A can of spray paint... A trunk full of Arkansas treasures!

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."  Walt Disney

----------

I have had so much fun with a few flea market finds, or treasures as I prefer to call them.  On a recent 5 day trip to Little Rock Arkansas, I made a "few" purchases. We had a lot of fun going from small town to small town and meeting so many friendly people. I love Arkansas, it is a great place to relax and enjoy the beautiful ozark mountain scenery and small town shops.

I had been looking for a tray 

to sit on my living room ottoman!

When I found this one in a flea market in Sherwood, Arkansas

I knew it would work. I loved the detail, the size and the handles. And I knew I would be spray painting it white using

this Rust-o-leum American Accents 2x coverage paint. This paint covers quickly, dries evenly and the sprayer does not clog up.  I had to give the tray several coats to get the pure white that I wanted.

This paint transformed the tray, 

and candleholders from

a dark brown to a bright and cheery color!

A trunk full of flea market treasures!

I am happy with how it turned out,

and happy about the price that I paid for it.

I will always remember the young lady

and her little shop in Sherwood!

Thanks for coming by for a visit!

I am linking up with the following blogs:

Amaze Me Monday #71
at Dwellings - the heart of your home

Tweak it Tuesday #102
at Cozy Little House

229th Inspire Me Tuesday
at A Stroll through Life blog

Much ado about Monday
at huckleberry love blog

History and home link party
at We call it junkin

What's it Wednesday
at Ivy and elephants blog

Party Junk 253 - upcycled trays
Funky Junk Interiors

Anything Blue Friday - Week 68
The Dedicated House

Finding the sugar?

It's just another Monday

here in the

Heart of the Ozarks.

I want to share a project I did in Picmonkey.

A few weeks ago, K2daugher and her fiancee came for a weekend visit. They live a very busy life and seldom get to slow down. Their work in the Nursery (plants) business goes almost 24 hours a day during this time of the year. So when they come to visit, we slow down, sleep late, eat lots of barbecue and 

play a game called "Wahoo". 

We team up

 - girls against boys - 

and the girls are the 

reigning Wahoo champions!

K2daughter's fiancee gets up around 4:30am each day, 7 days a week.  So he is the first to the coffee pot! I had just purchased these little canisters at TJMaxx for only $2.99 each (a bargain I thought). I scrubbed them clean and put our coffee condiments - sugar, creamer and sweetener into them and put them on a distant counter (I know that wasn't a smart thing to do, not thinking that guests wouldn't know to look across the room). Poor Kman, he had to search for the sugar and he finally came across the 4lb bag in my baking cabinet and had to spoon his sugar out one at a time. 

So that afternoon, 

I made labels in Picmonkey and 

moved the canister's closer to the coffee pot.

I love Picmonkey. 

It is somewhat easy and user friendly.  

You can find it here

www.picmonkey.com

I started with a 4x6 blank canvas (so I could print it on photo paper), with a white background.  Then I selected a label that I liked and made it a color that would go with my red coffee pot.  I then sized it and then duplicated it three times.  Then I selected a font and typed in my text and centered it on the label. I did this three times as I needed three labels.

I saved my work and then went to my printer software and printed a 4x6 photo of my labels. I have an HP printer and it is so easy to use!  Then I cut the labels out, punched a hole in the top, ran some twine through the hole and tied it to the handle on top of the canister.

Now Kman will be able to find his sugar!

Thanks for stopping by to visit!

As life goes...

Emmy Lou, our chocolate Labrador that was attacked recently, is doing much better. She is walking, visiting all of our family, begging for biscuits each morning. But she is still favoring that left front leg. But we see a full recovery ahead of her. As for me almost 5 weeks out from sine surgery... the surgeon has ordered a "bone growth stimulater" and a nurse will be coming by to help me with it in the next few days. I still have a little swelling on the right side but as long as I don't lift or drag anything, I feel no pain. I see the surgeon tomorrow and am hoping he will allow me to swim in the lake. It is so hard to be on the water and not be allowed to get in!
----------------------------------------------------------

Linking up with:

Brenda
tweak it tuesday
A Cozy Little House
and
Kristi

Inspiration Monday

I should be mopping the floor
and
Marty
Inspire Me Tuesday
A Stroll thru Life
and
Linda
nifty thrifty tuesday
at Coastal Charm Blog
and
Megin
Brag about it
at VMG206

Cindy
Amaze Me Monday
dwellings-the heart of the home blog

Going Blue...

and keeping my oak...

Hi everyone!  We recently started making over our home, in do-able and affordable portions and taking it in a new direction as far as our style, needs and budget.

----------------

Today I wanted to share my 

photo frame makeover! 

I've had this frame stored inside a box full of old frames, upstairs, in the attic, under a bunch of other boxes, buried behind the Easter decorations. 

It was a dark brown so I cleaned it good, painted it with a mixture of two colors of craft paint ($0.50 each). 

Then I took some scrapbook paper scraps(?) ($.25) Cut one to fit the oval shape on the inside of the frame. 

Then I went through my jewelry box and found some costume jewelry pieces that I was tired of, then stuck one to the outside of the frame with rubber cement.

I can change the paper background anytime, as well as just pull off the jewelry piece. 

I think this is a keeper just because it is so versatile.

--------------------

We built our home in 2002 after downsizing from 3600 sq ft to 1890 sq ft. And we brought most of the furniture from the bigger house with us. I had furniture up against every wall. All my favorite pieces that I dearly loved were right where I could enjoy them. I loved them, until it came time to clean them. I just don't bend as easy as I use to.

This year we have chosen to finally 

"live in our home" 

and to let the old home go. We are changing every room on a budget, hoping to re-use most all of my own items, and be a bit crafty along the way.

I am going to keep the treasures that I love, 

whether they be in style or not, 

and am going to blend them into a more modern and up to date style of my own. I plan to re-purpose most evey thing and stay on a minimal budget.

In 2008, I fell in love with every color. So I chose a grayish purple and sunny yellow to go on my dining room/kitchen walls. I smiled each time I walked into that sunny and happy room.  Others laughed. But I loved it. 

It stayed that color for four years, 

until thehubs came to me and said 

he just couldn't take it anymore. 

The purple had to go.

So, keeping our decorating goal in mind,

here is our newer

2014 kitchen and dining room!

The seafoam green, and robin egg blue, were a big change for me. I purchased new valances but stuck with the same kind of mini blinds.  We rarely lower our blinds. We live in the country, so privacy is not an issue. So I will be changing the window dressings, actually I am hoping to make them.

Glad you stopped by,

and hope you will come back and visit!

And as life goes...

I am still recuperating after neck surgery. The pain and nausea are less, thus requiring less pain medication. I am happy to say I am feeling better and able to move around quite a bit.  Thank you to each and everyone of you that prayed for me. I am still wanting prayer as this is a long road, thank you so much!

Linking up with...
Brenda over a Cozy Little House
Linda over at Show and Share via A Coastal Charm
Kathy over at Kathywithane You're goona love it Tuesday
Marty over at A Stroll Through Life Inspire Me Tuesday

Crafty? Sometimes, Sometimes not...

Welcome to our

redecorating journey!

It has been "So" EXCITING!

Sometimes...

and Sometimes Not...

I have been doing some

Craft Projects

Yes. That's Me, the uncrafty one.

I have been trekking along the

craft aisles at HL, Michaels, and JoAnns.

And our attic.

I am especially proud that this project

only cost about $1.50.

I made some mistakes,

started over a few times, 

but I eventually got there.

I will be sharing my projects

in the weeks to come.

Outside: Spring has finally arrived!

There is a slight breeze and cloudy skies today

with just a slight chill in the air.

A good day for a painting project or two.

I should be calling my projects

EXPERIMENTS!

It has been "So" EXCITING!

Sometimes...

and Sometimes Not...

These pansies were planted last spring and have

wintered well. 

That antique 2-wheeler

was my grandfathers, a quiet man, who drove for

Safeway for 40 years, delivering

groceries to the stores in Los Angeles, CA.

Miss you Grandpa!

I Hope you will stay around

for the reveal.

We got a confirmation date and

the floors will be isntalled on

May 6th.

We have to empty the rooms,

pull the baseboards and

repaint them.

I did it with scrapbook paper!

Visit my kitchen!

I had been a little bored with my kitchen the past year. I finally found some new canisters at a flea market in Conway, Arkansas that gave me some inspiration. They were much like the ones I fell in love with at Pier One but could only visit, not own, because of the price! Then one week later I found a smaller set at a flea market in Pittsburg, Kansas! I needed some color in the kitchen and those inexpensive treasures gave me the boost I needed to try some new projects.

I had gotten the same desire for some color a few years ago and made a ridiculously BAD color choice. I fell in love with a swatch of purple at the paint store, I mean really, really fell in love. So I asked thehubs to paint the kitchen this gorgeous purple color and the first couple of strokes he made to the wall, I knew it was a mistake. But I lived with it, hoping it would grow on me, for a year. It didn't. I hated it. So a few months ago, he repainted it a yellowy beige. Then I just felt like it needed some color, a bit of pizzazz, or some bling somewhere. So I thought I would share my latest project with blogland! Hope you like it!

This is before!

This is the busiest wall in my kitchen. My entire kitchen is open and can be seen from the living room, the office and the dining room. As you can see the white tile, beige countertops and beige walls are a bit boring.

Now I will show you

my "after" photos.

------------------------------------------------

My first attempt!

I used black and white scrapbook paper with pretty swirls.

 My second attempt I used a maroon paisley scrapbook paper.

The idea started years ago when I adhered wallpaper cuttings with spray adhesive (repositional Easy-Tack from Hobby Lobby) directly onto the tile and it lasted for 7 years.  A store owner gave me a free book of wallpaper samples. I cut out some long stemmed lillies and various other flowers. I then sprayed them with the Easy-Tack and layered them, one on top of the other, on each tile. It looked like a three dimensional flower garden. I loved it!

Here is how I did it!

The only supplies you will need are

a straight ruler, a pencil, and scissors.

This time I used scrapbook paper from Hobby Lobby 

three sheets at 59 cents at 50% off - $0.89

Clear Contact Paper from Dollar Tree - $1.00

Easy Tack Repositionable Adhesive Spray also from Hobby Lobby - $7.99

Note: the Rubber Cement - I used this the first try as I was out of the Easy-Tack. The Easy-Tack is much better. It is worth the $7.99 and the can will last you for years. The roll of clear contact paper will also last you for many projects.

The only tools you will need are

a straight ruler, pencil,and scissors.

Measure your tiles and draw a grid

on the back of the scrapbook paper.

Then I positioned the grid face down onto the tacky side of the clear contact paper. This makes the paper easy to wipe down and keeps the paper from spotting from splatters on the stove after it is adhered. Now cut them out.

Then I sprayed the back sides of the paper with the adhesive. I used a newspaper to put under the paper when I sprayed the adhesive to protect the counter. Now, I could stick them to the tiles.

My last and final attempt is my favorite,

a black and white harlequin scrapbook paper.

Hope you like it!

Sharing over at

Click here to go to No Minimalist here!

or 

here is the address: http://nominimalisthere.blogspot.com/2014/01/open-house-blog-party-winner.html

Sherry over at:

No Minimalist Here Blog

and also on

Megin over at VMG206

http://www.vmg206.com/2014/01/diy-sunday-showcase-link-party-and.html

Just call the man...

There have been several times in our past 16 years of marriage that I have said to my wonderful and loving husband after he had tried so hard 

 “Please, honey, call the man”. 

As embarrassed and humbled as I feel right now, 

I had to say it,

 to myself,

 today. 

I had to eat my own words, they tasted awful, and were hard to swallow. I nearly choked.

----------------------------------------

My day started off really well planned. On the list: try a new recipe and bake a deeeelicious pie; get my brand new cute little sewing machine from walmart out of the box and hem two pairs of pants.

-------------------------------

As I listened to some Lorrie Morgan, I made the crust, rolled it out, carefully placed my delicate creation into my favorite pie pan. I set my new cute little lime green portable timer from walmart for 12 minutes. I may have evened hummed along to a song or two.

Then...

The phone rang and I got in a deeply involved discussion with a friend about how husbands who won't ask for help, even when they need it.

Then...

That cheap little ugly so and so walmart timer didn't go off resulting in an awful, dark brown, inedible pie shell for my brand new chocolate silk pie recipe. 

One hour of my day burnt. So I – repeated it – only this time without that cheap little so and so ugly walmart timer. I took the phone off the hook and sat in front of the stove and watched it cook. It turned out perfect and so did my new recipe FRENCH SILK PIE from my “Taste of Home – simple and delicious" magazine.

On to number two on my list – Getting my new cute little sewing machine from walmart out of the box and hemming my trousers. Is that an old word that only people who now have an AARP card and get senior discounts would use? 

I had gotten over my burnt pie shell and was in such a happy mood as I took that new cute little sewing machine from walmart out of the box and saw all of the cute little gadgets that had come with it. Oh, I thought, this will be so much fun! 

I didn't even mind that it took me 15 minutes to find the English version of the Quick Start Guide before I could even peel back the blue shipping tape which was clearly printed with "Read Quick Start Guide before removing tape".

Then...

It took me an hour and half to thread that cute little sewing machine from walmart . But I didn't give up. I will never give up I told myself. I will figure this out! 

Then...

As for hemming the pants – 

the photo speaks for itself -

only I am not duplicating it five times.

Then...

I sewed, ripped it out, then I sewed, ripped it out, then I sewed, ripped it out, and then I sewed and then ripped it out AGAIN. I tried adjusting the tension and changing the weight of the thread. Then I chose a different stitch, then reread the Quick Reference Guide again (in English). Then I watched the video again. Then I sewed it again. 

Then...

I got up and went for a walk around the house. I may not learn to sew using this cheap little ugly sewing machine from Walmart. I left it, full of tangled thread sitting on the table.

Then...

I reached for my phone and called an alterations store in town a half hour away.

A MAN answered.

and I almost cried.

I had just...

CALLED THE MAN!

Crafty? Me?

I found a couple of hours today to play on my computer and avoid that big pile of laundry in the utility room. I love to go to craft shows, especially the War Eagle Show in Rogers, Arkansas. We make a day of it, endure the long lines of cars waiting in line to park, and wear our walking shoes. It is a great show, features great artists, great crafts and has just about everything crafty. If you would like more information, below is the link to their site.

http://www.wareaglemill.com/fall-craft-fair/

I have always wanted to be crafty but my somewhat OCD personality makes it challenging, very challenging for me. It is hard for me to start something and then leave it out unfinished. So I recently moved a cabinet in from the garage to store some crafty projects and supplies. It also has to have space for work, files and some storage.

The room looks pink but it is really a dark burgundy.

Note: sewing machine still in box. I recently went to the FM Store and looked at fabric, apparently I may need to make payments in order to make something. I didn't know fabric, notions, and scissors were so expensive. I also went to Hobby Lobby and investigated taking up scrapbooking. Again, I will need to exercise some stock options before I start that type of crafting. Whew...

I am going to “try” to be more crafty and make some things that I have pinned on my “want to do” Pinterest Board. Just pinning them makes me feel crafty.

http://www.pinterest.com/Dazeez/want-to-do/

My right hand doesn't always do what my brain tells it to so I felt my first projects should be something on the computer so that I can use the “back” or “revert to previous” button. Here are a few projects I would like to share. I am loving my Picmonkey!

My first collage using buttons and double border.

A mirrored image of our bench during last winters snowstorm.

Meet Braddock my cousins baby boy!

A mirrored image of some trees.

Chalkboards - How I did it!

I have been saving quotes for most of my life. I have them stuffed into drawers, folders, and places I am not even sure where.  They are written on napkins, post its, the back of junk mail, torn pages, etc.  

check me out on Pinterest

I pin them on my own Pinterest board I named "Quotes" (creative huh?).  I follow lots of other pinner's boards who seem to be more creative than me and name their boards cute names like:

Wisdom and Wit
Letters upon Letters
Words
Words, just words
Inspire
Write this down

Have you noticed all of the

pretty chalkboards on Pinterest?

I wanted to learn how to do it.

Blogging is also somewhat new to me. I love to read blogs with tutorials, how to paint, how to decorate, how to make things, and more.  So today is my first attempt at a "how to" for my blog.  So... here I go...

Picmonkey is a FREE photo software that the blogging world calls easy, that is how I found it, I needed an EASY one.  I have no photography background so I started with just the basics. I found Picmonkey to be so much fun and easy to use, I upgraded and purchased the software.

Not quite centered, but a good try!

My camera is a very inexpensive but reliable 5 year old Kodak EasyShare C813 that our business uses to take photos of empty, vacant and most of the time "stinky" houses. It is a dirty job. Since the companies we work for require a date stamp, that option is always turned on (because I forget to turn it off).  Recently I had to learn how to go into  picmonkey and cover it up. You can see it in my previous posts, the date stamp is there in my photos, in bright yellow, in the corner, or it has been pasted over with a bright purple daisy. I was so proud when I learned how to fix that.

                                       Click here to go to Picmonkey!

I found a black chalkboard background on the internet by simply asking google to find me one. It gave me several to choose from. I then saved it to my computer.  I then resized it and made it bigger with a free resizer I use for our business to make images smaller (making images smaller makes them faster to upload to the web when quality is not an issue.) You can probably also find one on the internet, just ask google. Or you can use mine below.

You can right click on this image and "save as" to use mine!

Then I opened picmonkey and selected "edit a photo", then uploaded the chalkboard image. 

 I proceeded to place text in different fonts around the chalkboard choosing the text tool. I chose a light yellow color and then selected lighter from the blend option.  I played with it, using different fonts.

Then I went to the overlay option on the menu on the left and chose my overlays, you can see the tree I have chosen.

Then I moved onto the Textures option and chose the "smudge". 

This fades the text and blends it all together.  Be sure to select the apply button afterwards to save your work.  Then I saved it to my computer. 

Whew, my first attempt.... 
at a how to.... 
on my blog...
is now over....