The dish ran away with the spoon

Posted by Marilee


In reading various blogs I sometimes run across things that I just have to try!  I ran across this adorable project the other day and had to try it.

This is from Jessica Fediw  http://www.ohsohappytogether.blogspot.com/

She offers the download of the pattern and the instructions for free.  So I sat down today and made my own version out of fabric that I already had.  Total cost = $0 and it took about 3 hours....

Aren't these adorable?  I am quite pleased with the way they turned out (since I am not much of a sew-er).  I had these saved for a Christmas gift - but now I can finally share.  I made them for my granddaughter and they were a huge hit!

Jessica also has the alphabet in fabric that I also tackled and gifted!  

Stayed tuned for more ideas.

Marilee

Easy Peasy Part 2

Post by Sarah

You can see my first Easy Peasy post here. 
Well, I'm back with another!

I signed up and received this free sample of Kleenex from here.

A cute little Kleenex box that isn't so cute to look at. So I wrapped it!

Cute, right? And soooo easy!


Sarah

These are a few of my Favorite Things..

Posted by Marilee

Brown paper packages tied up with string:

"These are a few of my favorite things......"

Did I get the song stuck in your head?!?

Be sure to check out Raw Materials online for some gift ideas...I cant share what is inside.  Someone might be reading this and I am saving this for Christmas...

Sarah and I went shopping over the weekend and I wanted to share some of my finds:

A new pillow to go with the new chair cover Sarah and I did.  We found this pillow at World Market and I added a piece of my Mom's jewelry to the center.

Another pillow that we found at World Market, plus we had a coupon - $10.00 off a $30.00 dollar purchase. I love this and think I might need another one.  I love the purple in it and might need a purple throw for that room.  Do you love it too?

I also made this little trinket to hang from the door knob:

I think all door knobs need a decoration.  Don't you think so?  It has old metals that belonged to my Mom when she was in her high school band.  There are several sentimental things pieced through it that would have normally be stuck in a drawer. 

It's an unexpected way to decorate and I love it!  What are your thoughts?

Marilee

Art Re-do

Post by Sarah

So in preparation of Thanksgiving I've been running around like a chicken turkey with it's head cut off.  Cody and I spend every Thanksgiving at his parents house along with 35+ other family members.  No joke!  Cody has a huge family!  Because our house is within 5 miles to theirs we get 4 to 6 people crashing at our place each year.  So while I've been running around cleaning.. I've also re-arranged some artwork.

Our guestroom/ office has always been a bit of a struggle for me.  Cody has a lot of Roller Coaster art that I'd always let him hang in that room.

See:

I really hate the flags.  And I've been living with them for a very long time.  So I finally decided it was time for them to go.  Sorry Cody!  And yes, un-made bed because I was in the process of washing all the sheets.. I told you - crazy chicken turkey.

I had kept that old thrift store frame that I had switched out here.

And decided to throw a quick coat of white paint on it:

And I re-hung everything in a gallery type assortment that I much more prefer.

The large one is a Roller Coaster blueprint.  I sort of like it and decided it could stay.  Bottom right is a Van Gogh thrift store find.  I painted the frame with wood stain and was left with this more beautiful wood tone.  Top right is the frame I had just painted white and stuck some art I had on hand in.

Hooray!  Clean Sheets! Total project cost was zero dollars.  All frames, paint, and art I already had on hand. Now to slowly switch out those amps with an antique dresser.  Do you think Cody will notice??

Sarah

Beatty, Nevada

Post by Marilee..

In our spare time, Steve and I love to travel to Beatty, Nevada.  I thought I'd share a few pictures of a recent visit in celebration of Thanksgiving.  Yep, we're packing our bags and spending a week out in this beautiful-ness.  Please enjoy the gorgeous scenery: 

Don't worry about Sarah - she'll have her own festivities to share about.
Has anyone else done any traveling or site-seeing lately?  I'd love to read comments about it!

Marilee

Gift Ideas!!

Posted by Marilee


Christmas is right around the corner.  It'll be here before you know it!  So I thought I'd compile a list of gifts for everyone in your family.  Here are some things I have seen lately that you might like:

For the children in your life:

Wherever you Are:  My Love will Find You by Nancy Tillman  




When the World was Waiting for You by Gillian Shields




If your Hoppy by April Pulley Sayre 



How Many Kisses Good Night? by Jean Monrad Thomas 



For the Adult in your Life:


Stackable Lunch Pot Set 



Golden Grass Leaf Earrings




Terrarium




Tote and storage baskets






Marilee - Happy Shopping

Technical Difficulties

Post by Sarah


I have been experiencing major technical difficulties lately...
I am the engine side of the blog.  The upload-er, poster, IT one.  And my computer took the biggest dump and crashed.  I've been constantly working through all the viruses and trying to reboot BUT finally broke down and bought a notebook.

This one:



So far so good.
I highly recommend.
Please stay tuned as I can finally post blogs again!  And we've got some good ones!

Sarah

Furniture Steve Made

Post, Marilee Made.

Lets take a moment and look at some furniture that my husband, Steve has made.  We've also created a quick page link for you to reference here.

Steve has no formal training in carpentry, he just does it well.  He has quite a collection of tools and I think this is what makes most of the difference.  Someone can bring him an idea or picture and he is off and running.  Take a look at some of the things he has made in the past.  I am always on the lookout for new furniture for him to make to replace something old and outdated or possibly just because I really want something.

In the future I will be showing you some ideas of new furniture that I would like to have and you'll be able to see the before and the after.  Steve will also be building a patio cover (no plans) at his daughter's house and we will post pictures of that along the way as well.  Enjoy! 




This is my kitchen island and hey!  I left the butter knife out after making my toast this morning.  Just keeping it real, folks!  The legs were from EBAY for about 60.00 dollars and we added a piece at the bottom of each leg to give it the height that we needed.  Then Steve just went from there with the butcher block top, drawer for cookies and chips, and a bottom shelf for "things".

This is the buffet in my dining room.  We have a soffit/niche that has housed 3 different hutches and buffets.  I finally asked Steve to build a custom one to fit exactly in my space and I love it!  The concept was pieced together by several buffet pictures I'd found over the years.  Steve was able to take a little from each picture to create this.

We eat 95% of our meals on this table (that's good thing about Southern California weather) that Steve also made. We had a sort of trellis over our Entry in our front yard and after being up for 30 plus years, they became rotten and had some termite damage.  The structure of the house did not need them and we didn't loose any architectural details by removing them so we took them down and made this table for the patio. 

I hope you enjoyed some of the background on my most special furniture pieces.  Please check that page often as I get around to documenting more of Steve's work!

Marilee

My Backyard.. Bom Bom Boooomm!

 Post by Sarah


So, I have a pretty big problem.  I HATE yard work.  It's pretty ridiculous and embarrassing, in fact. 

But, I've decided to share my shame.

I know I sound like I'm completely over-exaggerating.  And my "before" pictures will only attest to my over-exaggerations..

I don't have any pictures of my backyard jungle so the below "before" pictures are of a slightly maintained yard.

Yes, this is our maintained version.. as in - it's a good day if the grass is not up to your knees.
See the tank below?  We have a turtle named, Trevor.  We found him after months, and months, and months of neglecting our yard in 4 foot high grass.  

Think finding a turtle in your unmaintained yard is as shameful as it gets?
shameful, but sort-of rad, right?!? 

Well, it's not.  Trevor was a unique prize.   I've had a neighbor knock on my door and leave me cards for landscaping services.  Mind you, this is my backyard.  Who the heck should care how my backyard looks, right? 

I also once came home to a freshly mowed lawn.  Yes, someone came into my backyard and mowed my lawn while me and Cody were at work.  It was a nice gesture, I suppose.

But I'm most definitely "that" neighbor that everyone whispers about.

I know!  It's bad!  And even worse when I say that this isn't even that bad.. my yard has been SOOOO MUCH WORSE.

But thanks to the cool weather and a free Saturday, I got my butt into gear.  It slowly started with trimming those nasty bushes.. in between all the snipping I tried to rake out the clipped pieces.  I ended up raking out entire bushes (I'm a renter) and decided I liked it bush-less (that's what she said)  and went on my merry way of ripping the plants out.  Yeah, I'm a renter...  heh.. whoops.

But you've got to admit..  there are waaay too many plants for this tiny backyard.
My shenanigans turned out to be a better looking backyard.

Of course, I'm still far from complete..  this was the quick and dirty first go around.  I plan to go back through and clean it up even more.  Possibly put down bark or something and call it done.

 

Look how all the grass along the edge is all dead..  darn bushes!

And who the heck in their right mind would plant a GINORMOUS palm tree in a tiny backyard???  And right on the fence?   I've been raking my grass clippings behind and under this tree.  It's creating this crazy hole in the ground and I'm not really sure what to do.. other than cover it with dead grass.  ??

And a quick shot back at my sad and neglected patio:

And this is where I declared myself done.  My weed-wacker quit working, I had a fat blister, and I was exhausted.

So yeah, the trash bags are gone.  The 6ft weed still remains.

All still very progress.  Though I have an internal debate about whether or not I should move forward and put money into anything.. as I am a renter. Anyone have any thoughts?

Sarah

What's on the shelf

Posted by Marilee

Recently we did a post about adding fabric behind the shelves in my master bedroom.  We bought 4 yards (2 yards for each side) and Sarah installed it as you saw in the previous post.  She also redecorated the shelves by "shopping the house".  Sarah did a terrific job!  Every time I walk in the room now, I am surprised at what a great change it is.  I love the warmth that it added to the room and I love the way the items are displayed on each shelf.

I love "treasures".  Mostly things I've found in a thrift store, antique store, gifts, etc... and some of the more special items ended up on the shelves in the master bedroom.  I will take a moment and share those items with you and why they might be special to me.

The spool is on a peg board type shelf.  I love the color and texture it adds.  And a good friend gave it to me.

I love all things that come from Illinois, Maryland, or Pennsylvania.  I have relatives in each of those areas and frequently visit. So when I run across something that I love, I try to bring it home - in memory of my visit and my family.  This is a metal box found in an antique store a couple of years ago.  I love that it says Peoria, Ill on it.

I love taking pictures and the camera in the middle was a gift from Sarah when she went back east.  I guess she was the one to start my antique camera collection.  The other two are from a good friend.

The glass piece I found in Montana last year.  I believe it is intended to hold olives, but cotton balls look and smell nicer.  The candlesticks are from local stores in the San Diego area.  The little black thing is an old stamp of an "8", I think that is from Pennsylvania while visiting my sister.

The picture is of Chicago last September when Sarah had a work convention and I tagged along.  I love this photo.  It is across the street from our hotel.  The dark piece in front is an antique bracket.  I love the detail!

The drawers are something that had belonged to Steve's Dad. The silver piece is some sort of antique butter holder.  And that's everything on Steve's side of the bed.  Let's switch to my side:

The weedy plant - Bed Bath and Beyond.  The picture - Illinois and the 2 boxes - a gift from my niece Allison...thanks  Allison - so sweet.  the metal box also has a frame that matches it...in another room.

A picture of Steve and our grandson, Jonathan.  The little blue china - a gift from Tamy back in high school, hand painted by her Mother, Jill.

The gear I got back in Illinois.  The wood ball is off a baluster that our company tore down.  The books I tied together.  The little Mary had a Little Lamb and her 2 Sheep.  A precious gift from my Grandmother back when I was in high school from a five and dime store, but I ADORE them and imagine...I have carried them from house to house and they have never broken.  The dancer is also super super fragile and used to be my Mom's - always hand carried in a move.  The dress is actual lace and breaks easy.  Isn't that called Dresden?



The vase Geneva, Ill.  The photo, My Dad as a small boy.  The picture was made by my grandson.  The spool is from Pennsylvania.

The teapot came from an antique store here in town.  The photo, Steve as a child in his best cowboy attire.  The little box is from Montana.  It is signed, made in Russia and is all hand-carved.

The jewelry box was my Grandmother's.  The peacock is from my niece, Allison.  The rings are from Illinois.

Random books, candlesticks - I don't recall

The yellow cabinet is from here in town and a recent purchase.

The finished project...AWESOMENESS!  My side!

And Steve's side.

I hope you enjoyed all my treasures!

Marilee