Painted Pretties

 Art is a thing of beauty....no matter what form it is in. I have been seeing some of the most unique things painted in such a way they become a thing of beauty. Paint stirrers are becoming very popular for holidays.

These are just random tree branches that have fallen out of the trees and they were made into a unique piece of art.

Rock painting has been around for awhile. I'm not real artistic, but I think even I could do these cute ghost rocks.

Another bunch for Halloween. They are gorgeous but way out of my talent zone.

But I bet I could do these little acorns. I am obsessed about them. They are just too cute.

I have painted seashells before, but these are amazing. I'm going to have to do some like this. They are gorgeous.

Wonder what else is out there that we could paint into a work of art?

My latest obsession

 I have had some beautiful clouds in my sky lately. The morning view is on my front porch. The evening view is from my back porch. And when storms are blowing in they are from the end of the house. They have been crazy. All of these were just taken with my Motorola phone. Can you imagine if I had a good camera what kind of results I would get?

The Grands

 For those of you who have followed me a long time, you know I have five amazing grandchildren who I refer to as The Grands. You've watched them grow, helped me wish them happy birthdays, and celebrated their school years. I just thought I would share my most recent picture of all five of them together. 

Ladies and gentlemen.....I present to you The Grands.

Friday's Finds

 Yesterday was a good day. I got out and went to a yardsale where I got two Christmas boxes, two Christmas pictures, a reindeer lantern and a gold reindeer candle holder. I am goiong to paint the deer candle holder a different color, but not sure what color yet. But the entire haul was just $3.00. What a bargain.

I had to run into Target for a few things an I was walking by the nail polish and this caught my eye. Firs off, I am such a huge fan of Friends and still watch the reruns all the time. So that caught my eye and I had to check it out. 

I love red nail polish and the name of this one is "He's her Lobster". If you ever watched Friends, that is the famous line Phoebe said about Rachel and Ross. 

So I just had to have the polish and the new top coat as well. Sally Hansen is my favorite brand of nail polish and I was there to pick up some top coat anyway. So I figured I'd try the new Miracle Gel top coat. Going to try to do my nails this weekend to see how this all looks. 

But the most exciting part of my day yesterday was when I got my favorite Thirty-One bag out of the closet. I loaded it down with nine books I had read and headed out to McKay's Used Book Store. McKay's takes your used books that are in good condition and gives you a store credit that you can then use to shop in the store. I didn't have many books to take back so my store credit was only $7.70 this time.

It is very hard to find an entire book series all at once. I had read a series about three families many years back about three families whose lives intertwined, the Kendricks, Coulters and Harrigans. There are twelve in the series but I do not read the one that is a flashback to the historical times of one of the families. So that meant I only have 11 to try to find. I was hoping to find at least 3 or 4 of the first ones so I can read them in chronological order. As I starting going down the list, I found one. Then another and another. And bottom line is I found every single one of them. That never happens. I was super excited. The original prices on the books totaled $83.40 for all of them. So I went up to the register and the McKay's used book cost was $16.00. Then I had that $7.70 for the ones I traded in. Bottom line I got my entire series for $8.31 which is just a tad more than one book goes for nowadays. 

You just gotta love a bargain.

If you think our country doesn't always act like the America it used to be, just take a drive out in the country and look at all the barns with American flags, the porches still displaying the red, white and blue. It's not that America is lost, it is that we have lost track of what makes America. It has always been and will always be "We the People".  We need to remember that. 

 

Facebook Finds

You probably all remember how much I love vintage glassware and baking dishes. I mostly have Pyrex, but I am venturing out and looking for Federal, Fireking, Glasbake and even an occasional Agee. These are some items I have seen on the internet and would like to explore further to see if I can find some. They are an assortment of manufacturers listed above, but I love them all. 

I am especially wanting some of the black and white.

And I am flat out in love with everyone of these. I want them all. I think I need to start a wish list.

I have never seen this pattern before, but it is really unique.

I have seen this before and wish I had bought. Back in the day, there was even a kitchen tablecloth in this pattern. 

This one is unique as well.

I had to quit looking because it is so easy to get down a rabbit hole when you look for vintage. Hmmm, a rabbit hole. Wonder if I can find in vintage Alice in Wonderland dishes or tea pots. Alas, that will have to wait for another day. Stay tuned...

 

First six months

Yes, it's been six months since I posted. Life got busy and it got crazy. I've been on the go and working and staying so busy, I got off schedule and had a hard time working my way back to start blogging again. Would love to hear a comment from you to know you are doing okay.

I'm not going to blog about everything from the past six months because sometimes I was so busy I don't even know what I was doing. I am going to pick up in February with the worst thing I have ever went through in my life. I lost my sweet, precious Mommy to her battle with dimentia. She fought a good fight and kept her faith. In her last few days, she would tell us she just wanted to go home. Not from the nursing home that was giving her wonderful care. But to her home in heaven. She want to see daddy and her mom (Mamaw). After she was able to talk to each of her four children, she quietly slipped away the next day. She was 91 years old. We miss her every moment but we know she is in a much better place.

I have been going with some friends sometime to disc golf. If you have not heard of it, you should google it. You play on a golf course but not with clubs and balls. There are special made discs that look like frisbees on different weights and thicknesses and the aim is just like regular golf only instead of getting them into the hole, they go into a basket made of chains on a pole. I don't golf, but I go with my friends to get in some excercise. This is my favorite course because we have to walk up and down hills for all 18 holes. I've lost a few pounds with the exercise.

One Sunday, we went to a neighboring town to a Renaissance festival.

My beautiful granddaughter Alexis went to her Senior Prom. She decided after 8th grade prom, she wasn't doing that in heels again. So under her beautiful dress she had on black Converse tennis shoes.  Love her style.

My beautfiul granddaughter, Shelby, on the left went to her 8th grade prom. She really surprised us because we figured the hunt for the dress would drive us all crazy because she is very particular about what she wants in clothes. She asked me to run her to a local store "just to look". Knowing this would be first of many, I agreed. Imagine our shock when she found this one in Ross for $40 clearance and it was a size 1. Needless to say she bought it that day. That was a lot easier than her Mom thought it would be.

I was blessed to attend the graduation of two of my grandchildren ... on the same night ... at different cities. I did make it to both of them and got to watch them both walk across the stage. Alexis was first. She granduated from Gatlinburg Pittman in Gatlinburg, TN.

Caleb granduated from Northview Academy in Kodak, TN. He started working for an excavation company after school and on the weekends when he was 16. He couldn't wait to graduation so he could work full time. He absolutely loves his job.

Alexis graduated with honors and shortly before graduation, she received a scholarship to the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. I am so proud of Caleb and Alexis because they both knew what they wanted and went after it. 

As spring turned into summer, I purchased some flowers and a Boston fern for my front porch.

Then I found this rocking chair at a yard sale my friend had. It was $10. Woo hoo! So I bought it and then got the lamp and table from At Home store and made my own little oasis on the porch. 

The porch faces the morning sunrise coming up over the hill. It is a different few everyday. This was the beginning of a beautiful morning that was a bright, sunshiny day.

A few days later, this was the beginning a a day that had some light rain and a minor thunderstorm. Red sky at morning, sailors take warning was true that morning.

A few weeks ago, I went to a 30 mile yard sale. Lots of stops and lots of fun, ending at the state line where my state, Tennesee, meets North Carolina. 

There was an antique store on the state line in Tennesee. But the parking lot was in North Carolina. It was pretty cool. I don't think I ever walked across a state line.  

Between the long yard sale and the antique store at the end I got some good bargains. The tiny yellow nesting chicken was $12 at the antique store. Everything else at various yard sales was a total of yes than $15. It was a great day for bargains.

Then this past Sunday, I went to church and my good friend Gail motioned me over when I got there. She handed me a bag and look what she got me!! I was so thrilled.

And I had the perfect place to put it.

Sorry my post was so long but I had to condense six months into one blog. I'm going to get back to blogging daily and hope you come back soon!