Scrap happy bookmarks

I recently pinned a cute tute on making use of tiny scraps of fabric by creating bookmarks. Since I'm an avid reader, I thought I would whip some up.

I used a bookmark I already have, as a guide.  Just laid my fabrics out in the order I wanted, stitched, ironed on some interfacing,  sewed right sides together with another fabric for the back, then turned right side out and stitched around the edges.  Easy peasy.

I added a loop of ribbon to the tops and stitched my initials on one side of my "artwork". Once I got the hang of it, each one took me less than 10 minutes. 

Bubbie came home from school while I was in the thick of it and asked for his own.  Which got me to thinking:  there's a lot of people I could make these for, including his brothers, sister, aunt, grandmother...good thing I have plenty o' fabric scraps!

Gina

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Mealplan Monday #1 - cut yourself some slack!

Last week was rough - no doubt about it.  Between my job, my family, and helping my mother with her cornea surgery, I felt like taffy - pulled in all directions.  So I purposely made sure that the menus for this week were easy so I could do some stuff I had put off!

Monday - Crock Pot Roast, mashed potatoes, green beans

Tuesday - Cafe Rio Chicken Bowls with rice, pico, black beans, guacamole

Wednesday - Stouffer's lasagna, mixed veggies (Freezer meal night!)

Thursday - Homebaked Mac and Cheese, oven carrots

Friday - Buffalo Chicken Sammies, sweet potato tots, coleslaw

Saturday - Dad grills

Sunday - Leftover Beef and Beans from freezer, Cheesy garlic bread, salad

Gina

Ready for Spring

I guess Spring is here - if the calendar didn't say Spring Break, I wouldn't be looking for it. 
Seems like we never had Winter.

And since we have a dull week planned, I thought I would venture out there to see what needed to be done. The patio, which I though would need a LOT of cleaning up, was not in such bad shape.  

 It mainly just needed a good sweep and rearranging of furniture, 

some cleaning of the table and chairs, and storing the fire pit.

When the oaks stop dropping leaves and pollen, we can power wash the slab.  

I'd like to get a rug to go under the table, and pot some plants for the deck.

In the meantime I gussied up my herb garden  and cleaned up the table for Spring dinners outside.  

A little TLC prettied the space without spending a lot.  

My kind of "before and after".

Painting fail

Several months ago I painted the inside of the bookcase a color to coordinate with the rest of the den:

 

 

It actually worked fine until anything bumped up against the paint.  Then stuff like this happened:

 And once I saw it I had to see if more would just peel off. The answer was yes.  

  Windex helped get it all to loosen up and come off easily.  And here I thought I was so smart using a paint with primer.  At least I got smart removing it with my widget and the Windex.  It was like removing wallpaper - except that it was stretchy. 

At least all of it came off without damaging the wall behind it. 

I just pulled everything out, cleaned it up, put things back like I thought they would work better.

The slick paint in the back of the bookcase apparently doesn't want to be painted!

Gina

Den plans

In Bloggyland I saw some really nifty curtains someone made out of burlap.  I think it's just the ticket for the den and something I have been meaning to do for a while is jazz the wall up by hanging curtains.  

Here's what I'm starting with:

 I envision curtains that hang down a strip between the windows - mostly to pretty up the windows, not cover them.  We really like these cellular shades when summer hits.

But I'm not sure a long rod will work as the ceiling slopes down so close to the wall.  Maybe find some wrought iron looking rings to hang the fabric from?

The rest of the room needs a spiff here and there, too...

This coffee table needs to either be re-varnished or painted another color.  Also, I would love to put a BIG rug in this room, but I want to find one with a rug pad built in.  Also, there is a rocking chair I can't seem to part with that would be great painted some jazzy color - but what color?

Maybe cover the lampshade with burlap, too?  And that Pena print - I love it, but I don't love the shiny gold frame it's in.  But I love the sconces and their pretty scroll-y candles from Pottery Barn.

 Should I spray paint it and the sconces in another color?  Oil rubbed bronze?  Then I would have to re-do the lamp at the end of the sofa, too.  It was originally brass as well.

I'm thinking of adding baskets for DVD and VHS storage in the bookcase. I have seen some sea grass ones at Wal-mart that I like.  I could move that large green one that sits on the bottom.

This room is large and comfy as is, but I would like to make it more
attractive to all of us since we live in it so much.  

Suggestions, please!

No such thing as a junk drawer!

I was searching for something and realized it had been a while since I had done a clean sweep on this drawer.  I like to call it my "office drawer" since it has tools I might need in my daily job as mom/cook/cleaner/chauffeur/cat wrangler.

Just a little jumbled.  But where the heck is my widget?  I need it!

I remember having to fish around for a battery last time I needed one so I put a recycled container to use.  A perfect fit.

Baskets and really small ziploc snack containers are my friends.  And I love clips.  All kinds of clips.  Especially those honkin' big paper clips.  So handy.

I snagged a magnetic paper clip holder from hubby's old desk and now it holds safety pins.  Odds and ends have their own tiny spot.  

See our spare set of keys?  One driveway and four cars equals the automotive version of musical chairs.

I think it was 15 minutes well spent!  Some things were in this drawer that just didn't belong, so out they went.  Everything else got arranged neatly.  It pays to be OCD organized.

No such thing as a "Junk Drawer".  Space is too valuable at this house!

Gina

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