Pretty on Paper

I really, really like this card!!!

And the inside is so so cute! If I do say so myself. :)

What have you seen that's cute lately??

Happy Anniversary!

Three years ago today, I married my best friend. It's a good thing we enjoy each other's company considering for almost a year now, the nearest person we know is at least an hour car ride away.

I just love this guy. Silly mouth noises and all!

Patio Furniture

I don't know about you, but I think patio furniture is horribly expensive!!! I've been looking around for furniture for our tall deck, the one Jj has been repairing. I'll show you progress pictures of the deck...pretty impressive, if I say so myself. That guy is super handy and talented.

Anyway, back to the fur other hunt. I had already decoded that I was going to have to wait for someone to discard their furniture either via garage sale, Craigslist or good ole estate auction!

Enter my sweet Momma and an Auction at Larry Petree Auctioneer in Tipton, MO. And check out this beauty!!!!!

I know! Just wait...it gets better!!!!!!! It was only $20!!!

A couple of weeks ago, on a routine Wal-Mart trip, I perused the spray paint and selected a color that was pretty to me. I didn't have a plan for the paint...I just knew that I liked it and it felt like the Beach to me. If you have been around here much this year, you know that I'm trying to add A little Beach to every room in our house. You can see my progress {here}. Anyway, here's the color I had...just waiting! And here's a sneak peak of the painting:

I only had one can of paint...so I'll have to finish another day. But! I'm liking up with Southern Hospitality's Thrifty Finds party. Check it out {here}.

Re-purposed Ink Holder

My inks have always just been kind of all over. :) Awhile back, my friend Lora, told me about using an old tape cassette holder...got me to thinking!

Enter a trip to the Red Racks!

In case you don't know, Red Racks are trift stores ran for the financial benefit of the Disabled American Veterans. When we lived in Columbia, MO, a couple of times a year, they would pick up curb side and sell the stuff at their markets all across the Kansas City area. Now that we live in the KC area, I have developed an affinity for these shops.

The junk is good, the prices are good and so is the mission and purpose of the shops.

I think this thing was $2.95. Probably not as cheap as a yard sale but definitely do-able!

I started after it with several light coats of my favorite Heirloom White.

Just like the bird cage, it took FOREVER to get the insides covered!!!!!

SIDE NOTE:

When I turned this dude over on the back... it was manufactured in June of 1980! This crate is officially vintage...and officially older than me!

See what I mean? It's rough and narrow and just plain hard to paint.

But the final result was worth it and I don't think you can tell that I didn't get the inside painted well. :)

Stampin Up! and Close to My Heart inks both fit great! On top, I have Tim Holtz Distress inks.

To the right of this tape case turned ink holder, there's a book case that I got at a yard sale for $5 and painted too. It holds my stamp sets.

Do you have any great stories of junk you had from your kid-dom that you re-purposed into cool stuff? I'd love to hear the stories!

I linked up at Jennifer Rizzo's Thrift Store makeover party. Check it out {here}.

Master Bathroom Decor

I knew I wanted to get to work on our master bathroom. It is just blah! But I didn't know quite what I wanted.

You can see the things I like by checking out my Pinterest board titled Master Bedroom.

Here's the picture that started it all!!!

SOURCE...as far as I can trace the pin.

I knew I wanted to use lanterns rather than bird cages so I set out chasing them down...and I'm still doing just that. However, I've made some other progress that I wanted to share. Just so you know, I'm probably not going to be putting barn wood on my walls anytime soon. Not that I can't appreciate the look; it's just not my thing...at least not right now.

I couldn't find a completely bare picture but this is pretty close!

I'd like to paint our whole bedroom/bathroom. I'd also like to have a different back splash. But for now, we are talking decorations.

I love that clock for a lot of reasons. One main one is that it doesn't have a second hand! This space is open to our bedroom and I knew from our old house that I did not want a clock, no matter how cool, with a second hand in my bedroom! I think the clock came from Jost & Main but I could be wrong.

I got this shelf from Celebrating Home when my friend, Leslie, had a party. There's nearly no natural light right here...or at least that's on what I'll blame the shadow.

Then, a little online shopping at Kohl's landed me these scones...which were bigger in person that I really thought they were going to be. However, I think I like them.

And I got that big shell at a junk store in Oak Grove, MO. I think this little area needs some more accessorizing but I haven't found just what, just yet.

That door opens into the commode and shower. Directly opposite, opens into our bedroom. Straight across is a double vanity...which is ugly...hence you didn't get to see it. :)

So on the other end of the tub...what shall we see?

There's the first of my lanterns. I want to get the second one and find a light before I do any hanging from the ceiling so...I tied to make it look like I intended for a random lantern to sit next to my bath tub. :)

Upon closer inspection, there's a lot of second hand and re-purposed junk in there. A liquor decanter to hold bubble bath, a fisherman's float Christmas ornament, old broken jewelry in a jar and a great little quote by Lucille Ball.

If you are still reading...THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm glad you are here.

What would you add to that little shelf? Place in the scones? I'd love to know.

Sun Porch Eye Candy

Remember waaaayyyyyyy back when I told you about getting my sun porch together?? Well, I had to google to find it, myself! :)

Look {here}.

Ok, so it's not much...so far but...

I had this bird cage from our wedding. Mom bought it back then at an auction and spray painted it to match our decor.

I love this thing!! Jj thought it shouldn't make the move from our old house...obviously, it came with! :)

Oops, there's my shadow.

Here we are partially painted.

And here it is pretty much done.

Let me tell you! Painting the inside of there was a royal pain in the patoot!

I also rubbed it down with a little wax stuff to take the *glare* off. I'll show you that when I get the porch shaped up. I need to do some serious sewing!!

A Jar Full of....Birthday Wishes {of course}

Back last fall, I met Judith, of Stamps by Judith...and it was love at first site!!! I fell straight up in love with this little jar.

LOVE! I'm telling you.

The little *happies* in there are Stamps by Judith too!

I'm pretty sure it's the snowflake seen {here}, second row.

I just love Judith! And I hope to see her at CKC this fall in Kansas City, MO again.

What would you put in your jar??

Reformed Big Ugly Mirror

Remember when I showed you that big ugly mirror I got at a yard sale for $10?? Click {here} to see that thing again...go ahead, I'll wait.

I know right?!?

Here's where we started. Sans beautiful tapestry and ready for some pretty.

I went to town with my favorite Heirloom White spray paint.

When I bought it originally, I had something like this in mind:

Source...as near as I know.

You can see the rest of my Master Suite inspiration photos {here}.

I have the giant ampersand but I haven't decided if I want it to say "you & me" or "mr & mrs) or if I want to use vinyl or cloth for the other letters...too many decisions.

BUT! I knew I wanted to use this frame, ASAP.

Enter our current Mantle decor:

I haven't had a great plan going on in here since I took the Christmas off there. This is ok at first glace but allow me to put this all in perspective for you...

Almost there:

I know. Where did my little vignette go????

So I started over with a bigger base: And I added some stuff from other places: Recognize that "Jones" sign from these pictures?? Click {here} to see the ones of which I speak.

I was trying to hold it up there to see what I thought...I got this great idea that I'd snap a picture and then I could "see" what it would look like. Note to self: Need longer arms. :)

I busted out my command hooks and it worked great!! I added a few accessories and here's what I came up with: And the whole effect, plus a Boxer.

I wasn't terribly in love with it but decided it would do just fine until I thought of something else.

Well, Jj didn't much care for the picture in a picture. He said, "that's weird. Do other people hang pictures inside frames that don't fit or did you just come up with something here?" I told him that I see it all over the internet and it's really quite normal. Alas, I agree with him...it's kind of akward.

So, I removed the "Jones" sign and put it back where it was.

Here's where we are now. I have a plan but I need a good coupon code to Mpix.com first. ;)

A little plain but like I said, I have a plan.

And about those cords that I tried to stuff in the basket...when we bought this house, we went ahead and had hook-ups for satellite TV added to this room. We have no idea if we want or exactly where we would put a TV in here. For now, I have the box and cords sort of piled into a basket...

Edited to include the following: Linked up to Jennifer Rizzo's Painted Project Party.

What's your go-to mantle decorating trick? I could use some assistance!

Another Joy to the World!

There's a crop going on at CardMaker Magazine Forum. Click over {here} and see the challenges...come play along!! (Anyone can play and it's free.)

For the challenge called "Starry Eyed" you had to create a card with a star. This was my only star...and I love it!

On my Pinterest board for Cards, I have the inspiration for this card. Click {here} to see the original. Edited* to add: I also entered this card to the ABC Christmas Challenge called "K is for keeping it simple". ( I can't seem to make the link from my iPad. I'll fix it, I promise. Until then, go here: http://abcchristmaschallenge.blogspot.com/2012/05/k-is-for-keep-it-simple.html

In the Spotlight: Christmas

There's a crop going on at CardMaker Magazine Forum. Click over {here} and see the challenges...come play along!! (Anyone can play and it's free.)

For the challenge called "In the Spotlight" you had to create a card with something from the sky or that flies. I decided that if one was in outer space, one would see the Earth...right??

I have made cards with this "spotlight" idea before...but I didn't know the technique had an actual name.

Here's another look.

Are you a glitter lover too?