Yee-Haw!!

This boy is ready for his first year of VBS at Saddle Ridge Ranch...starts in three days....much to do before then! I am teaching the 1st grade class and Miss M will be part of the VBS choir. She is pretty excited to have "graduated" to the elementary group this time around. It will be a great week, but a tiring one!

New Furniture for Mr C

Mr C turned 3 in January and is still in the crib. He is a lightweight and doesn't ever try to climb out, so we really have not been in a rush to move him out yet. Miss M didn't make the switch until the very day she turned 3 and we had no problems with her sleeping. Even though, I have been keeping my out at local garage sales and thrift stores for a twin bed with good bones but in need of a little TLC.

I found this gem last week and it fit the bill perfectly. Clean lines, solid wood, sturdy construction....and only $40. Once we got it home and started working on it, I discovered a garage sale sticker- it was marked $5 folks! I still got a good deal but sure wish I had found it at the garage sale! I forgot to take pictures before we started stripping the paint, so here's one of the work in progress.

It had two coats of white and then a reddish stain underneath. The husband thought I was crazy when he first saw it.

This was before we worked on the real stubborn areas. It has now been sanded and one side has stain on it. The husband was pretty sure we were wasting our time trying to get it down to the wood but I have watched my mom refinish enough pieces that I knew it could be done. He said tonight he thought it looked really nice and that we had done a great job.

Of course, I will post pics once the project is complete. We also have a an old bookcase from my parents that has been sanded and will probably be stained to match the bed, along with another bit of updating as well. Mr C. is suddenly in a big hurry for his big boy bed. So much in fact, he tried to get in the car over the weekend to "go buy the soft part" (the mattress set)!

Friday Funnies

 If you have not seen this video "Swagger Wagon" featuring the Toyota Sienna family you must check it out today! I laugh every time I see it!

Strawberries and Pie!!!

    It took a few weeks, but this...

 has finally turned into this!

The ones we haven't simply eaten out of hand were made into a strawberry pie. Three so far!!The recipe is so easy and made even easier by using a frozen pie crust. I prefer the ones you have to defrost and then unroll - Pillsbury to be specific. Here is the recipe! Happy Eating!!

1 C sugar

1 C water

2 1/2 Tbs cornstarch

1 large box strawberry jello

4 C quartered fresh strawberries

Heat sugar, water and cornstarch over medium heat, stirring often. Heat until it begins to thickens and turns clear. Add jello, stir well until combined. Pour over berries and chill until set.

*PS I would post a picture of the finished product but they don't last long enough for photos at my house!

Gift for the High School Grad -under $20!!

I should have posted this earlier, but if you like the idea you can file it away for next May when those graduation announcements start rolling in. This little gift was given to a friend from church who is heading to the University of Florida. While wandering the aisles at Target recently, I was drawn to a display of towels in lots of fun and bright colors and ON SALE!!! After conferring with the husband that these were indeed VERY close to her school colors, we purchased two bath towels and two washcloths...a practical gift for a girl moving so far from home!

Fresh Take on a Flower Girl Basket

First off, I failed to notice that I am a just a wee bit past post #100! I had it set to automatically post and didn't notice until today. Also, I have noticed that this little blog gets an average of 12 hits a day, and more on some days. So, leave a comment and let me know who you are! Miss M and I might just decide to send a lucky commenter a little something as well.

We are in the first days of June - the traditional bridal month. Actually, this year I don't have any weddings to attend. Probably because I am getting too old and everyone I know is either married or too young to do so! Anyway, my brother got married almost three years ago and Miss M was the flower girl. My mom and I made this cute little alternative to a flower girl basket.

I don't have step by step directions or even a series of photos. It was simply trial and error. We started with a piece of foam, rolling, re-rolling, and trimming until we had the desired cone shape. Next step, trim your fabric to the same shape and size. You will need to leave a little overhang at the top so you can fold it down inside. Use spray adhesive to attach the foam and fabric and hot glue the end of the cone to itself. We then trimmed the entire thing out with ribbon, lace, seed pearls, and sequins. A tassel was fed down through the cone and secured in place with....hot glue of course

The handle was fashioned from a strand of pearl beads. We knotted both ends and used safety pins to attach them on the inside of the cone, a little past the half way mark. I glued a single silk petal over each pin to further hide the construction. To make it easier for little hands to pick up the petals, we stuffed left over fabric and foam into the bottom half of the cone. Like I said, trial and error! Try as we might, we couldn't get the two we made to be the exact same size.

Updated Cupcake Chalkboard

I found this little thing back in December at a thrift store for a mere $1.50. I painted two coats of chalkboard paint and gave the frame a coat of black. Then it sat in the garage for weeks months. I knew I wanted it in the kitchen, but wasn't sure how to finish up.

Enter some cute iron on cupcakes I found at Wal-Mart and the project quickly took shape. A little hot glue, a clothespin painted black, and a scrap of ribbon = total cute!  Mr C told me "Put a picture on facebook Mama!" as soon as I hung it up. I think he meant the blog, but I like the way he thinks! I'm still thinking on how to do an eraser...thinking maybe wrapping some batting in a little square of fabric and attaching it with ribbon.

My latest project is one that I hope won't take as long - because it's a new bed for Mr C's room! I picked up a headboard/footboard today at a thrift store for $40. It is wood, currently painted white. While in good condition, Miss M and I have been toying with some ways to update it and make it perfect for the boy. Check back later for before pics because we couldn't bring it home today - it wouldn't fit in our car!