Steal of the Month!!!

So a friend of mine Angela has this phrase (Steal of the Month) on her blog and she most certainly snagged a deal on a great wall ornament for her dining room! So I got to thinking... could I have a SOTM too???? Well guess what, I did! So here's to you at the White house, my SOTM friend!!

I have been on the look out for a paper towel holder that doesn't necessarily sit on the counter top but is mounted either on the wall, the door of the pantry or even under the cabinets. I like using paper towels (gasp!) but don't like the roll just sitting there! So on came the search for what I wanted.

I happened to be looking for ideas on how to make my craft room and hubby's office more efficient and of course better looking and fell upon the Ballard Designs Website. When I go to a great website like this one, I always look through the clearance section to see if I can get my inspiration, but maybe at a cheaper price. Their clearance is actually called the ESTATE SALE and as I was looking through it, I landed on this:

yup.. that's a paper towel holder that you mount and it's beautiful! As well, it's regularly priced at $29.99 - hello, it holds paper towels not gold - and right now is marked down to $8.49 - which gives me a savings of 71% or $21.50 - woohoo!

I was stoked but did not like the spear at either end. While I think the spear is quite nice, I didn't think it quite matched what I was looking for. So as I was slowly getting my hopes down, I noticed low and behold that I could change the detail! So I chose this:

So with shipping, I paid a grand total of $14.44 - which still saves me $15.55 off the original price of $29.99

Thanks AWhite for giving me the motivation to find my SOTM - and since August is almost over, I can soon start looking for September's SOTM!

Here it comes...

The weekend that I have been waiting for - Labor Day! Three day weekend!!!

Well of course we had the 4th of July, which really doesn't count because my cousin got married on that day and everyone was consumed in making sure that day did not have any hiccups (me included as I was considered the "day of" coordinator. ) Sooo, since then, our house has been a big mess and I have decided that I need to tackle one or two rooms at a time. So the two rooms I have in mind are the craft room and the office. Below you will find the befores of each room and the big plans I have to take them to their full potential!

The craft room (aka- my room!)

OK.. so let me tell you a little about this room. It is a mix match of schtuff that really doesn't go together and should all be taken out. Which is precisely what I am going to do. This weekend, I will work to take everything out of the room, possibly paint and then put everything back in, but in a more orderly fashion. As well, I will probably get some cubes to organize my schtuff.

I will also take the chaise (it's the big brown thing on the bottom right) and put that in the exercise/lounge room. I haven't decided yet.

So here are some ideas that I want to incorporate into the room:

shelf system or something like it - this one is from Pottery Barn, um something like a bajillion dollars or so... maybe not... I dont think Hubby would like for me to spend that much!

Isn't this work center just grand??? Actually that's what it costs! sheesh... I think I've talked my stepdad into building one for me. I will pick up the side shelves (IKEA trip anyone) and then he can do the top part. This would look great in that space!!! We'll see what happens?!?!

definitely want to incorporate some of these into the room.

I love that you can fill it and then stuff it into the shelf to conceil what you filled it with.

I havent decided on a paint color... I am thinking a soft grey color with an even lighter shade to compliment. I dont know yet... hmmmmmm we'll see....

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The other room that I am going to tackle is going to be the "man" room - aka the office. This room is considered the "man" room because it's hubby's computer room. This is where he will be during the football season because of Fantasy Football. (more on that later!) So here is the room:

ok.. so as you can see, this room is a culmination of things FAZ. There are books (98% of which are mine) and then you have cat stuff as well! There is the monstrosity of a desk that holds the computer and NOTHING ELSE because of it's monstrosityness...yup. I made up the word! lol. So you see, this needs serious help! I am not sure if I want to put the books in the exercise / relaxation area or if I want them in my craft room or eliminate them all together??? - decisions decisions!!!

ok.. technically this is the "man" room, but since we only have ONE office and the other room is deemed a craft room, we are going to share this room. His part of the office will have his big computer and schtuff and my part will have the bills/laptop.

We are also really considering putting a small (maybe 15 or 19 inch plasma in here so that when he is doing his Fantasy Football he has the TV in there to keep him on track!) So here are the ideas for this room:

If we keep the current computer desk, then I will most likely get something like this. I found it on Walmart's website for about $100. Not bad! Just what I need to pay bills and have the laptop on top of it. We might go with a white one or maybe try to find one to match the current desk, which is somewhat orangey wood... I don't know the name of it?

If we do not keep the computer desk (please pray) then will will get two of these or something similar which we will put against each other (facing each other) so that I look at hubby and he looks at me and then we put the right side (or his left) against the wall. There is a real name to this idea and it's called a Partner's Desk , where two people share the workspace, but more times than not, it's a HUGE desk with two openings on either side. Quite lovely and expensive both at the same time. I really think that this option would work best because it will open up the room a bit more and the computer desk that we have now is too bulky and takes up a lot of room, but the only thing you can have on it is the computer.

We haven't decided what colors we want to paint in here just yet. If it were up to hubby (and it just might be!) we may just hang up some cute pictures and not paint!!!

Stay tuned as the work unfolds!!!

I'm always happy to help!

So I work full time for a big company that has about 7500 employees. I work in HR and I get a bunch of emails each day. It seems that everyday someone has an issue that "I'm always happy to help" resolve. I almost always answer an email with Hi so and so, I am happy to help! and then I find the solution to their issue and send them on their way.

I have worked for this company for a little over a year and have never really changed the way I answer emails. Actually for a minute I would get teased (from my immediate coworkers) if I failed to use my catch phrase in an email. The thing is, I type it out everytime. It's not a signature or something that automatically comes out instantly the minute I hit reply. My fingers naturally just type out those 5 words (and exclamation point) and I go on my mission to answer their inquiry. Most employees do not acknowledge that I happily found the answer to their situation. A few here and there actually thank me for my help. Others don't even bother responding after they've gotten their answer.

So today I started to think, am I really happy to help? Do I just use it to sound like I know what I am doing? Is this just something that makes me feel better. Something that I type to the employee to let them know that hey! I do care and I want to help. Happily! I didn't know the answer to this question.

Today, however I got the answer. An employee seeked out my help in an issue and of course I used my catch phrase, but did not quite have an answer to their in inquiry, so I told them that I would research the issue and get back to them. What I got in response was not what I would expect. Mostly when I tell employees that I would get back to them as soon as I have an answer, they just say thanks. done. This employee did soo much more than that. This is what they wrote:
You are always so happy to help, MrsFaz!! Thank you so much!!! I appreciate you, and I know that Employee and I so appreciate your help on this!! Thanks again!

There is my answer. I AM happy to help! That's just it. I am happy to help! How wonderful to know that I have that gift.

I.am.happy.to.help.

sooo... the weekend.

Well we had a wonderful weekend.

Saturday - I got to spend time with my bff's Ellie (my sis) and Jess (my sista from another motha)
anyway.. we went to get our hair cut - well Ellie didn't get a haircut because she had already cut her hair earlier in the week, but Jess and I did. Can I just say that although Jessica has super curly, kinky, tight curly hair, it is not a science to cut her hair. It is however a task that not everyone is willing to take on.
My sister's hairstylist had NO PROBLEM tackling the ever popular head of hair that has forever been ingraved in our heads as difficult. So with a snip here and a snip there (using a razor blade) Thu- the stylist, was done and Jessica's hair was healthier, shorter and all around more managable than before. She (Jess) could not get over how short it was and kept talking about it. I have always liked short hair, so I don't see what the problem is - side note: it still hits her bra line... so technically it's not short.. but whatev, it's short to her. Her hair was damaged and needed the cut. In anycase, she looks fabulous and I like it.

Mine was already short to begin with, but had lost its look, so she snipped and snipped and then she was done. (see before's/after's on the last post) We got there at 11:20 am and after both cuts and my blowdry, we were outta there at 12:30... PHEW.. that was quick!

So we head over to Red Robin for some grub. I had not been there before and really liked it. It's a little pricier than most, but stil yummy!

After, I headed over to Tiffany's with Jess and her short hair to pick up a bracelet*swoon* that her beau gave her about a month ago. Then she accompanied me to pick up a cake from Sam's for a birthday party that hubby and I were going to later. - so after we picked up the cake, Jess went her way and I went mine.

I went straight home to take a quick nap and then get ready for the party. Hubby was already ready so all I had to do was shower, fix my hair and makeup and we were out! So what is this party you ask? Well a little girl from our church had a birthday but no one knew it so last weekend when they were anouncing the birthdays, her name was not announced. So she went up to the Pastor after the service and told him that it was her birthday too but they forgot to announce it. He was soo touched by this spirited little girl that he did not want her to go on through life thinking that she had been forgotten. So he got a bunch of people from church to donate time, money, and food to do a birthday party (hence why I picked up the cake). So we all got together and threw a surprise birthday party for her. It was such a blessing to be a part of that and to show this little girl how much we really do care for her. It was great!

Then after the party, we hooked up with Jess & Joey for dinner at Kim Son! - well really hubby and I had already eaten at the party, so we just ate dessert.. yum!

Sunday was spent being bummy (as hubby calls it) and then going to church. Much fun!

I hope that you get blessed this week with a bunch of RAK (Random Acts Of Kindness)! :)

Hair continued:

Ok.. so here it is.. the befores and after... check it out!

Here I am before - this is the only pic I had of the front.. sorry.. I look all mean in my favorite shades that I freaking lost at chili's!

Here is the side of the same cut.

Aaaaaand Noooooowwwww for the new cut. My cameraphone doesn't take great pictures.. but I think you will get the idea. It's a bob (not a-line, like Posh) with bangs... I really like it and think that it's kind of edgy... maybe not?

Here is the back to give you a perspective of how short it really is

anyway, all in all, I do like the cut. It is definitely a lot cuter, shorter and easier to style than the previous cut. Really in the previous cut all I was doing was whatever my hair wanted to do. You know?

Anyhow... I hope you guys had a great weekend. I did.. and I will talk about it in another post. :)

Hair...

So about 8 weeks ago I cut my hair and I loved it! It has grown out and it's time to get it back to cute.

I have been contemplating cuting my hair and have been going to this one hairstylist for quite some time (maybe about a year or so) and I do like the way she cuts my hair, but I dont like the price. She charges $25 for shampoo/cut and then $25 for blowdry style and then I always leave her a $15 tip. She is awesome and I find that if she doesnt blowdry, I dont like the cut. So here I am, stuck with paying over $50 for a haircut. ugh.

I am in desperate need of a haircut, it doesnt look bad, but it has definitely lost it's shape. So in talking to my sister yesterday (who used to go to said hairstylist - but stopped because of the price) she tells me that she was going to go to get her haircut with the new person that she has gone to for her last 2 or 3 haircuts. So I ask her what she likes about her and what she doesn't like. She can't tell me what she doesn't like, because there isn't anything! She went on to tell me that she loves that she can go to her and say, I want this style - and she doesnt question her and does it. As well, she pays $20 for shampoo, cut, and blow dry. done. (plus tip) UH hello! $20 plus tip... are you serious. Why the heck have I been paying soo much when I could have gone to someone else to have the same end result???? (because let me tell you, my sister's hair looks fabulous.. just see for yourself)

So as you can see, I think the obvious would be to go to the new hairstylist and give her a try. I will post befores and afters... Really all I want is to get the "cut" back, so since I didnt really style it today, you will get the results on Saturday after the cut is done.

Wish me luck!

So the story goes...

well... this weekend was GREAT!

Did we get the cars clean - NO!
Did we organize the office - NO!
Did we clean the house - NO!

Well what did we do?!?

We did an outreach with my church where we gave out free bottles of cold water with a label that has a verse on it! Here's the verse:

Jesus said, “but whoever drinks the
water I give him will never thirst.
Indeed, the water I give him will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
John 4:14 NIV

It was FABULOUS!!!! People would receive the water, read the verse, smile and gulp it down. It really quench their thirst. We would get on Metro buses and pass out the water. It was soo much fun! We were in three groups and my group was the farthest away from the rest, but I'm pretty sure we were done pretty fast!

Then we (hubby and I) got to hang out with the double j's! Jessica (bff) and her beau Joey. We went to dinner and then Sbucks. We talked about everything under the sun. It was nice to relax and be in the company of some good peeps.

Sunday we (hubby and I) vegged out, did laundry and went to church. I am soo excited to see what else God has in store for us.

As for the debt demolishing and weight losing. Both are being faced head on by the both of us. We are soo eager to demolish debt - and - when I say debt I mean any moneys that are owed to others. car, mortgage, cc's, whatever has some type of lender attached to it - it's outta here!!! woohoo!!!

Stay tuned. I will soon be writing about the adventures of Mr & Mrs Faz in their triumph over debt demolishing!

So... what did we get done??

Well it was NOT a productive weekend, fun but not productive!

Here is what we did over the weekend.

Church - check!

Clean house - no check.

Clean cars - definitely NO CHECK.

Go to Cello & Melonas - check!

Go to Bingo with Jess - check!

Sleep in - check!

Go to church - no check - I got a sinus smack down, so I did not go, BUT hubby did, so there was Faz representation!

So it goes, another week and still a not so clean or organized house... :( Hopefully I will be able to share with you that this coming weekend, we did clean - we'll see.

As for today, we (see picture to the left -from left to right Cousin & Bff - Bianca, Sister - Ellie,Bff - Jess) are going to see SHOTP2 tonight! woohoo.. can't wait!!! I will definitely give my review tomorrow! :) Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants - being on the Nest has made me abbreviate a lot more! SBT (sorry bout that!)

oh and btw... I know you are dying to hear about Bingo, well get this, we did not win any of the BIG pots, but Jess won a $25gc for Gas! woohoo!!! Anyway.. we had such a good time that this weekend we are going again, although we have acquired a few more Bingoers - my mom, stepdad and two brothers! We are sure to win this time. Oh and the rule is that if you win a big pot (more than 300) then you have to share it with the people you came with! lol...

Stay Tuned!