third windows estimate

we had a third estimate for windows -- from company C. their quote was right in the middle of the first (company A) and second (company B) estimates we received.

ikea expedit as toy storage

before i stole them for craft storage, our ikea malm dressers were being used in lil' archer's room for toy storage. they worked quite well for that purpose -- and they held a LOT of toys.

how many megabloks can one boy need??!

best fruit dip ever?

i had the opportunity to make the "best fruit dip ever" for a playdate recently...and i decided to whip up some lemon sauce as well.
   both were pretty darn yummy!

my version:

stain your doors darker!

our house is filled with dirty, ugly orange wood doors. this is why i have absolutely no reservations about painting them ((here and here...so far)).

after i painted the upstairs bathroom a very light blue, the orange doors seemed even more orange and i decided to try staining them.

collection of washi-taped lightswitches and outlets

once i started washi-taping the switchplates in our home, i couldn't stop.

see the easy step-by-step here,

as featured on {apartment therapy}!

be warned...it might start an addiction with you too.

here's our collection...so far...

see individual pics after the jump!

fun with spirograph

i've wanted to hang a grouping of framed spirographs for FOREVER...and i finally bought a complete set of gears and wheels to make it a reality!

potty prize basket

after i used two of these baskets to organize my flats and sandals, are you curious to know what happened to the third one?

blog lovin'

hello all!

i've joined blog lovin' if you'd like to follow me over there!

* mari

a bit of bathroom organization

DIY: dress up your switchplates with washi tape!

<<< you can see a full list of my diy projects here! >>>

[SNAPSHOT]
time : minutes
difficulty :  ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ 
hazards : washi tape addiction
would i do it again? : again and again!

this is a fast, fun, and EASY project!

you can see our collection of washi-taped switchplates here.

construction has begun on lil' archer's bed!

...well, not really.

BUT, fish and i finally agreed on a plan we both love.

ana white's camp loft bed with stair, junior height

   we bought the lumber.

cost : about $80.

{{ DIY }}^ calming jar ^

<<< psst! you can see a full list of my diy projects here! >>>

[SNAPSHOT]

time : minutes

difficulty : ★ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

hazards : glitter everywhere

would i do it again? : yes - for MOTHERS of toddlers.

more room for shoes

the built-ins in our front room made much more sense for us as shoe storage instead of displaying knick-knacks or books. 

however...i have a lot of shoes. i don't think i have an excessive amount  -- just too many to fit comfortably in the built-ins. aaand since i'm not willing to get rid of any of my shoes...i asked fish to add a shelf.

upstairs bath:before and after

after much hemming and hawing, i finally chose a color for the upstairs bath. 

i debated between keeping it light blue-gray or painting it sage green or taupe.

what did i do?

is the suspense killing you??

please pardon our aesthetic dust!

you may have noticed a few small changes to {crab+fish}. i've been playing with the design and making small tweaks -- including creating a new header, streamlining the sidebar, revamping the {diy projects gallery}, and updating the {about us} section. i also started a gallery of {fish's projects}.

i hope you enjoy the improvements! things should settle down around here soon.

as always, thanks for stopping by!

mari

log off. go run!

after seeing this photo on pinterest, i was inspired to add a motivational message to the walls of my new workspace:

i omitted the "shut down" because it seemed redundant.