A trip to town

Since I live about 25 miles outside of San Antonio in a tiny little community in which I do not see a single soul, except the precious deer that eat my geraniums, it is always a treat to go to town.

Today was great! I was able to purchase a beautiful sconce for the new bathroom. It had originally been 85.00. We paid 25.95 for it and whisked it off before they could change their minds.... I love a great deal! I also found six little spice jar bottles that will help complete my lonely little rack that I have hidden under some stuff in a box. It did not have any bottles when I rescued it from the drastically reduced pile in a junk store, I mean collectibles store. It was painted a very unusual shade of turquoise when I found it but now sports a blue coat to match the other spice rack. I liked the turquoise but decided to try conformity for once in my life so I painted it light blue. You could call it sky blue, vintage blue or maybe even baby blue. I am not sure how conformity is going to work for me but I am trying! I may paint it pink so that I have some girl colors and some boy colors or they could be vintage 50's colors, depending on who you ask. Have I told you that I looooove vintage?

Anyway, I wanted to let you know that the Dollar Tree has some cute little salt and pepper shaker sets. I purchased a set for a dollar. It will now hold glitter at my house. I think it may even fit onto the little spice rack, just in case I still need more bottles. Boy am I glad to have cute little shakers instead of the plastic boring ones that the glitter comes in. I also purchased two sugar shakers that are larger and remind me of beehives. They were a dollar a piece. I have some larger flaked glitter that comes in a large plastic jar that will find a new home in one of the shakers and I have glass glitter, it is vintage, that will reside in the other one. I loooove vintage glass glitter. It has a quality that cannot be replicated with the synthetic glitter we have now. However, I love all kinds of glitter and use it generously when appropriate.... some people might say I use it whether it is appropriate or not.

I also looked for some clear vinyl, zippered pencil holders that are made to use in a 3 ring binder but did not have success. I have been thinking that they would make great little holders for my small and medium clear stamps. I currently have my clear stamps in a binder in sheet protectors but they keep sliding out. And that annoys me. Since I have not purchased one of those little bags since about 1999 it could be possible that they are obsolete but I sure hope not. I wonder if they make them with a ziplock type seal instead of a zipper .... which now makes me think I can make my own with the freezer type ziplock baggies. What a great idea! and they come in all sizes, whoo hoo. I am off to try this out.....

Photos of scrapbook storage ideas

Silver relish tray/holder and the tiered shelf that I use to hold, corral and keep up with my scrapbook embellishments.

The blue spice rack and salt and pepper shakers for holding beads, glitter and other embellishments. My grandkids love to use all of this stuff!

Scrapbook storage

I love vintage things and have been collecting some items to use as storage for my scrapbook/craft area. I have read many articles and have gleaned suggestions from many sources but did not happen to write any of those down. I know that some of the ideas I saw or used came from Creating Keepsakes and some from www.craftystorage.blogspot.com/ and some of them came from seeing the items in the lovely little store in Colorado City, Texas or wherever I happened to stop on my travels to see my family.

The great little item I picked up in Colorado City that stores supplies is a relish lazy susan, complete with all the glass sections and lids for the bargain price of 24.00 and believe me, I snatched it right up. It had been 48.00 and was on sale. The ladies at the front asked me where I found it and I told them I saw it on the way to the ladies room. It was right in front of you as you departed from said room. I was oh so thankful to God for having it right there the day I went shopping. It is in the photo above. I am not sure why Blogger put it there but that is where it is for now.

I also picked up a spice rack, missing a couple of bottles at the Salvation Army in San Angelo, Texas for 3.99. I toted it home, painted it blue and put all types of brads and other embellishments in each jar. I am going to make new lables for the jars but am waiting to be sure what is currently in there is going to live there or is just visiting....

I cannot get blogger to let me post the photo so I will try again, later.

Anyhow, I also have a darling little relish tray that I am using for embellishments as well as pretty glass salt and pepper shakers to hold some glitter and beads. I found another little condiment holder with four glass jars that are keeping my ribbon roses and lace embellishments nice and tidy. I also found another old spice cabinet with two little drawers in Burnet, Texas that just screamed at me to buy it, so I did. It is holding some little jars that I bought at the local Hobby Lobby when they were on sale half price that keep more buttons and other items visible and neat. The final piece is a tiered shelf that I think is some of type of display for baked goods, which I do not make very often or well... but that is another story. I found it in in Fredericksburg, Texas about four years ago, waiting for me to take it home. It is holding more little glass jars purchased half price at Hobby Lobby, as well. It is nice and rusty but I kind of like it that way so for now, it is going to stay that way. We are kindred spirits it seems.

I have been collecting these for several years, back when I had a job, and now I have time to put them to use. My husband made a wonderful scrapbook cabinet for me three years ago and it is crammed full. I have used tension curtain rods to contain some of the ribbon and a storage shelf he made just for that purpose. He also had the wood and plans to make a filing type cabinet to hold things like stickers and embellishments but we moved away from the shop he was using to make them. Maybe some day we can buy the saws and planers or whatever it is that he needs in order to finish the cabinet.

I have more storage solutions that I will share, later. Good night.

I love the fall!

It rained several times the past few days, is cooler and seems almost like fall. I love the fall. It is back to school time, football season and cooler, crisper weather. Fall invigorates me and just makes me happy.

Thank the Lord that he looks out for my hubby and keeps him safe!

As our remodel continues, we have finished the bedroom and the bathroom, almost. Or as some would call it the ensuite. Ours is a very small ensuite for sure! It is nice to go into our room to sleep and not have construction dust all over our feet! or in our hair, or noses.
We have been working on the kitchen and it is quite interesting. My husband remembered his dad making a ladder jack to use as a poor man's scaffolding and attempted to do the same, to save fifty bucks. However, it did not work just like he planned. It worked fine for a couple of hours then it collapsed with him standing on it, ten or twelve feet above the ground. I stood inside the house looking out from the hole he had made by removing the window. As I stood helping him attempt to frame in the newer, smaller but oh so energy efficient window I watched him fall to the ground. The wood was flying everywhere and the thirty five pound nail gun and Eddie went down.
I reached for him as I saw it collapse but I was on the other end of the window and there was no stopping it. He only weighs about 125 so it is not due to his size. He said that when he looked at the boards, the screw was sheared off, faulty screws if you ask me. Anyhoo, he appears to be okay except that his shoulder is killing him and he cannot move his right arm, but he thinks it will be okay in the morning. He even asked his buddy Scott to stop and pick up some scaffolding on the way out here in the morning so he thinks he will put in a full days work. He said if it still bothers him tomorrow, I can take him to the medi clinic after we return the scaffolding. I fear he may have ripped his rotator cuff but he thinks it is not that serious. I guess he has an MD that I did not know about......

Life at the lake and other things

I had a blast keeping my grandson while his sister went to Sea World camp. I do not think she enjoyed it as much as she did last year. She was worn out everyday, so it was hard to tell. She may be talking her family's heads off about now that she has had some sleep.

We are making headway in the master suite. In the bath area sheet rock is hung with tape and some mud on it. Brandon is coming to help Eddie with the electrical tomorrow. Next will be the shower installation and tile. I am getting so excited. It has been such a long process that I decided it was never going to end but the end is in sight. We need a faucet for the sink and a tank for the toilet, hubby had to use the one we bought for it in the other bathroom, that is another story. We also need slate for the walls surrounding the vanity area.

I will post some photos once we finish. I guess I better get busy making drapes, dust ruffles and ottomans......

Time truly does seem to fly! It has been two months since I posted and it does not seem like it has been that long. Both of our sons are now married to women that perfectly compliment them! We are thrilled to have them in our family! I made cute little hearts for the reception at Brandon and Tammy's wedding to give as little gifts. I will try to post a photo of them. They turned out really cute. I should sell the extras on Etsy but have not gotten up the nerve to, yet. Rejection by no one wanting them would be crushing! I also made cute little fridge magnets for gifts for the guests at Brady and Brittney's rehearsal dinner. I have extra's of those, too. They spell LOVE. I guess I should dig them out and put them on Etsy as well. I have had the shop space for quite a while but am so insecure about what others will think of my things that I still have them all..... The two items are so different that they might only appeal to a small audience.

I am trying to learn to create scrapbook pages, kits, etc. using Photoshop. I am not sure that I am loving it. I guess I will keep working at it until I figure it all out or give up. I want to be able to add my own touches to photos prior to printing them, mainly. I am sure I will never tire of using paper, scissors and my own hands to make the pages but have wished many times that I could add things to the photos. If anyone reads this at all and has suggestions for tutorials that are straightforward and for Photoshop CS2, I would like to have the site url.

I am slowly cleaning out closets, cabinets and drawers, trying to purge our abode of all things that are just lying there, not ever being used. I donate the items to a local charity so that they are used by someone. Recycling and re-using is not a new concept! My mother and grandmother and great grandmother have been doing it for many, many years. Most people that went through the Depression and WWII tend to be very frugal. They certainly understood the need for conservation of all resources.

My precious grandchildren were here this past week. Hearing little man say,"kank you, Mia" when I give him something is one of the sweetest things on earth. He is a cutie and gives the best hugs. His sister is a very creative child. She used about a ream of paper making her own paperdolls and her own paper zoo, complete with momma, daddy and children animals of many varieties. She is quite a girl. She is going to Sea World camp again this year so they will be back in a couple of weeks. I look forward to it!