Wayside Treasures

Flat for rent and a WINNER!

2012-02-14T22:09:00.000-05:00

First of all I HAVE to add a disclaimer. The lighting here was so awful when I took these pictures,
but I didn't have a choice so I had to settle. Whew...got that out of the way. Now on to fun stuff. :)

I decided it was time for a major redo on my long kitchen shelf and this is what I came up with.
I would love your opinions. Sometimes when I get something finished I really like it until I
look at the pictures over and over and then I wonder. ha!!

zinc pots from Belgium aren't just for planting anymore...

I always have to add candles in some form because I love candles.

This is on the other side of the window. {the long shelf is on the left hand side
and this is on the right. I know kinda lopsided, but is is what it is}
I added these towels to a candle sconce. Guess what Sandi managed to do after this
photo was taken?? Yep , that's right. Can't leave well enough alone. I was messing
around with the sconce and some of the melted wax dripped down on my towel.
I was not a happy camper, but not surprised at all that I did that. :)

I found the flat for rent sign when I went antiquing last week. Love it!
So is this display a keeper or is the window too long for the shelf??

I bet you are wondering what this is all about?? No?? You scrolled clear down to the bottom before you
even read the post, didn't you?? I know !! I have done that before too and then went back up and read the
whole post. It is okay...you are forgiven. lol.

Julie of eab designs
you are the winner of the Shabby Apple dress so contact me with your info and I will get
the ball rolling so to speak.

Hoping you all had a wonderful Valentines day. I sure did and I am very thankful for a hubby who
adores and spoiles me. Yes, he does spoil me. I know that and I am very blessed!!

Above all else...

2012-02-12T10:56:00.004-05:00

guard your heart.

{a favorite scripture verse that speaks to my heart}

I'm so in love, every time I look at you my soul gets dizzy.
~Jaesse Tyler

I climbed up the door and opened the stairs,
Said my pajamas and put on my prayers,
Then I turned off the bed and crawled into the light
All because you kissed me goodnight!
~Author Unknown

I found this Paris postcard in my antiquing adventure last week for a whopping $1.00. It is a souvenir
postcard stamped 1944. I was delighted to run across it along with another one in color.

The love in your heart wasn't put there to stay
love isn't love 'til you give it away.

Anyone can catch your eye, but it takes someone special to catch your heart.
~Author unknown

This is my very favorite fragrance at the moment.

Paris Amour

{It can be found at Bath and Body}

"Paris Amour...a beautiful blend of French tulips, apple blossoms and
sparkling pink champagne, inspired by a romantic stroll through
the streets of Paris.

It is that time of year you know...the special day of love is creeping up on us fast.
The day that we celebrate the ones we love.

I can't even begin to guess how many $$$ worth of candy and flowers
are purchased on this day and let's not forget the special dinners out.
{that is what I am looking forward to if I get over this bug}

I hope you have a wonderful Valentine's Day celebrating with
everyone that you love.

I have grand intentions of making cupcakes or cookies to share with the ones I
love, but first I need to get over this awful cold or that will not happen.
{I certainly don't want to bake germs up and send them on their way to my
loved ones}

I will leave you with many wishes for love in your life and this quote:
You know you're in love when you don't want
to fall asleep because reality is finally better
than your dreams.
~Dr. Seuss

{If you haven't entered my giveaway for a FREE dress from Shabby Apple be sure and
do that! You can click here to get to that post. I will draw a winner on Valentines day}

Shabby Apple Dress Giveaway!

2012-02-10T08:36:00.002-05:00

{UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU}

Wouldn't you just love to hop on this scooter in this gorgeous dress
{named Spanish Steps} and take it for a spin?? I know I would!! One
of my lucky readers will be able to do just that! Well, they will get
the dress free, but the scooter is not included. Sorry! lol.
I just want to jump into this photo and instantly be wherever this
photo was taken! Isn't it beautiful?

The kind people over at Shabby Apple contacted me and offered me a
chance to do a giveaway, so one lucky reader of mine will get this dress
FREE! Yep, you read that right...free! The winner won't have to pay one
teeny, tiny penney for this gorgeous dress. *smile*

Below is the description of this dress taken directly from the Shabby Apple site.

"Some things are just better together: peanut butter and chocolate, Audrey Hepburn
and Gregory Peck, Rome and Vespas. We decided to pair two things we love—
the soft, cotton jersey of our favorite t-shirt, and the gorgeous sateen of the dresses
of yesteryear—to create the Spanish Steps, an indispensably
comfortable-yet-elegant summer frock. A luxe jersey cap sleeve top is gathered
at the waist with a wide satin sash, and a veritable bouquet of appliquéd, ruched
flowers and leaves adorns the full sateen skirt that swirls just below your knee.
A truly inspired combination,the Spanish Steps has star potential.
This dress is made from a leightweight, delicate fabric and
FITS GENEROUSLY on our fit guide".

Shabby Apple sells all styles and colors of dresses including white dresses,
little girls dresses, and even maternity dresses along with other clothing,
jewelry etc. They also have several lines of vintage style dresses
including their Berkshire collection , oh la la , and tinsel town
along with many others.
If you have never visited their site I urge you to do so and see
all the amazing looks that Shabby Apple has to offer.

Now for the fine print. To enter the drawing for this gorgeous dress please
leave a comment below. For a second chance to enter you must “like”
Shabby Apple on facebook and then come back and tell me that you did.
Please also visit Shabby Apple and leave a comment on facebook telling
them what your favorite dress on the site is.

I can also offer any of you a 10% off code to go shopping. Just enter
“waysidetreasures10off” when you checkout.
This code will expire in 30 days so if you see something
you like you better snatch it up while you can get a discount.

Also, per Shabby Apple rules the winner must have a US shipping address
and there will be no exchanges for the winning dress. Drawing will take place
on Valentines Day ~Tuesday, February 14th. Good luck!

{UPDATE: THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED}

Novica $50 gift certificate winner and my gift!

2012-02-06T10:08:00.003-05:00

It is time to announce the winner of my Novica $50 gift certificate winner, but before I do that I
wanted to share the beautiful package that arrived for me from Novica. They were so generous to give
me a $50 gift certificate as well! I picked what I wanted and when it arrived I could not believe how
beautifully it was wrapped!!

I was over the moon when I saw the handmade paper that was used to wrap it in. You can be sure
that I will be using this paper in a project soon. I just love it!

A pretty ribbon along with a tag describing my gift made it perfect.

Bet you can't guess what I chose. A snow white silk and rayon ruffled scarf! The site said it was the
last one. I assume they will get more in , but I don't know for sure.

This package was in my mailbox when we got back home from vising my son and family over the weekend,
but I just couldn't unwrap it until today when I could have good lighting for photos.

This is the gorgeousness {is that a word??} that was inside.

Layers and layers of white silk and rayon ruffles. I LOVE IT!
I highly recommend this site for unique purchases that come beautifully giftwrapped.

Okay...now what you all have been waiting for...the winner!

MARTA is the name that was chosen so she will get a $50 gift certificate to Novica.com.
{Please email me Marta with your info and I will get back to you asap}
Thanks to all who entered!!
{I will link this post up to White Wednesday this week}

Love and french towels

2012-01-31T12:23:00.001-05:00

White Wednesday crept up and caught me by surprise again so I took a few quick photos around the house.

I purchased this beautiful hanging heart over at Cloth and Patina a couple weeks ago
and I just love each and every detail.
It is about that time of year you know. *smile*

Hubby told me we are going to Olive Garden for Valentines Day.
I can't wait...it is one of my very favorite places to indulge.

I cut out a few paper hearts with pinking shears, rubber stamped images on them
and scattered them about the house.

I also made a few paper hearts and hung them on my feather tree that I have had out since Christmas.

Fell in love with these beautiful frenchy linen towels that I found at TJ Maxx while I was visiting
my sister in Pennsylvania this past week so I picked up a couple.

LOVE in the air...:)

A little fun thing I did before I left for PA was to write a bunch of little notes and hide them
all over the house for hubby to find while I was gone. I put them in the kitchen cabinets, on the
bathroom mirror, in the dresser drawer, wrapped around his toothbrush , in the tea canister,
on the computer etc.

I found one last night that he didn't find! It was just too fun! I wrote things such as, "I love you",
Be safe today, I am watching you, Email your sweetie, have a great day at work today, etc.
Just a little something to let him know that I was thinking about him while I was gone. :)

Happy White Wednesday to each and every one of you. Please visit Kathleen over at
Faded Charm again this week for more amazing WW posts. I feel I must put a disclaimer on
every once in awhile. I still can't make it to many of the WW posts, but I will continue to post.
Thank you so much to those of you who visit me despite my slow computer and internet. :)

7 minutes can change your life!

2012-01-30T11:21:00.001-05:00

Just a quick post today. I made it safely home last night from visiting my sister in Pennsylvania.
We had such a wonderful time and hated to see it come to an end, but we are both exhausted! lol
That is what happens when you hit the ground running and never slow down until it is time to
come back home. :)

I did want to share with you the amazing goodness of our Heavenly Father. He certainly gave
our family a huge blessing without asking. The week before I arrived my sister was at her bank doing
some business and when she left the bank and got back in her vehicle she remembers looking at her
clock and it said 12:31 pm.
The bank was robbed at 12:38 pm. SEVEN minutes after she left.
This past week she talked to the
clerk who had waited on her last week and she said that Chris (my sister) was her last customer and
then she took her lunch break , but was still in the bank. That is when everything broke loose.
Two masked men came in , showed a gun and robbed the place.

I have gone over all kinds of scenarios in my head such as what if my sister had been in there
when the robbers came in...would they have taken her hostage or worse yet would they have shot her?
I thank God every day for watching over her and keeping her safe!! I could have been going to
Pennsylvania for a totally different reason that I don't even want to think about.

Friday while we were shopping she got another phone call that there was another bank robbery
in a little town called Sandy Lake about 5 minutes from where she lives and there was also
a third one all within a few miles of where she lives. If you think about it please say a prayer
that these people will be caught and not hurt anyone in the meantime.

Thanking God today for the prayers he answers without us even praying them!!

When mistakes turn out great!

2012-01-24T12:28:00.002-05:00

Has that ever happened to you? I have found over and over that sometimes my original ideas don't pan
out , but I rarely scrap them. I try to think what I can do to still make the item beautiful and
most times it works.

For instance, take these paper mache hearts. I had this brilliant idea to decoupage some script napkins
onto them. I realized not too far into the project that they should have been painted white first, but I was
too far along. Somewhere along the way I abandoned that idea because they just didn't look like I
wanted them to.

So I tried to think of something to cover them up with {after I painted them white right over the decoupage
flubbs} Then it hit me...cheesecloth! It would be light and airy and just perfect. I just kinda made up the
design as I went along. I think they turned out better than the original idea would have!

I had fun making a couple different heart designs. I had so much fun that I could have made them all day long. :)

What do you think?

I am in a hurry today because I have big plans!! Plans to visit my sister in PA very shortly and I can't wait!! {hubby will hold down the fort for a few days while I am having fun} I hope that we can make this a yearly event from now on as we have so much fun together. I know we will do some fun shopping while I am out there. Any must see places in the Mercer , Sharon PA area?? All ideas are welcome! lol

{For some reason the ribbon looks purplish to me, but it really is a pretty gray and goes well with the graphic}

I purchased these adorable little french script *buttons* from Abby over at Abbies Paperie Garden.
Aren't they just the cutest? I love them and am enjoying using them in my artwork.

I hope you enjoyed my ramblings today. I do enjoy you gals and blogging so much.
Happy White Wednesday and be sure and visit Kathleen over at Faded Charm again this week.

If you haven't entered my giveaway yet, be sure and check my previous post and enter!! :)

Addicted to scarves and a $50 gift certificate giveaway! ~

2012-01-21T11:08:00.003-05:00

Do you have an addiction like I do? I am addicted to pretty scarves and I wear them almost every day. I thought I would share a few of my very favorite ones with you today.

Aren't they gorgeous? Who wouldn't want to wear these beauties?

This is a clothing rack in my bedroom that I have hung them on and I love the way they look all together.

ruffles, rosettes, lace...pretty, pretty, pretty!

shimmery, ruffles, lacey, polkdots...whats not to love? :)

Okay, now on to the giveaway. I know that is what you really want to know about! lol One lucky reader will receive a $50 gift certificate to Novica.com. When I was asked if I wanted to participate in a giveaway, I checked out their site and it didn't take me long to say yes. :) They have all kinds of scarves including alpaca wool scarves. They also carry mens sweaters, silk jackets, and womens brazillian accessories along with gorgeous jewelry and home decor.

The lucky winner will have their choice of many wonderful items in this amazing store, but as a scarf lover I think I would choose a beautiful scarf! :)

For one entry leave a comment on this post and for a second entry blog about it or put it on your blog sidebar.
Please leave separate comment for each. This giveaway is open WORLDWIDE...yay!

I will draw a winner on February 5th. Good luck everyone!
Blessings~

PS It has been brought to my attention that the Novica links are not working. I have no idea why because I tested them all out and they worked fine. A blogger issue or maybe the site is down for some reason?
Hopefully they will work later.

Daydreaming again...and paper heart chain

2012-01-17T13:23:00.004-05:00

Do you ever sit and daydream? Truthfully I usually don't , but lately I have been daydreaming of Paris. {just once in awhile. I am still actually getting my laundry done, dishes washed, floors moped etc. We wouldn't want any daydreaming to get in the way of everyday chores now would we?} It must be amazing to visit that city, but truthfully it is probably something I will never do.

Did I ever tell you that I have a fear of flying? Not a huge fear, but nevertheless a fear. I truly think I could get over it fast
if we suddenly came into boatloads of money. lol. Not expecting that to happen either, so I will continue to dream away!!

While dreaming of Paris I decided to finish an altered bottle that I started creating some time ago.
Do you do that too? Start something and then not sure what direction you want to go so you just set it
aside for a ~~week ,month~~ year? Happens a lot around here and then I have several unfinished projects
laying around. There comes a point when they have to be finished or they would run me out of
house and home. lol.

I also got carried away this week making paper heart chains out of old music sheets! I saw the idea on Pinterest and just had to try it. {although it was made out of purple paper. I decided this would be much prettier!} SO easy so I just kept on adding hearts, hearts and more hearts until it is about long enough to circle the house six times!! Well , okay maybe not quite that long. :)

Can you tell I like this bottle and the paper chain? hee hee

She is dressed in her Sunday best. This is a vintage ruffled lace cuff that I had laying around and it
fit the bottle perfectly. I think it was meant for her. I just put it on and snapped it shut with the snaps
that were already on it. Then I added a graphic from the graphic fairy and some other embellishments.
Simple, but lovely.

Speaking of Paris...the city of love...I also painted and embellished this simple heart a day or two ago.

Don't look too close. I didn't get the rubber stamp to *rock* for me on the curved surface so had to fill in some of the letters by hand with a marker. I still think it is sweet though.

How is your week going? Have you been creative? Please do tell me...

Linking up with Faded Charm again this week for White Wednesday.

How will you change the world this year?

2012-01-16T10:17:00.002-05:00

{I did not write this , but it is wonderful. By Holley Gerth}

"I’m thinking of you wherever you are…

carpool lines, cubicles, around the corner or across the world.

And I can hear that quiet question, the one that taps the heart of every woman:

“How am I going to change the world?”

I want to lean in close, cup your beautiful face in my hands and say this to you…

You are going to change the world this year the same way you did the one before –

by being YOU.

Glorious, messy, Jesus-filled, you.

The one who makes mistakes and keeps on trying.

The one who is learning about her gifts and grace and how it all goes together.

The one loving, laughing, learning about being a little bit more like Him every day.

Yep, you...

To read the rest of this post... please click here.

{by Holley Gerth}

Just what I needed today...thank you Holley!

Love and speeding tickets

2012-01-12T10:57:00.001-05:00

Ah...love sweet love

...it can overcome anything...right?
Love hangs in there even when your dearest brings home a speeding ticket...
and then to top that off you find out that it was in a school zone.
{meaning that the fine is doubled and we get to donate over $200
to the wonderful state of Michigan}
*ouch*

Realizing that I have gotten a couple speeding tickets in my lifetime I really can't say much...but I did.

"Seriously???? IN A SCHOOL ZONE??? Were you paying attention??"

Then he nicely reminds me that he never once chided me when I got one...and he is right.
{another *ouch*}
That was Monday...I am over it now and I love that man!
He didn't do it intentionally and who am I to judge!
{I am working on this...not being so quick to judge}

We will chalk this up to a lesson learned and move on.
The whole story is that he was called from the plant he works in to go to the sister plant
in a different town and he got the ticket on his way home from that destination.
My theory is that had they not called him over there he would not have gotten it. {LOL}
Don't you love my logic? ha!

All that aside...{had to vent a little}...I have been working on cute little tags for Valentines day...

and I pulled out this beautiful vintage Valentine card also.

If you think that you just must have some, stick $4.00 in an envelope and drop it in the mail {$3.00 for tags and $1.00 for shipping} and I will send you an assortment of 13 tags packaged in a cute little envelope. You can do most anything with them. Add a tiny hole and ribbon and attatch to a package, embellish cards, etc. If you need my addy convo me. I am not planning to list these on Etsy. Thank you!
Happy Thursday everyone and watch your speed! :)

A new desk started it all!

2012-01-10T13:47:00.003-05:00

I found out over the past week or so that you can get a lot of stuff in a studio that measures
approx. 15 ' x 9 ', but you can't get everything in! {I had to remove a six foot table and there was no
room to bring it back in, however I usually schlep my stuff to the kitchen or dining room to work
on it anyways so for now it is okay. I would like a small table for the room someday}
It all started with a Lovely new computer desk that
we desperately needed, but one that was much larger than what we originally had.

That started the whole ball rolling.
I unloaded heavy drawers of stuff , moved furniture, put drawers back in, realized I didn't like it where I moved it so started the whole process all over again...once or twice before I was all done. The dining room was FULL of stuff and it was really getting to me so I tried to hustle. It still took a good week to get it all done. Hubby was not here to help, but I managed. {If you would see before pictures you would be amazed} lol

Now ideally I would have an amazing room with bins and it would be much more "stylish" looking, but I determined that I was not going to spend one penny and just utilized things I already had. Old plant stands, pieces of furniture etc. etc. and I don't think it turned out too bad.

As you come in the door and look to the right this is what you see. I think this area can use some more help, but for now it stays like it is! :)

These pictures are all jumbled up, but this is to the right of my LOVELY new computer desk now.

You can always hang stuff too! The only place I have to go now is UP! ha!

Pretty roses resting in an old drawer.

This is one of the corners. It is amazing what you notice when taking photos. I am going to move the canvas sign up higher so you can actually read the whole thing. This is the only place I had left to put it. The plastic corners are still on it also. LOL.

crochet thread in a jar

I have three windows in this room and right now all I have up are blinds. Thinking about burlap, but I do not want it to be dark in here so still mulling that over. Right above this area off to the right is where my son's leg came throught the ceiling last summer while working on the roof. {we still have to fix that yet. I have a feeling that we will be putting in a new ceiling next year and I will have to do this process all over again!! ugh.}

A vintage card rack holds some of my vintage paper items and old cabinet cards. Many of my old photos are too wide to fit in here though. I used a vintage plant stand and put baskets on to hold more goodies.

White goodies

White parchment roses

old tart tins to be used in something...someday.

The only dress form I have...it is plastic and PINK underneath.

Everyone loves a birds nest!! I got these on clearance for a bit of nothing after Easter last year at Meijer.

I always love visual pictures so you can think of me sitting here now when I blog...at my Lovely new desk.

She started out like this and she is the one who got the whole ball rolling...again I would have loved to have found an antique desk , but I was tired of looking and our old stand was on it's last leg. In fact I have a funny story to share.
The day that hubby and I hauled the old one out we carried it out to his pole barn as he thought he might be able to use it in his office. On the way out we stopped and adjusted our hands a couple times because it was heavy! Almost got to the pole barn and one side of it fell off. We just laughed and continued on our way. Got IN the pole barn , sat it down and the whole thing gave way just like dominoes!!! We just started laughing and left it there. I suppose you had to be there to actually see it , but it was funny!!
Linking up with Faded Charm today for White Wednesday.

Dreaming of a cozy winter

2012-01-06T22:52:00.000-05:00

{All images via countryliving.com and also the February issue 2012}

Don't these photos just put you in a cozy winter mood? Loving those leg warmers on the stool.
Too cute!
I saw a small vase like the one in the last photo somewhere? Homegoods? I can't remember, but I
remember thinking how cute it was because it reminded me of a sweater.

Wishing you all a warm and cozy winter...50 degrees here today in Michigan,
but I know the time will come soon when we will need cozy sweaters and
leg warmers!! :) Maybe even for our stools!

Peace, Love, Joy and Hope

2012-01-04T20:02:00.000-05:00

I did a little after Christmas shopping one day last week and found these adorable white
frosted pine and bell garlands so I purchased the last two @ 50% off.

I hung them on my chippy white shutters and took a few pictures.
I do love taking pictures. :)

Don't you just love the simplicity ? I do.

I was thinking that these would make neat postcards or notecards.
What do you think? I may check into that.

Praying that whatever is going on in your life right now, that you are at peace and
have love and joy in your heart. If by chance you are going through hard times,
please don't give up...there is always hope.

Gifts for the New Year

2012-01-03T11:33:00.001-05:00

I wanted to start out the first White Wednesday post of the New year by sharing some goodies that I won a month or two ago in blog giveaways. I won this dreamcatcher from Ozma of Odds. I hung it beside my bed on the closet curtain rod. {Yes I have curtains instead of doors on my closet} When we moved into this house in 1982 it had no doors and still has none. That is progress huh? lol. Hubby wants to move our bedroom upstairs and gut this room and start over, but I just don't know if I have it in me to start this project. Sounds like a lot of work to me. :)

Don't you think it goes well with my DREAM glitter banner that hangs on a large mirror over our bed?

Rosemary added many little details to this beauty. Much prettier than any dream catcher that I have ever seen.

Feathers, lace, ribbon, wire, beads...wonderful.

I have shown this lavender sachet before, but just had to include it because I still love it!

D.R.E.A.M.E.R.

Thank you so much Rosemary!! You do beautiful work and I am blessed to own a few pieces.

I also won this cute white stepstool from Circle Creek Home. They make three different styles and this is the one I chose. Are you surprised that I wanted it in WHITE? :)

I still have not removed the tags that were tied on it when it arrived. My granddaughter Annika used the stool a few days ago so she could get up to the sink in the bathroom to wash her hands. It is going to be very useful. Thank you Circle Creek Home!

Joining up with Kathleen today for the first White Wednesday of the New Year!! Can't wait to see what this year has in store. I just listened to the author of One Thousand Gifts on our christian radio station...I want to work on a gratitude journal this year...how about you? What plans do you have?

{curtains are actually Simply Shabby Chic shower curtains from Target in gray and white...love them! Sorry the photos aren't brighter. The lighting here is not good at all in the winter. I should have lightened them up for you}

Happy New Year...2012!

2011-12-31T10:59:00.000-05:00

via pinterest

Wishing all my bloggy friends a wonderful New Year...2012!

A New Year blessing:
I hope the kindness you've given to others returns many times to you.

Tick Tock

I’m writing this in a state of shock,
Watching the clock—tick tock, tick tock,
Advancing, approaching, relentlessly,
A brand new year; Oh, can it be?

The calendar says the same thing, too;
Time races, vanishes for me; Boo hoo!
No, wait! If time flies, I’m having fun!
A year of fun! It’s gone! It’s done!

I now embrace the blur of time,
Because it simply means that I’m
Too busy with pleasure, joy, delight
To mourn the passing days’ swift flight.

So I’m wishing you fast, happy days,
Pleasuring you in myriad ways,
Filled with happiness and cheer,
Oh Happy, Happy Bright New Year!
-By Joanna Fuchs

xoxo,
Sandi

Yummy treats and year end random shots

2011-12-29T21:13:00.002-05:00

Have you ever had these pretzel bites? Oh my goodness...they are SO addicting!! My body has inhaled more sweets in the last week than it has for several months. I must get back to being good when this weekend is over!
In case you are interested here is the recipe:

Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tablespoon softened butter

2/3 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Pretzels

Chocolate candy coating {I used white chocolate}

Beat peanut butter and butter together until smooth. Beat in sugars and vanilla extract until moldable.

Use a small melon baller to scoop portions of mixture, sandwich between 2 pretzels. Place on cookie sheet & freeze for

half an hour. Dip in chocolate, let set, and enjoy! Store extras in refrigerator.

{I also had a tad of the melted chocolate left so I drizzled it over them at the end}

{I made this french toast for Christmas morning breakfast...Delicous!}

Blueberry Stuffed French Toast

1 loaf french bread, unsliced

1 {8 ounce} package cream cheese, cubed

1-2 cups fresh blueberries

8 eggs

2 and 1/2 cups milk, light cream, or half and half {I used 2% milk}

6 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla

Cut french bread loaf into cubes. (you should have about 12 cups of bread cubes)

Grease a 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Place 1/2 the cubes in the baking dish. Top with cream cheese cubes and blueberries. Then top with remaining bread cubes.

In large mixing bowl, using a wire whisk , mix together eggs, milk, melted butter, cinnamon and vanilla until well combined. Pour evenly over bread cubes . Using a spatula, lightly press down to moisten. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-24 hours. {I did it overnight}
Preheat oven to 325 degrees and remove plastic wrap from baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes until center is set and edges are slightly golden. Let stand about 10 minutes before serving. Serve with maple syrup. {this is sooooo good} Enjoy!

I purchased this bird piece for my mother for Christmas and wanted to show it to you. It is such a pretty piece all covered in sparkles! My mom is crazy about birds and she loved it!

The top of my antique buffet in the dining room.

I added the words to this old door the day we were out of power for 13 hours. I was bored and had wanted to do this for a long time, so I finally did. One slight problem...the word ALWAYS is very sticky. The black letters are just fine, but not the *Always*. What to do? Glitter?? Any ideas? Maybe that is why it was on clearance? hee hee

I also found out that it is not good to put adhesive letters on this kind of board with grooves in it. It was very tedious to get the letters to stick.You can also see the spots above the words, "rejoice in the Lord" where the masking tape took off some of the paint. Definitely not perfect, but live and learn I say! :)

This is how I packaged up some of my goodies to send in the mail this year. Took this angel graphic from The Graphics Fairy and lightened it up a lot and used it for an address label. I think they look much better than a computer printed label. One drawback...I actually had to take them to the post office to mail , but that is okay.

Lots of random photos, but wanted to share it anyways. Do you have big plans for the weekend? We will spend some time with our youngest son and maybe buy a new computer stand and put it together...and REST! lol
Happy New Year ...2012!!

Blessings~
Sandi

Jeanne d' Arc gift and pretty packages

2011-12-27T17:57:00.002-05:00

I can't believe that White Wednesday is here again already. Christmas is over for another year and we can all relax a bit I hope. I didn't get any photos taken specifically for this post so I thought I would share a few that I took a few days ago.
Remember my handstamped giftwrap post....these are some packages all wrapped and ready for gift giving. Love how it turned out and how it looks. I will do this again.

{Not really happy with the composition of this photo at all, but I can't retake it because all of these packages have flew out of my house and into other homes}

Santa obviously thought that I had been a VERY good girl this past year because he brought me a genuine Jeanne d' Arc Living travel bag. I was sooooooo excited!!! {hee hee} Actually I found in online and it was on sale or clearance and it was the very last one so Santa came to the rescue! :)

Isn't it a beauty?

Love the document print on it!!

It looks right at home hanging on my ladder for now. I do hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and that it wasn't too stressful on any of you because I know it can be. We had a fun time at my parents last night and now the festivities are all over , but we had a delightful time.

I wrapped my dads gift in brown kraft paper and stamped "you've been naughty" all over it and added a bag of *coal* and a *naughty hat*. He just laughed and laughed when he saw it. I will have to do a blog post on that one of these days. He is such a good sport!! Story behind that is that I called my mom on Saturday to let her know that we picked up a coffee maker for dad and as soon as I told her she said, "He is listening"...and then I heard my dad just howling laughing!! Little stinker!! He "claims" that he said hello, but this gal never heard one thing. tee hee...love that man so much and I am so thankful for him!!

Praying you all have a wonderful New Year ahead...2012!!

A holiday lunch

2011-12-25T21:57:00.000-05:00

Are all your gifts unwrapped and all the piles of wrapping paper put in the trash or burn pile by now? We have one more Christmas with my parents this week and * poof * another Christmas will be history. Seems like they fly by so fast anymore. I must have been a really good girl this year though because I received some lovely goodies, but I will share more about those another day.

Last Thursday I took the time to have my bff over for lunch and I am so glad that I did. We used to get together a lot to craft, eat or shop {maybe even all three at once}, but it seems that we just don't find as much time these days for US. This particular day we had a wonderful time talking, laughing , eating and solving the worlds problems. LOL

White chocolate snack mix that I make every year at Christmastime.

Apparantly I took this photo before I put the water in the glasses. oops!
I used some fake pine garland that I had cut into smaller pieces and attached to the bottom of the goblets. No time to run out and get real greenery.

Script placemats topped with lace placemats

I even added several little paper stars that I had made a few weeks ago

The best turkey salad sandwiches that you will ever have.
{source Pettisville Meats}

A few different kinds of cookies are always nice to have on hand and they were a yummy treat.

Rosemary Olive Oil potato chips...sooooo good!

Good ole H20 with lemon and lime slices. Too late I realized that I should have had a cranberry or two to add to the glasses, but I didn't have any on hand. It would have been a nice pop of color.

I actually used paper napkins this time around. {hee hee} I will say looking at the photos now they do look a bit colorless, but there was also a bowl of pasta salad that had red tomatoes and green peppers in it so we did have a little color. It was a fun day and it went by way too fast , but I hope we can do it again soon!

Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead as we prepare to ring in the New Year!
*2012*

Love came down

2011-12-23T18:00:00.000-05:00

Late on a sleepy, star-spangled night, those angels peeled back the sky just like you would tear open a sparkling Christmas present. Then, with light and joy pouring out of Heaven like water through a broken dam, they began to shout and sing the message that baby Jesus had been born. The world had a Saviour! The angels called it “Good News,” and it was!
-Larry Libby

Wishing you and all those you love a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and blessed New Year!!

Can you feel it?

2011-12-20T09:28:00.001-05:00

...the love that's in the air?? Christmas is almost here.

Just a few more pics around the house as the magical day approaches. I am ready...are you?
Well...almost ready. I still haven't gotten much for my parents, but haven't a clue what to buy them.
Happens every year.

I saw this idea in a book that I won from Rosemary over at Ozma of Odds and loved it.
I think I need a taller glass, but for now it works. Pure genius!
I decided to set it in front of my vintage white bottlebrush tree for the photo and love the reflection of the tree in the window. I also added a crinkled seam binding ribbon to the spoon to dress it up a little. You can lift and lower the ladle to light the candle or blow it out.

Same window with my glittery sleigh, candleholder and tree.

Doesn't this sleigh just sparkle? Love it!

tree again, vintage aqua bottle and vintage ornie

This is some of the white decor on my buffet. Sure wish I could find some vintage clock faces around this neck of the woods. I have not seen even ONE...no not one. ha! Well, I take that back. I found a wooden one a while back, but no metal ones at all unless you buy the clock and then tear it apart. :)

Isn't this a beautiful angel ornament??!!

Bathroom decor...remember my bathroom is very small so I can't do a lot of decorating in there.

I received this precious little handmade booklet in the mail from Marietta over at Sweet Old Vintage. She is sure talented with her hands. I love it! She also sent me an cute little tablet, but I forgot to add the photo...one of these days! :)

I pray you all have a wonderful day and week a head and the most blessed Christmas ever.
Don't forget to celebrate Jesus...the reason for the season.

Will be linking up with White Wednesday again this week.

{still running a sale in my Etsy store...would love to have you stop on over and say hello}

xoxo,
Sandi
{accidentally blew away my signature again...:}

I wondered as I wandered...

2011-12-19T10:30:00.003-05:00

...what I might find that would grab my attention. I was given some $$$ for Christmas so I went wandering last week. {I only managed to spend $15 so I can go again! lol} I trudged through several antique malls and this child's gray wool coat set is the only thing that really caught my eye. I think it is so precious and it just makes me wonder about the child who wore it. Was he happy? What was life like for him? Who did he grow up to be...?? I choose to believe that this child had a wonderful life filled with people who loved him and cherished him. I think he grew up and did or is doing wonderful things in this world.

I added a sprig of greenery for the season

Isn't the fabric just beautiful?

Love this precious little hat...

...and suspenders!! Is this not too cute or what?

I love the detail on the back of the coat..there is even a little pleat in the middle.

Does anyone have a clue what era or year we are looking at here? Would it have been the 50's or older? I really don't know and I wonder about that too. One thing I do know for sure is that it was made in the U.S.A. That is always a plus!!

Christmas is less than 1 week away blog friends!! Are you ready??? :)

Just a heads up that I am now running a 20% off of everything in my Etsy store in case you are interested in anything. Pop me a line and I will edit the listing to show the discount. Thank you!!

I must have done something good...

2011-12-17T15:05:00.000-05:00

...that is what I am thinking anyways.
My hubby popped in the door a few days ago and handed me a dozen passion roses.
He sure surprised me!
Don't get me wrong, he does it periodically, but it still surprises me every single time.

They sure are a bright spot of color in my otherwise pretty neutral home. I took the photos of this bunch
when there was rain on the window...thus the spots, but I like it.

in L.O.V.E. with these postcards that are JDL...got them when I ordered a magazine last year.

up close and personal

I split them up into two different containers. These are in the kitchen on my long white shelf and
the others are in my living room.

I guess he is still a keeper...for now anyways. Just kidding!!
I intend to grow old and senile with this man. lol.
{I am already well on my way. My cousin told me that I sent her TWO Christmas cards within a week of each other... I told her I at least hoped they were different cards and she said, Nope...same card, but different things written in each one so she is keeping them both! ha!}
Happy weekend everyone and see you on White Wednesday post this week!

I started with an old wooden berry picking box...

2011-12-14T12:16:00.002-05:00

...laid it on it's side and started embellishing. {it was already painted white}

First I added white cheesecloth and then an angel graphic from The Graphics Fairy. I glued lace around the edge of the angel photo and then I added a feather, tag and tiny vintage ornaments.

I LOVE the wonderful patina that is found on old Christmas ornaments. You just can't get that in new ornaments.

I thought for a sudden burst of creativity that it turned out pretty good.
What do you think?

First time around I added a candle {and I even lit it}, but that was before I added the feather and I really didn't want my home going up in flames, so I opted for the vintage ornaments instead. You could use a battery powered votive though and I think it would work just fine. I see all kinds of possibilities with these embellished with holy cards and candles etc. I hope to work on some more after the holidays.

Pretty paper ♪♫♪...pretty ribbons of...♫♪♫...and a WINNER!

2011-12-13T11:01:00.001-05:00

...♪♫♪...BLUE...ooo...♫♪♫♪..wrap your presents...♪♫♪

Wait a minute...stop the presses!
...no blue ribbon around here this year!
Just beautiful gray and silver.

I received my goodies that I won from Ozma of Odds and I was over the moon just viewing the packaging.
Seriously...I didn't even open them up until the next day because I just wanted to stare at them for awhile! So beautiful and so Rosemary!!

She didn't miss one little detail from the silver ribbon to the tags, fabric flower and book cover.
Every little detail was perfect.

I know that I have told you before that I am a *detail* girl.
I so appreciate all the little details in life and I just ooed and ahhed over the detail on my giftwrapping.

What a gorgeous tag on the package that my dream catcher was in!!
{I will get to that one of these days, but this post is just about the wrapping..hee hee}

I also can't help but think how much more gorgeous these photos would be with Rosemary's addition of white flourishes etc. I just love her blog and her extra touches on her photos, but I haven't a clue how to do that. Well , I kinda do know how it is done, but ME actually doing it...now that is another story.

Thank you so much Rosemary!! You made my ~~day~~, I mean ~~week~~, oops, I really meant ~~month~~,
okay ,okay you made my YEAR!

Linking up with Faded Charm today as I do for every White Wednesday celebration.

...and now for the winner of my giveaway....
drum roll pleaseeeee.......

*FLEURCOTTAGE*
Congratulations to Esther! I will send out your goodies as soon as I receive your mailing addy.

Winter ONEderland party!

2011-12-11T15:20:00.001-05:00

{photo taken by Sears}

It has been quite an eventful week here at the Boothman household. We saw these two little grands of ours several times in one week and we loved every minute of it. . These two precious little sweeties are very blessed to have someone in their life who blesses them with a lot of beautiful clothes and they always look so, so cute!

{photo taken by Sears}

Annika had a Christmas program at her church last Sunday and then on Thursday evening she had a Christmas program at her preschool. Can you believe that this grandma forgot her camera both times?? Ugh.

{photo taken by Sears}

Precious little Ainsley turned 1 yesterday.

12.10.2011 little Ms. Ainsley celebrated her very first birthday and of course we were there to help celebrate. It was her Winter ONEderland party and she had a grand time.

This is the beautiful cake that Ainsley's daddy made and her mommy decorated. Chocolate cake with strawberries between the layers and strawberry frosting. It was soooo good! In face I just ate a huge piece that I brought home. :)

Marshmallows and a little snowman that Ainsley's mommy made. Too cute!!

The birthday girl!

Ainsley was much more interested in playing with the boxes and paper than she was opening her gifts. This box was pretty well smooshed by the time she got done crawling all over it and standing on it. Thankfully it was not breakable. :)

Annika got Ainsley a cute little ornament for her birthday. I think she had just as much fun as Ainsley did and it was a beautiful party for our precious little granddaughter.

THEN...
Friday evening my older sister was blessed with her first grandchild...a little boy named Greyson Matthew. She was a nervous wreck living in PA and her daughter giving birth in Alabama. We stayed in touch via facebook and I didn’t go to bed until about 1 am Saturday. I was sooooo tired. At one point she put on facebook, “PLEASE pray for Megan...Greyson is being stubborn”...the next post was “they are prepping Megan for a C-section”. She did end up having a C-section, but mommy and baby are doing just fine and my sister is heading for Alabama tomorrow.

He just missed being born the 10th. {He would have been born the 10th if Alabama was not a hour behind us} Had that happened we would have FOUR family members with birthdays on the 10th , but it was not to be. My sister , Ainsley and my niece LaShawn all celebrated birthdays yesterday and it was a grand day for all!

Still a favorite

2011-12-09T07:34:00.000-05:00

Point of Grace

{photo from online source}

{click on arrow to hear this holy song}

Oh this song...this wonderful song...still a favorite Christmas song of mine. I cry every time I hear it , but I have to listen. It pulls me in and I play it over and over. It IS the embodiment of Christmas...it IS a holy song. Young Mary giving birth to Baby Jesus and how she must have felt. Laboring on the cold cobblestones...in a dirty stable. I can't even imagine it. He came for US in the most lowly way possible, but yet He came. For me and for you. I am so very thankful that He came!

LABOR OF LOVE

sang by Point of Grace

It was not a silent night

There was blood on the ground

You could hear a woman cry

In the allyways that night

On the streets of David's town.

And the stable was not clean

And the cobblestones were cold

And little Mary full of grace

With the tears upon her face

Had no mother's hand to hold.

It was a labor of pain

It was a cold sky above

But for the girl on the ground in the dark

With every beat of her beautiful heart

It was a labor of love.

Noble Joseph at her side

Callused hands and weary eyes

There were no midwives to be found

In the streets of David's town

In the middle of the night.

So he held her and he prayed

Shafts of moonlight on his face

But the baby in her womb

He was the maker of the moon

He was the Author of the faith

That could make the mountains move.

It was a labor of pain

It was a cold sky above

But for the girl on the ground in the dark

With every beat of her beautiful heart

It was a labor of love.

For little Mary full of grace

With the tears upon her face

It was a labor of love.

It was not a silent night
On the streets of David's town...

I intended to add a copy of this CD in my giveaway here, but totally forgot about it so I will be doing another giveaway in a few days. Be sure and stay tuned! It has many wonderful Christmas songs on it...peppy ones too! :)
In the meantime if you haven't already signed up for my giveaway click here.

GIVEAWAY for White Wednesday

2011-12-06T11:38:00.000-05:00

I have been so blessed lately to win several giveaways in blogland and it is past time for me to have one so here we go.
What better time to celebrate 630 followers {wow!} and also to celebrate the spirit of the season.

The winner will be getting this beautiful rose pin made by Erica over at Meadowstreet.

An 8 foot long vintage gold glass bead garland.

A lavender sachet made by yours truly.

Three little stars embellished with tinsel glitter and paper banners.

A glass glittered mitten ornament made by yours truly as well.

A soldered *holly* charm with white ribbon so you can use it as a necklace or anything you choose.

A beautiful gold glass candleholder and a pair of candles embellished by moi.

A couple papers that I hand stamped with Merry Christmas and carte postale.

This *believe* sign that has been painted white and glittered.

and...this beautiful wall plaque that I picked up at the Christian bookstore over the Thanksgiving weekend.

To be entered in the drawing just leave a comment on this post.
It is that simple.
{Sorry , but this giveaway is open to US and Canada residents only}
A winner will be chosen and announced next Wednesday on my White Wednesday post.

By now you all know the drill.
Visit Kathleen over at Faded Charm for more beautiful White Wednesday posts.

Decorating in silver and white {and sprigs of green}

2011-12-02T09:19:00.001-05:00

Sharing a few more photos of my Christmas decor that I finished up yesterday. I purchased two bundles of greens from *the big box store* for $5 each {in the live flower section} and it really went a long way. This is a very long shelf in my kitchen that my daddy made for me years ago...out of oak...I painted it white a couple years ago , but we won't tell anyone. :)

This chair also sits in my kitchen and I love decorating it for the different seasons.
I picked up a few of the paper ball glitter ornies at Pottery Barn this past February on clearance for little of nothing. I love them. They are so pretty and sparkly.

My beautiful Joyeux Noel cone that I found on Etsy. I put some greens in it and then added a vintage sprig of berries. {It still has the original Japan label on it}

My basket prettied up for the season.

I still adore my vintage silver ornies and try to pick unique ones up whenever I can. I purchased a few of the mercury glass trumpet ornies at Pottery Barn this past February on clearance for peanuts.
Sorry there is glare in this photo. The lighting has not been good at all so I had to use the flash.

A cute little sleigh that I found at Hobby Lobby a few years ago holding a vintage SILENT NIGHT ornament.

I picked up two of these linen stockings at the sidewalk sale this past summer. $2 each and they are monogrammed with *S* on the points of the cuff. I think it was meant to be. This hangs on my bathroom door.

A little fake charlie brown tree in my living room.

Wings and stars that I created that are also sitting on my long shelf in the kitchen. Should have got a photo of the whole shelf. oops.

Love my zinc pots and tart pans from Belgium. These are sitting on my windowsill also in the kitchen.
Hope you enjoyed your mini tour of my home decorated for Christmas!!

I finally caught the bug!

2011-11-29T14:29:00.002-05:00

...the decorating bug that is. I wanted to keep it simple this year so I set out today to return a few items and
found some lovely greenery at the big box store. {somehow that just doesn't scream CHRISTMAS purchasing it at Wally World, but it was affordable so I grabbed a couple large packages}

I had tossed this idea around in my head for a few days and I love how it turned out. I took a frame without glass and hung it on top of my arched window that always seems to hang in the same spot. Someday I am going to change that you just wait and see. :)

I purchased these pinecones at an antique mall seveal years ago and I use them every year in my decor. I love the old tattered ivory ribbon. Over the years some of the ribbon has gave way and I had to re-tie the pinecones with the same tattered ribbon , but I still love them.

Simple , but it works for me.

I also added a little greenery and white ribbon to my paper napkin basket. *GASP* I know I should always use cloth napkins , but paper ones work for me as well.

I just love my paper angel wings and they look so pretty on my shutters.

Here is the greenery that I picked up today. I know this is way off the subject, but have I ever told you that I L.O.V.E. my kitchen sink?? It is extra deep with a little curved part on the left side that makes it even bigger. Add to that our faucet that has a long neck and it is perfect. It has a few nicks out of it {porcelain} from use over the years and I have toyed with the idea of replacing it, but I am afraid we won't find another deep sink like this one. Besides that also leads to new countertop, cabinets, etc. etc. and that just isn't in the budget right now. Although I do know a *carpenter*...hmm...a certain man that I live with!! LOL

Last, but not least I wanted to show you my free postcards that came a few days ago. What do you think?? I like how they turned out , but wonder if I should have went with one of my other collages. Oh well...they are done now and best of all they were FREE!!! Can't beat that.

Take a peek at my blog url...I have a *favicon* now. My oldest son made it for me when we were over at his place for Thanksgiving. He amazes me. I know he went to school for computer tech and graphic design, but when I watch him click here and there and bamm it is done in a flash...oh my!! If only! We tried a *WT* , but it was just too small so went just for a *W* instead. I think it is much cuter than that big ORANGE *B*. :)

Also, I don't think I told you that my son-in-law {who is only 27 years old} just returned from a trip to Japan the day before Thanksgiving. He is an engineer for GM and was over there for 11 days on business. He brought me back a beautiful paper fan. Hopefully one day soon I can post some pictures from that beautiful country.

I just sat here and ate a bowl of black and white drizzled chocolate popcorn...then did my aerobics for half an hour. I think I defeated the purpose , but I will keep plugging along. :)
Happy White Wednesday!! Join Kathleen over at Faded Charm again this week for more beautiful posts.

A lovely gift...from my daughter

2011-11-28T15:03:00.000-05:00

Have you ever seen such a cute candleholder? I used to have a vintage plant holder almost just like this only much larger of course. My daughter gave this to me for part of my Christmas gift this year. I knew I would have fun fixing it all up. I wrapped glass votive holders with doilies {some stamped with script}, added some fake pine and candles and started taking pictures. {don't have any real pine yet}

I shot photos from many angles.

I think there was a fingerprint on the lens for this photo...seems a little *hazy* in the middle.lol.

pretty in white

I started decorating a bit today {yes I am just starting } which led me to thinking about the story I saw on 60 minutes Sunday evening. It was about how many homeless people there are in the US. { the greatest percentage are in Florida} If you didn’t see it, it was heartbreaking. The reporter talked to children who were wise beyond their years and shouldn’t have to worry about the things they do. Finding a “safe” place to park their vehicle for the night, getting ready for school in gas station restrooms, not having enough food for one meal let alone all day long. Just doesn’t seem right here in America. Sometimes I think I should just sell it ALL and donate the money. We certainly can’t take it with us. Maybe a fresh start would be good.

I have more decorations than one person should have. I realize it comes from years of accumulation, but something has to give. Old ornaments, trees, houses, tinsel, decor...decor...decor...get the picture? I used to think that I had to haul out EVERY item and use it somewhere, but not anymore! I don’t like the “decorate to the max” look anymore and I am trying to figure it all out. What to get rid of and what to keep. I am going to work hard at “de-stuffing” my life in 2012. I won’t get rid of everything, but I have enough stuff for several people and much of it is going. I know I would feel much more at peace with a good purging in my home and in my heart as well.
Blessings~

Oh my stars!! {tutorial}

2011-11-27T11:28:00.002-05:00

We had a whirlwind time since Wednesday and I am ready for a long winters nap. lol. I packed up the car {back seat and trunk stuffed full} and when hubby got home from work we left for our oldest son's home in Indiana. We spent three nights and came home yesterday. We celebrated both Thanksgiving and Christmas with our kids and had a wonderful time. My parents even made the 2 hour drive and we loved having them there. It is the first time they have seen our son's new home as well.

For two years we have given our children and their spouses money for part of their gift. Last year it was a treasure hunt of sorts and this year I folded bills into stars. It was so fun and they seemed to be very impressed with them. Much more fun than just sticking money in a card. Click here for the link in case you want to try your hand at making them. I thought the directions were great and easy to figure out. They all asked me how long it took to fold them and it really didn't take long at all. Once you get a couple made and get the hang of it, it goes pretty fast.

Each side looks different and it was fun to do.

Another thing I did for them was to get small totes and fill them with all their leftover baby items that I had stored in a chest upstairs. Baby books, clothes, blankets, photos etc. I think our daughter-in-laws loved them just as much as our children did. Our youngest sons wife was amazed at how clean they were and she loved every detail. Don't know if it really impressed my son-in-law or not. LOL!!
My daughter sent me an email today telling me that she just went through her whole tote today at home, looked over each and every item and read every single card etc. Hers included a baby blanket that I had made for her out of squares of fabric and her dedication dress and slip that my mom had made her shortly after she was born. Both of my boys included adorable teeny tiny outfits that had lace trim. My sister had purchased them at a childrens boutique and of course they had something to say about the lace. You actually put these on us mother??{ hee hee} I said yes and you were adorable! All these goodies are from 27-32 years old and it was fun to see their reactions when they were opened. I am bummed that I did not take photos of their totes with the lids off for you all to see, but I didn't even think about it. Can you believe that??

We also took a large tote of items purchased throughout the year on clearance or sale. I spread it all out on the table and had a fun time of drawing names, numbers etc. and watching them pick out goodies to keep. All in all it was a very fun weekend, but I am taking a long rest now!

Abundantly blessed!

2011-11-22T10:43:00.001-05:00

My house looks like disaster central right now

because:

there is stuff everywhere!!

totes, boxes, gift wrap, tape, dishes, food, pans,

clothes, {unmade bed...shh...I usually get it made before

this time of day}, messy bathroom, cluttered kitchen, dishes in the sink,

dining room table laden down with ribbon , tape, my

creations, magazines...you get the picture!!

but...soon
I will:

help my son and dil make thanksgiving dinner,

feast on turkey and all the trimmings,

inhale some pumkin scones and

thank God for my abundantly blessed life!

reminisce about the past,

hug and kiss my grands,

laugh until my sides hurt and

thank God for my abundantly blessed life!

sleep in a warm bed,

sit in front of a cozy fireplace,

snuggle under a soft blanket and

thank God for my abundantly blessed life!

celebrate Christmas with our children and grands,

sit back and watch as they squeal in delight when opening gifts,

enjoy time with my family and

thank God for my abundantly blessed life!

Thanking Him today because I have totes ,boxes, gift wrap, tape

{it means I have been blessed with things that are not a necessity}

dishes, food, pans

{it means I have plenty to eat}

clothes, unmade bed

{it means I have a warm place to sleep and clothes for my back}

messy bathroom, cluttered kitchen, dishes in the sink, dining room table laden down with ribbon, tape, my creations, magazines and so much more than I deserve!!!!

{it means I have a roof over my head}

I am also so very thankful for each and every one of you who have come into my life via internet. I would have never dreamed how blessed my life would become because of you! Praying each and every one of you have the most blessed Thanksgiving ever!!

{white leaf and acorn embossed casserole dish...Martha Stewart...at Goodwill for $2.00!
Just had to throw that in...lol}
Will link up with Kathleen for White Wednesday again this week, but will probably be too busy
to view many posts until after this week.
May you be blessed and may you be a blessing!!

Selling my mercury glass glitz and glam!

2011-11-17T14:47:00.006-05:00

I rarely do two posts in a week let alone in one day, but I am feeling better so I started digging out my Christmas stuff. I am going to sell most of it that I had stored up for my booth this year. These pink mercury glass style tree toppers are from Michaels last year. Two measure approx. 10.5 inches tall and the third one is approx. 8 inches tall. Selling all three for a total of $15 plus shipping. If you are interested give me a hollar. I am only shipping to US and Canada at this time.

ALL trees are now SOLD

Then I also have these two pink mercury glass tyle tealight holders. They stand approx. 3 and 3/4 inches high and are also 3 and 3/4 inches in diameter at the top. Selling these two for $8.00 plus shipping for the pair.
{I have a total of six of these pink tealight holders)

Same price for these gold mercury glass style tealights...$8 for the pair plus shipping.
Send me an email if you are interested and I can send you an invoice through paypal or you can send me a check. I can't list them on Etsy because they are not vintage.

Printed burlap at JoAnn Fabric!

2011-11-17T12:06:00.001-05:00

I feel rather icky today with another attack of vertigo, but I wanted to get this posted. Have you seen this printed burlap at JoAnn Fabric? They also have some with a skeleton key design. Cool stuff!! My bff told me about it so I had to check it out for myself. Last time I was at the store they did not have this so it is relatively new.

I haven't done anything with mine yet, but I sure will when I figure out what! lol

You might also want to pick up some of these when you are at JoAnn's. I found them several weeks ago. They have many items in this theme. I will use them for tags or something along that line.

Several giveaways going on over at Fishtail Cottage and she is featuring items that I donated today so be sure and stop on over and tell her hello! You just might win some amazing goodies!

Handmade Wrapping Paper

2011-11-15T10:05:00.000-05:00

Have you done any creating this week? I pulled out a roll of white paper that I found a few years ago at a thrift store. I have used part of it for different things, but had quite a bit left. It measured 30 inches wide which is a perfect size for wrapping paper. {most folded sheets are approx. 20 x 30) I cut the length at 20 inches and started making my own wrapping paper.

Isn't it pretty?

I pulled out several of my rubber stamps and just stamped away. I stamped here and I stamped there and in no time at all I had several sheets of pretty paper...I call it Jeanne d' Arc style paper, but I just might be throwing that name around too loosely. :) No two sheets are alike so I guess that makes them unique? lol

I rolled each one up and tied them with twine until I actually use them.

Some are designed for Christmas and others in the french style to use anytime.

Joyeux Noel

I love script stamps and used them a lot on this project.

This is a project that anyone can do and you cannot mess it up so get out your stamps and make some paper. It is also a good way to take out your frustration when you bang those rubber stamps...just sayin'...lol.

I will be linking up with Kathleen over at Faded Charm again this week for White Wednesday.

Decisions...decisions!

2011-11-12T22:23:00.000-05:00

Back on October 28, I won a blog giveaway from High Street Cottage for 100 free postcards. I have spent many ~~hours~~ days trying to get one designed that I was happy with! {no easy feat on dial-up internet I might add} When I wasn't cleaning, cooking, shopping or playing I was trying to figure out a design that I really liked.
I put together this collage...

and this one...

yet another one...

and this plain photo and guess what????
I ended up using NONE of them!! Oh heavens...I love to win things and believe me I am so grateful, but this about drove me to the madhouse. hee hee. I am not a postcard designer and we will see how they actually turn out. They may not even be fit to look at, but hey I tried.
I know this lace and spools photo is an old one, but I am still in love with it and it is one of my most favorite photos ever so I will tell you that it is part of the design I chose, but otherwise it looks nothing like these. Keeping my fingers crossed that they will turn out okay.
{I hope to get back to checking in with more of your blogs soon since I have this behind me now}

Seeing stars...Jeanne d' Arc style again :)

2011-11-09T13:50:00.002-05:00

I am cheating today and putting up another quick post for White Wednesday. I have been working on these Jeanne d' arc style stars and just didn't want to wait until next Wednesday to show you all. However, maybe I should have waited because the lighting here today is terrible to say the least!! Gloomy day so I am sorry for the not so great pictures. Hopefully you will be able to see past them and just look at the pretty stars. :)

stars...

stars...
{this bead bling is way too long so I need to shorten it up a bit}

and more stars! :)

I added earrings to some and other bling to others.

Thought they turned out pretty neat for starting out as plain wooden stars. I did use the Martha Stewart tinsel glitter on the sides of the, but it is not showing up well in the photos at all.

Hope you don't mind that I cheated a little and added another White Wednesday post!!

Happy day!

Are you ready...

2011-11-08T10:28:00.000-05:00

...for the holidays? For all the hustle and bustle, happy people, cranky people, the extra lbs. packed on from all the holiday goodies, finding that perfect gift, busy stores with people bumping and jostling, ~~that white stuff that falls from~~ ~~the sky~~ snow? Are you ready??

I am not. Seems like the older I get the faster it seems to arrive each year. Since we have simplified our gift giving it is not nearly as stressful as in years past, but I am still not ready. We are having Christmas with our children and grandchildren at Thanksgiving so I guess I better get ready huh? It is only 16 days away!

I need to start wrapping gifts for the grands and just get in the Christmas mood. Maybe some fa-la-la music would help?

Yes, the celebrating is just around the corner...reminds me of an old game ...
ready or not...here ~~I come~~ it comes!

I had to show you some of my recent finds. Aren't these the neatest old suitcases ever...AND they are WHITE! :)

Haven't figured out yet which room they will end up in , but for now they are just sitting on the floor in the dining room.

One has a blue lining and one has RED! Not so fond of red, but at least it is inside. ha!

This is a must have for all of us who love to create. Guess where I found it?? No ...not Hobby Lobby, or Michaels or any other craft store. TJ Maxx!! Can you believe it? It was only $1.99 for this large size. I am just tellin' ya so you can check out your TJ Maxx stores if you so desire.

I purchased three of these old white chippy shutters a few weeks ago and am thinking I need to go and get the other three that I left behind. I am going to do great things with these just you wait and see. lol

My blogger jumbled my photos again so they are not in the right order , but such is the life of a blogger lady. {hee hee} I found the white glittery pinecone garlands at Michaels. The candle is Cranberry Fig, again from TJ Maxx and it smells wonderful! Joining Kathleen again over at Faded Charm for White Wednesday this week.

Just for you...

2011-11-04T10:12:00.000-04:00

"I'm thinking of you this morning, wherever you are, and of the difference you're making.

You might think it's small.

You might think no one really sees.

You might think you should do something bigger, better, more spiritual.

But lean in and listen close...

The best gift you can offer this world is you.

And that's what you're doing--

just putting messy, glorious, imperfect, made-new you out there.

In your home, your family, your office, your community, your world.

We'd miss you if you weren't there. It just wouldn't be the same. And no one could take your place.

So keep it up, my friend. Keep giving and loving and living right where you are.

It matters more than you know, more than you see.

{And you do too.}

xoxo

--Holley"

{I subscribe to Holley's blog and received the above post in my email this past week. Just had to pass it along. If you would like to subscribe to Holley's blog click here}

The first two photos are of a candleholder that my bff gave me and I am getting them posted rather late in the season. She doesn't like "stuff"...{at least not most "stuff"} so she passed this along to me. I printed out a vellum cover for the candle and added a vintage gauze ribbon. It is right at home in my decor.
The 2nd candle is one that I remade the outside of. I am not into cowboy stuff (original candle shown in last photo) , but loved the smell of the candle {from Goodwill} so purchased it, brought it home and prettied it up. :)
Happy Friday everyone!!

Carte Postale wings and an adorable little bunny

2011-11-01T11:43:00.002-04:00

I just had to share my youngest granddaughter in her Halloween outfit with you today. After all it is white so it goes right along with our White Wednesday theme. Isn't she just the cutest??!! We walked along with both our sons and their families and our daughter-in-laws parents for trick or treating last weekend and we had a wonderful time. I think our adorable little bunny stole the show. :)

Just look at those little ears and that kissable sweet face...hee hee!

As we were walking through town collecting treats for the grands, Ainsley's mommy held her for awhile, her other grandma, her daddy and eventually she was passed on to me. I didn't have her in my arms very long at all and she fell fast asleep. She was a tired little bunny, but still oh so cute!!

Changing gears here...I have sold several Jeanne de' arc style angel wing ornaments off my blog so I decided to list a few in my Etsy store. Small and large ornaments so you can take your pick.

They vary in price depending on size and charm used .

If you see any your heart desires, just visit my Etsy store or send me an email.
{I finally got my Etsy shop name changed to Wayside Treasures...yay!!}

I will be linking this post with White Wednesday so be sure to HOP on over to Faded Charm again this week for more amazingly beautiful posts. I have to give a shout out to Kathleen every once in awhile for continuing to host this day for us each week. Thank you Kathleen!!!!!! :)

Cookies, chips and crackers

2011-10-27T10:00:00.004-04:00

I wanted to share some information with you that I think you just need to know. :) I purchased these tiny heart shaped lemon cookies at ~~a cute little pastry shop~~ Walmart! I think they should be at a cute little pastry shop instead of a big box store, but nevertheless that is where they were found. They have a whole line of these cookies and crackers that are *a taste of* and these are a *taste of France*. I found out when I got home and opened the box that they are also infused with dried lavender. They are delicious!

This is the box that you will want to hunt down in the cooker/cracker aisle, but please no tackling other customers to get to them. I think they will have plenty on hand for everyone. :)

Next on my must have list are these potato chips. Olive Oil and Rosemary! I absolutely love most anything made with Rosemary so when I found these at TJ Maxx several months ago I had to try them. I have been buying them ever since, but it is hit and miss and sometimes they are hard to find. {for petes sake why am I telling you then?? :} All natural with the only ingredients being potatoes, olive oil, rosemary and sea salt.

Last , but not least are these Westminster Crackers. We ate these crackers somewhere { I think maybe Cracker Barrel...that makes sense doesn't it?} in individual packages and they are the best saltines I have ever tasted so I was happy to find them at Home Goods yesterday as well. They are made with seven all natural ingredients. You can also check them out at http://www.westminstercrackers.com/

Yep these little cookies are soooooo good...please let me know if you try any of these and what you think.
...and now for the very best part...they are ALL made in the U.S.A!!! YAY!