Sweet Chicks, Web Discoveries and Remember that Chandy?

Is this the cutest card or what?  A bunch of sweet chicks, minding their own business, riding around in their roadster to wish everyone "happiness for Easter".  This is a surprise I received in the mail from Deb (Garage Sale Gal), who is quite the sweet chick herself!  You'll never guess what she included on the note she sent- she apologized that it wasn't handmade!  She took the time to bling it up for me, remember me during the most reverent time of year for us Christians and apologizes for not taking MORE time.   But, that's Deb for ya!  Thank you, Deb, I really appreciate the card, the thought but more importantly, YOU! Yesterday was so nice outside!  It was in the 70's, a beautiful sunshiny day.  It was a perfect day to snap pictures of the artificial plum tree that lives right in back of our patio (OMG, I'm starting to channel Bob Ross...).  Today?  Twenty degrees colder, rainy and we have a forecast of snow flurries tomorrow morning.  

Oh!  Before I forget it, I've jumped on the Twitter bandwagon and have posted my link in the right hand margin.  If you twitter, please let me know so I can keep up with you!  Hey, a sentence a day is better than nothing at all!

I've also discovered this handy-dandy site:  Tiny URL.  It's pretty cool; you can reduce any URL down to just a few characters.  Really comes in handy when you're trying to fit an http addy into a limited space (like on Twitter).

I also thought I'd show you one of the things I'm doing with that chandelier I deconstructed: You know I love making these candle holders!  This one isn't quite finished but I thought I'd show you my progress, just the same! Do you think this is too wedding-y?  I'm thinking about filling some of those empty spots with either yellow or pink roses.  Really - I'd love your opinion!

Finally, I  hope that you all are praying for all the individuals and families affected by this financial crisis.  Please include not just for those in our country, but across the world as none of us are exempt.  

My hubby works for Exide Corporation, the largest battery maker in the U.S.  Just last week, the local plant had to let over half their workers go.  They had to lay off 567 employees and now have less than 300 left.  That is a great big hit for almost anywhere, but especially in a town this size.  Thankfully, Hubby is one who was spared but there are NO GUARANTEES for ANY job and I'm not just talking locally.  We're all in this together; let's also keep our faith and pray together!  

Blessings and much love to you all!

Frugal Thoughts, Fresh Trash and Dogs in Heaven

       Yes, it IS a strange title.  But bear with me; there really is good info here, Folks!

       First, the frugal thoughts thing.  I was reading Mary's blog a few days ago and her post on making your own laundry soap caught my eye.  I figured, hey, if it's good enough for her it's good enough for me.  I've seen pictures of her home.  It's to die for.  Believe me, if you're going to copy someone, she's a good one to emulate.  

        I decided to google even more homemade cleaning detergents.  Have you seen the cost of dishwashing detergent?  Mine was getting low, and there's no time like the present to try my hand at making the stuff.  Here's the recipe I used, courtesy of "TipNut":

Liquid Dishwasher Detergent Recipe

1 part baking soda 1 part borax 1 part water 1 drop lemon or orange essential oil per cup of detergent

• Mix the ingredients thoroughly and store in a sealable jug.
• Use 2 to 3 TBS per load.

If you’re having a cloudy dishes problem after using the homemade detergents:

• Try adding a few drops of liquid dishsoap to the powder compartment when you add the powder.
• You could also try cutting back on the amount of soap used (if you’re using 2 TBS, try cutting it back to 1 - 1 1/2 TBS).
• Make sure to use vinegar in the rinse cycle

...and here's the result:    ...and I forgot to add vinegar to the rinse water.

I KNOW we've all noticed how laundry detergents have been "concentrated down" in their packaging.  Of course, the manufacturers don't put the fact that their product that once cleaned 40 washloads now cleans 32, AND for the SAME LOW PRICE!  How lucky are we?!  

Here is a page full of laundry detergent recipes:  http://tipnut.com/10-homemade-laundry-soap-detergent-recipes/

         I used the same one that Mary used; recipe #4 is the closest one to it.  These recipes seem to be pretty forgiving, so don't feel like you have to be super precise in your measuring.  

Anyway, I finally found Fels Naptha Soap at Ace Hardware (where, BTW, the clerk asked if I was going to make my own soap - she evidently has been selling a lot of Fels Naptha lately!) and promptly started mixing my potions.  

       I even copied Mary's idea for measuring the dry soap (a child's toy teacup is great!).    You'll find plenty of recipes on the Tipnut link, including some for fabric softener.  

Now, for a really easy trash-to-treasure!  Hubby found this outdoor table that someone had literally kicked to the curb.

  A good scrubbing and a couple cans of spray paint later:    There are a couple spots that I need to touch up but today is no longer Spring.  It's in the 40's and it's damp and gloomy.  Not good weather for outdoor painting of any kind!

Finally, I received this email from a high school friend (yes, I still have friends from high school!) and thought I would share with you:

Here's one for you. A man and his dog were walking along a road The man was enjoying the scenery,  when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead. He  remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years.  He wondered where the road was leading them. After a  while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It  looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall  arch that glowed in the sunlight. When he  was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like  mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He  and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a  desk to one side. When he  was close enough, he called out, 'Excuse me, where are we?' 'This is  Heaven, sir,' the man answered. 'Wow!  Would you happen to have some water?' the man asked. 'Of  course, sir. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up.' The man gestured, and the gate began to open. 'Can my friend,' gesturing toward his dog, 'come in, too?' the traveler asked. 'I'm  sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets.' The man  thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.   After  another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road  leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There  was no fence. As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book 'Excuse  me!' he called to the man. 'Do you have any water?' 'Yeah,  sure, there's a pump over there, come on in.' 'How about  my friend here?' the traveler gestured to the dog.   'There  should be a bowl by the pump.' They went through the gate,and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.  The  traveler filled the water bowl and tooka long drink himself,then he gave some to the dog.   When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree. 'What do  you call this place?' the traveler asked. 'This is  Heaven,' he answered. 'Well, that's confusing,' the traveler said. 'The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.' 'Oh, you  mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell.' 'Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?'   'No,  we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best  friends behind.'

A Peek at What I've Been Up To and Etsy

A few short days ago before temperatures dropped to freezing and snow covered the ground and when it was looking like Spring outside, I pulled this out of my garden.

 It's the side of an old baby bed.  I had been using it alongside one of the paths in my largest flower garden.  It made a great little half fence.  Past tense - made.  Now, I needed something for the shop that could be used to display linens.   It first needed a good cleaning as well as a good wipe-down with a wire brush.  I made knobs by "marrying" old wooden spools with wooden wheels, gave it a wash of pink paint and:  voila!  Mission accomplished!  (This shot was taken in my kitchen.  It's now hanging in the shop, proudly holding table cloths, napkins and doilies.)

Do you remember me telling you that I had hoards of picture frames?  If I didn't, I meant to.  Some are old, some are new, some are in good condition and some are just plain junky looking.

You know me, I hate to throw out anything that can somehow still be used.  I showed you the little bird-in-the-cup frame project a few days ago.  Here's what I did with a frame that needed some love.    I decoupaged it, which not only covered its imperfections, but strengthened its joints.  I froo-frooed it by adding half an old doily (at this point, I have no idea what happened to the other half), some florals and pipberries (they're so fun to work with) and some old buttons.  The picture that is in the frame is of our summer bedroom.  Oh, how I wish.  It's actually a page I tore out of a magazine and popped into the frame for display. 

   While I was working in my studio, I dug this old wine glass out of a box that I had marked to be sent out for auction.  Long story short, I remembered having a little collection of glass tops and wondered if any of them might possibly fit over the wine glass.  What luck!  One fit!  I gathered up some pieces of colored glass that I had tucked away in an old cigar box and now it's a studio display.  Well, until I decide to use that colored glass for something. 

  Wait a minute - I just remembered that I forgot to tell you that I have a new goal of getting my supplies out of boxes and containers that can't be seen through and into clear, pretty containers or pretty containers that will hold things like pens, paintbrushes, etc. that will allow the contents to still be identified.  Thus, my sudden obsession with turning tin cans into useful pieces of art.  I've been storing stemmed florals and the like in repurposed cans like the one above.

Deb, you'll be proud of me.  It's taking a long time (okay, over a year.  Maybe over a couple years.) but I really am making some headway at getting my studio organized.

And, finally, I've jumped on the Etsy bandwagon!  I joined a few years ago but stubbornly held onto my relationship with Ebay.  My feedback probably looks strange because I've belonged to Etsy for so long but have a big goose egg for transactions.  But my feedback with Ebay is 100% positive.  Does that count???

Anyway, I've added the link in the upper right margin of this blog and tonight I added another altered bottle:   

  It's an old Purex bottle.  Remember when bleach used to be packaged in glass bottles?  Me, neither.  I just remember people talking about such a thing.  Okay, so you caught me in a fib!  I admit, I remember.  But, when you get a chance, visit my shop.  I hope you also add it to the shops you "heart".  Right now, I have only five people who heart me.  Sob.

This Month's Giftaway, Playing with Google & Welcoming Fall

     Okay, here it is - the complete Giftaway package for this month!    You already knew about these two items:        But you didn't know the package will also include this absolutely adorable little pink and white crochet apron that was handmade probably (I'm guessing) some time back in the '50's.     Isn't it cute??   The lucky winner will also get a little "bling".  I'm adding in this retro spring-wire bead necklace (it's comfortable to wear and easy to put on because there are no snaps!)     AND this sweet little hearts bracelet.  It's not signed but I'm guessing it's probably retro, too.  Don't worry whether it will fit because you have a large wrist; I have large hands and it slips over them!  Good luck to all of you who leave comments!

  Oh - regardless of where you live, you are eligible to win when you leave a message.  So, whether you are in Japan, Thailand or even Nebraska (just kidding, Nebraska!) you are eligible!        Have you checked out the goodies that Google has to offer?  I've been loving Google Docs (access it through igoogle by signing into your Google account - if you don't have one, create one and play!) for quite awhile now and, just the other day, decided to check out Google Reader.  I love it!  You can list all your favorite blogs and will be notified when they are updated!  My morning routine was to sit down at the computer and click on each and every one of my favorites, checking whether they had been updated - a simple but time consuming little task.  This is soo  much simpler, not to mention timesaving.  And yesterday morning I finally downloaded their browser (Google Chrome).  It took a few minutes for me to get used to it and am deciding that I'm loving it, too.      I love the tab browsing feature that Firefox has but I have had major problems with Firefox crashing and don't even open it anymore.  Internet Explorer is nice because it's familiar and "comfortable" to me but it doesn't have tab browsing and more importantly, it's not secure.  So, I'll use this Google browser for awhile and see how it goes.      And no, I'm not being paid nor even urged by Google to talk about them.  I'm also loving this cool Autumn weather!  It invigorates me; I used to look so forward to Summer but, in the last few years, I've decided it is not fun to move around my yard with my clothes sticking to me, frizzy hair and perspiration dripping from each of my cells.   So the other day I was rummaging around the attic and found this old cinnamon scented broom (with the scent long gone) and decided to turn it into a really simple trash-to-treasure project that could help me welcome Fall.  Before we go on, let's pause for a show of hands.  How many of you have had one of these brooms in your possession at least once in your life?  Uh-huh.  That's what I thought.  Okay, now be honest - how many of you have stuffed at least one of them deep in  your trash?  Okay, that was no surprise, either. Okay, let's do something with them.  Grab some ribbon or a strip of fabric, your glue gun and your imagination.  Here's what I did with mine:  Here's a closer look: That's all for now!  Be sure to leave a comment so you'll be eligible for this month's Giftaway before you go!

More on this Month's Giftaway and a Candle-lier Redo

Not too far from here is a little old farmhouse that has been abandoned for several years. The exterior shows obvious signs of neglect. The wood planks that make up the front porch have curled up in areas like a perm gone bad; much of the paint has been beaten off by the weather and the roof - well, the roof looks like you would expect the tin roof of an old abandoned place to look.

Still, the house holds some form of mystery for me. It's in an area of town where one would not expect an empty house to sit for years on end. The lawn stays mowed, yet the house remains unoccupied.

Now, imagine me driving my van past the house today, past a small sign in the yard that reads, "Yard Sale". Yard sale??? Now, imagine how quickly I found a place in the road wide enough to negotiate a U-turn.

I was greeted by a sweet elderly couple who was obviously happy to share a story, their story - anybody's story, actually - to anyone willing to listen. They had just celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary last week. She was 77 years old; he was 84. The best anniversary gift, she told me, was the one the doctor gave them yesterday when he told her husband he would no longer need cancer treatments. He was cancer free. She clasped her tiny hands as she gave praises to God. Her excitement was contagious and I had to hug this sweet stranger.

They told me that they had purchased this house four years ago. He was much more spry then than he is now, her husband told me. The repairs would probably take him awhile to do. The people who used to live there were "really old" when they died, she explained. I had to wonder how old "really old" was to this 77 year old youngster. She told me matter-of-factly the house had been in that family for years, until everyone got old and died. All except for the son, who had promised them that, if he ever wanted to sell the place, he would give them first dibbs. The house came with all that was in it. Although I didn't see a lot of furniture, there were piles of books, window coverings, Christmas ornaments and items that had been handmade by the unnamed lady of the house. She had obviously been skilled in crochet, knitting and sewing. Piles of handwoven place mats, old but never used, were spread across a dining room table. It was in the midst of these place mats that I found these aprons.

Well, to make a long story not quite so long, the aprons made it home with me. And why am I telling you this story? Because it affects YOU, if you choose to get in on this month's Giftaway. In addition to the items I've already told you will be included, the winner will get to choose one of these sweet vintage aprons (I'm guessing they were made in the 40's or early 50's) as part of their prize. Apron Selection - August Giftaway

And all you have to do to be eligible is comment!

I've had this black iron hanging candle rack drifting around in the shops for almost two years. I finally decided it needed a facelift, a whole new look. So, I brought it home, hung it in the tree and thanks to magic fairy dust in the form of white spray paint, Phase One was about to begin. (Okay, call it Phase Two if you want to count Phase One as covering up the copper flame protectors.) The final stage was to sew sleeves to cover the chains, slip them into place and add candles. Oh, and to add a strand of little bubble-bauble things...

It's probably hard for you to get the full idea of this little changeover, as I took the picture this morning after hanging it in the shop.

What do you think? Tell me the truth, I can take it. Actually, I probably couldn't take it if the truth is that it looked better before. But then, it did hang in the shop for almost two years... Okay, tell me the truth. Really.

LOTS of new Photos and a Teaser Look at this Month's Giftaway

Hi, everyone! I just got back from taking a load of "smalls" (dishes, knick-knacks, etc.) to the Shop (aka the Corner Nest in Elizabethton). It's been several weeks since I've taken pictures of the various booths and thought you might want to grab a cuppa, sit back and enjoy a tour. If you see something you think you might be interested in, email me with the photo number and description of the item. I'll check to see whether it's still available and will let you know the price, etc. Remember, not all these items are mine! I've yet to tag the pictures but if you're anything like me, you're happy checking out the goodies and usually ignore most of the written information, anyway. August 2008 - Corner Nest

It's also been awhile since I've posted any furniture re-do pix. What do you think of this beauty?

Pretty ugly, huh? I bought the top and the bottom separately and can't remember which one I purchased first. I do remember my husband telling me, as he looked over each piece, that I had crawled completely out of my mind. (Oops, I can't find a "before" pic of the bottom...) Anyway, fast forward several months to last week when I asked him to pull certain items out from our storage barn. After vacuuming out dead bugs, dirt and spider webs (I know, eewww!), I gave both pieces a good cleaning, painted them and "married" them together into a poor man's Hoosier cabinet. Here is the result(s) as it now sits in our shop:

Speaking of "marrying" - you've seen part of my ridiculous stash of fabric. While I was in a productive mood, I pulled out a couple of pinkish-reddish pieces and decided they'd make a really sweet throw pillow. A vintage doily serves as a great pocket to store a remote control, love note or flower sprig in. I like my pillows to look pretty on both sides, so the opposite side has a vintage pink button in the middle as an accent. Yep, it's one of the smalls I took to the shop today. To be perfectly honest, handmade pillows don't sell real well unless it's for a certain holiday, like Christmas. People seem to eat up the snowman pillows. I just like to make them. This little lamp is one of my trash to treasure remakes, of sorts. I love Beatrice Potter and the little Peter Rabbit theme on the base. The shade, however, was a little dingy and very plain-looking. It cleaned up really well, though, and I added a strip of green ribbon to the top and the bottom. It still didn't look right. Finally, I turned to my over-abundance of silk flowers and found a couple stems of these cute little blue daisies. I think it would make a really cute little accent light for a baby's room. Okay, finally here's some teaser photos of this month's Giftaway. I know I said I'd reveal the entire package soon. And I will - soon. But for now, here's a partial look: A cute little gold-leafed vintage bowl, just the right size for little trinkets, some candy or just for display. The winner will also get this pair of votive holders: They don't look like they match the bowl, do they? Well, okay, they don't. But trust me, they really go together well. And they could be yours if you leave a comment and your name is pulled at the end of the month. Remember, this is only a part of the Giveaway. What else will the winner get? (Excuse me while I lower my head in shame...) I don't know yet. I still haven't put it all together. But it will be a nice package. 'Till next time!

Show Us Your Form! and Giftaway Reminder!

Hi, everyone! Let's start today's post with a couple reminders: 1) Friday is the SHOW US YOUR FORM party, hosted by Tiffany at ShabbyScraps.typepad.com.She sent an email to those of us participating to let us know that, so far, there are over 50 bloggers involved!!! Don't miss it! and

2) Today is the last day that you can qualify for this month's Giftaway. All you need to do is leave a message! Nope, you don't have to have a blog, you just need to comment! Be sure to check back tomorrow for the winner's name. It could be YOU (if you leave a message)!

This is one of those "wouldabeen" pictures. It "wouldabeen" funny if this rider hadn't dumped his cigarette before he pulled up next to us, so you'll have to imagine the circumstances. Biker riding in the pouring rain, smoking a cigarette. Now that's a dedicated smoker.

Time to show you a few things I've been up to in the last couple days: This is another one you'll need your internal visual imagery skills for (my blog, my descriptive phrases, LOL). Imagine this director's chair frame, white but covered in dirt, spider webs and cocoons. Here it is now, as it sits on my stepson's front porch.

Please forgive the bad pictures on these projects: A wreath made up of a few flowers pulled from an old floral bouquet and discarded pieces from a child's teacup set ...and a "make-do" put together using an old bedspring, a dove saved from a broken centerpiece and more of those flowers from the same old floral bouquet.

I'm also in the process of listing a couple of my aprons (old and new) and some of my extra wide eyelet trim on Etsy today and tomorrow and hope you take a look when you get a chance.

And now I'm off for a doctor appointment! See ya tomorrow!!!!

Garden Chair Tutorial and a Trash to Treasure for flat shaped cans!

"It's raining, it's pouring, the Old Man is Snoring..." we're currently under a severe weather watch here, but I'm not too sure why. It was really raining hard earlier, with lightening, big thunder-boomers and hail but right now it's pretty calm outside. Most of the day turned out to be pretty nice, though, and I was able to put together another plant/garden chair and work on a few other things. Here's the old ladderback chair I started with: My hubby rescued it from curbside trash one day and brought it home to me. Yes, I do know he's a Keeper. ;-) The wood was really, really dry so I primed it to prevent the wood from drinking the "real" paint. I used Krylon's Cherry Red gloss spray paint for the final color. The color was pretty true to what it was supposed to be, but it took most of the can to cover the white primer. (Will you be as glad as my hubby when I kick this red stage I'm in???) The second coat didn't bubble and I have to admit that impressed me. Next, I stapled a piece of burlap to the seat area to hold the flower pot. You'll want to cut a piece larger and longer than the seat area so you can turn the ends under a couple times (like you would if hemming a skirt). This helps prevent it from tearing and raveling; if you've ever worked with burlap, you know it's one of the most ravel-ly fabrics out there. If that's not a word, it is now. Ravelly. There, it's been typed twice so it's now official. (New rule from the Sherster Dictionary) The reason for the longer cut? This gives you extra fabric to fold over to make a single pleat on each side. The pleats will make a little "pocket" for you to better position your pot. I decided to hot glue bits of moss around the side to cover the staples. You could use buttons, glass pebbles, etc. if you want. It all works well. I mixed some raffia in with the moss and placed it around a pot in which I planted Lily of the Valley. This particular chair was made for a covered porch. It's important to decide where the chair is going to be before you add a plant. Plants like Lily of the Valley and Hosta will fry in the sun. Final touches - I decided to add a little birdhouse and bird to the back of the chair, stuck a couple silk blooms in with the greenery and this is the result: I've made several of these and love, love them! The white one I made last year to put under our Dogwood tree sat outside all winter long and still looks great, hosta and all. I peeked at the one I gave my neighbor and it, too, stood up through the weather.

The following idea is one that was inspired by a particular post on Heather Bullard's Present Past Collection blog. (What a great blog, by the way! If you haven't already visited it, give yourself a treat and visit!) I have a bunch of old tobacco tins. When I say a bunch, I mean a bunch. See what I mean? Anyway, I ended up painting a couple of mine, punched a hole in each side to run a ribbon through (and fastened it by threading the ribbon through a button and knotting it), adding a little something-something to decorate the front and -- well, here, look for yourself.

These pictures are horrible, by the way. The end result is really cute. You can hang these over a doorknob, drawer knob, coat rack peg - you get the idea. They'd look really cute over a garden gate, too, wouldn't they? And now I'm thinking that you can decorate the can but leave the flowers out of the opening. Instead, insert some recipe cards or note cards and a pen. They'd come in handy hanging from your fridge for those instances where you can never find paper for a quick note ~ or ~ placed on your front porch door so unexpected visitors can leave you a greeting when you're out. Thanks for the idea, Heather! Don't forget to leave a comment to be eligible for my July Giftaway! And I promise to finish the upholstery tutorial this week!