One lump or two?

There are two upcoming blog parties being held in June if anyone is interested in attending. The Victorian Parlor is hosting a Blog Tea Party on June 6th.The second one is "The Mad Hatter's tea Party" being hosted at A Fanciful Twist by Vanessa. You could combine the two.... and participate in both :-)

I've been busy doing "stuff" but not really finishing aNyThInG and to top it off my 1964 Falcon truck had been hit by a hit and run driver while I was out and about shopping. Ohhhh poo~ I want to thank all of those who read my blog-- really, I feel unworthy of such kindness, but delighted none the less!

Makeover party~

Is it that time of the month again? Why, yes it is!.... here is what I've made over this month... Two old trunks into what else? Pirate trunks of course! Here is what they looked like when I brought them home...This old trunk I picked up for only $10 bucks at a yard sale. (I talked her down from the $15 she was asking-- I know, what nerve I've got lol)I used masking tape and spray paint to give this trunk a makeover. Once the whole trunk was painted, I dragged a sponge brush over the raised area of the tin with some black latex paint so that the design really popped. I then rubbed on some staining polish to the wooden planks on the trunk. I wanted the wood to have a worn look so I didn't completely cover every inch of the wood.

This second trunk I picked up for freeeeeeeeeeee off of craigslist. You cannot go wrong with freeeeeeeeeee! The inside of the trunk is wooden with all metal on the outside.

Again, I used masking tape and regular cheap brown, black and gold spray paint to give this chest a new look. Now...I know what your saying, the chests looked more like pirate chests in the before photos-- but hey, we're classy pirates! Ohhhhhhh and of course, I added wheels to the bottom of both trunks... aaaarrrrrrrrggggggggghhhhhhhh~ Treasure gets heavy!Join Jen at her Makeover party on the 25th of every month and join in the linky fun!

More yard sales...

I went to some more yard sales today...for a Sunday I got some really fun things :-) and rather cheaply too!

Another soon to be made over pirate chest for only $2, a box full of paper umbrellas .50cents, two antique books for $1 each (from the 1900's) a .10cent (soon to be "revamped") business card holder, for .50cents I picked up the small gold frame with the metal picture holder, two "blue birds of happiness" birds for .25 cents. A soldered glass piece for .25 cents that I'm going to stick a fairy in one of these days! A huge baggie full of polished rocks & glass pieces for .50cents. An old metal bird cage with a little bird sitting on a swing for $1 A full box full of vintage hair clippies for .25cents (I am so going to use these in my hair lol) A aluminum framed mirror $1, a stack of vintage post cards that urge you to come back to Sunday school for .25cents :-P A container with plastic rhinestones and a handful of rubber stamps and an ink pad all for only .50cents~Lastly...this beautiful pink bedspread for only $1 :-) Tomorrow is another day-- and another yard sale no doudt!

Sailing~

I put on my Sperry topsiders this morning and went sailing today :-) It was a lovely morning out and about amongst the swells of treasures!

I picked up this old vintage Bingo game (lid included but not in photo) for .50cents. The baggie full of handles for $1, the antique photo frame for $1, the cute wooden luggage piece was $1..and I got 10 vintage cardboard Saint patricks day containers for .10cents each. (10 total) A shadow box filled with vintage millinery was $4 and lastly some vintage felt butterflys for .25cents and a silver plated business card holder for $1. (something I was needing!) Yep-yep...great day of sailing!

Now.....some F.Y.I-- did you know that blogspot only gives you 1024 mb of free space to post photos on your blog? Have you ever??? I am at 30% on my blog-- once you reach your free limit of 1024 mb they
ask tell you to purchase more space! Here is the link with the information. I just thought that that was a dirty-rotten-trick. Soooooooooo don't go getting all "photo-happy" cause it will cost you later!

Been busy...

painting.... and babysitting...

and also..... I am also doing a little bit of crocheting in between. I recently received my catalog from our local fair showing all the things you can enter in order to win money and ribbons. (love-love those ribbons!) First prize is anywhere from $7 to $12 bucks. Not bad for a dollar entry fee. For me it is all about the ribbons :-) Last year, I got a "best in show" ribbon! Here I was just shooting for a "first" place (yes, I did receive several of those!!) now its all about best in show...those ribbons are bigger!!

"Laugh and I'll sock ya!"

I highly encourage anyone reading this to enter something into your own local fair. It is easy-peasy. Just google your own town fair (I googled "Fresno fair" and up it popped) Shoot them off an e-mail and ask them for a catalog of "competitive exhibits" some cities have them posted online, but I prefer a catalog (my city has both) so I can read/reread/scheme which category to enter. You can even enter pies, cookies etc.

Aaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrggghhhh~

I managed to pick up two large pirate chests recently. I got this one pictured below for $10 bucks at a yard sale. *caute!* I talked the gal down from the $15 she was originally asking...hey, it doesn't hurt to ask-- saved me 5 bucks lolThe second chest I got off of craigslist for free. I heart freeeeeeeee~ It is an old chest as well, but not as old as the previous one. I am going to be making these over (of course) and I'll post them on the 25th of this month with a linky to Jen's monthly makeover party. Eh gawds, thats right around the corner, I had better get busy!

Love birds~

My doves have flown the coop. Now they are enjoying my gazebo :-)They are a sweet-sweet family of FOUR now. I only saw the one egg when I peeked into their nest. The momma must have laid a second egg when she returned to sit on her egg. The photo below shows the momma & daddy with one of their babies in the middle.
On the same shelf not to far away sits the other baby bird atop an old weathered bird house.

Mmm Mmm Monday

Yes, yes...I know. I haven't been sharing a recipe every Monday like I said I was going to.....but I was getting mmm-umm fat (fatter)...so I thought I had better not do this EVERY Monday :-)
That being said...lol....
Here is a recipe for a:

Blackberry pie

3 to 4 cups of blackberries (store bought if you don't grow your own)

1 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of flour

2 store bought pie shells

extra sugar for the top of the pie

In a bowlie mix the blackberries, sugar and flour until you can no longer see the sugar and flour. Next just pour that into a thawed pie shell (thats been poked with a fork to vent) With the second pie shell plop it onto some wax paper and fix any cracks in the shell with your finger dipped in water. I always cut off the edge of the second pie shell and toss it out. It is to much work trying to get all that to fit on the pie and make it look pretty! Just pick up the wax paper with the flattened pie shell on it and flip it onto the filled pie shell. Crimp the edges together and cut vent holes in the top. I lightly wet the top of the pie with my fingers dipped in water and then I sprinkle the sugar on top. If your fingers are slightly damp it gives the sugar a really nice look... kinda like crystalized sugar in a way, but not crunchy at all. I always place some foil around the edge of the pie shell to prevent it from getting overly brown-- then just bake at 400 degrees for 45 minutes. This pie photographed dark-- but it was very light in color actually and very tasty :-) I could have "highlighted" the photo, but then that would have washed out my darling cupid sitting behind it...and I just couldn't do that!

Lazy days of Summer....

Eh gawds, it is going to be one hundred degrees this weekend. Just kinda puts a damper on wanting to do anything outdoors with that looming over your head. We are planning a day trip to Gilroy Gardens on Sunday. It is a delightful little park geared toward little kids. Gilroy Gardens has rides & attractions... Plus some very unusual, over 50 years old, one-of-a-kind Circus Trees rescued from Scotts Valley, California. It is cetainly one of California's little secret day get away destinations :-)

Baby bird~

The mourning dove's that have a nest in a wreath on my front yard gazebo are proud new parents of a seemingly healthy baby. I have been looking at the nesting dove every day...and recently the dove has looked kinda uncomfortable sitting all kinda lumpy.... well the "lump" was the baby bird! Boy, they grow up fast don't they?Here is the wreath with the nest in it. I previously blogged about it here.

Pirate stuff....

Here is the pirate cupcake I had mentioned in the previous post. I've made 5 of the parrots so far....and only 2 cupcakes. Orginally I was just going to put the parrot onto the cupcakes.... but then I had to go and make the parrots into pirates. I can never leave well enough alone~
I have the pirate parrot sitting on white "frosting" and a black cupcake "paper." I made the head scarf out of felt.... which I then made a pattern out of to create identical head scarfs for the bazillion parrots I will be making. The parrots gold earring is one of those gold wedding rings you pick up in the wedding section at the hobby stores. Here is the back of the parrot, its tail feathers hanging down the back of the cupcake...Eeeeeeeeeeeeeek....I think I hear a cat approaching...Here is a pirate banner to add to my collection of pirate banners.... I've got the "fixings" to make 2 more just like this one :-) I think I am going to stencil the same thing on the backside of this banner... one of these days!

Pirate luggage~

A pirate can never have to much luggage right? Here is a wooden chest that I picked up for one buckeroo....I added the faux leather treatment on this trunk and painted it with more blacks & grays so as not to be an exact copy of the other trunks. I still may add some kinda painted piratey doo-dad to the top of the trunk.Lastly, I scored and I scored big on these small fabric bags. There were over 80 of these bags stuffed tightly into a ziploc bag that I bought at a second hand store for 2 bucks! I made the skull stencil out of cardstock paper that I covered with packing tape and then cut out. The stencil is still good even after pounding my black paint through it with a stencil brush. I am in pirate mode.... stay tuned to see my crocheted parrot sitting on top of a crocheted cupcake!!

Show & Tell~

This week for show & tell I am sharing some things I've recently made for a gal named Robyn that I'm "swapping" with. I've made her a swag with her name on it~I also found this lovely vintage brush set (brand new still in the box)....sigh, it would have looked so lovely in my blue bathroom...but thats how it goes sometimes! That along with the crochet dresser scarf and vintage post card and powder tin~This fairy sitting under a wishing tree was fun to make....the verse reads "Softly the leaves of memories fall....gently we gather and treasure them all"

Also I made this fairy caught in a jar. I love making these. This one stands on a bed of buttons. She is a "Fairy of Lost Buttons" I hope she likes all of this and all the other junk stuff I sent to her! You can see more "Show & Tells" at Kelli's blog~

Mixed Media Monday~

This weeks theme: inspirational words~Rock...paper...but no scissors lol I stamped some words onto 100 year old paper and then glued them to some rocks...I know, reaching huh, but I like the simplicity of them. I guess the real beauty is in the meaning of these words themselves. These are going to evolve into something else when the weather does its "art" with them. I am going to leave these in my childrens garden that I've created for my grandkids in my backyard~

You can see more inspirational words here.

Cottage Charm Giveaway~

The Twice Remembered Cottage is hosting a Cottage Charm giveaway. I love these kinda parties.... It is fun to poke around different blogs-- that along with a chance to win someones drawing makes it twice as much fun!

For my giveaway...I am offering a vintage faux pearl collar.... and a box full of odds & ends~Here is a list of some of the things that will be tossed into the box....a pair of old leather childs shoes, a bouquet of button flowers, a small container of mother of pearl buttons, a china female torso, some ephemera, some Christmas items, scrapbooking items, a few wooden backed stamps, a vintage angel holding a cross, a glass bird, some crochet trims, a large paper umbrella, some chipboard items, some cameos and a crocheted covered pin cushion. The drawing will be held on May the 30th~ Please leave a comment on this blog post if you would like a chance to win.

Why I love Blogging....

A party!!.... *woot-woot* Joy Jones over at Cupids Charm is hosting a "Why I love Blogging" party. I always love a good party!I have come across some amazing blogs with inspirations ranging from the simple beauty of a rose in a flower vase, amazing works of art/crafts.....to reading through tear filled eyes the beauty of someones thoughts on love, recovery and just pure joy in their faith. What a wide range of joy filled reading I have come across...... thats it in a nutshell. Okokok...a sanded, polished cut out an opening and stuffed with a tiny nest with a fairy sitting on it nutshell..but a nutshell no less~If you have linked here and wish to view more of my blog, you can click here~