Wednesday, September 4, 2013

The French Reflection Long Arm Emeraude 91/2" Makeup Mirror Nickel 3X Optical


Features
  • Magnifications: 3x, 5x, or 7x, - AND - 3x or 7x, each with Optically Ground Glass.
  • Reversible to 1x magnification.
  • The mirror glass is backed with pure silver.
  • Solid Brass frame, heavily plated, can never rust, even in the most humid environment.
  • Your choice of finishes: Ivory, Chrome, Nickel, or Titanium/Matte Nickel.

List Price: $1,955.00
Special Offer: check this out!

Product Description
Reversible from magnification on one side, to no magnification on the other, the Long Arm Emeraude adapts to your style with your choice of base plates. A Although nonlighted, the image quality of French Reflection mirrors is often sufficient on its own merit, in a reasonably welllit area.The mirror itself is 91/2" in diameter and extends up to 91/2" from the wall to prevent leaning over the counter. A The mirror pivots up and down and left and right and swings left and right on the extension arm. A Select finishes from Chrome, Nickel, Gold, or Titanium (Matt Nickel). A 3x, 5x, and 7x Magnifications are available with regular silverbacked mirrors or with Optically Ground Glass silverbacked mirrors for the 3x and 7x magnifications. A See the tab below for a full explanation.Mirrors are shipped via 3rd day Air at no cost to you. A Returns carry 15 restocking fee.


Full text of "Annales du Midi" - Internet Archive: Digital Library ... See other formats Full text of "An analytical French reader. With English exercises ... Full text of "An analytical French reader. With English exercises for translation and oral exercises for practice in speaking. Questions on grammar, with references ... The DeFuniak herald combined with the breeze Material Information: Title: The DeFuniak herald combined with the breeze: Portion of title: De Funiak herald combined with the breeze DeFuniak herald

Must Read For Adoptive Parents!

Realistic Expectations The First Year Home is an amazing compilation of helpful articles for adoptive parents and it is FREE from EMK Press.

Did you hear that?  FREE!!!

And free is a very good price!

It includes one of my all-time favorite advice from Deborah Gray, Top Ten Tips for Successful First Year Parenting, plus over 20 other articles on attachment, dealing with anger and power struggles, overcoming sleep issues, and help for parent burn-out.

Did I mention it's FREE!!!

It is great reading for beyond the first year too.  I loved 10 Keys to Healing Trauma in the Adopted Child, by Bryan Post, and I've been practicing it with great results. 

Affection Prescription 10-20-10

"Give a child 10 minutes of quality time and attention first thing in the morning, 20 minutes in the afternoon, and 10 in the evening.  Following this prescription of time has proven to have a great impact on the most negative  behavior." 

Just click on the link above, scroll down, and download the pdf.

This should be required reading for all adoptive parents.  Yes, it's that good.  And FREE! 

Our new bed! (Bedroom redo)

Hello all and welcome to a new week! Whoot!(?)  :)

Hope you had a lovely weekend! I was busy finishing up some big changes to our master bedroom. It’s still no where near done, but a BIG part is done and I’m. in. LOVE.

So this little redo was going to happen anyway, but it was hurried up a bit when I found out we were getting a new bed. It’s a long story, hang in there with me.

I’ve mentioned a few times over the past year or so that I’ve been wanting to move on from our four poster bed we’ve had for years:

dark wood four poster bed

We got it at Bombay company seven years ago and got a smokin’ deal. It was $1000 and I got it 40 percent off ($600). Now the same bed goes for $1,400:

bombay four poster bed

Ours was still in great condition. For months I thought about reusing the base part (cutting down the legs and posters), but I realized it would be such a waste. Instead I sold it on Craigslist and made enough to cover the entire master redo! (I hope anyway.)

Side note – my Dad helped me assemble that bed seven years ago this past April, and the day after we did that I found out I was pregnant with the Bub. :) I’ve always known exactly how long we’ve had it because of that.

Anyway, it was lovely. But over the years I realized it was making our room feel small:

traditional bedroom

Our bedroom is huge -- about 20 by 17 feet and most of the room has really tall ceilings, but that bed was SO BIG. Oh, and I needed a stool to get up in it. At first that was fun, but I’m getting to dang old for that. ;)

So I knew it was going to go, I just didn’t know when. We’ve needed a new mattress for years now (ours was nine years old), and I knew I wanted to wait till we got a new one to tackle a new bed.

And then I got an email that made me do a double take – the Sleep Number folks asked if I wanted a bed. Uh. Yeah? I emailed them back and asked if they meant to say that. Yes, they did. Then I asked, for real, do I get to keep the bed? They said yes.

I’m not joking, I still think they may come pick it up. :) So after my initial dancing around our house with joy, we went to our local store and a totally friendly guy named Paul showed us our options. It was between the M7 and the P5. I didn’t know what those meant, but it turns out the M7 is the memory foam version:

sleep number bed memory foam

I was hesitant about the memory foam because I get SO hot when I sleep. I need to be totally cool to get a good night’s sleep and I’ve heard foam is notorious for making you hot. But their version is made with stuff called CoolFit that is supposed to keep you cool.

The P5 version is the more traditional bed – if you have a sleep number you may have this since it’s one of the most popular versions:

sleep number bed p5

There was something about that foamy bed though. Seriously. After we sunk into both versions we felt like we sunk even further into the memory foam one. Major cush factor.

You can see how happy I am in this horribly unflattering picture:

I had just sunk in. It was freakin’ awesome.

It took a while to get the bed – I don’t know if they make them for each customer specifically but you need to be patient to get your cush. It really wasn’t bad – about four weeks later and the delivery guys where here:

sleep number bed

So I mentioned I had four weeks, right? I knew I wanted to paint at least the wall of stripes on that back wall before the new bed got here – and I had FOUR WEEKS. But in true Sarah form, I was frantically painting the part behind the bed minutes before they arrived.

Sweating. And cursing (myself). A little.

Why did I wait? Well, they did move up the delivery a few days, which was a nice surprise. So there’s that. But otherwise…I still had plenty of time. It’s just how I roll.

I wanted to get that part of the wall painted because for some reason I thought the bed was going to be mega heavy and too hard to push around later. I don’t really know what I was thinking – I mean, AIR is a big part of this type of bed: sleep number bed

Smartness, ‘tis me.

They assembled everything in no time at all and gave me a nice tutorial on how to use it:

sleep number bed memory foam

This is the part where I’m sure they were like, uhhh, why is this chick taking pictures right now?

I have to admit I was a little overwhelmed at first – I was afraid I was going to do something wrong with the remote and the filling and all that.

The Bub and I were so stinking excited – he helped me make the bed and we filled it and giggled and let the air out and giggled and took pictures and sent them to my husband:

We were a little giddy. There was lots of turning the number down to 10 or as low as it would go just to see how much we’d sink in. It was awesome.

So I have to say…we're hooked on this bed. I don’t know why I was worried about the operation – it’s easy. You just set your number in the remote and push it before you go to sleep – hardly any effort at all. And I have to say – I was worried about having a remote, because I lose them constantly. But I haven’t lost this one once. It’s magic or something. (Just give me time…)

sleep number bed

And even though ours is the memory foam it doesn’t get hot at all – I haven’t noticed that it’s any warmer at night than our other bed. (And that’s saying a lot because it’s the middle of summer and our bedroom is always the warmest room in the house.)

So anyway…that’s what spurred on the room redo! And it’s well on it’s way. It’s going to look completely different than before:

DIY tufted headboard

So far I’ve painted (one wall – and I haven’t even cut in yet, as you can tell), made the new headboard and found the new bedding. I actually found the bedding months ago – LOVE it.

There’s so much left to do! New art, new window treatments. And the bookcase nightstands are going ASAP – I had to use bookcases with our old bed because the bed was so high. Now I’m afraid I’m going to knock my head into the corner of mine when I get out of bed in the morning:

DIY tufted headboard

I think every room needs some black, but these are just black holes in here right now.

I already have lamps (I’m moving the previous sconces somewhere else in the house) and was waiting till I find nightstands to bring them in, but it looks so empty without them! I may bring them up today.

I’m so excited about how the headboard turned out!! Next I’ll show you how I made it and more about the bedding. (This week.):

DIY tufted headboard So here’s the thing though – I decided on that fabric for the headboard after I painted the wall. Now I think I want to go even lighter on the walls. It matches a little too much for me – I think I want more contrast. At least I’ve only painted one wall. See? I procrastinate for a reason. Or something.

OH! We got something else recently – our new little nugget:

little nugget kitten

We named him Colby and he’s still just a little peanut. We got him early because he was rescued from a bad situation – all of his siblings died. :( We’ve had him for a couple weeks now and he is adorable! But he’s climbing on the new headboard so someone is getting their nails trimmed today. :/

So there you go – our new bed and the start of our bedroom redo! The biggest part of the redo is something I’m hiring out – hardwood floors! Not sure if they will happen this month or next but I cannot WAIT. We want to do the whole upstairs but it was too expensive, so we’re piecing it out room by room. And I already have an amazing rug that I got last Christmas that’s going in here. So excited!!

Overall we’re thrilled with our Sleep Number – we love it! We are sleeping better than ever – I noticed from the first night that I don’t toss and turn nearly as much. In our old bed I would wake up so many times a night to turn over and try to get comfy, now it’s a couple times if that. That was a biggie that I noticed. Oh, and my number is 30 (super soft) and hubby’s is 45 or 50. I love finding out people’s number now. ;)

Do you love your bed? Do you have a Sleep Number? I’ll share the headboard tutorial soon!

Everyday Icing (giveaway)

**This giveaway is now closed. The winner has been emailed!

Hello all! It’s Friiiiiday! I am looking forward to another low key weekend -- I was out of town a couple days this week and I came home and feel like my house blew UP. I will be addressing that over the next couple of days. :)

Today I have another giveaway for you to kick off the weekend! I mentioned earlier this week that I’m not taking on nearly as many of these for 2013, but this one I could not pass up.

A old blogging friend of mine (some of you may remember Kimba from A Soft Place to Land!) has started a new business venture and I’m so excited for her! Partly because it’s just a cool idea, partly because now I get to shop fun new jewelry. ;)

Their new idea is a Facebook-based business called Everyday Icing:

The ladies who started Everyday Icing Accessory Auctions love designer jewelry, but not designer prices. They know the least expensive way to take an outfit from plain to fabulous is with the right jewelry, but most of us have a budget to watch. Hence this idea – awesome jewelry at awesome prices!

SO, how does it work?

Everyday Icing combines social media and shopping. You just like their Facebook page to stay in the loop on the new deals. (If you want to make sure they show up in your Newsfeed, then hover over the "like" button and select "Add to News Feed".)

Shopping with Everyday Icing is very easy:
1. Visit their Facebook page every Monday evening at 9 p.m. EST to see and buy their newest jewelry. The prices are fixed and the quantities are limited. When they're gone, they're gone!

2. They'll post pictures and descriptions of 20-30 fabulous items. Comment "Sold" on any deal that you can't resist, but make sure to include your email address. (To keep your email address private, click our “Register to Shop” tab on our home page, then you can just comment "Sold".)

3. They will invoice you through PayPal and you have 24 hours to pay. Domestic shipping is always FREE! (Oh yeah…love free shipping.)

It’s so simple, right? I kind of love that all the deals come to YOU. You see them in your feed and don’t have to do a thing to “shop.” Seriously? That’s awesome. And dangerous.

If you have more questions, they have a “How to Bid” tab on their page that explains more.

So let’s check out some of the goodies, shall we? I’m already thinking about warmer temps and I LOVE wearing navy and gold in the summer:

nautical pictures

That starfish bracelet is so sweet!

I’m really loving all the turquoise pieces as well, this color is still HUGE:

southwest collage

And I thought this one is lovely for spring – all of them just feel light and happy:

turquoise and mint collage

Don’t you love that they sell scarves too? I’m obsessed with scarves!

So here’s the fun part – the little package one of you will win this weekend:

TDC prize collage

It includes $100 worth of their products, including the following:

- Michael Kors inspired boyfriend watch
- Lightweight leopard scarf in teal
- Turquoise Van Cleef inspired quatrefoil necklace
- Gold classic pave button earrings
- Chevron bangle bracelets

I love every single piece! Whoo!

Here’s how to win the goodies!:

1. Leave a comment here. EASY. :)

2. Visit the Everyday Icing Facebook page and “like” it here. Let us know you did in another comment. (If you already do, just let us know!)

* You can enter one or two times – it’s up to you! All options are not mandatory to win.

* Remember if you comment anonymously or you have a private blog, please include your email address in each entry, and spell it out with “at” and “dot” to avoid any spammy emails coming your way.

This giveaway is open to the US and Canada. It will close this Monday,  February 11 at 9 a.m. EST.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Staircase nook

Hey hey all! Well, it’s about that time! I’m off to Atlanta today to prepare for the Haven Conference that starts tomorrow. It’s been a year of planning and I can’t even believe it’s already here! SO excited to see everybody.

So I finished up a quick little project this week that I’ve been meaning to do for months. Or a year. A year and a few months.

We have a little ledge/nook/cut out spot in the basement staircase that has been sitting half way done for that year and a few months:

You may remember that I installed a wood wall on the main wall in the staircase about this time last year. I still LOVE that wall. So very much.

Before we had the basement finished the wall next to it going down the steps had a weird cement wall bump out thing. Instead of drywalling all the way up I asked them to make it a little ledge instead. They installed a wood piece that I was planning on painting later, hence the stain spatter I didn’t worry about:

But since then I’ve decided I wanted it stained instead. I’m kind of obsessed with the look of the dark wood against the gray blue walls (Marina Gray by Ben Moore) and white trim down there.

So I needed to sand off that stamp and the stain dots:

sanding before staining

It just took a few seconds and I was ready to go – then I taped everything off with my Frogtape really well. I find it’s hard to keep stain from going everywhere since it leaks easily and spatters all over the place. (It could be the operator, who knows.):

prepping for stain

After I wiped everything down well (and let it dry), I grabbed my dark walnut stain and went at it:

how to stain

Remember when you stain to work quickly and to keep the “wet edge” – if it dries at all during the process you’ll see where you left off. OH, and wear gloves!! Trust me – no matter how hard I try I always end up with stain on my hands.

I let it sit for a few minutes and wiped the excess off. I only usually do one coat – I find that’s plenty for the color I want.

While it dried I started hanging the frames I’ve had leaning there forever. Most of them are pics from the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade/NYC trip I showed you here, but there was one collage my stepdaughter gave us last Christmas (so sweet!) that I wanted to include too.

Here’s a little tip when hanging pics that have two hangers instead of one – just tie a piece of string or wire between the two:

hanging picture without a level

Then hang that on the the nail. SO much easier. I mean, sometimes what you’re hanging is heavy enough you’ll want two nails, but most of the time I find one is just fine. And this way you don’t have to worry about measuring, finding a level, all that stuff. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Like all of my gallery walls, I just kind of put stuff here and there – yes, that meant a few extra holes in the wall but they’re tiny. The wall will survive:

matching frames gallery wall

I was trying to use frames that I had on hand and I liked the (mostly) matching frames, so I didn’t go crazy trying to fill empty spaces. The “S” we’ve had for years and it perfectly filled one spot that was bugging me.

The ledge has plenty of room for accessories, but for now I just left a couple candlesticks we had here before (they ended up on there because I was too lazy to take them all the way to the storage room):

matching frames gallery wall

They are fake candles and they operate on a timer, so it’s kind of cool to have that little glow as we walk down at night.

It was a quick project and I think it turned out pretty cute! I love how it looks with the planked wall:

wood planked wall

Next up in this space – touch up the wall and ceiling paint and install chunkier baseboards. Maybe I’ll tackle those in another year. Baby steps.

So are you loving gallery walls? I am and I don’t think they’re going anywhere soon. It’s such a personal, easy way to fill wall space! And remember you can find frames at Goodwill for super cheap and spray paint them. One color for all of them will unify frames no matter their design. 

Surprise!

I love this sweet surprise!  Will came home for a visit!


The stars are in alignment! Life is good!
 
Our granddaughter is the most beautiful baby in the world! 
 
I love these sweet days, having all my kids here!

Light switch bling

Hey there! How are ya? Every once and a while I look at stuff that is being pinned from TDC on Pinterest and it’s fun to see what people are loving. Sometimes something “trends” – I use that term lightly, but you get the idea – and will show up over and over. And sometimes that project or photo is from my early days of blogging and every. time. I see it I gag a little at my horrible photos.

Or something.

I’ve noticed some pins in particular lately that totally surprised me – including this photo from four and a half years ago, when I blogged about the chocolate brown powder room:

molding light switch cover

It’s just a switch plate – many think it’s molding that I installed around the basic one. I mean, you know how much I love trim work, but even this would be a little much for me. ;)

These are actually just covers you can buy at the hardware store – I’ve seen them at Home Depot, True Value and Lowes:

molding light switch cover

They are more expensive than a regular little plastic one obviously, I can’t even remember how much now. I think $4? Maybe $5? For that reason I only buy a few here and there over the years – I’ve been adding them to the house for about eight years now and still only have maybe half of the light switches switched out. (Har.)

They come in one, two, three and four switch sizes: molding light switch cover

They are super thick, so the dimmer switches like we have above on the chalkboard wall above do fine. Those here with the little toggle are annoying cause the toggle falls off all. the. time. :)

You can install spacers behind the electrical box in the wall to push it out so it is flush with the cover, but that involves turning off the switch at the breaker and more work so I just deal with it.

They also sell matching outlet covers as well:

molding outlet cover

I only have a handful of these – in bathrooms mostly, where you actually notice the outlet. That would be a whole lot of moola to try to replace every plug cover in this house!

Anyway, I love how they look – it’s just a little something to class up the joint. ;) They have a few different styles too – one has a beadboard back instead of the plain. I just like this version because it does have that look of trim around the switches. They are a bit beefier and more substantial than the regular plastic ones too.

I have them in the family room:

decorating around flat screen

The kitchen:

chalkboard wall

And in the foyer/living room downstairs:

foyer decor

I have a few more around the house but like I said, not all of them are changed out. I just pick up a couple every six months to a year.

So there you go…and yes, I just wrote a post about light switch covers. Nothing but titillating content here at the blog!! ;) But I get questions about them often so I wanted to share a bit more about where you can get them.

And of course there are a TON of other options to change out your covers too – different metal finishes, colors, designs – it’s a fun way to change things up a bit!