Does this Fridge make my kitchen look fat?

It doesn't seem that long ago, the Juans were busy working on the house.  I miss them terribly and my favorite thing about the Juans was that I just had to shout, "Ayudeme!" (Help!) and someone would come to help me.  That came in handy as I was often working on house projects while they were here.  I love the house they built and when asked, "Would you remodel again?" my answer is YES, in a heartbeat.  We had a great crew, amazing contractor, and it has changed my life.  I've become this crazy recluse homebody who thinks the deer are my best friends.   

The Chalet has had one nagging problem which has been my very fabulous  Juan-ized Fridge.  It is super old and has been leaving ominous puddles on the floor which have been getting larger.    When I talked to the repairman he had the nerve to laugh at me and say, "Junk it! I can't even get parts for it anymore".  Finally, Mr. Man and I decided a beach towel in front of the fridge isn't really the seasons hottest accessory and to pick out a new fridge.   

Originally, I wanted a Tablet Fridge, but Mr. Man's solution to the tablet fridge made me reevaluate it's functionality.  Once again, Mr. Man and I trolled the aisles of Home Depot and the appliance stores asking the question, does this fridge make me look fat?   Which is our favorite way of asking if you like this fridge.  I never really found anything that made me excited to get a new fridge, I loved my old fridge so very much.   Maybe you aren't supposed to get excited appliances... and I'm supposed to find my excitement elsewhere, like rapelling down a skyscraper.  

Finally, I found a fridge that made me giddy, it had a whole bunch of different accessories, and I swear that is the way to sell me on something every time.  You can switch out the handles for 100 different variations and for whatever reason that is what I love most.  

I bought the fridge and then came home and measured the space.  That is backwards, do not do it this way.  I was a little off in my measurements, but surely, the spec sheet from the manufacturer allowed for some wiggle room.   I'm sure they weren't EXACT measurements...  except that they were precise and accurate exact measurements which I discovered on delivery day.   

 

The deliverymen hauled the fridge in and said, "Oops, doesn't fit, you are a 1/4 inch off.  Well, we can take it back right now and you'll get a full refund. "  To which, I said, "NO!  I can make this work!"  (All that Project Runway is really paying off, I could actually hear Tim Gunn saying in my ear, "Well, make it work!") 

So,  I immediately dialed the Juans and said, "Ayudeme! Por Favor"  but they were on a job and couldn't help until next week.   That wouldn't work because I didn't want to admit to Mr. Man who had asked 3 times, "Will it fit?"  that I was wrong.  Our marriage is built on the illusion that I'm perfect, and a quarter of an inch wasn't going to stand in my way. I went out the garage to assess the tools, grabbed a jigsaw, a hammer, and a crowbar.  I shouted out, "Lo Siento Cabinet Juan!"  as I started cutting into the cabinets to wedge the fridge in. I am shocked that I didn't lose a toe or a finger although I had some close calls.

 

 Huzzah! It fit and Mr. Man is none the wiser, our marriage is saved!  Although I fessed up pretty quickly, because I love bragging about my handiness. 

 

For what it's worth, the fridge is a Viking D3 and I love it.  It's quiet, spacious, and I ordered different handles so I can mix it up.  Mr. Man is a bit nervous, I'm going to bedazzle the handles... but that would be pretty glam.. Oui? 

Mission: To Throw an Army Party

Mr. Boy has wanted an army themed birthday party all year long and would talk about elaborate plans, such as a flyover by the Stealth and the Blue Angels.   Then when it came time for invitations to go out, he said, "No wait! I want an Angry Birds Party!" I scoured the Internet but there are only so many ways to recreate a game like Angry Birds and all the products are licensed which means everything costs a small fortune.  Finally, I sat Mr. Boy down and made a case for the army party, I should have been an attorney because I won him over.

It was the easiest party I've ever done!. Every guest had to "enlist" when they arrived, and was handed a goody bag with their "gear". They were advised to put on their helmet and binoculars. The kids soldiers got to work making paper airplanes.

Then we played pin the medal on the soldier, kind of like pin the tail on the donkey, which I thought they would hate but they loved it.  Mr. Boy and I made this sweet soldier out of camo duct tape.

The boys were ready for their mission! A parachuter went down somewhere behind our house and the boys had to find it. They had to look for clues, such as the landing site and parachute pieces.

 

We live in the best place for an Army Party... the hillside was the perfect place for our mission.  Oh man, I love this house. 

Oh look they found the missing soldier! I had no idea Baby Roller Hand was in the army. Nor did I realize she was a parachuter.  Baby Roller Hand has such diverse talents.  

After completing a successful mission, the soldiers were rewarded with Army issued soda and camo cupcakes.

Mr. Boy and I had the best time making these camo cupcakes. It's just different colored batter glopped into a pan.

 

Thank you Pinterest for making me look like such a champ!

They turned out so much better than last years X rated Cake Wreck, Mr. Boy was pretty proud of us.

I bought a fancy frosting tool, but it still looks like a child frosted it.  Baking and Cake Decorating are not where my talents lie. 

 

The boys then got some R&R time to play on the waterslide and in the pool.   Zoey thinks she is a 7 year old boy and joined the kids on every activity. 

This party was so crazy easy and by far one of the best kid parties I have thrown to date.  While the kids swam, I played lifeguard and Mr. Man cleaned up.  My favorite was the loot bags, which were generously provided by the local US Army Recruiting Office.   I provided the helmets and the binoculars and an MRE (a candy bar) and they gave us tons of other loot. 

 

In exchange for the swag, I just had to promise to enlist Mr. Boy on his 18th birthday... Fair trade.. Oui?

AK"s Pinkalicious Room

AK is a passionate girl, who is passionate for pink, bananas, and ice cream.  She has wanted a Pink Room forever, and why not grant her wish.  After all, how often do you get to grant someone's wish.  Although AK was less than enthusiastic about the pink surprise, she loves how her room turned out.

AK's room was the office/family room/Renovation Command Center before we moved her in.  Other than some new windows this room was barely touched during the renovation. I could not wait to decorate a girl's room.  The Chalet Renovation swallowed up much of the cash, so I had to do this on a tiny budget.  I was inspired by Serena and Lily's bedding and color combinations. 

Here is the before:

 

And with new bedding and a bookshelf to display her favorite books, and provide easy access to bedtime reading.  She still has a few more throw pillows coming, because every bed needs a hundred throw pillows.

We found this antique dresser at an estate sale, and I just knew it would be perfect if it was made over.  It provides just the right dainty touch to her room. 

The very drab corner before...

 And after, with some snazzy curtains.   I still need to reupholster the chair, but for now Zoey loves to hide underneath the fabric I draped over the chair.  See how AK has those lovely corner windows?  The deer love to rub their necks on the corner of the house and their antlers scratch the windows.   More than once, AK has been woken up by the deer scratching themselves on the corner of the house.  On nights when her evil parents put her to bed before she is sleepy, she likes to sit in her chair and open her window and talk to the neighbors as they come home from their evening outings. 

I fell in love with this crazy fabric and just had to make it into curtains.  It is perfect for the Chalet, with it's mountain and cabin scenes in vibrant pink and greens. 

  

Mr. Man is convinced I bought it for this detail, the hot pink deer!  Maybe I should dye Rupert Hot Pink?

 This dresser was a wedding gift from my mom when I got married.  It's over 100 years old and I love it.  It presented such a challenge, because I didn't think it would work in a pink room. 

But I think it kind of works in the room... Yes?  No?

My very favorite detail of the room is this bright pink chandelier.  My neighbor was actually tossing this ivory and gold chandelier and I happily took it off her hands.   Two coats of spray paint later, it became the pièce de résistance for AK's room.

AK loves her new room, and there is no confusing that this room belongs to AK.  It is absolutely a room filled with her personality.   

 

Now that AK's room is done, I can move on to another room.  I think the living room is next!

Home

I have needed to go to Ikea for 3 weeks now, and every morning I wake up and say, "Today I will go to Ikea and get that one solitary part for AK's curtain rod."  I've been avoiding it, because I'd rather stay home. 

This little bird decided to join me in my homebody status by flying into my kitchen a few weeks ago.

 I do leave my house, but not voluntarily... it's for soccer, ballet, scouts, groceries.  Becoming a homebody has been a new experience for me.  Even Mr. Man is baffled, he has always thought of me as a bit of a shopaholic.  The truth is... I love being home.  When the kids are at school, I'd rather sit at my desk, look out at the hillsides and write rather than shop.  There is a contentment I feel in my house, that I have never felt before.  During this month of giving thanks, I'm giving thanks for not just a house... but a beautiful home.

P.S.  Have you entered Quite Contrary Mary's giveaway yet?  I am also a big fan of A Tree Grows In Brooklyn and Coconut Oil. Coconut Oil is seriously our go to product in this house, just like Windex was in "My Big Fat Greek Wedding"  

Dissappointingly Pink

AK has wanted a pink room forever and a day.  One day my brother's wife looked me squarely in the eye and said, "Look, as the aunt, I'm laying down the law, she wants a pink room, so give her a pink room." I've learned over the years, you don't mess with the aunts or the aunties.  Plus AK's room has been a disaster since she moved in last year. It was formerly the office aka Chalet Construction Headquarters, and is wired to launch a rocket.  It needs a makeover, and it's in the works, just wait until you see the new bedding!  Step one is paint.

 

 Once I figured out the color I wanted, I went to town on AK's "long day" at school and dance.   She had NO idea I was painting her room, and I thought it would be a fun surprise.  Mr. Boy even pitched in.

Zoey tried to help, or more like made a mess. It seems like common sense to not paint around a puppy, but somehow I didn't think she would get into the paint.  I was wrong, and do you know what happens when you scream and try to tackle a puppy covered in pink paint?  They run, wiggle, and shake, splattering pink paint everywhere.   The upside, now she matches AK's room!

 Finally, it was done and we picked up AK.  Mr. Boy and I couldn't wait to show her the finished project. 

 We told her we had a surprise for her and brought her into her room.... Ta Dah!

 

 Uh oh!  Why the frown?  Apparently, kids consider surprises to be "toys", not necessarily paint.  Good thing to know, looks  like AK won't be on one of those Presto Chang-o HGTV shows, and that's okay.  The next morning she woke up and saw her pink walls, and woke up with a smile.  They made her happy, and that's all I wanted, even if it took a few hours to get there.  

Left to my own devices...

Mr. Man left on a "Man's Trip" to visit Mr. Uncle, and Mr. Friend, which meant I was left at home alone to hold down the fort.  I think Mr. Man gets a little nervous leaving me home alone, because he is never certain what I'll do next.  With my recent home project streak, I think he feared he would arrive home and find the Juan's had moved back in and the front half of the house torn down.  (Oh, how I miss the Juan's, shhhh, don't tell but this Christmas I'm asking Santa to bring the Juan's back!) 

While Mr. Man was gone, I just reached my breaking point with the Living Room.  That fireplace makes me want to poke my eyes out, plus the living room lacks a place to be festive.  I need a mantle to decorate and add some flair to the boring room.  So, I became determined to make a mantle. 

I started with this mantle shelf that I found in my friends garage, and after some cuts on Mr. Man's table saw, I came up with this:

Not to shabby, eh?  Okay, so I'm kidding.   I couldn't figure out how to pull the table saw out of the crevice Mr. Man has it wedged into, so I gave up.  Then I turned to my new best friend Craig (aka Craigslist) and found several mantel's for sale.   This mantel was ridiculously cheap and cost less than our dinner at Souplantation on the way to pick it up from it's owners.   (Bonus, it was my dad's birthday and we took him out for his birthday, then stopped a few towns over from his house to pick up the Mantel. Souplantation was my Dad's first choice, and it was Punk Day at school, hence the blue hair on Mr. Boy.)

It only took about 10 minutes to install, took less than one minute for it to turn into a Lego Battlefield. 

While I love the Mantel, especially for the price it was a steal.  However, I don't love these wood decals or whatever they are.  I want to pry them off., I think they are too fancy for the Chalet.  What do you think? 

My other problem is I'm not digging the color.  This room is so very brown, and I really think I want to paint it with some white chalk paint, and paint the wall behind it a dark color... Mr. Man is voting for a deep grey-green and I'm voting for Navy.

I refuse to cover the Dorothy Chairs until I get the color palette nailed down... not to sway your vote or anything but wouldn't they look amazing with white legs and Navy velvet on them?

I need a spray paint genius!

 I'm posting these pics as a sneak peek into my new project and also, what in the world is WRONG with my spray paint. 

Why am I getting these crackly spots all over my chairs?  I'm using Rustoleum's White Satin, per my favorite faux twin sister's instructions.  (Also, she is hosting the world's nerdiest yet awesomest giveaway on her blog.)  For the most part it is going well, with the exception of five crackly spots.   I've sanded this section down and re sprayed again, but now it's crackling again.

 Anyone?  Hello?  Is this thing on?

 

Once I get this figured out, I can't wait to show you a project I decided to do on a whim one morning.  Like any other project, it's led to another project, and then another.  Pretty soon, I'll be tearing down the Chalet and starting all over. Somewhere Mr. Man just read that and fell over dead.  Oh, who am I kidding he doesn't read my blog. 

Okay, seriously, I need spray paint help! Who has the answer for me?

Chalet Appreciation: Mr. Boy's Room

Mr. Boy's room has been a work in progress for a year now. Finally, there is some semblance of order and a plan taking place. Originally, AK shared the space, and as the construction moved forward, their room became multi functional. This room and the den next door were not radically altered with the exception of new windows during the construction. Which meant this room was getting crammed with more and more stuff as the construction reached it's peak. Mr. Boy wanted a Star Wars room and I happily obliged, or it might have been the other way around.

For the art, I framed pictures of him in his Halloween Costume.  Every year we take the kids to get a professional picture in their Halloween Costume at the place in the mall.  I am not a fan of studio shots, preferring more candid shots, but Mr. Boy loves these. I also have some of Mr. Boy with AK in a Princess Leia Costume but he insists on a "No Girls Allowed" policy for his room.  

His room is definitely not "done".  Underneath that "Larger than Life" picture of Mr. Boy with his cousin (a gift from my dad), will go his new desk.  While not new, it came with the house, along with that awesome Midcentury Modern dresser.

Mr. Boy loves his bunk beds, and deemed the bottom one for guests, and the top one for him.  The sheets are Pottery Barn and an exact replica of the ones my brothers had when I was little. Why do kids insist on putting stickers on furniture?  Every evening I scrape off one sticker while tucking him into bed.  Have your kids discovered the Evil Vile Build-a-Bear yet?  Mr. Boy just attended a lavish birthday party where that was one of the events.  All Mr. Boy talks about is wanting to go to Build a Bear and building another Star Wars Bear.  It's as though the stuff those bears with Crack. The outfit the bear is wearing cost more than the last outfit I bought Mr. Man. 

Have you noticed the "Lego Shelf" yet?   It's the one thing I knew this room needed when we first bought the house.  The Juans made it and it is the perfect spot for displaying Mr. Man's Mr. Boys Star Wars Lego Collection.  The collection is also known as: Reason #3 why Mr. Boy needs to earn a scholarship for college.  "Look kid, we can't pay for college, but didn't your Dad you have fun building all those Lego sets?"

Mr. Boy loves his room, it's the perfect place for storing Legos and Relaxipants.  I love the clean look, although I'm tempted to paint the walls grey.  What do you think?