Keep the Change!

Life is rapidly changing. As you read in the previous post, my husband and I will be closing on our first home next Friday. That is of course, if everything gets fixed in time. You know how the appraisal and inspection process goes. Little piddly things need to be fixed and such. However, I honestly have not had time to worry about any of the house situation as I have been busy wrapping up a school year, writing the last of my lesson plans, completing my evaluation goals, and packing up a house. I have been able to throw in a few crafts here and there and that's what I wanted to share with you today!


Through Pinterest, I found the cutest "Keep the Change" sign and jar for the laundry room. In my new house, I have high hopes for my large utility room. I want it to look cute even though the only thing that it will hold will be cleaning supplies and a washer and dryer. Oh well.


Materials needed for this craft:
Piece of wood cut to preferable size
Blow torch (for distressed look)
Modge Podge
Cut out letters
Stencil (if you're not cutting out letters)
Paint - color of your choice
Modge Podge
Mason Jar
Scrapbook Paper (if cutting out letters)
C-Clamp (Wal-Mart, Lowes, Home Depot, Harbor Freight, you get the point....)
Polyurethane
Sponge brush

       

I took a piece of wood and my friend and I distressed it using a blow torch. Well, let me say she used the blow torch and I watched. I'm not touching that thing, are you crazy?!? Then, I cut out letters spelling "Keep the Change" from my desired scrapbook paper using a Cricut. However, if you prefer to paint the letters on, you could always use stencils or paint pens if you have exceptional handwriting. I personally did not trust my "good" handwriting to last long enough and be even so I opted to cut out my letters. Then, arrange the letters the way you want and brush them on with a thin layer of Modge Podge. Make sure to measure where you want your letters in comparison to where you want your mason jar to stay. Once your modge podge and everything is dry, spray it with polyurethane to give it a shiny protective cover.Then, drill a small hole and put you C-Clamp through it to hold your mason jar.

Voila, now I have an adorable Keep the Change jar for my new utility room. Now, my husband and I just need to start carrying cash and change rather than a debit card everywhere....

Until next time, stay classy!

Looks can be deceiving....

Alas, it has been a while since I wrote. I had every intention of updating this blog at least twice a week but life has had other plans. I left you on a bit of a cliffhanger last post when I said I would write about the house we saw.

So, my husband and I have been house hunting for about 2 years on and off. We recently discovered a house in this beautiful neighborhood and it was reasonably priced. The only issue? There were no pictures of the inside of the house. I learned quickly why they left those pictures out. I emailed the listing agent to ask what the situation was with the inside of the house. I didn't want to waste anyone's time by looking at a house that had a zero possibility of being the one. The listing agent wrote me back with "Call me." Okay, at this point my spidey-sense is tingling and I realized there was probably a few problems with the house. I wrote them back and said, "Never mind, we were just wondering if you had access to photos of the inside of the house." The listing agent, very eager to sell the house, wrote back and told me "the house needs some work and it needs to be cleared out, the previous renters left behind a few items." So my husband and I, naive as we were, believed this to mean "there may be a few minor leaks, carpet stains, etc." We eagerly scheduled an appointment. Boy oh boy, were we in for a surprise when we went and saw the house. My only regret? Not taking any photos. I was in too much shock.

Let me paint the picture for you. My husband and I pull up to a gorgeous brick house in a quiet cul-de-sac. The house has great curb appeal.As soon as we walk in, we are greeted with a room full of junk. No big deal, they'll clean it out before we close. We kept walking. The next thing we hear? "Drip, drip, drip." We proceed to look up and see a HUGE, active leak in the ceiling. We walk further and more and more leaks begin to appear. At this point, I am trying to keep an open mind as I know I can be a bit of a perfectionist. I also think my husband can fix anything (shh...don't tell him that) so I didn't think it was that big of a deal. Well, we continue through the house and find the oddest things. You know the red fire alarms that are installed in public buildings such as schools, libraries, malls, etc? Yeah, those. Well, those were in every single room of the house. Weird, right? Then, we proceed upstairs were we find rooms that have deadbolts and chains on the inside of the doors. My husband and I do not have children yet so maybe we just don't understand needing to lock ourselves in a bedroom. Anyway, we then go into a bedroom that has pentagrams drawn all over the walls. We look out the bedroom window, into the backyard and see an actual 1970s mobile home parked in the back yard. It is dilapidated and has junk falling out the door and windows it is so crammed full! Every room in the house was packed with junk upon junk. Do not even get me started on the creepy clown collection. Needless to say, we did not make an offer on this house. This blog post, I fear, does not even do the situation justice.

However, we have been blessed and have recently found a house. We are due to close next Friday (the 23rd). This is part of the reason I haven't blogged lately. I have been busy packing up a house and purging things we do not need. It is amazing how much junk one can accumulate and believe they "need." After waiting and waiting to find the right house, God has brought everything together. We are still waiting to sign the papers but at this point, we feel everything has come together. It is definitely going to be an adventure. I hope to fill my upcoming blog posts with cheap and classy items I am buying or making for our new home and a few funny stories along the way.

Until next time, stay classy.