Turquoise Refinished Buffet

So...This week has been insane at Casa de Hannah. If you would have told me Saturday would be filled with painting, sanding, painting, and clean up I would have told you that you were insane.

BUT! With the kiddo gone and me awake at 7:30 I got the courage to re-do my $20 Garage Sale Buffet that I've had for 3 years now. It was a distressed yellow color, which in any other kitchen I've had has been perfect. But my new kitchen is white and brown with a yellow stove and yellow fridge. Too much yellow for this chick....so Turquoise it was!!

It was cool and rainy today so this got to be a porch project which turned out great. So this was the BEFORE pic. (pretty sweet buffet right?)

When I first thought about this project I asked if it had to be sanded...the answer was yes. I envisioned myself using a little square of sandpaper and giving up halfway through because it was too much work. BUT thanks to one of my great friends I was able to use their electric sander. POWER TOOLS + Hannah = A Possible ER Trip

Thankfully no Hannah was harmed in the making of this project. Haha.

So since I was up at the butt crack of dawn I took myself to ACE Hardware to get my supplies. Knowing I just needed paint and paint brushes...how hard could that trip be right? Wrong! ACE Hardware is not a place for chicks to go alone. There's too much nonsense in that place. 3/4 of which I have no clue what it does. So I spent about 15 minutes looking for paint colors. Who knew there would be SO many options for the turquoise I was looking for. I settled on "Go My Own Way" Turquoise. Love the color & the name! I also bought some gel stain which frankly scared me to use, but it turned out pretty good. Got some paint brushes and a sponge brush and headed home.

       

So I Sanded and Sanded and Sanded....

Finally it was all sanded down and a whiteish color. Which was pretty cool but not what I wanted. So then it was time for PAINT!!!

 I thought "Go Your Own Way" Was a quite fitting color :)

I then stained the parts of the cabinet I wanted. Sorry I didn't have pics of the application. I ended up getting stain ALL over my hands and was trying to work quickly. But the gel stain was interesting to work with and made a neat effect once I figured out how to deal with it. I used a variety of tools to work with all the detailing. A smaller paint brush, rubbing alcohol, Q-Tips, Make Up Sponges, and a dry wash cloth. I ended up doing a design and then painting back over it because I didn't like it. I also bought some new hardware for the drawers because the old ones were gold and outdated.

 Ta-Da! This is the finished project!! It was alot of fun and I felt pretty proud of myself for doing it all myself, minus having help to carry it outside.

Also found an odd way to get rid of a yucky problem. As I said before I got stain ALL over my hands and hot soapy water wasn't touching it. So I chicken pecked my way to Google and looked up how to get the stain off my hands. Vegetable Oil! It worked like a charm and all the stain came right off and out from under my fingernails. Then I used some dish soap to get the oil off. It also helped moisturize my hands after messing with the rubbing alcohol and stain.

Top 5 Reasons to Say NO

#1. If you have a neck tattoo or anything above

#2. If you are wearing an Monitoring Bracelet on your ankle...with shorts & a Hawaiian shirt

#3. If you are wearing a wedding ring and hitting on me

#4. If I turn down a free drink - after you have tried the "sister pick up line" with my friend and I - do not sit at my table, do not get in bubble, and do not creep stare at me all night - "We Buy Our Own Drinks!!"

#5. If your last girlfriend - who could be at this establishment or not - had any of the following: Homemade Tat, Baby Girl Tee and/or Sweatpants with words on the butt. No Way.



"Hey I just met you and this is crazy, but I'm on Bath Salts and your face looks tasteeee" Quote of the Night.

Summertime

Ahh...Summertime is closing to an end. I work at a college and enrollment is under full swing and school is just around the corner. Where has the time gone? Not really for sure but will be happy when this 110 degree heat gets out of here! Ugh!

So here is a quick photo recap of my summer:


Helped my BFF get her daughter thru Graduation


Went Swimming with my Babe (stripes are in season!)

Rocked a Sassy Headband for the 4th

 Had some fun and awesome nights out on the town

Giant Slip N Slide..it was EPIC!

 Went to Frontier City

All this on top of working full time and taking one online class. But I had a blast and passed my class with a B+. :) Bring on Fall!

DIY Laundry Soap & Fabric Softener

What's that you say? Milk and Store bought fabric softener? Wrong! Lol.

That is my new HOMEMADE laundry soap & fabric softener (in a milk jug and store bought fabric softener container)

The most important part of this lesson is how cheap it is!! It was cheap, fun, & relatively easy. Here is how to do it:

Gather Your Ingredients:

1 Box of Borax
1 Box of Arm & Hammer Super Washing Soda (found both next to each other in the laundry isle)
1 Bar of Fels Naptha
Essential Oil Drops for Smell. Completely Optional. I used a small bit on a half gallon to be sure I would like it.

Large Pot (like a soup pot or something)
Funnel
Empty Milk or Juice Jugs


Laundry Soap:

Fabric Softener:
1 Smallish Bottle of White Vinegar (you will use 3 cups)
1 Large Bottle Suave Conditioner (in your choice of scent. I used Lavender)
6 Cups Boiling Water

Over all I spent about $15 including the Oil Drops I found at our local drug store. The rest of the items I found at Wal Mart. This made enough to fill 3 1/2 Gallon Milk Jugs and Two Jugs of Fabric Softener. Not too shabby!

Here's how its done kids:

1. Grate the Fels Naptha Bar using a cheese grater or one of those fancy silver shredders that my grandma uses for potatoes. Not sure the name but they are amazing and SO fast.

2. Heat 4 cups of hot water on the stove and mix half of the shreddings into the pot until it is all completely melted on medium-high heat. It will foam a little but keep continuously stirring it and be sure ALL the flakes are melted.

3. Add 1 cup of the Arm & Hammer Washing Soda and 1 cup of Borax, I found it easier to add 1/2 cup at a time and stir, then add the next and stir. Be sure it is all completely dissolved.

4. Then fill pot to the top with water. In the pan I used it took almost a gallon of water to add in here. There will be a little of the soapy stuff on top so you can stir it in if you want but it all ends up mixing together and will be safe on your clothes. If you dislike this, reheat it until it melts the top portion.

5. Grab your filter and empty jugs and fill 1/2 full of the soap mixture and 1/2 full of water and give a good shakin! This is where you would add the oils into the jugs. Start off with a few drops and if you feel it needs more then add it to it, so the smell is not too overwhelming.

Then feel free to wash away!! This uses 1/2 less than what you would use with normal laundry soap because its concentrated.


For the Fabric Softener:

Mix 2 cups of the Suave Conditioner of your choice and 6 cups of hot water in a medium sized pot. Mix until conditioner is completely dissolved in the water. Add 3 cups of white vinegar to the mixture and stir.

Let cool a little, use your funnel and pour in your container of choice. Use 2Tablespoons or half of what you normally would and wash wash wash away!!

Feel free to decorate your bottles or at least label them to keep older children or husbands out of them. I didn't feel the need to decorate since they stay in my laundry room where no one goes anyways. Lol.

This was a super fun & easy project. Thanks to the help of my LOVELY sitter who has done this already and is a Pro!

Top 10 Reasons I Don't Date

Well...I asked for boys to date and that's what I got. It was a complete disaster so I'm back on my own. After you read this list you will understand why.

Sexting on day #2 of getting to know you. Really guy? If you wanted some booty call an escort service, not me!

"Friending" me on Facebook and chatting me up, when your FB clearly says IN A RELATIONSHIP. You ain't slick and trust and believe I will creep your Facebook!

Corny Pick Up Lines: "You are like an abstract painting, even though I might not understand you, I love to look at your beauty", "The fireworks don't compare to the sparkle in your eyes when you smile"

Being Married. Period. This needs no more explanation. Lol

Telling me all about your midevil TV Show you watch for 20 minutes non stop. Seriously if I am falling asleep while you are talking, its time to shut up.

After I tell you that I love the Harry Potter Movies but just can't get into the book, please don't ask me if I'm stupid because I didn't read them. I am very intelligent, thank you, I know that I can read them, just don't have the time to read them.

While sitting on the couch and I've clearly moved your hand off of me several times, and moved away from you kissing me, do not think its sexy to stick your whole tongue in my ear as a way of attraction. That's just nasty. I had to dry out my ear and move to another couch!!

Online Dating: Seriously, your profile picture was taken in the bathroom stall. Rejected.

Not having the guts to even ask me out on a date and inviting yourself over to my house to "just talk" yeah...right. You ain't slick.

Not having a job, vehicle, or ways to provide for your date. Old times men picked the woman up and paid for dinner. Not the case now I guess.



Wanted: A REAL Man to take me on a REAL date and expect nothing in return except good conversation and a thank you. Pretty simple to me.

June

So I will have some Photo Blogging to do once I take a few more photo's but here is what Sassy's month has consisted of:

Crafting - DIY T-Shirt Scarves/Necklaces
Homework - no need for a blog on that. lol
Yard Sales - having my own, twice
Music - all sorts of new and different types
A GIANT Slip N Slide - need I say more?
A weekend of Scrapbooking & my first facial :)
Funny Quotes

OH! And the best low fat dip I have ever eaten in my entire life...EVER!

So stay tuned and I will have you all updated and educated in no time.

Adele E-Card

This just cracks me up. I really haven't stopped laughing about this all month. It should be a bumper sticker for real!

Aahhh!!

HOLY COW!! Its June 26th!

Where has this month gone? I feel like its been a tornado of events and mass chaos.

Then today BAM the heat kicks in, bye bye 90* weather, hello 109 for the high. UGH.

Time to get ya'll updated on what's been happening this month with Sassy.

Wal Mart Baskets

Wal Mart: that's entire post in itself, but I'll get to that later. Baskets, buggies, grocery getters, or whatever else you call them can usually be found scattered throughout the parking lot, over flowing from the cart returns, or smack dab in the middle of the isle when you need to get by someone. The last place you would think of a cart being is on top of your child....

Today we made a quick Wal Mart trip to get a few things that are cheaper there than at Dillons. Make up, cleaning stuff, body wash, you know the essentials. I am the mother of a three year old and at three their listening skills are.....awful.  You have to tell them something about 20 times and by the time you are yelling at them to listen they look at you like a crazy person and I get the usual repsonse "okay okay mommy". But we made it through out quick trip with no tantrums or upsets. She got her new Dora Cherry Berry body wash and a new ball (from the result of a Claw Machine incident (see next blog)) and she was peachy keen.

At the check out which is usually a prime place for a child tantrum and a mommy freak out which is where my story ends up. I found a short line right on the end by the door and quickly jumped in line so we're waiting and observing as the lady in front of me was rather frustrated at the cashier for not listening to anything she said "oh that doesn't need a bag" (wal mart lady) "oh here let me just bag that up for you" "no no that's okay" as the WM Lady bags it up and she gives her an eye roll. So then its our turn, I'm trying to get everything up there while telling my daughter ten times not to bounce the ball and put it in the cart. Then she's standing on the side of buggee to which I tell her another ten times to get off of. Then all heck breaks loose...

In fast but slow motion the cart falls over on top of her spilling my purse and the contents of the buggee and landing on top of my child! Honestly my first reaction was "you should have listened" but then mommy panic mode and threw the basket off of her Hulk Style grabbed her up as she's screaming and made sure she wasn't broken or bleeding. To which, Thank God, she wasn't. Just a few little bruises on her legs from where the cart landed on her. Which was to be expected.

Thought about suing Wal Mart for damages so I could sit at home and eat Bon Bons all day, kinda like the lady who sued McD's for the coffee being hot. But decided against it. Haha. So we got our groceries and headed home.

Oh the joys of being a mother to a three year old and I think another gray hair just popped up. Lol

Summer Nights

So its June 1st....JUNE! Does anyone else feel like this year has FLOWN by?! I do. Anyways today marks the last Friday and free weekend before my College Summer classes start on Monday. And the first of 8 Fridays where I am off at 12 instead of 5 from my job! Summer schedule is awesome!

Today was unusually *COLD* for this time of year. Yesterday a cold front moved through, so much that I busted out a jacket and long pants for my walk last night and wore a jacket to work. It was cold rainy and around 60 today.

So after an afternoon of running errands and catching up on Law & Order SVU my daughter and I ventured outside to sit on my newly refurbished chairs. I sat and read my book Crazy Love by Francis Chan and she rode her bike and "slayed dragons" in the front yard. I was bundled up in my sweatshirt and flip flops and my flannel blanket as she was complaining she was "hot" in her light jacket.

Perfect Summer Night.

Darn You Starbucks

OH Starbucks

Starbucks...what is that anyways? I've never known of a star to buck but I'm not a astronomer. I think its french for expensive, addicting, make you fat, delicious-ness

They've had me hooked for a while now. But I am glad that we don't have one in our small town, because if so the line would be 2 miles long and I would be broke. The closest one is about an hour from here, making it a special treat when we head to the "big city".

They now have THREE items that my grocery store carries that if you haven't tried out, you should. Just at your own risk...you have been warned.

Their #1 and one of my favorite new summer drinks is their Refreshers. According to the 12oz can it has "natural energy from green coffee extract" coffee and energy and natural. SOLD! Thankfully I had a FREE coupon for it so I got to try it for free, Wal Mart's price was $1.99. I tried the Strawberry Lemonade but they had an Orangey something or other as well

Number 2 Summer Favorite was an accidental discovery on a late night grocery store trip. Of course it was hot and I wanted ice cream after moving a bed across town. So I ventured to the store to see what my options were. I really wanted a Sonic Oreo Blast but didn't want to drive back across town to pay $3 for some ice cream I could only eat once. I was looking at the smaller sized ice creams, the traditional flavors, vanilla, chocolate, yaddy yaddy yaddy....then right there in the middle door was a glorious little white bucket with that famous weird green lady on it! STARBUCKS ICE CREAM!!!!

Of course they were having a sale if you bought two so I picked up the Caramel Macchiato and the Mocha Cookie Crumble Frappucino. They are both SO yummy!!

What the Insides Look like!! *I am not responsible

for your cravings during this post*

Adding one more box X: HOOKED!

My last Starbucks Addiction is their Cold Frappucino's. I love coffee but once July hits I am going to be so darn hot I can't stand it so HOT beverages probably won't be on my list to drink. I've tired all their flavors: Mocha, Dark Mocha, Vanilla, and now they have a low fat, low sugar, low cal version of the Mocha. I picked it up on accident because I had a $2 off 2 coupon and ended up loving it!! Only 100 calories per bottle.

Thanks Starbucks...just shut up and take my money.

DIY Wreath - Somewhat Fail

DIY Wreath UPDATE*********

So my first thought when I started this project was "oh crap...I hope this doesn't end up on Craft Fail" (which is a hilarious site of failed Pinterest crafts) ((and if you don't know what Pinterest is...crawl out from under your rock and be forever changed by clicking on that link!!))

HOOOKKKAAYYY...back to the story. I was so proud of my wreath! I sent it to my friends showing them what a Crafty Cathy I was, hung it on my front door and drove by my house on my lunch break just to look at it (pathetic I know!) Well of course its May in Kansas and that means its HOT already and humid. I noticed it looked a little funny the other day. Apparently the duct tape adhesive does not like the 90 degree weather we had last week because it has started to slide and cause my foam noodle to drift apart. My biggest fear was it would spring open bursting my yarn all over the place. BUT smarty pants or lazy pants me didn't like wrapping the giant thing of yard around and around, so I cut pieces and wrapped them and glued them different parts along the way. Now I'm trying to figure out a way to hold it together somehow. My guess is this is why they only use wreaths in the winter and not when its 1,000 degrees outside.

                                           Eeekk...this gives me seperation anxiety!! haha

                                          Instead of the round beautiful shape it was it now
                                          looks like a toilet seat!

The Departed (i've got bad jokes i know)

Repurposing Chairs

Re-Purposing Some Old Chairs

My front porch was looking a little, well boring. I had two chairs that were given to me that were all brown and a BIG front porch that needs some Sassing up. So a trip to Wally World and a can of spray paint later we have some SASS!!

Told you...BORING!!

I covered the seat with a plastic grocery sack and taped it with some duct tape.

Then began the spray paint. I also went over it a bit with a paint brush very quickly after the paint hit to give it some character.

** I will add here that my little girl was NOT happy that I spray painted the grass. She is 3 and says "what are you doing?! You painted the grass! MOMMY! You painted the GRASS!" I assured her the next time my neighbor boy mowed you wouldn't be able to tell! Haha.

DIY Wrap Wreath

My First Blog/Craft Project

DIY Wrap Wreath

All the blogs I've checked out so far just list Fall/Winter Wreath's....well I think Summertime is a PERFECT time to Sass up that front door. So I spent my Memorial Day working on this craft project.




First: Its very difficult to find wreath "molds" in our small town in May but it is easy and CHEAP to find Fun Noodles. I picked this one up at the Dollar Store for $1. You will also need a knife or scissors and some duct tape.

You have to slightly cut the end off to get the perfect O shape, then wrap the duct tape around a few times to be sure it holds. I envisioned not getting enough and it bursting apart mid craft and me getting very upset. But it didnt.

Gather your supplies, these I picked up at Wal-Mart: yarn, hot glue gun & sticks, wreath hanger, decorative ribbon, and two pretty pink flowers.

Make sure your hot glue gun is on and ready to go! Of course I keep it classy with a paper plate underneath to save my table from that sticky mess.

Apply a small amount of glue and stick the yarn to it, BE CAREFUL!! I burned the heck out of my finger. And then the glue got all stringy like it does! But burnt finger aside...I began wrapping, and wrapping, and wrapping...........

Half Way done...

At this point I decided to stop for a taco...because I was hungry and taco's make me happy. Hello Happy Taco :)

Mmmm...Full Tummy and I Kept on Wrapping. Until it was finished!!

For some reason where the duct tape was it decided to get an odd shape, but since I am adding decorations it worked out great.

I used some ribbon called Calypso (makes me think of Pirates of the Carribbean like Caaaaallllyyyyppppssssoooo). And inserted some flowers. The easiest way to do that was to use my scissors and cut a small hole, apply hot glue to the end of the flower, and push the flower down in there.

And Voila!! My Finished Project!! A great addition to my plain front door!