Friday, August 30, 2013

2013 Parade Of Homes...Part 1

Every August I look forward to the Salt Lake Parade Of Homes!
It's like a dream come true to go on tours of all kinds of homes.
There are always quite the variety of homes from huge mansions to affordable town homes.
It's fun to see all of them because they are all decorated so differently.
One of my favorites was house #9 by Legend Homes.  It was a gorgeous remodel.
It was a 7800 sq/ft home on 4 acres.  
I'll let the pictures show why it was a favorite...
 Beautiful  lighting...
   I loved all the white wood work with contrasting dark beams & pops of color with the decorating.
The kitchen was dreamy...
 I LOVE the farmhouse sink & marble!
 The white woodwork above the stove was gorgeous!
When we remodel our kitchen we will be moving our fridge, so I needed a picture with the fridge with a smaller cabinet on the side.  I measured & it should work in our space! :) 
Don't you LOVE the crown molding above the fridge?
Just off the kitchen was a wonderful mudroom...
 I loved the built in bench with the hooks for coats or backpacks, but I fell in love when I saw the other wall..
Look at all that storage!!
The master bedroom was decorated so beautifully...
 It felt so bright & fresh...once again they didn't skimp on the wood molding!!
Just outside the bedroom was a loft area...
I had to get a picture of the owl for my daughter!
 The master bathroom was also so bright...
It had plenty of storage.
Look out the window above the tub...It had quite the view!
This house had views everywhere, the backyard was amazing...
Just to the right of the basketball/tennis court was a sign saying "future" pool.
It had everything you need to host a great party!
If you'd like to see more info about this house, just click the link below.
I can't wait to show you a few of my other "favorites"!
I'm sharing with these blogs:
I Heart Nap Time
Beneath My Heart
Thrifty Decor Chick

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Time to Declutter - Show and Tell Friday






Hi all, welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  I've decided that I have way too much stuff! I have things stashed everywhere in my little place and honestly I don't use most of it any longer so I'm going to be listing some of my items for sale.  I'll start with listing some here and then I will probably be adding more on etsy in the days ahead.  






I have these beautiful ruffled depression

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Zucchini Boat Recipe - Show and Tell Friday






Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  I've seen different versions of these zucchini boats all over Pinterest and Facebook and since they look so healthy I've been wanting to make them and I finally got around to doing it!  Rather than use someone else's recipe I decided to just make my own version up because I wanted to use a lot of one of my favorite ingredients....BASIL!






See that tube

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Candles - Show and Tell Friday






Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  This week I'm sharing candles through the seasons! I had planned on taking photos of my bedroom this week but I waited until the last minute and my daughter talked me into going shopping with her tonight so no time to take new photos.






Since Autumn is just around the corner I thought I would start with some Autumn candle arrangements I've done in the

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Getting Rid Of Bees...

This is the second summer that we have had problems with bees in our backyard.
It is so frustrating when we BBQ or eat outside on our deck.
 The minute the food is set out they start to swarm around the table.
We were celebrating my daughter's birthday on the 4th of July & sure enough I heard screams coming from my son who is terrified of bees.  There were bees swarming everyone's plates.
We were about to move everyone inside AGAIN.
Then my father-in-law said that his neighbor had told him that you just put out dryer sheets because they hate  the smell.
image source
We put one on each table & waved them around a little to get the scent blowing in the air.
IT WORKED!
I was happily surprised.  We just left them on the tables & when one would fly by we'd wave the dryer sheet around.  They started to fly away & soon there weren't anymore around the tables at all!
 It was so nice & we were able to finish eating & playing out there the rest of the night.
We can finally enjoy eating outside on the deck again! 
If you'd like to see how we added easy outdoor lighting to our deck just click the link below..

Thursday, August 8, 2013

Backyard Topiaries - Show and Tell Friday






Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  I don't think I've ever shared my backyard topiaries on my blog before.  I've wanted to but they really don't photograph very well. They look much nicer in person.  I decided to just post them anyway!  The one above is about 5 feet tall!  I bought the topiary metal form on sale years ago at a garden shop that was going out of business and started it with a

Friday, August 2, 2013

Guest Post {Creating A Dream Playground}


 I was recently contacted by a company called Asphalt Materials about having them do a guest post about
"Creating Your Children's Dream Playground".
I found their tips to be very helpful, especially since we are just finishing up a trampoline project in our side yard.
  
Backyards and children go together like milk and chocolate.  A backyard can provide endless hours of fun, exciting, and safe entertainment.  In a world where more and more kids are addicted to television, video games, and other technologies, it is more important than ever to create a backyard that is inviting to your children and full of endless possibilities.  In this article we’ll take a look at some of the basic principles of creating a dream playground in your very own backyard.
When imagining your new playground, it is important that you take a good, hard look at your space. In order to be most effective a playground should be built on a level surface.  It should also be located within viewing and hearing distance of the house so that you can provide constant supervision whenever the children are playing.
Once you have picked the perfect area, you need to pick the surface.  Safe surfaces will absorb the impact from any potential falls and will result in far fewer injuries.  Materials such as foam padding, sand  or rubber mulch are great choices.
At this point you are ready to pick out your equipment.  Take your children’s ages and abilities into consideration. Never pick equipment that is beyond their capabilities as this will most likely lead to injuries.  You can always buy and install more equipment as your children get older to keep the playground inviting.
Always make sure that you plan for weather.  This includes inclement weather like rain, but also intense sun.  Putting sheltered places either in your playground or over the entire structure will ensure that you children will want to play there all year round.
Be imaginative.  Playgrounds do not only have to consist of manufactured swings or slides.  Sandboxes, hammocks, zip lines, and playhouses are all great things to include in your playground.  These features will help foster your children’s imaginations.
Once your playground is installed, make sure that you perform routine and regular inspections.  This will ensure that everything is in working order and that none of the children are injured due to a loose screw or jagged edge.
Finally, don’t just concentrate on the playground area.  Take the surrounding landscaping into consideration. Remember that kids do not often pay attention to things beneath their feet, so a playground is not the ideal spot for any prized plants, flowers, or sculptures.  Include plants that are durable and low-maintenance.  And don’t forget a comfortable bench or lounging area for any adult supervisors.
 Asphalt Materials is a locally owned company which was organized in 1975 offering Utah topsoil, mulch, and landscape materials. For over 37 years Asphalt Materials has provided the Wasatch Front with quality products and services. The company is based out of West Jordan, Utah. They also operate a gravel pit in Bluffdale, Utah featuring sand, gravel and topsoil.
They definitely share some wonderful ideas & they have the materials needed to help you achieve the goal of a beautiful yard.
I hope you enjoyed the article & will check out their website www.asphaltmaterials.com

Thursday, August 1, 2013

Dish Addiction - Show and Tell Friday!








Welcome to Show and Tell Friday!  I had something else planned to share with you but I decided to go hiking after work with a friend and when I came home the sun was setting and it was too late to take photos so I decided to share my addiction to dishes!  My mom loved beautiful dishes and taught me to appreciate their beauty! 







I tend to collect either blue and white dishes or dishes