Welcoming Spring

I have an incurable case of spring fever.  It's been a busy few days here.  Some new spring beauties have emerged.  I am so thrilled with these projects and how they turned out.  

First, I wanted to take some small eggs I purchased at the dollar store and transform them. I used this light blue paint.  The eggs were very bright but this covered them well.

 They are styrofoam so I was able to use a toothpick to paint them then I had a half a styrofoam ball to use as a drying stand.  I love the light color.

Next project was to cover large dollar store glitter eggs with silk flowers.  I like the glitter but the colors were not me.

 It was very easy to hot glue these on. They look lovely now.

The final project was a "let's see what happens if"  I add food coloring to Mod Podge and use it to cover the eggs with book old book pages.

 Here is the Mod Podge with a little blue food coloring, just two drops.

 I ripped up some book pages that were left over from my book wreath.  This book was so old and they ripped very easily.

 The glittery dollar store eggs.

 The newly transformed book page eggs.

I hope you have enjoyed these spring projects.  Come visit in a few days for some more spring fun.

I'm linking to:

I Can't Stop Watching

I am not a big tv viewer.  There are very few shows that I truly enjoy.  Lately there have been a few I just can't resist.  I love American Pickers.  The places they go, the items they find and the stories they share are wonderful.  

My next favorite show is Rehab Addict.  I admire all the Nicole Curtis does.  She is one talented lady.  Of course, the Minnehaha house is the best. It almost makes me want to move to Minnesota so I could have it. But that is out of the question for many different reasons.  I am looking forward to her next project now that she has completed the Minnehaha house.

Last but not least is Family Under Construction.  Danielle Berk is another amazing woman.  If you have not seen this show you have to.  The transformation of their home is spectacular.  This house was destroyed when they purchased it.  It was actually a crack house but they are slowly making it their dream home.  Danielle's style is clean, light, airy.  I love their simple industrial kitchen and the amazing makeover the front of the house received.

These shows are always on the dvr list.  I just can't miss them.  Do you watch them?  Do you love them? What are your favorites?  

Dollar Tree Drab to Fantastic

These frames caught my eye at the dollar tree.  I liked the accents on the corner and immediately knew I could find some way to use them.

 Before: (excuse the hideous tile in our basement.  It's where I do most of my spray painting.)

 I spray painted them very lightly with some white spray paint.  I filled them with some clock rub ons that I purchased out of the $1 bin at Michaels.

After:

 I then used them to spiffy up the area by our back door.

Before:  drab and plain~this is after our kitchen remodel.

 After:  I purchased a vinyl "pretty chalkboard" (that is what it was actually called on the package) at Homegoods  (I love this store).  I then added the small dollar tree frames.  It looks wonderful here now.

The next project begins with an old tray I had at home.

Before:

After: I spray painted it and added some goodies that I picked up at our local Anthropologie (more on this wonderful store in an upcoming post).

 

 These milk glasses are perfect.  I love the mug, nice and big for my morning cup of coffee.

 When I spray painted the tray it began to crackle.  I'm not sure why but I liked it anyway.  A happy accident.

Hutch Transformation

The hutch is finally completed.  I do wish I had taken a before picture but the hutch has been in limbo and in various forms of disarray since the beginning of the kitchen remodel in July.  

Below is the hutch and our old dining set.  I did love the table but the pedestal was broken and worn.  It was my mother's table before me.  The hutch was also my mother's.  Here is the before, if you click on the picture you will have a better look at how outdated it was.  The hardware was old and none of the hinges worked.  When you opened the doors the springs would pop out.

After:

It looks like a new piece.

I distressed it and added some antiquing glaze.

New hardware

The trim and decorative elements seem to stand out more with the white.

Here is the completed hutch and dining set~from the living room side.

From the kitchen

There have been a few more changes.  The living room side has been rearranged, I just finished it a few minutes ago.  It is not spring yet but I can't help feeling like it is.  I want to give everything new life.  Working on a few projects that I can't wait to share.

In other news, our seventeen yo daughter has her first official job.  With the poor economy it has been difficult for her to find work.  Many places now require that you are 18 before you can fill out an application. This week she had her first interview and Monday she will be joining the work force.  This job came to her by way of my brother.  He works there and send the work along that they were looking for a part time receptionist.  She is thrilled.  I am excited for her but it is also sad to see her grow up so quickly.

Sometime ago I created this very long list of 39 things to do before 39.  Yesterday was my 39th birthday and I would like to say that I have accomplished all that I set out to do but I have come short.

My List~

1.  Get a daily exercise routine and stick to it. ~Unfortunately I always start this but I never stick to it.  I really want to try and stay on track.~I am so proud of keeping up with exercising.  Many days I would like to just give it up but I'm persevering.  

2.  Plan and extend our heirloom vegetable garden. ~ I grew some things from seed this past summer.  I had and still have a lot to learn.  I hope to double the size of the garden this year.~With the dogs coming to live with us last March and the historic floods in our area I did not plant a garden.  I am planning on extending the garden this year.

3.  Save some of my own heirloom seeds.  I think I will start with something easy like tomatoes or beans.~Tried this but did not succeed.  I will try it again.

4.  Attempt to can veggies from our garden. ~ I made homemade salsa and some applesauce but not from our garden.

5.  Make my own jams and jellies.

6.  Sew my own purses-lots of learning needed for this.  I do have a ton of ideas floating around in my head.~I made a couple of bags but am still a novice with much to learn.

7. Work on the elliptical increasing to 20 minutes each session.

8. Take more pictures, capture more moments, have my camera with me always. I have been better at taking the camera where ever we go.  I still forget sometimes but have been remembering more and more.

9.  Put our pictures into albums - I already have the albums I like picked out. ~Still working on this.  We have more photos than I realized.  It is so much fun to look back through them to when the kids were little.  Now they both tower over me.  I miss all their little smiles, hugs, and snuggling with them.  It really is different when they are little.

10.  Make a quilt~I have always wanted to but have chickened out.

11.  Crochet or knit my first sweater.  ~  I have made many things but have never been brave enough to try a sweater.  Time to overcome that.

Still chickening out on the above two but I have chosen a pattern for my sweater.  Let's see how it goes.  I need to find the perfect yarn and choose the color.

12.  Spend more time with God-really seeking what He has planned for me.~Always a work in progress.

13. Volunteer as a family.We are still looking for more opportunities.  We have done small things but would like a larger project.

14.  Design and sew something-no matter how simple.~I have a couple of skirt refashions in the works.  Purchased two patterns to make some summer dresses.  We'll see how I make out.

15.  Open my own Etsy shop.~  Always been a bit of a chicken about just jumping in and doing it. ~Still a chicken. I am a bit intimidated by the many talented shop owners there.

16.  Host a nice dinner with friends.  An elegant "wow" dinner.~Planning one now, better late than never.

17. Read the classics. ~  From Dickens to Austen and anything in between.

18.  Make one thing from each of my craft books.~Still working on it.  I have more books than I thought.  A friend who was moving also gave me some more.

19. Make my own pie crust from scratch. ~  I have always just relied on Pillsbury.~Still relying on Pillsbury.

20.  Go hiking with the kids.

21.  Start planning our weekly menus.~doing better with this but some days dinner still sneaks up on me and I have no idea what to cook.

22.  Start creating more of my own things. ~ Just let it happen with out having to think too much about it.  No analyzing~just creating.

23. Have enough market bags to do away with plastic shopping bags.

24.  Go on a sleigh ride if it snows this year.~This is something I have always wanted to do.  The years that finances allowed it there wasn't any snow.  The years with snow no money.  I want to make it happen this year.~Lots of snow but unexpected things that happened and we could not go.

25.  Begin taking more time to sketch and draw.  Keep a pad with me always.  Learning more as I go.I will continue with this.  I am especially inspired by Alisa Burke.  She has amazing photos of her sketch book and it is very encouraging.  

26. Do fun projects with the kids. - For learning and just plain fun.I will continue to look for more projects that the kids can enjoy even though they are teenagers now.

27. Go out with hubby alone and not worry about the kids. Will continue with this.  It's been great for our marriage.

28. Paint our hutch, dining table and chairs.

29. Learn more about nature.  I would love to spend time outdoors-observing, enjoying and learning.Want to continue enjoying time in nature.

30. Go to the Brimfield Antique Show.~I really wish that I had been able to go but plans are in the works for this May.

31.  Visit the indoor farmers' market held locally every Saturday.

32.  Revamp my blog.

33. Relax more-let the little things go.~I will always have to work on this.

34.  Learn Photoshop!!~Working on it.

35.  Make valances for living room.~We are planning on painting the living room and I am not sure what I will use for window treatments.  I will have to wait and see but I do have some ideas.

36.  Sew new kitchen curtains.~After the remodel and the new trim my brother put up I left them bare.  Not sure how long they will stay that way.  I would like some cafe style curtains.  Something light~not too heavy.

37. Work on daughter's high school transcript.  ~Includes reading the book I bought for this.  So hard to get into this.~Completed and she was accepted to our local state college.  She also received a Presidential Scholarship from the college.  She will be starting nursing classes in the fall.  She plans to become a surgical nurse. 

38. Cook more things from scratch.

39. Read all my Mother Earth News magazines.

As it says in Proverbs "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."

There have been many changes in our lives since I first started working on this list.  We had the sudden loss of a loved one, took in two big dogs into our family, completed a bedroom and kitchen remodel, and these are only the major and external things.  I will continue to work on my goals and to set new ones.  Some may be accomplished and others forgotten.  Our plans are not set in stone.  God makes the way and I need to be flexible to His plans.  There are many plans in my heart but it is not all about me.  

Doing Much Better

Thank you for all your well wishes and concern for our husky girl.  She is doing so much better.  We finally have the wound completely closed.  It was a long process.  Once we took her drains out it was a couple of weeks before the stitches could be removed.  For about a week and a half I was infusing the wound with 10 ml of peroxide and gentomycin ointment.  She was an excellent patient.  I have to say I was about nervous about infusing that much peroxide into her open wound.  I was not sure how she would react but she was fabulous.  Now she is back to her old self.  

 We love to see her running in the yard and playing with her toys again.  She is so happy.

This is the only thing left of the wound.  A little pink.  The vet had all the matted hair shaved off.  It made such a difference.  She still scratched a little and we keep an eye on it.

Now the only thing I don't understand is why this doggie who behaves so well when we are with her loses it when we go out.  We gate her in our front entryway.  This is where she usually sleeps at night so she's not jumping in bed with us.  She can see us from there and is very content but when we go out and we gate her there, she is tearing everything up.  We have hardwoods throughout the whole house and don't want them to be destroyed.  Not sure what to do about it.  I purchased commercial floor mats and put them down before we went out and she tore them up like paper.  There was black fluff everywhere when we arrived home.  Any suggestions?  She has had a lot of change recently, moving in with us, she was with her son in a big shed we had installed in the back yard(see here).  When he passed away(see here) she became a house dog.  We couldn't accommodate both huskies, Petie was 118 lbs, and our beagle in our very small 1100 sq. ft. house. So what are we to do?

Pictures of the completed hutch remodel coming soon!!


Happy Weekend!!!!!!!!!!