Jute Ribbon....

My friend Susie posted about this adorable jute ribbon from Wal-Mart and I had to jump on the band-wagon. I wanted to label some jars for my kitchen and I loved the red stripe running through it. Visit her here to see what she had done with this 60cent a yard wonder!

Promises,Promises

You have promised yourself that now the kids are back in school you will reorganize the craft closet from the "summer craft days". Promise went something like this..."I vow to myself that I will stay home (No Hobby Lobby and No Michaels's) and gut the craft closet, reorganize to the best of my capability and I will not leave the house until it is complete." Wait....I need containers to organize, but once I drive to Wal-Mart, hunt them down, stand in line, drive home...my day is gone. Alas, I have an empty plastic container or two around here but then my craft closet begins to look like my dear grandmother's house (she never threw anything away, she re-purposed every twisty tie and every baggie). A strip of burlap to cover the label, a stamp or two, a few dressy buttons later, a pat on the back for not caving into my desire to shop...Done! Craft closet complete, not a dime spent, and I never even changed out of my PJ's! I have been looking for a way to label my lentils and beans in my pantry and I think this is my answer! I feel a pantry overhaul brewing...those bedroom walls just may have to wait. There is one problem.....Honey? I'm gonna need you to put a rush on my craft room, I have run out of space:)

In Progress.....

The boys went and golfed all day Sunday, an activity we normally all do together but my youngest had to study for tests, so I stayed behind with her and started some Halloween decor. I hope to have them finished in a couple of days....stay tuned!

*a quick thanks to my Shawnee followers...please leave a comment I'd love to hear from you

I've Stalled Long Enough!

Now that the kiddos are back in school, I have gutted closets and drawers in attempt to re-organize my life I can not put off my BIG Project any longer. I have wanted to plaster my master bath since we built our home 6years ago. We thought we would save a few hundred dollars and just have the walls done in a knock down texture and I have never been satisfied with the feel of that room. I did venetian plaster in my booth at my shop and I loved it and surprisingly it was an easy project....just time consuming. I am an instant gratification personality so this is going to be a chore for me to have my master bath "in chaos" for a week or so. (yes I have a moderate case of OCD if you are wondering)These are my inspiration photos. (sorry I don't remember where I found them...I know it was a faux finishing site)

Spa Day!!!

To take the pain out of the last day of summer my friend and I held a spa day for our daughters. Goodie bags filled with chocolates, facial masks, nail art polish, among other things took their minds off of the fact that summer would be a distant memory in a few short hours. It is amazing what a mani/pedi and some chocolate can do for a girl!

The Ring

I was watching home videos today with my children and noticed that in every tape we have of my husbands grandmother she is wearing a ring I gave her. She had told me before she passed that she never forgot where it came from or who gave it to her. She said that every time she looked down at her hand she was reminded of my smiling face the day she commented on it and I slid it off my finger and placed it on hers. After she passed in January of this year, my mother in law gave it back to me. I was so grief stricken that I just placed it in my purse and left it there for a couple of days. When I took it out of my purse I noticed that she wasn't kidding when she said she never removed it from her hand. It was originally a sterling silver band but had turned black and was "caked" with a substance underneath the setting. I cleaned it and placed with my other keepsakes. I took it out today and slid it on my hand. It didn't seem right, as the ring had become Nannee's. I realized that in the last 10yrs. the ring was on her hand when she rolled crusts as she baked someone's favorite pie. It was on her hand when she rocked each and every one of her great grandchildren. The ring was present when she folded her loving hands in prayer every night as she knelt by her bed and called us each by name to her heavenly father. I thought at the time that I was bestowing a gift to her but in the end I realize that the gift was all mine!



photo from google images