30 Before 30

This weekend I celebrated my 28th birthday at Lake Powell. I am such a lucky, lucky girl!  I love my birthdays.  I have never pouted about getting closer to 30. I embrace each of my birthdays as an opportunity for new adventures.

I wanted to take this birthday in particular to set goals for the future that didn’t involve diplomas or bar exams.  Having gone straight to college after high school and having gone to law school straight from college, I never did something crazy.  While I love my career field and am so grateful to have the tool with which I want to make an income, I do harbor a few regrets.

Although there are certain adventures I can’t accommodate as easily anymore, there are plenty of others I can.  I’ve spent the last few months writing this “30 Before 30″ list and I’ll have two years to finish it. These 30 tasks are things I keep saying I should do or have never told anyone I want to do. (And here’s an outright tisk tisk to those naysayers who have already said I can’t do it all.  How will I know if I never try?)

Without further adieu, my 30 before 30 activities are:

1. Start and keep a blog.
2. Get something published in a legal publication.
3. Milk a cow. No kidding.
4. Make and present banana flambe, complete with flame. See here.
5. Run a little marathon – 5k totally acceptable.  See here.
6. Hike to Timpanogos Cave.  See here.
7. Visit Arches National Park.
8. Interview my late Grandmother’s relatives about her life.
9. Eat at Tucina Coscana.  See here.
10. Wear a red dress somewhere. See here.
11. Practice and perform Thriller at a Halloween party.  See here.
12. Take a Photoshop course.
13. Get a 401K or other “grown-up” financial plan in place.  See here.
14. Visit Jackson Hole.
15. Spend a one-on-one weekend with Mama Judd.
16. Win a trial. See here.
17. Take a dance class – tango, belly, whatever.
18. Dye my hair brown.
19. Enjoy an expensive bottle of wine. See here.
20. Watch Schindler’s List.
21. Buy stock in something.
22. Go rafting.
23. Spend a Thanksgiving volunteering at a homeless shelter.
24. Exercise at least enough to lose a bra size -or two.  See here.
25. Sew something with a sewing machine. See here.
26. Cruise the Pacific Coast Highway.
27. Try meditation.
28. Can some vegetables.  See here.
29. Watch Breakfast at Tiffany’s. See here.
30. Buy a lottery ticket.  See here.

I’ve tried to make a list that doesn’t hinge on circumstances I can’t control.  For example, I’d love to get married and have kids one day but those things will come when the time is right.

What do you think? Do you know where I can find a cow? What are things you keep saying you should do?

Tip Jar: Keep Your Duvet in Place

The Tipster has oodles of tips coming your way but this one is all my own!

It took me a long time to convince Doug that a duvet cover was a good idea. He had a valid concern:  the duvet would get all jumbled up inside that cover. But I gave these handy little gadgets a try and they really quieted his bantering! (At least regarding duvet covers.)

Want to anchor that duvet in place?  First, pick up a set of these duvet clips at Target or Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Second, flip your duvet cover inside out and spread your duvet on top of it.

Third, slip both corners inside the teeth of the clip and clamp the clip closed.

It should look like this:

Last, flip both right side in again.

I’ve found that these clips work great. In fact, they’re even Doug-approved!

Anyone else use these?  Or is a good shake enough to even out your duvet cover?

Two Weeks Notice

With two weeks off between jobs, I am living the high life in the great outdoors and taking care of projects that have long been forgotten!  I’ll be back next week with oodles of posts from all this spare time!  Happy two weeks off!

Oh Humility! Oh Shame!

Not too long ago I bought a mason jar lamp from a thrift store for $1.  I was really excited to fill it with different stuff whenever I fancied.  I even redid a shade to match my room decor.  Here’s how it turned out:

Since I finished it, I have thought several times about redoing the shade with a different fabric.  I’m trying to come up with stuff to fill it, too.

Given my recent lamp redo, I followed this Ugly Lamp Contest with interest.  The host blog, Better After, is one of my daily reads – I love watching the way people can breathe new life into old furniture.  And it makes me want to learn how to upholster.

So I really got a kick out of the Ugly Lamp Contest.  There are some really ugly lamps out there! For example, check out the winner:

See the lamp here.

Gross!  Truly, an ugly lamp.

In addition to this masterpiece, there were a whole host of finalists.  This lil’ guy was one of them:

See it here.

Hmmmmm.  This Ugly Lamp contender is awfully familiar . . .  Where have I seen this before?

Says the host of the Ugly Lamp Contest:

“Dear, I think it’s time to have the talk with Stevie. About the birds and the bees. And his habit of capturing birds and bees in mason jars and feeding them handfuls of dried flowers and grass and then turning the whole mess into a shoddy light fixture when they inevitably die. It’s just weird.” See here.

Well, lucky enough I don’t have dried flowers and grass.  But, admittedly, I do have a shoddy light fixture.

What’s the ugliest lamp you’ve seen?  Any other substances I can use to fill mine (besides dried grass of course?)

Tip Jar: Housework Playlist

Our Tipster is on vacation this week, which is fine by me because I want full credit for today’s tip for the Tip Jar.  

Do you need motivation to get moving on your household chores this weekend? If you’re like me, you need a “Housework Playlist.”  I love to sing and I love to dance (although I have no business doing either) so songs about dancing are all it takes for me to get up and shake my thang while I’m cleaning that toilet. 

 

Image found here.  

My all time dream in life is to dance on a lit-up floor like this . . .  

Singing and dancing really helps me get my chores done, even if it takes a little longer than necessary since I’m moonwalking down the hallway.  Download these songs that will encourage you to shake it next time you need some cleaning motivation! 

Baby Got Back, Sir Mix-a-Lot 

Shake it, shake it, shake that healthy butt. Baby got back! 

Can’t Stop, Ozomatli 

You can’t stop, this love, Shake it, Shake it, Shake, Shake it, Shake it 

Shake it, Michael Franti (Holla to Ms. Gee for introducing me to my favorite new band . . . ) 

Shake it, shake it, shake it, like a tambourine 

Shake Your Body, Michael Jackson 

Let’s dance, let’s shout, Shake you body down to the ground 

 Hey Ya, Outkast 

You got to, shake it, shh shake it, shake it, got to shake it
(Shake it Suga’) shake it like a Poloroid Picture 

 Shake it, Metro Station 

Now if she moves like this, will you move it like that, Come on, Shake, Shake, Shake, Shake, uh shake it 

Shake, Shake, Shake,  KC & The Sunshine Band 

Oh, shake shake shake, shake shake shake,
Shake your booty! Shake your booty. 

Twist and Shout, The Beatles 

Well, shake it up, baby, now, (shake it up, baby) 

 Shake Your Grove Thing, Peaches and Herb 

Shake your groove thing, shake your groove thing, yeah, yeah
Show ‘em how we do it now 

Shake it Up, The Cars 

Shake it up, oo-oo
Shake it up, yeah yeah
Shake it up, oo-oo
Shake it up 

How do you get motivation to clean the house? 

Don’t forget to send me your tips!

Something’s Growing (and it’s not just the tomatoes)

This post is neither entertaining or informative, which is unfortunate since DIYingtobeDomestic has been pretty dull this week. But great news! There are serious changes afoot in our living room.  I am very, very excited to share them with you next week! I’ve been amazed how an idea can grow and inspire an entire space.

So have a great Thursday and check back in tomorrow for our latest tip from the Tip Jar!

Past Party: Decorating a Graduation Party

This spring my cousin graduated from the University of Utah and I wanted to throw a party with all things red.  (Go Utes!)  Without much time to prepare, I kept this party pretty simple.

I spiced up the beverage container with just a little ribbon and a description of the graduate’s degree – atmospheric sciences.

I turned these dollar-store vases upside down, shoved glittery garland inside, and topped with candles.  I wrapped each candle in University of Utah paper I found at the local scrapbook store.  It was a great centerpiece for the food table.

I used more University of Utah paper and diecuts from the scrapbook store to spruce up this beer bucket.

I also spruced up the beer bottles with a little ode to the graduate.

I used red and white carnations – perfect for the University of Utah.  And ya’ll know how much love I have for single bud vases.  A little graduation cap diecut and graduation confetti tops off the table.

This wood U was easy to paint and a cheap way to incorporate the traditional cap letter logo.

This was a pretty simple party and I think the graduate enjoyed it.  How else can you incorporate collegiate elements?

Tip Jar: Clean Your Toothbrushes

Today our anonymous tipster shares a clever tip to keep our toothbrushes in tip-top condition until replacement time.

Image found here.

If you’re like me, your family’s toothbrushes start looking pretty gross from toothpaste buildup.  When you run your dishwasher this weekend, throw them in.  Get crazy and throw your toothbrush holder in there as well.  They’ll come out squeaky clean.  And so will your teeth.

What else do you put in the dishwasher?  Is our anonymous tipster really anonymous?

Patio Drapes: Super or Superfluous?

Summer is almost over and I’m just now considering sprucing up our patio.    Last summer we added some lighting and a patio table but it still needs some umph.  It’s difficult to work with since it’s all aluminum, traps the heat inside, and is made of 50 year old cracking concrete.

Please pretend like that folding table isn’t there.

Doesn’t it seem like one giant gray blob? I intend to add an outdoor rug under our table set.  Other than that, I’m stumped.

Last month I was reading a magazine when I stumbled across an image of a cozy front porch with drapes.  Yes, a porch with drapes.  I know what you’re thinking:  If the porch is covered or enclosed in some way, you don’t need drapes.  The sun isn’t shining on you.  The rain isn’t a threat. You’re out of your gordexo, you silly girl.

And normally, I’d agree.  Why worry about something that has no purpose at all? What a waste.  But that magazine picture  keeps popping up in my head –   Look at these images and tell me if you can see why.

Image found here.

Image found here.

Image found here.

Image found here.

All right, all right.  Our patio will never look like these.  But wouldn’t a drape our two help dilute the pain of those sad aluminum braces? Couldn’t some simple fabric break up the sad gray coloring?

Tell me: Are outdoor draperies super or superfluous?

Alvin and the Chipmunks Birthday Party

My niece’s Chipmunk-inspired fourth birthday party was a big hit.  I based the décor on the colors of the characters – red for Alvin, blue for Simon, and green for Theodore. (Surprisingly, the birthday girl didn’t have a lot of interest in the Chippettes.)

For an exciting entrance, I propped the movie poster on an easel I bought off Craigslist for $5. A little gold cloth (on sale!) added a movie theatre feel.  The kids were just astonished that the poster was so big.

Next to the movie poster I displayed a table full of party favors for each of the kids: microphones, VIP passes, Simon-like glasses, and mouse ears.  I got the glasses from the costume shop in the Harry Potter aisle.

It says “Get your munk on here.”

I made this VIP pass for each of the kids:

The favors were a hit and were a perfect accompaniment to the kids’ attire.  Of course, the birthday girl was Alvin.  My oldest nephew was Simon, hence the blue shirt, and my youngest nephew was Theodore (in green).  I think he protested since he had to wear three layers of down clothing to add some weight to his physique.

Do you see “Uncle Ian” at the bottom right? I hope the birthday girl knows what a loving father she has to shave the top of his head to look just like the balding producer.

Inside, I created a “dessert table.”  Dessert tables are all the rage these days, but who can honestly eat all that dessert? And that candy must be so expensive. So I included only popcorn and peanuts, foods  that were theme-appropriate.

Apparently, the “r” fell off.  It was there at one point, I promise.

We created the banner using the Cricuit to cut the yellow letters.  It boggles my mind how easy that tool makes things.

I love these treat cones below.  I got the inspiration from the Hostess Blog here. First I bought shadowboxes on sale at Michaels.  Then I cut craft styrofoam to fit inside each box.  Next I spray painted the styrofoam to match the gumballs.  With lollipop sticks as support, I propped the cones on each stick.  The cones were perfect for the popcorn but the peanuts were a little heavy.  Nonetheless, it worked just fine.

Mama Judd made a cake in the shape of an “A” for the centerpiece of the dessert table.

I flanked either side of the table with a little color.  All the colored vases I bought at the thrift store for a dollar or less.

Outside, we hung beach balls from the rain gutter.  The party was initially a pool party, but when the venue changed I had to reincarnate them.  A friend was able to cut vinyl As to adorn them. (Word is the Cricuit can cut vinyl, too.)

Each of the dining tables was inspired by one of the characters.

The whole party turned out great! My brother told me that each of my parties are getting bigger and better.  My 8 year old nephew said, “I’ve gotta admit, Tasha, you throw a good party.” And even though those compliments were so sweet, just seeing the look on my niece’s face was the best reward.