June Pics... Lots of 'em!

Weeky Deals... Simple Projects to do in the a/c

It's hot here in Texas,so I'm sharing some of the projects I have made revamping my yard sale finds from last week.

This was one of those cheapy silver trays....

I got this tray for our wedding gift... it needed a 2nd life. (I had already sold its mate in a garage sale.)

I love black spraypaint.

I bought this plate for a quarter at a flea market last weekend.
Saw this on the Nester's site and thought I'd give it a try.

I'm going to paint this pedestal soon... but the little lamp found a new home on my kitchen window ledge. Also, thank you Jill for the sweet book of helpful scriptures for hard times that came in the mail yesterday.

Can you find which piece on the table (last week's yard sale finds) this new "chalkboard" was?

Below is my treasure table from last week's flea market finds... I think I spent about 6.00 on all of these fun finds!

Now, if you want to be inspired by more weekly deals, click here.

A song I need everyday

Hold Me Jesus

Well, sometimes my life
Just don't make sense at all
When the mountains look so big
And my faith just seems so small

CHORUS:
So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

And I wake up in the night and feel the dark
It's so hot inside my soul
I swear there must be blisters on my heart

CHORUS

Surrender don't come natural to me
I'd rather fight You for something
I don't really want
Than to take what You give that I need
And I've beat my head against so many walls
Now I'm falling down, I'm falling on my knees

And this Salvation Army band
Is playing this hymn
And Your grace rings out so deep
It makes my resistance seem so thin

CHORUS

You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

Summer so far...

The kids got out of school on May 29th, but I worked with kids who needed extra help until June 10th, so by then I was more than ready to join my kids in Summer Vacation 2009!!! We've been busy with normal summertime activities and trying to keep cool as Texas summer heat is in full swing.

Dan and I at a country concert.. we had so much fun!

My parents came to Plano for a week (Dad works in Plano often) and the boys stayed with them for a few days until I was able to meet up after school got out. Dan was busy with summer coaching so he held down the fort in Hooks. I also got to have some great fun time with Jill, my longtime friend, and to get together with some of my DFW area friends. I celebrated my 34th birthday this week, feeling blessed beyond belief by my sweet husband and boys, but missing so much Mark, on a day important to our family.

Jayden playing with Grandpa Big Mark

Life is plugging along, and we all know that's the way it should be. We are counting our blessings and doing our best to enjoy every day, especially in the slowed down summer pace that we teachers adore! However, having lost my brother, who passed away unexpectedly on May 16, nothing seems normal. Dad, Mom, Angie, Dan, and I best describe it as an empty feeling, a real physical feeling that is always there. We can be enjoying dinner or a ballgame, or swimming with the kids, and then it just hits. It is the loss, the pain, the memories, and especially the feeling that he should just be there with us, or at least be around to look at the pictures and laugh with us later. For all of us, crying is part of each day, somedays it is worse than other days, some days the memories are easier to swallow, and other days the why? and how? questions weigh heavy. We get through it day by day, moment by moment, all of wishing that we weren't having to go through this at all. We just miss Mark, we miss the role he played in our family, and we miss our sense of "normal" that we are used to, as wacky as it may have been at times.

My sweet friends

So, we pick up the pieces, day by day, and put the puzzle together as best we can just for that day. We keep texting and facebooking and telling each other that "we will get through this." We know now more than ever that life is about today, and that our time on earth is unpredictable by us.

The boys with Grandma

As promised...

I completley copied this idea from Fancy Schmancy Designs. Thanks...

Before

During

After

What an improvement over the Sam's size bag of dogfood we used to keep here by the backdoor.

Junk Party!!!

I'm part of the junk party!!!! After looking at my junk, click here to be inspired by some other junkers... we should form a support group!!!

I took along my 9 year old son who also found some of his own treasures... books and rollerblades, and had a very productive day at the Salvation Army store... here are my finds... I spent 16 dollars, including the wooden shoe organizer which is already in use by my garage entry door. Check out the spray paint cans in the background just itching to go! Incidentally, my trigger finger is kinda numb today... no lie... I guess I'll need to toughen up!

To the lawn with the spray paint I go... anxious to start my repurposing!

This old popcorn tin will be my new dogfood tin... it soaked up an entire can of spray paint and still needs more, so stay posted for the final reveal.

I decided to start collecting white dishes... at the beginning of the week I had none, now look at them all... I spent no more than 10.00 on this entire collection!!! I'm so excited because I've never had nice dishes for this hutch.

This candid family shot finally has a frame for 99 cents and some black spray paint!

Jars from the SA sore.. cleaned up, just waiting to be filled with something fun!

Way too much fun for just a dollar!

Before:

After:

It's baaackkk...

my thrifting, goodwill, repurposing, crafting addiction, that's what. It had been on a little break since I moved from Plano and wasn't familiar with the good junky spots around the new home. But, once I went to goodwill and found a few good things, it becomes a little bit of an obsession. There's one right by my work, so I'll pop in there on lunch or right after school and quickly walk through to see what's new... also, my parents have my boys for a few days this week while I'm finishing up school, which is freeing up some time. Today on my mind was a baby shower coming up this weekend...so I got motivated to try my hand at a personalized gift, and then with no little boys to want to get in on the painting fun, I painted a little more, and a little more...

All of these plates were from thrift stores or mismatched ones from my own cabinets.. I spray painted them a cream color and experimented with the painting and lettering... it was really fun... the C is for the new baby, Caroline. P.S. the white chair was a goodwill find last week for less than 5.oo. Great bones! P.P.S. the hydrangeas are from my backyard. I love them!

Turn Your Eyes

My favorite hymn...

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Helen H. Lemmel

O soul, are you weary and troubled?

No light in the darkness you see?

There's light for a look at the Savior,

And life more abundant and free!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth Will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

Thro' death into life ever lasting

He passed, and we follow Him there;

Over us sin no more hath dominion

For more than conqu'rors we are!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth Will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

His word shall not fail you He promised;

Believe Him, and all will be well;

Then go to a world that is dying,

His perfect salvation to tell!

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth Will grow strangely dim

In the light of His glory and grace.

GOODWILL Hunting

Sara at Thrifty Decor Chick is hosting a Good Will party. I'm all over this... on a two-teacher income I'm all about what I can find a second-hand stores and make pretty!  Plus, It's a lot of fun, and I also like to think I'm recycling and being "green" when doing this, too.  What to share?  Well, I was inspired by all the linky posts and did a 15 minute project tonight. I'll share that, and then post a few of my thrift store finds that are proudly part of my home.

I bought a 99 cent urn on my lunchbreak today at Goodwill.

Then, following inspiration from another blog

 I stalked earlier this week. I searched throug

h my kids' toys until I found a ball the right size to sit in the urn.

About the right size, but my kids still play with this... 

Too small, and too squishy...

JUST RIGHT!!! It's an old Magic 8 ball!  

And, Ta Da, this is how it turned out. Not bad for 99 cents! (I'm already seeing some things I want to perfect on it, but not bad for a quick project. I can always add to it later. What I'd like is for it to look more topiary-ish.)

And, as promised, a few of my other thrifty treasures throughout my humble home... 

Dining Room- Thrift store plant stand and plant, which I need to re-pot since it's suffered a very shattering falls as three little boys run through the house. Round Mirror.. big Canton bargain!!!  

Hall Bathroom... Black shelf off of Hobby Lobby clearance aisle.. 3 bucks.. not goodwill, but just wanted to make you jealous... 

Lamp, lampshade, frames, and Cross all from garage sales, flea markets, or thrift stores.

Not really sure why, maybe b/c it was already painted black, my favorite spraypaint color, but this is one of my favorite 2.49 Thrift store finds.. it's a cute bulletin board I hang in my kitchen.  

Chair bought for a couple bucks.. I spray painted it black and I use it at my desk or as an extra kitchen table chair. The paint is starting to wear, but I think it kinda' adds to the charm... 

top of armoire in my bedroom... never can get it right. Thrifty candle holder collection.. and my grandma's antique books... too cheap to actually buy candles for the candleholders, though;)

I love finials.. I find them everywhere and they are spread throughout the house.  

Think About It

Found an very thought provoking quote today.

The truth is that our finest moments are most likely to occur when we are feeling deeply uncomfortable, unhappy, or unfulfilled. For it is only in such moments, propelled by our discomfort, that we are likely to step out of our ruts and start searching for different ways or truer answers.

-M. Scott Peck

Four Hours of Therapy

Hair Therapy, that is... needed to do something for myself, and since I always color my hair out of a box (been noticeably gray since my early twenties), and haven't had it done professionally since Rylan was a baby (He's 4 now!), I thought I'd splurge. I found a gal who did Mary's hair for prom. Charming little shop that she works in all alone. It was kinda' a nice escape to sit in there for 4 hours (didn't know it would take that long) and talk to someone who doesn't know what all has happened in the last two weeks. We just chatted about this and that... nice escape. Here are the requested pics... 

Just Being Real

Life has been hard for me the past couple of weeks. As we all know it isn't always a "bowl of cherries," and because of the unexpected death of my 31 year old brother, I have been having a really hard time functioning lately. I'll be okay... but I've never had to grieve like this before, and I really don't know how to grieve. It is manifesting itself in many different ways. The emotional roller coaster is in full gear, and within an hour's time I can experience sad, mad, hope, hoplessness, etc. Some of the emotions I feel, I don't even know how to name.
I've always respected the women who use their blogs in a very real way, to reach out to other women, so that we moms who more often than not, hold our families together, know that it isn't always great and wonderful, the weekly meal isn't always planned, the groceries aren't always bought, and for me, MT. LAUNDRY isn't always done. Now, I'm the type who cringes at dirty clothes on the floor and never lets people come over when my house isn't clean... but I'm feeling the need to reach out to bloggy land, and let y'all know, that no one is perfect, and sometimes we just have to forgive ourselves of that.  Here, (cringe) is the pile of laundry that was building on my bathroom floor last night before I finally tackled laundry for the first time since returning from the funeral. 

And, I also, am giving you a peek (another cringe) at the baskets and baskets of clean, but not put away laundry and unpacked suitcases on my bedroom floor.