Friday, April 30, 2010

2 aprons

found at an estate sale this morning.
i have a slight addiction.
this makes number 11 and 12 in the apron department. pink gingham...be still my beating heart
and the black hand stitched embroidery...oh my

this little number will be worn in the garden. it has really deep pockets.
so nice and a steal at 50 cents each!
~type to you soon~

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

the old ice chest

this is one of my favorite pieces of furniture
it is an old ice chest from my mothers side of the family
i just adore the carving in the piece
i did some more organizing yesterday and grouped all of my platters in the top door
it is a perfect size to hold the platters
the bottom of the chest is divided so storage of items is really easy
this is one of those pieces that i will always have
until one of children beg to take it to their home
(that's how i ended up with the piece)
i would love to see your favorite furniture piece
take a picture and email it to me
~type to you soon~

Sunday, April 25, 2010

twenty four hours

In the spring I have counted one hundred and thirty-six different kinds of weather inside of four and twenty hours. ~Mark Twain
~type to you soon~

photo credit: hicker photo

Saturday, April 24, 2010

red baskets

its amazing what a small investment of 2 baskets will do for the look of a cabinet. i so wish i had taken a picture before, but i didn't. just like me to jump into something before thinking:) take my word for it, this sucker looks a ton better! i grouped all of the baking ingredients like soda, baking powder, corn starch, cocoa, etc. in the bottom basket. i even put chocolate chips in there. in the second basket is sprinkles. yes for some reason we have acquired an arsenal of sprinkles. i am so happy with how this cabinet turned out. what is something that you need to organize?
~type to you soon~

Friday, April 23, 2010

estate sale find

i already had this one. it is the largest one of the set.
i found these three at an estate sale. i was pleased.
~type to you soon~


Thursday, April 22, 2010

red shutter

i just love this!
what do you think?

photo credit: inspired room

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

fashion forward or fashion flawed

little cheeks has the odds stacked against her in regard to fashion awareness. i have always been a little fashion challenged or maybe the better term is fashion careless. i like it if it's comfy, makes me look thinner than i really am, or has a lands end tag in the back. really those are the qualifications for fashion in my book. so when i saw this beauty today i asked myself...has she broken the trend of fashion-less-ista's of the family? OR is she blindly following in the footsteps of a domestically aware woman who needs a stylist? either way she is the cutest thing i have ever seen in a pink polka dot crinoline puffed skirt and snow boots.

~type to you soon~

Monday, April 19, 2010

herb garden up and running

i took advantage of the BOGO herbs at home depot yesterday. some of the herbs that are in the pots are from our garden last year. the thyme, chives, and mint come back every year so i dug them up and put them in the pots. ultimately that is why i have decided to keep the herbs in pots from now on. they also smell heavenly and it is a nice smell to greet when i step out on the deck. there are also certain herbs that interact poorly with certain veggies. on the contrary there are also ones that help veggies too, so i might just plant some of those herbs in the veggie beds as an aid to growth and pest repellent and not necessarily to use. convenience is a big plus as well, when i am cooking i can just step out the kitchen door and grab some herbs.
what are your favorite herbs and why? are you planning on growing some this summer? i would highly recommend it.
~type to you soon~

Saturday, April 17, 2010

eating pretty

whenever we have friends over for dinner i really like to have a nice centerpiece on the table, especially when we are eating outside. here are today's.
all clipped from the yard
the yardsale tablecloth that i bought last week
red thrift store chairs
potted plant that was inside is now out
fun forks, knives, and spoons for the kiddies
can't wait to spend an evening with friends
what do you like to do when you are preparing for friends?
~type to you soon~

Thursday, April 15, 2010

vintage dress me up

photo credit: my sweetheartmoments
the plate in the above picture is a southern living dress me up plate. the company had a line of theses "dress me up" products that i liked very much and still use very often.
a few years ago i came across this line of vintage dress me up items. don't you just love the scalloped edges? this is one of the many items in this line and they can be purchased at thrift stores, estate sales, and antique fairs for a fraction of the cost of the southern living dress me up line. just goes to show you in my estimation vintage is always better:)
~type to you soon~

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

strawberries with a touch of green polka dots




if you can sew a straight line you can make this dress. i bought the fabric at joanne's. it is premade with the gathering at the top. i had the fabric cut and little larger than the distance around little girls chest and then sewed a straight seem down the side. i added the ric rac to the bottom, a monogram, and some lovely large bows (can bows ever get too big?...don't answer that...we won't agree...unless you are from the south...southern women know how to rock a large bow or two:). the ribbon was at hobby lobby 50% off this week. total cost...$11.00.
~type to you soon~

Sunday, April 11, 2010

yes i do know you

before

after
this was a very nice memo board before but our son had requested something to put pictures and things that he needed to remember for his room. i tea stained the fabric by making a strong rue of tea and brushing it on. then i just used ribbon scraps that i already had. it was a fun, relatively free ($2 for the board) project.
~type to you soon~

your face looks familiar

before
after

i am a huge fan of spray paint.
wait until you see that memo board a little later today.
~type to you soon~



Saturday, April 10, 2010

bacon

a friend introduced me to this way of preparing bacon, and i don't think that i will ever go back to the frying pan. i throw it in the oven on a cookie sheet and bake it for about 10 minutes at 350. then i turn on the broiler to crisp up the bacon. we like it crispy around here. if you watch it and don't burn it, it is the best bacon you have ever sunk your teeth into. the mess is so confined too. no bacon grease splatters and the cookie sheets just rinse right off. just thought you might want to know. do you have any easy cooking tricks that you use?

~type to you soon~

Friday, April 9, 2010

yard sale finds

i am so glad that yard sale season is back. i love a good yard sale. here are the finds for the day.
brand new table cloth. washed and ready to go. i just love the "springyness" of it. $2
this is the bottom of the towel stand pictured below. yes that says $40.00. i really hope that is not what they originally paid. i paid $2. it will be getting a coat of bronze paint.
memo board. new. $2 i am changing out the ribbon on it. i will show you when it is done.

primitive style basket. i just love it. seen these retail for between $18-$22. i paid $3.

i also bought little girl ralph lauren jeans that have tons of life left in them for $1. they look like they would have if i had bought them new and washed them once. unbelievable. i love yard sales more every year! you should try them out if you are not already!
what is your best yard sale find?
~type to you soon~

Thursday, April 8, 2010

seventh generation

read all about getting all natural, organic, seventh generation products for FREE at Kroger this week right over HERE.

~type to you soon~

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

strawberry jam and the hunt for pastel perfection

i know titles that sound like weird movies are weird, but i couldn't help myself...

assembly line for the jam

the food processor has revolutionized canning. watch for one at a yard sale or on craig's list. really it is a must. you can also use a blender if you do not "overblend".
those strawberries were just gorgeous! they are on sale for a really good deal in many stores right now. it would be a good time to make enough to last a couple of months. i made about 16 pint size jars with 10 lbs of strawberries.
~type to you soon~

fruit bushes cheap at audi

i normally do not shop at aldi but my mother in law was there yesterday and she was telling me that they have blueberry, blackberry, and raspberry bushes that are a decent size for $5.99. that is a great deal. i am heading over there this morning to pick some up. i am also back and will be posting much more frequently than i have the past week. later today i will post some pictures of things that have been going on here at the suburban farmhouse. hope all of you have had a lovely week and i look forward to getting back in the regular routine of things. have a lovely, breezy day.
~type to you soon~
photo credit: trees online