just popping in here tonight... to say i'm feeling a bit under the weather and hope to be up and at it tomorrow! chills and lethargic.... and feels like i could sleep for a month. talk with you again soon!

worked at the 4H food concession stand for six hours yesterday; came home smelling like a combination of taco salad and polish sausage. not as delightful as one would imagine. came home and packed up to sell at the flea market today. sales were good; i'm going back in two weeks. i miss church; hoping they add a saturday night service. lemon poppy seed cookies are baking and the smell is luscious! i bought seeds today: white radish, fennel, morning glories and sweet peas. tonight, i'm really looking forward to a hot shower, comfy clothes, a soft couch and even softer pillow, and a good movie.... that's if i can keep my eyelids open! smile, wink, nod.

just for fun...

can you spot the difference in the pictures?

hint: there's just one difference!

this morning finds me with a sick boy, a small migraine- fading quickly thanks to excedrin migraine medicine, a house that smells like potato-leek soup, grey sky's and lesson plans for the classes i teach at tomorrow's homeschool co-op: peter rabbit's world and night at the museum. also, since tommie's sick.... i'll have to prep his rabbit for this weekend's 4H rabbit show... how do you prep a rabbit? okay... but remember you asked..... clip it's toe nails and groom every area of it's body.

i have a couple of ebay auctions closing today... and more closing soon. want to see what's listed.. you'll have to scroll down on the page... okay then... click here!

don't you think these look like hamburger patties?

far from it! in real life.... they're jell-o cookies. i needed a cookie to perk up the household... something far from the peanut butter or molasses that is usually in the cookie jar. so i decided on an easy-peasy ... strawberry cookie. and followed this recipe here! next time, i'll try making orange. you can use any flavor you wish!

what's your favorite springtime cookie?

last fall, i looked out at my neighbors junk pile (it was days away from being burned) and noticed an old banged up box springs and mattress.... with wire cutters in hand, and my 12 year old who thinks he's a man... we headed through the field and cut up the bed springs. (we had permission, of course.) last week, i spray painted them.... white, maize and lilac.

they're baltimore oriole feeders!

i'll be listing them on etsy, for $10. plus shipping.

i'm not sure of the protocol for selling things on blogger- so i'm hoping this is okay... but if you're interested, contact me: gethappy@netzero.net and my blogger friends can purchase them for $7. plus shipping.

smile, wink, nod.

here's my latest addition to my nature collection. a fresh deer head. look at the first picture... you can see the deer tongue hanging out the side of his mouth. this was a gift today, from my father-in-law... who's always bringing me nature treasures... including a dead hummingbird. sure doesn't take much to make this redneck chick happy! smile, wink, nod.

p.s. my husband insisted i keep it outside... it sort of smelled.

hiking in my mom's husband's woods on saturday. we were shed hunting. looking for deer antlers. we didn't find any--but found plenty of other signs of spring!

today: saw a dandelion, feel bad about sandra bullock, wonder what obama's going to do next, hamburgers on the grill and oven fries in the oven, homeschooing your high schooler meeting tonight, received my burt's bee's toothpaste sample today, spray painted a chair outside, learned a great deal about the cold war in tommie's homeschooling, saw a killdeer, listed two things on ebay- liz claiborne golf items, rented (finally!) one of our apartments out, ate cheese and crackers and apple for lunch, visited with my mom. in-laws stopped by twice- they really like me!
smile, wink, nod.

the answer to the question in the previous post is........

a rhubarb planter!

how about a nice free sample of lever soap? click here: free soap!

you don't have to be a costco member-just skip that part, where it says member i.d.

are you wearing green? happy st. patrick's day!

gather the family around and try to guess what this farm implement is? we saw it over the weekend on our nature hike, in my mom's husband's woods.

*note the tree growing inside of it....

take a guess....leave a comment and i'll tell you what it is tomorrow night! smile, wink, nod.

a flea on sunday!

at 6:30 this morning, i was in this booth... setting up at a local flea market! nothing in my booth is organized. it's all hodge-podge with a purpose. i wanted

customers to feel like they were in a gigantic girly-girl closet!

the good news is, i'm going back next week, with a booth 3 times this size! note to self: pack snacks.

i stuck this shabby pink cowgirl up, way high in the air...

look close, you can see a little joker-man looking out of the top!

i really enjoyed talking to customers and making deals with them. the other vendors were unbelievable friendly and encouraging and supportive. i had vendors one every side and kitty corner... all made a point to come up and say a friendly hello!

i'd be happy to tell you where this flea market is located... for safety reasons, email me at gethappy@netzero.net. by the way... click on any of the pictures... if you see something you'd like... i'd be happy to deal.

happy sunday and i'll see you tomorrow!

this morning after my good friend rhonda dropped off 25 lbs of organic potatoes to my back door, i received a much anticipated phone call. it was a local flea market calling with a vendor/booth cancellation... did i want to rent a space? of course i said YES! i've been wanting to get into markets and shows all winter! i've been crafting, creating and scooping up deals all winter long... in hopes to bless others with shabby chic junk and still make a quick

flip $.

so.... tomorrow's the big day.... i'll be back with snaps of my booth and hopefully share good news.

smile, wink, nod!

best day!

yesterday, was one of the best days i've had in 2010. and, believe me, i've had plenty.

it started like this... my mom mentioned she was going to visit her friend's home, to look at furniture her friend was selling. i knew the location. a very old, affluent, historical area in the city due west of here. heck, i'll admit it... my brad and i have driven through and gawked (yet trying to act really natural) at the mansions and yards of most of these 1920's estates....

yesterday, i invited myself along. wouldn't of you? smile, wink, nod! well then, my son decided he'd invite himself along... click here for details on how this turned out to be a stellar fieldtrip for all of us! did i metion... it took an hour and a half to get through the estate and the grounds? i could of stood and stared at the 1920's greenhouse forever!

(i didn't take my camera... the snap above is from the realtor's ad.)

10 on thursday

ten on thursday:

-what's on my screen door? big, fat, wet rain drops.

-the birds at my feeder: downy woodpecker and gentle mourning doves. brad and tommie heard the honking and saw the flight of sandhill cranes. spring is soon.

-on my kitchen counter: a half ate loaf of the best strawberry bread you've ever sunk your teeth into! brought back from florida. and i can't find the recipe anywhere on-line!

-perfume i wear everyday: cheap old jovan musk. with the orange lid. drives brad mad!

-what's keeping my hands busy? i have not one... no, not even one craft going. and yes, i am beginning to get craft-withdrawal.

-reading: the boleyn inheritance and cold tangerines and boy by roald dahl as a read aloud to my boy!

- i had tacos for dinner and no clue what i'll have tonight. i'm thinking something in the crock-pot.

-i watched public t.v. last night: dr. wayne dyer. i've been following his work since i've been 14, thanks to my parents: who were fond followers and played, discussed and watched his tapes and videos with me.

-homeschooing: the dust bowl. ironically, we just did a study on woody gutherie, you know... he's considered the poet of the dust bowl and didn't my man- glenn beck discuss him on his show last night? (and thanks to you tube- you can even listen to the originally version of this land is your land or dust bowl blues!)

-my garlic is popping up- the stems are 4 inches high! where's my trident gum?

i know i'm not very good at replying to comments... but, they do make my day and i'm always happy to read them! i love seeing who visits on my sidebar! so, thank you very much for stopping in and checking things out here... i thought about all the southern gals who make this blog part of their day... and thought i'd share a really good coupon for you.... only available in southern states:

click here for: stores near you

i'm thinking potato-leek soup sounds good!

smile, wink, nod!

thrift shopping on saturday!

on saturday, my mom and i went thrift shopping!

the salvation armies in our neck of the woods,

were offering 1/2 off on all clothing! since i'm

trying to drive my wardrobe into more skirts

and shabby dresses... this was a good day to

scoop up the deals!

here's my ridiculously cheap deals:

turquoise tommy hilfiger skirt $1.49
banana republic skirt $1.49 (and it's lined)
vintage glittered purse with serious rhinestone enclosure $2.
vintage sewing basket in shabby turquoise... super clean condition $4.
old with age cracks floral water pitcher... so old i can't read the name on the bottom! $3.

who says you can't have fun in michigan?
smile, wink, nod!

feeling orange!

new orange craft fabric- found at salvation army 1/2 off sale.

i have no plans for this, but it sure is perky!

you are welcome to click on the picture and use it

for your own craft needs or desktop.

i just picked up this book cold tangerines by shauna niequist.

.50 cents at salvation army.

why it ended up on the bottom shelf at salvation army,

is a mystery to me? why didn't the previous

owner keep it? why didn't she give it to a friend?

remarkably real and sweetly written. here's the link to

shauna's cold tangerines website... you can read a few

chapters on-line.

i just received this! can you guess what it is?

yep! it's an orange tree! my mother-in-law

brought it back for me from florida.

orange jell-o.
how can you possibly feel the winter blues with
this looking at you? cheap thrill!

five on friday!

***********

1. treadmill 2 miles & watched shepard smith.

i adore his accent.

2. learned along with my 12 year old,

about renewable and non-renewable energy.

we watched 3 you-tubes

on the subject and took 3 on-line quizzes. neok12.com

i love neok12 for self-education. and i love math.

3. will be watching glenn beck at 5pm today. and not

blinking my eyes. not even once. hyperbole.

dinner prep can wait. this man has an amazing

message today. you can go to glennbeck.com to

read more about it and maybe even listen via audio.

4. cleaned the house like a mad-woman. bedsheets washed,

magic erased everything, and vacuumed in weird places.

and since we're on the subject... don't you just love magic erasers?

5. will be spending my friday night sewing and reading. my

nose is buried in, the boleyn inheritance. can one ever read

enough about english royalty and okay, i'll say it.... english sex-scandal?

(you didn't really think i was miss goody two shoes, now did you?)

smile, wink, nod.

a good friday night to you!

totally hooked!

in between this, that and the other...

i squeezed in

time to make this shabby chic, rug-hooked chair pad!

i used an old piece of burlap. sketched a homemade

whimsical pattern onto it and cut up strips of pajamas, sweaters,

old ugly dresses and good pieces of recycled wool.

then, with my mom's hook... i hooked!

i totally love experimenting with different textures and fabrics!

to give you an idea of the different fabrics i used here's a brief list...
from left to right:

periwinkle color= silk fabric
blue/green/white= old cotton bed sheet
pink= stripped wool sweater
peach, orange and blue= wool
yellow= cotton tee shirt

********

found at a thrift store:

free brand new vintage curlers/rollers

free curler stay-put picks

free bag of vintage perm rods

turquoise painted shabby chic mirror $2.

i skipped happily- always happily-down to my craft room...

to dig out my highly-toxic marine glue.

then i played around decorating this mirror with the retro goodies.

i am planning to sell it to a perky hair salon.

(can you see my pink camera in the mirror?)

smile, wink, nod.

antique postcards!

we've all seen antique postcards before.

but have you ever really stopped to think about when they originated?

the different borders? the scalloped edges? and other little tidbits?

my answer to these questions is a definite no. it never occurred to me

to delve deeper into the history or embossed postcards. --until, i visited

my michigan friend, mitzi's blog. she shares a handful from her collection

and a short history!

it's worth the click over to her blog! click here!

she also welcomes you to cut and paste and

use her postcard images for your own craft use. which, i know, i will be doing!

thank you mitzi for educating me!

smile, wink, nod!