Magical Blog.

I write about things that matter to us all.

[melly472]

HeadBoard ReDo

This summer I found this old worn out Waterbed Headboard at a yard sale and purchased it for $10.00

The instant I saw it, I knew it would be the perfect piece to make a TV stand for my living room out of.

                      The first thing I did was sand down the entire Piece so that my paint and stain would go on smoothly and look amazing.

                      Once I had finished sanding…

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Have you ever stopped to wonder why some lives seem riddled with sadness and even tragedy…. While others seem to float through life with hardly a care in the world?

 I was quite young when I started to become of aware of the fact that life was not EQUAL for everyone. I noticed that there were a lot of  people in my little world who had one tragic experience after another. It seemed their entire…

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The Difference between riches and wealth

The Difference between riches and wealth

  I’m proud of my financial position in life, but contrary to what a lot of people may think, I never aspired to be rich. I wanted to be wealthy. It wasn’t always that way, though. I think there was a lot of fear driving me. Fear of being poor again and fear of going back to that impoverished life from my childhood.

Being rich and being wealthy seem to be synonymous with success. However, there’s…

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Getting Over Your Past so you can enjoy TODAY!

Getting Over Your Past so you can enjoy TODAY!

Read that quote one more time… AND  Then allow the meaning to really sink in DEEP.

Now ask yourself this question: Is there something in your past causing you pain and preventing you from fully experiencing joy in the present?

If you’re single, maybe you’re still hung up on an old flame. You have some regrets and wish you’d handled things differently.

  If you’re in a relationship, perhaps…

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Today, I wanted to show you some pictures of an Entertainment Center that I bought from a friend for $75.00

This unit is very solid and had great bones.

The style of it was what needed some help.

It looked like a flash from the past, and I wanted it to become the focal point of my formal living room.

Enjoy the pictures.

(If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them in the comment box below.)

                As you can see in the BEFORE picture. This cabinet had GREAT bones. It just needed an update.

                      The first thing I did was sand the entire cabinet to make sure that the MINWAX GEL STAIN would stick to the surface.

Then I purchased these gorgeous accent pieces from RESTORATION HARDWARE to give the cabinet some interest and style.

I painted them to look like old silver cut outs then I nailed them to the front of the two bottom drawers and on the front of the TV stand I built for this project.

I replaced the round knobs on each drawer with some old cupboard handles that I took out of an old trailer house kitchen.  I repainted the handles to make them look like silver jewelry.

                    The next thing I did was paint the shelves a light turquoise blue color to match the other pieces of furniture in my living room.

I used the gel stain to mimic the look of Hickory wood.

Now with the added inlay’s this piece looks like a custom cabinet that cost hundreds of dollars.

The finished project cost me $115.00. 

So, I now have a custom piece of furniture in my home that looks expensive, but actually was very affordable.

  Here are the side by side pictures of the BEFORE and AFTER

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BEFORE

AFTER

      Entertainment Center Make Over Today, I wanted to show you some pictures of an Entertainment Center that I bought from a friend for $75.00…

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Today, I wanted to show you some pictures of a broken dresser that I had.

I was ready to throw it out, but I figured that since I needed this dresser in my bedroom, I would see if I could save us money by RESCUING it instead of throwing it out.

I wanted it to look good with the Arches National Park theme in my master bedroom, so I sketched out a design that would match my room.

Please let me know what you think of the transformation in the comments below.

                  SO…Here is what the dresser looked like when I started.

As you can see it has one drawer that has completely broken out of it and cannot be repaired.

(Which is the reason why I was going to throw it away.)

But wait till you see how I saved this dresser.

                  #1:

The first thing I did was sand the entire surface so that the new paint would stick.

Then I painted the body of the dresser with a turquoise blue color.

            #2:

The next thing I did was take some old brown paper ( the kind from grocery bags) and used MOD PODGE to glue it to the top of the dresser to give the top the look of old leather.

Then I added a second layer of MOD PODGE to the top of the paper and while it was still wet, I painted the top with  a mahogany colored wood stain.

                #3:

Now that I had the top and body all repainted, it was time to choose a design.

I cut out a diamond from a piece of cardboard to use as a template then found the exact center of each drawer and traced the diamond on each drawer.

I then got out my level and made the straight lines, and then used the diamond template again on the edged of each drawer.

                      #4:

Now that I have the pattern on the drawer, I just need to decide what colors to paint each section.

                        #5:

Now that I have it all base coated, I thought that it might look  better if I made the center diamond match the top of the dresser with the old leather look.

So I cut out three pieces of brown paper using the cardboard template, then glued it to the drawer using Modge Podge, then painted it with the wood stain.

                    I like it better with the “leather look” diamonds.

It has a older, more western look to it now.

                #6:

The next thing I did to the dresser was add some graphics to the stripes next to the diamond. I did not paint these on, I used a graphic that I had printed on my ink jet printer and just Modge Podged it to the drawer like I had the brown paper.

                #7: 

The last thing I did to the drawers was to add nail head tacks to the outline the diamonds, and make it look like the leather diamonds had been nailed onto the drawers.

  But what about that broken drawer?

Well… I cut a piece of 1/4″ MDF board the eaxt size of the opening, then covered it with the paper and made it look exactly like the top of the dresser then inserted it as a shelf using 4 L brackets to hold it up.

  And here is the finished dresser.

                          Here are the side by side pictures of the BEFORE and AFTER.

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BEFORE

AFTER

        From BROKEN to FABULOUS! Today, I wanted to show you some pictures of a broken dresser that I had. I was ready to throw it out, but I figured that since I needed this dresser in my bedroom, I would see if I could save us money by RESCUING it instead of throwing it out.

[melly472]

You Are My SUNSHINE...

You Are My SUNSHINE…

    Don’t be afraid of becoming who you are.

(That sentence may sound like a simple instruction to follow, but it CAN actually be extremely difficult to do.)

Trust me when I tell you: The exact minute that you decide you are going to become who you are meant to be in this world, will also become the EXACT MOMENT you begin to soar.

The biggest enemy to your individual flight will be…

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  I love this quote.

It is a thought that we should all adopt into our everyday thinking.

Today, I want to share a few pictures of my family hauling hay on our farm.

My heart swells with love when we are all together working the land. I love this time together because we just get to be together as a family working together toward a common goal.

We have had so many fun times on the farm already since we met Jeff.

So today, I am thankful for him, his family, and the time we share on his farm together.

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Jeff and Tyler stacking it high so the Steers have food for the winter.

Sarah loves the Farm Life too.

THANKFUL THURSDAY I love this quote. It is a thought that we should all adopt into our everyday thinking.

[melly472]

Worst Day OR...Best Day.

Worst Day OR…Best Day.

As a child I loved to listen to the stories that my grandparents would tell.

But I have to admit that the stories that I seem to always gravitate toward are the stories that inspire legends or tales that have a nugget of wisdom attached.

So today, I am going to write about how we actually get to CHOOSE what kind of DAY,

WEEK,

and LIFE

We are going to have by the attitude we have and the choices…

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Letter to my Daughter.

Letter to my Daughter.

Tonight I will attend the Jr High graduation of my second child.

For me, this marks the ending of the time in her life when I can try and convince myself that she is still a child.

But before I send her off into High School, there are a few things I want her to know. So today’s post will be a letter to my beautiful child, Arminda.

            My Dearest Child,

As you embark on the next phase of…

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3 more Days!!!

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God created us to be happy and joyous.

  It is all too easy to be bogged down by negative experiences or life challenges.

Like I said yesterday…

Every day, we can choose our responses to our circumstances.

On my own unique journey through  life, I’ve learned to choose happy, joyful and positive thoughts during challenging times

or

in situations that are trying to bring me down.

I have learned to embrace the mantra

“that it was only a mistake if I didn’t learn anything from it.

If I learned something from it, it was a LESSON.”

But today I want to talk about another conscious choice that I have made in life that I believe is just as powerful as choosing happiness is if your desire is to create a joyous life.

And that other choice is:

Good old-fashioned 

They really can bring you far in life.

I read a great quote the other day on the internet,

“Some people are lucky– but the harder I work the luckier I get!”

  That quote really struck a chord within me because quite often people come up to me and tell me how lucky I am to be so talented.

I remind them that it doesn’t come from luck—

it comes from years and years of hard work and practice.

What they’re seeing is an end result that looks effortless and easy, but it came from more than 20 years of ups and downs– and endless attempts at learning to paint and write.

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AFTER

 Good work ethics bring great things:

knowledge,

satisfaction,

confidence,

and

good Karma!

My grandfather taught my father to always look ahead.

He used to say, “Have the next tool ready for me when I need it–that way we can finish this project sooner.”

I apply that approach in all areas of my life, whether I am working at the school,

painting a mural,

or helping a friend.

I envision how I must prepare for the next task at hand– and I gather the tools and knowledge that I need before moving ahead.

I find that when I work hard, there is always a positive return, even when the outcome is a negative experience to learn from.

  By gathering the tools I need and applying a tough work ethic, I have been able to achieve my goals and dreams.

        But a good work ethic applies to much more than just our jobs.

For example:

When I was a young mother, I ate a lot of junk food and survived on soda.

I never knew how to eat properly and in my early twenties, I put on a lot of weight.

By the end of my thirties, I was not healthy at all. I had a check up where I was told that I needed to begin taking over 10 pills a day just to keep myself going.

I REFUSED to take the easy way out by swallowing a bunch of pills every day, and instead fought back.

I told the doctor that I was unhealthy because I had spent over ten years treating my body like it was a vending machine.

I vowed to learn how to eat healthier, lose weight, and begin a daily exercise routine.

Now at the age of 44, I weigh less than I did when I was 24.

My doctor no longer thinks I need medication, I am a very healthy woman.

BUT…

In order to regain my health, I needed a strong work ethic to carry me through the task.

  At the end of each day, I take a few minutes to look at  myself in the mirror and ask myself this question:

” Did you do all that you could today?”

Then I ask myself a second question:

“Would God be pleased with the work you accomplished in His name today?”

I have found that the more I serve and help others, the more enriched my own life becomes.

I try to live my life by this personal quote of mine:

“If you do good, good will come upon you.”

I hope that you all have a wonderful weekend.

Do something fun with your family. Make some memories together.

      The END RESULT looks EFFORTLESS…but it WASN’T God created us to be happy and joyous. It is all too easy to be bogged down by negative experiences or life challenges.

[melly472]

Here’s what I know for sure, Happiness Is A Choice.

In the past, my life was overwhelming.

It was full of sadness,

financial struggles,

relationship betrayals,

and even, the death of a child.

While I was walking down that particular path in my life,

I literally could not see the forest for the trees.

I was unaware of the reality that there was so much more that I was capable of.

BUT… through mindset and beliefs, I slowly began to discover that inside of myself there lived a power that was capable of designing my life in any way I decided I wanted it to look.

I had a creative force that was lying dormant inside of me that could paint the picture of my life in much the same way that I paint murals.

            I first needed to decide on the style of picture.

Then narrow it down to a specific idea,

and then use my paintbrush to bring it to life.

  The difficulty in accessing this creative power that lies within is that the hustle of life is filled with people, events, and stimuli, there’s no avoiding it.

The weather.

Traffic.

People we encounter in our day.

societies ideas about life and how we should react and feel in any given situation.

The trick in accessing this power is to acknowledge that the stimuli  we encounter throughout the day is neither

GOOD

OR

BAD;

They are NEUTRAL,

AND… often cannot be controlled.

Everyday, we are presented with hundreds of situations.

Yesterday, my teenage daughter presented me with a situation that was difficult for me to hear and accept.

I had a choice in that moment with her to either get angry and REJECT her ideas and cause her pain…

OR

Listen to her side of the story and use this moment as a teaching opportunity.

I chose to teach her about life.

I chose NOT to crush her fragile spirit with my hurt feelings,

but

Rather be her parent and guide her through adolescence gently and carefully so that she to will learn how to create HAPPINESS in her very own life.

That is what makes life beautiful, our ability to CHOOSE our reactions. 

Sure they are usually going to be based on our beliefs.

BUT that doesn’t change the fact that, we have total self-power to choose how to

view,

approach

and

respond

to the stimuli in our lives.

We control our responses.

We control our happiness.

We can choose happy,

peace

and

calm

just as easily as

we can choose

anger,

overwhelm

and

chaos.

   So here is a simple way to show you what I believe this creative power consists of.

Stimulus → ( the event)

Belief → (your thoughts about the event)

Response. (your feelings and actions)

    Allow me to illustrate with an example:

Stimulus:

My father has had a few strokes that has completely changed his life. He can no longer walk or work like he has always done in the past. He is now dependent on us for his care. (There actually is nothing is good or bad about the stimulus, it’s neutral)

Belief:

My belief surrounding my dads present condition is that he is doing the best he can at any given moment.

 I love him for the amazing man he has always been,

BUT…

I cannot control the past or future.

 I am what I think, and I choose to ooze love and acceptance to help my dad know that I am honored to care for him during this period in his life.

Response:

I love my dad in the present moment and choose to celebrate him right where he’s at.

I choose a respectful, peaceful, authentic attitude when he needs my help.

I choose to love first and take action second.

I choose happy.

Does my Belief and Response mean I stop advocating, researching and finding ways to make his life more comfortable?

Not a chance!

I do everything in my power daily to assist him to thrive in his new and often frustrating world so that he can be as happy and comfortable as he can be.

I have discovered that when I Follow the Stimulus→Belief→Response method

I am reminded almost constantly that:

I am in full control of my happiness and the design I choose for each and every single day of my life.

Nobody else controls my beliefs.

I choose my thoughts, actions and responses, and thus, choose happiness.

  With a clear and precise mindset,

Combined with a conscious commitment to my core beliefs,

I have discovered that it is really as simple for me to shift my life from a life filled with clutter, chaos and overwhelm…

to a place of peace, calm and happy,

as it is for me to completely transform a room with paint.

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BEFORE

AFTER

This I know for sure,

How Much of Life can we ACTUALLY Control? Here’s what I know for sure, Happiness Is A Choice. In the past, my life was overwhelming.

[melly472]

Can Failure REALLY be a GOOD thing?

Can Failure REALLY be a GOOD thing?

  I believe everything we need to succeed is inside us as children, it often gets slowly pushed out of us as we grow older.

By the time we’re teenagers we have either forgotten these lessons or been forced to bury them.

  If you are like me,

DEEP inside you don’t feel any different than you did at age ten or twelve,

EXCEPT…

That you likely don’t play baseball anymore,

AND you probably…

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[melly472]

This weekend I painted a mural for a very special little girl. 

My very own daughter.

The BEST part about this mural was that she actually helped me paint it.

She has displayed exceptional talent in the arts since she was two years old.

So as you look at the pictures for this mural, keep in mind that she painted every bit from beginning to end on the mane and tail of the brown horse.

She is only ten years old, so her talent is pretty incredible.

                    Here is what her room looked like when we started.

Plain, boring white walls…

But for me, white walls are just a blank canvas that I can create a whole new world on. 

So bring on the white walls!

                    The first thing I always do when I am painting a mural is get the background blocked in.

Once you have established the position of the background, putting the main image into the painting becomes a whole lot easier.

I used a gray sky  ACE hardware brand paint in semi gloss latex for the sky.

For the ground I used the same brand in a Terra cotta color.

                    Once you have the background in place you are now ready to draw the main image on the wall.

I like to use a overhead projector to blow the picture up. I will draw out the mural on a plastic paper and then use the machine to project it and make it life size. 

This saves me hours of painstaking drawing time. By doing it this way I am able to see exactly where I want the picture to sit on the wall, and know how the entire picture will look BEFORE I ever start drawing.

SO that is my time saving tip for the day

  Once you have the image sketched on the wall you can begin to color in the picture.

The first layer of paint will be a lot like coloring a page in a coloring book.

There won”t really be any detail yet and the image will look very flat and lifeless at first, but don’t get discouraged. As each new layer of paint goes on, the more dimension your picture will acquire.

                      See how flat the horses look right now. That is NORMAL, and shouldn’t discourage you at all.

Just keep on painting.

It really does get a lot better.

                Here is another angle of the picture. From this angle you can see how that shadow I blocked in under the horses chin is already starting to create some dimension.

                  In this picture you can see how I am starting to add the different shades of color to the horses skin and mane and tail. This simple act of using lighter and darker shades of the same base color will create the look of muscles on the horse, and give movement to the hair on the mane and tails.

                    In this picture, you can see all the little details that I painted in the eye to make it look round and realistic.

I also added some white to her face to give her a little bit more personality.

                    We did the same thing with the black mare. We gave her eyes some detail and then extended her mane so it partially covered her eye. We wanted to give the illusion of a thick, bushy mane on the black horse.

                  Here is the finished mural.

To complete the background I painted the cactus using four different shades of green paint. By doing this I am able to give the illusion of a round object on a flat wall.

Then we just added a few ground details and other desert plants to the wall and that completed the painting.

This mural took us 10 hrs to complete.

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  Here are a few more pictures of the finished mural.

            My latest Mural… “Everyone Needs A Friend” This weekend I painted a mural for a very special little girl.  My very own daughter.

[melly472]

Sorry I haven't Written for a while...

Sorry I haven’t Written for a while…

This time of year is extremely busy for me, (I am sure I am not alone)

Anyone with kids knows that the last month of school is NON-STOP activity for the kids, and their parents.

BUT in addition to that CRAZINESS…

At work, when springtime hits, my work load literally triples.

I still have the same amount of work to do inside the school that has kept me HOPPING all winter long,

Once  Springtime…

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Cultivating Hope

As I was watching the news this morning,

I heard a story of a stand off that led to the death of a canine officer.

  The robbery of a bank.

The battles over which bathroom to use

AND… And the immature rantings of the presidential candidates.

I was DISGUSTED!

I felt overwhelmed with worry about the future of our nation.

Have you ever felt the same way.

INSTEAD of focusing our attention…

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