Unfinished Projects

I’m not one who likes to leave unfinished projects laying around.  That’s not to say that I don’t, mind you, I just don’t like it.

Take for instance the long piece of leftover burlap I had draped over the curtain rod.  I put it up there to see if I’d want to hang it in my living room.  Four months.  I just took it down the other day after four months.  An unfinished project.  (But I think I will do it.)

Another huge unfinished project--taking the carpet out of Grace’s bedroom exposing the hardwood floors.  It needs completely sanded and refinished.  We just haven’t had the time to get it done.  On the bright side, Grace hasn’t woken up with a stuffy nose since we removed the yukky orange shag carpet.

I’ve decided that with smaller projects I set my hand to--repainting the old windows I’m using as a room divider or painting the tire planters for under the front window this summer—I’m not even going to start unless I have all my ducks in a row.

And speaking of unfinished projects:

I am needing to bow out of the A-Z Challenge.  I knew when I started that I would be out of commission the last week, but I thought I’d be able to pull it off with the scheduled posts.  Not so.

I’m leaving you with my VWXYZ.

This has been a VERY fun challenge, but also a, shall I say, challenge?!  I have never posted every day since I started blogging 5 years ago.  It’s been a hiney-kicker for sure! 

I am a WINNER.  I have made new friends and solidified old friendships (you know who you are).

I am eXCITED to continue getting to know you.

Thank YOU for helping me get this blog off the ground.  Thank YOU for gracing me with your kind comments.  Thank YOU. 

ZEE end but not goodbye!

Brenda

I’m saying my VWXYZ’s here also.

Touching

  I am a toucher.  I can’t just look at something.  I have to touch it.  My sister pointed that out to me one day as we were shopping at the ARC thrift store.  I had never noticed myself doing that, but it’s true.  Even if I am the least bit interested in the item, I will either touch it or pick it up and check it out then put it back.  At a yard sale, I’ll reach out and touch as I’m passing by a table.  

When it comes to physical contact with people, I’d say I’m your average Joe. I’ll hug someone—well not anyone--but it’s not like I can’t live without it hugging.  {But I am not your average Joe when it comes to kissing.  DO NOT KISS ME!  (Fortunately for me, I’m safe here.)  Kissing is reserved for close family and no one else.  Not that I’d smack you or anything…just sayin’.

But back on the subject of touching.  Why the need to touch things?  Maybe it’s not a need per se.  Maybe it’s just a habit. 

Well, nothing to lose sleep over.  Just another one of my idiosyncrasies I guess.

(Ha!  You can tell I’m running out of steam on this challenge.  Thanks for humoring me!)

Have a great week!

My T-word here might be more interesting.

Brenda

Scattered

The time I spend in my craft room is enjoyable but budgeted, so I try to use it wisely.

When I begin a project, I like to start with a clean slate.  If I have stuff laying around from another project, I first have to put it away, even if I’m going to use some of the same items.  All the way down to sweeping the floor, even though it’s going to be covered in scraps two seconds later!  I’m weird that way I guess.

If I don’t, I begin to feel too scattered which, in turn, makes it hard for me to focus and get accomplished what I’m trying to create.  It slows me down. 

  Sometimes that even happens in the middle of what I’m doing.  I’m working on an altered book right now for a friend.    So, today everything got put away, except for the project layouts.  Unnecessary paper, paints, scraps are put away.  Floor is swept.  I’ve now got a clean work area, and I’m ready to get back on the project with a fresh room and a fresh mind to create! 

How about you?  Are you a clutter-bug, organized to a fault or somewhere in the middle?

Brenda

Being Spiritually Scattered is my “S” post on my other blog here.

The 3 R’s

Recycle

Reuse

Repurpose

If you’re someone like me who loves to go thrifting, it can be really easy to become a collector of junk or even a hoarder if you’re not careful.  The nice thing for us is that we don’t like clutter—though by the looks of my craft area right now it doesn’t seem that way!

For us, we’ve learned that it’s important to do a periodic recycling run.  We always have a box handy and usually filled up and ready to go by the next time we make a trip to the thrift-store. 

When I’m out thrifting, I try to be selective as to what I buy.  It’s so tempting to buy something because “it’s only a quarter”!  So.tempting.  I’m learning to be honest and ask myself on the spot if I’ll be able to reuse the item, or if it’ll end up in the Good*will box the next time I cull out.  That pretty platter that will come out once a year with a turkey on it?  No.  That set of nice cotton cloth napkins?  Definitely.

Part of repurposing an item, to me, is using it for something other than it was intended.  The revolving spice jar rack now holds my buttons.  The antique tool box turned sideways makes a perfect shelf in my kitchen for my vintage German-labeled spice jars.  That pretty purse my sister gave me hangs on my wall and holds my hot glue and heat gun.   

What are some ways you practice the 3 R’s?

Thanks for stopping by.

Brenda

I’m also participating here.

Thrifting etiQuette

I’m using the ‘q’ in etiquette for my Q-word today. 

Have you ever heard of thrifting etiquette?  Something I want to ask rude thrifters, but don’t because I’m such a polite person they may be packing a gun.  Hey, you never know these days!

When we lived in Flagstaff, I’d go yard sale-ing nearly every Saturday.  I enjoyed getting up super early (which is a miracle for me!), hop in the car and go bargain hunting.  I enjoyed the thrill of the hunt.  What will I find today?  Sometimes I’d come home with a lot and sometimes a little.  But regardless of what I came home with, I still felt satisfied—unless I got cut short by rain!

What I wasn’t, was rude.  Yes, I would dicker if I felt the item was priced too high for yard sale standards. Sometimes they’d let me have it, sometimes not.  No problem. 

Though I would get up early, I wasn’t an early bird standing on the street with my arms crossed, tapping my toes waiting for the sale to open.  And I definitely didn’t show up knocking on their door an hour before the sale.

Have you ever run into someone like that?  Their only quest is to get something for nothing at someone else’s expense.

There was one such woman with that reputation.  She’d show up the night before the sale wanting to look through the stuff (I know, because she did it to me when I had a yard sale.)  She would pull up in her car dangerously fast and park cockeyed in the street, even leaving her door open, not caring if she was blocking traffic or someone else from trying to leave.  She was just plain rude.  Wanting something for nothing.  

Having thrifting etiquette is waiting your turn.  You wouldn’t go cut the line at the theater or grocery store.  Same goes for yard sales.

Having thrifting etiquette is not leaving while the owner is busy.  It’s called…shoplifting, HELLO!  I know I’m preaching to the choir here, but unfortunately it happens all the time.  And it ticks me off!  It usually happens at the opening of a sale when the crowds are the thickest.  Sometimes they’re working alone.  But the sneaky ones work in pairs.  One distracts while the other walks off with the merchandise.  I’ve made it a point to keep on the lookout while I’m shopping and speak up if I see someone walking away without paying.  I don’t care if they are packing a gun!  ;)

Having thrifting etiquette is simply being polite and kind.  Don’t let your focus be so hard on the object of desire that you offend fellow sale-ers or those holding the sale, because I might just stick my foot out and trip you! nevermind!

Brenda

Participating in the A-Z Challenge here as well.

Pizazz

Boy:  Let me give it to you straight, Sport.

If you pair my tie

with Wally’s shirt

and your groovy pants

you might just have a chance with her!

Girl:  In your dreams, polyester boy!

Thanks for stopping by for a little slapstick!

Office decor

Sunny’s dad started Eddy Plumbing & Heating in the mid-50’s.  Before that he and a partner were in business together sanding hardwood floors.  (Funny how things have come full circle—hardwood, area rugs, wall-to-wall and back to beautiful hardwood.) 

I enjoy collecting old advertising especially when it is local or family-related, because it tells a story.  The “Sunny” tin isn’t old.  I just like it because that’s the way my husband spells his name. 

 

Sunny’s grandfather was the insurance salesman here in town.  Pretty cool to have your own engraved leather scissors case!  The wire paper basket was a thrifting find.

Another thrifting find, this old lamp had seen better days.  Rather than rewiring it, I decided to cut off the cord and just use it for decorating purposes.

Check out the three-digit phone number on this thermometer!  I’m picturing a lady at the switchboard chewing bubble gum and listening in on party-line conversations!

Have a great day!

Brenda

I’m also participating here with a great recipe!

AND…there is something really neat Angie is giving away on her blog. 

Nesting

I found this old bottle crate at a yard sale (where else?)  I’m not big on getting ‘something for nothing’ just to say I made a deal.  Yes, I occasionally dicker, but not to the point of insulting someone.  I didn’t need this crate at all.  I just picked it up to have a better look.  But when the owner immediately said I could have it for a quarter, I decided well now I guess I do need this crate after all!

So up to the top of my cabinet it went.  Sometimes the simplest little things can make a big difference in warming up a display. 

The base of the nests are black and clear beaded napkin rings.  The peace blocks were Christmas blocks with tea lights in the top.

Yes, this is a mismatched porcelain salt shaker.  (You didn’t think I’d put birds in every nest, did you?!)  My mom gave me this set way back when I had a S&P collection.  I dropped one while I was dusting.  It bounced a couple times in my hand before finally shattering on the counter leaving this one an orphan.

Every time I look at this decor I am reminded of Matthew 6:26 “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not more valuable than they?”  (Matthew 5-7, contextual reading)

Thanks for stopping by!  I’m also participating here.

Brenda

Mirrors on a Wall…

Ok, first things first.  Disclaimer:  I am lacking in the picture-taking department.  Don’t hold it against me!

These various frames and mirrors have been traveling with me for quite awhile.   If you’re like me, there’s a lot of ‘someday’ projects I want to do that are, so far, just ideas in my head.  The kind that haven’t gelled into a complete project.  Then an ‘aha’ opportunity presents itself and it all begins to come together.  In this case, the idea didn’t become reality until the spray paint came out.

Here’s the before…

…and the after.  I used brown, red and butter yellow spray paint.  Did a lot of layering and then sanded for the shabbied look. 

Layering pieces of burlap and adding a vintage brooch adds dimension to an otherwise flat display.

 

Brown acryllic paint dry-rubbed over the red—which was really red--toned it down.  I used a dry paint brush to get into the crevices.

 

The two antique decorative pieces originally were part of an old pipe organ.  I inserted scrapbook paper behind it.

 

I love how my miniature, brown-on-brown ‘joy’ banner turned out!  Hung with twine and a couple of vintage clip-on earrings makes it complete. 

 

The joy of the Lord is my strength.  This picture reminds me of that everyday!

God bless.

Brenda

{I’m also participating here.}

Kraft-ing

Who would want to use plain ol’ white paper when there’s Kraft? 

Here’s a few examples I found on Pinterest.  I love the simplicity of each piece.

  

Time to create now!

{I’m also participating in the A-Z Challenge here.}

God bless.

Brenda

Jar of Marbles

Where can you find a better place to store vintage marbles than in this old blue Mason jar.  And being in the plumbing business, I figured topping it off with an old faucet with a ceramic ‘waste’ handle fit perfectly in our office. 

I took this picture from the outside.  I love how the reflection on the glass captured the church across the street! 

There you go.  Short and sweet!

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

God bless,

Brenda

I am also participating in the A to Z Challenge here.

Inspiration

Being in the plumbing and heating business, every month or so we take in a load of scrap—water heaters, furnaces etc. for a little extra cash (which, consequently, has helped us build our emergency fund—see DaveRamsey.com for more info on that). 

But getting back on topic, I know this sounds crazy, but if they'd let me, I could spend hours looking through bits and pieces of scrap for funky projects. I guess that’s taking the saying "trash to treasure" to a new level, isn’t it. The other day I saw what I think was an old wire egg basket as we were driving in--it would look so cute on the porch with flowers—but, alas, we can give ‘em scrap, but we just can’t take it! 

{I crack myself up!}

After thinking about the fact that something so disturbing to some simple as a scrap yard would give me inspiration to create, I wondered, where did this come from?  Am I totally strange and/or deranged?  (No one answer that!)

Then I found someone to blame for my behavior—my dad!  Yes!  It was Dad who would load up all 7 of us kids and take us to the dump.  (Ok, that didn’t come out right!  Starting over…it was Dad whom we’d accompany to the dump with our load of trash.  That sounds better!)  This was way before the world thought it necessary to fight germ warfare with anti-bacterial soap and trash was just thrown into a can.   We could roam the mountains of trash to our hearts content finding a good Barbie doll that might have a scratch on her leg or a dinged-up Matchbox car, just as long as we were looking out for the front-end loader!  Then Dad would holler and we’d all come piling into the Travelall International and head home to wash our hands with our trusty bar of Zest before supper.  Gone are those days for sure!  (Before you begin wondering what kind of dad would raise his kids that way, ‘those poor, deprived things’, I will add that we were a very blessed bunch of kiddos who went to Disneyland and Sea World, took more-than-a-week camping trips, and we even got out of school early one year to take a 3-week trip to California.  What a dad!) 

I’ve come a long way since then.  Now, just talking about all that trash makes me want to go take a shower!   I don’t go looking for treasures at the dump—not that I could if I wanted to.  I won’t even dumpster dive, though I have been known to curb shop once in awhile.

I find my inspiration to create by more refined means.  Thrift stores, yard/garage/patio/car boot sales—whatever you call it in your part of the world.  I’m also inspired by other people’s blogs, ideas on Pinterest and Etsy, the library. 

What inspires your creativity?

Thanks for stopping by.  I’m off to my shower!

God bless,

Brenda

Hooked on Hooks

I like hooks.  Actually, if you haven’t noticed already, I like a lot of things! 

This was originally a dark red 4th of July sign I found at Good*will  (I always forget to take the before picture.)  It was nice enough, but I bought it with the sole intention of repurposing it.  I left it the same color, and it was already dinged and scratched up the way I like it.  I added the hooks I bought at Hobby*Lobby.  I Mod- Podged a page torn from an old accounting ledger.  Perfect office decor.

I had been looking for just this size to put in our entry/office to hang our coats and jackets.  I hung it about 3 1/2 feet from the floor so Grace could reach.  I hang a canvas bag on one hook to corral all of our scarves, gloves and mittens.  In the summer it’ll be perfect for jackets and umbrellas.

You can see this old ledger dates back to 1953.  I love it!  The handwriting was in super tiny illegible cursive.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week!  I’m also participating on our family blog here.

God bless.

Brenda

Favorites

These first two pics are projects I’m going to take a run at.

I saw this pic in my JunkMarket Style magazine and tucked it away while keeping my eyes peeled for a birdcage.  Lo and behold, last summer & just down the street there it was.  The exact birdcage!  I’ll tweak it to fit our office.  A project for this summer.

My cousin, Kristy, sent me this one she saw on Pinterest.  She knows I had my veggie garden in tires last year.  I think this would be something to spruce up under my window in the front of the house.  I’d probably just do five for starters, and mine wouldn’t be the really wide tires.  Hope my husband agrees!  {ok, I just showed my husband.  He said I could do them all…and put them in front of Mrs. C’s house next door!} 

 

This chair was part of a set which included 4 chairs and a small table.  A friend and I saw it on the curb while visiting down in Phoenix.  There was no way we could fit the whole kit and kaboodle in the back of my Trailblazer, but I did manage to get two in.  I gave one away and kept this one.  I took the seat out and the planter set in there perfectly. 

Here’s a close-up my sis took with the Morning Glories winding their way around it.

Ah, just a little longer and I can start planting my flowers.

God bless,

Brenda

I’m also participating in the A-Z Challenge here.

What I Enjoy

I enjoy tearing paper.  It’s so much easier for me to tear than to measure, because I can never get it right when I try to measure exactly.  Maybe I’m too much of a perfectionist.  When I tear paper, my mistakes look like they were done on purpose.

This was the first altered clipboard I made using an old Barbie pattern for my theme.

I enjoy the chippy/shabby look—and old windows!  This window already had the perfectly skinned-up look.  I rubbed diluted brown, gold and red acrylic paint onto decorative vellum paper and inserted them behind the panes.

I enjoy playing with blocks!  I found these at Good*will.  The only thing I remember about them before was that they were UGly.  But scrapbook paper covers a multitude of ugly, I say!

There is so much more I could tell you that I enjoy, but I’ll save it for another time!

God bless,

Brenda

I’m also participating in the A-Z Challenge here.