Sunday, January 16, 2011

Week End Project


The grandkids love the new play houses...

Boy wazzzzz I busy this week-end. I found some plans for a couple tree houses. I looked at the material list and ordered product from local home improvement center, grabbed my tools and off I went.

I put in a couple hard days but I think the finished look was well worth it. I didn't realize until I was finished that I was reading instructions in a foreign language....no wonder some of the terms seemed foreign and I had to adlib.

Oh! okay I'm bored and lacking in creativity so I thought I would steal a picture from somewhere else and babble blog......The picture is from the works of a local interior design company from Seattle WA he also has a bog if you would like to check it out....I love some of his work...http://bpinteriors.blogspot.com/
Well I think I wasted enough of your time.... have a good day.....One babble at a time....

Friday, January 14, 2011

Easy as A B C


I have been so busy looking at all the wonderful blogs out there, I haven't been tending the hen house. Boy if you get a chance check out some of the blogs I have listed on my site...they have some very talented  ladies out there. Our bloggers do a lot of beautiful tablescapes.....I'm going to try one in February. Now back to my job.....I remember seeing this in Real Simple (I think) back in the fall. It was such an easy project and boy could you get creative with this. As you can see they took a hammer and some cookie cutters. Tap,Tap you now have a wonderful decorative piece for your house. How about for a gift....maybe find some childrens cookie cutters and do a candle for baby gift....wedding gift....birthday (16th) anything would work.
Give it a try.....not a lot of expense...candles on sale...go crazy....lets me know .....One candle at a time......

Monday, January 10, 2011

Soft Silence


Bird House in Yard


One more inch and my Birds can't get home


Even Old Glory looks great in the snow


Sunset Pond


There is such beauty when you look


United We Stand Sign


It looks like cotton


Another view of Sunset Pond


The Snow looks like Cotton Candy


Headed Home


Only in the Northwest - 7 miles North there isn't a snowflake on the ground

I lay quietly in my bed. I was awake but I didn't want to open my eyes yet. I knew without looking that we had a snow during the night and early morning hours. I can't explain the feeling. I don't know any other sound that compares to the loud quiet of a fresh fallen snow. I know I'm not the only one that feels this way because the first thing my better half said was " Isn't it quiet"?.......For my friends that live in the South and haven't experienced an overnight snow..I'm not sure how to explain it. The QUIET penetrates your body, much like the sun on a warm summer day....BUT...even with that you have birds, leaves have a sound of movement and there is noise off in the distance. The closest I can get...without really getting there...Is.....sitting in a church at night, alone, with only candle light to help reflex the moment. I felt the need to take a walk and try to capture the feeling of winter. By the time I had my coffee, got dressed and headed out with my camera, there was a full engaged snowball fight going on across the street. My quiet was gone.  Kids were laughing and yelling ....and I guess thats a childhood memory we should not forget.....One snowflake at a time.....

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Campbell Soup



Bread-Apple-Soup-Cook Books-Bag of Flour
  Pick up on isle 3. Who says you have to purchase decorating items in an expensive shop. Think outside the box. I had a space above by cabinets that I just couldn't find what I wanted. Tired of what I had up there, thought I would change out a few things. I had found a couple faux bread at my favorite thrift shop and some old cook books. I headed to the grocery store for some kitchen products. Having the color red in mind I headed down the soup isle ....I spy....LARGE Tomato Soup Cans.....then I think, I need one more thing. Up and down the rows I go.....Woow... how about a Bag of flour...different texture, same color scheme, I think this might work. With out spending a lot of money I have a new look......oops I think I goofed...I could have bought groceries at the dollar store...oh well!.....Look around, are you tired of a certain area in your house? Go crazy...have some fun finding non traditional decorating props, it makes for great conversation....
One soup can at a time.......

Friday, January 7, 2011

January Monthly Serve Up





Winter is still here so I think these dishes work
   




I love the color and texture
   




Thrift Shop Find
    I love dishes..okay I love shoes, handbags, antiques, just about everything...but I seem to buy a lot of dishes. When I see something great in a thrift store, I just can't resist. I find dishes that are still in their boxes. I have a feeling some of them are wedding gifts that the bride didn't like or use. Everytime I find (too die for dishes) my stomach quivers.....I think there is something wrong with me. When I see something cool...I think to myself, that would be great for......... Since I started my blog last September ( boy that time went fast) which plays right into my the theory.. Reflecting on life in general, I find myself buying dishes, bring them home, wash and then put them on a shelf in the garage, waiting for the time I may use them. WHY?........New day, new leaf, new time. I've decided to change out my dishes every month. If you have a couple different sets you like..try changing them out Summer & Winter. What are we saving our (THINGS) for, if not to use and enjoy. Oh! maybe I'm just assuming everyone saves things like me. Anyway I don't have enough for a change every month (YET) but I'm going to start looking. Oh my...I guess I'll have to start shopping....When my better half says "Are those dishes new" I can honestly say....no! they've been in the garage for ages, hee hee.......One dish at a time.....

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Football 2....Shopping 5 hours


Lenox Williamsburg Boxwood & Pine


Tiffany Fine China


Great Pinecone Candles

Wonderful 5' framed mirror


Hand Painted


Paid $12.00 for this fun gem


Sage color feather Noel Pillow


3' Tall Wire Form


Silver Wire His & Her Wire clothes on stand


June 15, 1913 Vogue Picture - Fashion for European Interest


Scribed Poppy  Made for Coldwater Creek


No markings but very cool


Tracy Porter  Farm Collection


Sweet soap dish with birds

Now we're going to talk about the day after Christmas....December 26th...the day of the continuing football games. After putting 2 games away in my brain and wondering why I wasted the cells, I decided to venture out into the retail world....maybe I should say the value world.  I very seldom pay retail anymore. The adventure is to find new stuff at a thrift store price. As I grabbed my keys I told my better half...."I shouldn't be very long, just want to look around "....Later on I made a call that said...dinner will be late tonight....snack all you want.  As I approach  my favorite thrift store I could hear choir of angels singing in my head, was I really seeing clear, I rubbed my eyes, focusing on the huge sign..... "EVERYTHING in store 50% off " and I mean everything.  I was trying at that moment to remember if I had my Wheaties for breakfast because I knew this was going to be a marathon. After all was said and done......the Thrift Store won...I had to go home before it closed due to pain in both knees... but.......boy did I make out like a bandit........One 1/2 price at a time.......

Saturday, January 1, 2011

The Box 2011

I love my new little God Box

I will start the memories for my children

Let's see...how should we start the New Year. How about a diet...no...never keep them. How about being a better person...no...already working on that. How about a better wife, mother, grandmother....no....What you see is.. What you get.... I know!... I'm going to challenge everyone to make one resolution for the rest of your life. What is that? I thought you'd never ask. A few months ago I read an article in Real Simple about a daughter, that after the passing of her mother found what she called "The God Box". The story was written by Mary Lou Quinlan about her mom Mary Finlayson. Mary would take a piece of  paper towel, old recipe, grocery list or receipt and as the need presented itself, would write a note to God. Her mom would run the gamut of ("Please let the house sell today") to ("Please take care of little Jesse"). Many notes she would sign "Thank you God, Sincerely Mary". Mary would then believe God would take over. She would date her note, fold the paper and put it in a pretty box.  When the box was full she would put it into another box and place it in the back of her closet. So for 20 years Mary would have a personal conversation with God. Can you think of anything better then to find these boxes with your mothers hopes, dreams and prayers for her children, friends, neighbors even strangers. What a blessing!  After reading this story, I decided I would do the same. How about you?  You don't have to ask for help everyday....even God I think would get tired of that......but!.. when the urge hits you, jot it down. Do you know how happy God would be keeping
communications open on a regular basis.  What a wonderful memory you will create for your children when your gone. So off I go to my favorite thrift shop to find the perfect box.....My First prayer to God,...When I need the help, remind me to write it down and put it in my God Box......One piece of paper at a time......