Have You Seen This?

One Down, Hopefully No More To Go

We went out Tuesday night and purchased several mouse traps and some poison (we can use this now that no grandbabies are here). The cashier at Lowe's was so funny when she rang up the traps. She looked at it, looked at us, and said sadly "this will kill them". I said "yeah". She just kept looking at us--like maybe we hadn't realized what we were buying and would change our minds if she gave us the puppy dog eyes long enough. I finally said "this mouse invaded our home. Anything or anybody who invades my home will get what they deserve. This is America! I have the right to protect what is mine!" Okay, so maybe I didn't say all that--but I did make it clear that I wasn't going to catch the mouse just to let it go in the field across the street, so it could laugh at me and beat me back to the house.

For the past two days, my knight in shining armor (aka Darrell) has been coming downstairs first thing to check the traps. Nothing. This morning, I forgot and got to the kitchen first--and discovered our first dead Mickey. (I will spare you a picture.) Yuck! Luckily my KISA came to the rescue and disposed of the deceased. He was laid to rest in a lovely, clear, Ziploc casket with one pall bearer. The procession proceeded quickly from the kitchen to the large trash can outside. No words were spoken, only sighs of relief.

Hopefully, this will be a lone incident.

Not Quite What I Had In Mind

Now that all the children and grandchildren have moved away, I've been considering getting a pet. However, THIS was not what I had in mind! Today I decided to clean out the snack baskets in the buffet. The one on the top left has oatmeal packages in it. Apparently, I'm not the only one who likes maple and brown sugar instant oatmeal!

Short post today--I'm off to Lowe's for mouse traps!

Awesome Giveaway!

A most excellent giveaway over at The Domestic Princess! A $15 gift card to Sherwin Williams and other painting necessities. When you leave a comment, be sure to mention that you saw it here! Good luck!

The Vanity is Done, Man!

It's Thursday--and you know what that means. DIY Day at A Soft Place to Land.

And Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage.

And I think we've established that I am a bit of a braggart as well as a show off, so of course I have to join in with my latest creations. Many, many creative minds link up with the blogs above. You should, too! You'll be flabbergasted (one of my favorite words!) by the stuff people come up with to use and reuse found objects. Take a look, get inspired, and link up with us!

Here's the FREE (another of my favorite words!) desk my friend gave me recently. I was so excited to get started on it, I almost forgot before pics. Here she is sans makeup. That bottom right drawer was so swelled, it was not coming out no matter what. A few days sitting in a drier environment and she was a little more willing to cooperate.

I was just gonna rough up the surface to paint, but hubby got going on the top and before I knew it, had it down to bare wood. There was some laminate on the sides of the desk and I was afraid it wouldn't take the stain like the top, so we sanded the top and just roughed up the rest. Didn't even think about touching the lovely rusty patina on the handles.

And here she is! You may remember I had repurposed another desk to use as a vanity in my bedroom. It only had drawers down one side and just never really fit the picture I had in my mind. So that repurposed desk has been replaced by another repurposed desk.

Here's the breakdown of what I spent:
Desk - $0 (gift)
Stain - $0 (already had)
Black Paint - $12 (Behr Black Suede)
Total: $12!!

I'm not done with the accessorizing. I want to find a mirrored tray. And I'd like to find a different stool or chair--maybe a slipper chair. Love, love, love it!

Here's a little tip for ya--pay attention to what's reflected in the mirror when taking a picture of said mirror. It was sheet washing day. Sorry.

Get R Done Friday

It's Get R Done Friday at Expressly Corgi. I'm linking up over there with my beloved new chalkboard and maybe even my desk chair. Hey, I worked hard on these things! I want to show off! Can't a girl toot her own horn once in a while? There's a few other ladies deservedly tooting their horns, too--go show 'em some linky love! And don't forget to leave a comment!

In Which I Ramble & Wax Not So Philosophical

Yesterday was an interesting day to say the least. Here are a few things I learned:

1. Always, always carry your camera with you! I was wishing for it twice yesterday. The first time was as I was driving to Hobby Lobby. I took a short cut through a housing area and saw what looked to be a small long-legged dog run across the street ahead of me. I slowed down just in case there was more than one. Imagine my surprise when I saw a family of deer drinking from a bird bath in someone's front yard! Two spotted fawns, a mama, and what looked to be the daddy standing guard. I'll tell you about the second time in a minute.

2. Do not wear nylon exercise capris to mow the yard in Tennessee in July. Even if it's 5:30 in the afternoon. They are hot--and not in the good way!

3. If you are weed eating and choose to carry extra line for the weedeater in your bra because your hot nylon pants have no pockets, don't be surprised at the cat calls and wolf whistles from the cars driving past as you forget you're in the front yard and try to dig it out.

4. Jelly beans do not constitute a good lunch--especially if you plan to work out in the yard later.


Remember this post? The one in which I wondered about staying inside for the rest of the summer and avoiding wildlife? Just when I thought it was safe to go back outside, it happened again!

Yesterday when I was mowing, this bird stalked me! Yes, it did! Quit laughing! At first, I thought maybe I was near its nest and it was being protective. But, no, that bird--which looked to be a young mockingbird--followed me all around the yard. Sometimes perched on a branch nearby, sometimes on a sign. Watching, always watching. It would sometimes follow behind me finding crickets or grasshoppers I disturbed with the mower. A couple of times it got about five feet in front of me and just stood there staring in some weird variation of the chicken game. It would finally fly off as I got closer with the mower. I kept wishing for my camera, because I knew no one would believe me. When I finally went and got the camera, the bird disappeared. I was beyond freaked out!

Good thing I don't believe in reincarnation--I might think it was someone come to visit!

Desk Chair

ETA on 7/10: Milking this one for all it's worth--I'm linking up today with Monica at Expressly Corgi for Get R Done Friday. Head over there for some inspiration for the weekend.

It's Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage and Do It Yourself Day at A Soft Place to Land and I just had to join in and show off my "new" desk chair! After you let me brag a bit, visit these two fabulous links and all the lovely ladies who join in.

Remember my $1 yard sale find? My hubby thought I was nuts when I practically squealed upon seeing this chair. It weighs a ton--I can barely lift it off the ground. After removing the lovely faded blue fabric that had been loosely placed around the seat and back, I found a mustard yellow woven fabric covered in pet hair. I don't have pictures, unfortunately--they were lost when the hard drive got demolished by a 5-year-old.

Enter this gorgeous fabric--$4.97 a yard--purchased where? Walmart! I bought two yards because I'm new at this and wanted some leeway.

And here she is--all polished up and in her new home! I removed the seat and back, then spray painted the frame. Covered the rest with my beloved fabric and put her back together. Don't look too closely at the back--it puckered more than a little. I think I'm going to take it off and try again. I've also bought some upholstery tacks to use on it.




I'm not quite done with the rest of the room, but this is a good start.

Another Beautiful Bag Giveaway

This is the week of Beautiful Bag giveaways! I saw this one this morning and wanted to share the opportunity with you. Head over to The Inspired Room to throw your hat in the ring!

Beautiful Bag Giveaway

Happened upon this giveaway and thought some of you might be interested. Just visit Debbie at My Shabby Roses to see what to do.

Did Somebody Say 50% Off??

Do you know about The Nevues Art Studio? It's a fabulous place and right now they're having a summer sale with prices up to 50% off. I know a lot of you gals make these things yourselves--and I applaud you, cuz I stink when it comes to lettering. For those who aren't so crafty (like moi), check 'em out. If nothing else, you might get some inspiration!

Chalkboard Love

ETA on 7/10: It's Get R Done Friday at Expressly Corgi and I'm over there showing off my sweet little chalkboard. Make sure to visit at get some inspiration yourself!

For some time now, I've been watching so many of you make chalkboards out of various items. At first, I thought they were cute. Then interesting. Then I decided I had to have one, too! Sort of like the first time I was pregnant and worked as a cashier in the commissary. There was a lady who came in a couple of times a month and bought a case of Spaghettios. This was back in the day when each item was priced and had to be rung up individually. By the time I had rung up all those cans of Spaghettios, my cravings were intense! HAD to have Spaghettios!! I would buy a can and eat it for lunch--hating every bite--but couldn't help myself.

Okay, where was I? Oh, yeah--chalkboards...

Kimm at Reinvented is the queen of chalkboard makeovers! Today's Trash to Treasures Tuesday is dedicated to chalkboards. I've sat with mouth agape at the things people have come up with. Make sure to take a few minutes and visit these amazing links!

Patience is NOT a virtue I possess, but it paid off this time. Since seeing all the different things made into chalkboards, I've kept my eye out for something that I could use. And it paid off!! Big time! Last Friday, I found this baby at a yard sale--it was $2--more than I would ordinarily pay, but it was exactly what I wanted! So home it came with me.

Don't know if you can tell--it's painted an awful gold and was obviously used as a tray--watermarks, etc all over it. I can't even tell what it's made from, but there is a 'made in Italy' sticker on the back, so you know I had to have it!

And here it is in all it's chalkboard glory!! Can you hear the glee in my voice? See the big grin on my face? I'm not usually one of those lucky ones who finds the exact item they're searching for--but this time I was and it feels wonderful!!

I luuurrvvveee it!!!