Thrifty Eye Candy

I love to browse at thrift stores when I have a few moments; and I've been known to hit a garage sale or two. That being said, I rarely go to garage sales here in Minnesota.

But every time we go to family camp in Iowa, my mother-in-law and I spend Saturday morning driving around Dayton and Pilot Mound and stopping at every garage sale we see. I find the best stuff in those tiny towns. I decided one of my dining room walls needed a little makeover, so I used some of my garage sale and thrift store finds.

Here's the result...for less than 5 bucks.

This cool "watercolor" (it's actually just a print) was 50 cents, frame and all.  I love things that show waterfront, and since our dining room window looks out over the water, it looks perfect in there.

I love this mirror, it has a cool rusty frame and is beveled...all for another 50 cents.

I scored two of these platters at a thrift store here in town; one is a little smaller.  The larger one cost $1.50, the small one was a buck.  I think they're ironstone.

If you count the 3M velcro that I used to put it on the wall, I think it's about $5.  That's my kind of decorating.

Ouch

I ran 11 miles today and every inch of me hurts.  Even the hair on my head.  Didn't know that was even possible.  I must have even looked awful, because when I got back to my car, a couple who were getting their bikes ready to go on the trail asked me if I was ok.  "I'm great," I said.  And then had to sort of back into my vehicle, because my left leg wouldn't really work and I couldn't get in any other way.  Not cute at all.

When I signed up to run the Army 10-miler, I thought it would be great motivation to get back into shape.  But it has been WAY harder than I imagined it would be.  This 40-year old body does not respond like my 28-year old body did.  I thought that maybe this would even inspire me to eventually run a marathon.  That is so not happening.  Ever.

Jake and Maggie had to run a mile at school yesterday, and Jake was complaining about how much he hurt yesterday.  I told him I was going to run 11 miles today, and his response was, "But, Mom, I sprinted the entire mile." Sadly, when he told me his time, I realized that even if I only ran 1 mile, I still wouldn't beat him.

I get very hot very fast when I run, so I wear shorts.  And I have learned not to look down, because even though I can run 11 miles, there are still wobbly parts on my legs and it irritates me to no end.  I haven't really lost any weight (maybe a few pounds) which also irritates me to no end.  (Maybe I should stop drinking non-diet pop...that might help.  Or eating entire jars of salsa in one sitting.  Or at least eat it without the chips - which would sort of be like drinking it, I guess.  That might help, too.  Or eating most of the shortbread cookies that Grandma sent home with Jake and Maggie last night.  Thanks for that, Mom!!)

Anyway, I wish I could say this whole experience has inspired me to run for the rest of my life, to eat healthy everyday and to just be satisfied with whatever I weigh, as long as I feel good.  But I can't say that.  All it has inspired is a longing for October 21st to come and go so I can quit feeling guilty about not running as far as I want to, or as fast as I wish I could, or eating only things that are good for me. 

I do think the race will be fun, because the atmosphere at races always is.  And I know I will finish.  I just hope that Scott doesn't have to carry me to the vehicle on his back when it's over.  And I hope I don't puke.  That's never fun.

By the numbers.

Today, I:
*agreed to buy 1/2 of a hog
*went to 1 meeting
*got 2 kids off to school
*did 3 loads of laundry
*ran 4 miles (while listening to 10 songs)
*made 5 phone calls
*didn't do anything with the number 6 that I can recall
*picked kids up from swim team practice at 7
*bought 8 things at the grocery store (the 2nd time I was there...)
*snuggled my 9-year old
*scratched my 10-year old's back
*And made 26 pans of apple crisp to stick in the freezer.

My Favorite Things

I've been asked to decorate a Christmas tree that will be sold at the hospital's annual gala this year.  We used to call the event the Festival of Trees and would auction off about a dozen fully decorated trees every year.  They would go for thousands of dollars.  Eventually, they weren't selling as well, because everyone already had one from a previous year, so we decided to stop doing that.

Fast forward several years and the committee decided it was time to have a tree again.  But just one.  And I'm designing it.  Gulp.  It will be donated (funded) by the hospital foundation's board of directors.  I happen to be on the board, which is why they asked me to do it.  None of the men really wanted to. :)

My theme (drum roll goes here) is "My Favorite Things" from the Sound of Music.  I'm leaving out a few things (like the roses and kitten whiskers), but I think it will be fun.  I got to go to the Minneapolis Gift Market - the wholesale market where retailers go to buy their stock.  So, I was able to order a tree and some decor at cost.  My little sis' came and helped me focus on what I really needed to accomplish. (I get distracted by shiny things.)

I am excited to get everything in and get started decorating.  The gala is November 9, so I will have a Christmas tree in the family room for the month of October instead of pumpkins.  I'll post some pictures of the vision in my head once it's on the tree.

In the meantime, just picture brown paper packages tied up with string, warm woolen mittens, blue satin sashes, snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes, sleighbells, bright copper kettles...

An Overdue Update...

Our bathroom project has been done for months, and I took pictures totally planning to do a little update, so here it is.

We had board and batten added to the walls, which really brightened things up and also had the cabinets painted white.

The new countertop looks great with the subway tile backsplash, and I love the little pendant lights that I had hung instead of a regular bathroom light fixture.

We had a row of glass tile added to the subway tile in the shower to break up the white a little bit.  The ceiling in the shower is even tiled and has a can light in it - love being able to see in there!  It is such a huge improvement over what was in there before, now we wonder why we waited so long.  Now on to the basement...

Long Time...

Yes, it's been a really looooonnnnng time since I blogged. Just wasn't feeling it. Sorry to disappoint my two followers. :)

Anyway, school has started after an extremely busy summer filled with family, fun, cardboard boat races and such.

Here are my fourth and fifth graders.  (I know, can you believe it?  They were just born a couple of years ago...really fast learners, these two.)

They are both enjoying school; Jake is in band (percussion) and has been faithfully practicing his drums and bells.  Mags is continuing with piano and is much better than her mother ever was.

School means a little more time for Mom to do some projects. 

I've been wanting an ottoman or two for my wingback chairs; this little footstool that I got for a dollar at a garage sale was the perfect height.  I was going to paint it, but decided I liked the wood and just recovered it with a scrap of fabric I had.

I got this old crate at another garage sale; (spent another buck) and painted something on it that makes me smile every time I see it:  Schoon Family Farms; Established 1945; Sibley, Iowa.  Grandpa and Grandma were married in 1945...I realize they didn't live in Sibley at the time, but that's where I remember all the good times.

Maddie and I found this little table at a thrift store this summer and decided to do something with it, but ran out of time while she was here.

I used a really dark stain on the top after Maddie sanded it down and then printed a vinyl stencil with my silhouette machine.  I put the vinyl on and then spray painted the whole table and peeled the vinyl off while it was still wet.  When it was dry, I used an antiquing glaze over the top and then a sealing wax.

Last summer, I got this old vanity door from Lauri and it sat in my workshop for a year.  I got tired of moving it around the workshop, so I decided to do something with it.  It is now a wall hanging.

And finally, I bought this little table at a thrift store for five bucks about a year ago and it has also been sitting in my workshop ever since.  I didn't take a "before" picture, but it was dark wood, except for the top, which was blond formica.  Ick, ick, ick.  I primed it and painted it blue, then added the Union Jack to the top.  I finished it off with the antiquing glaze (I am loving that stuff!!) and distressed the whole piece. 

However, I am far from done.  I have been asked to donate pieces to four (yes, four) charity auctions and so I still have some work to do.  Lucky for me, I have two dressers, a child-sized rocking chair, a side table shelfy thing, a basket tower and a set of shelves in my workshop all waiting for some magic.

I'll post pictures of those in another year or two... :)