For me, it isn't really Spring until we dust off the grill and make big, huge, artery clogging burgers! And by big... well...

 

You get the idea!

A hopping good shopping time and a PB pillow knock off

This past Saturday was Beckie and Sarah's Goodwill Hop n' shop. It was a blast! I met many new women, awesome women, with blogs of their own. Gail from My Repurposed Life even drove from as far as Louisville! THAT is awesome.

Lunch at Bucas was fabulous. They were even great about my food allergies. Our swag bags rocked. I have already used my 3M painters tape- though not to paint, lol. My sons wanted a circle for playing marbles on their floor... I also won a $10.00 gift certificate from Goodwill! ME! I never win anything!

Here are some photos from the event.

Ali and Trish

Me, Shannon and Megan

Is that parrot not the most hideous thing you've seen today????? No- Kelly didn't buy it. But we DID put it up on the highest point we could find for all to see...

My loot...

A small vintage Syroco mirror-perfect for our room once some Heirloom White hits it

A broken lantern to be turned into a cloche

Thsi thing was SO trashy brassy that my flash kept bouncing off of it like a prism!

Imagine her white... So pretty for spring!

A trash can for our master bath remodel.... Again- WHITE she shall be!

Isn't this plate PURTY?! I think it will hang on our bedroom wall.

I also scored 3 pairs of brand new shorts for my boys- 3 denim, 1 levis and 1 Sonoma, and 1 adorable plaid pair for Quin from Tar-jay. I love getting NEW shorts for $1.99- especially Levis!

I found several blouses for myself- 1 from Express, 1 new from Charlottle Russe, 1 from New York and Company and another new one from Tar-jay. I thought there MAY have been a fight over it if it didn't fit me. Girls were lining up. Alas, it fit and the cat fight was avoided. I brought home an adorable tube top for summer, and a Nine West bright yellow, show me some spring shirt that needs some chunky jewlery to go with!

Why no fashion show you ask? Because I cleaned today and have not showered and am too vain to do one without... Sorry. Just trust me when I say that I scored some GREAT deals!

My neighbor Ali

has dreams of turning her basement into a dark room.  She found a photo enlarger, and crazy her decided to drag it home. It was raining so it ended up in the cab of the (stick shift) truck with the 2 of us. Can you tell by this picture that I was twisted like a pretzel the whole way home?

Seriously gals! It was nuts! I am so glad she scored such a great piece, and cannot wait to see what she does with it.

On another note the night before our Shop n hop I was working on this

A hand painted pillow knock off of Pottery Barns pillow.

 For $49.00 plus shipping I decided to make it myself!

Theirs

Mine.

was. free.

Gotta love the stash in my white dresser and computer room closet!

I printed off the font in the size I wanted and just traced onto my fabric with a quilting pen, then handpainted it. My 3 year old kept bumping the table in his desire to watch, but it turned out okay. I then stuffed the cover with a pillow form I had lying around. Free. Free. That way when I get sick of it i don't feel bad swapping it out, or pawning it off on Megan someone else.

It was a great weekend, and I do hope to get to know some of my new bloggy friends better.

I am linking up to Lindas Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays ladies- new frinds- join me!

Blessings,

Lifes playground

This is a repost from last June, and yet it was such a sweet reminder to me that I wanted to share it again, or for the first time with you Newbies. :-)

I am sitting here thinking that I have too many online things to keep up with. Blog, facebook, Myspace, email, googling anything my heart wishes to read about(which is mostly dec stuff these days...) and I realize that I often neglect some in order for the others... My Myspace hasnt been updated in ages and i dont really care, either. Facebook- eh... it can sit- I think I shall focus on my blog for abit.
Yesterday we took our sons to the Air show. Amazing is all I can say about the mena nd women who defend our freedom from thousands of feet up at warp speed! The blue angels took my breath away- the power behind those planes and the precision in the pilots. WOW!

Last week we took the kiddos to Holiday world and what a day it was! We camped the night before, and the next mnorning as we were walkign to the bathhouse Quin saw the campgrounds playground. He jumped up and down and said YES! YES! Mom- it's HOLIDAY WORLD LET'S GO! Oh I laughed until my sides hurt at my son staring as a slide, and 4 swings, and 1 climby tunnel thinking THIS was what our 3 hour drive and overnight stay was for. If he only knew how much better it would be!
And I realized- How often does MY Father say the same thing? How often have I shouted YES! LET'S GO! And God wants MORE for me than my lil' pea brain can comprehend? How often have I begged for that little playground and God has said "Okay, honey, I guess I will say yes, but i wish you would do it MY way." And His heart aches as I contentedly swing, and slide, all the while He knows how much MY heart will ache when I realize what I have missed out on?
I have found myself praying Psalm 34 lately- that God would give me the desires of my heart. In typing that please understand that as I draw near to God, my hearts desires change, and they become more in line with HIS desires for my life, therefore, as I draw closer, the desires of my heart granted are not self centered, but God centered. I pray He delights in my ways and that in turn my steps are firm. I want to have a heart that sees Him in all, in my pain, in my joy, in sorrow.
This year has been tough for me. So much I have struggled through with the Lord on a personal level. And as I have sat begging God to remove the thorn from my flesh, He has said No, But His grace is sufficient for me for His power is perfected in my weakness. And as He has said no, the desire of my heart has changed- from no longer begging, pleading, but asking HOW God? HOW can I use my luggage for your Glory? How can I use my hurt/illness/etc for YOUR glory? And the focus has changed from ME to HIM. Which is what He wanted in the first place. How stubborn of me as I was begging for a park here on earth, He was wanting heaven in my heart...
What are your desires?

A touch of spring

Spring is here! I can hear birds chirping every morning, ah- I LOVE that sound! My kids shoes are muddy, thank God for boot trays, and it is nice enough to be outside most of the day. With spring ont he outside, i needed al ittle spring on the inside.
If you aren't familiar with Vintage Printables, you should be! Great website with tons of vintage images. I perused and picked out some botanicals and butterflys. I then uploaded them to my Walmart account and had them printed. After some spray painting of frames, and mounting on cardstock, here is the end result.

This beautiful Poppy botanical cost me a measly $0.19- the frame was $0.60, and I had the spray paint, and sandpaper to make it go from gaudy to pretty.

What is Spring without butterflies? I look forward to our zoos gardens butterfly exhibit every year. It is an indoor garden exhibit with hundreds of butterflies. They have a spot where the Chrysalis' are hanging, and whent he butterflys hatch, they take off and 'do their thing'.

AHH! Fresh touches of spring throughout the house!

How have you been decorating for spring?

My bathroom dilemma- show me some ideas!?

Well, floors are done, trim is awaiting my hubby a day of rest. What a guy! he finished those floors while sick and icky! I am already mentally gutting our bathroom. My house needs put back together...

Yesterday a friend and I went to Assets Recycling. Now- this place is in THE GHETTO  on the opposite side of the tracks ladies. BUT- it is a true diamond in

the rough. Oak trim for .30 a linear foot? Yes, please. Colored brand name grout at $3.00 a bag? Yes, please. How about Behr stain quarts for $1.25, and unfinished cabinet drawers and doors, brand new for $1-$5 A POP!? Granite is at $1.00 a square foot.

 Anyone in Indy know of a guy that does granite on the side? As in cut AND install?

So- if you live in indy, check it out,. Just take hand sanitizer, albuteral if you are asthmatic, and a friend. I scored a brand new jug of Valspar Mocha glaze for $3.00. WOOT WOOT!

So- here's my thinking. I want  some glazed bathroom vanity love going on in my master bath. Like this

Something like an off white, glazed. NOW- If I want to do beadboard, HOW will that look? Remember I have about 50 library books on baths? And not a one of them has glazed vanity, with crisp off white beadboard. Now- I am a  rule breaker. There are no rules in this house as far as decor except for the good old 'If you like it, it must be right' rule.

So- ladies, what do you think? Anyone have any inspiration for me that I can see? I would love your input!

updates on floors

My house is in shambles. My poor kids had thawed out sausage patties, strawberries and mini wheats with no milk for breakfast. (I forgot to buy more milk , and the stove was inoperable, and we do not have a toaster...) I think they survived just fine.

Here was my house Sunday, as I began this post...

I TOLD you it was a shambles. I have furniture in the garage, on my front porch, and stuffed into the office. My laundry room is um, scary. However, as I type this morning, my living room is done, other than trim, and my bedroom over 1/2 done. My new floors are a dusty, muddy mess. Hubs keeps racking in crap when going back and forth to the saw in the garage. Ahh- mopping. I get the privelage of mopping once again!

Forgive the unropped, crappy shots. I had cropped them, and lost them and have things to do and places to go and not the time! lol
On another note- can ANYONE tell me what game this is?

I have searched, googled and about knocked myself out trying to figure it out. It is not a fox and geese board. The one side has 7 marble holes on it, the others only 5. I figure this would be an awesome wall hanging once I get ahold of it with some sandpaper and such. However, I would LOVE to know what it is!

(IM)patiently waiting

I have spent most of the afternoon boxing decor up, and moving furniture out to the garage. In the midst of this I have spray painted this dresser,

because the white that I brush painted it was not working for me.

Thank you Rutoleum Heirloom white!

You may not see the after until I show off my floors.

And I cooked the best chicken tortilla casserole ever.

I am so tired that although I KNOW I had a purpose in this post, I have literally forgotten it!

Wow. Total. Brain. Fart.

On that note I am going to sign off and go to bed. I wonder- is it just exhaustion or the spray paint fumes, 2 cans worth, that I inhaled today?

You ever ask God to show you a certain area of your life that needs work? I didn't think I had a problem with pride. Nope, not me. Mu husband thought differently. Whatever, honey. Not MOI! But- I conceded that I would pray about it and ask God to show me if I was wrong.

God is faithful. Amen. But lessons in pride are painful. Amen? AMEN!

He was faithful enough to let me swallow a big fat dose of myself yesterday. Ugh. I am an overly opinionated, argumentative kinda gal, who is learning to become more gentle and quiet. 

Ona nother note, my floors go in tomorrow! TOMORROW! TOMORROW!

However, today I am sick, running a fever, and am thinking that I have literally the energy of a slug to pack up things and move some furniture. Ugh. 

Thats okay. Hubs can do it without me! I cannot wait to share pictures of the after- cause you all have seen my AWFUL sub floors! 

Nifty thrifty linkin up

It's today! It's today! The Nifty Thrifty Tuesdays at Coastal Charm! I decided to post pictures of one of my very first thrifting buys. I used to avoid thrift stores at all costs. I paid full price for things. (Hangs head in shame) I did not like used things. (hangs head even lower) ThankGod i am a changed woman!

When hubby and I first redid our bedroom, I was looking for wall accents. I spotted this piece ona bottom shelf for $1.99. I kept picking it up, putting it back, over and over. Finally I decided that I could always redonate it if it didn't work.

It worked. The camera catches more goldish tones th at it really lets off, but I LOVE this piece. I get so many compliments on it. A friend who is an interior designer once said ' That piece could have gone Either way- really good, or REALLy bad. It is REALLY GOOD.' In the same week I also found the fabric for my curtains at $1.00 a yard, and fabric for my pillows at about $1.00 ayard as well, and several milk glass pieces to accents my valances.

Now- these are OLD pictures- we have white nighstands now, and this week my woodwork is getting a treatment of white paint, and new floors are going in. I am wanting to paint-  lighter shade, but we shall see.  So I shall show you the updated shots soon. However- for under $20.00 we made curtains, and put up a unique piece on the wall. I once saw the same piece in an antique store for $45.00!

Go on over and link up to Lindas party, peruse others thrifty finds, and have a blessed day!

A show off and a cry for help!

Hey there Readers! It is Monday morning. 2 of my kiddos are off to school. Breakfast is picked up, the dog has been out to poop, I have relieved myself, and had 2 cups of coffee. AHH!

 I know, probably more info than you wanted, but seriously- YOU all get up, pee, drink coffee and go about your day, too!

My youngest is watching some toons, and I am blog reading. How many of you could spend HOURS online? I know I could with all the great creative blogs out there.

So- have you seen these bottles?

At $149.00 for three from Wisteria, they are unique, beautiful, WAY overpriced  and completely out of my budget range.

I have seen other bloggers make them using twine, and while it is nice, I wanted the soldered look.My hubby has all the tools, but I was a little worried about burning down the house, setting my hair ablaze, or getting a glass bottle so hot it exploded and left me scarred for life. Yes I have an active imagination. Yes, I am a tad bit clutzy.

SO- here is my version.

The bottle was $0.99 at my salvation army. I already had the oyster shell.  I used a low melt glue gun, and then raided the crayon box. I used matches to melt a black crayon onto my glue, and just held the bottle sideways and rolled it around to get the desired look. I am only out 99cents and a few mild burns on my fingers. Thsoe matches were crazy fast burning! I think I used like 40 of them. Oh- I also heated up the crayon in the microwave when it became just a nub, and I kept burning my fingers. Then I used the soft wax to kind of paint with my fingers on the bottle, and heated it up with another match. Clear as mud?

I will be looking for some awesome stuff to 'solder' to more bottles for a trio this spring.

So- on to my cry for help. I found this perfect jar at the salvation army. Only it has this hideous unperfect Christmas tree on it.

HOW do I get it off? Ive tried sanding... To no avail. If I used paint thinner would it ruin the glass? Seriously adies- I NEED your help! Thanks. And sorry about the shaky pic.