Cub Scout Cake Project

I have to do a little bit of bragging on my Grandson, Braden.

He (with the help of his Mom), created an awesome cake

for his cub scout cake auction.

The auction helps raise money for the cub scout troop.

Here he is with his cake.

His cake was auctioned for $27

AND

He got an award for most original design.

(click on picture for closer viewing)

 See how he and his Mom made the cake.

She has step by step instructions here at her Blog.

Here is his cake from last year.

It's a bee-hive cake.

(click on picture for closer viewing)

I am amazed at how fast he is growing up. 

I want them to stay little for a bit longer.

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

♥

Kraftastic Kristi

~ My daughter, Kristi, is so crafty, in fact, I call her Kraftastic Kristi.

Kristi and her husband, Dan

~ Kristi has started her own blog where she shares her creative creations, 

I want to share it with you.

~ She creates some of the cutest things and is a really great Mom to 4 kids. 

Kristi is my middle child and my only daughter.

~ Take a few moments and look at her blog and her kraftastic creations.

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

♥

~ Lisa ~

Kitchen Chalkboard

~ I am enjoying my new kitchen chalkboard. 

♥

~ Kevin and I are always leaving notes for each other,
now we will know exactly where to

place a note and where to READ a note. 

~ We use it to remind us of upcoming events for the week such as:

• grandkids birthday parties
• upcoming birthdays, anniversaries
• doctor appointments
• grocery list
• miscellaneous

~ Here is the before picture.



I forgot to get a before picture so when I was in Hobby Lobby,
I snapped a picture with my phone.



~ Here is the after picture

I took off the cork board part and painted it red

to match the rest of my kitchen.

The grandkids have fun with it too.

I even have a new place to hang my pot holders.

The best part is... I got it for 1/2 off at Hobby Lobby!

~ Thanks for stopping by ~
♥
~ Lisa ~

Back in the project business.... but s l o w l y

~ I was pretty much banned from doing any more projects until I

completed physical therapy. 

~ I had severe shoulder pain in my right shoulder

and couldn't raise my arm over my head and could barely bend it. 

~ Why you ask? 
Because, when I was laid off from my job in March,
Kevin and I decided that I could/would take the whole
Spring and Summer off and get a lot done around the house that needed done....
like painting rooms.

~ I love painting and home projects, etc., so I was excited to begin.
I've had people ask me why doesn't Kevin do all the painting. 
Oh he does lots of things too, but he isn't really fond of painting (like I am).

~ So, I begun my project (with the agreement with MYSELF) that I would start looking for a job once Fall arrived but I would get lots of projects done until then.

~ So I worked... hard and played hard too! 
Which then, resulted in an injured right shoulder,
so off to the doctor I went to get some miracle
medication to take care of the issue. 

~ But no miracle medications were prescribed,
instead, my doctor prescribed physical therapy after
I told him that I had been sanding and painting everything that
came into my sight.  

Doc said if physical therapy doesn't help, then we would schedule an MRI.

~ Seems I overused the muscles in the right shoulder

(because I am right handed) they were swollen and needed some TLC. 

~ The folks at Advanced Physical Therapy became my BEST friends.

They would massage my shoulder and taught me exercises to do to help get

my arm back to normal.  They were really amazing to work with.

~ I spent about 3 weeks in physical therapy and graduated this past Thursday. 

My arm is 75% back to normal and they told me I could start using it again for small projects but to continue my exercises, take frequent breaks from using it and
BUY A SANDER... (ha ha)
and check back in 2 weeks to see if I am still doing OK,

if I am then I will be "officially" released.

~ Kevin is helping me with the stretching exercises. 

One of them is like the position of being arrested and handcuffed,

he has to stretch my right arm up my back with my arm bent. 

I have to do it to the point of just feeling slight pain and hold it for 10 seconds. 

It helps to stretch the muscles in the shoulder and the tendons,
it hurts but at the same time feels good. 

I think he enjoys helping me with that exercise VERY MUCH.  ☺

~ Enough babbling about my physical therapy. 

Since I graduated and was given the "GO AHEAD

and slowly start using my arm speech",

I had a small project that has been screaming out to me. 

It involves a can of red spray paint. 

I used Krylon "Banner Red" Gloss spray.  

click on any picture for a closer view

I got this salt and pepper shaker from Hobby Lobby

(50% off) a while back with the intentions of spray painting it red.

I like how it looks whimsical and fun.

I have this rooster stand with double plates that I've had for years. 

He sets in the corner on my counter and I place fruit, cookies or cupcakes on him.

~ Both items needed some "spunk" added to them,

here is a picture of my end results of my small project.

Mr. Rooster looks spunky now, he actually stands out more

and so does my salt and pepper shaker. 

I picked up the spoon rest from Kmart. 

They now carry "Country Living" items and it was 50% off. 

There is a rooster at the top of the spoon rest. 

The colors all match perfectly.

~ I'm glad to be able to work on projects again but I still have

to take it slow and be careful about overusing my arm. 

~ I'll probably have to wait until next Spring to paint my bedroom,

I've only been working on it for about 2 years now{long story}.

~ I have the back door to our house primed (it was barn red before) and had to stop when I was in so much pain and start physical therapy. 
I need to finish painting the back door before it cold. 
I plan on doing that today. 
A little bit of painting and I'll be done with the back door. 

~ I still need to get the playhouse painted before Winter.
We replaced some rotted boards on it. 
Then, I will be done with outside painting for this year I think....????

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

♥

~ Lisa ~

Jewelry Cabinet

~ All my necklaces, bracelets and earrings... are kind of just thrown into 2 drawers.  They always get tangled and the earrings get separated (sigh). 

~ I'm keeping my eye on this ~sweet~ little cabinet at the Antique store to turn into my Jewelry cabinet and hang in my bathroom.
Since the house (part of it) is over 100 years old,
the rooms are quite large,
so I have a rather LARGE master bathroom,
it even has a sit-down vanity.
 ♥_♥

~ The shelves of this cabinet are removable, 
so I'll remove the top shelf and put in some hooks. 
The bottom shelf will be for bracelets and earrings. 

~ I might just leave it as it is... or replace the glass with mirror. 

I probably won't paint it either... it's just the way I like it.

I'm watching and waiting for the price to go down. 

☺

The angle of the picture makes the
cabinet appear small but it is rather large. 

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

♥

~ Lisa ~

My Old {New} Cedar Chest

~ Kevin and I were roaming Webb Antiques in Richmond, Indiana

one weekend and found an old cedar chest,

it was hidden under a bunch of other junk treasures.

~ It's a fun place to go because they also serve lunch. 

We like to go and have lunch and splurge and have dessert.

~ We had been looking for a place to store our "blankies" that we use when we get a chill in the Winter or Summer (from AC).

~ This is the cute little chest we bought.

Before pictures

Click on any picture for closer view

All it needs is some TLC ♥

It took quite a bit of sanding,
this is when my arm really starting to hurt...
Maybe I should buy me an electric sander????

Here I have the chest sanded and patched...
ready for a coat of primer.

I love it white with the coat of primer but
my plans are to paint it red, distress it and
give it a home in our Patriotic room.






After pictures

Ta da.... finished product
{well almost}.

I'm still looking for an eagle or patriotic type
emblem to put on the front. 

I'm in no hurry as I have to find the perfect emblem. 
But... we don't have to wait to start using it.

Here is an up close picture of the finish,
if you click on the picture, you can see it even better.

Let's take a peak inside...
YES.... that's Kevin's blanket you see,
he is a Chicago Bears fan. 

My blanket is out... laying on me... because I am cold today.

We refreshed the cedar inside by sanding with 180 grit sandpaper. 
Just use a fine sandpaper to refresh the cedar inside.
You can do this every year.

☺

This chest will last us for many years to come and will
help store our "blankies" out of sight when not in use.


~ Thanks for stopping by ~
♥
~ Lisa ~

An old dresser made brand new!

~ I have completed another project on my long "to do" list. 

~ I am very pleased with how beautiful it turned out. 

~ I purchased this dresser for $20.00 and of course, I have a before photo.

(click on photos for closer view)

I looked past what it was and imagined what it could be
♥
I do this with a lot of things I see.

Ta dah....

Remember the glass knobs I took off of my "Grandkid" shelf? 

I recycled 4 of them {I have 2 left}
 I only had to buy 3 new handles to match for the bottom drawers. 
Found these at Lowes.


My picture quality isn't so great because if I used the flash,
it shined off of my glossy dresser and made a glare on the photo. 


Did I mention that I primed and sanded and sanded and sanded????
All my hard work usually pays off. 

I display my wedding bouquet in a cute rubber boot on the top.

Now, I am going to find a "favorite" blankie for each Grandkid
and will store it in these drawers. 

When they visit, they will know where to go to get their
very own "blankie" to snuggle and watch movies or cartoons
and have popcorn with Mimi and Grandpa.



♥

~ Thanks for stopping by ~
♥
~ Lisa ~ 

Feels like a new shelf

~ Remember these?  I showed them to you some time ago. 

With some help from my husband, I was able to shorten the screws that are permanently a part of these knobs. 

He used a special tool and his "manly " strength.  ☺

(click on pictures for better viewing)

Ceramic drawer knobs I purchased from Hobby Lobby at 50% off. 

That means they were $1.99 each. 

Here is a shelf hanging in my dining room...
I got it from "Take Root" in old downtown Greenwood.
It's for pictures ... of my grandkids!
I call it my "grandkid" shelf.

Here is a closer look at the knobs currently on the shelf!

They are glass. 

I am removing them and replacing them with my new ceramic knobs.
Don't worry... I won't waste them. 

I already have a new home for them...
(will show you in another post).

Here is the shelf now. 
I'm still working on getting updated pictures.

I have several picture frames with NO pictures.
The shiny ones are pewter...
I got those ALL of them at the thrift store....
but look closer at the "new knobs".



(click on picture for better viewing)

I ♥  it.

Now... I will collect some items to hang on the knobs....
and get some updated pictures of the grandkids....
and get new pictures of the new grandbaby {in the oven}
when HE gets here!

~ Thanks for stopping by ~
♥
~ Lisa ~

Yard Sale Bargain....

~ It seems that I cannot drive past a yard sale without STOPPING.  You just never know what you are going to find that you might purchase for a bargain price.  I was on my way home from a bridal shower on Saturday and drove past 2 garage sales.  This mirror is one of my bargains.... (before and after pictures, of course)

I arrived home, ran inside, grabbed my camera
and took a couple of before shots. 

I knew right away when I first saw it,

it was going to be painted glossy white

and be placed on my guest room wall.

♥

~ I fell it love with it immediately ~

Look at me, in the mirror and a few branches off the tree too.
It's not plastic, it's made of plaster and is heavy.
It looks whimsical, I love it. 

I took a picture of it outside because I was carrying it
down to the barn to wait for me... to.... do my magic. 

~ So fast forward a few days and ta dah.... I have it primed, painted and hanging in my guest room.  I'm also posting another yard sale find I picked up on Saturday ♥ I got it from a nearby neighbor. 

I'm loving the details of this frame.
I hung it in our guest bedroom. 
Look what I caught in the reflection... it is hanging on the opposite wall.
One of my former postings.

~ Here is another bargain.... picked up on Saturday also.  The person having the sale is having another sale in October, she has my PHONE NUMBER so I can attend......
I love her style and her little home is absolutely charming. 

Here is my other yard sale find! 
Now when guests stay overnight, they can lay their luggage
on here or sit on here to tie their shoes....

It was painted an ivory color but I primed it and spray painted it white. 
Now I have to do something with that seat cover. 
It's not staying, it clashes with my other colors...to pinky!

I have a valance hanging up but not using the panels in this room,
so... I could make a seat cover out of the panels to match...
or go with something totally different. 

I guess I'll add the seat cover to my "project list".

 ♥

It's early morning and I've heard it's going to get up to 95 today ....
I need to head out to the barn and get some of my work done early...
so I'm not baking in that heat later on today!

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

♥

~ Lisa ~

Sneak Peak

~ I need to be banned from Hobby Lobby!  Every time I go in there, I just get overwhelmed with project possibilities and my mind goes into "a" wacky overload. 

~ I'm giving you a sneak peak of 6 items I purchased yesterday {regularly $3.99 each but I got them for 50% off}.  I'll post a picture of what I do with them in the near future... as I'm still completing work on 1 end table. 

These are ceramic knobs...
I have a really cute idea for them...
just wait and see.

~ Thanks for stopping by ~

♥

~ Lisa ~

End Table(s) Re-Do and a Tour

~ These are 2 end tables I purchased {cheaply might I add} off of Craigslist recently.  I searched and searched to find the exact type of tables I wanted and.... if you wait long enough, God DOES answer prayers.

~ I stripped the tops, sanded...sanded...and ....sanded some more.  I then re-stained them with a medium oak stain and gave them 2 coats of polyurethane to protect the surface.  I removed the legs and sanded, primed and painted them and the base with colonial red.  I then distressed them with a mocha stain giving them an aged look.  They will be used in our extra room that we watch TV in or as we are calling it, our bonus/Patriotic room.  It's a small room but very cozy and the windows along the West wall provide such great light, our view is pine trees/cornfields. 

Before Pictures:  It didin't matter what color they were went I bought them,
they were going to be painted RED no mater what,
I just had to find the right style I wanted and make sure they were WOOD.

After Pictures:  The flash makes the table appear lighter than it is,

it is a deep red and I'm love...love...loving this color.

The top turned out fanstatic.... it should have, I used a lot of elbow grease on my sanding.

I have a placemat {that is Patriotic} that I will use on top

to help protect the finish {shhh... it's in the washer}

Remember these {earlier posting}...they now have a home to rest upon.

Wish I had a better camera to catch the beauty.
See my patriotic lamp on the table or some of it anyway?

Side view ~ I'm loving this color ♥

I thought I would give you a quick tour of my room. 
I got this magazine holder at the thrift store for $2.99. 
I didn't have to do a thing to it. 
I ♥ it and the colors matched perfectly. 

Just a few of the things I've collected from garage sales/thrift stores/friends/family.... etc

This shelf is painted in the same paint as the end table...
it was my test to see if I liked the process I used... it passed.

My valances... no curtains for these windows... we can't cover up the beautiful country view!

These are made by http://www.parkdesigns.net/Scripts/PublicSite/
I purchased these from the General Merchantile store in Nashville, IN,
she stocks Park Designs products...

This is my favorite store. Guess what color the store is?
YELLOW.... see a picture below of the store below.

 It's so quaint...and wonderful to sit outside {or inside} and enjoy lunch.
I asked the owner if I could live here.... that's how much I L*O*V*E it.
♥
She is a charming woman, she owned several Dairy Queens in the past,
but she sold them all and bought this store and she said she works her fanny off.

It's my favorite store in the whole town! 

Here is a view of the a corner of the room... see the lazy boy... uh... that is NOT mine! 
I painted the walls a beige color after I did a knock-down texture on them.
{Another project I did.... that took lots of back breaking, elbow grease}
 ☺
100 year old walls can be imperfect but they are PERFECT now!
This shelf... also painted with the same paint I used on the end table, it was a garage sale find.
The flag {which is a heavy metal} and the eagle decoration came from the Antique Store.
Oh...and all the outlet covers which are wooden... done in the same process RED paint!

Yes... even a patriotic clock... it was originally $30 but got it for $11 on clearance at Staples. 
I refinished the clock in the same blue I used on the lamp and distressed the clock. 
It has a flag picture and that is what I like about it.
I had to get some BLUE in this room too. 

The bicentennial plate was a gift from my Mother in-law,
the glass candle holder which is red white and blue {thrift store find YAY} was only $1.99. 
The shelf is from a store in Nashville, the star was dark brown,
Kevin painted it ...{c'mon...what color}... RED the same color we used on the lamps,
the shelves, the end table and soon...
a cedar chest {another project} ☺

This is my little bench, {no not for time-out}...well maybe. 
I sat the remote on it to show the actual size, it's perfect to prop your feet up on...
set your iced tea or coffee on, set the remote on if I ever got it that is
{for some reason, it's always in someone else's hands when HE is home}. 
It was $20 from the antique store....and already painted the perfect colors.
It was a real steal....

I saw this in a magazine, "Terry's Village" I think it was, it was $7.99... so I purchased it. 

I couldn't resist... it was too cute!

Even the bird feeder just outside the window has some Patriotic decor.... 

And... let's not forget.... our Patriotic birdhouse, you can see this birdhouse

as you sit in our "Patriotic" room.  It is still for rent...

we have not seen any activity in it yet...

however, it was just hung last weekend.  {Thank you Kevin}

~ Thanks for stopping by..... hope you enjoyed the tour!

♥

~ Lisa ~

Country Window Photo Frame

~ I knew that I wanted to display some of my favorite 5 x 7 wedding pictures {May 15, 2010} in a unique way.  I purchased an old country window in one of my favorite shops in Nashville, Indiana for $20, you can pay that much for one picture frame these days.  It was already the color I wanted so I didn't have to do anything extra to it.  I loved the way it looked "OLD".  I then purchased clear photo corners from Hobby Lobby to hold my pictures exactly where I placed them on the window.  They are behind the glass and protected nicely.

~ I display my unique frame of my favorite pictures in my guest bedroom. Every time I walk by the room, I get a glimpse of my pictures and it takes me back to that special day and that special week that I was married. I had an ugly nail to cover up once I hung the "country window photo frame" up.... so I took Kevin's boutonniere from our wedding day and hung it over the nail, sentimental for sure.