Not trying to be controversial here, 
but I fully believe that the

Pottery Barn catalogs

are pretty much p@rn for women.
(I don't want to put the real word in... too gross.)

Everything is perfect.  
Nicely lit.
Out of grasp.
Far from reality.
Makes you dislike what you have.
Makes you want what you cannot.

Most of the time they go straight from the mailbox 
to the recycle bin.

But sometimes I am weak.
I sneak a just a little look.
Then suddenly, I get sucked in.

To my PB fantasies.

Here are some of my current ones:


I would blog from this chaise while the girls slept peacefully.
Wearing sunscreen of course.


I would plan designs and pin inspiration on these dress forms.


I would sew for hours on this beautiful table.  
Always neatly organized, naturally.


We would all eat healthy meals,
that we prepared together, happily at this table


After a long day I would retreat to my bathroom.
Nobody would follow me in.
Or knock on the door.

Then I would sleep through the entire night to the sound of the ocean.

The girls would have a playroom with comfy seating.


Desks to get good grades on.


A flawlessly organized craft space to imagine and create in.


A clean, bright, cheery bathroom.


A vanity for dress up.


Lulu would dream of surfing.


Janey would sleep soundly.


Halley would feel like a big girl with her loft bed.


But for now, 
the closet any one of us is getting
to a Pottery Barn room,
is the one at the mall.

Where it seems I have unconsciously trained my
four year old to have PB fantasies as well.

(Special note to the grumpy PBK sales woman:
You didn't need to yell at my kid for dreaming
a little dream in your display.  She always makes
her bed when she gets out.)


None of this randomness is a post all in itself, 
so I am making a blog stew of sorts.
Enjoy.


Tori Spelling's childhood home is for sale.
It's listed at only $150 million.
Among the 123 rooms...
there is a flower cutting room.
I'm serious.
I wonder if that is where they prune the money trees.


My Rebel is misbehaving and needs a visit to the camera shop
(sniff, sniff)
so I am left to take pics with my iPhone.
Which by the way, is amazing.

I love you Apple.


I was super temped by these cupcake cuties at Target while shopping for Spring sandals.


But the practical side of me settled on this rainbow version.
Cute and matches pretty much every outfit. 
Sorry cupcakes.


Sorting socks has been a less than fun chore lately.
The girls have similar sizes and so many random types.
So I packed up ALL of their socks, gave them away and started from scratch.
I bought each girl got two packs of these socks.
Now I instantly I know whose is whose.
Not as fun, but my time is precious and the laundry load is vast.


These evil morsels could single handedly derail my-no-sugar-during-Lent mission.
Evil, evil, evil.

That is all.
Peace out.


Today is your lucky day.
Instead of doing another sewing tutorial, I thought I would use my loves:
fabric
+
storage
+
refab

Let me introduce you to:

Fabric Covered Buckets.

What you will need:

Fabric
(I recommend a random & all-over print.
If you chose stripes or a pattern that needs to 
line up you will go totally crazy and your 
bucket will look really crazy too.)
Bucket 
Spray paint
Wrapping paper
Spray adhesive
(from any craft store or Walmart.)

Here's my old gardening bucket.  Dirt and all.
I cleaned it up...


but the inside isn't too pretty.  
Time to change that.


Oh, how I love me some spray paint.

Especially American Accents from Lowes.  
It is by far the best spray paint ever.
Trust me, I have tried them all.

I sprayed the insides, rim and handle Sweet Pea Pink.
Already it looks better.



When the paint dries, take it inside to a big table.
Get out some old wrapping paper and roll it out on your table.
Start with one side of the bucket and trace as you roll it along the paper.
I did it a little at a time, alternating tracing the top and then the bottom,
always making sure that it is lined up.

Cut out the wrapping paper.



Place it on your bucket to make sure it fits.  
Trim up any areas that are too big.

Now you have a pattern.

Place it on your fabric and cut away.
Make sure that you have the top of the pattern going the right way on your fabric.



Grab your spray adhesive, fabric and bucket and head outside.

(Sorry, no pictures of this step.  The adhesive gets everywhere and 
I love my camera way too much.  It's easy though.)

Lay the bucket down with the front middle facing you.
Spray some adhesive on the bucket.
Take the middle of the fabric and press it down on to the bucket.
Smooth out any wrinkles and make sure it is lining up with the top.
Go around the bucket, alternating sides using the same method until
the bucket is gorgeous and covered with fabric goodness.


  
I am using this yummy refab to store Janey's toys.
I have a feeling that when she gets a bit bigger 
there will be a photo shoot involved.

Minus the headband of course!


I have always justified the fact that Lucy 
(a.k.a. Donald Trump)
hates wearing things in her hair, 
because I never made her when she was a baby.

Today that theory was proven wrong.

It is genetic.

I am offering Pretty. Messy. flowers on stretchy headbands 
and needed a baby to model one.

Perfect.  Janey is always happy.  Never cries.

Now I know how to make her cry.

Instantly.

Not thinking that this photo will sell many headbands.

My item description could be:

"Buy this.  Your baby will hate it."


Off to find a new model.

Sorry Janey, you're fired.

But I love you and your bald head!

P.S. There is a batch of new Cora Flowers in the shop.



I just saw this on the window of Halley's classroom.
It made me so happy.
When asked by her teacher to tell about her mom she said:

"My mom can sews.  She makes clothes."

Probably since just about every naptime, she sleeps to the
 sound of my very noisy, in need of a major tune up machine.

When she wakes up one of the first things she says is:

"What did you make me?"

So while I contemplate being separated from 
my beloved machine while it gets repaired,
I will leave you with some fun sewing machine eye candy.

If you have thought about taking up sewing, but are scared...
I have seen Singers on sale at Target for $69!
Try it.
With all of the fun and free online tutorials, 
I truly believe there has never, ever been a better time to start.
Don't even get me started on the fabric...



















From being one of those crazy ladies
with a house full of cats,
wearing a Snuggie,
cleaning up after them with my Sham Wow.

I blame it all on Janey.
She likes to hang out with me from 3 - 4 a.m.
Which means that if there is nothing on the DVR,
I am lured in by middle of the night infomercials.



It started with these:
I thought they would be a great birthday gift for my mom.
So did she, since she ordered them too.  
Before I did.
She told me all about them two days after I made the call.
Great.





So I moved on to these.
She likes them.
I need to get less volume from my lion's mane...
they would be crazy in my hair.




Then, it got really serious.
I ordered from QVC!
Seriously.
QVC.




But in my defense, it was from Chloe Dao, of Project Runway fame.
Love the show.
Loved her.
I wanted pretty much one of each item in her line.




But I settled on this jacket.
It was Today's Special Value!
How could I resist.
Plus, it came in green.
Perfect for St. Patrick's Day.




I ADORE it.
The construction is a.maz.ing.
How cute is it with my Cora Pin?

Now all it needs is some time with my TOBI.
But that is another post entirely.

Gotta go put on my Snuggie and feed the 50 cats.