What it could have been...

Have you ever tried starting a new tradition?

Maybe alittle something different for the holidays?

This could have been my Thanksgiving Tablescape

Simple silver, white and cream...

Some dried grass for the centerpiece...

If this would have been my table...

I would have added my best silverware!

Even have wrapped a napkin

 in the handmade tassels!

If this had been my Thanksgiving table 

the glasses would have been filled...

The plates would have been filled...

and refilled

and in our family...

refilled again!

Eventually, the table would have been cleared..

A puzzle put in it place...

And someone would have been stuck

hand washing all those dishes.

So our new tradition...

paper plates

plastic cups

plastic silverware

and I gain an extra hour with my family!

I am posting with Tablescape Thursday

At Between Naps on the Porch.

Office is Done!

Well, it all started with this room!

My office needed something....

actually it needed alot of something!

Paint, to begin with!

Which I was happy to find on the

"opps" rack for $5 a can!

So, 4 months later...

this room above

becomes

this!

Out went the light beige-pink walls,

to be replaced by crisp white on 3 walls

and an accent wall of cocoa brown!

I kept my desk.

I was able to land this desk a few years

ago at a local thrift store for $30.

I had my eye on it for several months,

however, could not justify the $100.

The day I saw it marked down...

I snapped it right up!

Wayne and I spent a few evenings

stripping down the years of dark

build up of stain, dirt, crayon, etc!

I was able to create my light fixture

using an Ikea "Hemma",

an old lamp shade!

 Using some old muslin,

I made a simple cord cover.

The black bookshelf on the back wall was

originally used to store albums

(the 45 and record variety).

I found it at the same thrift store as my desk

and only paid about $2 for it!

I painted it black many years ago

and Wayne helped me frost the front glass

using frosted spray paint.

(We frosted the inside and it still looks like new!)

The framed print on the top of the bookshelf

used to hang in Mom Mom Friend's (my Grandma)

guest room!  

I always wondered what it would have been

like to attend the party in the big

house with the warm yellow windows!

One of my favorites! 

I found three matching kitchen tins

at a garage sale.

I just love that I can dress them up

with a photo and magnet!

I am also excited on how the back wall turned out!

I found this old mailbox for $1

and sprayed it white and cream.

Using two garage sale frames,

I painted them with the same white and cream

as the mail box.

It was a very easy way of "framing"

two smaller paintings.

The "Button B" was a project

I made a year ago!

I rounded out the wall with two

framed silhouettes of  Zac

and Madison when they were little!

The little white rolling cart

was purchased for about $3.

The curtains are standard size drop cloths.

They were a packaged "bogo" deal,

2 for $9.  I simply washed them a few times 

with bleach and hung them on the existing curtain rods!

The chair was brought up from the basement.

The kids claimed the green chair was

too uncomfortable to sit and watch TV.

My curbside find was a stack of old

kitchen drawers.  The fronts had already been

removed, but the construction was solid including

dovetails!

I simply removed the drawer sliders

and strung clothesline in the holes.

I added an identifying tag where there

once was a drawer pull!

I just love "free"!

The chair received a fresh coat of white.

It too, is a hand-me-down from Mom Mom Friend!

Thank you for coming on this tour

of my office.

A Sneek Peek of Projects

At the end of summer I decided that

my office needed a fresh coat

of paint, and I'm happy to report that

yesterday we (finally) painted the room!

Over the past few months I been busy

gathering and completing

 projects for my office.

Including...

 painting old frames

and

re-purposing curb side finds!

I can't wait to show you the completed room

at the end of the week!

Worry Not

²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life,

what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.

 Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?

²⁶ Look at the birds of the air;

they do not sow or reap or store away in barns,

and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not much more valuable than they?

 ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? 

Matthew 6:25-27

Catching Up

Carpi Diem = Seize the Day

I'm beginning to wonder if my newly adopted

outlook on life is about to send me to an early grave!

This past week it's sent me to the couch, sick!

I wanted to take a few minutes to update my

the last few weeks!

First our trip to Disney was wonderful!

We spent one day at Epcot where we

enjoyed both the attractions

and the annual Taste of Epcot!

Zac found a carmel covered chocolate cupcake

at the new carmel shoppe!

Madison tried a baked ravioli!

Wayne and I were so busy eating, we

didn't stop to photo all our samples!

Zac and me!

Madison and me!

The weather was perfect for our trip!

Although, the kids were slightly sad that it was too cool

to swim in my Aunt's beautiful pool.

We spent the second day at MGM Studio.

The kids found they loved the

Rock and Roll roller coaster!

We also discovered the "Single Rider" line help

to make a 40 minute wait, whittle

down to about 15minutes!

Our trip was very quick...

we drove down on Friday and Saturday,

went to Epcot on Sunday,

MGM on Monday also starting our drive home that night

finished our trip home on Tuesday.

We all decided it was worth the trip!

The time together with family was one to be

remembered and treasured!

I was even able to meet a blogger friend

while down in Florida!

We had discovered beforehand that Sue,

from I Need Mom, would be in Orlando

visiting family the same time we were there!

It was so much fun to meet up in person!

We arrived home to a busy rest of the week.

That Friday, Zac and I took off for

Indianapolis, Indiana to volunteer

at the Bands Of America

Grand National Band Competition!

By volunteering for two shifts we were

able to see most of the Semi- Finals

and all of the Finals for free!

Our local school band,

 the one Zac preformed in last year,

made it into the semi finals and

was only one or two bands away

from making it into the Final 12 bands

out of 90 marching bands from all over

the United States!

It was a great weekend for Zac and I to share together!

Unfortunately

, I came home sick and have been

"taking it easy" most of the week.

I did want to share a sweet surprise

that was waiting for me when I arrived

home on Thursday night...

My friend Amy and her children had dropped

off some yummy goodies for our family!

I teach art to 2 of her beautiful girls on Fridays!

I can't tell you what this sweet gift did for my spirits!

It brought such a smile to my face and heart!

If you want to follow Amy's adoption check out her blog.

Growing By 2 Feet

Our other news has to do with this sweet cottage!

Wayne and I are currently under contract to purchase

this one bedroom home in a neighboring town.

My in laws will be living here once we

make some cosmetic changes to the interior!

Once spring rolls around we will be

 painting and landscaping

the exterior!

I looking forward to sharing this project with you all!

Just Because.....?

What color would you paint me?

Wendy's Give-A-Way

I wanted to share an exciting Give-A-Way

with you today!

My dear friend, Wendy, at

Relatively  Unique

is celebrating her 1 year blog anniversary

with an incredible cookie Give-A-Way!

Click here to get signed up!

Happy Anniversary Wendy!

Life here has been very busy,

I've been doing my best to keep up with

every one's new posts,

but have found it difficult to keep up with mine!

We are taking off today to visit Mickey...

(Grandpa B will be here hanging out with the pups!)

We are hoping to experience the

Taste Of Epcot...

To learn more about this great event head over and

visit Sue's blog at I Need Mom!

Have a great weekend!