I'VE MOVED!!!

{click on image to visit new home!}

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I've moved!

That's right.  I packed up my Blogger bags and set up my own domain using Wordpress for many reasons. This is a HUGE learning curve for me, so please bear with me! Give me a week and my blog will be pretty again. Until then, this blog's content has been moved, its up, functional, and I am posting! So please join me at http://houseoftubers.com

{and if you're curious about the name, you have to come visit!}

x-Karri

Thursday Latelies

There's this awesome blogging thing that takes place on, yes, Thursdays, and it was started by Bex (of Bex, A Style Diary).  I am intrigued. However, I am not quite ready to expose my voice to the internets. Man, I loathe my voice.

So can I participate by just talking up my Thursday Lately list?  If I actually get some readers/comments, I will dive in and vlog next week (yikes!)

The first few things I am loving right now is cheap makeup from Target!

In years past, I've mainly been a department store makeup kind of gal.  But in trying to reduce my budget so I can spend it elsewhere, I hit up Target's new-ish designer line.

So this first product is this NP Set eyeliner from Target in Mexico City Brown. It glides on so easy and the other end has a sponge so you can smudge it, which is does super well.  I think I paid $11 for it.

Source: target.com via Karri on Pinterest

This next one is cheap nail polish! Woot! I don't polish my fingers. Ever since I can recall, I have been cursed with thin nails that split and break. So I keep them short and clean. But my toes are another story. Since they are toes, I don't find it necessary to splurge on Essie, OPI, or Nicole (unless I get a pedi and fall in love with the color).  This is one of my new favorite colors- Cloud 9.

Source: walgreens.com via Karri on Pinterest

I am absolutely in LOVE with Kenra's Platinum line! Hair products are one area that I do splurge on, especially when my hair is colored (vs. highlighted).  Roughly a year or so ago, when I was blonde, I tried Burt's Bees and fell in love with sulfate/paraben free shampoo.  But after I went brunette, I had to find a color shampoo, since this is not my natural color. Low and behold...Kenra.

 

{I get the Platinum shampoo for fine/thin hair}

 

{and the Platinum Botanical Conditioner for fine/thin hair. because weightless hair tangles like a b*tch.}

And for those days that I am not leaving the house except to cart my kids around (like today. a rainy day), I love the dry shampoo. I can still look good, but not have to put all the effort into the wash/dry/flat iron routine.  Prior to this, I was doomed, because my hair is so thin that instantly in the a.m. I was like an oil slick.

 

And I finish everything up with the hairspray... #25. Love it. Its light, yet creates texture and volume. And if I comb through, there's no evidence of it except volume.

 

My final Thursday Lately product is Crystal Light Pure.  Aside from coffee in the a.m., I only drink water during the day,  so sometimes, I like to mix it up...a LaCroix here, water with cucumber or lemon there....  That's what lead me to buying this. And no aspartame. Holla!  The flavor is very light. Not at all like lemonade.

Ch-ch-ch-changes...

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Sometime early this summer, my blog will be undergoing some fun transformations.
But not until I finish my 5-part webinar that I am taking, called Blogging Your Passion.
Yep. A webinar.
Stay tuned...it'll be exciting! I promise.

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So I married a marathon-er.

 

{Yes. I am wearing a down winter coat. On May 15th. That is just all kinds of wrong}

I am so proud of him.  26.2 miles.  There is no way on God's green earth that anyone could ever get me to run 26.2 miles. That's why there are bikes. And cars. Walk? Sure (for charity). Run? Hells to the no.

So I am in awe of those who can make their bodies do that.  Who have the determination and strength.

The sea of runners and supporters, trying to stay warm

 

gear bags

 a runner trying to keep warm, post-race

 Winter coats and hats were the norm for spectators. And this would not be a WI race event without beer.

{the runners had tickets on the bottom of their #s. one bratwurst, two beers. gotta love WI}

 The Lone Ranger

This guy had some courage. He ran through Lambeau with his Bears flag. Lots of jeers and boos.

 Hubs, entering Lambeau, still alive and kickin'!

 There he is...#1657! Almost finished! Right after this, he ripped off the Naoplean Dynomite headband and whipped it at me, hitting my camera lens and leaving a big salt streak! EWWWW!

 About to cross the finish line!!

He finished in 04:03:57

And he swears he will never. Not ever. Do it again.

Friday.

I don't care if Monday's blue.
Tuesday's grey and Wednesday too.
Thursday I don't care about you.
Its Friday, I'm upstairs at 11pm mopping the bathroom floor.

Wait. That's not how The Cure sang it? Drat.

This evening, I had some friends over. One friend has daughters that my kids have grown up with since they were 1.  Naturally, they adore each other to the bone.  Normally, the girls are all very quiet and just play in Norah's room, dressing up in silly clothes, playing with stuffed cats, perhaps putting on some makeup, and generally, getting out every toy known to mankind.
Tonight they opted for the Path of Adventure, it seems.
You see, I found my feet sticking to the upstairs bathroom floor.  A pile of 3 bath towels laying on the floor. An overturned spray bottle of air freshener.  A bottle of Method hand soap, with a suspiciously lower level than before, sitting on the floor.
It turns out that the girls turned the bathroom into a skating rink.
Brilliant? Naughty? Creative?
You decide while you're mopping at 11pm, having to change the water each time because of the amount of soap in it.

Ten on Tuesday

In honor of Mother's Day, I bring you this Tuesday's ten:

10 Things I've Learned as a Mama

1. Nothing is fast anymore, yet time flies.
Need to run to the store because I ran out of [insert item here]? It used to be so easy. Now? Not so much. Even though they are older, it still takes 3x as long.  Yet...it seems like just yesterday I was pregnant. And the sleepless nights. And the parent anxiety. It all goes too fast.

2. Never say never. Because you never know.

3.  Inevitably, you will become your mother. Maybe not permanantly, but you'll see glimpses of her appear at times. Yes, you will tell your child(ren) that "if you don't stop this right now, I will pull this car over to the side of the road!", or you'll tell them that you have eyes in back of your head. Or my favorite. "because I said so, that's why." (I swore I'd never give that as an answer. Ever.)

4.  Someday, your child will say that they hate you. Or call you a "meanie mommy". And as prepared as you are for this moment, it will still stab like a knife.

5.  If mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy.  Word.  Don't worry what others think about you and just live your life the way that makes y'all happy.

6.  Time outs are great. For mommy, that is. Yes, sometimes, the best thing we can do is to walk away and take some deep breaths and regroup.

7.  My kids will never, ever find my constant dancing to be cool. It will always cause them to hang their heads and roll their eyes. Sigh.

8.  There's no such thing as privacy. I am not sure when moms are entitled to it, but 9 years later, I still don't have it.

9.  Instill in them the love of reading. It will pay back ten-fold on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

10.  Being a mom is absolutely the hardest, yet most rewarding and wonderful job I've ever had.

Easy Peasy Craft

Mother's Day.
Next to Father's Day, its brain wracking for me when it comes to gift ideas.
This past Christmas, I made one of these for my aunt, using my nephew's photo (ok, not really my nephew. technically, my cousin's baby. but anyway...), so I fell back on the same idea for my husband's mom.
The idea came from somewhere on the internets. I don't know where, sorry. I am sure its all over the place, really.  My friend, Alyson, brought this up before Christmas, so I ran with it at that time.

What you need:

Photo (I used an 8x10)

Flat ceramic tile (I used a 6x6. 56cents from HoDe)

Matte Mod Podge

Sponge brush

xacto knife or paper cutter

Trim the photo down to the size you want.

I cut mine down so about a mm of tile showed on each edge.

I also bought a 12x12 tile and could have had hubs cut it down to an 8x8 or 10x10 (HoDe and Lowes will do this, too), but I ran out of time to have an 11x14 printed.

Apply a thin coat of Mod-Podge to the tile and adhere the photo to the tile, making sure you press out all air bubbles.

Let dry for an hour, then apply your first coat of Mod Podge.

I put a big glob in the middle and then brushed it over the photo, and then evened it out using even strokes, one after another, one way, not stopping mid-stroke, until the end.

 {wet after the first coat}

Let that dry for an hour, and then apply a second coat, but going the other way (ie: my first application was horizontal, so my second was vertical)

After the 2nd coat dries, it'll look like this.

{view from an angle. kinda looks like a photo w/ a linen type texture}

Then just get a photo stand from Michael's (or JoAnn or Hobb Lobb or what have you) and voila! Done. A gift for around $5.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

ITS TIME TO VOTE!!!!!

YO YO YO

I need your help!

Please vote for me!!!!!! 

A few posts back, I mentioned I entered my bedroom in Mandi of Vintage Revival's Epic Makeover contest.  But the only way I can win if if YOU vote for me!!!! 

So please, go to Vintage Revivals and vote for me.  I am #12!
Voting starts at MIDNIGHT tonight (Saturday...or, I guess that means Sunday?)

Hi ho, hi ho. Its off to scrap I go!

Do you scrap?
I started scrapping after Aidan was born.  I will say "scrap" in the loosest of terms.  Over the years, I learned more and found my little niche.
I really enjoy scrapping. Its a creative outlet for me and the kids just love looking at their albums.  I certainly don't scrap every photo. Or every occasion. I try to focus on photos that really speak to me.
I certainly don't scrap as much as I'd like, either. Its always been a goal to do it more often. I am not a digital gal. I enjoy the different textures of the real stuff too much.

Tomorrow I leave for my annual scrapbook retreat in Illinois with a group of moms that I've known for 10 years now. Its a great weekend getaway filled with intense laughter and snorting, being silly, not enough sleep, creativity, and too much food and a bit of libations.

Au revoir!

Wordless Wednesday

 

Fashion, as defined by my 7 year old

Easter Saturday

In our house, holidays are all 2 days long, due to the fact that we have to spend it with my family one day and hubs family the next.  They don't live close enough for us to do it all in one day. And besides...mixing families doesn't always bode well.

I picked out these 4 coordinating Joel Dewberry fabrics from the Modern Meadow line.  I bought quite a bit of fabric to play with and I had in mind a cute, full twirly skirt with lots of panels. But my Gracie Girl had a different idea. And that girl has a mind of her own and I knew if I didn't make what she wanted, she would never wear it again.

{sigh}

So I made a simple 4 panel LONG skirt. No fun ribbon on the bottom. No flowers adorning the lower side panel (I made them. She wouldn't let me pin them on).  Wassup with the length?  Its so... modest.  And add the leggings to that. That's her new thing. Its so she doesn't have to sit like a lady. Or worry about those pesky undie sightings on the monkey bars.

I made a coordinating necklace top with the fabrics.
Which, of course, did not turn out as planned. Perhaps because I could only find vneck shirts at Old Navy. Or maybe it was because I was doing this 20 minutes before we left on Saturday. 

At least my boys don't groan when I dress them alike!

We had a very delightful Easter weekend, despite a few hiccups. Lots of egg hunts, food up to our eyeballs, too much candy (can one OD on malted milk balls?), and family, family, family.

i SPY: Around My Home

Ashley from Little Miss Momma is continuing her weekly i Spy series with Favorite Things Around Your Home.  I will be linking up with her.
So without further ado, I bring you my favorite things as interpreted by my mood on my walk through my house this afternoon.

i spy dinner {soup} already cooking on the stove on this cold, rainy afternoon.

{i hate that pot, btw}

i Spy coffee. the nectar of the gods

and another type...

{if you are a red drinker, Apothic is one of my $10ish favorites. so good}

i spy fancy(ier) soap. 

little things like this make me happy.

i spy Happy{the dawg}, chillin'

i spy my children...

...peacefully reading...

...tickling the ivories...

...and following the rules

{i spy my lone little lefty!}

i spy grand works of art on display

 

and my current state of being. 

{not a fave, but it helps me live}

 

i spy my favorite wedding photo. and my love i married 10 years ago.

i spy our old glass doorknobs and skeleton key holes

i spy leaded glass windows. so charming. but so leaky in the cold winter.

i spy my newest sewing mess. 

and part of my happy milk glass obsession.

 

i spy a sign that i have children who are growing up {typed reports done on a laptop. that they know how to hook up to the printer. ack.}, but then again, children who are still young enough who adore an annoying as all get-out singing easter bunny from their great grandma.

i spy a reminder of a time when my babies were still babies.

sigh.

and finally...

i spy a stack of old, original Nancy Drew mysteries. 

my mom read these. my aunt did, too. as did i...many, many times.

and hopefully, someday my daughter will, too.

 

i spy a home that's lived in and loved in.

What about you? 

EPIC MAKEOVER!!!!!

  That's right, gurl.Because no one needs it like I do, that's fo shiz. Why?This is my bedroom. Its a constant work in progress, but its never a haven like it should be.  

We bought this furniture when we were first married. It is too big for this room and its too matchy-matchy. Our bedroom is a teeny tiny box...the sacrifice we make in order to have the kids on the 2nd floor together.  We want to get rid of the furniture, we need some kind of floor covering for the HWFs to warm it up (something we've never had). We need the walls painted.  Oh, and we have no closet doors. Did ya notice that? Yeah. We're ready for a big overhaul. The only thing I want to keep is my Dwell Studio comforter I just bought. Why you, Mandi?Because you're friggin' awesome.Starting with those anthro acid mirrors, to the tree that can be decorated {love that!}, to the fact that you sewed a rug. And HELLO! You were on NATE BERKUS!  I have that red desk you have. But mine's not red. Mine's a boring black. You have the imagination that I lack.  I can only copy other people and lack the vision it takes to put other's awesome finished products together.
We have some cool pieces throughout our house that I think, combined with thrifting, you could make something awesome from (given what I've seen you do).Because I am done. done. done. with having a bedroom that looks like crap!So, YO! YO!Come to my house and give me an epic makeover!{please?}Besides, when else will you get a chance to go to Wisconsin? And blog readers...I need your help! When the polls open on April 30th, I will need you to vote for me. Please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?