Some love around the house ...

So, since becoming a blogger and joining Pinterest I have been a decorating freak.  Especially for the holidays.  So today, I'm showing off the love (one part of) my house got.   And a picture of one of my babies at the end.   :)

Oh! And tomorrow I'm doing a link up that made me ask Guss some questions.  And shows if he is paying attention!

* warning : bad phone photos ahead *

The bookcase.

A V-day print out, $2 heart plate from Target, and the lips are from a collection of Andy Warhol small plates I own.

Got the blocks (that you can change from Kiss, Love, XoXo, & Hugs) and basket last year from the Target dollar spot.

A framed card from the dollar spot and framed heart wrapping paper that is also being used as a dry erase board.

I got this awesome heart ornament from a V-day swap last year.

On the table: Framed wrapping paper, a decorative cup of wine corks (red wine only), and a piece that I got as a gift (that stays year 'round) I know the wine corks are a little weird but I really like it.

And.... Hi!   I'm Ally and I am a very lazy dog.  But cute.

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My Decorations - Christmas Exploded

 Linking up for the last day with Katie & Holly.

Home for the Holidays.

Let's just get right to it.  These are some really piss-poor photos.  Thank you iPhone.  

Each picture has it's own description.  It details the good and the sad.  (See drunk Christmas tree below.)

Our sad sad tree.  Half the lights are out.  And Guss says out tree is drunk.  (Notice the leaning) We bought all the ornaments and lights when we were (even poorer) newlyweds after Christmas.  It needs some upgrading.  But I still love like it.

Below is Jim Gaffigan talking about Holiday Tradiations.  The first part is just about Christmas but the whole thing is hilarious.   

Our awesome Ikea bookcase.   3 rows taken up by a monster named Mason.   I get the top shelf, the one he can't touch.  (BTW - excuse that glass of wine and those wall decorations are gonna go.  They were there pre-Ikea-awesomeness.)

Vase full of ornaments, JOY from the Target dollar spot, and plates turned decorations from Target.  

On the left is actually a Christmas card that is framed, and the one on the right is ripped from a magazine.  (tip from Young House Love)

Blurry but cute.  Our stockings.  From top Guss, mine, & Mason's. 

  

Above the TV.  (funny story I just typed above the law?  um what subconscious?) The clock is always set at 6 o'clock.  It was a wedding gift that just won't stay working.  But I love it.  (and yes that is a Packer Santa)

Decoration courtesy of Katie.

Favorite decoration?  Christmas lights.  I am so sappy that I actually almost cried when all the lights and tree were on.  Ah, I'm so sensitive.

There ya go folks.  Next year I hope to go even bigger and better! But for this year it will do, and it's ours.   

See you next week?   Promise.

The House That Stayed Clean For A Week

Ladies and Gentlemen (if there is any that read this) - the moment you have all been waiting for...

The cleaning of my carpet and couch.

Backstory

Couch:  We got this couch a few years ago and it is a very large sectional.  Truthfully?  Hasn't been moved since.  So that meant no vacuuming underneath it and we have never cleaned underneath the cushions.  The viewable parts have all been vacuumed many times though.

Carpet:  This thing had a little bit of everything on it.  Spit up, Formula, Milk, Juice, Wine (oopsies), Mud, Dog Hair, Leaves, Food (because Mason thinks throwing food on the floor is really cool), Blood, Sweat, & Tears.  Well, maybe not blood - we have been fortunate that way.

So Mason was shipped off to the grandparents while we slaved away (with beers in our hands) at the couch and carpet.  Guss's mom owns a Rug Doctor so we were fortune to use that.  We still have it and I plan to keep it as long as possible, because in this house we need to clean the carpet every month!

* There is already a few stains that have been added since it has been cleaned*

Below are some pictures and the very random list of things found underneath the couch and in the cushions.

- plastic bowl (that probably had goldfish in it at some time)

- flip flops (so that's where they went)

- beer can (that's kind of trashy)

- pop bottle

- burp clothes

- crackers

- baby monitor (its obvious we didn't use it much)

- Reese's PB cup wrapper (thank you husband)

- balls/blocks (toys that have been missing forever)

- Christmas card (didn't make it to the fridge this year)

- napkin

- pen

- lighter (strange since we don't use them in the house)

- makeup brush (the most random of all)

- enough dog hair/fur to make another one

The husband hard at work.  While I sit supervise from the sidelines.

The nasty before (left) and after (right)

Mason enjoying the weirdly clean carpet and couch.

There isn't much you can do with a sectional this big but for a week we had it this way.  Just a little something different.  However, not very practical for guests.

Our 'lounging' area. :)

Our guest/sitting area.

And finally - the poor, poor lamp that was shattered by the Tornado Mason.  The light bulb in it before was actually shattered too.
Now it just looks naked and sad.

So that is the fabulous, and long winded story about cleaning our carpet and couch.

Any of you ever used a rug doctor or good carpet shampooer?


P.S. You may/or may not have noticed I have a new Link Up button on my right sidebar.  Well it is something I will be bringing up next week.  It's a little weird...but a lot of fun :)  Stay tuned...

Home of a Toddler

This is what happens...

when you have a toddler.  Other examples seen here and here.

Today was supposed to be a longer post (that got deleted) but I ran out of time so that will for sure be coming Monday.  My husband has the weekend off so I will actually be able to get some posts written ahead of time!

House in the Morning...looking so clean (with just a few toys scattered)

Night-time (as you can tell by Mason's lack of pants...sometime during the day he decides it isn't cool to wear them anymore).  Toys everywhere (and this is only one part of the house!)  Plus I am sure there is some new stain on the carpet by his highchair.

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Now some random pictures.  We got Mason a bunch of "Little People" animals of the alphabet at a garage sale this past summer.  Well every time he plays with them he grabs (F) Flamingo and (O) Ostrich and puts them side by side on a chair.  Only these two though...not any others.  I'm thinking it's because they have similar lets.  But I love Mason's little quirks.

Friends side by side.

And finally...Mason and his cheesy smile.  :)

Let's hope I have no more post problems with Blogger!  See you tomorrow for Weekend Words and back on Monday with a whole week of wild & crazy things! (because that is totally me, right?)