Let's Pinch Those Pennies!

Hi! I didn't write much last week. Sometimes life intervenes, and writing gets pushed to the back burner. But I missed you all!

I am super duper sleepy this evening. I spent all of last weekend in Springfield, MO cleaning, painting, fixing up the house that we are currently trying to sell. We are currently one of the many unfortunates who are carrying 2 mortgages at the moment. I am hopeful that after we spend a few weekends loving on our little house that it will sell.

And while we wait for it to sell, we are doing our best to pinch pennies so as to make the financial transition easier. Here are a few of the ways we have saved money this month!

• Limiting eating out (we only ate out twice out of necessity, and both times we were out of town)
• Turning down the heat a few degrees (I think it will pay off when the utility bill comes this month)
• Carpooling/ with the hubby to and from work, and planning all errands during our work commute
• Selling a few items on Craigslist to afford new things, like supplies for the bathroom makeover
• Subscribing to Netflix (totally reduced our entertainment budget by $20 this month!)

Do you mind sharing with me some of your favorite ways to save money? I am anxious to learn from you all!

-Stacie

Follow the Sparrows

Follow the Sparrows by AshleyG

Don't you just adore AshleyG and all of her lovey work? I really have been a fan of this particular print for a while. I really like color combo and the idea of birds gently flying about in her hair. Just follow the sparrows!

Happy Friday to you all! I have been somewhat absentee blogger this past week. I traveled to Tulsa for to spend some QT with my sister and her new baby girl!

Things I have learned this week:

• A 6 lb baby is super duper tiny, but just as snuggly
• Lunch dates with new friends are lovely and much needed
• My sister is such a strong, graceful new mom! Quite proud of her
• I had forgotten how much natural sunlight improves a picture
• I might be juggling too many responsibilities
• Even when circumstances arise that are less than awesome, I am choosing to be happy

Thank you so much for sticking around, friends! I hope that this weekend brings you much rest and relaxation!

Stacie

September Print by Amy Marcella

September Print

I was recently browsing Etsy and stumbled upon some beautiful prints that were right up my ally by Amy Marcella.

 May Print

She creates the most lovely modern botanical prints. I adore her limited use of color and very well may purchase a few prints for my bathroom facelift.

Gold Series 3

Be sure to check out more beautiful work in her shop!

the bathroom facelift: mirror and such

Hello! This is the view of said bathroom facelift from my bed. It is looking mighty fine, no?

I went back to TJ Maxx yesterday after last week's score, and found this oval mirror for 20 bones. It was super lightweight and the price was right (normally I wouldn't have gone for something so formal, but I had to hang this mirror in a corner, so the lighter the better). I still might paint the mirror, but for now it is hanging in that awkward corner by two wall hooks on each wall.

Also while browsing TG Maxx, I spotted this really cool laser cut felt place mat for $2.99! Really pretty, so I snagged one up and made a little nook on the bathroom counter.

Finally, I picked up this cute tray from target. I put 3 mason jars on the tray, and will eventually fill them with cotton balls and other toiletries.

There's still more to do in the bathroom to make it "finished" (artwork, shelving, install the bathroom and baseboards) but for now I am really liking where it is going. So, my bathroom facelift updates will be fewer and further between from now on.

What do you think so far?

Stacie

Cozy Thoughts

Cozy thoughts for this Saturday:

• Sleeping in until 7:00 AM
• Pancakes with real maple syrup
• Early morning sojourn to Hobby Lobby (all by myself!)
• Overcast sky
• Family car rides 
• Making my bed and putting my feet up (love my slippers)
• Watching the sun set
• Hearing Violet sing "Happy Birthday" just because it is her favorite song

Wishing you all a cozy rest of the weekend.

-Stacie

New to Violet's Room

Violet's room has a new addition: this sassy Alexander Henry covered chair. I reupholstered this armchair 2 years ago. I loved the fabric, but honestly the chair has never had a "home" in our home because there are quite a few reds and busy patterns going on in the fabric.

When we lent Violet's old glider to my sister (she just had a baby!) I realized that this little arm chair would be a fine addition to Violet's already funky fresh room!

I must say, the lighting in the room makes everything seem so much heavier and dense, when in reality the wall paint color is much softer and the colors do mesh quite well together. The red fabric on the curtains appears so much more obnoxiously red than it is in person. Take my word for it. Someday I will figure out how to photograph it better. And you will love it.

I think that I would like to add a nice round solid rug underneath the chair and make it a nice little nook for reading books. Don't mind the mess around the room and the clothes sticking out of the dresser. Isn't this what most people's rooms look like on a daily basis anyways?

Violet seems pretty giddy in her new chair!

notebooks back in stock! plus new design

Hi! I just wanted to let you know that I have a new notebook design featuring my new Patchwork Deer Illustration!

Plus, my Quilted Fox Notebooks are back in stock!

And don't forget, there's still time to use the 20% discount code "GrandOpening" during checkout when you shop at Gingiber.

Thanks again, loyal readers. I am working hard to expand the Gingiber brand. I have a lot of new products in the works, but am still tweaking ideas before they come to fruition.

Are there any Gingiber products that you would like to see soon? I would sooo appreciate your input!

Stacie

Yesterday

Yesterday started with this little lady bug getting all dolled up for Valentine's Day!

She has started referring to herself as "Lady Bug" instead of Violet. So this dress was quite fitting!

Then I got a call from my sister saying that she was in LABOR! Nathan and I drove down to Tulsa to be there for the birth. The labor took a while, so we pulled an all nighter in the waiting room!

We were soooo tired (but obviously not as tired as my sweet sister!). Please note the giant bags under my eyes and Nathan's frizzed out hair.

But this little face is worth it! So proud of my sister, Angie, and her husband, Chad. They will be the most amazing parents! They balance each other perfectly, and I was so honored to be there for the birth.

Now Nathan and I have moved our Valentine's plans to Wednesday night. They will involve eating, and more eating, followed by cheesecake (which is currently in the oven!

I hope that you had an amazing Valentine's Day, too!

Stacie

E-Mal Update (Oops)

Quick Update:

If any of you have tried to e-mail me via the "contact" button on my blog in the past month or two, there is a good chance that I never received your e-mail! I am not blowing you off! Promise!!!

In my brilliance, I mistyped my own e-mail address into the HTML code.

It has since been fixed, so E-mail away!

SO SORRY!

I will have a more holiday appropriate blog post later today!

Stacie

P.S. Be sure to scroll down to see my awesome DIY Lighting Fixtures for our bathroom!

the bathroom facelift: DIY Lighting Fixture

Howdy! Ha this been a long week for anyone else? I feel like I started the week with so many ideas projects, but somehow along the way I slowed down. Yesterday, however, I did manage to get out of the house and mosey on over to TJ Max.

 I found these AMAZING metal black lacquered pencil holders and thought that they would make excellent lighting fixtures for the bathroom.

 I removed the white lighting circle tubey thing (I don't know the proper term) from the lighting fixture and used it as a guide for how large of a hole to drill into the base of the metal pencil holders.

 Next, I drilled a series of small holes around the guideline.

 I used needle nosed pliers to finish punching out the circle.

Then I stuck the white lighting circle through the new hole and screwed it back into the pendant lighting fixture.

Finally, I screwed the bulb back in and VOILA!

Originally I wanted the fixtures to be a bit larger in scale, but I could not find anything the right size around town or online. I totally dig these fun new lights, and cannot wait to find the perfect mirror and accessories for the rest of the bathroom.

Thanks for reading, friends!

Stacie

do you ever have one of those days?

Ever had one of those days, or rather, series of days, housebound under 2 feet of snow?

And you are alone with a 2 year old? And all she does is make messes? And boss the dogs around? And sing "Swiper No Swipey! Awe Man!" (which is a Dora the Explorer reference) over and over again?

When you make homemade pancakes and accidentally triple the amount of baking soda?

When you feel like you should make the most of paid time off of work, because it has always been your dream to work from home, but instead all you do is get sidetracked?

It has been once of those weeks. And I've got the magnetic alphabet all over my kitchen floor to prove it!

But the snow is melting. And Violet is at Day Care for another hour.

And I just had some coffee.

Have a nice day!

patchwork deer print

There's a new illustration in Shop Gingiber! It's called Patchwork Deer. I really lurve her!

She features a hexagonal pattern and splashes of color! She would look great in a modern nursery.

What do you think? Do you think she's pretty? What other animals/products would you like to see at Gingiber?