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

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

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

Technologically Advanced

To all of those out there trying to find the perfect gift for your "techie", I give you the

OVERHEAD PROJECTOR!

I have been yearning for one of these for a very long time.  Truth be told, probably since first grade.  How this would have made playing school SO. MUCH. BETTER.

Just a mere $25 bought me this beauty from a recent stop at my local Restore.  These Restore places are amazing, I tell ya.

Look what the children did with it.  First they circled like a bunch of sniffing dogs.  Then they touched it.  Then I showed them what it could do.  Then the creativity started flowing.

First up - the eldest. 

 ('cuz that's how we oldest kids roll... backa the line...we know it's a problem.)

Here's his contribution.

I'm not proud.

Notice the "d" is backwards?

Who's the dork?

#2 had to retaliate...

What she wrote is not suitable for my audience to see. 

I didn't even know she knew how to spell those things.

I'm not proud.

#3's chance...

Now we're all dorks.

When she was done the last line read, "I am the goodest."

Really, they do go to school.

Notice her evil smirk.

Notice her sisters' disgust.

See there...it doesn't always take the latest in the tech world to make kids happy.  Try something simple.  My kids thought it was the "newest thing".  Then again, THEY are simple.  They had a blast insulting each other with a dry erase marker for about an hour or so. 

Happy Christmas shopping.

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

Have a Seat

More about the "Little Red House"...

Here's the "project/thinkin'/workin'/snackin'/chattin' table. 

Many brilliant ideas are congered up right here and it's NEVER this clean.  {None of these photos are staged - obviously.  Showin' ya how it is.}  Notice the chairs?

This is what they looked like when I brought them home from the Habitat Restore.

For some reason the early-twenty-something-college-student-volunteer-worker thought they were ugly.  Little did she know that my mom would have killed for these chairs when I was in high school!!  Worked to my benefit - they were priced at $10 each and I bought them all for $35.  She mumbled something like "oh please, get those disgusting things out of here".  I felt judged.

But with $10 slipcovers from Sure-Fit I think they are smashing. 

That'll fix Suzie's little red wagon! 

Sidebar:  Here's a pic of the ceiling.  It's galvanized tin barn siding/roofing.  I think it's super cool and I kinda love the picture.

Sidebar #2:  Here's another pic of the felt board with the "new" project pieces on display.  I'm only including this because I like the looks of that pumpkiny orange color with black.  Happy moment.

Sidebar#3:  Kids are back in school.  These 2 photos crack me up.  The first - the big fourth grade brother is not happy about being requested to put his arms around his sisters.  {Makes me a bit sad, also}

The second- it looks like Woody the Newfoundland is going to eat the girls!  However, I know inside he's big ole dog head he's thinkin', "thank goodness these two drama queens are going back to school!"  Dorks.

Blessings- B

Whatcha Gonna Give?

SATURDAY...

I went to an auction! 

First one in a couple of years.  I'm absolutely GIDDY! 

Kids 1, 2, & 3 had the morning off so they went along to find some kitchen ware for their playhouse.  Number 4 helped Dad fence and #5 would have rather been in a tractor but she had no choice but to go with us.  She's easy to keep entertained with a bag of Cheetos.  I remember early in my mothering career, the statement that I just made would have been inconceivable.  Let my child eat less than nutritious snacks... I think not!  Thank goodness I've relaxed. 

Anyway, on to the good stuff.

For $21.00 we came home with these treasures:

Let's begin with our big purchase of the day coming in at $10-

Mike was soooo excited when he saw my "bolt bin".  Then he was a little disappointed when I shared my thoughts of how pretty my fat quarters would be when arranged neatly inside.

I love the Sioux Steel stamp on the side.

This cute clock was in the same pile of stuff with the bin.  Doesn't work but I liked the face.

One wire freezer basket with a bunch of old tools in it for a dollar and a tall skinny freezer basket with a few other things in it for a dollar.  They're nice and rusty.  Gonna be cute with a muslin or canvas liner for toys and books and stuff.

I fought for this precious storage unit... $4!  

Not quite tall enough for a nightstand but fun sitting on top of another table for storage. 

Needs a bath. 

divided drawers....

... a few extra seed peas if anyone needs some...

...my hand model...

...still the cute 2 year old...

...copper drawer pulls...

I had to give $3 for this cool tool box.

There's a board nailed to the side???  That's coming off tomorrow.

Inside the box were some squares of sheet metal - I'm thinkin' 4-H project.  I'll let ya know.

{I just liked this pic beside my old bike!}

For ONE DOLLAR kids can furnish the entire kitchen of their playhouse.  They were thrilled!!  They played in the grass with their treasures while Mom watched the rest of the sale.

Some people were so kind as to give them unwanted items out of the boxes they had purchased.

Dad needed one or two to help him when we got home.  They decided they'd all help Dad to make it go faster so they could come back and set up shop. 

(Sometimes they work together without being told.)

One last "dollar" item... a box of sewing supplies.  Helloo.. the duct tape was worth the dollar.

There's a glue gun, old buttons, lots of thread, velcro, and so many needles that I'll never have to buy another.

That's my fun Saturday.

I see 90 degree weather is headed our way. 

Tomorrow's project is the shaving of the 140 pound Newfoundland! 

Doesn't he look excited?

He'll be happier when it's over.

I don't know what kind of gross stuff is under his chin but it's coming off too.

Say a prayer for the people dealing with the water.

Blessings-

B