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!

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!

Trash Room Treasure

Every floor in our office building has a trash room. Hubby and I were taking a few bags over and what did I spy sitting on the floor next to the bin???

Hubby told me not to take it! "It's UGLY!" he said.

Nothing a little spray paint over the weekend couldn't cure!



Perfect for holding some of my shabby fabrics! Actually, I am debating whether I should give it a whitewash or do some distressing, or both. It just looks too bright.

And just to let you know, this is not the first time I have confiscated trash from the trash room!

Did you see those vintage patterns next to it? I found the "mother load" of them at the thrift store last week! I was so excited! I just love looking at them!

Be back soon!

A Free Chair

My friend Janice brought me a chair that was "abandoned" in the hallway of her new offices. At least no one came hunting it down for the five minutes it sat there. Just kidding, she let it sit there for DAYS!



I loved it from the minute I saw it! I immediately thought I would paint it white and the back part that has scratched up leather I would replace with some neutral linen I had, maybe even add a little padding, and use brass upholstery tacks around the edge! Then I was gong to make a cute ruffled chair cushion with the same linen. It would definitely look fantastic in my sewing room! You can imagine it right?? It would look great! It did have a little flaw though....

the seat had a crack in it. No problem though. I would add a metal brace underneath to keep it from splitting anymore!

Here is where Hubby enters the picture! He unloads the chair from my car and say's it would be sacrilegious to paint the chair, this is an antique and should be restored to it's former glory, and I cannot put a brace underneath it, it needs to be totally reglued, blah blah blah...... So here it sits in my dining room, while we are at a standoff!

I created another of my stands this weekend, but this one didn't come out as I wanted. It was a metal candlestick glued to a cheese dome. For some reason it orange kept coming through the paint on the candlestick part.


I had started with spray paint, and then I used kilz (still there) and then I used bush on paint. Nothing will get rid of this orange color! I'm not quite sure what I could try next!!!

Random question? Why are pinwheel steaks not available in the spring, winter or fall? I really have to go out of my way to find these in the summer.

I marinate them in worstershire sauce and grill them! Ummmm a family favorite! I sure would enjoy them at other times of the year. I can never buy enough to stock in the freezer either. They only have a couple of packages at a time!

Be back soon!

Long Time No Blogging - I'v Been Busy!

I have been super busy the past few weeks! First was Son #1's wedding reception in Chattanooga. They had this super life size cutout of them from their wedding day! Here is my Mom standing with it. She looked so pretty!!!


and here is my Auntie Delaine and Uncle Roy from Michigan! It was so good to see them!
I was blessed to have a lot of my family, from all over, come to the reception! You just never get enough time to visit with everyone!!

Then it was a quick makeover of a thrifted skirt for my sister Gail for her 50's party! I also made her a super quick crinoline. It wasn't pretty, but it did the trick!


Then I made a 50's pennant banner for a picture backdrop and thrifted the 45 records from the Goodwill outlet! Looks pretty good to me!


Not to mention the Forth of July party the same weekend! Check out my daughter's recount of it on her blog! It was an exhausting and exciting time! Too much fun!!!

I also found another pretty mirror for the sewing room, while thrifting the forty five records, that I painted my favorite color - white! In this picture the painting is in process! It's amazing what 10 minute time blocks can accomplish!


I managed to get to a 50% off sale at a fabric store in town. I, of course bought Halloween fabric! I love the vintage look to these fabrics!


I also have been making some raggedy roses pins for some aprons I am making. They turned out really cute!

But beware of that glue gun!!!!


Son #2 made us a fantastic dinner on Sunday night with the catch of his fishing trip in in Charleston South Carolina, and some purchased shrimp. Barbecued shrimp with baguette bread to dip in the sauce, blackened red fish, new potatoes, and steamed veggies! It was an awesome meal!


See I told you I have been busy! I also started a part time job at night Monday thru Friday with weekends off.

And to my sister Tami, your pillows are on the schedule for this weekend!

Be back soon!

Ribbon, Ribbon, Everywhere........Not!

This has been on my to-do-list for awhile. I had ribbon rolls everywhere! My closet, my sewing room, my closet, the doll room, kitchen, you get it - everywhere!!! When I saw this idea in blog land, I knew I needed to do it! I really had my doubts about this method significantly reducing the amount of space it took up, but I was willing to give it a try! I thought this would be perfect for nights when I was watching t.v.

So I started by assigning a new empty "office size" waste basket as my collector. (I purchased this from the office moving sale next our office for .50) Every time I found a roll of ribbon I tossed it in there. I also went ahead and bought some of the clothespins from the dollar store and tossed them in there too. The basket was full in no time!

So when I was sick and laying around a lot, I started working on this project. Soon I was out of clothespins! My trip on Saturday to 2 dollar stores resulted in ZERO clothespins! Walmart or Target didn't have this type either. Finally I found them at Hobby Lobby at 40% off, which isn't exactly a dollar, but I splurged to get the job done!



I put them in some glass jars I had in the garage that I bought really cheap at the thrift store!

Don't they look pretty? I love just looking at the jars! They were moved upstairs to my sewing room. I was really tempted to keep them on the kitchen counter for a few days just because I love looking at them.

I am totally amazed at how much more compact it is! I did discover about 5 yard rolls were probably the most you would want to put on each clothespin, unless it is a skinnier ribbon. The ten yard rolls, I curled up and secured with a binder clip. I don't have the energy to even attempt some of the 50 yard rolls, Not going to do it!

You really can't tell from the pictures, but there is a lot of ribbon in those jars!

And yes, I DO know I have too much ribbon! I may have to try this with my lace!

Be back soon!

She made an ice cream cone

Remember this?

Well Jessie made this from it.

A strawberry ice cream cone! The other "BLOB" she didn't do anything with. She just had to choose to make something from one of them. I thought it turned out Great!

Jessie had school on Tuesday, but school has been canceled for the rest of the week due to lack of water pressure and water! Davidson County Tennessee is down to one water treatment plant and everyone needs to conserve! Hopefully the flooding will recede this weekend and they will be able to get the other water treatment plant up and running!

This has been so devastating to so many people without Flood Insurance. I can't imagine what these people are going through! I pray that God keeps them strong and
healthy to continue with the clean up! A long time employee at Jessie's school was rescued from the roof of her home! (I have known her for over 20 years) Somehow we need to help her! I am sure there will be some type of fund raiser for her soon, she did not have flood insurance!

Be back soon!

More Headbands

Working six days a week doesn't allow a lot of crafting or sewing time! So, I picked up this box of headbands I had already cut out and sewn. I only had to turn them, topstitch and decorate them.

I did a few with some silk flowers, thinking I see a lot of kids and teens wearing flowers in their hair. I thought Jessie might like them. No deal! She said some people might like them, but she would never wear one! Okay..............what the heck am I going to do with them now?

I think they are really cute, but I think I am too old to wear them. I don't know, maybe I will wear one to pick up Jessie from school just to see what she has to say then!!LOL!

Here is one I made for myself. (I just want you all to know it is really, really hard to get a picture of yourself wearing a headband)

Not much going on here due to tax season, but I do need to get busy making some duck feet for Jessie's play.

Be back soon!

Pottery Barn Candle Holder

I purchased this Pottery Barn Candle Holder at the thrift store in December.


I thought I would be able to spiff it up with my "Wrights Silver Cream".

It's a lot brighter, but it didn't really work. There are still some tarnished areas.

What to do, what to do????? Sometimes you have to admit to defeat and just get out that can of spray paint, but I am not willing to do that yet...........

I think I will ask Google if they have any idea's!

Be back soon! (Gotta get that spot on my blender cleaned up! I didn't know it was there until I took these pictures.)