Tending The Nest

Autograph Albums

2012-02-10T07:38:00.006-07:00

Did you have an autograph book when you were little? I did- it must have been a 70's thing. With today's technology, nobody wants your autograph anymore, you just exchange 'contact info'- yick. Being an old fashion kind of girl, i love collecting and reading these sweet little books.

This is written on the inside cover

They all are filled with sentimental rhymes and verse. This one has the dearest sepia photo's.

I love those bird pictures!
There are also a few water colors

Such good advice!

This is my favorite book. It's small, and made up of a soft green leather. Under the bow, you can see how bright the original color once was.

The owner used it to keep track of bridal gifts {she received a lot of lace doilies!}

This is the oldest autograph book i own. It's tiny, and the inscription inside touches my heart.

"Lizzie, From your Dear Papa, Michigan City, 1879"

It is filled with quaint rhymes, beautiful ink drawings, and Victorian stickers.

Some of it is in German {i think}

This book was my paternal great grandmothers. A lovely collection of verses that correspond with a space to write your friends birthdays. I found my fathers name written down in his little boy hand writing- so cute!
Here my Great Aunts married names are entered- they were twins!

I love this picture if them together ♡ I never got to meet Melva, but Mernie and her sister Maybel were wonderful Great Aunts to me.

Well, time to let the puppy out {again!}

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Gaia

Cha-Cha-Cha-Chia

2012-02-02T07:17:00.003-07:00

Have you tried these yet? Being a vegetarian, along with my two growing girls, I'm always looking for a way to sneak in a little more nutrition where ever i can. Finding a source of omega-3's is tricky when you don't eat fish { or enough of an omega rich vegetable!}

Get a load of these numbers- 1 tablespoon contains 5g's fiber, 3g's protein and 2.5g's omega-3.

Nice, right? And, they're Kosher.

We mix them into smoothies and blend them into peanut butter spread on sprouted whole wheat bread.But our favorite way to enjoy them, is baked into muffins!

These are the Maple Oatmeal Muffins from Midwest Living Magazine. I added about 10 tablespoons of chia seed to the mix. The seeds give you a little crunch like a poppy seeds would.

Dee-lish!
Speaking of dee-lish, here is Miss. Millie at 9 weeks in the snow last week. Unfortunately, the snow melted away into a mess of mud. Ugh, there's nothing like 12 muddy paws stomping through your kitchen ; P

Hope you have a happy, mud free Thursday!

Gaia

New Addition To The Nest

2012-01-24T12:52:00.004-07:00

Welcome Miss Millie!

Isn't she just yummy?

On Sunday we drove to Ohio to pick up the newest member of the family. I know, i know, like two dogs isn't enough? We really need another? But, just look at that face!

She's been just the greatest puppy- but then, so was Rylee- must be a Labradoodle thing!

Prepare yourselves for a cutefest in upcoming posts- I'm totally smitten 💗

How is your week going?

Gaia

Happy Birthday Max!

2012-01-05T18:41:00.002-07:00

Who is that masked dog?

It could only be "Super Max", birthday dog!

Happy sixth Birthday, sweet Maxie ♡♡♡

Happy 2012!

2011-12-30T17:43:00.003-07:00

"We spend January 1st walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives...not looking for flaws, but potential."

~~Ellen Goodman~~

Hope the coming year is filled with inspiration, family, fun and much success at what ever you take on!

From my Nest to yours, have a Happy New Year!

See you in 2012!

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-24T17:44:00.003-07:00

Happy Holidays!

So glad to see you here! Come on in and take a look around!

Remember the happy couple from last year?

And this great garage sale find from last summer?

Sure, the church is a little out of proportion, but i'm o.k. with it

Feather tree's

and snow man families,
and that little snow monster from winters past {yeah, that's me ; ) }
Greetings from far and near,

and remembering the miracle of the oil.

From my family to yours, have a safe and happy holiday season!

☃ ⁂ ☃ ⁑ ☃ ※ ☃ ⁂ ☃ ⁑ ☃

Crafty Friday

2011-11-11T10:33:00.004-07:00

I've been a bit buried in the past lately. This is really nothing new for me, my head is always a century or two behind, but literally, i've been sorting through books , war memorabilia, forgotten letters that my Grandparents have had squirrelled away in their basement. This came to me by way of my Father, who recently packed up and moved West. Being the only child, this is where it ends up- on my dining room table, and i'm thrilled...just a little over whelmed! I'll show you some of the amazing things i've uncovered, soon!

I know that's just part of my excuse for being a negligent blogger. I haven't had time to be very crafty lately, and i know my glue gun is feeling lonely!

Do you love these things like i love these things? Almost every outlet in my home is sporting one version or another of these plug in scent thingies. But then a friend told me of one of hers, that was empty and still plugged in, catching fire, and i decided right there that the love affair was over!

But i LOVE my scented thingies! They disguise doggie smells, and dirty carpet smells, and i'm so hooked on having seasonal scents!

So, i pulled on my BGP's {you know, big girl panties} and switched to reed diffusers. I'm not so good with change- it's different. So, here's where i'm at, i love the Yankee Candle scents, but their large decorative bottle is almost $20...yikes. I decided to get the refills at around $9 and cuteify up some bottles.
I pulled these wide mouthed lovelies from my stash

Poured in the oil and reeds, then realized i should have decorated the bottles first. Duh.

I carefully wrapped a bit of burlap { cuz burlap makes me happy} and glued on a vintage flower

Did the same to this one, only i used tulle behind the flower

I tried to find places out of the way to put the diffusers, because you know with kids and dogs, that oil is ending up in the carpet!

They really fill the room with a lot of scent, and hopefully i won't knock them over when i dust.
Sometimes change is good. I think i'm going to be alright ; )

Hope you have a lovely weekend!

Halloween Hair Couture

2011-10-27T11:36:00.005-06:00

It's that time of year again! Time to grab your glue gun and get your Halloween bling on!

I grabbed a stash of ribbons, an orphaned flower and other miscellaneous stuffies {including Whoppers and Milk Duds : ) }

Sure she's cute, but every girl can use a little glitter mist and some sparkles

I pulled the plastic center out of my flower and removed a few layers of pedals- then ate that glitterie Milk Dud {i have no shame}

A shot of black spray paint and a dusting of black glitter, cuz glitter makes everything better {so do Milk Duds} Right?

I hot glued some ribbons to the underside, then added a hair clip.

Glued on my shiny sweetie, and...

Ba-ling! Halloween hair couture!

Here she'll wait till Monday

How are you haunting your Thursday?

Rescue

2011-10-13T06:59:00.004-06:00

Every trip up to our Northern nest takes us past beautiful farm land. We've watched it bud green in the spring, flourish in the summer, and go golden in the fall.

Fall is definitely my favorite.

Every trip up North, takes us past this abandon house. What is it about old, neglected houses that makes me want to rescue them?

I love the curtains in the front porch window... with no door knob...or porch

She just needs some love! Maybe a nice coat of paint {and floors, and windows, and a new foundation...and plumbing}

The lawn looks to be in good shape! That's a plus, right?

Look at all that yummy architectural detail {and that random wire, huh }

There's an amazing barn- i could finally have my cows and chickens! {after a bit of patch work}

And look, i could even have my own craft cottage!

Bonus pallets! Score!

O.K Time to get back in the car, quit trespassing, and just drive.

Goodbye Sweet Summer

2011-09-19T08:08:00.005-06:00

Where, oh where, did the time go?

The girls and i spent the summer at our new nest in Northern Michigan. It was a summer of no schedules, no pressure, and no worries!

We spent our days walking the beach

Playing with cousins

Oohing and ahhing

I wheeled around town on my vintage birthday present. Isn't she just peachy?

We splashed
We roamed
We poured a few of these

Stared at the clouds

Watched ships sail by

Ate lots of these
and these

There was snuggling

and relaxingBest of all, memories were made, and cares forgotten

Goodbye, sweet summer

The Other Woman

2011-08-08T11:00:00.005-06:00

There they were.

The two of them- in plain sight.

His hands were all over her. I should have known something was up by the smirk on his face. There was no shame, he held her like he owned her.

A couple days ago Sweet Man and i went back to the Petoskey antique show i told you about here.
It was our 22nd anniversary, and sweet man was hoping i'd find a little somethin'- somethin' to mark the occasion {translates into, ' after 23 years together, you are still a mystery to buy for' }

I'm good with this.

It works for us.

I only turned my back for a minute- and he was gone. When i came around the corner, there they were. Together.

I couldn't be happier for them. She's perfect! I love her!

Just.Look.At.This.Girl!

Sweet Man does know what i like!

Needless to say, she had to come home with us ♡

This is no small woman.

You could say babies got back.

From her nipped in waist

to her curvaceous legs

I love her all. We even wear the same size. Who knew?

He sure knows how to pick 'em

We had to play a little dress-up

She totally rocks this apron

{I suppose i could have pulled out the iron before taking these pictures...but i knew you'd understand} ; )

I think it's love.

Thank you Sweet Man for 22 blissful years.

Thank you for really listening when i thought you weren't

Thank you just for being, my Sweet Man.

Hi-Ho Cherry Oh!

2011-08-01T17:39:00.003-06:00

Oh, just look at 'em!

Cherry goodness!
Don't they look delish?

It's nearing the end of cherry season in Michigan. The farmers market were over flowing with cherries a few weeks ago, and yes, i bought as many as i could.

Every roadside stand, every farmers market, we just can't get enough of them!

I've pitted cherries till my finger tips are raw. Now they're resting safely in the freezer till i need them for spiced cherry jam, cherry crumble, tarts and pies. Mmmm : )

I think cherries are my new bff...well, until the next crop comes in!

Happy Monday!

Lavender Fields Forever

2011-07-20T16:51:00.009-06:00

The other day i found myself in need of a little field trip. Not your typical school bus- museum- type trip, but a real field trip.

Hello, my name is Gaia, and i like to look at fields. There, now you know. I like farms, fields, woodlands, vista's {my favorite word-of-the-day } There is some of the most beautiful land stretching throughout Northern Michigan.

So, that being said, imagine my surprise when out for a drive the other day, i'm moseying along-green hills, green fields, green vista's, and BAM! Purple!

A lavender farm!It looks like someone spread a huge purple blanket across the ground.Welcome to Lavender Hill Farms of Horton Bay, Michigan.

They have been growing lavender here since 2003, and have over 25 varieties of lavender.

The lavender is identified with signs on little white picket fences. Love that white lavender!

The most surprising part was that there isn't an overwhelming smell of lavender, just a subtle sweetness in the air.
What you do notice is the sound. Thousands of little bee wings singing in the sunshine. A constant hum of busyness.

Too busy to be bothered with me. Thank goodness!

The gift shop carries a beautiful assortment of handmade products and food stuffs. I had to try the Laundry Bar. With Ms.A at camp, i know she'll bring home an assortment of unidentifiable stains!I got the girls these handmade sachets for their closets.

And this yummy little number is all mine! It's a loofah filled with creamy lavender soap {it looks good enough to eat!}

If you're in the area, here's what you need to know to go!

Have a happy Thursday!

Go take a field trip ; )

Furniture Finds

2011-07-15T07:15:00.006-06:00

A couple of weeks ago i found some great furniture finds for our northern nest at "Antiques At The Fairground" in the Emmet County fairground in Petoskey, Michigan.

We've been looking for a coffee table that will hold up to spills, feet, you know, all the abuse a coffee table takes! Well, i think we found the perfect piece. Just look at this monster! It's huge! It's battered! It's amazing!

It's heavy. Really heavy. Just ask my back.

We have no idea of the age, but it's made from live oak and has no nails in it's construction.

Did i mention it's heavy?

I found this cute bookshelf for Ms. B's room. She's so not a pink girl, but for some reason this peachy-pink appealed to her.

A nightstand for Ms.A's room. Or a monkey bench- which ever.

Remember this ironing board?

Now it's a sofa table! I love it!

This sweet little garden table works perfectly by the front door.

It has such sweet details.

I stole this bench from the park- just kidding! I did buy it, and it was a park bench, now it just needs a thick coat of paint { it's a little rough on the tushy } Probably in cream.

I love the color of this tray. I want this to be the accent color in this house... if i can just stick to the plan...

It was a great show. Not too overwhelming, and quality pieces without the crazy prices. There is another show August 6th & 7th at the fairgrounds. If you're near by, you should check it out. I'll be back for sure!

My sweet boy, Maximus, had a seizure on the 4th of July. We've never experienced seizures with any of our dogs. It only lasted a few minutes, but looks so scary. We took him to the local vet who told us there wasn't much more to do than watch him for signs of another one. He seems back to his old self now and is doing well...and now gets to sit on the chaise outside- how do you say 'no' to that face!

Have a happy Friday!

Mackinaw or Mackinac?

2011-07-08T13:26:00.005-06:00

This past week we've been enjoying the company of our cousins from Florida, at our northern nest. We've been doing a lot of eating, laughing, shopping and playing.

Yesterday we did the touristy thing, and took the family to Mackinac Island- the land of horse manure and fudge. Yeah, you heard me, horses and fudge.

This is the Mackinaw Bridge, it takes you from Mackinaw City to the Upper Peninsula, eh?

We took the ferry from Mackinaw City to Mackinac Island- don't ask why the spelling is different-i don't get it!

The Grand Hotel is the prize of the island. It was built in 1887, and has been the backdrop for one of my favorite movies, "Somewhere In Time", and i believe several Ester Williams movies.

This is the beautiful tree lined road that leads to the hotel. Did i mention the there are no cars allowed on the Island? This contributes to half of the famous aroma of the island...manure. Yup. Sweet man and i have stayed here several times, and would highly recommend it, just not in the heat of August {no A.C. ugh}

Another famous stop is historic Fort Mackinac. I took this picture from the ferry. Sorry about the water spray!
There were dozens of kites flying along the shore.

and lazy summer dogs

Our favorite part of the Island is off the main drag, away from the hustle and bustle, where you get a sense of the history and every day life here.

There are dozens of these beautiful Victorian style homes that either rent out rooms or are bed and breakfast inns.

Notice all the bikes? This is your best way of getting around the island. Just don't get caught behind the pooper scooper guy...see his bike to the left? Nuf said.

Probably my favorite fudge shop in Northern Michigan is Ryba's. Their pink and black store reminds you of an old time candy store with the fudge guy working on the marble tables in the front window. And the smell? Oh my, it will make your jeans tight just inhaling that glorious scent.

And, yes, we went home with several pounds of Ryba's fudge. You just have to hold your breath till you get back to your ferry home!

Well, we've been having a blast, and it's all gone way too fast. Tomorrow our company heads south for home, and we have to head back to real life, too. I can't wait to show you my antique show finds!

Till next time ♡

Happy Fourth!

2011-07-03T07:23:00.003-06:00

Hope you have a relaxing weekend enjoying family, fun and freedom.

Random Design Stuff

2011-06-30T07:45:00.004-06:00

Hi there! I've been scouring design sites, getting ideas for our northern nest, and came across a couple some fun design stuffies.

This is cool, but might creep out the kids.

I LOVE this table...just don't have room for it. Both are from Get Back Inc.
I might actually have to have this
and this, too. Both from the RSH catalog.
This might be Pottery Barn...or RHS, can't remember {sorry!} Isn't it dreamy?

More from RSH
But my favorite by far is this swing from Victorian Trading. Now i just need a tree!

Happy random designing!

Friday's Finds

2011-06-13T09:04:00.003-06:00

Happy Monday!

How was your weekend? Mine was busy playing house. I drove up to the up north house {i need a better name for it than that!} and spent the weekend making up beds and loading in supplies. It was heaven♡

I did manage to sneak in a couple of estate sales on the way home. Oh! and i discovered Hobby Lobby! How come you never told me how a-maz-ing this place was? O. K maybe you did, and i just wasn't paying attention.

I couldn't pass up this darling silhouette. Too sweet!

Then there was this awesome stool. A little paint ,and she's perfect for my kitchen.

More stuff i couldn't pass up. The reamer is going up north for lemonade this summer, and you already know how much i love these vintage books! These old tags are worthy of printing. I'll scan them soon, so you can snag a copy for yourself!

Two enameled bowls that have seen better days- more reason to love them.

Keys, keys, keys.

Nuf said.

But the best for last! This beautiful ironing board. And to make it even sweeter... it was only 12 dollars. Yup, i got it on the last day of a sale at 50% off. Love it even more.

I was thinking it would make a great sofa table for behind this couch. Load it up with photo's, books, and vintage junkies { Sorry for the poor quality iphone photo} This is our family room up north. It's a nice open room off the kitchen, with a stone fireplace and amazing views of the water. This darling screen door welcomes you right in.

When i walked in the kitchen, i was greeted with these homemade candles. Our painter and his wife make them together!. They're soy, and smell wonderful.

I cant wait to get back up there and play some more! Next time i'll bring the good camera and will be able to share with you what we're working on.

Tomorrow we leave with Ms. A and her forensics team, for Dallas, Texas, for their National Forensics Tournament. Think it's gonna be a little warm...and busy...and nerve racking. But fun!

Happy Monday to you!

Chalkboard Wisdom

2011-06-08T08:52:00.003-06:00

The inspiration gremlins have been putting in their two cents again. Found this written on my chalkboard last night.

Mondayness

2011-06-06T08:26:00.004-06:00

Good Monday!

Confession: I'm kinda of a Monday person. Yep, there it is, i like Monday's.

I like the fresh start of the week. Sort of a clean slate. Don't hate me.

This morning i took a walk through the yard {it's a bit less swampy today} and was almost knocked over by these iris's.

Yesterday when i was out here, they hadn't opened up yet. What a nice surprise!

We have a nesting Robin in our arbor up front. Every time i pull the car in or out, she swoops out of her nest. I tried to catch some pictures of those fuzzy bird heads. I took these from my car- they're not great, but you can see a little beak sticking out!

FEED ME!
The chaos keeps building in our dining room, with all the stuff i need to take Up North this week to the new house.

Found these cute tables at an estate sale a few weeks ago. Already painted and chippy!

This is by far the most important item to go with me {and chocolate- who are we kidding}

That's my Mondayness, hope you have a good one!

Travelin', Ramblin' and a Project

2011-06-02T08:52:00.005-06:00

Ramblin': I know, i know- i've been a bad blogger. I'm the first to admit it! It's not for lack of thought, every where i've been, every picture i've taken, i've composed into a post in my head. Time has been my problem. And i think i just needed a break. Life's been crazy! The project: Sweet man and i finally closed on our dream get-away in Northern Michigan. We're so geeked- like little kids and their first play house! Planning, painting, shopping {i've never spent so much money at target at one time- ugh } I'll share some photo's when i go up in a couple weeks.

The travelin': Last week sweet man, Ms. B and i took Ms. A and three of her friends to New York for her bat Mitzvah present. These girls are so sweet and such a pleasure to travel with. : )

We stayed at the beautiful London Hotel

We walked, and shopped our socks off.

We took in two musicals. "Spiderman" and "Wicked". We took the tour, "Behind the Emerald Curtain" before we saw "Wicked" It was amazing!

We rode through central park,

and snacked our way through "Dylan's Candy Bar"

mmmmm...

We took some time to reflect at ground zero

and viewed New York's beauty from the water.

As always, it's great to get away, but coming home is the best.

More ramblin': Our soggy Michigan spring has turned our yard into a swamp. I'm aching to get outside and do some gardening. The little sprouts i started inside are leggy and in need of some serious sunshine! School doesn't let out until the 21st- half the summer is already gone by that time! And now i think i'm hooked on "Extreme Couponing"! Have you seen this show? It's somewhere between hoarding and super saving...i'm still not sure it's healthy. Speaking of unhealthy, have you watched the Show Time series, "Shameless"? My new guilty pleasure. It makes me want to steal toilet paper. Weird, i know.

There, i think i'm done.

Happy Thursday!

Honey, I'm Home!

2011-05-11T07:33:00.004-06:00

That's about how i feel! Like i've been gone for-evah!

Ms.A became a Bat Mitzvah on Friday night. All her hard work {and my nagging!} payed off. She did a beautiful job leading the service and reading from the Torah. We partied afterwards till midnight, finally able to let go and relax!

This baby girl turned 13 last week

I don't even know when she became so grown up...

We spent an amazing weekend laughing and eating with our crazy family. Even the cherry tree cooperated in blooming right on time!

The candy tuff joined in, too.

I've been so consumed with finishing projects around the house, and i've been wanting to share with you a few of my favorites.

Our powder room is teeny. I've admired those little rooms that are made into jewel boxes forever and decided to begin a miniature gallery in ours. I started with this weird head {sorry it's sideways...just tilt your head...}

...and sprayed it 'Heirloom White"

I've been buying these little pictures at estate sales for the past year.

I'd love to eventually cover most of the wall with miniature pictures.

Remember these silhouettes? They cleaned up beautifully. I just adore the horse pictures.

When we reno'd this bath seven years ago, i painted it chocolate brown and stenciled a floral pattern in pearl paint. I was just at the point of wanting to re-paint it, but now i think it's a keeper!What do you think?

Gotta go catch up on everything you've been doing. I've got some blogs to read!

Happy Wednesday!

Almost There

2011-04-28T07:30:00.006-06:00

Tick, tick, tick. That's what i hear in my head.

Ms. A's bat Mitzvah is in eight days. EIGHT DAYS! Yes, i'm freaking out. No, i have not finished with my list yet. Yes, it's all going to be O.K.

Ms.A has been working so hard to memorize her Hebrew, it just amazes me. I never could have done what she's about to do at 13.

Passover ended last week and i wanted to share with you one of my favorite passover desserts. I've seen this recipe made with saltines, but i think matzo rocks it.

Matzo Brickle

Line a cookie sheet with foil and lay about 4 boards of matzo on the pan, breaking to fit.

Pre-heat your oven to 450.

In a sauce pan over medium heat, heat 1 cup of butter and 1 cup of brown sugar till melted into a caramel sauce.
Pour hot caramel sauce over matzo. Bake for 4 minutes until bubbly. Remove.
Sprinkle on 12 0z of chocolate chips. return to oven for 1 minute. Spread chocolate evenly over caramel/matzo.Break up about five Heath bars { make it six, i always end up eating one!}

Sprinkle and press Heath bars into chocolate. Refrigerate to cool.

Lift the foil and break into big pieces. This never lasts more than a day in our house.

Enjoy!

It's been raining like crazy here. Just thought i'd share with you the latest craze in Ladradoodle fashion- mud mittens. They're stylish, they're hip, all the dogs with fuzzy feet are wearing them!

She loves to showcase them on her runway, my newly cleaned family room carpet. Mud mittens, get yours today!

Is it too early for a glass of wine?

Happy weekend!

Great Get -Away

2011-04-19T17:44:00.007-06:00

I feel like i've been gone for ev-ah! Sweet man and i took off for a weekend to Washington. Every where we went we kept saying, "We have to bring the kids here!"

I hung out with the most inspiring men {aside from sweet man ♡ }

Enough said
I spent some time hanging out in Julia's kitchen {sort of}

How cool is it that she totally got that shabby french/farm kitchen look, even then?!

Spent some quiet time with two of my favorite people

And some of my childhood friends. Love those guy's!

O.K. I had to show you the chair in our hotel room. Could you die? MAP fabric. Gracious me.

And of course this surprise in our closet. Yup, three animal print robes, and you guessed it- sweet man modeled them all. Heaven help us!

Over all it was a wonderful weekend.

What have you all been up to?

Kitchen Spruce-up

2011-04-08T07:38:00.004-06:00

I'm NOT afraid of color. I'm not! Just look at what i did seven years ago when we reno'd our kitchen. COLOR!

Yep, i know, it's a bit much. Once i started painting the kitchen this granny smith apple green, i was determined to love it.

And i do! Only... it's grown to be a bit much.

Time for a change. While i still love this color, i decided to keep it as an accent color on the hood and chandelier shades.

Here's one more shot of the wall color and my sad attempt at a window treatment (yes, it's been like that for seven years- the shame.

I painted the walls and bead board "Buttermilk" from Vaspar. I love the creaminess it takes on later in the day. I also found the deal of the day at Ikea with these linen panels. I used two, together. I gave them the usual treatment- wash and dry with mega dryer sheets.

I pulled this picture for inspiration from either Ballards or Pottery Barn, choked on the price,

and then found these decals at JoAnn's! Woo hoo! Love me a good cheap copy!

I blinged up an old lamp shade with rick-rack and buttons,

and covered these,

with this mod green and white fabric, and black ball fringe.

Fun!Well, that's about as far as i've gotten. I still need a window treatment over the sink, and chair cushion covers. I've cleaned out the cupboards and edited the shelves. With this job done {almost} i'm feeling better about the 'list'. It taunts me, it causes me to lose sleep, i hate the 'list'. I want it gone.

Soon enough!

I'm off to Washington tomorrow to see the cherry blossoms. Can't wait!

Have a beautiful weekend!

There's Been a Cover-up

2011-04-06T06:54:00.000-06:00

The culprits:

Feet.

Bare feet, flip flop feet, Ugg feet...

and dog feet. Flip flopped dog feet. Don't ask.

The victim: The orphaned foot stool from our short lived chair- and- a -half -days.

The cover-up. A nine dollar drop cloth from the depot.

Washed, dried with six, yes, count them, six fabric softener sheets, to make it soft and rumpled.

I pinned the cloth to the top of the foot stool, and trimmed and sewed. Easy {and lazy} that's how i roll. {and sew}

Cut strips from the rest of the cloth, made a loose pleat, a sewed it to the top, and...

...the crime is concealed!It's not perfect, but it's a good crime stopper! Now when the perps {that's crime talk} victimize the foot stool, it's a simple trip to the washer, and all is forgiven.

I've been working on my to-do list. It seems to grow every time i check something off! Hopefully by the end of the week i can show you the changes i've made to my kitchen.

One month from today is Ms. A's Bat Mitzvah, oy! We have our dresses, our shoes, all the important things! Now, to get that Hebrew memorized!

Let's talk soon!

Happy Wednesday!

Finches and Friends

2011-03-30T07:35:00.000-06:00

All winter long, we've been feeding the finches. We hung a feeder in the tree outside the laundry room window, since i seem to spend a lot of time there. I keep binoculars nearby so i can zoom in on their beautiful colors. I hope the neighbors don't see me peeping out my window-probably wouldn't go over very well!

Yes, that's a dusting of snow in the background - snow has become a four letter word with me, lately- the bad kind of four letter word. We attract mostly golden finches, however every now and then we get a wine colored finch. See it on the left, there? Isn't it sweet?

Here is a shamelessly cute dog picture. See the paint can in the background? Proof that i'm actually working, not just taking cute pictures!

There's too much cuteness. And i'm not ashamed.

Max and Rylee made a new friend. Goodness knows where this little guy's been hiding all winter...actually, i don't want to think about it.

Rylee brought him over to introduce him to Max. "Max, allow me to introduce you to my new best friend, da bug. He is not a nom nom. He is my friend"

"Um, you're getting kind of close, bug friend"

"Eewie, ewie, ewie! Get this hideous thing off me!!! HEEEELP!!!"

Rylee's new best friend the bug now living happily in the garage amongst its own kind... we don't mention the word "bug" out loud anymore.

Have a great Wednesday!

Got Girdles?

2011-03-27T14:48:00.000-06:00

♫ We've got girdles, how 'bout you? ♪

♪ We've got girdles, we bought two! ♬

Ms. B and i, marched ourselves off to the Vintage Clothing and Jewelry Show in Bloomfield Hills, MI this past weekend. It's our favorite. We've been going for years. Ms. A just isn't that into the vintage thang... she lives in the now...like the Gaga-Glee-Bieber-i'vegotspongebobtowatch-now.

Any who, when we saw these vintage girdles, i knew they had to go home with us. { Yes, the minute we got home and in the door, we both tried on our finds...she looked darling in hers, and i...let's just say, it may become a daily addition to my wardrobe! }

Before we left for the show, i gave Ms.B a couple of victory rolls- isn't she cute? Gotta get your vintage on!

My vintage girl picked up this gen-u-ine bullet bra- it's the funniest thing i've ever seen! So pointy! I don't think she'll be wearing this out of the house. Just sayin'.

I bought this lacy bed jacket with the thought of tea dying it a bit. I think it would be cute with faded jeans, a velvet cami and cowboy boots.

Sweet 'lil bow closure ♡
Also, this dreamy robe.
So floaty and sheer.

But, the best find of all, is this mother of pearl carry-all. For years i've looked at these with lust in my heart- and dust in my wallet. For what ever reason, this one was just the right price and in fabulous shape. Woo hoo!

Inside is a mirror, a lipstick holder {never used}, a comb with pouch and a small tank for powder. If there ever was a powder puff, it doesn't live here anymore.

All the goodies inside.

The mirror swings down to reveal a stash for mad money...originally, probably used for cigarettes.
I love that this cutie has a wrist chain. So smarmy! on my arm-ie...oh, that was bad...

Now to find her a comfy spot to hangout, with the rest of the girls.

Thanks for sharing our awesome vintage day!

Got girdles?

First Picks of the Season

2011-03-22T09:05:00.000-06:00

You can smell it in the air! Estate sale season! Yeah, spring is on her way, but i don't think she's quite ready to commit. There is no stopping a good junkin' season. Last weekend i pryed myself away from my project list for a few hours, and found a cute little sale just waiting for me : )

I got this cute stash of dice for .50￠

I love old office supplies, too.

This old address book was a dollar. All the phone numbers start with letters- so "Leave It To Beaver"

This ledger isn't that old, but i love the fabric cover and the old clip board? i'll put that to good use for sure.
These books are the best! I own several and etiquette of the day never fails to amaze me. I wish we could bring some of that back...

...especially this chapter. I'M JUST SAYIN' !

Happy treasure hunting!

Nightstand and Table Make-over

2011-03-18T08:10:00.000-06:00

Last summer {good grief, last summer? } I started the re-do of Ms. B's bedroom.

{confession: It's still not finished, but it's close!}

We've had this little set of drawers in the family forever, and they've been every color of the rainbow. Time to change that.

Ta da! All done! Just kidding, this was such a messy project that i didn't get and in between photo's! I bought several yards of this fabric, knowing i'd use it somewhere else in her room, laid the dresser down in the fabric to make a sort of pattern. I cut out the pieces and painted Mod Podge on the dresser, pressed the fabric in place, and smoothed out the wrinkles. It really was easy, although really messy {let's not talk about the globs of Mod Podge in my hair. Ok? Ok.It's in it's temporary place next to her bed, soon to move into her closet to make way for the Ikea piece that i'm trying to put together without to much swearing : ) It's not a pretty process.

Here is another quick make-over the i made with one of those cheapie round tables that we've all had at one time or another.

I cut the legs down by about a third, then cut a piece of foam for the table top. Glued it on with spray glue- warning, don't do this inside without a drop cloth...don't ask me how i know, i just do...I covered the foam top with the fabric and stapled it down.

Trimmed it up, re-attached the legs, and made it a skirt.

I tacked the skirt on with silver upholstery tacks, and there she is!

This lil' stood cannot support the weight of a 14 year old girl, again, don't ask me how i know...i just do : ( However, it stands up just fine to the weight of books and clothes and anything else that's laying around...and there usually is

Hopefully soon i can show you the full reveal. It's on my list. Really!

Have a great weekend.

Happy Spring!

Butterbeer Love

2011-03-16T08:03:00.000-06:00

Ever since we got home from Universal and sampled the magical sweetness of Butterbeer, Ms. B and i have been on a quest to find a recipe to make our own. Well, what we found on line, wasn't anywhere near as tasty as what we had sampled at Hogwarts. However, she did find this incredible recipe for Butterbeer cupcakes. Holy moly sister, i think i'm hooked!

The recipe is LONG and my typing skills are limited to the 'hunt and peck' style, so if you're interested, contact me and i'll print you off a copy!

After the cupcakes cool, you poke a hole in the center and pour in a butterscotch ganache.

Then top with a buttercream frosting. {confession- i ate a lot of the frosting. It was even better the next day for breakfast...lunch and dinner...}

Then you drizzle on the ganache. Oh, momma, just look inside...

Needless to say, they disappeared pretty quickly...and mysteriously re-appeared on my bee-hind! That's the magic of Hogwarts!

I have to go work out now. Like all day.

Happy Wednesday!

Spring Cleaning

2011-03-14T07:42:00.000-06:00

When i get it, i get it bad. The cleaning bug, that is. With Ms. A's Bat Mitzvah 8 weeks away, i've entered into the panic zone. Haven't dropped those twenty pounds yet {and it's not gonna happen any time soon!} nor have i gotten the kitchen painted yet. I've taken on really important projects like organizing my make-up and jewelry drawers! Hey, a lot can happen in 8 weeks!

I started with emptying everything out, tossing those ten neutral shades of lip gloss that all look the same and washed out the drawer bottoms and their contents. I used this darling scrap book paper to line my drawers.

I love these coordinating patterns. I have eight drawers all together, so i was able to use a different paper in every drawer.

Any time i see these glass dishes, i buy them up! They're great for holding brushes, eye shadow, jewelry, anything small you want to group together.

I can separate my make-up so i can find what i need { and i need it all!}

Yeah, i kind of got a thing for "Bare Minerals". The sundae dish holds these powders perfectly.

Small dishes hold my costume jewels, too.

Now that i've gotten that very important task out of the way, it's on to the kitchen. I did get Ms. A's invites in the mail though...that's something, right?

Have a great Monday!

2011-03-10T08:52:00.000-07:00

O.K there are gremlins in my blog...ignore the mess below.

Sorry!

Books, Butter Beer, Burgers and Besties

2011-03-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

Last week we took the girls to Universal Studios in Orlando, to meet up with their cousins.

We had an amazing time exploring the world of Harry Potter. We rode the Hippogriff, took the Forbidden Journey, and drank Butter Beer. Oh, Butter Beer, your sticky sweetness has added numerous inches to my rear, but i love you so.

Sweet man stopping for a snack {just kidding}

With the amount of traveling we've done in the past few months, it's given me a chance to catch up on reading. I'm still not totally sold on using my ipad as a book, i miss the feel and smell of a paper, but it is lighter in my carry on. I LOVED "The Help" It is beautifully written and gives an incredible insight into the life of maids in the South. "Wench" was a recommended read. Didn't love it.

Kate Morton is one of my favorite historical fiction authors. She was spot on with her newest book. I loved every bit of it. I can read her books over and over. Check 'em out!Well, i hear laundry calling my name

New Toy!

2011-02-28T18:21:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love new toy's? Now, let's be honest here, i'm not the most techie girl on the block, but i do get a kick of a little throw back instamatic fun like this! It's called the 'Fuji Instax Mini' and i ordered it on Amazon.com

It only has four settings and flashes on all settings. The photo's have that weird old school polaroid look...but cuter!

The pictures come out the top and are the size of a credit card- Look how cute! It's obviously not an every day camera, but i thought it would be fun for the girls to play with when they get together with their cousins next week at Universal!!! { hee, yup, we're meeting some family next week in Florida to check out Harry Potter. Gotta get me some butter beer!}

Let's catch up next week!

Joy

2011-02-25T06:10:00.000-07:00

Today would be the 114th birthday of my Grandfather. Yeah, i know he wouldn't really be celebrating his 114th {that's a lot of candles} but he did live to be a few months of 102. This picture is of him at 13 {nice knickers}!

He was the joy of my life, my hero, my best friend, my inspiration, my partner in crime. He taught me to appreciate the past, to live for now and not to fear the future.

He called me "The Kid". This picture is of him at his 100th birthday celebration. Here he's holding 'the kid's, kid' {'lil Ms. B at 4 months}
He was a published poet, a world traveler, a grandfather, a father, a husband to the love of his life and a friend to everyone he met. His yard was the neighborhood meeting place, he corresponded with hundreds well into his hundreds, and he wrote with a beautiful old fashioned hand that i always envied.

I love being able to look around my home and see little things that remind me of him. His bow tie...old books...
his cane and cap... it's almost like he just stopped by to say 'Hi'

I was lucky enough to introduce him to his third great grandchild, Ms. A, days before he went Home. Before he left, he told me not to be sad, but to be filled with Joy.

Joy

I talked to his sweetheart, my Grandmother today. She misses him too, and says surprisingly she doesn't feel his presence with her. We figure he's too busy questioning God. They were tight : )

Twelve years later, i still miss him dearly, and search for Joy.

I'm still looking.


   Missing you,

   The Kid

Deep Thoughts- {not really}

2011-02-22T07:51:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a snow day {yay} so it was a perfect excuse to goof off. I did a bit of re-arranging in my craft room. I love collecting goodies for future projects, but sometimes forget to use them at all. It just stays...stored. I dug out a few things and played. When i was finished, i came back down to find this message on my chalkboard:

HA! Somebody's been reading our autograph book. I bought a turn of the century autograph book last summer. It has the sweetest quotes, this being one of them.

Just thought i'd share : )

Happy Tuesday!

Easy Monogrammed Napkins

2011-02-18T08:33:00.000-07:00

The Pottery Barn catalogue is always a source of inspiration. When i saw these numbered napkins, i immediately thought, 'I'm stampin' me some napkins!'

I have a large stash of white vintage napkins, so i grabbed eight that matched {more or less} and the black fabric paint.

I taped the napkin to my work table,

taped the stencil in place,

and pounced lightly {pounce, pounce, pounce}

Carefully un-peeled everything, let them dry overnight, and... ta-da! Monogrammed napkins!

I'm a sucker for anything with my initial on it, and these were so quick and easy.

I'm linking up with The Shabby Nest. Talk about a place of great inspiration!

I'm still not sure about this new editor on blogger. I love the ease of loading photo's, but the way it lines up the text, i'm not so sure. Anyone have any advise? I hate when they move my cheese ; p

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/87/7F1C1A472D6E1AF5861BD3D8B552C4F8.png" style="border: 0 !important; background: transparent;"/>

New Magazine

2011-02-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

While i was out today making my weekly Target run, i was hoping to find the new 'Flea Market Style' magazine, instead i found this little gem, 'Flea Market Gardens'!

It's full of great inspiration and beautiful vintagey goodies.

These fairy gardens are adorable!

I think i need to find a way to put curtains outside.

It's a great winter dream read......

i really miss my grass

im just sayin'

Happy Wednesday!

Happy {Heart} Day

2011-02-13T18:17:00.000-07:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

I have always loved vintage post cards, and have a small collection of Valentine post cards.

They have the sweetest little faces on them

And have the loveliest rhymes

People just don't talk like this anymore!

This is my favorite. It's a German pop-up card. The detail on it is just beautiful. Look at that lil' sweetie huggin' her mushrooms!

This is the bottom of it.

Tonight i'll make a romantic little dinner for my sweet family. Lamb chops for sweet man, heart shaped pasta for the girls, and molten lava cake for dessert {i'll give you the recipe later this week, it's a keeper!}

How do you spend Valentine's Day?

Hope you have a lovely one!

Wine Country, Baby!

2011-02-09T11:48:00.000-07:00

Last week sweet man had a conference in San Francisco, so we grabbed a couple of friends and flew out ahead of snowlapalooza. We decided to stop in Napa before heading to the city. This is one of our favorite destinations, if you've never been, put it on your list!

We stayed at this darling B & B called, "Old World Inn".

{Just a quick warning, this is a long post, so go grab a glass of wine!}

All the rooms are themed, we stayed in "A Night In Paris"

It was dreamy

We started at the Oakville Grocery and grabbed some bread, cheese and of course these cookies. The size of a baby's head. Really.

Since we had several days, and stopped at many wineries, {and things get a little fuzzy after several days of wine tasting! } i'll just hi-lite some of my favorites. K? K.

My favorite stop for Chardonnay is William Hill. Love me a good buttery Chardonnay. The view from here is spectacular.

And boy, can they make an amazing Chardonnay!

We paired it with this yummy white cheddar. Heaven.

A peek into their storage area. needless to say, i signed up for their wine club. Bring it on!

Sweet man and i enjoying the day.

Sweet man with our friends, Scott and Kristen.

This is the time of year when they grow mustard flowers under the vines to fortify the soil. It's a beautiful sea of yellow everywhere you look.

This is the entrance to Rubicon Estates. It's owned by Francis Coppola, and houses some really awesome movie props. Think 'God Father' and 'Apocalypse Now'. Very. Cool.

They make a fabulous Cabernet Sauvignon. One of sweet mans fav's.

The last one is Fisher Winery. Way off the beaten path, but so worth the trip. This winery belongs to one of the Fisher families, who use to own Fisher Body in Detroit. Couldn't help but feel a little home town pride : )

They are a wonderful family run business that carries the 'Coach Insignia' label. This is one of the wine caves that run under the property.

Boozie, the families little labradoodle, led our tour. Such a cutie!

My favorite wine here is 'Cameron', a delicious Cabernet named after one of the daughters that gave us our tour.

Here's where things get fuzzy, i love this giant crown, but i can't remember if i saw it at Louis Martini winery or somewhere else. Hmmm. Love it...didn't fit in my purse.

We also made a stop at Michael Chiarello's store, 'Napa Style'. All kinds of wonderful things you never knew you needed! { i did pick up some grey salt- didn't even know i liked grey salt!}

Just look at this spoon chandy!

And look at this one! Sorry for the bad photo's- i used my iphone. Blah.

Glor.i.ous.

Wish i needed one of those instead of grey salt! Oh well.

We spent three lovely days in Napa and then a week in San Fran. Enjoyed great weather, good food and escaped lots of snow!

Getting away is great, but coming home is the best!

Printers Tray Make-Over

2011-02-01T08:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Tuesday! Are you ready for the snowlapalooza headed our way? We're stocked up on hot cocoa, home made marshmallows and Bailey's. Only the important stuff!

So, i've been going through my stash of 'supplies' { otherwise known as 'crappie's'} and found this printers tray that my mom had filled with knick knacks way back in the '70's. Remember those??? Every crafty house had one!

I outlined the compartments in pencil

then removed the back, and pulled off the dividers

using left over scrapbook paper, i cut pieces of paper to fit the outlined boxes

glued them in place and replaced the dividers

after re-fitting the back {thank goodness it lined up!} i made copper wire hangers to attach to some of the boxes
i glued in a couple corks as ring holders to the bottom

and there she is! I hung this in Ms. B's room. It's a cute display for her jewelry and stones

and it still hasn't fallen off the wall! { yet } : )

Stay warm my friends!

Lucky Day

2011-01-28T11:47:00.001-07:00

Today was one of those lucky days.

The sun was shining, and there were a few good listings for estate sales. Ms. B had a short morning after finishing a week of finals, so we grabbed a Starbucks {the official beverage of treasure hunters} and hit the road.

We found this stash of change purses- now there's no excuse not to make some change purse jewelry!

I love little whisk brooms, and we found two vintage wine pulls for the collection {i wasn't even aware i had a collection of wine pulls...apparently now i do! And another giant safety/laundry pin. I've got to find out just what these things are!

But the best for last...thigh high embroidered hose!!! I know! They need minor repairs on the seams, but other than that, they're in great shape.

Look at that sweet detail! Aren't they just darling?

I'm so lucky to have a daughter that enjoys the hunt as much as i do, and so lucky that she still wants to spend her free time with me. Love that girl.

Have a wonderful weekend friends!

Feelin' Blue?

2011-01-21T05:50:00.000-07:00

Got the blues? Not the boo hoo blues, the blue blues. I've never been a blue person- more of a green girl. If you ask Ms.B, she'd tell you i'm a neutral person.

Me: "Hey, check out this new nail/lip/fabric/paint color i just got"

Ms.B: "Let me guess, oh, neutral, big surprise"

Yeah, if nothing, i'm consistent! Sweet man loves blue...there's nothing blue in our house. Sorry dude { ha,ha, i said dude :) } Any hoo, i thought i'd dig up all the blue accessories i could find, and this.is.it.

Even my camera doesn't do blue well-go figure!

I do adore this blue bird pattern- It's part of the set that was my Mom's growing up
Bits and pieces of blue

The blue willow tea set was my Dad's when he was littleI have managed to work some blue into Ms. A's bedroom, which i'll show you when i actually finish it...it's on the list!

How do you do blue?

Well, guess it's time to get out of my jammies and get on with the day!

Hope you have a loverly weekend!

Another Dent

2011-01-18T10:36:00.000-07:00

I've made another dent in the list! Woo-hoo! Remember last summer when the shabby window fairy left me these awesome old windows? They actually came from my friend Ryan {he'd kill me if he knew i called him window fairy! Don't tell!} I immediately pictured them as the doors for the top of a hutch. After moving around the family room furniture, i knew we needed storage for games, puzzles and most importantly junkies!

This empty space would be perfect for a hutch.

So...between Ryan and i, we came up with this 'lil beauty!

See the old windows in there?

I slopped on a heavy coat of 'weathered wood'

Then applied a heavy coat of cream paint to try and copy that lovely chippy look of the window/doors.I wanted to use chicken wire in the bottom doors, but it got sort of wonky. Instead i chose this grid wire,
and painted it with my fave- ORB,
then stapled it to the inside of the doors.

I lined the bottom shelves with cork paper. I love this stuff. I've lined all my shelves with it.

Then the best part, loading it up with stuff! I love how it turned out, and it's the perfect piece for this wall. This room is finally coming together. I still need a fireplace surround and window treatments. We'll see how long i can stay motivated...or how long the budget holds out!

Have a wonderful Tuesday!

Good-bye to Some Old Friends

2011-01-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

Hello, my name is Gaia, and i'm shoe addict. {Hello, Gaia}

Shoes have always been there for me. They don't dis me after the holidays like my JEANS {hate you} they always fit... not always well, but they fit.

See that clear space at the top of my closet? I'm saying good-bye a few old friends to make way for my new bff. Yes, we're besties.

Good-bye silver slippers, you have no support and cut into by baby toe like a knife through butter. I'll miss you.

Good-bye impractical peep toes. Your awesome platform has no flexibility and makes walking impossible. You were the best standing around shoe. Ever. I'll miss you.

Good-bye pointy-toed heels, you were the whip. No amount of baby powder could pack my toes into your un-natural point comfortably. You ROCKED the toe cleavage. I'll miss you the most.

A moment of silence, please. .O.K. enough of that.

Allow me to introduce you to my new bff. {isn't she beautiful?}

She's so shiny! And sparkly! And... oh my!

My bff and i {and sweet man} are stepping out tonight at the auto show.

I'm sending out a 'lil prayer to the shoe gods- "Please, don't let me fall off my shoes and land on my face in front of all these lovely people- they don't need to see that."

Wish me luck!

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Make it shiny!

A Dent

2011-01-11T09:48:00.000-07:00

I've made a dent..the good kind!

I've made a sizable dent in my to-do list!

My magical carpenter friend, Ryan, sent me a photo of an old barn that had caved in, and he was salvaging some of the wood. Did i want some? Are you kidding??? Free old stuff??? Come on!

My first thought was shelving for sweet man's home office. I drew, Ryan carpentered { i know, not a real word} but here's what we came up with

Just look at all that weathered texture!

Here they are on the wall. The perfect place for all that man stuff.

They even look great from underneath

Shelves for sweet man's office. Check.

Now only forty nine more things to go!

Catching Up

2011-01-05T11:28:00.000-07:00

Happy 2011 to you! I hope you had a relaxing, family filled holiday. We spent a warm and relaxing week in Turks and Cacaos with two other families. {I think i spelled it wrong} We soaked up the sun and dipped our toes in the surf { i'd post pictures, however i can't find that magic cord that takes the pictures from Ms. B's camera and puts 'em in the computer! Darn technology} trust me, it was magical.

We celebrated Maximus' fifth birthday {he looks worn out, doesn't he!} It's not easy being five.

This was his gift... and guess who took it! Doodle did it.

This year we spent New Years at home. It doesn't get much better than sitting at home in your Jammie's eating lobster and hash browns. Mmmm.

The kids had home made mac and cheese

We ate lots of this {o.k. I ate lots of this}
We played this
Turns out, it's Rylee's favorite show!

And we got our shiny on. My favorite New Years are always the ones that we stay at home with our family.

Now the kids are back to school, i've taken down all the holiday stuff, and i've cruised around blog land catching up on all you've been doing. So, what projects are on your list? What crafts are you working on? This year i'm determined to finish, yes, finish all the room projects i've started, but maybe got a little distracted and never finished. Yikes! it's out there, now i really have to do it!

Here's the run down

Paint kitchen
Window treatments for kitchen
Swap out light shades in kitchen
paint hutch in family room
order fireplace surround
window treatments for family room
shelves for sweet man's office
decorate sweet mans office
sit down and have a big glass of wine
window treatments for Ms. A's room
rug for Ms. A's room
trim and new doors for hall
sit down and have a good cry over how much this is all going to cost
hang family photo's in hall
paint trim on living room window and front door
Plan Ms. A's Bat Mitzvah that i've done nothing for and is sneaking up in MAY!

Okey dokey, i'm already totally over whelmed...think i'll take that glass of wine NOW

Hope you have a great Wednesday!

i'm going to go cry now

just a little

Can You Feel It? Can Ya?

2010-12-16T08:14:00.000-07:00

It's almost here!!!

I'd love to invite you in and give you a little tour of our Holiday decorations {remember, there's no tree, just a Charlie Brown stick!} So, kick off your boots and grab a hot cocoa and feel free to wonder!

This years sheet music project
You can never have too many candles! I light these every day.

This summers find of 'shiny bright' ornies

The happy couple

The Charlie Brown tree : )*note to self*- Don't top load branches with favorite ornaments without wiring them to branches- Bad things man, bad things.

Always looking for Joy

A few new friends this year

Lurve these little sugar houses!

Another summer find
Thanks so much for coming by and spending your time with me. I truly appreciate all the lovelies i've met in blog land, your inspiration, your creativity and your kind words... it's something i look forward to everyday. Thank YOU !

Wishing you and yours the happiest of holiday seasons!

More Holiday Crafties

2010-12-15T07:15:00.000-07:00

This summer i found a sweet little sugar village in need of a home. I dug it out last week and set it upon a silver tray with poly-fil for snow, tucked lights inside each house, but still it lacked something. After adding a couple snow men, i realized it needed landscaping!

Here's how i whipped up a few sparkly trees.

First i made a small cone

Bought a spool of this sparkly green trim at Target
LOVE how flat and hairy it is!
Glued it around the cone
Added some colored rhinestones for 'lights'
And, ta-da! A better landscaped sugar village
Fly by my nest next week when i share with you my holiday decor!

Have a lovely weekend!

Winter Beauty

2010-12-15T07:01:00.000-07:00

It's been frightfully c-c-cold here! But the snow has done beautiful things to the yard.

It's so cold, i didn't even walk outside to take these pictures!

Stayed in the house, warm in my jammies, and enjoyed the view.

The dogs are the only ones who really enjoy this weather!

Max- "Ohhh, sweetie! You've got noms on your lips!"

Rylee- "Wha?"

Enjoy your day, and stay warm!

Holiday Crafties

2010-12-13T18:28:00.000-07:00

I can't help it.

I'm a sucker for it.

I love, love, love, it.

What???

Why, the holidays, of course!

Now, if you were here last year at this time, you'd know that i don't decorate for Christmas. Don't look so shocked, just check out the archives!

Any hoo, i'd like to share this little craft with you!

I love the sheet music and glitter ornies at Pottery Barn, but i don't like their prices, so...i put together my own.

I cut some sheet music squares, a card board circle and a sheet music circle to cover it.

I rolled and glued the squares into tubes and pinched the ends.

Glue the tubes onto the circle

Continue until filled { yeah, got carried away with the glue gun }

Dab some glue on the ends and glitter your little heart out!

I added a rhinestone button to the middle.

Hang, and enjoy!

Have you been getting your glitter on???

Happy crafting!

Link-Up!

2010-12-12T08:53:00.000-07:00

Happy Weekend! I'm linking up with Funky Junk Interiors, talk about inspiration!

Check it out!

Have a great weekend!

Craft-lifting

2010-12-09T07:29:00.001-07:00

When you steal something from a store, it's called 'shop-lifting'.

When you steal a scrap booking idea, it's called 'scrap-lifting' .

When you see something in a store that is totally over price and crazy easy to make yourself and you wouldn't shell out good money for, it's called 'craft-lifting'. Anyway, that's my story and i'm sticking to it!

I was at my local craft/fabric store and saw a darling burlapy, blingy, buttony picture. Twenty bucks. Get.Out.Of.Here.

So i did.

Had this extra frame

Spray painted it in the garage {It's how we Mid-West girls roll in the winter} Hold your breath, point and spray, then run back in the house!Cover a piece of cardboard with craft bond and burlap

Grab your stash of rhinestones and buttons
And get gluing!
Let it dry, re-assemble and, ta-da! Holiday cuteness on the cheep!
Time to haul out the holiday decor and discover the treasures i picked up over the summer!

Happy Thursday!

Easy-Peasy Potato Latkes

2010-12-03T06:39:00.000-07:00

Hello, Friday (when did you get here?)

Is it me or did we skip November? Time is flying by!

Here is my super easy recipe for potato latkes. These make a great side, appetizer or toss a couple on your breakfast plate!

Coarsely chop 4 lg. peeled potatoes and 1 onion.

Shred them in a food processor

Place a strainer over a large bowl and add potato/onion mixture. Smoosh gently to remove most of the water -- sometimes i let this sit a bit, but not too long...you know how potatoes get when left alone {funky} Pour off the water in the bowl, but save the starch that settles to the bottom.

In a small bowl, mix together 2 eggs, 3 TBS flour, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 1/4 tsp baking soda. Blend that together, then add it to the potato/onion/starch mixture in the BIG bowl. I use my hands to mix it all together really well.

Heat a bit of oil { i use Smart Balance } in a fry pan and add globs { again, i use my hands } to the hot oil. Keep re-mixing what's left in your bowl.

When they become golden, flip 'em to the other side.

Let them sit on a paper towel

Then serve! We like to enjoy our latkes with sour cream or applesauce { cinnamon apple sauce ROCKS! } To re-heat, i place them on a cookie sheet and heat for about 15-20 minutes at 300*

Enjoy!Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

"Please drop a latke, please drop a latke, please drop a latke"

~~Max~~

Happy Hanukkah

2010-12-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

Last night was the first night of Hanukkah.

We lit our first candle, and recited our prayers.

We played dreidle games,

and opened the first present!

We love presents (believe me, the next seven nights they're getting socks and undies!)

Look who's pictured on our gelt... Kennedy? Really? That's the last time i buy my gelt in the dollar section of target!

Later this week i'll share with you my recipe for no-fail latke's. Mmmmm!

Happy Hanukkah!

Like a Hole in The Head

2010-11-29T09:17:00.001-07:00

That's just about how badly i need another project! I still haven't completed moving around furniture in our family room, sweet mans home office has become a dumping ground for all things 'in progress', and Ms. A's bedroom re-do is still un-done. Gaawww!

So, what a great time to take up a new hobby! Right?

I've always wanted to crochet, and i have a sweet collection of wooded hooks and such, so i checked out a tutorial on youtube by Aunt Esther. What a sweetie! She has a simple, easy to follow video, and come to find out she has a blog, too. She answers all questions no matter how silly (thank goodness) Check it out at, Ask Aunt Esther.

We have plenty of left over yarn from various school projects. I've always loved the color of this one.

This is what i have so far (yes, i've un-done and re-started at least a dozen times!)

I really have no idea what i'm making, but it's kind of fun! Check out that little ruffle on the bottom- i have no idea how that happened- but i like it!

It seems like all projects these days need a pair of these. Ugh.

Have you started decorating yet??? We broke out the menorah this week end! Check back on Thursday and i'll show you our Hanukkah decor.

Happy Monday!

Giving Thanks

2010-11-24T06:45:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year when i look back and am reminded of all the things i'm thankful for. You realize that this could now be the longest post in the history of blog land!

Pie is one. I love pie.

And this slice of sweetie pie, who make my dreams come true

And these little dumplings, who make me smile (and grind my teeth) every day.

(...and have grown up way too fast, when did that happen?)

And these fuzzy loves who fill my heart with dog hair. Really.

And this amazing freedom that we live every day.

And a million other things and people and moments and experiences that fill my heart on a daily basis.

Thank you.

Thank you for being part of my world and making this journey the adventure that it is.

Wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Now, off to defrost that yummy tofurkey! I know, it's weird to be a vegetarian at Thanksgiving. Thank goodness for side dishes!

P.S. This is our friend Tom. He lives at our school farm. He's a bossy bugger, but we love him! (and not in that mashed potato and gravy way!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

They're Baaack

2010-11-17T11:15:00.000-07:00

Oh, candy gods of yummy goodness, thank you!!!

Only once a year can you find the marriage of candy cane and Tootsie Pops, living so happily together in one sweet morsel...yeah, kind of dramatic, but really, these are de-lish!

They only make them this time of year, and believe me, i.stock.up.

I might be able to make these last until January. Maybe.

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend, Sweet Man and i are heading back to Arizona this weekend to do some more house hunting ( this will be our forth time out, we're a bit indecisive!) Wish us luck!

Enjoy!

Catching Up

2010-11-15T18:59:00.000-07:00

I'm so happy to report that Miss. Rylee is back home from the doggie hospital and doing great! She's on regiment of daily meds and seems back to her old self. Max's world is back in order, too. I've been slowly catching up on all the important things like laundry, your blogs and past episodes of 'Boardwalk Empire' You know, the important things!

One of my favorite reads 'Forgotten Old Photos ', was blog of note this week. This lovely lady does such a beautiful job of bring the past to the present. Many of the photo's she posts, actually make their way back to their families. Can you imagine receiving an unknown photo of long gone relatives? Amazing.

Another blog i enjoy along those lines is 'Forgotten Bookmarks'. Old books, and the forgotten treasures tucked inside their pages. I eat this stuff up. Many of my old books are from my Grandparents. I love finding treasures stuffed between the pages. I have found many articles from their hometown newspaper, directions to apple orchards and inside this copy of, 'Sonnets From The Portuguese', was this cute add from 1928:

Was someone shopping for a new frock for the dance? We'll never know, but it's fun to eaves drop into that little window of time.

I think my love for all things old and forgotten is a desire to rescue the past. To hold on to and bring back to life even the tiniest and dustiest glimpse into what once was.

And i just love old junk. ♥

Have a great day!

Doodle Did It-Part 1

2010-11-15T12:25:00.000-07:00

Anytime something has been chewed up, dug up or just plain messed with, we declare, "Doodle did it" We know this to be true because Maximus would never lower himself to the hi jinx of his sister. There's too much shame involved and he just doesn't enjoy 'badness'

Case in point- the suspicious brown blob on the floor that Max is walking away from, isn't what you might think...

...it's what's left of our friend the Tick. May he rest in pieces.

Territorial birds you ask? No, Doodle loves bird noms...a lot. Mmmm, birdie noms.

Have you a square to spare? Or twenty? Notice again, Max has an appropriate toy at hand (paw)
WHAAA! Brand new rug- brought it home that day- didn't even get a chance to get it dirty!

Whom you may ask? Doodle did it.

...to be continued.

Clean- It's How I Roll

2010-11-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

Clean. I've been on a major roll lately. Windows, cabinets, woodwork, if it's not moving, i've cleaned it!

It's how i handle stress- i take it out in cleaning. The smell of Lysol is my drug. This last week has been a humdinger. Sweet Man was in last week for kidney surgery and is recovering beautifully. This is nothing new to us, he has on going kidney issues that require the occasional surgery, but it always puts me into stress mode.

My first born turned 14 last week. It doesn't seem that long ago she was 'lil Ms. B, sporting pony tails and playing polly pockets! She's growing into such a beautiful person. (still makes me feel old )

Then one morning last week, Rylee woke up vomiting all over the family room (more cleaning)

Later in the day she became more and more lethargic, normally this wouldn't send us bolting for the emergency room, but something just didn't seem right. We took her in and found out her blood pressure was so low, so probably wouldn't have survived the night!

After they stabilized her and ran numerous tests, we were told she has Addison's disease. This is when the adrenal gland does not produce enough cortisol or aldosterone. Certain breeds are prone to this disease, like Poodles, which is in her breeding. She showed no symptoms, except for the vomiting.

Poor baby girl, she'll require medication therapy for the rest of her life, but the Doctor said it shouldn't effect the quality of her life.

Maximus has been very depressed since she's been away. He's use to her bossing him around (i think he likes it!) and now he has to get a job to support Rylee's drug habit! Kidding : )

They are quite a team

We were allowed a visit last night. She's been chewing out her I.V. so now she wears the cone of shame. We shared a few minutes in the cone together.

Things can only get better, right? Hopefully she'll be home soon.

Now to tackle those carpets!

Happy Wednesday!

Happy Haunting My Pretties

2010-10-31T07:53:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween! (Now run along and bring mama her candy)

Halloween Leftover

2010-10-29T08:55:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday! ( is it really Friday already? )

This week has just slipped away from me. Do you ever feel like that? I don't know where the month of October even went!

Well, apparently more than just time has been getting away from me. Yesterday when i was dusting the shelves, i found this little leftover from last Halloween!

EEK! Really, i do dust more that just once a year! Guess i just haven't been paying very close attention to what i was dusting!

That shriveled little glittery glob use to be this cute pumpkiney ba-ling!

O.K. while i'm in confessing all, see that glittered-up acorn in the picture above? Well, after a few days of being in my warm house, that acorn gave birth to a couple of larva. Yeah, you heard me, larva. Now, don't get me wrong-i love bugs-i just didn't expect them to appear in my blinged-up fall display!

...and i ate big globs of cookie dough while pretending to clean up the kitchen last night.

Thats all i got...for now ; )

Hope you have a fantastic Halloween weekend and your kids collect all your favorite candy!

"Winds-Day"

2010-10-26T10:03:00.000-06:00

Gopher: "If i was you, i'd think about skedaddlin' out of here"

Winnie the Pooh: "Why?"

Gopher: "Cause it's 'Winds-Day' "

We woke up today to a beautiful misty morning

The colors are almost at their peek...and then came the wind. Good-bye to the leaves,

and hello to sticks!
It's got to be the dogs favorite time of year

Chasing leaves and chewing sticks

Smelling the air

I love the breeze through the house and how it billows the curtains. Rylee can keep inventory of all her leaves from here.

Happy 'Winds-Day'

Favorite Find and a Sneak Peek Room Re-Do

2010-10-19T08:07:00.000-06:00

Well, here she is.

Isn't she beautiful?

For years i've looked for a large wire laundry basket, without any luck. I've searched estate sales (not to be found) and e-bay (crazy prices) but then a few weeks back, i eyed this baby in the back of a woman's garage. She was having a sale...i don't usually rummage through peoples garages! I asked her if she would be willing to part with it, and without hesitation she said, "How about twenty bucks?"

GASP!

O.K. Gaia, stay calm... "Sure, that sounds fair"

Score.of.the.day. Insert happy dance here ; )

This is by far my favorite find of the year. I tried her out through out the yard and all over the house, but ended up filling her up with fabric and using it in my craft room.

Love,love,love!

I began the re-do of Ms. A's bedroom. Here is a sneak peek at her new wall color and bed,

yummy chenille bedspread and bright pink throw,

and re-painted desk. Hopefully i can finish this up in a reasonable amount of time! Stay tuned for the reveal coming soon!

I want to say "Hey!" and "Welcome" to a few new followers! Love having you here.

Have a great Tuesday!

So Happy To Have You For Dinner...

2010-10-16T11:45:00.000-06:00

" 'Tis now the very witching time of night,

When churchyards order yawn and hell itself breathes out

Contagion to this world"

~William Shakespeare~

Welcome! Today i'm linking up with A Fanciful Twist for a little spooky fun. Come join us at the table where you don't know WHO we're having for dinner! Boowhahaha!

The guest that never leaves
Would you like to sit at the 'head' of the table?

Our main course, mmmm

More visitors

Thanks for being our guest!

Suitcase Make-Over Revisited

2010-10-15T08:09:00.000-06:00

Happy Friday! Today i'm joining Miss Mustard Seed Creations for her "Furniture Feature Friday"

I thought i would re-visit this suitcase that i turned into a table. This was probably one of my favorite projects and one of the easiest too!

I started with this big, boxy suitcase (if you're familiar with my suitcase obsession, you'll realize i had a few in my stash!)

Then painted the surface with Sherwin Williams 'Muslin' leaving the studded outside trim the color it was

I bought four unfinished legs, painted them and attached them at the corners with leg-hardware-attaching-thingies (gaww..i have no idea what their called!)

Ta Da! A loverly little table. I thought it would live in our bedroom, but it soon became a place for Sweet Man to pile his dirty clothes...uh, yeah-that wasn't working for me

So i tried it in the living room behind the love seat, and i love it there!

The perfect place for all my junkies ♡

I'll have to tell you about the train cases under the table later!

Thanks for stopping by! Hope you have a relaxing and creative weekend!

The Garage Sale Gods Were Smiling

2010-10-12T07:23:00.001-06:00

Just when you think the season is over, the garage sale gods smile upon you and send you an end of season wind fall of wonderful junk. This weekend i went to one sale (which for me is like only eating one bite of a cookie) and met the sweetest lady. Don't you find you met the nicest people at sales? This woman was cleaning out her late Aunts home and decided to have a last minute sale- i decided to take a last minute drive, and the garage sale gods smiled on us both!

I've been thinking of re-doing our powder room and adding a gallery of small prints-these horses will be perfect

(I know, another project)

Couldn't pass on this Pottery Barn drink carrier- it's useful, right? ; )

This little pile of wonderfulness was only $5.oo (little happy dance)

The wild flower book is filled with beautiful illustrations

I'm going to turn these into magnets-another winter project

And then there was the wall of metal boxes. I wish i had taken a picture at the sale-this was only a smidge of what she had for sale. I'm a sucker for storage boxes, especially when there this cute!LOVE this sweet girl. The marker came off pretty easily with a 'Magic Eraser' and some 'Goof Off '. I scrubbed them all up and now think i'm ready to re-organize my pantry. Yes, another project.

But the best find of all was an old wire laundry basket. I've been searching for one of these for.ev.ah. In my euphoria, i forget to snap a picture of it. Next time.

Now i'm off to start the re-do of Ms. A's bedroom. Yes, i know...another project!

I had a great time linking up with The Shabby Nest for 'Frugal Friday' and saw SO many beautiful blogs and amazing projects. Welcome to several new followers! Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving your sweet comments ( you know how we love comments!) I can't wait to make a big cup of coffee and spend some time exploring your blogs!

What projects do you have planned for the winter?

Lamp Shade Make-Over

2010-10-07T07:30:00.000-06:00

Hey! I'm linking up with The Shabby Nest for "Frugal Friday" Stop on over and play!

Have you ever bought something with a certain idea in mind only to have that something sit in your basement for three years? Yeah, me too...like all the time. I have such good intentions. Just not good follow through.

O.K. with that confession out of the way, years ago (maybe three) i bought a plain Pottery Barn lamp shade with the intent of covering it. Maybe a bold graphic! Maybe embellished in lace! Maybe gold leaf!...or maybe i'll store it in my basement for three years.

Here's what i ended up with-and of course, there's no before picture!

Imagine a plain white shade

I dug into my stash of sheet music and covered the whole thing using matte mod podge

I love the sheets with the teachers writing on them

I trimmed the edges with a tan cotton ribbon, and added a light kit

Used up all my supply of linen to make miles of cord cover

Shoved in the cord and scrunched like crazy

Using a medium sized cup hook in the ceiling, i hung the lamp ( here's where you stop and send up a prayer that it doesn't fall out of the ceiling and bonk your children in the head- they frown upon that)
Perfect over the piano! Now i can see what i'm playing and have no more excuses for all the mistakes ("No, it's the bad lighting, really!")

Now to tackle the 50 other projects waiting for me in the basement!

Have a great day!

Farmers Market Goodness

2010-10-05T07:43:00.000-06:00

Hello, my name is Gaia and i'm a farmers market junkie (hello, Gaia)

I love our farmers market. Not enough people in my area take advantage of all the locally grown wonders there. Veggies, plants, hand made soaps and art work. It's one of our best kept secrets! I love bringing home big bunches of fresh flowers and yummy veggies. Last weekend i bought tons of corn, cut it all off the cob and froze it for later. And i got this colorful bunch of fall flowers. Remember this pitcher? It's perfect for big arraignments

The color and texture of cocks comb has always intrigued me

And look at the little friend i brought home!

I got six plants for $20.00. Six! I mixed mums and ornamental cabbages in this wagon i picked up this summer. Check out my pumpkins-we grew these babies!

Someone decided to take a little nibble out of the bottom of this guy-it reminds me of 'James and the Giant Peach' !

(and yes, the flowers are fake) gasp!

Go visit your local farmers market- you never know what you'll find!