i did it. i finished the grapes of wrath. the book was spectacular. outside of the bible, it's the best i've ever read. the beginning was slow and i admit, i wondered what i got myself into. as the story progressed with a titanical thrust, i felt i actually had a relationship with the characters and a certain connection. i felt steinbeck's voice echoing in my head... as if he was reading it to me. his simultaneous writing levels of human existence reflects much of what is happening today, 2010. the greed. families loosing homes, their dignity, farms and traumatic job loss, big business slaughtering small business, and yes those of us drawing on the spirituality of each other to survive in these times, our commitment to fellow man and the earth we inhabit. i will most defiantly be reading this again. and again. and again. yes-it's that good. the grapes of wrath, is a lyric in the battle hymn of the republic. in turn, the battle hymn of the republic refers to biblical passage in revelations 14:19-20.

in the souls of the people, the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage.

okay... now that i spilled my passion for this profound nobel prize winner... how about taking a look at this recycled pillow i made out of dyed fleece (i used kool-aid) and recycled flowers from an old skirt. the pillow- retro green from the 70's came from goodwill. .99 cents.

my aunt joyce sent me such a cute article, which was in country living magazine.

she knew, i'd jump on this quick craft as soon as i could! and i did.

all you do is........ gather a few clean bottles, bowls, even a lampshade! find interesting

knit sweaters that you no longer need or purchase at a thrift store. plug your hot glue gun in.

then, slide the sleeve of the sweater over the bottle. measure, cut and fold the bottom to

the bottom of the glass... hot glue it into place.

this is how my finished project turned out!

i need to venture out and pick a winter bouquet of dried weeds

to stick in the bottles! i think dried goldenrod should do the trick!

i just love this bowl.

i used an old knit hat from the gap.

i wiggled it on the bowl and made a knit rosette!

and topped it off with a vintage button!

it sits on my coffee table...

holding my rug hook, scissors and sewing odds and ends.

so now, why don't you meander into your closet... pull out that shrunken cotton sweater that you never wear... rinse out a soy sauce bottle

and make a vase!

it's fun.

it's addicting.

it's a fun-addiction!

smile, wink, nod!

letter i..... ICE WREATHS!!!!

it's tradition here at my house... to celebrate winter by making ice wreaths!

usually i make nature themed ice wreaths... with pinecones, needles and what not. but this year, i decided to make "life saver colors!" you know... jazz things up a bit... i just added food coloring to the water before freezing it, in the freezer.


i even found a use for "used orange peels," by adding them to the water before freezing ... i think they add a little pizazz to a grey winter day!

it seems like every garage sale i stop at... has bundt type molds.
that's when i pick them up, for squeaky cheap!
i use heavy colored rope to tie them from an old branch i propped on the patio.



each time i look at these outside my window... i smile and think of jumbo life-savers!
i hope you like them, too!

my patio!

we've sure been blessed these first couple of weeks in michigan... we've had just beautiful indian summer days!

i've been submerged in homeschool lessons and activities, i went to a phenomenal homeschool writing workshop on monday night, a scout meeting on tuesday night and this afternoon found me decorating our patio for fall!

tommie and i collected old dead branches and wired them vertically to our deck beams. next, i strung a green heavy cord from branch to branch.... the east and north side are decorated!

i sent tommie out to the field to cut sunflower heads, gourds and sweet annie. the mini pumpkins above are a surprise from my friend rhonda (thank-you!)



the pictures sure don't do this earthly extravaganza justice! i used clothes pins to hang: basil, dill, peppers and sweet annie from the green cord! the very first picture shows a tea cup and old spoon i tied up to the mix!

i found a place for my hanging candle holder, too! i thought this mini-pumpkin would like resting here!

i marine glued a cake plate to a candlestick and made a sunflower birdfeeder out of it. i guess you'd call it a cake-plate-sunflower-feeder, ugh?

if this tin bucket wasn't so old... i'd love to paint a face on the front of it... couldn't you see some quirky looking picasso knock-off on the front and a sunflower head for hair?

smile, wink, nod!

p.s. click on over to my homeschool blog to see what we've been up to! click here

blueberry banana bread!

doesn't this blueberry banana bread sound luscious? it's from my dear blog friend teresa in texas! i'll be making this tomorrow...after a trip out for bananas! the picture above was taken at my mom's house a couple of weeks ago! note: blueberry print tablecloth that matches the blueberry dessert! she is just too perfect. smile, wink, nod!

Blueberry Banana Bread
3 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats
2/3 cup canola oil
4 eggs
2 cups mashed bananas
2 cups fresh blueberries

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir in oats. Add wet ingredients and then fruit, stirring just until mixed. Pour batter into 2 greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove to wire rack to completely cool. When cool, wrap and refrigerate for several hours before slicing.

Teresa in Texas
August 25, 2009 3:47 PM

vintage serving pieces and a turkey egg!

during the summer, i've collected a variety of antique serving utensils, from estate sales and shabby chic sales. my out of pocket cost for these was $4.00. They needed a little cleaning up... so, i boiled them in a baking soda paste with water and steamed them! then, i sat tommie down to polish. except for a couple of the reallllllly old spoons, all came out shiny and a bit too nice looking! i loved not using harsh chemicals to bring back the beauty. i also wonder where they all came from and who owned them?

note: the turkey egg in the picture. i just put it in there for fun!

today look's like i'll:

-enjoy the rainy day

-burn a peach scented candle

-make more applesauce and can it

-can more pizza sauce

-work on homeschool lesson plans

-take tommie to the military shop... his $5. is burning a hole in his pocket!

-dehydrate and make zucchini chips sprinkled with chili powder

-work on my hand-hooked purse

-start a new novel... which one? i'm just not sure.

-by the way... i'm really trying respond to your comments... so if you've left any... click on my comment button and read the follow-up's.

-will post jamie's blueberry bread recipe soon!

i'd love to here something creative and fun that you have planned for today! comments welcome. smile, wink, nod!

K is for.................

knick knacks i found at a junky yard sale...sunday after church:

an old, shabby chic door knob. i have absolutely no use for this. but it was on the .10 cent table. what would you do with it?

i also picked up this old tin pail for a dollar. i flipped it upside down in my shade garden, placed a robin's nest on top (my 2nd dad Tom, gave me the nest! thanks a bunch! love it!) and placed some old chicken eggs inside the nest!

just couldn't resist snatching up this pinky sized vase..which is holding a spring of oregano. and the clear fist sized picture, which is holding a bouquet of chocolate mint! you know something? chocolate mint is a great investment herb. it spreads like wildfire, freezes well and is so fresh and tasty in a cold glass of ice water or tea! Both little knick-knacks came from the .10 cent table, too!

other stuff? lasagna for dinner, worked on homeschool co-op lesson plans, sat in the garden and read my current read: whirlwind...i'm half way through the book and it's just now getting interesting, everything so far has been so predictable-which doesn't challenge me, listening to allison kraus blue grass music (love it. just love it!), finally rubbed on self-tanner, and i'm thirsting to get another sewing project started...but feeling clueless as to what i want to do. walmart free sample came in the mail: face moisturizer.

HOMEMADE HUMMINGBIRD AND GRAPEVINE DECORATING!

H is for: Homemade Hummingbirds! Yesterday, I helped my good neighbor with his garage sale. Hard to believe, it was June 11th, and I sat with my winter coat on... To pass the time, I hand stitched the felted birds above. I think I'll use them at Christmastime... I'll attach them to packages. Oh, and the best part? They're made from recycled wool sweaters.


H also means hanging these grapevine balls! I picked up a boxful at a garage sale- they were a quarter each and still had the store tags on them.

I thought it would be super cool to hang them from my favorite tree in our yard.... when you exit our driveway... you drive right underneath them! For me, that's fun! Our ladder didn't reach...but, that didn't stop me! I pulled out Brad's pick-up, threw the ladder in the back and climbed up!

This is how it looks when you drive underneath! Varoooooom!

Now... I feel like playing along with the "Friday Fill-In"... I really love these, because they make you "think!" My answers are in black...

Ready?

Okay, me too.

FRIDAY FILL IN's:

I GREW UP THINKING.... EVERYONE LIVED AS GOOD AS I DID. BIG, BEAUTIFUL HOME, WONDERFUL PARENTS, GOOD FAMILY, GOOD FOOD, WONDERFUL VACATIONS, EXCELLENT CHILDHOOD!

LISA AT CORNERSTONE HOMESCHOOLING (SEE MY SIDEBAR) WAS THE LAST WEBSITE I WAS AT BEFORE COMING HERE.

WHY DON'T YOU LEAVE ME A COMMENT? IT'S EASY. IT ENCOURAGES ME TO KEEP BLOGGING, JUST TAKES A SECOND.

READING, HOT SHOWERS, CANDLES, AND SEWING HELPS ME RELAX.

THANKS FOR THE BEAUTIFUL IRIS'S YOU GAVE ME MOM! THEY'RE BREATHTAKING.

GOSSIPING GROUPS OF WOMEN ARE VERY OFF-PUTTING TO ME.

AND AS FOR THE WEEKEND... TONIGHT I'M WATCHING THE RED WINGS...ALL BY MYSELF! TOMMIE IS AT A SLEEP-OVER WITH SEVERAL FRIENDS, BRAD'S NOT HOME AND THE DOG IS SLEEPING. YAHOO! GO WINGS! TOMORROW I'M BEYOND THRILLED TO BE ATTENDING MY COUSIN'S GRADUATION PARTY! I AM SO PROUD OF HER, THAT THE BUTTONS ARE POPPING OFF MY SHIRT! SHE HAS STEERED CLEAR OF PEER PRESSURE, DOESN'T DRINK, PARTY OR DO DRUGS...SHE HAS HELD A JOB AND WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL FOR A YEAR AND SHE'S BEEN RANKED THE NUMBER ONE AND TWO BARREL RACER IN OUR STATE. PLUS, SHE'S CUTE AS A JELLY BEAN! AND SUNDAY I PLAN TO GO TO CHURCH, HOPE TO BIKE THE TRAIL 10 MILES AND WHO KNOWS WHAT ELSE?

D IS FOR DISHES AND DAISY'S!

Last Friday, I went to a church yard sale! I found a box of vintage-retro plates in a box for $4.75. My friend Holly, originally told me about this idea a couple of years ago...she thought I'd love it- and I do! I was reminded again, when I visited the Shabby Chic May Fair... where I noticed the idea of using vintage plates as a flower bed border. Some of the plates are from the 50's... the "vacation collector's plate!" You know the kind... tacky. From Arizona, New York and Washington D.C. But, I adore them! And, they make my little herb garden quite interesting!

Needless to say, I scooped up the plates, came right home and started planning how I would display them! What I think makes this idea clever is that I've only paid a quarter a plate. Oh sure, anyone can do this if you spend the dough...but to actually find interesting plates at just a quarter a pop.... well, now we're on to something!!

Another cheery decorating idea.... a shallow bowlful of daisy heads floating in green food coloring! The fields and sideroads are alive with these wildflowers.... you can decorate so easily with them! I urge you to pick a bouquet and stick them in a tin can! It will perk you up. That is, if you need perking up. smile, wink, nod.

Glass jars, cupcakes and lilacs!

Who doesn't love lilacs? And, that first big inhale of the sweet scent....after a really long Michigan winter?

Our lilac "tree" is mammoth! I only wish the color and fragrance would last all summer long!

Take a peak out my patio window.... on the left hand side, you'll see an Oriole! The color is amazing! I also spotted a Ruffed Grouse near the park today! It walks like a chicken, only slower! It has a long neck and a fancy hat!

Tell me.... how do you like my vases on my window sill? Guess what they are? They're glass jars that bacon bits come in! I've been saving them all winter. My intent was to use them for spices... but for today...they hold lilacs. I love decorating cheaply!

While you're here.... how about a cupcake? They melt in your mouth!

Here's how our kitchen table centerpiece will be for the weekend! The vases are used apple juice jars, I picked up at Goodwill. My mom found the round, mint green candles at a yard sale and picked them up for me!

Another shot of my window sill. Gotta love those glass bacon bit vases!

Here's a snap of a Canada goose egg! It keeps me company in my kitchen. It sits on top of an old glass baby food jar!

Now, next time you toss out a glass jar or give it to the recycling center... see what you can do with it and come back here and let me know!

P.S. Wipe the white frosting off your face! smile, wink, nod!

Shabby Chic, thrift stores and garage sales!

$1.30 cents plus tax! That's how much it cost me to decorate my kitchen table this weekend!

I found this shabby chic, vintage, hand-embroidered doille (and others) at a garage sale up the street, for a dime. It washed up beautifully! There is crocheting around the edge!

The apple juice bottles above caught my blue eyes, when I spotted them on a shelf at Goodwill. They were .29 each. and I knew they'd make adorable vases to keep or give away! I have two beautiful Bleeding Heart plants at their peek...so I brought a few clippings to enjoy inside!

Other treasures found while I was out garage sailing and thrift store shopping?

A pair of Hollister camo-pants for me, a Michigan Football hoodie for Tommie for next Fall for .99, a Young Indian Jones video, Dessert Storm video, and canning jars.

I stopped off at our homeschool groups curriculum sale and was overjoyed to find a new WW2 curriculum, complete with unused maps and workbook style reading comp. questions. Also a good WW2 book. (Missed seeing you, Lisa...but asked about you! I know you were getting rained on at the soccer field!)

My mom stopped over and the best deal of the week? All of this thread for just .50 grand total! It will be great for felted wool projects!

Well, Happy Mother's Day if you're a mom. Happy Spring Sunday if you're not. I am hoping the weather holds out, because I'd really like the boys and I to go on a 10-mile bike ride. Off to church, I am really looking forward to it. Missed last week.

smile, wink, nod.

Wednesday chatter.....

This drab-grey afternoon, found us running local errands! I slipped into JoAnn Fabrics and just couldn't resist buying these acrylic kool-aid colored paints! They were .50 cents a bottle. I have two bird house gourds, that I'd like to paint... I'm thinking something whimsical-- in turquoise and lime green! I'm also thinking of doing more with water-color painting. I'm teaching a book class to early elementary aged children on Friday... the lesson I have planned is around a couple of Beatrix Potter stories! I plan to use the water color techniques in class. It should be very fun. What is it about Springtime that makes me think of Peter Rabbit? Jemima Puddleduck and Mr. McGregor?

While Tommie plugged away at math today...I finished my penny rug! Actually, we had a race to see who could finish their project first? Who do you think won?

Better late then never... here's a snap of our Saint Patrick's Day tree! It is just beautiful at night---when every thing's dark! I plan to keep it up a few more days!

In People Magazine this month... there is a coupon for a free box of Milkbone dog snacks. I was also able to get another bottle of Frank's Red Hot Sauce free, too. I had a .50 cent coupon...Kroger sells a small bottle for .99 cents... Kroger's doubles. Hence, free. smile, wink, nod.

Valentine's Day decorating!

Today, found me in the mood to decorate this tiny little house for Valentine's Day! It was another beautiful afternoon here in Michigan... I went outside...gathered some branches, painted them white, laid them in the sun to dry and then set off for a long outdoor walk... letting the sunshine drive some vitamin C and D into my bones and breathing in the fresh fresh air!

I made the hearts above, a few weeks back. I cut up a .25 cent sweater. I've had plans to hang them from our Valentines tree.... Today, it all came into fruition!

I'm not sure what our Valentine's plans are? I'm thinking of maybe a fondue! With lots of chocolate for dipping! How about you? What are your plans?