Pressed Flower Card

I'm not the best at it, but I try and make cards for birthdays and other occasions rather then spending $2-$3 at the store. This is my latest idea and its been working out really well … I found my old flower press from when I was a little girl, with pressed flowers still in it! They make a really unique card when glued to the front of the card. The only problem is the flowers are really fragile and I use glue sticks, so I found it best to put the glue on the card first and then press the flower into the glue. 

I'm so excited to press more flowers and make more cards!

It is done!

 

After months of (on and off) working on our downstairs bathroom, we have finally finished it!!! Shaun tiled the countertop with natural stone tiles, which creates such a lovely vanity. We added some hardware to the cabinets (that we stained earlier) and it almost doesn't look like the standard vanity that comes in almost every bathroom  :)

 

 

So here is our final product!

Audrey knows best

I don't even remember where I found this picture, but it has been my screensaver on my phone for a very long time. I like it because it is a reminder not only to see the good in others, but to speak only kind words. I have seen the destruction that gossip has caused in my workplace, and sometimes I even get caught up in it. So I try and remind myself of this quote. No one wants to be talked about behind their back, and I'm sure I've been talked about behind my back, and it's not a pleasant work environment when you are paranoid that people are talking about you. So for "beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness …" -Audrey Hepburn

The path to using all natural beauty products - on a budget!

Let me give you a little background about what has caused me to try all-natural products. . .

I have been struggling with acne for the past 3 years now and it has affected me so much that I eventually went to the dermatologist. He blamed the progesterone in my IUD, recommended I get it removed, and also put my on doxycycline and spironolactone. I ignored his advice to remove the IUD, because it was the easiest birth control I had ever used, and my face was starting to clear up with the medicine I was prescribed. He also gave me some good advice that the harsh face wash products we use, dry out our skin, so our body produces more oil to moisturize our skin, and it is that oil that clogs our pores and causes acne.

One night I took the doxycycline really late and then went straight to bed, I was up that whole night with heartburn, but I ignored it. The next day whenever I ate food, it kind of stung when it went down my esophagus, but I ignored that feeling and continued eating my BUFFALO chicken wraps and taking my doxycycline before bed,(my face was clearing up I wasn't about to let some minor hiccup, like heartburn stop my treatment). The next few days, the pain increased to the point where EVERYTHING I ate and drank hurt, including water. I eventually went to the doctor, dehydrated and worn out from not being able to eat. The doctor put me on two antibiotics to treat the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers, and prevacid - an antacid. She also reinforced the fact to STOP the doxycycline. After a week of sleeping in a chair, eating only bread and butter (once I could get anything down) and this horrible metal taste in my mouth the antibiotics caused, I finally started to feel better. But of course the antibiotics caused other infections, but a simple treatment with diflucan cleared that up.

After that experience, I called my gyn up and got the IUD out as soon as possible. I could be reading too much into this, but I had and IUD placed, the progesterone in the IUD caused acne. I used harsh chemicals to try and treat the acne, which only dried up my face and caused more acne. I took medicine for acne, which I didn't follow the directions for and caused other health issues. It all seemed to spiral out of control for me until the point where I was done. Done with medicine, done with chemicals, and done with artificial hormones. Now don't get me wrong, sometimes medication is unavoidable and beneficial - when prescribed by a doctor and the doctors instructions are followed.

While I was struggling with all of this, my mom had been telling her hairstylist about me and her hairstylist recommended all natural products. I have always been sensitive to some things IE cheap metal and harsh shampoo, causing dry itchy skin and occasional eczema of the scalp. When your body is reacting to these sensitivities, it is unable to put 100% effort on fighting other things - like acne. So my mom gave me some of her all-natural shampoo and conditioner (I am still searching for a cheap version) and Neutrogena body-oil (that stuff is awesome!).

Face Wash:

And then I stumbled on this blog, http://healthydiaries.com/2012/07/17/how-i-improved-my-skin-acne-scaring-overall-complexion/ all about cleansing your face with oil. The whole idea is that oil dissolves oil, and it doesn't dry out your face so your skin isn't working overtime trying to produce oil, and an overproduction of oil will end up clogging your pores. Its all natural, and insanely cheap! Just extra virgin olive oil and Castor oil!

 

I use a 3:1 ratio of cold-pressed Castor oil to extra virgin olive oil, but she recommends a 1:1 ratio for people with normal skin and 1:3 ratio of cold-pressed Castor oil to extra-virgin olive oil for those with drier skin.

 

Step 1: run the hot water on your tap

Step 2: massage the oil mixture into your face (massaging your skin increases circulation which helps your scars heal)

Step 3: place a wash cloth under the hot water and then rest the wash cloth over your face until it cools (this steams your face, which opens up the pores). Repeat this step 1-2 more times.

Step 4: gently wipe your face clean with the wash cloth.

 

Do this every night, and in the morning just rinse your face with water. It's so easy! I've been doing it for two weeks now, and I don't have any new pimples and I even think my skin tone is more even.

 

Face scrub:

I had been using this lemon-sugar hand scrub for a while now, and after I read the previous blog, the though occurred to me to use this as a face scrub too.

http://www.bystephanielynn.com/2010/05/lemon-sugar-hand-scrub-for-mom.html

 

I didn't exactly follow the directions, she recommends lemon juice or essential oil - I didn't get much scent out of the lemon juice and didn't want to put essential oil on my face so I just mixed extra virgin olive oil with sugar (salt works too) and it worked well. 

 

Just mix extra virgin olive oil and sugar (or salt) in a jar until the desired consistency (moist enough to spread on your face). I keep it in jar in my shower and just scrub my face (and anywhere else that needs exfoliating) once a week. It couldn't be any easier (or cheaper).

 

 

Face Mask:

This is a diy mask that I just tried tonight, and my face feels nice and smooth.

 

http://www.collegefashion.net/beauty-and-hair/dorm-room-spa-3-easy-diy-beauty-recipes-to-try/

 

This mask is so simple, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tsp nutmeg, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Apply to your face and leave on for 30 minutes, and then wash it off with warm water, while gently scrubbing to exfoliate. According to the blog above, nutmeg and honey act as anti-inflammatories, which reduce swelling and redness (great for acne scars), and the cinnamon and nutmeg exfoliate your face when you wash the mask off.

 

 



 

I'll keep you posted on my journey, especially as I find more budget-friendly all natural products.

Autumn Decorations

One of my favorite things about fall, is the decorating. I love the burnt orange colors, mums and pumpkins.

This year, with us re-doing our bathroom, I am not doing much decorating, but I thought I'd share the little decorating I did do. I was at home depot (picking out stuff for our bathroom) and just grabbed one pie pumpkin and a bag of gourds totaling 8-9 dollars.

I have a very large candle vase that I either decorate with a large candle or these little brown pine cone-like balls that I got from Marshall's one year. So for fall this year, I just placed some of the small gourds in the vase with the brown pine cone balls.

 

 

I also had a hay bale left over from last year (home depot), so I placed the pie pumpkin on the hay. And I had an old basket that came with mums that I bought last year, so I placed some cardboard in the basket to make it appear more full and filled up the basket with the rest of the gourds.

 

Not too bad for not going all out this season :). Now all I need is a cup of hot apple cider and to sit by the fire!



Hanging Basket Storage

 

This was a project I saw on pinterest and was so excited to do . . . but I didn't read any directions or take the time to measure anything, so it turned out to be a major pain. But it's done now and really helps with storage in my laundry room.

 

I found these baskets 50% off at Hobby Lobby, and just bought some twine from Home Depot. The spare twine will come in handy for fall decorating :). I attached the twine to a needle and threaded it through the baskets figuring I would tie knots under the baskets once I hung it and chose there permanent location. That was a big mistake - once you move one basket, the others shift, and there is four corners on each basket that shift! But I eventually got them all straightened out and tied knots in the twine at the right places.

 

Now that it is done, I have a better organization system for my laundry room!

Budget Bathroom Remodel Phase 2 - Painting and Staining!

I know we went a little backwards by tiling first and then painting, but my Uncle and Aunt came into town to help us tile, so we tiled first. Then painted the room Burnished Metal by Behr with a crisp white trim.

I have to say the bathroom looks completely different already. The tile floor looks amazing, and then adding a dark grey paint just transformed the room.



This is our laundry room, you'll have to ignore the really
old washing machine and lack of dryer

 We didn't want to spend he money on a new vanity, so we decided to stain it. I tried staining once before this and will never do it again, it was ugly and ended in tears. So Shaun graciously stepped up to the task and stained our vanity a dark walnut color.

 

I can't wait to put it all together!