Fringe Scarf - DIY

The first fringe scarf I saw put me in mind of a very special gal I know.  When I discovered it was made from a T- shirt, I thought. "I can do that!"

 

Nothing to sew!

Sooooooo simple!

Even the beading is a piece of cake.

All that's needed is a "tube" T-shirt (one without side seams) and a pair of scissors.

It doesn't matter if the T-shirt is a solid color or striped or has printing or pictures on it.

The orange lettering on my white T resulted in interesting little flashes of color on the white fringe.

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Lay the shirt out flat. Imagine a straight line from underarm to underarm & cut along that line.

2. Discard the top portion (the part with the sleeves) then cut off the hem and set it aside.

3.  Begin cutting strips, about 1" wide, (from what was hem toward what was neck) stopping about 3" short.

4.  Once all your strips are cut, PULL each strip as hard and as far as you can.  You'll be surprised how long they get and they curl (roll) on their own.

THAT'S IT.  YOU'RE DONE.  ALMOST INSTANT SCARF!

NOTES:

1.  An extra-large T-shirt will make a scarf that can be twisted into a figure 8, going twice around the neck, resulting in a bulkier look.

2.  When beading, it might be necessary to narrow the strips that are going to take beads so that they will fit through the bead holes.  I just cut those strips in half, making two narrower strips out of the ones I was going to bead and knotted the strips below the beads so they wouldn't come off.

THE "INFINITY" SCARF

It doesn't get any easier than this.

Start cutting strips, this time across the body of the shirt tube instead of up and down.  Make the strips 2 1/2' to 3" wide.   Don't worry about being neat or exact measurements.  It doesn't matter.  Once cut, you need to pull/stretch each piece as far as you can.

  Your arms probably aren't long enough so use your foot or loop it over a doorknob or get a friend to help.  These make really long loops.  Once they are all stretched, cut a small strip from the discarded t-shirt top to use as a tie to join the long loops together in a bunch.  

To wear the infinity scarf, just toss it over your neck, twist and repeat 2 or 3 times.  Keep the place where the loops are tied together at the back of the neck.

SO - WHAT TO DO WITH THE "HEMS"?

I can't stand the thought of wasting anything, so help me find a use for these hem pieces.  Could they be hair scrunchies?  Bracelets?  Ankle wraps?  They would make good ties for staked plants in the garden.  Any ideas?  Leave a comment.

 

So here they are, 4, over-the-hill, T-shirts turned into 4 scarfs on a rainy afternoon. Cost...$0.  I'm still finding cash!

 

Gift Tags - DIY

Easy, adorable & inexpensive. Fast, felt, gift tags even double as ornaments.

Plain, white, peel n' stick labels adhere beautifully to felt and provide a writing surface for the "To" and "From" information needed for gifts. Stick it on, cut out a simple pattern and embellish with whatever is on hand. I snipped a few twigs from the yard to serve as tree trunks and sandwiched them between the felt and the label and added a small dot of glue, as an added precaution, but I don't think it was necessary. No-sew simple. A great activity to keep the kids busy and included in the preparations.

Day 9 - Promised Party Recipes

Broccoli/Bacon/Tomato Mini quiches

Ingredients:  36 Frozen Tart Shells - 1 Frozen, "Steamer" Bag of Broccoli, cooked, drained and cut smaller - 1 bag "Real Bacon" (salad topping) - 12 ozs. Swiss Cheese, shredded - 4 small Tomatoes cut into 8 thin slices each -  1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese and the Filling (see below).

Line up tart shells on baking sheets.  Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese in the bottom of each.  Divide shredded Swiss Cheese into each shell followed by the Bacon and the Broccoli*.  Top each filled shell with a single Tomato slice, press down and lightly sprinkle with additional Parmesan.  Spoon 2 TBSP filling carefully over tomato.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.   

* I added 1/4 c. minced and sweated onion to my broccoli, prepared the day before.

 

Quiche Filling

3 Eggs - 1 c. Heavy Cream - 1 c. Milk - Pinch of Salt, Pepper & Nutmeg - 1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese.  

Mix thoroughly; shaking in a jar works well.  May be made a day ahead and refrigerated until use.

Spinach/Artichoke Pizza

So easy it's almost cheating.

Ingredients:   2/3 carton of Pre-packaged Spinach Dip - 1-9 oz. package Frozen Chopped Spinach, cooked, drained and pressed dry - 1 can Artichoke Halves, cut into small pieces - 12 oz. Mozarella Cheese, shredded. 

Mix all ingredients together.   Divide mixture evenly onto each half of 12 sliced Ciabatta Rolls.  Bake at 425 for 9 minutes.  Cut each piece in half to serve.  Makes 48 slices.

May be made the day before and refrigerated until ready to spread on rolls and bake.

 Shrimp and Crab Stuffed Mushrooms

I forgot to take photos so the above picture is of my reheated leftovers - still yummy.

The mushrooms are stemmed and stuffed with a favorite Paula Deen recipe that I've made before.  HERE is the link.  My only adjustments were the omission of the bell pepper and the addition of the juice of 1/2 lemon and I used 1 can of Lump Crabmeat and 2 cans of tiny Shrimp.  Otherwise, it is the same recipe and the oven temperature and timing are the same: 350 for 30 minutes.  I also made the stuffing the day before and filled the mushroom caps hours ahead of time so that all I needed to do was to sprinkle the buttered cracker crumbs over the top and stick them in the oven.  Even if you're not stuffing mushrooms, you will love this recipe which is called Paula Deen's "Baked Shrimp-Crab Salad".

Day 8 - Sick on Sunday

I know I said recipes would be posted today.  I'm sorry.  But after lunch I completely fell apart.  The party planning was relatively stress free as I had scheduled preparations at a leisurely pace, well within my limitations.  Of course there's always the stress of grown family members getting together.

I mentioned earlier in the week that we had cold weather and unexpected rain until yesterday, which was beautiful and mild.  However, this afternoon the cold and wet returned and with it the cold that I've been fighting.  "Does it hurt and have a temperature?"  Oh, yes!  I feel like my face is going to explode and my throat is beyond sore. 

But, please note that I am here - blogging away.  Yea, me!  But only for a moment because I'm headed to bed with a cup of hot tea and a shot of that night-time, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever, so-you-can-rest medicine.

I will try to get the recipes to you as quickly as possible though because they were pretty, genuinely good and oh so easy.  See you tomorrow.

Day 7 - The Party's Over

The party is over. The few dishes are done and some very tired little children have gone home to bed with their newly prized possessions.  Actually, even the adults walked away with some things they were glad to have.

Why is it that best intentions seem to be a sure-fire way to NOT get something done.  Even though I had given thought to getting photos of the children and the angles that would provide the best views, I neglected to check my batteries.  Grrrr!  I think some others have pictures that they will share and if I get them in a reasonable amount of time, I'll add them.

 The house has been quiet for an hour or so and here I sit, at midnight, too tired to sleep, eating a piece of reheated spinach and artichoke pizza...yummy  The food was actually very good and the timing of the items was perfect.  Prep time was short and easy thanks to simple and limited ingredients.  I'll toss in a couple of recipes tomorrow. 

This is day 7 of 'the rest of my life'.  I've actually posted every day for a week.  It doesn't sound like much but it really is a commitment to do a certain thing every single day without fail.  I hope I hold out.  One of these days I'll tell you why I started counting UP the days of my life.

Day 6 - Unspeakable Tragedy

Today there are no words - only prayers for families, a community and a nation in pain.

Day 5 - Prep Day

Oh my gosh!  I let Hubs run completely out of muffins.  He is such a creature of habit.  Every single evening he has a warm muffin with a bowl of Breyers Natural Vanilla ice cream.  No other ice cream will do, no other flavor.  And although I've tried to appease him with cookies, cake and pie, it's muffins that he likes the best.   I try to keep a bag full in the freezer and seldom let the supply dwindle to nothing.  I suppose recent busy-ness could be blamed but it really wasn't.  I simply forgot to check the supply and, bless his heart, he never mentioned it.

So, my day of advance preparation for the party began with a batch of muffins in the oven.  Then came cookies.  You'll have to look at the photo from 'day 1' because my melting snowmen are not near as cute.  The icing was too stiff.  I couldn't find my piping tip and had to apply 'coal' eyes, mouth, buttons and twig arms with a toothpick.  The result was just a tad rustic.  But tiny wedges of candied orange peel for the carrot nose and thin slices of candied cherries strategically placed as a scarf around their necks, worked out very well.  If any of you give this idea a try, I'd appreciate it if you'd send me a picture.  I'd love to see someone have a more artistic result than I did.

The Orange Brownies are made and all the veggie chopping and cheese grating is done.  Since I'm using frozen tart shells and fillo cups, the plan is to just to line them up on baking sheets, drop in the fillings and pop them in the oven.  The same goes for the seafood stuffed mushrooms.  I'm using Ciabatta rolls for pizza crust and pre-made the spinach/artichoke topping so that should just be a matter of spoon on and bake.  The intention is no more than 30 minutes of fussing in the kitchen.  I'll let you know how that goes.

I think I've gotten over my waiting for the 'special package in the mail' doldrums.  It's so much nicer to be able to say, "It will be here when it gets here" and actually be alright with the thought.  And, mail time has gotten a bit better since a few Christmas cards have begun to come in.  How ashamed I ought to be since if anyone, like me, is waiting for cards and expecting mine,  they are not only not in the mail, I haven't even made them yet.  

Since Hubbs and I moved away from our Alaska family, we started sending photo cards 10 years ago so our kids could save them and watch us age over time.  In retrospect, it might have been a good idea for me to save one each year so we would keep tabs on our own degeneration.  I mentioned this sad fact to Hubs and he remarked that he didn't need to see it; he could feel it.  I suppose that's right.  I've threatened for years to write a book warning younger people of what later years have in store for them.  Then I wonder what I might have done differently had I been warned and the answer is "Nothing".  Still, it might have been nice had the maladies of aging not come as such a surprise...the gift that keeps on giving.   Yippee!

So, today was sunny and mild and tomorrow will be even nicer...a last minute shopping day.  I'll check in with you then.

Day 4 - Oh well!

What Can I say?  It was a dreary, cold, wet day.  Once again we headed out on the hour+ trip to the out-of-town doctor.  Quick, easy "folow-up" visit, right?  Wrong.  Needed a '6 injection follow-up'.  But the upside is that it was handled, unexpectedly, on this visit, so, I am done for another month.

Home by 4:00 with instructions to lie down and rest for the remainder of the day.  Not a chance.  One thing after another until, now, at 9:10, I'm finally ready to rest for the first time.

Ice on the back, a cup of hot tea and 'Holiday Inn' starting in 10 minutes.  All in all, it's not a bad way to end a very busy day.

I think I'll bake cookies tomorrow.

Day 3 - WAIT!

Some other day I might have waited for a drip to drop. Not today.

Never, never, never anger the "Wait" gods with disparaging remarks like I made yesterday...most especially if you have an upcoming doctor's appointment.  After an hour+ drive and an hour+ appointment for Hubs, we gave new meaning to the lunch description "quick bite" and hurried to my appointment.  After a leisurely one hour respite in my favorite "the waiting room", the gal beside me remarked that her appointment time passed two hours ago.  Groan!  Not much hope there, and we discussed the matter for another hour until, at least she was called past the hallowed doors.

Another hour ticked s-l-o-w-l-y by and I, too, was privileged to pass into the inner sanctum.  Oh yes, you got it, sequestered in my own, private closet for another 15 minutes, I was finally blessed with a quick knock at the door followed by the smiling face of..........oh no.......not my doctor.  It was the friendly PA.  

Actually, I like him and didn't really need to take up the doctors time today anyway.  In five minutes, we exchanged pleasantries, fulfilled my x-ray copy request and secured the referral which was the purpose of the visit in the first place.  

In simpler times, this could all have been handled over the phone.  "Don", I would have said, "How about sending a copy of my x-rays to whats-his-name and set up an appointment for me."  

"Sure", he would have answered and asked about the family.

But that was in some distant yesterday.  Today, I found myself clutching my prized x-rays under my jacket and dodging rain puddles as I hurried to the car for the hour and something ride home.  

An entire day, oh yes, it was all of "day 3" basically spent WAITING.  Now I understand that complaints in this department rank right up there with 'prayers for patience' as some of the most inadvisable and dangerous undertakings of mortal man.  

So start your THINGS NOT TO DO LIST right now:

#1  Never pray for patience

#2  Never complain about waiting

and maybe number three should be - #3 Never say 'never'.

Day 2 - Expectations

Expectation and I have never gotten along very well.  I think it's a matter of having a hard head.  If the plans were to go out for a hamburger but were changed to steak at the last minute, most people would rejoice in the upgrade.  Not me.  I would have been all set for hamburger and even the best steak would somehow fall short if there hadn't been adequate time to readjust.

After the lack of mail on Sunday, I seriously expected something, anything of a seasonal nature in today's mail.  But  there was only a magazine that I didn't order and a junk mail solicitation of some sort.  Although it isn't enough to ruin an otherwise beautiful day, I'm fighting the inclination to pout.

I think it's a two part thing: 

First, I'm missing the daily flurry of Christmas cards.  Surely it can't be the increased cost of stamps.  I think it's more of a cultural change sort of thing.  First we went from answering our phones to machines that took messages, then voice mail, then email.  Now it's texting.  I have one son I can't even reach without calling his sister and asking her to send him a text with a request that he call me because he doesn't check his email, answer his phone or even check his phone messages.  Now, it seems that the progress of technology has rendered the sending of Christmas cards to the nostalgic past.  Please don't tell me Facebook is all we're going to get.

On the other hand, there's the issue of the packages that I'm anxiously awaiting.  And, waiting has never been one of my strong suits.  Oh, I can wait for babies to be born and for holidays to arrive but I hate waiting for the mail, waiting in line, even the words 'waiting room'.  Ugh!  The waiting, in this instance is especially onerous because I'm waiting for something important, at least to me.  

As my sister and I spoke often of our childhood Christmases, we listed our favorite tree ornaments.  Aside from the bubble lights, which most of you have never experienced, we most loved the little glass birds that adorned our trees as long as we could remember.  After an exhaustive search, I found some on eBay and won two bids; one for her and one for me.  They were shipped simultaneously.  When mine arrive, I will know that she also received hers and for that I cannot wait.  

So, the mail for today has come and gone with no joy at all and I have no option but to wait to see what tomorrow holds.  Oops, there's that pout again.

But on the upside, I'm quite pleased with the two little topiary trees that flank my front door.  I bought them late in January once the 'after Christmas' sale items had been thoroughly picked over and only a few things remained.  What is great about them, aside from the ridiculously low price, is the fact that they came pre-lit and fit into their box without being squashed out of shape.  

Adorned simply with red bows and cardinals that I've had for eons, they fit my home in the woods and my taste perfectly.  Five minutes to set up.  Five minutes to put away and they suit me.  Now, that's something to chase the pouts away.

 If you've read my blog for any time at all, you know that I cherish my front porch.  Once my little studio was built, I enjoy the view from the porch all the more.  Last year, with great and time-consuming difficulty, my local son and I hung large silver balls in the Hickory tree between the porch and studio.  We used mono-filament line onto which I had glued tiny, craft store mirrors.  The little dots of rainbow light reflected by the mirrors were such a delight that I left the line in place when the season was over and the silver balls were taken down.  To maintain weight at the end of the lines, we attached fishing sinkers and all summer long little dots of light raced along the grass, across the porch, even into the house.  I've told the grandchildren they are garden fairy lights and hope they last for many years.

This year, the visiting grandchildren and my daughter attached large colored balls to the weighted lines for an entirely new look.  A simple wreath hangs on the studio window and I think I need another single cardinal to perch there.

Having antique birds on their way for my #1 tree, and cardinals on the porch trees, I thought it reasonable to fill a tiny, unlit tree with birds as well.  Such an easy thing to do and such an easy arrangement to pack away intact.  Situated with one of my woodland angels, it is perhaps my favorite Christmas decoration of all - at least for this year.

And now it seems that I have been at the computer long enough for the clouds to overtake the sun and it smells like rain - a perfect afternoon for a hot buttered rum and a nap.

Day 1 of the Rest of My Life

Well, there is no excuse; I've just been neglectful of the blog.  Perhaps it's the blog name, "Still Finding Cash".  Over time, I guess I lost faith that the topic was of interest to anyone but me and, hey, I talk to myself all the time, I didn't need to be writing to myself, as well.  

Then there were the health issues that cropped up two years ago and hung on far too long, first one, then another, nothing earth shattering except for the fact that each time it would take months of tests and more tests all to come up with something as lacking in definition as they were lacking in resolution.  At first I thought of it as a blog opportunity; go to Mayo Clinic, document the process, report on treatment and results.  But it was far too tedious and boring.

Now it's Christmas time and somehow the world and the blog look different to me.  I'm still searching my brain for ways to do things well and for as little cost as possible but I'm less dedicated to the silk purse from a sows ear mentality.  I've even been a bit indulgent and have loved every minute of it. 

Big ornaments hung on existing lines by children & grandchildren Thanksgiving afternoon.

But before you get the idea that I've gone on a spending spree, I guess I need to fill you in on my idea of indulgence.  I think it's doing something to the extreme that you wouldn't ordinarily do.  That might sound a bit standard until I add that one of my indulgences included giving away more than half of my Christmas decorations.  And, I loved every minute of it.  I even gave away the big trees.
 

There were several advantages to that action.  I now have a grateful husband who will never again have to get the furniture dolly to drag nine 33 gal. bins inside from the garage.  I've got it down to three and they are nowhere near as heavy.  Another advantage is that I completely decorated in three hours instead of three days.  I'm using little trees that can be put away fully decorated.  

I know that would be a boring nightmare to most of you who spend time and money coming up with a new look for your tree each year.  Believe me, I understand.  I've had white trees and gold trees, north-woods trees and children's trees.  I've had multiple large trees, formal trees, casual trees, old-timey trees and kitchen trees.  And, up until we moved from Alaska 10 years ago, I had kept almost everything I'd ever used as decoration.  But it hadn't taken me long to re-accumulate all that I'd pared down and then some.  Now, for the most part, I'm just adding Christmas touches to things I normally have out and use.

The huge leaf is a cherished leaf gift from my sister.  Adding a box full of random silver ornaments turned it into an instant centerpiece.

Looking around my house tonight, I realized that even with my now-limited Christmas stash, I have inadvertently recreated the warm and cozy feeling of Christmas as I felt it as a child.  I'm not seeing the glitz or patting myself on the back for my creative genius.  I'm not seeing all the work that went into it because it isn't there.  I'm just seeing Christmas and all that it really means.

And I'm doing a lot of remembering...remembering less hectic and more simple times.  They were easier to enjoy because they came naturally, quietly and without all the fuss and without all the stress.

This post might run on a while because there's a lot on my mind and a lot I want to share.

I have a daughter who has come to her own appreciation of making memories and who has brought real Christmas meaning to her family in the traditions they are establishing.  I remember, years ago, being absolutely staggered at the sheer volume of toys her children possessed.  Now, they are excited at the thought of each receiving five gifts: something to read, something to wear, something to do and something to share.  In addition, they each may ask for a "wish" gift.  

Her family traditions, begun a few years back, include making decorations as a family, (20 minute yard stick star) baking together and coming up with and carrying out random acts of kindness, of generosity and of service.  The star above is one of their decoration projects, cost $3.57 and will be a priceless memory.

They are a family that warms my heart and gives me hope that the things I knew as a child that were good and real and lasting actually have lasted, not because they were taught from generation to generation but because they are the fruits of a grateful heart.  And isn't that what Christmas is all about anyway?

So, that was one of the things I wanted to share.  Another is that five years ago, out of financial necessity and a huge family, my husband and I came up with the idea of an over-the-top gift exchange on the order of a Chinese Auction.  Our variation was that instead of each person buying and bringing a single gift, we asked guests to bring as many gifts as they could come up with and spend as little money as possible.  We suggested re-gifting, clearing cluttered cupboards, yard sales and thrift stores as resources. 

These are just the gifts I'm supplying

The first year, we had a huge pile of gifts and a great time.  By last year, the number of gifts had grown to a mountain and took hours to open.  We laughed so hard we cried.  This year, things may get completely out of hand.  The gift exchange is this Saturday and I'm as anxious as a child on Christmas Eve.  

Another thing I wanted to pass along is my menu.  Since this will begin about dinnertime, the meal is on me and I have quite a few requirements to meet.  I don't want it to delay our gift opening.  I want the 4 year-olds to be able to handle it without imposing on the parents.  I would like some hot food, not just sandwiches.  Vegetables would be nice.  Finger food is preferred as is the ability to eat it from a plate on your lap.  So, here's what I've come up with:

Spinach and Artichoke Mini-Pizzas - Broccoli/Bacon/Tomato Quiche Tarts - Hot Ham and Cheddar Pinwheels - Fresh Vegetable Skewers - Fresh Fruit Skewers - Mincemeat in Mini-Fillo Shells - Orange/Fudge Brownies - Melted Snowman Cookies (the link was unsafe but here's the photo) - Rum Fruitcake

I'll share photos as the event unfolds.  Welcome to December and welcome to day 1 of the rest of my life.

Better Safe than Sorry - HURRICANE PREP - 'cause now it's ISAAC!

Re-posting this as ISAAC keeps the Gulf Coast guessing.   

If you live in a large metropolitan area, the most important piece of information I can personally offer is this: EVACUATE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER. You will not be the only smart person hoping to avoid traffic gridlock by an early departure and the roads will be packed far earlier than you think. So, leave a day, or even two, earlier than you think is reasonable.
A special thanks to Congressman Jeff Miller, of Florida, for providing the following detailed information, reprinted here with permission.

WHEN THE STORM FIRST THREATENS

• Move quickly without panicking.
• Start Monitoring the news.
• DON'T be misled by landfall predictions; strong winds could arrive hours before official landfall.
• DON'T heed or spread rumors.
• Review emergency plans with your family.
• Practice where to go in the house as the hurricane intensifies.
• Get supplies.
• Follow instructions in this guide for food and water.
• If you plan to leave, start packing.
• Limit traveling to necessary trips.
• Refill any special medications.
• Fill up your car's fuel tank.
• Make sure you have a spare tire; buy aerosol kits that fix and inflate flats.
• DON'T fill gasoline cans; they are a fire hazard.
• Check battery, water, and oil.
• Check flashlight and radio batteries and have extra on hand.
• Charge rechargeable cellular phones, drills, flashlights, lanterns, batteries.
• Get cash.
• If time allows, get key important documents - passports, wills, contracts, insurance papers, car titles, deeds, leases and tax information -- into safe deposit box. If not, put them in a home safe or other safe, dry place.

WHEN WARNING IS ISSUED

• Get shutters, siding or plywood in place on windows.
• If you haven't sunk sockets, nail wood in with masonry nails.
• Move vehicles out of flood-prone areas and into garages if possible. If not, park cars away from trees and close to homes or buildings.
• Move grills, patio furniture and potted plants into house or garage.
• Clear yard of loose objects.
• If you want to do any last-minute pruning, you must take the clippings inside; trash pickup will have been suspended and you'll be creating a nice pile of missiles.
• Remove swings, and tarps from swing sets.
• Tie down anything you can't bring in.
• Check again for loose rain gutters, or moldings.
• Prepare patio screening. It is built to sustain 75 mph winds but as it fills with wind it can separate from the frame. Officials recommend you remove a 6-foot panel on each side to let wind pass through. Pull out the tubing that holds screening in frame to remove screen.
• Remove roof antenna; unplug antenna wire from set first.
• Remove roof turbines and cap the holes with screw-on turbine caps. Unsecured turbines can fly off and create large hole for rain to pour through.
• Secure anything inside your home that can be thrown around.
• Tape or tie cabinets.
• Remove items from counter and table tops.
• Close closet doors.
• DON'T turn off your natural gas at the main meter. Only emergency or utility people should do that.

WHEN THE STORM IS HOURS AWAY

It is now too late to do most of what needs to be done. There is still time to:

• Put on your medic-alert tag.
• Fill your tub and bottles with water.
• Prepare food and water according to rules in this guide.instructions provided in this guide.
• Shut your water at the meter to prevent contamination.
• Secure and brace external doors, especially double doors.
• Move as many valuables as possible off the floor to limit flooding damage.
• Move furniture away from windows or cover with plastic.
• Continue to listen to radio and television for instructions.
• Stay off the roads. It's too late to get supplies, and you'll be competing with people trying to flee unsafe homes.

• Stay inside. Conditions will deteriorate rapidly, sometimes hours before landfall and often at night.

DURING THE STORM

• Stay inside!
• Stay away from windows and doors.
• DON'T use telephone or electrical appliances.
• If storm becomes intense, retreat to designated interior hurricane safe room.
• If you fear your house will come down around you, get into a bathtub and place a mattress over you.

AFTER THE STORM

• DON'T leave your home or shelter until emergency officials tell you it's safe.
• You may only be in the eye, with half the storm -- sometimes the stronger half -- still to come.
• If you're not at home, don't return until you get the all-clear.
• Roads may be blocked by debris.
• Wait to learn from broadcast reports or shelter officials which roads are passable. Driving will be treacherous. Traffic lights will be out and streets filled with debris and downed power lines.
• If your neighborhood floods during the storm, listen to the radio for instructions. Rising water may require you to leave even after the storm has passed.
• Watch and listen for reports of storm-spawned tornadoes.
• DON'T call police, emergency or utility officials unless you have a life-threatening emergency.
• If you must call loved ones to let them know you're all right, be brief to free lines for others.
• DON'T touch power lines. Watch for downed lines. Assume all lines are live unless told otherwise.
• Watch your step. The area will be covered with broken glass and other debris.
• Parts of your home, your porch, tree limbs and bridges may be weakened and could collapse.
• Watch for insects, snakes and other animals - even alligators - driven out by high water. Puddles may conceal dangerous debris or contain sewage or chemicals.

THE DAY AFTER

• DON'T sightsee. Roads will be clogged.
• You may have to show proof of residency before being allowed back into your neighborhood.
• Use cell phones sparingly; they may be the only working phones, and only a limited number of cells will be operating.
• Battery use is limited.
• Also, Many cellular phone towers may be down and cell phones may not work.

Shabby Chic - Old, Older & New

I love my new, little old table.  The look is perfect in my living room for now and the color picks up the slightly aqua blue in some of my paintings.  Eventually, the table will live in my studio...if I ever get that finished.

The table started out like this, a mess of a find at a yard sale that I got for only $3.  Remembering that I had one 18"x18" unpolished marble tile, I immediately measured the top and was excited that it fit - almost.  As you can see, I needed to trim the ends of the table top along with those little "wing" thingys that stuck out from the legs.  No idea shat they were for.  A good washing and a little sanding and it was ready for paint.  I started with a couple coats of white and let them dry well before adding a coat of the blue.  After the blue dried, I began sanding lightly with a coarse paper.  For the most part, I only wanted the white to come through.  Thought in a few places, I sanded more vigorously to bring out some of the underlying brown.  It ended up looking legitimately old and well worn while the seamless marble top gave it a clean, crisp look.

I was inspired to make this rustic, twiggy candle holder by something I saw on a Pinterest board.  I thought it would be a breeze and if I had used hot glue, it might have been.  But I don't like all the glue strings so I went with my old standby, E-6000.  Because it doesn't dry on contact, it took a little longer and the whole project was not as easy as I thought I would be.  Still, I'd do it again because I love the look.  It reminds me of a campfire with the light flickering inside.  Just a fun, rainy day project and the cost was $0.

This is another Pinterest inspired adventure.  In case you don't recognize the location, it's the toilet tank (just under the lid) and I thought my grand kids would get a kick out of the little critter when they visit in a few weeks.  The one on Pinterest is actually a decal by Decal Village that you can order from the blog "Rare Bird Finds".  Click HERE to link.  I was in too much of a hurry to wait for shipping and only want the little critter in place for a few weeks so I made my own with a strip of electrical tape and a used a white paint pen for the eyes and a black one for the hands and pupils.  It only took a few minutes and it makes me smile every time I enter the room.

Save $$ & Have Fun Summer Shopping for Kids

 Save money on children's wardrobes while including them in the selection process.

All set for Summer!

 My daughter came up with a great idea for shopping with/for her children's seasonal clothing that is fun, provides great one-on-one time, satisfies their individuality and saves a ton of money.  She avoided dragging her children, one by one or in a group, through store after store.  She never had to say, "That's too expensive", or "They don't have it in your size", to a disappointed little one.  She simply stepped into the technology age and spent quality time with each of her children individually.

First, she made a list of the items to be bought: the number of pants, shirts, shorts, dresses, shoes, etc.  Then, with the list in hand, she sat down at the computer with her daughter and together, they did online "window" shopping.  Photographs and links of everything mother and daughter selected on the computer were captured and "pinned" to her "Daughter's Summer Wardrobe" bulletin Board on Pinterest* and then she printed it out.  With the printed page of photographs in her purse, she went shopping - at her leisure and alone!  For the more generic items like t-shirts and shoes, she went to discount thrift stores and shopped only sales at a the major department stores.  Shopping went quickly because she knew exactly what she was looking for and what price she wanted to beat.  Then she did price-comparison shopping online for the more specific, specialty items, looking for sales and discount codes.  When all was said and done, she had the entire wardrobe in hand FOR LESS THAN HALF THE COST of purchasing everything online as they came across each item.

To see my granddaughter's Summer Wardrobe collection, click on this LINK.

Happy mommy.  Happy daughter.  Happy pocketbook.

*Pinterest in an online user site where you join for free and establish your own individualized bulletin Boards for your own reference and to share.  I'm computer stupid and it was easy, even for me.  

Anyway, when you are online and find something of interest to you, you have the ability to click a "Pin It" button (provided by Pinterest) to save the article, (via photo and link) to your appropriate bulletin Board so you can check it out in depth later or refer to it as often as you'd like. (great for saving recipes)  It's way too cool for me do do justice trying to describe it but I do heartily recommend it.  So click on the link above...see what my little granddaughter will be wearing this summer and introduce yourself to Pinterest.

Clearing Desk Clutter

Saving time and saving money go hand in hand and the primary key to saving time is organization.

Unfortunately, keeping organized is a constant battle for me. Of course I have a filing cabinet but I have so many things going on and active at one time, (a book, a blog, a business, a couple of art projects, a household) that I am generally buried under a mountain of paperwork and don't dare file away unfinished and 'in progress' things...yet.

This 50 cent yard sale dish drainer seems to have solved my clutter problem. All the papers and projects that littered my workspace are not only organized but are readily accessible. My desk is clutter free and I am now able to get to work on whatever project without having to search for it or clear work space.

American Flag Images - Download FREE

These American flag images are my personal property photographs, copyrighted under the terms of this blog and are offered by me to you for your personal, non-commercial use. Capture, drag and drop.  
Thank a soldier and remember those who served in the past.