DIY Bay Window Curtain Rod

Do you know how expensive bay window curtain rods are? I never knew until I started looking online for one last Spring when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my bay window in the kitchen.
I envisioned having a bay window curtain rod with long, white curtains draping on them to brighten up the room, but after I saw how expensive the rod alone was, I had to figure something else out.  That's when I typed in "diy bay window curtain rod" on Pinterest and found this blog How awesome!!

I went to Home Depot and bought a 10 ft electrical tube conduit. See by clicking here. As you can see, it was only $2.44!!

Then I followed the blog instructions and measured out where I would need to put the two bends. I had Matt help me with that part.

Once we put the bends in, I took it out to the garage to be spray painted black. I bought a pack of hooks at Home Depot to hang the curtain rod on.

Then, I went to IKEA and bought a few curtain rods and used the circle finials to the conduit. It was cheaper to buy the rod set then to buy a pack of the finials. Plus, these were meant to be inserted in a tube, so it was perfect. I have them inserted to where I can remove them if I need to wash the curtains. Having two kids, sometimes things get spilled and splash, so it is best to keep the finials removable;)

Before: Right after we bought the house July 2009. No paint on walls.

After: February 2014

 I am so excited that I was able to make the curtain rod myself and still get the look I was going for, at a fraction of the cost! I also love the curtains I bought from IKEA:) 

 Thanks for reading! Have a great day!!:)

And a very Happy Birthday to my mom today!!:) 

Kitchen Island turned Coffee Bar

Pretty much every time I go to my parents' house, I ask my mom, "Is there anything you don't need or use anymore?!" And I usually come home with at least one thing haha! The last time it was a couple candle holders I had given her for Christmas about 8 years ago that I saw in a cabinet not being used anymore.....they would be perfect at my house;)
So a few years ago, I noticed the kitchen island that we had at the old house just sitting in their basement, not being used and collecting dust. I told them that I would love to have it if they weren't going to be using it anymore. So, that Christmas it was sitting under their tree for us:) I was so excited!

 

Christmas 2011. My dad with Ethan(almost 3) and Elly(just turned 1) The island in the background:)

I searched all through my pictures, and this was the only one I could find of the island in my kitchen before I turned it into a coffee bar. (Elly and her friend Morgan back in 2011)

My coffee bar this past Christmas:) 

This was actually my first big project I took on (besides painting the entire house). Also my first time staining. So, I just sanded it down and stained it and then put polyurethane over top.  Sounds simple, but it took me a couple months to complete.

The mirror above the coffee bar is one of my favorite parts. It was a family friend's before she died a couple years ago from Lou Gehrig's Disease.  I had always commented on how I loved it when it was at her house, and after she died, her daughter and my mom gave it to me:) She was also our Realtor and was with us through the whole process of searching and buying our home, so it just reminds me of her every time I look at it:) Miss her!!

Another part I love is the sugar canister in the middle of the coffee maker and espresso machine and the mug holder on the top shelf. My sweet friend gave them to me and I just think it was the perfect addition to complete the look:) 

We're in the process of looking for a new coffee maker also. This one was a wedding gift, almost 6 years ago. I'm pretty excited to update it to a new one! 

Thanks for reading! Have a great day!:)

Future Olympian!?;)

Last night was the closing ceremony of the Sochi Winter Olympics. We love watching the Olympics and wish it was longer! But, you know who really got into it? Ethan! He was so fascinated by it! He would watch it with me in the morning around 5:30-6 (whenever he decided to get up) and we would watch it until we had to start getting ready for school. He said he really wants to go skiing and snowboarding now:)

I told him that the next time the Olympics come on, it will be the Summer Olympics and he will be 7 years old and he'll be 9 years old the next time the Winter Olympics are on! (That's even crazy for me to hear!!)

He told me that he wants to be in the Olympics, he wants to win a gold medal and he wants to Cycle!! Yep, he's been talking about it for about a week. He said he will be the best bike racer ever!:) My mom said he needs to start practicing about 10 hours a day;)

That could be him one day;)

Team USA!

July 2013 Ethan learned to ride his bike without training wheels! 

Look at him go!:)

Yesterday, he was riding his bike around the neighborhood as Elly and I walked with our friends. When we were heading in, my friend told Ethan to have a good day at school and he said, "Oh, I'm not going to school, I have to practice for the Olympics!" lol!!

I love him!!

Pre-K Day!

Today, Ethan's class had "Community Day". They set up a bunch of different stores and shops and one class would work while the other class shopped, then they switched. All the students have been earning dollars to go shopping. Sometimes they would get a dollar taken away if they didn't make good decisions.

So, I was asked to help out for it and little Elly was also asked to come. Ethan's teacher was so sweet and gave her $4 in an envelope with her name on it so that she could go shopping with the class, too:)

I had Ethan, Elly, and one of Ethan's friends in my group:) They were working at Dollar General and had a few customers buy some toys from the other class.

Elly was so excited!! 

Here they are working at Dollar General. Ethan kept asking people if they wanted the jacks lol!

The three of them were yelling, "come get your toys" to try to get more customers:) It was so cute! 

After they were finished working, they were able to spend their money.

The three of them wanted to go to the Fernbank Museum first to dig for dinosaur fossils:) 

Then, they went to the cookie shop to decorate cookies:) (oh, the stickers on her dress are from a boy in Ethan's class...lol)

Elly at Michael's making a sensory bottle.

Outside riding the trikes.

Stevie B's for lunch:)

                                                   

                                                   

                                    Elly getting some ice-cream with sprinkles from Dairy Queen:)

Elly loves acting like just another student:)

So much fun! I love going to Ethan's class and spending time with them. Elly especially loves it:) 

Valentine's Day Part 2!

I have never really been big on Valentine's Day. We never celebrated it growing up except I do remember my mom always gave us those conversation heart things, but that was about it. Matt and I don't really do a whole lot for it either, but this year I wanted to do something a little more to have fun with it:)

Good morning, Valentine;)

So, I bought these heart cookie cutters that were different sizes and I thought I would make the food for the day into hearts, just to make it more fun:)

Ethan enjoying his heart shaped french toast and apples:)

Elly at breakfast:)

For lunch they had heart shaped peanut butter and jelly with celery sticks:)

Then, we got ready to go to Nana and Papaw's (my parents) for the night!

Ethan and Elly made them a card and cookies, since it was Valentine's Day:)

Elly at my parents' in her new jammies they gave her:)

Ethan holding up his new lego firetruck he and my dad built together:)

Silliness runs in the family;)

Ethan and Elly had such a good time, as always, with my parents! It was also so nice for Matt and me to have a night alone also. After we dropped Ethan and Elly off, we went out to dinner for sushi (what else?!? It's our go to spot anytime we are away from the kids lol!!) Then, we went home! I think we were in bed by 9:30...lol we are such old folks! But nevertheless, it was so nice to spend time with just Matt:) 

Elly and Ethan with my mom and dad before we headed back home:)

Elly and Nana!

Ethan and Papaw!

Just a few pictures from the day:)

Valentine's Day Fun! Part 1!

So, yesterday afternoon, after most of the snow had melted, we decided to make some Valentine's cookies:) At that point, I thought Ethan was going to have school today. We found out around 7pm that school would be cancelled again today.

Ethan making heart shaped cookies:)

Elly making heart shaped cookies:)

Elly really loves her big brother:)

Ethan and Elly love baking! They had so much fun! Especially pushing the cookie cutters into the cookie dough:)

Taking the cookies to put in the oven! (I put it in the oven, too hot for them;))

Cookies are out and they are decorating them:)

yummy!!!

This kid right here LOVES cookies...and the color red! His two favorites haha!! 

After we ate some cookies, Ethan sat down to make his Valentine's cards for his classmates. His class was going to have a card exchange and party today, so he'll still get to take everything on Monday.

I saw these Veggie Tales cards at Walmart and thought they were so cute! My kids love Veggie Tales and  love that it has a little bible verse on them to remind them that "Love comes from God!" 1 John 4:7

Elly has been really interested in doing everything that Ethan is doing. Every morning when we take Ethan to school, she asks me if we can stay. She loves it when we stay to help out with breakfast because she gets to act like she's part of the class. It's cute, until it's time to go;) 

So, when she saw Ethan writing his name on the Valentine's cards, she was super jealous. So, daddy cute her out a couple hearts so she could make her own:) So sweet!! 

She is doing so good at tracing her name already!! 

Happy Valentine's Day!! I'll do the Part 2 soon!:)