Return to Routine..

Today was orientation for one of the homeschool groups that I mentor with and that my own children participate in. It was one part rude awakening (summer is wrapping up for us), and one part hooray. I know that may sound a bit odd, but I really like getting back into a routine. We homeschool a bit year round, and with half my family ADHD, myself included, the routine helps keep us from total chaos. It is just the first weeks of total CRAZY that we have to get through in order to find something a little less crazy. :)

Here are a few things I completed yesterday. I have a lot to get caught up on before classes begin and all of the sports sweep down upon us!  I loved this finish SO MUCH that I didn't stop with just one thing, I had to add some more.

All started with a dark wood finish. I did a base coat in my favorite gray, then a bright teal. After distressing it, I went over the whole thing with a metallic black glaze before I sealed it with a couple coats of poly.

These will be heading out soon. Be sure to check out Alternate Endings Design on facebook to find out where you can check them out in person!

I am linking up to these parties, be sure to check them out!
Take a Look Tuesday
Pink Hippo Party
Market Yourself Monday
Mad Skills Monday
A Marvelous Mess
More the Merrier Monday
Motivate Me Monday
Craftastic Monday
Made with Love Monday
Craftomaniac Monday
DIY Project Parade
Sundae Scoop
Saturday Seven

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Being a Jane...

I am having my creative outburst on the You're so Jane blog today so head that way and check it out!

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Keep on Keepin' on...

A bit more finished up today and hopefully I will be able to load it all up and get it outta here!

I have a tendency to keep things if they hang out too long. I have to put them to use, then I can't imagine not having them, lol. Maybe this is why my husband thinks I am a hoarder. :-/ The only way I can win that argument is if he sees a preview of the real "Hoarders". That's not good for anyone...

Oops! I kinda went on a detour there. Here is the rest of it...

I am linking up to these parties today. Check them out. :)
Take a Look Tuesday
Manic Monday Linky Party
Pink Hippo Party
A Marvelous Mess

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A Little Catch-Up

Here are a few tables that I finished off. These will be heading to Vintage Jane this week. :)

aqua blue and bits of gold on a fantabulous rolling side table!

I have been so sick (and tired!) and I am FINALLY regaining my strength and building my endurance back up. I am so thankful for feeling so well this weekend and I am even enjoying the bit of stiffness from my hard work the last few days.

solid wood drop leaf table w/ drawer & happy yellow/white chevon pattern!

Before I got sick, I had a TON of projects in various stages of incomplete. I was wiped out totally for a few weeks and I couldn't even fathom trying to do anything (but look at my to do list and want to run in the opposite direction!). But I finally got crackin' this weekend. I still have tons to do, but at least I am gaining some floor space now! 

vintage sewing table w/ dove gray base and chillin' blue topcoat...

Be sure to "like" Alternate Endings Design on facebook to see even more as I finish up!

I am linking up to these awesome parties!

Motivate Me Monday

More the Merrier

Market Yourself Monday

Craftastic Monday

CraftoManiac Monday

Made with Love Link Up

Making Mondays Marvelous

DIY Project Parade

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A Touch of Spring Color...

Here is my second table that I finished last week...

I wanted something with a little bit of color. I didn't want to go to extreme because I wanted it to be able to morph into a room for a long time instead of a passing fad. This side table started off in a light oak finish. I painted a base coat of a light gray to blend with the finish. Then, I mixed up a light green color that had a little more blue for coolness to match the green of the season. Of course, I couldn't just stop there. I added the last coat in a warmer yellow green wash for contrast. 

I did some moderate distressing to show all of the colors and added a couple of coats of wax for durability. I just LOVED the finished table. If I had a place for it, I would be keeping this! It looked great everywhere I put it. As a bedside table or end table, its colors were surprisingly versatile.

I have already hauled this table off for all the shoppers at Vintage Jane, but if you have a piece that you would like funked up a bit, just let me know!

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Loving the Time Change and Weather!

I am so excited about the time change and the fabulous sneak peek at Spring weather! Of course, I am NOT excited about waking up in the dark morning hours, but hopefully it will be lighter soon. When the daylight hours are longer and the weather is calling me to come outside, I feel like I can conquer the world, or at least finish something.

I have been working away on so many projects lately that i haven't even had time to post them! Well, I may just have to spew out some photos this week so you can see that I really have been doing something. Maybe short and sweet will get me caught up. :)

I refinished a couple of side tables this week. Yay! It has been since last Spring that I have gotten to do a furniture project. It will be happening more often now.

This is a solid oak and sturdy side table, but it's a bit ho hum. You know I just like to FUNK something up!

This drop leaf table started off with a light oak finish. I painted on a light gray base coat, then added two coats of a matte black. These are moderately distressed to let the light gray and light oak contrast with the darker top coats. They were finished off with a couple coats of wax to help them stand the test of time.

I will try to post my second table tomorrow with some details. I started a new Facebook page just for my repurposed and upcycled projects. Check it out at Alternate Endings Design!

This table and more will be heading up to Vintage Jane in Kville tomorrow. If you are local, come find some treasures of your own. :)

Joined the party at:
- Craft Schooling Sunday at Creative Jewish Mom

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Not Quite Crystal Clear...

I had fun making some of our Christmas gifts this year. I was trying to handmake or purchase handmade this season. I think I came out 50% not, lol. I think if I would have started further ahead of time I could have at least had 80% made. Oh well, something to work toward next time. :)

I really like making these "incognito" mugs. The kids and I were giggling each time we held them up. Kind of hard to look at someone drinking from it and not think they were a bit silly.

Then we just had to make more!

So I had lots of fun with these and I am in the process of making more. I wanted something a little more artsy as well, so I decided on doing some wine glasses. I found some stemless glasses that I had to have! I think they are so casually contemporary! They may not be for the wine connoisseur, but I think they can be used for so much. I would even use them as candleholders or a short vase.

Did you get a little crafty over the holiday season? Any ideas for the next holiday season? I am gonna keep my mind open, hands moving, and creativity flowing to see what we can do!

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Let the Battle Begin!

Wow! It is scary to think how fast 2011 slipped by. I am not great at resolutions, but I love to start fresh. I am going to make more of an effort this year to stop and smell the roses...and coffee, mmm, love coffee...oops! Man, I can get sidetracked! Anyway, I want to make sure I appreciate the time I am given on this earth instead of wondering what happened to it. I want that for my family as well. Not a resolution, a WILL DO. :)

We just passed my son's 13th birthday. What a milestone (sobbing). He wanted to do up in an exciting way. Along with a lot of his friends, he is enthralled in airsoft. For those of you who have not ventured down this road and don't have a clue what that is, air powered guns that shoot plastic bbs. Much smaller than pellets and paintballs, but I am a strict mama on the limits of the gun's power or fps.

So he and his army of guys planned out their battle plans, home bases and everything else. He had his clear ideas for his invites and loved the outcome. (Now available in the smallfrynotables etsy shop.)

After they wore themselves out, they just chilled around a fire roasting hotdogs and smores and just doing their guy stuff. They all seemed to have fun and my guy was very pleased, which I have come to realize is a bit difficult for a teen, lol.

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Fix-It-Friday 10/14/11

I really will get back into the groove of things soon, lol. I have been SUPER busy, so it is not for a lack of projects to share. I may have to just spend a day unloading (or uploading) all of my projects on here just to prove it. :)

I had a minute to spare this morning and thought I would take part in this week's Fix-It-Friday. For those who don't know what that is, it is where you take someone's less than ideal photo and turn it into something worth keeping. You know all those pictures that you took that you wish you would have done...then it would have been great. Well, take some inspiration from this challenge and play around. What do you have to lose! You check out more here.

Here is the original SOOC photograph.

Here is my first edit. Most of it is done in Lightroom and a touch in Photoshop. First I did an adjustment brush on the background and raised the exposure. I straightened, added an s-curve, cropped and bumped the contrast.

 

I like to do black and white as well. :)

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Fix It Friday!

I love Fix It Friday. I don't get to do it very often, but I really want to make the effort more in the future. Fix It Friday is where you take a specific photo, done by someone else, and make your own edits to it and share how you went about it. Here is this weeks original photo.

Such a cute little girl and fun to edit. Here are my edits in color and black-and-white, along with my process.
-cropped   -healing brush touch up on skin   -adjust levels   -remove color cast   -bump curves   -s curve   -contrast   -resized   -sharpened

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what big eyes you have...

what big eyes you have..., originally uploaded by smallfrynotables.

This is one of our seven animals. Yes, I said seven. Four dogs. One cat. Two turtles. Not to mention the hubby and kids, lol.

I just can't turn them away. Now, I am not even allowed to look at a loose animal or go into anyplace that may have them for adoption.

Unfortunately, I am SOOOO allergic to all of them. I am on three allergy medicines a day just to be able to cope with them. But I could never turn a member of my family over to someone else. And they are definitely a part of my family.

This little one is my little baby. She isn't as small as my feisty pup, but still able to fit in my lap. She is a bit timid as you can probably tell by the photo, lol. She doesn't like noises, storms, quick movement...basically don't breathe in her direction. Just kidding...kinda...

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senior sneak peek

senior sneak peek, originally uploaded by smallfrynotables.

I got to take another senior's portraits this past weekend. With the past weekend's hurricane, I was thankful the weather held out. It was a bit hot at times, but I would rather have that than the thunder and warnings that I am now listening to.

We had fun and I just LOVE this super sweet family. I hope to do more of them in the future. I really love seniors because of the excitement they generate. You can see how they are looking forward to the last year of high school and wondering what the future will hold. I can't wait for them to see the rest of their portraits and hope they heart them as much as I do. :)

Joined up with the following link parties:
Favorite Photo of the Week Contest
Favorite Friday

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sweet baby bug

sweet baby bug, originally uploaded by smallfrynotables.

My adorable new great-niece has been keeping my attention this weekend (along with all my cuddly hugs). She is so sweet with her squishy cheeks and soft auburn hair. Do you know what I love about having my first great-niece? I get to hug on her AND sleep through the night! Just kidding...not really. :)

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Getting Back in the Game...

Well, I dare show my face (or avatar) again after quite the little break. So much has been going on around me that time just got away from me. Now that summer has beat my door down, I'm trying to get into a new routine. I have been quite busy and have so much to share...but one thing at a time. :)

Stocking my smallfrynotables shop has been a blast and I am looking forward to adding so much more! Please stop by and check it out. Here are a couple of items you will find there...



If you like what you see, please "like" Small Fry Notables on facebook, as well! In fact, if you drop by now, please write something on the wall you would like to find for your upcoming Independence Day gatherings. You might find it as a FREE download next week!

Another thing that has consumed me is...couponing! I never thought I would do it, but once I started, it has become quite addictive. I thought I did well with my bargain hunting before, but I have blown myself away, lol. I always love a challenge.

Well, tootles for now, but I won't stay gone long!

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The Sweetest Celebrations...

Yummy, candy-coated colors with visually edible details that make them so enticing for a sweet celebration.

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Finally feels like spring...

spring02web, originally uploaded by smallfrynotables.

Aahhhhh...fresh air, gentle breeze above freezing temps, spring has arrived.

It feels like we have waited through a longer than normal winter with very little patience.

The windows were opened today to help get the spring cleaning mood set. After some cleaning this weekend, everyone went outside to enjoy the beautiful weather.

The kids played catch with the football and made "au naturel" food from mud and leaves.

The hubby did some yard work and I went on a hunt for some signs of spring to capture on film, err, flashcard.

Except for my terrible allergies, this is my very favorite season of the year...

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