{My House Monday} I Kinda Like Green Doors....

So yeah, our house is full of a lot of green doors. Every door to be exact. Wait--minus our front door, it's not green , it is wood and brown, and Hunk said, "NO, we will not have a green front door!"...boooorrriiinng.

Our builder, who is a fantastically (is that a word) awesome guy asked us if we would be interested in painting ALL our doors. He thought we would be a fun experiment. haha. So we I said, "YEAH!" And ya'll know how much I love green so I figured I would go with a more subdued color.

Hunk 'bout had the heart attack when he saw my beauties for the first time. really. a. heart. attack. I mean who wouldn't want a couple green doors in their house?

I think they are kinda spunky....

Want to give your hubs a heart attack? Well, go pick up a can of Sherwin Williams Semi-Gloss Ryegrass.

That will do the trick.

Spunky Junky Feature Friday Faves!

I. Am. Loathing. My. Computer. Today. 'nuf said.

Okay, so ya'll got some talent. Thank you so much for your wonderful link ups! It was so hard to pick my favorites. Really. It's the same sort of dilemma I face when I am in the ice cream aisle. Yeah, it was a hard decision.

Living Grace has the most beautiful nursery. If only I had a lil girl....

Bugaboo, Mini, Mr. and Me made the most amazing Cafe Rio knockoff. The words Cafe Rio sold me. HA!

Chic on a Shoestring Decorating turns a simple picture into an awesome wrapped canvas. genius!

Peace, Love, And 2 Sisters made the most amazing burlap wreath. I mean who doesn't love a good wreath?

Drumroll. bthththththtththththtththththththth. My favorite project of the week is....

a faux granite countertop made by Rachel at the Wild Whitney's. So awesome! And, this chick deserves a huge round of applause because this was her very first blog post! You rock chicka, keep up the good work!

Email my address so I can send your prize in the good ole' snail mail!

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Spunky Junky Feature Friday Party

Here is the skinny for the Spunky Junky Feature Friday Party:

*Link to a specific post, not your blog or a giveaway,
*Post something that you have done recently (last month or so)
*Check out the other lovelies and give them some sugar! Everyone loves comments and compliments.
*Grab my button and put it somewhere on yur blog!
*Come back on Saturday AND Sunday to see if your project was featured on Spunky Junky.



....Oh, and did I forget to mention that because this is my first Feature Friday Party my favorite idea will get a sweet and beautiful surprise from the Spunky Junky Etsy shop...I am thinking I might get Hunk to help me choose....hahaha!

{That's Us Thursday} Getting to Know Me More...and a Tutorial

So here is my first video. I know when you watch it you will probably be thinking, "Wow, she should really win an award for her movie star talent."  ha. ha. hahaha. (that's me laughing with you).

Let me know what you think. Thumbs up? Thumbs down? Do you want more videos? Do you not? Do I have stuff in my teeth? Be honest, we are friends.


Also tomorrow is the BIG DAY. Tomorrow will be the first Spunky Junky Linky Party. So come back and link up your projects, recipes, designs--anything that you may have spunked up! I would love to see it and show it off to the rest of the world!

Love Me Self a Good Green Door...

Remember the other day when Sis #2 kidnapped my camera to take engagement photos of Sis #3 and String Bean? Well here are some of the photos from their photoshoot....ohhh, ahhh, photoshoot makes it sound so professional and legit, right?  

Aren't they haaaawwwwtiiieeess?

So let's be honest, okay, actually I just need to be honest. I am illiterate when it comes to Photoshop. BUT I am kind of figuring out how to use Photoshop through the use of  The Pioneer Woman's Photoshop Actions. What? Haven't heard of Ree, check her out, she is hot, and has four kids, and her Marlboro Man reminds me of my...Dad. weird, and awkward...especially when she talks about his Wrangler butt. So, for those of you with Photoshop or Photoshop Elements she has action sets that you can download--for FAREEE. yes, free.

So once I downloaded the sets (yeppers, there is two of them) this is what I did (btdub I have CS4):

-Open photo in Photoshop
-Ctrl J (create a copy of the photo)
-On the right hand side of Photoshop you will see your layers, there should be a background layer and a layer 1
-Click on layer 1 (I wanted to leave the original background layer alone)
-Now, find the Pioneer Woman Action Set 1

>Boost>Play
-Play around with Boost, it is going to ask you to press "OK" quiet a few times, don't worry, just do it!

-When "adjusting the curves" (this window will pop up while pressing "ok" during the boost action) I set my output at 150 and my input at 114. I wanted to create a more bright feel to make the green door pop.
-Then scroll down in the action set and find "Flatten" click it, this means that all the layers are flattened into one layer (it helps to make the file size smaller, without ruining the resolution).

-Now crop the photo.
-Once I cropped the photo, I checked it again to make sure I liked it then I saved it.

I could have had a lot more fun with this picture but Punk is hungry and when the baby wants food the baby gets food!

So have fun my friends, you deserve it! (That's my cheesiness for the day).

{Tutorial Tuesday} Placemat Tray

Fact: Even something ugly can be pretty.

So I got this 90's tastic lovely the other day. Oh, stop gushing over it, I know ya'll want it for yourselves. It's mine all mine--muahahahahaha.  

So my endless love for primer continues. Maybe it is the high that I get from spraying indoors? hmm, not quite sure.

Okey-doke.

Steps: Two coats of Kilz Primer. One nice coat of Krylon white spray paint. 30 minutes to dry.

I considered mod podging the tray, I considered painting the tray, I even considered the nifty starch trick with fabric, but I decided on something so much easier.

I took a placemat that I got for .98 at Target and cut it to fit the tray.  Yeah, that easy, no joke.

But here is the kicker. If I ever decide I don't like it, I can just pull it out and put a different one in...I can give my trusty tray a new outfit for every day of the week.  ha. funny? no.

Now I can use this little lovely to hold all my not so lovely junk.

I am sure ya'll have a place in your bedroom for sour patch kids. Instead of eating bon bons in bed I am usually getting my sugar fix from this sweet lil' babies.

Oh, and the bowls, you ask? Got them for .25 cents a piece at the thrift store. Total steal.

{My House Mondays}Sneak Peek at the Good ole Master Thrown Room

So Punk threw up on me last night. Projectile style. Then he threw up again and he got a direct hit on a fresh pile of clean clothes. awesome.  So let's just say that my house is kind of resembling Hoarders today.

I also am camera-less today. Sister #3, Kelty, took my trusty Nikon to shoot engagement photos of Sister #2, Kambrie, and her strapping green bean beau. Camera is still MIA, along with sisters, so I am rekindling an old friendship with my Cybershot today. It really is an epic friendship.

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So there are a few new things in the mix right now. First, I am almost done with the master bathroom which I am pretty excited to show off. I just need to finish a few touches, dust a few shelves and then I should be da-da-da-daaaaa ne!

I also promised you a tutorial of this platter last week, right? Believe, I heard all about it from Kambrie, "You promised to post a tutorial, and you didn't , and I was mad, and blah, blah, blah..." She rambles a bit, but I still love her. Anyway, I did promise and I am sorry, I am actually trying to finish another piece to go with it so I can take pictures of the final product together.

I, Halsey, solemly promise to post it tomorrow (that's for you Kam).

In other exciting news I am one of the 12 finalists participating in a cute competition called One Month to Win It

Over the next month the 12 participants will compete against each other based on challenges created by the judges. Every week three contestants will be eliminated. AND YOU the readers get the chance to vote on the projects you like most!

The first week's challenge is, "Trash to Treasure -- at least 1/2 of your project must be from the thrift store, trash, or curbside treasure." Awesome, huh? This challenge is totally up my alley and I already have some pretty sweet ideas!

Sooo, I would love it if you would all come check it out! The voting will begin on March 7th and it will end March 9th!

{Feature Friday} DIY projects that rock

This week I was totally astonished by all the amazing DIY projects in bloggie land. I feel that in the midst of Valentine's being over I am totally now giddy for flowers, sunshine, spring cleaning, snappy bright patterns, and fun new projects.

So these lovely peeps caught my eye this week, and man oh man do they have talent!

Liz at Bon Temps Beignet made this amazing wall art and you won't believe what she used!

Amy at Positively Spendid made the most amazing linen totes. And the boxes that she refinished were actually....diaper boxes. NO way! YES way! So cool!

Jennifer at Peas and Crayons created her own faux enamel bottles. So simple and easy and the end result is totally cool!

Lori at Our Forever House made these cute trees using split peas and styrofoam tree forms. So Fa-reaking awesome!

Erin over at Lemon Tree Creations made this pillow. Isn't it so cute? The pattern totally reminds me of Charming Charlie's signature purse.

Great job you crafty chickas! Make sure to grab a button!

Remember the day of your birth? Hopefully you don't.....awkward....

So Hunk turns 27 today. Not a big milestone, but I would say that it is one step closer to 30, and it also  means a few less hairs on his noggin.

muah. Ha. Ha.  silence.

Well The Mr. isn't much a birthday person anymore...I think age is playing a factor with that issue. I, personally, would still be celebrating my birthday at Chucky Cheese if it didn't seem creepy. Hunk on the other hand would be fine sharing his birthday with a Pepsi and a juicy steak. lame-o.

So this morning I woke up bright and early and made him breakfast. I actually made him his favorite breakfast to be exact. Bacon, hashbrowns covered in bacon grease, and eggs lightly coated in bacon grease and butter. He is a very conscious eater....as you can tell. To top it off--a nice bubbly glass of Cherry Pepsi, I am telling you folks we really really follow the socially acceptable eating trends in our house.

I told him that because it was his birthday I had free rein to take lots of pictures of him...he opted for the James Bond sultry pose for most of the pictures....or maybe it was the, "my mouth is full of food and if this wasn't so delicious I would reach over this counter and break that camera." Still not sure what look he was going for...

So because we are all friends, right? I thought I would share all of Hunk's big, deep, dark secrets.

Jokes....

Here are a "must know's" about my favorite man.

He had a crush on my little sister before we EVER started dating. true story.
The first time we met he was helping sis paint my bathroom. awkward.
He loathes vegetables but will eat raw broccoli. blehk!
His prized possession is (me...sometimes) and a baseball signed by Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle
He is secretly an amazing dancer.
Hunk can sing "Bust a Move"
He is fluent in Spanish...
His favorite TV show is Chuck
He once snuck onto a golf course and went ice fishing on their pond. yeah, he is a real criminal.
He watches more TV during March then during the rest of the year combined...
He won't go for walks around the the block, but he will go up the side of a mountain in a heart beat.
He's a candy junky...and Pepsi junky...and chip junky.
He is a great gift giver....except for the deep fat fryer for my 1st Mother's Day. hmmmm.
He has participated in The Rose Bowl Parade.
He is a genius when it comes to the scriptures
snores. a lot.
Really good at math.
Enjoys spending money 'bout as much as I do.
Has three sisters and three brothers
Proposed to me....twice
Loves winter
But loves Punk and me more. hopefully.


Happy Birthday Babe!!

He ate what? really..

So Punk is tough. Really. He was a preemie, and I think that any baby that is born prematurely is inherently hearty and for the rest of their lives they will have that stubborn toughness in them. I mean look at Punk, he fell out of a stroller when he was wee little one. He cried--I cried, we both lived through the ordeal. Punk has also had his share of face plants off the bed, head on collisions with the dresser, rug burns on the carpet floor, slippery falls in the bathtub, and fingers smashed beneath the weight of his own toys, full blown face plants into the pavement, run in's with nasty cats, tumbles off the couch, and belly slides down the stairs.

Let's be real. ALL of our kids have done these things, right? If your kid hasn't suffered through one of these events, let me know....I would love to know your secret recipe for success. HA. HA.

So yesterday, during my spray painting day. Yeah, remember that day? It is all kind of a blur to me...funny, wonder why? muahahahaha.  So while I was letting some of my "projects" dry, Punk did the unthinkable...

 He somehow got the entry way door open and waddled his little Huggie butt into the garage where he found the white paint I was using on the vase. And he proceeded to track white paint and the lovely paint saturated sponge throughout the house.

NOW, the pictures don't show the whole story.

When I realized what he had done and it crossed my mind for a split minute second to grab my camera and take pictures.  However, I knew Hunk would never let me live it down if he found out that I took pictures BEFORE trying to clean up the mess.

So I scrambled, first to check Punk's mouth. Because when I found him he was sucking on the sponge. Lovely, just lovely. Then I tried my hardest to clean the paint off the walls, doors, steps, carpet, and tile floors. 

 Can you see the leftover remnants of the paint sandwich he enjoyed?

 So after I threw away a bran-spankin' new outfit that he had been wearing, I sat him on the bed and said, "No!  we don't eat paint." (....weird, I never thought that would be something I would need to tell him).  He laughed. I scolded again, and he finally got the point.

 Then I knew I couldn't stare at the puppy dog eyes so I cuddled my paint-lovin monster and fed him some real food to hopefully wash down the taste of Valspar Interior Flat White...and his goofy smile came right back.

So, while Valspar white is not the best thing for Punks to eat I think it added the perfect touch to this platter. Come back tomorrow to see what I used to make the cute flower pattern on this tray...it's kind of an awesome idea.

Not to brag or anything....

{Tutorial Tuesday} I am kinda high right now...

It's been really windy here lately. I mean really windy. A few days ago Hunk woke up in the middle of the night because he thought an earthquake was happening. No earthquake--just a lot of wind. I grew up with the wind so I am use to sleeping through it during the night.

 (Sidenote: in the two minutes that I have been writing this post I have seen a garbage can and a large black bag  roll past the window, I should go grab them but I am sure they are long gone down the street now...it wasn't my garbage can or bag btdub)...but I did rescue my neighbor's garbage can earlier today before it became a big blue lawn ornament in someone else's yard.

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Anyway, today has been a spray painting project day. I usually spray paint in the garage with the door open. However, the wind blew half the dirt in Montana into my garage giving my freshly painted projects a nice coat of Blackdog Bt (it's a type of soil...weird that I know that) so I shut the garage door. I opted to close the door and save my projects while sacrificing a few brain cells...and my ability to think coherently.

Please don't judge ;)

  I picked this vase up at Real Deals awhile back--the orange didn't really fit in with my style, but for the clearance price tag on it I knew I could justify buying it--if only to spunk it up. 

 I know I have repeated this over and over again, but it is soooo important. USE PRIMER. I promise it will not only save you time and money, but it will also make your paint projects look so much better.

So, first I sprayed a nice coat of Kilz Primer across the entire surface. When it dried I then used Krylon Bahama Sea Blue on the outside.

I wanted to find someway to bring out the pattern on the vase so I turned to my trusty paint collection to help.

 I poured a small amount of white paint onto a plate and then I lightly stamped a sponge into the paint.

 I then lightly dabbed the painted sponge on the raised pattern of the vase. I didn't want it to be perfect so at times I would add pressure so that the sponge would fill in the grooves.

Voila! Finished in less then 20 minutes...now time for some tylenol to relieve me paint withdrawal.

Here is where I am partying this week

I am sending out a big puffy heart to.....

...this little dude.

 ...and to my favorite big dude.

And, heck, while we are at it, Punk it gonna send out one of those basset hound, up in your face, slobbery and warm kisses to each of you! Yes, I know, I know...it will be the best kissy EV-ERRR!

Big Puffy Heart Day to all my favorite lovelies!