What I did yesterday...

Despite being so tired, I did get a few little things accomplished yesterday. I love to read. It is my favorite thing to do for relaxation. I wanted some little something to put on my book shelf. I found this subway art about reading. I printing it out on card stock, put it in an acrylic easel frame I had and decorated the top and bottom with some washi tape I had. Love having stuff on hand when I want to throw something together.

I put it in front of my books on my bookshelf. I never get rid of my hardback books because they are my all time faves that I can read again and again. But the paperbacks are always changing when I head over to McKay's Book Exchange.

I also gathered some of my candy dishes and put them on a shelf together (the ones I don't keep candy in). Turns out I apparently collect candy dishes now. Who knew.

I picked up this little sorbet vintage piece awhile back for just $2.00.

I put it in the living room with some butterscotch disks in it.

I stuck my Shamrocks in a milk glass vase and tied a St. Patrick's Day ribbon around it.

Then I temporarily brought my shamrock teapot into the living room from my bedroom. A cute little display for St. Patrick's Day.

I found two of my bunnies in the storage of my coffee table last night. I just sat them here for now, but I may change that up later. We'll see.

My grandson, Garret, and his girlfriend, Hannah, came by to see me last night. We had a great visit. Lots of fun. Lots of stories told. And lots of laughter shared. I am blessed that my soon-to-be 18 year old grandson still wants to come visit his Mamaw.

That's it from Mamaw's Place. Have a great day.

My life in humor today....

Just finished up three exhausting days at work. It's hard when we go from one show a day with just one or two groups to a 3 day show with tons of groups and then a two day show following that. I am worn out. Even my fingernails are tired. So I am envisioning how my day is going to go and this is pretty much what I expect it to be.........

Sunday's song

I don't care how old you are or how you have lived your life up to this point, but you will always be able to remember that moment you were baptized. This is one of my favorite songs ever. He talks about being baptized in the river and I was. It was called Mud River and for a very good reason. Horrible muddy clay. Dirty water. When my son, his wife, my grandson and my granddaughter were all also baptized in an old river it brought back some wonderful memories. Hope you enjoy this song as much as I do.

Friday find....

As I was heading to work yesterday, I stopped in the Dollar Tree in Pigeon Forge to pick up some cleaning items. Turns out there is an antique store in that strip mall now. Well, you know me. I just had to go check it out. It had some good things and some that didn't interest me. It had items at great deals and some that were way over priced. But I did find this little bottle for $2.00. 

It's filthy and needs cleaned up really good. But I love the way it is shaped narrow on the sides instead of perfectly round.

You may wonder why I would want an old dirty jar. Well, I have a plan. I keep seeing these odd jars at antique stores that are just dirty, clear jars but I can see the potential through all the grease and grime of the years. And a couple of local stores have prices like .50 cents or $1.00. I see them at yard sales for .10 and .25 cents. I always want some but never knew anything to do with them. Enter Pinterest. Place some of your favorite photos. I want to print some of my favorite grandkids pics and do this.

You can also paint them and add embellishments or not.

Paint them and use them as flower vases.

I really, really want to try some of the milk glass spray paint on some old bottles or vases with patterns on them.

You can now paint glass to make it like a mirror. Pick up an old picture frame at a yard sale and paint the glass into a mirror or for that matter just put fabric or scrapbook paper under the mirror. Add some unique bottles and jars and a few flowers and wah-lah...instant centerpiece.

 This is cute to me because everywhere I go I see old skeleton keys and wonder what I could do with them. How about something like this. You could combine the first idea of a pic of a loved one in a jar and then tie a heart charm with a vintage key for the "key to my heart" angle. 

Oh wait! Here's a great idea I just thought of. Combine putting paper in the jar with a skeleton key tied around like above. On the paper could be a printed out picture of your favorite quote about God opening doors. I love this idea. I've got to do this and let you know how it turns out. Now to go search for an old key.

Friday Foto Friends

Mother Nature is playing cruel tricks again. Flip flops all day on Monday and Tuesday. Beautiful weather for Wednesday and Thursday. No jacket or coat needed up in the day. Thunderstorms and rain last night. Today will only get up in the mid-high 50's. Tomorrow, cooler temps and 2-5" of snow. Seriously?? I need the beach. 

In honor of it being Friday Foto Friends and me being sick of this fluctuating weather, I've brought out some of my beach pictures from the last trip I took. I'm ready for warm breezes, sunshine and wave crashing at my feet. I want beautiful sunrises.

And moons shining across the ocean at night.

I want a big chocolate Sundae from Johnny Rockets at Barefoot Landing.

And a juicy cheeseburger from Hamburger Joe's near Surfside Beach.

I want to stand on my balcony and look at the beautiful ocean view and listen to the waves as the tides comes in.

And I want to be able on the beach with a good book and let my little feet feel the sand and sunshine. 

Yes, I definitely need the beach.

Top 10 Dollar Tree Ideas

Some things I plan to do. I have been saying forever I want to make a tiered tray with plates and candlesticks from Dollar Tree. Going to put this on my to do list so I will finally make it.

Love this idea for organizing in a cabinet, not just under the sink. I believe I have found an answer to storing lids and plastic containers. Storing lids is one of the biggest aggravations in my kitchen.

I think this is a little bulky for your purse. But I can see doing this and tossing it into a Thirty-One Little Carry Caddy and then just pulling out the one you need when you need it. I do use clothespins for a lot of things. My favorite is as a chip clip. I need to decorate them up some and make them cute.

Another item I can't figure out how to store without them being a mess is all the various electronic charges we need. And I tend to forget what charger goes with what electronic. I am definitely going to do this. I think I actually have the pink one of these from a previous pair of reading glasses from Dollar Tree. 

Another DIY I have been aiming to make and keep forgetting about. Maybe this will remind me.

I saw this a year or so ago and I actually went right out and bought one. Now my necklaces never get in a tangled mess and it is easy to pick out what one I want for my outfit.

I did this years ago in my little chest in the craft room. It has been so helpful in finding what I need on the spur of the moment.

I've been hanging my Thirty-One bags in the spare closet for years. But I've been using the snap shower curtain rings. I like this idea a lot bet. It's difficult sometimes to snap and unsnap those rings without breaking them.  

Oh my goodness! Genius! I am getting these for when the grandkids stay all night and we have movie night or popcorn parties. I always drag out a TV tray for them. This would be so much fun.

Well, well, well. What an amazing idea. This would be great for when working in a small space and not having room for a large skein of yarn. I need to definitely do this. 

 

Will you be trying any of these?

A little design project

I am planning for a yard sale in April so I was going through some things yesterday. I came across this shelf that my Daddy made me back in the 80's. I have not used it for years because I couldn't find the "perfect" use for it any more. But I couldn't part with it because Daddy made it. 

As I looked at it, I thought "Hmm, I have blue paint in my craft stuff, wonder if I painted this if I would find a use for it. So I started painting it with no idea what I was going to do with it. 

But my cousin had just talked to me about my craft room this morning and I was inspired to do some kind of little shelf. I remembered the little metal sign I got at Walmart on Saturday. I decided to attach it to the top of the shelf. I think it being such a long top with no decor is why I couldn't ever decide how to use it in the first place. 

Then I hung it up and put a doily on it. I am convinced that anything looks better with a doily. Comes from growing up in a family that was forever crocheting doilies.

I went to a big daisy bush I have in another part of the house and clipped off two little daisies that wouldn't be missed on the big planter. I stuck them in the little votive candle holder I found a few weeks ago and put my little pink bird from Hobby Lobby with it. And wah-lah! I have something to decorate my wall that I am absolutely in love with!

But then I thought it looked a little "lonesome" just hanging on the wall alone. So I got my other spring stuff I bought recently, and now my wall looks like this. 

So that motivated me to do something with a few of the other spring/Easter things I had purchased and to figure out what to do with my new vintage pitcher. So what do you think? I'm pleased with the results.