Getting Closer....

to finishing Jessie's room update!


I was hoping to be done by Friday, but I don't think that is going to happen. Jessie is leaving to visit with her cousins in Atlanta for a week on Sunday, so I really wanted it done before she left, but you can only do, what you can do!

(remind me to clean that window!)

The color is a little darker than I would have picked, but it looks really good against the white beadboard. We still have a coat of paint to do on the beadboard.

Be back soon!

Love Hate Relationship

I am trying to create something like this:

(Picture from Pottery Barn Teen Spring 2008)

See how far behind I am? 2008 This was and still is Jessie's dream Teen room!

See why it has taken so long to take on this project!

Wallpaper! My love hate relationship! Love it going up, Hate taking it down! Not to mention, having to repaint the ceiling, all the woodwork, etc, etc.

I can't get blogger to post the pictures in the correct order. I give up! Use your imagination!

Be back soon!

It's a Bird Feeder!

Remember my last post??? It's been so long, and I have been busy! Those china pieces I showed you created two super cute bird feeders! I actually saw this posted in a craft magazine years and years ago and recently saw them appear in blogland! It jogged my memory about wanting to make one for about TWENTY years! So, not wanting to waste another twenty years without one, I got right on it!

I made two of these adorable bird feeders, spurred on by the fact we have a bird nest on our covered back porch with little baby birds and more birds live in the bush behind the bird feeder!


This was a free $$$ project for me except for the copper caps I purchased for the copper tubing. I had everything else. Most people use a tea cup saucer for the bird seed, but I like the bowls to keep the seed in better. You fill up the cup with water for the birds. Perfect except.................................it's been a week and I have not seen one bird getting seed from them! I am giving them another week and then I am buying a fake bird and setting it on the edge. Just for my own satisfaction!

I have also been busy making the pennant banners for our western/cowboy themed party during 4th of July.

I have them all sewn, I just have to add the ties at the end.

Be back soon!

Behind Again................Naturally!

This time of year is always busy, busy, busy! I am trying to catch up at work with everything put off from tax season, actually clean my house a little, put off during tax season (that's not working right now) but I thought I would show you what has been going on.

I wanted to show you my birthday gift


an apple green enameled cast iron pot made by Lodge! I can't tell you how much I love this pot! Jessie thinks I decide what we are having for dinner by what I can cook in this pot! LOL!

My birthday was in March, and Hubby had bought me a pot, but it didn't have the enamel on the inside. So I returned it and after tax season, he set about finding a replacement. He did Great!

For Mother's day hubby bought me a new camera, for my ebay business. This camera intimidates me!


I have a lot to learn about this camera, but it sure does help me get better pictures! (none of the pictures used in this post was shot with my new camera)

The kids chipped in and bought me a great gift also!

(notice the cute wrapping paper!)

Dooney and Bourke Aqua patten leather purse. Just perfect for the person that carries everything BUT the kitchen sink!

This is the makings of my new project that I will hopefully be able to post pictures of this weekend! Any guesses????



Be back soon!

I Would Post, But Blogger is being a Bugger!

I can't get blogger to do anything I want it to do! This is not the first time this has happened! UGGHH!!

Easter Egg Art & My Next Sewing Project

Doesn't this Easter Egg art look great? I think Jessie could demand at least $1,000.00 for this beauty! And all she was doing was dyeing Easter Eggs.........



I think next year I am going to lay down a white t-shirt so she will have a memory of her Easter dyeing event. Then she can date it, sign it and wear it!!

So this is the fabric for my next sewing project, that I WILL do this week!

I will be making some pennant banners for our "themed" day of the 4th of July Riverunion! Can you guess what it will be?? Then I need to get to thrifting all of our costumes, or sewing them!

Be back soon!

I Think It's Time! Trying to get back in the Groove!

I am trying to get back in the groove of posting, but it is hard when I haven't done anything crafty or done any sewing. I have been working on my shrug, slowly but surely, very slowly! (see previous post)

Tax season is over so I should be doing some of those things soon! I guess I will have to do another recap of things that have happened since my last posting........

February 2, 2011 was a special day for us!

Hubby and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary,

and Jessie got her braces off! Yeah!

and just to let you know how weird I am, I became obsessed with this house.

I passed this house occasionally on my way to my second job. Yep, I had to go by to see when they actually took down the Christmas wreath and lights. At first I thought it was great that they didn't have them ripped down by the first of January, but then January turned into February and the lights shown like a beacon guiding my way to work! (This picture was taken in the middle of February.)

I told you I was behind! I will also tell you it is really hard to get a picture of a house while driving down the road! Kids don't try this! It is dangerous! Do as I say, not as I have done. I learned my lesson! Pull over and look like the stalker you are!

Anyhow, I quit my second job at the end of March and they were still glowing, even with daylight savings time. I finally went past the house last week and guess what, they were down. I was beginning to think this was Gretchen Wilson's home (Redneck Woman)!:)

Be back soon!

Crocheting..............Dusting of the Needles

Renee over at GoosieGirl's posted a crochet project that looked super simple and super cute! A super simple shrug! I haven't crocheted in a long time, and I do not know many stitches, but this project had the two stitches I knew.

So I tested my long retired skills with left over witch hair.


Then I tested again with some turquoise yarn that was hanging around the house.


I was then ready to begin MY shrug. This is the start of it that I began on Super Bowl Sunday.


A week later.........


And today......

Funny how you can see all your mistakes in the photo's but not when I am sitting there crocheting. I am just enjoying the process.....mistakes and all!

I just hope I finish before Spring get here!

Be back soon!

Makes You Wonder...........

Last week I sold a beautiful Ralph Lauren sweater on ebay.


It was too bad this 99 cent sweater was a small! So it went on ebay. This is where I had to send the sweater after it was purchased.


Uh mm REALLY? The only women I see working at a place like this, look like this..........(we have a tattoo parlor on the first floor of our office building, that is how I am privy to this info)

I am dying to know the story here. I keep wondering .........

Did a man that works there buy it for his girlfriend, the whole Opposites Attract theory?

Did a woman buy it for something to wear to the PTA meetings, or dinner with Mom and Dad, who don't know about her tattoos, or possibly for a court date?

Was it a gag gift for a fellow worker?

Doesn't it make YOU wonder????? What do you think??

Be back soon! (as soon as a person who works at an accounting firm at this time of year can be!)

Recap Part 3

While out thrifting the 99 cent day at Goodwill, you see a lot of cute things. If I was a size 2 or a petite, I could be a well dressed person!! But I am not.

One day, I saw the cutest paisley pleated skirt in every Tennesseans favorite color - Orange! I was ecstatic to see that it was new with tags and it was MY size!! Woo Hoo! I really felt like I won the lottery! Super cute, new with tags and MY size! I snatched it up quick!! What do you think?

I did manage to find the perfect orange sweater to go with it. Unfortunately, it wasn't on the 99 cent rack. I had to pay $2.98 for the cashmere sweater.

I love this outfit! It is so comfortable and cute!

Be back soon!

Recap Part 2

Jessie made some angel tree toppers out of those badminton birdies. Aren't they adorable?



I told Julie about Martha Stewart's tissue paper pom poms. Thinking she may want them for wedding decor. She tested them out in red and green Christmas tissue paper.

They turned out great and they were simple to make! I think they are a keeper for wedding decor! Just not in red and green.

Jessie and our granddaughter Katie made the BEST chocolate chip cookies ever!!

and they used my recipe..........how does that work??? Mine never tasted that good. Reminds me of when I was growing up. My sister Tami's chocolate chip cookies always tasted better than mine. Must be the technique. I just don't have the magic touch for chocolate chip cookies!

Be back soon!

Recap Part 1

Recapping things that happened while I was gone (from the blog). Jessie finally learned to french braid hair.

She actually managed to do her own hair here. It took watching U Tube over and over again, but she finally managed to do it! Yeah Jessie! I can't even do that!

Since she was successful with that, she learned to do the fishtail(?) U Tube to the rescue again! (What did we ever do without U Tube?)

Here is my hair, with Jessie's talent, sporting the Fishtail! Pretty cute! I did add a ribbon to cover up that big black hair band at the base of my head.

Be back soon!

She's Back and I'm Back

I have been gone for a while due to the fact, my computer died. My computer usually sits on my messy kitchen table. When my computer died, we confiscated Jessie's laptop for the kitchen table, but it just never felt right to me. I would use it sometimes, but just for things like checking ebay or my email.

But thanks to our Genius son-in-law Chris and $20.00 I have my computer back! So now I feel like posting again!

Isn't she pretty! And Yep the table is still a mess!

Important stuff has been going on around here while I have been gone! Son #2 got engaged to Julie the day after Thanksgiving! Yeah!!!


Here will be the blended family!

Aren't they cute!!! Can't wait for the wedding, October 8, 2011!

Be back soon! (I'll probably be recapping things that happened around here)

Guess Who Has Their Learner's Permit?

Well, the baby of the family has her permit. She had to take the Old "Paper" test (the computers were down) and she received a perfect score! I even like her picture on the id, of course she doesn't.


This is scary! I really hate this part of being a parent! I am too nervous for the actual teaching part. I did the HARD part of taking her to get her permit and being interrogated by the DMV. (Trying to prove you are you are a legal citizen of the U.S. requires a lot of documentation.) Dad is going to have to handle the teaching part!

I was talking to son #1 this weekend and he told me as a kid he didn't understand why I was nervous, but now at the ripe old age of 28 he understood completely!

Congratulations Jessie! Be a safe and courteous driver! I know you will do good! Love you!

Be back soon!

It's Halloween and No Cricut?? No Problem!

I think everyone in blog land has a cricut machine, or some other die cutting machine that does the vinyl also. While I would love to have one to play with, I just don't know how much I would use one. I wanted to create some Halloween plates that simply had a vinyl black cat on it. So I did it my way!

I assembled my supplies.


Found a Black Cat Graphic on the internet and printed it off


Cut roughly around the black cat graphic and cut two pieces of clear contact paper a little larger than the cat.

I applied mod podge to the back of the graphic and placed it on top of one of the contact paper pieces. Put it on the clear contact paper side, not the paper backing.


Then I peeled the back off the other piece of contact paper and slowly covered the cat with the contact paper.

I waited for the mod podge to dry, about an hour. Then cut around the shape. I didn't bother cutting out the whiskers. I wanted the cat really black, so I painted over the shape and allowed it to dry. I forgot to take a picture of that.

Aren't they Cute!


Then I added some google eyes. Much better!


Then I just peeled the back and stuck them to my plates. I stuck a ribbon bow at the top with rolled up tape.


The best thing is, I can change these out with the season!

Be back soon!

Jessie's Witch Project & Great Thrift Finds

I have been trying to get this post done for awhile. I have been really busy with Jessie's Birthday, Mom & Sister's weekend and an October 15th deadline for individual tax returns.

This was a Halloween project that I was going to do, but Jessie took over when I screwed up on the painting. I bought this flat sided fish bowl (at Goodwill of course) and I wanted to paint the inside, I made a mess of it and that is when Jessie took over.

She painted the outside with glass paint, which was so much easier. That was when she claimed the project as hers. She did the rest.

I purchased the witch headband at the thrift store and a big bag of yarn with the black and gray yarn in it to add to the hat. She added wiggle eyes. I made some clay that you bake to harden. Jessie made the shape of the nose, wart, mouth and tooth. After baking she painted them and attached it to the bowl with glue. I put a strand of 50 Christmas lights inside to illuminate her.

And here she is:)................


So Cute!! She now sits in our Bake Center. I removed the little lamp that you can see sitting behind her.

My great thrift finds??? You know that bag of yarn I bought for the witch hair? Well I sold the rest of the bag in 2 separate auctions on ebay for a total of $28.00!!! I didn't realize it but this bag had some Tilli Tomas silk yarn in it. That doesn't mean anything to me except it made me some money. I had no idea who Tilli Tomas was before, but now I will look for her at the thrift stores!

I had the HP56 toner cartridge on my shopping list for a couple of weeks. I wanted to use a gift card I had at Office Depot. I just couldn't seem to make it over there, it wasn't on my usual driving route. One day I stopped in at the little thrift store down the road from my 2nd job and guess what was waiting there for me???

Just the cartridges my printer takes! Two twin packs packaged in a plastic bag for $4.99!! That is about a $95.00 savings!!! Yahoo!!!

I was beginning to feel real lucky, until Hubby's office computer crashed and then my laptop at home crashed two days later! Do you think I can find those at the thrift store??

Be back soon!

Pottery Barn Knock Off - Galvanized Metal 3-Tier Stand

Pottery Barn image found here.

I have loved this galvanized Metal 3 Tier Stand for over a year!!! Pottery Barn you rock! The buffet in my dining room has a galvanized top, so this belongs in there!! This is something I wanted to keep on my informal dining room all the time and change the display with the seasons. Unfortunately I didn't like the dimensions of this stand. It would be too tall and too wide to use for a centerpiece on my dining room table.

I thrifted two silver trays and I was ready to go! I collaborated on this with hubby, who told me to get a threaded rod from the lamp department at Home Depot. He didn't like my idea of just using glue and a dowel. Something about structural support etc, etc..... So he measured and drilled, and drilled, and drilled some more. He used some pvc pipe to increase the diameter of the center post and added a top ring with something he found in our "Parts Bucket" Here it is before painting.

Here it is after spray painting with a hammered galvanized spray paint.

Not quite the finish I wanted!

So I did a little faux finishing and sealed it with a matte sealer. I threw on some of the fall decorations that I had stored in my buffet and a crow I had purchased at the dollar store. Those crows go fast at the dollar store. Do not attempt to find one in October when you are in the mood to decorate for Halloween.

I love the way it turned out!

I still need to accessorize it. I really want a candle on the top tier. I want to put some candy corn in the bottom pumpkin dish and maybe some other type of snack wrapped with that gorgeous orange polka dot ribbon Pottery Barn used! I think I have some some in my sewing room.


The best thing about my Pottery Barn Knock Off is my bottom tier is a ball bearing swivel plate (carousel or turntable)! The worst thing - I love the knob at the top of the Pottery Barn version. I really want a knob at the top of mine. I may make a second version of this..................who knows when of if.......

Be back soon! Jessie has been crafting!