Let's Pretend ...

My last post was on November 14, 2012 entitled, "Let's Pretend it is Fall."  Well, let's pretend I didn't just take almost a year off from blogging. The truth is I did. Now I'm missing it.

seashells and japanese fishing floats on my great grandaddy's table. thank you Miss Shutterbug for the basket!
it is coastal casual, vintage, my signature color and one of the only pretty things completed in our New New house

Hunky Husband showing off his handy
work. He closed in the opening to a formal
living room (framing, drywall, build closet,
move electrical,texture walls, install doors,
 install molding, install ceiling fan & paint)
to create a 4th bedroom. CHA CHING!

While I was gone, Hunky Husband and I found a great deal on a foreclosure just two neighborhoods down from the rental house. We renovated in four weeks changing almost every surface in the place -- took down popcorn ceilings, painted every wall, laid hardwood in almost every room, and repainted the kitchen cabinets.  We also took a formal living room area (as if that would ever happen for our family) and turned it into a fourth bedroom.

I will have some before & afters to come, but right now there are lots of before & durings.


Through all the drywall dust and late nights, I discovered what a superhero HH really is.  He did all the work himself (I painted and did all the Girlie wrangling) and it turned out amazing.


It was telling that during this process, I was super excited about our vision for the NewNew house, but not interested at all so much about staging. I never once thought to take pictures of the depersonalization I did in our rental house. It did not even blip on my radar screen to build my portfolio with before and after pix of the Girlie bedrooms.

It never penetrated my NewNew house induced euphoria when the realty company sent 3 perspective couples to view the property ON OUR MOVING DAY. Yup, you read that right. Moving truck in the yard, they were touring around our cardboard boxes and trying to help them "imagine the space" and "appreciate the great elementary school."

when all the staging is done and the packing begins,
sometimes you just have to take the biggest box and make a girlie castle

So, maybe I should change this whole blog to talk about our NewNew House (another story for another day) and my girls and HH and our life. Except for the fact that without working on this blog at all for almost a year, it has gotten 700-900 page views per month. Without me begging my mom and everyone from high school to click on it, people have come looking for the information that I put here long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away.

It is more telling that during this major transformation of our new space, I really did clean and stage the rental house for potential next renters to see. My friends assured me that in a military town, close to the base, at a good price, at the beginning of the summer, blah, blah... our property would rent no matter what shape it was in. I just couldn't imaging letting it roll like that.

This is what I do, this is who I am...I am a stager!

there were lots of late nights on bare concrete floors

So, I think I will finish the last post in the series on the five most adorable things to undo in your house. Nine months in the making -- worse than waiting for the new season of Walking Dead.


I will share some of the insights I got from being a renter showing a house to perspective next renters.  I will try to get some clients to let me post before and after staging photos of their listed properties. I'm looking into taking a certification class for staging so that I can have a very official looking logo to go along with all my fabulousness.

white kitchen cabinet doors coming soon!

I will prolly talk a lot about my NewNew house and all the Pinteresting projects that finish off the place.  We are still in cardboard in two rooms, but getting ready for the big reveal. Que fast forward music from "Trading Spaces."  Bring in the cute, tall twins from Property Brothers to talk about all the improvements.

I will try to make sure that every post from now on is not nearly as populated with the word "I".  Most importantly, I'm going to keep trying to help you live in your show house now by getting a little more VisitReady every day.

just bec

Let's Pretend it is Fall

For those of you who are enduring, enjoying cold and snow already, I salute you. I do not know how to handle an actual change of seasons, as I have lived my entire life in places devoid of them. Well, in SC we have deer, turkey, dove, duck.  My Sistah adds football, but that is more of a religion.

However, I am a holiday mom.  Even if the palm trees are still green & we are all wearing flip-flops, I try to give my girls lots of festive memories. This year, we went to a corn maze, two different Halloween carnivals, trunk-or-treat at the church and THEN trick-or-treats with a ton of friends.

Working in retail for 8 years, this is the point at which I used to immediately switch over to Christmas.  At Target, we stayed over night on Halloween to switch the entire store over to fa la la la la fabulous. Last year my family came to visit from SC for Thanksgiving. We switched from Summer straight to Christmas as soon as supper was off the table -- gotta burn off that fried turkey somehow.

Enter my new friend (and business partner) Miss Honey I'm Home. She LOVES fall. Coming from Minnesota, she is familiar with all the seasons -- apparently there are four.  She also designs front porch installations for general curb appeal or special occasions.  My front porch needed some love to say the least. It needed her vision. It also helped that inspiration struck her about the same time Fall decor went 80% off at Hobby Lobby. That is what I am talking about!

Nothing says Halloween like white pumpkins,glitter t-shirts, tutu skirts and cowgirl boots.

I bought these orange chairs from Home Depot because I thought they scream "Summer Fun." Luckily for me, they also scream "Happy Halloween." Now I am hoping to soften them up a bit and let them suggest "Give Thanks." Don't worry, they have nothing to say about Christmas -- they will be heading to the garage.

via HomeDepot.com

My creepy/classy Halloween feather wreath is perfectly me. Unfortunately, it let us know just how dark my entryway is. From the street, you couldn't see it at all.  Even changing over to this bright orange berry number didn't brighten it up. Hunky Husband to the rescue with a dusk to dawn spotlight that we could point directly at all this fake fall fun.

The wreaths at Hobby Lobby started at $129 -- I am not that girl. Even at 80% off, we could do better.  I got two garlands for $10 (started at $49) and a $5.99 base grape vine wreath.  (Do not tell my Sainted Mother that I bought a grape vine wreath in a store).  One garland broke down into these big sprigs that went right onto the wreath.  The other I broke down into smaller pieces to add to the pumpkin tower.

The Butlers via Pinterest

This is the pin that started me on white pumpkins in the first place. The top two came from Michael's 50% off sale at the beginning of the the season. The bottom one came from Target 50% off after Halloween. Even with the discounts, $24 is a lot for me to spend, but I plan on using them every Halloween and Thanksgiving for the rest of my life.

-So, I've that going for me.

That created a problem when I went to build the tower.  I didn't want to damage the pumpkins with pins or hot glue.  I need to use them for Halloween next year and I do not think HH would give me the space in his man land garage to store this piece whole. I poked a few strategic holes in the bottom of the little one and removed the stem from the big one. I used wood BBQ skewers to secure the top two in place -- all small holes & a cookie to anyone who can find them next year.

I hope you are having fun getting your place all tarted up for the holidays. I'm hoping to get some good before & after shots of an upcoming staging job for you next time.

Whether you are getting ready for the holidays or your open house, you can stretch those curb appeal dollars to make your place more Visit Ready.

just bec



I'll be linking up at these linky parties:

before & after party @ thrifty decor chick nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm show me what you've got @ our delightful home  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine get your craft on @ today's creative blog tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time @ a bowl full of lemons  tuesdays treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  wow me wednesday @ ginger snap crafts   tuesday time out @ reason to skip the housework  sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  whatever goes wednesday @ someday crafts show & share @ southern lovely wow me wednesday @ polka dots on parade  under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  show off your stuff @ fireflies and jelly beans  pinspirational thursday @ the artsy girl connection   hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  strut your stuff @ somewhat simple    share awesomeness thursdays @ the 36th avenue  a glimpse inside @ catch a glimpse   feathered nest friday @ french country cottage  freestyle friday @ happy hour projects  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor   flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring  the pity party @ 30 handmade days  weekend wrap up @ tatertots and jello anything goes link party @ bacon time  friday free for all @ five days five ways  frugal friday @ the shabbby nest  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  serenity saturday @ serenity you   manic monday @ serendipity and spice

Undo #2: Theme Rooms

I ran into a friend who I hadn't talked to since starting my home staging business. She said "Oh, you FIX houses to sell, like on TV!"

I wish I was "like on TV." They seem to have very high budgets, staff in matching t-shirts and that handy fast-forward edit thingy. However, I usually use what my clients have -- plus a little BEHR paint, trust and pixie dust. My business partner (Miss Honey I'm Home) and I work together and Hunky Husband is our only team member. We do not have that music that makes the room suddenly look gorgeous in the last two minutes.

I also do not FIX houses.  Houses are usually working just fine for the people who live there. Sometimes we make small repairs (the nagging little list of things we all put off, but need to be done before a listing). We more often undo the very things that have made that house work for the current owner. 

gorgeous Tangled mural via Pinterest

Staging shows off the space, light and storage in your home -- or creates the illusion of it. 

Sometimes that means taking out half of the bookshelves you have added.

Sometimes that means going from 10 pieces of furniture in one room to three.

Sometimes that means taking down the little decorations that make you smile every time you see them.

Some of the things you have done to FIX up your house are the first to go when we need to appeal to buyers.

#2 Adorable thing to UNDO:  Theme Rooms

Transformer decals are not for everyone

Yes, kids rooms are kid's rooms. 

If you live in a family home, in a family neighborhood most of the people looking at your  home will prolly be needing a place for their short people to sleep.

However, their child may not like Transformers or Tangled as much as yours does.  

My Big Girlie loves the ocean. She wants to be a Marine Biologist and her room reflects it. Her bedding looks like a coral reef. Her pillows look like sea anemones. Her dresser is painted in an aqua color called "Sea Life." Now, she wants to hang fish pictures from the ceiling. That is all fine to live in, but can you imagine putting that in an MLS picture? We would show up on Hooked on Houses for sure.

too many tiny chefs in this overly flowered kitchen landed in
"funny MLS" pictures on  Hooked on Houses

The fact is, a growing number of buyers shop for a new home on-line. 89% of home buyers who buy online say they notice pictures first -- before square footage or description.  A growing number are shopping online exclusively and buying their home without ever visiting it in person.

Let your pictures show off the size of your rooms, not your over-the-top addiction to zebra print.  Let your pictures show the high ceilings, not hunky husband's experiment in camo as decor.
Let your pictures show your wood burning fireplace, not the life size storm trooper made of legos.

You can do it! Pack up the jungle, bistro, Disney, undersea, Caribbean, birdcage, sports pub, vineyard wonderland. It will be great in your new home and make your listed property more Visit Ready.

just bec


sometimes I share at these link parties:

before & after party @ thrifty decor chick nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm show me what you've got @ our delightful home  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine get your craft on @ today's creative blog tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time@ a bowl full of lemons  tuesdays treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  wow me wednesday @ ginger snap crafts   tuesday time out @ reason to skip the housework  sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  whatever goes wednesday @ someday crafts show & share @ southern lovely wow me wednesday @ polka dots on parade  under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  show off your stuff @ fireflies and jelly beans  pinspirational thursday @ the artsy girl connection   hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  strut your stuff @ somewhat simple    share awesomeness thursdays @ the 36th avenue  a glimpse inside @ catch a glimpse   feathered nest friday @ french country cottage  freestyle friday @ happy hour projects  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor   flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring  the pity party @ 30 handmade days  weekend wrap up @ tatertots and jello anything goes link party @ bacon time  friday free for all @ five days five ways  frugal friday @ the shabbby nest  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  serenity saturday @ serenity you   manic monday @ serendipity and spice

Undo #3: Bright, Vibrant or Dark Colors

When you move into a new place, you do all you can to make it yours.


When I am nesting, I sometimes still hear the Target commercial playing in my head "Sweet Happy Life."



When you get ready to move out, you need to do all you can to appeal to most of the people most of the time. You need broad-based appeal.

my Middle Girlie would love this orange
accent wall, but this is not everyone's
favorite shade of happy
via Apartment Therepy

#3 Cute thing to UNDO: Bright, Vibrant & Dark Colors

Painting and repainting (and re-repainting) is one of my favorite ways to transform a space. Hunky Husband and my Sweet Daddy usually end up doing most of the work -- I am the one with all the vision.

It is a relatively inexpensive way to totally change the feel of a space. Warm/cozy or cool/light. Bold or fresh. Light as a cloud or deep dark cave.  I hope you love it as much as I do, because your purchase of Glidden paint keeps HH and his Home Depot pretty busy.

-My colors are bashful and blush.
-Your colors are pink and pink. -- Steal Magnolias

My signature color is 237001 -- the clear bright green that you see all over this blog and all over my house.

When I stage a home to sell, NOBODY CARES what my favorite color is.  They want to see the space. They want the light to flood in and fill the rooms.  I can't let the wrong colors get in the way of them falling in love with their new place. Neither can you!

Packer Time via ManLand

So tone down the neon, the accent wall, and the navy stripes. Lighten up the chocolate dining room, the purple playroom, and the Packer green man cave.

All that being said...please do not think you have to go buy a 5 gallon bucket of builders' white.

I'm not the only one who loves Navajo. Miss Pam put it all through her open concept home
entry, dining, hallway, kitchen. It is the Little Black Dress of neutrals.
via Simple Details

I have painted so many things Navajo that my children think they are next, but it is a really good neutral.  It looks good with almost any wood tone. It is just enough color to set it off from white ceilings and white trim. Almost every brand has one of these go-to neutrals  Ask any paint salesperson what one color they sell tons of -- broad-based appeal.

houzz via Pinterest

Now, gray is the new beige.  It has become its own new fake word "greige." Don't feel like you are afloat in a sea of choices from battleship to slate. Try one of the dozen pins from different designers who have picked out some of their favorites. Trust the professionals, but beware of any post that offers only one brand of paint.  That one is prolly sponsored by the paint company.

Sometimes you need to tone down a bright color, but still need a touch of the shade to coordinate with your decor. Go to the white section of the paint chips. Pick the white that looks pink, yellow, green or blue. You can get the pastel version of the color without looking like a nursery.

get a gallon of sunshine with an undertone of quick sale,

just bec

check out some of the incredible ideas on these link parties:

before & after party @ thrifty decor chick nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm show me what you've got @ our delightful home  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine get your craft on @ today's creative blog tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time@ a bowl full of lemons  tuesdays treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  wow me wednesday @ ginger snap crafts   tuesday time out @ reasons to skip the housework  sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  whatever goes wednesday @ someday crafts show & share @ southern lovely wow me wednesday @ polka dots on parade  under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  show off your stuff @ fireflies and jelly beans  pinspirational thursday @ the artsy girl connection  hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  strut your stuff @ somewhat simple    share awesomeness thursdays @ the 36th avenue   a glimpse inside @ catch a glimpse   feathered nest friday @ french country cottage  freestyle friday @ happy hour projects  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor   flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring  the pity party @ 30 handmade days  weekend wrap up @ tatertots and jello anything goes link party @ bacon time  friday free for all @ five days five ways  frugal friday @ the shabbby nest  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  serenity saturday @ serenity you   manic monday @ serendipity and spice

Undo #4: Family Photos and Gallery Wall

Staging your house is a weird cousin of designing the house you live in. I'm from South Carolina, believe me, I know all about weird cousins.

When you are designing, you trust your style. All those projects from Pinterest get tweaked and polished and proudly displayed.

Now, let's play a different game.  For whatever reason, you have to sell your home. 

Lots of time?  Need to list quickly?  Have to sell quickly? Motivated seller?  Upside-down short sale?

No matter your situation, there are some basics for staging your home.

• Depersonalize 
• Scrub
• Make as many repairs as possible.
• Show off the space, storage & light in your home -- or create the illusion of it.

Coastal Living.com via Pinterest

#4  Cute thing to UNDO:  Family Photos/Gallery Wall  

Shutterbug Photo Props can make your children's
photos precious, but can't make them Realtors.

When potential buyers come to view your home, they need to see themselves there.  No matter how beautiful your children or your wedding photos, those people do not want to see them.  Please, take it all down.  Pack up those precious frames and stretched canvases to safely get to your new home. 

The home you live in is inspirational, the home you list needs to be aspirational.  You want to portray the best qualities of your home and the lifestyle they could have in it.  Help them see the future they could have in it -- not the past you have enjoyed there.  

Also, I don't know about you, but my gallery wall project took roughly 1,427 nail holes to get it just the way I wanted.  After you remove your pieces, don't forget to patch the wall wherever needed.  Paint over the repairs or the whole wall if needed.  Your home should be a dream come true, not a list of projects left for the next buyer (or their offer price may reflect it).

We've all heard that you should hang pictures at eye level, but who's eye level are we talking about here? The center of your art (with broad based appeal) should be about 5 1/2 feet from the floor, even if you have high ceilings.  Curtains look better when raised up, frames do not.

Pottery Barn shows a display of botanical photos made by
6 San Francisco artists.
You could take close ups of flowers in your own yard.
Black & white photos in matching frames pull any collection together.

I wrote a whole post about this point (with horrible pictures, sorry it was my first attempt at blogging), but please don't mistake "depersonalize" for bare/empty/cold/naked walls.  You have style & charm. USE IT WHEN STAGING YOUR HOME!  Replace family photos with appealing art pieces, local photography or a DIY map project. Use those thrifty, crafty, super powers!

Think about it this way. When I went out with Hunky Husband for the first time, I was charmed by him, but I did not want to hear about his ex-girlfriend.  You want prospective buyers fall in love with your house not your wedding dress, infant portraits or family christmas card.

Make your property Visit Ready so that you can move on to a new home full of DIY potential where you can frame new memories for years to come.

just bec

these are some great link parties:

before & after party @ thrifty decor chick nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm show me what you've got @ our delightful home  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time@ a bowl full of lemons  tuesdays treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  wow me wednesday @ ginger snap crafts   tuesday time out @ reasons to skip the housework  sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  show & share @ southern lovely wow me wednesday @ polka dots on parade  under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  show off your stuff @ fireflies and jelly beans pinspirational thursday @ the artsy girl connection   hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  strut your stuff @ somewhat simple  share awesomeness thursdays @ the 36th avenue  a glimpse inside @ catch a glimpse   feathered nest friday @ french country cottage  freestyle friday @ happy hour projects  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor   flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring  the pity party @ 30 handmade days  weekend wrap up @ tatertots and jello anything goes link party @ bacon time  friday free for all @ five days five ways  frugal friday @ the shabbby nest  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  serenity saturday @ serenity you   manic monday @ serendipity and spice

Undo #5: Collections & Antiques

I started this blog to help DIYers apply all your craftiness and style to staging your home for sale or rent. Professional stagers can step in and help you make the most of what you have. They look at your possessions with fresh eyes.

However, if you are reading DIY blogs and trolling Pinterest, there are plenty of staging techniques you can do on your own. Unfortunately, if you are into blogs and Pinterest, you prolly have some great personal touches in your house that might need to be undone.


I started to write a post about the cute things to undo.  It is a big topic and apparently, I like to talk about it. a lot. So, that article got way too long.

I broke it into 5 separate posts.  I also got to make a cute little logo for the series.

#5 Cute thing to UNDO: Precious Collections, Antiques & Collectables

William Faulkner advised writers, "sometimes, you have to kill your darlings."  Sometimes, the precious objects that have made your home so homey, are the ones you have to clear away in order to stage your property for a sale.  a quick sale.  for top dollar.

Modern Bedroom
design by San Francisco Interior
Designer Lindy Donnelly  - via Houzz.com

My Mommy has made trips to auctions, consignment shops, yard sales and antique shops. The Goodwill store staff knows her by name.  Her Ruby Red Depression Glass and Milk Glass collections show off her hard work, love and commitment.  They also have my name on the bottom, so don't get any ideas.

However, if you're going to have people coming to look at your home, your collections may read as clutter instead of classy.  Any priceless, sentimental or irreplaceable items need a safe place to hide.  Show off the bones of your space instead of distracting viewers with baubles.

As a general guideline, you want to accessorize in odd numbered groups (3,5,7).  When staging, the fewer, the better. A side table may only need a fantastic lamp.

A coffee table can be grounded with a single large piece and a couple carefully chosen books.

Your mantle will probably look best clear with just one large piece of art.

Shelves even need to be edited.  Let any display or collection max out at three.

bookshelves styled simply via SimpleDetails

I love a good tablescape as much as the next girl, but go super simple for staging. Fresh fruit can make a colorful centerpiece for your kitchen table that lasts much longer than cut flowers.

via Indianapolis Home Stager

She who dies with the most stuff may win, but she will not always get the best offer for her property.  Go ahead and pre-pack, you'll be one step closer to your move and your place will be more Visit Ready.

just bec

sometimes I share at these link parties:

before & after party @ thrifty decor chick nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm show me what you've got @ our delightful home  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time@ a bowl full of lemons  tuesdays treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  wow me wednesday @ ginger snap crafts   tuesday time out @ reason to skip the housework  sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  show & share @ southern lovely wow me wednesday @ polka dots on parade  under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  show off your stuff @ fireflies and jelly beans  pinspirational thursday @ the artsy girl connection   hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  strut your stuff @ somewhat simple    share awesomeness thursdays @ the 36th avenue  a glimpse inside @ catch a glimpse   feathered nest friday @ french country cottage  freestyle friday @ happy hour projects  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor   flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring  the pity party @ 30 handmade days  weekend wrap up @ tatertots and jello anything goes link party @ bacon time  pinworthy projects @ just us four  friday free for all @ five days five ways  frugal friday @ the shabbby nest  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  serenity saturday @ serenity you   manic monday @ serendipity and spice

Disney Deals and Crafty Steals

One last go-round for the bandanna shirts we made
 for Easter ($2.50 each).

There are few things I love more than clearance sales, Disney World is one of them. So, I have combined the two in planning our family vacation this year. These are a few of the tips & fun projects we did to make this trip thrifty and extra princess-y.

By far, my best saving tip, pre-purchase the CD of professional Disney photos.  This deal saves $50!

Our last trip, I did not take advantage of the PhotoPass because I thought it was too expensive. I am not much of a photographer and that whole trip, we never got one shot of all of us together. It was a great trip, but no pix to prove it. I know it sounds cheesy, but these posed shots in front of castles and my girls hugging princesses are priceless to me.

They also include stock photos of the characters alone.  We plan to use them for future projects.

 After the vacation, when I went to order the CD to be shipped, they had a savings offer that covered my shipping.  You can also just digital download during that step as well.


The matching Girlies' outfits came from our favorite web sites (Old Navy, Target & Gymboree). Once things go on clearance in the store, it is hard to find all 3 sizes in matching colors. Online, is a clearing house for all the items and we have a better chance of getting full sets.  The matching is not something I like in real life, but it was helpful in the crowds of the Magic Kingdom.

mister fan via CouponingtoDisney

In the park, there are giant fans attached to water bottles. They prolly do cool you off, but they are larger than any of my tiny Girlies and retail for $437 each -- well, maybe not that much, but more than this thrifty momma was ready to pay. Couponing to Disney said to avoid the misting fan from Wal-Mart because it leaks. I wanted to avoid it because I didn't want to deal with extra water at all. We found tiny battery powered fans at Wal-Mart for $1.50 each. The blades are made of foam, which is important because my children love to try and lose fingers whenever possible. I used Minnie Mouse ribbon to make lanyards. Each Girlie got to carry her own cooling system (and drive her sister a little crazy) while waiting in line.

My address says we are Florida residents and that got us a pretty nice discount on park tickets. However, Pensacola is as far away from Disney as Charleston, SC. So, we ended up spending just as long in the car.  I needed some road trip solutions.

I stole this idea from less than perfect life of bliss and Disney-fied it just a little. These clothes pin tabs go up on the visor. As long as you are sweet & quiet, they stay up.  If you are bad, yours comes down. When we stop for gas, only the Girlies with tabs up get a treat.  All my Girlies are color code junkies, so we didn't even need names or initials. I made these in about 2 minutes using Paint -- flashback to 1993.  One big colored circle + one smaller white circle + one black circle + two smaller black circles = quiet tabs.You could use a circle punch to make them perfect, but my Middle Girlie cut these out, so they are beautiful to me.

Classy Clutter made some super cute DVD boxes into colored pencil holders.  We had some Disney movies and Wii game boxes floating around so I didn't even have to make new covers. I followed her directions for removing the disk holder section of the box. Dollar Tree had a pack of 21 thin markers (7 each was plenty). Luckily, I had some pillow cases left over from a previous project. They were made from that stretchy T-shirt material. It made them perfect holders because they were already hemmed and stretch to let the markers out, then bounce right back.  Road fun for 33 cents each -- awwww yeahhhh!

life size Cars you can climb on &
the headlights even come on at night

the big blue pool makes you feel like you are swimming
with Nemo & music plays under the water while you swim

My last 2 cents: check out the newest value resort, Art of Animation. I cannot say enough good things about it! It is themed Little Mermaid, Finding Nemo, Lion King and Cars. If your children have ever seen a Disney or Pixar movie, they will lose their minds when they see this place. Everything is scaled so you feel like you are in the movies. Even if you can afford to stay in a fancier hotel, this one is amazing!

Now that August is here, we will be heading back to school and I will be working more on houses and blogging. Thanks for coming along with us on all our crafty Disney adventures. Hope you had a lot of your dreams come true this Summer, too.

running out of pixie dust, 
just bec

before & after party @ thrifty decor chick nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm show me what you've got @ our delightful home  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time@ a bowl full of lemons  tuesdays treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  wow me wednesday @ ginger snap crafts   sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  wow me wednesday @ polka dots on parade  under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  show off your stuff @ fireflies and jelly beans  thrifty thursday @ thrifty decorating  pinspirational thursday @ the artsy girl connection  thrifty thursday @ tales from bloggeritaville  hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  strut your stuff @ somewhat simple  crafty, scrappy, happy me @ crafty, scrappy, happy  share awesomeness thursdays @ the 36th avenue  get your brag on @ gluesticks  a glimpse inside @ catch a glimpse   feathered nest friday @ french country cottage  freestyle friday @ happy hour projects  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor  from scratch friday @ marriage from scratch  feature yourself friday @ fingerprints on the fridge  flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring  the pity party @ 30 handmade days  weekend wrap up @ tatertots and jello anything goes link party @ bacon time  friday free for all @ five days five ways  frugal friday @ the shabbby nest  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  serenity saturday @ serenity you   manic monday @ serendipity and spice

TuTus for Tomboy Princesses

My girlies are full on Disney Princess junkies. They each have their own favorite princess. They will tear up the dollar section at Target whenever they see something pink.  However, they are also going to climb and run and jump and scratch and spit.  Then, they will spill something yummy all over whatever Princess gear they are wearing.  

On our family trip to Disney, we finally booked the character dinner in Cinderella's castle. Baby Girlie is old enough to enjoy & remember it. Big Girlie is in that last five minutes of Princess before she starts chasing boys and hating family vacations. Perfect timing for overpriced chicken nuggets and hugs from Belle, Ariel, Aurora & Cinderella! It was totally worth it -- the adult food is amazing and the personal attention from the cast members was incredible.

On previous visits we had seen lots of little girls in the long (polyester) princess costumes. My girls would not wear those hot little numbers to Princesses on Ice, much less Central Florida in June. I wanted something just as cute and trademarked, but way more comfortable.

Solution: T-shirts & TUTU skirts!!!!

I scouted through a few of the million tutu tutorials. For the tulle, we went with Rapunzel's hair, Belle's dress, Snow White's skirt yellow. The bike shorts from Gymboree determined the length.

While waiting for the tulle to go on sale at Hobby Lobby (when roll ribbon is on sale), I found IdeaRibbon.com, a wholesale company that is even cheaper than any craft box store's coupon or sale price.  They have much longer rolls (300' long instead of 100') -- I made all three skirts with one roll.

this is my highly technical way to measure the strips quickly for two different size skirts.  from the edge of the table to the first line of painter's tape - little girlie skirt.  from the edge of the table to the second line of painter's tape - big girlie skirts. repeat 40-50 times per skirt or till you run out of tule.
sorry about the excellent shot of my hooters and fat roll -- that is what I get for giving hunky husband the camera.

I liked the look of slip knots because we were using yellow and needed the coverage over the elastic band.  I was also worried that double knots would poke them in the back while riding rides.  There is no way to ask a child that or test it without putting the idea in their head that it is uncomfortable. I still hate that email telling me there is no good place in my mouth for my tongue.


So, the slip knots are prettier, but not as secure. I refused to spend my day in the Magic Kingdom fussing over them. Necessity is the mother of invention. So, we pulled in a whole roll of tiny yellow ribbon. One tight knot at the base of the slip knot was enough to secure it, but too tiny to feel. They held up great from Its A Small World, to the spinning tea cups, all the way to dinner at Cinderella's Royal Table.


The t-shirts were the standard little girl shirts with cap sleeves, $3.47 on the table displays at Wal-Mart. We added iron-ons of our favorite princesses. These are from UltimateTransfers on Ebay.  She was so fast in shipping them and even replaced one that was damaged in our broken mailbox.  I just love great customer service from cyberspace!


I've spent so much time trolling thrifty Disney sites, I just figured everyone would be decked out in matching t-shirts created on Silhouette and homemade over-the-top hair bows. Apparently, the Pinterest revolution is strong, but some people really do just wear regular clothes to the park. We got lots of looks, several complements, a couple of "where did you get those?", and (my favorite) two moms saying, "I'll make you one when we get home!"

Cinderella asked my Middle Girlie, "Is that your Fairy Godmother?" 
"That's just my Mom."  
"Well, she gets you out of all kinds of trouble and I know she made you that dress!" 
BEST COMPLIMENT EVER!!

bibbidi bobbidi boo,
just bec

i sometimes link up at these great parties:


before & after party @ thrifty decor chick nifty thrifty tuesday @ coastal charm show me what you've got @ our delightful home  tuesday to do @ the blackberry vine tip me tuesday @ tip junkie  tutorials & tips @ home stories a to z  take a look tuesday @ sugar bee crafts  one project at a time@ a bowl full of lemons  tuesdays treasures @ my uncommon slice of suburbia  wow me wednesday @ ginger snap crafts   sugar & spice @ 733 a creative blog  wow me wednesday @ polka dots on parade  under $100 @ beyond the picket fence  show off your stuff @ fireflies and jelly beans  thrifty thursday @ thrifty decorating  pinspirational thursday @ the artsy girl connection  thrifty thursday @ tales from bloggeritaville  hooking up with hoh @ house of hepworths  strut your stuff @ somewhat simple  crafty, scrappy, happy me @ crafty, scrappy, happy  share awesomeness thursdays @ the 36th avenue  get your brag on @ gluesticks  a glimpse inside @ catch a glimpse   feathered nest friday @ french country cottage  freestyle friday @ happy hour projects  thursday temptation @ two yellow birds decor  from scratch friday @ marriage from scratch  feature yourself friday @ fingerprints on the fridge  flaunt it friday @ chic on a shoestring  the pity party @ 30 handmade days  weekend wrap up @ tatertots and jello anything goes link party @ bacon time  friday free for all @ five days five ways  frugal friday @ the shabbby nest  mad skills party @ mad in crafts  serenity saturday @ serenity you   manic monday @ serendipity and spice