French Chair Makeover 26 Jan 2016 1:52 PM (9 years ago)

It's finished! In my last post I showed my Ballard Knock Off Document Fabric that I made to recover the chair seat. I used the CitraSolv method and some graphics from Graphics Fairy to create my own custom fabric! I am so in love with the results! Now the chair is done and ready for the reveal.

First, the 'before' shots. I found this chair at the GW Outlet for $5.75. But when I got to the register, the gal said all furniture was HALF PRICE! WooHoo! So I paid like $2.85 or something.

This floral fabric was under the dirty beige fabric. YUCK!!

I primed the chair with a spray on then finished with brushed on white. Hit it with the palm sander to distress it up a bit and then recovered the seat with my document fabric creation. Here is my beauty.

Here's a closer look at the fabric.

And some detail on the back.

I was planning to sell it on Craig's List but now I am thinking I may keep it for my bedroom!

I would love to hear your comments. Linking up tho the parties below. Thanks for stopping by!

Valentine Love 24 Jan 2016 8:06 PM (9 years ago)

I love decorating for Valentine's Day so much! Red is also the primary accent color in my living room so it makes it easy to add in some fun Valentine pieces. But it has to be the right shade, kind of an antique Barn red. I found a few cute things in my favorite local shops and had fun making a few more.
I picked up these red bottles at GW the other day and knew I could make them into something fun.

I used some coffee beans as a filler for the tall bottle and added the pick from Hobby Lobby. A little burlap around the short bottle and a key and burlap string on the medium sized one. Displayed on a burlap covered charger, (also from Hobby Lobby) they make a fun centerpiece!

I also made a fun little sign for my mantle. One perk of having new construction in your neighborhood is there is a lot of scrap wood available to scavenge! I always stop by to see what

they've thrown on the debris pile and find a lot of great 2x4 and 1x4 pieces. They're the perfect size for signs.

I painted this piece in my Barn red color. I also painted a few shiny red heart shaped Christmas ornaments that came in a set from IKEA for a different project.

I added a burlap heart, a key and a piece of burlap string. They final touch was XOXO in the corner. I was going to paint them on but then I remembered I had these fun rub ons in a vintage font. Love the finished product!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you'll join me at the fun parties below! Your comments are welcomed and appreciated!

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The DIY Showcase@PinkWhen Mad Skills Party @Mad In Crafts

Harvest of Blessings 19 Sep 2015 3:52 PM (10 years ago)

We've had a long, hot summer here in the Pac Northwest. Lots of fires, drought conditions. I am so ready for fall! What really makes my heart happy is how the seasonal decor affects my family. Mr. Wonderful and Maddy both love the fall decorations and every time they walk in the house they say "It smells so good in here!" Some of my fave scents this time of year ...

I have so much fall decor already but can never resist adding a few new items every year. A few new additions to the mantle.

Little vignettes all over the house

And of course the front porch. After killing several Chrysanthemums with my black thumb I finally invested in these faux varieties. I'm happy to report that Mr. Wonderful asked me if they needed to be watered so they must look fairly real!

Hope you're enjoying the season and will join me at the fun parties below! Your comments are most welcome!

Thankful 12 Oct 2014 5:10 PM (11 years ago)

I love this time of year! The crisp mornings, the fall colors and of course pumpkin flavored everything! And I really love the decorating for fall. Our new front porch is much more roomy than the old place and I had a lot of fun with it. Found this cute little wagon on Amazon. I loved the green color for fall and it will be perfect for Christmas too!

So I got crafty this afternoon with some canvas and freezer paper. Love this technique for transferring ink to fabric. I started with a burlap canvas I found at Joann.

I made my design on the computer, flipped it to a reverse image and printed on the shiny side of freezer paper.

I then carefully applied the wet ink face down to my burlap canvas and pressed with a hot iron for a minute or so. It's important to press really hard and I even use the tip of the iron to burnish over each letter. Carefully peel off the paper and you're done!

Love the finished product and the way it looks with the fall display in my entryway.

This is a great method to transfer your designs to fabric for pillows, tote bags or anything you can think of! You can even transfer photos. Thanks for stopping by and your comments are treasured! Linking up to these fun parties!

A Little Christmas Cheer 3 Dec 2013 1:31 PM (11 years ago)

We just got home from a wonderful week on the other side of the country, celebrating Thanksgiving with family. It was a great time of celebration but I couldn't wait to get started on my Christmas decorating when we got home!

I decided to change up my color scheme this year. Last year I focused on silver, pink and plum to compliment my shabby, cottage décor. This year I decided to go with bright red~bring on the sparkle and glitter!

My first project was using these chargers I found at Michael's for 99 cents!

I then took some white vinyl contact paper, (so much cheaper than the Cricut vinyl and often found at the dollar store) and cut out my festive words and some little snow flakes and stars. I use a software that allows me to use any font on my computer with my Cricut. Wing Dings and shapes too. Love it!! The first font is Curlz.

The Merry font is Honey Script.

I also dressed up this little bucket of pinecones. The font is Perpetua Titling MT.

Simple, easy and oh so inexpensive! My favorite kind of decorating!

Thanks so much for stopping by. I would love to hear your comments and so hope you'll join me at the fun parties below.

Shabby Cottage Coasters 24 Sep 2013 12:23 PM (12 years ago)

"Grandchildren are God's way of making it easier to grow old."

I'm not sure who said that but it certainly is true! I have been blessed with 8 precious grandjoys in the last 8 years and when I married Mr. Wonderful last March I inherited two more! Love filling my walls and tables with pictures of their sweet faces.

I came across these wooden coasters in the dollar bins at Target awhile back and stuck them in the stash for a future project. Then I found another set with a little wooden storage box at Craft Warehouse and got inspired to create some coasters with the grandjoy's pics.

I started with my coasters, some gorgeous, shabby scrapbook paper and mod podge.

The coasters measured at just under 4"x4". So I trimmed my paper to the exact size of the squares and started mod podging them to both sides of coasters.

Some finished pieces ready for the photos.

Next step was to create my images. Using photo editing software, I took pics of the grands (and my youngest daughter) and cropped them to fit 2 on a 4x6 print.

Now I added these Painted Polaroid frames from Kayla Aimee over at Slightly Neurotic. They are a freebie and one I have used many times in lots of different projects. Love the vintage look!!!

The last step was adding some word art. On some I used the name of the little one pictured, on group shots I used words of affection. The font is Sunshine In My Soul, download it for free HERE!

I printed them at Walgreens for 20 cents a print, trimmed them up and decoupaged to the paper covered coasters. Some crafters like to spray with a clear acrylic to seal but others, like myself, just use several coats of the mod podge. MANY coats later, (be sure to allow a long time to dry between coats) they're done!

I painted the box with a white wash then added some coordinating paper.

The best part, the grands love to play with them! They carry them all over the house and name each cousin. Love this!

Thanks so much for visiting! Please join me at the fun parties below!

Happily Ever After... 8 Aug 2013 11:46 AM (12 years ago)

Where has the time gone? I have neglected my poor blog for so long and if anyone is out there still reading ... thank you!!! What happened? Well~it goes like this:

Widowed mama meets the most wonderful man on the planet and falls in love. Time spent blogging is now spent with Mr. Wonderful, on the phone at night, on dates, all free time is happily devoted to time together.

We married on March 1 of this year on a magical evening. Life is so good, praise the Lord! Then this most amazing of men says "Hey, you know you don't have to keep working if you don't want to."

WHAT?? I can return to the place my heart so longs to be full time? Home? Homemaker? YES!!!! So here we are and I hope to return to blogging. The creative juices are flowing and I am having so much fun! So stay tuned! A few wedding pics...

The whole family: 6 kids and 9 grandkids!

All the grandjoys!

My youngest daughter was my Maid of Honor

My handsome groom!

Our gorgeous cake!

My sister and daughter were Matron and Maid of Honor.

Carpe Diem! 2 May 2012 8:59 AM (13 years ago)

I've been working on a few fun projects lately and one of my faves is this clock I made for a special man in my life. It was a gift for his birthday. I really enjoy altering clocks and have shared a few like this one and this one on the blog.

I started my project by searching for just the right clock to alter. I had hoped to find a vintage clock at the thrift stores because of the weight and better quality in older pieces. But no luck in my search. I ended up settling for a BH&G wall clock I found at Walmart.

When looking for a clock to alter, take into consideration how you'll gain access to the face. Some clocks have a glass or acrylic face that will pop off. This particular piece did not have that feature so I unscrewed the back and removed it completely to be able to get at the hands. I carefully removed all three hands and then got to work on designing my new face.

I have a clock face template I found on the web awhile back that I love to work with. The tricky part is making the exact size of your clock face you are covering. I use MicroSoft Digital Image Pro software to create my designs and even though it SAYS you are using the exact dimensions you specify on the ruler, it usually is off just a bit. So let's just say I had a ~~few~~ LOTS of prototypes before I got it as close to perfect as possible. I printed the new face on a parchment looking card stock.

The other challenge is cutting out a perfect circle for the clock stem in the center of your project. I used a hollow punch set like this one that I got at Harbor Freight Tool Supply. Let me tell you, that is a store for boys! But I have found quite a few useful, crafty items there. And they always have a coupon in their flyer at the door!

When adhering the design to the face be sure to use a dry type adhesive. You don't want any moisture on the design that might cause bubbling or warping.

Here is my finished piece. He loved it, by the way! The design features a favorite quote ~ 'Carpe Diem', his name and the year in Roman numerals.

Thanks for stopping by! I would love to hear your comments and hope you'll join me at the parties below!

$Lil\'Luna$

Easiest Pillow Ever!! 31 Aug 2011 10:45 AM (14 years ago)

Mangy mutts! Sometimes a term of endearment for my doggies. Today~not so much. The little monsters have a fondness for chewing up my throw pillows, even though they are both well out of puppyhood. And you know with kids and traffic in a family room, those pillows often end up on the floor where the little hairballs can easily drag them off to their lair (AKA the laundry room) where they will have them shredded before I notice they are missing.

You might remember these Faux Grain Sack Pillows that I did awhile back.

They were the victims of my blood thirsty hounds. So as I sat in my craft room the other day thinking about making new ones, I happened to see one of my grain sack tote bags hanging in the closet.

Lighbulb moment! What if I took the handles off of the bag? Instant pillow!

I found these plain muslin bags at Michael's for $2.00. I think they even have them at Dollar Tree sometimes. You can dress them up using the Citra-Solv Method, paint with stencils or even do an iron on. Take off the handles, stuff and sew the top~ BAM! You're done!

Super Saver Tip: When I was at IKEA a few weeks back they had bed pillows for 99 cents!!! Cut in half, they make the perfect pillow form. I got that idea from Gena at the Shabby Chic Cottage. Big savings over the $6.00-7.00 pillow forms at the fabric store!

Thanks for stopping by! Linking up to the fun parties below!

Shop Til You Drop~ For FREE! 4 Aug 2011 5:49 PM (14 years ago)

I finally made it up to HomeGoods today to spend my $100 gift card I won on Kayla Aimee's Blogher giveaway! It's about an hour up to Portland and this was the first chance I had to get up there.

It was so fun!! Spending money guilt free is so awesome but it also really makes you want to spend wisely and get some real bang for your buck. It took me about and hour and a half to narrow down my purchases. There were so many cool things. Here is some of my loot piled up at the cash register!

I got this gorgeous beveled mirror~it's huge, about 30"x36". The plan is to spray it white and hang over my bedroom dresser.

I also got these fun white cereal bowls (love the dots!):

The big pasta/serving bowl and love this little bird's nest sconce, which will also be sprayed white!

Two Eddie Bauer Home premium loft king sized pillows. So plump!

And this fun over the sink colander/cutting board and spatula.

My grand total was $99.89 cents! So fun!! And I still have 11 cents left on my gift card! ;-)

Our next stop was the IKEA next door for lunch and more shopping. Found some great deals~ $3 for a king sized white bed skirt on clearance! I also picked up a few more things for my bedroom makeover. I am loving how it is coming together and I'll do a reveal soon.

Thanks for stopping by! Linking up to these fab parties!

Winner! Winner! Me!! 23 Jun 2011 9:57 AM (14 years ago)

Do you enter Blog Giveaways? I do, pretty much any I see if it looks like something I would really want. I have won a few fun things and yesterday I hit a again, a big one!!

Kayla Aimee over at Slightly Neurotic had a giveway in cahoots with BlogHer and I won a $100 gift card to HomeGoods! YAY!!!! I love, Love, LOVE this store and am so excited!!!

Be sure to check out Kayla Aimee's blog. She has the sweetest little baby girl, Scarlette, who was born at 23 weeks weighing just 1 lb 9 oz. Through God's amazing grace and blessing she is home and thriving! KA is hilarious and I enjoy her blog immensely.

Project wise: What can you do with an old end table and a discarded cabinet door? Why, you make a coffee table, of course! Come back soon to see the finished project!!

Do It Yourself Document Fabric! 6 Jun 2011 8:34 PM (14 years ago)

Sorry I've been away so long! It's that busy, crazy time of year with graduations, parties, end of the school year madness. I have also had some computer issues. I am currently blogging on my old laptop with a cracked screen. Not good. Hopefully my Toshiba will be out of the shop soon, I forgot how slow this one is!

I have found time to thrift though, that's therapy! I found a really cool vintage chair that I am redoing and decided to make my own 'document' fabric to recover the seat. You know, that great fabric that Ballard's sells for $32 a yard!

I created this image with photo editing software using graphics from The Graphics Fairy and wrote some of my own text using two awesome fonts called Byron and The King & Queen. Staples enlarged my design to 18"x24" for just $1.99 and then I used Citra Solv to transfer the image to my 'burlapy' type fabric.

The image is softer than the Ballard's but I love the look~ kind of like a faded grain sack. Here's a close up. Sorry for the poor pics, it's night time and I have a lousy camera!

I so hope you'll come back Wednesday to see the reveal of my chair makeover finished with this fabric! Thanks for visiting! Linking up to these fun parties!

Clock Makeover 21 May 2011 2:54 PM (14 years ago)

I've been changing up the look in my dining room these past few months and have especially loved redoing the top of my armoire. I really think of it as a mantle, it has such a nice big top to decorate.

As it was coming together I was missing one item to be the centerpiece of the space. I was wishing I had the perfect clock for the spot when I remembered I did have a clock, but not the RIGHT clock.

This clock was a left over from my former life doing home parties. I always loved it but it had broken second hand and had been up in the closet for years. I decided to make it over for my new look.

Not such a bad little clock, you might say. But the brown wood and aged yellow face was not working for me. I popped off the glass face and removed the hands. Never needed the that broken second hand anyway!

I then made this face in MS DIP. The 'Broderick Clockworks' is a nod to my hometown of Broderick, California and the Roman numerals MMXI are for 2011.

I printed the face out and then spray painted the clock black and added a little silver glazing on the legs, top finial and embossing on the front. After reassembeling I have this new beauty for my armoire.

So happy with the results! Thanks so much for stopping by. I would so love to hear your comments and would love to have you as a follower. See you at the fun parties below~don't miss the fun!

Vintage Suitcase Table 13 May 2011 4:15 PM (14 years ago)

About 20 years ago I bought a vintage suitcase at a rummage sale. It was metal and funky and I really loved it. I used it in my then country style of decor with muslin bunnies and vintage linens. When I fazed that style out (thank goodness!!) it sat unused for years.

I had recently seen some really lovely white painted suitcases around blogland so I got motivated to paint it white and use it in a project. But when I went to get it I found it had rusted through! So sad! I was really bummed but determined to find another suitcase for my project.

Yesterday I found this old gem at an antique store.

It had a few issues: someone had written on it in pen and the trim was coming off but overall it was in pretty good shape. I glued down the trim and wiped it down then got to work. I primed it with white spray paint and then gave it numerous coats of satin white with a brush. I also added a little metal name plate that says boudoir, since it is destined to be a side table in my bedroom.

I am using this fun piece to display it.

It's a Rachel Ashwell Shabby Chic luggage stand from Target. My daughter bought it a few years back and decided she didn't want it so I snagged it. I knew someday I would find a place for it. Love it!! So here is my table. I am so happy with how it came out!

Here's close up of my little tag:

Thanks so much for stopping by and I would so love to have you as a follower! Have a great weekend. See you at these fun parties!

http://todayscreativeblog.net/

Grain Sack Tote Bags 1 May 2011 4:10 PM (14 years ago)

The CitraSolv has pulled me in again! I absolutely love this stuff and the things you can do with it! Pillows, lamp shades, wall art... wherever your imagination takes you. I have done a tutorial here about how to use it so I won't get into that but here are my latest creations: Grain Sack Tote Bags! I did a giveaway last month for one of these and had lots of interest so I decided to make up some different styles including my fave: The Mr. Darcy.

Oh, Mr. Darcy, how you make a girl swoon with your charming words! A few other new bags~

I've got a few listed in my Etsy shoppe. Order by Tuesday for Mother's Day! Linking up to these great parties!

Royal Wedding!! 28 Apr 2011 7:56 PM (14 years ago)

So excited about the Royal wedding!! My married daughter is coming over tonight (or should I say morning), at 1:00 am to watch with Maddy and I. I remember staying up all night to watch Princess Diana's wedding and 5 years later, Sarah and Andrew's. So romantic.

In honor of the festivities I am making lemon scones and vanilla bean scones, along with Devonshire cream and Lemon Curd. Oh, yum!!!! I have a fabulous book, If Teacups Could Talk by Emilie Barnes. I love this book so much, the beauty of the whole tea party idea and so many wonderful recipes!

Over the years I have hosted many tea parties and here are a few of my favorite recipes:

Mock Devonshire Cream (From the above mentioned book)

8 ounces softened cream cheese

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup sour cream

Mix together well and chill. Serve with scones, muffins and/or fresh fruit.

Chicken Salad Finger Sandwiches

1 cup chopped, cooked chicken

1 apple~ peeled, cored and coarsely chopped

1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/2 cup craisins

mayo to taste

salt & pepper

1/2 tsp curry powder

White or wheat bread

Mix all ingredients until well blended. Add salt & pepper to taste. Chill well. Butter white or white bread and spread with filling. Trim crusts and cut into triangles.

Double Chocolate Scones

2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter
1 beaten egg
1 8 oz carton plain yogurt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
Powdered sugar & milk for glaze

Sift together all dry ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in center of dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl, mix together egg and yogurt. Mix into dry ingredients until just moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Knead gently a few times on a lightly floured surface. Pat out into a 9" circle. Cut in to wedges and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 about 18 minutes. Cool then glaze with a mixture of 1/2 powdered sugar and 1 1/2 tablespoons milk.

Best wishes William and Kate!

IKEA Clock Transformation 24 Apr 2011 6:50 PM (14 years ago)

Don't you just love IKEA? We finally got one closer than 3 hours away and I just love to shop there. You never know what fun, quirky thing you'll find. A lot of their stuff is way too modern looking for my vintage style but there are lots of things that work or can be made to work!

This little clock for example. At just a $1.99, it's a veritable canvas, waiting to be transformed!

The first step is to pop off the clear cover. You can do this by carefully slipping a thin butter knife under the edge and prying up gently. Then you'll remove the hands and lay them aside for later.

Now you'll design a clock face. You can use pretty scrapbook paper, photos or make a design like I've done here. I used my software MS DIP and a fun bird graphic by Rhonna Farrer along with some added text~ Take time to enjoy the process. A good reminder I think.

After measuring my clock face, I cut my design to fit and used the original clock face's hour numbers as a guide to place my new hour markers~ some fun little bling gems in clear and pink.

The last step is to replace the hands, (I left off the red second hand, it just didn't work with my color scheme) and the clear cover. All done!

This clock hangs in my craft studio, which is done in a pink, white and brown color palette. Love it!

Thanks for visiting and I would so love to have you as a follower! Linking up to the fun parties below!

Easter Traditions 23 Apr 2011 5:13 PM (14 years ago)

So excited for Easter tomorrow! How about you? It's such a special day to me. I love celebrating the Resurrection and being reminded that because of Christ, we have that blessed hope, knowing we'll see loved ones again.

I also love the fun side of Easter. I always looked forward to dyeing eggs with my kids and now share that tradition with my sweet grandjoys. This year I did break it into groups though~ 4 kids under six and dye is a dangerous mix! But it was so fun and brought back lots of memories of when their parents were little.

Maddy is at the perfect age to be a helper. I have to laugh because when my 3 older kids were small, money was so tight that I always made and stuffed their Easter baskets myself. They would always ask for the ones already made up in the store but I just couldn't afford it. Now that Maddy is the only one left to buy for, the last couple of years I bought her one of the coveted store made baskets. And this year she said "Mom, will you just make me a REAL Easter basket this year?" LOL, kids!

Have a blessed day tomorrow with those you love!

Winner, Winner! 17 Apr 2011 6:52 AM (14 years ago)

I'm excited to announce the winner of my Grain Sack Tote Giveaway is commenter # 14 ~ Jenny:

Hi! New follower here. I saw you on my cousins blog (Sundries and Such) and was intriqued with your blog name. This is a really neat tote bag. I've not heard of this product but it looks like the results are stunning.

Thanks Jenny, for the sweet comments and for entering my giveaway!

I was a winner this past week myself! I won this lovely camera strap from Zipcoverz, hosted by Jennifer over at Tatertots and Jello. These really cool camera straps zip on and off easily to change your look.

Love it! Thanks, ladies!

Pottery Barn Knock-Off. Way Off. 16 Apr 2011 2:16 PM (14 years ago)

I love Pride and Prejudice. A&E's Pride and Prejudice to be precise. Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. Colin Firth IS the quintessential Mr. Darcy. There can be no imitations.

I am lucky enough to own the mini-series on DVD and my daughter and I watch it every few months. One of my favorite quotations from the movie is when Mr. Darcy declares his love to Miss Bennett: "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you." Swoon.

So last year I saw that Pottery Barn had this charming little jewelry holder with that sentiment.

I dearly loved this little beauty but of course there is no way I could ever pay that much for a frou-frou for myself. So I tucked the idea away for inspiration.

So today I decided to create something using these lovely words. I pulled out this little thrift store tray and some pretty scrapbook paper.

My finished project doesn't have much in common with the PB other than the quote, but I do love it!!

It will sit on my dresser holding jewelry and loose change and make me smile whenever I see it.

Thanks for stopping by! I would so love to have you as a follower!! See you the fun parties below.

Join us Saturdays at tatertotsandjello.com for the weekend wrap up party!

Sister Sister Sunday

Giveaway Time! 10 Apr 2011 4:05 PM (14 years ago)

Hello dear blogger friends! I am excited to announce another giveaway~ A French Grain Sack Tote Bag, custom designed and made by moi.

I saw these plain little bags in the store the other day and instantly thought: CITRASOLV!! As I blogged about here, CitraSolv is an amazing product that allows you to transfer images to fabric.

So I made up a fun, frenchy design and applied it to this little tote bag. (Modeled rather unwillingly by my daughter)

So there you have it. One winner to be determined by a random drawing. To enter:

Follow my blog or let me know you are already a follower.
Tweet or link to this post on Facebook, 1 entry for each. Let me know in a separate comment.
2 entries for grabbing my button for your sidebar and/or mentioning the giveaway on your blog. Let me know in a separate comment.

Giveaway will end at 10:00pm PST on Saturday, April 16. Good luck and thanks for visiting!

Sister Sister Sunday

Did You Get Your Free Paint? 8 Apr 2011 4:09 PM (14 years ago)

Valspar Paint is giving away a 1000 samples of paint a day for 100 days. Did you get yours yet? Mine came today and it is such a fun little package! It includes your paint sample, a mini roller with extra pad, 2 mini paint trays, paint chip samples and a $5 coupon off your next gallon of paint! So fun and I love the color I chose~ Cool Elegance. Soft white with the faintest hint of gray-green.

I had to try several times because the 1000 a day are gone pretty early, so don't give up easily!

Here's a link Valspar Free Paint Promotion

Words That Soothe Old Hurts 30 Mar 2011 10:57 AM (14 years ago)

Well, I finally got my voice back and have moved on to the 'up all night coughing' stage of this fun virus. Hopefully I am turning a corner!

The other night I hosted Bunco at my house and it was really fun, even though I couldn't talk above a whisper because of the laryngitis. I had made quite a few changes to my decor since the last time I had the bunco gals over and I got a lot of really wonderful compliments. One sweet friend said "I just want to go around and take pictures of all the great ideas! I've seen some things on the blog but it is so fun to come see it in person!"

Later that night I was sitting and reflecting over the evening and I thought about how much those compliments and comments had affected me. They were truly a balm to my heart and salve on old hurts.

They say a woman's sense of how she feels about herself comes from her home and a man's from his job. I think this is very true. When I married my late husband I was just 20 years old. On our wedding day I moved from my parents home to the house he lived in, a rental of his parents. My husband was a Christian school teacher and made the lofty sum of $600 a month!! A few months before our wedding, the school he worked at decided to close their doors. It took him 6 months to find a new teaching position after we were married. I was working at a daycare and we survived on unemployment, odd jobs and generous parents.

The house we rented from his parents was nice but every single stick of furniture in the house was a hand-me-down from his parents or mine. We were grateful to have it, but nothing matched, nothing was fun or attractive, it was just depressing. Several of my friends had married around the same time and some through debt, others through two good paying jobs, managed to have houses full of beautiful things. I tried to be content and I tried not to be ashamed when we had people over. But I hurt. I used to think "I would be thrilled to have just one thing, ONE thing that they have." But we made do and I learned to be the frugal queen!

You see, my husband had found a new job at last~making $800 a month! Baby #1 was on the way and 22 months later a baby sister. We struggled financially but there were LOTS of blessings and we always survived somehow. The greatest blessing over the years as our family grew was that I was able to be home with our kids and my children were all able to go to wonderful Christian schools free of charge! When it was time for college~ TONS of scholarship money and grants were received because of the great prep they received at those schools.

Hubby climbed the ladder and wound up as superintendent of a large school. We bought our first home, I started a business and the money was good. We traveled some, bought nice furniture and fun things for the kids. I had a pretty house and was no longer ashamed of my home but funny how you never forget those feelings of hurt and insecurity.

In 2004, my husband was diagnosed with cancer. He died 3 years later and I am now raising our youngest, twelve year old Maddy, alone. The days of plenty of money are over and I am back to being the Queen of frugality. I am content with where I am and so grateful to God for His provision. I sometimes remember with longing the days of free spending and then I quickly remind myself of those who have lost everything ~in Japan and so many other places. I AM BLESSED! And I have learned to decorate again on a shoestring~thrifting, repurposing and creating. Buying a new couch is really fun, but the satisfaction of making over a $5 chair from Goodwill~ Priceless!

A few weeks ago Maddy turned to me and said "Mom, our house is cute!" Those words and the comments of my friends the other night are like a sweet ointment on those old hurts. Getting to share them with my dear blogger friends is a joy as well. Thanks for stopping by!

It's a Magazine Rack. Or is it? 23 Mar 2011 4:01 PM (14 years ago)

I love finding uses for things other than what they were meant for. I also love 'shopping' my house, finding things in one room I can take into another and use in a different way. One favorite piece is this white magazine rack. In it's former life it was in my bathroom holding some good reading material. But I looked at it one day and thought it would look lovely showcasing some white plates and frames.

I really love it against the soft green wall. I made the little framed print from a graphic from, you guessed it, the Graphics Fairy. What would I do without her lovely blog and all the fabulous freebies she has for the taking? Perish the thought!

Thanks for visiting! Come back soon, I have a really fun project in the works! It's an vintage suitcase that's in for a big transformation.

I hope you'll consider becoming a follower and your comments are cherished. Linking up to the parties below!

White Vignette 19 Mar 2011 10:12 AM (14 years ago)

Happy Weekend! Hope you are having a good one, doing things you love with people you love. Tonight we are celebrating my oldest grandson Jamin (who just turned 6) and my dear daughter in law Holly's birthdays with a big family dinner and game night. I am blessed by such a wonderful family and thankful they all live close by. Can't wait! I am making Italian Beef, Pasta Salad and Wild Rice Salad. Yum!

I wanted to show you a little vignette I did this week. I did some more transferring to fabric with the CitraSolv and then instead of making a pillow, I framed it. So happy with the results! Love the look of the grain sack fabric against the white frame!

Okay, back to cooking for my feast tonight! Have a great weekend and I would be thrilled if you would leave some comment love! Linking up to the fun parties below.

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