Jun
2019

Just a Little Spray Paint

categories: Flea Market Finds/Thrifting, Living with MS

Since my husband’s Multiple Sclerosis is progressively getting worse, it is difficult for me to be away from home for long periods of time, falling is my greatest fear.

So working on small projects every day keeps me busy doing something I enjoy, and still keeping me close to him.

This, sometimes silly and crazy blog of mine, is another way I enjoy my time and stay busy.

I am not someone who can just sit all day.

I just cannot!

Getting up early is normal for me, but a short nap during the day is not out of the question.

Aren’t naps heaven?

I try to live each day keeping active, always being thankful for each day no matter what I am facing.

Today I thought I would share some of the simple small projects I have recently completed just by cleaning and spray painting.

A small wood plant stand, $3.00 at the thrift store, just needed a fresh coat of black spray paint.

It now sits on my front porch holding one of my favorite indoor plants.

After a long winter, my indoor plants need to enjoy the outdoors, those warm sunny days.

How amazing it looks surrounded by flowers with lots of color.

As you might have guessed from many of my posts, I love photos.

I love to have photos of those I love around me.

I never buy new photo frames, they can be expensive. The thrift store has so many for very little money.

Some are in boxes, never used, others just need cleaning and a fresh coat of spray paint.

I loved this frame from the moment I saw it! I knew immediately the photo I would place in it.

It was $2.00, but it was sale day at the thrift store, 50% off, only $1.00. Yes, the thrift store does have sale days every week!

To get the look I love, I sprayed painted the frame with Rustoleum, white chalk paint.

Love the way it turned out.

It now holds a very special photo of my beautiful niece and has found a place on a table in my living room. How lovely!

In this photo she is gathering tulips.

What a beautiful photo!

In this next project, I used a rolling pin I bought for only $1.50. I seriously do not think it was ever used.

I have wanted this rolling pin, pictured below, for so long. It is part of the Magnolia Home collection by Joanna Gaines sold at Target, but it is always sold out.

No matter now, I painted and sealed the handles on my $1.50 find, it is perfect.

This 50 cent, bright green tray, only needed white spray paint and some cute handles to become a sweet dresser tray.

Love the way it turned out, so clean, so bright.

Hope you all enjoyed my simple offerings today.

Hope you all get some creative ideas of your own from them.

Before I end I do not want you folks to think I am a prisoner in my home caring for my husband, I am not.

He encourages me to get out, he may like a bit of quiet time himself sometimes. Time without me constantly asking him, “do you need something” or “are you OK”.

I also have my wonderful son who will be with him so I can sometimes enjoy a weekend visiting my niece and her family in the country.

We spend days out together, fun days, with my sister and brother-in-law. They are so good to him.

I always know that things in life can always be worse.

We all need to stay busy, stay positive, and be thankful.

Love and hugs to all!


May
2019

Tea Towels Old and New

categories: DIY, Flea Market Finds/Thrifting

I love tea towels.

These days, they come in all manner of adorable designs.

When shopping I am always drawn to them!

Have you ever wondered what to do with those old tea towels?

Maybe you have some that are a bit frayed or stained, but you don’t want to just cut them up for rags.

Today I want to share some tea towel projects, using old and new towels.

These towels were perfect for cutting and framing using thrift store frames, cleaned and painted.

The coffee cup, “Hello”, now hangs in my kitchen.

“Life is Better in the Country”, was made to give as a small thank you gift to someone special when visiting her home. She lives in a beautiful country setting. Perfect!

A black and white plaid towel was framed and turned into a kitchen tray, again using a thrift store frame, cleaned and painted.

Inexpensive, simple handles were added to complete.

I really love the simple and clean look of plaid, especially in a kitchen.

I used a lovely towel given to me by my sister, on Mother’s Day some years ago, and turned it into a toss pillow.

The pillow required very little sewing, thank goodness since my sewing machine hates me!

Just folded the towel and stitched up the sides, leaving the front open to insert a pillow form.

It has that vintage look I love.

Women long ago would embroider on tea towels to show off their skills.

Love the idea of recycling or upcycling, so items can get a second or third chance at life.

Just starting my morning, so thankful, another chance today to love my life and all those who share it with me.

Thank you for letting me share this post!






May
2019

Unexpected Joy!

categories: Random Thoughts

I’m an old woman.

Old age came on slowly, I hardly noticed.

Now I look in the mirror and I wonder how I got this way.

My life now is pretty well set, this is it!

Saying goodbye to friends and family happens much to often these days.

So very sad.

Of course, there are happy days, those spent with family, my wonderful son, my sister, my nieces, but as we age things become difficult, driving, the fear of falling, and so much more.

Having family is so very precious to me at this time of my life.

Unexpected joy, unexpected miracles are few.

In the past few months God sent us unexpected, unbelievable joy!

A new family member has entered our lives, lost to us for years.

So beautiful, so good, so happy, and so full of life.

Oh my! My heart is smiling, bursting with love.

I pray we meet someday soon, before this life of mine is all used up.

Our family is so grateful to God for this unexpected joy!

On this Sunday, never give up on believing all the things God can do to renew our lives with miracles and love.

Love to everyone on this day.



May
2019

Red, White, and Blue Projects

categories: Crafts, DIY, Flea Market Finds/Thrifting

As Memorial Day quickly approaches, we all become patriotic.

We celebrate displaying our flags, and bits of red, white, and blue.

Memorial Day is a time to honor and recognize the sacrifices of those who have given their lives for our freedom. It is crucial that we always remember these heroes.

This week I completed some red, white, and blue projects I would like to share today.

Using a chunky porch piece I found at the flea market and gathering up some other wood pieces, that can be found at Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, I made some simple flag holders.

Painted the pieces red, white, and blue, and glued them together to form the holders, large and small.

To finish up, I drilled holes in the pieces to hold the flags.

This large piece is perfect as a picnic table centerpiece.

So patriotic, holding nine flags.

Here are the two smaller ones.

A really fun project, ready to be used on the 4th of July too!

The second project was easy, just paint!

I purchased this yucky yellow colored basket some time ago just waiting for the right time to transform it into something wonderful.

I loved the shape of the basket, but not the color.

Take a look at the basket now!

Painted white and filled with a large pot of deep red geraniums.

Beautiful!

The last touch was adding a flag.

Now the perfect Memorial Day centerpiece.

Our family is patriotic and many have served our country over the years.

So very proud of all of them!

God bless all of you, and God bless our country.

Celebrate and remember this Memorial Day weekend.


May
2019

A Simple Upcycled Project

categories: Flea Market Finds/Thrifting

Here it is!

A beat up wood piece, with three drawers, $5.00 at the flea market.

I suppose it was made to be used on the top of a desk or counter, but I had a different idea in mind.

Here it is now!

Love it!

Pretty cute, don’t you think?

After cleaning and sanding all the rough spots, I painted it black.

Found some vintage look knobs at Hobby Lobby, 50% off, of course, and ordered some hairpin legs from Amazon.

A simple makeover.

I journal, keep a daily planner, draw a bit, and write, using many different supplies.

This is the perfect place to keep my supplies organized, and easy to access.

It is compact, and perfect against the wall next to my favorite chair.

My husband’s activities are limited so when he’s watching politics on TV, I write and create.

It is important to me to spend as much time with him as possible.

This was a simple project, most of my projects are just simple.

Simple just like my life, my life that I love so much.

Nothing perfect.

I love imperfection.

What I have, is perfect to me, I have so much.

Hope you all enjoyed this simple project.

Hope your day is beautiful and filled with simple beautiful things.

Love to all!


May
2019

A Country Visit Inspiration

categories: DIY

A few weeks ago I was blessed once again to visit my niece in the country.

Visiting her home and surroundings is just filled with so many simple pleasures.

Our visits always center around food, shopping in the unique areas around her home, and spending time with her two amazing dogs. They definitely get the most attention and love from all of us.

After Sunday dinner at a beautiful restaurant, we were invited to her in-laws home. Such a well cared for home, inside and out.

In the living room, I noticed a sweet tabletop greenhouse.

I loved it!

I really wanted to take a photo of it, but thought maybe that would have been a bit rude.

Instead of buying an expensive tabletop greenhouse, I decided to make one from an idea I remembered seeing on Pinterest, using dollar store frames.

So one by one I assembled my greenhouse using six 5 x 7 frames and E6000 glue.

It was not difficult, but allowing time for the glue to dry was crucial.

To secure the roof piece, I cut a dowel and glued it down the center of the frames, for added stability.

I spray painted the frames with white chalk paint and the last step was inserting and securing the glass to each frame.

Finished!

My country visit was not only filled with love, laughter, fun, and good food but also the inspiration for a really sweet project!

Hope you all were inspired!

I look forward to another visit soon.

Visiting her home and surroundings remind me of all the wonderful gifts of God’s creation.

Love and blessing to all until next time!



Apr
2019

Happy Easter

categories: Crafts, DIY, Easter

Before this day ends, let me express my hope that you and your family had a blessed Easter.

Our Lord has risen as He said He would.

Our Easter was quiet and peaceful.

Gone are the days of hiding my son’s Easter basket, egg hunts, and choosing just the cutest stuffed bunny I could find for him.

Miss those days so very much, but thankful my little family was together again this year.

I still color eggs and decorate my home a bit for this holiday.

Bunnies everywhere!

A garland of bunnies made with colorful cardstock paper and pom-poms for tails.

Two old wood bunnies, made new again.

This one just needing a new ribbon and a new sign.

This one simply made with a piece of scrapbook paper decoupaged to a wood bunny cutout with Mod Podge. So simple, so lovely!

Jars filled with my son and husband’s favorite treats.

Made with jars from the $1 store and Easter figurines spray painted and glued to the lids with E6000 glue.

Cards were made for my dear sister and brother using old Easter photos. I love them, they are so precious.

I suppose those old Easter days are gone, but my love of creating and decorating for the holidays will always be with me, packed up each year to use again and again.

As we lowered our heads before our dinner, we spoke of realizing our lives have meaning because of our Lord’s Resurrection, we have hope, the hope of eternal life.

Happy Easter my friends.




Apr
2019

Peat Pot Easter Baskets

categories: Crafts, DIY, Easter

Sharing a simple Easter project today using garden peat pots.

To complete this project you will need any craft paint, a sponge brush, Easter napkins or images, and Mod Podge.

The first step is to apply a coat or two of paint to the pots, depending on the look you want.

I personally like a bit of a distressed look, allowing some of the pot to show through.

The next step is cutting out the images for the pots.

I used some Peter Rabbit Easter napkins I found at TJ Maxx for $2.99, and some images I found online and printed out on tissue paper.

For this project thin paper works best.

Cut out your images leaving as little area around each one as possible.

Apply a coat of Mod Podge to the area on the pot that you want to apply an image, and smooth out with your fingers.

When you have finished applying all the images, apply a coat of Mod Podge over each image to seal.



That’s it!

I added grass to the inside of the pots and a piece of wire for the handles.

Simple is best for me, but you can embellish your pots in many ways, such as adding ribbon.

Now the fun begins, filling the baskets with goodies!

How sweet they are sitting around your home, as gifts, or one placed on each plate at the Easter dinner table.

If you are short of time, just a plain peat pot filled with something special would be so cute too!

Are you ready for a blessed Easter with your family?

Hope you all loved this Easter project, it really is the cutest ever!

See you all next time!


Apr
2019

Just Fifteen Minutes to Something Wonderful

categories: DIY, Flea Market Finds/Thrifting

On one of my flea market trips, I ran across this porch piece.

It’s a chippy piece with years of white paint layers visible.

I was not sure exactly what I would do with it when I purchased for $6.00, but I so loved the look of it!

One of my wishes in life has always been to have a large front porch.

Sitting there alone at times, reading, surrounded by pots of geraniums or just watching the world go by.

It does not appear that this wish will ever happen. Sad for me!

Love a large porch as a gathering place for family.

Relaxing, talking, sharing, just being together.

Growing up, my parents rented a home with a large front porch. It also had a porch swing. I sat there many afternoons with my first true love. I thought he was gorgeous!

As kids we loved it, our friends would gather, planning our summer days. A magical place.

I wanted this piece to be something I could enjoy every day so when I saw this wood tray for 50% off at Hobby Lobby, I knew it would be a perfect addition to my chunky porch piece.

It took no time at all for me to put this project together.

A bit of sanding to level the top, E6000 glue, measuring to find the center, and that was it! Wonderful!

It now sits on my kitchen table.

I often wonder where the piece came from, what type of home, what type of family lived there. Did they love their porch as I would.

A unique piece, with many uses, but for now sitting on my kitchen table is where it will stay so that I can enjoy and remember.

This will certainly show my age, but do you remember the front porch on the Andy Griffith Show?

Andy sitting with his guitar, and Aunt Bee sewing. Loved it!

Just fifteen minutes to put this project together.

Oh how wonderful it is!

I feel so grateful and blessed today.

Love to all!


Apr
2019

DIY Small Bookshelf

categories: DIY, Flea Market Finds/Thrifting

Books are always around my favorite chair.

I read a devotional and my bible every day, as well as writing in a journal. There are also notebooks for writing and sketching new project ideas, always a novel, or something inspirational to read.

These favorite things of mine are scattered about, and at times, a bit of a mess on the floor.

I found this crate at the thrift store for $5.00.

You can find new ones at Michael’s for $10.00, sometimes on sale for $8.00. Home Depot also carries, not sure for how much.

The crate was in good shape except for a few very small splits in the wood.

My plan was to paint the crate and add legs.

I chose hairpin legs to lift the crate up off the floor.

Most types of wood legs would also work.

I bought the four legs on Amazon for $16.00.

When completed, the crate was a perfect space for my books.

Love it!

So simple, just spray painted, and added legs.

It also serves as a side table next to my chair, a great spot for my coffee and glasses.

If you are on a budget, two would make inexpensive night tables or side tables next to a sofa.

A project completed in one day!

It’s clean, and stylish too!

A bit of a modern farmhouse look.

Thank you for letting me share this fun project today.

The mess about my favorite chair, gone!

Thank goodness!

Hugs and love, till next time.