Monday, April 30, 2012

Where In The World is Carmin SanDiego???

Ok, so I am not Carmin San Diego, or Matt Lauer, or anyone else
just little ole me!

But where am I? Well, In New Orleans of course!

I will flood you with pictures of our adventures in the days to come,
but for now I have pre-blogged (is that a word?)
some random flower pictures.
What? Why? Huh?

Well, I found these just randomly growing in our yard the other day...
Pansies are not know as "wild flowers" and generally have to be
planted after being bought from the greenhouse.
But apparently even flowers can go "rouge" and
show what they got and that they are in charge of their destiny!
ohhhhhhhhh, probably giving them a bit too much credit here,
but I thought it was funny! Maybe not.

Pictures Please.
OK.
Pay no attention to the creeping charlie trying to strangle the purple pansy!

Have a most amazing Monday, and I will talk to you on Wednesday!

Friday, April 27, 2012

Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary....

I realized, as I stood on our deck with my Mother In Law
on Tuesday evening,
AS WE JUMPED BACK FROM THE JUNE BUG FLYING AROUND US!!!
I MEAN REALLY!!! A JUNE BUG!!! IN APRIL!!!
WHAT IS THIS WORD COMING TOO???????

Ok, back on track.
I realized that I had not updated you on my garden plants (that
I started from seed) in quite awhile!

So, without further ado,
THIS is how my garden is growing!

Pepper plants....they grow so much more slowly than tomato plants!

Heirloom Tomato plants...getting there!

And Beefsteak tomato plants...my husbands favorite tomato!
I hope to get them in the garden, safe and snug before
I leave to go to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Mid May,
But for now, here they will stay, snug as a JUNE BUG (really??!!??)
in a screaming ladies hair!!

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Black & White

No, not life, for that is never simply black and white.

I am talking about a $7 lantern that I purchased at Ikea
hmmmmm, about a year or so ago.
It has, very un ceremoniously, been sitting on a chair
in the corner of a bedroom. Not loved. Kinda liked.
Certainly not my favorite.

So, what do I do with things that I kinda like but want to love?

You guessed it!

Paint to the rescue!!

Here is the neglected lantern in it's original stature.
I started by, ahem, literally cleaning off the dust and dog hair
from the poor little lantern
(getting emotionally involved here)
I feel sorry for the state that it found itself in!!!
Next, because the glass panels were only held in by four tabs,
I opened up the tabs and removed the glass
to make the painting process soooooooo much easier!
Out to the back yard, spray paint can and lantern in hand!
4 or 5 light coats of a soft white paint did it!

Now, I am in LOVE with this sweet lantern and it has now been placed,
 in all it's beauty and honorably, in the dining room!
I am sure it has now taken a huge sigh of relief knowing that it is now
loved and will be looked upon with great fondness!


Ahhhhhh, now that's better!

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

New Lens!

I just got a new lens for my camera!
I am so excited, just in time for our trip to NOLA!
I, of course, HAD to trial run it and am so very
happy with the few pictures that I snapped yesterday.

I have many Iris plants around our home, and delighted
in their cooperation of my photo shoot.

Un-touched, these are the photo's of my mauve & royal purple irises!

 You can almost smell them, the picture is so clear....
and I love how the background is blurred, to help
keep the attention of your focus on the flower itself!
 The Juex Opposed position of the beauty of the flower against the
rusting gas pipe is rather exciting to me, but then again
I am a pure A Symmetrical gal and very much like non-traditional things.
Have an amazing Wednesday, and remember to stop and smell the flowers,
life is fleeting, and love is so much easier than bitterness.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Pre New Orleans List, Projects cont.....

As you know, I did get the camera bag done.

also....

Laundry completely done, check!

Flower beds weeded, check!

Spray for weeds at our house, check!

Spray for weeds at my Mom's house, check!

Kitchen scrubbed, check!

Floors cleaned, check!

Yearly paperwork for my Mother done, check!

Major dusting done, check!

Lantern re-do, check!
(a girl has her priorities!)

And now the important things......

Oil changed in the car, Nope

Suit case packed, Nadda

Birthday Present wrapped, Not on your life

Car cleaned out, Negative

Why, oh why do I wait on such things??????????????

I have NO idea!

Monday, April 23, 2012

Pre New Orleans Projects.....

I have lots I need to do before leaving
and I have lots I want to do before leaving!
I will start with the need to do....
One project is done!
I needed a camera bag. We take lots of pictures, and
have to take the camera.
We did not have a proper bag for the camera and extra lenses...
But really!!! Wow! Have you priced camera bags?????
Like $90 and over for a good one!
Not in my budget!
Sooooooooo, I had a small carry on that came in a set of freebie
luggage from a office supply store.
I let my brain get the best of me, and decided that I could
make a camera bag out of that free toiletries bag.
Off to Wal-mart!
I found some cute yellow print material with gray outlined flowers.
Perfect!!!!
Then I sat down at my sewing machine and sewed several "pouches"
I placed the foam (you know, the kind from mattress pads, etc)
inside the pouches and seamed them shut!
Voile!!!!
My new, $1.00 (cost of material) camera bag!!!


However, if I get any further equipment, I will have to make another bag!!!

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Just Some Random Pictures & Thoughts


This is what we found on our window screen last night after coming home from church! Kinda crazy! It did not faze him (i guess it's a him, maybe a her????) one bit to have a picture taken...weird!
 This was the aftermath of our Mardi Gras party,
Why would I show you this picture?
Well, I think it is really cool, and true to life, and just
to let you know that our youngest daughter now has this table!
We have gotten a new table, and I hate the color! Just sayin.
I intend (and did from the day of purchase) to sand and stain
the new table to fit our decor, and make it pretty!
Sometimes you have to go for function, knowing that
beauty can be added later.
 I can't even describe this picture.....maybe "amazing" would be the word to use.
 I have amazing In-Law children. I really do.
I am proud of all of them, the work they do for the Lord
and the love that they have for our family.
 I have amazing children. This is our youngest reading to "the" youngest.
And our dogs are not ever far removed.
 I am also blessed with In-Law parents who love us greatly.
They will do just about anything for us....now if we can just get them to go to the real Mardi Gras!!!!
 What did we ever do without I Phones and DVD's?????
I hope that you have an amazing Thursday....
I intend to, and I intend to get lots done this afternoon,
hmmmm, what will I find on my windows today??????

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

I Have Made A Decision

This spring/summer I will be painting my front door

And it will be this color.



I am in love!

Color Love!


Image: Kyle Freeman, Chris & Erin's Farmhouse Add-On)

Monday, April 16, 2012

Do You Ever????????

Do you ever see a picture and it just about makes your heart stop?
I know, pictures of your husband, children & loved ones can do this,
but what I am talking about is a color, inspiration, decor that you would
love to have in your home.

Well I did today!

OH my is it a beauty!!

I mean, drool worthy!!!

I mean, like, FAN-FREAKIN-TASTIC!!!!

Like, speechlessness......ahhhhhhhhhh

Like nothing further to say, except to show you the picture

and give you the link.


I KNOW!!!! RIGHT!!!!

Craftberry Bush is the place to go, and you and I will
soon be making these beauties....
imagine a blissful summer evening, sitting under a tree at dusk
15 or 20 of these beautiful jars hanging from the tree
with tea light candles lit in them....
glistening shades of blue twinkling in the dusk....
oh yes, I can imagine this
And will make this happen....romance & beauty.



Friday, April 13, 2012

Over Acheaver WILL Return!

I have known for a couple of months that my normal "over achiever"
spunk and energy were being replaced with strange soreness and fatigue.

So, with a son that was diagnosed at age 8 with J. Rheumatoid Arthritis
and a Mother who has had severe Rheumatoid for about 25 years now,
I made the dreaded call to the Dr. for an appt. to have the testing done.

Sigh

They are still running further test for things like VitaminB12 deficiency,
anemia, thyroid malfunction and also rheumatoid factors in the blood
I will find out later today about those....
But a positive result was found for Fibromyalgia. I started on the meds
last night, and will have to work my way up to the dosage that is normal
for this problem. The Dr. and I are hoping for 1/2 the "normal" dosage for me,
I am not a big girl, so I am sure that 1/2 will do fine.

At the moment, I am dealing with a caffeine headache, as my normal routine
for the last months has been to get up every morning and take an excedrin
and 2 aleve to get my day started! Well, you can guess, that as I had to
go for blood test in a fasting state, and not able to take the over the counter
while getting used to the new meds, has left me with ONE FREAKINLY ANNOYING CAFFEINE HEADACHE!

UGH!

Oh well, this too shall pass!

And that is my news of the day.
I am a grown up now. I have to take a daily medication for the first time in my life!!! I don't think I like this idea....but if it returns me to my former "glory" hehehehehehe, then I will adapt to the daily regime!

Have an amazing weekend to all, and I plan on accomplishing something
this weekend so hopefully there will be photo's for Monday!!!

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Our Easter Celebration....In Pictures








Our home was filled with love, laughter, family, friends & so much more than I could ever comprehend....
God's Blessings are ENORMOUS!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Randomness

We had a wonderful Easter, and I will post pics of the table and family tomorrow.

We are going to New Orleans in 16 days...yikes!
Not ready to hit the road so quickly, but ready for the hugs and kisses waiting there.

In 5 short weeks, I will be heading north to the U.P. of Michigan....
Yikes again!

Mother's Day fits in there between NOLA & the U.P.
I love our annual Mother's Day Dinner...spoiling our Moms, Aunts & In-Law Moms...I cook an authentic Italian meal, holding back nothing, and sprinkling love in it all.

I have a Dr.'s apt. on Thursday. Sigh. Going in for a diagnosis of either
Fibromyalga or Rheumatoid. Both can mimic one another at times.
Our son was diagnosed at age 8 with Juvenile (duh) Rheumatoid,
and my Mother has been doctoring for years for it, so that is my guess as to why I have this pain in my hands, back and shoulder, but the one thing that is throwing me off is the muscle pain in my left leg, so that is why it could be Fibro...guess we will find out Thursday!
I just do not want to go to NOLA or the U.P. not feeling well, so off to the Dr. I go!

My husband and I finished painting the "man cave" and he put up new trim and built the t.v. stand...it looks wonderful! We have yet to get other things back in place, but for now, we kinda like the "emptiness" of it!
I will post some "after" pictures for you just as soon as I take some!

I guess that is all the randomness that I have at the moment, but you know women, conversation is always easy, and I bet as soon as I post this, I will think of a dozen other things I would like to talk to you about!
Another day I guess!

I hope that you have an amazing Tuesday...I am certainly going to try to!

Friday, April 6, 2012

How To For Cake Stands

Remember these beauties????

Here are the "how to's" for the cake stands that I showed yesterday!
 First of all, you need to go to Goodwill or some other second hand shop and find plates the size and shape that you want, color does not matter as you will be painting them the color you DO want them to be! Mine just happened to all be clear glass, which I have to say, makes the centering job much easier!
You have to have the appropriate glue. I bought mine in the painting section at our local wal-mart, I chose the outdoor adhesive because I knew I would be washing my finished cake stands at some point or another. The glue must be bond-able to glass!
 For my two small cake stands, I used simply votive holders as the base!
They are embellished, but plain would work amazingly well also.
Find center on the bottom, and put a dot (I used a sharpie)
 On the bottom of the plate you are using, mark center also.
I drew this circle to mark where the glue would go.
Do not worry about the marks, they will be painted over in the end and never show.

Now, put a bead of glue on the area you want to adhere to the bottom of the votive (my votives were concave in the center, so I only glued the perimeter)
I also rimmed the bottom of the votive with a small bit of glue(not sure this was even needed), and then with a light amount of pressure, set the votive onto the glue which was on the plate! Leave for 24 hours, out of the reach of little hands, and you will have a sturdy cake stand at the end of your 24 hour wait.
Take outside (if not raining of course) and spray paint it in several light coats to the desired colors you want.
CAUTION: paint the bottom first! That way you avoid possibly scratching the top when you turn it to paint the bottom. Just sayin. Ahem.
 You can see from a bottom shot of the stands, that you can notice where they were glued, but if your guests are turning your cake stands upside down to inspect your amazing abilities, then maybe they should not be allowed to have dessert!! Just sayin!
In the end, you will have cake stands that are the exact size, shape and color that YOU want them to be...and for a pittance!
Mine cost, well, the largest one, $1.50. The smaller ones were all $1. each.
I had the paint already, and the glue was about a dollar fifty, but I used a fraction of it, so I did not add the fraction to the total cost of the stands.
This is a simple and non-time consuming project, that yields something quite amazing and useful in outcome....and you will be proud to have been the creator of these beauties!

I pray you all have a blessed and amazing Easter weekend!!!

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Remember These? Now They Are THESE!!

Remember these second hand store finds?
I have re purposed them into something
very fun and pretty for our Easter Table!

Look!!!

I will give you all the details of how they went from
point A to fabulous point B tomorrow,
But for now, just gaze on these beauties....



Loving it!

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Want To See What A Stripped Down Man Cave Looks Like??

Well, like this.
Ugh.
But not for long!
New Paint, New Trim
Clean Carpet
Clean Everything
Will Happen By Saturday Night!!
 YaaaHooo!

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Easter Napkins, Anyone Can Make!!!!

I decided that I wanted to have napkins on the Easter table
that would match the colors I am using in the decorating.
And, truly, the only way to accomplish that is to
make them myself!
I first bought men's white handkerchiefs from the dollar store.
If finances allow, buying a higher quality would make greater sense.
They are 16x16, which is a common size for napkins.
(The material is pretty thin, so be forewarned)
Next, I had to be "ready" for the painting of said napkins,
which includes, my paints (shown in a previous post on vase painting)
and fabric medium. (bought at Hobby Lobby) This is what will make your paint washable,
Next, I used a normal stamp, you know, the kind you would
use for scrap booking or card making....borrowed from my youngest daughter.
Then I "stamped me some napkins"!
Allow the fabric to dry for 24 hours and then
iron the paint to set it! Done and Done!!!
See how well they match the vases I painted...love it!!
Just like that, it all took me about 30 minutes total to
stamp 16 napkins....I only hope it will be enough!
This was a very easy project, and the sky is the limit
as to what you can do with fabric medium and pretty paint!
which is a really important thing for napkins!