Going A Little Coastal

Facebook, Etsy and Blogs, oh my!

2012-01-27T06:00:00.001-06:00

You know you are behind in blog posts when your husband ask when you will post again.

So, while I chat with you all I thought I’d show you some shots I took when we went walking with some friends at Blackwater Creek State Park.

I have been busy trying to get my etsy shop set up and a facebook page for Skyland Drive.

I have the facebook page set up so now I just need to be active on it. I have to get on there and do some liking. Also, I should do some moving around. Those of you who have FB pages for your blogs which I am following, are done so under my personal profile. So, what I may do is like you all again under my FB Skyland Drive page.

Does that make sense? Because I see no other way of doing this. After I go through all of that I will just hide you under my personal profile so your blog updates don’t show up twice in my feed.

Or will I have to delete you? That sounds so harsh.

And I keep forgetting to link up my items to facebook when I list a new item on etsy. Even though it asks me after I publish it! I see no way of doing it at any other time.

I am learning as I go here. Bear with me.

I kept trying to share some of my etsy items already published and it will not let me!

I had to color my hair yesterday because I gained a bazillion more gray hairs from all of this.

Tomorrow it’s getting cut.

I hope you will stop by and see me on facebook. You can find me here.

Some friendly faces would be great.

There isn’t a lot on there right now but it will get better!

Oh and one more of this little guy. It was the cutest mushroom I ever saw.

I guess it’s really a toadstool.

I may lose internet for a bit. We are canceling Cox TV so we have to get our own modem for the internet.

And because nothing is easy around here I'm suspecting there will be problems.

Have a great weekend.

A Mom Has Rights

2012-01-18T21:23:00.001-06:00

Time for a little bragging.

I can do that.

I’m a mom.

It’s in the rulebook.

I think I mentioned that my oldest son got engaged. Well, they were both interviewed by a friend for the Marietta Daily Journal Online. It’s a very cute article about the two of them both being photographers and how they make it all work. I’m so proud of them both. They work so hard and they are so very talented. I know their time will come when they will be famous. The little Tom Sawyer in the slide show is Rickelle’s son. He’s a cutie, and loves to model for them.

Okay, well maybe not love, but he is a trooper!

I also want to thank Cassie from Primitive and Proper.

She was my very first customer at my Esty shop, Skyland Drive!

Cassie bought my rice grain sacks which she plans on making into some pillows. I can’t wait to see them. They recently bought a new house and she is redoing it to fit their style. If you haven’t seen her amazing furniture transformations you need to stop by and and take a peak.

Oh and I even made one more sale since then. So, yay me!

I know it will take awhile to get going. I will keep plugging along and adding things. I hope the sun will be out tomorrow so I can take some photos.

I snapped this the other day. I wanted to try out my new lens on some birds.

But it was so windy they were all hiding.

And thanks for all your input on my new/old birdcage. I think I will be leaving it as is.

I fear you all would come after me with pitchforks if I didn’t! ;)

Rusty Old Birdcage

2012-01-15T14:55:00.000-06:00

How is your weekend going? It’s still chilly here but the sun is out and the sky is blue.

Can’t ask for much more then that.

I got a lot of great gifts for Christmas and my birthday but I thought I’d show you something a friend of mine found at a yard sale for me.

She saw it and thought it was something I’d like to redo.

But the thing is, I don’t want to redo it. I like it the way it is.

Is that crazy?

She sounded a little disappointed when I said I loved it like this.

It has weathered wood trim and scrolly accents on the bars and door.

The roof is metal and sort of a blue green color.

It has bits of rust here and there but still a lot of the great blue green color that I love.

I’m not sure what I’ll put in it. If anything. The door doesn’t open very wide.

So what do you think?

Would you leave it or paint it?

Why I Love Target

2012-01-13T16:02:00.000-06:00

I do, I love Target. I wish it was closer. Living in this tiny town I admit that sometimes I have to run into that blue store when I don’t have time to drive the 20 or so minutes across the bridge to my beloved Target. The blue store in my town is new and small so it’s not horrid as some of the other blue ones are. Yes, some are horrid.

What is it that draws me to Target instead of the other place you ask?

(I’ll tell you anyway)

Exhibit A:

Pajama People

via

I have never seen pajama people at Target. I’m sure there must be some. But lucky for me I have not seen them. Don’t get me wrong. I love, LOVE my pj’s. I have been known to lay around all day in my pajamas. I have lots of them. I may even admit to driving my kids to school in pajamas. With my cup of coffee and my huge sunglasses, praying the whole time that I do not get pulled over or that someone doesn’t rear end me. It's a risky game I played but as my kids could tell you, and I'm sure they'd love to, I was always running late.

However, I would never go into a store in my pj’s.

NEVAH!

And if you are someone who shops in your pj’s, I’m sorry.

But stop it.

Exhibit B:

The Noise Leval

via

Target is not loud and obnoxious. It’s calm and soothing. Like a spa, without a massage.

They should look into that.

via

I can easily wile away a good couple of hours in Target. Checking the clearance racks, seeing what’s new. Grabbing a Starbucks and sipping as I shop. Not at that other place. Everyone seems so frantic. As soon as I walk in my heart starts racing, I get this twitch in my left eye and I just want out. Maybe it’s so frantic because everyone else wants out too.

By the way, I can so relate to how she feels. My hair looks like that every morning.

One more reason.

Exhibit C:

C for Clearance!

Those little red clearance stickers still make me giddy.

I found the photo above at this blog called Thrifty and Thriving and she has this page which is all about shopping in Target. Maybe you’ve been there but I thought I’d share in case you haven’t. Not that you need a manual or anything. Click below to read about how Target does their markdowns.

Target has not compensated me in any way to write this.

Although, they can contact me anytime if feel the need to do so.

Have a great weekend!

Skyland Drive is OPEN! and it’s time to say goodbye to my little friend…

2012-01-10T00:11:00.001-06:00

Yes, it’s time to say goodbye to my little starfish. I have been wanting to change it for quite some time now. I worried you guys wouldn’t know it was me. He was a my security blanket. He’s what you saw when I left my comments. He’s been around since I started my blog.

Yes, It’s a little sad. But truthfully……he was starting to get on my nerves.

It was time for a change. Change is good. And I'm ready for some changes.

Now you will see me!

HI!

(waving)

I’m over there on my sidebar. Under my etsy-mini.

Yes, my Etsy shop, SKYLAND DRIVE, is open!

HURRAY!

I have some vintage items listed. It took longer then I had imagined to get all the photos and descriptions done. Plus, the holidays sort of slowed things down a bit. But now that I have a handful of items listed I will plug away at adding more. And I will be adding some handmade items too. It was the initial listing that was stressing me out. Now that it’s over and up and running I feel more relaxed. Not totally, but more so. :)

Thanks you for all of your sweet words of encouragement. I really appreciate it so very much.

You guys are like my own personal cheerleaders. I love that!

I hope you’ll visit often and see what items I will be listing.

And feel free to spread the word about Skyland Drive!

Thanks so much you guys!

Some News to Share

2011-12-30T17:04:00.000-06:00

So…..how was everyone’s Christmas?

I have a had a great time enjoying the holidays with family and friends.

It was nice to step away from the blogs and focus on home for awhile.

I have missed you all though. I have some major catching up to do.

Which is sort of ridiculous because I never will be able to do that.

I got an iPad for Christmas and it has been a lot of fun learning all that I can do on it.

Things other then Angry Birds and Stupid Zombies that is. Instagram is a lot of fun. I’ll be taking everyday shots with that and then sharing them on facebook. I also got to do facetime with my son in Atlanta.

I have to figure out how to blog on it. Not sure if I can use Livewriter on it. Anyone know?

Maybe there is another writing program I can find.

Let me show you what I ordered from Wuslu. I got these two old file drawers and I really love them.

Wuslu will email you their daily deal and there is a limited amount of them so you have to grab it if you love it. But sometimes they get them in stock again. These were less then 20 for both.

I stuck them end to end and filled them with some wintery trees, candles and greens.

It makes a great centerpiece and I think I can keep it up for awhile.

It’s more wintery then Christmasy to me.

They have metal sides and wooden ends.

Now for the news I have been wanting to share.

I have almost finished up with my Etsy shop and I will be opening that really soon. I know I have mentioned it before but I am going to get this going for real! My goal to open before the holidays is blown but I will go forward anyway. I just have to jump in no matter what time of year it is. Sort of like starting a diet. Hmmm. I'll work on that one too.

I had a hard time deciding on a name. I didn’t feel like my blog name would be appropriate. I wanted something more general so it would cover both the vintage and the handmade items that will be offered.

Skyland Drive is the street I grew up on.

Where I would ride my bike until it was dark.

Where I would play in the creek and catch tadpoles and minnows.

Where I’d fight with my sister over who was using who’s shampoo.

Where my mom was always making something in the kitchen while my father was working in his garden.

It’s the beginning of who I am today.

I hope the different name won’t be too confusing.

I’ll let you know when the doors are open!

Oh and one more thing….

It’s my BIRTHDAY!

We are heading out to dinner with family and friends to celebrate at the Ale House and try out a few beers.

I’ll come back with a report :)

Happy New Year to you all!

Picture the Holidays

2011-12-20T00:28:00.000-06:00

I have not been doing too well keeping up with my daily prompts.

It’s just so hard with so much that still needs to be done around here.

My boys will be home soon. Son #2 should be here in the next day or two.

Son #1 and his fiancé will be here Christmas Eve. It will be her first Christmas away from her 6 yr old son. He will be spending Christmas with his dad. I know it will be hard for her.

I hope we can help fill a little bit of the void.

So here are a few shots from my daily prompts.

Day 9: It’s a Sign

I like to think I have a few angels watching over me. You?

Day 13: Simply Divine

Hubby brought me outside to show me what sprouted up in the middle of the lawn.

A lonely cosmo. I thought it was divine!

Day 16: The Season of Lights

Played with some bokeh.

Day 18: Recharge

A hot cup of tea and some homemade molasses cookies.

I made a couple of batches today and sent some to my mom. They are a good cookie to mail.

It’s a really easy and quick recipe so I thought I’d pass it along to you all.

I found the recipe on Allrecipes.com. It’s a great site and I use it all the time. I can save my recipes right there and even add notes to them. It yielded more cookies for me then it stated.

Here is the link to the recipe.

Crackle Top Molasses Cookies

I hope you’ll give them a try.

Have a great week!

We’re in the final count down to the big day!

We Have a Winner!

2011-12-13T14:07:00.000-06:00

I’m still decking the halls around here.

Sorry I have not been around much but it's been busy around here.

Too much to do and not enough time!

I do read blogs on my phone when I have some extra time.

I just can't comment from my phone.

It's not of the smart variety. :)

But before I run out to do some more shopping I thought I’d pop in and say HI and let you know who won those cute stockings from Sailor Bags.

The winner is……

Chantal!

Congrats to Chantal. I will email you.

Thank you everyone for entering.

I appreciate you all taking the time. I know you are busy as well.

Okay, off to TJ Maxx for some shopping!

Hope you’re having a great day!

Rudolph’s Stand In and Giveaway Reminder

2011-12-11T22:01:00.000-06:00

Just in case Rudolph is not up to the trip Henry has volunteered his services.

It did take a little coaxing and he’s a little unsure but I’m sure he’ll do fine.

I think he’d rather spend his time snoozing on his bed.

Tomorrow is the last day for the giveaway from Sailor Bags.

So hurry up and go here if you’d like to win these.

Linking up with:

Tracy’s Trinkets and Treasures: Pet Party

Have a great week!

Another Giveaway! Ho Ho Ho!

2011-12-08T20:17:00.002-06:00

I still haven’t gotten a Christmas tree but we will be getting one this weekend.

I am ready to get my ornaments out and take some pictures of the lights.

I have put some other decorations out including some more stockings.

I was sent a couple of of these cute stockings from Sailor Bags.

I love the zig zag stitching on them!

They asked if I could incorporate them into my holiday decor and I said sure!

I used the blue one on my front door. What I love about these stockings is that they are made of real sail cloth and that means they can take being outside. I filled a little baggie with some stones to give it some weight since it would be top heavy without it.

I stitched up this little starfish out of some blue ticking then added a real one along with it.

I didn't have a tree trimming yet, so I went out back and picked some magnolia branches and some pine. I then added just a few things from around the house like a piece of driftwood, a shell, some feathers and a few pine cones. I used some rope to hang it from my door knocker and frayed the end.

I like that it fits between my front door and the storm door.

The red one I hung on the french door to the pool.

I used the same greens from the yard.

I had another star out of the ticking but then I added a metal snowflake and some ribbon.

I also had this cute bird in a nest.

I think they came out pretty cute. What do you think?

Would you like a chance to win a couple of these cute stocking for yourself?

Sailor Bags is offering to send someone their own set.

You can decorate them to suit your own style or use them just as is and let Santa fill them up!

Just leave me a comment down below.

If you want a second chance then you can like Sailor Bags on Facebook.

Then leave me a another message telling me you did.

They happen to be running a lot of specials right now on facebook and on their site.

Like free embroidery thru the 13th. They also have great totes, duffels, backpacks and more.

Oh and one more thing, please make sure I can access your profile or leave me your email.

You have until Monday Dec. 12.

That is it!

GOOD LUCK!!

Linking up with:
French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday

Funky Junk Interiors: SNS 111 Stockings

Picture the Holiday and a Winner!

2011-12-06T21:12:00.000-06:00

Okay, this week is already zipping by. I need to get my lists in order so I can check things off and I will feel like I’m accomplishing something. Right now, not so much.

I thought I’d show you a few pictures from a project I started.

I’ve been participating in a photo group called Picture the Holidays.

It’s was put together by Tracy Clark and Paper Coterier.

Every day for the month of December we will get a prompt to help guide us for our photos.

Day 5 was The View from Here.

The photo above was my view tonight while outside hanging lights.

Yes, I’m a little behind.

Day 6 was Every Little Thing. (It’s a JUNIOR mint! And it’s very refreshing!)

It’s definitely been a challenge for me. But I will do as much as I can and hope to improve along the way.

Okay, now for the winner of the FOLK magazine and the mini stockings!

Number 2 is Allison! Allison doesn’t have a blog but she really should.

She is the sweetest person and leaves me the loveliest comments.

So Yay Allison! Email me your address and I will get those out to you soon!

Fear not, I will be having another giveaway soon.

I have Christmas stockings of another kind to giveaway this time.

I hope you will come back and try again!

One more picture before I go from Day 4 You Hold the Key.

The key to helping me refocus is the sand, sea and salty air.

Have a great week everyone!

Christmas Stocking

2011-12-04T10:34:00.001-06:00

Have you entered my FOLK magazine and mini stocking giveaway?
Well you should. You only have until tomorrow.

So hurry!

I thought I’d show you the big stocking that I got out of that green sweater.

Ever have one of those days when you have something all figured out in your head, yet it still does not turn out like you thought? No matter how many times you go over it?

Here is how it started.

I cut it all apart.

Removed the seams so that I had a nice flat piece to work with. Save the seams you can use them later.

I printed out a pattern I found online and pinned it all and then cut it out.

Here is where I made a bit of a left turn and the craziness began.

I sewed the neck ribbing on to the toe of the stocking. Attached the cuffs to the top.

Used the sweater seam for the hanging loop.

See how they are sitting? I should have just layered them like that, ribbing inside.

But NO, when I went to the machine I lost my mind and did the opposite.

I took one look at my creation screamed a few colorful words.

So, out came the seam ripper and I started again.

The cuff was still not right either.

I have a seam on the outside but you know what? It’s okay by me.

So I will not try to explain the sewing procedure, you are on your own.

As a matter of fact I should have just left an outside seam for the whole thing because of the weight of the wool. Which is what I did for the mini ones. It cuts nicely and doesn’t unravel.

And yes, I’m sure you noticed that every picture is a different shade of green.

The light has been so bad in the house and this time of year it’s even worse.

I only get morning light and I am so not a morning person.

But in the end I’m happy with my soft fuzzy stocking. I love the color. The last couple of shots are most accurate since they’re in the living room where I have sky lights. I need to change my overhead light in that sewing room. Much too shadowy.

Okay, that’s it. Enjoy the rest of the weekend.

And don’t forget about the giveaway!

THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED. CONGRATS ALLISON!

Linking up with:
Funky Junk Interiors: SNS 111 Stockings

FOLK Magazine Giveaway and more

2011-12-02T17:04:00.001-06:00

CONGRATS TO ALLISON FOR WINNING!

Were you wondering if I had forgotten?

I almost did.

It’s been a busy week. I planned on doing this yesterday but then Henry got sick.

We had to take him to the vet for a bunch of tests.

I was getting worried. He was lethargic and trembling.

Turns out he has pancreatitis.

He’s doing much better now and is starting to eat again.

I am so relieved.

So I wanted to do a quick little giveaway.

I just so happened to get two of the Nov/Dec issue of FOLK so I thought I’d pass one along to one of you. They are a new magazine and this is just their 2nd issue.

Donna from Funky Junk Interiors is a contributor for FOLK.

She shows you how she made that cool twiggy garland.

This is from FOLK’s website.

(felted snowball garland. I’m getting addicted to the felted wool!)

It’s a beautiful magazine .

They focus on handmade and made in America items as well.

So I thought I’d add a little something handmade too.

I’ve been sewing with those wool felted sweaters and whipped up with these mini stockings.

They are the perfect little size to tuck a gift card in.

You could add them to a package or hang them on your tree.

I don’t have a tree up yet. Shocking I know. It still feels early to me.

So I stuck them on a wreath for a picture.

I think they'd be a great addition for a wreath that you’re putting together.

So what do you think?

Would you like a chance to see what FOLK is all about?

Just leave me a comment below and let me know how far along you are with your holiday decorating.

Are you just beginning?

Already finished?

Or do you wait until the last minute?

I will randomly pick a winner on Monday night.

Please make sure there is an email for me to contact you.

Feel free to spread the word :)

That's it, easy peasy.

Good Luck!

Thanksgiving Feast 2011

2011-11-28T22:36:00.000-06:00

So, how was everyone’s Thanksgiving? Was it turkey overload for you?

My sister made a 24lb turkey and my nephew smoked a 16lb bird.

Plus we had a 10lb ham. Can you believe we only had enough leftovers for lunch the next day.

What little was left after that went into a pot of chili.

We did not get to eat outside like we had hoped. The wind was blowing too much to enjoy the dinner. So we went to plan B and stretched the dining room table into the sitting room.

And this didn’t hold everyone! We had 7 kids at another table by the kitchen.

I made up these place cards using photoshop elements. Then punched some hole in the ends and wrapped some ribbon around the napkin and out through the holes.

My mom suggested we all use the place cards around our wine glasses so we could keep them all straight. She is so smart! It was a great idea. They even slipped nicely around the beer bottles.

We used some silver creamer and sugar bowls to make the mini arrangement.

I brought some pots of mums and we just clipped the flowers off and stuck them in some oasis.

They came out so cute.

That’s my Halloween pumpkin on the cabinet that I never carved.

So we put it to use to hold another potted mum.

We all had a great time. Lots of food, lots of wine, lots of laughs.

This last shot was taken by my daughter-in-law to be. Yep, #1 son is now engaged!

She is a photographer as well. So they have a lot in common.

The poor thing was bombarded with so many people this past weekend.

It was an introduction to the family like no other.

We're so happy to have her and her 6yr old son join our family.

Oh and I almost forgot.

I will be doing a giveaway this week so be sure to stop back by!

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-22T08:43:00.001-06:00

It's been a busy week and it will be even busier the next few days.

So before I leave I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving.

We are heading out for our family feast.

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures so I can share the madness with you all.

Enjoy the holiday and try not to rush Christmas too much.

It will be here before you know it.

To all those who will be traveling, have a safe trip.

See you next week :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Using Up That Sweater

2011-11-17T15:16:00.005-06:00

So I had some leftover sweater material from the pumpkins I made.

The sweater did not felt like I thought it would when I washed it because it wasn’t all wool.

But it still was really soft so I thought why not a pillow.

I had a bed pillow I wasn’t using so I just cut it down and used it as the insert.

Then I cut the body of the sweater from armhole to armhole.

I had already cut the sleeves off since that is what the pumpkins are made out of.

Then just a straight stitch across the top with my machine and stuff the insert inside.

I became addicted to making these cute little flowers.

There's a great tutorial that Beth from A to Z posted. She even made a video.

I had a gray sweater as well (which felted better) so I decided to combine the two colors.

I cut out some leaves and then outlined them with my sewing machine.

It wasn’t showing up enough so I hand stitched them on top with some embroidery floss.

I whip stitched the bottom by hand as well. It was very fast.

And I managed to hot glue them on without any injuries!

Not too bad. I was really happy with it.

It’s a great size for my bed.

Plus I love the texture it adds.

Now I just have one sleeve left to use.

Linking up with:
French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest
My Repurposed Life: Catch As Catch Can
Freckled Laundry: Air Your Laundry

Give Thanks Banner

2011-11-15T13:56:00.000-06:00

I can’t believe Thanksgiving is next week.

We are having our big feast at my sister’s home in Jacksonville again.

If all goes well we will eat outside this year too. Only this year we will be over 40 people!

You can go here to see our table from last year. And here for our Thanksgiving in 2009.

I’m trying to come up with some ideas for the table this year.

This has nothing to do with the table but I thought a banner might look cute on her porch.

I had everything on hand already. I reused the burlap from last years runners.

I had some canvas scraps that I used to print out the letters.

I’m a sucker for cute fonts and I really love this one.

It's called beauregard and you can find it on dafont.com. Or right here.
You're welcome.

I used freezer paper and ironed it on the canvas then ran them through the printer.

The paper was giving me some problems this time.
I think it was because the canvas is pretty heavy.

But after a couple of do overs I was good to go.

I stitched on some bias tape. I couldn’t remember why I had bought it.

I must of had a plan for it. Oh well, I used it now.

I hot glued a few leaves and pinecones to use as a divider.

Then I had to tack down the canvas at the bottom because it was wanting to curl.

Leave it to Florida to be humid in November.

I should have sewn it down because the glue gun and I were not getting along today.

I have no idea how I got that much glue on my thumb.

Gah, it hurt so much. It was throbbing like Fred Flintstone!

That is the glue peeling off, not my thumb.

That will happen soon though because that’s a blister forming right under it.

I’ll be back soon to show you what I did with the rest of the sweater from the pumpkins.

Now that’s an odd sentence.

Linking up with:

Funky Junk: SNS 107 Banners

Accomplishing Nothing

2011-11-10T00:12:00.000-06:00

It’s been an odd sort of week.

I’ve been feeling out of sorts thanks to the party my hormones decided to have.

So I haven’t had much energy and I can’t seem to focus on one thing.

I started three projects today and didn’t finish one of them.

I found these wool sweaters at the thrift store.

They are 100% wool so they felted better in the washer and dryer then the first sweater I bought.

This is what they looked like before I shrunk them down to a size of a doll sweater.

I loved the color and the little snow flake pattern.

They are ready to go. Now to figure out where they’re going and what they’re doing.

I played with some glitter. Which is very hard to photograph.

I’ve only had this German glass glitter since last year.

I’m glad I took some pictures because now I see I missed quite a few spots.

My eyes seemed to be very blurry today for some reason.

I’ll blame it on that crazy party.

I made this cute little rosette out of some sweater scraps leftover from my pumpkins.

I need to make a few more of these. But they are very easy to do.

I do have a plan for these. Let’s just hope I don’t forget it.

My memory has been in the crapper.

Moodiness, weight gain, memory loss…..

I thought I had another few years before all this fun stuff started. Lucky me gets to start early.

I love how they stick the PERI before menopause now to try and trick you.

So you don’t feel so old.

Was perimenopause even around when our mothers and grandmothers went through it?

Back then it was just “the change”. And it was whispered.

What exactly were they changing into?

I’ll leave you with a bit of my favorite TV mom, Kitty Forman from That 70’s Show.

Only Kitty can make menopause hilarious.

And the next time my hormones decide to throw a wild party they better bring a bottle of wine.

Hope you guys are having a great week.

Commenting Problems

2011-11-03T20:34:00.001-05:00

Blog commenting.

This is what I want to ask you guys about today.

Not very exciting I know but I could use some help with this.

I will throw in random pictures of our very windy day at the beach because…..well, just because.

Maybe it will help keep you reading :)

(this was like a giant sculpture on the beach)

The other day one of my followers emailed me and let me know she could not leave a comment.

I was perplexed. I googled and googled and I think it might have something to do with browsers.

But then I decided to try to switch from embedded comments to a pop out window type.

And it helped her. I was thrilled because I figured there must have been others out there that were having issues too. I was so happy she took the time to let me know.

But then soon after I made the switch I started getting spam.

They are being caught by blogger and not getting posted.

Well, except for that one dude that really hates women from the USA. Oh he’s a delight.

But the rest are just advertising type spam. They are going to my email but that's it.

Good but still annoying.

(tail of a shark that was getting weighed)

I’d still like to figure out how to get them to stop coming in my inbox.

I can not figure out the connection to having the pop out comment window and the spam.

The spam usually comes from anonymous. Big surprise there.

Should I just ban anonymous comments?

Do you think that doing that will leave some people out?

I usually just mark them as spam and then delete them.

But since they are anonymous they are sometimes connected to the same email thread of the “noreply” people.When this happens I can’t mark them as spam because the noreply people that are stuck in this thread will be marked as well. At least it's like that in gmail.

The noreply people get lumped together.

Are you following me on this?

Those of you still in the “noreply” mode should read this post that Donna wrote on the how and why you should consider changing that. She also goes over a few other things like getting rid of word verification!

I think that if you are having problems commenting on people’s blogs then perhaps you need to update your browser. I use google Chrome and I really love it.

My son and I finally convinced my husband to switch over from Internet Explorer and he even said it was a lot faster. IE seems to have a lot of glitches when it comes to blogger.

I may have to switch back to embedded comments and see if it helps get rid of those pesky spammers. I hope you’ll consider updating your browsers as well. It really helps.

I’d love to hear your opinions on this.

Embedded vs pop out comment windows.

Allowing anonymous vs blocking them.

Or anything you know of that might help out.

Thanks so much for all the wonderful birthday wishes for #3.

You guys are all so sweet.

He read my post and got up and gave me a big hug! :)

Linking up with:
Kat Eye Studio: Exploring with a Camera/Opposing Lines

Time Flies When You Have Kids

2011-11-02T10:06:00.000-05:00

I’m not really sure how this happens. I feel like I lost blocks of time.

My advice you all of the young moms. Grab hold, make great memories, because it’s a fast ride.

Before you know it your baby won’t be a baby any longer.

My baby turned 18 yesterday.

This is just so scary to me.

I’m pretty sure it was just last week that he looked like this.

My easy going kid.

The one that I could drag shopping all day or take to the older kids games and he never fussed.

Well, except that first day of pre-K when he grabbed the flagpole and he would not let go.

Or that time we went to story time at the library and he pitched a fit because he did NOT want to be there. We both sat in the car and cried that day.

Then there was the time…..

Okay, so the kid fussed a bit.

I love his sense of humor. He still makes me laugh. Every day.

He does impressions and quotes from movies like no one else can.

He is patient with me when I ask for help with photoshop. And that is pretty often.

He is not the neatest kid in the world but I can look past that.

Or just shut the door if it gets really bad.

I tried to make a homemade cake for him. No box mix. All from scratch.

Yeah, that didn’t turn out like I had hoped.

I had apologized to him last night for such a yucky cake.

He hugged me then said it was alright and that he appreciated that I took the time to make it. *snif*

What a guy!

I’ll have to make another one with some help from Betty Crocker.

She will not let me down like Martha did with her recipe.

Hope everyone is having a great week. :)

Sweater Pumpkins

2011-10-31T19:54:00.005-05:00

Have you heard of the new FOLK magazine?

This is their first issue.

I love the way they embrace living simply. Nothing fussy or fancy. It’s about enjoying the beauty that is around you and the little things in life that bring a smile to your face.

I fell in love with this issue so I subscribed.

I’m looking forward to when the next issue arrives in my mailbox.

I had picked up this wool sweater at the thrift store and I wanted to try to felt it.

It didn’t really felt they way it should have because it was a blend and not 100% wool.

But it did soften up nicely and so I wanted to find way to use it.

Inside of FOLK was this how-to from Deb Kennedy. She made these cute sweater pumpkins.

It looked easy enough so I thought I’d give it a go and see how they came out.

There is no sewing involved so you non sewers can do this.

Here are my versions.

I like the way the stem curved a bit on this one.

I was able to make both of these out of just one sleeve.

Now I want to go find more wooly sweaters and make more!

I still have the body of the sweater left so I need to see what else I can come up with.

I’m thinking a cozy pillow might be nice.

Have you repurposed an old sweater into something else?

Leave me a link, I'd love to see it.

Linking up with:

DebbieDoos: Magazine Copycat Challenge
Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Midwestern Sewing Girl: Everything Autumn
Freckled Laundry: Air Your Laundry
Inspired By Charm:Thrifty Thursdays

China Cabinet Reveal!

2011-10-28T15:55:00.003-05:00

Are you ready to see the china cabinet? I’m sure you are all tired of me dragging this on and on.

I am so very thankful for everyone’s wonderful suggestions.

I thinned the paint just a bit like Emily suggested.

I kept the vacuum by my side when sanding like Debbie suggested.

I wish I had known about Kristy’s suggestion to use a wet scrubby sponge for sanding.

Great idea to cut down on the dust.

Oh and just a warning, this is a long post so get comfy. :)

Here she is!

And for a refresher of what she used to look like.

She’s quite a bit lighter and brighter now don’t you think?

I had a few panicky moments along the way.

I ran out of paint. I had some knob issues.

It took me a lot longer then I had thought.

Mostly because that shelf doesn’t come out so I had to have my head in the cabinet and cut in all those edges.

I showed you the other day how we beefed up the molding on the top of the cabinet.

It’s really very easy to do and can make a huge difference on lots of cabinets or shelving.

The knob problem was solved but cutting down the bolts and finding a thinner nut for the back.

Then the little magnet assemble was moved forward just a bit.

Hubby discovered that late at night when we kept trying to get them to latch.

The idea to counter sink the nut was a great idea but I had forgotten that there was a metal plate behind the door and it was what was actually sticking to the magnet.

Not the screw head that I originally had said.

I still have not found anymore, there were only 6 in the box. So for now the rest stay wood.

I know I worried a lot of you that I did not cover up my floors.

No need. It all cleaned up very easily. I just wipe as I go.

Even if some spots dried, it just scraped right off.

Let me show you some of the tools that made things easier for me.

1. Sanding Blocks: top is 320 grit for between coats and the bottom one is heavier grit for distressing the edges if needed.

2. An old sock slipped over your hand make it easy to buff out the wax.

3. Bolt cutter. I knew we had some tool in the garage for this!

4. My Pampered Chef scraper got those dried bits of stray paint right off the floor. I swear!

5. An emery board is great for getting the chalk paint off the hinges. I left them on thinking I would paint them and then changed my mind. So this got off where I wasn’t so careful.

6. A razor blade. I taped off only one side of the glass doors. It was much much easier to just scrape the paint off the other side then it was to carefully place the tape, then score it to get it to come away from the door.

Are you still with me?

Just checking.

I just want to mention a few things about my experience using Annie Sloan’s chalk paint.

The first can I ordered through Robyn Story Design. They are super fast with their orders.

The second can I found locally.

I had a hard time deciding on getting the paint because of the higher cost. I had rationalized this in my head with not having to prime, dries fast and easy to sand back. Not priming being my biggest draw.

But using Pure White on top of a stained piece caused some coverage problems. I had some odd spots that bled through. You can see where I tried to cover them with multiple coats but it wasn’t until I spot primed it that they went away. I also had to use 3 coats in most places to get good coverage. Now, if you’re laying one color on top of another this won’t be needed. So keep that in mind if you are using any of the whites.

I loved the way it sanded. Smooth as a babies bottom. Smooth but yet you can still see my brush strokes. Odd? A bit. The brush strokes bothered me at first but then I got used to it.

Would I use it again?

Yes!

I might stick with pieces that aren’t so hard to paint.

I would have to consider the cost factor. I used almost 2 cans of it on this one piece.

Yes, I could have primed it then did another coat but for me that defeated the purpose of buying it in the first place.

I’m anxious to see how a color goes on. I haven’t used my French Linen sample yet.

Thanks much for sticking with me to the end.

I know I bombarded you with a ton of pictures.

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Linking up to:

Miss Mustard Seed: Furniture Feature Friday
Funky Junk Interiors: SNS 105
Savvy Southern Style: WUW
Primitive and Proper: Piece of Work Wednesday
French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday

Guest Posting at Meridian Road.

2011-10-27T14:41:00.000-05:00

I’m over at Suzanne’s place today.

Suzanne has the best sense of humor. We would get along so well.

I hope that one day we can get together for shop shopping and some laughs.

So come by Meridian Road and see what I’m up to.

I have a little how-to on some glowing decorations for Halloween or any holiday.

Then be sure to come back later, I’ll be showing off my finished china hutch soon.

I want to thank everyone for all of your help with my little knob problem.

I got it worked out. You guys are the best!

Knobby Issues, Help Please

2011-10-26T11:50:00.000-05:00

I’m still here. Painting and waxing.

I’ve come across a bit of a problem. I have this stash of knobs. It’s a little weakness of mine.

But they all have these sort of posts on the back that require a nut.

Not so much an issue with drawers but with the cabinet the screw head on the old wooden knobs hit the magnet and kept the door closed. With the new knobs I would need to cut down the screw (or is it a bolt?) and then the nut would make it stick out a bit from the door.

Do you think this would still work? Also, any idea how to cut the darn things?

I may have to wait until hubby gets home since I’m sure there is a tool in that garage that does this.

Are there any pretty knobs out there that have the regular screws? I know there are the traditional kitchen cabinet ones but I am wanting something a little sparkly.

The ones I see all seem to have the nut on the end.

These aren’t bad though if I can get them to work.

What do you think?

Thicker Molding, a Sneak Peak and Angels Singing

2011-10-22T23:49:00.000-05:00

This is taking a wee bit longer then I had thought.

It’s because those shelves don’t come out so there it lots of cutting in.

But I am hanging in there even with a couple of glitches.

First, I had to wait for #3 son to come home to help me move the top off of the bottom.

After all the dust and dog hair was cleaned I got started.

When we got it down I remembered that we had beefed up the molding many years ago.

It had such whimpy molding for such a large piece.

So I thought I’d show you how we did it.

Here is where the original molding ended. It just was too thin for my liking.

Here is a shot of it from the back.

We just added a piece of square molding on top of the old molding.

That gave us something to add the small piece of crown to.

Here is another view. I have no idea why we used screws.

I can barely remember what I did 2 days ago.

It seems we use both screws and nails. We bought it unfinished about 12 years ago and I stained it.

So, I’m sure you’re wondering how the chalk paint is going,

I’m having a love/frustrated relationship with it.

I’ll give you a little peak.

The back is all the same color. Trust me. It all looks like the the left side.

This is it with one coat of Pure White. I was prepared for applying 2 coats. But really, I need 3.

That is where the frustration kicks in. I am getting near the end of my can. It’s late Saturday afternoon. Robyn Story Design, which is where I ordered it, is closed.

They don’t open again until Tuesday. I wanted to get it ordered fast so it could get here fast.

Frustration turns to panic. I start looking for another stockist that might still be open. (stupid time zones) Then I see one in Tallahassee. But wait, what is this? One even closer? Like 30 minutes away? My heart jumped. Then, when someone actually answered the phone I think I might have heard the angels singing.

Hallelujah!

It was Elaine. My angel of mercy. Or my angel of Annie Sloan paint.

Elaine explained to me that her shop, The Sonshine Studio, isn’t opening until Nov 1. But that she had the paint and she would sell it to me! How sweet is that? I hurried my little butt over there and got my hands on another can of Pure White. Thanks so much Elaine!

When Elaine gets her website up I will pass that along.

I’m just excited that I now have someone local. So keep checking the stockist list.

They seem to be adding more and more all the time. No more shipping fees.

Yippee Skippy!

(Here’s a little treat for you. You must hear KD Land sing this song. I know, I’m a bit all over the map today. Sorry about that. I would blame it on the paint fumes but there really aren’t any with this paint!)

I’ll be back with more pictures soon.

I am loving how it’s turning out!

I Took the Plunge

2011-10-19T21:43:00.000-05:00

Yep, I finally did it. I ordered some of this.

I hemmed and hawed about it for so long.

I was waiting for Annie Sloan to come out with the pure white.

I also picked up a sample of another new shade, French linen.

I haven’t a clue where I will be using the French linen yet.

But I will be introducing the pure white to this big boy.

I thought it would be a good piece to try it out on.

Start big right? Crap, what have I gotten myself into?

The back is bead board and I will be painting that the color of the walls.

I still am not sure what I’m doing with all of those knobs.

Because there are so many I was thinking I should be a bit more subtle, but not boring.

Then maybe get some pretty ones for the glass doors. A little more bold

If you have any ideas for the knobs or if you have any tips on using the chalk paint I would love to hear them. I didn’t buy their wax. I have some Johnson’s wax and some Briwax.

Has anyone used either of those with the chalk paint?

Okay, wish me luck.

Camp Helen State Park

2011-10-18T01:10:00.002-05:00

We took a drive a couple of weekends ago to Panama City.

Hubby found a new anchor for his boat on craigslist. There was a mishap with is old one.

It seems there was a problem with a bolt that attaches it to the anchor line.

Yeah, it wasn’t there. So, anchors aweigh became anchors away.

Far far away.

On the way home we decided to stop at Camp Helen State Park for a quick look around.

This is the main lodge that looks out to Lake Powell. In 1928 Robert E. Hicks purchased 185 acres of land overlooking Philips Inlet, where he built a summer home for his wife, Margaret,

who named the compound Loch Lomond.

The stable is on the left and on the right is the old kitchen.

In 1945 Avondale Textile Mills of Sylacauga, Alabama purchased Loch Lomond from the Hicks family, renamed the property Camp Helen, and for 39 years operated a resort destination for their vacationing employees.

Kim Klassen textures used above.

Subtly Yours and Warm Sun.

It’s a large park and we didn’t have time to walk all of the trails.

KK Subtly Yours (twice, multiply and soft light) and Warm Sun again.

I could have spent an hour just taking photos of all the butterflies.

We’ll have to make another trip so we can explore a bit more.

And bring some fishing poles.

KK Stained Linen and Subtly Yours.

These are the original cottages that the employees used when they vacationed here.

Aren’t they cute?

I couldn’t imagine staying in them during the summer with no air conditioning even though they say the location helps with the breeze.

It was so overcast that day. The skies look rather dull.

That is until it was time to go. Then the blue sky showed up!

Do you have state parks near you that you love to go to?

Linking up with:
Kim Klassen: Texture Tuesday

Halloween Treats

2011-10-13T23:05:00.000-05:00

I found these cute Halloween buckets at Target.

Also the little black cat bag. They were in the dollar section.

So I decided to fill them up and send them to some of the little cuties in my family.

I wrapped them up with some cellophane.

Not Saran wrap but the stuff by the wrapping paper.

But you probably knew that.

Saran wrap hates me.

I was in need of some tags so I did a little surfing.

I came across these cute ones over at Sherbert Blossom.

She does not have the blogspot in her url anymore so just follow the link above.

All you have to do is cut them out and then use a hole punch.

I think they are pretty darn cute. I just wrote their names on the back.

Now I just need to get them in the mail before it’s Christmas!

Backyard Bench

2011-10-12T22:58:00.000-05:00

I finally got around to potting some mums for the backyard.

I didn’t do anything to the bench I um, acquired.

Other then putting some wood hardener on the legs.

I put a couple of stones down for the uneven legs too.

See that blob next to the mums?

Our little backyard turtle came out to say hello.

And Henry went right to it and tried to play hockey with it.

I kept shooing Henry away so he’d poke his head out again but it was a no go.

A neighbor’s tree came down about a month ago and the debris has still not been picked up. So I had #3 son and my hubby grab a couple of stumps for me to use as plant stands.

They were thrilled.

The bark is peeling off but it looks pretty cool without any bark.

I haven’t put anything out front yet but I have a lot of my summer plants still blooming.

Besides, we can enjoy them more out back since that is where we usually are.

I had this odd little cluster of mushrooms growing in the yard.

I found them so interesting looking.

They might be why our grass isn’t looking too hot right now.

Perhaps it's time to fertilize again.

It’s also time to start doing some projects inside.

I really want to get the kitchen done before the holidays get here.

It the one room in the house that is still bugging me.

I just have to jump in and get going.

Do you have any projects waiting to get done?

Linking up with :

Fishtail Cottage: Outdoor Fall Decor

Barn Light Electric Giveaway

2011-10-10T23:29:00.001-05:00

I was so excited to hear about Barn Light Electric's fantastic giveaway.

They are giving away (1) $1,000 or (1) $500 Barn Light Electric gift certificate that you get to spend any way you’d like.

They have so many gorgeous options.

Barn Light Electric has both vintage and modern lighting.

Here are a few of my favorites.

This swing arm light would look great on either side of my son’s bed.

Frees up some space on the night stands too.

I can picture this pendant hanging above my table in the kitchen.

love the little touch of red.

I’m thinking this would be a good replacement for the light at the top of my stairs.

They also have some vintage furniture pieces.

How great would this be as a rolling island in your kitchen?

Gosh I love it!

So how can you enter?

I’m glad you asked.

Here is what you need to do.

Look around online at Barn Light Electric and pick lights you’d love to own
Feature your lighting picks on your personal blog, and link to the lights if you can!
Copy/Paste these rules at the bottom of your blog article so others can enter
Once your personal article is up, you must email your blog link to: contest@barnlightelectric.com to be qualified to win. The contest ends Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Don’t have a blog? Find out how you can enter by reading the Official Rules

Pretty simple. But you need to hurry. Time is almost up!

What would you buy?

PS. If you do NOT have a blog please follow the Official Rules link above for how to enter.

Wildflowers

2011-10-10T01:34:00.000-05:00

I saw some flowers on the side of the road the other day.

I didn’t have time to stop. Nor did I have any clippers with me.

When #2 son was a little boy he was the one that would jump out of the car for me and pick the wild flowers on the side of the road.

I would stop the car first though.

Or at least slow down a bit.

Such a great burst of color for the dining room and it was free.

But now I have to pick my own.

Well, my husband did spot the purple ones and jumped out and grabbed those for me.

It doesn’t take much to make me happy :)

Fall Mantel

2011-10-08T10:51:00.002-05:00

I don’t know what happened to this week. It flew by.

I have a feeling the next few months will do the same.

So much to do, so little time.

I thought I’d show you what I did to the mantel. I did leave some of my summer things up and mixed in some fall-ish stuff. It works better that way for me. I’m still wearing shorts here.

Oh how I long to wear some boots and a sweater.

So my seabirds stayed along with a few shells. I used the two glass hurricane covers. One filled with wheat and the other has a strand of berry garland just wrapped in there.

I just added some fall leaves to the sand and shell I already had.

I think they made a pretty filler.

My bucket of driftwood on the hearth got a few leaves as well.

On the other side I filled another old farm bucket with some mums. The mums are real but the gourds in the twig basket are fake. They are pretty good fakes though.

Some smaller mums fit right in a couple of milk glass pots in that old tool caddy.

I love these little beaded Indian corn.

Did your week fly by as well?

I worked in the yard a bit yesterday. I’m trying to refresh some of my pots with some pansies. I need more.

I still have more weeding to do as well so I can lay down more mulch. That’s the part I don’t like.

But it does make it all look so much better.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and enjoys a little time outdoors.

Linking up with:
Funky Junk Interiors: SNS #103 Fall Mantels

Is It Really Fall?

2011-10-05T20:29:00.000-05:00

Well Helloooooo!

I know it’s been over a week. I am so behind with everyone and there is just no way to catch up. So forgive me if I have missed your birthday or anniversary. Mazel tov to everyone!

I’m going to have to click on the “mark all as read” in my reader. The number is scaring me.

I had a great visit with my mom. The week went way too fast.

Even though she lives south, she had to travel north through Atlanta. We have the equivalent of a bus station here and there are no direct flights. Sorry Mom.

I’m getting my Fall things out and up. I will show you soon. I even picked up some mums.

I just need to get them planted along with some pansies.

I love that pansies last all winter and still look great come spring.

We still have hummingbirds around here. Are you still seeing them?

The purple lantana has gotten a second wind and the butterflies really love them.

So much for squirrel proof feeders.

How does he hang on by such tiny little feet?

My white orchid is blooming again.

We get a late Fall around here.

My azaleas are even blooming.

And while I was hunched over getting the orchid shot this guy was eye balling me from above.

I was so hoping he wasn’t going to pounce on my head.

He was making all sorts of grunting noises at me.

The salvia is starting to fade but it is still covered in bees. I lost count.

I should probably trim it back but they really like it.

So what have I missed?

Who’s going to fill me in?

Anybody?

Bueller??

Clearance Deals

2011-09-26T21:26:00.000-05:00

Howdy ho everyone!

(not sure where that came from)

I just wanted to get out a quick post to show you some recent deals.

My mom is flying in tomorrow so I will be busy this week.

I’m sure there will more shopping to be done.

I think I’ll drag her to the outlet mall. I haven’t been there in quite some time.

Okay. Back to the deals.

I saw these at Lowes in with the summer clearance.

They were only 3 dollars! So I got 2.

I went looking at another Lowes for other colors and they still had theirs at 6.

But they did have red and green. I held off for now.

The yellow was Fall-ish enough for me.

They are sold as ice buckets. They even came with instructions which cracked me up.

I filled one with some quilts in anticipation of some cooler weather.

One can hope.

The other one might get filled with some fall mums.

(note to self: buy fall mums)

Then I went to TjMaxx and they had a ton in their clearance isle.

These were marked down to only 2 dollars.

I bought the last of the green ones but I like the mix.

I also like that they have a design on the inside as well.

So those are few of the deals I found this past week.

I hope to find more when out shopping with my Mom.

Have a great week everyone!

Linking up with:

Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Framing Quilts

2011-09-23T22:57:00.000-05:00

I showed you some of my old quilt pieces the other day.

I was on ebay looking for a larger quilt and came across these.

I thought I could find some uses for them.

And I was excited to be the winning bid.

That place can be quite dangerous.

This has to be the easiest way to use one of the pieces.

You could use any of our favorite fabric scraps.

There are a lot of gorgeous fabrics that would look great framed.

I had this frame that I picked up for .50.

It was green and had a couple of dents that I filled.

Then I painted it white. I used another sample pot, this one from Glidden called Muslin.

Sort of too easy to even call it a project.

I just laid it over the frame and popped the back on.

I didn’t even have to cut it. It fit it perfectly.

I still need to use up the other pieces.

But for now I love the way this piece looks in the cute wavy frame.

What do you think?

Linking up to:

Freckled Laundry: Air Your Laundry

Funky Junk Interiors: SNS 100

Newel Post Fern Stand

2011-09-21T00:54:00.001-05:00

I remember finding this post at the market in Mount Dora.

You have to buy things early if you want the good stuff.

I had the seller hang on to it until the end of the day.

It would have been a bear to lug around all day.

Rose showed us her post and it was then that I realized that what I thought was the mark from and old number 8 was really where the hand rail had been attached. You can see it on her post.

That was a palm smack to the forehead moment for me.

Ever have those?

It looked like this when I bought it and stayed that way for a long time.

They are great to add a little architectural interest to a rather nondescript space.

But it was a bit dark in this house so I decided to lighten it up.

Martha Stewart’s Heavy Cream to the rescue.

It has these great little details on the corners.

I shined up the champagne bucket while I was at it.

I like the mix of the shiny silver with the old wood.

I’m not sure if the fern will stay but I picked it up the other day and it fit right in there.
I'm picturing a big pumpkin or some tall wheat for Fall.

The post fits into this little corner that is part of my foyer.
And it doesn't take up much space.

I have a very little foyer. I can’t really even call it that.

But I guess I just did.

Linking up with:
French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest Friday

End of Summer

2011-09-20T00:03:00.000-05:00

Sadly summer is coming to an end. You can feel a change in the air.

But I’m sure we still have some hot and sticky days to come.

With the highs in the 80’s we spent Sunday on the water with some friends.

I was a little late for the sunrise but the morning light was still gorgeous.

I used a couple of Kim Klassen’s older textures. Chamomile and Water stain.

Kim’s Skinny Mini class is open for registration now.

It is the best class to introduce you to the ins and outs of photoshop.

I highly recommend it. It’s self paced and it’s free!

Kim also has Photoshop Elements class and an Art of Texture class. Go here for more info.

It’s always fun looking at all the dreamy houses on the water.

They recently finished building this one.

I’ve shown you my dream house before. But lets look at it again shall we.

These aren’t as big but this one has an infinity pool. Don’t know how I feel about the elephants.

This cottage style home caught by eye. The stone fireplace is so pretty.

It even comes with a sailboat.

The enforcers were keeping an eye on us.

That is when they weren’t busy fishing.

They were better at it then us. I only caught a fat catfish.

It was a relaxing day and I sure slept well that night.

Hope you guys had a relaxing weekend as well.

Linking to:

Kim Klassen Cafe: Texture Tuesday

Repurposing

2011-09-16T21:16:00.000-05:00

I try to be more aware of the things that get thrown away around here.

I like to repupose things, to see what else they can become.

Give them another life if you will.

I know I’ve shown my sewing room before.

But since Donna’s themed link up for this week’s SNS is repurposing.

So, I thought I’d point out a few thing of the things I’ve done in here.

(look, more trim to paint. will it ever end?)

The table was put together with some new wood for the base

but the top is one of the flat paneled doors that we are replacing in the house.

All that was needed was to add a bit of trim.

I left the doorknob hole for the cord to go through.

The memo board was an old window frame.

I just added some chicken wire for one side and some foam board covered in burlap for the other.

You can see how I put it together here.

The ribbon holder was just an old shelf I had picked up at an estate sale.

I added some old jars with some plumbing straps.

They make great holders for brushes, scissors or a jute dispenser.

Jars are great for holding a lot of things.

Here I just replaced the top insert with some fabric and stuffing and it’s now a handy pincushion.

I picked these quilt pieces up from ebay the other day.

I’ve been hanging out there looking for some vintage quilts.

I haven’t had any luck winning any big quilts but I did get these pieces.

They are waiting for some repurposing of their own.

What have you repurposed lately?

Linking up with:

Funky Junk Interiors: SNS 99 Repurposing

The new source book is here… the new source book is here!

2011-09-14T22:08:00.000-05:00

I have been doing nothing the past few days except painting trim white.

So I have nothing to show you guys. It’s just been prime, prime, paint, paint.

The doorways are the worst. But boy is it looking better.

We’ve been putting in all new doors.

No more flat paneled, stained doors that suck up every little bit of light in this house.

The difference in lighting is amazing. Especially upstairs where there are not a lot of windows.

I will show you the new doors soon. They have yet to be painted!

But even with just primer they are so much better.

I did get this in the mail the other day.

The new Restoration Hardware catalog.

Oh wait, excuse me…..Source Book.

Yes, It has morphed from a simple catalog to a source book.

Look at the size difference.

(yes, I still have last Fall’s catalog)

It’s bigger then my phone book. And heavier too.

It’s 615 pages.

Yes, that’s right, six HUNDRED and fifteen pages!

It’s so big that it’s awkward to hold and flip through.

It is the War and Peace of catalogs.

Sorry, source books.

The thing is, they have a lot of the same stuff in it from last years measly catalog.

Same girnomous sized furniture. Same greige tones.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the look of a lot of their pieces.

And I do like things a bit on the larger size.

It’s just I don’t live in the type of house that most of it could fit in.

This bed is pretty normal sized. I could swing that.

That is if I had $2195 burning a hole in my pocket.

But this sofa….

Yeah, not so much.

And the enormous birdcage lights are a big no too.

I would need reeeeally high ceilings.

I just think that it was a bit of an overkill sending out a book this size to everyone.

I can’t even throw it in my bag so I can flip through it when I’m out and about.

I could pull a muscle or something.

What about you? Have you seen the new….book?

Any favorite new pieces or is it more of the same?

Photography of the Past

2011-09-11T23:47:00.001-05:00

When we made our trip to Atlanta last month I managed to hit a couple of stores for myself.

In between all of the craziness of getting son #2 a bed that is.

One place was The Classy Flea. It a great little antique mall just past the big chicken.

The big chicken is a landmark in Marietta.

Everything is either near the big chicken…

north of the big chicken…

south of the big chicken…

When you see it you’ll know why.

Anyway, it was a rushed trip but I managed to find some of these neat old photo processing frames.

The other one was slightly different as it had pieces that pulled out on the side.

This one has these metal latch things on the back.

You turn them and you can open just part of the back.

I’m guessing so that you can check on the development without exposing the whole print.

Actually son #1 suggested it and it sounded right to me.

I wish I had taken a picture of the other one before I gave it to my son.

It had a loose piece and he said he would fix it.

He better have. I will hound him about that.

Where was I?

Oh yes, it really need a cleaning.

I use this this stuff called Kramer’s Best.

It’s good stuff.

It cleans really well and then brings the wood back to life.

I love the way they are put together.

See how dry it was?

It would really amaze you on a larger piece of furniture.

No stripping or anything. It just enhances the wood.

I had a hard time with the glare.

It looks a little darker in the photos then it really is.

I think it makes a wonderful frame of my father in his Italian Air Force uniform.

I’ll be on the lookout for more of these.

The Sea Was Angry That Day My Friends

2011-09-06T21:52:00.000-05:00

We had a little visitor this past weekend.

Lee stopped by and brought a some rain and a little wind.

Okay, well a lot.

We took a drive down to the beach to see what the waves were like.

It looked like a giant washing machine.

It was much more windy at the beach then at my house.

We had a hard time standing still.

And focusing was a bit of an issue.

Even the warning flags were barely hanging on.

But the birds seemed to be having a grand time.

They didn’t have to flap their wings much that's for sure.

They were just gliding along.

I felt bad for the tourists who I’m sure were not too happy with the weather.

But these guys were bound and determined to have some beach time.

They were having a cookout.

Might as well I guess.

Hope they like their burgers salty.

ps. Who can tell me where the title of this post comes from?

Estate Sale Finds

2011-09-06T01:11:00.000-05:00

Last week I had the chance to stop by and estate sale.

Not too much that I wanted but I did grab a couple of things that caught my eye.

This little mechanic’s stool just had to come home with me.

I thought it would be great for when I am refinishing furniture.

I can just roll around and paint away.

Or just use it inside as a little table.

I haven’t even cleaned it up yet.

It does have just the right amount of rust.

I took a few shots of my orchid while I was taking some of the stool.

A friend of my husbands has given me a few and the white ones are blooming now.

Crackerjack texture by Kim Klassen added.

Clay pot texture by mother nature.

I also picked up this work light.

My plans are to use the metal shade.

I want to convert 2 pot lights into pendants for above my kitchen sink.

I just need to find another one.

I better hurry.

Someone has found my new items quite handy.

Linking up with:

Kim Klassen Cafe: Texture Tuesday

Coastal Charm: Nifty Thrifty Tuesday

Teenage Bedrooms

2011-08-31T20:05:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about my son's room lately.

It's so BLAH in there.

He could care less but it bugs me.

It’s sort of a green right now and it’s sucking up all the light.

Well, not sort of. It is green.

A boring shade of green.

He has no headboard right now so I’ve been trying to come up with something.

Boys rooms are hard. My kids never wanted to do anything too bold.

But it's time to get him ready for the real world.

Ease him into change.

Try new things.

You never know when you'll like it until you try it.

Right Mikey?

Lowescreativeideas.com

The woven texture and wood tones gives it a masculine feel.

He's not a little boy anymore. No more dinosaurs and baseball.

He is a senior this year, college is just around he corner.

I want it to be something he likes. So he’ll want to come home to visit!

But still be able to morph into a room for guests after he leaves.

houseandhome.com

I like this one for the mix of upholstery and a wood frame.

I’m thinking maybe some menswear inspired fabric like hounds tooth or argyle.

I have done an upholstered headboard for the master bedroom. And I really like it.

So, do I do another? Or something completely different?

I like the rough, sort of industrial feel of this one.

I could use coffee sacks or plain burlap with a graphic painted on it.

eq3.com

We need to get a new mattress as well and I’d really love to have a platform bed like this.

How hard could that be to make?

The graphic print on the quilt would be nice in there as well.

stylizmo.com

I love the look of this one.

Not sure how comfy would it be to prop yourself up against a wooden pallet.

It would need to be sanded well and lots of pillows could be used.

I love that lamp too.

womansday.com

This would be pretty easy to make.

It's made with a door but I'm thinking cork.

He’s into Photoshop and graphic design.

I could fill it with some photos or posters.

Nix the flowers.

This is one of my favorites.

I’m not seeing him going for it though.

A little too farm like I think.

Maybe for our room.

Hmmm….

These are all from my pinterest. You can get to the source page of some by clicking the photos.

I was not able to find the original source on the others.

It’s Getting a bit Spooky Around Here

2011-08-28T23:07:00.000-05:00

Someone please help me out here.

Where do these things come from?

How do they form so darn fast?

Granted this chair doesn’t get used a lot but come on….

You would think I had not cleaned in months.

I mean, I am not a neat freak. I will admit that.

I clean. Really I do.

I’m just not obsessive about it.

Obviously.

But these things pop up over night.

I kid you not.

After I saw these I vacuumed everything.

I mopped, I dusted and still then next morning another one was forming.

What?

How?

If it was only closer to Halloween I’d be so ahead of the game.

Shoot, by Halloween I could have my very own haunted house.

A few bats, a black cat, maybe some crows and I'll be good to go.

I’d love to know if anyone else gets these webs.

I’m not seeing spiders, just these darn cobwebs.

How do you get rid of them??

Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap

2011-08-26T20:35:00.000-05:00

Over the summer my friend Kat from The Kat Eye View was putting together something called Liberate Your Art a postcard swap. We each mailed her 5 postcards of our art and she divvied them up and we each got 5 back in return. Well 6 really because she sent out one of her own.

And she did all this just after moving back to the US from Italy.

1020 pieces of art

170 participants

37 US states

13 countries

2 homes

1 swap

AMAZING!!

It was so much fun to get something in the mail other then bills or junk.

The one on the left came from Rosie @ Rosie’s World. Her pink tulips are just so gorgeous.

They certainly brightened my day. I would love to have some growing in my yard.

On the right is one from Kelly @ I Need To Color. It is titled “Mackenzie’s Flowers”.

I’m not sure how she did it but the colors are just so pretty.

Delicate little flowers with punches of color.

The picture of the sweet older couple was taken in Krakow Poland by Alison of My Life-An Adventure. Such soft and lovely colors. The light fog gives it a mysterious feel.

I love how they are walking arm in arm.

On the right is a pen and watercolor done by Lea. She is at The Beaufort Art Center. It's a great combination of the two mediums. Such detail in the pen and beautiful colors with the paint.

She must have quite the steady hand.

The YES is an original piece of art created by Tia who blogs @ The Inspired Life.

This was her first piece big piece that she sold and it launch her YES project.

It’s a wonderful piece full of inspiring words.

She’s wanting to spread the word about saying yes to the things that you desire.

And last is my card from Kat herself!

It’s the wonderful photo of a Vespa that she took in Italy. I have always loved this shot.

Vespas are seen all over Italy. I’ve never driven one but maybe some day.

It’s also a great reminder of the wonderful trip we made for our huge family reunion.

And I love the red!

I hope everyone got my emails but let me just say thanks again just in case. :)

And a huge THANKS to Kat for doing all this work. What a fantastic job you did!

I hope she does it again next year.

Think you’ll join us?

Dune Road Designs

2011-08-24T23:42:00.001-05:00

Last month I was contacted by a company called Dune Road Designs.

Have you heard of them?

It’s a company that was started by three women who wanted to create some dinnerware with a nautical look and feel.

Something that not only would look good but could easily be used on a boat, deck or even on the dining room table.

They so graciously sent me a sampling to try out.

After some shipping issues I finally received my box. I was so excited to get it.

I received a dinner plate, a salad plate, a set of 4 cups and a pack of napkins.

They are made of high quality melamine.

I know when you hear melamine you think cheap plastic but these are not. They are far from it.

They may cost a bit more but the quality is not like anything I’ve seen at the stores.

I was surprised at just now substantial they are.

They have the feel of stoneware without the weight.

The dishes have some depth to them which keeps your food on your plate.

I love that about them.

I have some thin melamine and I’ve had things slide right off if you aren’t careful.

Especially if you’ve had a glass of wine or two!

The colors and patterns are just beautiful.

The set of 4 cups each have a different design on them.

A conch shell, a crab, a starfish and seahorse.

The set of 4 salad plate are sold the same way.

They are dishwasher safe but they are not for the microwave.

I hope they will add more of a description on their site to include this information.

Some size information would be good too.

Looks like they may still be tweaking their website a bit.

Dune Road also carries serving pieces, stationary and candles.

The serving pieces are really cute.

There is a three sectioned appetizer dish that I really like.

What a great gift any of these pieces would make.

I hope you’ll stop by Dune Road Designs and see what they have to offer.

disclaimer: I have been given a sample set from Dune Road Designs but my opinions are my own.

Linking up with:
French Country Cottage: Feathered Nest

Summer Garden

2011-08-19T11:24:00.000-05:00

The garden is starting to wane a bit.

At least the vegetable garden is. The bugs and heat are starting to win the battle.

I have a few watermelon that are hanging on for dear life.

But the zinnias out front seem to be pleased as punch with the heat.

Their bright pink petals seem to thrive with the heat.

The pentas love the heat as well.

I planted a limelight hydrangea for the first time this year.

It looks like it’s happy under the trees out back.

I’m so glad I bought it because my blue ones have refused to bloom for me this year.

I need to start taking notes on my garden. This year has been a bit of a trial on what grows well and where. I want to work on better forming the beds out back. Build some raised ones for the vegetables. Do something about all the weeds that keep popping up.

When my son and I pulled into the driveway the other day he said to me, the yard has come a long way Mom. That made me feel really good. It has come along way. It was mostly a sandy mess for a long time. We’ve only lived here 2 years and I know it takes time.

But it’s getting there.

Linking up with:

Fishtail Cottage: Cottage Flora Thursday

A Boring Job That Is So Worth It

2011-08-17T21:05:00.000-05:00

I have to keep telling myself that.

Because it’s beginning again……

that tedious job of painting trim.

I was on a quest not too long ago to rid my house of all of this stained trim.

I stopped short in the kitchen. I have cabinets to paint in here too.

They just seem to overwhelm me.

Maybe if I just started on the trim then that might get me going and I might get the cabinets done too.

Sounds good right?

We shall see.

p.s. As I was going back to find the post about the trim I already painted so I could link to it,

I discovered it was over a YEAR AGO.

What?? Could that really be?

That is just pathetic. I am going to go paint right now.

You guys just bug me about it until it’s done, okay?

I’m counting on you.

Crap, it's 9:00

I'll start in the morning.

I swear.

Uprinting Winner!

2011-08-16T08:09:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway.

And thank you uprinting.com for providing the rolled canvas print.

It's a great prize and I wish you all could have won.

I let random.org do the pickings.

The winner is:

Lucky number 7, Mrs. Ohtobe who blogs @ mrsohtobe.blogspot.com

Yay, Mrs. Oh!

I will be sending your email on to the people at Uprinting.com

I’m sure they will get in touch with you soon.

Marietta Square

2011-08-13T23:27:00.000-05:00

On our trip last weekend we made a stop at the farmer’s market in Marietta.

I always love going to Marietta Square.

I wish the weather had been better. The gray skies did not make for pretty pictures.

The market was filled with lots of home grown and home baked goodies.

I would have loved to take some of these home.

The Strand theater was brought back to it’s old glory.

It’s so pretty inside. It’s been around since 1935.

In the center of the square is a beautiful fountain.

The kids can run around and play.

There are lots of benches to sit and read or just people watch.

There is always something going on in the park.

So many gorgeous old homes are around the square.

Look at that deep wrap around porch!

I wish I had taken more shots. But it was starting to rain.

Do you know who lives in Marietta?

Aton Brown from The Food Network.

Yup.

Not in that house though.

Also, have you seen the movie Zombieland? You should, it’s hilarious.

Anyway, there were some scenes shot in Marietta.

That evening we stopped in a coffee shop for some cappuccinos.

A friend, who’s more like a 4th son, works there and he made them special for us.

They were so good!

I hope everyone is have a relaxing weekend.

I want to remind you to click over and enter my giveaway. There is a link on my sidebar.

Okay, I’ll make it even easier for you, you can click HERE.

Wouldn’t you love a canvas print from Uprinting.com?

see ya,

Road Trip Tales

2011-08-12T15:08:00.001-05:00

We had a great trip to Atlanta this past weekend.

I thought I’d share some of the shots I took while driving. Well, I wasn’t driving.

It helps pass the time.

They have absolutely nothing to do with the story I’m going to tell you.

Just so you know.

Our main goal was to get #2 son a bed for his apartment. Something I didn’t think would be such a problem. But nothing is easy for us. Oh no.

We get to the land of the Swedes and enjoy a nice lunch of meatballs and crepes.

Let me just say this here and now.

Never, NEVER go to Ikea on a weekend. And especially right before college is starting.

As my son so eloquently put it:

It’s like the 3rd level of hell.

Never.

Ever.

Again.

After we were all herded through the showroom, mooing along the way, we made our frame and mattress selection and squeezed our way downstairs to the market place.

(Why do people insist on going against the flow?)

We picked up a few nonessentials. Does my college age son need a wine rack?

No. But I’m so frazzled I buy it anyway.

Then it’s time to locate the bed, load up and then proceed to spend hours putting it together.

(find the car in the clouds)

We find the frame, the platform and then the mattress.

Where is the mattress? The big empty palette is not a good sign.

I check with the man.

Nothing until maybe Tuesday or Thursday he says. Maybe.

So we decide to just pick up a mattress elsewhere. Yes. That’s a good idea.

So we unload the loot at the apartment.

Which by the way, is quite the hike from the parking garage to his door.

Then the bed is put together. The boys handle this since we did not have a power drill.

It went together surprisingly well. That should have been a clue.

We will shop the next day for the mattress.

(sharing this shot with The Kat Eye View: frame within a frame)

After a few issues we locate a full mattress to go into the full frame. We hurry to pick it up.

What? There are no more in stock? The truck is late they say, should be here any minute.

We do a little browsing at the antique mall next door while we wait.

Go back. No truck. Not until tomorrow they say.

Off we go to find another mattress.

Finally, someone has a full size in stock. Hubby wheels and deals and gets a lower price. Yay!

We squeeze it in to my Trailblazer. We had measured and it should fit. Whew, it’s in.

Off we go to deliver it to the apartment. The boys are putting it in the bedroom while I’m removing sticky stuff from the thrift store lamp I found.

Then I hear… what the hell?

That can’t be good.

It is not fitting in the frame. What the…..enter whatever swear word you’d like.

There were many.

Is a full size bed different in Scandinavia? The sizes must be off.

They must make the beds so you have to buy their mattresses from Ikea. Ugh!

It fits perfectly on the outside of the frame but not down on the base.

The engineer-to-be devises a plan.

No one wanted to take the frame apart and return it to Ikea.

So we head to Home Depot, in the middle of Atlanta, so they can build up the platform.

Some plywood and 2x4’s, a few nails and we’re good to go. College is paying off. It worked.

After some dinner we head to the hotel.

(i really loved the color of this sofa)

It's late, we’re tired. The phone rings. I hate when the phone ring late at night.

Son #2 is calling. What now?

I know why the mattress wouldn’t fit, he says.

He must have been struggling to put the sheets on and then looked at the tag.

It was a queen!

REMINDER: I’m having a canvas print giveaway from Uprinting.com!

Please go HERE to enter.

see ya,

Uprinting Giveaway!

2011-08-11T00:12:00.003-05:00

It was a crazy fast weekend but I enjoyed spending time with my boys.

I will tell you more about my trip later.

I want to get to the giveaway that I’ve been telling you about.

Uprinting.com contacted me and asked me if I would like to host a giveaway and I said YES!

What you can win:

Uprinting.com is offering one 16 x 20 rolled canvas print.

You can choose to have a 2” border or no border at all.

1 Business Day Turnaround *Free shipping

Restriction: Limited to *US residents 18 years old and above only.

The winner can not have previously won the same item within the last 6 months.

They offer a wide range of standard canvas sizes or you can choose a custom size to suit your printing needs. All the way to 55 x 100”! You can also order envelopes, calendars, magnets and many more items from Uprinting.

What a great way to preserve a special photo you have.

Maybe one of your summer vacation shots.

Last year I won some business cards from Uprinting.com at My Repurposed Life . I gave them to son #1 for his photography business and he really loved them. The quality was wonderful and he said it was an easy web site to use.

To enter:

Just leave me a comment and let me know what you would like to have printed.

How easy is that?

I will randomly pick a winner on Monday August 15 at 10pm central time.

The winner will be announced on August 16.

You must provide me with an email if it is not in your profile.

There are so many talented photographers out there.

Or you can pick a favorite print from the internet.

Lots of great ways to make something beautiful for yourself or for a gift.

disclaimer: This canvas printing giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given for hosting. Check out UPrinting.com for more details about canvas sizes.

*THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*

see ya,

Guesting over at Sense and Simplicity

2011-08-09T06:05:00.002-05:00

I'm just getting back from Atlanta and I'm heading to Canada!

I'll be over at Sense and Simplicity while Grace is in Bangladesh!

You might have seen her button over there on my sidebar.

She is in Bangladesh with her friend Kim teaching in a Speech Therapy program.

They are both Speech-Language Pathologists and are offering their collective wealth of expertise to help train some of the first Speech Therapists in Bangladesh and to supervise student placements.

I think that is so great!
I hope you'll come by and say HI.

I'll have the giveaway up soon.
Just need to get rid of all this jet lag ;)

see ya,

Happy Hour!

2011-08-07T01:00:00.001-05:00

I originally wrote this post when I was a guest at 3 Sun Kissed Boys.
I'm in Atlanta this weekend so I thought I'd post it here for those of you that might have missed it. It's 5 o'clock somewhere right?
Don't forget, I'll be having a giveaway next week!

I thought it would be fun to share a great summertime drink. I had a bunch of limes I needed to use up and some fresh mint that grows like a weed. What’s a girl to do?

Make Mojitos!

They are very easy to make. I looked up the recipe online and adjusted it to fit my taste.

I used less sugar, so feel free to adjust.

Here is what I used:

2oz light rum

4 large mint leaves

1 T. of sugar

1 lime

club soda

ice

tall glass

I put the mint and sugar in the glass and then used the muddler to smash the leaves.

This one is basically a pestle. Some are flatter on the bottom.

The sugar helps to break down the mint and release the oils.

Also, you should play the Bacardi Mojito song while doing this.

It’s just more fun that way.

Then I squeezed the juice from one lime into the glass and left half of it in there. Add the rum.

I sadly do not have a crushed ice setting on my icemaker. Big mistake on my part not realizing that when I picked out the refrigerator. So I do it old school with my mallet. Just put the ice in a freezer bag and use the flat side of the mallet! Not the pokey side which I’m showing you.

You don’t have to use crushed ice, I just like it.

Fill the glass with ice and then top it off with club soda.

It’s best to have the soda cold so it doesn’t melt the ice.

Stir well and enjoy!

If you don’t like the mint floating in your glass you can strain it.

Or make it in a cocktail shaker if you have one.

Then just add a few whole leaves for garnish. I don’t mind the bits in it.

They are very yummy and so refreshing on a hot summer day.

I hope you give them a try.

Cheers!

see ya,

Road Trip

2011-08-05T01:00:00.000-05:00

It’s time to get in the car and hit the road before the summer is over.

I’ll be heading to Hotlanta this weekend. And. it. will. be. hot.

Hotter then it is here in Florida most likely.

But I get to see my boys. I’m so excited!

And I’ll be making a few stops.

Like maybe here ……

and of course here ….

and I have got to squeeze in some time to go here…..

I will be also be hitting the thrift stores while I’m there.

#2 son is moving into an apartment downtown for his last year at Georgia Tech.

Yay, one more year!

So, I need to find a few things on the cheap. Nothing fancy as things don’t seem to last very long around a bunch of college kids. Boys especially. They’re just gross.

I hope everyone has a great weekend.

Next week I will be having a giveaway! I think you will love it.

Especially all of you photogs out there.

So be sure to come back and check it out.

see ya,

New Coastal Decor

2011-08-03T23:48:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was lucky to win a giveaway over at Tracy's Trinkets and Treasures.

She had put together a wonderful coastal mantel but she was ready for a change.

So she decided to a have a giveaway to celebrate her 1000 followers.

I thought I’d show you how I used some of the pieces on my own mantel in my bedroom.

The sea fan was part of the giveaway but the LOVE sign was something that Tracey made.

You can go by and see how she made it. She used one of my beach photographs to make it!

I was so flattered that she used my photo and then thrilled when she wanted to pass it on to me.

I think they look great together on the mantel.

But wait there’s more!

This fantastic weathered looking sailboat and two knobby starfish.

I almost bought a similar sailboat myself and I’m so glad I waited.

I love this one so much more.

I placed them on this little half table that I redid last year.

It sits at the end of the hallway. My bedroom is just to the right so I get to see them often.

I thought they went well with this trio of pictures I already had up.

I’ll share a little secret about these matted prints.

They are really just cards. Greeting cards.

I found the frames at Michaels years ago and they included the mat.

They were ridiculously ~~cheap~~ inexpensive.

All I did was pop in the cards.

I also received 3 jars decorated with netting that I plan to use soon.

I hope that I can show you that sometime next week.

Thanks so much Tracy for having the giveaway.

It was so fun to open the box and have a few new things to play with.

I also wanted to thank you guys for all the sweet comments you left me on my last post.

I know some of you were shocked to actually see me!

Now you have proof, I’m not a starfish ;)

see ya,