Trying some Pinterest Stuff Out

I made these personalized Sharpie mugs for my husband as a funny birthday gift. He loved them! Yes, it is permantent. Use Sharpies, bake at 350 for 30 minutes and Ta da!!!  Here I made three and he unwrapped them in order at his surprise Birthday party. People died laughing.

And here is the other side of the "Just Kidding" mug. It works just like they say it does. I just wish my writing was a little better. I'll have to look for an easy way to transfer and template and color over it.

Baby Zombies  Not for the faint of heart

I actually tried some pinterest things for the holidays. Here's some baby zombies the family made. Dad had as much fun as the kids making the, We scoured the thrift stores looking for babies that were old and missing hair. Got them for a dollar or two each.

Used craft paint to Make them spooky. (Start with a light green base) Then add grays and blacks sponged on.  And sprayed with clear Rustolium sealer.

And there ya go. My son loved it until my husband kept leaving one down a darkened hallway. Not cool. OH and buying white candles and dripping red candle wax on them is a SUPER inexpensive way to make spooky candles.


I also made a few things for my sons Halloween party at school. Ok, "Fall Festival" but I don't believe in such things. To me it will always be "Halloween".  The first were juice drinks. Lowes has all colors of electrical tape. The Mummies idea I got from Pinterest, the Jack-o-lanters where little 'ol me. Don't forget to leave the juice hole uncovered and take off the straws to re-glue after. Yes, I covered the hole on the first one and would have done it to all of them if my son hadn't pointed it out to me.

 I have to tell you, they were a HUGE hit with the kids (and mom's too). My son was so proud to tell his friends his momma made them. That was worth the effort right there. Having the other mom's think I was some sort of "crafty" genius, didn't hurt the 'ol ego either. Thank you Pinterest. I love you.

Table Top Decorations on the fly

The next were table decorations I made the morning of the party with left over stuff I had. Just spray paint some water bottles and add some ribbon. I didn't use helium. Poke a hole in the lids and pull the balloon knots through. It keeps them standing. I had the balloons just in case, and whipped out my trusty Sharpie. It really added to the festivities. After you've painted the bottles, just a some water to weight them down and keep them from tipping.

Spider Egg Sack

Oh and one more we made for the house. My son LOVED making this one.
1. Blow up a balloon.
2. use a bottle of elmers white glue thinned out with a little water.
3. Dip gauze strips in glue and squeeze out excess.
4. wrap balloon and let dry. Could take up to 1-2 days to dry until hard
5. pop balloon and pull out.
6. Hot glue a bag of spiders to "Egg"

I found the spiders at a Halloween store, but only one store that I visited had them. They were NOT the ring kind. So if you run across these, get them. Otherwise you'll have to cut the rings off.
(Sorry for the bad lighting)

Off Topic Cancer

My husband was diagnosed with cancer 6 months ago. It's been quite a fight for him with a long road ahead. He's needless to say, the love of my life. I couldn't imagine my life without him. Without going into detail at this time, I just wanted to post a picture of my tattoo.  I can look down and glance at it a million times a day and it makes me feel comforted. It's something I can keep forever, no matter what happens. You see, I'm 45 years old and have found the love of my life. I can say no matter what, I have found the love others dream about.

Front porch.

Almost done with the front porch. I still have to paint a beachy rug and a few accessories and I'll be done. Before's and after coming soon :)

Been playing in the garden

I have been having so much fun playing in our garden. And the fresh cut flowers I put on my table today....oh my! The house smells so good.


My wonderful husband and son decided to leave their ice cream dishes out side instead of putting them in the dishwasher. I'm sure they knew what an awesome summer picture it would be so they thought to help me out by not putting them away. So thoughtful of them :)



My husband designed the patio so it would be surrounded by flowers. Couple of more years and I think the vision will be realized.

Such a peaceful place to have coffee every morning.



Would you want to be any place else on a quiet morning with hot coffee?


Everything in the garden is 3 years old at most.

Time for some repairs this week.

I have a three rail fence that needs fixing and a front porch that needs some repairs and a whole lotta paint. So off to Lowes I go. I love that place. When money is short and we're sitting at hime bored, I ask my husband "Wanna go window shop"? He knows I don't want to go to the department stores and look at clothes. I want to hit up Lowes and look at fixtures and lighting :)
Anyway the porch and fence are in need of serious repair and sprucing up. I'll take some befores and post them a bit later today. Then hopefully after a ton of work, I'll have a wow of an entrance.

Simple Table setting

The thing I notice most about peoples homes, is no matter how beautiful the table or how much you spend on your dining room table, it tends to look blah. Plain. Incomplete. I love to leave my table set. The funkier the better for me. I like ecclectic. For others, they may decorate traditional, modern, transitional or beach cottage. No matter your style...punch it up and set your table. It wows people when they walk in.


Change up the napkins and add fresh flowers and you'll be staring at your own table all day long. You will be itching to invite guest's over for brunch or play dates!


The table and newly upholstered chairs cost a total of 140.00. I frequent the local action house (Most cities have one) for the estate sales. I got an 80's huge glass table and 6 dining chairs for 100.00. The glass table was too large for my space and god aweful ugly so I sold it on craigslist for 125.00 plus a new glass vase for 45.00 (I paid 20.oo at the action). Keeping the chairs, I used some of the profit to buy fabric online from Joannes. I then took that that table money, added about 30.00 more and bought a smaller new table from a great furniture store that sells affordable furniture.
So yes, with the help of the estate sales and craigslist, I was able to buy and sell until I had my own set for a whopping 140.00. Oh and it was really easy to cover these types of chairs. I just unscrewed the bottom of the seat, wrapped the seats in fabric and stapled. Ta-da!

Today's designs are really as mix and match as you want them to be. White tables with walnut chairs, metal tables with painted chairs......any combination you want.

Table setting: Crystal bird salt and pepper shakers : on sale at Tuesday Morning 6.00 each
Gold funky glass votives : on clearance at hobby store 2.00 each