Beyond The Cover

Busy girl...

2012-02-14T12:48:00.000-08:00

I took some of my recent projects down to the store today. Let me empasize the word "some". I have about half dozen in the works projects going...one of which is vintage antique full size bed!

Vintage chairs turned planter chairs. Lovely on a front porch in a garden area.

Vintage frame Magnet Memo Board. Vintage frame painted with Annie Sloan chalk paint, distressed and then waxed and buffed. Burlap sack over sheet metal makes for the "magnetic" center.

Small Pedastool base occasion table with brass footed claw feet. Painted a tan tone, distressed and waxed. Hard to see in picture but dark wax really adds to all areas of the wood really accenting the piece.

And that is it for today...off to a 3rd grade Valentines party.

We are doing really well...

2012-02-08T20:24:00.000-08:00

We have been " in business" just sbout 3 weeks now and sales have been better than i could imagine. I love hearing from other dealers how well we are doing, that we are rockstars! Our shelves are full...and thats our plan. The More product on the shelves...the more product going out the doors, and I mean that in more ways than one. Both Jennifer (my friend and business partner) have both had to deal with loss...product loss. I guess thats part of the gig sadly. We have noticed stolen items and items sold but price tags being switched to our loss. It happens. We have both been so busy creating things from old to new...our newest items are vintage frames turned burlap covered magnet boards and corkboards. Dry erase boards with old frames and fabric and keeping up on the demand with my mason jar soap pumps. We are having so much fun!

On the home front, we are good. Kids got guinea pigs this past weekend, first pets for them. They are cute I admit, but the shaved bedding being tracked everywhere is driving me insane. New to 4-H this year, we thought it would be best to start off small...and the kids just adore them. We also got chickens, this weekend as well, 7 of them. Will be pretty cool in a few months to have fresh eggs all the time.

Imagine

2012-01-26T22:22:00.000-08:00

Our antique store venture is going well so far...course it has only been 11 days so I guess to soon to tell. Tomorrow I work my one day a month required shift from open to close. I laugh as I type, because I have not pulled an 8 hr work day out of the home in over 10 yrs! Should be interesting! Far from my former career as an OB nurse and it has been 20 years or more since I "worked" in any type of retail setting. However, I don't consider it a "job", I don't get paid to go, and...it gets me out of the house and around other grown-ups. Away from the laundry pile, and the dirty dishes and it revolves around products that I love, other peoples junk, other peoples history and memories...so fun! Speaking of history...I have a stack of old black and white photos and negatives from the 1930's I purchased at several estate sales. Sorting thru the pictures a few nights ago I wondered...I have no idea who these people are, or have never been to the places in the pictures but I wondered about them. Who they were, what they were like, what the world was like in the time they took those pictures. A simpler time I imagine, with some of the same worries we all share such as finances and health but yes, I imagine a simpler time. I think I would have liked to grown up then...in the 30's and 40's, even the 50's. Sure, there was still war, there were much bigger issues with race (in my opinion) but I think morals and family values, time spent with family, the way children respected elders, I think it may have been a much better time for not only people but for our planet. Sure we know so much more now...in technologically, in medicine, environmentally but sometimes all these advancements doesn't mean we are better.

So Matt, my husband was looking thru the pictures as well, he made the comment we should try and track some of these people down. I then replied with something like "honey, the pictures are 70 yrs old or so and I bought them at an estate sale, chances are they are dead". Not to sound harsh, but that's the reality. How sad is it that old photos of lives once lived are now in the hands of someone who knew nothing of them..seems in a way wrong, but maybe it could be right? Right in the sense that I look at them and imagine and wonder...make up stories in my head as I look at the pictures of them on the beach and I imagine what that day could have been like. I picture the couple holding hands and the little kids running amuck, the laughter, the events that may have taken place before or after. So in some sort of odd way they are being remembered only the story may have changed but the faces have not. Does that make sense?

Friday Morning Finds

2012-01-15T21:47:00.000-08:00

If you have followed my blog at all, then you will you know that I love antiques, aka other people's junk and... I can be pretty creative. So...I put the two passions together and I have been a busy girl. A week or more ago, I mentioned I had something in the works that I couldn't yet talk about. Well, I can now! Several months ago my friend Jennifer and I were all set to open a space in a local antique store and then it looked as tho, it would not happen. Well it did. We got the call right after I blogged the last time and we have been busy pricing tagging creating, painting, researching items, the list goes on. We were busy all this past weekend " moving in" and I am happy to report we are open for business. Our space, inside a local antique store is 10 1/2 ft by 12 ft and we used every inch of it, I am not kidding.

For the last few months I have been upcyling vintage furniture by painting and distressing, with of course the best paint out there, Annie Sloan chalk paint. We have been creating items out of vintage things such as fabulous soap and lotion pumps out of old mason jars. Making jewelry out of old buttons and keys and magnets from vintage silverware. I have a ton of old barnwood in the backyard so what better way to recycle than to make signs from it, I am hoping those are gonna be a hit! Hitting estate sales is something I love to do and try to do it weekly. Usually on Fridays when the kids are in school...hence the name, Friday Morning Finds.

So, if your in the Napa Valley, head on downtown and check us out at Antiques on Second Street. Our little section is all the way in the back of the store to your left. If you find the area that screams shabby, full of Fenton glassware and fun colored furniture, pretty linens and adorable vintage finds, then you have found us.

Our section, as your enter.

Our "linen closet"

Back for 2012

2012-01-03T21:10:00.000-08:00

Hold on to your hats...Lisa is blogging! I cannot believe it has been nearly five months since I posted, it is now a new season, and a new year. I just lost my interest in it for awhile is all...but I feel ready to get back into it, and to share again. So much has happened obviously in the last several months. Nothing, thankfully earth shattering, just life. Where do I begin?
Let's see is I can catch up in 100 words or less.

August I had another Birthday, 42! Gosh, to look at that in print is scary. I recall my mom being 42, how can I possibly be that old? Kids started back to school, Carson is now in 3rd grade and my "baby" Ella is in the 2nd grade. And in reference to my previous sentence, "how can they be that old"?

Let's see...usual camping trips, working at the school, nothing to exciting, and the days and months pass.

The new year will bring a new adventure, I have partnered up with a friend. Not going to spill the beans yet as to not jinx it. The date we had for this venture was January 6th, and then it moved to second week of January and now we have no idea really. We are ready for "when" it happens, and hoping and praying it's not an "if" it happens. I can tell you tho, my kids need their playroom back and I have taken it over. So, think good thoughts please.

That is it for now....if your still following, I appreciate it. I have so many things to show you, but that goes along with the paragraph above this one...so stay tuned.

Many New Scrapbooking Layouts this Weekend

2011-08-01T11:53:00.000-07:00

I was a busy girl! This past weekend I made lots of new premade scrapbooking layouts for sale in my Etsy store Friday Morning Finds. I pay "great attention to detail" and there are a ton of details in each and everyone for sure. I inked, I glittered, I pondered...walked away, came back, was inspired and uninspired at times. I machine stitched on I think every one and spent probably to much time on them, but cannot list until I am happy with the end result. In all toll, I made 10 layouts, one of which was a 2 page spread and I made about 10 cards.

So..now you know how I spent my last few days, did you create this weekend?

Here is just a small sampling of what I have been working on.

(for a larger shot with more details, click on each picture. These collage pics do not fit well within the blog column parameters).

Mama Bird

2011-07-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

Sometime last week I walked out our front door, which we rarely use, to walk down to my garden. When I opened the door to step out a bird flew away which caught my attention, and then I saw this...

a bird had built a nest in the floral wreath we have on the door.

So every couple of days I have been checking in on it.

It got a little bit bigger...and every once in a while I will pull back the curtain from inside and see the Mama bird sitting a spell.

And then two days ago...

I peeked in a saw an egg!

A tiny little blue egg.

I texted my husband and told him all about it and then I told him not to tell the kids...I don't want them to disturb the nest. I was very excited...and my husband thought it was pretty cool too. He said he wished we could film it and then time lapse it so we could watch the progress.

And then today...

two little tiny blue eggs!

I locked the front door to deter the kids from using it.

And then of course my 6 year old did and slammed the door...I cringed.

But...everything is intact, no harm done this time, I checked.

I did a little research and read that the Mama Bird will lay one egg each day for up to 5 days. The incubation period is approximately 12-14 days in order in which they were laid. The baby birds then take up to 2 weeks to leave the nest. This should be an interesting cycle to watch, and I will be sure to update as it progresses.

ADHD Follow Up and a Thank You

2011-07-23T07:43:00.000-07:00

First I would like to thank all of those who commented on my last post Life with an Angry ADHD Child. Some of you were anonymous, others I tried to reply to but could not. I read each comment, sometimes twice and I thank you for your stories, each one made me cry, we are in this together. So a huge "Thank You" for sharing with me.

I had planned on making it a series, not so sure now, we will see. It is easier to post into the "Internet unknown" then to try and talk about it with people whom are close to me. As much as they think they understand...they don't. It is definitely one of those situations where you have to walk a mile in someone else's shoes.

We had his med review a few weeks ago. His diagnosis was confirmed and he does have a mild defiance disorder. Well...mild according to the doctor, again...walk a mile in my shoes. They/we, decided to keep him on his Concerta at the moment and we added Tenex for the impulse control and outburst. It has only been a couple of weeks since we added that and he spent the last week at his grandparents. My Mother said "he was not the same kid", she said he seemed "spacey", he has been back a few days now and I am not seeing that. I do know the Tenex has made him tired on several occasions, has not helped with his sleep issues, but...I do think it has helped with his anger, my husband says the jury is still out.

We are having the typical issues at bedtime this week. The crying, the "I can't sleep", the never ending it seems battle at bedtime. We have been up at all hours of the night dealing with this and are physically and mentally exhausted. I do have to say he is not getting so worked up that he is going into a fit of rage like he used to. Sure he says a few of the hateful things but nothing like he used to, I hope I did not just jinx that. He is crying, but it is more crying than screaming and no physical outburst (yet) no throwing things, no slamming doors no getting into such a place we cannot get him out of. So for that I think the Tenex maybe working.

I do think he is manipulating us...big time! So is this his ADHD or just normal kid behaviour? How do you tell? When he was at his grandparents he went to bed every night, fell right to sleep and slept all night, every night without incidence. Great for them! So...why is it the first night he is back we were back to the same old thing and every night since, this drives me insane! If I ask him if he could sleep in our room would he be able to sleep and he says yes. So..I know he is playing us, because he wants to sleep in our room. Foot down, he is not, enough is enough. He cries he is "scared". Is he really? Or again...just a game to get what he wants. He has this fear of someone breaking in, and stealing him, we have heard this over and over. As a parent how do you know when a fear is just that or when they are taking it above and beyond to again...manipulate to get what he wants. My husband made him some sort of deal about walking around the house and checking things out at bedtime...if this works..great! We are desperate.

Our daughter is now visiting the grandparents, I am so glad she is gone while we "try" and work on this. When he is awake ...we are all awake, so I am glad she is away for a few days. I am trying to cut down on the yelling and getting mad at bedtime. I know it does not help anyone, but it is so hard when it is 1 or 2 or even 3 am and your tired to keep it "all in check".

School starts in a few weeks, I am nervous about that...but that is another story for another time.

Scrapbooking Disney Mini Albums

2011-07-19T08:18:00.000-07:00

I have been busy busy the last few days...and not busy doing housework! Wanting to add some "handmade" items to my Etsy Store I decided to get out my Disney box loaded with stuff and get to work...and work I did. I have not scrapped in FOREVER! A good 9 months maybe and once I got into , I remembered how much I enjoyed it! It took me 3 days to make 4 mini albums and my dining room was a DISASTER! OH...how I miss my craft room at our previous home. I set up a kids table and chair next to me and my 6 year old daughter Ella sat next to me as we "created". She is so cute...she made her own creations "to sell" and even put prices on them. She asked me yesterday if anyone had "bought"her stuff yet? I think I will put them away and tell them someone did and give her the money...she will be so excited!

Each album took me about 8 hours to make. I would set pages aside to "dry" and move onto the next. When each page was dry I would then continue to work on it until I felt it was complete. It may have taken longer than I usually take, but I pay attention to detail and there are tons of detail in these. Here are a few snaps of them. Two are acrylic, in the shape of Mickey's head, one is a smaller chipboard tiered Winnie the Pooh themed and the last I made is a larger one with an acrylic cover and lots of chipboard pages. I got so carried away in fact making pages I forgot to leave one side plain for the back cover so I had to make another page. Luckily I had a box made from chipboard material so I got out my exacto knife and cut away...funny girl!

All of these designs are mine and are original so please do not copy for resell. But please do bookmark for idea's...I get so much inspiration and idea's from others and would enjoy you getting the same from little ole me. Warning...lots of pictures to follow and of course they look so much better in real life.

Album One

Album Two

Album Three

Last one!

(couldn't get this one to fit so click on picture and you see the full view)

Ruffle Foot for Sewing Machine ...Let Us See Your Creations

2011-07-13T09:03:00.000-07:00

time for a quick catch up. I have been listing things at my Etsy store, keeping busy with the kiddo's and just living the dream....LOL! Today...it is in my plans to buy a ruffle foot for my sewing machine.I have been wanting one for oh...maybe 6 or more months. I have so so many ideas swirling in my head, a ton of vintage sheets I want to use and now to find the time. So...I am asking you, if you have a project you would love to share using your ruffle foot ...please do! I would LOVE to see them and I am sure others would too. Leave the link in the comments section or email me the info and pictures and I will feature it here...

Looking forward to any submissions!

Great Giveaway for the Cardmaker or Scrapbooker

2011-07-11T17:28:00.000-07:00

It has been a week or so since I have posted...4th of July events, shopping and loading items into my Etsy store, church activities for kids, canning jams...the list goes on and on. But I did want to quickly share with a great giveaway over at Going Buggy. 3 prizes up for grabs, all great!

The first:

Promarker Set

(I have personally never tried a pro-marker but would love too!) I have heard they are amazing and if you don't believe me wait till you see Prize #3 that Enfy colored with them.

Prize #2 Cricut Cartridge-Elegant Edges

(can I be honest here...I have not purchased a new cartridge in 2 years or more, so I would love to get my hands on this one!)

And Prize #3

Handmade card by Enfy (Going Buggy) herself.

Amazing work she does.

So if your interested in throwing your name in the running for some new crafty things, head on over.

Will update more about moi at a later time.

xoxo

4th of July Patriotic Paper Starburst Decoration

2011-06-30T07:28:00.000-07:00

My girlfriend April over at Funky Vintage Lovely did a tutorial on this fab decoration she did for memorial day. I have been wanting to make one and since we are having a few people over this weekend for the 4th of July festivities I thought I had better get it done now. I do love how it turned out however...I was not fully prepared for how long it would take to make it! Not a quick project so make sure if you decide to do one to set at least an hour or more aside to complete. I am sure if I could have found my exacto knife rather than using a big bulky box cutter it may have gone smoother. Or...if I had my glue dots handy rather than having to dig for them in the bottom of a cedar chest in our bedroom...it may have gone smoother. Or...if the 2 staplers I found were not broken with the springs all pulled out (thanks kids!) or if I could have found my tiny Tim Holtz stapler which of course I did have the staples for...it would have gone smoother. But...it is done and it looks so good on our front porch. Our house has vinyl siding so I could not "nail" it up anywhere but I did run to the hardware store and picked up some of those handy stick on hooks that worked perfectly.

The tutorial is here:

And while I am sharing July 4th creations I also made some of these...going to put them in mason jars filled with rice for table decor on our buffet table. The pattern and tutorial are here : (note: these are for decoration only and do not spin. I did use large brads in the center verses the circle cut out on pattern).

And lastly I got the free printable for these jars here: They were meant for tin cans but I changed it up a bit and shortened to fit mason jars. Made the flowers on front from the coordinating paper pattern and used these free printable for the center (also used these circles for cupcake toppers). These will be used for the plastic knives, forks and spoons... I have a ton more little decorations planned as well as amazing recipes I have found on Pinterest (addicted to that site). Will post more on that later.

6 Months of Printables from Anna & Blue Paperie

2011-06-28T12:13:00.000-07:00

I won! yea me! 6 months of printables from Anna and Blue Paperie. I love the name of her blog (I have a very unactive blog and Etsy site called Paperie Pretties). Go check out her blog...she has the cutest printable and party ideas, some serious cuteness! Here is an example she posted on her giveaway post.

(photo from Anna and Blue Paperie)

The funny thing is...we were away camping for the last 5 days (will post about that later, winning was much more exciting) and we had no cell service but we had wi fi (hit and miss). So I was outside kicking it in my lounge chair reading my facebook and read her giveaway post. Knowing I really wanted to put my name in the hat I ran inside the trailer and checked to see if I could get connection just long enough to enter...which I obviously did.

Thanks so much to Stefanie for offering this giveaway!

We Interrupt this Camping Trip to...

2011-06-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

BLOG! We are currently camping at Albion River Campground for the next 5 days and whoo hoo, we have WiFi! No cell phone service, but I can blog! Albion is located on the coast of Northern California, near Fort Bragg. The sun is shining, but...it is darn windy and COLD! Therefor , I slipped away to go inside the trailer and warm up my toesies and get a chance to clown around on the "puter". So glad I brought it! We have camped here before, but always with a different group of friends. This go round we are with a group of my husbands co-workers. I don't really know any of them, don't know the wives, and the site they booked us is not real close to them...so needless to say I am a little bored, and COLD!

The guys may go abalone diving in the morning, better them than me! The kids are off riding bikes somewhere...is it bad I don't know where they are at the moment? Did I already mention ...it is COLD?

Well...guess I will go clown around on Pinterest for awhile...but before I do, thought I would share a few pictures of us in all morning camping glory.

Ella, all smiles at 7am.

AHHHH....morning coffee!

The husband not feeling to "chipper" after one to many cocktails last night.

Carson goofing around.

Good Morning!

Friday Morning Finds Logo

2011-06-14T15:44:00.000-07:00

Well...not only do I have inventory in the shop, but my banner and logo are up and running too!

A huge thanks to

Pixelmade

where I purchased my business set. Pre-made business kits full of graphics for a great price. Perfect starter kit for someone like myself. Files are sent to you via zip file for repeated use over and over again.

For one set price it included:

FOR SHOP:

1 Main Banner

1 Vacation Banner

1 Sale Banner

1 Main Avatar

1 Away Avatar

1 Sale Avatar

1 Custom Order Graphic

1 Feedback Graphic

1 Web Ad

FOR PRINT:

1 Business Card 3.5 x 2"

1 Thank you Card 2 x 2"

1 Product Tag or Sticker 2 x 2"

1 Product Tag 2 x 1"

1 Address Label 2 x 1"

1 Round Sticker or Button 2"

1 Display Card (Earring or Barrete)

A few examples of my business materials

Well my timer just went off, making yet again more pepper jelly. Just couldn't wait to share...my new pretties.

Grab a button (top right of my blog) if you like,

I would love it if you did!

Friday Morning Finds

2011-06-11T16:43:00.000-07:00

Friday Morning Finds...the name of my new Etsy store. I have been away from blogging most of this week as I have been super busy sorting through items, photographing them, uploading the, editing them, you get the picture. I am happy to announce I actually do have some items in the store now. I have ordered my Etsy banner and Logo and all of that, going the cheap route at the moment with a pre-made kit but...it is really cute! So here are a few items I actually have in the store at the present time with a lot more going in the next week.

Friday Morning Finds

Garage Trinkets & Attic Treasures

Ouch!

2011-06-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

Last night we took the kids to the movies, they had a great time. On the way out of the theater, I oh so gracefully missed stepping off the curb and took a big fall, big fall! Landed right on my knee, all my weight (which is unfortunately more than I am gonna say), boy did it hurt. The pain was so bad I felt as though I was going to vomit. So here I sit, unable to get an appointment this morning with my doctor, for a phone call hoping they can squeeze me in. My opposite ankle is a bit sore this morning as well, must have twisted it when I went down...so embarrassing.

To give you an idea on what I am dealing with, this was a photo of my knee about 4 hours after the fall and after lots of ice!

Yes it was as swollen as it looks and yes it still is the following morning.

Just call me "grace"!

Life with an Angry ADHD Child

2011-06-04T01:06:00.000-07:00

I have not in the past, shared really intimate details about my life, my kids, but tonight I am lost and felt as tho writing might help. It is 12:20 am, and I am awake waiting for my 8 year old ADHD child to fall asleep. To finally settle down enough after one of the most terrible episode's as of late, so he can fall asleep. Aside from the learning difficulties an ADHD child faces, there are also feelings of anxiety, depression and anger...we are dealing with the anger. Tonight in a rage, my sweet little 8 year old boy called me a "F'ing B word" and no he used no abbreviations in doing so. He told us he hated us, he wished he was adopted, that he would always hate us and then he proceeded to scream uncontrollably at the top of his lungs. Same story, same words, just a different night. I am tired. I am tired of the fight, the constant fight. The feeling as though I am totally screwing this kid up with bad parenting, that one day he will really hate his life and do something that can not be undone. I fear all this, and he 8.

Our 8 year old ADHD child gets into such a place of anger that you cannot pull him out if, a place he has to slowly pull himself out of, and while he is doing this, I get to hear the name calling,. The words that break my heart, "I hate you" among other nasty hurtful words.

I have taken the class recently on parenting an ADHD child. I am really trying to use some of the techniques to help my child, to help him deal with some of the fears, anxieties and low self esteem issues he has related to his disability. You may not think it as a disability but it is and is more and more recognized as one.

He has started therapy. Today was his second session, apparently we need more work after tonight I would say. He has another appointment soon, I wish they could just "fix" it.

As quoted by an article on About.com, There are a number of factors that may contribute to children’s angry reactions. Kids with ADHD often have a difficult time managing their emotions. They tend to feel things very deeply and can have a hard time modulating these feelings. Both children and adults with ADHD have greater emotional liability issues than those without ADHD. This means that moods can change very quickly and emotional reactions can easily be provoked.

This nails our son on the head, word for word. Another excerpt from the article reads:A child with ADHD may also be very impulsive, reacting without thought. Impulsivity may even lead an ADHD child to respond in anger with aggression. The energy and restlessness that comes along with ADHD may be too much to handle at times until it finally bubbles over into angry words or physical reactions.

I have mixed emotions, as he seems to reserve all these issues for "at home". He has no episodes at school, no defiance issues with teachers, no outburst or foul and or hateful language. My sweet little boy waits till he gets home to unleash his wrath on those of us home. I am grateful that there are no issues at school but it frustrates me that he behaves this way around those of whom love him the most. A high percentage of ADHD children can also have other disorders associated with it one of which is ODD or Oppositional Defiant Disorder . However since he is not having issues at school the psychologist believes it is to early to tell if my son also has this disorder and if he does at this stage it is to mild to actually diagnose. It may be perhaps that while he is at school he is medicated, and when he is at home they have worn off, I don't know. Today I made an appointment to have his medications reviewed, if it is at all a contributing factor that he is reacting I want them changed.

Even knowing that he may not mean what he is saying at the time and that he may not be able to control his aggression, it is so hard as a mother to not take it personally and to feel as if I am failing him. Everyday is a roll of the dice as to when and or if we are going to have issues. On the flip side he can be the most loving, thoughtful, giving child you would ever want to meet.

Being a parent is hard, there are days when I just want to scream "this is not what I signed up for"! I never knew how hard this kid was until I had an easy one, thank you Lord for an easy one. I wonder if she feels neglected because so much of our time is spent on our son. She, 2 years younger is very aware of what is going on, I wonder how this is really affecting her. Tonight it is affecting her because we are all awake, typical a few times a week when he is told he cannot sleep in our room, this is how the nighttime issues start. But as a mother I have to think about how this affects her in the long run as well.

I could go on and on and on about all the little issues or incidents we have around here, maybe I will share more another day. It is quiet now, I am afraid to check and see if he is asleep for fear he is not. I thought at almost 9 years old the staying awake with your child at all hours of the night would have ceased...we are not that lucky.

Whomever reads this, I thank you for listening to me vent. I thought it might help to put it into words rather than cry in the dark on my couch (again).

Be right back...

all is asleep, that is my cue to do the same.

Lisa

Movie Themed Cupcakes

2011-06-03T23:18:00.000-07:00

I had to share!

A fellow mom (Jeanette) at school made these "adorable" cupcakes for her son's movie themed birthday party.

Seriously, how amazing are these?

Photo's courtesy of Jeannette

She said they were super easy to make, which is always a bonus. In case your wondering how she got the mini marshmallows yellow, she said she used yellow spray frosting. I am going to have to find out where one might find that, for sure.

Super creative, super fun, I imagine the kids just "loved" them.

Blogger commenting issues...

2011-06-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

anyone else having issues commenting? I type my comment, hit send, it takes me to the sign in page, I sign in, it takes me back to the comment page, I enter the verification and hit send, it takes me back to the sign in page....UGH! I am unable to post any comments and I have tried on MANY blogs.

So very frustrating!

Help me name...

2011-06-02T08:49:00.000-07:00

my upcoming Etsy store please. Estate sale's are my newest passion, love them! The funny part is I have been addicted for quite some time and my husband used to complain. His motto, for every one item you bring home, you have to get rid of one thing. Well...Mr. Smarty pants has joined the bandwagon and is not only tagging along but telling me about them. I have been accumulating quite the stash for a store and am in a quandary about the name. This is what we have it narrowed down to..

Friday Morning Finds

Garage Trinkets & Attic Treasures

What do you think?

Do you have a name you would like to put in the running?

Blog Etiquette Question??

2011-06-01T21:26:00.000-07:00

So I am wondering what the "proper" blog etiquette is when somebody leaves you a comment and you want to reply back. Do you comment on your own post and hope they come back to read it? Or do you run over to their blog and comment on a post completely unrelated to what you want to say but know if you do, they will get it? Often I want to thank someone for a great idea, or just comment on what they had to say, have a little chat perhaps but I never quite know how to go about it. Can someone help a girl out?
Thanks!

Bakery Outlet = HUGE Savings!

2011-05-31T12:16:00.000-07:00

Do you have a Bakery Outlet near you?

Do you even know what a a bakery outlet is?

If your looking to save some money on your grocery bill, and your not sure if you have one near, you should really look into it, it could save you quite a bundle. Our nearest outlet is about 20 minutes away so each time I hit the mall, which is not real often I make sure that I can fit a visit into the bakery outlet nearby. Our outlet is a Oroweat/Entenmann's outlet which
not only offers those two brands but also Francisco, Thomas', Sahara, Old country as well as many others including not only bread products but cookies, pastries, fruit snacks, tortilla's and more. Each visit you get your "punch card" punched for free items off future purchases. Check with your local store to see if they offer additional punches for being "green" and bringing in your own bags. Our outlet will punch an additional $5 off your card for doing so. Each day they have "manager" specials, for example today with a $7 purchase you got to chose a loaf of bread for FREE. These outlets are great especially if you plan to buy a lot and freeze, which is what I do. Most items are days within the suggested "best buy"date, for example today I purchased 5 loaves of bread for $1 each (normally about $3.79 each retail in stores) because the "best buy" date was today.

Using my completed punch card I got 2 FREE items, a FREE item for spending over the $7 and a array of great deals.

Total bill today was $22 for

ALL OF THIS!

I am so lucky!

2011-05-31T09:18:00.000-07:00

Lucky for various reasons of course. Lucky to have healthy little kids, a great husband (most of the time LOL) a roof over our head, great parents, of course I am lucky.

But...today I am especially lucky as today I found out I won a giveaway.

I swear I do not spend my days entering them, I enter my share but most from blogs I already follow and or blogs that they follow and I have found. So fun to find new blogger's. I could literally spend my days reading them all. Such fabulous ideas shared, funny and heartbreaking stories, some you find a common bond with and can really relate and others you may not but may learn a thing or two.

So I follow Perfectly Imperfect, great site for those of us who love all thing crafty and or vintage. Shaunna hosted a week of giveaways, each day with a different giveaway from another blogger and or Etsy seller. My win, a $20 store credit to Dulcitas Little Sweets, a cute little Etsy shop featuring vintage items, cake plates, and other handmade items. Right up my Alley. Thank you to Shaunna for hosting the giveaways, fun..fun!

Now what do I pick? I love it all but have it narrowed it down to a few items.

Cottage-Inspired Love Birds: Gerald and Velma

Light Sage Shelf and Hanger

Pair of Cottage Style Gray Candlesticks

(all photos from Dulcitas, Little Sweets for the Home)

What would you pick?

Cottage Charm Giveaway Winner

2011-05-29T09:50:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for entering my Cottage Charm Giveaway. I have a winner Chosen by the True Random Number Generator. And the winner is....

Jessica Havican

Congrats Jessica!

I will be contacting you shortly.

Jam Jars

2011-05-28T20:55:00.000-07:00

I need jam jars and I want them cheap! Anyone know where I can purchase canning jars for a reasonable price? They can be so expensive.

A couple of weeks back I made some Pepper Jelly (24 jars), think I blogged about it below. Posted it in my status on Facebook and sold all of it in 2 days. So the other day, totally not a sales pitch either, I post my status that today I had made more pepper jelly (6 jars) Strawberry Jam (12 Jars) and I had even made some coffee and brown sugar body scrub (6 jars). Well.. orders started flying in. Out of all that listed, I have 1 jar or Strawberry jam left and 2 jars of body scrub.

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G!!!

I think I have my own little enterprise going... OK so maybe not an enterprise but you never know.

Vintage Note Cards

2011-05-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

Photo from Kara Rosenberry

Recently I entered a blog giveaway at Kara Rosenberry Co. The Blog for a set of Vintage Note Cards. A set of each, 4 different styles each set with a different vintage photo and theme. Today I logged on to find out that I had won...so fun! A huge "Thank You" to Kara and if you like what you see you should run on over to here Etsy store Kara Rosenberry Co. clever cards and whatnots and see all the wonderful things she has to offer.

Giveway Time {Cottage Charm Giveaway}

2011-05-18T23:14:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce I am joining up with The Twice Remembered Cottage in the 5th annual Cottage Charm Giveaway. This is a multi blog giveaway that runs from now till May 29th, 2011. Run on over and check out all the participating blogs and enter to win at each one, at the moment there are 44 blogs and the list grows daily. This is my second year participating, last year was so much fun I just had to do it again. So now for my "Giveaway"...

A few closeups

A darling hand held mirror

Not vintage but lovely all the same. A rose themed hand painted scene on canvas.

My giveaway would not be complete without something handmade by moi so I am including two pretty little tin ornaments. I have many ornaments I sell locally and chose two that could be used on your Christmas tree and or anytime of the year. I myself like to attach to a knob on a drawer or tie onto the bow on a package, so many places you could use these.

A sweet vintage inspired owl locket necklace. I bought two of these one for my winner and one for myself, and I wear mine often.

Cottage white cake plate (salad size) from Funky Vintage Lovely, I love the sundae cup as the base, so clever. I found a glass dome that fits as though it was made for it.

Also included is the vintage cream colored doily, a green wood item with handle (better picture above. I am not quite sure what this is, my kids say its looks like a maraca but it is solid, kitchen item perhaps? ) Obtained from a local antique/consignment store. And lastly a pretty green vintage Avon floral milk glass perfume pitcher.

Rules for Entering

I am offering you a few ways to enter, so you can enter once or up to four times. Please leave a separate comment for each entry and if you do not have a blog (not needed to enter) please leave your email address in your comment so that I may reach you should you win. Because of high shipping costs, this giveaway is only available to residents of the United States and Canada.

1. Leave me a comment telling me what your favorite hobby is and why?

2. Become a new follower and leave me a comment telling me you are. Of course if you already follow then leave me a comment telling me you already do.

3. Of all the items in my giveaway tell me what your favorite might be?

4. Blog this giveaway and link back telling me you have.

Winner will be announced May 29th, 2011

Thanks for playing...and good luck!

Edited on Friday 5/20 to add:

I have been informed by a couple of commenters that the green wood item I was questioning on what it was is in fact a vintage sock darner (for mending socks). I had no idea and never would have guessed. Thank you for clarifying that for me!

Got Pork?

2011-05-17T07:11:00.000-07:00

O' my Goodness...we do! My sister in law Molly recently had 7 pigs butchered and delivered some meat to us yesterday. I can not even begin to find the words to "Thank" her. She raised them, had them butchered and packaged and delivered it to us, and all free of charge to us. Honestly I cannot even put a number to the amount of money she has saved us on our grocery bill with this act of generosity. Our freezer had not even been plugged in for nearly 2 years (thank goodness it still worked) and now it is half full of pork. She said we had better get to eating because...she is the doing the same for us with a Steer and a full Steer will never fit in there if we don't clear some of that pork out. Thank goodness he will not be ready to butcher until about August early September so until then it looks like we will be having our share of "the other white meat". Just to give you an idea of what we got this is the info off the packing list, a few things I have NO IDEA what to do with, maybe you have a recipe you could share.

All number's are "packages" of meat.

9 pork shoulder steaks

17 center pork chops

4 loin pork chops

12 pork steaks

2 spareribs

2 neck bones (what on earth would you do with this?)

13 sausage

6 hams

19 bacon

4 pork shoulder hocks (again...not a clue)

If I had to buy all this at my local grocery store...imagine the cost.

Thank you so much Molly!

XOXO

Help! Laundering a Cross-stitch

2011-05-14T21:59:00.000-07:00

I picked up this darling vintage cross stitch today at a yard sale, in the frame for $1. However it needs to be cleaned in the worst way. The backing looks as if it was originally a linen color to begin with so not as dirty as appears in the picture (and a lot is visual dust that looks as tho it could be brushed off) but its pretty dirty. Most of the aging appears to be on the reverse side of the frame. Anyone have any tried and true ways to clean this without harming the stitching and or threading color? Google has a million and one ideas I am sure but if you have successfully cleaned one I would love to hear an actual testimonial.

Thanks so much in advance

I am loving my dollar find.

CVS Cereal Deals

2011-05-14T20:29:00.000-07:00

So I was a little late looking at the CVS ad as the current ad ends today. So...having several cereal coupons in my stash the kids and I just ran down there to grab some deals on Kellogg's cereals. Many of them were on sale for $1.97 each and a a few I picked up were on sale for 2/$5 now even with my $1 off coupon off two I would not normally buy them at $2 each but...my kids were with me and they NEVER are when I shop so I did cave...how can you fight them when they are insisting you buy Mini Wheat's? Not like it was Captain crunch. I had a couple $1 off two coupons from Sunday ads and if you go to Kellogg's website and join, there are many you can print online and more than once, which I did. I also had a couple newspaper coupons for .70 off each of the Raisin Bran which brought each box down to $1.27 so...today's bill was:

12 boxes of cereal with a combined regular price of $57.68

After ad sales and coupons my price was $19.36

for a savings of $38.32

The new ad starts tomorrow and is already available to view online at the CVS website, I looked at it very briefly but will be sure to get there much sooner than I did this ad campaign.

Garden Complete

2011-05-11T20:02:00.000-07:00

well...just about complete. Everything is finally planted I just need to finish the fencing. We have lots of little critters I need to fence out, skunks & jackrabbits, so just doing a short 2 foot wire fence. This is the first year we are doing some raised beds, I have heard that raised beds are the way to go. The remaining of the plants and all of the corn I planted in the ground. Mixed the soil with some chicken manure and had some miracle grow pellets left so thought "can't hurt" so threw that on there too.

Also the first year using straw as a mulch for the ground plants. Last year when we lived at the house down the road the weeds we just unbearable. I could not keep up with them and they quickly took over. Hoping with different soil, and the straw it will really help, as well as help keep some moisture in the ground. We are unable to install a water system for the garden itself such as drip line and related, we currently live on near 10 acres and we have NO water system such as a sprinkler system anywhere on the property. We have hoses upon hoses tied into together, to be honest its a huge pain!

So...very excited to start to see some plants grow bigger. Many of the items we planted we started inside from seed, the kids love to watch the progress of seeds as they grow. Hoping for a very plentiful season so we can enjoy fresh, "can" for later, and share with friends. Our garden contains the following: salad cucumbers and pickling cucumbers, lemon cucumbers, zucchini, yellow crookneck squash and spaghetti squash. A couple of pumpkin plants, watermelon, cantaloupe, orange flesh (no idea, I thought I bought honeydew and when I got home it was this) corn, beans, 7 different kinds of tomatoes, red bell, yellow bell and green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, a few beets, trying Brussels sprouts see how that goes, and today I planted carrots, Swiss chard and lettuce. I think that's it! Oh of course I planted sunflowers down one side and some flowers as well to make it look pretty!

Did you plant a garden? What do you have in it that I don't have and what is your best gardening tip? I am still pretty new to it (just a couple years) so would love to hear about yours.

Lookie What I Just Won!

2011-05-09T21:30:00.000-07:00

How very excited was I a little bit ago to open an email notifying me that I won a blog giveaway. Yay me! So I wanted to thank Melinda over at Alabaster Rose Designs for brightening my day....big time! She has some amazing jewelry!

Is there really such a thing as "Mother's Day"?

2011-05-08T10:20:00.000-07:00

I know everyday is Mother's day as we are all blessed to be a mother. I am talking about a day of no whining, no fighting, a day where you don't hear MOMMMMM a hundred times, a day where one of your kids does not argue with you about something, you don't have to wash a dish, or clean up a thing. If there is, it is not in this house and not this morning! My husband is working and the kids are fighting, yup...another day in paradise! Looking at the bright side... I did wake up to two handmade cards from my kids Carson and Ella, projects they made at school on handmade paper they made themselves...yes they are most definitely frame worthy.

This morning Carson my son in that tone that makes your neck cringe says to me "MOOOOOOMMMMMMM make me breakfast~!" to which my reply was "ummmm....is it not Mother's Day? I think you need to make ME breakfast!" So both kids ran into the kitchen and after some fighting and complaining I was presented with coffee with creamer and toast with butter. Actually my favorite breakfast, and made by two of my favorite people!

We then proceeded to load up into the car and drive off to a local antique/consignment store. They were closed but they had a big parking lot sale yesterday and had a pile of leftovers for FREE so the kids and I rummaged through what little was left. I am sure my husband will just love more old crap in this house and I will hear "just because it was free didn't mean you had to bring it home". I think my love of other people's junk is rubbing off on my kids, they were so excited going through it all.

We then came home and the 3 of us walked around the front and back yard and we as a team, made Mommy (me) a Mother's day bouquet clipping many of the varieties of flowers we have outside. We then put them in a pitcher we had just picked up for FREE earlier in the morning (above picture). It is only 10:15 am at the moment so not sure what the rest of the day will bring. I am sure more of the usual but...I am still so lucky to have them!
XOXO

So...for those of you who are Mother's have a VERY Happy Day. Whether it is doing something grand, or just "another day" in life of Mom!

Today's Agenda...Jalapeno Pepper Jelly

2011-05-07T16:00:00.000-07:00

I make this pepper jelly, Jalapeno pepper jelly and to be honest it is quite tasty! It is actually not spicy or "hot" rather a sweet, tangy flavor with maybe a tiny little "kick". Served over cream cheese with crackers or bread as an appetizer or even used a baste for poultry. Everyone who tries it, loves it and I have had many request for more jars recently. My husband has been bugging for months to enter it this summer into the county fair, I don't know...we will see about that.

Unfortunately, peppers are not quite in season. A red bell pepper at our local Safeway is $2.99 each, ouch! I already had some jars so at least I did not have the purchase of new ones this go around. So even without having to buy jars this first batch it was still quite pricey once all ingredients and pectin were purchased.

So I posted a status on Facebook taking orders at $5 a jar (jelly jar size) which is very reasonable giving the price of similar jelly's in the valley where we live. Re-orders at $6 a jar but...if they return jars I will knock a $1 off the price going back to the $5 a jar. I made 24 jars thus far this weekend and have already sold ALL of them. Guess I need to cracking and making some more!!

Moms Day Giveaway

2011-05-04T23:20:00.000-07:00

Janet over at Shabbyfufu is hosting a great little giveaway on Mother's Day. Unique one of a kind , handmade item, it is darling! But...I will not tell you what she is giving away you must head on over there and check it out for yourself. Click on the Shabbyfufu giveaway buttton on the sidebar to the right , yup right there, you found it. And enter to win and sure, you could mention I sent ya!

xoxo

Can We Barter?

2011-05-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I was asked by a friend and local business owner if I could make a sandwich board aka A frame sign for a gal who was looking for one. They had originally asked this friend but with a full plate she told them "I know just the person"...which happened to be moi! I contacted the person via email and we worked out what she wanted and in return we would "barter" for goods...fabulous!

Recently our city banned all A frame signs within city limits, we live in a very touristy town and I suppose the council thought they took away from the look of the city they were going for...whatever! In all honestly, I think the whole idea is terrible. You should be allowed to have a sign outside your door, in fact one our local antique shops reported in the first month of the ban that her business dropped by 30%. It may seem as if I am going off topic but I am getting to the point. Since the ban I thought rather than buying materials and having my husband create a new sign I would reach out and see if I could "recycle" a sign that could no longer be used. I posted a Facebook status asking ...and BINGO I got one! One less item in a landfill and saved me the cost of materials to make a new one.

So this week I found the time to make the sign. A new coat of paint and using my handy dandy Cricut and some contact paper I made the letters. Sealed it with a coat of clear spray paint and ...ta da, all finished. I drove it out to the farm to hand it over to the new owner and she LOVED it! I was so relieved. I was given a tour of the grounds, the farm (in the county and can have an A frame sign) where they specialize in home grown, all natural products. Free range chicken meat, non-gmo, eggs and pesticide free fruits, herbs and vegetables. What a great barter? Healthy food for my family in exchange. I mean we all need food right? We all need to cut our grocery cost whenever we can, correct?

I think bartering is a fabulous idea and I know many people do it, but I don't think we do it enough. In today's economy where most of us are one paycheck away from being homeless I think more people should consider it and actually do it. Think of the money we could save, we could all save. If your neighbor is a hair dresser perhaps you could mow the lawn in exchange for a cut? If you have a garden and a you know someone who has eggs, you could swap some veges for some eggs. You get the idea. So the next time your in need of something and you know someone who can perhaps help you out maybe you should ask...."can we barter"?

One Hundred and One Yard Sales

2011-05-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

Well...I don't know exactly how many there were, but there was a lot! Annually, the first weekend in May a nearby town does one big yard sale so to speak. An entire sub-division of homes is involved and there are literally, I am guessing over a 100 yard sales going on during this weekend in this little area. My girlfriend and I went, on the hunt for...well, whatever we could find that we liked. We estimate we physically went to about 30 yard sales in the span of 4 hours and drove by, real slow, another 30 or 40 maybe looking quickly for anything that caught our eye. The parking was terrible as there were hundreds of cars parked, looking for parking and or driving around. But...we did manage to fill my SUV and between the two of us, for less than $100! I myself only came home with a few finds, being on a very very limited income I could not get "everything" I liked. But the items I did come home with I got for a steal, in my opinion.

My first find. A world globe. I, for some reason have always wanted one and given the kids are now at the age where they are asking where is London? where is Australia? now I can show them. I liked this one for several reasons. It is a bit more "vintage looking" although it is not. But, the water is not bright blue like modern day globes and this one lights up! And, I liked the base which has thermometer, barometer and some other meter I am not sure of.

My yard sale price.....$2! How could I pass that up?

I was on the hunt for a bench or chest, something I could put at the foot of our bed. Something for storage and also something strong enough that my husband could sit on to put on his shoes. I came across this vintage painted chest. I like the detail on the front and the legs and to my surprise when I opened it, it was cedar! The inside was unpainted and it still smells, bargain! So...later this week I will be throwing a coat of white paint on this ,very excited about this find. Asking $20 I got it for $15.

My final find of the day was a small vintage tiered table. The gal told me that it was her mothers and had been in storage for more than 20 years. I liked the size, the chippy blue paint, and I got it for $5. I had no idea where I was going to put the thing when I got it home but home with me it went.

Total cost for the day a whopping $22, I probably spent more in gas to get there.

Few New Vintage Finds

2011-04-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

Wanted to share a few of my new to me vintage finds. Purchases from various places, online, Craigslist, estate sales.

Collection of vintage fishing bobbers. The vintage platter was purchased on Ebay , the glass bobbers on Etsy and the assortment of plastic ones were purchased at a local antique store. I threw in the shells to complete the look. This sits on my coffee table in the living room. I love that they are all worn and dirty, barnacle residue and dings from use.

Vintage Fairy lamp, think it is depression glass. Two pieces in a light green shade.

Gossip bench aka phone table. This item is in pristine condition. Not thrilled with the cherry wood color or the tapestry fabric on chair (which is why it is covered). Looks like a project in the making. Wanting to paint, distress and recover fabric (thinking with feedsack) but hubby likes as is..so we shall see. Got this on Craigslist from a sale from someone who was relocating to the East Coast, got this for a steal for $25.

Gramma's Vintage Buttons

2011-04-25T10:21:00.000-07:00

While unpacking I came across this shadowbox I had made when I was 24 or 25 years old. My grandmother had recently passed away and one of the items I had acquired from her estate was a big box of buttons. I recall my mother going through the box of them with me and telling me that this button was on a coat of hers, or came off a certain dress once worn by her. I decided to hang it, it my bedroom. It is not the most creative piece or the most visually appealing (I am pretty sure it is not my husbands favorite piece) but it has meaning, it reminds of my grandmother. If only these buttons could talk. Imagine all the places they have been and seen...makes me wonder. Is that silly?

Master Bedroom Vintage Style

2011-04-25T10:08:00.000-07:00

Before Shot (excuse the mess!)

One of the nice things about moving is you get to decorate a new space. I have been struggling with the idea of painting our current bedroom furniture white. I am not a huge fan of the dark wood however after decorating the room I think I may be able to live with it. The bedspread is a vintage white chenille dot and I purchased the burlap pillow cover on Etsy. The pillows have actually changed a bit since this picture was taken, I will update on those later.The euro pillows and white shams were purchased at an estate sale.

I decided to paint the wall a brown tone so I actually took the burlap pillow down to the local Home Depot and had the paint color matched. The rest of the house is pretty "girly" light beige tones, floral pictures etc...so wanting to make this space a bit more man friendly.

Originally I was thinking of applying a vinyl quote above the bed and then I found the perfect picture. I had originally seen the vintage picture at a local consignment store. I really did like it but just wasn't sure and not wanting to spend the money on it at the time I decided to pass on it. However, after painting the wall I knew it would go perfectly, the question was had it sold already as it had been weeks since I had first laid eyes on it. As luck would have it not only was it still available it had been marked down to $18...what a steal! It is the perfect accent, my room with the lamps, the wall hanging, the white and warm tones, I feel as if I am in spa, a retreat. And with it all thrown together the color of the furniture is not so bothersome to me.

After

Customized Lamps

2011-04-25T09:49:00.000-07:00

I had been on a search for bedside table lamps for the Master bedroom and was not finding what I wanted in the budget I had in mind. So what does one do when a dilemma such as this arises...one makes what one wants! I found the lamps and shades at a local fabric store of all places, on sale. This is what the lamp looked like before I got crafty.

Some off white satin spray paint took care of the base so now I set to revamping the shade into what I had envisioned in my mind. I started by adding trim to the bottom, hot gluing to the inside bottom. The trim cost more than one of the lamps, but I loved it! It is hanging rings made from shells and with a little beading. I love the beachy look and the shell's color tones look amazing with the color of the shade.

Next I made some rosette flowers from the leftover vintage linen I had from the post below and raided my scrapbooking ribbon to wrap around the top of the shade. I don't have a picture of this step but this is the finished product.

Vintage Linen TV Stand Skirt

2011-04-25T09:36:00.000-07:00

It has been so so long since I have updated, yes I have been super lazy when it comes to blogging. Home with a sick kid today It gave me a chance. It is raining and we are cooped up inside. So...my first post of many today will highlight the skirt I made for our TV entertainment center. Moving into a much much larger house about 6 weeks ago we again got to use our large entertainment center. Purchased many years ago when we had a box projection large screen TV we had not been able to use it in the last year or so as our previous home was just to small for it. Having upgraded to a flat screen I was not sure how we use the TV in the center.

My parents gave us a bakers rack, it was nice, dark wood. I took it apart and painted and distressed it, the flat screen fits very nice on my new creation. However the bottom was open and wanting to hide the items I would put underneath I decided to make a skirt for the bottom, similar to a sink skirt. I purchased some vintage Belgium linen from Etsy, it went very well with the ivory shade of the furniture. I used drapery shirring to create the ruffles and Velcro to attach to the bottom of the stand. Hot gluing the Velcro to the metal was a tricky little deal, the glue kept peeling off, but...I made it work. The bakers rack fits very nicely in between the entertainment center and I adore how the skirt turned out.

I apologize...

2011-02-16T16:34:00.000-08:00

I apologize for my absence....I am sick again. 3rd time since December, seriously! And....I am in the middle of moving our home...again!

Second time in 13 months, ugh!

But wait till you see...the grounds are "amazing", so very happy!

cough-cough....sniffle.....cough-cough

2011-01-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

that has been the sounds most commonly heard in our home lately. Dec 19th I got sick , I remember the day well as it was the kids first day of winter break. Then my darling son got sick a day or two later and it lasted for a week or more. A week or so later Daddy got it and then Ella.

But wait we are not done, we are in the 3rd week of January and not only has Ella been sick for over a week with walking pneumonia, but guess who got it again...moi!

Yup, I am sick again, and not happy about it.

Achy, coughing, lethargic, this is no fun!

I have a high school girlfriend in town from Delaware until Sunday and I have yet to meet up with her. I have had to cancel plans twice this week with her. Crossing my fingers I feel up to meeting with her tomorrow, we are supposed to go wine tasting up valley.

. If not it will have to be the next time she visits.

Maybe some fresh air will do us all good!

Vintage Beach Themed Printers Tray

2011-01-17T17:15:00.000-08:00

I have had this 7 Gyspsies printers tray in my craft cabinet for oh maybe a year and a half. It came with a Jenni Bowlin kit I had purchased and I just never knew what to do with it, until now that is. Our main hallway bathroom is decorated in a vintage beach theme. Shells, vintage bottles and even a metal sand shovel are just a few of the items I have in there. I have been collecting a few things here and there and putting them aside thinking I might use them in my project. Vintage journals I had found at an estate sale, vintage sheet music, buttons, flowers, lace, seashore themed patterned papers from October Afternoon, and alas I finally set aside some time today to complete. Perhaps when looking you might be wondering who might the people in the photo's might be. Curious if perhaps if it a grandmother, or my father as a child. I can tell, I have "no" idea who these people pictured are, funny huh? They may very well be related to you! I bought the majority of the pictures on Etsy.

It started off looking like this:

and after dry brushing, glimmer misting, sanding, scraping, gluing, cutting, placing and such this is what it looks like now.

and here are a few "close-ups"

Vintage Paper Wreath

2011-01-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

I finished a project this morning I started a month or so ago, a wreath made from vintage music paper and and old vintage Tom Sawyer book. I have seen several of these online and I really liked them and having everything I needed already for the project I really wanted to make one. I made the wreath part at a girl's weekend I went on (crafting weekend) a month or so ago however still needed to finish out the center. Which I did this morning with a cream colored lace backed with a green ruffled ribbon and topped of with a couple of vintage buttons The wreath is actually quite large measuring approx 16" across on all sides. This project is not my husbands favorite, he in facts hates it. But...I hate the huge fish hanging in our house so all is fair, correct?

Today I hung...

2011-01-02T15:41:00.000-08:00

another of my "free cycle" finds. If your not familiar with Free cycle check out an old post of mine here which better explains it. I got this one last week, and finally today cleaned it all up. My "free find" included not only all the plates but the shelf as well and the "previous" owner had hot glued all the plates on the shelf so there was lots of glue to scrape off . The plates are a little over 3" in diameter and are Franklin Fine Porcelain "Songbirds of the World" Signature Edition 1981. I had thought about painting the shelf and "shabbying" it up but after it was hung I rather like the darker color, which is funny because that is so not my taste.

Time Keeps on Slipping...

2010-12-31T00:04:00.000-08:00

and once again time has slipped right on by and so has blogging! Yes, it has been far to long. The kids are now on winter break, Christmas is over and the New Year is upon us in less than a day. Where does the time go? It seems the older I get the faster it passes and this makes me sad, do you agree? It seems as if just a blink ago I was in high school hanging out with my friends and yet here I am in my early 40's. Same town, same friends...but older.

I suppose the dawn of a new year is causing me to reflect on how quickly it all passes.

Vintage Inspired Wood Spool Snowflakes

2010-11-21T13:10:00.000-08:00

I got the idea for these from here: Danielle Flanders, and loved them! She had some kits for sale that included the supplies and instructions for two of them. Once I had completed those two I was hooked and ran to Michael's to pick up more supplies. I hot glued all day, making each one different cause as you know no two snowflakes are the same. I glue and painted and inked and made flowers, distressed edges and more. My kitchen table was a disaster with bits of ribbons and mica flakes all over the place. But it paid off and these turned out beautiful if I do say so myself. Let me just add that most of the items used are by the maker Melissa Frances here is her blog. I love her product lines and the blog is amazing as it is full of great ideas for projects, full of such inspiration. Most of the papers and images are from her lines. As well as the resin pieces and the mica flakes I used for snow. Other items used were K&Co Yuletide papers, Ranger glitter glue and lots of ribbons by Maya Rd.

Let me just add that pictures do not do these justice, I cannot figure out how some of you blogger's take such amazing close up shots. I have a great camera, a Canon Rebel xti and I use the close up feature and my pictures are still just ho-hum.

I will be selling these, we all could use some extra in this economy and prices will be listed below each item. If you are not local, shipping will be $5.00 in addition to the price of the item. For larger image click on picture and if your interested in purchasing just leave me a comment telling me which one/ones and I will contact you.

Snowflake #1: Measure about 9" in diameter, features greens an blue tones. Vintage Santa Image in Center. $22

Snowflake #2 Measure about 12" in diameter, shades of reds and creams and white. Vintage image of children in front of fire at Christmas $24

Snowflake #3 measures about 9" in diameter, shades of reds and greens in paper. Vintage image of young lady. $22

Snowflake #4 One of my favorites! Shades of green and reds in pattern paper, handmade flowers with cute little bells on each arm. Vintage Santa Image. $24 Measure about 12" in diameter.

Sweet Little Banner. Each banner piece measures about 3" wide at widest point to about 4" in length. $14

Sweet little holiday magnets. Measure 3" $8 each

Snowflake #5 shades of red and green accent this cute hanging piece. Vintage inspired image of children at Christmas. Measures about 12" in diameter. $24

Snowflake #6 Shades of silver and a hint of blue, another favorite of mine. Measures about 12" in diameter, $24

Lisa's Handmade Vintage Inspired Christmas Ornaments

2010-11-18T11:19:00.000-08:00

Many of my Facebook Friends wanted to see the ornaments I have made lately, so here ya go! Warning...lots of photos and still not sure they are all pictured. The ornaments are now for sale at Alice's Antique, Vintage and Consignments store here in Napa, Ca. Alice "loved" them and I am so honored to have had her agree to sell my wares...prices range from$8 for smaller ones made from chipboard. Tin ones vary in price from $12-18 depending and the 3 wall hangings vary in price from $20-24. I am currently working on some gift card ornaments a small banner and some hanging snowflakes made from wooden spools. Please check back often as I will be updating as I create.

This is a wall hanging, a bit larger

Also a wall hanging.

And another wall hanging, this measure about 6"x6"

Shutterfly Holiday Card Free cards to Bloggers

2010-11-18T11:00:00.000-08:00

I am so excited, Shutterfly is offering 50 free cards to bloggers for promoting them and their wonderful products, don't you love Shutterfly? And don't you love FREE! . Sign up for it here. Not only can you order your photos from them..you can order: Photo Books,Calendars, Christmas Cards and so much more.

Here are some of my favorite cards:

Family Wall

Naughty or Nice

Seasonal Chic 2010

Those are just a few of my favorites. They have such an amazing selection, there is a card to match anyones style. The quality of their cards is wonderful and it usually takes me a couple of hours to decide on just the right one. There are flat cars, folded cards and the standard photo cards. You can get glossy or matte finishes.. the possibilities are endless.

The photo books are amazing as well. Here at our house we have both made books of our travels and received books as gifts from family members. You pick the designs you want for your "pages", the layout, the number of pictures per page and you can even journal all about the event on the pages as well. These books are amazing and come in many sizes, covers and you can do as little or as many pages as you like. Go check out the photo books at Shutterfly, these are a unique one of a kind gift for giving that will last a lifetime.

Vintage Inspired Christmas Ornaments

2010-11-15T21:22:00.000-08:00

Woo Hoo, I finally listed some items in my Etsy Shop! Just in time for Christmas and parties and last minute gift giving. Last weekend I came across some of these at the Scrapbook Expo and fell madly for them:

They are Maya Road Mega Bottle Caps measuring 3"

These make "fabulous" ornaments, love them! So I bought 5 of them and within a few hours of being home I had completed all of them, so naturally I had to order more. Today in the mail I received 20 more and cannot wait to get started.

So, once I got into the creative groove again I started making all sorts of ornaments not only using these but using some chipboard I had in my stash. All have that "vintage" feel or look to them and I used a vast array of products from new to old, ink, stamps, tinsel, buttons, sequins, twine, lace, ribbons, glitter and so much more.

So head on over to my shop Paperie Pretties and take a look around. Anyone who orders $40 or more will get free shipping and a free little something in the package!

Here is a sampling of some of the items I have listed:

"Alice"

"Elle"

"Lacie"

"Ella"

and a cute little wall hanging

Computer Woes

2010-11-03T21:15:00.000-07:00

So it seems I may have "fried" the motherboard on the computer. Well, not "me", not sure what happened. It is out for repair with an estimated completion date of 2 to 4 weeks! How will we survive? One plus is that I had purchased an accidental warranty apparently so the fee is completly covered, for once I actually did the right thing and it paid off, shocker!

We are normally not a big fan of those extra warranties they want to tack on. 10 years ago when we were first married we bought 2 brand new couches from Montgomery Wards, remember that store? We had nothing but problems and after 3 repairs they agreed under the warranty that would we get a full refund. 3 days later they filed bankruptsy! 9 months of phone calls and letters and we gended up with 2 garbage couches and out over $1800!

Today at Best Buy I did pay them $155 to download everything off the hard drive and back up to an external hard drive, which was included in the fee. I have a scrapbook crop coming up and all my pictures were on there, not to mention the last 3 years taxes, all our music files, o'my! For me, this fee, although not in the budget and making things tight for a week or so was well worth eating the rice and beans to save all our files.

So, looks like I will be getting very aquainted with the features on my Blackberry. We got these a month or two ago and it will be my lifeline for the next 2 to 4 weeks!

Ugh....

Few things...Giants Win,Halloween.

2010-11-01T21:12:00.000-07:00

Well first thing is that our computer is down, our only computer. Thank goodness for my Blackberry or I would be disconnect from everything! Crossing my fingers it is something "fixable".

Next, the San Francisco Giants win the World Series!!! woot woot!
It has been an amazing ride this season and skeptics said it could not be done, well, we showed them. This franchise has not won the series in 56 years! It was time, they were due, congrats to them and the fans.

And lastly I do have a picture of the kiddo's on my phone of them in their Halloween costumes so thought I would share. Carson was the cowardly lion from Wizard of Oz and Ella was batgirl. They were not a matching pair, which I love. They have been in the past Mickey and Minnie, Peter Pan and Tinkerbell cowgirl and cowboy, and the Tin Man and the Wicked Witch. I had my fun, but I guess they have their own opinions now so I must let them be as they wish.
Growing up!

My apologies for typo's! Not as easy doing this from your cell phone verses a laptop.

Give Thanks Project and Being "Thankful"

2010-10-24T19:44:00.000-07:00

So apparently using a glue gun all day can cause some damage to your "trigger" finger. Yup, making projects all afternoon and paying for it now. On Tuesday I will be conducting a make and take project at a girlfriends house. All kits have been pre-cut, presorted and all the participants have to do is glue it all down, I have made 8 of these kits plus my own, price of project $25 each. Lots of work involved, several cricut mats destroyed cutting felt. I lucked out as our school had an old die cut system I used to cut the apples out in wool felt. I love the apples! It is a simple enough project even for those who are not "crafty" and all the squares can be glued with Tacky glue or a glue gun. The project is very similar to the Halloween Countdown Calendar made several weeks ago however this one themed for Autumn and is titled "Give Thanks".

Kids now days are all to often "spoiled", think back to what we had as kids and what kids nowadays have. Sadly I don't think my kids are as "grateful" for the things they have as they should be. So for the month of November will be "counting down" the things we are grateful for. Each day I will take a tag and have each child write what they are "thankful" for and insert that into the pocket for the day. At the end of the month I will either scrap all the tags in a mini album or attach them all together somehow and save. 20 years from now they can pull those tags out and see what they were thankful for in 2010. It is just a fun thing we will do without them knowing that mommy has an ulterior motive of making them maybe acknowledge just how thankful they should be.

This is the project we will be making (sorry for the poor photo quality, it is off my cell phone. Which by the way I am very thankful for! This is just missing the wood dowel to hang and the ribbon to hang from.

This is the same project after I jazzed my own personal one up by adding a fabric backing and trim, and I also stitched all the squares.

This looks so much better in person and hanging.

With some leftover supplies this is what I made today, 5 of them, thus my sensitive finger. Coordinating "Welcome" signs using the same felt, accessories and backing each with fabric with it extending to trim the sides with a simple straight stitch. These items are complete and will be available for purchase at the make and take for those who may want the matching banner, a steal for $15, I think.

Hard to tell from this small photo but all those felt squares are zig zag stitched as well as the green "Welcome" block so they look like quilt blocks.

Trigger Finger

2010-10-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

Yes, I have hurt my trigger finger.

It actually is killing me, (well not literally).

Who knew repeated use on the trigger

could cause so much pain.

A little swelling and very sensitive to touch.

I will post more later tonight

on how I got my injury.

Darn that GLUE GUN!

Giants Baseball... Makes For A Good Date Night!

2010-10-11T23:56:00.000-07:00

Friday night we had the pleasure of a date night!

Well, let me rephrase that, we had a triple date night.

Matt and I heading into the park.

Matt and I and 2 of our close couple friends headed out to San Francisco to a ball game, leaving all 8 of the the kids in total at home or with sitters. We left about two in the afternoon which allowed us time to "tail-gate" in the ball park parking lot. Let me add here that the parking for the game was $35, can you believe that?

I have never "tail-gated" before so it was new to me and yes, it was fun. We took along a little grill, and fixed us up some sausage dogs complete with homemade relish and sauerkraut, yum!

Lots of little snacks and a few adult beverages before we entered the park.

Steve gathering his adult beverages for the walk to the park.

The game was so fun, it was the first I had attended this year and I have never been to a post-season playoff game. We laughed, we yelled, we sat in our seats, on the edge of our seats and at times way out of our seats and yes, we sat through 11 innings to end up losing in the end. O'well! I can say that now cause they WON against the Braves tonight and are again moving on...whoo hooo, whoo hooo!

Mike and Jill

Thank you so much to Mike who got all the tickets through a work connection...for FREE!

Steve and Jenny

Jenny and I have been friends since she was 13 I think so over 25 years now!

We had a total blast on the way home, all 6 of us in my SUV, some a little tipsy from the wine, all of us tired and giggly, we laughed so hard a few times, that deep belly laugh that hurts, I love to laugh like that at times. I bet I won't be laughing when I get the toll ticket in the mail for hubby flying through the fastrak toll lane to fast for it to pick up the sensor on our dash. It is always a bad sign when you see the "flash" of the camera.

It has been a really long time since I got home at 1 am and all I can say is...

GOOD TIMES!

Giveaway Winner!!!

2010-10-01T20:51:00.000-07:00

The winner is Jessica who said...

Really cute scrapbook lisa! thanks for entering my giveaway too - i too love coffee SO much and I love LOVE to be barefoot...although we just moved to TN and I am afraid this fall/winter is going to be too cold for bare feet, even in the house. ANYWAY - a favorite fall activity from my childhood was going on a "rainbow walk". The goal was to pick up a fall leaf of every color of the rainbow. Then we would come home and make an art project with them. As we had NO fall in FL, i am really looking forward to doing this project with my daughter this year...even if I have to keep my socks on once we get back inside ;)

Congrats to Jessica!

Halloween Countdown Calendar

2010-09-29T08:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday a girlfriend of mine Tami, had a Make and Take at her house for a bunch of us moms after school drop-off. The project...a felt Halloween countdown calendar. She adapted the idea from the Pottery Barns Kids Calendar at only at 1/3 of the cost and...we got to hang out, chit chat, and have fun creating. Each person did there "own thing" so each one looked different and so original! I choose a pumpkin orange (not bright) felt for the squares which Tami had even pre-cut for everyone. She had also pre-cut all the black felt, painted all the dowels and...provided each one of us with a goodie bag full of embellishments for the craft.

She is the BEST!

I also had brought along some of my own embellies and ribbon etc...We have decided you can take one item and move it from pocket to pocket each day (one gal had a felt pumpkin) or...you could fill each pocket with candy and on each day you kids would get to empty the pocket. So I have 2 kids I would put 2 pieces of candy in the pocket and they would each get one...each day.

I did sew each pocket on the 3 sides, only 2 of us did that and I have another "kit" to make another one and I am not going to sew that one. Many of my pockets are crooked, tilted etc...but everyone seemed to like that look so I guess I lucked out.

Few points we learned during the process:

The Cricut machine even with a deep cutting blade and thin stiff felt does NOT work well! ( I ended up hand cutting the title and resorted to my scrapbooking supplies for the numbers to include vinyl, plastic and chipboard numbers).
Hot glue gun works MUCH better attaching felt to felt than fabric tac and is much cheaper.
Do not limit yourself on time to complete. It was thought it would take about 2 hours and 4 hours later we were finally finishing.
Be creative and have fun with it!!

The finished product!

The kids loved it and cannot wait for me to fill with treats.

and...full of candy! Now the trick is to keep the little hands off!

Giveaway time...Boo to you!

2010-09-23T11:05:00.000-07:00

As promised earlier this week I am offering up a giveaway for one lucky reader. Now that it is "officially" autumn and since Halloween is right around the bend I am going to offer this darling little Halloween themed mini scrapbook album made by moi. Item is finished and just waiting for your photos. This project I made last year (I think) at a Basic Grey class I took, so yes all the papers are made by Basic Grey. The class was offered by Kelly Goree and once the class was over I took the album home and glammed it up "my way" adding my own little touches throughout.

Super cute!

Since this is themed for October the giveaway will run until October 1st at noon California time. I will be using the Random Generator to pick a winner and will notify the winner once I have done so.

How do I enter?

Well, you do not have to be a follower to enter but if you would like to follow I would love that. So the only thing you have to do which is mandatory is leave me a comment on this post telling me what your "favorite" family fall activity is. Great way to share and pick up ideas for new family fun. If you do not have a blog please make sure to leave a valid email address in your comment so that I will have a way to contact you should you win.

Good Luck!

Giveaways- to give and to get

2010-09-18T21:22:00.000-07:00

This week I registered for my yearly scrapbook getaway to a local scrapbook convention in Sacramento, the Scrapbook Expo and it has got me so wanting to create again. It has been forever since I have scrapped, sewed or "made" something and it has been all I have been thinking about this week. I am vowing right now to make the time...

With that said I have a entire basket full of mini scrapbook albums I have made that are just waiting for some photo's. I love to make these little memory books and so...check back in a few days as I will be having a "Giveaway" for one of my little treasure books. I love "giving" as much as "getting" and it is my turn to make someones day by offering one of my little handmade treats.

And speaking of "Giveaways" I wanted to share a few of my recent wins from giveaways I have entered and won...I love winning something special and unexpected and I love running out to the mailbox to find my little package waiting for me.

This recent win was from a giveaway I entered at Penguin's Gift , actually it has been some time since I received this package but I tucked it away for my daughters soon to be 6th birthday. I won a child's bracelet from Joann who is a Stella and Dot consultant. I had the joy of picking "any" child's bracelet in the catalog and I let my daughter "help" without her actually knowing it was for her. She picked the Mini Soiree bracelet with faux pearl acrylic beads and a sparkly pave ball (also available in a Coral and Turquoise color). The bracelet is darling! It came in an adorable reusable little metal tin and I know my little Ella is just going to love it!

Today I received my most recent win from the giveaway at Eye Candies Blog for a Stacey Winters Photography Original Handmade Necklace from her Etsy Shop. A "darling" little photograph pendant necklace with an original photo set in a antiqued pendant 1" x 1" preserved in resin. What a great little accessory and being the crafter than I am I truly not only appreciate the theme of the picture but the workmanship in taking the photo, setting it, applying the resin etc...I have made a few similar rings and the resin is not easy to get bubble free and flat. Thank you Stacey!

Just a small vent....

2010-09-12T09:08:00.000-07:00

grrrrr................

So yesterday I registered for my annual scrapbook getaway weekend to a local convention here in California. I go once annually.

Now hubby and I have not "fought" about it but I am detecting a "little" attitude....

I mention it and he says "oh, I cannot go hunting but you can go scrapbooking"?

(can we even compare the cost? Not even close!)

This year because finances are tight I have canceled all my scrapbook subscriptions to any and all kit clubs and the only "craft" items I have been buying is "glue". Using what I have, and it's so hard to resist all the new products, but...I have been SOOOOOO good!

Next he says "how are you going to pay for it"?

grrrrrr.................

This morning he calls and asks what weekend it is, when I tell him he ask what days of the week and then he hangs up.

grrrrrr...............

Can I mention I got our room for 2 nights (split by my girlfriend and I) at the Sheraton Grand for only $45 a night by using some points I had. Regular rate is $120 a night!!

Yea for me and watching our finances.

So I got to thinking and now am bugged a bit.

How many Giants baseball games has he gone to this year (yes we got free tickets but gas, food, parking), a concert and how many golf games has he played this "year" while I was at home doing nothing?

grrrrrr....................

And I accomdated him.

I budgeted for it.

I may have given him a little tude, I admit. But...it seems it is always something, when always I do NOTHING.

Grrrrr..................

just needed to vent!

Flying, I am Flying!!

2010-08-26T20:09:00.000-07:00

Before I begin this post I just wanted to warn you. My friend Jennifer reminded me today that I had not blogged in weeks, I know, I know! The cord to my camera is not working and its such a pain to upload through the printer/scanner so I just kept putting if off. So I broke down tonight and updated finally, and caught up on the last 3 weeks. So when your done reading this one, keep reading on down cause I think in the last hour I have posted 5 or 6 new postings!

Our next door neighbor is also a pilot and has been bugging me for months to go up with him. Now I am not necessarily afraid of flying but...in a big plane, a big big plane. A small 4 seater plane...well, that does make me nervous. After enough badgering I agreed. Initially I wanted "one" parent on the ground, you know in case something happened but in the end we all ended up going.

Matt getting the plane out of the hanger.

I was the co-pilot, cool huh? At the beginning of the flight he went over all the instruments and told me what to do should something happen. You know a 5 minute flying lesson while my kids are aboard, nice!

It was not as bad as I had anticipated although it was like flying in a tin can. I get car sick, sea sick and yes a little queasy in the air but I survived. We flew from Napa on over to the coast, and about half way there he let me take over.

Look Ma, I am flying!!

Yup, I got to fly it. I did really good. he was impressed. He said most beginners move the plane up and down, up and down and did not do that, not even once! When it was time to descend a bit I took it slow dropping about 300 ft a minute, without instruction and he said that was just about exactly the right rate to decline. Course it is easy to take over when he is sitting right there, can you imagine if he had passed out or something during the flight OMG!! We headed up to Jenner and flew right over the ocean. When I say right over, I mean it literally, like as close as 40 or so feet from the water. He was flying at this point obviously. Very cool!

Flying at the Coast

Looking Upvalley, look at all those vineyards!

Ella enjoyed it so much, well you can see how much she enjoyed it!

First Day of School 2010

2010-08-26T19:34:00.000-07:00

It is official, school is back in session and I have a first grader and a second grader! The kids are very excited as there cousin Lizzy (middle) is now going to the same school this year. Gonna be great we rarely see her and since school started she has already been over twice for a playdate after school.

Ella, Liz and Carson

Cottage Charm Giveaway win

2010-08-26T19:29:00.000-07:00

I finally got the item I won in the Cottage Charm Giveaway. (I have had it actually for many weeks now but am just now blogging about it.) It is a vintage cream colored platter with a vinyl monogram M, for our last name. The platter edges are a tiny bit scalloped and I even love a little chip in the side. It is "just darling" and since I already had a wall with several "M's" it fit right in!

Canning....still

2010-08-26T19:26:00.000-07:00

My garden is going really well, I have more squash than I know what to do with and my kids are about done with it. I have been trying to can whatever I can get my hands on the more I can now, the more we will save throughout the year. In the last few weeks I have made the most "amazing" pickle relish, applesauce, more jams, nectarines and this last week salsa. Oh how I love homemade salsa. We have a tiny kitchen, I miss my old kitchen more than anything in that house. We have little ventilation (no hood fan) and no A/C and canning in the house is well...hot!

Several years ago for Christmas I bought my husband an outdoor camp stove, something he had wanted. However 5 or 6 years later it was still in the box so we came up with the idea of "finally" opening it up and setting it up outside so I could can out there. It was a brillant idea and works awesome. It has 3 burners and fits all my large pots perfectly. So steam away jars and keep that heat "outside".

My very primative outdoor kitchen.

Lots and lots of Salsa

My 41st Birthday

2010-08-26T19:15:00.000-07:00

How on earth can I be 41?

It feels like just a few weeks ago I was hanging out with out my high school friends!

Well, I do still do that, but I meant hanging out with them and being 17.

Last year I celebrated in Vegas,

this year nothing so exciting.

Went and got a pedicure,

and bought myself a cake.

We cannot afford anything else,

so no gifts.

Well, I thought I was getting no gifts.

My girlfriend Stacie got me a cute nightshirt with a funny saying ,

and another girlfriend sent me some little items in the mail that I just loved.

Later that week my friend Stacie called me and invited her and her family over for dinner,

it was actually quite funny.

She called and said can we come over for dinner,

I am bringing it!

Sure...I don't have to cook,

come on over, LOL!

She was so sweet,

she had made me this "divine" chocolate and strawberry birthday cake with ganache

(did I even spell that right)

it was heaven!

Let me just add...my birthday was 2 weeks ago LOL! I am just now getting to blog about it. But, today is my parents wedding anniversary. Happy 44th Anniversary Mom and Dad!

Finally...we went somewhere this summer.

2010-08-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

Nothing like finally going somewhere this summer, right before school starts. We finally got to use our camping trailor and headed off towards the coast to go camping for a few days. We had a blast, it was to short, and we cannot wait to go again. It was cold and windy and my back was killing me from sleeping on the trailor bed, but again all worth it to spend some time with good friends, my hubby and our 2 littles.

Mud pies anyone?

Our Ella, loves the outdoors mud and all...

The "grown-ups"

My friend Stacie and I

Playing with a dead minnow,oh to be a kid again.

Hubby skipping rocks in the river.

What seem's like nothing...

2010-08-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

I have been busy, busy...

doing what seems like nothing~!

My kids have been gone visiting my parents,

they come home today.

I have managed to clean most of the house,

but have decided what I have not finished,

will still be there for whenever.

I have been doing a lot of canning.

corn, nectarines, peaches and lots of jam.

So, I suppose, I have accomplished something.

But...nothing exciting.

We have plans to go camping,

finally!

We have not gone anywhere all summer,

and school starts in 2 weeks.

Not happy!

I did make this banner yesterday,

I think it turned out darling.

My girlfriend Jennifer at Rosey Little Things has

a daughter turning "one" soon and her "1st Birthday Pink Party"

is this coming weekend. We will be out of town,

but when I helped her make the invites I told her I would

make a banner for little Scarlette too...so I did.

Of course I waited till the last minute, as usual.

The scalloped squares are pages from a Bazzill mini album I took apart.

They were already precut and prepunched,

all I did was ink the edges.

The shabby design floral paper I applied to them,

is wrapping paper I had here at home.

The chipboard letters and fancy oval ornate things are made by

Tattered Angels. I inked them pink and then used some

Martha Stewart clear glitter on them and tied the whole thing

together with white tulle. Shabby cute and perfect for her Pink

Decor. Jen said she "loved it" and I am so glad!

Don't you love my vintage armoire it is hanging on?

It is from Europe and is over 100 years old.

It actually comes apart,

it consist of 11 pieces in all.

They made it that way because the hallways and

entry doors in Europe are very small and narrow.

If made in one piece,

it would never fit.

It has it's quirks,

and I have had to drill a screw into it here and there,

but I love it!

Pillowcase Dress Part Two

2010-07-18T11:45:00.000-07:00

This is an update to my earlier post today as I made another dress since then. This one I used an actual pillowcase, again no pattern, so easy!! I included a matching drawstring purse for her too...she loves purses. The pillowcase I bought at an estate sale on Friday for $1.00. Perfect for summer, the vintage case is soft and cool, they just don't make linens like they used too!

Martha, Julia & Betty All Wrapped Into One

2010-07-18T10:07:00.000-07:00

Well, that is what my girlfriend Stacie said I was a few days ago...she said I was Martha (Stewart), Julia (Child) and Betty (Crocker) all wrapped into one. I can tell you I am a far stretch from any of those women but I do what I can do and I enjoy doing it!

I know I know, I have not blogged in a week but...I have been busy.

Gardening

Baking

Canning

Sewing

and Paper crafting

Last week I helped my friend Jennifer out making invites for her her daughter Scarlette's first Birthday "Pink Party". The invites turned out so cute! It took us about 5 hours to make them, deciding on fonts was probably our biggest challenge, huh Jen! I cannot even begin to count how many circles we cut out for these, but in the end they turned out darling. I also promised her a "pink banner" so I will be working on that next week. There are 5 circles strung together (I have blocked out the one with her personal info and address).

Next...

My garden is growing, fast! I have yellow squash and zucchini coming out my ears. I am trying to find things to do with it, and also giving tons of it away. The other evening Ella my youngest said "Mom, what is for dinner?", I told her I was not sure, I had not decided yet. Her reply which made me chuckle was "Pleeeease tell me we are NOT having SQUASH!" So if you live in my area and need squash, call me! Yesterday I made 7 loaves of zucchini bread. Got a recipe off the internet and it was SO GOOD!

So...on the topic of fruits and vegetables. I have been canning. In this last week I have canned plum jam (from neighbors tree), peach jam and peaches (from friends tree), blackberry jam (found some wild and picked them), strawberry jam (bought from a local farmer) and jalapeno pepper jelly. The more I "can" now, the more we will save throughout the year. I am waiting on my apple tree, corn, tomatoes and peppers to ripen so that I can make some applesauce, juice, salsa and pasta sauce.

Jalapeno Pepper Jelly Simmering...I am not one for "hot and spicy", I am a big sissy when it comes to that. However, this is hot and sweet and is divine poured over soft cream cheese and served with crackers and or sliced french bread.

Lastly, here is a little dress I threw together this morning for Ella. I bought this vintage sheet at a consignment store for $2 about a month or two ago and loved the print and the ruffle on the edge. Most of the sheet was white but I knew I could make her a dress using just the bottom and including that darling ruffle. This is a pillowcase type dress and I did not use a pattern. Watched a You-Tube video to get the jist of it and went to town. It took maybe 20 mins to make and I think it is DARLING!!! I just love it...

I have a few more pillowcases and sheets in the dryer as I type that I picked up at an estate sale on Friday for cheap. It is still early enough I could probably knock out a few more before the days end.

An Award for Moi, Why Thank You!

2010-07-09T20:30:00.000-07:00

So I was informed I was tagged with this blog award by Blonde Steel Magnolia so hop on over there and check out her blog and Thanks so much for thinking of me!!

The rules:

*Thank the person who gave you the award.

*Tell seven things about myself you might not know.

*Nominate 15 newly discovered blogs.

*Let your nominees know about the award

So here are seven things about me....I am really gonna have to think about this one!

1. In high school I never went to a formal dance, no proms, no turnabouts, not a one. (my husband says he will take me to one if I really want to go, can you imagine a 40+ year old in a formal at a prom!!)

2. In high school my plan was to go to art school after graduation, so how did I end up in Nursing School?

3.. I went to beauty school to become a manicurist oh nearly 20 years ago and finished but never took the state boards, all that dust and acrylic smells gave me headaches!

4. I have 3 tattoo's. Purple pansies and a small butterfly on my left ankle, 2 butterfly's (a large one and a tiny one) on the top of my right foot and the Leo Zodiac symbol on my hip. The one on my foot I got with my younger brother (siblings bonding with pain) and the one on my hip I got with my dad (he got one too!) when were in Cabo several years ago.

5. My husband and I went to the same high school (he a year ahead of me), we grew up 2 streets away from each other, we both worked at the same resort in the early 90's and he dated a friend of mine briefly. I knew "who" he was and vice versa but we never would have dated. Well...15 years later we changed our tunes when we actually "met" and have been together ever since.

6. I have had over 20+ jobs in my life, probably closer to 30! I have done it all...Mervyns, Telemarketer for Olan Mills, Drug Store Clerk, Kmart, Pizza Place Hostess, Frozen Yogurt Store, Weight Loss Clinic, Home Health Aide, Hotel Front Desk, Bartender, Busser at Restaurant, Movie Theater, Dental Office Housekeeper, Nursing Home Aid at like 6 places I think, Charge Nurse in Nursing Home (3 places), Postpartum and Nursery Nurse, OR tech in Labor and Delivery, Medicare Chart Reviewer and that's all I can think of at the moment. And oh....I was only "fired" from 2 of them way back in my youth. :)

7. Lastly....I "love" soap opera's, yup daytime drama. It is true, I do. Tivo them and watch them at night after everyone has gone to bed, when it is "my time".

Now for my Nominee's

The House On The Corner
Shabby FuFu
Rose Petals and Rust
A Delightsome Life
Going Buggy
Confessions of a Paper Freak
Blue Clear Skies
I Got The Notion
Fairy Tales Cottage
Applestone Cottage

Congrats Ladies, I am enjoying reading your blogs as often as updated.

CVS Shopping Adventure 7/5

2010-07-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

So tonight after the kids settled and hubby was home I set out to CVS by myself. My list in hand and my coupons in order, this couponing is becoming a challenge I am going to win! Sure I may hold up the line as I figure out what goes where and the checker figures out what coupon goes with what but you know but I really don't feel all that bad about it really LOL! So tonight this is what I came home with...

The Dove Conditioner was on sale 2/6.00 and I had a 1.25 off coupon
The Dawn Dish soap was on sale for .99 (these mid-size ones are great for the camping trailor)
The Starbucks drinks were on sale for 4.99 a pack and I had a 1.00 off coupon
The popcorn was on sale for 1.00 (we are going to our FREE Regal Theater Movie tomorrow so I needed my popcorn to bring along in my purse).
this was one transaction and I also used a .50 CVS buck, a 3.00 one, a 5.00 one and a 2.00 one

Second transaction:
The candy I will put away for those times when you have a sweet tooth, we don't usually buy candy but they were on sale for 2/1.00 and when you bought 10.00 worth you got a 3.00 CVS buck (see above, note I had already bought some earlier so you are only seeing 5.00 worth).
The cereal was on sale on sale 3/10.00 and you got a 5.00 CVS buck (see above)
The Sobe drinks are regulary 1.59 each on sale for buy one get one free. I had 4 buy one get one free coupons which means I got all 8 of them for FREE. (they apply the free one on the coupon to the one you would have to pay for on the BOGO sale). This little trick I learned online while checking out couponing blogs.

I did this in 2 transactions so that I could use the CVS bucks I was earning in the first transaction on the second one, that I had to figure out quickly at the register on what to put in what transaction to save me the most.

So the price would have been $50.83
after all my coupons and CVS bucks and sale prices I paid a total of $12.43
a savings of $38.43
Imagine the cost if I had bought everything at regular price with no coupons!!

and....I earned 2% back in CVS bucks to be awarded to me in October.

The Coupon Game

2010-06-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

I am learning slowly, the coupon game while shopping. My sister told me awhile ago the trick is to not buy things with coupons when you need them, to buy them when you find a deal so that you later have it when you do need it. Sunday I bought the paper and clipped my coupons, it was kinda fun actually, Ella helped. I found a couple of online sites, recommendations from a blog comment, thanks for the tip! Today I did some shopping and would love to share my deals...

Walmart-

Had a $2 off coupon from the paper for some Schick Razors. Read online that Walmart carried these razors for $1.97 and sure enough they did. 12 pack of razors after coupon FREE.
$2 off coupon for some Bic razors (pack of 4), had two of these coupons. Walmart had them on sale for $2.88 price after coupons .88 each.
$2.50 off coupon for Finish Dishwashing tablets package of 20. Price at WM was $3.87 price after coupon $1.37.
Edge mens shaving cream was $1.97 on sale for $1.68 used a .75 coupon, price after coupon .93
Womens Skintimates shave gel was $1.97 on sale for $1.68 used a .75 coupon, price after coupon was .93
Colgate toothpaste $1.50, used a .75 coupon, price after coupon was .75
New Kellogs Cinnabon breakfast cereal at WM was $1.90 a box which is a good deal in itself, I had 2 coupons for $1 off each so price after coupon was .90 a box

I saved about $14 which was not a bad start in my opinion. Next I headed on over to Safeway as today a new ad was running. The big deal I was going for and I had no coupons was they had all Pepsi and Coke products 12 packs on sale starting today for buy 2 get 4 free, yes you read that right. Almost every available 12 pack was in this deal, from regular Coke and Pepsi to Dr. Pepper, Sprite, 7-up, Root Beer, Fresca and so on...and there was NO LIMIT. The regular price of a 12 pack is 5.99 so buy 2 for 11.98 and get 4 free. Well here in Calif, not exactly free as we are charged a CRV fee on each pack. Basically everytime we buy a can, a bottle, plastic, glass, aluminium we are charged a fee for recycling. So "if" you return those items to a recycling center you basically get your money back, but how many people actually do. So the CRV fee on each 12 pack came to .60. Now normally we very rarely have soda in our home but....in the summer we have camping trips, BBQ's etc so we do buy and drink it. I bought 8- 12pks at 5.99 each and got 16- 12pks for FREE. It would have cost me at regular price for the 24 -12 pks a whopping $158 and change and that is including the CRV fee. My cost for the 24- 12pks with the CRV fee included was $62.32 so nearly a $100 savings and averaged out to a cost of about $2.60 a 12pk. I have soda coming out my ears but I am guessing this will last us 6 months or more at least! I also picked up some hot dogs and threw them in the freezer when I got home. They were on sale for buy 1 get 2 free, Oscar Meyer so I got 3 packages for around $4.50 I think and saved almost $10 on those. I am sure I could have found a coupon online for the soda and the hot dogs and did not even think about it till afterwards...maybe next time.

Something "FREE" you can do with the kids this summer!

2010-06-28T17:42:00.000-07:00

I don't recall exactly how I found about this but really wanted to pass the info along. Apparently they have been doing this for years and this is the first I am hearing about it.

Regal Theater Summer Family Film Festival FREE
We have planned a fun-filled summer of select movies for kids and parents. Regal has proudly offered this free summer fun since 1991. Oh, did we mention that it’s FREE!

Selected G or PG movies start at 10:00am every Tuesday and Wednesday during the festival. Tickets and seating are first-come, first-served and are limited to theatre capacity.

The Free Family Film Festival is safe, lots of fun and a great way for kids to spend a weekday morning in the summer. Tickets for our 2010 Free Family Film Festival are exclusively available at select theatres’ box office on the day of the show. check out the link to check your state and city near you...
Regal Theaters Film Festival click on your state and a list of theaters will come up and you can then find the nearest one to you.

I had to google a few of the movies but we are going as often as we can. Even if they have seen it before it's a great way to get out of the house, enjoy some A/C, and have a little outing for FREE!

Grocery Shopping on a Budget

2010-06-25T20:03:00.000-07:00

We are on a serious budget these days as things are very tight. I am usually a good grocery shopper, only buy whats on sale etc...but today I tryed something different. I first actually went through my cabinets and marked things on my list that we needed and really tryed to stick to that list. Despite the fact that normally I am pretty good at shopping it never fails that I come home with something we already have and that is money I could have saved. So after checking the cabinets and the local grocery ad, I checked online for printable coupons which took forever might I add. I did not really find any great ones but I did try.

My sister is an awesome coupon shopper but ...she also lives in Tennessee and they have double coupon days. California or at least the Northern part where I have always lived does not do that, oh how I wish they did! So I took my list, my newspaper, my coupons and my calculator, yes my calculator! I had a certain amount in mind I could spend but knowing we are having a bunch of people over tomorrow night for a BBQ I knew I would probably go over that with feeding extra people and providing beverages (it is potluck but are providing meat and a salad and a few desserts).

My grocery shopping trip today took nearly 2 hours! I calculated every single item on my handy dandy calculator as I went along. I even found that some items on sale were not such a deal. Tositito's chips were buy one get one free for $4.99 but....if I bought a different brand for the same price I got twice as much. I got everything on my list and of course a few things I realized I needed once I got there. I waited until I was done with everything on my list to decide on the meat we were going to serve tomorrow. I could not find anything reasonable so I decided to check out and try and different store. I checked out and I was only $10 over my initial budget, now granted I had not bought the meat yet but I had bought all the beer and soda's which is something that would not normally be on my list.

I ran across the street to another grocery store and was able to buy all the chicken on sale, some cheaper hot dog buns and some BBQ sauce, all were cheaper than the other store. It was definitely worth the drive across the street. So all in all, I did pretty good. I spent about $40 or so over my initial budget but....I consider that good considering in one night we will be feeding 10+ people and I know we will have left-overs! And oh...I earned a 10 cent discount per gallon on gas by spending a certain amount of money. Normally I would not be excited about that as the only gas station near that we can use it on is in a different town. But....my husband just transferred his job to that town! So he can use the discount to fill up on his way home one evening, that savings...it all add's up!

Definitely a learning process and I hope to get much better. I would love to have those coupon days and a dollar store nearby but we don't. I do know that there is no way I could have shopped today with my kids in tow....(they are visiting my parents) I think grocery shopping may be one of those late night events I will have to start doing after the kids go to bed and the hubby is home.

If anyone has any helpful tips to help save money, please, please do share!

Vintage Inspired Baby Album

2010-06-21T18:02:00.000-07:00

I promised a good friend and former room-mate that I would do her baby's first year album. Well, her daughter just celebrated her 3rd birthday a few weeks ago so I was bound and determined to get this done before she entered college. In my defense...I did just receive the pictures from her in the last few months so I am not too far behind. My kids are gone visiting my parents and have been for nearly a week so I thought this to be the perfect opportunity to roll up my sleeves, break out the supplies and get to cracking.

I used a 8"x8 " format so the pages are rather simple as you just cannot fit all that much on each page, not to mention I need to be able to have the album close...to many items, to many pages and it just won't close right. All the papers and most of the embellishments are made by Melissa Frances. I just love the vintage inspired lines she carries, and this baby line was perfect for my needs. Papers, little tags with places for mommy to fill in the important information, cute little 3-D stickers with some bling, I am loving this line and it it working out perfect for a themed album.

Here are a few of my favorite pages so far but first I wanted to show you what my work space looked like after 2 days of scrapping! I hate when I let it get this messy while working as I spend half my time looking for things than I do actually creating. It is now clean and reorganized, even my husband walked by and one point and said "whoa...you have yourself one mess there babe!" This is why I cannot do this when my kids are around...

I did not take a picture due to privacy issues but I have found making these smaller albums that the "collage" prints you can have made are ideal for placing many many pictures on one layout. I was able to create a collage of her "labor and birth" in a 5"x7" format and used 7 pictures on one 8"x8" page and there was also enough room to journal about the event as well.

Patio Goodness...

2010-06-13T21:11:00.000-07:00

Tonight we got home from yet another graduation party, can I mention here I "hate" the heat!! 95 degrees is just to hot, especially when you do not have air conditioning, Ok, so back to my story. Melting in my home I decided to kick off my shoes and check my email, to which I found something being offered on Freecycle again that I wanted (see post below for explanation of Freecycle). Items such as these, well, I am never the first to respond, but to my delight I was and when It cooled down this evening I went and picked it up. A white iron patio set, table and 4 chairs in all its chippy goodness...

It needs a good washing or hose down but...I love it. Two of the chairs have this lovely rose pattern on the back and also on the arms and the other two chairs have a vine pattern on the back.

The set is pretty chippy, and although it would only take a few cans of white spray paint to spruce it up, I am thinking for now it will remain as is.

Best part...it was FREE!!!

Don't you just LOVE free??

Tote Bag Sew Along All Finished!

2010-06-06T08:57:00.000-07:00

As you may have read earlier this month I took part in a blog sew along. Trying to improve my sewing skills which I am doing slowly I thought this to be the perfect chance to do so...without having to buy a pattern and also because there were step by step instructions. So for all my fellow sew along pals....here are my totes! (yes, I made more than one).

This I made for a friend who has a birthday..today in fact! Hoping she does not read this post before I give it to her. Notice I added the flower to the rim rather than an bow from the ribbon.

Inside lining

I did take a short cut and rather than hand sewing the top ribbon all the way around, I thread it through the belt loops and then ran a diagonal stitch through the middle of each strap end to secure it. I did this on all the bags.

This next tote I made for my niece who just turned 13 a couple of weeks ago. Fun tween prints and a perfect little bag for her sunscreen, Ipod, a book her swimsuit and such.

and finally this last tote I made for myself. I added an outside pocket as I like to keep my keys handy. I backed it with a heavier fleece interfacing and it is lined, the top is gathered with elastic. Not to thrilled with the "2" flowers, I should have only used one. Note to self...when using fabric glue be absolutely sure of placement and whether you want it placed at all cause once you get it on the fabric there is no washing it off!! Lesson learned...I changed up the pockets inside, and rather than using a ribbon on the top through the loops I made one using the coordinating fabric. The ric rac on the bottom has been replaced with a wider grosgrain ribbon that was sewed on with the machine on both top and bottom of the ribbon. My side panels were not matching well so this was the better alternative as the ric rac would not have covered the mismatched seams.

So there you have it. Thanks so much to I Got The Notion for hosting this sew along. I learned a lot and had a lot of fun, so thank you!!

Trash to Treasure

2010-06-04T13:11:00.000-07:00

For those of you who have Freecycle in your area, don't you just love it? For those of you who do not , Freecycle is a Yahoo based local web group where you post your want items and also offer items you do not want, all for free! Several weeks ago we had several items we no longer needed, a bed frame, broken patio umbrella, yard fountain that needed a new cord, an old recliner chair, sheets for a twin bed we no longer had etc. I posted my offers on Freecycle, interested parties email me back to which I respond with my address. You put the free item on your porch and they come and get it, everything we listed was gone within 24 hours I am not kidding! Same scenario when you yourself reply to something being offered and you go and pick it up. Since we have moved here I have acquired a love seat for the kids room and it was in "excellent" condition, patio chairs, tool box, hand me down clothes for the kids, and so much more. It is a great concept to recycle things you don't want rather than taking to the landfill. This week I responded to an add for a shelf unit. Needing something by our front door to hold our keys, all my hubby's items that he nightly empties from his pockets and such I quickly responded, you have to be fast cause the items can go in minutes. This is what it looked like when I picked it up earlier this week:

with my handy dandy power sander it did not take all that long to sand it down and remove all the lacquer it had on it

I was not crazy about the top part of the unit, looked odd so I had hubby cut it off for me. I used a white interior semi-gloss paint that I also received off of freecycle (got about half a gallon...for free!). I ran to Home depot and got 4 new knobs, cheap ones but pretty and a new paint brush. Total cost of this entire project $11 and this is what it looks like now...

Not to bad for FREE!

So if you have never heard of Freecycle you "must" google and see if there is a message board in your area. Frrecycle has saved me a ton of money on purchasing items I need and also on money I would have spent taking items to the local landfill. Remember...your trash may be someone else's treasure and vice versa!

Lookie What I Made...

2010-05-30T16:42:00.000-07:00

well yes it is true I did make the girl "in" the dress so let me rephrase that, look what I made "today!" This is the first garment I have EVER made, and I am so proud, exhausted, but thrilled with myself. Far cry from my simple pillows and window valances. Not sure I am 100% crazy about the flower on the bodice, I made it and then gave her the choice whether to attach or to not attach and she loved it so...it's her dress, she won! If you read this post a few hours ago and are reading this again, yes I did change the pocket, you are not seeing things LOL. One of my goals this year was to improve on my sewing skills, I just have to mention that the top and back bodice part of this dress are even lined and yes its straight, haha, she took it off and we realized after the picture part of it was tucked in her bottoms. My back hurts from sitting in my dining room chair all day, my floor is a mess with bits of thread, pins and small pieces of fabric, the laundry it still in the hamper, and I have a full sink of dirty dishes but...such is life!

My darling daughter Ella has her promotion ceremony next week from kindergarten to first grade. Why they feel the need to promote kindergarten in a ceremony has always been a mystery to me, but she now has a pretty new dress to wear, and it was made with love.

So as for my checklist ...

Cake made.
Garden planted (yesterday).
Dress made.
Coffee table painted.

and I still have one day to go...

here is the coffee table pics before and after, this you may have read earlier this month was purchased at a barn sale and I was having a hard time deciding to paint or not to paint...well, I did.

Before:

After: which goes much better with the decor

P.S. just wanted to add that I bought the pattern and instructional PDF download from Etsy seller googooagogo yes I did change mine up a bit. I only added one side pocket and added the trim to that, and I added the rosette flower on the bodice. The pattern comes with several options to add, the apron on skirt, ruffle below bodice, and different pocket placements...

Cottage Charm Giveaway Winner is.........

2010-05-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

using the random.org tru random generator the winner is.......Patricia from Vintage Linen Treasures with the winning entry

I'm also, very happily, a new follower.

Patricia :o)

Congrats to Patricia and thank you to all who entered...this has truly been a fun few weeks reading all your blogs, and comments made to mine.

Amazing Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

2010-05-28T22:25:00.000-07:00

I am heading off to bed but wanted to share with you a recipe I got off of AllRecipes.com for Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins. These are the BEST! Serious YUM-OOO. I made them last night, it made 17 muffins and they are GONE! Tonight I was baking a cake for my husbands work this weekend and my 7 year old son came into the kitchen and was so excited because he thought I was making more muffins...to which I had to crush his little heart and tell him I was not, but I will tomorrow just for him.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup plain yogurt (I only had a tub of Vanilla yogurt so that is what I used, YUM!)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I had 3 old banana's so I used all 3)
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used an entire cup of course!)

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, combine the egg, oil, yogurt and vanilla. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks. Yields 16 servings.

Seriously the best recipe for this type of muffins I have ever made. I do tend to adjust cooking time by cooking a minute or two less than it says, who wants a dry muffin? Just a warning...you cannot eat just one, and with those chips in there, why would you want too?

What are you weekend plans?

2010-05-28T19:35:00.000-07:00

with 3 whole days of the kids being home and no where I have to be I have lots of things I want to do at home...just curious how much of that will actually get done? what are your plans? BBQ's, gatherings, parties, working in the yard, crafting, would love for you to share what you plan to put on your "plate" this weekend.

My to do list is as follows:

Make a cake tonight for my hubby to take to work tomorrow, they asked for my "baked Potato Salad" but I just got the request an hour ago so that is not going to happen.
Provided it actually DOES NOT rain, I will be planting my garden. This has got to be done!
I was a bad girl and bought yet more fabric today...I have a pattern for a dress for Ella I want to try and I also want to get started on 2 more tote/handbags, cause I just LOVE the fabric!!
The local scrapbook store that I used to teach at and design for and was currently selling pre-made kits and layouts out of has announced it is closing...next week! The entire store went 50% on wed so...I guess you can guess ...I have new scrapping stuff to play with. Paper, ribbon, mini albums...I really need to break into that and get CREATIVE!
Paint rocking chair and coffee table

and oh you know..do laundry, clean the house, I really have no plans of leaving to go anywhere which I really am looking forward too as I can wear jammies each day, all day. No makeup, no shoes, heck no bra!

So what are your plans? and if your "creating" please do share when you are done, I will be sharing...

Have a safe and fabulous weekend!

Don't miss out...Giveaway Day is on the 29th

2010-05-26T19:30:00.000-07:00

My giveaway is just a couple of days away on the 29th, so if you have not entered for your chance to win you might as well do it now while you are here so you don't miss out on a chance to win. Here is the link for my Cottage Charm Giveaway leave a comment to enter and for another chance to win become a follower and then submit another comment telling me you are now following. While your at it, run on over to Twice Remembered the host of the annual Cottage Charm Giveaway and enter one or all of the listed blog giveaways. At this moment there are 66 of us participating in the giveaway and there are some amazing , I mean "AMAZING" items being offered. Good luck!

I am on a roll...I won a Scentsy Plug in Warmer

2010-05-26T15:52:00.000-07:00

I really need to go buy a lottery ticket for tonight...not kidding! Yesterday as you read I won a blog giveaway for a darling little tutu for my daughter. Well today my friend Stacey who is also a Scentsy Director posted a link on Facebook and I was her first "fan" so I won a plug in warmer from Scentsy, I am on a roll!

I have always wanted a Scentsy warmer, my other friend Stacey has one and everytime I go to her house it just smells so good. If your not familiar with the Scentsy brand they are decorative warmers with wax melted by the heat of a light bulb instead of a traditional wick and flame, amazing! Each consultant is independent as Scentsy is a home based business opportunity providing in home parties, catalog orders etc..

So I won a plug in warmer, which plugs directly into the wall. I browsed her online site and choose this one, as I thought it would great in my cottage beach decor bathroom.

While on her website I fell in love with this months full size warmer so I figured since she was going to ship the plug in to my home I might as well order this one right, and they could ship together, there are a ton of warmers to choose from but look at how darling this one is

Love it! and then of course I had to decide which scents to order, now there was a decision to make, holy smokes they have so many to choose from! I did however narrow it down and ordered me a bar of Sugar, Ocean Breeze and Perfectly Pomegranate , I cannot wait to try them all.

Just in case your wondering where you can find info on these products or where you yourself can order some I have offered to post her info on my blog

Scentsy Stacey Guthier Independent Director Website

Click her to join her fan page on Facebook

Tell her I sent ya!

I am a blog giveaway winner today!

2010-05-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

I got a little note in my blog comments today from Melanie at Tutu Bug blog that I was her winner in her recent giveaway for a handmade tutu from her website. How exciting to win something, anything, I feel so special. So, when my little princess Ella got home from school today we got onto the website as we were allowed to pick any tutu she wanted. Carson, my near 8 year old son was a bit unhappy when he asked if he could get one too and I had to tell him no, that boy likes his girly stuff!

It was a hard decision for a 5 year old to make, they are all so pretty. If I were choosing I would have gone with the Purple Swirl or the Bubblegum one but I think the rainbow of colors caught her eye as she choose the Gumdrop after changing her mind several times.

An hour later she is bugging me..."mommy, can we check the mail to see if my tutu is here?" to which I had to explain that it is not and it won't be for a week or so, it will be a surprise when it does arrive. I think she gets her impatience from her mommy...when I am expecting a package of scrap goodies or something I am at the mailbox everyday right after delivery...it is exciting to get packages in the mail!

Tutu bug has a large variety of tutu's, even sport team colors, darling! If you get the chance do swing by and check out the site, I am sure you know of some little girl who would love to run around in a fluffy, fancy little tutu such as these.

Tutu Bug Handcrafted tutus for your little princess

Thanks Melanie for the opportunity to win, my daughter is going to love it!

Darling Vintage Garden Markers

2010-05-23T09:55:00.000-07:00

Not exactly sure how I landed on this etsy site Monkeys Always Look but I happened upon it yesterday and just had to share. These are just darling, I love these little garden markers and can see many of them in my plant boxes and or windowsill, such a great idea!

Tote bag Sew Along

2010-05-16T20:13:00.000-07:00

My sewing skills are very limited...I can make pillows, valances, table runners, basically anything that is easy enough and requires very little skill . However, one of my goals for 2010 was to expand on this so this is my big start. I have never used a pattern before, as I have never made anything that really required one so I am doing a sew-a-long over at I Got The Notion, she has emailed us the pattern and supply list and we are in stage one of the process. Where we live we don't have a great fabric store and the nearest Joann's is 45 min away so today while out of town at my sis-in laws birthday party I snuck out and ran to Joann's which was nearby and got my supplies. I am very excited to get started and see how it goes, I thought a tote bag was an easy enough project to get started on so wish me luck!

This is the bag we will be making, this is the one she made at Notion. (It does have several pockets inside too).

And this is the fabric I will be using to make mine! If it turns out decent enough I know just what to do with it as I have a friend turning 40 soon and I had her in mind when picking out the fabrics.

Will keep you updated on the process...

P.S. I also have some new scrapbook paper to play with too...and lots of idea's in my head in that arena too so check back in a couple of days for a new layout of the day/week.

Chippy Vintage Bench Pillows

2010-05-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

I just finished sewing the pillows for the bench on my front porch. They need to be sat on and smashed a bit to fill them out a bit, the seat cushion mainly, needs to be "flatter" I think. I choose to make the seat cushion a pillow rather than a cushion with foam because...I had the fill on hand and the foam seating is really expensive at our only fabric store in town, so I decided to go with the cheaper option which was also the easier option, see how that worked!

The flowers on each back pillow are really rough, frayed edges and such and meant to look that way. I used what I had left over of the fabric and a few of the vintage hankie pieces I had left from making the pennant banner (see below). I still need to spray with some UV protectant and heat dry (with blow-dryer via the directions) the porch is covered so not going to get a whole lot of sun or a lot of use, as we never sit out there, it is for looks of course! So that is about as crafty as I am going to get today...still feeling a bit under the weather.

On another note the kids had there school carnival last night, so glad that is over. However, having that out of the way means...the end of the school year is within arms reach. I cannot believe how fast it went!! The end of the year brings so many activities. Next week we have a field trip to some marine marsh (they are learning about the plants and living things in these) and then off to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom the following week for a behind the scenes look at the marine life, that should be an interesting field trip however with 82 kids is the interesting part going to be what we are showed or...keeping them all in line!

Well off to check my oven which is "self cleaning" oh...the simple things in life that make it so much easier!!

Happy Spring Day!

Tattered Angels Glimmer Mist Nature Album Kit

2010-05-13T14:10:00.000-07:00

It is already Thursday and I have accomplished not a darn thing this week it seems. I spend the last 2 days and nights in bed asleep, I am not kidding, I slept more in two days than I do in a normal week. I have been up today and got a few things done, nothing exciting, cleaned my kids rooms. I still have a horrible cough that hurts and I feel a little spacey still and I could probably sleep still, but thought I would catch up on a few things and before you know it the kids will be home from school and I will be up anyways!

Not having done anything "crafty" this week I pulled this album out of my craft closet to share with you. This album kit is made by Tattered Angels. I love how this turned out and think that it would not only make a great little album for some great outdoor photos but I think it would make a lovely journal as well. The kit comes with a blank album, butterfly stencil, 3 shades of glimmer mist, the nature chipboard pieces, some cutouts, words and some ribbons and such. It is up to you the creator to use the items as you wish. If you have never used Glimmer mist, it is amazing! It is, well here is some info from the website at Tattered Angels.
Glimmer Mist, a Tattered Angels original product, is a quick and easy spray that delivers just a touch of glimmer in a fine mist to make all of your projects shine. Glimmer Mist puts an end to messy, clumpy, and time consuming conventional glitters with over 80 colors to choose from so finding the right one for your project is easy. Glimmer Mist was made by a scrapbooker with the scrapbooker in mind and is water-based, archival safe, acid-free, and non-toxic. Glimmer Mist is safe for and adheres to all types of materials including paper, acrylic, metal, and fabric.

So here is the cover of my album, and a few of the pages I made with this particular kit, caution Glimmer Mist once you try can be quite addicting, I cannot even begin to guess how many bottles I personally own now!

Thanks for looking!

2010-05-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

I am, for the first time participating in the 4th Annual Cottage Charm Giveaway. There will be many, and I mean "a lot" of blogs offering fabulous giveaways for the month of May, this event will last from now until May 29th, 2010 at midnight . Please check out the Cottage Charm Giveaway post for all of the great details on how to participate in these giveaways by either offering one yourself or entering one or all! My giveaway will include the following: (warning there are lots of pictures! )

A handcrafted by me wall hanging, I have one similar hanging on the knob of a cabinet. The vintage inspired Bingo Card measures 5"x7" to give you an idea of how big this is.

Next I am including a vintage inspired mini scrapbook album in the theme of friends, made my me.

Sample of inside:

Next item up for grabs is a acrylic scrapbook album in a heart shape, again made by moi.

Inside first page, this album is chocked FULL of flowers, and is so bright and fun!

and lastly I am including a grab bag full of Vintage ephemera, vintage music paper, pages from vintage books, vintage ledger paper, vintage flash cards and lace, old used stamps and vintage inspired (not old) pearl hat pins, and an assortment of vintage buttons I acquired at an estate sale.

Now how can you win all of this?

Leave me a comment for one entry.

For another entry...become a follower and then leave me another comment telling me you have become a follower.

I will use a random picking site to pick my winner on the 29th.

(due to shipping fees please only USA and Canada shipping)

Also...if your not a blogger please leave me an email in your comment section so I know where to reach you should you win!

Now once again be sure to go on over to the

Cottage Charm Giveaway

and check out and enter all the giveaways, There is "amazing" little lovelies being offered.

Vintage Hankie Pennant Banner

2010-05-08T14:58:00.000-07:00

So, no scrapbooking this weekend but I have been busy. Yesterday I painted some patio chairs and today...this. At our old house we could not have any "color" as in plants because we had deer everywhere and they love to eat pretty flowers! So, at our new to us house I am trying to get some color out there, lots of potted pretty flowers (we have tons of gophers) and pretty floral fabrics. I am currently in the process of making outdoor cushions and pillows but that will take time. Today I made these breezy little pennant type banners to hang from our patio umbrella, these are made from vintage hankies (hankerchiefs) I found at a garage sale yesterday for 10 cents a piece. I cut each one in half on the diagonal and then gathered each one and then sewed them all on bias tape. My first one did not come out that great, I had to restitch several times as my tension on my sewing machine was not right. The second one I made went much much better! I love the color it brings, the way it flows in the wind....

(oops...I see a loose thread, that is definatly the first one I made)

Second project today was recovering the lid on the kids toy box. The fabric was old and filthy so my friend Jennifer was ever so kind as to pull some upholstery fabric out of her stash and sell to me dirt cheap ($5 a yard), it took me maybe 10 minutes from start to finish and the seat has a fresh new look. I love the fabric so much I may call her up and see if I can buy some more for some outdoor pillows.

And lastly today I wanted to just share a lovely photo of the roses I picked in my yard this morning....I love roses and roses to a deer is like desert so no deer here means lots and lots of roses!

Have a lovely Mother's Day tomorrow...I myself will be home with the kiddo's piddling around here, husband works, just another day...

Layout of the Day-Celebrate

2010-05-05T20:18:00.000-07:00

Single page layout made for the local scrapbook store. I applied powder to the backs of all the coordinating card stock stickers so I could pop them up without them sticking to the page. The celebrate banner is also a border card stock sticker which I applied the letters too. Stapling them to the page rather than sticking them down made them appear more like a banner as they turn and lift a bit. Machine stitching, ribbons, buttons, date sticker and some bling are embellishments used. This could be a birthday layout, anniversary etc...various numbers on printed papers, circular number stickers down right hand side of page could all signify a important date or celebration in years. I purposely left the lined printed paper with an area on the lower right hand corner blank (without pictures or embellishments) so that journaling can be done right on the page.

Layout of the Day-Bloomin Cute

2010-05-03T22:08:00.000-07:00

Today's layout is a another pre-made single layout I made for resell. Using leftovers from a kit club monthly kit I had in my stash I was able to use several prints and leftover embellishments as well. Machine stitching can add so many details, a zig zag stitch border in aqua and a straight stitch in yellow accentuate the sun, sewing on paper is very easy and it only takes a minute to swap out the different color threads. Handmade crepe paper flowers with the coordinating manufacturer flower in the centers. Hand cut the stems and leaves from scraps I had left over and doodled them with pen. The "cute" is a Heidi Swapp sticker I also had in my supplies backed with red cardstock and I always make sure to allow some place for journaling if needed so there is a block for that as you can see that slips right behind that and could also be used for a smaller photo. Stickles glitter glue and various buttons add dimension and highlight the "sun".

Estate Sale Vintage Finds

2010-05-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was able to stop by some Estate Sales and I managed to find a few great things! First we have this darling coffee table.

This was at a barn sale and the prices were rather high, but I managed to get out of there with a few dollars knocked off the price. I cannot decide if I want to paint this table white, as I love being able to really see the vintage doily through the glass. It does match our piano right now as is but thinking maybe..I can paint the entire thing white except the inside. At his particular barn sale I also got this small darling pillow cover and a few vintage kitchen towels. I fell in love with a cream handmade crocheted tablecloth but they were asking to much and not willing to budge on the price.

At another estate sale I managed to find a couple lovely teacups and the jewelry bits cost me $2 total The cameo is a broken pendant with also a pin backing and I am thinking I may make it into a ring, as with the center broken earring. The butterfly pin is lovely the way it is but would also be cute as a hair accessory I am thinking.

The vase I picked up at a antique consignment store, I thought it perfect to display my Cecile Bruner pink roses I posted about earlier in the week.

At last but not least is a bench.

I got this a month or so ago and have yet to post it but I LOVE IT! It was up until yesterday inside the entry of my home but....it was becoming the place where everyone would walk into the door and just drop there items off on it and walk away so...it now resides on the porch and they now have to put there items away, what a concept! It is so chippy and well worth the $20 I paid for it, now to find the perfect fabric to make a cushion, I am thinking a floral oilcloth.

Not bad for a Redneck!

2010-05-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

So Thursday my status on Facebook read "you know your married to a Redneck when he uses a road flare to get the fire going in the living room fireplace!". Sometimes that man never ceases to amaze me...so skip to Friday late afternoon. Hubby comes home with kids after running some errands, I am on the couch and completely exhausted. I had worked 4 hectic hours in the kindergarten class earlier in the day, gone to the bank, paid some bills, ran to the grocery store, the consignment store etc...I was tired! So he walks in the front door and says to me "find something nice to wear we are going out tonight". My first reaction was "what!, I am tired, I don't want to go anywhere (we never go anywhere!!), who is going to watch the kids?". Hubby then tells me he has taken care of that too....hmnnn..."what has gotten into my man" I think.

So we arrive a the restaurant , Restorante Allegria and he tells them we are here and they escort us to our table where waiting for me was a a bouquet of a dozen roses on the table. Apparently my "Redneck" and the kids had gone there earlier in the day and left them....amazing, even more amazing is that my 5 year old chatterbox daughter never said a word! The roses were "beautiful", really nothing I had seen before, he proceeds to tell me that the reason he got these is because the florist stated women like this particular type because they are "vintage" looking....boy, he really does know me!!

The meal was fabulous!!! I drank blood orange martini's and the Napa Cabbage dinner salad was....amazing! I would go back just for that. Shredded Napa cabbage, bacon, sourdough croutons, bleu cheese, tomatoes and a warm red wine vinaigrette, to die for! My entree was mushroom ravioli's with scallops and shrimp with a cream sauce and cheesecake for desert.

Saturday morning he woke before the rest of us and ran out and brought back donuts and a latte for him and I and hot chocolates for the kids.

That man... the only man I know dressed in full on camouflage while skiing down the slopes and I do mean full on camo....from jacket to pants to hat and gloves, you never know the gentleman behind a redneck!

Scrapbook Layout of the Day

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

I almost did not get this up today as my husband surprised me with a night out, I will tell you all about it soon

Todays layout is a fun and bright little one, I liked it so much I made two, one for me and one for the store. Using cardstock as a backer and bits of pieces of patterned paper you can make numerous layouts and or cards from just a few sheets of paper. The felt flowers came prepackaged so I was able to use the entire package on more than one layout and the tiny rhinestones add just a touch in various places. Imagine the layout without them.............(waiting while you imagine)..............................................much better with huh?

Shellapuhlooza 2010 Blog Giveway

2010-04-29T22:35:00.000-07:00

Blog hopping tonight I started out at My Romantic Home and ended up at tales from an oc cottage, a blog I had never frequented before but instantly fell in love with. A fan of the vintage, cottage beach decor I was simply blown away at all the lovelies she has created, just beautiful items. For a chance to win all of this

Go on over and follow the directions on how to enter this giveaway.