Decant and Recant

I don’t have much for you today…lots of projects in the works but not much for results. :) This is one little thing I’ve been working on. It started because my ginormous gallon of vinegar didn’t fit in my cabinet. Really, I use very little of it for baking – mostly just cleaning. So I found a nice glass bottle in my stash – used one of my handy dandy labels and wallah! Here is another tip for you – the vitamin E oil that you can buy by the vitamins makes an awesome eye makeup remover!! Two in one – moisturize and clean!! (Don’t get any in your eyes – it doesn’t burn or anything but it can’t be good for you!) I’m off to play with Julie today – gonna be a good day! Then off to see Alice in Wonderland at the movies this weekend with Abby and Carmen. Gonna be a good weekend too! Happy crafting!!

Hutch Christmas Makeover

Well, we took the fall decorations down…this is the before picture.

I have a little guy who is nuts for any and all holiday decorating! I had to hold him back so he wouldn’t drag up all the Christmas stuff before Thanksgiving. But on the day after – all bets were off – so we emptied out the hutch and filled it up with Christmas stuff. Here is the after picture.

One reason I also love decorating for Christmas is that anything goes. You have the ridiculous and the sublime. The old, old worn out Santas and the new glittered goodies, and they all go together beautifully. My friend, Julie, came over and wired light into my hutch. Yeah! That means the Nativity can be lighted – and stay behind glass doors and remain safe for another year. On top of the hutch we have our collection of snowmen that can remain up for most January. At our elementary school they have a Holiday Store that our youngest can shop. Everything costs a dollar and it gets bagged and tagged. Then he brings it home and hides the gifts deep in his room – and usually spills the beans about at least one of the gifts by Christmas. ha ha! That is when the snowman collection really got growing. I can’t wait to see what he purchases this year. He really puts thought into his choices and watches our faces intently while we open the gifts. He brought his money today to shop – exciting!

Speaking of the youngest child – I saw this post about crystallized snowflake ornaments on Wee Wonderful’s blog and we had to try it out. It works!! Here is the result:

Happy crafting!

New Light

Look at the new light over my kitchen sink! Woot woot – I’m so excited! The old light was so noisy I never turned it on. As a matter of fact, when Julie took it down there was a note taped inside that said “noisy – but works”. Huh, I guess the previous homeowner just slapped it up to get the house ready to sell. The price tag was on it, it cost $4.50 – big spender! Why that was so important and other more obvious things weren’t is a mystery! My friend, Julie, came over to hang it for me last week. Isn’t she handy! I got the light from one of my neighbors – who moved. I painted a basement wall for her in trade for the light. We were both happy! It was originally a plug-in light – Julie just hardwired it. I’ll take that extra link out of the chain soon – forgot we left it there just in case I wanted it a bit lower.

Now I just have to repaint the ceiling, walls, wash the window, clean the sink, unclutter the counters, get a new rug. . . and maybe some towels. . . get a new window (cause that is such and awesome light – the window has gotta live up to it), maybe a new floor! . . . and the kitchen will be perfect – I just know it!! Just kidding!

Outside

Here are a couple pictures of my backyard. Very closely cropped I might add. I purchased these star tea-light holders at a garage sale a few years ago - for 25 cents a piece! (There are five of them) I never really knew what to do with them but couldn't leave them behind. Seemed like they would be good for the back yard. I didn't want to buy hangers for them. Too spendy and I'm too cheap - so I came up with this. First I bent wire that is about as thick as coat hanger wire into the shape you see in the picture. (I have lots of bits of wire around here because it is just so handy.) Well, that looked a little plain so I got out the seed beads and threaded them onto a much thinner wire and wrapped and wrapped and wrapped. Gotta admit I got a blister. But as always I got into "get it done" mode and had to finish that day. I took the kids to the lake that day and as I watched them I worked on this. Then I just screwed them into the fence posts and voila! I love how they look. At night, around the campfire, it is lovely. Get creative and happy crafting!