Yellow

Raise your hand if you are familiar with the term "calf-scours". 

Now raise it even higher if you know what it smells like!  YUK!!

 

If you didn't get to raise your hand, prepare to be enlightened.  Scours is basically diarrhea in baby calves - NOT A GOOD SITUATION - EVER!  And it smells even worse than it sounds...can make a grown farmer cry when coming into contact with the stuff.  And it has a lovely drab yellow tone. And it's the exact color this house was painted when I moved in after we got married.

 

The poor lady who chose the color, painted every out building the same golden hew - even the barbed wire fence.  God bless her soul.

 

Needless to say, for the first 13 years of our relationship I had banned from our home and yard anything that looked like it might be YELLOW.  However, for our wedding the roses were yellow....hmmm. 

 

But now I've found a love for the color.  Check out the dresser.

 

Here's the ugly pic from my dumb phone of the $10 chest-

 

Finished.

Painted with a bright yellow paint...I mean BRIGHT!

Sanded.

Waxed with a Jacobean-colored furniture wax.

New handles.

Took the brassy things off the middle of the drawers.

{Yes, I saved them!}

 

Looks good with the hollyhocks.

Looks even better in our dark blue bedroom. 

 

Yellow's not so bad.

Becky

Timber.

 We had our ladies lunch last week at church.  I had the SIMPLE task of adding a little something to the tables.  I went to town, bought a bunch of crap ( in my mind it was going to be beautiful).  Put it on the tables.  Stepped back and thought to myself - YUK!

 

I then removed the failed vision from the tables.  Called Mike and asked if he had time to meet me at home with his chainsaw.  I think he said "sure!"...maybe not.

 

He cut down a tree {it needed to go anyway - two birds} and then cut twenty "disks" from the trunk.  We gathered all the Mason jars we could find.  Added a candle and ribbon to the small ones and flowers to the larger.

 

SO MUCH BETTER....and FREE!

 

 

The dining hall in our church doesn't have much ambience.  We do what we can.

 

For the flowers we used fern leaves, hosta leaves, coneflowers, daisies, purple salvia, sprigs of thyme, and some snow-on-the-mountain...all from our yard.  There was room for more greens in each jar but I was getting stingy with my flowers.  Last year was so dry that I didn't have many...this year I'm appreciating them as they should be appreciated.

...cards out of scrapbook paper with friendship/sister/girly quotes and a copy of

some old pictures we had.

 

We also used 3 yard lengths of 12inch wide burlap for table runners.  Add a funky green napkin, tableware, and the program and it looked complete...as opposed to the first mess-up.

 {I cannot show anyone my first attempt - it was much too sad - you'll have to trust me.} 

 

The kids said that they weren't surprised when I changed everything last minute. Hmmm.

 

Becky

Best Friend Pillows

I had these ugly pillows that needed a new look.  I never enjoyed making pillow covers because I don't like to hand sew the opening together...LaZy!!

 

But NOW ... NOW  I've learned to make them envelope-style and every throw pillow in my house is being recovered.  Easy peasy.

 

 Using the custom paper size option with Microsoft Publisher, I came up with just the right size creature I wanted on each pillow.

 

When you print it looks like the "tiles" below.

Then tape the tiles together, transfer to Ultra Heat-n-Bond (I have an unhealthy loving relationship with this stuff), cut out of desired fabric, and iron that baby on to your pillow cover.  I used black duck cloth on blue and white ticking.  I also stitched around my dogs...just because.  Don't really need to stitch with the Ultra stuff.  As a matter of fact, every REAL seamstress out there is saying right now, "Can't believe she sewed through Ultra Heat-n-Bond.  That stuff will gunk up her needle somethin' terrible."  I know and the needle has been replaced.

 

 

 And here we have Tess, our Golden Retreiver, and Woody, our Newfoundland.

  

 

...a great accent to the boys' beds.

 

Becky

Boys Bathroom

This weekend we updated the boys' bathroom (in the basement = bad lighting) from spa like soothing colors to something a bit more masculine.  "Because, ya know Mom, we are guys."

 

 

The paint color is Valspar's Shark Fin.

 

I'm especially proud of the old flag we hung over the shower curtain.

 

Anyone know what this sign means?  I don't. 

Found it in an antique store for ten bucks...had to have it.  The gentleman that sold it to me offered that it was an old railroad sign.  Really?

The old medicine cabinet is home to those manly kinda things an eleven and six year old need...deodorant, Axe, face wash, a razor without a blade, bandaids, rubber snake, a Barbie head (don't ask), and of course, a stick.

 

Boys!

 

Becky

Sewing with #3

While the oldest two were away at 4-H camp this summer, #3 and I had a

"just me and you" sewing day.

First up ... a skirt.

 

Look, Mom!  I used pins! 

Mom said to me, on more than one occasion, that she didn't know how any of my sewing projects ever turned out because I NEVER use pins.  With kids...you HAVE to use pins...UGH!

 

The hem IS even.  She's just sticking her booty out for comic relief.

Then on to the pennant banner for the girls' bedroom.

 

She cut out the triangles.

 

 

I PINNED them onto the bias tape... right side down.

 

#3 stitched them together with a zig-zag stitch.

 

 

I finished the other one because attention deficit set in and she had TV to watch before the other two got home.

This is a super simple project even if you don't sew...use fabric glue or heat-n-bond.

 

Later-

B

Camp Stool

It's July....crunch time for 4-H projects

. 

This Friday is Fashion Revue.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with 4-H, this is an event in which the 4-Her makes a clothing item and then models the item with coordinating accessories in front of a judge.  Back in my day this provided "Toddler and Tiara" type of competition amongst as Johnson County 4-Hers.  Not kidding.  Things aren't as ugly around here.

While I'm having flashbacks and hotflashes about midnight sewing sessions to finish the clothing projects, I thought I'd procrastinate a bit more and show you the project that #1 completed last week.

We found this cute little raggedy camp stool at Habitat for a dollar.

#1 sanded the legs to get the grime off and then rubbed on a coat or two of clear wax.

Then he made a new seat out of vintage cowboy canvas using the old seat as a pattern.

Notice the tape on the machine?  This is a life saver when teaching kids how to sew.  Place the tape where the seem allowance needs to be and the child has all kinds of room to keep the edge even with the tape and the seem allowance will be consistent (best case scenario).

He covered the nails with decorative vintage looking nailheads. 

Took him about three hours from start to finish to complete. 

That's excluding the we-(Mom and #1) need-a-break-from-eachother moments.  Everyone has these when working with their kids, right? 

Step away...just step away.

It can hold up to 50 pounds...

(probably more - but we won't test that until after Achievement Days.)

Now I'm ready to head back to the sewing room with #2.

Becky

Centerpiece

Oh my goodness I have SO patted myself on the back for the creation of this centerpiece for our Christmas Day celebration.  Forgive me if I seem to be bragging, but honestly, I am.

Our dining table extends to 10 feet long and I wanted something to completely fill the space...well, leave a little room for eating.  I was checking in on Donna at Funky Junk during a mind-numbing blog surf and found her centerpiece.  It was perfect!  I changed the theme a bit for my vision.  Check it out!

 Obviously, I went with the baking thing.  I had a few of these things but a stop at one of my favorite antique stores filled in the gaps.  By the way... this "favorite antique store" of mine sent me an actual "thank you for the business this year" Christmas card.  Can you guess who opened it before I got to it?  That's right.  It was Mike.  Now can you imagine what may have been running through his head when he figured out who it was from?  Trouble right here in River City.  Actually, he just laughed because someone ratted me out about my shopping adventures.

I had to give the owner some grief about letting my husband in on my shopping habits.  I warned Mr. Shop Owner Man that he had better keep our antique/junk dealing relationship on the down low or he may never see me again.  He of course realized that was on empty threat but smiled and gave me 20% off my purchase.  I guess I'll go back. 

Most of the greenery is real.  Just went out and snipped off some branches from the shelter-belt.  Don't really know why I haven't done that before.  Real stuff gets thrown away and you don't have to STORE it!  Brilliant!  It smells good too.

I set the whole thing up on a muslin table runner.  It really cannot be moved with ease.  If I would have planned better I would have set up a little wooden number of some kind to assemble everything on top of...next year.

The cookbook page was added later.  It was a sign.  I was cleaning out a bunch of books and the page fell on the floor.  Check out the recipes.  {A bit blurry - sorry}  If that doesn't say Christmas, I don't know what does!

Becky

Poinsettias

Merry Twelve Days of Christmas.  I feel like I'm kinda back to my normal self.  As Mike said last night..."Do you feel free from the bonds of St. Nicholas?"  Getting there.  Does anyone else freak out, stress out, worry yourself sick, etc. about not disappointing your kids for Christmas and making sure everything is fair??!!  IT. HAS. CONSUMED. ME.  Things have to change next year.  {I say that every year.}

On a more relaxed note, I'd like to share a couple of my Christmas decorations over the next few days.  Hope you're not all tired of the season yet.  If so, maybe wait to read this week's stuff until next year.

My husband buys me poinsettias at the local farm store every year in December.  This year they were absolutely beautiful.  Obviously, one or two could not, would not be enough.  SO I bought a few more and here's where I put them...

 Old Bread Box

Old Not-Really-Copper Boiler

Old Cooler

Finally, an Old Locker Basket.

{Extra photo of the tree in the entry...because I heart it}

Simple. 
Elegant.
 Not too expensive
{no guilt when you throw em out with the trash}.
 Lasts the entire season.
{if you wan them to}

Becky

Turkey Tree

I'm always looking for an excuse to decorate a "Christmas" tree.  During a recent mind numbing blog hopping hour or two I came across Sugar Pie Farmhouse.  She goes to incredible lengths for her fall decor.  Her "Save Your Fork" tree inspired me to do the same.

My tree is the top of a full size white tree that I bought "real cheap, Clark" from a floral shop.  It had been stored in the sun over the summer and turned the perfect ivory color...well, perfect for me...not so perfect for the shop owner.

We used the Cricut to cut out the tags and hung them with twine.  We pasted a few copies of old Thanksgiving postcards on to some of the tags.

The best part is the old tarnished silverware.  The forks and knives are tied on with scraps of muslin.

Lucky number 7.

Gotta love a turkey.  God giggled when he made these guys.

Found the box in the barn.  Sprayed it with a bleach and water combo.  Rinsed it with water and watched the yuk wash away.  No scrubbing needed.

I was inspired by Beyond the Screen Door when I made the table runner.  It's burlap with a fu-fu ruffle on both ends.

Sidebar:  Shortly after I took these photos the tree crashed to the ground.  I was mad.  It laid there for 2 days.  Then I said to myself, "Aunt Ruthie wouldn't leave her tree on the floor." 

I put on my big girl boots and reassembled the darn thing. 

Enjoying Fall-

Becky

The Halloween Mantel

So I drag all the boxes of Halloween Decor out of the storage closet in the basement on Thursday - that's the first step, ya know.  On Monday, #4 suggested that I might want to get something decorated and put things "back in their place".  I hate it when my own words come back to haunt me. 

{pun intended}

On Wednesday, we took action.

Instead of strewing it throughout our home, I/we decided to put most of the coolest stuff on the mantel in the basement...like a good blogger should do.  I always feel like a loser when I'm spending time perusing my favorite blogs and they are showing off their divinely decorated seasonal mantels and mine is empty, bare, deserted, lonely...you get the point.

{ Keep in mind - there is no natural light at 7:30 in the evening in the basement. My attempts at editing the yellow out were not good.  Forgive me.}

Here's what we did.

Old birdcage found in the dumpster after an auction...I have no pride.

Cool old mirror from my summer trip to Indy.

The makeshift shelf came from above a big window in an abandoned house...yes, I did ask if I could have it.

The hurricane is filled with skeleton parts from the dollar store.

The crows are from Jo-Ann Fabrics.

I love crows!  Does anyone else have this obsession with crows?

The signs came from the dollar store for. . . a dollar each.

The "mantel scarf" is black cheesecloth that the kids had fun ripping apart.

#4 decorated his room with orange lights.  He couldn't wait to show his roommate . . . #1.

Oh, and he was especially excited to see #1's reaction when he found the spider that he had hidden under his sheets.  Ahhh, the beauty of being the little brother.

Happy haunting-

Becky