Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Box Bed Tutorial


This is a super easy way to make your child a bed. And it's cheap for those of you on a budget. Sorry I don't have any pictures, but use your imagination and visualize. For those of you who are budding photographers and I know there is alot of you out there, the visualization shouldn't be too hard. For the rest of you, maybe your crafty friend will make one and invite you over to see it.

First get your self about three banana boxes, with the lids, this is a must. If you need the bed for a larger child or an adult you may need more boxes.
It is best if the bed is set up against the wall. Now fill the boxes with anything that needs to be stored, blankets are good, clothes, pillows, stuffed animals, toilet paper. Anything like that. I would discourage Christmas ornaments, glass jars, knitting needles, your sword collection, things that might break.
After you fill them, line them up against the wall and top with more folded up blankets and a pillow. Ta DA!!! You have just saved the environment by not buying a new bed, recycled some boxes that will not end up in a land fill some where in the ocean, and found some where new to store stuff.
As a child I don't remember them being uncomfortable, but I could also sleep on the floor and on the seat of a car with my knees on the ground back then,so I may not be the best judge of comfort.
For those of you wanting a more personalized look, get out your spray paint, burlap or what ever and cover the boxes. Then you won't need a bed skirt or a long sheet that hangs over. Just think of the possibilities. This would be especially good for teenagers, you know how their style can change over night, well now their beds can change over night to.
I would love to see any pictures of your finished product and good luck:)

I was thrifty, when thrifty wasn't coooool.

It's so funny how being thrifty and making clothes and soap and wipes, reusing things.... that is so popular now. This was just the way I grew up. You have all these domestic divas- Martha Stewart, Rachel Ray, Paula Deen and then all the blogs out there on how to be thrifty and "did you know that you can reuse a toilet plunger handle, spray paint it and it makes the best towel hanger?" Good for them, seriously thats great.
I must say we would have been the hippest family on the block and my mom would have been the Queen of the thrify blogging world. Ever hear of box beds? We had them, did you? Probably not. Only the super elite used them. Now I know there are many uses for banana boxes, just ask Grampie, and some of you out there probably now a million ways to reuse them. But instead of using them to display clothing at Bernie's, we had box beds. I will post a tutorial on them in my next post, so stay tuned.
Or how about Mother Goose popcorn, the ultimate afterschool snack. Mom had a bottle of red food coloring, and when I say bottle, I mean it was atleast 32 oz. And according to her she got it from Grampie, need I say more. Nothing better than candied popcorn, tinted red. My kids love it, maybe if they had it everyday afterschool for 3 yrs they would have a different opinion. Don't get me wrong, it's good everyonce in awhile, like once every two years.
Who can forget Knox Blocks- they were such a family fav we almost served them at Anthony's wedding dinner. Seriously!!
The ultimate diy project was turning the back porch into an extra room. Again with Grampies help. It had its own back door and window a/c unit, and the best front door. The copper doors!!
Or how about having sewing lessons every summer, I get angry just thinking about sewing. But I did it and even made an outfit or two. And yes I did wear them, my senior year- I cared about nothing and my first pregnancy. I would much rather cut out the pattern and then have mom sew it, or better yet let her have ALL the fun.
A word on thrift stores, I see all these stories of people who can't believe what they found at Goodwill, Savers or whatever. Well believe it sister, and who knew they've been there forever. Take a peek in my closet. or my sisters or my moms or my sister in laws .....
I guess my ranting on and on is just to say WHO NEW WE WERE COOL ALL ALONG ( well I did I just didn't want to say anything)

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Relationship cunumdrum???sp???

So I've been thinking lately, I know a shocker. Have you ever had a relationship, where you can't remember a time that person wasn't around? Or a time that they wern't there for you, totally not judging, just being there for you? And then one day you just don't need them anymore. That's not mean, cuz I mean thats the only reason they hung around in the first place was for you. But even thought you don't need them you still have phantom pains for them.
Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.... No I am not Julie Andrews.
I believe my oldest sister introduced us, really he was her friend to start with. I was around13 or 14 and idolized her. Well if she liked him, he must be okay, and from there we met every now and again.
I don't think it was a full blown love affair until I was around 18. Then he was with me when ever I had a hard time or was just bored. I turned to him after the infamous "new years eve incident of 1993", then again when I was pregnant with my first. This time he instead of the original with a twist, he was a little spicy. I think I tried to stay away with child number two, maybe it worked. I think in 2000 I turned to him pretty heavy, probably three times a day(thats being conservative)
After that I don't think you saw me without him. While together he went thru many phases, just plain, spicy, twist of this and that and finally settled on a twist of that. Of course thru my divorce and then there he was again with child number three and four. Actually I was beginning not to need him at the beginning of number four, but then I was mesmerized with him again and we took up where we left off.
After number four was born I started to feel like I didn't need him anymore and so we were thru. It wasn't like he did anything or I got mad, I just didn't want him anymore? Is that weird?
It's almost been a year now with out him, after 20 years of togetherness you'd think I would be sad or something. But really I don't crave him like before, the only thing I have are phantom pains for that cup full of diet coke with lime:)!!!!!

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

I forgot the disclaimer

Okay, so I am not a photographer, I know shock, who isn't these days. I only have a point and shoot, and that is how my pics will be taken. However, if you happen to see an amazing photo on my blog, like the one of my cowboy and me it was taken by one of my two amazing sisters who ARE photographers. Usually they will have there name on them, but on the off chance I post one of their earlier photos that doesn't, just know it them. Go check them out. http://www.wendyshepherd.blogspot.com
http://www.chealambphotography.blogspot.com