Did you turn out the Lights?

I did!! Although I missed the first 15 minutes, at 8:45p on Saturday night I turned out every light at my house and sat in the quiet candlelight for Earth Hour. Doc and I had a calming meditation on the couch. I have to say that being alone in the house- Erik was out playing poker, that I was a little scared. I am a scardy cat when it comes to the dark, but the quiet was nice. I hope you conserve some energy this week!

© The Simple Wife

Holy Motherhood!

When you approach your early to mid twenties it's weddings. Every weekend there is a shower for someone and your summer is booked every Saturday from June to August with nuptials. Then as you head towards your thirties it's babies. I have several lovely lady friends who have given birth to adorable little lovelies in the past year and a couple who are due this year. But this weekend takes the cake.

On Friday, our dear friend Heather delivered her little girl, Corri via c-section. She was several weeks early but mom and baby are doing great. So as Erik and I were celebrating and congratulating her, we received a call on Saturday that Erik's friend Clifton and his wife were in Labor and Delivery about to welcome their little boy. At 3a Saturday morning Stetson Michael arrived. Both moms were on the same wing! So Sunday we went and visited the families. It is always heart-warming to see the new parents so filled with joy and happiness. I love how nurturing the hospital rooms feel with a new family in them.

And still to come... 

My best friend Katie and her husband CJ will be welcoming their little one later this year. Katie is very far away in Omaha, but she sent me some pictures of the baby.

Isn't it amazing how much you can see! Like a little submarine in the belly looking at him/her (they are going to be surprised with the sex of the baby). I can't wait to see Katie's belly, I'm already jealous- I think bellies are so precious! 

Congratulations Katie and CJ! 

© The Simple Wife

Etsy Finds: FabricWorm

While it rained outside today, I spent the day surfing the web for the perfect fabric to make new pillows out of for our living room update- yes, another room that I want to change, just little things. First stop Etsy. Of course there are tons of Amy Butler fabrics, how can you blame them, her fabric designs are lovely, but I was looking for something different. I wanted a vintage feel with orange accents and some humor. FabricWorm had just what I was looking for. 

HOLD THE PHONE! It's perfect!! I found this awesome package with three fabrics that met my needs perfectly! So it is ordered and on its way! No need to look any further. 

The Plan: I'm thinking of using the birds (with a felt ribbon accent) and the wood-grain (with a piped edge)  for pillows for the couch, and the Amy Butler polka dots for a lumber pillow for our leather club chair. There are a few more surprises for the room, but I'm not going to post until it's done! More work to be done...

© The Simple Wife

Dust Bunnies Beware

{ courtesy of apartmenttherapy.com }

As Spring approaches so does the urge to nest and clean. The enviable spring cleaning is creeping closer. I like freshening up the house with new accessories and re-organizing cabinets and closets. With Spring Break coming up in a week, I have started my list of things to do, cleaning being one. I love the school teacher schedule because it allows you to catch up on things at the appropriate times, Spring Break being well placed for gardening and cleaning. So stop over at OrganizedHome  to see a great Spring Cleaning Chore Checklist to help guide your efforts. Go check it out and get your home ready for the warm weather! 

© The Simple Wife

New Sprouts and Cupcakes!

Two of my favorite things. As Erik and I were working 'round the house this weekend, I came across these little ones poking their way up through the mulch. My hostas. I love seeing the return of my winter sleepers in the spring. They are so green and vibrant and determined to get out, and that's exactly how I feel!

We took Sunday off from house work. Erik went golfing and I went to have dinner with my family. This Sunday's family dinner took place on the ol' Square at Marietta Pizza. The best place to get a huge, thick, and crispy slice of Sicilian Pizza. It was amazing. Afterwards the fam came over to our place for desserts. I filled the house with the sweet smell of cupcakes earlier in the day. We sat and indulged in our treats and watched a little America's Funniest Home Videos, a family tradition several years in the making. It was a great weekend.

© The Simple Wife

Weekend Warriors

Saturday morning started nicely with a yummy breakfast at one of our favorite spots on the square. Chocolate filled croissants and fresh fruit, delicious. We then headed to Home Depot for a few things to help us with our To Do list for the day. We were working on staining our basement doors and building a gate for our front porch. I used some of the stain left over from the porch project and worked on the basement doors.

{ The Before }

{ The After }

Erik built a gate for the end of our front porch. Our porch is raised above the ground so you can see underneath it and it isn't pretty so Erik built a lattice screen for the front, so he was just finishing the job with the gate for the end. He put brackets on it so if we needed to get under the porch we could lift the gate and go. After he built it, I stained it. 

{ The Before }

{ The After  }

Not bad for a couple hours. Our next weekend project is to paint our retaining wall that is my nightmare and Erik has a plan for finishing the top of it. Here it is in its current state. Shocking, I know.

© The Simple Wife

Owl Love, Pt. 2

{ Plein Air Painting }

My previous mention of my love for owls became inspiration. Erik is kindly letting me mix up our living room with a few, minor changes. When we first moved into our home we wanted a nice, warm space, but that feeling of 'nice' has since washed away and we are looking for some funk, people. We have removed matchy from our style and moved to the fun. We like the look of thrown-together madness. So I am changing the art arrangement above our sofa. Currently there is one of my original paintings, but it is lonely, so we are adding some more goodies. I have a drawing or two to add, maybe a sculpture, and this little guy that I painted Friday night.

It is a watercolor that I have lovingly titled Scrappy. He looks a little rugged doesn't he? At least he has his caterpillar friend to keep him company. Erik will be adding one of his own to the wall as well. I'll post pics after all is complete!

©  The Simple Wife

Adoration: Plush Owls

My current obsession is plush owls. They just have the most hilarious faces on them, and I can't help but laugh when I look at them. Owls have become so interesting to me lately and I'm not sure why. Here are some cuties I found via Flickr:

{ courtesy of flickr.com }

© The Simple Wife

Ah Ha Uses

My favorite feature in Real Simple Magazine is their New Uses for Old Things section. Posters and pony tails beware, your rubber friends have found new homes. Check out Real Simple's new uses for Rubber Bands:

1. Open jars with ease. When a small lid won’t budge, wrap a rubber band around it several times to give you a better grip.

2. Decorate Easter eggs. Arrange rubber bands in a pattern around hard-boiled eggs, then dip them into dye. Remove the bands when the eggs are dry.

3. Bring order to your dishwasher.Tether stemware and other delicate, wobbly items to the rack.

4. Wrap a gift. Use multiple colored rubber bands instead of ribbon to add modern flair to a small present. (Particularly handy when you can’t find the tape.)

Another excellent idea:

Wax Paper as Dust Remover

Original purpose: Preventing baked goods from sticking to the pan.

Aha! use: Picking up dirt and dust. Rip off a piece roughly the size of your sweeper and attach it just as you would a cleaning cloth. As you sweep highly trafficked or dirty areas, the gunk sticks.

Reward: Wax on, dirt off.

© The Simple Wife

Un-bruised Apple

I love my Macs. I have an iMac and an ibook and I would be lost without them, and I will protect them like my own child- when I have one. So when I was surfing the web I found these awesome MacBook covers that actually go on your computer to protect them from bumps and bruises. My sister Ashley had one and I was intrigued. What a great idea! An since they are at Wal-Mart the price is right!

{ Speck @ Wal-Mart, $39.88 }

Add a splash of color to your MacBook with Speck's SeeThru hard shell cases, our road-tested, translucent cases protect your notebook from scrapes and scratches and stand out vibrantly in a sea of same-ness. Device-specific engineering makes for a custom fit and highlights the sleek look of your new MacBook.

• Vented for safe heat disbursement
• Totally removable, easy to put on and take off
• Built-in rubberized feet keep your notebook secure
• Access to all ports, battery check button, Kensington lock, CD/DVD drive
• Compatibility: Apple MacBook Pro 13" Display Screen 

© The Simple Wife

Simple Treats

My sweet tooth often drives my every move. It determines where I eat (do they have a dessert menu here?), how long until bedtime (an hour before means ice cream), and even when to do errands (is Cold Stone still open...). So if I can control or muffle it in anyway then I feel better and am more productive. I was in a salty/sweet mood on Sunday when I remembered that I had some pretzels in the pantry along with some white chocolate and I do own a microwave. The rest is delicious history...

(In case you don't get it by the pics, Step 1 have chocolate and pretzels. Step 2 melt said chocolate in microwave. Step 3 put pretzels in chocolate. Step 4 Inhale as to not have to share. )

© The Simple Wife

The Sweetness Has Arrived

Easter Time. It means lots of chicks, ducks, and bunnies everywhere you look. Why did those things ever become associated with the holiday anyway? Who knows, but my favorite place to be during the Easter holidays is the candy aisles! Yes, I know St. Patty's hasn't even come yet, but the grand marketing geniuses have already gotten the sweet stuff out! There are endless varieties of the sweet stuff and I am a slave to it. As I was doing my regular weekly shopping at Target I saw the pastels hues and ran to them. I was happily greeted by my favorite little friends:

Starburst jellybeans are by far the best jellies. You can actually taste the juiciness like the original candy!

Russell Stover's Filled Eggs are the best when it comes to Chocolate. Raspberry and Dark chocolate= best combo to known to man!

Then there is the Holy Grail of Easter Candies (bad pun, sorry) The amazing, delicious, and undeniably tasty Cadbury Egg. Really, you can't get any better.

Yes, I know, I have a problem when it comes to candy, but I'm ok with that. I have dealt with it and I accept it. And I am definitely going to continue the habit and embrace it full on! If you are interested in finding out the dirt on how bad these delicious goodies are for you- which I'm not cause it won't make me stop indulging in them- you can check out the facts here.

* All images courtesy of candyaddict.com

© The Simple Wife

Stretch that Penny!

I have recently discovered a wonderful new blog that is all about saving you money when it comes to dinner. $5 Dinners shows you how to make dinners for your family for under 5 bucks. There are recipes, coupon sources, and links to other blogs that are all about saving you cash. My favorite find has been Retail-Me-Not. It is a great site for discounts at your fav retail stores online. I will definitely be checking these sites for more money saving tips! 

© The Simple Wife

Simply Stated.

"Life for you, has been less than kind

So take a number,  stand in line

We've all been sorry, we've all been hurt

But how we survive, is what makes us who we are."

-Rise Against, Survive

{ riseagainst.com }

© The Simple Wife

Changing and Rearranging

{ New sprouts everywhere! }

Because of the on-slot of beautiful weather here, Erik and I have been spending a lot of time outside. From eating, to playing in the dirt, we are soaking up as much of the sun as we can. Yesterday I spent some time doing some 'green' gardening- dividing and moving existing plants. My goal was to not buy any new plants this year. You can spend an arm and leg at the nurseries, so I wanted to make the most of what I had already. 

First I cleaned up some shrubs with a little pruning. One of my dwarf boxwoods was dying off so I trimmed both -that are in large planters on the front porch- into small trees. 

Next I dug up and divided two bunches of Lamb's Ear. These things multiply like crazy for me! I started with 2 small plants and have ended up with almost 8 bunches almost 2' wide. I replanted some of it in the front of the house by the steps. I usually plant annual flowers here, but I decided to keep it 'green' and low maintenance with the Lamb's Ear that requires almost no watering.

The planters that greet you at our back door were also filled with some of the soft stuff- annuals are usually purchased for these too.

My 'ponytail grass' or Mexican Feather Grass was getting big so I divided it and filled my whiskey barrel with some along with a couple sprouts of Phlox that popped up from last year (I thought it was dead!). 

I also grabbed some ivy from a tree in the backyard and put some in the planter to trail up my trellis.  

So for absolutely no money and a little sweat I was able to add some nice new pieces to our landscaping. I even had left overs for a neighbor! Before you head to your garden center, shop in your own yard, or swap with a neighbor!

© The Simple Wife

Daddy's Girl

I am my father's daughter when it comes to electronic devices. I can remember growing up being the first kid with a cell phone, when they were a huge brick, but my dad insisted that I had one just in case ( sure... ). He always wanted the biggest TV available because, why not? Thanks to this gadget-loving gene, I have had a new cell phone almost religiously every 10 months or when the latest and greatest one comes out. So today while I was innocently on Sprint.com checking my online account, I noticed that I was eligible for an upgrade. Huh, what could I get for said upgrade? I was intrigued so I looked around and found the Samsung Instinct- Sprint's version of the iPhone- my soul mate.

 I watched the video of features and had to have it. After work I raced to the nearest store and chatted up the salesman and 30 mins later I had it. We were finally together, this one is going to last forever... or until another cute phone comes out! Thanks Dad for the phone weakness, and love of gadgetry!

© The Simple Wife

 

Worlds Apart

Today was a drastic change on the weather scale from last week. Last Sunday-aka 7 days ago, it was looking like this:

{ Yikes }

And today Erik and I were able to have a yummy breakfast on the back porch:

{ delicious }

Georgia weather is bizarre to say the least, but when it's pretty, it's real pretty. I had a productive day today. It started bad- forgetting to turn our clocks ahead, but then got better when Erik's tee time for golf was moved back, meaning more lazy time together. I baked some yummy muffins for a late breakfast that was set in the sun on our porch. I adorned my muffins with strawberries, Erik tried sausage, and we washed them down with OJ- a great Sunday morning treat. It was a nice and chill weekend, lots of time spent with Erik which is always great. Now for the busy week ahead...

© The Simple Wife

Creative Labels

{ Courtesy of wecalledit.com }

It's midday at school, and with all the parents and visitors this morning for our special assembly, I am exhausted. I am in great need of caffiene! So I headed to the vending machine for a Diet Coke- SOLD OUT! What! So I tried Sprite- no caffiene but fizzy will work- SOLD OUT! My only option left was a Vitamin Water, Dragonfruit. I take it, but it isn't that delicious but it'll work. As I'm looking at the bottle on my way back to my classroom I notice a disclaimer on the bottle and immediately start laughing. It reads:

Legally, we are prohibited from making exaggered claims about the potency of the nutrients in this bottle. Therefore, legally we wouldn't tell you that after drinking this, Eugene from Kansas started using horseshoes as a Thighmaster or that this drink gave Agnes from Delaware enought strength to bench press llamas. Heck, we can't even tell you this drink gives you the power to do a thousand pinkie push-ups... just ask Mike in Queens.

Hilarious. Happy Friday!

© The Simple Wife

Cards in Progress

My new hobby is card making. I love receiving cards, even more so when I know the sender took extra time to pick the perfect one for me. So I'm trying to handmake every card I send to anyone this year or use my stationary- meaning no room for Hallmark! I had several to make today for various special people:

{ For the Grahams, on their 4th anniversary, Congrats! }

{ For a co-worker's wedding shower }

{ For another co-worker who is pregnant- "Mommy Deer" :) I love the style of this one. }

If you would like to have some cards or stationary made just for you, send me an email! christy.grubbs@hotmail.com

© The Simple Wife

Why, de-clutter My Dear...

{ courtesy of zazzle.com }

The Grubbs' house will be getting a little lighter soon. Erik and I are prepping for another yard sale sometime soon and have been raiding the house looking for treasures to find new homes. I am a avid purger, I love how it literally makes me feel a relief when I do it. We love having a streamlined home- no unnecessary items clogging up precious space. So if there are two, one must go! Some tips I found to be very helpful when getting ready for a sale:

1. Clean your goodies!- If you can then they can yield a higher price.


2. Group items- Baseball cards, kitchen utensils, exercise equipment, dishes: if you make sets of items people will be more willing to spend the money if they get it all!


3. PREP, PREP, PREP- Take the time to tag and sort everything before the sale. It will save you time and frustration when someone has to keep asking for prices of items.


4. When in doubt, put it out!- Even if you're not sure it will sell, put it out there anyway, the worst that happens is that it doesn't, but if people don't see it then they won't buy it.

I am eagerly awaiting the sale to get the things out of the house and to get the money! We will probably do a one day only just to avoid setting up and cleaning up for two days. I wonder what else I can scrape up?...

© The Simple Wife

Old Navy is wheeling...

And dealing! I just stopped by while Erik shopped at REI and all of their "basics" are on SALE. This is a great opportunity to pick up some classics to add to your upcoming spring wardrobe. I'm really excited for the return of the maxi dresses- most comfortable piece of clothing EVER! Their cotton dresses are also returning this year for $19.50. But the basics are where the deals are.  

Solid color layering tees and tanks for $5. 

Jeans, any style, for $19.

V-neck cardigans for $20.

The winter clearance is still truckin' as well. They are offering Free Shipping for online orders over $75. Go shop, now!

© The Simple Wife

Save & Spend: Graphic Print Chairs

Decor is what makes your home, home. The gems you put in your home can hit the wallet pretty hard, so here is a new installment for this little blog titled: Save & Spend. It will feature items for the home that are affordable and their counter parts that are a bit cheese.

Today's feature: Graphic print chairs. They are a fun way to add a funky and bold accent to any room. Fabrics can include geometric and nature inspired prints. Here are two chairs from two of my favorite places:

The SAVE: 

Target's Bird & Floral Print Armless chair in Brown

{ $299, available in more colors }

**********************

The Spend:

Anthropologie's Astrid Chair in Naive Chocolate

{ $1,298, available in other patterns and colors }

These chairs are adorable and will work best with neutral, solid furniture pieces. Pattern fabrics are a great way to punch up your decor, but they make the biggest impact when paired with complementary patterns that share a color scheme. So if you go with one of these graphic prints I would pair a more simple stripe pattern with them. Go bold in your home!

© The Simple Wife