This is my lemon drop candy jar. I love lemon drops...they just remind me of being a kid. I actually have the Lemon-Head brand candies in there now. They're good too but I like the old fashioned lemon drops better.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Monday, July 30, 2007
Love this!
I found this window box on the online Ballard Designs store. I love it and if I lived in a house I'm sure I would have to have one!
Friday, July 27, 2007
Inspiration Friday
I realized yesterday that many of my emails were going directly to my SPAM folder when they shouldn't have. I get so much spam that I never even look at that file...I just usually delete it. For some reason yesterday I decided to look through a few of the thousands of emails in there and realized OH MY GOSH...people have been sending me emails and they must think I'm ignoring them! I am so sorry if you sent an email and I did not reply back. I don't reply back to comments left on my blog because blogger doesn't allow me to but if you send an email directly to me I do usually answer it. I'm really sorry if I didn't get back to any of your emails! Now on to Inspiration Friday!
I have permission from Cathy at Treasured Heirlooms to share these photos with you. I first saw this adorable little place on Flickr and fell in love with it! Cathy has just fixed up the inside and it is so adorable. Go visit her blog to see even more pictures!
http://www.treasured-heirlooms.blogspot.com/
Isn't this the cutest thing you've ever seen. I think I would just go sit in there and read magazines all day if I had this place in my backyard.
Cathy also has an online boutique. Click here to see more beautiful things. I love her teacup wreaths!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Thinking about Christmas
I found these cute little silver-plated salt and pepper shakers at the Salvation Army the other day. They were tarnished and I polished them but I think they actually looked better tarnished. The good thing is that I know they will be tarnished by the time I want to use them. I'm not going to use them as salt and pepper shakers but as Christmas ornaments. I tied on some red ribbon and I think they will look adorable hanging on my Christmas tree!
One year awhile back I had 2 Christmas trees, one in my living room and the other in my dining room (I had a bigger place back then.) I hung blue and white transferware cups and I attached saucers with plate hangers and wire. It was adorable. I would love to start collecting little things to do a tea-themed tree like that again someday. It's just another thing I'll be on the lookout for at the thrift stores!
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Making topiaries
Yesterday I was at Target and I saw these rosemary plants and I thought they would be perfect to make little topiaries. This is a project I have wanted to try for a long time.
Click here to find directions for starting them from just a clipping of rosemary.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
A Great Thrift Store Find!
I've been doing a lot better staying away from the thrift stores. For awhile there I was going almost every day on my lunch hour. I did go once last week and boy am I glad I did! I found my perfect china. It's not a full set but now I have something to hunt for. The pattern is Noritake Athlone and I only paid $12.99 for all these pieces. It's far from being a complete set though. There aren't any dinner plates. I looked this pattern up on this web site and just the 8 bread plates I have sell for $60. Each dinner plate on that site sells for $19.99 so I may just buy a couple every once in awhile...this is going to be a slow process getting a full set because of my budget constraints but it will be fun. Note to my kids: I would love any extra pieces as birthday or christmas gifts!
I also made another rose from the coffee filters last night. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, click here. This one came out even better than the first. The new one is one the right. I used yellow and pink watercolors on this one.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Fruit Bouquet
Mmmm one of the best things about summer is the wonderful fruit. I went to a party this weekend so I copied this idea from someone's blog...sorry I don't remember where I saw it??? I put some florist foam in a soup tureen and then covered it with some swiss chard to give it a nice green base. I cut flower shapes out of the watermelon with cookie cutters and used cantaloupe balls for the center. I would have liked to spend more time getting a nice rounded shape to this fruit bouquet but I was running really late so I really threw this thing together quickly.
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Wanting more
Most of the time I feel very content, happy and thankful for the things I do have but there are also times when I really wish I had more money to buy more things. Awhile ago I found this quote on an email someone sent me. I printed it out and kept it on my desk to remind myself to not become too materialistic.
"Wanting more doesn't breed contentment, it breeds more wanting."
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
It's RAINING HERE!
I can't believe this...I left a message on someone's blog yesterday saying we never get rain in the summer in California and how much I miss the rain this time of year...well guess what...IT'S RAINING HERE! I'm so happy! The weather man said the rain was going to be North of San Francisco and it would all be gone by this morning (I'm South of SF). Even the weather man was wrong. I don't ever remember rain in July here...this is amazing! In fact, the weather man said that this was the first time it rained on this date in San Francisco since they have been keeping records...150 years!
Mmmm...Banana Ice Cream
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
An amazing story!
This is my second post today. I couldn't wait...you have to read this story called "Pancakes" on Susan Branch's website. Click here to read it.
After you read it go back to her home page for some more beautiful things. I just love Susan Branch!
Garage Sale Finds
Saturday morning on my way back from the grocery store I decided to take the residential back streets rather than the main road...I have no idea why but it was fate. I drove right past a garage sale I would have missed if I had stayed on the main road. I found this beveled mirror for $5. I've been collecting mirrors at thrift stores to display on the stairway wall. When I first saw Kim's (Daisy Cottage) mirrors I knew I wanted to something like that. I started hanging them up a couple weeks ago knowing that I don't really have enough but figured that I just add more as I find them. The day after I hung them up I saw Manuela's (The Feathered Nest) post and she was doing the same thing! Here is the start of mine. Some are plastic that I painted white and antiqued, one is metal and the rest are wood. I don't think I paid more than $6 for any of them. Now I can't wait to find more. I just hope I'm not upstairs when the big earthquake hits or if I am that these mirrors stay on the wall!
Monday, July 16, 2007
Is it real?
Can you believe I made this rose out of coffee filters? When I was off work during the 4th of July holiday, I was watching Martha Stewart and she quickly mentioned that the coffee filter rose was the most downloaded things on MarthaStewart.com. That alone told me this was something I wanted to see! You have to see this. Click here and make sure you watch the video. It would be really hard to make these just by reading the instructions only...you have to have the visual to go along with it. I will be making many more of these!
The mistake I made is that you can still see the pen outline on some of the petals. I thought the watercolor paint would cover this but it didn't. Now I know to make sure all the outline is cut off. I only used one color for these but you can use multiple colors or even go back over the edges with the same color but less diluted. The gal that came up with this idea also has a website called "Mommy Makes Roses". Click here to see the ones she sells. Hers are really beautiful.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Some changes around here
So on a lighter note...what vintage movie star are you most like? I took this fun quiz and found out I'm most like Marilyn Monroe. I find this is so funny because an old boyfriend once told me I was like Marilyn Monroe.
You are Marilyn Monroe. You're a sexy bombshell who knows how to get what she wants, but sometimes people underestimate you or misread you and you're seen for one thing instead of all that you are. You can actually be very shy and hard on yourself, and feel that sexiness is all you have to offer to people. You will have your success but be careful that you don't let anything consume you completely. Feel better about how smart you are.
Take this quiz!
Quizilla |
Join
| Make A Quiz | More Quizzes | Grab Code
Thursday, July 12, 2007
I've been tagged again
I was tagged by Grace of Rose Cottage Lane almost a week ago and I'm just getting around to doing this. This is the High Vibes Game... 5 things that get my vibes going...I really have no idea what that means. LOL Here's what I think gets my vibes going....
1. My Kids: Lauren who's now 14 and thinks she's twenty. She has a heart of gold. My most proud moment was when she told me she saw a lady at the store with a walker who was having a hard time and she asked if she needed any help. Vince, the child who has exceeded my expectations. A great son, student, and a zest for life like no one else I've ever met! His enthusiasm is so contagious! I feel very fortunate to have two great kids. I just wish they got along better with each other!
2. Beauty: I seek out beauty... flowers, fluffy white clouds, leaves blowing in the wind. When I allow myself to relax I can find beauty in so many places...on my commute home from work I notice the wildflowers (maybe they are just weeds) along the freeway, the birds flying overhead, etc. There is beauty everywhere if you just look around and I love to be aware of it.
3. Treasure Hunting: Either at a flea market, a thrift store or just a sale rack at Target. I love to find a great deal! It's the thrill of the hunt for me!
4. Nesting: I love moving things around in my home, just puttering around my home makes me happy.
5. Cooking: I love to cook and bake when I'm not rushed. I love the prepping of items, like chopping garlic, cleaning vegetables, etc. Once I feel rushed I don't enjoy it nearly as much. It is very relaxing and therapeutic if I can take my time.
I'm not going to tag anyone...if you want to do this please consider yourself tagged!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Some finished projects
I've had this book awhile but never made anything until I saw fairiebees post on her laundry bag. I've had this old tablecloth that was really damaged (beyond repair) that I've been saving for a some special projects so I used that to make my laundry bag.
Also in the book are directions for these "no sew" hanger covers. You just rip 1/4" strips of fabric from the salvage edge and wrap it around a wire hanger, starting at the top. I tied on a piece of lace to this one.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Panini
Last summer I went to a baby shower and they served paninis. They had a huge table set up with many different fillings to choose from. There were a variety of breads, spreads, meats, cheeses and veggies. We were told to choose our bread and fillings and stand in line for one of the two panini cooks to grill our sandwiches. It was so much fun and really delicious! After that party, I really wanted a panini maker. You can wrap a brick in foil and use that as a press for your sandwich in a skillet but I really wanted a real panini press. Last September for my birthday, my kids surprised me with one. We ate so many paninis that I really got sick of them. I put the panini maker away in a closet and forgot about it. Last weekend I was looking through my "Barefoot Contessa at Home" Cookbook I saw this recipe for tomato, mozzarella and pesto panini and pulled out the panini maker and made dinner!