Twinkly Grapevine Wreath Balls

Have you seen these?

Grapevine balls with twinkle lights in them. I found it at Micheals. I have seen the large balls before but never with the lights already in it. I am bewitched. They are set up to be able to string them together. How awesome would they be along a path, or grouped together on a deck or patio. My kids are too young not to think that they are to play with so I'll have a wait a bit before I can use them outside.

Here's she is in her new home, need to find a way to hide the cord. Can't wait until dark tonight, my kitchen is going to glow!

Farmer's Market Flowers

Every Sunday afternoon my sister and I enjoy time together at the Farmers Market. This week the flower bouquet's were amazing and I just had to pick one up.

I am simply in love with this bunch. The colors are amazing.

This pitcher is filled with dill. The fragrance is wonderful and I love the green with a touch of yellow.

Cleaning: Kid Style

Sometime yesterday afternoon my scrapbook desk exploded!I had a pretty good idea who helped it along. Here is our conversation about cleaning it up.

Me: Honey, could you clean up the scrapbook area. It would be very nice to see it all cleaned up by the time I get done working outside.

Zoe: MMMMM, how about . . . . . Super Shinny, Squeaky Clean?

Me: Oohhhhh, I love Super Shinny, Squeaky Clean!

Zoe: Ok Mom

How cute it that! Not sure where she came up with that phrase but I can see it becoming a well used one in our house.

Shelf Makeover

I picked up this small shelf at a garage sale for $2 and thought it would work in my downstairs bathroom (a room in desperate need of a makeover) The top is a little weird, and the color is a little minty green for my taste but the price was right.

I spray painted it white and added a few pretty items. Now it looks great in it's new home. A great $2 investment.

Organizing My Inspiration

Inspiration files are not a new concept and I have happily kept one for a couple years now.

I have held on to pages and pages of beautiful photos from magazines, carefully adding them to my book. I enjoy skimming it's pages while impatiently awaiting new issues. With so many pages finding a specific photo has become increasingly difficult.

Yesterday while adding the newest stack of photos to the book I finally realized enough is enough, I needed a better system.

I took everything out of my current book and sorted through everything to form 6 categories.

I came up with: home decorating, gardening, crafts, sewing, holidays, and scrapbooking.

I assigned each category a 1" binder (home decorating received a 2" binder). Within each binder I divided the topic into sub-categories using 3M's sticky file tabs. Here's an example.

Then I added stamped labels.
Since I was in such an organizing mood, I also made stamped labels for my magazine holders.
They look so good all lined up and nice and neat.
It feels to good to be ultra-organized!

Sewing Table Makeover

I received an adorable sewing table from my mom a while back. It was already prepared for refinishing but sat in my living room waiting for me to make a decision. For a while I loved the way it looked but lately the need to do something with it took over.

I wanted to make it look like an old farmhouse table, nicely weathered and scratched up with the base coat of black showing through in places. First I painted it black followed with a couple coats of white. Then the sanding began. After a lot of sanding I had the look I wanted. I gave it a coat of poly which also gave it a slight yellow tint. Here is the before.

And the after:

Here is a close up of the front.

And a close up of the side.

Isn't it lovely? I'm so happy it turned out much like the picture in my head. It looks like it has been around forever and well loved. In real life it doesn't seem as bright as in the photos. Now it makes me smile every time I walk past.

Fabulous Flowers

Come mid-July the garden in my backyard is almost in full bloom, I look forward to it all year.

Here are a few of my favorite views.

And a few favorite blooms.

A New Sandbox

The three girls and I built a sandbox this morning. We are so proud!

Nothing fancy, but very functional. Not sure what the hubby is going to say when he finds it, I figure I have a couple weeks to come up with an answer (ha,ha).

Here she is.

Basically a box made from two six foot 2X8, and two four foot 2X8's. Also added two 1X 6's placed on each long side for small benches to sit on. Tomorrow I plan to stain it white.

The girls have already been playing in it and give their stamp of approval.

I did totally under-estimate the sand, so off to the store I go AGAIN!

Kitchen Displays

I awoke this morning with the urge to deep clean my kitchen.

I know, I'm crazy but after a few hours of scrubbing and polishing it looks great.

But I didn't stop there, my newly sparkling kitchen inspired me to revamp my displays as well. Of course since I'm crazy I didn't take the time to take a before picture (ok, ok, in my excitement I kinda - of - sorta - forgot, sorry!)

The area above my cabinets received most the revamping. This space was full of stuff that I love, but it looked halfhazard and cluttered. I removed everything and started anew. You may remember the purchase of this enamelware cake sheet. . . . I'm now using it as a backdrop for my tins. I showed you the silverware box yesterday (still need to come up with a better arrangement of this space) and the metal covered cake pan is one of my favorite Goodwill finds, I love using it.
Here is the area above my stove. Once again I removed most of the stuff and added only my favorites. (not sure about the red bowl-it may get removed)
Here is a close up of my pitchers and coffee pots. Love. Them.Remember the enamelware lids I found antiquing?
I hung them on the side of the cabinets next to the sink. I think they work really well here. Although . . . They would look extra specially good on white painted cabinets - I still need to find time for that.

And last but not least, remember this adorable sign?

I hung it above the kitchen window. Change is lovely, I feel I have a new kitchen. Hope you enjoyed!

Grandma's Silverware Box

I updated Grandma's silverware box and am very pleased with the results. I have been worrying about it for a bit; should I leave it be or should I change to fit my taste more. Finally I decided to go ahead with it.

Here how it started out. A simple box, darkly stained, with a hinged top and one drawer. Special to me and filled with hand-me-down silverware and serving pieces from Grandma. Thinking that I would love it even more if it was given a face-lift, I dug out my spray paint and went to work.I gave it a couple coats of white paint, distressed the edges, then rubbed on antique medium to give it worn look. I think it turned out wonderful and if possible I love it even more.

Here it is sitting on top of the kitchen cabinets. I really need to figure out a better arrangement for this area but after trying different ideas this is the best I could do with the time I have today. Any ideas, sure could use some help.

What A Week

Wow! Last week was packed full of fun stuff. The family and I spent the 4th of July at my parents home, then off on a four day camping and atv trip, one day back to mom and dad's to regroup and then four days camping at yet another campground for our annual family reunion. The reunion was very well attended with a grand total of 92 people. We pretty much took over the small campground we were staying at. The girls had a great time planing with all there cousins. Water fights, bike ride, hiking, canoeing, swimming campfires and playground playing pretty much had the girls going from sunup to sundown. It was awesome!

Now I'm trying to dig myself out from the mountain of laundry I find myself with and jump head first into "real" life again.

Hope you all had a great fourth!

Decorating For the 4th

Fourth of July always seems to sneak up on me. I always have such grand plans but I seem to be caught unaware. Combined with the fact that we always go to my mom and dad to celebrate, very little decorating goes on around here for the 4th.

This morning I threw a couple things into my hutch and called it good.

There is a close up of the shelves I decorated.

Also whipped up this quick pillow cover from fabric I have had forever. Love how it looks on the red ticking stripe chair. Yumm!

Garden Revamping

This week found me revamping one of my garden beds.

When we first moved to this home my husband and I added a brick border and some mulch to the existing pine trees in the back yard. The trees have grown well and now I find this area difficult to mow since the branches are overlapping the edging. My husband said to leave it be but I was tired of getting my arms all scratched up every week mowing. I also knew the area could look SO much better and I had almost everything I needed to get the job done. So with mulch on sale at Menard's, and 30 bucks burning a hole in my pocket I started on the project. Here is the before from the house side.

The before from the garden side.

I moved the edging out about 5 feet at it's deepest point. Laid down some landscape fabric and piled on the mulch. Transplanted a couple of hostas and moved my impatiens filled metal tubs out from hiding between the pine trees. Super easy, but look at how it looks now.

After from the house side.

After from the garden side. Here is a close up of the metal tubs. I love how they look all full and lush.