Inspiration Day

Because sometimes, you just need some inspiration....

I do believe that most of these (if not all) came from Funky Junk Interiors. I should have saved that info, but I had planned on keeping them in my inspiration folder on my desktop. I never planned to share them. So, just to reiterate: THESE ARE NOT MY PICTURES. But I wish they were. So beautiful, lovely, calming, and they make me covet.  I think my favorite is the recipe cards. I am gonna find out how to make your own, because I don't think that I would hang up Grandma's recipes for the sun to damage, or get oil splattered on.
P.s. How do you like the new A Little Something, Too look? Much more my style. One day when I get a .com address, it will be even better. It's all planned in my head. It will happen one day, if I can convince my husband to work on it, that is!

Aunt Clara?

Do you remember Aunt Clara? You know, the really cool aunt from Bewitched who collected doorknobs? I kinda feel like her while I have been working on this project, haha! I love her character. So hilarious! (Yes, I do know what Bewitched is, just because I am 23 doesn't mean I don't know about the best show from the 1960's!)

Anyway, onto the actual post... This one has been in my "to-do" file for over a year. I am a procrastinator, I didn't want to have to take off the doorknobs, because let's face it, it's kind of a pain in the patootie. Well, I am here to tell you from experience, it really wasn't that bad at all. It's actually VERY easy, and quick {and CHEAP!}. 

Okay so I forgot to do a before picture, but you can kind of get the idea, right?

So, after you use this sandpaper on your removed-
from-the-door doorknob you'll end up with...

This! I don't know what the people
who lived here before us did, but
I would just like to know how they
put so many dents in a doorknob!

Take off the... what are these called anyway? I'll just
call them knob plates. So take them off, and sand them
just like you did on the door knobs.

And you'll end up with something like this.

Wipe down the knobs and plate
things with a paper towel, I used
a dry one, but wet would work too.
Anyway, you have to get off all
of the dust before they can be
painted. Woo hoo! Hard part
is now done!

You'll want to put the side with the
poles into some foam so you can
still get every angle with out putting
finer prints in the paint.
I just used flower foam (because it's
waaay cheaper).

Do the same with all of the screws.

Then... paint away! I used the Valspar Metallic Fast
Drying spray paint in silver.

While you're outside painting, and thinking of how beautiful your "new" doorknobs are going to be, don't forget to put the floral foam out of the reach of children, or this might happen.

My whole couch looked like this.

And he kinda looked like the Hulk,
except not muscly or huge.

After you let them dry, (and vacuum up all of the green
foam...) you'll end up with this beauty! A like-new,
beautifully painted doorknob.

 Can I just say how much I love my new knobs now? I seriously could not stand that brass look anymore. The brass just stared at me every time I used the doors, but now I just love them. Love them.


Report card:
Spray painted doorknobs (scale from 1-10; 1 being lowest, 10 highest)
How easy was this? 8.5 VERY easy
Was this a cheap project? 8- pretty cheap, I just paid $3 for the sand paper (I only used 1 sheet too!) and about $5-6 for the paint
Is it worth the time/energy/money? 10+++ I would even recommend if you are buying a new house to buy used knobs and paint them to save money.


Anyway, thank you so much for checking out my post, and I hope you found it as insightful and useful as I think it is. Loves!
Erin


Linking to:
Beyond the Picket Fence's Under $100
Whatever You Want Wednesday 
My Romantic Home 
Flaunt it Fridays 
Under $10 Tuesday 
Coastal Charm 
Wow Us Wednesday 
Home Stories A to Z

Why I've been MIA

Hey everyone! I am truly sorry that I have been absent for a month (give or take). I promise I have a good reason but I'll get to that in a bit. I will be posting some really cool stuff in the coming days and weeks, so please don't get frustrated with me, and think that I abandoned you. 
You may recall that I went on a cruise a few weeks ago. Well, when I got home, you know you have way more laundry than you expected, the house is a total mess, even though you left it spotless. And how in the world can there be that many dishes in the sink? After the cruise-aftermath got cleaned up, I got some wonderful news. I am pregnant! We have been trying for 6 months, {which I know isn't long, but we have been wanting to get pregnant for about a year before that, but we had a few things that needed to be fixed before- I have depression, and I had to get those hormones fixed before I could add baby hormones to the mix}. So, here I am just as happy as could be, running around trying to figure out things like, where would we put the new baby? Is it a boy or a girl? If it's a girl, that means I'll have to clean out my craft room... That may be a problem. How will we be able to afford this baby? What if something went wrong? Etc etc etc. All kinds of things go through your mind when your family is going to get bigger.
All the while, I was thinking to myself, I have to get back to my blog, and just relax and de-stress with some crafting/homemaking and whatever else I post. Then, 4 days ago, I started spotting. Nothing to worry about, my friends said it happened to them, and everything turned out fine. I called the doctor and they wanted me to come in just for a routine check, to make sure that everything really is fine.
I met my husband at the dr's office, he just got done with his first job, and we were excited to get the first look at our new baby (2 weeks earlier than we thought!). When we got back to the exam room, and the dr. started the ultra sound. I looked at his face, he looked worried, and concerned. Then, he pointed to line and said, "This is where we look for the baby. I don't see a baby there. I am going to try to see if there is a tubal pregnancy {aka ectopic pregnancy}." He couldn't find any definite sign of a tubal pregnancy, so he said I had to go to the hospital to get blood work, and another ultrasound. Then he left us in the exam room. I started to get dressed, my husband said, "Are you okay?" And then I lost it. We weren't going to have a baby after all. The baby was gone, or it is where it shouldn't be, and I'd have to lose the baby anyway. My husband had to go to his other job on an emergency, so I went to the hospital with my 2 year old. Trying to hold it together, and being brave is a hard thing to do by yourself. So, they did the first round of blood work, and said they couldn't do the ultrasound until later that day. So, back to my house I went (which is a half hour away). That drive home was the hardest drive ever. I felt such sadness, but yet a very peaceful feeling as well.
The ultrasound at the hospital came back inconclusive as to whether I had an ectopic pregnancy or not, so I would have to come back to the hospital in two days to get the second half of my blood work done. 
The day before I was getting the blood work done, was a seriously hard day. I don't think I have cried harder in my life. I was aching for the child we lost. I kept thinking to myself, I will never be able to hold this child, hear it's laugh or cry, see if it would have brown or blue eyes, or if it's hair would be as red as my son's. My only consolation is my faith, the belief that I will be able to have an answer to all of these questions, and many, many more in the next life, Heaven. 
When I got the results of my blood work, I had lost 800 points of hCG, the hormone that the baby puts out. That means I did indeed lose the pregnancy, but they asked me to come in for another ultrasound. This time to see if there was still tissue, or if there were better clues as to where the pregnancy was. This one also came back inconclusive. Very frustrating to say the least. But, as I said before I felt peace, along with sadness, feeling of intense loss, and some guilt. 
I know that I will be able to see my child again one day, though not on this Earth. I know that my Heavenly Father is there, that He listens to my prayers, and answers them. I know that one day, I'll have answers as to why this happened. I know for now, I will have to content myself with knowing that this child just needed to have a body for a short time, and that it was a very choice soul, who was needed in Heaven to help spread the Gospel to people who have gone on before. I know that is why I have felt such peace, because my child is doing what our Heavenly Father wanted it to do. I will never forget my child, I will think of it daily. I will mourn the loss of it, and pray for it multiple times during the day, and be thankful for the wonderful son that we have with us here on Earth. 
To my child in Heaven: Mommy, Daddy and your brother miss you deeply, I am so sad that we won't be able to meet for a time, but I know you are where you should be. I can't wait for the day where I can hold you in my arms, and talk with you, and get to know you, not just as my child, but as a child of God. I love you, with all my heart, and I will never forget you. You'll forever be in my heart, and be a part of our lives. We love you! Until we meet, in Heaven!
Love, Mommy, Daddy, and Jude