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flea market time again!

My mom & I packed my girls in the van at 6:30am and headed to First Monday Trade Days in Canton, TX today...

It was hot hot hot - I think it hit over 100° today! ! I was starting to think the girls would spend more money than me - when we sat down for lunch I had bought nothing, while Claire had bought a My Little Pony for $2, and Nicole had bought a pad of paper & a pen for 85¢. Post-lunch proved to be more fruitful (albeit more hot), and I found a few things:

- a solid (not wobbly at all!) wood chair with beautiful white & green chippy paint and even more beautiful slightly arched back lines - $8
- a metal scrollwork piece, looking like it came from an old screen door, which will find itself newly painted in a light shade of white or green and hung on my wall - $25
- a wood shelf/mantle/window frame of some sort, needs a good wash & will look good hung up somewhere, although I'm not sure where yet - $5

Nicole gave me this note this evening, I guess she had more fun than we had thought (the whining and dragging of the feet must have been an expression of her fun!)

Now is a good time to show you some other recent finds & projects as well...

I picked up this fabulous dresser last week from a tiny local antique shop that I like to check out from time to time:

Here's a wicker chair that used to be my parents, which I rescued from their plan to dumpsterize:

before a lot of wicker repair & paint...


after...


And finally, a new project I am about to embark upon - a solid, heavy chair that I am planning to recover and paint and add rolling castors to the legs - I plan to use it as my new sewing chair. I loved the heart scroll pattern on the back.

Green Is Good

Yesterday was a good, I mean GREEN, day.

I had seen these cute cube-shaped coolers at the Target by our ballet studio - the size will be perfect for toting water bottles & sandwiches to the pool all summer - the little lunchbox size I have wasn't cutting it anymore. Of course they had the pink, red, aqua and blue options, but they were out of the green. And if you know me, you know I want the green! So after my haircut yesterday I stopped at a different Target & found one...

Yesterday was also my wedding anniversary... Chad surprised me by breaking his "card only" ritual for special days, and gave me this:

He knew I had toyed with buying myself one for probably 2 years, but frugality had always won out, and I just stuck with an mp3 player we've had for about 5 years.

What a guy! Love ya lots...

Rambling Rose

I just listed a new capri & suntop set, perfect for summer:

Rambling Rose
(click ^ to go see the listing on eBay)

Self Portrait Challenge - fresh {cut}

I said I would do it (click here for a refresher)...

...and I really like it!

I just got back from the salon this afternoon -
now that's a fresh cut.

To see more Fresh Self Portraits, click here.

Ballet Recital '08

This year, our ballet studio's recital theme was "Long Ago & Far Away" - nursery rhymes and fairy tales.

The ladies' class (my class) danced a lullaby song with our children (who wore pajamas). Here you see me in red, with the children of all the ladies dancing around me: Hannah is leading the line, followed by a younger Hannah, Nicole, Claire & David.

Then the nursery rhymes & fairy tales began...

Claire & her class dancing "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary"
(l to r: Claire, Emma, Isabella)

the final curtsy

Nicole's class dancing as Beauty (with no Beast, heehee)
(l to r: Natalie, Nicole, Carter)

elegant arabesque

Nicole with her class at the rehearsal

the finale, Claire is in the first hot pink & green tutu on the left:

Luau & Dr. Caroline Leaf

I cannot let one more day pass without posting pictures from Tuesday's Luau party! My ladies' study group from church had our final meeting before summer break, so we ended it with a festive time of food & fun. You'll notice an abundance of brightly colored clothing & leis - we know how to party!

To make the time even better, our leader Laura invited the author of the book we have been studying, Dr. Caroline Leaf, who not only came, but also brought her husband Mac & two of her daughters! We were honored.

Dr. Leaf & myself



Thank you for this book, Dr. Leaf, and for following God's direction to use your knowledge to help me to understand how God made my brain, and how I can use it to live with healthy body & spirit by using the actual brain processes. I am learning to be free from destructive thought patterns, which is something I have been asking from God for years - He answered me through this study, through you.

Our leader, Laura, with Dr. Leaf


Thanks, Cheryl, for opening your house to us every week!


Dr. Leaf & Lydia


Shelly & Barbara


Juanita, looking fabulously festive


Laura - laughter detoxes the brain!!


Dr. Leaf & Graciela




Dr. Leaf & Corrine


Linda, Dr. Leaf's daughter & Renee'


colorful Twizzlers from the food table - aren't these fun?


And finally, Mariel taking a picture of me taking a picture of her (got that?)

Self Portrait Challenge - re{fresh}ing

It was 95° today...

but it was 77° in my friend Cheryl's pool - aaahhhhh....

To see more Fresh Self Portraits, click here.

warm cinnamon-y goodness...

Sour Cream Cinnamon Pound Cake

cinnamon swirl mixture:
1/2 c. sugar + 2 tsp. cinnamon = mix in small bowl & set aside

crumbs:
1 c. flour
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/4 c. shortening or butter
1/2 tsp. baking soda
mix together in medium bowl & set aside

cake:
cream together in a mixing bowl:
1 c. butter or margarine, softened
2 c. sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

now, measure 2 c. sour cream into another medium bowl, add 2 tsp. baking soda, and mix together - it's going to start rising from the chemical reaction, so get your kids so they can see!

Add 3 1/2 c. flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, and 1 tsp. salt to the batter in alternating increments with the sour cream mixture.

Pour half the batter into an angel food cake pan sprayed with non-stick spray, sprinkle on half of the cinnamon swirl mixture, then the remaining batter, and the remaining cinnamon. Use a knife to swirl the cinnamon mixture through the dough a few times. Top with the crumbs.

Bake for 1 hour at 350°, or until set in the center (test with a toothpick). Baking time is less for loaf pans, mini-loaf pans, and muffins.



This recipe came from one of my mom's cookbooks. I made 8 little loaves in this pan today by baking 4 (for 30 minutes), scraping the pan clean after removing them, then baking the last 4. You could make it as muffins instead, but the cooking time would need to be further reduced. I now have teacher gifts for 7 teachers for our final classes at church & ballet this week, that cost a dollar or two to make. (yeah, the remaining loaf was already taste-tested!)

Vision Realized

Sometime last summer, I bought the Newsboys "Go" cd. I put it in my van cd player, and was listening to some new tunes as I ran about town doing the usual mom stuff. And then I heard the next to last song - "The Letter" - and I was captivated.

You see, just the day before, I had read this Bible verse to them:


Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God... in which you shine like stars in the universe... (Philippians 2:14&15)


Of course, I was emphasizing the part about doing things without complaining or arguing (ahem)... but the part they were enamored by was that they were stars in God's universe. It hit me during that talk that they were each, indeed, a precious star placed just where God wanted them. That conversation ended with a fresh revelation of how precious these kids are to me.


And then I heard this song the next day. God's timing is incredible. I played it again, turning it up so the girls could hear the words, and I told them, "This is your song!" We almost wore that track out on the cd, they asked to listen to it a lot, and I loved to play it when they were cranky in the car, because it always soothed their nerves (and mine!)

Then one day, I realized I wanted them to see these words every day, and remember who they are. I could not figure out how, until one day I began picturing in my mind a painting with those words. It was beautiful, and fit exactly with my feelings about the song. Only one problem: Painting is not one of my talents. Trust me. I paint and draw like an elementary schoolkid.

I asked my artistically inclined sister, who can paint quite well, if she would be willing to take on this project. I had a lot of specific requests, due to the picture in my mind, so I was amazed when she enthusiastically agreed!

Today, after a great labor of love on her part for the last few weeks, my sister delivered her amazing rendering of my requests. It is exactly how I pictured it. She even used glow-in-the-dark paint to create stars and swirls that can be seen after the lights go out.

Amazing.

Thanks, Anna. You're a star, one of a kind.

Want to hear the inspiring song? Click to play my playlist on the left sidebar, "The Letter" is the first song... here are the words...

"The Letter"

I wrote you a letter
things could be better
full of promises
you've got hopes and dreams
did you get it?
have you read it?
it talks about you and Me
and the future, you see
something no one can do
is take the place of you
can't you see you're one of a kind?

child, you're like a star
set apart
set apart from the start of the world
this is your time
rise and shine
child you're one of a kind

sometimes everything's too much
like the deepest cut
that hurts to be touched
when you hear it
when you feel it
don't let it have it's way
I'm trying to say
something no one can do
is take the place of you
can't you see you're one of a kind?

I know it's hard to hear promises
when the blue has turned grey
nobody said it was easy
but I know you'll find your way

Strawberry

Here's a new one-of-a-kind dress I just listed as my contribution to the Lil Peas Picnic launch. Thanks for inviting me, girls!

Strawberry
Click ^ to see it on eBay

Self Portrait Challenge - Fresh... or not?

What will I find when I open that lid?

Will it be what I expected, or will it be eeew?

Did this brand name piece of plastic do it's job?

To see more Fresh Self Portraits, click here.

Chocolate For Your Hair

I love browsing on etsy! I have found all sorts of interesting and delightful things... and now look what I've found!

My heart skipped a beat when I saw this Cocoa Crazy Soap/Shampoo Bar from mmmmhandmadesoap! I wish I could eat it, but washing with it would be the next best thing.

A Smile for Mother's Day

Even if you're not a mother, you could use a smile to brighten your day!

SFD Resell

I am pleased to see a very special resell on eBay right now... one of my favorite sets that I've ever done, this one of a kind set was made with a vintage tablecloth in the most lovely shabby chic shades. You might remember I used to have a blog logo using this exact photo. I wish my daughter still fit in this set, because I'd bid on it myself!

Click here to go see Erin's listing - she's a great gal to work with, so if you buy from her you will not be disappointed.

Self Portrait Challenge - Fresh {carpet}

We had our 9 year old carpet replaced yesterday, I hadn't realized how bad the old stuff really was until we moved all of our furniture off of it. When the installers arrived yesterday, I took the girls and headed out, and stayed gone until the job was done. When we walked back in yesterday afternoon, I just said "WOW."

I didn't buy an expensive replacement, although I did buy the best padding, and that sure makes an amazing difference. I wish blogs had feel samples so you could sink your feet into this - it is a glorious feeling! I told Chad, I could sleep on it, it is so soft.

I hadn't realized how amazing fresh carpet can be.

For more Fresh self portraits, click HERE.

.....

I saw this on a church marquee yesterday & found it thought provoking:

"Silence is often misunderstood,
but never misquoted"

Cream Crochet

Here's a pretty crochet top that I've newly listed on etsy... perfectly shabby and sweet! I can also make this as a custom for your little one, if the one shown is not her size - contact me for details.

Click the etsy shop link in the blog sidebar to go to my store and see more details.