Quick and Free Project

http://www.shelterness.com/how-to-make-a-stylish-photo-frame-for-several-photos/

We all do it- we pin all of those fabulous ideas that we want to do... someday. Well, let's make someday happen more often! I came across this photo frame idea and loved it for a couple of reasons.

1. I have a frame just taking up space in a closet.
2. I love digital photographs but hate that most of them never make it off the computer (so sad)
3. We have a long dark hallway in our house that has nothing on the walls. It is a hallway that leads to all of the bedrooms that we just zoom through and never look back. Maybe this will cheer it up and give us a reason to pause for a minute!

So, I pinned it.... and did it... here is my version of the photo project!

 After getting it hung up, I grabbed some pictures that I happened to have on hand for a quick picture of the finished project. I like how the pinned example has more pictures and they are smaller. I just need to get some smaller prints made and add more clothes pins. I also like how they used the decorative nails on the front of the frame to tie the rope to. I might go back and do that but for the sake of getting this completed without a trip to the store, I taped the rope to the back. I love how this project turned out!

Linking up to Alicia's Happy Day Project!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Happy Birthday to me! Yesterday was my 29th birthday. It was a good day full of normal fun during the day and then a fun trip to Ikea for a little grub for the kids and shopping in the evening. You see, on Tuesday's at Ikea, kids eat free. We have 5 kiddos, 4 of which eat real food so a free dinner for all of the? For a larger family, that is huge! Our kids love to eat out and go places so this is an easy way to do it on a weekly basis. For me, I love that I don't have to clean up the kitchen, table and do dishes that one night a week! Win win situation if you ask me.

Sorry for the DARK Picture (banner recycled rom my daughters party!)

Ok, so back to my birthday! When I realized my birthday was on a Tuesday, I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Ikea to feed the kids (remember, no messy kitchen and table for me to clean up on my birthday!), a little shopping afterwards (what girl doesn't love shopping...and on her birthday!) and then on the way home, I knew we'd pass my favorite mexican food restaurant, Chuy's for a little take-out for me and my sweet husband....after the kids are in bed! Win, Win, Win situation, now! Oh Happy Birthday to ME!

Earlier in the week I got a strong urge to do a little birthday decorating. I know, it was my birthday so someone else should have done it but I had a vision and an urge and knew it would give me a little fun craft time all at the same time. Eleven days prior was our oldest daughter's birthday. She wanted a princess party so I tried my hand at some pink and silver tissue balls that I had been seeing all over the internet. They turned out so pretty and are now hanging over her bed. So fun! Then I came across some tissue balls on pinterest with a more vintage/rustic feel to them. So, that was what I wanted to do for my big 29th birthday. I didn't want to spend any money on supplies so I used only things I had on hand. Any time I order anything from Aveda I save tissue paper to reuse as needed. They wrap everything in ivory tissue paper- perfect for my tissue balls! I also had some brown packing paper that I had saved from some other order (can't even remember now!) that I used for more tissue balls in a second color. Perfect.

As for the table runner, I borrowed an idea from pinterest- old dictionary pages = new table runner! YAH! I haphazardly taped them together across the table. I decided that with a 1 year old, I probably shouldn't have any over hang. I could just picture the whole thing, including jars of flowers, being yanked off the table.

On to the flowers... they were left over from Mother's Day. I tossed the ones that had died and gave new life to the others. And the jars? They were the jars I bought last year to make pickles in- YUM!

I love how I didn't spend even a dime on any of the decorations for my birthday. I had fun decorating and got to get my craft on all at the same time!

HAPPY (RECYCLED) BIRTHDAY TO ME!

P.S. As for Ikea shopping? My sweetie got me a huge sisal rug that I have had my eye on for a very long time along with creamy white curtains for our living room. Also, he got me a Kindle Fire, too! I'm one lucky 29 year old!

BAM!

 That's right! Our garden is already in full bloom! It is one of the beautiful things about living in the South, you can plant your garden a lot earlier than other parts of the country.

Sure, come mid-summer, it is hard to grow much of anything.... but late August/early September it is fair game once again.

This is only our second year to plant a garden. Last year didn't go so well. We realized our soil was bad so this year before planting lots and lots of compost was mixed in. Look at those beautiful flowers on that squash plant. In a short time, they will turn into yummy yellow squash.

Our squash last fall did do very well. That is why we replanted them this year. To cook them, I sliced them length-wise into thin strips, sprayed them with olive oil spray and grilled them. They tasted like they were cooked in butter, yet they were not. YUM!

Last year I made these cute little plant markers for our garden. I love how they turned out. The hot Texas sun mostly faded the sharpie writing off so it was easy to reuse them this year for new veggies. The garden is so big now they are completely hidden but they did come in handy when it was just a dirt bed full of seeds. If anyone is interested in them just contact me through my shop.

Can't wait to cook up this beautiful winter squash.....

and for this tomato to turn red. There is nothing tastier than a homegrown tomato. They beat the supermarket tomatoes any day.

I pulled these carrots just the other day, washed the dirt off of them and next thing I know, my kiddos ate them all up. Yes, all of them! I had one and it was good! They looked so cute walking around with carrots that still had the green on the top. I wish I had a picture but I don't.

And lastly, I'll leave you with these beautiful veggies waiting in our fridge for us to eat. Maybe tonight!

I'm linking up to Alicia's Happy Day Challenge. Check it out, every Wednesday she has a new Happy thingy for us to do. This was last weeks to link today, and this weeks is to wear red lipstick. Hmmmm.... no promises there. If I do wear the red, I will need a red gloss. My lips are WAY too chapped for most lipsticks. I'm more of a chapstick kind of girl, sigh.