Unexpected Bookends

About a year ago I purchased white painted, wooden shelf supports.  I thought they were pretty and for about a year they have been shuffled around the house, thrown into baskets, placed in the cupboard, etc.  I just could not figure out how I wanted to use them...until now.





Measuring the same distance for each side of the shelf (7"), I attached my wall brackets and voile'.

Old Door = Love

I can not express my love for old doors (and windows).  The feeling is just too enormous.  This door was my sewing table.  Now it is just adding a touch of beautiful to my living room.  It all started with that sad little phone...it needed a table, the table needed a friend.  My husband hated this table in our entry way but he LOVES it here.  He's happy, I'm happy!

In case you are wondering, I have a new sewing table from another door and this time, I covered it with one large sheet of salvaged plexi-glass.  My sewing room is now in the old nursery with beautiful periwinkle blue walls and clouds that look like they are floating by...you need pictures. 

I have decided that I should no longer decorate in the fall, the oranges and yellows in a house with dark floors and not enough white doesn't suit my moods.  I've found that I NEED calming colors, cool hues and clean whites.  Now, if I can just get 3 little boys to help me keep it that way. 

Also, I collect those beautiful blue jars, I think they are almost in every room of my house...I love them too!

Confessions of a Wanna Be Hoarder: A Hollow Book

Yesterday I had a bright idea and I did this...

I've always wanted one of these really cool books that have the pages cut out so you can't tell that it's a book that's hiding something.  So, I did it.  I used these tools...

Let me tell you, those super sharp scalpel blades are AWESOME!  It sliced right through those pages.  I love this tool.  It's my favorite.  I buy the blades in bulk I love it so much.  Mostly, it's my seam ripper but today it added a new function to its resume'.

I spent most of my time gluing the pages together but that was easy too with the help of spray adhesive and couple flicks of the pages.  Eventually they all stuck together.

Now, can you tell which book is stashing all that dough nothing at all yet.  : )  I don't know what I'll put in it really, I just always wanted one.

Help a Little Girl Support St. Jude

My boys playschool does a little trike-a-thon every year for St. Jude and every year we raise a little money for it.  Today I called a friend of mine and she told me that last night her little girl asked to raise money for St. Jude at her birthday party.  This little girl is turning 4 next week and unlike any child I know, she asked if people could put money in a jar for St. Jude.



This little girl spent her evening yesterday looking at St. Jude's website and worrying about the sick little children.  She had lots of questions and came to one conclusion, that God is bigger than the illness those children have and He can work wonders.  She understands that not all children recover but she loves that they all get to be with Jesus. 

I have set up a donation button to help Ansley raise money for St. Jude.  It would be so sad to tell her there wasn't any money donated.  Instead, let's tell her that our friends and readers out there contributed whatever they could...$1, $5, $10 or more.  It's just a little thing and I think she deserves our support.  Click the button below to help.

Thank you so much!

New Book Look

A couple of weeks ago I was walking through the church were I work and on a table by the library there was a big pile of hardback books marked FREE BOOKS!  Me and my two little boys loaded our arms down with books and hauled them to the car.  The books themselves weren't bad looking but they didn't suit me as they were...

See what I mean, some are really pretty colors and some are blah.  One day I'm going to set out to only find books in one shade, like that pretty Tiffany Blue one above.  Another project for another time.  Today, after weeks of waiting, I decided to give my desire to recover these books a try.  Here's my first attempt.


While I love the muted colors and patterns, they sort of just get lost in my house so I had to turn the color dial up a bit and move from paper to fabric.  I do have to stay true to myself...fabric is just more fun.  So, I pulled out a few of my fat quarters that I bought for my quilting (translation: I need to buy more fat quarters).  Here's the easiest book covering project ever...

Iron the fabric.

Trim the book away from the cover

Mod Podge the front of the book cover.

Flip cover over and press to wrong side of fabric, trim and fold edges over.

Use the first and last page of the book and glue the book back into the cover.

Mandarin Smoke House Chicken Salad

This is a variation of one of my favorite chicken salad recipes.  The recipe I love is just chicken, pasta and mayo.  I kicked it up a notch and this one is divine!

Ingredients:

• 2 oz - Smoke House Almonds (crushed)
• 1 large can of chunked chicken breast
• 1 cup of canned mandarin oranges, diced.
• 1 cup of cooked mini pasta shells.
• 1/2 block of Phily Cream Cheese (4oz)
• 1/4 cup of mayo
• salt & pepper

Mix chicken and melted cream cheese together, add almonds, pasta, mandarin oranges and mayo together.   Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.  Mix well and chill for at least 1 hour.  Serve on favorite bread or crackers.