10 on 10: Part Deux

Hi Guys!

Once again, I'm joining the link part over at  bit of sunshine for the 10 on 10 project.  The project is simple: Take 10 pictures, on the 10th of the month, with the purpose of finding beauty in what is otherwise an ordinary day. 

Emphasis on "ordinary day" here, okay?  I mean some days we could be taking a walk, or doing a craft, or some other semi-photo worthy thing, but today was a day I sort of woke up...looked around, and just said, "nope".  So we spent a good portion of the day playing Mario, building legos, watched a delightfully cheesy 1970s movie, and had a lovely sizeable nap in the middle of the day.  So, with the laziness of the day, I felt I was reaching a little bit trying to get some good pictures, I mostly just snapped pictures around the house.  Here they are!

The wee one helped me out and snuck this one in...that's my shoe, but not my foot.

Oh, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.  Where would we be without thee?

We played a game with the Lite Bright.  It was dark in the master bedroom, so we just took it around to see what things looked like with lit circles all over them.  Lite Bright on the bed...Lite Bright on the dog..Lite Bright on your armpit...I'm really glad I was doing 10 on 10 this day, otherwise this may have been something I would have easily let slip through my memory.

Maggie says, "Mom, it's not a weed if it has flowers."  (She says this, by the way, like she is the master of all knowledge and I have long to achieve her level of wisdom...)  

But, I'm inclined to agree about the weeds.  (Of course, all my plants die, so what do I know anyway?)

Treasure Hunting

Since I was a little girl, I have fancied myself a pirate perpetually on a treasure hunt.  Living in the downtown district of my hometown, there were always thrift stores, yard sales, and a Factory 2-U (Oh, yes...Factory 2-U) available within walking distance.

There really is something so fun about going somewhere with $5 in your pocket and wading through cassette tapes, finished Highlights magazines, and cheap wicker baskets to peel back the funky sheets and find that perfectly glazed piece of pottery with a $2 price tag (and just enough room to hold your paintbrushes).  THE TREASURE!  (Is anyone else imagining hoisting it high as light beams and music radiate from it?)

Thrift stores and bargain bins are some of the fun, but it's also great to go to a dollar store on a lazy day and see what they have to offer.  Here are just a FEW of what I think are some pretty great things I have found at Dollar Stores:

So, recently I found some bowls at the "Dollar Tree" that caught my eye.  We needed new bowls, and the color is my favorite.  Of course, the price was right, so I picked them up:

Okay, I had intended to tell you what became of these turquoise beauties, but this blog is already pretty long, and if you're anything like me...you're bored now...so, I think I'll show you the simple thing we did to dress them up in another blog (if you're kind enough to be interested and return)!

Til' next time, folks!

Cereal Necklaces

Sometimes the girls and I make cereal necklaces for breakfast or a snack. (Mmmm...breakfast jewelry..*droool*)  Do you guys remember candy necklaces?  Of course you do. This is a fun cereal version of the sugar filled candy necklaces we all remember and love.    

Cereal necklaces are just that.  I don't think a customary list of instructions and supplies is needed.  Just these few tips:

1.  Elastic string is best so the kiddies can pull the cereal to their mouths.
2.  The littler ones who lack the hand-eye coordination to put the string through the cereal will likely  need a blunt needle tied to one end to help them guide the string through.
3.  Tie a single cheerio (or other cereal) to the other end to stop the others from falling off.
4.  The necklace itself isn't enough to fill up a belly, so have a big glass of milk or some fruit on hand to supplement.

My next blog will be titled,  "How to Make Shoes From Bacon" - so you can be looking forward to that.

And now ve vill commence ze pictures:

(the star shaped cereal is the "Dora" cinnamon flavored cereal - I think it adds something extra)

(The above pictures were taken with my film camera.  Laura says it is expired film.  Kinda neat.)  

 (They're even pretty when they're stuffing their mouths!) 

At Walgreens Today...

I went to pick up some film at the photo developing department of Walgreens today.

A man stood in line in front of me, as those who wait in lines often do.  When the associate didn't come for a while, he turned toward me and shrugged with good nature.  I agreed by shrugging back.

As we waited, the kind man spoke to me.  It became clear from the beginning his speech was slow and garbled.  I didn't catch his words the first time, but turned my ear, moved in closer and listened to the back of his throat for the sounds. 

"I'm sorry? (Could you repeat that?)"
"I was here earlier, too and couldn't get any help."
"Oh, really?"  I made polite conversation, and understood it was likely hard, and possibly embarrassing for him to ask for assistance.  So, I picked up what I thought to be a cue, and asked the nearest associate for help.

When that employee walked away to page a member of the photo department, the man again attempted to make conversation.

"I have a hard time because I have ALS."
"ALS?  Lou Gehrig's disease." His eyebrows popped with what I interpreted to be relief.  Relief that he had come across somebody who understood his speech...had some familiarity with his disease.

Just when we were making new friends and didn't mind the waiting, an associate came.  We were parted for a little bit to tend to our affairs, but the kind man sought me out once again when he was done.


"How did you know it was called Lou Gehrig's disease?"
"I have a dear friend whose mother (don't say, 'died') suffered from the disease."  I held the word back, although I knew it was no stranger to him.

As I stood before this man, I estimated him to be a working class, well experienced, reasonably well read-man.  I searched my mind for ways to comfort him/something to say.  But what purpose - other than patronization - could the comfort of a 29 year old acquaintance serve to a rugged, capable sufferer?

"I have lost the control of the muscles and ligaments in my throat, and part of my leg.  That's why it's hard for me to speak."
"That must be very hard."  Grasping for ways to comfort him, I spoke warmly.
"Well, there is nothing they can do."
"Bless you, sir. I will be praying for you.  It was very nice to meet you."  I shook his hand.  Trying to understand his speech was becoming taxing.  What more could we talk about?  It was a likely time to leave.
"It was nice to meet you too."

 I drove from Walgreens with regret in my heart.

Should I have talked to him longer?  Should I have asked him about his photos?  Should I have hugged him in place of a cowardly handshake?

I should have asked him if he knew that Jesus could comfort him.

(Shel Silverstein: "A Light in the Attic")


Though I still have some regret like a cloud over my head, I know in time that cloud will dissipate.  I am grateful, what will remain is the watered seed of a memory.  A reminder to pray for my long suffering new friend.  A cautionary tale to not to take for granted such an exceptional meeting.

Where ever you are, my friend - please forgive me.  What is your name?

The Practical Applications of Owning a Shrink Ray

I've been daydreaming lately about what it would be like to have a shrink ray.

Sure, we all thought about it when we were kids and wanted to make the bully on the playground feel like the weakling for once - or shrink our vegetables down to a minuscule size making them easier to hide underneath our mashed potatoes.  But, the more I think about it - it seems the power to shrink something (and bring it back to its original size) at will would have many practical applications in the life of the adult.

Think of the possibilities.  I wouldn't have to buy that $400 storage shed I've been eying, I could just shrink all the Christmas decorations, tools, and baby clothes down into a box and store it under the bed.

I wouldn't need to worry about the car getting being exposed to the elements or possible thievery.  I could simply shrink it down, bring it into the house at night and restore it back to its original size in the morning.

Admittedly, I would probably pack whole bags of popcorn at home, stuff them in my purse, and sneak them into the movie theater.  On that same note, if I really decided to abuse the power, I would even store a kid in my pocket to save the admission money.

Imagine how happy my children would be when they wake up on Christmas day to find a giraffe underneath the  Christmas tree.

I could shrink my vegetables down to hide them under my mashed potatoes so the kids think I'm eating them and follow my example.

I wonder if I could localize the shrink ray to just one area, and shrink down my thighs?  Nah, that's preposterous.

Skeleton Key Fan Pulls

The first thing we see when we walk into our abode is our living room fan/light combo.  Don’t judge me – I know fans aren’t acclaimed to be the most chic of all the lighting choices, but this is the desert and we have 11′ ceilings.  So, fan it is!  

Because this is the first thing seen as you walk in the door, (and the fan pulls being the closest to eye line) naturally, I contemplated ideas for attractive fan pulls.

Now, we live in a house that is almost 100 years old.  As the house is so old, we have many doors with skeleton key locks.  So when the idea of using skeleton keys as fan pulls came to me, I knew it would be a neat way to sort of elude to the history of the house.

Here is how they came to be:

Supplies:
1. Fan pulls
2. Skeleton keys (Note: look for some with thin metal to fit around the jump rings easier.  I also recommend going to your local antique stores for these.  I found them at about 1/3 of the price you can get them online.)
3. Jump rings (tiny jewelry pieces that look like mini key rings)
4. Needle nose Pliers

• I just went to the jewelry department of Wal-Mart and found small jewelry pieces that look like tiny key chain parts - as stated above, they are called  jump rings.
• I coiled the jump ring around both the end of the fan pull and the top of the key.  
• Then I used pliers to clamp the piece of the fan pull shut.  You have to really pierce it together - if it is not pierced tightly, the key will eventually pull off (because the fan pulls are handled so often. (I also recommend hanging the fan pulls low enough that you can grab the top of the key, not the bottom, to avoid eventually stretching the jump ring out and loosening the key.)

I took a picture and posted before and after pictures below so you can see what the part looks like. 
  
Check.  it.  out.  See how happy they are now?

Til’ next time, friends!

Happy 100 Pageviews To Me!

Reached 100 page views today.  Color me tickled...


And picture me celebrating.  Sitting alone in a dark office, eerie glow of the computer lighting my face...I grasp a kazoo with my mouth and a coffee-filled wine glass in my hand - a crumpled up party hat perches atop my head. 

*Yay.*

Gotta celebrate the little things...and since all of my current projects are under hiatus (due to the fact that Wal-Mart's craft section has left me wanting) - gotta blog the little things, too, I guess.

Here are some more of those little things (are they really so little?) I have been "celebrating":

1. My four year old Maggie, said, "amuck" in the correct tense the other day.  She said, "You made   my bed all amuck!"
2. We keep finding bunnies in the corner of our front yard.  One let us get really close yesterday.  They make me smile as I watch their fat tushies bound away.
3. Found "James and the Giant Peach" for a buck at the discount book store.
4. I wore my favorite vintage sweater today.  Itchy but stylish.
5. Hubby got out of bed early in the morning.  When he crawled back into bed, I asked him where he went (just because it is so rare for him to get out of bed, ever).  He said, "Ancient Chinese secret..." then he paused and added,  "...having to do with urine."  That just made me laugh.

Til' next time, friends!

My First Blog: An Introduction to Why I Feel My Life is Blogworthy (she types, choking back laughter)

Testing, testing...1, 2, 3.  Is this thing on?

Hello to all those out there kind, bored, or obligated enough to visit my blog!  This is a good place to say, 'Thank you (and truly)' for cyber traveling over to my little mouse hole of the internet!

                             ---------------------------------------------------------------

Long have I admired the blogging community.  Whether we like it or not - blogs have entirely reshaped our lives over the last several years.  I am not blind to the myriad of empty blogs out there - but I also feel there are those that do some good with this readily available power.  

Filled with countless tutorials and advice - a blog can help an aspiring chef find just the right recipe to make, an unemployed penny pincher  make his own laundry soap, or just inspire and instruct a mom in taking better pictures of her loved ones.  With these mini magazines online, fellow blog enthusiasts can be exposed to amazing photographs that otherwise would have not been seen (probably my favorite of all the blogging treasures), or somebody in one corner of the earth can learn about and pray for a sick child thousands of miles away.

So, why do I feel my life is blogworthy (she types, choking back laughter)?  Not sure if it is.  Pretty sure it's not.  But, it sounds like good fun, and I think if it's done right, I think I can contribute something of worth to the blogging community (ooh, and to Pinterest!).

But if you need some convincing to come back and check in once in a while: I have a really rad 100 year old cottage style house that I will be renovating, two totally excellent girls that I (with my husband) will be raising, and what I feel is a wealth of DIY and decorating ideas - some of which already made, and others stored in "the vault"  (*points dumbly at ear, realizes mistake and moves pointing finger to head*) that I will be sharing along the way. 

I guess my point is this: If my life were ever blogworthy, it is now - while my kids are still young, my house is still unfinished, and my fingers are still carpel tunnel free!

And now ve vill commense ze picture photograph showing: