First I need to preface this and say that I really dislike fresh green beans! I mean really…yuck, LOL! I love canned green beans though. Mr. B likes fresh ones but not canned, LOL! With that being said last week Mr. B and I decided to try to take a vegetable (Ie Green Beans) and make it several ways a week to see if we could find ways that we liked to eat it. Last week we decided to use green beans, [Read more…]
Remember awhile back when I did a Maternity Deployment photo shoot for my sweet friend? Well a few weeks ago I got the opportunity to again visit them and take photos of sweet baby B.
For once I can say that the military surprised me and got it right! They were able to send her hubby home (who had recently deployed for 8 months) for the birth of baby B! So he got to be here for the birth and to [Read more…]
One of the best things I love about the military lifestyle is meeting new spouses all over the world, and even more amazing how those relationships return full circle even many years later!
As I was thinking about those I’ve encountered over the years I realized that they are like sea glass. They come in many different forms. All are each on their own journey and have been shaped and molded through [Read more…]
Since we are moving to Italy this summer I have been doing some research and found that we would need to get an International Driver’s license (IDL) or as AAA calls it a International Driver’s Permit. While we don’t need it to drive in Italy, the AFI will cover us in Italy, but to drive outside of Italy we need it, and we plan on driving outside of Italy. If we waited to apply for it via mail [Read more…]
Just wanted to post that we received all our civilian passports this week! 3 came on Monday, 1 on Tuesday and today all the birth certificates arrived back as well!
We did NOT pay for any expedited service and we received them in just short of 3 weeks (applied for them March 27th). The passports came in a priority envelope, one for each person. The birth certificates came in a brown small manila [Read more…]
Awhile back I’d seen an idea on Pinterest to make a wooden doormat, while that one didn’t turn out as expected…aka…FAIL…it did give me another idea.
I decided to cut it in half and make this cute American Flag, which is perfect for our military home 🙂
I started with recycled 2 in by 2 in boards that Mr. B had picked up for me and bought a flat piece of wood to attach them too. I cut the boards 19 3/4 in long with my miter saw, which was the length that I needed to cover the flat board underneath.
I then used drywall screws to attach them to the board. I used 3 screws per board and I attached them from the base (flat board) into the 2×2 boards. That way they wouldn’t be seen on the front. After they were attached I gave them all a real good sanding.
This is the back after it was painted. I painted both the front and back red (because I had planned on using it for the failed project), this is the color that inspired the cabinet project.
I sanded down the red on the front and distress it. I then sanded off the majority of the red on the boards that I wanted to paint white. I used acrylic paint to paint the white boards, the blue box and the white stars. After painting it and letting it dry I did a light sanding to give it a distressed look.
A close up of the distressing
The stars were the hardest part, I decided to go for a shabby look instead of trying to get them all perfect. I found a star stamper I had and I used that and then filled it in more using a foam brush. I sprayed it with light coat of polyurethane to finish it off.
I love the way this ’surprise’ project turned out. I may be able to go back and salvage the failed project later…just haven’t had the motivation yet 😉
It’s finished dimensions are 19 3/4 wide by 12 1/4 high. I may attach something to the back later to hang it (it is heavy) but right now I’m happy just leaning it up against something.
Awhile back at the NAF Sale I scored this dresser…well they called it a TV stand…for $30. While it’s dark piece, which I like, it was banged up and scratched up enough that I knew I’d have to refinish it. It also had a small piece broken off on the side, which had to be glued back on.
So I started with this and I knew I’d have to refinish it similar to the dining room table because of [Read more…]
On Friday I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with a friend and her sweet girls. She’s 34 weeks pregnant and her husband just deployed 3 weeks ago. He won’t be home until the baby is 4-5 months old. I was honored to be asked to help them record this part of their journey of their military lifestyle and while it isn’t always ideal we spouses adapt and overcome and end up stronger on the [Read more…]
I posted awhile back about getting our Military No-Fee Passports while Mr. B was home on R&R, the time has finally arrived for us to get our civilian passports, so we went this week! I wanted to do it this week since the kids and I were off for Spring Break and I’d have everyone at the same place and time to make it a bit easier.
This time Mr. B was not with us so I knew there were some extra [Read more…]
Last week my friend and I decided to go check out the NAF Resale. I’ve never been to one so I figured I should take the opportunity and to and try to get some storage pieces for our PCS to Italy. Little did we know just how popular these events are!
My friend arrived 5 minutes prior to the sale starting and there was a line of at LEAST 100 people snaking from the Honor Guard Hanger (where sale was) clear down to Lodging. I arrived at 1 minute prior and by the time we got to the door and in the hanger, approx 8:06 am, almost ALL the single pieces of furniture and items had been sold! There were so many people that you could hardly even move to try to look at the items, I had a sudden flashback to the sardine can ride we had on the subway in Japan!
We finally made our way around and I bought a few things, they had plenty of items of the ones that they had multiples of and I even managed to snag the unique piece above. I also got a luggage rack that I didn’t take a pic of which our friends & family can feel free to put to good use in Italy!
Here is what I got:
This awesome shelf, which I think it was used for brochures/phamplets. It’s 3.5 ft tall and 2.25 ft wide. When I seen it I just KNEW I wanted it but couldn’t figure out what I wanted to do with it….I’ve now figured it out and it’s currently being refinished and in the works…pics to come soon. And I snagged it for a whole $2!
I also got this ‘Microwave Stand’ well that’s what they called it anyways. It’s a good sized piece and will be perfect for storage. It was $25.
It does need some work and has 2 holes in the top where they bolted down either a microwave or safe, I heard both while at the sale.
I also got this ’TV stand’ actually I got 2 at $30 each, but I’ve decided to only keep one and let a friend have the other.
I snagged this ’Student desk’ for $20 as well!
And this large picture for $5, not for the picture but for the huge frame. It’s 3 ft tall by just over 3 ft wide.
As you can see the pieces need some TLC, just what I needed more projects to work on before we PCS and time is running out! LOL! At least it’ll keep me busy right?!
Oh and the sale was an ALL morning event! We finally left after 11:30 with a friend’s loaded up truck and had to come back and get 1 more item, finishing around noon! I had NO idea it would be like that, I figured we’d be there for an hour or so, yeah right! What was even crazier were that people actually rented Uhauls and brought them to the sale and filled them up!! I mean yeah there were some good deals but they weren’t that good and in that great of conditions that I’d want to fill Uhauls of stuff up with it! I seen MANY people buying the mini fridge/freezers that were $45 (think dorm/hotel room size) and I kid you not when I say people had 6-8 each of them! What in the world are they gonna do with that many?! I also heard a lady say she got in line 20 mins prior to the sale starting, so I guess if you want the individual items you need to get there early and wait in line!