MLE's ABC's

Beuhler? Beuhler?!

2011-05-09T08:32:00.008-04:00

My goodness! Has it really been 2 months since my last post?! You thought I fell off the face of the earth, didn't you? I'm so touched that you noticed my absence : ) thanks for checking on me!! I did go back to work. And with the end of the school year, spring sports & having a graduating senior it's been quite a whirlwind. I have several projects in progress but nothing truly complete... hope everyone had a wonderful Mother's day! & hoping to have something to share in the near future(ish)

Here's a glimpse at a few things I've been working on in the last few months:

Just a little 'thank you' gift


Before

After

There was nothing wrong with the light before. I just wanted something different. I still need Handy Hubby : ) to rewire the light to add a candle...

Someone had the bright idea that hand-painting a canvas drop cloth would be an economical solution to purchasing expensive fabric to cover my first chair. After hours and hours and HOURS of painting...

and realizing I would need about 4 yards of fabric...

I couldn't take it any more and have abandoned that idea to make a couple of pillows!

Sigh!!

And finally, the only project I actually finished.

It's a centerpiece for senior night at youth group. We were each asked to create a centerpiece that represented out senior. I wasn't sure which direction I wanted to go with that. Wandering around Hobby Lobby one day I came upon a display of birdhouses. I decided the centerpiece would reflect my daughter's many different homes. First, our house number is above the front door. It's a place she'll always be welcomed and where I hope she'll always call home. The little sign on the perch is for her church home. One side of the house is for her high school home. A place that will hold a special place in her heart, I'm sure! I made a little tassel out of embroidery thread that hangs from the Fleur De Les (she takes French, is part French & it's the symbol of her HS). The other side represents the place she will be making her new school home in the fall. The ribbons on the post reflect the different parts of her personality. And on the back I printed up a Bible verse.

One thing I ask of the Lord, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple. Psalm 27:4

My! How time flies!! Graduation already? Where did my baby go?

She's about to spread her wings and fly!

{I didn't totally realize how perfect and symbolic that birdhouse really was until just now!}

Well, that's all folks!!

Back to reality - groceries & laundry await!

Blessings!

Partying at:

Craft-o-manic
Decor Chick
Making the World Cuter

Vision Victory

2011-03-10T09:00:00.004-05:00

Today I'm going Green and recycling one of my earliest posts {I don't even think anyone ever read it : ) }. & talk about green - Sheesh! I'd like to think I've shown some improvement since I started blogging...
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Once upon a time there was a Mad Bench. What is a Mad Bench, you ask? It is a solid oak plank bench acquired by my mother-in-law many moons ago... many children ago (of which she has 9 and between the 9 there are 32 grandchildren). When her children were young and foolhardy, they were made to sit on what became dubbed the Mad Bench when they were 'mad' and needed to calm down (or if mom was mad at them and she needed a break).

At some point we became the proud owners of the Mad Bench. Over the years it moved further and further from public view and only came out when we needed extra seating. It's sorta functional but not even sorta pretty. I've thought of giving it a makeover for ~~years~~ some time but am ~~an awful~~ not a very good seamstress . Then push came to shove due to "The Great Furniture Shuffle" and it became necessary to bring out the 2nd and 3rd string players. I decided to tackle the Mad Bench project - duun, duun, duuuuuun! Again, I had no plan or pattern - sometimes people never learn!! Maybe it makes life more ~~frustrating~~ exciting to wing it...

I got all of the materials 1/2 off or with coupons, of course! Handy Hubby : ) built me a wooden apron to go right over the top of the bench so as not to permanently alter the sentimental bench. I used spray adhesive to attach the 2" foam for some cush on the tush. I picked out a fabric suspiciously similar to one in Ballard Designs and some black piping.

I measured, I pinned, I sewed, I undid, and redid. (Grrrrr)

I'm happy to finally, Finally report that the Mad Bench is no longer what it was (although I almost went mad during the process and had to take a time-out from that said bench many, Many times)!!!! Now you wouldn't even recognize it as the Mad Bench, mostly because you can't see any of it anymore. It's not too horrible for my first attempt, if I do say so myself! Not beautiful, not horrible. But... well, nobody is allowed to sit on it - are you kidding me?! After all the blood, sweat and tears? Uuuuum. No. Ma'am!!

Benches are for looking at and admiring from afar. Try to sit on that bench and I'll give you something to be mad about!! : )

Come join me for another look-see, won't you? We're admiring and admiring.

And so these three new looks (the tablecloth, the spray painted coffee table and the mad bench) were a few of the little things that made me say, "Aaaaah! so satisfying!"

Gotta love it when a plan comes together!

So there you have it - MLE's ABC's

Blessings!

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Today I'm participating in:

R is for Ridiculous!

2011-02-09T13:53:00.001-05:00

CAUTION:

Too many snow & ice days...

may kill brain cells...

Yup! I'm sooo proud! : )

Blessings!

Wordless Wednesday

Seven Clown Circus

Happy 2011!

2011-01-21T12:12:00.002-05:00

Wow! It seems like for.e.ver since I posted last!

Well, I've finished my seasonal stint with Am@z*n.com. Whew! that was WAY more than I bargained for...
Was sick in bed for Christmas...
Still putting away holiday stuff that I feel I hardly got to enjoy...
Filled out FAFSA forms for 2 kids...
Threw a 70th birthday celebration for Dear 'ol Dad...
Muddling through teenage angsty issues...
Assembled a donation for a Ladies' Candlelight Dinner auction...
Gearing up for an anniversary...
Shoveled the driveway at least 3 times...
Feeling a bit brain dead & it's only January...

I could probably bore you to death on each of these topics but I'll spare you today : )

I try to peek in on my dashboard now & again but I'm terribly behind! Hopefully, I'll be back in the swing of things again soon and I might even manage to muster up enough creative juices to pull something together for Valentine's Day?! Oh the pressure! I am tempted to participate in Decor Chick!'s Real Homes, Real Messes, Real Life Party. That's about my speed right now... Go take a peek, it'll make ya feel better : )

At least I've updated my blog background - it's officially winter-fied! {although maybe I should have done that 25" of snow ago. hehe} Ah well! spring won't be here anytime soon!

I truly hope you are all well! Looking forward to sitting down with my cup of coffee, my sanity, my mojo & catching up with you soon!

Hugs & blessings

Labor of Love

2010-12-15T07:00:00.004-05:00

I've been a stay.at.home mom all my married life.

{so that's been what? a decade...or 2}

That's not to say I haven't worked, I just haven't gotten a formal pay check for anything I've done - I've only been paid in smiles & hugs. So I have no professional references, but I'm flush in volunteer positions!

As a family we finally hit critical mass. Three kids with 3 tuitions {and sports & activities and assorted wants & needs}, 3 cars {but 2 I'd call Fred Flinstone cars both on about their 10th life}, a mortgage etc etc. All on 1 pay check. In addition to being Handy, Hubby's been a great provider but I'm sure you see where I'm heading. Momma finally had to get a paying job.

I had concerns. Daughter A is a senior and I would be heartbroken if I missed out on any of her stuff this year. My SAHM status had allowed me to be at their beck and call. I've cooked all of their meals. I've packed their lunches. I've done almost all of their laundry...

Hmmmmm...

Maybe a little time out of the house would be a good thing...

I happened to see a want ad for seasonal help at a warehouse nearby. I filled out an application on-line. They accepted volunteer references if you didn't have professional references {were SAHM's a target demographic?}. And best of all they were hiring on the spot.

I feel like I've been training for this position all of my SAHM life!!

When I arrived I waited in line at the door.

{like I've done in school pick-up lines, at Disney, Black Friday}

They had me do a Skills Test to see if I could pay attention to fine detail.

{my kids don't call me Eagle Eyes for nothin' - I.SEE.ALL}

Many of the stations required some computer aptitude.

{I'm gonna say my limited stint blogging has helped me learn to navigate a computer : )}

I had to participate in a drug screening.

{it turned out to be a mouth swab - thank goodness! cuz I was a little uptight about the possibility of having someone watching me produce a urine sample. I won't even let my kids do that any more...so whew!}

I had to agree to the possibility of being on my feet for 10 hr shifts.

{Umm contrary to popular belief, being a SAHM is not about kickin' up your feet & eating bon-bons. It's an endurance test - am I right?! fine, I will admit I don't write any posts standing up}

And I had to agree to some regular lifting.

{Ok well, I figure 20 lbs is like a small child who begs to be picked up all day long! & I feel like I go to the grocery about every day. I think I'm good there.}

I'm pretty sure I've been placed in the packing department.

{Now if 22 years of successfully packing Christmas ornaments away doesn't qualify me for this job then I'm hopeless!!}

I was told I had to wear my hair in a pony tail or a bun.

{Are you kidding me? No wasted time on personal grooming in the morning? Would it be too forward if I say 'I love you'?}

& I was told to wear comfortable clothing.

{Well, I've got the perfect mom-jeans for the job, man!}

See?! This job was meant for me!!

Smiles & hugs are da bomb! But nothing says 'thanks for your help' like a paycheck : )

Of course, every work day when that alarm goes off at 4am, I'll have to chant to myself

I love my family!

I love my family!!

I love my family!!!

*ps I may be a little slower getting around to commenting that I used to - please forgive!*

Blessings!

In the Know

2010-12-06T15:14:00.000-05:00

Handy Hubby : )'s birthday was at the end of November. He is the 3rd of 9 kids. To date, there are 31 grandkids on his side of the family! Over the years we have made several variations of the family tree for his parents.

This year I made one for Handy Hubby : ).

To the untrained eye, this may just look like a number chart...

but for those in the KNOW, it's actually sorta kinda a family tree!

A little back story for you - When my in-laws moved into their current house, they found boxes of antique printing press numbers and letters in the attic. They are really cool but no one knew what to do with them. One SIL sorted the pieces by size into 3 different boxes. She took a few letters and spelled out 'cookies' & 'yummy' in her kitchen. One day when we were over to help clean out the garage, my MIL asked if we'd like the rest of them.

Mmmm, Yes!! Please!!

I sorted them again. So, now I have ziploc bags of each number and letter. Perhaps I was inspired by all of the subway art and Pottery Barn knock-offs for my creation.

The secret to this display is that each of the numbers, of course, represents each of the siblings in HH's family. For each number, the groupings are made up of the number of kids in each person's family. Get it?!!

It's subtle, for sure.

But that's what I like about it - it's not in.your.face!

And there's even room to grow if absolutely necessary {NOT the 3's, however... that oven is no longer in service : )}

Here's my favorite little grouping

{I know these look like e's but when they're stamped they are 9's}

Sib #9 has 4 kids. The oldest are a set of twins. I love their little pyramid : ) teehe

I got a cut of discount gold silk-like fabric from Hobby Lobby. And I got a simple black frame with a coupon. Together they make up a black & gold background representing Purdue {where HH & I met}. The gold also happens to be the color in our basement where this will most likely hang.

I used Gorilla Glue to adhere everything together. It was the first time I'd ever used the stuff. It's interesting. It certainly is strong glue but I'm not sure I like all the expanding it does...

So when you stop by next and see this frame hanging up, YOU are now one of the people

In the Know!! : )

Blessings!

You might find me partying at some of these places *HERE*

Jumping for Joy!

2010-12-02T07:00:00.005-05:00

So waaaay back at the beginning of September I won one of my first blog giveaways.

Oh! it was such an exciting morning to sit down at the computer with my morning cup of coffee, open my email and find out that I had won a $55 gift certificate to CSN from Maryann @ Domestically Speaking! (If you aren't familiar with her, you've gotta check out her blog - seriously!)

Before I had even had my caffeine fix {a morning person I am NOT} I was able to magically jump up to do a happy dance - and I'm talkin' booty shakin', head swingin', lower lip bitin', fist pumpin' excitement!! Woo Hoo!

I had never shopped at CSN before but was thrilled to explore the site. {Have you ever looked at their site? It's overwhelming because there is SO much to look at!} And after MUCH agonizing & spending the GC 100 different ways I finally decided on some Le Creuset cookware : )

Ja wanna know what I just ordered?

Le Creuset 12" x 9.5" Rectangular Dish in Black Onyx

Le Creuset Stoneware 10.5" x 7" Baking Dish in Cobalt with FREE 7" x 5" Bonus Dish

Oops! I loaded the wrong color duet pictured is Caribbean but I ordered Cobalt

I wish I could say I'm getting these for myself... remember those 100 different ways I spent the GC? Well, approximately 98 of those ways were for me, myself & I! But truth be told, we're stretching our budget every which way we can right now.

So the cookware will be wrapped and sent to 2 very good homes where they will be used and loved by the chefs of the house!

Who knows, maybe one day I'll be served something in those little cuties : P
Again, gifting with ulterior motives - hehe

So, Thank You Maryann & CSN for giving me the opportunity to play Santa!!

Blessings!

Impatient!

2010-11-18T11:46:00.000-05:00

My parents are coming for Thanksgiving this year! I'm looking forward to a nice visit with them!!

I've got a lot of planning to do - meals, activities, cleaning & prepping...

So, Handy Hubby : ) decided this would be the perfect time to start a pantry makeover project.

My pantry contents are spread out all over {can't find anything}.

Aaaaaaaargh!

Is he secretly reading my blog news feed or what?! I never even mentioned this current pantry makeover trend!!!

I know, I know, I should be doing a little happy dance but...

right NOW?!

Since he was going to all the trouble of dressing up the wire shelving, it only made sense to paint the disgustingly dirty walls. I went to Lowes and bought a gallon of Valspar, eggshell Oops! paint for $5. It's called Tempered Steel. Probably not what I would have picked out but it was the most neutral color available and was in the budget.

Yours truly went to all the trouble of cutting out all of the little shelf hooks. Turns out they won't really show anyway. Oh well!

It's a little darker than I would like but clean walls are always refreshing.

The wood shelves are being painted white. And HH will add decorative molding to the face of the shelves to cover up the wire {also going white}.

Gotta admit I'm a ~~lot~~ little impatient.

It better be done before Thanksgiving is all I have to say!
{otherwise, I know JUST the turkey I'm going to roast : )}

Blessings!

H is for Heroes

2010-11-11T10:06:00.001-05:00

I MUST start with a salute to anyone who has ever served, is serving or gave their life serving our country to protect our freedom! We are truly indebted to you for your commitment and sacrifice!! This Veteran's Day we thank , honor and remember you.

I would also like to give a shout out to the Everyday Heroes around us, too.

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I watched "Freedom Writers" this weekend and it made me realize I live in a middle-class, suburban bubble! While many teens worry about spirit week fashion, homecoming displays and getting into college, other teens worry about gang violence, a roof over their heads and living to 16.

This movie is based on a true story. It chronicles the trials of Erin Grewell, a new teacher in an inner-city high school, who struggled to break down racial & gang barriers in her classroom, to reach the school's and society's cast-offs while teaching them life lessons through history and English. She helped them gain self-respect and gave them hope for their futures. She made many personal sacrifices to achieve this. Not every teacher is like Erin Grewell but some are.

They are inspirations and heroes!

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Ok! Well, at risk of wading into charged political waters...

I recently saw a video of a talk given by Gianna Jessen, an abortion survivor.

Sep 9, 2010 2:29pm

Disclaimer: I do not know the person who distributed the video. It was passed on by others.

Regardless of where I fall on the pro-life/pro-choice spectrum, I have to admire someone who is willing to make a stand. Her history was beyond her control. She didn't have to make it her cause or her life's work. Her unique circumstances, however, provided her with an opportunity to speak up for those who could not speak for themselves. She discusses some hot button topics for sure!!

I find her mission to be powerful and heroic.
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So, Who else? My parents are my heroes!

For doing the best they could with what they had. For trying to give me and my brother a better life than they had. For their unconditional love, faith, strength, wisdom, guidance & sacrifice. {of course, I called all of these attributes something else back in the day...}
Yup! Once lame-O, kill-joys turned Heroes! : )

Parenting is definitely full of delayed gratification. I didn't get it until I became one.

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My kids are my heroes, too!

Regardless of my screw ups and failed parenting attempts, they are growing into wonderful human beings despite me!!

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And for all of YOU behind.the.scenes people who volunteer and give of yourselves to make the world a better place - I continue my theme of Gratitude from last week - thank you for being Heroic!!

Blessings!

G is for Gratitude

2010-11-04T11:56:00.001-04:00

What's November without a little gratitude?!

I spent some time this morning composing a memory tribute to one of the people being honored at the President's Dinner at my girls' high school this year. I felt it was important to let this man know how he has impacted my family. He may not know otherwise! Our story is not unique. Mr. McC has touched generations of people with his time, talent & treasure. I'm sure he doesn't give of himself for the recognition or glory, but sometimes it's just nice to know that you've made a difference!

This led me to think of all of the people who have influenced my life in one way or another. People who give of themselves in big ways and small. People who touch my life just by living their own.

Sometimes I am guilty of wanting a pat on the back for things that I do, but then I can be stingy about acknowledging what others do...

So, during the month of November (not just for a day), the month of Thanksgiving, I'm going to try to be more mindful of what others offer me - tangible, verbal, emotional, big or small
I've been told you can't be grateful & resentful at the same time.

Today I'm going to start with YOU fabulous bloggers!! I didn't really know what to expect when I started on this blogging journey. I just mentioned to someone that I don't really know where I'm headed with this but I LOVE the options & directions I can go. And I appreciate the sharing and camaraderie and support found here. I love your sincere comments and musings. They make me smile & laugh. Sometimes it's just the thing that I need. It's been such fun so far : ) So Thank You!

And just so you don't think that I'm all business today, I wanted to let you in on an uber thankful secret that brings a smile to my face on a regular basis... *Go Here*
you can thank me later : )

Blessings!

ps just wanted to share an opportunity with you! wouldn't it look great somewhere in your home or as a gift? check it out!

Bringing Peace Into The Home is holding a giveaway

of this print by Liz Lemon Swindle.

Click here to enter for the giveaway.

btw this print represents something else I'm grateful for!!

F is for 4 Funny's & a Funeral

2010-10-27T20:15:00.001-04:00

{1} Have you watched Parenthood or Modern Family or The Middle? So Funny!!

{2} Pull your lips into your mouth, covering your teeth. Now try saying "Rhutabaga, Rhutabaga" Hahaha - You look Funny : )

{3} Q: Why don't cannibals like clowns?
A: Because they taste funny!

Do I hear crickets? yeah, well, that's Handy Hubby : ) 's favorite joke. It would at least make me smile if he'd stop telling that one!

{4} Homecoming was a few weekends ago at the girls' high school. The theme was Disney movies. Each class picked a different movie to showcase. The freshmen class *Daughter S* picked Finding Nemo.

Well, despite their efforts the freshmen didn't win - they never do. The seniors won {Daughter A happens to be a senior}so there was still celebrating in our house.

I think the freshmen should have won for their slogan alone:

Frosh are Friends, Not Food

Hahahahahahahahahahaha!

Just in case you haven't seen this movie, there is a scene where a friendly shark learns in 'school' that

Fish are Friends, Not Food

Get it?!

AhHahahahahahahHahahahaHahaha!
Totally tickled my funny bone! I'm easily amused *not by cannibals, however* & it is about the little things, after all.

I loved that they could laugh at themselves & understood where they fall in the school food chain : )

Oh! Shark Bait *another movie reference* can be soooo FUNNY!

& Finally the {Funeral} The 20th was my birthday. I turned Forty... something ; )
Anyhoo - My MIL & several S'sIL kindly invited me out to lunch to celebrate on Wednesday! I accepted. Then the next day I got the call about a funeral at church scheduled on... my birthday. (I'm on the funeral luncheon committee)
Talk about the circle of life!

At first I wasn't sure how to feel about it. A part of me wanted to be selfish and proceed with my plans. Never mind that the current chairperson running funeral luncheons is in her 9th month of pregnancy with her 5th child. Forget the fact that another woman & I already agreed to tag-team subbing for her while we give her a 2 week maternity leave *jk!* Well, and then there was the sad truth that I'd only ever worked 1 funeral dinner. There hadn't been a funeral in almost 2 months so it could be trial.by.fire if I didn't try to learn the ropes when I had the chance.

Ultimately, I decided that I was fortunate enough to be able to postpone my birthday celebration - I had the luxury of time. And this funeral was the last big thing the church gets to do to honor this man. I was happy to serve at his funeral luncheon on my birthday!! *I don't mean I was happy about his funeral... Oh! you know what I mean!!*

I just hope the Fam could chuckle at the fact that I ditched them to work a funeral...
or am I digging my own grave?!
duh, duh, Duuuuuuh

Blessings!

Cute While Cooking

2010-10-25T07:28:00.000-04:00

I know some of you think I've fallen off the crafty wagon. Well, I've just been preoccupied with a few other things, is all! And to prove I still do the occasional project - just wanted to share a birthday gift I made for my son's girlfriend. They were here over the weekend.

She likes to cook so I thought she might enjoy looking cute while cooking : ) I bought my materials at GW this time because I was hoping I would get more fabric for the money. The spotted fabric is from a flat twin sheet. The brown fabric is a duck cloth window panel. They were $3.99 each {and I think I might have enough fabric left for another apron although it might not be double-sided like this one}.

I cut a strip the length of the twin sheet to make the ruffle. I used almost all of it! I cut off the side hem, intending to make some cute embellishments for the front of the apron. Another length was used for the sash/tie across the top. I cut 2 panels from the brown curtain so the apron is reversible {but it looks the same from the front or back}

After tucking the apron into a bag with some tissue paper, I tied a big bow to the handle and capped it off with a pin she can put on the apron (or sweater or scarf), a cookie cutter in the shape of a crown & a glittery M. {I got the cookie cutter at Sur la Table for $.60}

Daughter A *who's modeling the apron in my pics* said it makes her want to cook something : )
Hopefully, Girlfriend M will feel the same way and then Son C might benefit from some cookies or brownies or a gourmet meal! Oh, rats! I let the cat out of the bag - gifting with ulterior motives...

And as a Halloween treat for both of them. They each received a mug from the dollar section at Target. It has Charlie Brown on the front saying "Good Grief!". Inside I put a bag of chalkboard spray painted rocks {a la Pottery Barn} & chalk. Now they can both say "I gotta rock!" teehee

So, you see? I'm not totally out of the crafting game - I still dabble a little!

You might find me partying at some of these places *HERE*

Blessings!

E is for Economizing Efforts

2010-10-20T23:14:00.000-04:00

So, the economy isn't great. Times are tough. Everyone's tightening their belts, right?
Should one be thrifty only when times are hard? Heck, No! I love saving $ all of the time, it just helps most when every penny counts. And if things are stretched thin for average josephine's like me, what about those who have even less?

Well, I'm no money guru but I do have a few tricks I love using & thought I'd share a few with you today!

My favorite 'funny money' is Discover Card's Cash Back Rewards! *find out more HERE* I use my Discover Card whenever I can. I use it on groceries, gas, clothes, restaurants, misc. I hardly carry any cash anymore. But I pay off my full balance every month & I only buy something if I'm ok with the price it costs right now. I don't think about any money I get back. When I'm ready to cash out I can do a number of things.

1) I can use the Cash Back Bonus $ to reduce my balance due. Sometimes I do this when a reduced balance is really what I need.

2) I can use it to make a donation to a handful of organizations & Discover will donate a percentage more. This option is great because there is no additional out.of.pocket expense to me. I'm helping out a great cause *I usually choose the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund* plus Discover kicks in a little extra. I feel good - they feel good!

3) I can get a gift card at a participating store. So, for example, at back.to.school time I cashed in $20 in Cash Back Bonus $ and got a gift card for $25 at American Eagle! I did that for each of the girls so for $40 I got $50 in GCs. If a special occasion is coming up and I know we'll go out to dinner I may cash in $80 and get 4 $25 GCs to Buca di Beppo. Bring that in with a $10-off coupon usually found in the weekend paper & I may not have to pay anything more out.of.pocket on a dinner for 5+ people!! I usually fund my hardware store needs for my projects with Lowes GCs using my Cash Back Rewards $ although this one's not as great of a deal. (For $45 I only get a $50 GC.) And it has come in handy, when I have enough advanced notice, to order a card to give as a gift. How often do you get to buy a GC for less than the face value?!

btw I didn't get paid for this endorsement - I just love my Discover Card! <3
Ok! 'Nuf about that! Moving on -

There are 2 sites where I get good deals. Restaurants.com & Groupon.com
If you get on their email list they will send you regular deals. For example, during a special promotion at Restaurants.com I purchased a $25 GC for $2! {Yes! You read that correctly!!} I chose a local restaurant I've wanted to try. Handy Hubby : ) & I tried it out on a date night. We ordered $31 worth of food. We spent about $14 total on our meal out.of.pocket (including tax & tip). I might not have been willing to try it if not for this GC! {Make sure you read the fine print for each establishment}

The same goes for Groupon.com. They do offer restaurant coupons but lots of other things too. I've tried indoor rock climbing experiences, paint.your.own pottery places, a wine tasting nite. All things I would never pay full price for but at a discount I'm willing to give it a try.

And finally, I've recently discovered the world of couponing!! Where have I been?!! I mean I've always used coupons but not to this level!

To supplement our church food pantry, a new committee started requesting that parishioners donate their weekend ads after they've clipped the coupons they want first. We meet weekly to sort the ad packets and clip the coupons for the best deals of the week.

Last week, I MADE $ buying toothpaste at CVS for the pantry!! How you ask? Well, the toothpaste was on sale for $2.99. CVS was offering $2.99 in Extra Care Bucks but we also clipped a coupon for $1 off so I made $1 in ECB/tube! I used my ECB on Halloween candy. I can't bring myself to turn in that receipt to church for reimbursement - I'd feel like I was stealing!!

Now I pick up any deals that end up being free and donate it to the pantry. Makes me feel good.
There are several sites that watch weekly ads: couponmom.com, Just Trying to Save Money blog & The Coupon Goddess blog!! Check them out!

And one final tip - I promise! If you love owning books you should check out paperbackswap.com! You list books that you are done with. When someone requests one of your books, you pay to send it out *media mail* and when they receive it you earn a credit. You, then, can use your credit to request a book someone else has listed. They actually have divisions to swap CD's & movies too.

My girls have to purchase their own books for school & we can usually find most of the books they need for English on paperbackswap. It saves us a little cash. And when they are done with it we can keep it or repost it.

As usual, I've run on too long! {If you knew me in real life you'd say I'm shy - Honest!} I just get so darned excited when I can save $ on something I was gonna get anyway. It never hurts to watch your spending! So there you have it, Folks! A few of Emily's Economizing Efforts!

How do you economize?

Blessings!

D is for Delish

2010-10-13T19:11:00.001-04:00

Now that the weather is cooling down, I really LOVE having hearty soups as meals!

At a women's retreat weekend through church recently, I was responsible for providing a soup for the participants at the Sat. lunch which is traditionally the soup & salad lunch. I made my MIL's recipe for Tortellini Soup.

I'm sharing her recipe but I usually take liberties with the quantities because I like my soups super chunky!

Chicken Tortellini Soup

2 cups diced chicken breasts *about 3 breasts*

1 cup sliced carrots *I double it*

bay leaf

6 cups of water

1/2 cup vermouth *or cooking sherry or white wine*

3 14.5 oz cans of chicken broth or 1 29.5 oz can

1 can cream of chicken soup *I use 2*

1 large chopped onion

1 tsp *or more* each:

oregano

basil

salt

pepper

2 heaping Tbsps minced garlic

10 oz bag of chopped broccoli

1 20 oz pack of Buitoni tortellini *in the refrigerated section*

1} Cook diced chicken in small amt of water w/ sliced carrots & bay leaf in stock pot

2} Add rest of ingredients to pot except for broccoli & tortellini

3} Boil until carrots are tender

4} Add broccoli & tortellini 10 - 15 min before serving

Serve with grated white cheese of choice and/or garlicy croutons

Serves 8 - 10

**************************************************

I broke out my extra large capacity crock pot to hold this quantity. Of the 5 soups offered for lunch that day 2 were scrapin' the bottom of the barrel. I went home with an empty crock & several requests for the recipe. : ) I was humbled cuz I'm not a great chef - I only make what's easy!!

My crock may have been empty but my heart was full on love! It's truly an honor to serve meals for the participants at these retreats.

If you give this recipe a try, let me know if you think it's Delish!
I think it's D bomb!!

Blessings!

Cool, Cr@pPy & Challenging - Oh, My!

2010-10-07T17:33:00.000-04:00

I've got a C concoction going on today since I'm participating in Jenny Matlock's Alphabe - Thursday. It was difficult coming up with just one C word to focus on because there are so many choices, but I decided to limit myself to 3...

Since I started blogging a few months ago I've seen soooo many Cool ideas! You all are completely amazing & talented & creative & inspiring... *do I have your full attention yet? : ) * I saw so many ideas I wanted to borrow but I couldn't keep them all straight in my little pea brain. So, I started an idea file {found in my tool bar} where I tucked away the links of things I wanted to remember.

My all time #1 favorite, uber Cool idea to date is *HERE*
These scultures are made out of driftwood by Heather Jansch !!

I have absolutely no hope of EVER constructing something like this, but I had to save it and share it because it blows my mind!!! The fluidity and beauty of these creatures astounds me. I'm confounded by her vision! In fact, I wouldn't be surprised, in the least, if one of them actually galloped away!! Whew! Oh, I'm flushed - those sculptures truly move me!!

Ok! So that was the Cool... moving on to the Cr@pPy Crafts

{1}Do you recall this wall of vinyl frames?

Do you recall I predicted they would fall down one day?

Well, slap me silly & call me a fortune teller cuz look what happened

As it turned out, the black frame was not the part you 'rub on' the wall. It was the negative space that was sticking to the wall! A few little sticky spots were not going to hold up the large frame! And it didn't, obviously. I may have even damaged the wall because I kept rubbing & rubbing the black trying to get that part to adhere to the wall!
Looks like this one's next... Grrrrrrr!

So, I'll warn you again: If you are tempted to buy the faux vinyl wall art from Target - Just Say NO!!

{2}I picked up a few discontinued fabric samples from JoAnn Fabrics a while ago. I've been doing different projects with them *see here, here & here*

I was saving my favorite for a special project. Love it!

I finally decided on a handbag. I wanted a funky shape for my cool print and came up with this

My idea was to have interchangeable handles, so I punched holes to install grommets. Unfortunately, I chose a grommet the wrong size for my punch. Now I just have holes. I'm not calling it a Craft Fail yet. I'm not buying a new punch yet either. I'm calling it Cr@pPy planning & filing it under 'In Limbo'

{3} I could keep going on & on but I'll just bore you with 2 today and move on...

My Challenging Craft is definitely my hip chair I found at GW right before Labor Day

I thought it was just going to be a reupholstery job & I thought it would be pretty easy with it's clean lines. But when I removed the fabric I found Mr. Grumpy Potato Head underneath

& it smelled! I couldn't bring myself to just cover it up so I stripped it down to the frame.

Now we're talking a totally different ball game. I don't know nothin' bout redoing this!!

The back was tufted. And the seat has deteriorating burlap which I wanted to replace but can't because there are wires running through it. I can't spend a lot of $ to redo this. So there it sits in the garage where Handy Hubby : ) walks by it and asks every day how much longer it's going to be there. Siiigh!

So there you have it - The Cool, the Cr@pPy & the Challenging!

C you next time!

ps for those of you still hanging around and who asked to C this...
Here's the crumb.catcher/dust.ruffle dress from Plan B

Blessings!

Paper Bows

2010-10-04T20:35:00.000-04:00

Yay! I'm finally back in business!
I haven't been able to load pictures to my post for almost a week and it was crampin' my style! And not even because I have anything fantabulous to share with you. It's just I want what I want when I want it!! That's not too much to ask, right?!
Well, all I've really got today is a quick little project.

This is the centerpiece I have on my table this year. Although I had all of the pieces last year, I've never had them together in this combination before. It's just a pre-fabbed candle ring on a pedestal with a foam pumpkin on top. The only thing new is the paper napkin I used for the bow.

I'm in LOVE with the quatrefoil pattern right now, so when I saw this pack of cocktail napkins at Target I had to have it.

I only used 3 napkins to cover my pumpkin. See how *here*

Anyway, the centerpiece pumpkin looked a little plain so I used one of the napkins to fashion a bow for the top.

I started by opening up a napkin and cutting it into 1/4's

I took strips and fashioned them into parts of the bow

Then I took left over twist ties from treat bags and wound them around a chopstick to make curly Q's

And since my pumpkin is foam, I simply used straight pins to attach all the parts of the bow.

Easy Peasy!

*That's more than I can say about getting pictures to load to my post!!*

You might find me partying at some of these places *HERE*

Blessings!

Plan B

2010-10-01T09:08:00.002-04:00

I apologize for being tardy, Miss Jenny, but my ~~dumb~~ computer won't let me load pictures to my post! I've been trying for 2 days now but every time I try the computer flips out and toggles between blogger & google, google & blogger! This wasn't my original topic but I'm a resourceful gal, so I'll go to Plan B.

B is for Bad Dress Day

Daughter S runs cross country. The day before meets the senior girls pick a theme and everyone dresses to fit the theme. Friday's theme is 'Bad Dress Day' {and not bad as in good but bad as in people should point & laugh bad}. So naturally my sweetie came to me asking if she could borrow something from my closet.

Admittedly, I have a collection of pretty outdated dresses from weddings & events past. And I've always dreamed of the day when my girls would raid my closet to borrow my clothes... just, not because they think my clothes are atrocious! Well, a mama can't be too picky now can she?

So, I paraded my line of horrid, pushed.to.the.back.of.the.closet, you.really.wore.that.in.public? attire for her approval. As I pulled out dresses, delving deeper & deeper in the closet - reaching further & further back in time, her reactions were priceless. Some caused her to suck in her breath, some caused her to exhale with her mouth in an O {sorta Darth Vader-like}, some made her eyes light up as she exclaimed, "Oh! that's so good!" {meaning bad}. She even asked if I had anything with shoulder pads.

Honey, I'm a product of the 80's. Of course I have shoulder pads!! Mama's got your back : ) *I mean shoulders* I produced not 1 but 2 dresses with shoulder pads - both in floral print!! The length was mid-shin. { I know there are nods of recollection goin' on out there!}

Daughter S finally settled on a black & white full-length dress I wore to my first college formal with Handy Hubby : ) It's a black spaghetti strap number with a 6" white ruffle that falls below the black waist band *S called it a dust ruffle* & an 8" white ruffle that went up from the waist band *S called it a crumb catcher*. She said it really wasn't all that bad. She just couldn't bring herself to wear some of the other ones that made us double over with laughter!

btw, Daughter A wore the same dress for Halloween one year when she & a friend were zombie prom queens (?)

Personally, I just think they secretly LOVE my dress & want to wear it to pretend they're mocking me but need an excuse to wear it publicly!!

That's my story & I'm sticking to it!!

Blessings!

I can't fight this feeling anymore!

2010-09-27T12:28:00.001-04:00

FaLL

That cool crisp air is too much to resist - I guess I'm all in now!
You all made me start with this Labor Day weekend

And then I made this last week

So now, here we go!!

I'm pretty sure no one's going to miss this wiffle ball!

When I saw this tutorial by The Other White House I KNEW I had to make some

Like my napkin bow? More on that later

Sheeesh! I've even done some baking!
*it's apple cranberry : P *

And I swore the Halloween stuff wouldn't come out until Oct...
but I couldn't help myself - I love this little guy!
He keeps me company when I Must do dishes : )

This guy not so much but there he is

Oh! and the mums are growing like gangbusters outside!
*oops! weed alert*

Well, I just thought I'd share a taste of autumn at my house.
Happy Fall!

You might find me partying at some of these places *HERE*

Blessings!

A is for Artwork

2010-09-23T14:27:00.001-04:00

I'm trying a new party this week *Jenny Matlock's Alphabe Thursday*. Seems appropriate given the name of my blog : ) This week's letter is "A". My A is for Art. Not very original, I know, but it is what it is. We'll see how the alphabet progresses...

This is our Autumn Subway Art in progress. I love the picture frame dry erase boards & I love all the subway art I've been seeing everywhere so I've combined the 2 here. So, part of the charm of subway art are the different fonts & different sized words. Mine is incomplete because it is a group effort. I asked each member of my family to contribute words that they think of when they think of autumn. Then they each wrote their words on the board. As we have different people come over, we will ask each of them to make their contribution to the board! I fear I may love it too much to ever erase it : ) I guess that's what cameras are for!

Here is the picture frame dry erase board I made for my friend who has an autumn birthday. She admired the other one I made recently so she's getting her own soon. *See more here* I like how the burlap flower turned out. *and as if I needed to tell you - the fabric in the frame is yet another $1 discontinued fabric sample*

And my final piece of artwork is our family swirl. A little back story - Handy Hubby : ) & I have never agreed on artwork. As a result, we have very little artwork hanging in our house. He likes more contemporary art. I usually don't care for the stuff he likes...

I decided that if I attempted to create something personal yet more contemporary we might find some common ground. One day as I was doodling I came up with this design. And as I studied it more I realized that I could see letters in the scribble. In fact, I could find the first letter of each of our names! {admittedly, some letters are more ambiguous than others...} And furthermore, the style of each letter sorta matched our personalities as well! btw our initials are SECAS. Do you see what I see?!

Well, HH got into it and printed the swirl on a transparency & borrowed a projector from work for me to transfer the image onto the canvas. I picked the color palette *jewel-toned & autumn-like, right?}, painted it out & we now have artwork that we both feel vested in! Yay! Success.

So, tell me, What is YOUR "A"?

You might find me partying at some of these places *HERE*

Blessings!

Time to Celebrate!

2010-09-17T23:05:00.002-04:00

Back in the summer of '95 *or soon there after*, every sibling in Handy Hubby : )'s family (9) who was married at the time {5} was expecting. Thus producing a bumper crop of 5 babies in one year! Whew!

Today is my baby's birthday - her closest cousin in age was born 4 days before her. *It's a good thing she was a girl cuz they got to our boy's middle name first - these days names are closely guarded secrets haha*

Well, at our local art museum (IMA) they have a number garden and my MIL loved the poetry of having 5 grandchildren turning 5. She always said she wanted to take a picture of the 5 5's at the IMA "5". As it turns out, that has not been so easy to accomplish. She's been saying it every year and now they are starting to turn 15! : )

On my last visit to the IMA, I discovered that if you stand at exactly the right angle you can get the 1 & the 5 in the same shot. So now she has a small window to get the 5 5's together *the name stuck & they've been lumped together ever since* for a photo op in front of the 15. Good luck with that Grammi!

Anyway, for the big day I made this 'CELEBRATE' banner

*I don't even know who to link this idea to because these babies are everywhere!*

And I know the letters are hard to read but Daughter S will know I personalized it for her because I used the paper scraps from the notebooks she decorated for school.

This was a no.sew project and certainly a labor of love because hot glue goes through burlap like nothin'! Hot & messy. And I don't have a Cricut or Silhouette so I used a stencil & cut out the letters.

Can you say low tech?!

Ah well! Anything for 10 seconds of happiness, right?!

At least it was cheap - found the 3/4 yd. burlap remnant for $1.80. The ribbon was all 50% off. And the twine was from the $1 section at Target. The rest I already had.

So, did you spy the vinyl frames on the wall above the banner? I've been wanting to add some artwork in that space but didn't know what to put there because you can see it from downstairs. I had considered a frame wall with real frames but when I saw this set on clearance at Target I thought I could do the whole wall for the price of one actual frame plus there wouldn't be any nail holes.
Daughter S is going to love this because she's artsy like that and will love seeing it going upstairs to her room... but if you're tempted to buy it at your Target just say 'NO'. You get what you pay for - it's super cheap!! It will probably fall down on the next hot or humid day.
And I can just hear Handy Hubby : ) saying already, "Pffft! What is that? The gateway to the estrogen ocean?!" *that's what he calls our household since our son went off to college and left HH stranded, alone, to fend for his poor little 'ol self with 3 females*

Anyway, speaking of frames, do you remember this one I got for $2.04 at HL?

Well, she needed a message board for all of her notes

Happy birthday, my baby, my explorer, my busy bee!
for my loving angel who gifted me with THREE whole extra days inside me ~~too stubborn to be born~~ for a little extra mother/daughter bonding!
I shower her with the gift of time : )

Now how do I get the days to stop passing so quickly?! *sigh*

And this all would have made much more sense if I had actually finished the clock I was working on but I ran out of time... ironic, no?

*I'll do another post about the clock later*

You might find me partying at some of these places *HERE*

Blessings!

Fruits of my Labor {Day Weekend}

2010-09-08T15:33:00.001-04:00

When I was pondering how to spend my Labor Day weekend, I had so many projects & ideas in mind...

I have tons of things in the works that need to be finished up. Each one seemed more boring than the next though.

I found this little cutie on my last trip to GW for only $14.99!

Wouldn't that be cute just about anywhere?!

I've already gotten a 2-pack of canvas drop cloths to recover it with. Visualize a great pattern & some spiffy pillows on it!

Well, I didn't get to do that. But boy did I want to - maybe one day soon!

What I had to do, because it was perfect weather for painting, was paint the front door. I've been complaining about the color since we moved in 3 years ago but haven't been able to do anything about it because I have a hard time committing to a color. {Black? Blue? Gray? Brown? Red?}

I know, I KNOW - it's just a color & it's just a can of paint. Big whoop!

Couldn't do it.

Until now.

Because Handy Hubby : )'s been on my case about picking out a color for a while. And I kept putting him off. Finally he threatened to pick the color himself.

*Um! last time I let that happen I ended up with seafoam green carpeting - 'nuf said!*

I said I'd buy paint when everything went on sale Labor Day weekend.

Well, the weekend came & it was time to pay the piper!

So, here's the old door color

I didn't dislike the color but along with the neutral trim, neutral brick & neutral brown roof the whole house was too much of the same thing and looked very bland.

After a little trial & error, I ultimately decided on a dark blue *It's called Corduroy Black actually - don't you love the name?* .
I must say, I like the Valspar Duramax paint. It has primer in there already so I only needed 2 coats to cover the door!

And because all of you crafty ladies have been tempting me with your fall decorations, I decided it was time to put up my fall wreath I made a few years ago!

I love the way the colors pop off the door now : )

And since I had more time, I snuck in a quick serving tray makeover on the 99 cent tray I got when I found the cute chair. I got the idea from Amanda @ Imperfectly Beautiful *see here*

This is one of my last scraps of this wrapping paper, y'all.

I haven't been able to find any more at Target!

Well, I had to enjoy the beautiful day with my corn salsa & crossword puzzle before the rain gets here later this week!

*btw my thoughts & prayers go out to all those in Texas affected by the torrential storms!! I hear San Antonio got hit pretty hard*

I started a few other things this weekend but they are still in the works...

And, well, I couldn't stand not touching my chair & so I had to start on that, too. Look what was under the old upholstry!

Doesn't it look like a grumpy potato?! I guess I would too if I looked like that! Yikes!!

I'm really hoping I can turn that frown upside down one day!!

You might find me partying at some of these places *HERE*

Blessings!

Wordless Wednesday {exPloRinG thE iMa'S 1o0 aCreS}

2010-08-25T09:09:00.001-04:00

Go Wordless Today! *HERE*

Blessings!

Thank You Note

2010-08-22T23:37:00.000-04:00

Do you recall those $1 discontinued fabric samples I bought a while back?
Can you stand another project using one?
This particular sample came with the larger 17"x17" piece & 3 smaller color swatches all for $1! *score* I used the black & tan one for my camera strap cover *see HERE* And for this project I chose the terra cotta one.

Daughter S had the opportunity to spend a few days visiting old friends in Wisconsin this summer. She stayed with her very good friend/old neighbors. I am lucky enough to call the mom my good friend too. She was my crafting buddy - we stamped our own Christmas cards together one year, we made teacher gifts & sewed matching halloween costumes. *Ah, fun times, fun times*

Well, for housing & entertaining & transporting my daughter for the better part of a week, a 'thank you' was definitely in order. I decided to make her a little something *I think she would expect nothing less...*

I bought a frame 1/2 off at HL for an 8x10 photo (no mat)

Using spray adhesive I attached the fabric to the back board of the frame, trimmed it out and wrapped a brown ribbon around it vertically.

I didn't want the back of the frame to look messy so I took the ribbon all the way around and tacked it down with a sticker from a stationery pack
*Sheeeesh-ok I'm just anal like that... & I tattle on myself, too : )*

& speaking of tattling - I'm such a craft dork that Handy Hubby : ) printed up sheets of address labels for me to stick on the backs of my stuff *sorta like marking my territory - hehe : ) *

Anyhoooo, I added a cute vinyl initial & 2 little rosettes to the corner, right on the glass.

*I've only just started using vinyl & I LOVE it! what a late bloomer I am!*

And there you have it!

I know a picture frame dry erase board is not a new idea *ever'body's doin' it*

But I'm sorta hoping that this is the fanciest thank you note my friend's ever gotten!! : )

And of course I could NOT write a post about Thank You's without giving a shout out to the crazy 100+ people who have chosen to follow me so far!!!!!
~ THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU ~
Unbelievable!! Please know how honored I am : )
As I've said before, I love blogland for all of the inspiring & amazing ideas. I love that it's a place where like-minded people can gather & help each other by encouraging, supporting & offering such kind words! I'm so happy to be a part of it all! Whooda thunk it?!
Oh yeah! And Thanks for the FUN : )

You might find me partying at some of these places *HERE*

Blessings!

Peppy Paisley Rug

2010-08-17T13:03:00.002-04:00

Well, now that the kids are back in school and summer is coming to an end...

I've finally finished my outdoor rug makeover! : ) I suppose the good news is now that it's not so Ever-Flippin' Hot outside we might actually venture out and get to enjoy it!!

I got a hand.me.down outdoor rug from my MIL over 4th of July weekend.

It's just your basic, plain 5x7 area rug.

She said she had considered painting the border some color but never got around to it and instead just bought a cuter, larger pre-patterned replacement this year. *Lucky Gal!!*

Our outdoor space is pretty bland and lacks color so I thought putting a pattern on the free rug would be a small investment to help pep things up just a bit.

I was excited about this project & wanted to get started right away - that was early July. *I had to go all the way back to my Warm-Fuzzy 'Cake' pics to find my 'before' rug pics!*

I started out by rolling the paint on with a stencil roller but quickly discovered the stencil was too detailed and the rug was too bumpy for rolling it out because the paint was getting under the stencil and the pattern was looking blobby & messy. Luckily I could just flip the rug and try again!

After a stretch of unbearably hot weather, a few rain storms, being distracted by a couple of other projects *scarf cake & desk* , vacations and back.to.school shenanigans, I finally redirected my attention to the neglected rug!

I was much happier with the outcome on the second try.

It looked a little unfinished with just the pattern on there so I rolled out a border last night & now I'm LOVING it!! : ) Yay! I finally finished a project I can share!

Peppy Paisley Pleases Phamily !!! Possibly bloggy Phriends too?

join me in linking up to some awesome parties *HERE*

Blessings!

**********************************************************

updated: 8.20.10

Hokey Smokes!!

Ok! I truly did not expect there to be much interest in the particulars of this project *thank you!!!* but I feel silly now for not adding some details - please forgive!! It only took me about 50 comments to figure it out : P duh!

Assembled together here are my partners in crime:
- a 20"x20" stencil from Hobby Lobby
- several 8 oz. bottles of Anita's all purpose acrylic craft paint *earth brown*
- a stencil brush *a 2" foam roller*
- a pack of Plaid spouncers * foam stipple brushes*
~ everything was 1/2 off! ~
{since I did this after.the.fact, I've already thrown out the roller cuz it got chewed up rolling out the border}
I did not seal or heat set the paint when I finished - I figured it bakes ALL day long in the sun... & I'm lazy!
I hope I answered everyone's questions, if not ask me again!!

Cheap Thrills

2010-08-11T16:51:00.000-04:00

It's time I made a confession. I have a condition.

It's called Listus Forgetus. Apparently, the second I step into a store my mind suddenly goes blank and I can't remember why I'm there! My solution is to roam each and every aisle for visual cues that might jog my memory. Sometimes, however, I simply get distracted and become obsessed by a priceless treasure that someone has undoubtedly tried to stash in the wrong aisle just waiting for me to discover and take home. I find that my memory is effected worst at Michael's, Hobby Lobby, JoAnn's, Target & Goodwill...

So I stopped in at GW the other day *for a good reason, I'm sure* I find things there occasionally but not super great deals like I've been seeing some people finding recently. On this day I found things that made me giddy, GIDDY, I'm tellin' ya!! And honestly, I don't know why 'cause I didn't need any of it - I just knew I had to have it! can I boast for a few minutes, please?

I found this pair of taper candlesticks

I intend to do this with them, a la Decor Chick & Thrifty Decor Chick...

And I found this jar that will make a great pencil holder for Daughter A's vintage Parisian-themed room!

It's gonna look super cute on the desk I redid for her
*see HERE*

My heart skipped a beat when I spied this cloche dome! Can I getta Woot Woot!!

I've been looking for one of these things!

Daughter S was with me at the time and she wanted to pull one of the ugly lampshades on her head when I squealed and practically did a jig in the aisle!! It's the cutest little thing too! It's not a cupcake sized one and it's not a cheese dome sized one. I'd say it's maybe 8" in diameter. Don't even know why I want one, but I know I've had cloche envy something awful for a while now - and now i got me one!! : )

Siiiigh!

I paid my $5 for all the glassware and skipped outta the store. can life get any better?

Uuuum yaw!! I still had to go to Hobby Lobby *for paint, or something*

Well, while we were in Michigan they moved the HL that used to be 20 minutes away to a store front down the street from me!! It went in where the Ashley Furniture used to be so it's GINORMOUS! You KNOW the second I stepped into that place there was a loud sucking noise & Listus Forgetus struck again.

But looky what I found!!

Can you say Match made in Heaven?!

But Wait! There's more!

I found this candlestick for $2.99 *that's 90% off - I made Daughter S check 'cause my old eyes can't always read the fine print anymore grrrrr* It's about 16" tall!

And this frame was only $2.04! It holds an 8 X 10 photo.

It's gonna make an adorable dry erase board or chalkboard or tray some day! ALL of these treasures from both stores totaled under $20!
Oh Boy! I am in soooo much trouble having HL in such close proximity!
It used to be a place I went to with a purpose. Now it will be way too easy to just pop over there to see what I can see!!
Well, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...
I've gotta break it to Handy Hubby : ) - I have a terminal condition!!!!

I may be linking up with some of these Great parties *HERE*

Blessings!

Tie-Dyed Stationery

2010-08-10T12:56:00.000-04:00

Well, it's Kid Craft week over at The CSI Project! What a great time to showcase kids savoring the last few days of summer vacation with some cRafTY fUn!!!

Daughter A had the opportunity to nanny 3 days/week this summer for a great family with 2 kids! Being older *11 & 13* they are pretty self-sufficient but benefitted from having a few days where they had a referee, chauffer, nutritionist, mentor & cheerleader. At the beginning of the summer they brainstormed ideas for what they'd like to do during the course of the summer. One of the things they wanted to do were some crafts. So, daughter A happily obliged and one rainy day they had some fun tie-dying stationery! *with lots of pretty colors for 'her' and with just the right amount of messiness for 'him', as A put it* : )

You start with a modest mound of shaving cream on a moisture resistant paper plate.

Add a few drops of food coloring...

Using a plastic knife, gently swirl the colors into a rainbow.

Place an index card on top of the colored fluff and push down ever so gently.

Using the flat side of your mixing knife, scrape excess cream back onto the plate and set the card aside to dry.

Add new colors & more cream as needed to prolong the fun! : )

No two cards will be the same!

Just look at how much fun the kiddos had!!

Don't freak - this pic was taken pre-washing!

*caution: their hands did remain a little tinted even after washing*

But now look at what they created!

Click to enlarge for more detail.

The kids were happy because they each got their own plate and mixed their own colors and they stayed engaged for a good long time! They loved this project so much they asked to do it again.

Daughter A was happy because clean up was easy - it all went in the trash!

Mrs. D was happy because on the next sunny day the sneaky babysitter had the kids write *so very sneaky! : ) * little friendly notes to the neighbors and popped the postcards in the mailbox as a random act of kindness! You could definitely jazz these up by framing them out with a piece of cardstock & adding ribbon... buuut you'd probably lose the 13 yr old boy's attention at that point!
Now tell me, WHO wouldn't smile if surprised with one of these?
And the kids were smiling thinking about the neighbors smiling!! Win-Win
Who says kids are lazy good.for.nothin's?!! These kids know how to Pay It Forward!!

Linking up with

and some other Great Linky Parties *HERE*

Blessings!

From the Beach

2010-08-06T00:46:00.001-04:00

Everyone needs a break from reality now and again.

Don'tcha just LOVE it when the biggest decision of the day is simply whether to get in the pool or go to the beach?! Aaaaah - Yes, life's been tough...

I actually entertained thoughts of doing a beach post since we got together with my brother's family and my parents at a beach house in Michigan this last week.

I had some beachy/rainy day crafts prepared but got side tracked by the splash contests & outlet shopping. Of course, those poolside & beach side naps were wonderful diversions. Watching the sunset while sipping a bottle of wine was all-consuming. And toasting s'mores by the fire was sticky fun! Our peach picking excursion resulted in a peach crisp for dessert *including an ice cream run* & some yummy peach salsa - we did lots of eating... lots & lots of eating... oh.my.goodness there was TOO much eating...

So, I'll only share my chubby piggies and spare you the unpleasant swim suit view!!

Perhaps it's safer sticking to scenery : )

Then suddenly it was time to pack up to come home & I had to make a mad dash to the beach on our last sunny morning to capture some parting shots. My camera was on vacation too & didn't get to see too much action! But sometimes that's just what the doctor ordered : )

Vacations are relaxing and fun, but it's good to be home *even though the car seemed to throw up beach everywhere* Now it's time to get down to business - Back.to.School Time!!

Blessings!

Wordless Wednesday {sUMmEr shOwER}

2010-08-04T00:00:00.008-04:00

Go Wordless *HERE*

Blessings!

Wordless Wednesday {cHicaGO}

2010-07-27T23:30:00.000-04:00

(click photos to enlarge)

Go Wordless Today! *HERE*

Blessings!

Miscellany Monday

2010-07-26T09:07:00.000-04:00

*1* When you see this are you a glass is half full or half empty kinda person?

This happened to our car on our way to visit my parents in Chicago last Wednesday. A large object flew outta nowhere and clocked the car pretty good. But I consider this my moment of grace! If we had passed that point one second later the object probably would have smashed the windshield - but one second sooner it could have hit in front of the car and gotten tangled up underneath causing untold damage. Either way that would have been the end of our trip. As it is, although it's now an insurance claim with an undesirable deductible, the damage is cosmetic and we continued with our activities. We feel blessed!

*2* While we were in Chicago there was a huge storm that produced a tremendous amount of rain. I-290 was shut down due to flooding, SR 83 was shut down due to flooding... my parents basement flooded. It could have been worse, their basement could have been finished! The sump went out. The good news is Handy Hubby : ) & I were there to help clean up. HH wasn't originally going to go with us. He took vacation days at the last minute. He replaced their sump, bought shelving to get all the stuff off the basement floor, hauled out all kinds of wet & nasty stuff, pulled wiring, installed a ceiling fan upstairs... Needless to say, my parents felt blessed! *me too!!*

*3* Daughter S has been plotting to see old friends from Wisconsin *our previous home state* but it hasn't panned out... until Friday when I talked to my old neighbor while we were on the train heading into Chicago and worked out a plan. It couldn't have worked out better if we had tried to pre-plan this!! Daughter S feels blessed!

*4* I had an unexpected lunch date with Handy Hubby : ) on a beautiful Friday! This was my view from lunch

I am literally 5 ft from the Chicago River!! From our tree-shaded table we could see the Hancock Building, the Chicago Tribune tower & the architectural boat tours. It was absolutely delightful!! *ok this one can be nothing but cup.runneth.over : ) *

*5* We returned home unharmed (after nearly being run off the road by a crazy & hitting a bird)! I would say we were a total Cr@p Magnet on this road trip but we can't help but feel blessed!! We're safe.

*6* It's good to be home - and I was sooo relieved that my basement wasn't flooded! That one would have been a half.empty moment!! : /

Have yourself a blessed & random Monday : )
Share your randoms *HERE*

MLE

Tales of a Desk

2010-07-20T10:42:00.003-04:00

What I'm about to share with you all is not a big deal compared to the level of Fabulousness that happens here in Blogland, but in my little world it may be one of the bigger projects I've attempted by myself. I have reservations about delving into projects that involve large, bigger ticket items and altering them to the point of no return!! *terrifying*

This desk was handed down by my MIL. We love it because it's solid and it's simple but pretty, although it's seen better days.

We have inherited several pieces that have all been well loved & we're starting to look a little like the Clampett's.

The desk was missing some handles, as you can see. On the right, you had to open the drawer below the missing handle-drawer, reach in and pull the drawer with the missing handle open from below. I finally made the executive decision to go ahead and try to glam this little baby up just a little. Who doesn't feel better in a cute, new outfit?!

Daughter A currently uses the desk and she's been going for a vintage Parisian feel in her space. The colors in her room are green, black & off-white. She has a black reading chair in the corner, a black headboard, a black distressed coffee table & and a rather large room. So I thought her room could support another black element. To go with the black coffee table I thought I'd distress the desk too. Then I saw what Susie at Blue Artichoke Interiors did with her porch side table & paint and I wanted to do that. And then I saw what Brooke at The Crafting Chicks did with her stool & fabric and I wanted to do that.

The second I saw this roll of wrapping paper at Target for ~ $3 I knew I would still borrow *steal* their ideas as inspiration but apply it in my more frugal way.

Now I know you're probably thinking that a papered desk top may not be the best idea for writing purposes but thankfully the desk came with a glass topper so it would smooth out all of my papering sins! And sins there were! I've never Mod Podged that large a sheet of paper before so there was definitely a learning curve involved!! *air pockets, wrinkles, Grrrr* That's ok! It's all going under the glass : )

I sealed the whole desk from top to bottom with an acrylic spray.

I knew I wanted clear, plastic drawer pulls & was hoping I could get a whole pack of them at Target. I was shocked at the price - 4 for $15. Count the drawers, My Friends - 9!!! Always in search of a better deal, I went to all the big box stores in town, ebay & other on-line haunts. Sadly, I ended up back at Target and bought 3 boxes. It was just the bling the desk needed *each and every drawer got it's very own pull too!* This was not the thriftiest makeover but we do love.Love.LOVE it!!

It is the opinion of some that the desk could use a little more distressing. I'm sure the desk will come by that honestly. And Daughter A has assured us that much productive studiousness will be taking place here senior year *like college & scholarship apps* Grades are $$$$ & Baby needs some $ for school! It's just...

With the rest of the roll of wrapping paper I lined the drawers.

With the 3 remaining pulls Handy Hubby : ) is going to help fashion a board with the pulls to be used as hooks. I may or may not even try to Mod Podge the paper to the top of the coffee table...

Watch out all you horizontal surfaces! I've got Mod Podge & wrapping paper and I'm not afraid to use it anymore!!

Blessings!
MLE

*I'm trying something new to declutter my posts*
Linking to some great parties *HERE* also. Check them out - you'll be so inspired!

A Tisket A Tasket A Hand-Woven Basket

2010-07-16T22:33:00.001-04:00

Maybe this is showing my age but why is it that when people talked about blow-off classes in college the example was always Underwater Basket Weaving? Because I've attempted to weave baskets on dry land and it's really not that simple! Is it super easy under water?!

I had the opportunity to get together with some of the neighborhood ladies a while ago and learn to weave baskets. *Ok! you can laugh. It makes me giggle just saying it* There was a local artist who welcomed us into her home once a week and taught us the art of basket weaving. The best parts were making the mess somewhere else : ) and getting to chat while we created.

Here is the first basket I tried:

I applied zero technique. I was merely trying to follow the procedure. This one I've named 'Peanut' for it's shape. When it's out it usually holds remotes.

Then I made a Christmas basket which turned out better:

When it's out it usually holds remotes.

To move away from the ovular shape I did a wine basket. It's still unfinished because it's cool but I don't know what to do with it - it's too tall and narrow to hold remotes! Suggestions?

And my favorite and most elaborate basket that I made was the flower basket:

It held remotes but Handy Hubby : ) doesn't like having to navigate the handles to get them out. It currently holds my palms from Lent.

Learning to weave was a fun & an out.of.the.ordinary experience. I'm glad I tried it, but I gotta tell ya, it is truly sooooo much cheaper to just buy the dumb things with my 40% off coupon!!

I made these long before blogging so I couldn't even begin to explain the process to you at all - poor retention...mmm, sorta like college. Oh, hey! I think I get it now - Maybe what happens under water stays under water! Easy!

Blessings!
MLE

*I'm trying something new to declutter my posts*
Linking up to some of the best parties! *HERE* You should link up too!!

Warm-Fuzzy "Cake"

2010-07-11T21:17:00.007-04:00

The Farewell party was coming up quickly! Time was running out to whip up the perfect going-away/house-warming gift... My dear friend's family is moving from Indianapolis to Minneapolis. They will definitely enjoy the moderate temps and low humidity during the summer, but you gotta pay for the lovely weather sometime & that time is winter - OUCH! They need to start channeling Nanook of the North and thicken that blood cuz Old Man Winter comes early and stays late!!

I've been seeing the cloth diaper baby 'cakes' in stores and on blogs. So, I decided I would make them a Minnesota Warm-Fuzzy Cake. Leave it to me to work with fleece on the hottest week of the year *blistering*!! I practically had to get naked just to touch the stuff!! *TMI.sorry* For some crazy reason I can't stop using the sewing machine. Sheesh! I'm drawn to it like a moth to a flame!! ZAP! sizzle, sizzle

I made each family member an Indianapolis Colts scarf to wear proudly when the Colts go to the Super Bowl again : ) The girls got flowers or ruffles on their scarves to feminize it and those 2 became the top layer of my cake.

The boys got fringe and their scarves became the bottom layer.

For the cake plate I went to Goodwill and found a faux marbled candlestick and a charger - $3 for both & cheaper than a gift bag.

I inverted the candlestick so the hole on the bottom is covered, and used E6000 epoxy to bond it to the charger.

A quick spray job and Voila! (I used appliance white Rustoleum epoxy because I already had it and also so I wouldn't have to seal it. Now it's washable and moisture resistant - I still wouldn't serve food directly on it though)

I draped tulle around the cake that they can use as mosquito netting if necessary haha!

I glued paperclips to skewers with a quick spray for picture holders.

I added some pictures on the top to remind them of their time here. *I even did a stalker drive-by and snapped a picture of their house*

Goodness! I think it looks almost good enough to eat : P

Now if only I could get a monster snow blower on top of there!!!

Blessings
MLE

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Daisy Dukes Transformation

2010-07-08T20:42:00.000-04:00

For some reason I couldn't bring myself to do any crafts for July 4th. Day after day I looked at all of the adorable & patriotic projects that everyone was kickin out to celebrate the day but I couldn't find the motivation to join in. I've been flying the American flag since Memorial Day so I'm not un-American but when it came time to making something... Nothing!

And then on Sunday afternoon as the brownies were baking to take to our party it suddenly hit me! I desperately needed to decorate my clothes in red, white & blue. Sheeesh! procrastination to the nth degree I'm telling ya! *I'd have some words for my kids about that kind of behavior*!!

I flew into action with super human speed and whipped out what I can only describe as my Daisy Duke shorts embellished with fabric rosette flowers. I was in such a collosal rush that I hot glued them right to my shorts while I was still wearing them! : ) * I can't believe I'm posting my worn shorts!! Forgive me?*

Well, Ok! so now it's July 8th and I've had about all I can take of the Daisy Dukes. I don't think I can put them through the wash since I hot glued them, can I? I decided against it but I still wanted the rosettes. I wanted to use them for my original idea...

Gosh! I love multi-purpose & versatility!!

Blessings!

MLE

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Miscellany Monday

2010-07-05T07:42:00.000-04:00

{1} Hope you all had a great 4th celebration! it was hottern bejeezus outside but the fireworks were cool!!

{2} Ya know, one of the things I really love about blogging is the terrific exchange and sharing of ideas. It's where like-minded people gather to see what 's going on in blogland. Not only is 'borrowing' perfectly acceptable, but with all the wonderful tutorials out there, strongly encouraged! I love that!! I really enjoy seeing what the hot trends are in blogging projects and also everyone's different spin in making a borrowed idea their own. And almost everyone here is kind and encouraging and supportive of each others' efforts!

{3} My friend's husband died last week the day before their anniversary! So the day that marked the beginning of their life together was the first day she had to learn to live life without him!! my heart aches for her...

{4} I can peel an apple in one long continuous strand : ) I baked an apple pie this weekend.

{5} Seinfeld is still hilarious!!! we just saw the 'shrinkage', poached lobster, ugly baby episode-hahahaha

Share your Randoms!

Blessings!
MLE

Ruffles - Finally!

2010-07-01T10:35:00.000-04:00

I have several different projects that are 'Under Construction' right now but haven't completed yet. So, today I decided to start another one : )

I've been thinking & thinking about what to do with my other $1 fabric samples. I know I said I wanted to make pouches out of them but I'm not quite ready to tackle another zipper *lol*. I've been pouring over all of the inspiring ideas you all have been putting out there and when I got to Ucreate's post Wednesday *check it out here* I knew it was finally time for me to board the Ruffle.Camera.Strap bandwagon!! I'm sorta late to the party but now I had my mission. I studied this great tutorial *here* and was anxious to get started right away... so I disregarded the step where I disassemble a strap, and the part where I use fusible interfacing *cuz I didn't have any* and decided to just sew it right on my existing strap instead.

I knew just the fabric I wanted to use!

Isn't it yummy? It's linen and flocked or smocked or something - I call it fuzzy *somebody educate me here please!*. Before it was discontinued, it retailed for $44.99/yd!! I got the 17" X 17" sample PLUS 3 smaller color swatches for $1. Well, I thought it was just perfect for this project! And I was finally getting my ruffle, too : ) *contented sigh*

Since I only had a fabric sample I was going to have to sew some extra seams to achieve my lengths - I certainly did not have 46" to sew one continuous ruffle. And upon sewing my first ruffle segment I realized I was losing all of the pattern. What a shame! At least I'll always have the before pictures : )

I wanted to add a flower to my strap but this fabric was too heavy to make into a yo yo flower. The black window sheer that I had used for my wristlet was too light. I still had about 1/3 of the sample left so I did this instead:

Now I know that the center of this flower looks suspiciously similar to the one on the wristlet but I promise you it's actually this detail on the cream sample. (the poofy looking thing)

Of course no one will ever know that but me *and now you* and that's enough for me! I don't want to become known as the Fray Freak so I'm backing off fraying for a while after this. : )

My camera definitely deserves the ruffled treatment because she provides all the pretty pictures that hold your attention here at my little blog *the poor angles and lighting are all me, however*. I love the way the linen feels on my neck. You can still see some of the lovely fabric detail if you look on the back. And I finally have my ruffles; although I hadn't really envisioned that they would go around the BACK of my neck and not the front of my shirt or on a cute purse but hey! I'm good with that!!

One word of caution: if you get carried away thinking about what you're going to say in a post while you're supposed to be focusing on sewing, you're going to need the seam ripper A LOT! One of these days it'll be just a bench warmer and not get sooooo much game time!! Grrrrrrr

Well, I guess I can cross this project off my list 'cuz I actually completed it!! So - Yay! I also think I need to walk away from the sewing machine because it's driving me crazy! I wish I was a better seamstress! The weather has really cooled off here so I should probably take this opportunity to go outside and finish some of my paint projects...

I hope you all enjoy a wonderful *and safe* Fourth of July!!

Blessings!
MLE

En-light-ened Moments

2010-06-28T15:03:00.000-04:00

My dear friend is moving to Minnesota. : ( She was one of the first people I met when I moved here and I feel our meeting & friendship was not an accident. Before her house went on the market she asked me to walk through it with a buyer's eye to help her get it ready to show. It's difficult when you go into a house and all you can see is LOVE & WARMTH & HOME!

As you know, I've been so inspired by all the transformations using spray paint going on in blogland that when she told me she was going to replace her brass dining room fixture with a new one I forwardly said, 'Oh! No! you should just spray paint it!' - like I even knew what I was talking about - like I had SO much spray painting experience - like I hadn't been dying to try it out on my own blah! kitchen fixture but was too chicken to do it. *At that moment all I could hear were the little voices from the Life cereal commercial 'I don't wanna try it, you try it.' Next boy,'I'm not gonna try it, you try it.' 'Hey, Mikey!'*

Well, next thing I knew, I had offered to take the light and spray it for her if she picked up the paint. I already had a spraying station set up in the garage because I was working on my 90's table makeover. * more on that here*

Just love how empowering a can of spray paint can be! She was so excited because she was getting rid of the brass and I was excited because I love doing this kind of stuff! This is where I wish I could say I spayed it. It's beautiful. It's what clinched the sale. We all lived happily ever after!

However... have you ever been to the store at Halloween and there are all of those graveyard accessories that are painted silvery/gray but totally look like plastic? Uuumm - that's what I did to her light! Seriously, in her mind's eye she thought she would be getting this:

And what I did for her was this:

I was truly horrified! Handy Hubby : ) helpfully asked me what I was going to do because there was no way I should return the light looking like that! There's only one chance to make a good first impression, he wisely imparted. And when she called after her son's soccer game to get an update with her optimistic enthusiasm... it went to voice mail...

Cocky me had taken the first picture on a hardware store run with HH just to show my friend how much she was saving by spray painting her light. I had a sinking feeling it was turning out to be a note to myself of how much it was going to cost to replace the one I ruined. Finally I sucked it up and made the call to let her know the situation. She said she didn't believe me, that I was too hard on myself and that at this point anything was an improvement. So I ran right over to her house with only the ball and chain from her light and she almost fell over laughing. She had to admit it really looked like plastic!

I took a deep breath, looked her straight in the eye and said, 'I know you trusted my advice the first time and it didn't exactly work out , buuuuut IF I may be so bold as to make another suggestion...' At this point she should have wrapped me up with the ball and chain and kicked me out. Kind, loving friend that she is said, 'Ok. I trust you.' And you wonder why I love her?! *sigh*

My idea was to respray the light with a bronze hammered metal finish like this:

The cream shades are a nice look too.

Thankfully, the second spray turned out much better! Crisis averted!! Yay!

Turns out she had been stashing a trio of light fixtures in her basement for a couple of years that she always meant to hang in the kitchen - wouldn't ya know, they were a bronze metal finish! Now both rooms are coordinated! How perfect is that?! This light story is like a metaphor for life, isn't it? - Our prayers are always answered just not always in the way we imagined!

And as for my dear friend, who has been a light in my life for the last few years, she didn't want to move so far away but her husband's new job opportunity was not an accident. They are being led there for a reason. She touched my life during a dark period and has staked her place in my heart forever. The distance won't change that. Perhaps someone else needs her now. I suppose it's time for me to pull up my big girl panties and stand on my own two feet.

Speaking of which, we got together recently to celebrate friendship and to de-stress from the sale of their house. We took a risk and bonded over paint again...

...but this time it was of a different variety : )

Blessings!

MLE

for Amy : )

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: ) awarded

2010-06-22T23:14:00.000-04:00

Elizabeth @ Habitually Crafty has made me smile and giggle the last few days as we've been fumbling through the mechanics of blogging together. And now she's giving ME an award?! That's cRazY but I'm loving it anyway : ) To accept it, there are 3 conditions:

1) Thank the person who gave me this award.

Thank you, Elizabeth!! Finding your blog was the real award! Go visit Elizabeth's awesome blog at Habitually Crafty. She does a Good Job! *who sounds like a teacher now?* : )

2) Share 7 things about myself. Hmmmm...

Well...

- I've known Handy Hubby : ) since I was 18 *over half my life*

- My favorite shows last season were: Brothers & Sisters, Parenthood, the Good Wife, DWTS & anything HGTV

- I would love to go to Europe some day

- My favorite verse is Proverbs 3:5-6

- I love being a SAHM. Even though my kiddos are older now I'm lucky enough to maintain this lifestyle. When they are little they have little problems, when they get bigger they have bigger problems - and I always want to be available if they need/want me!

- I never expected to participate in or enjoy blogging but I love being surrounded by such awesome craftiness!

- The little things in life make my heart sing : )

3) Pass it on to bloggers that I have recently discovered.
Here goes!! So glad I found you, Ladies! You've made me smile for one reason or another : )

Ott,A at A Latte' with Ott,A
Laura at along for the ride
Susie at Blue Artichoke Interiors
Lynn at For Love or Funny
Haley at The Autocrat
Heather at View from the Shoe

Please go and check them out, if you don't know them already!!

Blessings!
MLE

Frilly Goodness

2010-06-21T10:42:00.000-04:00

I'm not a super frilly gal but something about ruffles is making me say, "Serve me up a big bowl of that Ruffled Goodness and throw in a side of Cute!"

My to-do-list is brimming with ideas of the ruffled variety so I figured I'd better start on a few projects before this fancy passes...

This Vera Bradley purse was my inspiration. When I saw a picture of it online last March *Cha Cha in Sittin' in a Tree * I knew I had to have it! I don't usually splurge like that for myself but I decided it would be worth squeezing into last summer's clothes one more year if I could carry that little cutie everyday : )

Well, as cute as it is, it doesn't work all of the time. And I've been toying with the idea of a clutch or a wristlet as a quick, summer grab & go *with ruffles, of course*. So, let's see what happens...

On my last trip to JoAnn's I found more discontinued fabric samples that were being clearanced out for $1 - more on that here. So, today I'm serving up another project using these squares. L.O.V.E. these! I got sooo excited I couldn't just pick one - or two... The top 5 samples are all indoor/outdoor fabrics so they're durable, fade-resistant & water resistant.

I also decided to try sewing a zipper because I didn't want anything falling out of a wristlet if it was dangling from my arm. *I was soooo nervous cause I was a zipper virgin* I picked the fabric sample I cared about least just in case I screwed it up - I used the black & white stripe because something black & white is really what I needed.

I watched several tutorials on zippers, wrung my hands together, took a deep breath, squeezed my eyes shut & stepped on the gas...

At the end of the day, what I ended up with was this!

The zipper still needs work but it wasn't awful for my first try!! Since the fabric had stripes I wasn't feeling the ruffles, so I used this pleated ribbon and added a yo yo flower instead. That's ok! I'm flexible.

I cut out an 8" circle from a black window sheer that I had from another project. I was supposed to sew a 1/4" running stitch around the perimeter of the circle but I don't have mad sewing skills so my stitch wobbled from 1/4" to 1" *go ahead - you can laugh*. That wonky sewing turned out to be a real plus for me! : ) When I gently pulled the running stitch and gathered the fabric to the middle I really liked how the center was frilly. And when I frayed the middle I thought it looked really cool! *who's laughing now? hehe*

Since I had nearly a whole box of Fragments left over from the key chains in my college survival kits (check it out here), I used a tiny one to replace the zipper pull just for a little pizzazz and an itty bitty punch of color.

I've been slinging this little baby around with me the last couple days to try it out. It works fairly well... except I don't know how many days I can come up with all black & white outfits. What? your not supposed to dress around your accessories?! I dunno, I thought it was kinda chic myself : )

I'm super excited that I completed this project for under $5 with just an idea rolling around in my pea brain *and once again, no pattern*. Admittedly, some of the mental gymnastics almost made my eyes pop right outta my head though! It wasn't exactly what I had originally envisioned but I'm not unhappy with where I ended up. Now I've got to grab a few more zippers so I can try a slightly different design on the really fabulous fabrics!!! : )

Warming up my pea brain with a few mental calisthenics *coffee, sudoku & crossword puzzles*... Wish me luck!!

Blessings!
MLE

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Wordless Wednesday {sUMmErTimE}

2010-06-16T08:21:00.001-04:00

************************************************************************************

Share your story... but Sssssshhhhhh!
At Wordless Wednesday : )

Blessings!
MLE

Some Randomness

2010-06-14T10:05:00.000-04:00

Mondays and Randomness seem to go hand in hand...

*1* I thought I could grill hamburgers last night before the storm. I got the burgers done in time but forgot to cover the grill and the cover almost blew away - again!! It was very blustery and wet last night.

*2* Daughter S has an eye appointment today. She's had red eyes and can't get her contacts in. Hope it's nothing serious!

*3* I looked around this morning after everyone was gone and realized I haven't been alone in over 2 weeks. I also realized I've already achieved 'summer house' - where things are in a constant cluttered state because everyone's home and follows behind you undoing what you've JUST done! After a while you figure, why bother?!

*4* I didn't know I was going to do this post today until just now - how much more random can I be? : )

*5* I added this because there are 5 people in my family

Join me at

and lets be random together!

Summer Dinner Dilemma

2010-06-09T09:36:00.000-04:00

Summer is upon us *although it's cool and stormy as I write this* and it's time to pull out those easy, cool dishes to serve *emphasis on easy*.

Here's my dilemma: Daughter S decided to run cross country this year for HS. At the parent meeting recently, the coaches kept telling us they have one of the best courses in the state, but in the next breath they said the kids like to change it up and see different scenery. So, they run somewhere different every night all over the city from 6-8pm. Uuuummm - that sounds like rush hour/dinner time to me, Coach!

S has a full schedule right now. She is taking summer school in the morning and participates in work-study in the afternoon until 4:30. I pick her up, throw some food at her and race to the practice site of the day (I guess she should be doing her homework sometime too, huh?).

Monday's site was 30 minutes away. I knew rush hour traffic would make going back home impractical and unless Handy Hubby : ) was willing to eat dinner at 9pm or fend for himself, we'd have to come up with another solution. I called him late in the afternoon and said he should meet me at the run for a picnic in the park. We had taco salad w/ refried beans and Spanish rice. It turned out to be a gorgeous day and the spontaneous picnic was a date night of sorts! Maybe there's something to this change of scenery thing...

Well, if it's not raining tonight, the run is on the SW side of town 20 minutes away. The thought of doing this 3 days a week all summer long doesn't sound appealing to me, especially come late July/early Aug!! I suppose I'll cross that bridge when we get to it...

For today, I'm sending out a little cry for help! Does anyone have some great summer recipes to share with me?! Please? Perhaps we could even make it a recipe swap of sorts.

NOW we're talkin'! I'm getting my smile back *and I've noticed I'm usually very smiley in my posts* : )

OK! I'll go first - I guess I'll start with Turkey Wraps

I take a large tortilla,
spread some mayo and pesto on it,
layer turkey (or deli meat of choice) on it,
top with lettuce (iceberg, romaine, or whatever salad mix you have open),
tomatoes or sliced peppers (green, red, orange or yellow) & cheese.
Wrap and Roll, Baby! It's fast, easy and contained so you can eat it in the car...

S also likes this as a fish taco wrap - she likes the crumb-coated Tilapia from Sam's Club with asparagus sauteed with onions and garlic and diced tomatoes. This variation is a little messier but I wrap it in foil.

I would say the highlight of our hectic Monday was around 9pm when we got Ding-Dong Ditched. We opened the door to find a plate of assorted desserts! YUMMY!!!! Oh, how I wish I would have stopped to take a quick pic before everyone devoured whatever they could get their paws on first! What a fun and nice thing to do on a summer evening! I know you're not supposed to eat after 7pm but I *and I'm not gonna lie* LOVED every, finger-lickin' crumb of it! Spare-tire be darned!!

I would love to hear what kinds of dishes you'll be serving your families this summer!!!

Blessings!

MLE

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Grad Gifts

2010-06-05T15:13:00.000-04:00

June means Grads & Dads, right? I've already discussed Dads, so on to grads. My daughter has been making her rounds at graduation parties recently. Parties mean lots of fun but you can't show up empty-handed... What's a poor high school student to do? Well, I say College Survival Kits!

College survival kits include all the things kids never think to pack when they go off to school: scissors, tape, band aids etc.

I received mine when I graduated from HS in 19... well, let's just say it's a reunion year and leave it at that...

When I opened it I thought it was an odd assortment of stuff (mine also included needle and thread but kids today seem to think clothes are disposable). I put on my happy face and said "Oh! it's perfect!" On the inside I thought "?????!!" But once I got to school I found myself digging into that box more than I expected and ended up needing everything in it over the years. Genius!!

When my son attended his parties he put the supplies in a tupperware and included scissors, band aids, duct tape, a deck of cards and a screw driver, too. My daughter is throwing in a hand-crafted key chain for dorm room keys, post-it notes, a self-addressed stamped envelope : ) and a bottle of fun nail polish in addition to the above mentioned.

The box she chose is a photo box. They have such a fun selection these days so she could taylor the pattern to each recipient's personality.

Duct tape comes in so many different colors and patterns now too! One of her crafty friends gave her a tie-dyed duct tape flower recently so I suppose the tape can be used as a study break if not an emergency fix!!

Here are the key chains that were hand-made with love for each graduate's new dorm key.

It's just a pre-drilled acrylic "Fragment" from the Tim Holt collection at Michael's *other craft stores, too, I'm sure* with scrapbook paper Mod Podged on, an inspirational metal charm layered in front. They were linked together with a medium sized jump ring and a key chain attachment on top. {note: to reduce the tackiness of the Mod Podge you can put a clear coat of nail polish on top or some other acrylic coating}

My daughter was able to assemble her boxes for under $15/box. I have 2 nieces and 1 nephew graduating from high school this year *you remember I'm an aunt 31 times over, right?!* and I'll be making them boxes too but I'll also include some kind of gift card - Itunes, Starbucks or a restaurant GC for those Sunday night dinners. Other items to consider adding are water bottles, an extra t-shirt to stretch laundry 1 more day or a laundry bag when they just can't wait any more...

Blessings!

MLE

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Clear Vision

2010-06-05T14:57:00.000-04:00

My daughter is a collector. She saves all kinds of treasures *cr@p* but it's mostly stashed in corners and crevices where she will never see them again! If I, *hypothetically speaking*, happened to dispose of something while she was at school or out of the house she may or may not ever know...

She's worn glasses since she was 4 yrs old and has gone through several pairs since then *probably cause she's 14 now*. Anyway, she never wanted to part with the old pairs even though I suggested she donate them so some other lucky girl could see all the wonders of the world with crisp vision. I've always struggled with her many *Many* collections until I saw this post at The Sassy Duo check it out!

The second I saw it I knew it was the perfect solution!! She liked the idea of seeing her treasured objects too. Together we scoured the isles of Michael's looking for a shadowbox, the perfect scrapbook paper to use as the background, which accessories to include in the box and I got to milk it for some mother/daughter time *it's becoming more scarce!*.

I actually really adore the way this turned out! We marveled at how small that first pair of glasses is. When I first attached the top pair I was kicking myself because they were a little askew and it bugged me, but then I thought about how those glasses were ALWAYS crooked on my little cutie's face and then somehow it seemed perfect! : ) It's the little cherubed-faced things sometimes, isn't it?

Since she was so vested in developing the look she is agonizing over THE perfect place of honor to display it. And the gears have been turning in her head deciding which collection to display next!! That's ok with me - as long as it isn't her collection of dust bunnies hopping about : )

Blessings!

MLE

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Almost Designer Pillows

2010-06-03T12:49:00.001-04:00

Did you know that when JoAnn Fabrics discontinues a special-order, designer fabric they sell the samples? Some of these scrumptious fabrics can retail at $35/yd (or more)! *and you don't get to use the 40%-off coupon on special orders* you just have to wait til they go on sale.

Well, during one of my visits to JoAnn's I discovered several racks of these discontinued sample squares. They were marked down to $2 a piece but were placed in the 50% off area. So I got each one for $1!! AAAAAAAH *I sang that... with vibrato!* They measure about 17" X 17". I was working on the mad bench makeover at the time and thought a few decorative pillows would look nice on it.

I picked through each option, my eyes all a-glitter, selected 6 that seemed to coordinate but not be too matchy. My FAVE is this red paisley by Waverly.

And the back is by Liz Claiborne!! : ) I just stitched them together on the machine & stuffed them.

On this one I used leftover trim.

And on this one I used leftover piping.

If I get tired of one side I can simply flip it and it's a whole different look! And the final cost for each Almost.Designer.Pillow was under $4.00!!! Now that makes me smile *with teeth*!! Isn't it funny how sometimes the little things can do that to you? : )

Blessings!

MLE

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Outdoor Oasis

2010-06-02T08:32:00.000-04:00

After 3 years in our house and much hard work on Handy Hubby : )'s part, the yard and landscaping are looking 200% better than when we started. The yard was weed-ridden with grubs and sick looking plants. Now there are no bare patches (although I think we're still battling grubs) and most everything blooms.

My long term dream is to create a gorgeous outdoor oasis complete with water features, multi-tiered bricked patio with a fireplace and a pergola to wile away the summer hours... *dreams are free and effortless*. Since that day is not today I'll relish what we DO have which is a neatly manicured yard, a peaceful view and a few of my favorite people to enjoy it with: ) I'm really very lucky!

As we continue around the house you'll notice the planter Handy Hubby : ) installed for me around our light post. We simply took a regular 14" hanging planter with a circular base slightly wider than the post and removed the chains. HH cut out the cross bars on the very bottom, removed the top of the light to slide the planter onto the post and secured it with the decorative bar from the light.

On the side of the garage we have a row of salvia that experienced a tremendous growth spurt this year. They are almost larger and taller than the bushes behind them!

The Stella Doro lilies are doing really well this year and the row of Canna lilies along the house will be a nice pop of red when they bloom.

The crowning jewel of my garden is......

Wait for it......

Wait for it......

The over-sized, rusty, disgusting Attack Frog!! *eeew* The previous owners left it behind. Hmmmm, imagine! My family laughed 'til they cried when they saw it because I have a thing about *hate!* frogs. It's pay-back for something, I'm sure!! Please forward ANY and ALL of your crafty makeover ideas to me on this one : ) Perhaps I'll make it my first Bloggy Giveaway!!

The orange lilies were a housewarming gift. They are really thriving in that spot. I marvel that they not only come back every year but actually multiply! They are a little stumpy though, I don't know why?

A feature that has turned out to be one of my favorite things about our house is the pond and the wildlife that come to visit daily. My daughter named the heron 'Gilbert'. And the bright gold finches make me smile. I saw Mama duck waddle by with her ducklings yesterday. I'll admit, I totally freaked out the first time I spotted the hairy alligator *muskrat* swimming in the pond! I did NOT want him anywhere near the house. But he mostly keeps to himself. Probably because this lady was screaming hysterically one day so he thought, "Note to self: Stay away from shore. There is some kind of CRAZY going on over there!!"

Now that I think about it, our yard, which was once a headache with it's fluffy dandelions, clover patches and sickly foliage has really turned around. I guess what they say is true, 'Three, is the Magic Number" because it takes 3 years to establish/rescue a yard.

Anyhoo, we don't have grand travel plans for the summer. We've got lots of activities going on here. At the end of the day though, I love sitting outside with a bowl of watermelon and chatting with the Fam.

Come join me sometime, won't you? Grab an iced coffee or tea *or other 'Mommy Juice' of choice* and let's visualize serenity and tranquility together for the next few minutes... don't mind the crazy woman running around the yard shaking that cow bell like the dickens, she's just shooing the geese away : )

ps this post is dedicated to my friend, Helensdecor, who nudges me out of my comfort zone!! ; )

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Blessings!

MLE

Picture Perfect

2010-06-01T11:10:00.000-04:00

A few years ago I attended Holiday Mart in Indianapolis. There I found a booth that sold framed picture letters that spell out a word of your choice. You pick the letter photos from their selection and they frame it for you in a simple black frame with a black mat. I had seen pre-framed words like 'FAMILY', 'CREATE' and 'LOVE' at Target or Bed, Bath & Beyond and special order on-line. What I found so appealing about the photos at this particular booth was that they had a box of photo letters taken in and around Indianapolis. I decided to splurge and get a frame with our last name for my in-laws (aka The People Who Have Everything). Thrilled that I could use the Colts horseshoe for the 'U' so my FIL would be represented! I had the pictures installed in a 5-slot matted frame for the low price of $150!!! Say What??! *Uuuuum, No, I did not forget the decimal point!*

Boy! did I want one of those for myself but I would never hear the end of it from Handy Hubby : ) if I bought 2! I loved the idea sooooo much that I thought to myself - as I know many of you do too - "I bet I could make my own". Now, I'm not a professional photog but I am a girl with a camera and I do know my ABC's. How hard could it be? What I discovered is how FUN it could be!! Now I see 'letters' everywhere *sometimes even sitting in church - sorry God!*. I made several frames for the people we drew names for that Christmas. What fun we had thinking about each family, their interests, places that are relevant and significant for them.

I've taken pictures at church and have come up with 'FAITH' and 'LOVE' frames. The 'FAITH' frame I donated to the church auction titled "I Spy 'FAITH' at ***". (do you think God forgave me for my wandering mind?)

The 'LOVE' frame I have given as baby/baptism gifts because the 'O' came from the baptismal font.

My daughter & I each made one for our French-speaking friends. We used the same word 'AMIE' *'female friend' in French* but her letters were picked for a 16 yr old girl.

And mine were picked for a high school French teacher who is my shopping/ lunch buddy.

I have the pictures printed up in sepia or black & white depending on the color of the mat. Sepia prints against a white mat can create a dirty look. What I learned is you can see the 'letters' better when you remove the color. Pictures with high contrast work best. And I've learned that some people are letter purists and think that taking pictures of actual letters is cheating...

Here is a frame I put together that represents my little family. Each letter is the first letter in each of our names. The first 'S' is for Handy Hubby : ) who always says "Our door is always open, just knock first..." 'E' is for me. Home is where my heart is *see the bird's nest?*. 'C' is for my son who is away at college most of the time, so his letter is to remind him that any distance can be bridged with a phone call *or text, whatever*. 'A' is for my daughter who spends a lot of time at church. For me and my house, we will serve the Lord. & 'S' is for my younger daughter. The picture is of the sidewalk in front of her school. Her letter is a reminder that I'm glad we are traveling on life's journey together. So, although our pictures are simple, they are meaningful to me!

Because each frame was highly personalized, I decided the original $150 price tag was justified because it generated lots of special gifts! And with Father's Day right around the corner YOU have just enough time to get out there with your camera and come up with something special for the Dad's in your life : ) I would LOVE for you to share your creations with me!!

ps sorry about the pictures - I'm crafty, not computer savvy...

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Blessings!!

MLE

Black & White

2010-05-25T08:35:00.000-04:00

It's May, so you know what that means in Indiana... Indy 500 Madness!

Handy Hubby : ) grew up in Indy so when we moved here 3 years ago, for him it was like the song goes, "Back Home Again in Indiana". I will say that being a Colts fan in Bears Country and Packers Territory was somewhat of a challenge for him over the years during our stints in other states!! That's ok, whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? : )

Well, I am flying my checkered flag this year

and we are hosting a party but the fact that it's on race day is a bit of a coinky-dink. Our daughter is graduating from 8th grade and will not be attending the same high school as most of her current classmates. So, this end of the school year is bittersweet for her. She's having some friends over to celebrate graduation/summer/friendship. Having the checkered flag theme is somehow appropriate, don't you think?

On the front door I'll hang my wreath that I originally made to use at my friend's black & white themed wedding.

I think it's whimsical and flirty yet still works for this application.

I originally learned how to make this wreath using fabric squares

and that's cute too but for the wedding I didn't want it to look too country or Indy 500-ish. The ribbons seemed to fit the bill.

To make this Easy.as.Pie craft, all you need is a straw wreath, fabric or ribbon (or whatever fun material you can conjure up to use - please, oh, please share your ideas), scissors and a phillips-head screw driver.

Cut the fabric into desired sized squares (depending on the size of your wreath and how much fabric/ribbon you want sticking out. If using fabric, place pattern side down facing the wreath, pinch the fabric in the center, place the point of the screw driver at the point of the fabric and push down into the wreath about 1/2" or so. THAT'S IT!! The closer together you make your insertions the fuller your wreath. In fact, looking at my picture now I think I could use more ribbon on my black & white one so I don't see so much straw wreath!! Sigh! Perfection is challenging *overrated*...

Anyway, school's almost out so it's almost party time, People! Summer means time for freedom and play, right? Or does it mean summer school, camps and marching band? I forget! :/ Well, continued blessings and summer prayers for Peace, Patience and Wisdom!!!!

I've linked up to

Blessings!
MLE

Furniture Exposed - the naked truth

2010-05-21T11:10:00.000-04:00

Handy Hubby: ) 's Grandmother's table before getting the Sweet Potato Queen dress.

After.

The 90's Table.

After.

The Mad Bench.

After.

Sometimes you appreciate a makeover more fully if you know where it started.

Linking up with Between Naps on the Porch's Metamorphosis Monday

and Modern Craftswoman Monday

Blessings!

Story III - The Mad Bench Makeover

2010-05-20T13:41:00.000-04:00

I have quickly come to the conclusion that I'm a rambler. Lucky for you I'm almost done with my 3-part-tale!

Once upon a time there was a Mad Bench. What is a Mad Bench, you ask? It is a solid oak plank bench acquired by my mother-in-law many moons ago... many children ago (of which she has 9 and between the 9 there are 32 grandchildren). When her children were young and foolhardy, they were made to sit on what became dubbed the Mad Bench when they were 'mad' and needed to calm down (or if mom was mad at them and she needed a break).

At some point we became the proud owners of the Mad Bench. Over the years it moved further and further from public view and only came out when we needed extra seating. It's sorta functional but not even sorta pretty. I've thought of giving it a makeover for some time *years* but am not a very good seamstress *awful*. Then push came to shove due to "The Great Furniture Shuffle" and it became necessary to bring out the 2nd and 3rd string players. I decided to tackle the Mad Bench project - duun, duun, duuuuuun! Again, I had no plan or pattern - sometimes people never learn!! Maybe it makes life more exciting *frustrating* to wing it...

I got all of the materials 1/2 off or with coupons, of course! Handy Hubby : ) built me a wooden apron to go right over the top of the bench so as not to permanently alter the sentimental bench. I used spray adhesive to attach the 2" foam for some cush on the tush. I picked out a fabric suspiciously similar to one in Ballard Designs and some black piping.

I measured, I pinned, I sewed, I undid, and redid. (Grrrrr)

I'm happy to finally, Finally report that the Mad Bench is no longer what it was (although I almost went mad during the process and had to take a time-out from that said bench many, Many times)!!!! Now you wouldn't even recognize it as the Mad Bench, mostly because you can't see any of it anymore. It's not too horrible for my first attempt, if I do say so myself! Not beautiful, not horrible. But... well, nobody is allowed to sit on it - are you kidding me?! After all the blood, sweat and tears? Uuuuum. No. Ma'am!!

Benches are for looking at and admiring from afar. Try to sit on that bench and I'll give you something to be mad about!!

Come join me for another look-see, won't you? We're admiring and admiring.

And so these three new looks (the tablecloth, the spray painted coffee table and the mad bench) were a few of the little things that made me say, "Aaaaah! so satisfying!"

So there you have it - MLE's ABC's

Blessings!

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Story II - 90's Table

2010-05-20T11:09:00.000-04:00

So as you may recall, I found myself with an empty living room so I placed my potato-sack-dressed table under the chandelier so noone would run into it. I had kicked out my early 90's Coffee Table to do it. This table had a square bevel-edged glass top with a faux brushed metal looking frame. The "X" "O" details around the top were painted gold. Before eclectic and mismatched were 'in', matchy-matchy was 'in' so I bought the whole 3 table collection! *WOOO!* I was stylin' back then! Now? notsomuch...

90's CT ended up in the great room in front of my sectional. Although the couch needed a table, the colors in that room are more earth and jewel-toned so, the 'metal' looked out of place - not to mention I was soooo over that look mmm... maybe 8 years and 2 houses ago! 90's CT was truly at risk of being demoted to the basement - and I mean barely by the skin of it's faux brushed metal teeth!

Being inspired by all the spray paint fumes flying around Blogland, I decided to give it a twirl. The table couldn't look worse, right?! I chose a warm brown in a textured finish by Rustoleum. Handy Hubby : ) set up a spraying station for me in the garage where I created a cloud of brown textured paint haze.

I shook, I spritzed, I shook, I sprayed.

3 cans of spray paint later (textured doesn't go far), I emerged victorious!! I couldn't change the shape or style of 90's CT but at least I brought it into the next century - that's progress!! : ) I was on such a spray paint roll that I grabbed the sofa table that was part of the 90's Threesome, sprayed it a hammered copper and replaced the kitchen table/side board that was previously in the kitchen and is now in my living room. Bonus!! The 3rd 90's piece, the end table, escaped my clutches because it's still in the living room which has black in it.

I'll get you in the next furniture shuffle, My Pretty Ugly, and your gold X's and O's too!!!!

Boy! that little spray trigger is so empowering! I feel like I can change the world... at least a shade or two : )

Blessings!

Potato sack dresses, 90's tables and mad benches - Oh, My!

2010-05-18T23:10:00.000-04:00

I feel it necessary to start today off with a confession:

I'm not a professional anything... I'm just a girl with many hobbies, a small budget and a desire to tackle challenges. I'm not super creative, but I am a great borrower of ideas! And I like to do things frugally (preferably without looking cheap but the results are sometimes iffy). What I'm trying to say is I copy other people's ideas aaaand I'm cheap!! Ok, so now that we've established that - on to the real order of business.

My first post mentioned spring being a time of rebirth. Well, spring brought about "The Great Furniture Shuffle" at my house which led to the rebirth of several pieces of furniture in our household. Short story long - I was storing my patio furniture set in my living room for the winter. Yup! It was the first thing you saw when you walked into my house. I tried to pass it off as regular furniture and called it my 'sun room' despite the fact that the room faces north, but I digress. Anyway, a few weeks ago when spring started springing, we moved the patio furniture back outside. Nobody wanted to give the original furniture pieces back that I had farmed out to accommodate the patio set - especially not my teenage daughter who ended up with a piece of the sectional in her room! After 2 days with an empty room I couldn't take it anymore.
I started stealing pieces from one part of the house to fill empty spaces in others, eventually unearthing pieces not to be seen by the general public! My solution was to give 3 pieces new spring outfits. Today I'll share the story of the table with the potato sack dress.

Once upon a time, to keep people from walking into the chandelier in the now-empty room I placed my old kitchen table under it. We got the table from Hubby's : ) grandmother after she passed away. It is a 48" double drop-leaf table that came with 2 leaves. In addition to it's sentimental value, I love it for it's functionality and all it's possible configurations. Before I moved it, it was placed in the kitchen with both leaves dropped, up against the wall. I used it like a side board.

Since I never use it as a round table I had no tablecloths that fit. I didn't want to buy a tablecloth because the ones I really wanted came out of catalogs like Ballard Designs. LOVE me some Ballard Designs - I could live in that catalog!! So I decided to do the next best thing - Fake it! BD offers tablecloths made out of burlap. Burlap! Who'da thunk it? But they make even burlap look chic on a table! I AM the idea borrower, so why not?

Now I didn't have a plan or a pattern, just an idea rolling around in my head and the determination to cover the table. So, I clipped my 40% off coupon and tooddled off to JoAnn Fabrics. I came home with my 4 yds of burlap, giddy to whip out this project, just to realize the burlap is only 50" wide. DOH! Not a problem. I went back to JoAnn's with my Michael's coupon and got another cut of burlap, came home giddy to whip out this project, just to realize that I STILL didn't have enough width to reach the floor. Double DOH!! Handy Hubby : ) rolled his eyeballs at me and loaned me his tape measure. Sheeesh! I never said I was the sharpest tool in the shed but determination WILL get you far!

I labored long. I labored hard.

Finally I stepped back and basked in the glory of my Ballard Design knockoff tablecloth. I was grinning from ear to ear because this didn't cost over $65 like in the BD catalog! Daughter A came home from school and said, "That's an *interesting* choice of fabric, Mom." My son came home from college and said, "Been eating a lot of potatoes lately?"

*SIGH!* That's ok! I'm sure if Grandma's table could talk she'd say, "Thanks for the new dress, Emily! I feel like a Sweet Potato Queen!" Didn't I say it's the little things in life? I think it still counts even if it's the little voice in my own head!! : D

Next time I'll share the story of my 90's table. Til then...
Blessings!

MLE
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Spring!

2010-05-18T14:29:00.000-04:00

Ahhh, spring!!

A time of new life, new growth, rebirth... and so it is with me, too. Today I start my new adventure in blogging. I've been a blog-lurker for a while now, mostly on decorating blogs, and as I stick my head out and peek into the great expanse of Blogland I'm excited and intimidated, overwhelmed and energized, scared and thrilled!

I haven't completely decided yet which direction this blog will go. Will it be about decorating? What do I know about decorating? Will it be about crafts? I dabble. Will it be about faith? Who knows? Inspiration? ? Gardening? Surely I jest! Haha. Weeeeell, maybe a little bit of everything!

Words are a combination of letters. Rooms are complemented with accessories. Homes are made by families. I guess what I'm trying to say is that there are grand moments in life but 'everyday' life is really about the little things - the ABC's... a smile, a hug, a kind gesture, a cookie, a treasure found on sale : ), a project that you completed yourself, a ray of sunshine through the clouds. It's the little things that get us through the day. Maybe together we can find some little adventures to pursue! Things that bring us a little joy and happiness! Who couldn't use more joy and happiness?!

So glad you're here to hold my hand, offer advice and share a smile or two!

I hope you'll join me as we journey into the world of ideas and projects and see where the road leads us!!

Blessings!

MLE's ABC's

Beuhler? Beuhler?!

Vision Victory

R is for Ridiculous!

Happy 2011!

Labor of Love

In the Know

Jumping for Joy!

Le Creuset Stoneware 10.5" x 7" Baking Dish in Cobalt with FREE 7" x 5" Bonus Dish

Oops! I loaded the wrong color duet *pictured is Caribbean but I ordered Cobalt*

So, Thank You Maryann & CSN for giving me the opportunity to play Santa!!

Impatient!

H is for Heroes

G is for Gratitude

F is for 4 Funny's & a Funeral

Cute While Cooking

E is for Economizing Efforts

D is for Delish

Cool, Cr@pPy & Challenging - Oh, My!

Paper Bows

Plan B

I can't fight this feeling anymore!

A is for Artwork

Time to Celebrate!

Fruits of my Labor {Day Weekend}

Wordless Wednesday {exPloRinG thE iMa'S 1o0 aCreS}

Thank You Note

Peppy Paisley Rug

Cheap Thrills

Tie-Dyed Stationery

From the Beach

Wordless Wednesday {sUMmEr shOwER}

Wordless Wednesday {cHicaGO}

Miscellany Monday

Tales of a Desk

A Tisket A Tasket A Hand-Woven Basket

Warm-Fuzzy "Cake"

Daisy Dukes Transformation

Miscellany Monday

Ruffles - Finally!

En-light-ened Moments

: ) *awarded*

Frilly Goodness

Wordless Wednesday {sUMmErTimE}

Some Randomness

Summer Dinner Dilemma

Grad Gifts

Clear Vision

Almost Designer Pillows

Outdoor Oasis

Picture Perfect

Black & White

Furniture Exposed - the naked truth

Story III - The Mad Bench Makeover

Story II - 90's Table

Potato sack dresses, 90's tables and mad benches - Oh, My!

Spring!

Oops! I loaded the wrong color duet pictured is Caribbean but I ordered Cobalt

: ) awarded