Ode to MY Lil' chest of drawers-

When last my drawers to you I'd shown
All the drawers were in tact; but the top one was blown. 


I reminded you then of the lipstick it needed. 
When you see the results please don't feel you've been cheated.

Didn't want to spend money on something that's FREE

And It just wouldn't do to leave it be.

Refinishing furniture I haven't a clue- 
A minor adjustment is all I would do.

With the swish of my brush I splashed on some color- 
A knot hole , wood-grain - or something or other. 

To cover the side panels and aptly conceal-
The white primered bead-board so not to reveal. 

In the end it didn't turn out quite like planned- 
BUT mistakes can be better- on the other hand!


This lil chest o'drawers has a tattered shine- 
If it'd turned out too fancy- then it wouldn't be mine! 

I dressed her up nicely for her big debut-
Here she is in her spotlight especially for you! 

Now she  sits there so quiet with a new job to do-
For linens and napkins I know she'll pull through. 


At her age  she doesn't have to be sturdy-
But  this old gal can work --and still be quite purdy! 




~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Linking here: 

God Bless you,today.

Thanks for reading! 

Plain Good Manners-

I have come across many bloggers who are so gracious and such lovely hosts - and hostesses!
I love getting comments from them- and they are so thankful for the comments left at their spot- or for your participation.
I strive to be that type of host too!
But sometimes- it is just so dad-gummed hard to find a way to communicate with some bloggers. I've even resorted to leave a comment ON MY OWN BLOG-  with hopes that they might see it.


WOULDN'T IT JUST BE EASIER-  if people would hitch up their email address to their profile so that we can be hospitable and let others know they are appreciated, thought of, or missed (when they are not blogging)? 
But, It could be that some just don't know the ins and outs yet of blogger and may not know how to do that!


Well, now they can. 


There is a great tutorial at the link below I found this link at ASPTL - DIY Day.  
 (I let the author know I'm posting it here) 
let's get the word out so we can all be gracious hostesses on our SPOT! 




http://cymlowell.blogspot.com/2010/03/i-love-comments-blogger-profile.html

let's get the word out so we can all be gracious hostesses on our SPOT! 


** edited to say:  I don't think it's rude to have a no-reply comment blogger...NO. not at all. I just mean it's plain good manners to want to "thank" someone or have a conversation with them outside of blogging.  (thank you) 

God Bless you today- 

Thank you for reading! 

Just a taste...

Of what I've been up to. 

AND! 

To let y'all know I'm still here. 

This is an old picture I found of my 

Lil' chest of drawers. 

I'm busy putting some lipstick on it. 

I'll show you later how it looks. 

As always- 

God Bless you today,

and Thanks for reading! 

Why I blog-

After reading Kim's post at Just a Southern Girl  about why she blogs-  

I felt inspired to tell my own story. 

While she lives in a foreign country away from home and family, my reason for blogging is much simpler. 

I posted a comment there- but for the sake of time I've copied and pasted it here. (y'all know I tend to get wordy!) And I've taken the liberty to edit and make necessary changes for the purpose of blogging! 

I find it very much a hobby to blog. It is fun and interesting. I think the people I meet or read about are wonderful people. 

I love to read your blogs for all the wonderful content. There are so many interesting things that you do,  places that you go, projects and ideas that you all have! 

I love your pictures. And even the way you share about the culture, traditions or you HOMES where you live. 

Some don't and some of course do --share the great detail of the ministry. 

I understand the work some of  you are doing is important-- and I understand some of it needs to be done privately. 

In fact-  I blog anonymously...meaning- no close friends or family read my blog. I have  met many others while blogging. Those who I would now call friends (pen-pals really). I have even gotten emails from many of you. It is the blogging community and intimacy that I share with these new friends that I don't get with family on a day to day basis.  

Weird, huh?  It's like getting a letter in the mail- and it is addressed to me and I can share it with others OR I don't have to really.No one else in my family blogs. So I don't feel like I'm being selfish with my hobby or my mail.

I like sharing on my blog the secrets and successes (sometimes failures)  of homemaking.  The things that are necessary for building a home. The time and effort it takes no matter what stage of life you may be going through- whether you are young and just starting out or if you are like me---somehow, trying to find a way to make the old things work in a newly empty nest that once thrived with a flutter of activity on a day to day basis. I like learning new things too. I want to share what I learn with other women, young and old, and somewhere in between ; because I know that if you're reading, you sincerely appreciate it. 

I also love to read your comments. You encourage me!  Where I used to thrive in homemaking- I've come to be less confident.  I need the encouragement.  Your comments give me a boost. Your posts on your blogs give me inspiration.  Where I may not copy something I've seen - I am still able to take your idea and put my own twist, proving to myself that I still got it! 

I love your posts and always look forward to reading! 

Keep blogging!

As always-  

God Bless you for reading and I thank you! 

Practical and Pretty!

This is my first White Wednesday 

So, this week-- 

I'm adding something 

PRACTICAL. 

FADED CHARM'S-

WHITE WEDNESDAY!

* NOTE:  THIS LINK HAS BEEN REPAIRED* 

I make my own laundry soap.  I've been doing this for years now and it saves us a ton of cash on our laundry bill.  I've given this recipe out to several people and taught women at our church one afternoon how to make this soap. Some say it doesn't get the whites white enough or the spots out. So I will say this right now. 

It takes a little bit of more effort- 

and to do laundry well, 

as with any product- 

YOU MUST SPOT TREAT! 

I have had my grand-daughters sock 

almost completely black from dirt outside-- 

I use a little of this soap, add extra borax 

BECAUSE I'M SPOT TREATING...

and it comes clean. 

* The recipe follows the pictures* 

Homemade Laundry Soap
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or Zote (I use Zote because it readily available in area) 
½ cup washing soda 
½ cup borax powder  
BUCKET - about 2 gallon size 

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan.  Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts.  Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved.  Remove from heat.  Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket.   Now add your soap mixture and stir.  Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir.  Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel.  You use ½ cup per load. 

Because this is my first White Wednesday participation- 

I also had to add something 

PRETTY! 

*Edited to say--

Oops! I almost forgot-

God Bless you for reading!
Thank you. 

Iris Unscathed ... and lil' projects

It is hard to believe there was snow on the ground yesterday; 

today it is SUNNY AND 65 degrees- 

Beautiful!

These were surrounded by snow yesterday morning. 

It was cold and I had a little time to spare. 

These are a couple of projects I worked on while trying to stay warm. 

I bought this *BELIEVE* right after Christmas for .50 cents. 

It was green with glitter all over, with a red base- and broken. 

The ' I ' in believe was supposed to be a present. 

But it was broken... so that is the reason for the low- low price! 

I finally decided what to do with it. I covered it in paper back pages. 

This took some time.  But I think it turned out cute. 

I also had this old piece of ply wood just lying around. 

I painted it grey with some words... 

didn't like how it turned out. 

Painted it black. 

Then dry brushed the grey over the black (so the black would show through) 

And then free handed the script on there. 

I love this. 

I hung it in my bedroom. 

Actually both the board and the Believe are in my bedroom. 

That is where they fit in the most. 

That's it. 

You know what? 

God Bless you  for reading! 

WELCOME SPRING!

I woke up this morning to a Weather Phenomenon wonderful surprise   

   - 

On this the FIRST FULL DAY OF SPRING! 

Check the thermometer on the front porch. 

34 degrees.

!!!!!!!!

Another CHILLY DAY IN TEXAS! 

Good thing I've got a good supply of 

Coffee Logs in the freezer! 

Happy S.P.R.I.N.G.! 

NOT for the Selectively Squeamish-

Today was the first day of spring...  it was in the lower 40's it was terribly windy, 

and wet, and cloudy and cold. 

Last night it rained most of the night with blustery winds. 

Knowing this was coming...

 I hesitated to clear out the left over firewood and get the wood stove cleaned for next FALL. 

Which is a good thing- because today- we needed a fire to take the chill out of the house! 

 What I am about to show you is the method I use to make fire starters for our Wood Burning Stove. 

There are lots of products marketed out there that sell for a pretty penny. 

And! they work pretty well at starting a fire. 

Now out there somewhere there is a product called *JAVA LOGS - 

These are logs made from coffee grounds and who knows what else

and they are used to start a fire. 

What is about to follow is the process I use to make COFFEE - LOGS (more like sticks) and they work just as well - they are leftover from my own coffee pot and so the cost is relatively nothing (seeing how I've already paid for and used the coffee and filters for the intended purpose- and would otherwise toss these, since I don't have a compost bin)   *edit:  since originally posting this, we do compost during the spring and summer months. Coffee grounds are great for the garden, etc. But once it starts cooling off, we save our filters.

This is melted wax in a coffee can - melting it on the pilot light - on my cook stove. 

I purchase used candles at garage sales, thrift stores, flea-markets, and they are given to me at times. 

They usually aren't attractive or the wick is lost somewhere in the candle 

Making it virtually impossible to keep it lit. 

This is dryer lint.  

'NUFF said. 

This is a picture of several coffee filters drying on the griddle of my stove- takes a few days for one to dry completely. (OR A FEW HOURS IF YOU LAY IT CLOSER TO THE WOOD STOVE WITH THE FIRE IS BURNING.) :)  That white stuff is melted wax poured on and then (sorry I didn't get a picture of this step) you place a piece of dryer lint inside. 

Fold it over like a taco. 

Fold the ends over like you're making a burrito. 

Then begin to roll it up until it is closed . 

Once you get to the edge you pour a little more wax 

on the edge and seal it like an envelope. 

Here are Six Coffee logs ready to make a fire. 

Now since it is Officially Spring and I didn't make enough of these last year to last the winter months

I decided to store these differently. 

I had to throw some out last year 

they molded. 

I know gross right? 

Well, this year. 

I am freezing them. 

This is a picture of a wax bag from a box of cereal. 

Again- I recycled here. 

(not bragging- just stating the facts, ma'am) 

I put the coffee logs inside rolled it up 

and put a rubber band around it. 

I CLEARLY MARKED IT

As I continue to make them through out the year 

I can add to the bag. 

Now this won't be as easy 

because I line dry our clothes 

(when ever possible) 

and dryer lint won't be as plentiful. 

However- 

I have daughters that have central heat and a/c 

and won't be needing their dryer lint for anything but the garbage, 

(and they know how there mom is about saving a penny)

So-- they'll be saving their lint for me ! 

**people will give you their dryer lint. Just ask. 

That's it. 

It is just a frugal tip- 

No glitz, (except for the reflective aluminum foil in some of the photos) 

No glamor-( my finger nails aren't even painted) 

No need to thank me. Really. 

It's just an idea I had and thought I'd share it. 

It was truly gross- 

and to some the thought of freezing my garbage in until the next cold snap

may sound a little bit nuts! 

But- 

YOU  WERE WARNED!  

Thanks for visiting. 

After a gentle nudge

I've linked to : 

Testing Editor and Picture

Don't mind me. 

I'm just goofin' around. 

I learned something new today about blogger. 

Donna taught me. 

Isn't she the greatest blog friend / mentor 

a gal could have? 

She shares her infinite wisdom- 

and doesn't mind doing it either. 

She helps us all be better bloggers. 

Checking it out now. 

Do I like my pictures so big?

*Edited to say : 
Ok... I had to change it from XL to large 
and I still think it might be a tad big. 
Because it is cut of to one side (near the side bar) 
However- this is pretty easy. 
I like the fact that my pictures are bigger and if I moved it to the left maybe it wouldn't be cut off. 


I'll be back. 


** Edited Again! 


I'm back.  Doesn't matter what I do- no matter where I tell my picture to be in this window- 
it is exactly dead center in my blog window. 


Well, I've obviously got some more schoolin' in the fine art of Bloggin' 


Like I said 
I'm just goofin' around. 


If you read this whole thing and think it was a waste of time. 
I apologize. 


But thanks for reading anyway. 


Have a Blessed Day! 

*FINAL EDIT*

I was told how to change my width and tweak my blog.

How does it look?

I'm liking it!

Thanks for all the input - I just love my blogging friends! 

Gettin' Busy...

We've had some great weather over the past week. I've been taking advantage of it too ---So has Honey you'll see his adventure in a minute.

So, our youngest grand-daughter will be 1 year old on the 31st of this month (I almost got my birthday baby with this one)

We are taking a new approach to gift giving- especially now that Honey is retired. I've always liked to be creative and make gifts- but finally now he is on board with it. It helps if he likes what I create.

This is it-- I made her a bathrobe from a towel. I bought them at Dollar General for $4.00 for two towels.

Isn't it cute? I cut the towel and sewed the sleeves. And then I crocheted a ruffle around the opening in the front and the collar.

I also made a matching washcloth and she'll be getting the extra towel too. A little girl needs her own towel and cloth -- ESPECIALLY if it matches her new robe!

Ok... on to Honey's adventure... (yes, these are fish in my tub)

The weather has been so nice he decided to go fish in our neighbor's pond (they don't mind). It has been years since he has fished, but being retired --I guess he thought he'd re-kindle the art.

So off he went.

I MIGHT INTERJECT HERE TO SAY;

Now over the years it seems like our boys have misplaced some of Dad's much needed equipment- Never mentioned it. Moved out. Started their own lives. -- if you don't know what a stringer is, well it is a string that you run through the fishes mouth and gills so you can toss them back into the pond...while the other end is poked into the ground with a shank... let's the fish live while you continue to fish...

Well... he got over there and caught the fish -- no stringer. So he hiked all the way home and put it in the tub-- went back and caught another! Ha! I said that is ENOUGH! Clean these fish and we'll eat 'em. Just get them out of my bath tub...

The next day we went to the store and bought some fishing tackle. (smile)

Here is the catch of the day--- all battered and fried just the way Honey likes it (after all he went to so much trouble!) with macaroni and cheese and corn on the side. This is actually my plate- I love tartar sauce!

And... I like Parmesan cheese on my corn cob--- yummie!

Ok... onto more crafty parts of my week.

I had this piece of trim(crown molding) and some hooks. It was white, I spray painted it with flat black EL CHEAPO (dollar store) paint.

I then stenciled 'towels' on it and finished it off with

'fired-steal' semi-gloss glaze. Gives it a nice matte finish.

Add hooks! and VOI`LA!

I made this for my youngest daughter for her spare bathroom. She loved it.

Alright... have you ever seen one of these?

Down here ...they are everywhere especially when my kiddos were young. This one was theirs.

It is a tire swing, only the tire is fashioned to look like a horse.

He is a little tattered and needs a new mane and tail. He also needs a new rope to be hung up in the tree- not to mention a good scrubbing.

Well, we found him out behind the barn and are going to clean him up really nice for the GRANDS! They'll love him.

While taking pictures of the horse I noticed the last of the daffodils... they are starting to fade now. This set is out back they have bloomed a long time- I first showed them to you out my back window in my utility room after the workshop series at Donna's funky junk interiors... That was a while back.

I mentioned that we found the horse behind the barn - that is not all.

Here are a few pictures of the peach blossoms on the trees behind the barn.

I hope this year we actually get peaches we can eat.

Aren't the blossoms beautiful?

We have about 4 trees back behind the barn. They have been ravaged by ants and weather and a terrible pruning over the years. But most years they give us enough peaches to make a few quarts or so of jam.

That's it.

My week in a nutshell. I hope to get some other projects done around the house and get them posted before the week is out. We'll see.

Thanks for reading.

ENJOY!