Pumpkins, flowers, etc.

Ok - so I promised myself I would not ever start out a blog like "sorry I haven't written in awhile"

but if I had NOT made that promise, that is what I would be starting this blog out with.

Anyways. Moving on.

Life has been lovely in the Stamm house.

It is fall and that makes me happy. Boots and sweaters and belts and all things cozy are calling to me.

They are not calling to me very loud because it is still 100+ degrees here in Phoenix....but they are whispering. And I can hear them.

This has been a fun season for us. We recently said adios to our cable (and $70 per month cable bill) and I feel that has been really good for the creative side of me.

Instead of watching hours of Real Housewives - (please don't judge!) I have been challenged to fill up my time cooking (the people at subway were starting to recognize us), actually DOING decorating (instead of watching countless shows on the topic:)) and learning a new hobby of digital scrap booking, which has changed my life just a little bit. I also have a feeling this new hobby will make football season a little easier on me!



Also, I am kind of into fabric, sewing, hot gluing lately. Loving these little rosettes and am working on making some headbands/necklaces for myself and some other ladies (and babies) in my life.



I made two necklaces last night and even some rosettes out of kleenex at my desk today. I must be stopped. I am turning everything into rosettes.

I got inspired after seeing the countless tops this season with flowers attached to them. I quickly realized my budget would not allow for a new wardrobe of 3-d flower clothes - so I am bringing the 3-d flowers to my clothes.



I feel like these flowers could be the new puffy paint. Speaking of puffy paint....my goodness did I used to love me some puffy paint clothing. Wow. Here is an example of puffy paint clothing in case you were a MUCH cooler ten year old than I was and did not rock this look.



I really want a sewing machine for my birthday (josh?? Mom?? Dad??) so that I can sew even more. And by "even more" I mean "at all." Because all I have done is hot glued. Yes, I wore a necklace held together by hot glue. So embracing that.

I have some adorable visions of quilts in my head and also some throw pillows. Which sound much more do-able than a quilt at this point considering it takes me about 20 minutes to thread a needle.

Well, that's life as of lately.

Haven't done a TON of new decorating because well, I have been scrapbooking and hot gluing.

I did get some sweet jars for my pantry at half off day at goodwill and I did add some fun new square shelves to our living room - which I am so loving. I will post soon on that transformation.

I leave you with the cutest little pumpkins you ever did see. Might just have to steal this idea and paint myself a polka dotted pumpkin. Polka dotted pumpkin is fun to say. That's why I keep typing it....but really. I love these.

Just because

Because this is so unbelievably true.



Because I freaking love yellow lately. All things yellow. Except pee. That's gross. But this is cool.

Because a picture of two sweater-wearing squirrels playing banjos makes me laugh. And it makes me want to live in a world where sweater-clad squirrels play banjos - because really, that world would be a lot of fun.

Nebraska and nephews

Well, this weekend I went to see my sis in Nebraska. Oh Nebraska, when other kids were going off to California or Disney World for vacations - our family would load up the mini van and drive 24 hours to my grandparents farm. I definitely have a special place in my heart for the family road trip.

But, over the years the mini van has been replaced with a plane. Although, my mother still takes the liberty of using my shoulder as a pillow...some things never change.

And my sister met her one true love in Nebraska so now we go visit Grandma AND my sister and nephews and all that good stuff.

Oh and my sister. She is as Nebraska as they come. She has a garden and flowers and chickens and corn and cows and horses and cans her own vegetables. She is all things domestic and I think she could be BFF with the Pioneer Woman.

Here are some highlights...mostly all of my nephews.

pootie # 1 (sometimes I refer to babies as pooties. It's very lame)


More of Pootie # 1, or Clator Tow-mater, Tater', Future Cornhusker....



Gotta love Wrangler booties. And creepily taking picture of said booties.


One of my favorite little cowboys.



Newest little cowboy - baby Callan. MUFFIN. A serious muffin.



Life is good when you can spend your days swinging in your underwear.



I forgot how fun bubbles are. Very fun. Tried to do some fun editing with this one. Wish I could edit in his right eyeball. Oh well! It adds to his mystique.




Crew pondering the deeper things in life. And by deep I mean, thinking about the next time he will take a FLYING leap off the top of the couch barely missing his four-month old brother.



Oh Crew. Boys will be boys:)




My sister's flowers and some fun lighting.



Alright...I didn't even post pictures of our tomato picking adventures and the fun antiques I got - but this post is getting very picture heavy! I took tons of pics with my new camera and edited a few of my faves:)

I think I will have to do more highlights later. I fear though that I am turning in to the church missionary who would come into your Sunday school class and show you all the pictures of their trip to Mozambique for an hour. And pass around a random woven basket that they got there. Am I that guy?

Off to Nebraska

Going here this weekend:


Gonna hold these little guys:







Who do things like this:



Really want to be wearing:



will probably be doing way too much of this:




I'll definitely be missing these:

7 things:)

Ok - I have been tagged to do one of those "7 things" posts on 7 things people may or may not know about you.

Here goes!

1. I am passionate about cheap decorating. I have a theory that boring decorations cost more than cute, original ones. I will spend my life trying to prove this by buying all the cheap crap I can and spray painting it.

2. I think Ikat print is my favorite decorating trend right now. Oh my goodness. I want to buy a million feet of this and cover my house in it. Although, that would be a lot of leftover fabric...

Oh and this is Ikat. I totally would have no clue what it is except for the textiles class I took in college. Isn't it lovely and fun?



3. I just now today started following Pioneer Woman. And I call myself a blogger?Pioneer Woman is like the New York Times of the blogging world. I need to get educated!


4. Barnes and Noble is my happy place. In college I would spend countless hours at Barnes with my BFF Mel. We would pretend to study but would really just get double chocolate chip frapachinos and read magazines and talk and watch the snow fall. It was awesome.

Here is a pic of Mel and I NOT at Barnes but at my rehearsal dinner last November. Pay no attention to how tan I am. I am about 15 shades lighter without the spray tan.



5. I have been married 9 months to my BFF Josh. Who I love dearly. I mean seriously, sweetest, hottest, funniest man alive.



We're so in love we just make out not even caring that 11 people are staring at us:)


6. Speaking of Josh. He wants to use the computer. Meaning my 7 things is really only 6.5 and I will now spend the rest of the evening cleaning my kitchen and watching HGTV:)

7. Goodnight!

Look what I found Fridays

My blogging friend Mandi does a linky party called "Look what I found Friday" - so this week I am joining in:) This is where you post all your thrift store finds for the week. IF you go on a weekly basis. Pbsh. Who does that? :)

Anyways, last week was 50% off at Goodwill and boy did I go crazy. And by crazy I mean I spent like $20. But that feels like crazy at the Goodwill. The craziest part would be me strapping my antique rocking chair to the back of my honda by myself in 110 degree heat. Oy vey. Why did I think I could fit a rocking chair in my car? Love is blind people. It really is.

Here are my finds from last week!

Ok these are some bookends someone was giving away at work. At least I think someone was giving them away...they were in the general area of free stuff, so I partook. I knew they would look lovely with some yellow spray paint with a little of the old silver peeking out. Petina? Is that the fancy word for that? Anyways...here they are. Hopefully no one at work is missing their bookends.



And here is the rocking chair that will someday go in our sun room on top of this ikea rug....which I have been in love with since I saw it in the Ikea catalog, and then the House of Smiths blog, and then I went to Ikea to visit it and it was lovely. Someday. It will be mine.


Ok...back to the rocking chair. $15. I am going to recover it with some fun fabric and paint it:) I think it has potential...underneath the pet hair and itchy indian fabric.



And I saw a bag of really pretty marbles. And I decided right then and there - I liked marbles. Who knew? So I bought them...$1. And I put them in this cool looking jar .50 cents. It should be noted that I broke the first jar I picked out. Yep all over the floor of Goodwill. Hi embarrassing. Luckily, I went back and they had the same exact jar. I think God wanted me to have it.





And last but not least...an old algebra book. I just thought it was interesting. Turquoise and yellow and old. Plus - if you keep math books casually lying about - you look very smart...or nerdy...oh well.



So there you go! If you want to check out Mandi's blog, she has some fun projects she has done that might inspire you! http://vintagerevivals.blogspot.com/

pantrys and baking soda

So, this summer Josh and I have been living on a steady diet of Otter Pops. They are 100 for $3 at your nearest Wal Mart - (80 for $8 at Costco - so don't buy them there! And yes, I have comparison shopped Otter Pops.)

Anyways, if you happen to spill a drop on your white laminate countertops the stain of Sir Isaac Grape is there - for.ev.ver (must be said like in Sandlot).

409, water, soap, BLEACH, did not get these stains out. I guess we were just going to have to get new granite countertops? Yes, I think that is obviously the best solution:)

But then, I had Josh google stain removal tips and he came back with Baking Soda paste. Just baking soda and water - so I tried it and holy cow it removed everything!

I am sure they teach this in wife school but I must have missed it.

Also I did scrub using the dollar store version of the Magic Eraser. Worked great! I couldn't stop scrubbing, scrubbed my shower and then some baseboards. I was kind of going crazy - but everything was looking so clean!

So moral of the story.

Baking Soda + Water = will clean anything
Dollar store magic erasers = awesome ( the name brand versions are like $5!)
Otter Pops: they are good, cheap and 20 calories.

Ok and speaking of Kitchens....you all have GOT to see this pantry. It's just a little bit ridiculous.

I saw this on the House of Smiths blog and let me tell you this lady is awesome. She says she doesn't even have a junk drawer. Truly admirable!

I like the way she thinks about every little part of her home as being cute. She even likes her garage! I think I write rooms off and say "oh it's supposed to be not cute because it's just the laundry room" but, now I am challenged to go beyond that and see the potential for pretty in every little nook.

Ok, enough of me - more pantry goodness.

Here it is. In all it's pantry glory.

Look - her spice packets are in a labeled box. So, pretty.

and I thought my tupperware plastic baking containers were cute...

Anyways, defintely check out her blog sometime because it is great!

http://houseofsmiths.blogspot.com/