What's Up, Buttercup?

Finding the perfect color . . .

It's just not that easy.

This is what I choose Hawaiian Pineapple.

I was looking for a change,

Something bright and cheerful.

Something that would bring in the sunshine

even on a cloudy day :) 

 

Today I painted the island.

Then added one of the signs 

that I made last summer.

My plan is to paint all of my 

bottom cupboards yellow.

It doesn't look bad if I just leave 

the others this turquoise . . .

But when you look close 

they look a little sad

and I really want a bright and happy kitchen.

I guess you can tell that I am

not afraid of color.

It's only paint and it's always easy to change.

Keep Smiling!

Your blogging sister,

Connie :)

Grateful & Blessed

Sometimes the very simplest things

put a smile on my face.

I thought that I would use this post

to show you some of the thrift store finds

that I have been blessed to discover lately. 

This little cow with the cottage behind it
 and the milk bucket in front was a 

little 99 cent find :) 

The school house clock is one of my all

time favorite finds.  
$3 more than 30 years ago, and it still works. :)

Saturday we stopped by the Goodwill

and found this 50's cake saver.

 $6.00

A few weeks ago when I was in Medford, OR 

I purchased this old record album folder.

My plan is to use the circle holes to

frame old photographs of special people 

in my life.

Then write bits of history about each one

around the paper that frames it.

I think that if I use stamps 

and scrap-book papers, 
I will come up with something of a family treasure.

As we drove into the driveway,

I spied the front of the house and I have to say,

that I fell in love with our 

sweet little home, just a little bit more :)

Sweet Jesus, Thank You so much,
we love our little country home :)

These blue flowers where a gift 

from my friend and neighbor Shirley. 

She also gave me some sweet utensils

That decorate our kitchen walls.

Some of you may remember this milk bottle.

It was from one of my very first posts.

I cut it from a piece of plywood 

and painted it.

That was the day that I fell in love with

making signs :)

These two hen house relics 

are from past goodwill shopping.

Oh, and another thing to be grateful for . . .

Our lilacs are blooming and our yard smells like heaven.

Our little country cottage
is our heaven on earth :)

Keep Smiling!

Your blogging sister,
Connie :)

Early Spring Garden Chores

This week the weather was typical March weather . . .

Cloudy, rainy, windy, sunny, cold and warm.

March is such a fickle month. 

So I went outside when the weather permitted

and started some Spring chores.

 Cleaning the potting shed.

 I'll be bringing my inside starts out here

the first of April.
Then I'll start some more seeds out here.

 This is one of my homemade signs.

 I planted some small trees.

 Pruned one of the apricot trees.

Now I have limbs to haul away.

I did add a few to my hippy gate:)

I pruned the grapes back.

 Here's some of the mess from that . . .

 But I decided to try my hand at 

weaving a wreath.

 This is what it looked like 

when I was done.

Note to self:  Try it again it the fall

when the vines are more pliable.

I'll find a nice place for it 

in the garden this summer. 

Have you been out doing any early 

garden chores?

It just feels good to be outside

in the fresh air. 

Spring is officially here.

Isn't that wonderful! 

Have A Sweet Day

&

Keep Smiling. 

Your blogging sister,

Connie :)

Last Minute Inspirations

Do you find that at Christmas  . . .

it's hard to do a post because you're busy

making gifts that you don't want certain people

seeing before Christmas?

 So I decided to go into my archives 

and show you projects from 

Christmas' past.

Last Christmas my skates were 

hanging on the gate.

This wreath started by 

rolling and stapling song sheets,

that I printed from the computer. 

  

And gluing them to a cardboard

circle. 

I hung it over our fireplace.

This one was done in a similar fashion.

And this one was decoupaged

over a thrift store frame. 

This one I made as a surprise gift

for a secondhand book store

owner in our town. 

Then there was the cardboard 

top hat I made one year. 

I thought it looked very Dickens

Christmas Carolish :)

That same year I took a Styrofoam

store display that I found at a yard sale,

covered it in sheet music,

stuck it in a lamp base (another thrift store find).  

Then dressed it in ballet

fashion from a thrift store prom dress:)

It was my version of the 

Nutcracker Ballet.

My friend Shirley and I made these

from old windows removed from our 

home when we put the new ones in. 

This is mine . . .

This is hers.

I've put mine on the mantel 

for the last three Christmases, we love it:) 

 These were cut from plywood

and covered with fabric and buttons.

This was inspired from a 

small thrift store lamp shade

and dollar store ornaments.

 These little blocks were cut from

scrap wood and painted.

The snowmen I found at a yard sale.

These I made for my kitchen window.

2X4 blocks painted and decoupaged

from pictures printed on the computer.

If you have an ink jet printer be sure and

spray them with acrylic spray.

If you don't, the ink will run when you 

apply the decoupage glue.

Here they are in the kitchen window.

Here's a sign I painted 

last year for a gift.  

And this little fellow I made

last year from a pattern I found

on the internet.

 

Steve and I don't usually do gifts.

Instead we each plan a date night,

but he certainly deserves a special handmade card :)

I'll end this post with this photo 

from last year . . .

we just might not have a white Christmas 

this year . . . it's still too soon

to know:)

I hope that I inspired any of you

that are looking for ideas.

Keep Smiling!

Your blogging sister,

Connie :)