look I was aiming for. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Have you ever tried painting your countertops? How did it turn out? </span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-3963056965859344172018-08-15T22:16:00.001-04:002018-08-15T22:16:53.128-04:00When All 3 Of Your Kids Share a Room<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ever since our youngest turned 2, he has not been a fan of sleeping alone in his own room. He would fall asleep in his toddler bed (he was already climbing out of the crib) and around 2 or 3 in the morning wander into our room or his sisters' bedroom. It wasn't until recently that we decided to move his bed into his sisters' room so 1) he isn't alone and 2) we see if this move would comfort him enough during the night that he wouldn't wake up multiple times.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The plan worked! If only we had figured this out sooner!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, now all 3 of our kiddos share one room and surprisingly, it's not crowded at all. I feel like it's actually even cozier and comfier than before. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The change involved repainting the walls with a color the girls chose- Benjamin Moore Iceburg. I was hesitant about it at first because I didn't really know how it would work with some of the other elements in the room. But I have to say, they were spot on with the color! We love it! It's a blue that reminds me of the sky on a clear summer day. :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are a few photos of their new space. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0t0NWMfnqHR3eG_HYpjMBwISP98-qmDARwuUJroobOg2E6FP4noE3ZQMVIIWMNnKSHLojCFMcnscwSWd_WvCprUKErv6miefE21KZvByOwLsfuAF7N03w3hxjuHFXE5TVgvTAo1Zlu0k/s1600/20180813_154105.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1049" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0t0NWMfnqHR3eG_HYpjMBwISP98-qmDARwuUJroobOg2E6FP4noE3ZQMVIIWMNnKSHLojCFMcnscwSWd_WvCprUKErv6miefE21KZvByOwLsfuAF7N03w3hxjuHFXE5TVgvTAo1Zlu0k/s640/20180813_154105.jpg" width="418" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUtd14ie0oytxRqzwOrVzoQkirDvlTQluH3v9xf0crHH8kqNwL37d2aIyuZF3_wiJ3Y5n5m7iTEotbGs-noNc2BGtazGqQRyhaK3dpxCX4_7MOI6HmhPux_W5ImnaOxbscjr5Qs1Q18Y/s1600/IMG_20180813_154306_854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1236" data-original-width="1236" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGUtd14ie0oytxRqzwOrVzoQkirDvlTQluH3v9xf0crHH8kqNwL37d2aIyuZF3_wiJ3Y5n5m7iTEotbGs-noNc2BGtazGqQRyhaK3dpxCX4_7MOI6HmhPux_W5ImnaOxbscjr5Qs1Q18Y/s640/IMG_20180813_154306_854.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATe1Pq7hlJXp_sVOmbNKDwdkXaJ_nusPKOYR9xuKE4oA1hiHanxCsL_gqBS07iqp4lmSxzriCLWEN9wnCAJSaOlFkgt5wbsdx7Y4yc9fGAA29xkYtDAWFlu0_wGl486C-KU2Fm3zvtas/s1600/IMG_20180815_092752_442.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgATe1Pq7hlJXp_sVOmbNKDwdkXaJ_nusPKOYR9xuKE4oA1hiHanxCsL_gqBS07iqp4lmSxzriCLWEN9wnCAJSaOlFkgt5wbsdx7Y4yc9fGAA29xkYtDAWFlu0_wGl486C-KU2Fm3zvtas/s640/IMG_20180815_092752_442.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I spy a little boy reading :)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I did end up keeping the <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2017/05/pink-closet-door-for-girls-room-and.html" target="_blank">painted closet doors</a> because the girls use this for their clothes. Our <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-boys-nursery.html" target="_blank">son's clothes are still in his old room</a>, since he will be moving back there eventually. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLHhkTnypsn2aUqCdVYR15ZXFDi9Kg94DVeoNx489iljrJ6kGEWXwh4mG1TjtnEUaI_j_m08tqG0Xm8H4OtDGUL2_31lGp09cymQzmVuVL3jEDFbM-Sd0LdiSb2XZfiVUdwO240wgHtE/s1600/20180814_203632.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1014" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcLHhkTnypsn2aUqCdVYR15ZXFDi9Kg94DVeoNx489iljrJ6kGEWXwh4mG1TjtnEUaI_j_m08tqG0Xm8H4OtDGUL2_31lGp09cymQzmVuVL3jEDFbM-Sd0LdiSb2XZfiVUdwO240wgHtE/s640/20180814_203632.jpg" width="404" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> I spy a cute puppy! (even though he's actually not a puppy anymore, he's still cute)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2017/07/diy-doll-bunk-beds.html" target="_blank">doll bunk bed</a> was a DIY project from last year. A few of the dolls sleep there...and did you happen to notice the doll in the basket that is missing her shirt? Why do kids love to take clothes off of dolls and not put them back on? Something I'll never understand. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Behind the closet doors, the girls share an over-the-door organizer. It was a couple of bucks at Wal-Mart and holds plenty of their little toys and stuffed animals. Happy to have them off the floor at the end of the day! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_4X5cDZNA4a5QLUH1Rs_4aU3jN_nbBKZaUdK3uecKpnvlu0y1cTPEksSzeEOhyphenhyphenHa1M3LXztTD3vX5GIBN8JW99jNkQbN_Ja1vJBRnzpLTl5P3_nqNtEy7EJSQM-kyf8e_yc4dEvXGq8/s1600/20180815_205440.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ_4X5cDZNA4a5QLUH1Rs_4aU3jN_nbBKZaUdK3uecKpnvlu0y1cTPEksSzeEOhyphenhyphenHa1M3LXztTD3vX5GIBN8JW99jNkQbN_Ja1vJBRnzpLTl5P3_nqNtEy7EJSQM-kyf8e_yc4dEvXGq8/s640/20180815_205440.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This little spot next to the door of their room is special to me because it holds sweet memories of when our girls were little. :) We had the pictures taken at Colonial Williamsburg. Such a sweet day!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPt_jBrwJgn0OECJfPS2IsLNaO6qiCgy53dBQ_d2pR8JSdRpLYturrVr7sRdzNwvuRdbBnSrpV94e-9hlMgwjl4Kw-EhVCFvrXc628rgMvSUo8Xd7Y5edZxEzdMLjz4TDLGlToiy4jF0/s1600/20180815_205520.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpPt_jBrwJgn0OECJfPS2IsLNaO6qiCgy53dBQ_d2pR8JSdRpLYturrVr7sRdzNwvuRdbBnSrpV94e-9hlMgwjl4Kw-EhVCFvrXc628rgMvSUo8Xd7Y5edZxEzdMLjz4TDLGlToiy4jF0/s640/20180815_205520.jpg" width="358" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We still have that <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2015/12/the-details-of-dollhouse.html" target="_blank">dollhouse I made for the girls a few years back.</a> They still play with it occasionally, which is nice. Little brother and little sister have also doodled on it quite a bit. It's not lacking in color, that's for sure! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8tXJQl-VhLQsrDWbaa82O_u0_Hlm50G7doKlxfY7Y4TuyooDOQVIJPJo7b7DyuNPFhtWOPW8Kz_tE0L4hCng4av9CdWt86oe2A5Iy8NHosB8rHxVfmi2N3-Ng8Ek3oN20ORoLnx45L_w/s1600/20180815_210226.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="778" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8tXJQl-VhLQsrDWbaa82O_u0_Hlm50G7doKlxfY7Y4TuyooDOQVIJPJo7b7DyuNPFhtWOPW8Kz_tE0L4hCng4av9CdWt86oe2A5Iy8NHosB8rHxVfmi2N3-Ng8Ek3oN20ORoLnx45L_w/s640/20180815_210226.jpg" width="310" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The large B/W picture above is another one of our favorites. It was taken about 2 years ago when our kiddos still loved each other. Just kidding! They still do. ;) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The framed quote is from Katie Davis Majors, founder of Amazima Ministries (a ministry we support). It says,"I have learned that I will not change the world. Jesus will do that. I can, however, change the world for one person." You can learn more about this wonderful Uganda-based ministry <a href="https://amazima.org/" target="_blank">here.</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I also hung up a shelf (fence board that my hubby cut down to size) above the picture for all the kids' arts and crafts. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">With all this, I hope the room is a place for our kiddos to rest and relax after a busy day. So far, it has worked out that way and for that, I am thankful! </span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-37714876133782918312018-07-03T20:57:00.000-04:002018-07-03T21:28:39.594-04:007th Birthday Scavenger Hunt<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Recently, our daughter, Tess, turned 7! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Still can't believe that our little girl is not so little anymore. Seems like yesterday I was holding her in my arms rocking her to sleep her first night home after being born. My how time is flying!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To celebrate 7 beautiful years, we wanted to do something a little bit different than what we've done in the past</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">. We decided that spending the day as a family would be best. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since my husband was out of town the week of Tess' birthday for a work trip, we rescheduled to a weekday when he got back.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I wanted to come up with a fun way to celebrate our girl's big day, so I thought that making a scavenger hunt would be fun. The hunt began at our house and took us across the river. It was a fun day for all (most importantly, the birthday girl)!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Clue #1</u></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> <i>Happy birthday to you!</i></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Happy birthday to you!</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Let's celebrate this day,</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> By opening a gift or two!</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tess began her birthday by opening a few gifts- one of which was a floral dress she wore for her special day.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Clue #2</u></span></span></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let's all go somewhere,</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let's take a drive.</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It will be a surprise!</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And very soon we'll arrive...</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">(Where do you think we are going?)</span></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The first destination was a park in our area that we've never been to. We ate lunch by the water with ducks and geese nearby (which was fun for the kids), and let the kids run around together. Even though it was a hot day, water and shade helped and we made some good memories! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Fun kids' play area!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We made it to the top of the hill! Hooray! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Both girls brought their new purple sunglasses to wear, but for some reason decided to take them off when they were running around. Of course... ;) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-OGQm7vU4arCEIngaQCba3PDAybL5MWH_5l0nSNzhZypLpFwaVQDZzLQUQRkrpgWSPnyriqmtWs8RzDezLayRgtuO46swSm2HrLymrDCVXtcTj73f1xIYUphB1-OkC9O3-2aruF26Fc/s1600/20180702_125737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1338" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8-OGQm7vU4arCEIngaQCba3PDAybL5MWH_5l0nSNzhZypLpFwaVQDZzLQUQRkrpgWSPnyriqmtWs8RzDezLayRgtuO46swSm2HrLymrDCVXtcTj73f1xIYUphB1-OkC9O3-2aruF26Fc/s640/20180702_125737.jpg" width="534" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This
girl...she ran up and down these stairs and never tired out! We
wouldn't be surprised if she tried out for the track team some day. She's got endurance! </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Clue #3</u></span></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Why don't you open another gift?</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's something you can wear,</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And maybe something colorful too,</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps you will want to share!</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qcK4nb0l1BFSH3-YiULm1UKX9J7QVydHMlXGDqvb-g19v4nlJjXPxoSBo2exSU4NvbfIF3sqbqYeRaXcXvaf3-PuCsr-T1IQycsEi10AaF0rGMOWLmnf-NKq2VMwYojsznX_SKqn9E4/s1600/20180702_130810.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qcK4nb0l1BFSH3-YiULm1UKX9J7QVydHMlXGDqvb-g19v4nlJjXPxoSBo2exSU4NvbfIF3sqbqYeRaXcXvaf3-PuCsr-T1IQycsEi10AaF0rGMOWLmnf-NKq2VMwYojsznX_SKqn9E4/s640/20180702_130810.jpg" width="360" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hooray for colorful jeweled shoes! Tess was so excited to wear these with her new dress before heading to our next stop. We also got her a colorful pack of molding clay <span style="font-size: small;">(but left it at home for her to open so it didn't melt in the car).</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdrxg6GJXcZNwBC4jcenMxXrp6pffYybCje9bCYzzhzm4u0NiYZ7RzSGeUFqu1rNJzCiqS8WPVDX2zIEBGmkHshLch7ysSngP_rmw9ICUiQbgrog-Tn2WGv2G3ZvIHwKLuYBOXtcLwFg/s1600/20180702_130821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdrxg6GJXcZNwBC4jcenMxXrp6pffYybCje9bCYzzhzm4u0NiYZ7RzSGeUFqu1rNJzCiqS8WPVDX2zIEBGmkHshLch7ysSngP_rmw9ICUiQbgrog-Tn2WGv2G3ZvIHwKLuYBOXtcLwFg/s640/20180702_130821.jpg" width="360" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We took a little detour to the mall nearby to cool off from the heat...which led us to a pet shop where the kids got to see lots of puppies. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaukuCyfkzpKXQkf11wi0RzHqt1Yed6hjLNVnmh4c60muEpZgVXJ5D90H9V74OGQ30q4PREeaGs5aIx6NgLeYsuPfh2a5OBsxkDJUzM_Kcq7_S20BvaN9WxVwuIASxY-0cQuDaEhtm-L0/s1600/20180702_140838.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaukuCyfkzpKXQkf11wi0RzHqt1Yed6hjLNVnmh4c60muEpZgVXJ5D90H9V74OGQ30q4PREeaGs5aIx6NgLeYsuPfh2a5OBsxkDJUzM_Kcq7_S20BvaN9WxVwuIASxY-0cQuDaEhtm-L0/s640/20180702_140838.jpg" width="360" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our little boy was enthralled with these particular puppies in the window. So much in fact that he kept talking to them. :)</span></span></div>
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Deep conversations...</div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After we were all cooled down, it was time for the next clue.</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Clue #4</u></span></span></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Do you like cheesecake?</span></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Of course you do, why do I even ask. </span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let's head to your next destination</span></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where eating will be your task!</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Any guesses on where we ate dinner?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqZXhA58vVKXgTE4_o-1UTJRPXuHzLuluUBLt7293zEaOfpIVB6sNFCyqrwo2EJagiO3PfmVgPoUR-BkswChmMUTP4xuufIYRFVU2bBtDh58Gbofzc_nTkRkNK8E2WlNnFeCJt7LpHmY/s1600/20180702_151104.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdqZXhA58vVKXgTE4_o-1UTJRPXuHzLuluUBLt7293zEaOfpIVB6sNFCyqrwo2EJagiO3PfmVgPoUR-BkswChmMUTP4xuufIYRFVU2bBtDh58Gbofzc_nTkRkNK8E2WlNnFeCJt7LpHmY/s640/20180702_151104.jpg" width="360" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Cheesecake Factory! Yum, yum, yum!!!!</span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSdrja3Y2XhaGjKLY4Qjf9q7Y-mVmnAOhwenoimjANqfoixlVZXfH1aN3pWQVYJluZR-Xj3o_WpXkAczZ3yS_Bc0kGd30FpSrL5f2vLVXXVWgXOw_viPTCX-Hr5S0AYvn65V92VLCPH0/s1600/20180702_154340.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeSdrja3Y2XhaGjKLY4Qjf9q7Y-mVmnAOhwenoimjANqfoixlVZXfH1aN3pWQVYJluZR-Xj3o_WpXkAczZ3yS_Bc0kGd30FpSrL5f2vLVXXVWgXOw_viPTCX-Hr5S0AYvn65V92VLCPH0/s640/20180702_154340.jpg" width="360" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Always creating something with her food...</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Not only did we all enjoy a nice dinner, but we also ordered some delicious cheesecake. We asked our waitress if she could sing to Tessa. She and a few other servers were glad to do so. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We ordered the chocolate mousse and birthday celebration cheesecake. So, so good and most importantly, the birthday girl approved! </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgev9NnKKAhxYQHW0ke9focbU178pVyIrvYq7AJEARP_0ezZx1O4X5pnlyjaA48FO5fuukn6r_qw3afYTKrMv6hkJwWelub5G2fG8CF9Id-H4M1UFI5lFzLMSOGFRkRqbd_0qSoNy5RBfM/s1600/20180702_160134.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgev9NnKKAhxYQHW0ke9focbU178pVyIrvYq7AJEARP_0ezZx1O4X5pnlyjaA48FO5fuukn6r_qw3afYTKrMv6hkJwWelub5G2fG8CF9Id-H4M1UFI5lFzLMSOGFRkRqbd_0qSoNy5RBfM/s640/20180702_160134.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Time for a group hug!!!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDi0K1cBpyO3QNQ_Tu1dBV2r8iob3kQPi95fgcHbosME0xWPszO4HDLNAac7-qlJhgqVxxJAZfH4Ns78rMnKk2omee92r7Q_NDZVWljXUOguWbDLK3J8-6e2vC0KIax2SItsJ1zuOVqI/s1600/20180702_151057.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1247" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDi0K1cBpyO3QNQ_Tu1dBV2r8iob3kQPi95fgcHbosME0xWPszO4HDLNAac7-qlJhgqVxxJAZfH4Ns78rMnKk2omee92r7Q_NDZVWljXUOguWbDLK3J8-6e2vC0KIax2SItsJ1zuOVqI/s640/20180702_151057.jpg" width="498" /></a></div>
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This picture cracks me up! Love the love these 3 have for each other!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I say it every year and this year is no different...happy, happy birthday, sweet girl! We love you so much and are thankful for your kindness and thoughtfulness towards others. Keep loving big!</span> </div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-83504051468359108602018-06-06T20:51:00.001-04:002018-06-12T22:25:48.647-04:00Our New To Us Outdoor Play Set<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTssOz2NyN180SScLEOONihYT_852JHDKHpd5S680xijCAYF5Y5ugLnSxsFVaJ-Fl0eLuCbOyj16QoPO-Dm1lLLGa-rm_cMS5HFlZCJodZHf42g_eAMDV2EYvCHcdG0g3DysInTvu1lc/s1600/IMG_5903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1294" data-original-width="1600" height="516" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTssOz2NyN180SScLEOONihYT_852JHDKHpd5S680xijCAYF5Y5ugLnSxsFVaJ-Fl0eLuCbOyj16QoPO-Dm1lLLGa-rm_cMS5HFlZCJodZHf42g_eAMDV2EYvCHcdG0g3DysInTvu1lc/s640/IMG_5903.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Where do I begin with this one? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I guess I'll start by writing how this blog began. LoveOlympiaJune was born 4 years ago as my way of sharing online the process of flipping furniture pieces.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">While my blog has changed over the years as I began to write about more than just refinishing furniture, I've started to return to my original focus. <i>However</i>, today's post will not be about that. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Recently, a neighbor and I were chatting about whether to buy new or used items for our kids. This particular friend mentioned she uses Facebook Marketplace. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My husband and I had been talking about the possibility of building some kind of outdoor play space for our family and ran the numbers on what it would cost to do so. We concluded that it would cost somewhere between $500-$700 for all the tools, materials, and lumber to build. I really didn't want to spend anywhere near that amount, so I thought this was a good chance to check the FB Marketplace out.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">When I started to look I found a Rainbow Play Set that was listed well below our build cost <i>just hours before</i>. I wasn't sold on the price and this play set was located in Richmond. Not really what we had in mind. However, something in me said to just write the lady who was listing the swing set. I contacted her and we negotiated on the price. Afterwards, I told my husband about our FB exchange and he wasn't too happy about it, ha! I understood though...I mean, I didn't want to have to rent a trailer AND drive to Richmond just to get a swing set. Long story short, this lady and I agreed on a price that we thought was fair. We rented a trailer and hauled to Richmond one Saturday with our kids.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once we got to Richmond,</span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> we were pleasantly surprised when we saw a Publix down the road from where we would be, so we decided to hit that up later in the evening. <i>That alone should make this all worth it, right? </i><span style="font-size: small;">(we really love Publix!)</span><i><br /></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now before actually meeting this family, I got the impression they were believers. Something about the way the lady wrote, how quick and responsive she was, and how kind she was just gave me that impression. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once we got to the house, we all got out and got to work. We thought it would only take a couple hours to take this beast apart...but boy were we wrong!! It took 6 hours!!! 6 hours!?! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My husband was pretty patient with everything and even said to me that normally he would get really frustrated given the circumstances, but something about being at this family's house put him at peace. That was comforting!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I don't know if you are wondering what our kids did during <i>ALL</i> that time, but I'll tell you anyways. ;) The family who was selling this play set has 2 girls, ages 12 and 14. They took to our kids right away and played tag with them, raced around the yard, ate snacks and watched a movie together. Our kids were <i>sooo </i>happy playing and running around that day that they didn't even seem to mind that mommy and daddy were busy trying to figure out how we were going to take this thing apart and get it home safely. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another blessing was that this lady's husband did end up helping us, and one of their neighbors even came over to let us borrow some extra tools which helped speed things up a bit. Once we thought we were home free, we got what we thought we needed apart and got ready to put it in the trailer. Well, come to find out we had to take even more of this thing apart because it was too big to fit. <i>Womp, womp!!</i> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thankfully, our kids weren't ready to leave yet so we kept at it and finally got the last piece apart around 7:30pm. We noticed that there was a little bit of wood rot along the bottom of the boards on the tower and some of the bolts were rusted enough we would have to buy a couple more. Upon seeing and hearing this, the family insisted we take some of our money back. They generously refunded us half of the price. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once all the pieces were inside the truck and we were ready to leave,
the man began to share how he reads the Bible with his girls and how he
went through it cover to cover with his daughter in 4 months. That
was so encouraging! It felt like we had known them before and couldn't
help to think how much God's hand was a part of this. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Even though it ended up being a long day, we had a lot of laughs with this family and seeing our kids run around happily with their girls made it all worth it. We exchanged numbers and some pictures of our kids playing (I won't share those here, but we do have one of them printed and hanging on our wall at home). The lady even gave away some toys to our kids including a toy airplane, skateboard, and other little goodies.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">That day left such an impression on me, it's weird. I don't know, but the whole experience had both my husband and I pleasantly surprised because this was something we normally do not do. It's not like me to message someone I don't even know and head to their house to pick up something. I've <i>almost never</i> done that with furniture. I always meet in a public place. <span style="font-size: small;">In saying all of this I wouldn't necessarily recommend someone do this on a regular basis by the way. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I sent some pictures to this family of the play set during and after setup and am now ready to share them on the blog. Get ready for lots of pics!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Before we (or shall I say my husband) could begin setup, we wanted to lay out all the pieces to see how they would fit between our 2 crepe myrtles. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To keep our kiddos entertained, we busted out another thrifted $10 find- our Melissa and Doug easel. Tessa loves any Mo Willems book, so she got to work writing and drawing.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lydia and Gavin found a few ladybugs and also played with the chalk wall that came with the swing set. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We did a little bit of reading. ;) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We wanted to stain all the wood, so I taped up any areas we didn't want to be sprayed. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Staining in progress! </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Putting up the roof!</span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I even got in on the job while little Miss Lydia snapped some pictures for us. :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFvsM1fSvXBxKmQ270SWULTDjhxfSvN-e-NGdJR8_Uyx37J-e43T25md_Ou5MEc2mNj4VyhxLVW0Adsk0_wIZhInnCI0jIhz4tPslYCyqnMtiF88M3OF9sSotly95jvHgAmrYlW3k6Qw/s1600/IMG_5817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1424" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmFvsM1fSvXBxKmQ270SWULTDjhxfSvN-e-NGdJR8_Uyx37J-e43T25md_Ou5MEc2mNj4VyhxLVW0Adsk0_wIZhInnCI0jIhz4tPslYCyqnMtiF88M3OF9sSotly95jvHgAmrYlW3k6Qw/s640/IMG_5817.JPG" width="568" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TBuICxeOrEUGo-1BAAgj4CU7YcHso4CASGeXYa_w58DDDOrO1m_B33HybBohbufx4xIIF1JIsFS7lecisI9g__IBarJVtiVne_7TsHZNYyo9Z9HqShk1UWaNqz4Fl5R0fH478T60_vg/s1600/IMG_5816.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-TBuICxeOrEUGo-1BAAgj4CU7YcHso4CASGeXYa_w58DDDOrO1m_B33HybBohbufx4xIIF1JIsFS7lecisI9g__IBarJVtiVne_7TsHZNYyo9Z9HqShk1UWaNqz4Fl5R0fH478T60_vg/s640/IMG_5816.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Almost finished!!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBB6RQR02g60SON6RG-zyGpLE70_pZJvJuK-gWFeIuZCHC4qbLUEjJN1PrepiALyw-_FAo7UjaQl8mwjFilQt0Ky1BWxr9pB6EEGWrHaM6sbMdU7LGL_t_J46pYM0s1yS2Ahi752n5cec/s1600/IMG_5839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBB6RQR02g60SON6RG-zyGpLE70_pZJvJuK-gWFeIuZCHC4qbLUEjJN1PrepiALyw-_FAo7UjaQl8mwjFilQt0Ky1BWxr9pB6EEGWrHaM6sbMdU7LGL_t_J46pYM0s1yS2Ahi752n5cec/s640/IMG_5839.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Have to say, it looks like a brand new play set! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our kiddos have been using it whenever they can and we've already had a few families over to play on it with them. </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja82Md9B4XBuC_Z7C7Zj-z-6z0j9j3GDOuJR4wj2vGTJRWrNJ3F39ALtc3kCJ7XGIa_9tzO2riUasOJju12GeYGURxK-po09VrOHFV96nB7CfW8YTueM62Fb2_kczREEJTUmDI7NmX7tQ/s1600/IMG_5898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja82Md9B4XBuC_Z7C7Zj-z-6z0j9j3GDOuJR4wj2vGTJRWrNJ3F39ALtc3kCJ7XGIa_9tzO2riUasOJju12GeYGURxK-po09VrOHFV96nB7CfW8YTueM62Fb2_kczREEJTUmDI7NmX7tQ/s640/IMG_5898.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's to many more days like this in the summer!</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-52402270531874663812018-05-21T20:53:00.000-04:002018-05-22T08:27:05.400-04:00Tall Dresser Makeover (with a little something different!)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A few years ago, I purchased this tall Broyhill dresser at a thrift store. Most recently, we've been using it in the boy's room. It provides great storage and is very well made. When I first saw this dresser, I loved the dental detail at the top and the fun little shape at the bottom, but of course knew it was going to get painted. Once we got it home, I cleaned it up, primed, sanded, and painted it dark gray. It stayed that color for a while.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">More recently, I posted to my FB page about using gold painted animals as knobs for this dresser...well, the "knobs" have been painted and added to this piece finally. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8C_h4QJQ2kmQtziJQEfRq_0qrlhhPY77GHDBmnQ1ncm1wzTPoTQBvv2YirT82S6E6yCHABvgI-Nbi0siKS65Ec-ct_ay_-ofQqvdA_nR4y59EZFTM3KmGOCkI5qoPxlV_RlisGcK0xTw/s1600/IMG_5791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8C_h4QJQ2kmQtziJQEfRq_0qrlhhPY77GHDBmnQ1ncm1wzTPoTQBvv2YirT82S6E6yCHABvgI-Nbi0siKS65Ec-ct_ay_-ofQqvdA_nR4y59EZFTM3KmGOCkI5qoPxlV_RlisGcK0xTw/s640/IMG_5791.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmAHWqsytOyUvMleVCDJT8ALfcLhE1PqYms_VLyKYnN-XDIzx53X_7wd5sxW17Yyahdmj0cqCDliVJ3Wg733oSa_i-uCZ1HKu66CmWdTUCx6Bwe95dzjK3OfEEk4j0HJ4Qq-YCjXro5A/s1600/IMG_5792.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmAHWqsytOyUvMleVCDJT8ALfcLhE1PqYms_VLyKYnN-XDIzx53X_7wd5sxW17Yyahdmj0cqCDliVJ3Wg733oSa_i-uCZ1HKu66CmWdTUCx6Bwe95dzjK3OfEEk4j0HJ4Qq-YCjXro5A/s640/IMG_5792.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I also repainted the dresser in a lighter gray (a mistake that ended up working out) and sanded to bring the two colors together. I love the unexpected spunk the knobs add as well as the depth the paint colors give it! Plus, the boy loves the animals! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some recent photos I took... </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_yOkdTlwi96-1HMiXciF71kLMXZlcZUGASdneT9ehaqxORke5qapIXHulpHcRJ0B1eDGzRjo19gElQ7uUj3uARB4OQqQj0M7Ys0W2UODl1f8_Wy8m_VDlaVK7q2xZzCxJvmKPGAYalM/s1600/IMG_5905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ_yOkdTlwi96-1HMiXciF71kLMXZlcZUGASdneT9ehaqxORke5qapIXHulpHcRJ0B1eDGzRjo19gElQ7uUj3uARB4OQqQj0M7Ys0W2UODl1f8_Wy8m_VDlaVK7q2xZzCxJvmKPGAYalM/s640/IMG_5905.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-i6zzpOMZQgFDH0SnBA65h_3GrmxJBE49N7Fb_oxtFuX0kIUp-vP04pEfA5AyF__7FpGBXKbxEM0DhPOQu7QV1T5ukyZiTv4xrwVaO_ECDtHI77LduZOPM9ZYZLo1Zaa71OMp81u868/s1600/IMG_5908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho-i6zzpOMZQgFDH0SnBA65h_3GrmxJBE49N7Fb_oxtFuX0kIUp-vP04pEfA5AyF__7FpGBXKbxEM0DhPOQu7QV1T5ukyZiTv4xrwVaO_ECDtHI77LduZOPM9ZYZLo1Zaa71OMp81u868/s640/IMG_5908.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHZKcVic3oItQ7lr_7GFpuzwA8aNqi4LzE670F8Ckinrkc_1xFo-oepVGYKA-kD9LB-0c7CnMO22pThcxvB5EFD_s1QuYPPVzWatBV3CClktBk6ZZb-Z6lozoLJ_og8KJzpojUzcBaHs/s1600/IMG_5915.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTHZKcVic3oItQ7lr_7GFpuzwA8aNqi4LzE670F8Ckinrkc_1xFo-oepVGYKA-kD9LB-0c7CnMO22pThcxvB5EFD_s1QuYPPVzWatBV3CClktBk6ZZb-Z6lozoLJ_og8KJzpojUzcBaHs/s640/IMG_5915.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">At first, I wasn't sure if I liked the graininess of the drawers (and really the whole thing) after they were sanded. It's definitely a different look than what I usually go for when painting large pieces like this because normally I paint using one color only. However, I wanted this piece to have some depth and I think blending the darker gray with the lighter gray helped achieve this look. What do you think?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's definitely different...but it adds some fun to our son's room and for that, we like it!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And some pics of one of my future painters...she wanted to repaint her rocking chair this pretty pink we used <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2017/07/diy-doll-bunk-beds.html" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2017/05/pink-closet-door-for-girls-room-and.html" target="_blank">here</a>.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNzGiZZ9-Yf68Em-PD50F7SQaXMdPhptZQCfnqzcULQpjiH7jDlO9sGU0lySIih9rV8cm037QJEVFssiFuFjtOdYCy2_SykLbFh3BZfgT85zhLWiQuEDW24b0YWQLhiNb3ndfepDpnZA/s1600/IMG_5774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHNzGiZZ9-Yf68Em-PD50F7SQaXMdPhptZQCfnqzcULQpjiH7jDlO9sGU0lySIih9rV8cm037QJEVFssiFuFjtOdYCy2_SykLbFh3BZfgT85zhLWiQuEDW24b0YWQLhiNb3ndfepDpnZA/s640/IMG_5774.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoHYjtVhV3jGKTqW6JNwcspy2Fx5s6O3hSvQ1ZFLa_gZT_H__x8_NqgTs9svlK2cGbd_PeiOHmmKHbHtwhvgVUGZI4zNct4RjpUJ9mlVLAUKqHGLv-6gKfz1m_0guANesTNM-yN8qQC0/s1600/IMG_5773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHoHYjtVhV3jGKTqW6JNwcspy2Fx5s6O3hSvQ1ZFLa_gZT_H__x8_NqgTs9svlK2cGbd_PeiOHmmKHbHtwhvgVUGZI4zNct4RjpUJ9mlVLAUKqHGLv-6gKfz1m_0guANesTNM-yN8qQC0/s640/IMG_5773.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-87859026194347315442018-05-04T22:11:00.001-04:002018-05-07T09:21:40.426-04:00Gray Painted Desk with Gold Dipped Legs <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgUHSee1wKctixuVjk3N7_Uh2kcBZAkFkE73RlTm5oDm_JC50gC0ZSsYePulIemMhYeVH_F9balLpetxdis6Q3U87qi1bOuZMu5pRqfD2J8JrLa0v0ONSy746YjUnE3dYLENI2WiIukM/s1600/IMG_5737.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="1600" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmgUHSee1wKctixuVjk3N7_Uh2kcBZAkFkE73RlTm5oDm_JC50gC0ZSsYePulIemMhYeVH_F9balLpetxdis6Q3U87qi1bOuZMu5pRqfD2J8JrLa0v0ONSy746YjUnE3dYLENI2WiIukM/s640/IMG_5737.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />I mentioned on my FB page that I recently bought this desk not long ago at a thrift store in our area. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">What drew me to this piece when I first saw it were the pulls on the 3 drawers. I thought they were so unique and with a little help they could also be beautiful. So without too much thought, I purchased the desk and quickly brought it home. I began planning how I wanted it to turn out and thought to use some light gray paint we already had stashed in a closet. After painting it light gray, I added some detail on the sides using white marker paint. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is how it turned out once all of that was complete.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xS8YKB_tKQKlmeYYG-P3e0qpBHC8At15l6tiNubgcJ3pN4PNgJwNjPrrqseRKsnNHcwwpNQ7Ap57zMdgC18bF1qjxq9O7BHkdsez_wroGYpfkk9o77Bw3ODX8K6x7e0S3izeh3NtNuc/s1600/IMG_5762.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9xS8YKB_tKQKlmeYYG-P3e0qpBHC8At15l6tiNubgcJ3pN4PNgJwNjPrrqseRKsnNHcwwpNQ7Ap57zMdgC18bF1qjxq9O7BHkdsez_wroGYpfkk9o77Bw3ODX8K6x7e0S3izeh3NtNuc/s640/IMG_5762.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjIfjy83ePBwH_nx0IxKkuVQxLE07HTAgDRZB1pYFyShPPfvuB8a_1nbQZJWtNWzVgrKIG6AUQCy8pI2Ka48moPRjvYK01NetX5E-XcTs8LTSmmO_Q_VPoXVegeWGmm3D0X7vIMkwzaI/s1600/IMG_5763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjIfjy83ePBwH_nx0IxKkuVQxLE07HTAgDRZB1pYFyShPPfvuB8a_1nbQZJWtNWzVgrKIG6AUQCy8pI2Ka48moPRjvYK01NetX5E-XcTs8LTSmmO_Q_VPoXVegeWGmm3D0X7vIMkwzaI/s640/IMG_5763.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8v9nikqs1jCqPUvCwmdbaMh5JK1gPqyKbCaEemAtVZem04nmzIQXpxsheIeE37Mc26-ux7hc4hSbz3EkG4iIdbWFklubrvgdPfpULlI4IfIKPBsamV69SHwiRI3VnC4uaaGAFlW_VwZo/s1600/IMG_5764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8v9nikqs1jCqPUvCwmdbaMh5JK1gPqyKbCaEemAtVZem04nmzIQXpxsheIeE37Mc26-ux7hc4hSbz3EkG4iIdbWFklubrvgdPfpULlI4IfIKPBsamV69SHwiRI3VnC4uaaGAFlW_VwZo/s640/IMG_5764.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It didn't look terrible or anything, but I didn't LOVE it. I had been wanting to paint the lower legs in gold but wasn't sure how I was going to pull that off. That is until my family and I took a trip to Lowe's one day and I bought some gold spray paint.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After some feedback I got on the desk after posting it to FB, I decided to try again and repaint it. This time going with a darker gray and giving part of the legs a bit of gold paint.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is this same desk a second time around (sometimes you gotta try again when something doesn't go as planned).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmYYm4ZCfhECeArJsJO3QNiAjCyz_Kcm51OKUcBiwQYgFTs7hYTnyU7__4qY2V14SXaO5kx846opbPpVZJEQUkdbRB9lPIG1zPJrhOLL4p7J-eeeq2TgdSZY4X-8BpGb7aXlqQBL0CB0/s1600/IMG_5776.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtmYYm4ZCfhECeArJsJO3QNiAjCyz_Kcm51OKUcBiwQYgFTs7hYTnyU7__4qY2V14SXaO5kx846opbPpVZJEQUkdbRB9lPIG1zPJrhOLL4p7J-eeeq2TgdSZY4X-8BpGb7aXlqQBL0CB0/s640/IMG_5776.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bIgeeEgjBuAqB526DwaHiOqNv0b9PTcwoA-hrC-LXaqQh5Rx3Vdwh9qJOrS4Wbv5wO2xxiN0J2XAZvS0wCNkUNti1JbY28nLw3Z8zp1UkxOSnYoPUMhA-18EoehMGO8rgqL9KCFo2qo/s1600/IMG_5778.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-bIgeeEgjBuAqB526DwaHiOqNv0b9PTcwoA-hrC-LXaqQh5Rx3Vdwh9qJOrS4Wbv5wO2xxiN0J2XAZvS0wCNkUNti1JbY28nLw3Z8zp1UkxOSnYoPUMhA-18EoehMGO8rgqL9KCFo2qo/s640/IMG_5778.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbAbEYHKm_yiGxOe1Nsi5WEUQcD3rE3ZxRP2npsrx6BUbVPefaSZBEX58SVP8NGzs8EnZuLadso_PKNrAemQGa7lA6Lso_a3rdoovZzIOcICtHu0_Ix13hWeU1LM6A8IDXbygHtb1ahY/s1600/IMG_5779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBbAbEYHKm_yiGxOe1Nsi5WEUQcD3rE3ZxRP2npsrx6BUbVPefaSZBEX58SVP8NGzs8EnZuLadso_PKNrAemQGa7lA6Lso_a3rdoovZzIOcICtHu0_Ix13hWeU1LM6A8IDXbygHtb1ahY/s640/IMG_5779.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another close-up look of the gold painted legs...adds a little bit of glam, don't you think? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HVTGdSa_OST40gPbgRYtwyu7x3zP0f861-W61xZstUS_qV1aOvkKDmI-220p5OtAEZSZXSGhJeQNhPlFuVfgluqI7X_ZH9x50oYhagRKh-G32axIZKa0Ap8c88w5HrHW5t3HFZ6zUeg/s1600/IMG_5780.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2HVTGdSa_OST40gPbgRYtwyu7x3zP0f861-W61xZstUS_qV1aOvkKDmI-220p5OtAEZSZXSGhJeQNhPlFuVfgluqI7X_ZH9x50oYhagRKh-G32axIZKa0Ap8c88w5HrHW5t3HFZ6zUeg/s640/IMG_5780.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWe-c2ngUrcMKcUJHjmO5pVcCWPzBtf4Qs26ZfkV-YLcAwPrqCZC_zie3tKYJGu8_IHiFJPtLHQum-f9H6xl9dckCe6Hmx8boZGTmfySrXKaUZ-6r7hoQX_vd51szlSrDLcRm2EuCeN8/s1600/IMG_5783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJWe-c2ngUrcMKcUJHjmO5pVcCWPzBtf4Qs26ZfkV-YLcAwPrqCZC_zie3tKYJGu8_IHiFJPtLHQum-f9H6xl9dckCe6Hmx8boZGTmfySrXKaUZ-6r7hoQX_vd51szlSrDLcRm2EuCeN8/s640/IMG_5783.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I simply LOVE how this turned out the second time around and it is now for sale. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">You know it's a good piece when you don't want to part with it! It is currently in the girl's bedroom and we love how it looks in there. :) </span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-33549510898118244522018-04-11T10:00:00.000-04:002018-04-11T10:02:13.403-04:00Adding Some Glam/Glitter to Our Girl's Dresser Knobs<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nFVMydyWvvtErxoQsKxHZSyzV1E8rabCQpQA0PvmpfRIs5PaQywk4gQZPtyq8pa8U7zaNHufwyHUgKR4Rg8Ull3cszDZxlaoNN4fYBYSv-cKYwyT_JxvwEERVBjYUDdBPMo2Vsqet-c/s1600/IMG_5672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4nFVMydyWvvtErxoQsKxHZSyzV1E8rabCQpQA0PvmpfRIs5PaQywk4gQZPtyq8pa8U7zaNHufwyHUgKR4Rg8Ull3cszDZxlaoNN4fYBYSv-cKYwyT_JxvwEERVBjYUDdBPMo2Vsqet-c/s640/IMG_5672.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our girls share a bedroom; for a long while
we were able to get away with keeping all their clothes in their bedroom closet. When this got too tight last year, we added a tall gray dresser to one
side of their room, which worked well until recently.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Well, over time they've grown <i>(shocking)</i> and we noticed that their clothing
collection had as well. So in doing what I do best around here, I decided it was time to play musical furniture. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My husband and I moved this white
wooden dresser upstairs a few months ago and I thought I'd try it out in
the girl's room. I ended up liking how it looked and decided it was going to stay. The dresser serves a good purpose and gives our girls more space to put their clothes away (who doesn't love more
storage?).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4y_AlsFRHSzwkImlObmH5vV6qDY2PsV3JRQ5mgCl1R3_SKMDVGg3Vfqt287zvg1OG9p6L5zbD7BkiCYvApl96GK0_cNvm8fTPrL0sIrX2QGHAEm2kCCKOM9TFUfT290vg45P5xwRmYk/s1600/IMG_5661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk4y_AlsFRHSzwkImlObmH5vV6qDY2PsV3JRQ5mgCl1R3_SKMDVGg3Vfqt287zvg1OG9p6L5zbD7BkiCYvApl96GK0_cNvm8fTPrL0sIrX2QGHAEm2kCCKOM9TFUfT290vg45P5xwRmYk/s640/IMG_5661.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2012/06/dresser-turned-buffet-table.html" target="_blank">this dresser has come a long way since we bought it years ago,</a> and I figured it was time to fancy up the knobs a bit with some sparkle. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2018/04/a-spring-wreath-for-under-15-plus-some.html" target="_blank">On a recent trip to HL with my kids,</a> my girls spotted this beautiful gold and pink card stock. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsR05fvNM37OYTQtWDR5y_qtJ8DN4iWnW3Cjbp0DroxRpt9MkGHD1wfSY-iF1DI39533rpdm6jAJXjgM_NxbvIyCMn9hAjD27VAkoh2xnLTCj-MXEKPOiuPy4ay_uhdBdCEJlFbArnIlI/s1600/IMG_5664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsR05fvNM37OYTQtWDR5y_qtJ8DN4iWnW3Cjbp0DroxRpt9MkGHD1wfSY-iF1DI39533rpdm6jAJXjgM_NxbvIyCMn9hAjD27VAkoh2xnLTCj-MXEKPOiuPy4ay_uhdBdCEJlFbArnIlI/s640/IMG_5664.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cute!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">With a price tag of $2, I decided to buy the card stock to see if we could somehow use it for the knobs. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My plan was to cut out little circles large enough to fit over the front of the original knobs and use Mod Podge to secure them.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I started by tracing a knob to make 12 circles on the paper and then cut them out. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvqXODPU-TasILs3KhRyOTPKu0DVPMcayxUe5jnm2FsAOuXbYnSgPtZVFLvQobtpABh1RWXjD-c_U08i6gzSEgDJDxSIKStnxgi4Mo2ZWTEB4eSuibcChm-w5aIAE9WEDHenDNDLN3G0/s1600/IMG_5667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKvqXODPU-TasILs3KhRyOTPKu0DVPMcayxUe5jnm2FsAOuXbYnSgPtZVFLvQobtpABh1RWXjD-c_U08i6gzSEgDJDxSIKStnxgi4Mo2ZWTEB4eSuibcChm-w5aIAE9WEDHenDNDLN3G0/s640/IMG_5667.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once the card stock was attached, I added more Mod Podge over the glitter paper and let it dry.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hopefully, they will hold up nicely over time. We shall see! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i>Tip</i></b>: </span><i><span style="font-size: small;">I believe this project would work much better on wooden knobs if you have them. Also, a lighter paper (something not too thick) would adhere better than the paper I used.</span> </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We also bought this gold "Sparkle" sign for a couple bucks to add to their door. :) I mean, why not?! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I don't know about you, but I love a good before and after picture...so here is one from a few years ago.</span><br />
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<img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtXYWn_hHIAItIe4vOZXpI25XrFKLi2aDxjcwicEnCPingPg5FVI_3A2D5ZieLIABJG5Q5KIjovklo38kt-XHfwYPGwnqlwc4UptkcdXZuczd_JK9v2619th-mtRm_qD__-gT5YVMiH53M/s1600/girls+bedroom.jpg" width="640" /><br />
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<i>picture is from the listing when the house was on the market</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Here is where we are today with this space! </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ac6S1Q8yfq5zNuCftZnduM9z7YRxWvDaoAVINUz7GI6VftxZRSScFwle4mIG3oOEotLLZOh-Lw0Cy3UPBiyS8SM5aRdRUxXJAw57yNasheEA-dbkI2FSlyBQNR-5y094gkefJc_rJKc/s1600/IMG_5695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9ac6S1Q8yfq5zNuCftZnduM9z7YRxWvDaoAVINUz7GI6VftxZRSScFwle4mIG3oOEotLLZOh-Lw0Cy3UPBiyS8SM5aRdRUxXJAw57yNasheEA-dbkI2FSlyBQNR-5y094gkefJc_rJKc/s640/IMG_5695.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So fun to see the changes over time that we've made in here. :)</span></span><br />
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<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-85606850409193848982018-04-05T21:36:00.000-04:002018-04-05T23:39:55.872-04:00A Spring Wreath for Under $15 (plus some shopping at Hobby Lobby)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My oldest has Spring Break from school this week, so the kids and I decided to take a trip to our nearest Hobby Lobby in Va. Beach. While the drive there was less than pleasant due to a couple of accidents around the tunnel, the Lord was gracious to us and the kids were rock stars! Despite the longer than normal drive, we actually enjoyed our day in the city. The kiddos even got some ice cream for their good behavior ;)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of our stops was Hobby Lobby- one of my favorite craft stores. It's probably a good thing they aren't closer to us though. If they were, my wallet would be in a lot of trouble. Regardless, we didn't do too much damage there, and still managed to walk away with some pretty sweet deals. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of which was material to make a new wreath for our front door. For less than $15, I'll show you how you can make one too.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Before I do, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/581735223/best-selling-wreathgrapevine?utm_source=Pinterest&utm_medium=PageTools&utm_campaign=Share&utm_term=so.lp.d2.v1&share_time=1517590414000&utm_content=tribes&source=aw&utm_source=affiliate_window&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=us_location_buyer&awc=6220_1522978206_d96f0cb6ac50248de3e4cc891192d12c" target="_blank">this is the wreath that originally started it all.</a> You can buy one on Etsy for about $119. But I didn't want to spend that much on a wreath, so here is what I came up with. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><u>Materials needed:</u> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Green wire wreath (already had)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Burlap bow ($2)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Some faux greenery with flowers ($8)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">A "welcome" sign ($3)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Spray paint (already had)</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To start, I took out a wire wreath that hadn't been in use in quite some time. It was perfect for this project because the green wire blended nicely with all the faux greenery that was wrapped around the wreath.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIaOZlJo2zgcvgCA5WN5CQ-KPlulIweOHR2xCZJ-Usp2b96eEM60jqfkVs-J3B22Xb0YrlJE9t2upkyj_udUGRjY1TI3gYcUy30DljcqyWml1m2otTAS5mOb3KVqqWUIwZLaEbGwRDc4/s1600/IMG_5626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIaOZlJo2zgcvgCA5WN5CQ-KPlulIweOHR2xCZJ-Usp2b96eEM60jqfkVs-J3B22Xb0YrlJE9t2upkyj_udUGRjY1TI3gYcUy30DljcqyWml1m2otTAS5mOb3KVqqWUIwZLaEbGwRDc4/s640/IMG_5626.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I wrapped the faux ivy around the wreath first followed by the faux floral arrangement. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1UjBGEHuS3I9V3RJEGBSvGF6I77uVm8pGXIFXq181imZAYiyWcRhwl-OltZB9jwNOXXvj9SN4wd-iqyJJjjy9KBwAfgLZFlD0q-3MfQ1WTl8R5OJM7HrPC9IQdNTlCej2ahzc1lryuk/s1600/IMG_5629.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-1UjBGEHuS3I9V3RJEGBSvGF6I77uVm8pGXIFXq181imZAYiyWcRhwl-OltZB9jwNOXXvj9SN4wd-iqyJJjjy9KBwAfgLZFlD0q-3MfQ1WTl8R5OJM7HrPC9IQdNTlCej2ahzc1lryuk/s640/IMG_5629.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next, I grabbed the burlap bow and added it to the bottom of the wreath using some wire. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksWNnGkcRGaTsbHI-ulhhPUyLkUjBe05muaii1Jz4s_NyiHgotQGsxZ6h1lcAr42v2DePED5W1cEY-_aPGTvkhzUwJLvPyLsWifVADaoBrp5Jx-TpWtIlIu7_0f-CFI7u-RmQ-D8ZPMY/s1600/IMG_5630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjksWNnGkcRGaTsbHI-ulhhPUyLkUjBe05muaii1Jz4s_NyiHgotQGsxZ6h1lcAr42v2DePED5W1cEY-_aPGTvkhzUwJLvPyLsWifVADaoBrp5Jx-TpWtIlIu7_0f-CFI7u-RmQ-D8ZPMY/s640/IMG_5630.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I decided to spray paint the "welcome" sign white because I wanted it to stand out a bit on the wreath.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Tip: To hang the "welcome" sign, I just used a paper clip and it seemed to do the trick! </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGiVjkSiVrNwn7jzniVn0ILgSs2JHXFNAZ0PjLIehv3ko38140P67mY6WQKnIpDY-4GPxm0VocnT9_mmUUS0_2SDYbfx0ZEw3KCr3LtMnhJAkfVpgMseoXkpQxInjYFYgDFbT1_-TU_8/s1600/IMG_5643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixGiVjkSiVrNwn7jzniVn0ILgSs2JHXFNAZ0PjLIehv3ko38140P67mY6WQKnIpDY-4GPxm0VocnT9_mmUUS0_2SDYbfx0ZEw3KCr3LtMnhJAkfVpgMseoXkpQxInjYFYgDFbT1_-TU_8/s640/IMG_5643.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Again, I could have left the wreath as you see below, but once the "welcome" sign was added, it really made this wreath stand out even more. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRVI3t_ga8ZWK6_O_GJKeRuqJ988sxt4SwDpP9gVwypgt6V7xB4kMvoVyDg_28ol7DssujjCOq7KdN08gKyU2LccQPO0otz1o-ocb8YG3YR_JAQJyqz4NWsoB3UEHw4nudmUwCRcctpE/s1600/IMG_5647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiRVI3t_ga8ZWK6_O_GJKeRuqJ988sxt4SwDpP9gVwypgt6V7xB4kMvoVyDg_28ol7DssujjCOq7KdN08gKyU2LccQPO0otz1o-ocb8YG3YR_JAQJyqz4NWsoB3UEHw4nudmUwCRcctpE/s640/IMG_5647.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I did ask our oldest, Tess, if the sign should be angled or straight, and she thought keeping it straight would look best. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I couldn't agree more! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGG89Yw0PZ5EbAk4DMxcco8nVNFQlxWe1k8NTUZsffypBXP_RYWSvZy8jD6KSYQDUksLkm3HEw7aG9PziHYZ8pVwGT2LgsRuVDOFmD0K_0VdQVXZDELsmsud9Wa0QNGi8XPIMmwoW1ZMg/s1600/IMG_5651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGG89Yw0PZ5EbAk4DMxcco8nVNFQlxWe1k8NTUZsffypBXP_RYWSvZy8jD6KSYQDUksLkm3HEw7aG9PziHYZ8pVwGT2LgsRuVDOFmD0K_0VdQVXZDELsmsud9Wa0QNGi8XPIMmwoW1ZMg/s640/IMG_5651.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">LOVE!!! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pRaKpu9Hr5suFBHCX-eeK4JgpIPnYZJzLcOOXQG5LO9YSJDLj-Awx9-UBr8-2mjJ9SnkeoXiIMDq8x6FXZ3twdFfZBw5jIwIepEsHKa9tOZv7lZE_yFOQBJrxjyfj3tN45UOdsqp4RU/s1600/IMG_5650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9pRaKpu9Hr5suFBHCX-eeK4JgpIPnYZJzLcOOXQG5LO9YSJDLj-Awx9-UBr8-2mjJ9SnkeoXiIMDq8x6FXZ3twdFfZBw5jIwIepEsHKa9tOZv7lZE_yFOQBJrxjyfj3tN45UOdsqp4RU/s640/IMG_5650.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the meantime, while I was working on this simple, quick project, our kids were out playing (in the somewhat cold weather we had today). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our Lydia wanted to work on her weaving skills using a kit we bought at Hobby Lobby for under $5! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I remember having one of those when I was a kid. It brought back memories of always wanting to fill my parents home with all these colorful potholders I made. I'm sure she'll be doing the same. :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHg9y6-VG9a7TtFonLuNtPdf6BTtT22Hyz-wnvfYCL17EnNzLU-uBQq5e5IggK4LiKrYJ0BE8ehvTszmwB7w0ny-E6T5qLzfyn0rz0WwUPZM7eVKHDw_htQhY5B5gjgg09k9vQfbm7sDQ/s1600/IMG_5644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHg9y6-VG9a7TtFonLuNtPdf6BTtT22Hyz-wnvfYCL17EnNzLU-uBQq5e5IggK4LiKrYJ0BE8ehvTszmwB7w0ny-E6T5qLzfyn0rz0WwUPZM7eVKHDw_htQhY5B5gjgg09k9vQfbm7sDQ/s640/IMG_5644.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8x7UvC9yTkRSWl1lPCnA9rGhCjiRWdoO61WLQ0ba0FUVvd_PVShZ6unAvVxtsGj1SerkKxuOijFU7Z9JA5C7XrZbhgICTMgUxBUmt3lQu9cw7VizKGRewqYqMSiTSZ3jjX99WdiqSSs0/s1600/IMG_5646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8x7UvC9yTkRSWl1lPCnA9rGhCjiRWdoO61WLQ0ba0FUVvd_PVShZ6unAvVxtsGj1SerkKxuOijFU7Z9JA5C7XrZbhgICTMgUxBUmt3lQu9cw7VizKGRewqYqMSiTSZ3jjX99WdiqSSs0/s640/IMG_5646.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tessa found this cute coral floral arrangement on sale at HL, so we got those as well. They go nicely in the girls room.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcKgyoYe3jBDn8fn88KE7EyzhJwSKIQv9Fkcn8apiPT1iWlWlGw5axoo8BYU6jutc7JDTzVcTVDUS9-zivMtepNS_bgQBBoyVoFRQV_gtS9_p_TZqn6QuAPo6_rIVXfw8Pk5GUjZb10s/s1600/IMG_5655.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWcKgyoYe3jBDn8fn88KE7EyzhJwSKIQv9Fkcn8apiPT1iWlWlGw5axoo8BYU6jutc7JDTzVcTVDUS9-zivMtepNS_bgQBBoyVoFRQV_gtS9_p_TZqn6QuAPo6_rIVXfw8Pk5GUjZb10s/s640/IMG_5655.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This little stinker wasn't forgotten... </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCPPCrL8acojzv74UbdmudZM-ED_E7VMXq9sp0OYwGkEtt5YzbC5kHPd0fY99TeYBK9B6QdjD7v73MxumPb5cYtEK5FhdpIvvdl09rcn-_C661qTZ5I1g8_H9ob47-JluwvuIGiCPmUw/s1600/IMG_5656.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimCPPCrL8acojzv74UbdmudZM-ED_E7VMXq9sp0OYwGkEtt5YzbC5kHPd0fY99TeYBK9B6QdjD7v73MxumPb5cYtEK5FhdpIvvdl09rcn-_C661qTZ5I1g8_H9ob47-JluwvuIGiCPmUw/s640/IMG_5656.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There was a dinosaur section at HL that just seemed to be screaming his name. He picked out a few things, one of which was this "Boys Only" sign. Not sure how well it will work however, since he can never seem to keep his sisters out of his room. Seems only fair they hang out in there since he likes to rummage through their things when he thinks no one is looking. ;)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJThPjuJOwhyXk7ZbTPZXp1o2lEvYkBNVGntmR2u8HfypL_MS7VKT4ysyugmHmVjep42vdX8BKbapIIgHWtF8d-4TNQqJBHhokDrJDSenKUxGnXa6O-NfuYro2WxDOXiK_sAdEH6Ke8PY/s1600/IMG_5657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJThPjuJOwhyXk7ZbTPZXp1o2lEvYkBNVGntmR2u8HfypL_MS7VKT4ysyugmHmVjep42vdX8BKbapIIgHWtF8d-4TNQqJBHhokDrJDSenKUxGnXa6O-NfuYro2WxDOXiK_sAdEH6Ke8PY/s640/IMG_5657.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Do you have a Hobby Lobby near you? What kind of things are you drawn to there?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm hoping to get some other posts up soon of a few other simple projects (that is, if they go according to plan).</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-71254128193412370962018-03-24T09:52:00.002-04:002018-03-25T17:21:30.900-04:00Thrifted Table and Chair Makeover<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A few months ago, we purchased a solid wood drop-leaf table and 2 chairs for $20. The size, shape, and price were perfect and what we had been looking for in the breakfast area. And although the table did need a little bit of work, for $20, we didn't mind.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The two chairs that came with it were originally a lighter wood tone. It didn't match the finish on the table and there were some paint spots on the seat. After a light sanding, I painted them with some left over chalkboard paint (<a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2018/02/repose-gray-in-play-room-plus-many.html" target="_blank">the same we used for the play room</a>). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here it is today: </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSEBpZWtffUuR3yN7Yo1IV_eOOCav4ERz2adscUu2BDg7_YYdHQtGyleyiAuqQVbMOwo3F6pFSf1owXi0oZithZf3iBj-F5pwwfIDOPwL7d1siOfsa7B-C28QHhAYQDFEX4JTolO0EZE/s1600/IMG_5571.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVSEBpZWtffUuR3yN7Yo1IV_eOOCav4ERz2adscUu2BDg7_YYdHQtGyleyiAuqQVbMOwo3F6pFSf1owXi0oZithZf3iBj-F5pwwfIDOPwL7d1siOfsa7B-C28QHhAYQDFEX4JTolO0EZE/s640/IMG_5571.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our kids like to eat their breakfast or snack in this little spot. The view out the window isn't too bad either. Occasionally, we have seen deer in our backyard which the kids LOVE to watch while they are eating.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlnvAb55jZh6Wlkc-GmZzOSeT3eaMe-RjY-bvkXkcoHAu7I-7R2kZVyDWXRp55ZFuAWzg9-rZLkHUGDm8UryetN-I6j-4EM2cZzaXUhZRJTgHa2s88p68IRibpjkSNgMlrrszZjeGgIs/s1600/IMG_5579.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGlnvAb55jZh6Wlkc-GmZzOSeT3eaMe-RjY-bvkXkcoHAu7I-7R2kZVyDWXRp55ZFuAWzg9-rZLkHUGDm8UryetN-I6j-4EM2cZzaXUhZRJTgHa2s88p68IRibpjkSNgMlrrszZjeGgIs/s640/IMG_5579.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmNh_V5DtFaXbEarYfeJtr2-ypeQ3sQNMDdtrJaCFoUXVKwa915tevgeCXVPZiXTe3bwKYZ0ZIc39Itawqc68sM8hBsGwMotco21WT5d0jdJXWh-QtruE9MNdenm-QOQgoIrX9dii9Bc/s1600/IMG_5585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmNh_V5DtFaXbEarYfeJtr2-ypeQ3sQNMDdtrJaCFoUXVKwa915tevgeCXVPZiXTe3bwKYZ0ZIc39Itawqc68sM8hBsGwMotco21WT5d0jdJXWh-QtruE9MNdenm-QOQgoIrX9dii9Bc/s640/IMG_5585.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFfRWnFgm4JNTFHQFdWCKEixxyWirdB2RiCwEQXgXDM3KyYUUWBzdbw-KO9E8aoYwwRV15cY8pBzaN56nRit3N1Lals3j4UWYqGMPEKUKuy5nx7OC8iYAbHA4bunsk38SAZRdRkx6Rq8/s1600/IMG_5591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvFfRWnFgm4JNTFHQFdWCKEixxyWirdB2RiCwEQXgXDM3KyYUUWBzdbw-KO9E8aoYwwRV15cY8pBzaN56nRit3N1Lals3j4UWYqGMPEKUKuy5nx7OC8iYAbHA4bunsk38SAZRdRkx6Rq8/s640/IMG_5591.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We also decided to add these rubber white "feet" to the chairs to protect the floors. It also makes it harder for a certain little person in our house to move them around all over the place scratching up the floors. ;) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Silly faces!! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLc5CB_X-TvQ_7PA7iZpae5bulY7niWyV6dv2diEKeGF5sAmrs3g1zMvTB0BfP4b85fYFZC2UFdG1WiyH-C_oafquE1kvbgSJC3oSOafFQGe5jg7c-7eRmM5ufAwOzlqZsNmdx26AXOU/s1600/IMG_5621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeLc5CB_X-TvQ_7PA7iZpae5bulY7niWyV6dv2diEKeGF5sAmrs3g1zMvTB0BfP4b85fYFZC2UFdG1WiyH-C_oafquE1kvbgSJC3oSOafFQGe5jg7c-7eRmM5ufAwOzlqZsNmdx26AXOU/s640/IMG_5621.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm finding more and more that I'm such a sucker for wood tones paired with gray and black. There's just something about that combo together that I love! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Because of this, I also added some wood trim around our chalkboard calendar (pictured above), because again, I wanted to add more wood tones to this space. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We love how everything came together in this little space.</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-23635403807951475082018-03-16T15:03:00.002-04:002018-03-16T15:08:02.602-04:00Shoe Storage for the Laundry Room (and inexpensive too)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hi there!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2018/03/a-mario-princess-peach-birthday-party.html" target="_blank">my last post about our daughter's birthday party,</a> I wasn't sure what I would blog about next. A lot of the spaces in our home are "done" and I don't have any big reveals planned. I do have a few ideas of posts for the future of little projects, but after over 3 years of living in our home, there won't be any huge reveals (unless we hit the lottery or something...haha). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, today I do want to share a good shoe storage option we recently have been using in our laundry room. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To really appreciate the organization, I'll share what we were using as shoe storage before all this.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4HcrT55Owi8ejc-uRI1K_BuGiEJxtkUTzcF2uqJqJV1WInG5D89c2kBzAjfClKre1PUg8yiarONdZ5G5dNCQIUqAjMbig_qosBS6roC9Cjo_OMPzqp07KR_quKeIXPSN3rSZ_7Dqv3k/s1600/IMG_5527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4HcrT55Owi8ejc-uRI1K_BuGiEJxtkUTzcF2uqJqJV1WInG5D89c2kBzAjfClKre1PUg8yiarONdZ5G5dNCQIUqAjMbig_qosBS6roC9Cjo_OMPzqp07KR_quKeIXPSN3rSZ_7Dqv3k/s640/IMG_5527.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplnCt7hB_Spfrg8ETv4Z4lfb0RNXpKPALAGtL8wpQCQVqe3CdzdBEiRkAn8h1pqNdGrsMHvA6V8geGGZpvF8UQpiGagHbLo8BdutPxKidU5TJEg8dprUTmTq-GlpDzI0ZCryi4hqMuj0/s1600/IMG_5528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiplnCt7hB_Spfrg8ETv4Z4lfb0RNXpKPALAGtL8wpQCQVqe3CdzdBEiRkAn8h1pqNdGrsMHvA6V8geGGZpvF8UQpiGagHbLo8BdutPxKidU5TJEg8dprUTmTq-GlpDzI0ZCryi4hqMuj0/s640/IMG_5528.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Yikes!! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our old cube storage was clearly not functional anymore (it had been a good 7 year run) and was breaking in a few spots. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I originally thought I would just get another one and ended up buying Target's Room Essential storage brand, thinking we would use it. BUT...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAtE0QS5Psf4ht8gs4H2qiElopuj2OdfaSV0tPmtJH1vKrUPhGbG6FUHcSIL36wlC2nU9dag49Rt65aJ7qtlrI3hctIvYAm3pIoWJSUmAxawlDgpgkoeblRWWwpYki0La-hjexnTkuOI/s1600/IMG_5529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEAtE0QS5Psf4ht8gs4H2qiElopuj2OdfaSV0tPmtJH1vKrUPhGbG6FUHcSIL36wlC2nU9dag49Rt65aJ7qtlrI3hctIvYAm3pIoWJSUmAxawlDgpgkoeblRWWwpYki0La-hjexnTkuOI/s640/IMG_5529.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">then my oldest daughter and I, one afternoon after dance class, ran some errands at Wal-Mart next door. We decided to peruse the
storage section and stumbled upon their Better Homes and Garden line. Now, I don't know about you, but I have actually
been pretty impressed with their stuff. We've bought a few home items
from that line and once I saw their shoe storage options, I thought we'd give it a try.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlRir4-L7-9iT6sA2WqmExlzGsAUaVUZZ27r17ELsarbvkq7YI0TxbGC-duJEN4958kMx5gyUgFt-FiX8xeqPwxB_eL6R0JtAzlPyOqwQJGjH7Qam7F6FJvzCSLd8K3rxGSL6m1tCR68/s1600/IMG_5530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlRir4-L7-9iT6sA2WqmExlzGsAUaVUZZ27r17ELsarbvkq7YI0TxbGC-duJEN4958kMx5gyUgFt-FiX8xeqPwxB_eL6R0JtAzlPyOqwQJGjH7Qam7F6FJvzCSLd8K3rxGSL6m1tCR68/s640/IMG_5530.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Good bye old broken shoe storage!! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhxZj2sBhUyad1Vl_TRGBKbX2HJe29gcIehNpx3ND0D8BCqNaCBkF57eia3Ux6xzGAuuoJb6bbU3kWV2dloDDkm45xv3WALbZ-Ot41X-SrPifQf1lXtK50hRrD52QkhD9AXK4oYnW008/s1600/IMG_5531.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkhxZj2sBhUyad1Vl_TRGBKbX2HJe29gcIehNpx3ND0D8BCqNaCBkF57eia3Ux6xzGAuuoJb6bbU3kWV2dloDDkm45xv3WALbZ-Ot41X-SrPifQf1lXtK50hRrD52QkhD9AXK4oYnW008/s640/IMG_5531.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We ended up buying 2 of these BH&G's boxes for 3 reasons:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. We wanted plenty of storage for our shoes (preferably more than what we had before)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. They are stackable which gives added height to this space and more cubbies to place our shoes. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">3. The price ($20 each)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Even in buying two of these guys, we saved $20 over Target's cubbies, so I ended up returning that one. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJfLpidfLh9O3dEm0LPFRAb7ll6-lZmGlsh5zd4UOjGEPWdIFFPdMKswSj2g2YAh3hx4RZQKNDMU8e_i7Zh_cTUz7Sf7lVRS8eVydaocVUKnV5XITg3g75qpxsYvx27IAp3T91eyr5rE/s1600/IMG_5533.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqJfLpidfLh9O3dEm0LPFRAb7ll6-lZmGlsh5zd4UOjGEPWdIFFPdMKswSj2g2YAh3hx4RZQKNDMU8e_i7Zh_cTUz7Sf7lVRS8eVydaocVUKnV5XITg3g75qpxsYvx27IAp3T91eyr5rE/s640/IMG_5533.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-fMaZXk1ZiPIspkzH-FVw66cukZ8SwayBUBvCGJeVXJOF5e4hgM216aAvL0mnrSDnwMYEXukPP6J09lGaJsnQgK8zuXdWmC4WXGj0jTwp-Kz97h9uSSrlWaX5FDiZzad_jYpiSzvtzc/s1600/IMG_5537.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1-fMaZXk1ZiPIspkzH-FVw66cukZ8SwayBUBvCGJeVXJOF5e4hgM216aAvL0mnrSDnwMYEXukPP6J09lGaJsnQgK8zuXdWmC4WXGj0jTwp-Kz97h9uSSrlWaX5FDiZzad_jYpiSzvtzc/s640/IMG_5537.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our laundry room is now looking a bit more organized!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our girls boots even fit in the cubbies which ended up being an added bonus! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So I'd say if you are on the hunt for some shoe storage that not only looks nice but it pretty inexpensive, take a look at BH&G's selection at Wal-Mart. It won't disappoint! </span></span><br />
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FYI- in no way am I being paid by Wal-Mart for this post. I just wanted to happily share an inexpensive option for shoe storage. :)<div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-23742466912248613662018-03-07T08:06:00.000-05:002018-03-07T08:19:08.673-05:00A Mario & Princess Peach Birthday Party<br />
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Two weeks ago, our Lydia turned 5! To celebrate with friends, we threw
her a themed birthday party last weekend at her request- A Mario and Princess Peach
Party! Our girl loves games and playing Mario with Daddy, so it seemed
fitting that she would choose that as the theme for her party. <br />
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We had quite the corral of kids in attendance, so I tried to be careful with how I posted pictures of folks. Regardless, we wanted to make this a special celebration for her to share with friends and it was fun to watch her and her little friends enjoy themselves. <br />
I didn't want to go overboard with the decor, but I did want to have fun with it. After all, this was the first birthday party we've done for her. In the past, we always just celebrated at home as a family. But this year, we wanted to invite her friends over to share this special day. <br />
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To keep costs down, we bought inexpensive paper plates in coordinating colors for the theme- red, pink, and yellow. <br />
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The "ice power" food = marshmallows. The "fireballs" = Utz cheeseballs. Both were a huge hit with the kids. We also had "Princess Peach Punch" which was just lemonade and we ordered 5 large pizzas.<br />
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The centerpieces were made with faux flowers Lydia picked out at Wal-Mart along with felt Mario and Luigi mustaches we made on a wooden stick. Those were fun!<br />
The Mario coins were purchased at Party City and each kid got to take one home. The tablecloth ended up being a good idea for all the spills and crumbs we had! ;) <br />
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Big sis, Tess, drew the characters from Mario. I was impressed with her drawings and she proudly displayed them in the dining room herself. <br />
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The yellow question box was made out of a basic cardboard box simply wrapped in yellow streamers (one packet of that stuff goes a long way for sure). The girls helped me add question marks to the box to complete the look.<br />
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Princess Peach :)</div>
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Can you spot Princess Peach? At first, it was tough finding Princess Peach anything to decorate for
the party. A week before the party date, my husband and Lydia were out
at Wal-Mart and found (of all places) a Princess Peach magnet. She was
pretty thrilled with that, so we were able to use it to decorate her
cupcakes. <br />
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The mushroom cupcakes didn't turn out as I expected, but the kids didn't
seem to mind at all! Phew! We added white chocolate chips to the top
and pictures of Lydia to almost every one. :) <br />
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Each party bag had a little something extra along with the candy from the pinata inside.<br />
The mushroom clothespins were fun to make! Lydia helped me glue each mushroom to the clothespin. It was such a fun little detail!<br />
And the little white circles were created using left-over paper from our 3-ring hole punch.<br />
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I let the girls decorate the balloons to make them look like the ghosts in the Mario game. <br />
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Ah the pinata! So fun to make and always such a big hit with the kids. Everyone who wanted a turn got one and the last kid to hit it knocked all the candy out! Awesome!!<br />
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I didn't take many pictures of the other game, which was "Find Yoshi's Eggs." I hid 30 plastic eggs in our backyard along with ONE golden "Yoshi" egg. Whomever found the golden egg got a little prize at the end (a Mario Pez with candy and a mini bubblegum dispenser key chain). Both of those gifts can be found at 5 Below near the check-out aisle, in case anyone wants to know. ;)<br />
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Big sis taking her turn with the pinata while little brother hangs with Ms. Sue :)</div>
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Before the party came to an end, Lydia opened her gifts from our guests. Kids love to crowd around each other during this time. I bet it's fun for them to see what she got! <br />
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As far as costs go, here is an idea of how we saved:<br />
We re-used most of the streamers from big sis' birthday as well as other decor items, bought most of our supplies at Dollar Tree and Wal-Mart and kept the theme simple by using solid colors. Decor was about $50, which at first I thought was a bit too much. But then when I looked up the cost of having a birthday party somewhere else- it was $150 just to book a place (and that was on the cheaper end of things)! When you add food and decor on top of all that, some of the prices sky-rocketed to $275. For some, paying that high cost is fine because they don't have to worry about set-up and clean-up, but I'm glad we chose to celebrate at our house. Plus, we will be able to re-use some of the decor to decorate our home, like the flowers we purchased. <br />
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Overall, this was such a fun day! The weather was good with clear skies and sun. Even though it was cold outside, the kids were still able to play games and run around.<br />
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So happy we got to celebrate this special day for you, Lydi-bug! You are a joy to many!<br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-91652148656104247222018-02-20T07:50:00.000-05:002018-02-20T23:01:54.361-05:00Happy Birthday, Lydibug!! The Big 5!!!<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Little Lady,</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy 5th birthday to you! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You are the girl with a bubbly personality who loves big. You inspire me to be a better person and mother because of this and because of the way you view life and relationships. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You have this God-given gift to see people the way they want to be seen. You greet everyone with a smile and a "hello!" which makes people feel like they've known you for a while. It's a gift that I admire about you and I love to watch you use it to make others feel loved. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You are a Daddy's girl at heart and enjoy spending precious time with him when you can. I love watching the two of you interact. It brings me great joy knowing you look up to him because he is a great man.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">You dearly love your sister and brother. And although little brother shows little patience with you sometimes, you barely let it upset you. You give him space when he needs it and forgive fiercely.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I really admire how you love big, Lydibug. I have this strong feeling that once you start kindergarten, you will have no trouble at all forming fast friendships with your peers and being the girl that some will look up to. And while I'm not wishing that time to go quickly, I do look forward to watching you grow, learn, love God and love people. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy, happy birthday sweet one! You are an amazing gift!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I love you!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here's a throwback picture of you with some of the people you love the most. Too sweet not to share. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh how time flies!</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-35447101982413880002018-02-05T12:36:00.000-05:002018-02-26T14:29:00.813-05:00Can You Really Enjoy Leisure Activities When You Have Little Ones?There has been one question that I have been asked by many people throughout the years and I thought I'd share it and my thoughts about it.<br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;"><i>"How do you actually have the time to decorate your home with young kids at home?"</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c;"><i>Sometimes the question is followed by a remark like, "I hardly have time to do anything leisurely with little ones at home so I'm not sure how you find the time" or "you must not be home much if you're house looks and stays this clean." </i></span><br />
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I remember the last time I heard this question and other comments of the like. Granted, it was a few months ago, but for some reason, it stung a bit. Why? Because I took offense to it and there was no need for me to have done so. I guess I thought that the person was saying I shouldn't have time to do other things I love because I have little ones at home. I'm learning, though, that these kinds of remarks don't necessarily mean harm. And honestly, it's helped that Joanna Gaines has come onto the scene (HGTV) being a mom of 4 little ones who loves to decorate all while owning a fee businesses of her own. ;) <br />
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And that is where I am at with all of this right now. We all are gifted in various things. God has allowed us to serve him using our gifts and that is a wonderful thing! So let me start off by sharing some examples of other moms who are gifted differently than I and use their gifts to serve others well.<br />
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For example, I know a few moms who work outside the home in jobs that require them to be away from their families 40 hours a week. Not only do they have small children, but they also manage their time well so they can work and spend quality time with their family. I'd guess that these ladies are gifted in time management (among other things), and they do it well. <br />
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There's another mom I know of that spends 45 minutes A DAY exercising (running and/or lifting weights). She's got 2 small kids, 3 years old and under. She runs a successful blog about her fitness regime as well and helps other moms stay fit and healthy. <br />
Now, I can look at that mom and say, "How does she do it? I wish I could, but I know I can't. And besides, there's no way I could make time for that..." grumble, grumble...<br />
But listen, I know better than to think like that. The truth is, I <i>could make time for daily exercise, </i>but it's just not a priority. She has chosen to dedicate time out of her day for it and she does it well.<br />
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A couple of other ladies I know absolutely love to cook and bake. A few moms I know can whip up some mean cupcakes that not only look like they were bought at some high end bakery, but they taste delicious too! These ladies bake multiple times a week for church events, neighborhood friends, and even birthday parties. Again, it would be easy to say, "psh...there's no way she has time for that while being a good mom who spends time with her kids. That's impossible." But again, it's not. They are just simply gifted to serve and be hospitable and I believe they do it well.<br />
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Some moms are great at keeping track of every milestone and memory their kids do/make and they even manage to scrapbook it all. There was a time I did that when I had just one child, but that's just not something I've made a ton of time for now that I have three kids. And again, that is fine. Why beat yourself up over what someone else is gifted at or how they choose to spend their time? <br />
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I could share more examples, but you get the idea. And I'll even add that we all know no one is perfect. We all make mistakes, but that's why we have Jesus!<br />
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Okay, let's get back to the original question at the beginning of this post. Here is how I have been able to find time to do what I love all while being a mom who loves her family very much and yes, does spend quality time with them. This is what has helped along the way to allow me to be creative in our home.<br />
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<b>#1. I usually decorate and write blog posts once my kids are in bed for the night.</b><br />
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This is usually the time where I can get some big projects done. Rather than lounging on the couch watching some TV (nothing wrong with that by the way), I'd rather spend that time creating things for my home or for other people. I probably do this 2 times a week at night and maybe spend an hour doing that. May not sound like a lot of time, but it.adds.up especially if you do that over the course of a couple of years!<br />
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<b>#2. I have a handy hubby who likes to help.</b><br />
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This point pretty much speaks for itself. Just over the weekend, I wanted to move a dresser that we had down stairs to our son's bedroom upstairs. Our kids were playing in the play room together so I knew I had about 30 minutes to do something. After removing the drawers from the dresser, my husband helped me move the dresser up the stairs to the boy's room. Having a helping hand does get things moving quicker.<br />
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<b>#3. I clean up/pick up things with my kids throughout the day when we stay home and play.</b><br />
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Now, this necessarily isn't a leisure activity, but if it's a struggle, I believe you can find a way to work through it and not make excuses.<br />
I have a close friend who has told me she struggles with organizing. She claims there isn't a lot of time to do anything about it. But I don't believe that lie, nor should you. If you work on organizing even just a small pile of papers, for example, a few times a week, that's better than doing nothing about it at all, in my opinion. And trust me, that time does add up! It may take time and practice, but if you do it regularly enough, it almost becomes second nature.<br />
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<b>#4. Do your kids watch TV??</b><br />
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<i>Even just a little?</i> I believe most kids we know watch a little bit of TV a few days out of the week. If your family doesn't, than I sincerely applaud you. And I mean for real. ;)<br />
For us, our kiddos usually watch either early in the morning or after dinner. Sometimes, I am able to work on a project for a little bit while they are entertained by a movie. This isn't a common way for me to get things done around the house nowadays, but you can get<i> something </i>productive done in that time period if you choose to do so.<br />
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<b>#5. Nap time or kid's quiet time</b><br />
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We are moving past this stage in life, but back when my kids were younger they took long naps. I remember when I had my first born and she would frequently take naps for 2 or 3 hours a day. It was glorious and allowed me to get things done. In fact, I painted our entire family room and entryway in that time period during one of her naps years ago. Other times, I chose to nap instead of doing a project. ;)<br />
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So again, you can definitely find the time to do things you enjoy. Maybe it just takes dedication or practice, but it can be done. You just got to get up and do it!<br />
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I will end with these last thoughts:<br />
There might be some moms out there that don't mind the messy house...and I'm not here to judge on that. We are all gifted at different things and we can choose to glorify God with our different gifts. When we work hard using our gifts, we should thank God for being glorified through it all. I believe we should also pray for our gifts to be known so we can glorify Him and serve others well.<br />
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My family and I can be a bit of a mess, but how awesome to have a God who makes up for all that we lack! He promises beauty for our ashes and grace for today. How wonderful is that?<br />
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So the next time you hear a whisper in your ear saying, "you can't do it" or "you don't have time for something like that", don't believe the lie. And don't compare yourself to other moms. It's easy to do (and I've done it plenty), but God made us to each serve a purpose to glorify Him. No one person is perfect! Remember that.<br />
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And because it's Valentine's Day, here are a couple photos to share: <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReJxZFCQW8TCYOkNMmYjHw6VWKL8cIVydjjLbyFh4GC29xHod55zWiKLnYE7Nf3gVVQ_2anaJ-KubKJTB2KM-HpjJh3CnEZstO7RCK7qEPO7MGX6klzSD_TPa4F9KiQnIw5IbZvVA-GE/s1600/IMG_5455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReJxZFCQW8TCYOkNMmYjHw6VWKL8cIVydjjLbyFh4GC29xHod55zWiKLnYE7Nf3gVVQ_2anaJ-KubKJTB2KM-HpjJh3CnEZstO7RCK7qEPO7MGX6klzSD_TPa4F9KiQnIw5IbZvVA-GE/s640/IMG_5455.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A before and after- kiddos admiring the candy from a "distance" and then eating a lot of it after dinner. ;) <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjwwWpA-AT-DPVxsj_0eAP-U7Yt-Kui3J4Ta1jKfEBGGd_yi2feqF-q7JF_XJTj8xQJNYoAKJEC40uPhloBASYhokhuFDUK7CWOAWE7rymqFVCdGcADb3-xpHeXaUURwPjA0O9CDvKtI/s1600/IMG_5458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjwwWpA-AT-DPVxsj_0eAP-U7Yt-Kui3J4Ta1jKfEBGGd_yi2feqF-q7JF_XJTj8xQJNYoAKJEC40uPhloBASYhokhuFDUK7CWOAWE7rymqFVCdGcADb3-xpHeXaUURwPjA0O9CDvKtI/s640/IMG_5458.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-27108315378184152452018-02-01T09:18:00.001-05:002018-02-05T20:24:51.641-05:00Repose Gray in the Play Room (plus many other pictures of this fun space)<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2018/01/some-fun-changes-in-playroom.html" target="_blank">In one of my recent posts</a>, I shared some paint samples that went up in our playroom. I was testing out a few colors and thought surely one of them would be the clear winner. Well, that just wasn't the case.</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Instead of buying more samples, I decided it would be better to just go with a neutral light gray we used in our last home (<a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2014/06/completed-home-tour-continued.html" target="_blank">in our master bedroom.)</a></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I remember loving that color a lot and thinking, "I bet it would work with our blue carpet in the play room. So instead of waffling back and forth about it (which I do too often), I decided to head to Sherwin Williams one day last week and get a gallon of Repose Gray. It was definitely the right choice!!</span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">I will start by sharing some pictures of the painting process and even share a "new-to-me" tool I used to help get this painting job done quicker. </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Side note: these next couple of photos were taken at night, so they are grainy and dark). </span> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPRLneIlEXkKdYKZl2hzFjADu0fe2eDTfoqypLzhs1L2yaS08q-1D0xVDYOR7yNJZMBEf1IifKoxT97MBtmRFPFkqGe5wmaXPXvJ_3aR_fnxgsAeB1EtCc2eonm0D1YXlq15_Kb4BfH4/s1600/IMG_5376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPPRLneIlEXkKdYKZl2hzFjADu0fe2eDTfoqypLzhs1L2yaS08q-1D0xVDYOR7yNJZMBEf1IifKoxT97MBtmRFPFkqGe5wmaXPXvJ_3aR_fnxgsAeB1EtCc2eonm0D1YXlq15_Kb4BfH4/s640/IMG_5376.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGtM5kkNJ8aX1zv1MM-HygUT80oUK4JUtnCOC4oQcjQRGkvA3X5AgC0mznWJnV4UZX_jwpvBe7qnOeZXO_uJ755odXgk8Lyt_9SY5J-xn87wpmVvom1CK0uCVLBrJB5Id-iblGLFKX84/s1600/IMG_5377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGtM5kkNJ8aX1zv1MM-HygUT80oUK4JUtnCOC4oQcjQRGkvA3X5AgC0mznWJnV4UZX_jwpvBe7qnOeZXO_uJ755odXgk8Lyt_9SY5J-xn87wpmVvom1CK0uCVLBrJB5Id-iblGLFKX84/s640/IMG_5377.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">In the last two photos you probably noticed some snazzy wallpaper border going up around the room. ;)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Yea, I decided to just paint over it (more on that later). After doing so, some of the wallpaper started to bubble up under the paint (fun times!) so my hubby was able to scrape off a lot of it making it less noticeable. Thanks, babe!!</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAHXaFQrdataiqFPtfRcoxLYrRuv5RrJr_nu_Bm-r_qScAYz3aq28mRotNzoCod6GTnh0RPUhnEnG4CfXmw5F8sDq9-9pD_q-aDlsfnk9wlnqIEi_2U8IVHaOXD7VEh3bC_tPUgZx94U/s1600/IMG_5378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAHXaFQrdataiqFPtfRcoxLYrRuv5RrJr_nu_Bm-r_qScAYz3aq28mRotNzoCod6GTnh0RPUhnEnG4CfXmw5F8sDq9-9pD_q-aDlsfnk9wlnqIEi_2U8IVHaOXD7VEh3bC_tPUgZx94U/s640/IMG_5378.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I decided to paint the walls with this type of <a href="https://www.zoro.com/shur-line-paint-pad-3-34-in-l-x-7-in-w-redblk-3955106n/i/G3883400/feature-product?gclid=CjwKCAiAksvTBRBFEiwADSBZfIhYyDN0EJ1hUWbDfVa95d_mfuG-O6IH252YJQVfCWx6Zw_lQXmvwRoCUsQQAvD_BwE" target="_blank">roller pad</a> instead of the round rollers because it advertised itself as being a "quicker and easier" way to paint. To my surprise, it was quicker and easier to use it! I'd recommend it...it looks like a paint edger, but it's a paint pad and even does a good job edging borders near the ceiling. :) And with the high ceilings in this room, that was very, very helpful.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">We bought ours at Lowe's. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSQyWA63m_8vIg2fpageEUy5bAPl2oZ7CJ-1R4y0nhBlFtknHL9SdEhflnyC_iEgW3MsIlF-z2-467cMVHcDNOnO_u0H1FxmWG0-U1TcsmD2cpFwLQz22DWDnGS90naHKEGsgoLIJZL8/s1600/IMG_5381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghSQyWA63m_8vIg2fpageEUy5bAPl2oZ7CJ-1R4y0nhBlFtknHL9SdEhflnyC_iEgW3MsIlF-z2-467cMVHcDNOnO_u0H1FxmWG0-U1TcsmD2cpFwLQz22DWDnGS90naHKEGsgoLIJZL8/s640/IMG_5381.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The mess before it can all be brought back together...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7B4miCsn7PM9UMKob6o5I8jJh0GI-NC9buoSHxuda9Ci8WeYzTaPnvX9_RR7VlpkOTP_iGRAOj2sn_cb38QJwyyCj4skGsl0YEuK46Tn3ATQ2ernk-fPexnovrYhpSWFcjNj3MfT9Nk/s1600/IMG_5383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_7B4miCsn7PM9UMKob6o5I8jJh0GI-NC9buoSHxuda9Ci8WeYzTaPnvX9_RR7VlpkOTP_iGRAOj2sn_cb38QJwyyCj4skGsl0YEuK46Tn3ATQ2ernk-fPexnovrYhpSWFcjNj3MfT9Nk/s640/IMG_5383.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Here is some of the wallpaper we were able to get down.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincckHTuBrd16T1zqZ8QB5yDHUGfMTINz7dhFCvv5mifsHhXFiQtcMKOwqOt6itdYlJ3J04To6aro3NZN3x4k8YYvH7NdNlQ7V0n_27topmWit3MpKVbdEojmitIrjuaVVW4wL_rmVILE/s1600/IMG_5385.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEincckHTuBrd16T1zqZ8QB5yDHUGfMTINz7dhFCvv5mifsHhXFiQtcMKOwqOt6itdYlJ3J04To6aro3NZN3x4k8YYvH7NdNlQ7V0n_27topmWit3MpKVbdEojmitIrjuaVVW4wL_rmVILE/s640/IMG_5385.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">It's funny how during this process of trying to remove the paper border brought back some memories...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Before we moved into this house, we were told that <i>all </i>of the wallpaper in each room would be removed. I remember even double checking on that because we knew how much work that would be for us to have to do ourselves. We were reassured it would be taken care of. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Well, by looking at these pictures you can see that that didn't exactly happen. ;)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Have you ever tried taking down wallpaper? Talk about an arm workout! Phew! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">After removing it in several areas of our home, I just decided it was way too much work to get it all down, so I painted right over it in here. There are some good blog posts on how to do this so I figured why not give it a try. In my husband's office (when the time comes to tackle that room), we will try and do it right and take it all out. His office is covered top to bottom in ducks and stripes so it will be coming down at some point. Ha!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Anyways, I guess I'm sharing all of that to encourage folks who are moving to <i>make sure you get in writing</i> whatever it is you are told will happen and want done. Otherwise, it's probably not going to happen unfortunately.</span></span> <br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLB_KNHpQ40okdH7sfwmwf901DC-bhP3sVJRaL1qVCR8d7sruYii1osXAEaWhn5XhUqJYAFNIgLMdLNniaN7f_ZK7EWFQsNZCxS1i7SAScTiLIpeDHHpBFK9Yqe5kuN78zbk4Zc0w9Wc/s1600/IMG_5386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggLB_KNHpQ40okdH7sfwmwf901DC-bhP3sVJRaL1qVCR8d7sruYii1osXAEaWhn5XhUqJYAFNIgLMdLNniaN7f_ZK7EWFQsNZCxS1i7SAScTiLIpeDHHpBFK9Yqe5kuN78zbk4Zc0w9Wc/s640/IMG_5386.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eTeakmCrHGbIItwKcUqT7pMo-ALtK3O_m-RGeXMVlOl9SOS17tX9NeGa0hk_NV0H7QTD-yjU0LKSz_EYrqP7sXwfJ4j-KDNCaLtbpMuzqDMQLWJ4EFLWqTVz5BqemejAHf_MInhDA4I/s1600/IMG_5387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eTeakmCrHGbIItwKcUqT7pMo-ALtK3O_m-RGeXMVlOl9SOS17tX9NeGa0hk_NV0H7QTD-yjU0LKSz_EYrqP7sXwfJ4j-KDNCaLtbpMuzqDMQLWJ4EFLWqTVz5BqemejAHf_MInhDA4I/s640/IMG_5387.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKBLJq3-tUNMFI6Y-LvPKXWojp6aSEmyWsylouEEmiwWu7Uj4QgBI2hkTgtBt7GJkoVGTFcZigfmTlkWvMsp9eK12LJ8VFfdFo6sbaFqIX8pN2LjCkalRPRe3X3Ee1uJp4RL5Z6gdqDs/s1600/IMG_5388.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOKBLJq3-tUNMFI6Y-LvPKXWojp6aSEmyWsylouEEmiwWu7Uj4QgBI2hkTgtBt7GJkoVGTFcZigfmTlkWvMsp9eK12LJ8VFfdFo6sbaFqIX8pN2LjCkalRPRe3X3Ee1uJp4RL5Z6gdqDs/s640/IMG_5388.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Whew! Now that that's over, here are some pictures of this fun space finally finished!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">This stairwell has been a wonderful spot to display the art work our kid's want to keep. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpylmj-LeEh3vwFEfJtXqKy10bqjXkwHe31gZomLB1glHtdn9el93HGOeziYpN94oIhxw32xXNzNkcLyAlQL96t7pUsOHIfW2fwja0HPRtajYiQauU_JL5nvF7BkgQzUT8F5K8TyMZe8/s1600/IMG_5400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpylmj-LeEh3vwFEfJtXqKy10bqjXkwHe31gZomLB1glHtdn9el93HGOeziYpN94oIhxw32xXNzNkcLyAlQL96t7pUsOHIfW2fwja0HPRtajYiQauU_JL5nvF7BkgQzUT8F5K8TyMZe8/s640/IMG_5400.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihO-_Uc7VRgxYrIUWDwaCehdHl5aCcdXEE7_rsrOo4k4qlfH83V_UiHi0dagen4zePD29kvOtRzTadDcl9IQ7l7rqB9u7Tn-XEyJwPI1KckvSGBfSQU-SOANrRwD9cmyu3z7CaQNbWKEY/s1600/IMG_5401.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihO-_Uc7VRgxYrIUWDwaCehdHl5aCcdXEE7_rsrOo4k4qlfH83V_UiHi0dagen4zePD29kvOtRzTadDcl9IQ7l7rqB9u7Tn-XEyJwPI1KckvSGBfSQU-SOANrRwD9cmyu3z7CaQNbWKEY/s640/IMG_5401.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">We made a magnet board for the kids using a <a href="https://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Flow-24-in-x-36-in-Galvanized-Steel-Flat-Sheet-GFS24X361P/202191776" target="_blank">thin galvanized metal sheet.</a>. I purchased ours at Lowe's, but a friend told me she bought hers at Wal-Mart in the auto section. I believe hers was a metal oil drip pan which is different than what we have...but either works for magnets!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The only thing I would say is that with the thinner metal sheet, because the edges are a bit sharp, you are going to want to tape around them making a border so little hands/fingers don't get hurt. I used a few layers of electrical tape to put around ours.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZ3LsCxTDFwOgFhmtRK2tssEg0R4WzC21ZNCb19HTQmOzffu1fQZrwRxtN5edOzT1H8Onou-dhbYJv7TPIziRMaqyfOD0lT8jnyeLkM7gLNq2yoKH4Rzd2-np3NdOfGcPu1VyTSKVIxo/s1600/IMG_5402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYZ3LsCxTDFwOgFhmtRK2tssEg0R4WzC21ZNCb19HTQmOzffu1fQZrwRxtN5edOzT1H8Onou-dhbYJv7TPIziRMaqyfOD0lT8jnyeLkM7gLNq2yoKH4Rzd2-np3NdOfGcPu1VyTSKVIxo/s640/IMG_5402.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HQkHiHhpA3T5zVwrcKBq78gWIykRsNzOF0LNjNfyhuvbPxT_KNlSWGvJnTkWYsvBqNq3HNMPIqzmXiticjGGURKMmG2Zwj8qCabdg1z9ZpB2wotA4d__5C1G9_y0bOoyY7kpuUhLmj0/s1600/IMG_5404.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3HQkHiHhpA3T5zVwrcKBq78gWIykRsNzOF0LNjNfyhuvbPxT_KNlSWGvJnTkWYsvBqNq3HNMPIqzmXiticjGGURKMmG2Zwj8qCabdg1z9ZpB2wotA4d__5C1G9_y0bOoyY7kpuUhLmj0/s640/IMG_5404.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdA9YSicBs4hFLBqH8nHEzuYJawaX6wU39k53Dbrl9krZhVMnyxSnF3VQdvldahU-3Wpxj1972wfZAtLEy6ePi-syGAt3j2NfIUBfSPgQnD7ZQ1VAGxciCk2BHmmOPjDP6efXfUPomcOs/s1600/IMG_5405.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdA9YSicBs4hFLBqH8nHEzuYJawaX6wU39k53Dbrl9krZhVMnyxSnF3VQdvldahU-3Wpxj1972wfZAtLEy6ePi-syGAt3j2NfIUBfSPgQnD7ZQ1VAGxciCk2BHmmOPjDP6efXfUPomcOs/s640/IMG_5405.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">We decided to use chalkboard paint on this entire wall. It ended up working out because I ran out of our gallon of SW Repose Gray. Ha!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">It's a fun area for the kids and their friends to use.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcCTQ7eMkArRnUcWZFspgsRyaX7E4br9ERcOyXIlQRBpn5MjPh-fae2qjJWvynJPFgnYxS5zFf30AvTsi47lPwqz2V11j8wl8QdrHy4ntZgt7G0pXaInkFoaG-R5en6MdJHslACp52ZHE/s1600/IMG_5406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcCTQ7eMkArRnUcWZFspgsRyaX7E4br9ERcOyXIlQRBpn5MjPh-fae2qjJWvynJPFgnYxS5zFf30AvTsi47lPwqz2V11j8wl8QdrHy4ntZgt7G0pXaInkFoaG-R5en6MdJHslACp52ZHE/s640/IMG_5406.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">My daughter wanted her preschool alphabet letters to be displayed and the chalkboard wall makes a good background for it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqw6cdgm_ZtcFq8W3QGvJU6QUYgYZtGXRTPssRhvdha6oW5E2K2eDZ32-jg-R6CUnnmgkyNemDypkB91G1dm93NOLPy_pzUMQT5ihmzF6GiVdBKOm0JIV-3VscQDFRheRjj0NgVokuas/s1600/IMG_5407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFqw6cdgm_ZtcFq8W3QGvJU6QUYgYZtGXRTPssRhvdha6oW5E2K2eDZ32-jg-R6CUnnmgkyNemDypkB91G1dm93NOLPy_pzUMQT5ihmzF6GiVdBKOm0JIV-3VscQDFRheRjj0NgVokuas/s640/IMG_5407.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;"><a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2018/01/our-train-table-and-what-we-used-to.html" target="_blank">I also shared a post here</a> about our train table. We love the storage it provides underneath for those extra tracks and pieces! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQKP2M5yU-ABcQlLEnjXdKTt2zsEefl9IEb6ziNnHS2TbgIs_LuWe3E8GQ8ZlvuGCUjOKmH6T2cIiujqdSMRRVnyHw1U_4wHZW-pm22svclHjY0MNafNzXeDXiWFo1ErKDV37BsWQPLo/s1600/IMG_5408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVQKP2M5yU-ABcQlLEnjXdKTt2zsEefl9IEb6ziNnHS2TbgIs_LuWe3E8GQ8ZlvuGCUjOKmH6T2cIiujqdSMRRVnyHw1U_4wHZW-pm22svclHjY0MNafNzXeDXiWFo1ErKDV37BsWQPLo/s640/IMG_5408.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_N3MdMS4Mo17034Gv_Ram34TrBwCkkwEoOqdO_UGT6_I7bB5TEk4QBF13qQFL-Pcq0Da7dKxI1xkdvK7Kw_pebpl8PwyUU89prKssBczyxFTYJD9ZT8UG_kXmFApy0N-fhoE2Vr9tG98/s1600/IMG_5409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_N3MdMS4Mo17034Gv_Ram34TrBwCkkwEoOqdO_UGT6_I7bB5TEk4QBF13qQFL-Pcq0Da7dKxI1xkdvK7Kw_pebpl8PwyUU89prKssBczyxFTYJD9ZT8UG_kXmFApy0N-fhoE2Vr9tG98/s640/IMG_5409.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I have accumulated a lot of kids books over the last 10 years (some are from my teaching days) and thought it would be fun to have a reading corner for the kids. The bookshelves <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2012/10/our-rain-gutter-bookshelves.html" target="_blank">were made using rain gutters.</a> If you're looking for an inexpensive and unique way to display children's books, this is a great option.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">I also added a shelf (thrift store find) for their Play-Doh and accessories as well as <a href="https://www.target.com/s/white+cube+storage+unit" target="_blank">a storage cube</a> for more toys.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wT5LFJ_RdmzvWz7wu1EROuZYLglJA5BS1uGX0oOi_XTv3vwhCUh4cobi3pcOSbcmd4eS8MR6i_obEVHmrRgd0NKHy9yEyn6OmlMh3Uv0hSEVYT9HVl6yBh6tdWTOTt0JypjljrqlSNw/s1600/IMG_5410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_wT5LFJ_RdmzvWz7wu1EROuZYLglJA5BS1uGX0oOi_XTv3vwhCUh4cobi3pcOSbcmd4eS8MR6i_obEVHmrRgd0NKHy9yEyn6OmlMh3Uv0hSEVYT9HVl6yBh6tdWTOTt0JypjljrqlSNw/s640/IMG_5410.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The craft table/area is next to the large window which is a great spot for our girls to create things. :)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">If you're looking for inexpensive furniture, thrift stores are great places to shop. Our craft table, chairs, wooden shelf, and shelf/dresser shown in the photo below were all purchased at the thrift store. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8pjbXl-2q_viP_RdthLEQDl4lSMJdL8WNdXugWgLLVR76ltEzsp1wX6kYjtWtgmgXmNn3MW5xuNjtegWRxxBoSp3rRvYTFrXTLIsxKyPSXlftaPCFC5Monh3mhSID-XrHeP3dtnjxqU/s1600/IMG_5411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8pjbXl-2q_viP_RdthLEQDl4lSMJdL8WNdXugWgLLVR76ltEzsp1wX6kYjtWtgmgXmNn3MW5xuNjtegWRxxBoSp3rRvYTFrXTLIsxKyPSXlftaPCFC5Monh3mhSID-XrHeP3dtnjxqU/s640/IMG_5411.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The Lego area was relocated (surprise!) to this little area next to the playroom. I like having the Lego desks next to this window. The amount of sunlight that floods into this little room is great for working and our kids enjoy spending time here.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">The wall paint color <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-boys-nursery.html" target="_blank">is the same green we used to paint our son's closet doors.</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NPyQ_zfhY3Tw8NjZgc4DsOie7RuiHS-enYfTpde1EJPwAiyGQa27T3WhyphenhyphenTzNl6IkQj4FrUvffWl4XiAZ5e_bHfXtqOplyT9AAC-lBisNsA9Oqm-3zcEg-igRW-1H0iCvgi-KCv5GuzE/s1600/IMG_5416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NPyQ_zfhY3Tw8NjZgc4DsOie7RuiHS-enYfTpde1EJPwAiyGQa27T3WhyphenhyphenTzNl6IkQj4FrUvffWl4XiAZ5e_bHfXtqOplyT9AAC-lBisNsA9Oqm-3zcEg-igRW-1H0iCvgi-KCv5GuzE/s640/IMG_5416.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">And I turned this little corner in here into the dress-up area...complete with a map of the US. Ha!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">It's fun watching my kids try to find where family and friends live on the map. Because of the scale, all the states don't look too far away from each other. They use to think Florida wasn't very far from Virginia because on the map it looks like an easy trip to make. But when we drove there last month, they started to understand this concept we've been teaching them about drawing things to scale.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQxliCQ0ceBT7L_iKAJlFaDgy7impRbxxjq7p_VXlsrwq24Uq8u9iLNxVBkSw3SUzA_mYiL7Nb5G_DiKMCeMv1606NFjB7E2D2FxeD4nvInhtTaLxvFBNM6O2lowJSUDRi2C4anXLQaM/s1600/IMG_5419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZQxliCQ0ceBT7L_iKAJlFaDgy7impRbxxjq7p_VXlsrwq24Uq8u9iLNxVBkSw3SUzA_mYiL7Nb5G_DiKMCeMv1606NFjB7E2D2FxeD4nvInhtTaLxvFBNM6O2lowJSUDRi2C4anXLQaM/s640/IMG_5419.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">Of course this wouldn't be a good play room if our kid's didn't use it so of course I'll end with a couple pictures of our boy and <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2018/01/our-train-table-and-what-we-used-to.html" target="_blank">his train table...</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4mIvqZaZZCHc0oqTa-CiCf3DsO6PlKHOXVy1xdl-TJdr0iA-PocJ-40AlSF0TDkNUM7Cxohwlqkic7v-L10WP4AbgP275DmMZB4kO11CUpQkgL7bQjKXjI9k-vnp5PP6sju5CQstt1U/s1600/IMG_5420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY4mIvqZaZZCHc0oqTa-CiCf3DsO6PlKHOXVy1xdl-TJdr0iA-PocJ-40AlSF0TDkNUM7Cxohwlqkic7v-L10WP4AbgP275DmMZB4kO11CUpQkgL7bQjKXjI9k-vnp5PP6sju5CQstt1U/s640/IMG_5420.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOb9de0jceufV8F4I3EWxoNtM2SZxFulGOJkpWJYdzKn-p3zDMXypcdW5GbeVtSi6xPmnQcYu6xGA94Pg3oLMxpuqVQJpyuC-bBiU0ieqCVyqPHqLhruFApoPLbpybb7j4qsuws4Lx8w/s1600/IMG_5423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwOb9de0jceufV8F4I3EWxoNtM2SZxFulGOJkpWJYdzKn-p3zDMXypcdW5GbeVtSi6xPmnQcYu6xGA94Pg3oLMxpuqVQJpyuC-bBiU0ieqCVyqPHqLhruFApoPLbpybb7j4qsuws4Lx8w/s640/IMG_5423.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span> <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just look at that focus. Ha!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">and our girls using the Lego room... </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjHYsmgwMXh_z03QYmHHCxMW3souMYb8JBf87WfsPfPG9uLKTB-aqJ6mTFs7WTcu1v5zvh9j3OGHjwolwyV4Li4zfGCzd6TAAnjwRLuQvShAJ35SnftAjuhGvlo8qKIyMj64rAHEu4ag/s1600/IMG_5424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUjHYsmgwMXh_z03QYmHHCxMW3souMYb8JBf87WfsPfPG9uLKTB-aqJ6mTFs7WTcu1v5zvh9j3OGHjwolwyV4Li4zfGCzd6TAAnjwRLuQvShAJ35SnftAjuhGvlo8qKIyMj64rAHEu4ag/s640/IMG_5424.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhki5zxJuqJy5i8enL0_EcTptGRtD2DLl9-yktToBi-WXsJ_597i5pYfj50B3Szg1yDwt-odluTe4wQszHa09Ax5B2Mmc83NCqhhmsAnIBmlnIHxeQVodsDsQ9zDoeOwblP8MKluz70OFM/s1600/IMG_5426.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhki5zxJuqJy5i8enL0_EcTptGRtD2DLl9-yktToBi-WXsJ_597i5pYfj50B3Szg1yDwt-odluTe4wQszHa09Ax5B2Mmc83NCqhhmsAnIBmlnIHxeQVodsDsQ9zDoeOwblP8MKluz70OFM/s640/IMG_5426.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sisters <3 May they always have this close bond with one another.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: small;">That's it for this space. We love having it and are thankful for the moments spent in it. We know our kids will enjoy it for many years to come and that makes all the hard work worth it!</span></span><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-41205202372936837492018-01-30T12:46:00.000-05:002018-01-30T12:46:36.600-05:00Our Train Table (and what we used to build one)<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I wanted to pop in to share a quick post about how we built our train table.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To make this a little short, we basically followed <a href="http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-Train-Play-Table/" target="_blank">these instructions here and made a few adjustments as needed.</a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This site was VERY helpful and even lists step-by-step instructions on how to make a train table. We found it very helpful, so I'm not going to type up every detail of how we made ours, but I will share our dimensions and some pictures. :)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My hubby did the big cuts while I used a jigsaw to shorten the legs of the table a bit. Our train table measures as follows:</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">50" long</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">38" wide</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">23" high</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I still have to paint the shelf that my hubby added to it (it's great for extra storage) as well as the sides. But here are some pictures of the finished product!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBrOuFNw-g2iZhTwdJSg1JYYFUd1lU0tMZXJquZCn0vvaG4kxOCLDkZS4wo1x0oEz2a21cdbAM5Ym1AioZIfOP6XUmrO6ULec_m5dQL33deQ7pazzNvMhyphenhyphenRYWWIkXNJXAdlzAEbL3B30/s1600/IMG_5399.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidBrOuFNw-g2iZhTwdJSg1JYYFUd1lU0tMZXJquZCn0vvaG4kxOCLDkZS4wo1x0oEz2a21cdbAM5Ym1AioZIfOP6XUmrO6ULec_m5dQL33deQ7pazzNvMhyphenhyphenRYWWIkXNJXAdlzAEbL3B30/s640/IMG_5399.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeH5DGMZIPF2TKelua0mNalsGl1kIx0q92XkeWcYcMj2UzNJv6re6FRVkvl6LsoDfRT_K263TWhPC_iNk1QBXgzLyWcvOjdgUZiJaVmjhg4shY7x9iTZrkRtgGEkdH8lLpNeMzS6he2w/s1600/IMG_5407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIeH5DGMZIPF2TKelua0mNalsGl1kIx0q92XkeWcYcMj2UzNJv6re6FRVkvl6LsoDfRT_K263TWhPC_iNk1QBXgzLyWcvOjdgUZiJaVmjhg4shY7x9iTZrkRtgGEkdH8lLpNeMzS6he2w/s640/IMG_5407.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAvGrm7IDKYOLihgXeWuY-Tp09koB6ihg0BC1JlEi32YXUGBCqGhuxwMQrMDTI0RsJKRgujdQ_IQEpL3typoX5JpRyuaSxPz-ngb8bK2HkVhmFE2JkEtiFMLV0E2QW5JNON4Wa1wOGiQ/s1600/IMG_5408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXAvGrm7IDKYOLihgXeWuY-Tp09koB6ihg0BC1JlEi32YXUGBCqGhuxwMQrMDTI0RsJKRgujdQ_IQEpL3typoX5JpRyuaSxPz-ngb8bK2HkVhmFE2JkEtiFMLV0E2QW5JNON4Wa1wOGiQ/s640/IMG_5408.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLqQ8C_avsiJ0NJL4s4kEiYENaaUYTfFBTjPiQZ3FjgNObhMIEIKwiekucYfDXb9xCf_t-FtfS5xWiRIQ2vURQKESb0n6uEwKNY-GjdyW1Jl7rUUugq0853c-2QyTUtOGa5v2b5beTdQ/s1600/IMG_5423.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibLqQ8C_avsiJ0NJL4s4kEiYENaaUYTfFBTjPiQZ3FjgNObhMIEIKwiekucYfDXb9xCf_t-FtfS5xWiRIQ2vURQKESb0n6uEwKNY-GjdyW1Jl7rUUugq0853c-2QyTUtOGa5v2b5beTdQ/s640/IMG_5423.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This boy spends a lot of his waking hours playing with it...he is obsessed with trains! Like to the max! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And he doesn't sing too much, but when he does, you can bet it's the Thomas theme song. :) over...and over...and over again. Sometime he asks us to sing it so he can loop his trains round and around the tracks. Ha!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The cost to make this came in at about $50. We didn't use the most expensive wood so that did help keep costs down, but you can use pretty much any good pine wood for this project and it does just fine. I did have to sand some areas because of this, but it was worth it! </span></span><br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-23679586655363101062018-01-16T23:29:00.000-05:002018-01-17T11:08:48.198-05:00Some Fun Changes in the Playroom<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'm always up for a good project! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once we got back from our Florida vacation, I was ready for the next update to make to our home and couldn't wait to start. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Well</i>....that part about not being able to wait to start the next project isn't exactly true...</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Actually, we've been back for a couple of weeks now and I've only done one quick project. So it wasn't necessarily "full speed ahead" once we got back home, thankfully. I'm slowing things down a bit.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, there is another project in the works- painting our kid's play space. There are still a couple rooms in our home that haven't been painted yet, and the playroom is one of those areas. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And there's a good reason for that.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's a fairly big room with high ceilings, so painting this space wasn't top priority and seemed a bit daunting.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Since we've lived in our home for a little over 3 years now, I figured it was time to update the space. The challenge was not only the size of this room, but the outdated, old blue carpet. The carpet in this space is about 25 years old and as you can imagine, is not in the best shape <span style="font-size: small;">(<i>Yikes! I know, right</i>). </span> Unfortunately, we aren't replacing it anytime soon because of cost and time, so the new paint color will have to compliment (well, at least <i>somewhat</i> compliment) the floor. I've got my work cut out for me a bit with this one.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Before I ramble on about paint swatches and the like, I did want to share a quick and easy Lego table/area I made for our kids recently that you can make at home too. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBNdBo7qIT363dW8lOzoWS1BgBJ1wKYA8XGthhg77lQowlC0zEQB_fjTwOWo2Edt0QcDHcYf6VZnTQsuq1vRX0MshhJxpvYC51L7UlUGV11hrjP4CJK-QRhDQBW17GnPqWqxXP1V5pPA/s1600/IMG_5345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBNdBo7qIT363dW8lOzoWS1BgBJ1wKYA8XGthhg77lQowlC0zEQB_fjTwOWo2Edt0QcDHcYf6VZnTQsuq1vRX0MshhJxpvYC51L7UlUGV11hrjP4CJK-QRhDQBW17GnPqWqxXP1V5pPA/s640/IMG_5345.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The materials used were two 4 foot long MDF boards from Lowe's. Each board was about $3.50/piece and I needed exactly 8 feet for this area. Super happy I didn't have to cut any boards (or at least ask hubby to do that part) ;)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We already had the L-brackets, screws, and anchors making this project well under $10 total. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The plastic 4-drawer container in the middle holds building tiles and wood blocks for building and also serves as a good divide between the boards while keeping things steady. We also already had that container, but they can be found at many big stores for pretty cheap. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'd also recommend putting some kind of tall storage container somewhere in the middle to help separate the table a little bit and add more support. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWhlLIOSvLIY5sK5sGYpvk7avgJJWZK_oieRJQJq9uFDwG7GC18qWd6C7Cph8kfEy9o0i8RLyBIY0h0uNDZLAF1dWIRuWepUsK9tyolkwQJoDXFA-9k63X5l2ODo_aeFPcY91p5OVtC4/s1600/IMG_5346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWhlLIOSvLIY5sK5sGYpvk7avgJJWZK_oieRJQJq9uFDwG7GC18qWd6C7Cph8kfEy9o0i8RLyBIY0h0uNDZLAF1dWIRuWepUsK9tyolkwQJoDXFA-9k63X5l2ODo_aeFPcY91p5OVtC4/s640/IMG_5346.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I purchased a bookshelf for $17 at Wal-Mart that holds all of our kid's Lego, but you can use pretty much any kind of storage container to hold all those Lego.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQSgbE_a5w5kTNGah6PGOMB-I50lISCfo_qKZ0dgfJRiAVZpcby0xidxtfoknQ8u7fiDIghdS7Qq3AftiYT4ilTNgauT-ncPm9mPhOVKpD8fIvj6BOI5hyc4AYXxN7rGXA3nBH8V74RE/s1600/IMG_5348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFQSgbE_a5w5kTNGah6PGOMB-I50lISCfo_qKZ0dgfJRiAVZpcby0xidxtfoknQ8u7fiDIghdS7Qq3AftiYT4ilTNgauT-ncPm9mPhOVKpD8fIvj6BOI5hyc4AYXxN7rGXA3nBH8V74RE/s640/IMG_5348.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the photo above, you can see some of the wallpaper left from the previous owners. That covers the whole room <span style="font-size: small;">(but thankfully only as a border near the ceiling)</span>. But, we won't focus on that...just the cutie building some fun creations! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMkYA-ybeHwhyjG194c9MyzLU4x-boCFXdXgC1h3LjGXhTDquc3Fn852TxIgHM3dzxNKeCMFWqHZ-pGelQtzd4cyeST5fmo-ELDMuIb3pGpAyU5m4pwbYFGx4Vma36qLRI27fxNrglv4/s1600/IMG_5349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkMkYA-ybeHwhyjG194c9MyzLU4x-boCFXdXgC1h3LjGXhTDquc3Fn852TxIgHM3dzxNKeCMFWqHZ-pGelQtzd4cyeST5fmo-ELDMuIb3pGpAyU5m4pwbYFGx4Vma36qLRI27fxNrglv4/s640/IMG_5349.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This girl loves to build things!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So focused. :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePT7CKgyArz_G07gnTnsX5EFLJM6xcO9g9SdsnXYgXvnmky5oSoNfXX4DwYKG-56yYb0FoE28Tk7Dd6SDuT0wqSAKUGxSfeXWEo6W3zMqSvC49TY4YnaeVUqF0z9PZ6qksRFankmuYrg/s1600/IMG_5350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePT7CKgyArz_G07gnTnsX5EFLJM6xcO9g9SdsnXYgXvnmky5oSoNfXX4DwYKG-56yYb0FoE28Tk7Dd6SDuT0wqSAKUGxSfeXWEo6W3zMqSvC49TY4YnaeVUqF0z9PZ6qksRFankmuYrg/s640/IMG_5350.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lego building/play has become a bigger deal in our household now that our girls are 6 and almost 5. Our youngest isn't into it too much.....yet. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">With that said, we do spend quite a bit of time here, especially during the winter months. I'm super thankful for this space and our kids are too, so it seems only fair to update it beginning with the wall color. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I mentioned that we aren't changing out the blue carpet anytime soon, so I'm trying to work with what we have. Plus, I painted the hallway, (or the kid's "cafe") a bold but beautiful dark green (BM's Bunker Hill Green). I want each room to flow well together, so I had to think about that with the paint samples. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of helping each room feel connected...if you want to see how this dark moody green looks on a door, <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2016/02/the-boys-nursery.html" target="_blank">check out this post here.</a> I used it in our son's room as well. Love that color!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVD15Qx0nABmSTLJXizwcL_pEsmOPsUkqKVQblNhOFbAEHW-Ac1lve0ttxzNqKBIE7b8srkE_dmcuwsDbxi099shJEIyeRla975LXZKyra1n_hGS7cORs2IbStcoTyDWZLS8n9QbWQ1SM/s1600/IMG_5353.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVD15Qx0nABmSTLJXizwcL_pEsmOPsUkqKVQblNhOFbAEHW-Ac1lve0ttxzNqKBIE7b8srkE_dmcuwsDbxi099shJEIyeRla975LXZKyra1n_hGS7cORs2IbStcoTyDWZLS8n9QbWQ1SM/s640/IMG_5353.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I started with 3 paint samples:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Top left</u>: SW Aloof Gray</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Middle</u>: BM Gray Cashmere</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u>Bottom right</u>: SW Comfort Gray</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Each paint sample was purchased at Lowe's and I've found that they do a good job matching paint colors.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Q8HUw2eQXdEmKuxA9miZLiwiTXpa6svhK9-PuC61Gc2RpdcW1xtcIeUhXXuDhBZG0cuzU0cQkB4D03HE4-KmtR0kSYfNbIHqAlFZN6hyKAsuzLUUF3_BzswWhq3LT1c7zUubJBiWecU/s1600/IMG_5337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Q8HUw2eQXdEmKuxA9miZLiwiTXpa6svhK9-PuC61Gc2RpdcW1xtcIeUhXXuDhBZG0cuzU0cQkB4D03HE4-KmtR0kSYfNbIHqAlFZN6hyKAsuzLUUF3_BzswWhq3LT1c7zUubJBiWecU/s640/IMG_5337.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7zLHa3NM4pCB2_Y-sYFIe-uaGy-vO7HJLZRRSlbU33y-NRxBPSZ1njOeE8XSlxTKaKBIuA3ddQRjPKrSRWXBnQtHTF-ioWyT7mW9ZBCg3RLb5h1jYhQ8zibzfrCYKvx6vSRMvLB9p0A/s1600/IMG_5339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge7zLHa3NM4pCB2_Y-sYFIe-uaGy-vO7HJLZRRSlbU33y-NRxBPSZ1njOeE8XSlxTKaKBIuA3ddQRjPKrSRWXBnQtHTF-ioWyT7mW9ZBCg3RLb5h1jYhQ8zibzfrCYKvx6vSRMvLB9p0A/s640/IMG_5339.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;">This girl and her Doc McStuffins :)</span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some more paint swatches I put up around the room (same ones as listed above). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_nNRS3cCoM7VY14m1iP88N6MnCkc7sb47NqAhykKOpA0nP_gsd82xXWYmXBzyzv7ZgWeGJL1pLjToRfQ6G0B3MmglilwaqAs857rkhssyv6F-mOcParLE2_IM-_2y-QltJjwQnYmBCs/s1600/IMG_5340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN_nNRS3cCoM7VY14m1iP88N6MnCkc7sb47NqAhykKOpA0nP_gsd82xXWYmXBzyzv7ZgWeGJL1pLjToRfQ6G0B3MmglilwaqAs857rkhssyv6F-mOcParLE2_IM-_2y-QltJjwQnYmBCs/s640/IMG_5340.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rbooEVmYKzdP7cLd19ceNbZ_5zGKk2klcf-4M3_Qp8MhrMrANKugqgbO8ZZTrgmy_CzjO91VyqrSgv-aqcCCl41sh7dNplwnUUm3fMKTR1AZABgpzjyZgICdq98KHzLy1ZEVZReK_tI/s1600/IMG_5342.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9rbooEVmYKzdP7cLd19ceNbZ_5zGKk2klcf-4M3_Qp8MhrMrANKugqgbO8ZZTrgmy_CzjO91VyqrSgv-aqcCCl41sh7dNplwnUUm3fMKTR1AZABgpzjyZgICdq98KHzLy1ZEVZReK_tI/s640/IMG_5342.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To be completely honest, none of the colors jumped out to me as being "the one." I thought Aloof Gray had purple undertones, Gray Cashmere showed up more like a baby blue, and Comfort Gray was too dark. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thankfully, samples are pretty cheap! So it's back to the drawing board.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, I do want to say that the samples did help steer me in the right direction of what color family to go with- GREEN. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So I'll be searching for a green(ish), possibly minty, paint color for this room. I'm hoping to get my girls to help me with that part. After all, this is their space. ;)</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-16218148189600790342017-12-30T22:27:00.000-05:002017-12-31T20:54:09.829-05:00Christmas in Florida<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We spent our Christmas <span style="font-size: small;">(and a few days before and after that)</span> in Florida- where the low was in the 50's and the high was about 80 degrees. It was quite different from what we are used to here in Virginia during the winter, but it was a nice change. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A few days before we headed South, we let the kids open their presents at home. It was a joy seeing them excited about this and getting to spend time together, so I'm going to begin with pictures of our Christmas at home before sharing our Florida pictures.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_lp-x-XlMxduUHhEP4n3O4rigJCJpDuZ0bVmbK2WoKNU-nPcnjPUVhvy_6HtAbM-rhBY62hLaOIF4h0g6kqDWckAFdEfkeztmkzTYj5Xm1qJBElNm66QXc3nFTXyU9fqrfCTBKwzAoM/s1600/IMG_5043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf_lp-x-XlMxduUHhEP4n3O4rigJCJpDuZ0bVmbK2WoKNU-nPcnjPUVhvy_6HtAbM-rhBY62hLaOIF4h0g6kqDWckAFdEfkeztmkzTYj5Xm1qJBElNm66QXc3nFTXyU9fqrfCTBKwzAoM/s640/IMG_5043.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jIv0Z4THGoYUJSTMHuyMtF341fiU8BmbAMvsCRuPPV8yAy-9fvEam-1lS6epuNt6o6vNONg2dSK_ydlyVUPDVW2UUtmtREYVzuPOspY7adBNavYok7wGgjz6IPmjpGTJdyBUGxXEIYY/s1600/IMG_5051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4jIv0Z4THGoYUJSTMHuyMtF341fiU8BmbAMvsCRuPPV8yAy-9fvEam-1lS6epuNt6o6vNONg2dSK_ydlyVUPDVW2UUtmtREYVzuPOspY7adBNavYok7wGgjz6IPmjpGTJdyBUGxXEIYY/s640/IMG_5051.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our trip began with a stop in Starke, FL (a small town just outside of Gainesville) to have lunch with my college friend, Olivia, and her two
boys. It was so good to see her and catch up since we don't get to spend a lot of time together these days. Being states away makes that a bit difficult, but I'm so glad our schedules lined up enough to spend a few hours together. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNk6KM62-BILOhRf6adc7HjDynXONg5k0XVNPWmjewb6PnavktSRdORYtonSV990LqAKH0lFR5vjJlotETD9acKId8d7yMZjd0MSPdIbHLJ4NtuYwERAGxFXJnIVx-AHYFBK5HuWnoGs/s1600/IMG_5056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNNk6KM62-BILOhRf6adc7HjDynXONg5k0XVNPWmjewb6PnavktSRdORYtonSV990LqAKH0lFR5vjJlotETD9acKId8d7yMZjd0MSPdIbHLJ4NtuYwERAGxFXJnIVx-AHYFBK5HuWnoGs/s640/IMG_5056.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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My has life changed in the 10 years since we first met at UF!</div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Then we drove to Gainesville and took the kids to the University of Florida, our alma mater, and let them
run around the stadium a bit to stretch their legs before continuing our trip.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Go Gators! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsSGOjY91c_m1qANIC395rDT7Ry75PZDnwGzB4F7tVCBn8TmhFF9Xk-NuZ-1ZFzvHb7mq12Dab9fzjiMGocOgIZpOX2P21DTkgLLgwZ07X4C7TGKT-uW_oZjV7fQtMJQzXNJlw8-bzFY/s1600/IMG_5071.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsSGOjY91c_m1qANIC395rDT7Ry75PZDnwGzB4F7tVCBn8TmhFF9Xk-NuZ-1ZFzvHb7mq12Dab9fzjiMGocOgIZpOX2P21DTkgLLgwZ07X4C7TGKT-uW_oZjV7fQtMJQzXNJlw8-bzFY/s640/IMG_5071.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4INz24uoiLjX49zswyoreFD0wM0_kjIjmgdIEb628CwlGugGgWQN5lybf5VdXylSdCY4W__sx2g7WOBdxkSy-DjgUPo_6TIJ_Z799tTOyWtMegCunDw3YJABIQqVQqRsECdoXRvh39k/s1600/IMG_5078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip4INz24uoiLjX49zswyoreFD0wM0_kjIjmgdIEb628CwlGugGgWQN5lybf5VdXylSdCY4W__sx2g7WOBdxkSy-DjgUPo_6TIJ_Z799tTOyWtMegCunDw3YJABIQqVQqRsECdoXRvh39k/s640/IMG_5078.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCDeT3L3rTu_EfB5hynjEQ8-ojvv82mJMLgv6Y4utUMFUGIiP4EtofPdYr9GmS0t-64ZiLJXfim6wjv6rxKzcpHSy9h8VSwBZG6IDEP_sVZoc5eyyzXvf4jgIc17fcAxxiDAi0-iJQyA/s1600/IMG_5083.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUCDeT3L3rTu_EfB5hynjEQ8-ojvv82mJMLgv6Y4utUMFUGIiP4EtofPdYr9GmS0t-64ZiLJXfim6wjv6rxKzcpHSy9h8VSwBZG6IDEP_sVZoc5eyyzXvf4jgIc17fcAxxiDAi0-iJQyA/s640/IMG_5083.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">When Chris and I were engaged, we had a good friend take some engagement photos of us around campus. One of the photos we took together was with this "bull" gator- the kids wanted to see it and take a silly photo next to it. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtjxGRX4Fpr05yCXLLh1Sh3kLaONCZI6f6_nNPZq3JBifKIJ1upuG5V57hMWgO5HmAzkQaAIRADW3Ucq8GUlATxtH5Ix1yLjdRJ9g4mvu6d60bCZePu2r0UgZi227lGeMwh5TQmx-1TI/s1600/IMG_5088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEtjxGRX4Fpr05yCXLLh1Sh3kLaONCZI6f6_nNPZq3JBifKIJ1upuG5V57hMWgO5HmAzkQaAIRADW3Ucq8GUlATxtH5Ix1yLjdRJ9g4mvu6d60bCZePu2r0UgZi227lGeMwh5TQmx-1TI/s640/IMG_5088.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So glad we got to do that with them!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5pqg3nt6ThX2Bwb2aq5An4ChU2MVY9Pkkqniaq9LEgnAXorJ6Fcce1of7zL4Ws_IU-iR9lnEWXT5hKmJZA8oFzaCdbyyiSrdV7ABuDDkJeYhbbyvoiTKEfZWCo0bwVtcapU3Bxr30LVk/s1600/IMG_5089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5pqg3nt6ThX2Bwb2aq5An4ChU2MVY9Pkkqniaq9LEgnAXorJ6Fcce1of7zL4Ws_IU-iR9lnEWXT5hKmJZA8oFzaCdbyyiSrdV7ABuDDkJeYhbbyvoiTKEfZWCo0bwVtcapU3Bxr30LVk/s640/IMG_5089.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of our afternoons in Orlando was spent at Disney Springs. We took the kids to the Lego store and then had a wonderful lunch with family.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GDM1x5CZivDNYrpZ2nLPWrZhAO-PdlEVOtPQdkOzeiFUH0o8oQ1zHc3jgimIxIKo5ghi7K-e6XtJCDXxCeiP-kEYEIHrLsUVRUa8WIghI-VAaN74cOPjkbAwlr3Cz8t3gOYJHhhPU5g/s1600/Lego+Disney+Springs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GDM1x5CZivDNYrpZ2nLPWrZhAO-PdlEVOtPQdkOzeiFUH0o8oQ1zHc3jgimIxIKo5ghi7K-e6XtJCDXxCeiP-kEYEIHrLsUVRUa8WIghI-VAaN74cOPjkbAwlr3Cz8t3gOYJHhhPU5g/s640/Lego+Disney+Springs.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">On Christmas Eve, we stopped in Tampa to see my mom, dad and step mom.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The first picture I'm posting of that trip is quite funny because, well, </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">you will see... </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kPcvZGJdYJdLbvYeLskK2HfTTqCU_R4qOuCVZmf8NU3uDlKSWyKQnNJIfYUwILdPBbioj7Qor3U7-WBtVaG_YohFM2CzslQyi4rpfor2CMTIskHUGN0FhtOW7g5CxkKlc1m3qz4knUQ/s1600/IMG_5146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3kPcvZGJdYJdLbvYeLskK2HfTTqCU_R4qOuCVZmf8NU3uDlKSWyKQnNJIfYUwILdPBbioj7Qor3U7-WBtVaG_YohFM2CzslQyi4rpfor2CMTIskHUGN0FhtOW7g5CxkKlc1m3qz4knUQ/s640/IMG_5146.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our son was using a small shovel to dig some dirt out of a pot my mom had outside on her porch. He kept throwing the dirt onto her porch, so when we told him he had to keep the dirt in the pot, this was the face he made. Lydia took this picture and happened to capture the moment. ;)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">His unhappiness didn't last long though. Here he is with my mom enjoying a tickling sesh.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoJZr50_N_fR6vouXnXvtAOPHKWdWcDzBGolHzDAxhRBT54OfGbYJeWJ3e4t6E8IEtLLu2Q5GiUxx5XgHHBzFyMxhad82Ws6l1lthyphenhyphenK2ObQMU443jD6950YHge2f0w1k30kkVaAlaJ8c/s1600/IMG_5186.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBoJZr50_N_fR6vouXnXvtAOPHKWdWcDzBGolHzDAxhRBT54OfGbYJeWJ3e4t6E8IEtLLu2Q5GiUxx5XgHHBzFyMxhad82Ws6l1lthyphenhyphenK2ObQMU443jD6950YHge2f0w1k30kkVaAlaJ8c/s640/IMG_5186.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrOC_0Ni5NzCGg9gJgJ-H_mkgqhNmwsgiqvLnd-lFRfS5CsAX1qMXfPbprdCjFnmIfyS1NMj8Fi-T_joOoAGpzslP5y3XkIi7A1C8qBnqYfhOjQyLqUKfxwO-uaNqy8QB_K2oLZl8kjQ/s1600/IMG_5103.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVrOC_0Ni5NzCGg9gJgJ-H_mkgqhNmwsgiqvLnd-lFRfS5CsAX1qMXfPbprdCjFnmIfyS1NMj8Fi-T_joOoAGpzslP5y3XkIi7A1C8qBnqYfhOjQyLqUKfxwO-uaNqy8QB_K2oLZl8kjQ/s640/IMG_5103.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Family photo- the first of a couple that we took with family. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7OdqAYLf7uOirXN8hN71MwTUbEXhKibAAdaOt8QnfUW96dd2CfFiw5X3p-enw68BkABVKDqCFoJMUY1iiLvAoaJD_5Vmq_Wpw1L-Zsexv8rVEVYF8wE5oQ-9R0EOaKeNZptq4GN3E54/s1600/IMG_5187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK7OdqAYLf7uOirXN8hN71MwTUbEXhKibAAdaOt8QnfUW96dd2CfFiw5X3p-enw68BkABVKDqCFoJMUY1iiLvAoaJD_5Vmq_Wpw1L-Zsexv8rVEVYF8wE5oQ-9R0EOaKeNZptq4GN3E54/s640/IMG_5187.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<3<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVWsBv1g6eBjO-C8NeMjiR2DPeN9QKiwAyWZhH2wM-QwdqQRn-hDrgrsvho9PbESiIaGQz4cuKmgBosIfdMKywJ2Hcq5HYUhOYRthFrjwzZrxNe5NJd5E5pPnRRagdm6DgiUxicnjYcc/s1600/Mom+with+us.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVWsBv1g6eBjO-C8NeMjiR2DPeN9QKiwAyWZhH2wM-QwdqQRn-hDrgrsvho9PbESiIaGQz4cuKmgBosIfdMKywJ2Hcq5HYUhOYRthFrjwzZrxNe5NJd5E5pPnRRagdm6DgiUxicnjYcc/s640/Mom+with+us.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next stop was dinner at my dad and step-mom's house.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The kids enjoyed some good food and opened some more presents.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the gifts they got were swim goggles- you can see that they thoroughly enjoyed wearing those around their house. :) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNd4PheHyQAG0V-l7wBpJ0Qq05gTclXHDS4s_5JCweRZ8DWC94N3HG5boNKOi5fRK6QMui88mlXaYx5Z6ZL7sq32SBcuthhqs4gfhJG1eFzz66cAKx4z_BXF5SXXW-SKCQStMXvSBJnYU/s1600/IMG_5197.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNd4PheHyQAG0V-l7wBpJ0Qq05gTclXHDS4s_5JCweRZ8DWC94N3HG5boNKOi5fRK6QMui88mlXaYx5Z6ZL7sq32SBcuthhqs4gfhJG1eFzz66cAKx4z_BXF5SXXW-SKCQStMXvSBJnYU/s640/IMG_5197.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyGyoZokIHMODLKKRndgEQ5b7oRV6sRIRK6USgjMrv2Wu71AUkcmRec7AzZaXvRkruSlQIAmFn39-HPeNQfGdRusW5Af1p5bKuvrrinJVnCzx0E_beaJcn8-WNnLu6PNWLpNDiWwdPs8/s1600/IMG_5198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkyGyoZokIHMODLKKRndgEQ5b7oRV6sRIRK6USgjMrv2Wu71AUkcmRec7AzZaXvRkruSlQIAmFn39-HPeNQfGdRusW5Af1p5bKuvrrinJVnCzx0E_beaJcn8-WNnLu6PNWLpNDiWwdPs8/s640/IMG_5198.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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Ring Around the Rosie, anyone?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQItpHjHps2DngPFYNLwrfW6P5anjFSNw1bI6G5zkPSHEVxa_v7CNwmHzVOc7nT_fkME7zDDcC920yJapkgOYqpMiQ_hzZNWqCGflQ-9-uPyxDYvcMtaKVcDSmqYHhTkSF5FCz1INTgp4/s1600/IMG_5201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQItpHjHps2DngPFYNLwrfW6P5anjFSNw1bI6G5zkPSHEVxa_v7CNwmHzVOc7nT_fkME7zDDcC920yJapkgOYqpMiQ_hzZNWqCGflQ-9-uPyxDYvcMtaKVcDSmqYHhTkSF5FCz1INTgp4/s640/IMG_5201.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Family photo #2. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEial73rDRyIGCeaE1wNLKrDfcmIhmTIu5gk6mMsvGlahwVPFwc1OU0InZJj9MnluvDKI3WPdbd6zkKRnhzTintPqfqeOs0xddHvGEjD4Cz3C5iW2VzURc6X7YGuX370wixFh7EgbKB_dGQ/s1600/IMG_5205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEial73rDRyIGCeaE1wNLKrDfcmIhmTIu5gk6mMsvGlahwVPFwc1OU0InZJj9MnluvDKI3WPdbd6zkKRnhzTintPqfqeOs0xddHvGEjD4Cz3C5iW2VzURc6X7YGuX370wixFh7EgbKB_dGQ/s640/IMG_5205.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Before heading back to Orlando, we stopped at the Wiregrass Mall and took a family photo in front of this gorgeous Christmas tree there. This is the spot where Chris proposed to me 9 years ago! My how time flies!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was fun telling the kids our story and being able to take all 3 of them to this special spot. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BEGUiJnz3z7PfLLX_N4xpXPyVxhSGrTWZjMfM-qtXXpZI7Pw4mxxRSZHBBvdpj9T_PEoBCfUd-c0xE_tWMya7jiO53Y_la62QfRxLGmV_SlWCdBO7msqO5x_UA8JbiKQjZX9W24QgcI/s1600/IMG_5207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4BEGUiJnz3z7PfLLX_N4xpXPyVxhSGrTWZjMfM-qtXXpZI7Pw4mxxRSZHBBvdpj9T_PEoBCfUd-c0xE_tWMya7jiO53Y_la62QfRxLGmV_SlWCdBO7msqO5x_UA8JbiKQjZX9W24QgcI/s640/IMG_5207.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We
also spent Christmas Day at Chris' brother's house- good food, gift
grab, and great memories. Here are a couple photos taken from that night.</span></span></span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjgGgLCblHJR5XEZqyzEwX8VCdlteLUoNhhvfObAL3gUcpzEWWy2-heGWp_fj7iJ31J2bATPN3s9Z_n0w7_HbYIT1UwpQGUySw1hC98cpiwCebK5Pz-CK9BlnzXg-ODiF6IPYptXQuN4/s1600/Mema+and+Gavin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJjgGgLCblHJR5XEZqyzEwX8VCdlteLUoNhhvfObAL3gUcpzEWWy2-heGWp_fj7iJ31J2bATPN3s9Z_n0w7_HbYIT1UwpQGUySw1hC98cpiwCebK5Pz-CK9BlnzXg-ODiF6IPYptXQuN4/s640/Mema+and+Gavin.jpg" width="360" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gavin was very excited to help Mema and Jim open their gift grab presents. ;)</span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQicTgIOrHwdUPsPYLO5FT7ZfQCqKM7NnxVxIohSEoT8ht0u5Y2vm3cSMmGTrWsI1A46s5Dr0AhADOOgw3Mp6ZELLWaO4uhcHmbkdfqQJg0DSAIM8tVgbbwDN4qt1LgoSOeThyphenhyphenZlbTL8/s1600/Jim+and+Gavin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1561" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibQicTgIOrHwdUPsPYLO5FT7ZfQCqKM7NnxVxIohSEoT8ht0u5Y2vm3cSMmGTrWsI1A46s5Dr0AhADOOgw3Mp6ZELLWaO4uhcHmbkdfqQJg0DSAIM8tVgbbwDN4qt1LgoSOeThyphenhyphenZlbTL8/s640/Jim+and+Gavin.jpg" width="624" /></a></span></span> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Amy and Gavin having fun- Gavin kept asking her to pick him up to sit on her shoulders. I think he finally realized that was his last turn and she wasn't going to do it again <span style="font-size: small;">(and rightfully so!)</span>. haha!</span></span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMaKVESEeEv4j_pEjPlHyWejFuU7_jQ8Y4luQJne7e1LBgs0XL0dRZqKOMu7fq_-3ckLa5RPAaUGAWS6ErV6MSKfjsyyKh6g3ZP0GQgaeiiWCCVn0DT4lS4kAwx6cA32oMorYeo2DXJg/s1600/Amie+and+Gavin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHMaKVESEeEv4j_pEjPlHyWejFuU7_jQ8Y4luQJne7e1LBgs0XL0dRZqKOMu7fq_-3ckLa5RPAaUGAWS6ErV6MSKfjsyyKh6g3ZP0GQgaeiiWCCVn0DT4lS4kAwx6cA32oMorYeo2DXJg/s640/Amie+and+Gavin.jpg" width="360" /></a> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the places we wanted to take our kids was Sea World in Orlando. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The kids really enjoyed seeing all of the animals there and learning a bit about each one of them. They said their favorite parts were the orca show, playing at the kids play place on the nets, and watching the ice skating show. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_J3dHwhxFRHqe3C2s7gh3snvc5v1mXH0fiYfnhoaCeDEFMxPV2v4V48U4_B8q0guHShCPOovvYjQNcjc-bjs9S-ndV6Lm0BDYDR_HGf-RhJJ1MqZ6jF9ytU2BGEuA2_lHQb_DyAldoc/s1600/IMG_5216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3_J3dHwhxFRHqe3C2s7gh3snvc5v1mXH0fiYfnhoaCeDEFMxPV2v4V48U4_B8q0guHShCPOovvYjQNcjc-bjs9S-ndV6Lm0BDYDR_HGf-RhJJ1MqZ6jF9ytU2BGEuA2_lHQb_DyAldoc/s640/IMG_5216.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Turtle Trek! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKg8H5761PDPizPoITFKpIYCcTccSEAAHUftq9fupbVOy1Bo_SuilO4Zpjx-zo8k7kQhKf3RunEhA_AEcG_muOrKpI7E_EPvvjLa5VK-cbTuJ7tZ8p9PfLY5egMkGc15PMUrFTPutNQ4/s1600/IMG_5230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqKg8H5761PDPizPoITFKpIYCcTccSEAAHUftq9fupbVOy1Bo_SuilO4Zpjx-zo8k7kQhKf3RunEhA_AEcG_muOrKpI7E_EPvvjLa5VK-cbTuJ7tZ8p9PfLY5egMkGc15PMUrFTPutNQ4/s640/IMG_5230.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our oldest, Tess, asked one of the guides at Turtle Trek a question and she was given an information card to keep because of it. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our collector of little things was pretty excited to take home that card! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_kx_srhcg8MViHrUXa1b_5ZmzNDoXPkdL3YMyJAR5ItXXvXQ2N5i0TNU_xeM4v2kA5YRjcPpljok-3DS713_Mc9Kk_AHpvb59oWeQDhUCk_-VnYVLRQQvax6XnJr7NQQ5fqhPvihIIB0/s1600/IMG_5238.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_kx_srhcg8MViHrUXa1b_5ZmzNDoXPkdL3YMyJAR5ItXXvXQ2N5i0TNU_xeM4v2kA5YRjcPpljok-3DS713_Mc9Kk_AHpvb59oWeQDhUCk_-VnYVLRQQvax6XnJr7NQQ5fqhPvihIIB0/s640/IMG_5238.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We stopped to see the penguins...and man was that place cold! Needless to say, we didn't stay at that place too long before heading to see something else. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1piFuVN4MBKQNOT47klKDV4q0Hn_5INNH4ElNL1SKFoGHuvGNV7ukITl9IcK8SaLMpMEMksY2gGbzAN6n8o5G_-1ViwsQWHF6qB63iRwkWW-Pusa2M1oLWTHvFnZJniKHdQtpktHoekE/s1600/IMG_5243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1piFuVN4MBKQNOT47klKDV4q0Hn_5INNH4ElNL1SKFoGHuvGNV7ukITl9IcK8SaLMpMEMksY2gGbzAN6n8o5G_-1ViwsQWHF6qB63iRwkWW-Pusa2M1oLWTHvFnZJniKHdQtpktHoekE/s640/IMG_5243.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Orca show at Sea World- The last time I remember watching this was with my 4th grade class when we took a field trip to Sea World- in 2009. Much has changed about the show since then, but it is still pretty amazing what these whales are capable of. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The kids were pretty fascinated by them.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another part of the trip was spent with friends and a shopping trip to IKEA. There will be a post about that coming soon.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's Chris and Lydia, with her balloon hat that a lady made for her at Dave and Buster's. She got one-on-one time with daddy while big sis and I shopped at IKEA. Little brother stayed back with Mema and Poppie to spend quality time with them. :) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Family photo #3 with Mema and Poppie! :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7r0mv69C_rrrMz1luqIhJfy_thLKGkvnWXYtzEXij8NDmklKwVfc7_Mu1tU3EJm8tVS2Cl8ebh7Rdn7toUMptPVXAEr8VMT-3ZOzaIHou7TE87QfW0mxMp8_X7y6Cf66C9cG0kyYYPsw/s1600/IMG_5306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7r0mv69C_rrrMz1luqIhJfy_thLKGkvnWXYtzEXij8NDmklKwVfc7_Mu1tU3EJm8tVS2Cl8ebh7Rdn7toUMptPVXAEr8VMT-3ZOzaIHou7TE87QfW0mxMp8_X7y6Cf66C9cG0kyYYPsw/s640/IMG_5306.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was quite a whirlwind of a trip with so many things to do and people to see. However, we are very glad we had the chance to do this with the kids and create some special memories together with everyone. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here's to a New Year coming very, very soon! Can't believe 2018 is just around the corner! </span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-34426042880210220202017-12-18T11:15:00.002-05:002017-12-18T11:16:04.319-05:00A Few More Pictures of Christmas Decor Around the House<span style="font-size: large;">W</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">ell, Christmas is just one week away! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I still find that hard to believe. I feel like the older I get, the faster time flies (and I've probably said that a few times on this blog!) Ha!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We did manage to decorate a little bit in the kids' rooms and in the playroom. We put out some smaller trees in the bedrooms- one that the homeowners before us left in the attic (score!) and the other was gifted to us by my dad. We didn't go over the top with anything, and I'm not sure we ever would because that in itself could get a little overwhelming. Plus, there's always remembering to take everything down and I sure don't want to have to spend hours doing that. ;)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I took some photos to share for the blog, so here they are!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4oElOWwKWzC02PASMQUPU8ewGIK9tzvIqW_bisQ9HYzN_xtc1wvTEvpTYlKGBsY3S2zAgU9Ti1qmTnYaOe1IOPq4k3MufKUEo_BpacJLvorC_iBV5TDfgWuaftrR_fuZ6bKexQF-ny8/s1600/IMG_4987+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm4oElOWwKWzC02PASMQUPU8ewGIK9tzvIqW_bisQ9HYzN_xtc1wvTEvpTYlKGBsY3S2zAgU9Ti1qmTnYaOe1IOPq4k3MufKUEo_BpacJLvorC_iBV5TDfgWuaftrR_fuZ6bKexQF-ny8/s640/IMG_4987+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This girl loves to look at pictures from her, her sister's and her brother's baby album. It must be fascinating at that age to see yourself as a baby and probably wonder what it was like. She likes to ask us, "What did I do as a baby? What was I like?"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's fun to have their books around for them to look at. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgor-NnyE2Qu4JBQNAosizuUu47WPPnf2zq8Bsf57OfqarpXanNsRCsrR7D8K2QauQg_uMH3moyzPNw4w1dmA0335XgQorsJ-NfPOZZN9TOB98X8Y0amd383eWapKTZ5s4H92N0Hs0vLGs/s1600/IMG_4988+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgor-NnyE2Qu4JBQNAosizuUu47WPPnf2zq8Bsf57OfqarpXanNsRCsrR7D8K2QauQg_uMH3moyzPNw4w1dmA0335XgQorsJ-NfPOZZN9TOB98X8Y0amd383eWapKTZ5s4H92N0Hs0vLGs/s640/IMG_4988+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">These nutcrackers are popular around our house. In fact, the fairy one needs to have her crown glued back onto her head. Oops!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">No matter how many times I say she is not a toy, someone's little hands grab her to play. Haha! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQaVe_ybx_me20sXu3TVsB-hpAV3oLNJZvklWsSCGeNKgVD3_ytdlVaNERlhCkCLVm4coGSPSgxyQS-vD4QxUWKfn7pfVTowo7iEJe36j48_uMIfVNdwZdzJIbYfGEWp1xvMm3C0pYoA/s1600/IMG_4991.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijQaVe_ybx_me20sXu3TVsB-hpAV3oLNJZvklWsSCGeNKgVD3_ytdlVaNERlhCkCLVm4coGSPSgxyQS-vD4QxUWKfn7pfVTowo7iEJe36j48_uMIfVNdwZdzJIbYfGEWp1xvMm3C0pYoA/s640/IMG_4991.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the girls' room, we put this cute little tree up. The girls love having the lights on at night when they sleep. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There's something warm and magical about Christmas lights I think. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtoT4Z15-ZeV2KI_lBrW4AVAg5zmp100PKP7PNb9cbRrC2kRWDoVsH-vZabMMNbR467Qgt5YeT-fF_jMRqv-b8BHK411CRsHiQVCf54HrIqLYgxS3XE0Mq0HormOEScgiSKbZgVv3oFc/s1600/IMG_4993.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvtoT4Z15-ZeV2KI_lBrW4AVAg5zmp100PKP7PNb9cbRrC2kRWDoVsH-vZabMMNbR467Qgt5YeT-fF_jMRqv-b8BHK411CRsHiQVCf54HrIqLYgxS3XE0Mq0HormOEScgiSKbZgVv3oFc/s640/IMG_4993.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our son got the Charlie Brown tree. He loves saying "Charlie Brown" whenever he sees it. We have another one downstairs and he just loves it! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR56sy5DVXzfXBOE5TXXfdBfOtCUG_aftusNZK1qi5rEN04uBXQy9l7eKTZb3V_62nd3DpUUzT5x5DD4PIJuIDawmo_X1oK2_fu-kT9t2IDLxaswkEE9t7tcf0__r_643NC5YWBZVnNIM/s1600/IMG_4995.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR56sy5DVXzfXBOE5TXXfdBfOtCUG_aftusNZK1qi5rEN04uBXQy9l7eKTZb3V_62nd3DpUUzT5x5DD4PIJuIDawmo_X1oK2_fu-kT9t2IDLxaswkEE9t7tcf0__r_643NC5YWBZVnNIM/s640/IMG_4995.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lydia took these next photos of our tree herself. She has really shown an interest in photography lately and takes some pretty decent photos. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmiw_lwT5RpywD3vSyQBvuzMZGEY-otbjYH_curR1Y0khMnHcBQurC0rmDQIaLfNCdpAAvVsN8Ifq8aPROwZztAZ2I_LECwMAQ7wKKULR_2WdN2rCMpePKqaa8liKuZeKCcIPxQwUxNuo/s1600/IMG_4996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmiw_lwT5RpywD3vSyQBvuzMZGEY-otbjYH_curR1Y0khMnHcBQurC0rmDQIaLfNCdpAAvVsN8Ifq8aPROwZztAZ2I_LECwMAQ7wKKULR_2WdN2rCMpePKqaa8liKuZeKCcIPxQwUxNuo/s640/IMG_4996.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EEVPNsSxlQwNuXlOTzwBKjjwwVqdMkbdo7F5PstqzjYWNqP542Qmn0ga05oQphxgwAE6g7zz20bXkb7_f4dmlFsRx47tT0KqrqjkCPrh6hZaljJw9hG_P35ixUa7_tYsrUMqsTdUtmM/s1600/IMG_5003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EEVPNsSxlQwNuXlOTzwBKjjwwVqdMkbdo7F5PstqzjYWNqP542Qmn0ga05oQphxgwAE6g7zz20bXkb7_f4dmlFsRx47tT0KqrqjkCPrh6hZaljJw9hG_P35ixUa7_tYsrUMqsTdUtmM/s640/IMG_5003.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">:) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhCyTeHR9eY0YTrZDuaqdtPCRUMeocpkTBUkmOMQ6mTC0sxRBxfsUnlJ-BePDtgWP8H8oumybaq3OGo275ouzrLcjK_Zn2fG9PiYKTNPYcp5x1A5_vXv3LNoBx4Eim0heYL9ZnjHV5Qg/s1600/IMG_5007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuhCyTeHR9eY0YTrZDuaqdtPCRUMeocpkTBUkmOMQ6mTC0sxRBxfsUnlJ-BePDtgWP8H8oumybaq3OGo275ouzrLcjK_Zn2fG9PiYKTNPYcp5x1A5_vXv3LNoBx4Eim0heYL9ZnjHV5Qg/s640/IMG_5007.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">She also wanted to take this photo of our December calendar. It's Christmas-y enough, right? </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2FA2AlnoopDv9WBwgjMnJYTmWYrmhIT4TCvIgqymFjYSXU7ECOIjIxo1UvfP4pYPgSKAaDyKuCMZPUt4aLt7TN17mFdBLh8dOxWd5UaKRVUueh2fLX9KSRwxSUu24ClmKpP8ZQsS0_I/s1600/IMG_5011.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ2FA2AlnoopDv9WBwgjMnJYTmWYrmhIT4TCvIgqymFjYSXU7ECOIjIxo1UvfP4pYPgSKAaDyKuCMZPUt4aLt7TN17mFdBLh8dOxWd5UaKRVUueh2fLX9KSRwxSUu24ClmKpP8ZQsS0_I/s640/IMG_5011.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lydia wanted to try out the camera timer, so we played around with that. :) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">At our church, we did this fun activity with the kids! They got to use Mod Podge to glue pictures of the manger scene to wooden pieces. How cool is that?! I think the kids did a great job with it and had a lot of fun! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscTAUja4IMuj6VlYkBjs1-misaQgVQcqoHpiM2LWe3TZoOOPV2ctdlMn4h1FD5PgWI_GJDoF35xoEMfTjSmGCNIaMmWP6B25K0mnLNLF_GxcCBdlcGIqAWUczD0OdTceBZcwgje3JNpM/s1600/IMG_5032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhscTAUja4IMuj6VlYkBjs1-misaQgVQcqoHpiM2LWe3TZoOOPV2ctdlMn4h1FD5PgWI_GJDoF35xoEMfTjSmGCNIaMmWP6B25K0mnLNLF_GxcCBdlcGIqAWUczD0OdTceBZcwgje3JNpM/s640/IMG_5032.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">These two...;) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-mTQlM4NrpgpoHaiKpxeKax7lmdCr4M3wdN6lD9iswW0DZHYS-bHgGUqghxFJgn_3lDaprn7urtfFstA_80c_NVUrKgTZ24aUItrDPIZlqO5ShkNGACt-VrOXMjoFvOx_njS001P8wY/s1600/IMG_5033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-mTQlM4NrpgpoHaiKpxeKax7lmdCr4M3wdN6lD9iswW0DZHYS-bHgGUqghxFJgn_3lDaprn7urtfFstA_80c_NVUrKgTZ24aUItrDPIZlqO5ShkNGACt-VrOXMjoFvOx_njS001P8wY/s640/IMG_5033.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our little boy and his fascination with books! The book he is looking at here, <u>I'm the Biggest Thing in the Ocean, </u>was a gift given to me from one of my students when I taught. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's really neat to see my own kids looking at the books that I once had in my classroom. :) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWA5PYoX1jFtmHTOzXWG1kkJnsimrVH9mmpC45M0powHePv7OtKxhq1XUzW0XnTcWOZ-Cr_khT44zRpk-is0Rrs-rfK-oUw9PlgnCRCS3djzk2YcYruxOhlCRJ3pL3yUsoJpoIC9ZOp0/s1600/IMG_5038+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqWA5PYoX1jFtmHTOzXWG1kkJnsimrVH9mmpC45M0powHePv7OtKxhq1XUzW0XnTcWOZ-Cr_khT44zRpk-is0Rrs-rfK-oUw9PlgnCRCS3djzk2YcYruxOhlCRJ3pL3yUsoJpoIC9ZOp0/s640/IMG_5038+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My kids are super excited about there being 7 more days until Christmas! This is definitely a fun age to have around the house at this time of year. I'm very grateful to have them and it's a blessing being able to share these moments together.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Merry Christmas!!</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-2086320455282701042017-11-29T15:30:00.001-05:002017-11-29T17:05:16.390-05:00Christmas Decor in Our Home<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Christmas. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's one of those holidays that holds a special meaning for my family and I (and of course, our church community). For us, it's about celebrating the birth of our Savior and making sure we teach that to our kids. It's easy to get lost in the hustle and bustle of this time of year with family events, presents, food, and decorating that we forget what the holiday is actually about. That's not to say that you shouldn't decorate or put up a Christmas tree. In fact, this post will have plenty of pictures of Christmas decor in our home. It's fun to celebrate this month with our creativity and knowing that it's something God has generously given us another year to do together. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So with that, here are some photos of our home decorated for this holiday.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We'll begin downstairs with our kitchen.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5TfpfesdVyp0iChH0NtjhFt-6555s5IJLZ5DGFpB7HGINHfP43XDEmGJctIEpgTcCk7_PK3SNF1a4_3voDMzq88uFRy9SUUdVe6hl1N9mCNRb6WP56QJA5HzSpIGePcs__t32Vk4SJw/s1600/IMG_4924.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp5TfpfesdVyp0iChH0NtjhFt-6555s5IJLZ5DGFpB7HGINHfP43XDEmGJctIEpgTcCk7_PK3SNF1a4_3voDMzq88uFRy9SUUdVe6hl1N9mCNRb6WP56QJA5HzSpIGePcs__t32Vk4SJw/s640/IMG_4924.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgri3bRFkwLQASBJvGahiI52ZYek6PtGsS_xcs9LkuoYH-fUormANECjxcP4-fGCd5hbXrD2Ki9Ad6iASv4FtKwB0W7y2rHcHIf8enXwGxdyBtr52O4om5jspr9lwzNhjxEmtUoKhQhEfY/s1600/IMG_4925.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgri3bRFkwLQASBJvGahiI52ZYek6PtGsS_xcs9LkuoYH-fUormANECjxcP4-fGCd5hbXrD2Ki9Ad6iASv4FtKwB0W7y2rHcHIf8enXwGxdyBtr52O4om5jspr9lwzNhjxEmtUoKhQhEfY/s640/IMG_4925.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We kept it simple in here by hanging stockings and plastic ornament reindeer from the cabinets. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-7nLvEn1gQRmaUclQx9g_f3y1t0eqn1Q6Zni3mlDJ3LYvtgrUm7E2RpzQlWukq7szk9wuGzWlwkUwxra-HHUaDqZs-brmfomaORqwO9BVfUwLw2MEtlyCcNR0nCcjgjPVFkdQGqE5bg/s1600/IMG_4926.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF-7nLvEn1gQRmaUclQx9g_f3y1t0eqn1Q6Zni3mlDJ3LYvtgrUm7E2RpzQlWukq7szk9wuGzWlwkUwxra-HHUaDqZs-brmfomaORqwO9BVfUwLw2MEtlyCcNR0nCcjgjPVFkdQGqE5bg/s640/IMG_4926.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We also added this faux wreath to our closet door. I love this wood door (and so does my husband) so it will probably never get painted. :) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWbd7OfKKehSz8dB3GiSVdIY2xx6I6CWbt5HIx28SxbEnpwnPwwO34N01gJrpDZEgCUiLqqrct-FM-ulK16S3LcfX21VBNg07IN5auXWkxccQsBY3bXJ5cIZiUmpoqODRa36oZtWt6E4/s1600/IMG_4950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBWbd7OfKKehSz8dB3GiSVdIY2xx6I6CWbt5HIx28SxbEnpwnPwwO34N01gJrpDZEgCUiLqqrct-FM-ulK16S3LcfX21VBNg07IN5auXWkxccQsBY3bXJ5cIZiUmpoqODRa36oZtWt6E4/s640/IMG_4950.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next up we have our dining room- a space that has truly become one of my favorite spots in the house.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4a8YD__R_vsRTzVSdtnAoI0nkNCIz0J3AsIjkXSxvChM6oLAEMFUJhuwDGVsvSLG7N6BqlQIPGoLax4AlTpkNppsNMXNHUjlahlKTQBlLjOA5t-uvmB1QZ9Sgi1YFqnuOQ7uik_R4uA/s1600/IMG_4930+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD4a8YD__R_vsRTzVSdtnAoI0nkNCIz0J3AsIjkXSxvChM6oLAEMFUJhuwDGVsvSLG7N6BqlQIPGoLax4AlTpkNppsNMXNHUjlahlKTQBlLjOA5t-uvmB1QZ9Sgi1YFqnuOQ7uik_R4uA/s640/IMG_4930+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The B/W photo above our buffet table has had this garland with the painted pine cones around it since last Christmas. I never bothered to take it down and just changed out the lights when necessary. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IFlVu0aPk5Fr4SpPepg1Ku8RyCt02M99fpUxlqQVsFgwk2twWqP2BubykaiUK1w45IbmVv9YxBpCWTwtL1Y4jQN6ZG9oO_qPJ0sfqn9ZYLa9AoIfcn5zN9u18lzBDoEkZ8qpwDOFLnY/s1600/IMG_4931+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8IFlVu0aPk5Fr4SpPepg1Ku8RyCt02M99fpUxlqQVsFgwk2twWqP2BubykaiUK1w45IbmVv9YxBpCWTwtL1Y4jQN6ZG9oO_qPJ0sfqn9ZYLa9AoIfcn5zN9u18lzBDoEkZ8qpwDOFLnY/s640/IMG_4931+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I added some ornaments and pine cones to the <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2017/03/diy-centerpiece-box.html" target="_blank">wooden centerpiece.</a> Something simple that adds a nice holiday touch. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISsYsNnKfQX_qzJU7CK39z4Au8UIkj6MryXlMCsYgtgx1TjIV7Fxvq7BPXMXDFVX4u4Ww93pfMp55_QP03RVzbxFdyMiO2TQHvUOOCR1fNkgFtLCuhH8-xGcOXMAoVFi6bch2De-XGqw/s1600/IMG_4932+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISsYsNnKfQX_qzJU7CK39z4Au8UIkj6MryXlMCsYgtgx1TjIV7Fxvq7BPXMXDFVX4u4Ww93pfMp55_QP03RVzbxFdyMiO2TQHvUOOCR1fNkgFtLCuhH8-xGcOXMAoVFi6bch2De-XGqw/s640/IMG_4932+%25282%2529.JPG" width="478" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38N5Qq9NuwowmGjTbDBAE6DidRmv1sJc3o0VRqHKmMzKla3p4U3lXG_WVDr4a5Nr-IeuqjumuO8kf1ySL80mlvZr5l140DZ0reNp76GaYnEOsZdaruZykSElwLHawwzJzZJydSxTKlE4/s1600/IMG_4949+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj38N5Qq9NuwowmGjTbDBAE6DidRmv1sJc3o0VRqHKmMzKla3p4U3lXG_WVDr4a5Nr-IeuqjumuO8kf1ySL80mlvZr5l140DZ0reNp76GaYnEOsZdaruZykSElwLHawwzJzZJydSxTKlE4/s640/IMG_4949+%25282%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our entryway is a favorite to decorate this time of year because of the staircase. I finally bought real garland this year (on sale at Home Depot right now) and I love it! Not only does it smell nice, it also looks beautiful. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After reading many blogs over the years, I noticed that bloggers, around Christmastime, like to use wreaths over rectangular mirrors. I guess it helps break up the box-iness of a room. Anyhow, I like how it looked in other peoples home so we tried it here. It works! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEr53_1rymjznmrZgiuXt8rVp6wFXiJT1D5LD3JXwaMDbtBuBIozul6f7ZPFqyi_cIjVZqOmIIkUn6LgfNyq4KFpHaW-a5ZBuwVHV6jsX-s2FKWQ9AI4SXRL_NTEwPtaQ40vAHBwQm-Ys/s1600/IMG_4935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEr53_1rymjznmrZgiuXt8rVp6wFXiJT1D5LD3JXwaMDbtBuBIozul6f7ZPFqyi_cIjVZqOmIIkUn6LgfNyq4KFpHaW-a5ZBuwVHV6jsX-s2FKWQ9AI4SXRL_NTEwPtaQ40vAHBwQm-Ys/s640/IMG_4935.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is the space where we put our Christmas tree. It's a bit small so I'm thinking of adding a basket underneath to hide the pole that the tree is standing on a bit better. :) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBUAZ0FnRjNfUlMO5zIDx3odOZEyCfljIcWz1IKR0kO9w2qxfNFMYIF_Ls6sVMaTtgTAkQqDxlyFDqINWu8AvZBAB0hcomhiWc3SDW9IyAdbQ8qQ2Aem4LkeE12iK9AVCAP5oLBoL9kU/s1600/IMG_4937+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKBUAZ0FnRjNfUlMO5zIDx3odOZEyCfljIcWz1IKR0kO9w2qxfNFMYIF_Ls6sVMaTtgTAkQqDxlyFDqINWu8AvZBAB0hcomhiWc3SDW9IyAdbQ8qQ2Aem4LkeE12iK9AVCAP5oLBoL9kU/s640/IMG_4937+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We also added these paper mache houses that the girls and I worked on together. I really love how they look on <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2012/01/thrift-store-finds-dresser.html" target="_blank">top of this dresser.</a> Definitely a fun project to try with little ones at home.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOF4dMiqu3zA0mJbqbU7UwtNSbGg85L0w1ch30LviERpVNpQ_aoTapP8Ww3C-LAcrHoeOLn9sYSg7dUJbCWEmT_NRnlgq4g__4Qo3rwP_JHKs2cuz3oVe9SoE3Yimt9XH9GTMkQDWJTQs/s1600/IMG_4938+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOF4dMiqu3zA0mJbqbU7UwtNSbGg85L0w1ch30LviERpVNpQ_aoTapP8Ww3C-LAcrHoeOLn9sYSg7dUJbCWEmT_NRnlgq4g__4Qo3rwP_JHKs2cuz3oVe9SoE3Yimt9XH9GTMkQDWJTQs/s640/IMG_4938+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNmq9pPZIsZGZY10TDUGPzyA74qxY7UP5uL13OHOFK0VCqOHwBuG67jF5iNT_us1eE2FY_uQ9JDML510lkEseeTBjujMn0injgb8BiKBnggg2Jo-o15QMsyn59nS1Ti9EGFEmoX7-wsY/s1600/IMG_4939+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1201" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwNmq9pPZIsZGZY10TDUGPzyA74qxY7UP5uL13OHOFK0VCqOHwBuG67jF5iNT_us1eE2FY_uQ9JDML510lkEseeTBjujMn0injgb8BiKBnggg2Jo-o15QMsyn59nS1Ti9EGFEmoX7-wsY/s640/IMG_4939+%25282%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We hung up more stockings by the french doors. Bought those at Party City for a good deal a few years ago. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwoIf1PxaPdl9cqk7NapBW1ZEAKCviRfpBlhHruwQMAGQ3DKoAYnI0Yk9ufy20q4OqvGktcCbg-FNWw5zca48gQVfA3kQF3ZVyOycB_WAakUcUSmD2oxoY17geiLHjWt49Nl8moKvQH8/s1600/IMG_4943+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFwoIf1PxaPdl9cqk7NapBW1ZEAKCviRfpBlhHruwQMAGQ3DKoAYnI0Yk9ufy20q4OqvGktcCbg-FNWw5zca48gQVfA3kQF3ZVyOycB_WAakUcUSmD2oxoY17geiLHjWt49Nl8moKvQH8/s640/IMG_4943+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtH4M-HHN4v1vsbyDxMplnT4Ctv26B3dQnjVWB_aa3IxExIZyz1m8Qgv4PzMybUEEUwULebJ7bL9hbaxaHPJrilpg6wnULaYmyZdF33u-369k0cgIR-w2DYoVIslDBqVNss8usCN1HFog/s1600/IMG_4946+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtH4M-HHN4v1vsbyDxMplnT4Ctv26B3dQnjVWB_aa3IxExIZyz1m8Qgv4PzMybUEEUwULebJ7bL9hbaxaHPJrilpg6wnULaYmyZdF33u-369k0cgIR-w2DYoVIslDBqVNss8usCN1HFog/s640/IMG_4946+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">That's all for the tour. I hope to have some photos ready of the kids' rooms sometime soon since we did a bit of decorating there too.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Happy December!! </span></span></div>
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-73437913359983724142017-11-13T15:22:00.003-05:002017-11-13T15:24:01.916-05:00Fairy Canopy Fit for a Princess (or two)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My oldest daughter has been asking us for a fairy/princess canopy to have over her bed for about 6 months. Whenever she would see one in a magazine or in a movie (the most recent being <u>The Tale of Despereaux</u>) she'd say, "Mommy, can I have one of those?" I would think about it a little bit and say, "Maybe for Christmas sweetie." And I was going to leave it at that until 2 things happened: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">1. When I looked up the cost of one of these canopies, I was a bit surprised at the cost. They run about $99 per. I didn't really like that and knew there had to be a way to make one for much, much cheaper. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">2. We were visiting with a neighbor and while the kids were playing I mentioned to my friend that I had been thinking about making a hanging canopy for my girls room. Our conversation went a little something like this afterwards:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Neighbor: "What color fabric are you thinking about using for the canopies?" </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Me: "Not really sure, but probably a sheer white fabric."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Neighbor: "The people that lived here before us left some sheer curtains in white and green. I don't want them but do you want to take a look at them to see if it's something you could use?"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Me: "Uhhh, yesssss please!! That would be great!"</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My neighbor then took the fabric out of a large garbage bag in her atic where they were stored and showed me this long beautiful green sheer fabric. The previous owners of their house used them as draperies but didn't want them anymore. There were 3 of them so I didn't hesitate to take them. I knew they would work perfectly for the girl's room...and best of all, they were free!!!!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So here is a little breakdown of how I made the canopies.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">#1. After searching a couple of stores for those wooden embroidery hoops and seeing that a large size would cost me $19 just for one, I wanted to think of a better/cheaper way to get one. I searched our home and remember we had 2 large unused lampshades in the atic. One was purchased at a thrift store for a couple bucks and had served no purpose because I wanted to use the lamp base, but not the shade itself...that is until now. I cut out the wire circle from both lamp shades and used that as the hoop.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4UvIT_14ix6imwklq1MoBJgssPMJzJ6j2NGIpfVuaOKO8N4tEWZFfBpOFVPGxqXQXoStv6m-uRPz4gB1awu3I6h3KrdzbQyFT1YcUilCZCImQyq0cLdBdGygUvKLuHRPJTP9nv_fGvU/s1600/IMG_4620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT4UvIT_14ix6imwklq1MoBJgssPMJzJ6j2NGIpfVuaOKO8N4tEWZFfBpOFVPGxqXQXoStv6m-uRPz4gB1awu3I6h3KrdzbQyFT1YcUilCZCImQyq0cLdBdGygUvKLuHRPJTP9nv_fGvU/s640/IMG_4620.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">#2: Because I only had 3 long pieces of this fabric, I had to make a couple cuts to make sure each girl got an equal amount of fabric. I also wanted to canopies to have enough fabric to move around and not pulled taut. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZzcCv0vc8di2dT6eVdsw6Glp5y99GfxFZbt-tt6QFxsWyHRfvfkO-_4uEvEKsC-Vg3MDQD_2E5CqE55T774KIjcmFRP4btT8OxY1Sy5fC_WUsMDo3gUpTC53vX5mvwEzG7Qulw5aGYI/s1600/IMG_4621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZzcCv0vc8di2dT6eVdsw6Glp5y99GfxFZbt-tt6QFxsWyHRfvfkO-_4uEvEKsC-Vg3MDQD_2E5CqE55T774KIjcmFRP4btT8OxY1Sy5fC_WUsMDo3gUpTC53vX5mvwEzG7Qulw5aGYI/s640/IMG_4621.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">#3. Next up, after adding some twine we had stored in the garage to the hoop, was the take my small but mighty glue gun and attach the fabric. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qLFALFzs8mPL3-bNT0wk_JYAkEJBsyKzKyqygoiaabQj2LY7E3SO1HO171M_54liQM8I2vnAvRbFzYjaAFWFyT3lbGGu1urkusV3qzZTXzAy4wWBl5qh96bbb7wbN4RjIP5J-_GLag8/s1600/IMG_4622.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0qLFALFzs8mPL3-bNT0wk_JYAkEJBsyKzKyqygoiaabQj2LY7E3SO1HO171M_54liQM8I2vnAvRbFzYjaAFWFyT3lbGGu1urkusV3qzZTXzAy4wWBl5qh96bbb7wbN4RjIP5J-_GLag8/s640/IMG_4622.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6GfHGQQyoiYOVsNh5M3oDg_z5huYpjcW4j2wGryZZTxRtQELcGPN41ZXEFK2a5jy8FIfTDrKwjL4Vmc7hIQR0Ld-VRPvOD97ShKVllng2cMpF6sncxVc8oG_Xg7yH6KwSuzgVKbiPjY/s1600/IMG_4623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB6GfHGQQyoiYOVsNh5M3oDg_z5huYpjcW4j2wGryZZTxRtQELcGPN41ZXEFK2a5jy8FIfTDrKwjL4Vmc7hIQR0Ld-VRPvOD97ShKVllng2cMpF6sncxVc8oG_Xg7yH6KwSuzgVKbiPjY/s640/IMG_4623.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZBq2cvVw664rPXemWrmrp_gmqDPvw5QulZOA3Dv9IWNQ-h60xwb8WHplNGVijso4OnFIfdGMzOv9vYh0y7ZsugzZWM1uvv6gmxhaw6apZJ03mRagyXyG1JZKfsRpvKJzK0sVO-l8iKE/s1600/IMG_4624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZBq2cvVw664rPXemWrmrp_gmqDPvw5QulZOA3Dv9IWNQ-h60xwb8WHplNGVijso4OnFIfdGMzOv9vYh0y7ZsugzZWM1uvv6gmxhaw6apZJ03mRagyXyG1JZKfsRpvKJzK0sVO-l8iKE/s640/IMG_4624.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis72oGs-FBvaM_p3Ya357nkLx96-R6YwzSR89F1fiI3RW0GjWwfsRwbrfms6JZA_gRqmqVoQqbzjEa4-mo7E0NzsZsU-AExkIh_5Orwa7IJlofj-oTs4Fv0FbC2JjFasA7NTXppTe33Hc/s1600/IMG_4625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis72oGs-FBvaM_p3Ya357nkLx96-R6YwzSR89F1fiI3RW0GjWwfsRwbrfms6JZA_gRqmqVoQqbzjEa4-mo7E0NzsZsU-AExkIh_5Orwa7IJlofj-oTs4Fv0FbC2JjFasA7NTXppTe33Hc/s640/IMG_4625.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8HrOa6hNmE6XRZ9lFDebe5HoBJR0cyS-0H8l6xeDgOu-JdjCrjv7UMfTYHFSFISRSHbhadJ1ReMGtLbs6bSlZR6uDSgjFzNtWgwy2th7Dzp0iqljuRbUQ7tJJ732CS4HrKq6avhIj18/s1600/IMG_4626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh8HrOa6hNmE6XRZ9lFDebe5HoBJR0cyS-0H8l6xeDgOu-JdjCrjv7UMfTYHFSFISRSHbhadJ1ReMGtLbs6bSlZR6uDSgjFzNtWgwy2th7Dzp0iqljuRbUQ7tJJ732CS4HrKq6avhIj18/s640/IMG_4626.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> #4. I added some eye hooks to the twine and wrapped it tightly so it could hang nicely/safely from the ceiling.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfpmb6MtZbi2Uovxnk0MYnlh0JYMZ_6HnCXgrosfzQrnbFBwuH-jCGBLzkZtXqZS6Rco2O1wgrCtNVTFhuee20Iz2y0iyIX5BrukuwsHiHwnH_5Qoxz64VtpcZu7LlAQ1m7EPgykdjAk/s1600/IMG_4628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEfpmb6MtZbi2Uovxnk0MYnlh0JYMZ_6HnCXgrosfzQrnbFBwuH-jCGBLzkZtXqZS6Rco2O1wgrCtNVTFhuee20Iz2y0iyIX5BrukuwsHiHwnH_5Qoxz64VtpcZu7LlAQ1m7EPgykdjAk/s640/IMG_4628.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">#5. After they were finished and hung, it was time to take pictures and let my girls see their princess canopies. :) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_bGUGpkHJXBXZ_PUlMb14Xir07i9qz57bjf6w-meeWe9ZTPF5WXQl0Zy1ks3WsaM37lsmN_5-bJCA6fq1ycQoq5aAkUTW2u1ntDWY9rKOq90VVhLBQvvERm2oi8C9pjO7c3bxy9d6-Y/s1600/IMG_4629+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW_bGUGpkHJXBXZ_PUlMb14Xir07i9qz57bjf6w-meeWe9ZTPF5WXQl0Zy1ks3WsaM37lsmN_5-bJCA6fq1ycQoq5aAkUTW2u1ntDWY9rKOq90VVhLBQvvERm2oi8C9pjO7c3bxy9d6-Y/s640/IMG_4629+%25282%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxI4gDJUjy_GlCrSsblKho-7slx3IpoxU8hpsRDTzqs03sFNUio-XNNtnyhauo3Cqyp57bNKv0yKDxU6RDIEfRstv9YeYIfpKu769yi8a3LQoAwxiUNsXUebCExVKsUTpOdM5NDlmGyWY/s1600/IMG_4630+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxI4gDJUjy_GlCrSsblKho-7slx3IpoxU8hpsRDTzqs03sFNUio-XNNtnyhauo3Cqyp57bNKv0yKDxU6RDIEfRstv9YeYIfpKu769yi8a3LQoAwxiUNsXUebCExVKsUTpOdM5NDlmGyWY/s640/IMG_4630+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's safe to say they love them and so do I! They really turned out better than I expected and didn't cost us a dime (unless you count what it would have cost us to buy what we had already...but I didn't, haha). </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKarprobnvQZPl_IZ-TICSLOKtnDV9crYq0Z0LmutMuKYMq-9fl0vWAyKbzzVh3nCcMJCOwBVb8cg2A-dd6bCFckLTsqJgcIU_SyqrhdrSzlIkKkl-Q1dZ9NBb7GkT2a1ECV1R0WJVqo/s1600/IMG_4632+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKarprobnvQZPl_IZ-TICSLOKtnDV9crYq0Z0LmutMuKYMq-9fl0vWAyKbzzVh3nCcMJCOwBVb8cg2A-dd6bCFckLTsqJgcIU_SyqrhdrSzlIkKkl-Q1dZ9NBb7GkT2a1ECV1R0WJVqo/s640/IMG_4632+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXJOKZGgXAZuF6gX7tIPQAKc5hc7ZsFgn3rsAtle8egFCvjGiXFF8uehY1RYaWAQac15gvsEm3-pBwOa2gCiZ91yqzwa4o_aDO_EBpoiGymxRf0CPQaqNUuFxATIi81eOI3a2WA7EJTI/s1600/IMG_4634+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpXJOKZGgXAZuF6gX7tIPQAKc5hc7ZsFgn3rsAtle8egFCvjGiXFF8uehY1RYaWAQac15gvsEm3-pBwOa2gCiZ91yqzwa4o_aDO_EBpoiGymxRf0CPQaqNUuFxATIi81eOI3a2WA7EJTI/s640/IMG_4634+%25282%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">LOOOOVVVEEEEEEE!!! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgxzX4HYkM_VsmT-ReG9684dcoc-qksr1XqA9xKQ0e29Jq02o77TL4yp2YD4bJluOv9QY7WEWQA1DEEaTitXvgAE8JKHAwNB7tzPYPA8u7OpsE1XlD6CBZ-zRrg4Zl4Zk0jBCgi4fVPo/s1600/IMG_4635+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmgxzX4HYkM_VsmT-ReG9684dcoc-qksr1XqA9xKQ0e29Jq02o77TL4yp2YD4bJluOv9QY7WEWQA1DEEaTitXvgAE8JKHAwNB7tzPYPA8u7OpsE1XlD6CBZ-zRrg4Zl4Zk0jBCgi4fVPo/s640/IMG_4635+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And here are some more shots from the other side of their room. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jEJMmX-zEP0A-oMDfGgYqlg11H5FlOaqi457etDCF-XefHE1kUOXTdiR-3pCeo7qlyWosMvPEED_6RHLzwrQ80HYlz_r2pe5uX0dBqqquqhbsQ10TA20UfzzkGQQ70bz_Mp3rJ96Mgs/s1600/IMG_4636+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7jEJMmX-zEP0A-oMDfGgYqlg11H5FlOaqi457etDCF-XefHE1kUOXTdiR-3pCeo7qlyWosMvPEED_6RHLzwrQ80HYlz_r2pe5uX0dBqqquqhbsQ10TA20UfzzkGQQ70bz_Mp3rJ96Mgs/s640/IMG_4636+%25282%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HKPcfuXl_fjskafu0ahSi8D3LdenPwWfQhMcL00o0jZ151A1mWraKQsWEZ9kO3LO6XQ6_U9TsyQaW0yimvAqpbIx-1hhgNzdUxW7js40lQ7c68ipZvWiH-_zNf7W4rttDuUmzD-uFd4/s1600/IMG_4637+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5HKPcfuXl_fjskafu0ahSi8D3LdenPwWfQhMcL00o0jZ151A1mWraKQsWEZ9kO3LO6XQ6_U9TsyQaW0yimvAqpbIx-1hhgNzdUxW7js40lQ7c68ipZvWiH-_zNf7W4rttDuUmzD-uFd4/s640/IMG_4637+%25282%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is the side of their room with <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2017/09/diy-desks-in-girls-room-made-from.html" target="_blank">the desks my husband helped make.</a> The girls still use them frequently.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWgo_IfE5kny-SoYRKwIUw2ny9gFJAribBEtDp8LFAGga_eYG42Pr0IuOUvzFP11Uma4LOJqm5j9FgVDfDggEu5TabASFYZ1KUgCvoi6KZPxm5JgFpco4XjkYMJG5AwCXUY_8Zfz5pXY/s1600/IMG_4638+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguWgo_IfE5kny-SoYRKwIUw2ny9gFJAribBEtDp8LFAGga_eYG42Pr0IuOUvzFP11Uma4LOJqm5j9FgVDfDggEu5TabASFYZ1KUgCvoi6KZPxm5JgFpco4XjkYMJG5AwCXUY_8Zfz5pXY/s640/IMG_4638+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The flower hooks we bought at Hobby Lobby- they were 50% off when we got them. Great deal! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKQbORO-kMZB2qS7kNq9q2TFlNSZjF7yHlqc18CXGPVCohinidXu1hmOr77LdVq55V7mNzjCjl568JUKiotlrO7YZQnpK7M1F7UN6a-FmmxL5XOTNjY4g8qREPwCOEcgM4b9WuoNeYGg/s1600/IMG_4639+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibKQbORO-kMZB2qS7kNq9q2TFlNSZjF7yHlqc18CXGPVCohinidXu1hmOr77LdVq55V7mNzjCjl568JUKiotlrO7YZQnpK7M1F7UN6a-FmmxL5XOTNjY4g8qREPwCOEcgM4b9WuoNeYGg/s640/IMG_4639+%25282%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWTtU9shqdhkeisrxTbguc4hSiNVilihrU3cOhq0dxUoA44Y7I53YBznQeL85fL8sHH_bn94Far7C4aa8-SnqOv4hWTBQlBZXwWAH6bYQi_w83hbTFHt8RRytv2m00AEJDfDCjYSemTA/s1600/IMG_4640+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWTtU9shqdhkeisrxTbguc4hSiNVilihrU3cOhq0dxUoA44Y7I53YBznQeL85fL8sHH_bn94Far7C4aa8-SnqOv4hWTBQlBZXwWAH6bYQi_w83hbTFHt8RRytv2m00AEJDfDCjYSemTA/s640/IMG_4640+%25282%2529.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapF0fcXsnElixeH8-FGbaUSuFPHc0xoLmnCmSVxlxTJKB20edX5TXpbpZ9tJxL26CDTGKvRhnLz5tecB8SGbnJObJd-2DBpt5qaxj9DwTaZZTYbqjeVzIhqiStegGxjNdynqxE12xfw0/s1600/IMG_4641+%25282%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjapF0fcXsnElixeH8-FGbaUSuFPHc0xoLmnCmSVxlxTJKB20edX5TXpbpZ9tJxL26CDTGKvRhnLz5tecB8SGbnJObJd-2DBpt5qaxj9DwTaZZTYbqjeVzIhqiStegGxjNdynqxE12xfw0/s640/IMG_4641+%25282%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I've also seen that you could use hula hoops as well, but since we didn't have one, I had to get creative. I'm sure there are other ways to do this, so if you try it out, let me know how it worked!</span></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-27002515281356559192017-10-27T14:34:00.001-04:002017-10-27T14:42:15.393-04:00Some More Organizing (in the playroom)<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's part of my personality to organize and clean. It probably stems from my childhood. My sister and I had to do daily chores around the house and this is something that stuck with me as I grew. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>True story: At church one morning, I was cleaning up the room where my husband and I volunteer and a lady was coming in to take the next shift. She was quietly watching me pick up toys and clean the tables and politely said, "That's enough, Stephanie. You don't have to do all that. Really, just stop." She was being kind about it, but definitely had this look of 'your being a little obsessive.' I looked at her and had to laugh. All I said back was, "You don't understand. This is just part of my personality. I actually enjoy doing this." I'm sure she thought I was being a little nutty, but it's true. I do enjoy it!</i></span> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDY8TqwXQ-MxGWVVxz1K-cM1fB8uuD8KrLzssJp75E3sr5oVXi-7EuD8IxemHsQcFBeNMjY3VE0UqD9woYohXi66NXhHZxjgNW23SaAnc7pW4zBEEGkUmxlH8lradMw5JvVOeM8obbqo/s1600/IMG_4602.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikDY8TqwXQ-MxGWVVxz1K-cM1fB8uuD8KrLzssJp75E3sr5oVXi-7EuD8IxemHsQcFBeNMjY3VE0UqD9woYohXi66NXhHZxjgNW23SaAnc7pW4zBEEGkUmxlH8lradMw5JvVOeM8obbqo/s640/IMG_4602.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">Bathing suit attire is a common sight around our house- even in the winter months</span></b></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The same is true in my own home. One area that I feel I am constantly thinking of ways to clean and organize is my kid's playroom <i>(the fact that we even have a "playroom" does seem a bit excessive and it's one of the many, many reasons why we want to adopt. We have the space and feel we need to share that with others- besides neighbors and friends)</i>.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kS8t27RWSPZkjpQpUEcKgRX689RcsUq2l8VLWiifZteQBC2hDsT53ctola_keJD47BV0HJEsdHp1Tz9C0lxbVHLUY51yfRJnDujbAnbT0IAzLkK4e9wdMAcIYW3mMFmN_L51FrnRY8I/s1600/IMG_4592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3kS8t27RWSPZkjpQpUEcKgRX689RcsUq2l8VLWiifZteQBC2hDsT53ctola_keJD47BV0HJEsdHp1Tz9C0lxbVHLUY51yfRJnDujbAnbT0IAzLkK4e9wdMAcIYW3mMFmN_L51FrnRY8I/s640/IMG_4592.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our playroom does change quite a bit- and what I've found is that my kids actually enjoy the changes. It's almost like Christmas to them all over again because they begin playing with things they may have forgotten about or taken a break from. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqtA3rvbyCh3lIp-KIyhEnkLUt845YzJQZISg1lL7t2srLnw7RMHWhWJ8c-hr-tabKrhdVTRUGWfROWtX6zAp5cJ0cm8a3pf7U0GG6Cj39j5R6ZmwLYEHN_KwE4CqN3ivdJYtnyJmxMk/s1600/IMG_4594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVqtA3rvbyCh3lIp-KIyhEnkLUt845YzJQZISg1lL7t2srLnw7RMHWhWJ8c-hr-tabKrhdVTRUGWfROWtX6zAp5cJ0cm8a3pf7U0GG6Cj39j5R6ZmwLYEHN_KwE4CqN3ivdJYtnyJmxMk/s640/IMG_4594.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bins and storage containers have been essential in keeping this place organized. The plastic container in the photo below and above holds Lego's and plastic building supplies. The shoe bins hold all of our plastic and felt food items for the kids to play "kitchen." And most of the items in our playroom we've either had <span style="color: #20124d;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">1. for many years, </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">2. have been gifted to us, or </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #20124d;">3. have been handed down to us by wonderful friends.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiehohYWDrBXB2OwfJl1pCH8q5bPOelX-1jRt6kRUnt0agWWz6STvI53oqmtlAJUs3ADb-KypWrAff6YrUwsqB_du60cO5FyXo51IP1ZNw3miv4LSMnaabJrtkQTQsQzuyykDyeSwE1QA/s1600/IMG_4595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiehohYWDrBXB2OwfJl1pCH8q5bPOelX-1jRt6kRUnt0agWWz6STvI53oqmtlAJUs3ADb-KypWrAff6YrUwsqB_du60cO5FyXo51IP1ZNw3miv4LSMnaabJrtkQTQsQzuyykDyeSwE1QA/s640/IMG_4595.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbUO5rHqNeMRPpsn6JdjDM3TsH-9Pt3YfZ9Z8j66XqTTswJv4IwRgdx5QX5gnk1VW1gMszp9jyzqLa_bQr5PgBAXTVQn_rl3BuOYk3gOJrGxBAkeDBr8N_YszwCnQqaIQ56gT96krmCY/s1600/IMG_4596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTbUO5rHqNeMRPpsn6JdjDM3TsH-9Pt3YfZ9Z8j66XqTTswJv4IwRgdx5QX5gnk1VW1gMszp9jyzqLa_bQr5PgBAXTVQn_rl3BuOYk3gOJrGxBAkeDBr8N_YszwCnQqaIQ56gT96krmCY/s640/IMG_4596.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Another clever way to display things is by <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2012/10/our-rain-gutter-bookshelves.html" target="_blank">uisng rain gutters</a>. I know I've <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2012/10/our-rain-gutter-bookshelves.html" target="_blank">posted about these</a> many a times before, but they are great for book storage! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And hooks that otherwise would just sit in our garage without any purpose now are used to hang various hats for dress up. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRumgZzHJHsOw8HkoWn0vfzdWid6vXr_f53rHXR8ohXLBadjPN344S5sBx8WyajLVXJwhaUNw5YibyiSXTgmVvGyLRhGQ_r5rG0zsgjgvajRMxFYKGIjKHxUxk3gwajUKXj6256iPwnZs/s1600/IMG_4597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRumgZzHJHsOw8HkoWn0vfzdWid6vXr_f53rHXR8ohXLBadjPN344S5sBx8WyajLVXJwhaUNw5YibyiSXTgmVvGyLRhGQ_r5rG0zsgjgvajRMxFYKGIjKHxUxk3gwajUKXj6256iPwnZs/s640/IMG_4597.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplsUW9Xb-g6o16UAgBwj23vmjguyWymxZOih3XNq7dmm9DFI7tY02NZdRVY2trRk6SL6r8ntenZ-RcQDlfdBsRxlwggjBg8HNEsb1Fg18eFZ056pSkzHbtzAtNLy_XsJiWIjzWYL-Btw/s1600/IMG_4598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhplsUW9Xb-g6o16UAgBwj23vmjguyWymxZOih3XNq7dmm9DFI7tY02NZdRVY2trRk6SL6r8ntenZ-RcQDlfdBsRxlwggjBg8HNEsb1Fg18eFZ056pSkzHbtzAtNLy_XsJiWIjzWYL-Btw/s640/IMG_4598.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My mother-in-law bought these alphabet cards years ago for the kids and now they hang on one of the play room walls. The kids still occasionally look at them and point out letters, sounds, and words. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The bookshelf was handed down to me from a friend in college years and years ago. I just held onto it and have used it for a variety of things over the years- even to hold shoes at one point! Now we use it to store the girl's dress up clothes using an IKEA metal rack. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So you can see that there are many ways to keep a place organized for the kids to have easy access to their toys. I've found that thrift store dressers and nightstands, shoe bins, plastic bins, bookshelves and even a $5 wall hutch are great for storage. You really don't have to buy new or spend a fortune on storage furniture. Shop your house first and then look at thrift stores for these items that are cheap and can be re-purposed. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our wall hutch we found at a local thrift store for $5 and I just painted it white. We made the 4 cubed stand for it and painted it to match the hutch so it looks like one large piece that was meant to be together. The nightstand next to the hutch is also a thrift store find. I think it was about $15. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The circular table was $8 and the chairs were $5 a piece. Why would I want to pay any more than that on something that will be painted, colored, stained, etc. on? Plus, when this happens (as it often does in a kids space) I don't mind at all because it was very inexpensive to begin with and we made it work!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'd love to hear any other thrifty ways you use storage in your home! I'm sure there are tons.</span></span><br />
<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-40302266464867858682017-10-16T18:09:00.000-04:002017-10-19T12:19:33.817-04:00Books I've Read and A Couple On My List to Read<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I never categorized myself as a "reader" or someone who was knowledgeable about a variety of information. Mainly, because I dislike reading books. But what I've found out about myself (and wish I knew this sooner) is that I actually enjoy reading books that are based on true life events/stories and memoirs. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It all began about 5 months ago when I first picked <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-sound-of-gravel.html" target="_blank">up this book from our local library.</a> A blogger I've been following for a few years now <i>strongly</i> recommended it to her readers and the way she wrote about this particular book really captured my attention. It was hard to put Ruth Wariner's book down at night once I began reading it. Usually, when I read something, I can't wait to be done with it, but this book was different. And the way Ruth told her story was powerful. She is definitely a strong woman who has overcome a lot. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After reading her book, I decided to check out a few others on this blogger's list. Here are some that I've read since then. (I also have 2 others I haven't currently read yet and hope to by the end of this year, but I'll get to those at the end of this post).</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">#2. <u><b>The Invention of Wings</b></u> by Sue Monk Kidd</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This novel tells the story of 2 women in the early nineteenth century. One is an urban slave, Hetty, who desires to know what life is like outside of the Grimke household where she works tirelessly. Sarah Grimke wants to do more with her life than what is expected of her as she develops a close friendship with Hetty, her handmaid. The story is <i>loosely</i> based upon the historical figure of Sarah Grimke and that is probably why it was a little hard for me to really get into this book, but I did like it. I believe it received great reviews overall and one I would recommend if you enjoy fiction and history.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">#3. <u><b>Missoula</b></u> by John Krakauer</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img alt="Image result" class="irc_mi" src="http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSdKg5crOB9LJiHlzPaASa9HRzvTKaWAQ2P7cI07Bh5d0jp3RyM" height="400" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="259" /><br /><br />This novel is based on true events that took place in a college town called Missoula at the University of Montana. The University of Florida is my Alma mater and, like most big universities, is known for it's college parties among other things. So this particular novel captured my attention because the events happened at such a well-known and big university (and sadly take place anywhere). The main stories in this book are about multiple accounts of sexual assault that took place and were reported to the Missoula police department. Whether or not you attended a large university, I recommend this book as it not only talks about a serious crime and gives alarming statistics about sexual assault, but it also prepares me as a mom for how to talk to my kids about such things in the future. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">#4. <u><b>The Magnolia Story</b></u> by Chip and Joanna Gaines </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span id="freeText11366757292009283019">Chip and Joanna Gaines are pretty well-known "celebrities" at this point who are known for their great design ideas, hard work, and beautiful family. What this book shares is the hard work that got them to where they are now and they boldly declare that they couldn't have done it without God (who never left their side through it all). I enjoyed reading this one- it was light, funny, and uplifting and I loved how Joanna talks about meeting Kara Tippetts and how that changed her perspective on things. I especially enjoyed reading about the Gaines' faith and trust in God and seeing how He has fulfilled their dreams even more so than what they could have ever imagined. </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span id="freeText11366757292009283019">#5. <u><b>Little Bee</b></u> by Chris Cleave</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This novel was a bit interesting to me- I definitely liked it overall, but there were some parts that were hard to believe- mainly about some of the details that were written between the two characters. Again, this was probably due to the fact that this novel is fiction. Nevertheless, this is a good dual-narrative novel about a Nigerian asylum-seeker and a British magazine editor who meet in an unlikely place. I'd recommend this one if you enjoy an uncomplicated plot with a twist at the end.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">**The following two books are on my list to read next, but I'll share what I've heard about them. They were graciously gifted to me by my husband for my birthday. :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">#6. <u><b>Kisses from Katie</b></u> by Katie Davis (now Katie Majors)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I've been following Katie's story since the beginning of this year and am a little familiar with her outreach in Uganda through Amazima Ministries. Her story is pretty amazing as she unapologetically shares her passion to follow Jesus. I'm looking forward to reading more about her personal story and the story of the lives that have been drastically changed by her outreach through Christ's love.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">P.S.- I recently watched her on an interview with the Today Show and she radiated such joy! She was genuine and not ashamed to talk about her relationship with Christ. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">#7. <u><b>The Hardest Peace</b></u> by Kara Tippetts </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Oh this story, how I'm a little nervous to read it through it's entirety, but I also can't wait too. This story is about the lovely Kara Tippetts who passed into the arm's of Jesus not too long ago after a long and hard struggle of stage 4 breast cancer. She left behind her beautiful 4 young children and her husband- who have chosen joy through all this hard. I began following Kara's blog before she wrote and published this book a few years ago and even though I did not know her personally, her story just really spoke to me and had me on my knees praying for her and her family. <a href="http://mundanefaithfulness.com/" target="_blank">Her blog is still up</a> and running strong with the help of her close and dear friends.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I know this will be a tough, tough read, but I also know Kara lived life knowing God was and is who He says He is and she always said that in "the midst of hard, He met her." I don't know how one lives life not knowing what will happen afterwards, but I'm thankful she knew Him and is no longer suffering. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you've read any of these on this list, I'd love to hear about it! </span></span><br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-17194517593043573352017-09-23T10:46:00.001-04:002017-09-23T13:00:41.238-04:00DIY Desks in Girls Room- Made from Nightstands<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONnqa0IBb5HB0anYNzz59RVb_sIB_rOebM71xf32ZfwBGrUVsBJD663aA7X8cLaRPhRzmFgyi53mWJR7mFZuOQKbgkidHhF7IN4r3oo1WQeWdeOPgRMkknpLgj-h9pKVeThIPTyo8tIg/s1600/IMG_4498.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgONnqa0IBb5HB0anYNzz59RVb_sIB_rOebM71xf32ZfwBGrUVsBJD663aA7X8cLaRPhRzmFgyi53mWJR7mFZuOQKbgkidHhF7IN4r3oo1WQeWdeOPgRMkknpLgj-h9pKVeThIPTyo8tIg/s640/IMG_4498.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There has always been this little spot in the corner of the girls shared bedroom that I just never knew what to do with. This little spot has housed dressers, nightstands, and a dollhouse, but something just seemed off about each change I kept making to it.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One day while talking to my husband about it, he suggested putting desks there for the girls. Before the addition of their desks, they would play with their dolls or color and draw on the floor (and there is nothing wrong with that!), but I knew that if we could somehow make desks for them they would finally have their own space to play, color and draw, while keeping toys, crayons, and markers off the floor.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One night while thinking about desk ideas, I remembered we had these $5 nightstands I bought at a thrift store years ago. One was being used in our bedroom and the other was just sitting in my son's closet not serving any purpose. I knew I could swap out my nightstand for one that was in our room already and convert these 2 matching nightstands we already owned into desks.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My husband said the project would be doable and figured we should give it a try!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We went to Home Depot and looked at all of our wood options and bought simple 1X3's which cost us about $16 total.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So if this worked out, it would only cost us about $21 for BOTH desks!! Holla! That would be a good deal. Plus, the paint I wanted to use for these was given to me by a friend from church who had a bunch of samples left over from a project she did a while ago. Hooray!!! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoqdk0LxY-znP9hFx8nsAQXSoVq-aykSBkjuOOeJ2rbpraqfPLG57ToiP47hUCxm1T4xu4qffRERoHOzHxHH6dS-8UcnsP8cH5ES-_PED3ZhfzmrOTIPbZcmal4ZMplTjYbsBuwO-w6o/s1600/IMG_4500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRoqdk0LxY-znP9hFx8nsAQXSoVq-aykSBkjuOOeJ2rbpraqfPLG57ToiP47hUCxm1T4xu4qffRERoHOzHxHH6dS-8UcnsP8cH5ES-_PED3ZhfzmrOTIPbZcmal4ZMplTjYbsBuwO-w6o/s640/IMG_4500.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I also took this $5 chair (another thrift store find a couple years back) and added pink chevron fabric that I saved from a project I did last year. Sometimes it pays to save things. ;) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqW5yeHq9Mj47hm1pT4706CagTbhnm3aojoH_vswvVce1bjVNkA3WpT_Yb2m9S4Dayey8O810Fa1qiywB_BSflfWch3ipPUegpUdZqdy2JNNGBQMjfqVX6_C_oeZnAjDSWfl3OjudhlY/s1600/IMG_4504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjqW5yeHq9Mj47hm1pT4706CagTbhnm3aojoH_vswvVce1bjVNkA3WpT_Yb2m9S4Dayey8O810Fa1qiywB_BSflfWch3ipPUegpUdZqdy2JNNGBQMjfqVX6_C_oeZnAjDSWfl3OjudhlY/s640/IMG_4504.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Putting the desks together was fairly an easy process. My husband cut all the wood to the size we wanted and attached them with screws. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdEVCglaZRbVj3n_UgR2K6_FsWysI8u_r3a8J-gLyC7EZy91cVZHnXHzx0ZamG64Xey51vcnIv4kL9uBRsUv_1v-lipT765Uql8OQeR6luLa45xQo6Jpm_4XiP-N_DmINaqWjVl1-res/s1600/IMG_4505.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdEVCglaZRbVj3n_UgR2K6_FsWysI8u_r3a8J-gLyC7EZy91cVZHnXHzx0ZamG64Xey51vcnIv4kL9uBRsUv_1v-lipT765Uql8OQeR6luLa45xQo6Jpm_4XiP-N_DmINaqWjVl1-res/s640/IMG_4505.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I added some caulk along the edges of where the boards met the side of the desk so there wouldn't be a gap. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiC2i41Uv0AAVMnXHKTepxACvj0Ft-LEiqRM2incdvGFmOBe-Ys_NZckhrz9egRwtOYe3D0CeZPbMsqzjEtq9RyYcPjGX9p1L0G0yVIqBF49IeX2uGgguudbGndS8aI6ZYNtgt3tseiwk/s1600/IMG_4507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiC2i41Uv0AAVMnXHKTepxACvj0Ft-LEiqRM2incdvGFmOBe-Ys_NZckhrz9egRwtOYe3D0CeZPbMsqzjEtq9RyYcPjGX9p1L0G0yVIqBF49IeX2uGgguudbGndS8aI6ZYNtgt3tseiwk/s640/IMG_4507.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Because of the size and dimensions of our desks, the legs were a bit wobbly, so I made a quick trip to Wal-Mart and bought a packet of L-brackets in order to keep the wobbling at a minimum. It's been working well so far! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qQkXiC-T7bcmXH7rM-3M9yM29qIvlhyphenhyphen9LrZDxJ4P6z5W7WC0xSI2-HCY016FOc9qfpegJUr1swqekJ8sIrJqtQ1ROPArKWOsdnfYlqzGVAU9xFSxlM6XwYk_RMGsULcn4f86YqFAJCw/s1600/IMG_4510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4qQkXiC-T7bcmXH7rM-3M9yM29qIvlhyphenhyphen9LrZDxJ4P6z5W7WC0xSI2-HCY016FOc9qfpegJUr1swqekJ8sIrJqtQ1ROPArKWOsdnfYlqzGVAU9xFSxlM6XwYk_RMGsULcn4f86YqFAJCw/s640/IMG_4510.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrtMyv3GU37ZYApw3eyZu7zauXByXEnC1QlHjQn1TcG_OAFHAuAXMVZrkhY892DJVCTrKfTlYZJwrAU_v8xhYDNDEb28wbnvsrHLKdCZRcOWqazAaDhMPwZHjROIaZXdJ-taxtTb4CC0/s1600/IMG_4511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="600" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRrtMyv3GU37ZYApw3eyZu7zauXByXEnC1QlHjQn1TcG_OAFHAuAXMVZrkhY892DJVCTrKfTlYZJwrAU_v8xhYDNDEb28wbnvsrHLKdCZRcOWqazAaDhMPwZHjROIaZXdJ-taxtTb4CC0/s640/IMG_4511.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">All I had to do was paint the desks and sand them...and then they were ready to be used! And boy have our girls been using them <i>everyday</i>!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are some pictures of their room with the finished desks. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxznwNPKctS3sfPB7qZ7eLWN2lQHS-oF-gzgiHkU33JWdmbdjdENkpiLYSBJKoBjT7HChqef17XdTQ1sw-ndJ1YTGfzj24K8eHyNL3G4fdrTiVEQCRw2Lhp7jMHGbczw33G5I37ujfWA/s1600/IMG_4520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxznwNPKctS3sfPB7qZ7eLWN2lQHS-oF-gzgiHkU33JWdmbdjdENkpiLYSBJKoBjT7HChqef17XdTQ1sw-ndJ1YTGfzj24K8eHyNL3G4fdrTiVEQCRw2Lhp7jMHGbczw33G5I37ujfWA/s640/IMG_4520.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCe4BQGHABtpBgjLXOoELj6z2v8kp6ASIXXzWlPphY15Jp6EFG_0mLWcIBuqkXIt8dN6yniDb4JiHWih0YV0pjm7soCvT7Y6LghZx4EpZkYJkixTHwV5jpHNkHrYeQXDz1MOQmqsQzKc/s1600/IMG_4522.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYCe4BQGHABtpBgjLXOoELj6z2v8kp6ASIXXzWlPphY15Jp6EFG_0mLWcIBuqkXIt8dN6yniDb4JiHWih0YV0pjm7soCvT7Y6LghZx4EpZkYJkixTHwV5jpHNkHrYeQXDz1MOQmqsQzKc/s640/IMG_4522.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">To read about <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2017/05/pink-closet-door-for-girls-room-and.html" target="_blank">the painted doors, go here.</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Also, <a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2017/07/diy-doll-bunk-beds.html" target="_blank">if you are interested in making doll bunk beds,</a> Ana White has some great plans on how to do that. She is definitely a very talented woman! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We've had the desks in here for about a week, and they are seeing good use. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It's so sweet to see my girls play together. There's plenty of arguing in between those moments for sure, but it makes us happy when they show grace and love to each other. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><u>Saving money tip</u>: If you are looking to save and not splurge on children's desk, check out your local thrift store(s) for inexpensive nightstands. They usually carry tons! We bought ours for $5 a piece. Just make sure to look for ones that have an opening at the bottom so you can slide chairs or ottomans easily underneath. </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>The nightstands we purchased years ago had legs that were easily removable and all we did was add longer wooden legs to them. </i></b></span></span><br />
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7476322195393269875.post-30792316833338097972017-09-06T20:20:00.000-04:002017-09-06T23:05:36.616-04:00Part 2 {Family Trip to the N.C. Mountains}<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://loveolympiajune.blogspot.com/2017/08/great-smoky-mountains-and-maggie-valley.html" target="_blank">In my last post, </a>I mentioned that I would write up a Part 2 of our family trip to the mountains. I finally got the photos downloaded and ready to post, so I''ll be sharing that with you all today! <span style="font-size: small;"><i>Just a warning, this is going to be a very long post. It might possibly be one of the longest posts I've ever published!</i></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Day 3: Hang out at the cabin in the morning, gem mining, and trout fishing.</i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sweet, sweet photo </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mema reading little man's favorite book, "The Little Train." We could read this to him every day and he would never tire of it. He is in love with all things trains. :)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Gem Mining in Cherokee, NC.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKlbnoFTIf9shY52G6UVZnC-O7s-qhiHcQDQlTqo4ehhAeOJyAfUJwcj0Q7vF_JiFXD_bSPpemNt7UJwXcOqSCR5MpmDIij5Ng2XerYLA-oULv0WdMjfH3r9vdhAWtLbf1xuyd6h0sJo/s1600/IMG_4345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinKlbnoFTIf9shY52G6UVZnC-O7s-qhiHcQDQlTqo4ehhAeOJyAfUJwcj0Q7vF_JiFXD_bSPpemNt7UJwXcOqSCR5MpmDIij5Ng2XerYLA-oULv0WdMjfH3r9vdhAWtLbf1xuyd6h0sJo/s640/IMG_4345.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The girls had a blast "mining for gems" and got to take home a couple bags of what they found. They got to sift through a large bag of dirt to uncover their gems. Definitely a fun activity for little ones. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lydia bug and her Aunt Kathleen sifting through the next batch. :) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">This guy didn't have too much patience for all the sifting...haha. He was more than happy exploring the outdoor area of the mining place...<i>and</i> heading for this Coke machine which he thought would just give him the drink of his choice without paying<i> (with just a push of a button).</i> He was a little upset to find out he had to put money into the machine in order to get a drink, which we did not. ;)</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the afternoon, we went to a trout farm to go fishing while little man stayed back at the cabin with Mema and Aunt Kathleen. The girls really, really wanted to fish with their Poppie, so we were excited to find a trout farm <i>somewhat</i> nearby. I was actually surprised at how much fun we all had! We easily spent a couple of hours at the place and what was even more exciting was we got to take home and cook what we caught! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Checking in! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Getting the rods ready for fishing. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The girls patiently waited for the rods to be ready for use. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lydia caught the first fish within minutes!! One lady commented by saying, "That a girl! Show these boys how it's done!" Haha.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After that quick first catch, it took the rest of us anywhere from about 40 minutes to an hour to catch the rest of our supply. I'm thinking Lydia bug has a future in this fishing business. ;)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Focusing on catching her fish and patiently waiting. Tessa did catch one too. She didn't want to leave without making her catch of the day. :)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Eeekk....another one!! At the end of the day, we ended up catching 4 trout fish, which was more than enough to cook up for dinner. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We asked the girls if they wanted to see the fish being cleaned and cut so we could take them home to filet. They surprised us and said they wanted to see how it worked so they got right up there and watched the lady do it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once we got back to the cabin, my husband got ready to begin cooking the trout and little man began opening his presents for this birthday. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the gifts he received was from his sweet Aunt Kathleen and Uncle Mark. It was a Melissa and Doug zoo truck with animals inside. He loved it and graciously let his sisters play some with it too. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After cooking our trout and having a nice dinner with it and some delicious sides, we sang, "Happy Birthday" to Gavin and cut into his cupcake cake. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We had a little bit of trouble using one of the lighter's that the cabin offered, but after a little bit of trial and error, my husband was able to get the candles lit! Hooray! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Birthday boy!!! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">You're 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6W3_JJ8CN3b5lv-mldlqFXuAtT_-HXoRmEXtoY9VTvC3hhJrR7r3fHovkSREWxzh7ZNxq1DnhQre8CDuk32KLvMJgq6X0FInp1tgzFYxcXpFlnSzG7z5M-ZsZBBNyduqi73pqflz1AB8/s1600/IMG_4397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6W3_JJ8CN3b5lv-mldlqFXuAtT_-HXoRmEXtoY9VTvC3hhJrR7r3fHovkSREWxzh7ZNxq1DnhQre8CDuk32KLvMJgq6X0FInp1tgzFYxcXpFlnSzG7z5M-ZsZBBNyduqi73pqflz1AB8/s640/IMG_4397.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After the cupcake cake, it was time to open up Gavin's next gift. This time he got a wooden train set from Mema and Poppie. He was pretty excited about it. In fact, when he got up and came downstairs the next day in the cabin, he said, "Toot, toot!" </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We actually had to hide the train set from him the next morning because otherwise, he wouldn't want to go anywhere without it. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Out of sight, out of mind! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6eUvc2OzxCnCxdzSI72CxhlBMR9dWDEjlvGsWraI1zJr0iou4FAeWwXZWmMBl7AedqrQp2umYo0hwF6xhTFQwKa2C6A-HgQWovD07sQhyphenhyphen8vlOs4DgI__SifUrhy6nR1tYpi3da_sO38/s1600/IMG_4402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_6eUvc2OzxCnCxdzSI72CxhlBMR9dWDEjlvGsWraI1zJr0iou4FAeWwXZWmMBl7AedqrQp2umYo0hwF6xhTFQwKa2C6A-HgQWovD07sQhyphenhyphen8vlOs4DgI__SifUrhy6nR1tYpi3da_sO38/s640/IMG_4402.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Toot, toot!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Day 4: Clingman's Dome and a nice afternoon/evening at the cabin. </i></b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7CNyCX1IF7DkYG0gDE1sZA03fVo3lrBr5onc5jGctqIxK5r0oMs1D3it4SGvkUOnbQcgwtP56NSZED4zpoteWsksxusaF6QL6KsI0FI3FjyITLsKqOwAiZGmKIPebxR9DckM881idW0/s1600/IMG_4406.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF7CNyCX1IF7DkYG0gDE1sZA03fVo3lrBr5onc5jGctqIxK5r0oMs1D3it4SGvkUOnbQcgwtP56NSZED4zpoteWsksxusaF6QL6KsI0FI3FjyITLsKqOwAiZGmKIPebxR9DckM881idW0/s640/IMG_4406.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our oldest and youngest went with us to Clingman's Dome in the Smoky Mountains on Day 4 of our trip. It was not a long hike mile-wise, but it was pretty steep, so our youngest was held most of the way. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Although, I will say that he did a good amount of walking as well...especially on the walk back down. ;) Pretty impressive for his little leggies.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Family picture! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPguCLc6rR84nlCcCfDnOJWCKG2cDQo3OK4WY9mHInJGIUX8ItTfaQtYq9gFkpXkH5SgIKoWeCvlfqqC0znZzg7u_1v3yklouu7iZYNcOM_VKn-mDBNmXEg0SKqwespA5KREv8fKshCQ/s1600/IMG_4411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXPguCLc6rR84nlCcCfDnOJWCKG2cDQo3OK4WY9mHInJGIUX8ItTfaQtYq9gFkpXkH5SgIKoWeCvlfqqC0znZzg7u_1v3yklouu7iZYNcOM_VKn-mDBNmXEg0SKqwespA5KREv8fKshCQ/s640/IMG_4411.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Stopping to pick some flowers. :) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Strike a pose! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My does this girl love to pose for the camera. She doesn't get that from me (at least I don't think so...haha) </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Such breath-taking views all around the place. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I don't always look around at the world around me and think about God's handiwork (but I definitely should do that daily!!), but walking these trails and being in the mountains definitely was a good reminder of His handiwork.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So picturesque! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We let the kids climb up some of these larger rocks which was fun, and possibly a bit scary at times. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">These 2 were definitely feeling adventurous that day! </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My girl making it to the top! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">YAY!!! We finally made it! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I love this photo!! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the views from the top of the dome. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sweet boy stopping to pick up some rubble.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We found a Pokemon rock on our walk back down the trail. It said, "Hide or Keep" and had some information on it about Geocaching. The kids were excited to find a painted rock, ha. We actually ran into the lady and her son who put it there. We told them we would take the rock back to Hampton Roads and hide it there. ;) </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">My beautiful girl! We climbed these rocks at the bottom of the hike one last time. </span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">After our hike, we had dinner and then played in the game room for a bit. This room was pretty sweet- there was a pool table, checkers game, air hockey, and Foosball table. It was definitely a hit for the kids, and the adults even got in on the action. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Poppie was showing the girls how to play pool. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lydia enjoyed marking her pool table stick while waiting to be coached by Poppie. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9V6MkfPuXavHgOQNgTaWhV_jhQ8q98UkO6ur6qU4CAkthzWTTE82fcPcc2NPkGxCCEfUQ0mKpcOjHCPF_wEzUvR8ADhzKiJLM13m4VHrlxUNjTvytLGbdcmTgHM6M_38sehGlJN2ycY/s1600/IMG_4451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG9V6MkfPuXavHgOQNgTaWhV_jhQ8q98UkO6ur6qU4CAkthzWTTE82fcPcc2NPkGxCCEfUQ0mKpcOjHCPF_wEzUvR8ADhzKiJLM13m4VHrlxUNjTvytLGbdcmTgHM6M_38sehGlJN2ycY/s640/IMG_4451.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpS76dX-t8y_7isCpvJW2azT8dbQK9AfDj1s_EoGzafadBVyx7WIifqSFmuz5Gd988HZKC0IEE5csKSuOK8IYPmiHR93NMjtYEaVD63oPID2EUqYp-p5yrRe1ZveT11b4TxILFP3a4cRo/s1600/IMG_4453.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpS76dX-t8y_7isCpvJW2azT8dbQK9AfDj1s_EoGzafadBVyx7WIifqSFmuz5Gd988HZKC0IEE5csKSuOK8IYPmiHR93NMjtYEaVD63oPID2EUqYp-p5yrRe1ZveT11b4TxILFP3a4cRo/s640/IMG_4453.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cUBLIg5_xFyafNSJIjWeV6_MWhRpma64ZyFCqsa1ZfqNAuq2kSjeWwmn758XTxWPcFr9dl6kxvJlcXymitgqdqe2Aaq30xL2sGed9JEmiNOkPUKbXltJR2kKUy71La2wO1skuOt2dP0/s1600/IMG_4456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-cUBLIg5_xFyafNSJIjWeV6_MWhRpma64ZyFCqsa1ZfqNAuq2kSjeWwmn758XTxWPcFr9dl6kxvJlcXymitgqdqe2Aaq30xL2sGed9JEmiNOkPUKbXltJR2kKUy71La2wO1skuOt2dP0/s640/IMG_4456.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tessa and Poppie played air hockey for a bit, until Tessa realized she wasn't winning and then wanted to quit playing the game. It's safe to say she's a bit competitive. She definitely gets that from me. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hopefully, we can train her up to use that competitive spirit to work hard and not give up easily or get discouraged. I know that is still something I'm trying to work on, but don't always succeed at.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NTf3jTxpK8MIBZ1zoOTxDkfcoG6jPjuqr7qX6V9NebAi8En9yLLBae7mrvZQGkn7GhD4SoV-6P3cJ7NGBibv419oDbuFmyTh2c5J4DlWaDSDS6IDDq5PqVHh6g5XfNQGfP_zKuOpe9k/s1600/Smokies+2017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2NTf3jTxpK8MIBZ1zoOTxDkfcoG6jPjuqr7qX6V9NebAi8En9yLLBae7mrvZQGkn7GhD4SoV-6P3cJ7NGBibv419oDbuFmyTh2c5J4DlWaDSDS6IDDq5PqVHh6g5XfNQGfP_zKuOpe9k/s640/Smokies+2017.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A couple family photos right before we left the cabin in the mountains. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjnCtQvdgHW07Nvsxhjcif3z02yvKT1oI6IuyAX5LNCfRoZEpJrfVHIsLbyu0OfyvpuvUT5q6Qaue3MkUcL7xAvuEZh7EWFTXt_ypjXfVE3ycU6RGgtPNvO-UkNnab-bwDS2m4E8NH-8/s1600/smokies+2017+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="702" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghjnCtQvdgHW07Nvsxhjcif3z02yvKT1oI6IuyAX5LNCfRoZEpJrfVHIsLbyu0OfyvpuvUT5q6Qaue3MkUcL7xAvuEZh7EWFTXt_ypjXfVE3ycU6RGgtPNvO-UkNnab-bwDS2m4E8NH-8/s640/smokies+2017+family.jpg" width="560" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">See you later, Maggie Valley! </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We had a great trip and are very thankful for the memories shared. </span></span></div>
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<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><br /><p><br /><img style="border:0;" align="center" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u_ZPOANcPI4/T5mnBXquq9I/AAAAAAAABLM/rzpGCZJED1Y/s144/April%25202012-005.jpg" /><br /></p><br /></div>loveolympiajunehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06175332639223057612noreply@blogger.com0