Chalkboard Messages

I recently bought this little 2 sided chalkboard on Amazon to use as a photo prop with my grandchildren.    In addition to its use as a photo prop, I discovered that I really like writing different things on it.  It sits on the kitchen counter where we see it all the time.  I am really enjoying it.

Here I used it as a photo prop:

I used it here for my granddaughter's 2 month pictures.  I will be using it for this purpose a lot in the future.

Here I wanted to surprise my husband with a compliment!  He didn't notice it at first, so I took a picture and texted it to him.  He thinks I'm kind of crazy. LOL

It will be great for different seasons.  Fall, Winter, Christmas, Valentines, Spring, Summer, 4th of July and birthdays, etc. will be showing up on it.

One favorite way to use it is for Bible verses or Christian quotes
.

I'm not a chalkboard artist, but I can write and draw a simple sunshine, flower or heart!  Also there are all kinds of ideas on pinterest.

The frame is natural wood, but I'm thinking of painting it.  Just not sure what color.

If anyone is interested, my Amazon referral link for the chalkboard is below:

A Natural Fall Centerpiece

My hubby brought home various kinds of pumpkins and gourds and I made this little Fall arrangement from them.. The runner is one I made a couple of years ago.

 

The pumpkins and gourds are real, but the leaves are not!

I hope you are enjoying the Fall.  Its always my favorite time of year. 

Have a great Fall day!

Another Mason Jar Magic Trick

A Mason Jar Salt Box:

I got this idea somewhere on the web. Just cut the top out of an ordinary cardboard salt box. Using the inner jar lid part as a pattern, trace around it and trim. It will be a perfect circle that fits perfectly on top of the jar with the ring holding it on.  Then just cover it with paper, fabric or you could just leave it as is.

Put some salt, or other shakable product, in the jar, put the lid on top and tighten down the ring. It looks much nicer than the cardboard salt box sitting in your cabinet or on the counter.

Some ideas I have for these would be for powdered parmesan cheese, pepper and sugar.  A cute spice set could be made using the really small mason jars with nice labels.   They would work well for measuring because you could slowly pour the contents into a measuring spoon or cup.

There are so many uses for Mason Jars.  I saw that the aqua blue ones are for sale again.  If I see any of them, I just may have to splurge on a few.

Mason Jar Magic

I made this Mason Jar soap dispenser after work yesterday. There are tons of tutorials for these on the web.

... tobacco in the background

Here are the tools I used.  The brick was laying on this outdoor table and so I used it instead of going to get a hammer.  The pump came from an empty face wash bottle.  I made the hole in the lid by tapping the top of the small screwdriver until it broke through.  Then I used the needle nose pliers to enlarge the hole.  I was careful to leave the hole as small as possible, yet be able to force the pump through.  This way, it fit tightly and so I didn't use any glue.  Some hot glue on the underside would have secured it better and I may still do that.   But, for now, its working great!

The Tools

If I had more time I would have spray painted the lid black to match the pump.  I can't wait to make more of these.  I need one in each bathroom filled with colorful hand soap.  They'd make great gifts.

It is filled with a small bottle of dish soap and water, sitting on the kitchen sink.  Don't you think it fits our farmhouse kitchen perfectly?



Country Kitchen

After making the mason jar soap dispenser, I checked on the rose I had been rooting under a mason jar.  There's new growth, so I know the roots have grown.  After letting it adjust to life outside the mason jar, I'll set it out in the yard. CLICK HERE to read about how I root roses with a mason jar.

Mason Jar Rose

Here's an old gallon size jar, but not technically a Mason jar.  I found it at Mama's.  I have lots of ideas for it.

Gallon Size Jar

One idea.


One is the loneliest number that'll you'll ever see.... lalalalala

More ideas to come soon.

Romantic White Flowers in a Country Colander

I got the idea to put some white flowers in Mama's old aluminum colander from THIS POST at Kate's Place.   There is so much inspiration on Kate's blog, I could sit and read it for hours.

Although my arrangement doesn't look nearly as good as that one, I do kind of like it.  It has the contrasting themes of romantic white roses and a country "dinged" up colander. 

Beside it is a battery operated heart shaped candle that flickers just like a real candle, without the worries of open flames.  And you guessed it, also Mama's.

I haven't taken the time to figure out another style runner, so for now its Americana meets romance!

I didn't even take the tags of the flowers bought at Dollar General or use florist's foam!  Just bent the stems in a "u" shape and stuck them in.

 

 

Maybe I'll have time to do a better job of decorating soon, but for now, this is what's on the kitchen table at the farmhouse.

Today, I'm linking to NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY at Coastal Charm!  Look at all the wonderful decorating ideas over there!!!!

Some Vintage Items From Mama

These are some bowls that belonged to my Mama. I will forever remember them being filled to the brim with her homemade potato salad, boiled and fried new potatoes, chicken pastry, butter beans or corn. Maybe that is where I got my love for carbs... probably so.

I will mostly just display them in my kitchen, because it would be a rare occasion when I would make enough of any one food to fill one of those big bowls. But, Mama filed them up often.

This is her flour sifter.

These are the type of things I love to collect and display in our farm house, but knowing they belong to my Mama make them even more special.

The DIY Sunflower Wreath Redo

Here's the Sunflower wreath that I put together for our front door. The door is brown and in the past some of the wreaths I put on it didn't really show up that well from a distance. It seemed to me that yellow would be the best choice for a wreath that contrasted with the brown. I know Sunflowers aren't the usual choice for Spring, but I love them, so Sunflowers it is.

 

I made several grape vine wreaths a few years ago and I like to change them with the seasons. This is what this wreath looked like before I redid it. I saved the Christmas items in a box for another year.



The black and white checked bow came on a plant I received when Mama died.  I like the look of the black and white with the sunflowers. 

This wreath will be good all the way through fall, although I will probably replace it with my usual fall wreath in October.

Mason Jars

I played around with the mason jars over the weekend.

These three have buttons, dry beans and a spring theme.

This one is in the bathroom and is filled with soaps.

I have several more of the swing top jars and as time goes on I will display them in other ways.  I just need for those creative juices to keep flowing.

Tomorrow I'll show you the wreath I put together for the outside of the front door.

Happy Wednesday and first day of Spring!

My DIY Repurposed Spring Wreath

It was a typical March weekend, weather wise, in our area. The wind is still cold!

Early Saturday morning I got busy putting the Dollar Store flowers to use that I bought last week. I love how it turned out!
 

Here's how I did it.  I had an old Fall wreath that had definitely seen its better days.  Some of the plastic fruits on it had cracked and peeled.   So I undecorated it.

Underneath all that stuff was a nice wreath.

Using wire cutter pliers, I cut all the stems of flowers off the main thick plastic branch.

 

I stuck all the flowers, a couple of silk butterflies and the Dollar Store bird's nest on the wreath.  Then, I tucked a simple black and white checked ribbon bow on one side and it was finished.   Since this wreath will be used only indoors, I didn't need to worry about using a hot glue gun or anything. 

I like to hang a seasonal wreath on this door that is between the dining room and the living room. 

Although this one is definitely for spring,  it can stay out through most of the summer with just a little tweaking.  I might redo it in red, white and blue for July and then before you know it I'll be putting out Autumn things again!  I hate to admit that I was looking longingly at the fall decor in a magazine earlier today.  Yes, I'm crazy!  But, I am happy for spring to be coming.  Warm breezes, flip flops and all that kind of thing will be nice.

Cheap Spring Thrills

I'm not sure exactly how I'm going to use these Spring items that I picked up at the Dollar Store yesterday during my lunch break.  But, I have some ideas.

These colorful rocks can be incorporated into some kind of house plant and possibly in a Mason Jar.

The moss could be used with houseplants or on a wreath somehow.

I plan to use these delicate Spring flowers and bird's nests and eggs on a small grape vine wreath for indoor use.  I need to replace the winter one that's on the door of the dining room.

Happy Thursday!  Friday's a comin....

A Little Farmhouse Charm

I was talking to my co-worker friend yesterday about how some people could decorate their homes with every day items such as old rustic doors and mason jars and it would look like something out of "Better Homes and Gardens".  My comment was that I love those things, but couldn't really pull them off in a decorating scheme.

Evidently this got the wheels in her head turning because this is what she brought me after lunch!   She only lives a block away from work so she can go home for lunch every day. She remembered these were in her attic and went up there and got them.

Bail wire or swing top Ball brand "Mason Jars".  Perfect for a little country charm in our farmhouse! 

There are 2 quart size ones, a pint size one and a 1/2 pint one.

I love the rust on the wire on this one.

My plan is to fill some of them with items that represent whatever season we are in.  For Spring and Easter I could fill one with Easter eggs, a birds nest with an egg in it, or other Spring type items.  Summer time would be seashells, flowers, etc.  In Fall, there could be acorns, candy corn, Fall leaves, etc.  At Christmas, the options are endless.

CLICK HERE FOR MUCH MASON JAR INSPIRATION!

Maybe I can pick up some items from the dollar store to put one of these together later this week and show you here.

Shabby, Chippy, Bench

One of my favorite things are benches. The Funky Junk Gallery that just opened on my lunch time walking route has several, ranging from $125.00 and down...

Well, I should name this one "cheap thrills". Cause I would never pay $125.00 for a bench.

But, no matter what the price... I love it!



It makes a great plant table.



I may use it in the guest bedroom that has been vacated by my stepson, who graduated from college recently and is moving on with his life.



A shabby chic bedroom filled with odds and ends in a cottagy/farmhouse theme is my plan.



I hope you have a nice day. :o)

The Corner Cabinet Redo

This post is linked to Tabletop Tuesday at a Stroll Through Life.

Last weekend I decided to gather all the odds and ends of white dishes I have been collecting into one place, the corner cabinet in the dining room. I like the final look.



None of these dishes cost much and were bought at thrift and junk stores or were gifts.



I've been learning a little bit about collectible dishes. There is ironstone, the poor man's china. There is also milk glass. And there are just plain white pretty dishes. I have a few pieces of iron stone and milk glass, but most of them fall in the latter category.



Now that I have learned a little bit about the history of dishes I know what to look for when out and about.





Don't you love those cinnamon brooms sold at Christmas time? This is one of those, but it doesn't smell like cinnamon any more. I tied a scrappy bow on it.



I still love those morning glories that a prior owner hand painted on this cabinet and would never think of painting over them!



Ps: I did work on a quilt this weekend!