With My Mother...

My Mother is 90 years young and is aging 

gracefully even with health decline.  It was fun 

to watch her open our Christmas gifts to her...

 She ripped right into that bag of goodies...

 I'm glad I still have my mother.  

Trusting our 2012 to the Father.

Linking up with Saturday Night Special

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just Listed in my With Propriety Etsy Shop

60's Little Black Dress

 

Gift Wrap Storage...

As I'm working on moving lots of 'stuff' into 

our new office space - it's apparent that some 

of my gift wrap supplies will no longer fit.  

Enter my Solution...

 Right next door in the living room rests this 

old chest 'coffee table' which holds nothing of importance (BTW - it was a $5 yard sale find)...

 It's the perfect size to store my rolls of gift wrap.   They're out of sight and still accessible.

Linking up with these parties today...

Show and Tell Friday

Frugal Friday

Vintage Inspiration Friday

Feathered Nest Friday

Inventory Shelf (Office Redo)...

Found me an old shelf unit in my garage that 

looked awful.  After several coats of $1 

garage sale paint - I love it!  It's my new shelf 

for antique inventory in our office redo...

 See that lovely aqua Butterprint Pyrex 

casserole?  Found it on a free pile this week 

in perfect condition!

 The new 'oops painted' walls just happen to 

go with the existing curtains I made from a 

bedspread years ago.  Gotta love that!

Also loving my recent $1.50 basket purchase 

for sheet music and larger pictures & paper...

What fun I'm having finally getting organized!
Joining the party at Treasure Hunt Thursday

Newly Painted Office (A Redo)...

We're working on our office.  The goal is to make it look good & hold all the 'stuff' we keep in there.  After 1 gallon of mistinted paint for under $5 - 

the walls and trim are finished...

A wonderful blue gray color that just 'happened'.

 and the old wood floors have been bared 

from the ugly carpet, sanded down and given

3 coats of poly...

The office is where I do my sewing (fabrics, etc.), stash my antique and Etsy inventory, work from 

home (2 screens & a keyboard), have my PC 

(another screen & keyboard), 

store gifts and wrapping supplies, file all of 

our papers and my Love works on his laptop.  

 It's mortifying - but here's a glimpse 

of the 'before'...

 

As we continue to 'move in', I'll keep you posted.

Guest Post - Christmas Tree Needle Craft...

Lisa, a writer with The Blog Content Guild, 

contacted me about doing a guest post on my blog.  

 Lisa is from Texas and "believes 'home is where 

the heart is' and is interested in crafts, 

remodeling, and real estate" including
Austin homes for sale.

Enjoy Lisa's post for a craft idea using pine 

needles from your Christmas tree.

If your family opts for a real tree during Christmas, 

don’t let all those great, shed pine needles go to waste.  

Pine needle art can be fun for both you and the kids! 

 Consider using a rough, grainy material  

in a neutral color as the backdrop for the needles.  

Take a sturdy craft glue and place the needles flat  

against the material to form a Christmas-themed 

 shape.  Sturdy craft glue is important to keep the  

needles from separating from the material. 

 I recommend Beacon’s 3-in-1. Framing these  

creations will protect them so they can serve as 

 holiday decorations for years to come. 

Thank you Lisa.

~~~~~~~~

Sold from my Etsy shop!

Thank you Karen.

 

Handmade Free Man's Gift...

One of the gifts I gave My Love this year had to 

wait till after Christmas to show you.

(He checks my blog on occasion).  

It was my first attempt at

making a sign and it didn't get half bad.  

I found a piece of old wood on our 'pile' 

and painted it black...

  Since I don't have the envied Cricut - I found 

a coloring book style letter font on the 

Internet to print out (uses much less ink).  

Then I simply cut out the letters and used them

as stencils with some golden yellow craft paint.   

I had to lay them out for spacing first since 

I was working with a pre-cut board...

  My letters aren't quite perfect - but with a 

bit of distressing and a coat of wax- 

I'm fine with 'The Man Cave' project.

I added some eye hooks and wire to the back 

and dated it with a permanent marker.

It's ready for hanging in My Love's garage.
Would make a great gift for Father's Day or 
birthday...and you can't beat 'free'!

Our Christmas...

Before...

Our kitchen to the left - laundry to the right.

During...

That would be my fav. dark chocolate!

After...

All photos compliments of My Love.

A Saviour...

For unto you is born this day in the city of 

David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  

Luke 2:11

From the Luke 2 Collection

Praying you will receive this precious gift

to be your Saviour and your Lord.
Contact me if you're unsure - I'd love to tell you how.

Merry Christmas Dear Friends.

Wrappings...

I'm sure if you give Christmas gifts you have been, 

or soon will be, knee deep in gift wrap.  This year 

I'm giving my neighbors some homemade soap instead of baked goods.  I'll be serving up 

several bars on a nest of shredded newspaper 

in thrift shop baskets...

And just to keep you inspired - here's a gathering 

of more gift wrap ideas from around the web.  

Please visit my Wrappings and Pretties Pinterest board for how-to's and sources for these images...

 

 

 

 

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sold!  Thank you Jamie...

Christmas Miracle Needed...

Have you ever needed a miracle?  Christmas - 

the season of the Greatest Miracle - seems like 

the perfect time for one doesn't it?  

But I realize God doesn't always answer our 

prayers in the way or time we would like.  

In fact, I'm not sure if He ever does. 

The Bowery Mission chapel in NYC.

We've had a family struggle for many years now.  

It's getting tiring and life is slipping by

 while we 'wait' for a resolution.  

I want to trust my Jesus with the hard stuff.  

I say that I do - but boy - 

putting it into practice is tough.

But this Christmas - I am ready for whatever 

the Lord might be saying.  If it's more 

"Be still and wait"- so be it.  

If it's "Step out and trust Me",  

or maybe "Leave the 'what-if's to Me",

I want to be OK with that too.  

But we need a clear Voice of direction.

It's Christmas... we're ready for a miracle...

On the wall in the Bowery Mission chapel.

 Thanks for allowing me a rare moment of being personal.

Homemade Drain Opener...

A household tip from me to you.  I've found 

this 'remedy' to work for clearing my slow - 

even clogged - sinks...

The sink at our summer cottage.

Pour a little liquid bleach down the drain.  

 Follow immediately with a little hydrogen peroxide.  Repeat as necessary.  

Much cheaper than liquid drain opener!

Needed to do this just today.
If you'd like to receive my blog posts 
via email - simply fill out the 'subscribe' 
form near the bottom of my sidebar.
Linking to Saturday Night Special
Disclaimer - while this combo works for me - 
I have no idea if it's a safe mixture.  
Use at your own risk! 
~~~~~~~~~~
Just Listed in my Etsy Shop
13 Circus Themed Stencils

Last Post Of My Friend's Lovely Home...

Just a few more glimpses for you, inside 

and out,of this English Tudor that my friend 

and her husband built themselves...

 They lived in their basement while they 

finished the main living areas.  This is a 

view of their basement kitchen...

The poinsettias fill a boot tray when 

the table is in use...

 their basement fireplace...

And a few details here and there

that intrigued me.  How about this 

bathroom storage?  A jar for sponges, 

cotton balls and dryer sheets...

Check out her bathroom silver lotions tray...

 

Bifold doors have been all dressed up and 

lead to this cozy guest room...

 

Hope you enjoyed this little 3 day tour. 

(View 'older posts' for more.)

One final parting shot of the backyard...

 ~~~~~~~~~~

Just Listed on Etsy

8 Vintage Holly and Fruit Stencils 

 Black Scrapbook - Sold!  Thank you Cat.