Recycled Storage

My dear neighbors gave me these boxes because they thought I could use them for storage.  I decided they would be perfect for stamps and ink pad storage.

The little blur on the top left corner is this little guy.  My sidekick and helper extraordinaire. Isn't he cute.

Back to work~the boxes needed a little dressing up before I could put them to good use.

I decided to start with a coat of white paint just to cover up the dark colors.

I found a scrap paper at Joanns that had quotes and I knew it would be perfect to cover 

the boxes.

I got to work with a little Mod Podge 

and soon enough they were looking much better

I distressed the edges with an ink pad and a little sanding

No need to be perfect 

just perfectly imperfect

A little ink along each edge went a long way

I used this handy tool to add

label pulls to the box.

 Here are two of the boxes completed and put to use.

 I found the inspiration for these from Country Living February issue where Thea Beasley covered boxes in French paper and maps.  I did not have French newspapers but I thought this paper would work quite well for the look.

I'm happy with how my little knock off turned out.

I will be joining these great link parties.

September Musings and a Trip

September was a busy month for us.  It seemed like I blinked and it was gone. We are back to our full time home schooling schedule, we celebrated my hubby's birthday and my mom's birthday and we took a trip to Williamsburg, VA and visited Colonial Williamsburg.  My mom had wanted to see Colonial Williamsburg for a long time and we happened to have the time off and the accommodations , so off we went.  It was an almost ten hour drive from our neck of the woods to Williamsburg but we made it without much traffic and safely.

The architecture is simply amazing.  The area was mostly restored by John D. Rockefeller in the 1930's.  Many of the original buildings had burned down.  Most of the original foundations were uncovered and they rebuilt the existing buildings on them.

This church is original and dates back to the 1700's.  It is an Episcopal Church and still holds services to this day.

 The Governor's Mansion~It is surrounded by incredibly gorgeous gardens and has the most amazing cellar, which is the original.

 The carriage house

My mom and dad on the left and my husband and I.

 The food they were preparing in the kitchen was simply amazing.

The amazing pantry

 Gorgeous horses and carriages~but the rides were too short.

One of the things we found intriguing is that the many of the historical homes along Duke of Gloucester Street (the main street there) are rented out and occupied by the those who work for Colonial Williamsburg.  I love those homes and would love to live in one, if only for a couple of months.  It would be quite interesting to investigate each part of the home and wonder who had walked through those very same rooms, how they lived, what were their thoughts and feelings.  

 Where we stayed.

It was so quiet and tranquil there.  We were blessed with perfect weather, 70's and sunny with cool nights. 

The saddest day was when we had to leave.  We enjoyed it so much!!  We dreamed of winning the lottery, buying an RV home and traveling to all the historical places and national parks in this amazing country of ours. We'll have to keep dreaming and wishing.  My parents were more than ready to join us on our journey.  We were thrilled to have them along on this trip.  My mom would love to see Colonial Williamsburg at Christmas time.  It is beautiful from what we were told but I don't think we'll attempt that kind of drive when the weather may not be cooperative.

This little guy was so sad we were gone that he was sick the entire time.  Poor, little baby, he missed us!!

A Trip to Mark a Milestone

On Tuesday I celebrated a milestone~the big 40.  Dear hubby treated me to a weekend in New York to celebrate.  I haven't been to New York in years and was looking forward to going.  I love the city.  It is so vibrant and full of life.  I could sit and people watch for hours but there was so much I wanted to see.

This was our hotel.  

We were right in the heart of Times Square.

The hustle and bustle had not yet started.  It was quiet on this weekend morning.

The magnificent architecture in the city leaves me wanting to stare at each building for hours, trying to take it all in.

The New York Public Library is astounding.

Another example of the classic architecture on the Upper West Side.

Dear hubby treated me to my first Broadway show.  It was spectacular.  I love The Phantom.  It recently celebrated it's ten thousandth show, making it the longest running show on Broadway.

The Marriot Marquis has a restaurant called The View.  It is on the 48th floor and revolves giving you a complete view of the city.  We went up just as the sun was setting.

The Empire State Building~it had been cloudy and raining all day but cleared up just in time for the view.

Rockefeller Center early on Sunday morning.  This was our last stop before we headed home.  I enjoyed every moment in the city.  I could people watch all day.  It is a fascinating place.

On Wednesday our little guy had surgery.  Doesn't he look so precious.  He is usually a very active pup but was not himself.  

He has won our hearts with his spirited play and sweet moments when we can snuggle him. He is already feeling more like himself.  Running around and trying to get at his incision wound.  Our husky had major surgery in February.  She had a large cyst that spread almost completely around her neck.  The incision was so large and we were quite alarmed when we picked her up.  She looks so unlike herself because she had to be shaved quite a bit.  Half the trouble with the cyst was that it was hidden under all the husky fur.  It had spread quietly without detection.  Hopefully, this is the end of her health troubles.  She has had a tough year so far.  She is a good sport but gives us quite a bit a trouble staying away from her stitches.  

 Our husky had major surgery in February.  She had a large cyst that spread almost completely around her neck.  The incision was so large and we were quite alarmed when we picked her up.  She looks so unlike herself because she had to be shaved quite a bit.  Half the trouble with the cyst was that it was hidden under all the husky fur.  It had spread quietly without detection.  Hopefully, this is the end of her health troubles.  She has had a tough year so far.  She is a good sport but gives us quite a bit a trouble staying away from her stitches.  She has scratched the stitches and caused bleeding a couple of times.  We are trying to keep her from scratching and are quickly running out of ideas.  I promised her no pictures of her in her sad state.

Linking to:

Furry New Baby

We had a very fun weekend!!  Saturday we went out for a wonderful breakfast to celebrate my sister-in-law's birthday.  Then we visited the pet store.  I can't believe that it happened but a little puppy won my heart.  He is just so sweet and lovable.  Here he is sleeping in his crate with his toy.

He is a cairn terrier.  The same kind of dog as Toto on the Wizard of Oz.  We were trying to keep him out of the way and used a laundry basket but it wasn't working.  

He is so tiny.  Just over three pounds.

We had to get the little guy a sweater because he was shivering.

The transition has been tough.  He cries and barks in his crate at night.  Last night he was going crazy and not resting at all.  But look at this little face.  Isn't it precious???  Wouldn't his little face just win your heart??!!

So tiny but so full of energy.  We are working to crate train him and maybe he will settle down for the night.  Any and all tips are appreciated!!

Other than this little fellow the weekend was pretty quiet.  We watched the Patriots game on Saturday night and it was great.  

Sunday was a quiet day.  

Monday we took the holiday off from homeschooling.  Unfortunately, our son was sick, too.  Later in the evening our husky got sick.  So now we had to quarantine her so the other doggies don't get sick.

Today no school work as our son recuperates.  I feel like I'm coming down with something and haven't gotten much sleep the last couple of nights.  

Never a dull moment.

I'll keep you updated on the little guy's progress.