From Drab to Fab: the 20 Minute Art Project

This weekend was great.

We were home.

We cleaned the garage.

And now it is no longer declared a national disaster area.

The kids can go inside to get their bikes and I don't fear for their lives.

Aaron started working on the decomposed granite patio/play area in our backyard.

I baked.

Cupcakes and this.

I (almost) caught up on laundry.

I went out to breakfast with a friend.

Aaron and I went on a date.

Vintage clothes shopping and dinner.

We had a friend over for dinner.

I weeded the flower beds.

We watched a movie. (i know we're hopelessly behind the rest of the world, but if you haven't seen this,  you should.  i found it fascinating.  if you have, what did you think?  i want to talk about it with someone)

Yes, the kids were sick.

Yes, the kids were, at times, quite cranky.

Yes, we had another night of many people being awake and coughing and crying.

And yes, it sounds like it was crazy busy.

We did a lot.

But, we were home and that felt good.

I even found time to do a 20 minute, drab to fab art project.

This is the pantry in our kitchen.

It's where I have our growing collection of photo booth strips on display.

Problem is, there was nothing much happening with those strips.

Drab.

I've been mulling over some ides.
Problem was, they all involved cutting of wood, painting of wood, building with wood, $ and time.
They were bigger projects than were really feasible right now.
I needed quick.
So, I came up with another plan.
I cut one piece of paper from my big roll of brown, builder's paper.

And made some art.

Fab.

This project cost me no $.
It took about 20 minutes.
It was fun.
And now my photo booth strips have a home worthy of their coolness.

Around the edges of the paper, I used magic markers to create the frame.
I used a ruler to make the edges kind of straight.
I wanted it to be a little bit crooked--a little bit imperfect.

Then I cut some narrow strips from the same paper and stamped the year on the strip.
For some I used the whole number, 2010, and for others I used just the last two numbers, 11.
I put the year next to each strip because it is fun to see the year next to the strip.

In the bottom corner of paper, I stamped our name, and the words "I love you".
And, of course, I put a bird on it.

The whole thing is held up with little magnets.
Remember, my cabinets are the original metal ones.
They're handy, let me tell you.


I'm happy with the way my art project turned out.
I was especially happy when Aaron saw it and said, "hey that's a cool piece of art."
I always consider him the artist of the family, so when I get an art shout out, it makes me feel pretty darn good.


The other side of the cabinet looks very empty now.
I plan on filling it up with a poster or 2.

Next weekend I'll be going to this, and picking a poster from this guy.

The hardest thing will be deciding which one, or two, I like best.

Which are your faves?

I like the bacon, eggs, coffee, and the bird to name a few.

Hey, it's Halloween today!

We have some last minute costume work to do.

Hope your Halloween is full of fun.

Love from,

Greta

Mr. Roboto: Easy Homemade Robot Costume

It's a lot of fun being married to a creative guy.

He is always amazing me with his creations.

Paintings, furniture, home remodeling projects.

Costumes.

This costume makes me laugh.

Because, it illustrates a truth about this man I that love.

My 37 year old husband is really just a 10 year old boy trapped in a man's body.

See?

Aaron's work throws a pretty big shindig for Halloween.
Aaron's come up with some good costumes in the past.
But given the insane amount of busy in our lives this past month, he had no costume as of yesterday afternoon.
Then last night he came home and made this.
Because we like the handmade costume round these parts.

Homemade with only 1 trip to the hardware store.
Supplies:
1 large cardboard box--cut holes for arms and head, spray paint gray
1 piece of dryer vent tubing--cut into appropriate length for arms and put into arm holes of box

3 plastic cups--spray paint cups gray and ends of cups red or blue, glue to front of box
Multiple pieces of cardboard cut into small squares and rectangles--spray paint cardboard pieces red or blue and glue to front of box.

1 large, plastic water bottle--cut top end off water bottle so head can be inserted in bottle

Spray paint bottom part of the bottle grey or silver.
Drill air holes along bottom of water bottle
Cover rough edge with squishy, tubing from hardware store.

Drill more air holes in top of water bottle and one hole for the antenna.
Spray paint a pencil red and a small wooden or styrofoam ball blue,
Glue ball to pencil and insert pencil in water bottle.
Use glue to secure.

Let it all dry overnight.
Put on your costume, and secure your place in history as the COOLEST DAD EVER.
Our boys were soooooooo impressed with their daddy.
They all speak the same language.

I love this boy I married.
Isn't he fun?

Happy Halloween everyone!
Hope you have a wonderful weekend.
Love from,
Greta

I'm linking up with Much Love, Illy for the big blog hop.

If you are a new reader from the blog hop, welcome!  

Please visit the buttons on the sidebar for a peek at the goods on my blog.

And if you are a regular reader, go to Illy's blog and visit some of the other blogs linked up for the party.

Have fun making new friends!

Bleh

BLEH.

That is about how I feel right now.

I can't seem to get caught up on anything.

And blogging is getting lower on the list of priorities.

At times I can manage to post 2 blogs a night.

At others, this week for example, I can hardly manage one.

Hence the lack of posts here.

I've been posting over at Lilly and the Bros.

I'm just having a hard time catching up after all the being gone.

The housework, the laundry, (Help Me Rhonda! the laundry) the school work, the runny noses, the coughing kids, the sleepless night I had last night.

I feel bleh.

But, I just saw this.

There was a photo booth at my brother's wedding.
You know how I feel about photo booths.
LOVE.
Their rad photographer was snapping away and she got so many fun shots.
They are brightening my day, let me tell you.
To see more great ones of the fam, go to Lilly and the Brothers.
To see the full set, go to Colleen's blog.  
She's the rad photographer--you'll want to browse her blog a bit while you're there.
And thanks, Colleen, for making my bleh day a lot more of a yay! day.
Love from,
Greta


PS. Can I do our wedding all over again so I can have cool things like a photo booth there?  Seriously.  I have so many great, new ideas.  It would be fun.  I'm not kidding.

I Love a Man Who Appreciates a Good Throw Pillow

While we were on vacation up north, Aaron bought this pillow.

We saw it in the best fabric store EVER one afternoon while we were in Paso Robles.

He said, "I really like this pillow.  Should we get it?"

Ummm.  Yeah.

People often tell me how lucky I am that Aaron and I have the same design sense.
That we compliment each other.
That we have the same vision.
It's true.
I am lucky.
Funny thing is, he is the one who has informed my style.
He had the vision and I caught on.
Sometimes I take it in places he might not go, but usually he likes what I come up with.
We rarely argue about how to decorate.
Anymore.

Another thing I hear often is, "I don't know what I'd do if my husband had an opinion about how to decorate the house."
I'm actually glad I don't have that problem.
I love decorating our house together.  
It's fun.
In the distant past, I didn't always trust him, and so we'd fight, and then I'd give in.
Because, ultimately, it never mattered as much to me as it did to him.
And then, oh bitter pill, he was (almost) always right.
So now, if our opinions differ, I usually say, "let's go with your idea.  You're usually right anyway."
(Feel free to comment now on how lucky Aaron is to have me)
And, to prove my point, look how good the pillow looks in my green rocker.

The man has a great sense of style.
And besides, how can I not love a man who cares about a throw pillow?
One who actually knows what a throw pillow is, for that matter.
Yep.  I'm lucky.


The pillow has also come in handy for other things.
It makes a good pillow for ring bearer practice.
See?

My little brother got married this weekend.
All 3 of the kids were in the wedding.
So this week they donned their wedding duds and practiced a bit.
The new pillow came in handy.

I can not resist a small boy in a tie.
Seriously.
The cutest thing ever.

For a few more photos from the actual wedding day, go to Lilly and the Brothers.

To find out the name of the awesome fabric store, come back tomorrow.

I plan to do some blogging now that our whirlwind month is over.

See you then!

Love from,

Greta

The Sunset Drive In

The first, and only, drive-in movie I saw was Mary Poppins.
I was little.  Maybe 5?
But I remember it well--the speakers, munching the popcorn my mom brought in a big paper bag, cuddling under the blankets, the thrill of watching those silly penguins on the big screen. (you know the penguins are the best scene in that movie)
It was so much fun.


We went to the drive-in in Oceanside.
Some of you fellow Fallbrook or North County readers might have gone there too.
The screens are still there.
So is the parking lot.
Except now it is home to a swap meet every weekend.
It bums me out every time I drive past it on my way home for a Fallbrook visit.
Why did the drive-ins die?


We see this old drive-in sign every time we drive up the 101on our yearly Central Coast vacation.

It is just south of San Louis Obisbo.
We never remember it until we are sailing past and then we say, "Oh!  The drive-in sign!  Let's get it on the way home."
And we never do.
No longer, my friends.
This time, when we were sailing past on our way back home, Aaron said, "don't you want to stop and get a picture of the drive-in sign?"
I did.  Terribly.
But there were 2 kids asleep and I didn't want to wake them, and I didn't want to ruin the momentum we had by stopping just for some pictures of a sign.
But my man is sweet and he pulled off, backtracked and explored until he found the sign.
I love that man.

But the coolest thing was when we pulled forward to get the sign from another angle and saw this:

And we peeked in and saw this:

And then I saw this:

And I kind of squealed and said, "this is SO cool."
And I might have kissed Aaron to thank him for stopping.
Or I might have just kept on taking photos.
But if I did that, he would understand.
Because he was the one who helped me fall in love with old signs in the first place.
(do you think I am a total dork, or are you with me on this?)

Isn't it a great sign?
I dream of owning an old sign like this someday.
To hang up somewhere--inside, outside--anywhere would look good.

AND, this drive-in theater is still operational.
How cool is that?

I have been wanting to take the kids to a drive-in movie for ages.

Who knows, maybe one year there will be a movie we'll actually take the kids to see, during the one week a year we're on the Central Coast.

It could happen.

I'm an optimist.

If you're headed that way, check out their Facebook page for what's playing now.

I'm glad not all the drive-ins are dead.

What do you remember about the drive-ins?

.........................................................................................................

I have so many fun things to blog about from our trip.

But the posts may be sparse again this week.

My baby brother is getting married this weekend!

And 3 of my kiddos are in the wedding.

I have a lot to get ready.

The past month has been a blur of activity.

Good stuff, all of it.

But it will be nice to settle down to a regular schedule.

And to have time to blog regularly, too.

In the meantime, check back for posts about our favorite Central Coast drives, eats and the 2 awesome, vintage treasures I found.

Love from,

Greta

Hello Friends!

You'll find me over at Heather's Life Made Lovely today.

I am so excited she asked me to be a part of her Home Made Lovely series.

Please head over there to visit and see our home as well as all the other lovely homes she's featured.

Some of you have already asked questions about paint colors and such.

If you have any more questions, leave them here and I'll answer them in the next few days.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Now go on over to that home tour!

Love from,

Greta

Road Trip Rule # 1: Always Stop for Cool Signs

We drove north this morning.

After the LA traffic, the road opens up and there are golden hills, rolling and empty.

Before long, the ocean appears.

Today the sun was out and the water was almost turquoise.

Driving the California coast was our honeymoon drive.

We've done it, or parts of it, at least 6 other times since.

I never, ever, tire of it.

Road trips are one of our favorite ways to travel.

Yes, even with 4 kids.

There are some things we like to do to make our time on the road more fun.

Maybe I'll do a full post on that later.

But for now I'll give you one of the most important rules for our road trips: 

Always Stop For Cool Signs.

Yes, even if it is on the other side of the freeway, even if you missed the exit and you have to back track, even if you are making good time, even if you're making bad time.

Even if.

Because you might never be back that way.

Or, even if you will, the sign might not be there next time.

So stop already.

Today, we saw this place.

Just south of Santa Barbara, right off the freeway, and a place we've been meaning to stop for years.
That was before the rule was instituted.
We always drove past with plans to stop on the way back, or next time.
And then we'd forget, and drive past and....
But not this time.
We stopped.
And I snapped.
And then I messed around with photo shop tonight.
Which one is your favorite?

1.

2.

3.

4.

I'm doing research so I really want to know. 
(yes, I know I need to remove those power lines--isn't photo shop amazing?--but I didn't feel like doing actual work, just playing with colors)


Then the stop got even better because right next to the bowling alley was this place.

I so regret never taking pictures when the restaurant was still there.
Do any of you have pictures of it when it was still open?
Did you eat there?
Check out this picture here.
It was so great.
At least the sign remains.
For now.
Hence the rule, people.
If we hadn't stopped this year, and next year the sign was gone, there might have been tears.
You think I joke.
Look at this awesomeness.

We spent a few minutes driving around the area of these 2 signs and found this little ghost town.
There were all sorts of abandoned, mid century buildings.
Great roof lines, colors, and what was once a bustling area, now all empty.

I'm glad we stopped before everything is gone.
What are your road trip rules?
.............................................................................................
Are you thinking it's weird that I'm blogging on vacation?
Let me tell you, to actually have the time to write at night, sitting next to a warm fire, without one chore hanging over my head, well, that's my idea of vacation!
But tomorrow night I might opt to go to bed before 10.
Who knows.  I'm on vacation.
You can see more about our trip today over at Lilly and the Brothers.
And come back on Thursday for some fun news.
See you then.
Love from,
Greta

A Ballerina Birthday Party

I love parties.

I especially love kids birthday parties.

Always have.

I started planning my own birthday parties around age 6.

I am always on the look out for creative, fun and real (you know the ones where you didn't shell out $300 for a 4 year old's bday party) birthday parties.

And because I have 4 kids, we go to a lot of birthday parties. 

I am lucky enough to get loads of inspiration from all the creative mamas and papas I know.

This party was for my niece.

She turned 3 this summer.

(i know--i am months behind.  i had a newborn--i'll be behind for a while)

Lizzy loves ballet and wanted a ballerina birthday party.

It just so happens her mommy was a real ballerina in her pre mommy days, and she was able to put together a perfect ballerina party for Lizzy.

My sister in law teaches dance classes for kids (see here website here) so she already had these adorable "bars" for the little ballerinas to use.
The "bars" are made of pvc pipe and and plumbing fittings.
They are super easy to put up and take down.
The little girls felt like real ballerinas as they practiced some ballet poses on the bar.

When they arrived, there were loads of tutus and ballet costumes hanging up for each girl to put on. (on another rack made with pvc pipe)
Lizzy has 2 sisters so they have a lot of costumes between the 3 girls.
Lilly brought some of her costumes too.
And, just in time for the party, Lilly and Lizzy were gifted with several new costumes from their aunt who owns a ballet studio.
She speaks their language.


If you don't have lots of tutus, you could ask each guest to wear their own.
Also, thrift stores and garage sales are great places to pick up ballet costumes.  Parents shell out $70 for a performance costume and you can get it for $2.
Sweet!

After each girl put on a costume, Jessica did their hair.
She put it up in a bun and then used bobby pins to secure a big, beautiful flower.
The flowers were from the dollar store.
You can't imagine how much those little girls loved having their hair done like real ballerinas.

Then the girls got to have their makeup done.
Eyeshadow, glitter for their cheeks and colored lip gloss.
Oh the excitement of it all!!
Lilly has never had makeup on so she was in 7th heaven.


As you might guess, party favors for each girl was their flower, their very won lip gloss and a few other little treats.
Perfect.


After hair and makeup, the music came on and the girls danced.
There was lots of posing too.
I think more posing than dancing, actually.

Lilly and Lizzy are 1 week apart in age.
They are a whole lot alike and people always ask if they are twins.
They practically are.
Their love for each other runs deep.
It was fun to watch them dance together.

And that was really what the rest of the party consisted of.
Dancing.
And little girls running around in tutus.
It was picture perfect.

The party ended with butterfly brownies and ice cream.
What a sweet little party for a sweet little ballerina.
Happy birthday Lizzy!

If you're interested in hosting a ballerina party of your own, check out my sister in law's site.

And the little ballerinos can come, too.  

They get to use swords.

Because all proper ballets have sword fights in them, right?

Happy weekend everyone!

Love from,

Greta