Missing In Action... But More Posts Ahead

Hello! It's been a few weeks again since we've talked. It seems as though life has been getting in the way of blogging. But today I do have some exciting news to share with you. 

First and foremost, remember my nephew, Jayven. Before he was born the doctors discovered he had a disorder called Trisomy 4p. I mentioned on the blog that they didn't expect him to live long past birth, if he made it past delivery at all. During delivery there was one doctor per organ in the delivery room, what a scene that was! Then he was born with a plethora of complications, one which required a tracheotomy. Once again the doctors said that he would not survive the surgery. Well, delivery has come and gone, the tracheotomy has come and gone and Jayven is still proving to be a little fighter... (let me tell ya, it runs in the family)! Jayven is now 5 weeks old and the doctors are amazed! 

Last weekend I spent four days in his neck of the woods and was able to hold him for the first time. He's so tiny (6.2 lbs) he was full term, but everything about him is as if he were premature. During my visits I discovered I have quite the knack for putting him to sleep. (Here I'm sending him subliminal messages that I'm his favorite great aunt. I had to emphasis "great" because his aunt (mommy's sister) was sitting within sticking distance. LOL) Also, the blue tube is to keep the trachea area moist. Oh and yes he has me wrap around his tiny finger.

Now on to other exciting new... Its looking like we are going to be moving! To a whole new city too! More details and preparing to move posts ahead!

Cheap Organizing Tool

Most of us already have this tool in our kitchen, but have we used it to organize??? The tool I'm talking about is, a metal can. It could be a coffee can, soup can, paint can... really any can will do.

(Click images for sources)

Since I wanted hang mine like the picture above, I simply put a hole in the can and hung it on a hook. If you don't have a drill, use a nail and hammer like I did to make the hole. (I do have a drill but it was in the detached garage and I was being lazy.)

  

Cover with decorative paper and that's all folks.

Makes you look at all those cans in a different way, right?!?

The $25 Organizing Challenge

How far in the world of organizing can $25 get you??? Well I guess that depends on the amount of time you are willing to invest. If you just want to pop into your local Container Store, than probably not very far. That’s not to say I don’t love Container Store because believe me I do, its just that if you want your dollar to stretch, sometimes you have to do a little bit of the work.

I received a challenge to come up with a crazy-cool organizing idea/project that could be completed for less than $25. I instantly thought of a pair of shutters that I’ve had collecting dust in the garage since last summer, I knew one day I would use them on a cabinet. Well , the day had come and my plan was to build a craft/painting tool cabinet.

The first part of my mission was to locate some pegboard… check. The Home Depot cut a 8’x4’ sheet in half for me, since I only needed a sheet that was 37”x29”.  Cost for half a sheet $8.50.

Then I went to my local lumbar shop and asked for some scrap plywood for the cabinet box, which they cut to size for me for $5.

And finally at the hardware store I bought 3 packs of pegboard hooks for $6. Leaving me with a total of $19.50 spent! Now all I had to do was assembly everything.  Super easy!

1. Assemble the cabinet box using wood screws. (Tip: Make sure that each of the corners are square or else the doors will not be flush. And use screws, instead of nails, they can take more weight when the cabinet is loaded.)

2. Lay the pegboard on top of the cabinet box and mark with a pencil where to cut.

3. Cut the pegboard just outside the line you marked, since it will shred as you cut.

4. Attach pegboard to cabinet box.

5. Admire the progress!!!!

6. Paint the cabinet box before attaching the doors.

7. Attach the doors and hold your breath and pray they shut properly…

8. Thank the Lord they shut properly!

9. Now have fun loading it up!!!

10. Admire the creation that cost you a total of $19.50 and go spend the extra $5.50 on more supplies!

I'm linking up here:

 

Therapy In The Garden

It's been a while since I've posted, my enthusiasm, motivation, or whatever you want to call it took a self-imposed break without any forewarning. I just have not had it in me to work on, organize, or paint anything. I think my body just need some time to digest everything that has happened and all my energy was being used to cope with day to day life, without losing my sanity. 

During that time the hubster and I spent a lot of time in the yard. It's amazing how therapeutic gardening can be, even if its just pulling weeds, I did plant some new flowers though. It gave me time to be with my thoughts, release some pent-up emotions (cry) and talk to God. (Sigh) What a relief it was.

Given all the time spent in the yard, I did take a few photos. Some I want to share with you are, my Irises. But first I just have to show you the state of the irises when we first looked at the house. Really, the entire house was suffering from a serious case of neglect. The bunch of half-dead looking leaves (aka irises), are a testimony to that fact. Sad I tell ya, just sad.

We moved in, in November and the following spring I transplanted them. That was a year ago. This year I was excited to buds everywhere.

And then a week later the buds were even taller!

And finally...

 Believe or not this entire "L" of irises are only the ones from the original photo. I think after they're finishing blooming it time to divide them.

Someone asked if when I planted them I knew what colors they were because the colors are almost perfectly spaced... I had no clue what colors they were. Lets call it serendipity.

Here's a flower for you! Thank you for the sweet comments and emails during my absence.