Spiritual Sundays

and on the seventh day He rested.

While it is unlikely any of us will give up ALL activity on Sunday. Consider what things you do that make OTHERS work. If every Christian family decided they would ONLY go out for TRUE needs what impact would that have.

I spent many years working in retail. My grandmother would be very annoyed that I had to work Thanksgiving or any other holiday or Sunday. I asked her "Do you SHOP on those days?" The more you shop, the more other people's kids are working.

You can do some simple things to make it easier for others to rest on Sunday. Try to eat your meals at home on Sunday (also a good way to spend time with other friends), get some or all of your shopping done during the week and reward places that ARE closed on Sunday.

For me, that last one is very important. If you are choosing between Chik Fil A and Wendy's consider what it takes for a company to make that committment to it's people and morals. When you spend five cents more at Hobby Lobby versus Michael's you are making a moral statement. I completely understand why businesses feel they MUST be open Sunday (and Holidays) but I would love for my husband's work to make SO little money on Sunday that they didn't feel it was necessary.

So, this holiday weekend, when it may be hardest, consider voting with your pocketbook and putting your money where your morals are.

I guess I will just be thankful I found that chair YESTERDAY so Goodwill didn't get MY money on Sunday!

Tell me what to call her?

While I could call her "thelma" I mean what KIND of chair is this. I saw it and thought of Cindy's Bergere chair, but alas, not quite. I got it at Goodwill. (yes I know I need to stay out of there). I will show you more goodies later. For NOW...tell me what she is! If you don't know go forth and find the answer for your fellow blogette!

One woman's trash

Is another woman's treasure!

A few days ago I wandered into my local Goodwill (yes AGAIN) and found this frame. It was under $2.50. Either a store ditched it b/c of the missing glass/backer ont he bottom right or someone found it 'unfixable'.

Edited to add: Found the back to the old picture...was 99cents! Even better

I found the style too 'cottagesque' to pass up and so I painted it white and used some rub n buff on it. Then I couldn't think of a way to make it 'work' with a mishmash of kid pictures so I went and found some pretty rose patterns and put them in the openings.

I solved the "no backer/glass" problem by putting no glass in ANY of the openings and using the cardboard from a shoe box to back up the papers.

I also found this plainish frame at Goodwill (99c) and brought it home painted and popped this picture in. Right now it is waiting for me to find it a home and decide how I am going to 'age' it.

What do you think? Cute...happy? I like it and hope you do too.

FLYING

Since I named my blog "babysteps" after http://www.flylady.net/ I really need to take a moment to talk about what FLYlady is/isn't. Many of the acronyms to follow are flylady originals and you can really just not describe it without them. Please check it out if it pertains to you.

I have reccomended Flylady to MANY friends and the initial response from nearly EVERY one is: I know how to clean my house. Many later will thank me for the reccomendation. The friends I mention it to are not BO (Born Organized) they are total perfectionists. When the house is clean it is SPOTLESS when it isn't it is CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome). We FLYbabies are people who spend hours on cleaning ONE closet meanwhile the table near our front entry has dustbunnies the size of a small groundhog.

If you are just naturally tidy. You not only BELIEVE "a place for everything and everything in it's place" but you LIVE it and you are like my grandmother and any MOMENT Better Homes could come for pictures and her biggest concern would be a FUZZLE on the carpet. If that is you. Do NOT bother to read FLYlady, you will be puzzled by it. You will not understand how someone doesn't just KNOW how to keep things "together". ALthough, you may gain insight into your 'messy' friend.

If you are still reading and thinking something like "I have absolutely had moments where I didn't want company to walk in" then FLYing might be for you. I spent alot of years feeling I wasn't "good enough" b/c although I could clean house to beat the band, I just couldn't MAINTAIN that clean. I would do a major clean, be happy happy for a few days and then "arg" how did it get like THIS again?

I found FLYlady and I have 'lapses' but there is no feeling of "I failed" I realize that it isn't my 'laziness' or 'lack of skill' it is the way my brain works. I get hyperfocused and in order to do what needs to be done I have to have a plan and to accept "less than perfect" when I didn't have time. I don't know how many times I looked at my messy home and said "I will do it tomorrow when I have plenty of time". FLYlady helps us to realize that BABYSTEPS will get you there, just slower. However, nothing is slower than doing NOTHING.

Today was a FLYlady day. I have been so excited by my painting, thrifting and all the cool blogs that I have allowed myself to skimp on some of my daily routines. All the sudden I look up from my paint and go "hey who didn't put that laundry away after folding it?" Oh yeah...ME!

Some people find Flylady overwhelming b/c you will get emails daily. The trick is to do it a little at a time and delete ones you aren't ready for.

I highly reccomend FLYLADY especially with Holidays coming up. We do some fun "holiday cruising" that makes for alot less CHAOS and alot more fun.

Check it out....let me know what you think, and fellow flybabies make comments to tell others how it has helped you.

Oh...FLY is an acronym too.... FINALLY LOVING YOURSELF! Go for it!

I loathe the rural McMansion trend

I don't have any really good stuff to talk about. We didn't get the Orchard Hill House. We are looking at another now, The LHH pictured below.

We drove out to see it, we currenlty live in a 'sleeper community' for Indianpolis. This is another half an hour OUT. This area is rural and just growing a little. Most of the homes were: Old farm houses, fifty year old raches, some cute cabins, even a few 'shacks' but then like a giant pimple on the nose of the winding street were a FEW MCMANSIONS. While in their element they have their place and you can even say they are pretty, they just don't fit here on this winding country road. I just want to drive up their paved driveway, knock on their huge front doors and say "why did you move out HERE?" If the direct neighbors to the home above (isn't it cute, btw) were in a McMansion I would be a horrid person and ASSUME they would complain about my horses, my future chickens and be just horrified that I LIKE my wood trim painted white. :-D

I understand why 'city kids' want to get OUT to the country, but if you want to BE there, why do you want to bring the city with you? I guess I just don't get it.

As I said, this is NOT an UGLY home. It isn't a bad home and I understand on some level wanting MORE space MORE MORE MORE....but it just doesn't fit, snugly between a cottage/bungalow and a working farm.

The one pictured here is for sale in Carmel Indiana as I didn't snap one of the one I passed. This oen was similiar. I am sure in the upscale Carmel neighborhood on a few acres of lush grass and surrounded by similiar McMansions it is pretty and the inside pictures make me think "Wow I would love to go have a party at their house". However, when I think of places I want to spend the night or a lifetime this is JUST not it.

If you fall asleep at night with McMansion dreams, please don't hate me as it isn't personal. I just wish people could realize it isn't JUST the fresh air "out here" that makes us neighborly. It is the front porch, the cozy rooms. Honestly, more bathrooms hasn't decreased the divorce rate yet, has it?

So, tonight, fair friends I wish you a COTTAGE home far frmo McMansions and what they stand for. If you LIVE in a McMansion I wish you the style and flair to make it COZY and happy and secretly a cottage on the inside.

Some little projects for today

I have gotten a few projects done today, on my day off.

Here is a 'tin' I got at goodwill (for a dollar or dollar fifty) Also the candy dish is a gift for my pal that I got for FIFTY cents.

Here is the 'mail tin' after, I used "ruby" rub n buff and I it isn't buffing as well as the silver did??? Any hints?

Here is a cheap dollar cutout that I got at Michaels

Here is another 49 cent butterfly from Goodwill, not so pretty!Here they BOTH are after, in the spare room.
Nothing spectacular, but fun and I like that I can have fun and cute things for next to nothing.

Spiritual Sundays

Another late entry. A busy day!

He who buries his talent is making a grave mistake.

Neglect not the gift that is in thee...

1 Timothy 4:14a

I sometimes wonder what my gift is, how about you? If you already KNOW yours do you fertilize and care for it, or let it wilt? I feel in this season of my life, that many of my past 'trials' were training for being Duncan's mom.

Are there trials in your life that are pointing you towards your gift and towards your intended good works here? Did you have a hard childhood and are able to help other kids to overcome? Not all of us have gifts as obvious as a voice, or an artists eye.

Take a moment today to find your gifts and uncover them, nurture them and use them for the good.

Abundance!

Wow, this is really the time of year where things feel ABUNDANT!

This is after a trip to the grocery last night. I decided that my hanging basket where I put fruit couldn't hold all the 'nanas' so I used my repurposed 'treat tray' for them. Those HUGE green peppers atop the taters came from MY garden. WOO HOO!

The next photo is a box o' blueberries from the grocery.

Here is what we did with them this morning.

I know I know....I need to polish my butter dish.

The following picture is of the carrots and tomatoes from my garden today.

also a few black beans....the rest are
.....right here...wanna come shell them?

I am excited to share my 'bounty' with you. Tonight I am making Tilapia so no goodies from my garden for that. However, I plan to make a crockpot roast tonight with all my usual goodies and it will be more special that the carrots are from my garden. I will also put a few dices of gr. pepper for flavor.

Then Monday I am going to make Taco Soup with my tomatoes, green peppers and black beans. Oddly, buying them might have been cheaper than the time I have spent shelling etc... but it WILL taste better. I think I might some day be 'self sufficient' if I can pull it off. Don't know if I could drink full-fat milk from goats, though, as I am a SKIM drinker. ;D

For those that have never made an easy crock pot roast here is the SECRET!

Get crock pot out and on. Get a regular skillet(preferaby NOT nonstick) nearly screaming hot. Coarse salt and pepper both sides of your roast. (I also add ground red pepper and miscellanious seasoning of the day). Listen to the sizzle. Start dicing your onions/peppers (your choice but I say ONION for sure, cut big and remove if you don't like THEM, but like the flavor). When roast is SEARED on bottom it will come loose EASY. Flip do other side. The INSTANT it is out shove in crock pot, put on lid. Now take about 3 cups of water and "Deglaze" your pan. I will often put a few ounces of soy sauce in to caramlize first, but YOUR call. Scrape up all carmalized meat and add in your onions, garlic, peppers and seasoning to taste. (I use ALOT of garlic).

Dump hot liquid over roast, put lid on. Put on high for about an hour then low for all night/day if you can. Add taters and carrots about 2hrs before dinner time. (the larger you cut them the longer they need to cook).

You can cook a really cheap cut of roast like this and put it all in fridge for a few hours and skim off the fat or use leaner/better meat. No matter what meat it will be FORK tender and tasty.

If you have leftovers. Add a few cans of tomatoes (homegrown if you can :D) and random veggies (canned/fresh/frozen) and cook for awhile and you have a heap of GREAT beef stew/soup. I have made one roast and keep adding vegs and had a weeks worth of food, when we were having 'lean' times.

ENJOY friends and be sure to be Thankful for all you have today!

One Obsession

I was good at my "Power of One" thing today. I had a few moments where I was allowing things to wash over me and make me worry. I just stopped and did ONE thing at a time and was happy with the results. We had a lovely meatball sub dinner, with fresh fruit and I have goodies to make some Tilapia for dinner tomorrow night. YAY!

So we are going to see the Potential new cottage. The road name is abbreviated O.H. so we have been calling it the OHH...so you will know what i mean until we know if it will be OURS then we shall give it a name.

So my singular obssession is all the cool things I can picture with this home.

Here is just ONE of the many gardens on the property. Yes OVERGROWN, but still some lovely plantings...and behind that picket fence.....a walkout basement....with a whole other garden. I can just see myself sipping tea out there. (as if I have time, but the idea is nice)

This is a family room picture. Much of the house has this OOKY dark panelling. I think a few gallons of white paint (over Kilz2) will make a NICE change. Honestly, I keep hearing from "non cottage" pals that they would replace it, but I think painted panels will be better than new drywall any day. Contemplating a faux chair rail and spackling "grooves" above and not below.

This is the kitchen portion of the big country kitchen. This is standing IN the dining portion and looking in. I do NOT love the paneling in here, I do not love the wood cabinets, but since it is healthy, clean and safe this room may live like that for SOME time.

It may seem that I have moved into this house emotionally and I do like it alot. However I just like seeing "potential". If money were no object I would enjoy "flipping" houses like this.
What it comes down to is that now we KNOW we are able to get a 'country' house and this may be it and it may NOT....but either way I better get my paint rollers ready.
I have a few more pics, but I really don't want to JINX it. I want to see it with my friend, her contractor hubby and my family and see what we think. Then we shall make an offer and PRAY.
In the meantime I will resist driving out there and pulling weeds.

The Power of One!

Well, for those who don't know I am a Weight Watchers girl. Sometimes I am watching my weight go up...and wishing it would go down. I can lose weight with the best of them, but can get overwhelmed by the "big pile" of weight I need to lose.
Today our wonderful leader (Hi Shelly) did a meeting on the "power of 1" Meaning one pound at at a time and MORE. Stuff like: Eating 1 more veggie a day, walking 1 more mile, doing 1 more good thing and 1 less bad.
So I am going to put it on my computer and think about it ALL week. One more "I Love You" for those you love. One less bad attitude in traffic. One more thing you have procrastinated. One more smile.
How can you do "one" thing? One less impulse purchase on something pricey. One more hour in your worst room, picking up?

So in that 'vein' here is just ONE picture that makes me smile. A good friend, Jill, asked me to repaint her frog...she did NOT specify HOW....I had a bit of a paint party with it. I figured if she hated it I would repaint boring green. However, this made me LAUGH while doing it, while handing it over and while watching her S.O. see it.

This just shows you ONE of my many facets...the goofy one. Notice Frogetta is wearing PEARLS, has eyelashes and you cant' see her LIPS...she has red lipstick. :-D BTW, Jill LOVED it and has it just as it is in her garden.

New Cottage for us soon?

Today I found out that we are much closer (as a family) to getting our 'farm'. As a 'horsemom' my dream is always to do dishes and watch my horses graze from the window. Today I called my mortgage guy, Steve. We talk about every six months waiting for our credit score, our savings and the moon to align. Seems we are MUCH closer now than we were six months ago. It takes time for them to believe a 'self employed' person is viable.

I went with my realtor to look at one place I really liked online. I adore it. I can see TOTAL cottage potential. Front porch gardens (existing) and trees galore. I am trying not to get attatched because there is much to do/think/plan, but alas I am excited anyway.

So, I get a little excited and I start planning on how to make our current home ready to rent when the time comes. So.....everyone get excited with me?

And here (quickly) is a thing I found at the "Stuff Store" and repainted, had ugly chipped plasti-silver. May do it different later, but am picturing it at Christmas.

Just Random

I have finally gotten my suitcase and it's contents put away. Got the house a 'little' more in order than it was when left to the 'boys'.
First, I wanted to show you some pictures from Chicago. We didn't get much, because we were not anywhere very 'cottagy'. We did get a few pics from a cool antique mall near the hotel. We didn't find much we LOVED, at least not in our budget, but I was encouraged with some gardening ideas and am determined to find a junked out funky chandelier to use for candles. My pal, Daryl, got a cool angel that played Silent night that reminded her of her childhood.
This first photo is of a really AWESOME gazebo that was in the island of plants in the middle of a parking lot. I wanted this picture to remind me you can do BIG things in small spaces. It was crammed with plantings (the island) and the gazebo was NOT overwhelming, but you would have thought it would be.....

The next picture is an awesome gate and what looks like an 'deceased' garden area behind it. I love the stone driveway and the gate and the trees..... Again...HUGE statement, not as overwhelming as I would have expected. Another thing I saw that was thought provoking for me was railing around the BIGGER gazebo (no pic sorry) that was just old banister painted with outdoor paint. Cool, doable and something to consider for a later date.

So we didn't score much of anything, go some good ideas and we even went to a flea market that had some crap, some stolen crap and a few good finds. Unfortunately MOST of the booths with anything good had HIGH prices and we were looking for DEALS! We had hoped to find each other's Christmas gifts and save Maine-Indiana shipping and v/v. We did not. Daryl did get me a pair of cherubs and a single cherub for 50cents each.
Here is the Cherub (left) with a dollar planter I bought at a yard sale last week. We did, btw, name the Cherub, Cherry...aren't we originals?

Here she is after....I actually did do one more 'white wash' coat on her ater this picture, because she was TOO pink for me. I also redid the planter and will be on the lookout for some sort of cool small growth type plant that hangs down a little. He isn't the prettiest thing but I really like having plants in "atypical" plant containers: Old vases etc....

As for the "how" portion. I sprayed them both with several coats of satin spray paint in white. Then I used Rub N Buff on the planter and pink diluted acrylic on "cherry". Cherry is going in the spare room with all the other pink goodies on the bed. The other will go wherever I feel the plant looks best. :-D

Other things: I got a few early Christmas gifts at Goodwill, a TEN DOLLAR chenille bedspread (Full) and a few other things I will show later.

Hope you all have a wonderful night!

The hotel experience

Just some thoughts on WHY we love vacation or even business trips. I figure if we capture little bits of that feeling we can bring it home!

We stayed at the Westin North Shore in Chicago, you can click the pic above to see more pics. It was such a nice place.

I decided to account for what it is we LOVED about a stay away from home:
Lack of responsibility
maids (same thing?)
tidy areas
fresh towels
clean sheets
MORE fresh towels
lovely lotions
great showerhead

Cleary, a maid is NOT in my near future, and I have a LOT of responsibility at home. I CAN get a nice lovely showerhead (maybe not the lovely two headed one they had but a nicer one), I can go buy NEW towels and hide them from my husband, new sheets and focus on that clutter I tend to generate.

The nice thing is you can have this at home, PLUS not have that horrid dark wood stained mirror that doesn't fit your shabby cottage soul. :-D

Spiritual Sundays

A Late entry!

Better late than never! I spent a weekend with fellow pet stylists in Chicago Illinois. I enjoyed the freedom from housework, work and responsibility. I was with my best gal pal, Daryl and we stayed in a marvelous hotel it decorated very modern and beautiful. We both joked that we would have to buy ALOT of white paint if we lived there.

We found time to visit a little group of antique shops and even a flea market. She gave five lectures and I gave two.

Last week my 'theme' happened to be friends and I can't help but say it is again! I am a better person for having known Daryl. She is a great role model. She has shown me how to be a better wife and mom by example.

So here I am road weary and yet content of spirit. So I searched for an appropriate quote and it's related scripture (again in my grandma's book..God's Little Insturction Book).

Real friends are those who, when you've made a fool of yourself, don't feel you've done a permanent job.

beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth...

1 Corinthians 13: 7,8

I really feel we can learn such great lessons from our friends about how it is to love, We can even learn from moments when we feel on of our friends have not 'measured up' take a moment to consider how we may need to work harder on ourselves or even our relationship to God. How often do we fail to do what He would want and yet we are forgiven? Grace is really the most powerful thing.

So, I often feel that Daryl is the friend/gift God gave me when He knew I would need her. He knew I would need a friend who was a good example, who would laugh with me, cry with me, work beside me, nag me when necessary and encourage me. Some days I see thorns....Daryl points out the roses. In the garden that is my life one of those very roses is HER!

Go find the roses fellow bloggers....Thank God for them...count the blessing and not the trials...it is in feeling and finding blessings that we become MORE blessed.

Travelling

I am headed to Chicago to speak. My good friends and fellow Pet Stylists will be there and I hope we have a really good time. I will have my computer and camera with so I plan to make Daryl take some pictures of cute cottages we see when we go through the burbs of Chicago. Then I can hopefully share some inspiration.
For now, everyone have a wonderful weekend.

Taking Shape

I mentioned getting some table lamps at Michaels a week ago. I can't remember which one was which price, but I know BOTH together were under $5. I loved their shape, hated their colors. I nearly refuse to buy lamps at full price, I am proud to be a bargain shopper. A few weeks ago I would have passed THESE up, because I just didn't think I had 'time' to make them look like I wanted...more perfectionism. Thanks to all the blogs I found I am feeling much braver and despite the fact that some of those blogs are classic perfectionists, I saw in it a chance to have things I love without breaking the bank or spending AGES making things 'perfect'.
So here are the lamps after. I actually feel they took the rub n buff TOO well and that I wanted to redo them, but my hubby said they look great and I sat them down and walked away and I kind of like them. So, for now, I will enjoy them and if I feel compelled redo them later. As for teh shades, I am trying to fix the old ones, but I got these plain jane ones at Goodwill (99 cents/ea). These are the kind that clip on the lights (which aren't in there :D) I considered just putting some fringe/lace on these and stenciling on a few roses.....decisions decisions.

The other little 'guy' in the photo is: A silver basket. I found it at Goodwill. It is probably Silver plate and I have no clue what it is worth, but I only spent 49cents on it. YES, I said FORTY NINE! I polished it a 'little' just to see, but it needs a bit more. What do you think?

Everyone have a marvelous day!

Painting floors!

It something I waffle about. I feel that painting my wood floors would be slightly easier than refinishing, something I could do myself and something I LOVE. I do know that for future potential buyers it may be a 'down'. However, I just don't see myself spending the money to have the poor patches, damaged boards in my son's room and a few other places replaced and refnished professionally. I figure this would cost me in the THOUSANDS. The main reason is that at some point there were 'patches' in a few obvoius places. So there are three or four boards that have matching seams. In order to TRULY be fixed those whole sections have to come up and be 'restaggered'. I figure if I paint it, I can pull a few 'cheats'. I am planning to use wood putty and some ingenuity and get ride of the seams if they are to be covered in paint. Also a whole peice in D's room needs to be replaced, but I can do the same in there.

Honestly if I didn't LOVE the way painted floors look I would not do it. I would just man up and do the 'hard' stuff. I do LOVE it, though.

I don't adore the stripes and I am not brave enough to do that BLUE above, but boy do I SMILE when I see these floors and that is the point. BOTH photos have links to their original sites.

Back 2 School

Today is the first day of school for my son, Duncan.

He spent nearly the entire summer begging to go back to school and waking up early. This morning we had to actually wake him up. Then 'daddy' asked him where he got to go today he says "School?". Ten seconds later he shuffled to me and said "School, No!" I figure it was here and all the sudden he wanted to go but was thinking of all the 'new' stuff he would find and the change in routine.

I will miss having him along when we go for our little drives and at the barn, but I feel I can really get some of my stuff caught up. I hope that this is a good year for my boy. He has the sweetest spirit and is so generous. While we were picking up his new "kicks" (tennis shoes) he insisted we get Animal crackers to SHARE with his friends. While this may not seem that thoughtful if you are an adult or even a typical ten year old. My barometer for Duncan is: He is mentally about three. Three year olds just don't typically care about these things. For me, this is the LIGHT at the end of our sometimes hard road.

For now I celebrate my now ten year old boy heading to school for another year.

---PS....the picture shows some clear 'big' work that items on my list. New baseboard trim and either painting or refinishing the hardwoods. :-D

Spiritual Sundays

I am new to this so I went to my bookshelf. I have there God's Little Instruction Book. It was my grandma Russell's. If I have met a 'saint-like' woman it was her. She was the epitome of what it means to be a 'good' woman. I can still hear certain hymns and in my mind be transported to the pew next to her as she sang with such an open spirit to her creator.

So I dug out the book...and I flipped until I found something compelling.

Your companions are like the buttons on an elevator. They will either take you up or they will take you down.

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise; but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. Proverbs 13:20

I felt this was so appropriate for this blog community to which I am so new. Finding this new way to share our love of cottage style and all it embodies is amazing. Beyond that to find that so many of you are good and faithful women and still enjoy caring for our families. In all our different ways makes me joyful.

So for my part of Spiritual Sunday I say we celebrate our wise friends and continue to prove that the internet is only as good or bad as we choose it to be. Where will YOu surf today?

Thrifataholics Anonymous?

Anyone have the number?

Honestly I feel as if I have been bitten by a bug. I am getting a 'high' from taking these 'junk' items and making them mine. I would feel guilty or like I am cluttering my home, except I have been pretty "bare bones" for a few years. My life has been busy and I have barely decorated a THING.


So today I dragged DH into Goodwill to show him a bench/sofa I had seen, but ALAS next to the sofa was THIS!

Here it is as a 'whole' It is actually even UGLIER colored than it seems here. The yellow has aged greenesque. BLUCK, but I like the shape and size. It isn't super 'pretty' in shape, but it has potential out the ears.

Here are closer pics of the 'parts'. I think I can put a little 'umph' on the upper part and I do like the curvy bits on the bottom. I think a little love, paint, new hardware and my stuff sitting on it will make me smile alot.

Price tag for this doll.... You will never guess.................. 24.99. I just think it was a STEAL. Tell me what you think Blogger-pals.

I do think see that 'she' had upper doors at some point and I will probably not bother replacing them, rather remove the hardware marks (hinges, cathches). By the way, look at the shape of the DRAWER. LOVE IT!

A "Thrifty Vignette"

Well, here they are. Four of my finds from earlier this week plus one from a prior Goodwill visit and a gift from someone. The four items from Wednesdays post were a sum total of four dollars. Add the Iris painted bottle, a few cents worth of sea glass (Michaels clearance), a few candles and some of my jewelry and I think it is cute. I wish Ihad a way to get a better picture of it when it is lit. IF anyone has 'lighting' tips for photos I woudl appreciate it.

I did not antique the jewelry thing, I figure stuff banging it as I intend it will do so itself. The dresser needs re-distressed after I put a fresh coat of paint on it a few weeks ago. I pretty much let the dogs, myself and life do that. :-D

This is ANOTHER reminder to let go of your perfectionism and display and be proud of things even if they are works in progress.

Please be sure to read my Tribute post from yesterday and continue to pray for Jerry's family as they mourn.

Later today I will try to get pictures of the FREE old frames I got from the yard sale down the road. BTW, I have gone through a can and a half of white paint in four days time. I may need to buy stocks.

A TRIBUTE ROSE

I had hoped to have some 'regular' stuff in my blog. Things like Shout outs, salutes and thank yous. Well, sadly I have been forced to do a memorial tribute instead of something more 'fun'. This is how real life is, we would like to have all roses and no thorns, but this week was a thorn.

So to day I ask my blog-friends to take a moment to pray for the family of Jerry B. He was a fellow church member, a client from years ago, the man who owned the barn where I board and my friend's dad.

I will remember Jerry for his smile, his laugh and his great hugs. He never saw my son without hugging him. He sat in the back row with us (quick escape route for me as a mom) and as he got more and more sick his absence felt like a vacuum there.

He was a Veteran, a horseman, father, grandfather, husband and a million things to the people who loved him. He will be missed by his family terribly, but I revel in the picture of him full-cheeked, smiling and healthy in heaven. I am terrible at 'this' kind of thing. I hate losing people, I hate the feeling that the world is missing a special soul. I hate feeling I can't comfort my friend, knowing the pain of parental-loss so well, I still can't fix it for her. I AM a fixer and this can't be fixed it must be survived and felt and worked through and it STINKS. It just plain stinks!

I am hoping to get a picture of Jerry to post (with his daughter -also Jerri) when the dust clears. I will add it here.

So today's "salute" goes to Jerry B: Thank you for always being kind to us, for all the hugs, all the laughs and giving my 'ponies' a happy home. I will miss you and I will see you on the other side some day!

Crazy 8

Well Joanne Kennedy, from My little cottage in the making (see links), mentioned it was 8/8/08 so she challenged us to do a Crazy 8s. Eight facts about ourselves. Since it wasn't a "chain letter" type thing I am gonna be a good girl and do it.

1. In college I spent a semester abroad in Australia.
2. I am one of a handful of Groomers with a certification called Master Pet Stylist, Meritus.
3. I get really angry at moms of 'typical' kids when they ignore them and don't appreciate how special things like being able to climb a ladder are. I know they can't imagine how hard PTs have worked with D but I still get angry.
4. To my closest pals I am "that" friend. The one you call when you need to move, need me to kick your butt, need me to tell you to stop whining.
5. I talk too much (oh wait you KNOW this already, but I am still counting it)
6. I am constantly on the go. This is part of the reason I am working on the 'cottage', in hopes that I can find cheaper ways to entertain myself....crafting doesn't use gasoline.
7. SEVEN is my favorite number. Yeah, what's new....isn't it everyone's?
8. I am a sucker for a good deal.

Good morning

As my early morning eyes adjust to the sunlight and I contemplate just how much water I need to drink to make them feel like real eyeballs again I shall post another 'repurposed' Goodwill find.

I think we can all agree this is not completely heinous, but it is: Black, spray painted with eye seering blue/purple, and it is BLACK.

So I need to get new raffia (or ribbon, wire or ?) and I need to find a green I love, but I painted the frame white, used a little gray wash to make the plasti-stone a little more 'mute' and Then painted the iris white and repainted. I poured white paint in a blob, purple on one side and blue on the other and I made it look ALOT more natural. This is NOT my area of expertise and I could use alot of work on craft painting, but I am better than the spray painter that did it first! LOL Which is much like saying "I have better handwriting than that kindergartner over there."

I have put about five of my items on my dresser and need to just finish one more and I will show you them all together!

Later today I am going to attempt my first "Friday Salute" something I want to try. I am thinking of people you love, people who have changed you by their impact on your and in particular people who made you LOVE cottage style, crafting or other such topic. I had fully intended to do my "aunt" Wanda. My grandmother's best friend, who is not a legal aunt, but well....maybe next Friday. Yesterday someone I know passed away and I will probably talk about him.

For now, have a great day!

Okay....so ONE more.....can't resist

Here is the cherub candle ring before!

And..... after!

I am going to try and find a candle holder (glass) to put in, b/c I don't really like it for a taper.

Thank you Cindy from romantichome.blogspot.com for the rub n' buff tip. You rock! How did I do?

Run.....

Okay walk or drive, but go to MICHAELS. At least here in Indiana they have some nice stuff on SALE for 80% off. I got two small desk lamps (UGLY colors): One was 1.49 and one was 3.39. I got a bag of blue sea glass for 1.29, two wall crosses for 1.39 ea. and a huge outdoor 'urn' for 3.99. I also got some paints, candles and whatnot at full price. There were some many 'outdoor' things for cheap that I could have spent alot, but I resisted. The outdoor urn/pot was probably originally more, but it was 'unpriced' and chipped. I figure it was around 35 dollars...and I got EVERYTHING for 25.

I feel like I won the lotto.

I got some things finished while Duncan was napping and so I am glad to have them done and I will post them a few at a time.

I will also post my 'buys' from today.

Here is the cross from above right AFTER. The one on the left is being more painstaking.

One down....

Well I decided that despite the PITCH dark on my porch I could base coat the butterfly.

I sprayed 'her' with white, washed her with pale pink and rubbed off all the raised areas. She is almost TOO cute. My spare room bed has pink in the quilt and pink sheets and I like her.







Here she is with a bunny I gave my grandma when I was a little girl.
It is nearly impossible to see the tiny pink roses on the bedspread, but alas they are there.

I fear I would be up all night if I had a well-lighted, well-ventilated work area. It would be necessary for me to have a caffeine IV.

Good night...and I will try not to have three posts a day, but I can't promise anything. I have a non-stop brain. It doesn't always do GOOD things, but it is always going.