Tin Buckets {Makeover}

You all know how much I love a good makeover... right?

WELL.I.DO!

 I got these buckets as a result of helping a friend de-clutter, I knew I could find a use for them, just didn't know quite what...

Then it hit me! I will spray-paint them and use them as planters! 

Well as you can see, that is NOT what ended up happening!

Don't you just LOVE the creative process? I sure DO!

 I toyed with the spray-paint idea, then I thought Washi-buckets would be fun! 
{Washi tape is a little over-done for me right now tho}
I decided on fabric, a classic standby!

 So I rolled the bucket over the fabric as I traced along the edge with a pencil
Then I cut it out, made sure it fit, and used spray adhesive to adhere it to the buckets

 Now I have more crafty storage! YAY!!

The beautiful Roses came from my very own backyard! Another advantage of owning an old house!

 Aren't these vintage-inspired fabrics gorgeous! I LOVE any excuse to visit my local fabric shoppe!!

Look out all my little IKEA buckets... YOU ARE NEXT!!

I had a few requests for a video tutorial on how to do this... so here it is! 

No judging please... LOL!!!

ALSO miss Rhonna Farrer wrote an inspiring post on the power of social media.. using it to help each other.. her blog is A-MAZING!!!

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Some Skincare Advice, #EclosBeauty Review and Giveaway!

**UPDATE** The winner of the skin care is comment number 2 Ashley and Scott.
CONGRATS! I will be emailing you now!
If I don't hear back from you by 1pm tomorrow, the giveaway goes to someone else.
Thanks SO much to those who entered!!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of éclos Skin Care for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

SURPRISE!! I am a Licensed Master Aesthetician and Makeup Artist!! 
{told you I do a little bit of EVERYTHING}

Anyway...  DO you know what that means? Basically I am a skin care expert... I love keeping up on all the new anti-aging products and treatments, as well as the best ways to treat acne. I am also licensed to do laser treatments, chemical peels, microdermabrasion, facials, full body waxing, body treatments...etc...

*FUN FACT* Every night you don't wash your face.. you age TWO WEEKS!!!! No more falling asleep with your makeup on! Drag yourself out of bed and wash your face! Then say your prayers and good night LOL!

Because I have a passion for skin care, I was more than willing to do a product review for éclos Skin Care​. I am really picky about my skin care and I promise to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth!

*TIP* When you change your skin care regimen all of the sudden, your skin may respond in many different ways... you might have an increase in oil production, you may dry out, you might break out, have some discoloration... and so on. You need to give your skin a week or two to adjust to any new changes. That being said, if any of those symptoms are terribly bad.. you could be allergic to an ingredient in the product. 

I am a packaging snob.. if that exists.. if something isn't packaged well, I usually don't buy it, especially when it comes to beauty products. Well I was pleasantly surprised with the éclos Skin Care​ packaging, it is bright, botanical, and it has that medical twist. {which is a great thing for anti-aging products}
The second thing I noticed {which is also a big deal to me} was the smell! It was perfect... exactly what I expected from what I read on the box about the Plant Extracts from a rare Swiss Apple.
Now for the Third... How well the cleanser washes off makeup, and I mean completely, mascara and all! Well, it passed the test with flying colors!! 
Let me break down the skincare in simple terms, and directions

1. Facial Cleanser- Use a pea size mixed with a little water and lather up in your hands or washcloth, in light circular motions massage all over face and neck for about 1 minute, then rinse completely. {Like I said before, it smells great and it melts away your makeup, PLUS!}
2. ​Facial Scrub- Use a pea size mixed with a little water, massage into face and neck {avoiding eyes} for about 30 seconds then rinse clean, can be used daily or every other day. {if you are not used to a scrub, start out with once a week and work your way up} -{This is nice, it gets warm in your hands for a second, and feels great as you are taking the cleansing process one step further}
3. ​Clay Mask- Use a dime size mixed with a little water, massage into face and neck {avoiding eyes} and let set for 5 to 10 min. Only use once or twice a week.
4. ​Face Serum- Make sure your face is totally clean and dry, using a tiny bit gently apply this serum all over face and neck {a little goes a long way}- {LOVE! This smells good and feels silky smooth, you can almost feel the healing properties immediately}
5. ​Regenerative Cream- Use a pea size and gently massage into face and neck {A good finishing cream, feels very luxurious, moisturizing, and again, smells great}
6. Eye Cream- Use a tiny dot and pat around the eye area {My personal fave! I love a good eye cream, because they are hard to find! It feels very silky and hydrating, and my eyes looked better than normal when I woke up in the morning}

I need to be very clear that I did not touch up these pictures! I took them both with my phone, both times at night.

*TIP* When buying anti-aging skin care you must be careful that you aren't buying ingredients that are way too active or intense for your skin... please make sure you consult a professional! Also, don't let anyone talk you into ANYTHING that you aren't ready for!
​I do like the fact that éclos Skin Care is a more natural or botanical skin care line, as opposed to others that are very acidic and have synthetic ingredients.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my acids, but it is a nice change to switch off with a natural line.

I have to be honest tho, I did not see a huge change in my fine lines.. only because I have been an Aesthetician for 10 years and I have been using HIGH quality skin care since then and it keeps them at bay... but I did get to witness some pretty powerful healing benefits!! I get the monthly breakouts, just like most women do, and because I despise pimples.. I am a picker.. even tho I KNOW BETTER! Well now I have caused redness, and sores! I took the before picture the day I got the product and the after is about 7 or 8 days later. The difference is obvious, but I noticed a reduction in my redness the very next morning!

​Who WANTS some???

Enter to win this sample kit!!!...

Manditory: Leave a comment letting me know which product you are most excited to try...
For extra entries like me on FB, follow me on Pinterest, Follow me via GFC... you know the drill.
Giveaway will close June 7th!

Thank You Gift Ideas {EASY}

Check out these 

EASY Thank You Gift Ideas!

I absolutely LOVED my Emma's kindergarten teacher!! I wanted to do something cute for her, but with our impending adoption costs, it had to be in-expensive.

Feel free to copy the images below if you want-I made them.

(personal use only please!)

And this is what I came up with for the teacher aides

MORE EASY THANK YOU GIFT IDEAS!

If you need to whip something up quick for a neighbor or friend ~like I did~ Go for something simple and 'sweet' 

Items to always have on hand:

• Cellophane bags, assorted size and color
• small paper bags
• Small gift boxes or cupcake boxes
• fabric scraps
• paper doilies or decorative cupcake liners
• Ribbon
• Glue gun and glue sticks
• Old buttons
• Burlap
• Decorative tape
• Ingredients to make cookies, brownies, lemon bars, cake, etc...

For this one I just blinged out a cupcake box, that I filled with cookies, took me 20 min.

This one is REALLY easy, throw some cookies in a cellophane bag, staple a cute cupcake liner to the top, and DONE...... well I'm not, cuz that's just not me!...

 I HAD to add some bling! And of course personalize it with a lil Thank You note! 

I have some 6in wide burlap ribbon I got from BurlapFabric.com and I just wrapped it up the bottom, and secured with a ribbon... ok and decorated it a little. But SERIOUSLY, how EASY?!

I saved the absolute EASIEST for last! Cookies in a cellophane bag with decorative duct tape across the top! Oh and on the front to hold the flowers on. EEEEZZYYY!!

No More excuses why you can't thank those around you for the kind things they do... gratitude goes a LONG way!

If I have forgotten to Thank someone for something awesome they have done for me.. chalk it up to brain malfunction and know that I love and appreciate you!!

Miss Rhonna Farrer wrote an inspiring post on the power of social media.. using it to help each other.. her blog is A-MAZING!!!

Linking UP

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How To Refinish Hardwood Floors

 I am back again with another DIY project, so roll up those sleeves!!

When we bought our house, we had NO idea that there were hardwood floors lurking under the carpet... SO LUCKY!

Don't throw up! I almost did! THIS is why I will probably never have carpet.. ever again! SICK!!!!

Luckily the wood floors were throughout the WHOLE first floor! 
Unfortunately a small section in the kitchen was damaged beyond repair, SO if you don't have hardwood, but WANT it for cheap.. I will show you how to get it!!

We went to Lumber Liquidators and got 5in unfinished pine for $1.16 sq ft! 
We got just enough to replace the damaged stuff.. 
I wanted to run it the opposite direction as the rest of the wood, to 'define' a hallway. 
Super easy! Cut it to the length you need it, rent a staple gun made for tongue and groove floors, and go to town! 

We used a table saw to rip a few down the middle to make them fit.

I wanted you to see the floors from another angle.. Look how AWFUL those floors are! There was old vinyl flooring tar-glued to the wood! GAH!!

{Poor Em's, we had to do what we could to keep her entertained ALL summer while we worked all day and into the night}

After the damaged wood was replaced with the new stuff, we rented a floor sander, bought LOTS of sandpaper, and started sanding.. and sanding.. and sanding.. and sanding
Start with 60grit, and sand the whole floor, then move to 80 grit, then 100, then 160-ish.. don't go higher than that {even though the floor sander rental peeps recommend it} 
If you do, it makes your floors TOO smooth, and the stain can't penetrate as well.
Just make sure you go over the WHOLE floor, in the same direction as the wood grain EACH time you change grit on the sandpaper. OH- and wear earplugs!

I can't even believe these were what the floors looked like! NASTY! 
Sorry this pic was taken after dark, but I wanted to show you how bad they were, and can you tell where the small section is that I sanded?
OH.. if you have nail holes, you can fill them with wood floor putty, just make sure you do this BEFORE you sand. I only filled a few of the big ones, because I feel like that is one of those things that just adds character! 

Basically all you need is.. a wood floor sander, sandpaper, stain, polyurethane, and a lambskin mop!

We used Minwax Wood Finish in Dark Walnut.. We got our Polyurethane from PPG Porter Paints, and the Lambskin Mop head at Home Depot.

I get a little teary looking at this picture... this is when we knew the end was near! 
My hubs made fun of me because the minute the paint was dry on the fireplace, I started to decorate it! ha ha
Anyway at this point you just carefully pull the stain across the wood, in the same direction as the wood grain, then leave it ALONE for 2 to 3 days.
After that, apply the polyurethane in the SAME way as the stain...
It needs to set for about 32 hours, then you LIGHTLY sand it with regular 100 grit, then apply another coat. {We did 3 coats} You DON'T sand the final coat.
Wait about 3 to 4 days for it to harden completely before you start moving furniture onto the floors.

OK I KNOW my rug covers MOST of the floor, but isn't it pretty! The only drawback is that dark floors show dust and scratches easier than lighter floors... but I knew that ahead of time.. it was a price I was willing to pay for dark luxurious floors ;)

Here is a pic of the kitchen floors, taken by my hubs phone.. he insisted that I added this ha ha!

Check out some of my other popular posts...

1. Small Bathroom on a Budget

2. Pink Princess Pirate Party

3. Mailbox Makeover

4. House Numbers Makeover

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