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Past few weeks...

Here is a little catchup on what has been happening in the Casa de Faircloths over the past few weeks...

Mom came for a visit and we had an apple extravaganza!

The apartment smelled amazing!

Mom's carved pumpkin.

We were 3rd place winners in the pumpkin carving party!!

Charleston, SC.  Jason's "Singing in the Rain" reference.

Rainbow Row in Charleston, SC.

A beautiful sunrise one morning (with Brooke) at Wrightsville Beach.

Dresser turned bookcase

This past week I spent in Omaha, Nebraska visiting my brother-in-law, sister, and niece.  The week started great, but both Jenny and I spent about 4 days laying on the couch because of some obnoxious virus.  In the time that we were not sick we were able to work on a project of Jenny's.  Recently, Jenny saw an old dresser on the side of the road.  This thing was pretty gross- I'm talking cobwebs on the inside, stickers on the top, and some girls name carved into the side... but through all of that Jenny saw potential!  We transformed the old dresser into a chic new bookcase.  Here is the dresser transformation:

Dresser after we ripped out 2 of the tracks.

After sanding it down!

Painted and filled with books!

We love a finished project!!  Alexis is a diyer in training!

For the most part it was an easy project.  It probably would have been a bit more challenging had Josh not stepped in when we were trying to hammer out the 2 old dresser tracks...I learned a crow bar is an incredibly helpful tool.  After ripping out the old tracks we very carefully measured and got the friendly people at Home Depot to cut some shelves for us.  We both sighed a breath of relief to see that we actually measured correctly and the shelves fit!!  This was my first experience with a power sander and I must say I am a fan (how dorky would it be if I asked Jason for one for Christmas?), in no time at all the dresser was sanded down and ready to be painted.  We ended up using 3.5 cans of black, semi-gloss spray paint on it. Yes, it also took us 3 trips to Home Depot and I was afraid those people were going to think we were huffing the paint instead of painting a bookcase!  Once it was dry we moved it to three different spots in the house and then decided on the place that Jenny originally had it.  I think it is the great addition to the basement in their house. 

Flower on Canvas

My most recent completed project came from one of my favorite blogs, Make it-Love it.  This blog is very inspiring and has tons of projects that are easy and can be finished in an afternoon.  Today I finished one that I started last week.  For the flower on canvas I didn't have to buy anything.  The canvas, fabric, and spray paint were all used in different projects and were leftover.  This is a great way to use some leftover fabric that you have laying around.  I used muslin, it is one of my favorite fabrics...  So here it is:

I am not super crazy about the blue background, but, it was free.  Once again my practicality comes out.  The best part of this project is that I got to play around and learn how to make ruffles.  It is SO much easier than I ever thought, just takes a little bit of time.  Basically all I had to do was a basting stitch on a strip of muslin and then pull the bobbin thread till it created the right ruffle look... there might be a better/easier way, but it worked for this project.  Also, I think more and more ruffles are going to start showing up around the house and for gifts :) Here is the link for the tutorial: http://www.makeit-loveit.com/2010/05/decorate-my-home-part-18-flower-wall.html

Now I just need to figure out where to put it... I am thinking it will be propped up on our coat rack to brighten up that area.

Easy Pizza Dinner

One of my favorite ways to use leftovers is to make a pizza out of whatever we have on hand.  Obviously this works better for some leftovers vs. others :)  A few nights ago we made chicken tacos and had extra chicken that I tossed in a bowl to use on a pizza.  So the next night I made a pizza crust and added the chicken, some leftover red pepper and tomato, spinach, and ricotta cheese.  It was pretty tasty!! Here are the ingredients I started with.  The crust is pretty easy, you just follow the directions on the back of the yeast packet.

Once the crust was finished I drizzled some olive oil on it and started adding the toppings.  You bake it for about 15 minutes and voila you have dinner! 

One of Jason's favorite combinations for a pizza is BBQ chicken, black bean, and red onion.  I like it also, so we have it quite a bit.  On that one you use a thin layer of BBQ sauce for the base, toss the chicken in BBQ sauce, add toppings and bake.  This is such a cheap and easy dinner!!  And if you don't feel like making crust you can always buy the pre-made ones. 

I couldn't resist taking this while the pizza was baking...

It was Friday night and he had a long week :)  A pretty good way to start the weekend if you ask me!

My Big Sister's Birthday

Today is my big sister, Jenny's, birthday.  She is a GREAT big sister.  Right now I am counting down the days until I get to go visit Josh, Jenny, and Lexie in Nebraska.  It has been wayyyy to long since I last saw my sister!

Now, most of you probably know my sis by the name Jennifer or Jenn.  She HATES the name Jenny.  When we were younger she was always Jenny to me.  Then by the time Jenny started dating Josh he nicknamed her Jenn I was too set in my ways to call her anything else :)  I would say that we have a pretty exceptional sister relationship, but that is mostly because I had an exceptional sister to look up to when I was just a wee thing.  When Jenny was in high school and she would wake me up in the mornings for school I would always ask her to wake me up early so I could watch her put her makeup on.  She did, like every morning....

We always shared a room growing up.  That was probably more painful for Jenny, since she is almost 5 years my senior.  There were moments when I hated it also, but lets just say I cried ALOT at night when Jenny move to Boone to go to Appalachian State.  I was that pesky little sister that always followed my brother and sister around.  I probably asked WAY to many questions, whined WAY to much, and borrowed WAY to many clothes.  SO if that is true, sorry!!

But anyways, I just wanted to wish my big sister a wonderful birthday.  You are a fantastic mommy, wife, and sister!  I love your practical ways, I love that you have become slightly more emotional since becoming a mom, I love how generous you are, and really so much more!  Maybe one day we will live in the same city?? Happy Birthday!



Matt, Jenny, and Kate



Labor Day and Lexie's Birthday Gift

Over the Labor Day weekend Jason and I had a fantastic time in the North Carolina Mountains.  We got to my parents house late on Friday night and slept in the next morning before doing some little chores around their house.  When we go to dad and mom's house we sleep so wonderfully!!  Its so dark and quiet, as soon as my head hits the pillow I am out!!  On Sunday we went to the Grove Park Inn for brunch, it was delicious.  After we walked around the old hotel and went down to the spa.  We convinced ourselves that one day we will stay the night and visit the spa.

Our beautiful view from the Grove Park Inn



Also I wanted to show you what Jason and I made for Lexie's first birthday.  Jason drew the giraffe and then we traced it onto the fabric and I sewed it onto the shirt.  This was an incredibly cheap gift.  The whole thing cost less than five dollars to do.  I got the shirt on clearance and the fabric was leftover from a different project! Here it is:



Weekly Coffee with Brooke

Today I want to introduce you to my best friend and longest friend in Wilmington, Brooke.  Brooke and I have a magical friendship...I worry about trying to describe to you how much I love, appreciate, respect, and need Brooke.  So do me a favor and think of one of your closest girlfriends or if you are a guy then your buddy.  Someone who totally understands you, gets your humor, knows what you are thinking with a look, is reliable, and so much more!  That is Brooke in my life.  She and I totally clicked from the first few times that we hung out, and what is even more impressive is the fact that we wear the same size clothing...in fact, the same exact size jeans.  Ladies, you know that is amazing right?

Brooke and I were inseparable in college.  We would see each other every single day, at several different times a day.  So a typical week day in college would be like this: Wake up, get coffee, text Brooke (or see one from her) to see if she wanted to drink a second cup of coffee together, go to class, meet up with Brooke for lunch, class, stop by Brooke's to borrow that shirt, go to work, hang out with Brooke and other people after work.  One of our favorite activities when we were at UNCW was to wake up super early and to take coffee out to the beach to see a sunrise.  I saw some of the most amazing sunrises with Brooke.  So, you get the picture right?  It was a hard transition going from seeing Brooke ALL THE TIME to just a few times a week when we got real jobs.  But that's life, at some point we had to grow up and transition out of the college student existence. 

As we were making this transition we decided that we would not settle for seeing each other less than once a week, that is when our weekly coffee dates evolved.  Alot of weeks we see each other 2-3 times, but we know that we can count on that once a week date to stay caught up on life, to still remember our fun college times, to remind each other of our dreams, to hash out difficult situations, to talk about what we are learning in scripture, and also about the things we are struggling with.  She gets me, I get her.  For the most part we meet on Fridays, because we both have that time off of work.  And sometimes we end up drinking coffee, going to the grocery store, the gym, and other various places around town together.  Those are the best!  The crazy thing is that we NEVER run out of stuff to talk about!

This morning we got to go to Starbucks, lately we have been going to either my house or hers.  Here is the lovely Brooke: 

So tell me.  Do you have a friend like Brooke? 

DIY Laundry Detergent

One morning this week, before going to spend the day with one sweet girl (Parker), I whipped up a batch of laundry detergent.  Several months ago I mentioned to my dad that I had been thinking of making some homemade laundry detergent...a few months after that when Jason and I went to visit my parents (in the beautiful North Carolina mountains) they had a box waiting with my name on it. Here are the contents of that box:

Ready to make some soap!



It was a pretty easy process.  I started by grating half a bar of Naphtha and let it dissolve into some water on the stovetop.  Then all you do is measure the correct amounts of Arm & Hammer and Borax, mix them into the Naphtha water, boil, mix more water and let it sit for 24 hours.  Easy peasy! The mixture comes out looking like this:

I should have allowed the Naphtha to dissolve better, you can see little specks of it on top.  I don't think that will matter...and if it does I won't know because it will be doing its job in the washing machine! 

Before every use you just have to stir and measure out half a cup.  I reused some old laundry detergent containers so I give it a shake and do a capfull!  I have enough ingredients to eventually make 960 loads of laundry.  That should last about 5-6 years!  The first batch I made enough for 64 loads.  That should get us to Christmas!  This is a really cost effective way to do your laundry, both Arm and Hammer and Borax are about $6/box and the Naphtha bars are $1.30 each.  Coming out to around 3-4 cent a load.  Not bad if you ask me!!! 

P.S.  Here is a photo of the little gift bag I made a few weeks ago:

One year with Parker

Yesterday marked one year of working with Adam, Stephannie, and Parker.  I walked into the house surprised to see this banner crafted by Stephannie and Parker hanging.  The scribbles are compliments of Parker :)

This past year has been amazing...seriously, I love being part of their family!!  I met Parker when she was just a few weeks old, and started keeping her when she turned 6 weeks old.  Those first few months we spent our days taking walks, suffering through tummy time and enjoying endless cuddles!  Parker is one of the happiest babies I know, from the very start she seemed to always go with the flow.  I mean, don't get me wrong...she has her moments.  Honestly, which of us don't have our moments?  It has been so neat to watch the progression from a little baby to a toddler who can walk, has a great vocabulary, and knows what she wants.  I am always amazed at what Parker picks up just by watching.  She has the cutest expressions and will often unexpectedly blow you a kiss.  That never ceases to make my day.  Sometimes Jason gets a little tired of hearing "Guess what Parker did today....I just love that little girl!!".  But trust me, he loves her ALMOST as much as I do.    

The Lord has taught me so much through this little girl.  Mostly about patience in the hardest moments.  I have learned that keeping a neutral, soft tone goes so much further than letting Parker sense my frustration when she is screaming.  I feel privileged that Parker's mommy and daddy have allowed me to have part in their little girls life.  Thanks Adam and Stephannie, you guys have a precious little "love bug".  

P.S. Yes, Jason does have shorts on in the photo!     

Finally Digging into the Blogger world!!

I am guessing that everyone has a tough time starting a blog...or maybe I am still too fresh out of the college world where you should start writing all the formalities that will impress the socks off of your professors? 


So here it goes!  I decided I just had to have a blog because of how inspired I am by what can be found on other blogs...recipes, fun crafty projects, furniture revamps, sewing tutorials, and the list goes on!  Also, its kinda like an not-so-personal diary.  In a few years you can look back and say, "o, that's what I was thinking on a Tuesday evening in 2011".  Pretty cool if you ask me! 


One of my new favorite blogs is MADE.  Here is a tutorial for my most recent project:   http://www.dana-made-it.com/2008/07/tutorial-little-gift-pouches.html   Mine turned out pretty good OK, I'm still getting the hang of my babylock sewing machine (THANKS MOM!).  It just takes about 15mins to whip up with some leftover scrap fabric-that's my kinda sewing :)