Thursday, August 19, 2010

My treasures!

I cannot believe the wonderful treasures I have found at garage sales this summer!  I am amazed everytime I score a great deal.  I thought that I would share a few items that are in the garage now waiting for some refinishing. 

The first item I want to introduce is this amazing table I bought for Jude.  I had been looking for a table for him to color/draw/paint/read at and play with his toys.  We are planning on moving Jude from his current room to the guest room as it is more spacious and it will allow him to have different areas in his room.  A place for sleeping, a place for playing, a place for reading and a place for crafty things.  When I was first thinking about the space, I was looking for a round table where I could set three chairs around.  The reason I wanted three was in case his two best pals, Eli and Maddox (when they get about 6-9 months older) came over to play or his two cousins, Dominic and Addison.  The height of this table will not allow chairs, so I thought I would sew floor cushions or make stools with a nice cushy pad.  I am still on the fence about it, so we will see.  I plan on painting this table because I don't want it to be wood tone but we will have to see what we decide for the wall colors first. 

Can you guess how much I paid for this table that we will get so much use out of over many many years?

Drumroll please!

It was $3.00!  Can you believe that?  I was amazed and thrilled. 

It was the perfect size and very sturdy.  Jude has already crawled on it a gazillion times and stood on it. 


Here is Jude standing next to it.


Item #2 is actually something I found at an estate sale I went to with my Father in law, Ron.  I know you all prolly think I am nuts about sales but I am nothing compared to ol' Ronald.  He is retired, so that is just what he does.  He is an avid collector and loves antiques.  But even more, he loves a great deal.  I must also mention that my father in law is very charming and makes friends very easily, like my husband.  When he goes to a sale, he really gets to know people and they warm up to him quickly.  Sometimes so much that they invite him into their home.  Also, he is great at "making deals" and getting a better price out of them.  A great convenience of having Ron around (besides that he is the BEST father in law a girl could ask for) is that if you are looking for something, all you have to do is mention it to him and he will find it for you at a sale and give you a call.  He will describe it in great detail, tell you the price and then tell you what price he can prolly get it at for you.  It's amazing and I cannot tell you how often I use this service of his!

Anyways, I bought this cabinet for only $35.00 at the estate sale. 


My plans for it is to paint it an aged white and glaze the edges and details.  Then, I am going to paint the back panel yellow and do a design on the entire back as well.  I am thinking about doing one of these designs.  If I did the first one, I would have the outlines be the white and the main color be yellow.  If I chose something like the second one, I'm not sure which elements would be white and which would be yellow.


The third item on my docket is this shelf.  I found this at a garage sale yesterday and got a great deal on it. Something drew me to it.  I loved the details around the edges.  This isn't a normal shelf.  You cannot tell from the pictures but it is almost like a shodow box of some kind.  The outside frame will stick out from the wall and the shelfs you see will be against the wall so it will jut out a bit.  I must mention that it is quite large as well.  I have no idea what I am going to do with this, where it's going to hand or what color it will become.  But, I assure you I will find a purpose for it. 

How much did I pay, you ask? ONE DOLLAR!

Yes, just one smackaroo!

SCORE!




The following item is one that I saw from the car as Clint and I (and Jude sleeping in the backseat) were driving by a garage sale.  I saw it right away and loved it from afar.  I thought it was going to be super expensive since it was massive.  Right now, it is a gold hue but for some odd reason something is telling me it should be yellow.  I don't know what my obsession with yellow has been recently, but I thought it would make this piece look modern and fresh. 

Want to know how much I paid? 

$15.00. 

Actually, Clint paid $15.00.  He bought it for me because he knew I was in love with it.


Look at all the detail?  I was drooling when I saw this mirror!


Lastly, I bought this HUGE lamp at Goodwill about a month ago for so cheap.  It had the ugliest, worn down and broken lamp shade I had ever seen and there was no saving it.  In fact, I left it behind and asked that they just throw it away.  The lamp stands very tall and is very heavy.  Most importantly, it works!  This will get an update and a space as soon as I find a lampshade that will look right on such a huge lamp!

And for this bad boy----$1.99!

Ah, the joy I get from money well spent!

Inspiration Monday's!

I recently expressed my love for Monday's. The reason I love Monday's is because it is the day when I look at my Blogger Dashboard and review all the posts of the blogs that I follow. It is from these blogs that I get a lot of my inspiration. Some of these women come up with the greatest ideas!


Therefore, I decided to do something new; Inspiration Monday's! I will be posting about different projects and ideas that I found out there in the blogosphere and will be sharing them with you. Not only will you be able to get this information in a summarized format with links directing you to the project or idea itself, but it will be a means of organizing my project to do list.

Look for the first post this coming Monday!

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Media Day.

Every year there is a media day for football teams.  It's when local papers come and take pictures of the teams and the players individually and get interviews with the coach about the upcoming season.  Each year Clint asks me to come so I can take photos of the players individually as well as a team photo and some candids for the teams website. I thought that I would share a few.  After the media was gone and all the photos done, the coaches, players, Jude and myself went to one fo the coaches homes to have a cookout and enjoy his pond. 

Jude had a great time running around the school and on the field.  He loved riding on daddy's shoulders and also swimming with Kenzy in her pond.  Here are a few photos from the day! 








Had to share.

The other day, I went to check on Jude while he was napping and found him sleeping with his legs crossed and his butt sticking up in the air.  This is exactly how my mom says my brother use to sleep and it made me smile.  It reminded me of my brother instantly. 

A small update with a lot of added convenience.

I purchased this wire shelf from a garage sale in New Lothrop about a month ago for a quarter!  Yes, just a mere twenty-five cents.  I didn't know what I was going to do with it when I bought it but I found the perfect solution. 
I cleaned off the dust and spray painted it to match the buffet in the bathroom.  Next, I hung it in between the cabinet above the toilet and the shower.  It's all about finding ways to make our family life run as smoothly as possible.  I cannot tell you how many times Clint or I have yelled for one another to bring us another bar of soap from the hall closet or how many times the hubby has asked me where a clean hand towel is.  This takes all that away.  I make sure now that it is stocked with a few bars of soap, toilet paper and bath salts on top and the bottom contains clean hand towels.  Now everything is within reach and I cannot tell you how grateful I am for this cheap find!


Oops! How did I forget?

As I was revamping my blog I noticed that I forgot to post my tutorial on the Jewelry Board that I made!  I don't know how I forgot, especially as it was featured in my post about the bathroom update.  It has come in handy and has completely made me more responsible with my jewelry.  I use to just set things everywhere; night stand, kitchen island, bathroom counter, medicine cabinet, ashtray of vehicles, pockets, etc.  Now, with the aid of my jewelry board, I know that I have a designated space for these things.  I use the jewelry board to house my dangling earring and necklaces.  In my jewelry box on the buffet below, I keep my rings and post earrings.  It's a great system.

Well here is the how-to:

First, I simply went to my local Goodwill to find the right size frame.  I was lucky enough to find this hideous painting of geese flying over some Fall trees.  The painting was ugly, but the frame was just the right size I was looking for.  I painted it the same Caribbean Blue color I used on the handles of the buffet I refinished.

Next, I had to gather my supplies.  Luckily, they were all items I had on hand or could borrow from others.
I needed some thin batting and a piece of fabric large enough to fit over the backer board of your frame. You could also cut a piece of thicker cardboard to fit and cover that.  Also, I needed a staple gun, a regular stapler, scissors, staples, wire cutters and chicken wire. 
I simple cut the batting large enough to wrap around the painting that was inserted.  I used a regular stapler to stable it around the edges.  Make sure you stay close to the edge as they may show depending on the lip on the frame.  I cut off any excess batting that I could.
Next, using the wire cutters, I snipped the chicken wire to size and wrapped it around tightly.  I pushed the board back into the frame and used the staple gun to to staple all the elements into the frame.  The staples must be long enough to penetrate though the painting/board, batting and fabric but short enough that they do not go through the visible side of the frame.  Unfortunately, I didn't take this into consideration when I was doing this and there was some damage done to the visible side.  Also, as I was stapling I made sure I was securing the chicken wire down at the same time.  Once it board is staple gunned in place, snip off any excess wire that may be sticking out.  Be careful as the chicken wire has sharp pointy ends!

Here is the finished product!

Before                                       After



And here it is with my baubles on display.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Tonight's quick meal: Chicken Quesadillas.

I decided to make a simple, easy meal tonight. I had flour tortillas left over from making Cilantro Lime Tacos yesterday so I decided to make Quesadilla's. It's a recipe that I use when I am trying to get a meal done from start to finish in very little time and yet, it needs to be healthy.

I simply add a little oil to a pan. Add diced chicken and cook til no longer pink. I then added half of a diced onion and a medium diced bell pepper. I added a little but of salt, pepper and cumin to taste. I set this aside in a small bowl as pictured below.


I lay (1) flour tortilla in a pan and top with shredded cheese.
I top with chicken mixture and lay another tiny sprinkle of cheese on top of the chicken mixture. Then add a second flour tortilla on top. The reason I add the second bit of cheese is because as it melts, it makes the top tortilla stick which makes for easier flipping. You just cook the quesadilla on medium heat intil browned and cheese it melted.
Last, I cut Jude's into a heart shape.
Here is Jude with a mouthful of Chicken Quesadilla. He ate the entire thing!

Animals of all sorts at the Shiawassee County Fair!

I was so excited that the Shiawassee County Fair was coming up and could not wait to take Jude. That opportunity came last Friday. Jude is so in love with all types of animals that I knew he would LOVE this particular fair as it is focused around animals, particularly farm animals as Shiawassee County is a rich farming community. In fact, many of Clint's students participate in the events of the fair and sell their livestock at there as well.

Since we were taking our nephew and niece, Dominic and Addison, I decided to take Jude's wagon in case they got tired of walking and wanted to hitch a ride. Plus, it was incredibly hot out, so I thought they may need a rest. Clint, Ron (my father in law) and myself took turns pulling the kids.

When we arrived, they were auctioning off the sheep. I was confused at first because they were going so cheap....but then Clint told me that it was per pound! That is why they were going for about $2.00. Little sheep are likely already in the purchasers freezer or belly I suppose. The auctioneer was a pro! He was talking so fast that it was difficult to understand what he was saying. It made it fun to listen to!

I think that Jude's favorite part of the entire fair was likely the pigs and goats because of how close he was able to get to them. Also, I know he loved the draft horses. They were so huge and his eyes lit up when he saw them as they are becoming a pertty big obsession of his lately.

After the fair, we went to drop off Dom and Addison at their house and the kids decided to ride bikes and their Power Wheels! Jude loved driving! His sheer happiness is evident in the pictures below.

Jude in the wagon.
One of Jude's very favorite animals. Ducks!
Jude was very intrigued by this gobble gobble.
Our niece, Addison and my father in law, Ron.
Moo! This is after the fair at Dom and Addison's. Lots of bike riding and Power Wheels.
Can you see his excitement as he drives for the first time?
He was so happy his dimple came out to make an appearance. It does anytime he smiles or laughs really big!
Driving on his own.

All three kids after a long day at the fair.

My turn....

Clint and his coaching staff decided that they would rotate who would bring a between practice meal to share each day of two-a-days. Basically, they volunteered their wives or girlfriends (or themselves if they didn't have a significant other) to prepare a dish for all nine members of the coaching staff.

I decided to do my Cilantro Lime Tacos as I had most of the ingredients on hand. Luckily, I had just gotten a bunch of tomatoes from my father in law and stopped in to my mother in laws greenhouse (Montrose Greenhouse) to pick up some Cilantro.

Since Clint told me the importance of it being an easy meal, he wasn't exactly digging the idea of tacos. He complained that I make things too complicated and also that I get too extravagant with things like this. He wanted something that could just be scooped into bowls, etc. Therefore, I decided to get individual, disposable containers to make it easier and more manageable. In essence, I won the battle. I didn't want to go with some of his suggestions and make goulosh or something like that. He thinks I care too much about what people think of my cooking....and I admit, I do. I take pride in my cooking and enjoy making a good meal.

Since I was making (9) indiviual containers, I thought it was best to set up an assembly line.

Here they are all lined up.
Then, I scooped all the toppings in the container. (Sour Cream, Shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, diced onions and salsa).
Next, I took to tortilla shells and filled them with the chicken mixture and topped with cheese.
I wrapped them in foil in order to keep the toppings from making them soggy.
Last, I placed a peanut butter cookie (wrapped in a sandwish bag) on top.
Voila! Nine meals for nine hungry coaches.