tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47112239465570412252024-03-14T06:47:01.564-04:00Grouchy Girl Does LifeA mish-mash of life, DIY, frugality, and keeping joy in it all.Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-16965692647450419662012-10-24T10:49:00.000-04:002012-10-24T10:49:32.236-04:00UpdateThese past couple of weekends have been super busy for me so I haven't had much time to work on my own projects. It seems like once life dies down, we're just back to cleaning the house up again!
I've spent several hours each weekend sewing together penguin costumes for my friend's two kids. They turned out very cute and, actually, helped me gain some more sewing skills and a teensy bit more Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-8573689387543065522012-10-12T16:11:00.001-04:002012-10-12T16:11:15.052-04:00Five Things FridayHere it is again! Five things that have brought me joy this week.
Fitness. I bought a gym membership to the fitness center here on campus and my coworker and I have been going 4-5 days a week for two weeks! Go us!
Electric throws. I love our electric blanket! Our goal is to keep the house set at 65 all winter. I think this throw is going to be vital.
Fingerless mitts. Perfect for crocheting or Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-75465461801989751722012-10-08T08:55:00.002-04:002012-10-08T08:55:40.482-04:00Its done!
Owl hat!
I finished this adorable little hat over the weekend. I'm really happy with how it turned out! Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-59426406309072314062012-10-05T11:12:00.001-04:002012-10-05T11:13:01.424-04:00Five Things FridayHello! Its Friday once again. Yay!
You all know what that means, my list of five things that have brought me joy this week.
I'm currently crocheting a birthday gift for my friend's son. He's turning 1 in three weeks. I can't wait to see him in this little owl hat! Pattern & Photo: Lion Brand Yarn
Instant cappuccino mixed into my morning coffee. Not the healthiest, but delicious. :)
Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-6155563065501475162012-09-28T10:21:00.000-04:002012-09-28T10:21:00.389-04:00Clearing the Excess: Makeup BagThe other day I realized I had a whole bag of makeup items that sat under my sink, not being used.
Now, I'm a pretty regular makeup wearer (when I get up in time!), but I don't use loads of products. I have a few basics that I wear several times a week, and then there's the rest. I also have quite a few items that are over 4 years old....so, there's that.
Anyway, I had two identical makeup Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-4109177157384377262012-09-26T09:53:00.000-04:002012-09-26T10:22:56.979-04:00Clearing the ExcessSo, I've been reading two things lately which have made me want to give away half of our stuff.
First, I have been keeping up with Kelly's journey over at The Year of Less. She and her husband are trying to move their family into a simpler way of life. Less stuff, less stress, more happy.
Second, I've been reading 7: An Experimetntal Mutiny Against Excess, by Jen Hatmaker, for a book group. Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-36769667317970694862012-09-24T12:51:00.001-04:002012-09-26T10:00:33.385-04:00Easy DIY Pet BedI actually did this project a while ago, I just never got around to getting all the photos off of my phone.
What can I say? I'm lazy.
Anyway, are you ready for a super easy project? Good.
I have to start by saying that our kitty LOVES fleece. Absolutely, positively, if you have something that is fleece around the house, he will lay on it. He loves the stuff. So, most of the time we just left Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-12787680572828364912012-09-21T14:09:00.002-04:002012-09-21T14:09:16.456-04:00Five Things FridayIts Friday once again! Hip-hip-hooray!
September has gone by in a flash. We've had more social items on our calendar this month, so I'm ready for a weekend of being a homebody....and maybe doing some crafting? We shall see.
This is what I feel like doing right now. Nap Time!
See that cute little bed our cat is sleeping on, well I'll have a super easy tutorial for it up soon. :)
On to the Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-47626949004149286862012-09-14T08:21:00.001-04:002012-09-14T08:21:37.733-04:00Five Things Friday
Photo Source: The Grindstone
That photo about sums it up.
But not only is it Friday, its also my birthday! I love it when birthdays fall on Fridays, don't you?
This week has been pretty excellent, if you ignore the going to bed late every night thing. Of course, I'm still glad it's Friday.
As usual, here are my five joyful things from this week.
T got me a TARDIS mug and a Doctor Who Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-69970757268522406262012-09-12T10:04:00.000-04:002012-09-12T10:10:07.785-04:00Go USA!We went to the USA vs. Jamaica World Cup Qualifier last night. USA won 1-0. It was a whole lot of fun. I love the athleticism that soccer demands. Its such an intense and concise sport; no waiting around and watching 6,000 replays. Nope, play happened, carry on.
Plus, you've gotta love a sport where the stadium has hard cider on tap!
Now, I just need a nap in the middle of work.
The US Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-20268210015772313292012-09-06T08:47:00.001-04:002012-09-06T08:47:27.100-04:00I became a CROCHETER. So, you may have noticed very few updates in the way of projects around here. I could blame it on my obsession with Doctor Who. I could also blame it on the fact that I tried to make a patchwork table runner and it looks awful.....and gosh darn it! it will go on my table because I spent precious time on that thing. Seriously, its on my table looking terrible, reminding me that my sewing skills Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-64174036082667100002012-08-31T10:57:00.000-04:002012-08-31T10:57:52.260-04:00Five Things FridayI think I forgot to do this last week. I also think I was desperate for Friday. I think some day we should change around when the weekend is, like have Monday be the new Friday. Because Monday's always have it the worst.
And now here I am rambling about the days of the week. Again, desperate for Friday.
So, another week has gone by and here are five six things that made it pretty A-ok.
A Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-42313381363154142772012-08-19T17:15:00.000-04:002012-08-19T17:15:00.579-04:00Pinterest Project: Organizing Your Month (& Year!) with a Tickler FileIf you are anything like me, you are always afraid of forgetting about one of the bills sitting on your kitchen table and having to pay a late fee. This little project has made bill-worry virtually disappear. Not only will your worry disappear, but if anything were to happen to you and someone else needed to pay the bills for a while, this system is easy to understand and allows them to take overBrandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-82556605743732124612012-08-18T16:36:00.000-04:002012-08-18T16:36:07.498-04:00Five Things Friday...Day Late EditionIt seems to me that I can never remember to do these. Although, I most definitely need them. I'm not on real happy terms with my job right now (not the people per-say, mostly the job itself) Maybe I will write about it here one day...?
Anyhow, Friday was everything going wrong/not quite right and since T's out of town for a conference the whole weekend, I loaded myself up with a caramel latte Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-36832192248223105532012-08-13T15:22:00.003-04:002012-08-13T15:22:49.928-04:00Cry BabyWhere has the time gone?
I'm pretty sure I haven't updated this baby in a week or so (two weeks??). The truth is, I just have been so down and out that I haven't felt like typing single word on here. I also haven't been on the crafty bandwagon lately. So, I've had few projects to share.
Last week I went through a crazy roller coaster of emotions. From slight annoyance to full out Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-33612465164789520952012-08-03T14:16:00.003-04:002012-08-03T14:17:11.142-04:00Five Things FridayAnother week passed, counting down to Friday the entire way. That's normal, right?
Earlier in the summer, we got our patio all gussied up and we still haven't spent much time out there. I blame mosquitoes. And heat. And mosquitoes....did I say mosquitoes already?
Patio with the lights lit up.
Pardon the complete randomness, my mind is all jumbled right now.
I just need this work day to be Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-63235249084764804002012-07-30T10:54:00.000-04:002012-07-30T11:00:53.777-04:00Bathroom Cleaning, Made 50X Easier!Sounds like an infomercial, right? Well, that's because I want to sing from the rooftops how amazing this tub cleaner is. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!
And guess what...its made with things you already have around your house. Bonus!
Let me start with a little background: The tub in our rental is refinished. Yes, refinished. You didn't know you could do that to a tub? Neither did we. Signing our lease came Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-80867886624789594482012-07-26T12:35:00.002-04:002012-08-13T15:31:35.743-04:00Pinterest Project: Tips That WorkPinterest is absolutely loaded with tips and tricks for the house. You just never really know which ones work! So, I figured I would share a few that have actually worked for me....
Hair conditioner as shaving gel. This works so well! Once I ran out of my old shave gel, I just grabbed a bottle of suave conditioner that was sitting under our sink. You need just a thin layer of conditioner on Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-70213335683866721722012-07-25T14:34:00.002-04:002012-07-26T12:36:15.331-04:00A Year of Less: ThoughtsIf you've never checked out The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking, hop on over and take a peak. I think it's a lovely blog with some really practical advice. I link to it on the left side of my blog under Blogs I Love.
One thing that jumped out at me recently is the idea of The Year of Less. This is a new blog started by Kelly (from The Complete Guide) and her husband, Luke, which focuses Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-86704140717110050122012-07-20T10:30:00.001-04:002012-07-26T12:36:15.333-04:00Five Things FridayT commented that I was in a more chipper mood than usual this morning. I said, "because its Friday!". This week, I have been living for Friday to get here.
I thought this was pretty funny considering my recent jump into zen time...which didn't last. Photo Credit.
Yay Friday! Here it is, folks!
And here, as usual, are the five things that brought me joy this week...
T. Always.
IcedBrandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-33544697461473479042012-07-17T15:29:00.001-04:002012-07-17T15:29:31.612-04:00A Crafty To-Do ListI hope everyone had a good weekend!
T and I have a busy week ahead of us, so little, to no projects will get done this week. However, I thought I'd post some items that are on my radar to try soon! In no particular order....
Shirred skirts from men's T-shirts. I've never done any shirring before, so this makes me a little nervous. At least my practice will be on some cheap Goodwill shirts! Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-44634536650254750912012-07-13T11:50:00.003-04:002012-07-17T15:29:56.795-04:00Five Things FridayOur week has been pretty darn good. We're getting back on the cooking bandwagon. We were still mostly eating at home for the past few weeks, but it was starting to end up as scrounge something/ make a grilled cheese every night. As we continue with Insanity, we've both noticed that we want less heavy and fried foods and instead opt for light meals. Bonus? I think so.
Somehow, I can still down aBrandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-2468655437285213882012-07-11T11:23:00.000-04:002012-07-17T15:29:45.989-04:00Being Fit...and Losing some Grouch, too.So, as you may have guessed (or if you've read my About Me page) I tend to get grouchy. Part of the reason I started this blog was document my efforts to relax/de-stress and change my mood.
I already tried a Meditation Challenge....and my zen time was good, I could just never remember to do it!
Next on my list was getting healthier and more fit. I'm far to lazy and do way too much sitting Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-10309491451878600972012-07-09T13:13:00.001-04:002012-07-09T13:29:26.592-04:00Five Things {Friday} MondayIn my rush to get out of work early, get all our camping gear together and get out the door, I didn't make my usual Five Things Friday post.
So, instead I have a Five Things Monday for you.
I could probably use it, after all the grouch that was going on this morning...poor T.
Five things from the past week that have brought me joy/ I am grateful for:
Good food. We had a fancy seafood Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4711223946557041225.post-40823890818234795702012-07-09T12:47:00.001-04:002012-07-09T13:31:22.835-04:00KindnessI haven't been blogging very long, but one thing I can say about the blogging world is that there is an immense amount of kindness and support to be found here....And while I'm still not sure where this blog is going (or what it will become), I have encountered some lovely folks along the way.
Hilda, at From Overwhelmed to Organized (please go check out her blog!) has given me the Liebster Blog Brandi Leehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11765974259656947993noreply@blogger.com6