Baby it's cold outside

Ironically, I remember using this same title back on Two Nuts in a Shell when we first moved up to 29 Palms in January 2009. It was completely apt since the temperatures dropped so low it froze our shampoo that we'd left outside in the car...

Some of my favorite pins that I've saved for the holiday season have to do with classic Christmas songs.

Source: thirtyhandmadedays.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: katiespencilbox.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: domesticease.com via Amber on Pinterest

Source: overthebigmoon.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

I've done a couple mock ups (and am planning on a chalkboard project here soon to incorporate some more), but this one is currently my favorite. Forgive the iPhone pictures--our Lumix is in the process of being fixed finally! <--- Cannot tell you how excited this really makes me!

It sits on our side table in our living room. I opted to go with the charcoal grey for a few reasons: one, it's become a neutral in our house. Two, there is a whooooole lot of red going on in our living room and I needed something (anything) to tone it down a little. Three, we have a grey and white rug in the living room and I thought it would be a nice way to bring that out a little. Plus, I can use it well into January and February once the red and green Christmas decor goes back into storage.

And yes, I do already have up our tree, and a bunch of other Christmas decor. I'm a Thanksgiving Day turns into Christmas kinda girl!

Because our computer is a dinosaur and because I'm too cheap to spring for Photoshop, I whipped this up in MS Word. Super easy, super quick, and super cheap! F-R-E-E. My favorite price around the holidays! ;)

Giving thanks

I was hoping to be more productive on our bedroom curtains, but the day before Thanksgiving my grandfather wound up in the hospital with a severe case of sepsis. The doctors told us he was literally knocking on Heaven's door. There's been a lot of crying and a lot of giving thanks over the past few days, as our old Energizer Bunny pulled through.

I'm hoping to snap some pictures today of a few things I've been working on around the house though. Trying to get back into blogging as I've missed how therapeutic it can really be for the soul. 

Hope you all enjoyed time with your families this week as much as we did!

Beautiful Sundays

My Braemore fabric just arrived yesterday! Hopefully I'll have some progress or completed pictures sometime after Thanksgiving!

I have this Pinterest ritual I've been getting into each Sunday whenever possible. I take a few of the home remedy pins I've saved to my beauty and fashion board and test them out. I've discovered two so far which I love and wanted to share them here on the blog (I know I have a few readers out there according to my traffic count--hello and th♥nk you for reading!!). After all, what's the point of pinning without doing??

Source: wihousewifeconfessions.wordpress.com via Amber on Pinterest

For this first one, the "original" pin (a.k.a. the one I found) says, "Make your skin glow with an easy home remedy in 5 min. 3 TBSP baking soda, 1 TBSP water, mix together well. Apply to face in circular motion. Let sit for five minutes. Rinse off with warm water. Say hello to healthy, glowing skin! Do this once a week." I can't honestly say that I've noticed more of a "glow" but it seems to work very well as an exfoliator/tightener/my skin seems much smoother after 3 Sundays of doing this. I don't follow the mixing directions as I found if the paste is too grainy, it tends to sting my somewhat sensitive skin. Either way, I'll definitely continue to do it.  

Source: sarahlikeshair.blogspot.com via Amber on Pinterest

This second pin I'm totally in love with! Recently when I saw my stylist (Thursday), she commented on how amazing my hair felt (and I'm a natural chestnut brunette living life as a blonde, so my hair is definitely friends with chemicals)! She couldn't believe when I told her what I'd been doing: "For silky soft hair mix 3 parts olive oil and 1 part honey. Heat in microwave for 30-45 seconds (until it just begins to boil). Stir until well blended. When still warm, but cool enough to touch apply to damp towel dried hair and comb through. Wrap in towel or put up in a plastic shower cap or bag, let sit for 20-30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly, Shampoo, Condition." And the crazy thing is, my hair really is becoming that shiny and silky! I got the thumbs up to continue from my hair chicky, and it hasn't done any sort of damage/alteration to my color. 

Tonight I'm hoping to attempt an at-home French manicure using this technique (only I'll be using painter's tape because I have that on hand). Crossing my soon-to-be-manicured-fingers this turns out well! :)

Source: popcosmo.com via Amber on Pinterest

  

The infamous Braemore

I can't help it but anytime I say the word "Braemore" I think of the world "claymore" and I'm instantly hearing Michael Westen's voice over telling me that a claymore is a directional anti-personnel mine used by the U.S. military, and you have to have a steady hand to disarm one. #burnnoticegeek 

In any event, I've been hooked on the Braemore Gazebo fabric in "Cloud" since I first saw it on John and Sherry's headboard in their master bedroom. And then (oddly enough) I saw it featured in an episode of Burn Notice and my obsession was ignited.

season 5, episode 5, "square one." you can see the gorgeous curtains about five to ten minutes from the end of the episode. 

I really really wanted those curtains in our bedroom. Right now it's looking very pretty and grey thanks to the silver bed frame and charcoal sheets, but this fabric is the perfect way to bring in more colors. And the chartreuse green and pretty blue fits in with the rest of our house perfectly! 

Of course it's been a while since YHL debuted their headboard (July 24) and that fabric has circulated around Pinterest like a wildfire. Thankfully, I found it online at 1502 Fabrics for $20 a yard (some places were asking $25+ per yard). I plan on hemming the sides to finish them but as far as the length goes, I want to leave them in all their glory. I may have to fold and tuck here and there, but I want to be able to reuse this fabric if/when we move out of the townhouse (sometime next year). 

Now for the impatient waiting game until the fabric arrives on my doorstep. 

Cue the Jeopardy music...