~* a new before and after *~

This is my spice rack before. My husband made it for me many many years ago. I love it! But it was too small for the spice jars I have and it did not hold enough of the spices I regularly use by the stove. I had been looking and looking for a spice rack I could re-do at the thrift stores for some time now. Patience is not my strongest quality!

Here you can see that I have only a few jars, and the top holds store bought ones because of the top rail.
Finally I found this one and fell in love with it. I put the one my husband made me in the pantry and filled it with the store bought jars and quickly got to work putting my beautiful spice rack and spice jars out.

Now my frequently used spices (you know the ones you buy in bulk because you use so much of them!!) and specialty salts and such are right at my fingertips as I am cooking and I don't need to go into the pantry to get them. It may seem like a small thing, but really, aren't those the things in life that make us happy!

I really love it and I am sure that it will make all my cooking so much nicer!

Have a great day!

~* some more time *~

A trip to the thrift shop recently and I found this cute clock. After a few clock re-dos I knew that it didn't matter if the mechanism worked or not, I could get a new one. So for $4.99 I took it along with a few other things, which I will show you later. I wasn't a fan of the color but I knew exactly what color I wanted to paint it to put it in my living room. With the recent hurricane and power loss I realized that I needed a battery operated clock in that room, and when I saw this cutie I knew it was a perfect fit. A few coats of paint, some distressing and a new clock mechanism and TA DA!

I am loving it!!! I am having a new shelf built to go over my TV stand and it will probably end up there, so this is a temporary spot, but I love the finished product. I have been looking for some clocks and at first I couldn't find any, now I find them when I am not even looking. I will show you the other thrift store finds soon.

Have a great day!

~* problems with blogger???*~

I have been having so much trouble with Blogger lately. Then I got a message that said my internet browser was no longer supported by Blogger. Hum, could that be the problem? I tried Google Chrome and it seems to have solved it. I couldn't even sign it to write a post or comment on blogs. It was so frustrating. I was using Internet Explorer and I don't know what happened but I could not do a thing on Blogger using it. I hope they either fix it or I will have to use Google Chrome whenever I want to blog. Anyway, I am going to try to catch up on all the blogging and commenting I have missed. Hope to visit your blogs soon!!!

Have a great day!

~* a giveaway *~

Carol at Firecracker Kid Primitives is having a giveaway. Her stuff is awesome and I know you will want to get yourself some so head on over and check out her blog!!!

~* a renewed garden *~

For the last few years keeping up with our vegetable garden has been a real chore. It was a 30' square raised bed, and we had originally used all of it for planting but in the last couple years we have cut out planting corn, so a big space of it went unused. That space then became just weeds and keeping up with those weeds was difficult and at times impossible. Dan suggested we forgo doing a garden altogether, but I love being about to pick fresh tomatoes, peppers, and herbs.

So we decided instead to make the garden space more user friendly. We decided a border veggie garden would be nice and so much easier to take care of, also allowing us to plant all the veggies we do without having extra space for weeds. So we hired someone to come and re-do the whole space. He had to build the retaining wall, move the dirt to fill in the space, level out the yard, and reseed the yard with grass seed. Dan thought it would be best if we hired someone instead of doing it ourselves. He said I would made a mess with a Bobcat!!!! Hmph! I could have done it!!! Anyway, this is how it came out, and with all our veggies planted. I actually got more veggies planted and so much more neatly then before and still have a little extra room. I have a little weeding to do, but we have had nothing but rain for the last few weeks so it was all I could do to get the plants in. But now they are, so it all upkeep now. I am really happy with the outcome.
Have a great day!

~* hello prim friends *~

I changed out my wooden bowl full of rag eggs and made some rag balls. I really like the way they came out. It has been doing nothing but raining here on the East coast for the last 5-6 days and I cannot get out and finish the gardens, so I decided it was time to put the eggs away, but I really loved the look of the ragging, so I made some season free rag balls. It was nice to just sit for a bit while I ripped all those stripes of fabric.
I wrapped a pip berry garland I had around the bowl to give them a little lift since the bowl is large and even though there is 15 of them, they seem to get lost in it. I put a plastic take out container top inside the bowl under the material to give them some height as well.

Well I just got home from my birthday dinner with the family. Nothing fancy, we just went out for Chinese buffet, but it was nice to be a family for dinner. Since the kids are older, and Dan is so busy at work lately we hardly have time to have dinner as a family. I guess a birthday is as good a reason as any.

Have a great day!

~* a giveaway *~

Tammy is having a giveaway. Stop by her blog and check it out, but don't be disappointed when I win!!!

Have a great day!

~* another egg makeover *~

Another idea I borrowed from a fellow blogger. I saw this on another blog but she used rosettes. I thought this was something I could do easier than that. Of course, I didn't realize how long it was going to take me to make all those tiny yoyos. But it came out just as I have envisioned. Now, I cannot make a bunch of these at one time. It is a time consuming process, but I could do the yoyos over the course of the year and put them together right before Easter! But this one is done and sitting on the table bench on my kitchen table and it makes me happy to look at!!! Have a great day!

~* a giveaway *~

Heather & Lori at The Keeping Room are having a giveaway. Go check it out, but don't be disappointed if I win. I'm keepin' my fingers crossed.

Have a great day!

~* I crafted!!! *!

I saw this on someone's blog (sorry I don't remember where, if it was you, thanks for the inspiration!!!). It seemed so easy and since my kids are grown we have a ton of the cheesy plastic easter eggs that we don't use just hanging around in the closet. So I grabbed the bag, a pile of scrap fabric and the bottle of Elmer's glue and got to craftin'. I am so happy with the results! It is my new dough board decor! And I had a bag of leftover paper easter basket grass that was perfect. They go perfect in my prim kitchen! Now what else can I cover with some fabric and glue?!

Have a great day!

~* I want to live a simple life*~

Oh, sometimes life is so complicated. How I wish things could be so simple, like in this photo. I have been purging so much junk from my home for some time now. Getting rid of all the stuff I don't use, clothes I don't wear, decorations I don't use. I like the feeling of a de-cluttered life and home. Now if I could just get my husband on board. He is a bit of a pack rat. He saves everything. "There may be a use for this or that, I may need this later" he will say and so he saves things. His workshop is a mess. But when he needs something it is there. I just don't think it is worth it to save .28 cents. But he does and so he saves things. I like things neat. So I don't like the workshop. But I love him, so I deal with the messiness. But some day it would be nice if it were neat. I like things in their place, and I think he could put things in their place if he had the time to do it, then he could find the things he needs or is looking for. I would love to live like a pioneer, when people didn't have so much, and everything they had, had a purpose. That would be such a simple joyful life!

Have a great day!

~* I need some craftin' time*~

I have been so busy lately I haven't had time to do anything. Sooo many meetings, so many other things to do outside the house. I haven't even looked at my sewing machine! And it has been so cold that I haven't even thought about starting my garden seeds. But since the parade is done for the year and my meetings have slowed down I started to look at all the pictures of crafts I have saved on my computer and I started thinking of all the things I want to get accomplished this year. I can hardly wait for the weather to get warmer so I can start working on the garden and yard, and we are going to build a pergola over the patio. We've already had our mason back to have some rock walls built. Can't wait for the weather to turn!!!!! The crafting wheels are turning.....

Have a great day!

~* I've been so busy *~

I have been a busy bee!!! I can't believe it's been since January since I posted. I have been up to my ears with planning my City's St. Patrick's Day parade. Now, it's all done, but the marching! I sent the program to the printer last Friday, all the planning is done. All I can do now is hope for the best! So, I thought I would stop in and read some of my bloggy friends blogs. Sorry I have been so absent! I can't wait to get back to crafting and gardening and photography and decorating! I feel like I have been on another planet! Soon I will have my days free again. I am lucky to be able to volunteer my time for worthy causes, but they do take up so much of my life. And with spring right around the corner I want to get to the store and get some flower and veggie seeds, so I can get them started.

Well, I'm off to do some ironing.

Have a great day!

~* a swap out *~

I have had this shelf since the '80s. Remember when wicker what big? (Ignore the wall behind the shelf, we pulled the paneling off the wall and it had black glue on it, now we have to take the walls down and replace them)
But I was over it!!!! So over it. It was the last little bit of wicker I had left. So I used the last of my Amazon points and purchased a new shelf for the bathroom. It arrived the other day and I hung it right away. Now I love it.

I am sure I will love it even more when we finish the walls behind it. But for now, I just love the shelf. What a difference it makes! And I love that I have a little drawer to hide some essentials!

Have a great day!

~*love a knock off *~

I love these drinks at Taco Bell. I haven't been able to put my finger on how they were made, so tonight I searched them out. They sound so easy and so much cheaper to make yourself, huh? I am going to keep these ingredients around!!!

You’ll Need:
Sierra Mist, Sprite, or 7UP. We recommend Sierra Mist, because that’s what they have at TB.
Frozen Limeade concentrate, thawed. If you want the Cherry Limeade, use a frozen Cherry Limeade concentrate.
Ice
Limes
Fill a cup with ice. The ice is what keeps the limeade at the bottom of the cup and produces the Taco Bell look. (If it’s cold, but doesn’t have ice, you won’t quite get the same thing!)
Put 2 to 4 ounces of your choice limeade concentrate in the bottom of the glass, depending on how strong you want the lime flavor, and how big your glass is.
Fill to top with Sierra Mist. Slice lime into quarters. Place in top of glass for garnish or squeeze juice into drink. Serve and enjoy!

Have a great day!

~* a repair *~

This is my old faucet, it was new when we moved in, we installed it. However, after years of my son's abuse, it leaked. Badly. So bad, last Wednesday, during the worst storm of the year so far, I had a flood under my sink. And so off to the hardware store we went to get a new one. Luckily when I bought this faucet, I bought one with a lifetime warranty. But that was of no consolation for Dan during the storm. Especially when we got stuck in the snow in the parking lot!

However! I love the new kitchen faucet! So, I can't be all that upset with the fact that we had to replace it.
What do you think?
I really like the new one so much, I think we need to replace the one in the bathrooms as well! Those were not new when we moved in, so they may go at any time, now!?

Have a great day!

~* a little early Christmas *~

So my dough board arrived and while my husband teased that I could not open it until Christmas, he finally allowed me to open it and really use it. I LOVE IT. Now, I have not really had time to decorate it like I would like to have, but I did have time to throw this little candle box together. I love the finish. I opted for the prim finish, black over red, and I could not be happier with the way it came out. It will be so much fun to decorate for the different seasons and holidays!!!
I must get back now to wrapping and preparing for Christmas, as I have my Christmas morning breakfast that I host. I am almost finished wrapping, that goodness and I don't really enjoy that at all!!!
Have a great day!

~* my christmas gift *~

Yeah I am finally getting a dough/noodle board. It is the only thing on my wish list this year and my husband ordered one for me. (Actually I did the ordering but he is paying!!!) It is a special order since they are made to order when the orders are placed so I may not get it by Christmas, but that is ok. I am so happy to finally be getting one. At first he thought he would make one, but as time went on he was not getting lucky on finding just the right board to make on out of, so finally we went ahead and ordered it. I am getting black over red! Of course! It will be a nice finishing touch to that part of my kitchen! I can't hardly wait!!! I did finally get my kitchen tree up and decorated. I will try and get some pictures up soon. I have been so busy with working on the parade committee. Ok, off to fold some laundry.

Have a great day!

~* ta dah *~

Well, I am finally done with the hutch project. And I could not be happier with the way it turned out. The back is a dark taupe, and that contrast is just perfect!
The white made the hutch the focal point in the kitchen, but now that it is red it blends in more and fits more with the rest of the decor.

If you enlarge the above picture you will notice that my island is black over red, and now that my hutch is red, it really brings the red in the island out. PERFECT!!!

And I replaced the brass and white porcelain hardware with these black ones that I have on the kitchen cabinets. LOVE THEM!!! Like I said, we are just so pleased with the finished product. Dan was hesitant when I told him I wanted to paint the hutch red, but the trooper that he is, he went along with me, and now he is so glad he did. I am so glad I decided to go bold!!!

Have a great day!

~* whew, almost there *~

This is the hutch project so far.... I am really happy with the progress. I have one more drawer and two more doors and then I am done. The back for the top is done as well, it is just drying. I may give it another coat tomorrow, it is a beige and I may need to go over the seems again, but it is for the most part done. I spray painted the hinges black to match the new hardware since I couldn't find anything that I liked as much as what was already there, just needed to change the color.

PLEASE ignore the ugly floor, it is on our to do list to remove it, there is hardwood underneath that we would like to expose, but that is just too large a project for us to under take right now. Well, I am going to try and relax for the rest of the night... I am really tired and sore!

More work tomorrow!

Have a great day!

~* a big re-do*~

For some time now I have wanted to re do my hutch. I refinished it quite a few years ago when I was more country then prim and it was ok, but it wasn't really cutting it in my kitchen. I had been toying around with the idea of going black (my new fav color with almost everything) but I wanted to step outside the box a little bit. I have really been going really brave with a lot of decorating choices lately so I looked at a lot of decorating sites and thought I would do something completely different.

So here it is so far!

What do you think?

I still have to do the door and I am going with black hardware. But I am loving it so far!!! And Dan is a big fan of it, too. He was a little hesitant at first when I said "I am painting the hutch RED!" but he went along with me to buy the paint and help me empty it out and take off the doors and hardware, but as soon as I started painted we just fell in love with the new look.

I am keeping the top of the buffet natural and the back of the top with be a tan so that there will be a natural look to it and highlight the collection of Pfaltzgraff I have in it. I may even go over it lightly with a dark stain to give it an aged appearance. Well, I have to get back to work. If Dan is done I want to get to the hardware store so I can be ready with the handles as soon as I am done painting. I will post a pic as soon as I am done

Have a great day!

~* coming up for air *~

Well, with the elections over I have a little bit more time, but not too much more. I have been overwhelmed with my schedule, but it's all been good. Campaigning for my "team" as it is. Plus my committees and volunteer work. But I want to start getting ready for the holidays, so I don't want to be over worked. How do you do it? I don't know!!! I try not to take on any new commitments, but it is so hard to say "no"!!! I really do enjoy helping out. I am working on a dinner now to honor a Special Olympian from our City who won the Gold and Bronze medals last July. It is so special! How can you say "no" to that!? Thank goodness hubby does most of the holiday shopping or I would be sooooo behind!

The weather here doesn't know what it wants to do. Today it is raining, but yesterday it was cold and windy. We have had some Indian Summer days of late, but we are supposed to get back to cold again. Thank goodness we end daylight savings this weekend, I can use the extra hour of sleep!

Well, blog friends, I have been reading all your blogs on Google Reader so I am keeping up on all you are doing! Maybe I will have a fun post soon!

Have a great day!

~* a new giveaway *~

There is a new giveaway at the Rusty Thimble. Just click on the picture above to be directed to the blog for all the details.

Have a great day!!!

~* I see the light *~

This was my light fixture in my kitchen over the sink today before my darling husband installed my new light fixture. I had been looking for some time now and finally found one online I liked and was in my price range, plus with my Amazon.com visa points it was FREE plus FREE shipping. So I ordered it and Dan installed it today. See this ugliness up close??? Now, I bought this fixture when we first moved in because there was something even uglier (if you can imagine that) installed here when we moved in. But this just didn't cast enough light ( our ceilings are very high and this light is kinda behind me when I am at the sink) so I wanted something more prim, plus something that gave me more light.
This is my new light fixture!!! YAY!!! I am so happy with the results. I have to do a bit of touch up on the ceiling as the older fixtures were much larger at the ceiling so I have a little bit of work, but I could not be happier.

Plus I can add some candle wreaths or some lamp shades at different times of the year to decorate it. But, just look at it!!! It is so beautiful!!! And, even if I didn't get it for FREE, it was only $32.00 I know, I have been looking for a long time for a deal like this!

This photo is without the flash and although it looks quite dark, it is very bright here when that light is on! Don't you think it just changes the whole look of this little corner of my kitchen?

Well, enough gushing over my kitchen light fixture! I need to find something else to keep myself busy with. I am going to go blind staring at this light all night!

Have a great day!

~* some befores and afters *~

I have been busy the last few days working on a couple makeovers. I picked up a couple end tables I got free off of Craigslist. They were in excellent shape and I needed some for my livingroom so I was thrilled to get these babies.

They just needed a few coats of paint and they were a perfect fit for my prim living room. I am working on the second one now. But I am so tired from a long day, one was all I could get done today!

And if this breadbox makeover looks familiar it is because the inspiration came from Kindra at 3Guys AGirl and a Prim Place. I loved her makeover so much I "borrowed" the pattern a little with my own touch. I forgot to take a before but think hunter green with a HUGE hunter green knob! This picture makes it looks shiney but it really isn't. I love they way it came out and even though it has taken me forever to find a wooden bread box to do a makeover on, it has been so worth the wait.

Well, that is it for me today. In addition to the makeovers, I also started working on a door window curtain for my girlfriend who cannot sew, I should have that finished up for her tomorrow so she can stencil it. So, it's off to bed.

Have a great day.