Tuesday, December 18, 2012

More Holiday Decorating...

Hello.  I have been enjoying seeing everyone's beautiful Christmas decorating. So many ideas to try out!!  Here are a few more of my settings. Hope you enjoy!
 
 


 
 
 




 
I think JoJo is pondering whether Santa is going to bring her anything good this year!!
 
Thanks for stopping by.
Blessings......
Melissa

Friday, November 30, 2012

 
 
 
Hello!!  I hope you are all doing well.  Just like many of you, I seem to be getting busier all the time and it seems there aren't enough hours in the day to get done what I plan.  Maybe I plan too much??  Anyway, I just wanted to share some of the decorating I have done.  I didn't do much last year because of our kitchen remodel so this year I was so excited to get it out.  This post is very short on words, but I hope the pics speak to you!
 







 
That's it for today.  I will be back soon with more to share. Have a wonderful day!!!
 
Blessings......Melissa

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Fall Gatherings.....

Here are just a few of the fall gatherings I have around the house.  These pumpkins are from Jo-Ann's.  Don't they look so real??
 

 
 
I think he's more cute than scary, don't you?
 

This is where our chest freezer used to be before we remodeled the kitchen/utility room last year. I am so not missing that big ugly thing in the room!!!
 


 
The larger broom in the bowl was a birthday present from my friend Ann last year.  I just love it.  I stitched the pin keep a couple of years ago.
 


 
My little black tree with mini orange lights and pumpkin ornies!!

 
 
I haven't been outside to decorate yet.  We had corn all around us and I never cut any for a corn shock this year.  I think I was just tired of looking at short yucky corn stalks an I just wanted them gone.  I don't even have any pumpkins yet.  That is this weekend's job.  Here is a "pile" of kitties trying to stay warm.  I have a dog, um, cat house, right out back for them.  Apparently it's more fun to pile up on each other to stay warm!!  Crazy kitties!!

 
Here are a few of my new blackened beeswax goodies I have in my Etsy shop. Stop by if you get the chance.



 




 
Thanks for stopping by. Take care until next time.
 
Blessings........
Melissa 

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Back in the Swing of Things..........

Hello!!!!   For all of you who may have wondered, no....I didn't fall off the edge of the earth. I am still around and trying to get some organization back to my schedule since summer is almost over and the kids are all back in school.  Seems when I had things to write about, I didn't have time, and when I had the time, things were rather boring.  So, anyway, I'm back.  Thanks to all those who have stuck with me. 
 
We had a terribly, and I mean terribly dry summer.  Crops looked horrible, grass was dying, flowers were just existing with the constant watering I did every night.  Here is my poor garden.  I had such high hopes for it early on.  It still fared better than years past so it was a successful project.  I thought I took a picture when the sunflowers were blooming, but I guess not. Better luck next year with it!! 
 
 
Just a few of the Black-eyed Susans I have out by the old smokehouse.

 
I started these dipper gourd plants indoors and transplanted them.  I didn't think they would all live but they did.  I have quite a few growing.  They don't seem to have as long a "handle" as the picture on the package shows, but they will be great to have. 
 

 
The US 127 garage sale happened again this year.  Here are the goodies I was able to pick up.  We didn't go far at all because it was so hot!!  I'm not the die-hard garage saler I would like to think I am.  My favorite piece is the old lantern.  It was only $3!!  I have been looking for one for quite a while. 


Here it is all cleaned up. I put a battery operated timer candle in it.  It makes such a neat accent on our front porch!
 



I found a few new molds for my blackened beeswax.  These are large ears of corn wrapped in husks.
 

 
And here is the smaller version.  All of the bowl fillers and ornies I make are hand poured with highly scented cinnamon blackened beeswax and rubbed with spices. My items can be found in my Etsy store. Please take a moment to go check it out!!
 
 
I guess that is all for today.  I am hoping to get my fall decorations out in the next few days.  I will be back to show you my displays. Thanks for stopping by and have a wonderful day!!!
 
Blessings...........Melissa

Friday, May 11, 2012

Made it into Prims.....

 One of my creations, Chester, a pattern by T.F.C. Folkart, made it into the newest issue of Prims.  I made this kitty last year and just love him.  He is in available in my Etsy shop.  There are some beautiful pieces featured in this issue. I feel honored to be included!!   



This is a crazy weekend for us here. Our girls are in their spring dance recital.  Four performances (6 dances each) in 3 days.  Whew....makes me tired just thinking about it.  I hope your Mother's Day is a very special one. 

Have a wonderful day. 

Blessings.....
Melissa

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Gardening and Utility Room Finish!!

Hello, everyone. As I was reading other blogs today,  I looked back and noticed the date of my last post was over a month ago!  I do not know where the time has gone!  I guess the little things each day just seem to add up and soon the time just slips quietly away.  We are preparing for a graduation this spring and the nice weather we had in early March made it possible to get out and get some yard work done. I'm glad for that because now it is cold and rain is coming this weekend.  This is my garden.....poor pitiful thing!!!  Every year, I vow to do something different to spruce it up.  I always grow too much and by mid summer, I often let the weeds take over.  Not this year!!!  I have a plan.  This is what it started as, and  hubby and I spent way too much time digging these weeds out.

The next step was to put up a fence.  My lofty goal was to make a stick fence or one of old barn siding.  Maybe I should have started those projects last fall and winter!  Anyway, because of time constraints, (I wanted the fence now) and farming starting (hubby wouldn't be around much to help me), I decided this picket fence would work just as well.  So off he went to Menard's and picked up 4 sections.  He had it up in no time!!  Love the fence but not the color.  I want old and weathered without waiting.  So I looked online for various weathering techniques.  Then I decided to just stop by the local Ace and see what they had.  I found a semi-transparent latex stain line for decks and siding that they carry (Wood Royal).  It is the weathered walnut colored one.  I can't give you the exact name as all of my label seems to be covered in stain!!  So here is the before.....


And here is the after. 


I think it blends well with the old smoke house in the background.


I am planning to use the barrels for my vegetables. This way I won't be tempted to plant more than I need.  Then I will plant beans and cucumbers next to the fence so they can vine up them to make picking easier.  I would like to put some shorter sunflowers in the back too and maybe some other flowers in the front.  I can see it in my head.  It certainly won't be the pathetic little garden you see in the first picture anymore!!!

I left my last post with the teaser that the utility room was to be finished.  Here are the pictures of that.   We had the counter top unit built to slide the washer and dryer into.  I always had a big deep freezer to fold on before the remodel, but we decided to move that to the basement.  That left me with very little room to work.  The back piece hides all of the hoses and valves and gives a much cleaner look.  There is a board coming yet to fit over the top of the back splash so it will be a little ledge to decorate.
  
The cupboards give so much more space to store things in. They are the same width as the old ones, but much deeper.
My little display to try and make folding clothes more fun!!
This is the corner that the freezer used to set in.  As handy as it was to have upstairs, I don't miss it at all.  This is much more fun to look at when you come in the house!





This is the new sink and cupboard built to match the kitchen.  It has a pull out trash bin so that is hidden.  The plus side of that is  now we can open the outside door all the way without hitting the trash can.  Oh, the little things!!

 My little sink display.
 Well, that's all for today.  I will try to be better about getting my posts on.  I think it's better to post shorter ones.  It takes less of every one's time!! Thanks for stopping by.  I'll leave you with these bright sunny looking flowers!!  Have a wonderful day!

 Blessings..........
Melissa