Valentine's Day

Well, Saturday is Valentine's Day! What are you going to do? Do you have someone you are going to spend the day with? Someone you WANT to spend the day with, but things aren't going to work out so you can?

What does Valentine's Day mean to you? Is it a day to celebrate your love for another person? Is it a day to commemorate a Saint? Is it a day reminding us all of a brutal massacre that happened in the 1920's?

Traditionally, (and by "traditionally" I mean, what-greeting-card-companies-and-stores-have-made-the-day-into) Valentine's Day is a day of celebrating love. Men go overboard trying to buy the perfect gift for the woman they love. Women go overboard buying or creating the perfect gift for the man they love. Kids give cards to their friends telling them that they are "DINO-mite", an "ALL-STAR" and "Olaf you very much". Parents stress about what to give their kids that will say "I LOVE YOU" without going overboard, or be thrown in the trash!

Holiday's are stressful, and Valentine's Day doesn't disappoint in that department! My wedding anniversary is 2 days after Valentine's Day, and let me tell you, that adds stress! I have GET to figure out what to give my husband for Valentine's Day, and then turn around and give him something else 2 days later!

In the past, we haven't had much money, so I resorted to making gifts for my husband. I'm not nearly as gifted as he is (read: CARVING a rose out of a block of wood), so I stick to what I am good at: Crafts! (I'm really not good at those either, but it's really the thought that counts, right? Anyway, here are some tried-and-almost-true last minute ideas for you to create for your Valentine this year!

I know you've seen this one around the internet before: 52 Reasons I Love You.

I did this once... I put a lot of effort into my little card book. I even bought NEW cards! However, I am not so crafty apparently, and ALL of the cards warped. I don't mean there was a slight bowing to them, I mean, there were ripples, RIPPLES people, in each and every card. Needless to say, my husband read each card once, it got put in a drawer, and in all of the moves we've had, they have since disappeared.  So, my advice to you, is to take your time, and use Double Sided Tape!

This one is another one I put a valiant effort in: Sharpie Mugs.

I took my kids to the dollar store, bought plain, white, ceramic mugs, a package of multi-colored Sharpies, and got to work! I let my kids draw little pictures on one side of each mug, then I wrote things like, "#1 Dad" and "We Love You" on the other side. I heated up my oven to 350 degrees, and gently placed the mugs in the heat! We waited for the recommended 30 minutes, and carefully pulled each mug out of the oven. I let them all cool down, took a slightly damp rag... and wiped away 1 letter (I was checking to see if this magical sharpie trick worked). Unfortunately for me, this did not work. Apparently there are "Special" markers you need to use. However, the tutorial I saw, did not mention this at all! I let the kids give their daddy these special mugs, and warned him to NEVER use them. My warning was soon forgotten, and the mugs were used, placed in the dishwasher, and those precious pictures drawn by my tiny children are now gone. Washed away. Never to be seen again. We do still have the mugs though!

OH! How about this one: Date Night In A Jar.

I tried this one, I thought, "This can't go wrong! He'll LOVE this one!" WRONG! It can go wrong. I was trying to stay on a budget, and you can only put "Stay in and watch a movie" in the jar so many times before it starts to get ridiculous. Needless to say, I did not give this gift to my sweet husband. I turned it into an "Uh Oh Jar". Turns out, it's a lot easier to think of things to make my kids do when they get in trouble, than it is to think of cheap date ideas.

And my personal least favorite: The Coupon Book.

I have done this several times. "This coupon is good for 1 FREE 10 minute Massage!" "Redeem for a HOME-COOKED meal of your choice!" "1 Night to yourself, is yours if you just give me this coupon." The list goes on. You can make these as simple or as elaborate as you want. Make a few that you will actually enjoy upon redemption, and a few that are specifically for your Valentine. Be romantic. Be silly. Be original! I went all out once, I made a HUGE (when I say huge, think pack of multi-colored index cards 150 pack, huge) book. I wrote on each card, color coordinated everything (Blue = funny, Pink = sexy, etc) and glued them all together, like a pad of paper. I'm pretty sure those babies are lost somewhere in a drawer. They were forgotten about, mostly because my husband would want to redeem something like, "PIZZA for dinner!" After I had already started dinner, and I would REFUSE to accept his coupon. So, if you give this as a gift, make sure you honor the coupon, or all your hard work will go down the drain!

These are a few ideas for you. I'm sure my results are not typical, but maybe they are. What I have learned is this: Valentine's Day isn't about gifts. Gifts can show you love someone, but what shows them you love them more (in my eyes) is spending time together. Making time to do something that you know he/she likes. Putting the effort in to say, "I love you." "You look amazing today!" "I just can't get enough of your smile."

Oh, candy and flowers help too!

Love,

Ciera

Girl's Night Fun

Last Friday, we had our first ever Girl's Night Out. It was a lot of fun!

We made Heart Wreaths out of Coffee Filters. We had cupcakes, cookies, chips, and delicious drinks from the Tin Roof Coffeehouse.

If you missed out, make sure to sign up, and come next month, when we make Clover Button Pictures and "LUCK" Burlap & Wood Signs!

Here are a few pictures of the fun we had! I forgot to pull out my camera until the end of the night, so I didn't get a picture of everyone together, but I did get a few!

Kyle helped out by drilling all of the holes in the cardboard! He also drew all of the hearts out, and helped cut them all. (He may have cut his finger in the process!)

Whittney dyed all of the coffee filters, and sported pink fingers for a few days. She also taught how to create these adorable wreaths! Don't they look so cute?

We had quite a spread for treats! What good is a Girl's Night Out, if you don't forget about your diet? Yummy cupcakes, a veggie tray, cookies, and drinks provided by the Tin Roof! 

A couple of the ladies showing off their creations! I love how the wreaths are different. Even though they both used the same materials, they turned out so unique! Great job ladies!

Next month I'll be better about taking pictures! I hope everyone had fun, and is planning on coming in March!

Love,

Ciera

Style Tips

I am not one to ever turn down tips on how to decorate, or how to dress. In fact, I really wish I had a personal stylist that could tell me what looks best on me, fits my personality, and makes me feel amazing! (Every girl's dream, right?) I also wish I had the funds to make all the changes to my home that I want. It's hard to have the same decorations for years, and with changing trends and changing tastes, it can be expensive to stay happy with your living environment.

My home, as I mentioned in my last post, is decorated with a lot of dark colors. Brown, mostly. My husband, LOVES brown. Me? Not so much. I like bright colors: yellows, teals, reds, and even peach! I like to have lightness in my space, and while the browns make everything feel cozy and homey, it also makes it feel small, and dark.

I have been looking around and trying to find a few things that I can do to brighten up my space while not breaking the bank, and decided that I would share them with you!

If you don't want to get your hands dirty, you can simply rearrange your existing furniture. Use a bedside table from your bedroom as an end table in your living room. Switching out simple pieces like that can give new life, and new light to your space. Use a chest that you normally keep against a wall as your coffee table. Move lamps around, try brighter or dimmer bulbs to accent your lighting to give the room the exact feel you want.

If you do want to get your hands dirty, refinish your entertainment center. Use our guide to refinishing furniture found here, to add your personal touch. You can re-upholster a chair, or simply go thrift shopping, find a fun wooden chair, and paint it! Having an accent piece gives you a great conversation starter, and a jumping off point to decorate the rest of the room.

One of my favorite accessories is a nice blanket. I keep a basket in my living room, that we put one blanket in. (Why one blanket? Because when people come over, we can throw all the kid's toys in the basket, and place the nicely folded blanket over them all, and it looks like a basket of blankets, not a mess!) I switch out the blanket from time to time, because it helps me feel like I am that much more homemaker-y (that's a word, right? Right!)

Maybe you can sew. (I started taking sewing lessons, when I was 8, yup I was THAT child. The one that asked Santa for a sewing machine at 8, and actually used it!) An easy thing you can do to update existing accent pillows, is to just sew up a few new pillowcases for them. Use fun fabric for each season, or holiday. You can easily change the whole feel of your room with accent pillows!

I just talked my husband into getting me yellow spray paint. Why? So I can paint some picture frames, and add some color to my walls, without the commitment of painting the entire wall! I'm not sure if he is super excited about the yellow, but I am!

I am also going to put some bright curtains up. When hanging curtain panels, make sure that you hang them as close to the ceiling as you can (make sure they touch the ground too!), and as wide as you can, so that when the curtains are open, you cover the least amount of window as possible. This will add height to your room, and width to your windows. It will make your room feel much bigger too!

Now that I have given you some tips, I'm going to have to follow them, and show you what I do to my space!

Love,
Ciera

Fighting the Winter Blues

Around my house January and February are usually filled with snow, sledding, building snowmen, hot apple cider (I don't like chocolate!), and trying to not go crazy being inside and without sunlight for so long. By the time February hits, I am in desperate need of Spring! Unfortunately it doesn't usually show up for a while, so I have to get creative.

Photo Credit: www.landolakes.com

In the Winter, it is so easy for me to just lay around, cuddle up in a blanket, and watch re-runs of my favorite shows while crocheting something for one of my kids. I don't get much else done during the day, it's not often that someone stops by unannounced and finds my kitchen immaculate, or all the pillows on the couches just how they are supposed to be. There is always at least one stack of laundry that either needs to be washed or folded. And there are many times that dinner isn't thought of until 15 minutes before it's time to eat!

Kids love the winter, the cold, the snow, the days off school... Adults, however, get to warm up frozen fingers because their 4 year old was too excited to go out and play in the snow to put on gloves. We get to put out towels for wet boots, have the dryer running constantly to keep snow clothes dry and ready for the next 10 minute outing (because that's usually how long kids stay outside). We also get to entertain restless kids during those long days that schools are closed.

It's hard to be an adult in the Winter with kids, but with a few of these ideas, maybe it will make these last few months a little more smooth, and a little more enjoyable for you!

Bake something. The smell of delicious cupcakes, or yummy cookies always lifts the mood at my house. My kids get to help by dumping ingredients in the bowl, and love watching as the cupcakes rise, or the cookies flatten out. They "sneak" dough, and giggle when they get caught. Being in the kitchen is where my kids are happiest. They know that when we are baking together, they get my full attention, and I love that I get their full attention. We have a rule that if you fight, you don't get to help, so they are always very polite to eachother. They will move their chairs so a sibling can reach or see better, and make sure that everyone has a turn. We love making Rootbeer Cookies, and Lemon Cupcakes. Rootbeer cookies taste like a rootbeer float, and Lemon Cupcakes remind us of sipping Lemonade on a warm summer day.

Photo Credit: www.thecakebakery.com

Add bright colors to your everyday living spaces. My home is decorated with a lot of dark colors, mostly because it's what we have, and we can't afford new things. We have dark blankets because my mom gave them to us when we got married. We have a darker entertainment center, dark rugs, dark couches, and dark picture frames on our walls. During the summer time, this is fine, because it is so light outside, the darkness of our furniture and decorations doesn't bother me, and it will absorb some of that light and soften the brightness. In the wintertime, it's bad. It creates a dark feel and mood in my home. I like to walk into brightly colored rooms, and spaces, while my husband likes darker colors and spaces. It's a hard balancing act! I finally talked him into getting a yellow and silver bedspread for our bedroom, and I am so glad I did! The rest of the furniture in our room is dark, but having the lighter colored bedspread has changed the feel of our tiny room. It is bright and welcoming now. I feel happier when I wake up, or when I go to bed. I have added a few bright blankets to my living room as well, which is helpful, because now we have extra blankets and no one fights over who gets a blanket, or, "He won't share with me!" Adding a few bright colors lifts your mood.

Photo Credit: Pinterest

Open those curtains, blinds and crack a window open! I find that when it is dark so much of the day, I don't even bother to open the blinds. What is the point? I am going to have to close them by 6 every night any way! It is worth it to open those blinds! Get some Vitamin D. Vitamin D helps fight Depression, and you get a good amount of it from the sun. Amazing, right? You absorb vitamins through sunlight. Just like plants need sunlight to live, so do you. Give yourself a boost by opening those blinds, pull back the curtains, and enjoy the sunlight! Crack a window open, prop open a door, or both! Get some fresh air in your home. If everyone in your house keeps getting sick, it might be because you keep your home shut tight as much as possible. Germs float around your house, even after you clean, because they have no where else to go. During the summer months, you open the doors and windows more often, letting fresh, clean air flow throughout your house, so you tend to get sick less often. Sacrifice a few more minutes of the heater being on, and let the air flow! Speaking of heater, change your filter in your heater more often in the winter. If the filter is full, it can't do it's job, and all those germs will get pushed through your vents even more!

Photo Credit: fineartamerica.com

Get out! Take time to get out of your house! Go exploring, visit a nearby city or town, and see something you've never seen before. Find an indoor swimming pool, or an outdoor ice skating rink. Get away from the mundane, and have an adventure! I like to take my kids to a thrift store and let them find one thing that they like the most, whether it's a book, a toy, or a new shirt. They call it a "Treasure Hunt"... I call it "Sanity"!

Wintertime is long, and can be boring, but think outside the box, and instead of wishing for time to pass, enjoy the time you have!

Love,

Ciera

Introducing...

Hi everyone! My name is Ciera, and I am the new Store Manger here at Cheney Flooring & Home Design.

Let me tell you a little bit about myself. I have been married to my wonderful husband for 8 years next month. We have 3 amazing children, 2 boys and 1 girl. We moved to Burley from Utah around the same time the Whittney and Kyle opened their beautiful store.

Before starting work here at Cheney Flooring & Home Design, I was a Stay-At-Home Mommy. I loved staying home, but with the economy the way it is, and trying to pay off medical bills, I decided to return to working. I am one lucky lady to get to work for Kyle and Whittney, and I have learned a lot in the month that I have been managing the store. I am so excited to learn more, and to get to know all of you!

Since I got married, I have helped my husband through 6 Radio-Frequency Ablations on his heart, had 4 miscarriages, and a hysterectomy, along with moving 7 times in 2 states, 4 counties, and 6 cities. Life has been hectic, and crazy, but I wouldn't give away what I have learned for all the money in the world!

I love to crochet, play the oboe, bake, sew and cook. My kids often ask me who we are taking treats to, because I don't like having sweets lying around. We rarely stay home on days off, we'd rather be on an adventure, whether it is going on a "treasure hunt" in a local thrift store, or visiting family, we like to show our kids the area they live, and expose them to new things.

My oldest son is six, and has the dream of becoming a Chef. He loves trying new foods, and watching cooking shows. His favorite chef is Chef Ron Ben-Israel. He can name many different foods (especially fish, shrimp, lobster tail, crab legs) and whether they are cooked or uncooked. His favorite foods are shrimp, mushrooms, and Chicken and Dumpling Soup.

My second oldest son is four, and loves everything that has to do with outdoors. He will play outside all day and all night, if I let him. I brought him home a surprise of an Olaf stuffed animal and a $1 pair of gloves, and when he was telling his Grandma about them, he said, "And the best surprise I've ever been given is my gloves Mom just gave me! Now I can play in the snow!" He is also very caring, and makes sure that everyone has what they want/need, and will spontaneously give away the last piece of his candy to make someone else happy.

My youngest is three, and she loves her dolls. She plays with a Minnie Mouse doll, and a Lamby (from Doc McStuffins) doll all day. She sleeps with them both, and I can often hear her in her room singing them a song, or talking to them. She has a very active imagination, and loves to play house. She often talks her brothers into playing house with her, where she is the Mommy, and they are her kids. (I think she likes that she can boss them around this way!)

My husband is a very hard worker and loves to create things. He is a wonderful wood worker, and has built me a Cedar Chest for Christmas one year, and carved a rose for my birthday another year. He is supportive, and caring, and will take the time to play with our kids, even when he is tired or busy. He is always cheering me on in what ever I am doing, and is my best friend.

Although my family is new to the area, we feel more at home here than we have anywhere else. We feel welcomed and wanted by the people around us, and are excited to plant our roots here, and stay for a very long time.

I am so excited to get to know each of you, as you all get to know me. Come stop by and say, "Hello!"

10 Quick Tips to Refinishing a Used Dresser

Have you seen the latest trend of refinishing and repurposing old and used dressers or furniture? It's a lot of fun to give new life to old treasures.

My husband and I inherited my Mom's old desk from when she was growing up. It is a beautiful Oak, but was once covered in a thick shellac and out dated. After hours of scraping, sanding, and restaining, the desk was once again beautiful and 6 years later, we still use it!

Through that refinishing adventure and Whittney's experience, we have come up with 10 quick tips to refinishing those pieces that need a facelift.

Here we go!

1. Get relaxed. Let your creative juices flow! Listen to your favorite music, sing, and dance around! Don't stress about what the end result is going to be, enjoy your time creating, and let it happen.

2. Choose colors that you like. Pick something that you want to use as inspiration, whether it is a pillow, a piece of fabric, a chair, or a picture. Use something that you love the colors, style and feel of, it will help you stay on track to your goal and give you a general direction as you work.

3. Give yourself plenty of time! Don't set a due date that is unreasonable. Always be realistic, you don't want to you add stress because you just don't have time to finish everything, always remember, it takes time for paint to dry, you might not be able to finish with wet paint.

4. Work in a well ventilated area. Don't give yourself a headache, or make anyone in your home sick by painting with all the doors and windows closed. Make sure you open everything up to get those powerful fumes outside!

5. Don't be afraid of distressing. Paint one color as your base coat, and use a contrasting color as your main color, then sand away the top coat in some areas to bring out that base coat color! Don't be afraid of sanding those edges, and flat surfaces.

6. Accessorize with fun knobs! Show your personality with decorative knobs, or exciting designs on your piece.

7. Don't be afraid to start over. If you start disliking where your creation is headed, start again! Don't settle, take a step back, refocus, and begin again. Maybe the second try it will be just what you imagined!

8. Add surprises! Put colorful wallpaper on the sides of drawers, so when you open them, there is a pop of color, or a fun design to add to the total effect.

9. It doesn't have to be perfect. Imperfection is key. Distressing, and showing your personality is going to give you the opportunity to loosen up and truly enjoy yourself.

10. HAVE FUN! Don't worry or stress, creating your masterpiece is your time to be creative, get dirty, and laugh.

And just for fun...

11. Show it off! Don't forget to display your newly revamped piece proudly. Decorate it and show it off to everyone. You are going to be the envy of all of your friends!

I hope that this list is helpful, and that it gets you excited to work on your own project you've been putting off. Jump in feet first, and show us your finished products!

Welcome!

Hello! Welcome to Cheney Flooring & Home Design's new blog! We are committed to helping you with all of your flooring and home design needs. 

If you live in the Cassia County area, you may have heard of us, if you haven't, it's okay! Let me tell you a little bit about what we love to do here.

Kyle and Whittney Cheney opened our store front in May 2014, and had a blast designing their dream store. With Kyle's know-how in all things flooring and installation, and Whittney's passion in design, they have made the perfect pair. Together they created a beautiful and inspirational space to showcase all of our products. 

Kyle has many years of experience in flooring and installation, being a third-generation carpet installer, he has installed everything from carpet to hardwood to vinyl and more! Having a conversation with Kyle about flooring is more informational than reading every brochure or website you can find, because his hands on experience gives him a unique point of view, and more knowledge than there is in research alone.

Whittney has always had a passion for design, and refinishing or re-purposing used and discarded furniture. She has a keen eye for color schemes and texture combinations. She has a wide knowledge of design concepts from Eclectic and Shabby Chic to Modern and Traditional. Whittney loves helping people come up with unique ideas to make their homes unique to fit their personalities, likes and needs. She enjoys refinishing old pieces of furniture and giving them new life, and has created many beautiful pieces.

Cheney Flooring & Home Design has much more than flooring, did you know that we carry cabinets, countertops, tile for floors and walls, and install custom wainscoting as well as have unique bedspreads and home decor? Each holiday we get new decor to feature, and are preparing to set up our adorable Valentine's Day decorations now. 

We have two associates that are at the store during our store hours, Monday-Friday 9-6, and Saturday 10-4. Ciera is our new Store Manager, and is available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. She is also in and out on Wednesdays, and some Saturdays. Aimee is our Sales Associate, and is in the store on Wednesdays and most Saturdays.  Both Ciera and Aimee love helping everyone that comes in to find the right fit for their families. 

We are going to focus this blog on easy DIY ideas, decorating tips and inspiration, as well as feature many of the projects we are working on. We want you to feel welcome and excited about your upcoming projects!

Come visit us at 1228 Oakley Ave in Burley. Look for our Blue Door, where your home design needs are aisles apart, not miles apart!