Thrifty Decorating

April 24, 2012

Mariposa Pix {and a deal for you!}

The last time we had a whole family photo my second son was sitting on my lap as a baby....

yes, baby girl was not even included....it had been that long!

And there is a good reason.....professional family photos are not fun!

We have tried at retail places like The Picture People.

Usually someone's hair is sticking up...a collar is awkwardly turned....or one of our

children is throwing an incredibly embarrassing tantrum about smiling...

Yes...we have some of those pictures...one child smiling, one child red-in-the-face screaming!

And the prices never seem to reflect the quality of the pictures.

So when my friend, Jen, started her business Mariposa Pix, it was the farthest

thing from my mind to have her do a family portrait! I was NOT exposing

myself to that type of torture!

But as I watched some of the galleries that she posted, I was intrigued.

I'd love to have some gorgeous shots of our family and kids to put on our walls.

So I caved and contacted her....

Let's just say that the day of our photo shoot, mama was not quite in a good mood!

For starters.....advice to self...never leave head-band curls in overnight unless you

have an engagement as MEDUSA the following morning!

I put my hair and my daughter's hair in headband curls the night before....

OH....MY....GOODNESS!!

Truly....when they say leave them in for an hour, they mean it!

I never knew my hair could go quite so high!

So after a frantic spray down with some water, we started over!

My boys had to be wrestled into button down shirts....and to top it off,

we were all fighting as we got in the car to go to our location!

So as we drove there, I hissed..."If you all smile, I will buy you slushies!

But you MUST smile and not argue with a thing she says to do!"

{They all got slushies!!}

Jen is just amazing! Can I stress amazing!

Literally, when my kids were headed home slurping on their slushies they

had the nerve to say..."Gee, Mom, that was actually really fun!"

And this is is why Jen's shoots are so much fun.....she takes you to a

location that you are familiar with and a place where you feel comfortable.

She also works with you as a family and takes into account personality and style

of your family,

This shot was my husband's suggestion.....

Here, my kids wanted to climb on an old tree....

Mariposa Pix is also a recognized for her newborn photography.

Jen's work has recently been featured in literature published by Lancaster
General Women and Babies Hospital.

Jen uses fun props to make your photos unique and memorable!

Aren't they just precious?!

So here is the deal for YOU!

If you book your first session Mariposa Pix by May 30th, Jen is
offering $25 off your photo session!

You can choose your session in May, June or July, just book it by May 30th
and mention Thrifty Decorating to get your $25 off!

You can see more of Jen's work at Mariposa Pix or head over to her
FB page and "like" Mariposa Pix!

I am so excited about our pictures...now I need to think of a cool way display them!

April 23, 2012

Refashion a t-shirt

Are you familiar with the blog Tea Rose Home?

Sachiko refashions t-shirts and other "old" clothes into beautiful designer knock-offs!

When I saw THIS t-shirt refashion a year ago, I knew that I wanted to try making it!

I bought 2 t-shirts at JC Penney using a gift card from Christmas.....I will overlook

the fact that the cashier gave me a little attitude in the eyebrow and said, "Wow,

that's a lot of orange...."

Hmmm....how exactly am I to take that statement??

The best part of this refashion is that you do NOT need a sewing machine!

All 15 flowers were added by hand and...........it was EASY!!!

For a complete tutorial, go HERE.

I love my new spring outfit!

April 22, 2012

Homemade Mushroom Soup {make in 15 minutes!}

This is one of my favorite soups to make....I'm pretty sure that I can whip
this together in about 15 minutes.....when I am not being interrupted and asked a million questions!!

I start by slicing and chopping about 4 ounces of fresh mushrooms. I like
having both "shapes" in my soup.

I add the chopped mushrooms to about 3 Tablespoons of butter or margarine to cook.

After the mushrooms have cooked, I add 3 Tablespoons of flour.

It will look all glumpy like this...

Slowly add 2 cups of warm to hot water....I find that the hot water dissolves the flour better.

At this point I add 3-4 chicken bouillon cubes....it just depends how much
flavor you want to add. You can add more or less.

I got interrupted at this point and forgot to take pictures of the
2 cups of milk that I added in!

At this point, your soup will be quite runny....it's time for my secret
ingredient that I add to all my creamy soups to thicken them...

.....instant mashed potatoes!! I just shake in the flakes until
I reach the consistency that I like!

I just sprinkled some dried parsley flakes for color and in about 15 minutes...

.......yummy soup!!

This is such a quick and easy lunch or supper!

Here are some fun ways that I "spruce" up this soup and give it some variety!

Yummy mix-in's:

steamed chopped broccoli and cheddar cheese

--add in after you have warmed the milk and allow the cheese to melt in

1 potato diced

--after adding the 2 cups of water, add the diced potatoes and cook until tender

before adding the milk

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese and chopped onion

--to add more flavor, chop onions and add-in and cook with the mushrooms

when adding in flour, also add the Parmesan cheese

Enjoy!

April 20, 2012

Roadkill Rescue Feature

I love the site Roadkill Rescue.....it's my type of blog.

People taking trash and turning it into treasures!

Tonight, my trash to treasure coffee table

(that took 6 million hours to complete) is being featured!

If you have a minute (or 60!) click over to Roadkill Rescue and check

out the other amazing projects being featured!

Thanks so much, Beckie!

Connecting with your daughter's heart....

My close friend, Kristi, writes the blog, Homeschooling and other adventures.....

This week Kristi wrote about how she stays connected with her daughter, even through the busy seasons of life. I asked if she would allow me to share her thoughts with you and she graciously obliged.

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Quiet times are rare - precious and fleeting moments when you are able to see God's handiwork in your children...times when you are able to see into their little hearts and minds and understand who they are.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle of everyday busyness, they are easy to miss.

It may be as subtle as recognizing an unformed question, and helping the child to figure out what is bothering them.

It may be listening as they sort through a problem with a friend, asking questions that help them to figure out for themselves the right course of action.

It may be putting down what you are doing and really listening.

It may just require a hug and a kiss or a well-timed "I love you."

But as your child grows, they may be less likely to share everything as they did when they were little. For that reason, it is vitally important to establish communication with your children when they are small, when it is easier.

image courtesy of nuttakit freedigitalphotos.net

When Precious Girl was in first grade, I gave her a handmade book filled with blank notebook pages to write on. On the cover, I wrote "Just Between You and Me." I explained that if she ever wanted to tell me something, or ask me a question, all she had to do was write it in the book and leave it on my bed. Then, I would write something back to her.

Many times, when I've sensed that something's bothering Precious Girl, I've found the book on my bed. Sometimes the issues are big, sometimes small, but every time I've thanked God that I have an opportunity to know what is on my little girl's heart and mind.

This book is a treasure trove of conversations between mother and daughter. Sometimes, I look back over the pages and remember...Someday, its pages will be filled, or maybe even unnecessary...So each time I have the privilege of writing to my daughter's heart, I am thankful for that chance to speak into her life.

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If you would like to follow more of Kristi's thoughtful writing, head over

and say "hi" at Homeschooling and other adventures....

April 19, 2012

Welcome Vinyl Winner and how to get your own version for $2.00!!

You all were giving me the most amazing reasons why you should be the

one to win the "Welcome" vinyl!

I wish that I could give a free copy to everyone.....

Instead, what I can give you is an amazing deal for your own version!!

The winner of the white "Welcome" vinyl is....
Kathy from Having a Hallelujah Good Time.
I'll be sending you an email to get your address!

But you are all WINNERS because Jill at Utah Vinyl has agreed to sell

the "Welcome" vinyl at an amazing deal of $2.00 each!!!

That is an incredible price!!

Just go HERE to place an order and mention that you are from Thrifty Decorating!

Thanks so much, Jill!

April 18, 2012

Thrifty Thursday #56

Okay....so you all are going crazy over the "Welcome" vinyl that I found
stashed on my messy desk!

So.....I'll pick the winner tomorrow and I have a FUN announcement of
how you can purchase your OWN copy for an UNBELIEVABLE price!!!

If you haven't entered yet, leave a comment HERE to win
your own "WELCOME" vinyl for your front door!

This week I am spotlighting an impressive group of projects, most of which

cost hardly ANY money to complete! You all know how to live thrifty!

Frou Frugal shared a wonderful tutorial for how to make this chair using drop cloth and

sharpie markers. Her total cost.....$0.50!