the party-the details part two

the cake stands were simple.

candle sticks from thrift store, some glue on the upper lip of the candle stick

and press the album on...

just wipe away the extra gunk and you're done!

the holders for the oreo pops.

i cut some of the table cloth to cover the styrofoam.  cut a circle for the top, taped it on.  then cut a strip and taped it onto the sides.  place it in the small record bowls (we called them our ashtrays).

we had these hanging from the ceiling too.  from walmart.

we were originally going to dip the oreos in white chocolate then sprinkle with colored sugar, but the kept coming off the sticks.  so i used a cake piping bag and tip.

the party-the details

i know some of you wanted to know how we made the decorations.

i bought a big stack of 45's from an online yard sale.

drilled holes in 7 of them (see pic 3).

then threaded them with thin twine, reajusting the distance as i went.

laid them out to make sure they wer all straight. 

no measuring, just eye-balled each hole.

daughter made the decals.  we glued them on.

then i glued the lettering and glittered them all up.  they really took a long time to dry.

the bowls.

the smaller albums took longer to "melt".

All i did was set the oven at 250 degrees F.

watched for the record to bend.

the small ones more or less just curled and i bent them some with my hands.

the biggers records bent right away like 2 minutes.  i took the out set them in a bowl and sort of pressed the center with a jar, shaping as i went.  they harden quickly.

Taking up Space

So I bought these chair things, small rail things...?...awhile back.  We're talking last year, back.

I liked them, but had NO idea what i was going to do with them.  So they sat taking up some space.

Hubby thought me a bit strange and funny that I wanted photos of this and of him.

I also bought this for a different project that is not yet finished, taking up space. 

Also had a contanier full of tape taking up space. 

Had the light bulb come on one day and thought of this.

Works perfect.  Just need to paint the tips of the arms.  Hmmm...my painting crazy son could do it.

Hubby even cut the arms at a nice angle.

I Do-It-Myself.

Are you ready for another guest blogger?  I am!!
I can't even remember how I discovered Mandi from Tidbits from the Tremaynes.
Most likely from a blog that led to a blog...you know how that goes.
Once I read her lively posts and saw her adorable kids, I was hooked.
Mandi is funny, down-to-earth, a real sweet heart and funny (did I already mention that?).
I so wish that we were neighbors.  She's the type you could totally go ask for a cup of sugar and you'd go home with something else!  Maybe some scraps of trim!  heehee
Maybe one day we'll meet in real life.
So without further adieu...

Last year, we searched for our first house.


And while I knew I was full of all kinds of cuh-razy decorating ideas, I only had two main priorities for this new house of mine: location and an "open" feel.

Um, yeah. My house is a full-of-windows peepshow, man. Felt like I was getting snowed on the other day. That'll do for an "open" feel.

Anywho, this house: it's new-ish, from a real estate perspective. From a decorator's perspective? Hehehe. . .

Yee-ah. It was built at that age where there is now a lot of need for an update. Are you thinking lots and lots a brass? The original builder's white? Then we're on the same page.

So, for a gal with all kinds of crazy ideas floating in the noggin', a new house to torture, and a hubby that works all kinds of crazy hours. . .

Oh. Crap. The hubby works all kinds of crazy hours. And I couldn't even really use our drill. Dang. I's in a tight spot.

That was when cold, hard reality gave me a good B-slap to the face:

it's you. Or it's not getting done.

So I guess it'll have to be me, dang it.

(excuse the hair; that totally hist 'do is an "I've-got-a-project" 'do)

Now would be a good time to tell you that I love molding. It goes with everything. Including chips.

(On my favorite project list)

Now, I'm not telling you that I have no fear when it comes to a saw. They scare me so bad they might make me pee a little. Might.

I'm not telling you that I don't make mistakes.

(also on that favorite project list)

Ahem, my bed might be covering up a slight spacing discrepancy with that wainscoting. Might.

I'm not gonna tell you that I don't have a close relationship with spackle (the mistake hiding wonder),

Or that I haven't accidentally drilled my finger, sanded my hand, wasted an entire piece of molding with bad cuts, spilled paint on the carpet, pulled out crooked molding with a crow-bar, snapped the measuring tape back in so fast that it flipped back, broke a blood vessel, and I thought I broke a finger it hurt so bad. . .

All I'm sayin' is, besides that my house is a hot mess, is that practice makes perfect.

Right??

Going Topless...for now

No not me silly!

I bought this little piece, painted it, but it needs a top.

I tried a knob...nope.

 I tried a ball...nope.

 A ball with a flat piece...nope.

 Clown piece with and without the flat piece...nope.

 Son put them all together...nope.

The top has a hole into from when it was a leg to something. 

I may see if hubby can cut the top section off for me.

Any ideas?

Noodling Hot Dogs and Leaves

This was one of those recipes you find on a blog from a blog...

We used thin wheat spaghetti noodles.  If i were to make this again, I'd use regular spag. noodles.  The thin ones broke too easy.

 After boiled in water.

 I added canned cheese (first time using, and probably last).

 Served with my new favorite vegie.

Overall rating...ok.  Probably won't make again, but fun for daughter and I to make.  We had the guys guess how the noodles got in the hot dogs.

Saw this idea here today and had to do it. 

I have had this container of dried leaves from Vermont for years just sitting there.

Oh, I forgot to take a photo of the wax. 

It's canning wax. 

I cut part of a section off and melted.

Put them on foil, as wax paper stuck too much.

 Hang them as you wish.

 The fellow in the bottom row on the far left is hubby's grandfather.

This was a quick and addicting craft. 

I want to wax everything!

It all looks better in real life.

The yellow leaves are from our yard.

Cork Board, Spines and Mystery Date

I finally redid our corkboard. 

I think this was one of my thrifty finds from a long time ago.

The frame has been painted one too many times.

And the cork was, well...looking pretty bad.

I bought this cork board, took this failed frame project

(I didn't reverse the iron-on and the handles wouldn't fit.) attempt at a nifty coffee table tray.

You can see the frame as I bought it here.

After consulting my hubby, I put the two together.

LOVE the detail on the frame!  I may paint it. 

Just a peek into our homeschool world.

We made a spine.

I have a wonderful hubby.

He called me last week to tell me that he was taking me on a mystery date.

The kids were out of town Friday with the youth.

So he took me up to the mtns (our favorite date place).

We went out to eat and then for coffee!

Pretties and Pretty Messy

You know when that pile of stuff you're planning on doing something with some day?

You're going do something, but don't know what.

Well, it all (at least three things) came together one day.

I took a frame, a butterfly my hubby caught a long time ago

and an old song book I picked up at a yard sale and...

Now for the pretty messy.

Maybe I need to look at this photo differently.

First I see...what the heck! 

Since when did the laundry basket become a trash can too!!

Ugh!

Maybe I need to see it as multi-tasking?

Being resourceful?

At least the floor is clean?

We know where to look if we are missing somehing.

(Which we already almost always find our missing items in dear son's room.)

Any tips on making helping our son (who is old enough to know that everything has a place and there is a place for everything) keep things in order and his room clean?  PLEASE!?!