Friday Foto Friends

Friday Foto Friends

I love watching the storms clouds roll in. 

Craft Time

My upside down life is finally through with the move, the organizing, VBS, wedding showers and all the other things that I've been caught up in. Now is the time of year I turn my mind to crafting. This year I want to make some items to give as gifts to friends and some to keep for myself. My #1 favorite thing to make is plastic canvas boxes and coasters. They are super easy, don't take long and the best part is I get to use yarn! My favorite one I ever did was the red, black and white box for my pastor's daughter. This is my craft bag for my plastic canvas projects. I got this over 6 years ago when I hosted my first Thirty-One party and I have used it ever since.

I usually have two or three projects going on at one time. I recently finished this one, but forgot to take a pic of the finished product. 

I've been working on this one awhile. It is bigger than I normally do so I have been working on other things in between my time on this one. 

These are some of my favorite coaster patterns I have done. I love the blue and yellow. I just use variegated yarn and the patterns comes out different every time. 

I like this easy pattern, but haven't made a coaster set yet. This may be my next project. Love the idea of two colors. I could change colors for each person I make one for.

I also love to make no-sew runners. These are so much fun and you just pick your material and the size you want. A little hem tape and an iron and you are done in about 15 minutes from cut to finish.

I made a bunch for Christmas one year. Here is one I did for my sister.

On a side note, when I was looking for the picture of the one I made her, I found this picture of her tree. Sis, I need to know where you found this skinny tree. I may go this route for Christmas this year. 

I also make throw pillows from place mats. My sister taught me how to do this. She buys her place mats from Dollar General because they seem to work the best. Use a seam ripper to open one end and stuff it. Then close it back up with thread and needle. These were hers that she sent me a picture of.  

It was close to Christmas last year when I got this picture. By that time my Dollar General was about out of placemats with Christmas theme. But I did find a cute snowman and gave it a try. It was only $2 or $3. But it turned out cute for my first try.

So there you have it, three ideas for quick, easy crafts that also make great gifts.

Hump Day Humor

Many of us had a three or four day weekend, worked one day and now it is hump day and we are already on the downward swing for the week. Here's some things to make you smile today....

Happy Wednesday!

Weekend wrap up....

I was off Friday so I spent most of the day going through 6 boxes of Christmas to downsize them so they will fit in my closet. Selling some of it at a yard sale with a friend this coming Saturday and reorganized and shifted the rest where it fits in my closet now. For the first time ever, I am going to have to have a skinnier tree. A big one just won't fit in the living room. A little early to be thinking of them, but I know about what I want. But something slimmer like this is the way for me to go this year. 

But I don't have time to think about Christmas yet. We've already celebrated two birthdays for my grandchildren this year. Now, we have three more grandchildren birthdays left. These three have birthdays coming up in the next several months.

I did turn my Thirty-One party in at the end of the month. I was so excited. For my free products, I am getting the bag I wanted so bad AT NO CHARGE! (Debbie I thought of our mutual love for cardinals when I picked red for the bird).

Plus I was able to get the Via Night wristlet to go with it. I picked the blue to go with the blue on my personalization. I have been really wanting this. 

And I got this key fob with the rest of my hostess rewards. I went over by $1.00. Yes, I gladly paid the $1.00 to get all this for free! 

Saturday, I went to McKay's with a friend of mine and took books back to swap. I just had a few to take back, but I got enough on my trade in to get all of these for free and still have $2.65 left over to use the next time I go. Sixteen new books for FREE. Have I mentioned I love McKay's?

When I got home, I had a book in the mail. It is by one of the keynote speakers for our Thirty-One conference. I had heard about the book at our retreat. So I found it for $3.99 with free shipping on Amazon and ordered it. I started it Saturday night and am almost finished. It is really good. I can't wait to hear him speak.

Sunday, I didn't do much. I was going to make deviled eggs and potato salad for Monday. But when it came time to fix it, I decided I didn't know if I was in the mood for it Monday or not. So instead, I made homemade peanut butter candy. And yes, that is a Halloween bowl it is in. But the holiday Pyrex bowls with lids are what I use more than plastic containers any more. I have a Christmas one and a Valentine's one as well. This one just happened to be handy.

Monday, I tried to decide what to have for my holiday meal. Well, it may be THE picnic food day of the year around America, but I decided on something I was really craving.....twice baked potato, cheese and bacon casserole with scrambled eggs. One of my favorite, favorite meals. It was delicious. In full disclosure, I forgot to take a picture of it last night, but this is the pic of the last time I made it. I had some Apple Barn apple butter the last time, but I am all out. Need to run up there and get me some soon.

After supper, I settled down on the couch with my pillow and blanket and watched one of my favorite movies, We are Marshall. I love that movie because it took place back where I grew up. I remember the night it happened very clearly. Some of the scenes in the movie are places I have been. So it just makes the movie that much more poignant. Of course, it doesn't hurt that it has Matthew McConaughey in it. One of my favorite actors of all time. 

Well, a four day weekend now time to head out for a four day work week. I could get used to this. 

July 4th

Sunday Songs

In honor of the 4th of July tomorrow, here are some oldies but goodies. 

This is unbelievable...

Occasionally, I will check E-bay to see what items are selling for. I am going to part with a few pieces of Pyrex at an upcoming sale so I decided to see what the going price is on E-bay. For fun, I like to just type in vintage Pyrex, sort by highest price and select sold. Oh. My. Goodness. This piece went for $1625.00. Yep, $1625.00. That is not a typo. Somebody has more $'s that they do sense. I feel guilty if I pay over $12.00 for one piece. I will go as high as $20.00 if it is something that will complete my set but my sweet spot is actually to find them for $3.00 - $8.00 per piece.

I also saw where someone paid $1500.00 for this entire set of vintage Fire King Jadeite. I know that is a lot of pieces but $1500.00 is still a lot of money.

I have long admired the Hazel Atlas dot pattern. Till I saw how much people are paying for them. This set went for $300.00. I have never seen any of the pieces "in the wild". So if I ever come back here and post I found of these bowls for $5 - $8, do a happy dance with me.

I have a beautiful piece of Fenton glass. It is hobnail milk glass in white. A basket from the 1960's. Decided to see what it is going for on E-bay. The highest it sold for was $19.99, but the average was $12.99. However this Fenton cat went for $818.00. For a figurine of a cat. That's absurd.

I love salt dips. They fascinate me because they are not very big. Just little small things to put salt at each plate. I refuse to pay more than $3.00 per salt dip because they are so little. I saw these Fenton salt dips sold on E-bay for $215.26. That is $53.82 per salt dip. 

I guess nothing surprises me in the world of vintage after seeing all this.