DIY "Wrought Iron" Curtain Rods with Finials

My master bedroom makeover included new drapes. I needed curtain rods on which to hang them and decided to make my own. I found some pretty ones at Lowe's for $40 each. I needed three rods and decided $120 was not budget friendly. I bought PVC pipe (plumbing section at Lowe's/Home Depot, etc.), and spray painted it using Valspar's Oil Rubbed Bronze.

 The PVC pipe was $1.82 for 10 feet. Yep. That's right.

Lowe's also had these unfinished wooden finials. A pack of 2 cost less than $3. The brackets were $3 for a set of two.

Then, Hancock Fabric store had these fabulous clip rings in their bargain bin for 50 cents! They are regularly priced at $9 a package.

Lowe's total price would have been $120  vs. mine $17.

DIY - Pottery Barn Framed Corkboard Knockoff

As part of my master bedroom makeover, I wanted a framed corkboard. My inspiration was this one from Pottery Barn. The price tag for this baby is $149. Um...I don't think so.

With 40% off coupon in hand I headed to Hobby Lobby where I purchased a corkboard for $8. Judd used his staple gun to cover the front with burlap. I like the look of burlap much more than cork - especially for a bedroom.

Next, I spray painted composite chair rail (less than $6 for a 10 ft. section at Lowe's) with Valspar's Oil Rubbed Bronze metallic spray.

Judd used his miter box and saw to cut the chair rail into four sections with mitered corners. He drilled pilot holes in the edges of the corners, then used finished nails to attach the corners together. Finally, he used Liquid Nails to attach the frame to the burlap-covered corkboard. Total cost: $21.

Here is the finished project. I hung my jewelry from the jeweled push pins I created last week. I found some lovely branches in the woods across from my house and placed them in a vase. I hung more necklaces and earrings on the branches. I couldn't be happier with how this project turned out.

DIY Jeweled Push Pins

I'm in the process of making over our master bedroom. I'm creating a feminine desk area where I can work on my computer. Since my "office" will be in our bedroom, it has to look beautiful and not - well, like an office. With Judd's help I'm creating my own burlap-covered and framed cork board to go above my desk. I'll post a tutorial on that soon. I wanted some beautiful push pins for my new board and decided this was the perfect DIY opportunity to use some old earrings I inherited from my mother and grandmother that I never wore. Now, I get to see these jeweled push pins every day. They make me smile.

After searching the office stores and Hobby Lobby, I finally found silver aluminum push pins at Lowe's. They look significantly better than pushed pins that are clear or brightly colored and add to the overall antique look.

I cut the earring post off using wire cutters. Then simply dabbed a drop of E6000 adhesive to the top of the push pin and set the earring onto the glue. That's it.

I dressed up my cork board using heirloom jewelry I never wore, but now enjoy seeing every day. This makes a great gift too. Just head to your nearest thrift store and stock up on old jewelry.

Dress Up

Rain boots or princess shoes? Hmm...that is the big debate with my 3 little chicks every day as they play dress up. Today Sophie asked me if I would play dress up too. I decided to let her pick out my outfit, shoes, accessories, style of my hair...

Not only did Sophie have a wonderful time, I did too! I forgot what it was like to set aside my "mom" hat and just be a little girl. Piper and Riley have recently started playing dress up too. They can pull tutus on by themselves, but need help with things like bunny ears and Hello Kitty watches. Goodness, I have so much fun with my girls!

What you may not be able to tell from this picture is that Sophie chose for me to wear a long spring dress with black floral rain boots, a rhinestone brooch, two necklaces, one bracelet, a western belt and a hair bow on my ponytail to match hers. She too is wearing rain boots, a belt around her dance costume ruffled dress, a necklace and hair bow. Piper and Riley took it easy with simple tutus over their jeans. Once dressed, we danced around and around our living room to Christmas music. Ahhh...being a little girl is quite therapeutic.

Hatch Happenings

This week has been busy with lots of shopping and wrapping Christmas gifts, baking, and visiting with friends and family. My friend, Christi, had a wedding shower and I took Sophie with me. Sophie had a great time playing with two other little girls at the party while I enjoyed chatting with friends. Sophie looked precious in this blue plaid outfit trimmed in velvet with matching hat.

Piper and Riley have been great little shoppers as we've spent two or three hours shopping, browsing, and running errands each morning. All three of my girls really are so well behaved. We have meltdowns here and there, but most of the time they enjoy being out and about. Today we took fresh-baked pumpkin bread over to our neighbor.

Check out Piper's Ugg-style boots. Seriously...so cute! Each season as I retrieve the next tubby of clothes from the attic, I'm reminded how thankful I am to our neighbor's daughter who passes on all these adorable clothes after her little girl outgrows them.

Enjoying this holiday season,
Jennifer

Christmas Shirts From Grandma H

Do you dress you little ones up in Christmas attire prior to the big day? Thanks to Grandma H (Judd's mom) our girls have adorable Christmas shirts to wear. They receive complements on them and I think they look cute too. Now if I could just get two of my three girls to keep their Christmas hair bows in their hair we'd have the complete package.

Sophie's shirt reads, "Dear Santa, I want it all!"

Piper's shirt states, "What Santa won't bring me Grandma will!"

And our little cut up - Riley's shirt says, "All Mommy wants for Christmas is a silent night." [and to get to sleep in after that silent night!]

Thanks, Grandma, for the adorable Christmas shirts!

XOXO
Sophie, Piper, and Riley
(3 little chicks)

Photo Updates and How to Lose Weight Over the Holidays

This Thanksgiving we loaded up our three little chicks and headed to Gordon, Nebraska, where my husband's family lives. Without kids it takes 13 1/2 hours to get there with limited stops, so with 3 kids, we broke the trip into into two days of travel. Sophie loved staying in the hotel and swimming in the pool.

The weather in Nebraska was mostly in the upper 30's during the day. We saw just a few flurries of snow. At night, though, the temperature dropped to -2 (not wind chill). I'm not sure how the farm animals survive such cold weather. Although you can't tell it in these pictures, our nose hairs were freezing as we breathed.

We enjoyed spending time with Judd's parents, visiting with his sister, her kids, and seeing two aunts and uncles. I ran to Gordon's grocery store and overheard the cutest thing. I was the last of three customers at the checkout. As I was leaving, I heard the bagger say to the checker, "Whew! We're having a morning rush!" Yes, small towns are different than cities. I would have never thought 3 customers were considered a "rush". Of course any visit wouldn't be complete without the fifty-mile trek to the nearest Walmart, where we picked up some items to make the World's Best Lasagna.

Unfortunately, our trip didn't go as planned. On our second day there Riley became ill with a stomach bug. Two days later Piper got it. Then, Judd's dad got it. Then, on our way back home it hit Sophie at the hotel. Not really the kind of "vacation" anyone was looking forward to. We only had 3-4 hours of sleep each night. We sure wish everyone would have felt better.

All are on the mend now, and we are reminded to be thankful for good health. And on the bright side, I had no appetite while tending to my kids, so we all lost weight over the holiday instead of gaining. I'm down 4 pounds this week. There's always a bright side.

And I don't want this post to be a downer, so I'm going to end it on a good note. These are some pictures of our kids at our church's Fall Festival a few weeks ago. We had a great time taking the girls on the carousel horses and letting Sophie play all sorts of games and ride rides.

 

Pumpkin Patch 2010

Today we took our 3 little chicks on a fun-filled outing. We ate pizza at Savastano's Pizza (only the best pizza in the world with Hideaway being a close second).


We're good tippers so don't mind the cracker mess.

Enjoying the pizza and atmosphere

Then, we took them to the Pumpkin Patch where tot-toting parents flock each fall for photo ops.



Sophie - photogenic and ready for a picture



Riley - investigator and climber



Piper - observe the situation

Looking at Bunnies



So interested in the little chickens



The Hatch Patch 2010













Homemade Kale Chips Recipe

I enjoy eating crispy, salty, crunchy, flavorful chips. That's exactly why chips are not allowed in my house. I show no restraint when eating them. Now I have a nutritious alternative which gives me the crunch and flavor I like in a chip, but is actually good for my body. Introducing... Kale Chips. Before you roll your eyes and think "Not gonna happen" consider just giving it a try. It only costs about $1.

Kale Chips

1 bunch kale (stems discarded and leaves torn into chip-size pieces)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/8 teaspoon sea salt or 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix oil and salt in a bowl. Toss kale pieces in the oil mixture. Rub the oil mixture into each individual piece of kale. Place kale on two cookie sheets making sure no pieces overlap. If they do overlap they won't get crispy and will just steam. Bake in oven for about 9 minutes. Ovens vary and those variances show up with this recipe. Some people only bake their kale for 6 minutes or it burns. Others' ovens require the kale to bake for 20 minutes in order to get it crispy. In my oven it only took 9 minutes. You have to watch it closely. Mine didn't look crispy to me, but when I touched the kale with a spatula, it crumbled.

Kale is a nutritious vegetable high in vitamins A, C, K, manganese, and B6. Kale is rich in anti-oxidants, detoxifying enzymes, carotinoids, and high in fiber.

Why Weren't We Friends in High School?

High School.

What is the first emotion you feel when you hear those words? Were you a cheerleader or involved in a sport? Did you have lots of friends and frequently date?

If you would have asked me last year about my memories of high school, I would have quickly - far too quickly - blurted out how I hated high school. My thoughts would have been tainted by the fact that my school closed its doors with only 9 weeks left my senior year. A shell of the school reopened in a different location under a new name. Half the students, staff, and faculty disappeared going their separate ways as they tried to somehow make sense of the nightmare brought on by lack of funds. The students received no senior yearbook even though we paid for them and they were ready for printing. And to this day I can't tell you which classmates I started AND finished with during my senior year.

Perhaps I'd recall my mediocre social life. I wasn't involved in any sports, so I didn't experience being part of a close-knit high school team. I had a few friends I was very close with at school and a handful of classmates who were more like acquaintances. The rest of my classmates I lumped together as "snobs" or "nerds" (how unsnobbish of me- ha!). For most of my junior high and high school years I attended a church youth group which consisted of three youth, including me. I had a few fantastic friends in my neighborhood I loved hanging out with. My dating life was nonexistent. I had lots of guy friends who only saw me as a friend. Various crushes I had went unnoticed and unreciprocated. My older sister left home, my school collapsed, I moved to a different neighborhood, and my two best friends and I got into a terrible, nasty, horribly painful fight. Blah. I hated high school. Thank God (and I really mean that) for grace and forgiveness as one of those friends and I restored our relationship a year after graduation and have been friends ever since. I really love her and treasure our friendship.

But those feelings of disgust at the mere mention of high school have relinquished their hold on my heart and mind. Over the past year I have slowly, reluctantly at times, reconnected with several high school classmates through facebook. And do you know what has happened? I actually like, really like, many of the people I never even spoke with when we were in school together. I keep asking myself, "Why in the world weren't we friends in high school?" I really like who these people have become, and maybe, part of it is also that I really like who I've become too.

This past weekend a number of us former classmates got together for an impromptu reunion of sorts. I had such a wonderful time both evenings. There were times of laughter and times of deeper, heart-felt discussions. We were real and honest with each other. I walked away grateful for the time we had together, and thankful I no longer carried resentment for high school years that paled in comparison to my expectations. I had a prick in my heart of how many years of friendship we lost out on, but so thankful for facebook, maturity, and second chances. I cannot wait to see these girls again. Plans for a reunion next summer will be in the works shortly. Until then, we have facebook.