Lent has begun!

 

Well Lent started yesterday and we believe that we should give up something in order to better walk with Christ.

 

Well I decided to give up shopping at the thrift store.  For some this may not be a very big deal, but for me it is BIG!!  I love to go and just walk around aimlessly and I go at least once a week.  I use it as a way  de stress.  Now for the next six weeks I won’t be going.  I hope I can make it.

 

As a matter of fact, I was washing some things that I picked up Monday night and putting them away.  When I stopped to show my 17 year old daughter a cup with her initial on it that I had bought.  When my  lovely, smiling, sweet 11 year old daughter screamed “ha I knew you could never make it”

 

That picture of my son on top is how I felt!!!!

Less is More

hn

Remember these.  They were, well ugly.  They had way to much going on. 

So I took everything off of them and stripped them down to their bases and they looked like this.

So I took the pot painted it white.  It took four coats to cover up the neon blue.  I just used acrylic paint that I had.   

I then printed out a fleur de  lis  and burned around the edges with a lighter.  As you can see I got a little carried away with my first attempt.    I then took out the mod podge and adhered it to the front of the tree shaped pot.   Then added Ralph Lauren smoke glaze to give it just the right vintage look.

I then used spray adhesive and coated it well and rolled it in moss that I had on hand.

Here is the first one finished.

Posted at The Shabby Chic Cottage

Black and white and red all over.

I was looking through my pictures this  morning and decided to see what features I could play with and discovered Live Writer!!

I think this may really work!!  I am loving it!!

Well back to what I really want to write about.  My favorite color is red and you can tell that right away when you step in.  However lately after the holidays mostly, I have been gravitating towards black and white.

Well when I was rearranging my living room after  Christmas I decided to use this trunk that I picked up at a yard sale a couple of years ago for $10 for and end table instead of just an eyesore and storage that it was being used for.   The table that was in this space just seamed to small on this wall.   The window came from a yard sale over the summer it was in a free pile.  There were 5 more with it and I am still kicking myself for not taking the rest.  In the last week alone I have found 5 more ways they could be used!!!

This lamp had been on the table  and we need the light in this area so I just kept it there.  I added the books under it to give it a little more height and the top of the trunk is not quite flat so this balanced it more.  The lamp originally came from my parents, I just went to Jo-Ann's and bought some bead trim to dress it up.  I had a coupon so I paid a couple of bucks for the trim.  The decorative ball I made out of  rope and a Styrofoam ball and my trusty glue gun.  I got the idea from the Country Chic Cottage.  She is a new blogger and has WONDERFUL ideas.

This cast iron dog is one of a pair of bookends that came from my grandparents.  I just love it.  The votive holder I made with my stash of buttons and a cheap clear holder I had laying around the house.

This picture shows a better view of the rope ball and my husband’s baby picture from the hospital.  It is 1962 vintage (he he), the frame replaced  a cheap(and I mean cheap not thrifty)one I picked this one up at a yard sale for 50 cents.

This is my grandparents wedding photo (they are the ones seated).  My mom and dad had it blown up and framed and gave it to us for Christmas.  I love it here because it really shows.  They were both very dear to me and were so active in our lives while I was growing up.  I was so glad that my parents thought to do this for me.  Thanks Mom and Dad!!!!

This is a black and white sketch I picked up at a yard sale a couple of years ago for 75 cents.  The matting has some water damage but you can’t really see it in person and for that price I was willing to live with it.

Finally this “thing” came from an estate sale.  I paid $3.00 for it.  It was in the barn and I think maybe part of a banister at one point.  I stuck my 50 cent yard sale candle on top and just love it!!  The heart wreath is more white buttons from my stash.

Well thanks for visiting a little corner of my living room and please leave lots of comments I thrive on them:)

Oh so drab to really fab!

My husband and I went to an estate sale back in November that was absolutly amazing (ie. cheap prices, good stuff). Well among other stuff I picked up these two lamps with the shades for $3.00. Yes for both lamps and both shades. Score!! Well I brought them home and was showing my husband where I wanted them to go in my kitchen. I told him I wasn't a fan of the brass and wanted to know if he could spray paint them for me. He said "what color do you want them?" I said"white no black no RED!!!" So a couple of hours latter...........

I need my technology!!!!

Well this has been one tough morning. As my husband was leaving for work he anounced that the mini van would not start to call the neighbor to pick up the kids for school and left. O.k. Went to get on line to do a quick check of the balance in our checking account(today is payday and we have direct deposit, we also won't get pay stub till Monday). No internet connection, that means no phone service because they are interkinked and digital. Cell phone is out of minutes and husband has the other one. By the way he was in charge of reloading the other one that is out of minutes. No phone no internet no cell and I have not had my COFFEE!!!! Knock on another closer neighbors door and ask to use their phone, call the neighbor who is 2 blocks away to get kids to school, ok. Well at least that works. Call husband to let him know what is going on(read as scream). He works on the road so he can only walk me through what to do. Tells me to shut down and turn off computer and unplug phone modem. I do that and when I went to turn it all on a few minutes later the six plug outlet won't work it is dead. So I unplug everything and try to plug it all into the other

one that is next to it that has or other computer and phone stuff and lights plugged into it. No lights now they had to go. Under the desk laying on my stomach with a flashlight trying to figure out exactly what I really needed and having my three year old tell me when stuff went black. Got everything but the phone plugged in. Well I don't need it if the Internet is still down. My friend stops by to get the last kid to school who wouldn't fit in with the rest( he is in pre-school)and lets me use her cell phone. Can't get a hold of company for Internet/phone or husband. Manage to start car and finally 5 hours later Internet back up and running!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh yes we did pay the bill on time. In case you were wondering. we still don't know why it didn't work and we are looking at a new vehicle tomorrow!!!I hope this one lasts that long.

Cleaning out the cupboards can be yummy!!!

In my ever increasing attempt to keep our grocery bill as small as can be I am always on the look out for recipes that call for ingredients that I have on hand and want to use up.

This is one such recipe. I needed a quick meal last week and forgot to thaw anything!!! So remembering a recipe that I have not made in a very long while I grabbed Miriam B. Loo's Family Favorites cookbook and looked up the recipe for salmon cakes. Well I had one can of salmon (14.25 oz). The original recipe called for one(7.5 oz can) but only served 2-4 people. Well to feed our crew I would need to times it by 6. What to do I had no more salmon, no tuna, nothing defrosted I need to go to the store and shop badly and it was already 6:00 at night. With no time to think and children crowding around me crying out in hunger what was I to do. Also because the shopping was still a day away we were out of peanut butter, bread, and milk. Well just when I thought that I was going to have to spend money on a pizza I decided to just go for it and times it by 6 with only a double recipe of salmon.

The next ingredient was 1/3 of a cup of saltine crackers. Well I had none of those. So I combed the cupboards for all the different remains of the crackers we did have. Wheat thins, generic Ritz, anything. I still didn't have enough to make the two cups I needed. So I added bread crumbs to make up the last half of a cup. Then six eggs. Check (whew I had that). 12 TBSP. onion, equals 3/4 of a cup I have none so I leave it out. 3/4 of a cup of milk, none open a can of evaporated milk. Was going to use 1/2 evaporated milk and 1/2 water but forgot and used just milk oh well. 6 TBSP. lemon juice, check. Butter or margarine for frying. Mixed it all up and crossed my fingers. Well I couldn't make patties like the recipe instructed so I just dropped it bu a spoon into the pan. Waited a couple of minutes and flipped. All plated up with carrot sticks and some ranch dressing. Sat the kids down and we all dug in by 6:30, it was at least fast. O.K. wait for the picky eaters to start complaining. Nope everyone loved it and has requested it again already. A WINNER!!!!!

Well if you want the "correct" recipe here it is:

1(7 1/2) can of salmon, drained and flaked
1/3 cup saltine cracker crumbs
1 slightly beaten egg
2 TBSP. chopped onion
2 TBSP. milk
1 TBSP. lemon juice
2 TBSP. butter or margarine

Combine all ingredients except butter, blending well. Shape into 4 flat patties. Melt butter or margarine in a small skillet; saute patties on both sides until golden brown and heated through. Add more butter to skillet, if necessary. Serve topped with white sauce and peas.

We left out the peas of the white sauce.

Linking to Kimba at A soft place to land for DIY Day

Michelle