My Bright Volunteers

 

These cheerful little Snapdragons all grew from seeds dropped by last year's plants. They are a bright spot along the driveway. I love my bright volunteers!

Hooray! It's Finally Blooming

Two years ago my husband gave me a lilac bush for Mother's Day. This year it finally bloomed and smells lovely!

My lilac with my neighbor's tulips peeking out in the background.

My little lilac and the neighbor's large lilac. (The stake marks the property line.)

I wish I could share the fragrance too.

Neighbor's dark purple lilac - smells really good also!

Autumn Update

A clean kitchen is a happy kitchen!

Uncluttered counters leave room for food prep!

I took the white chair rail off the walls and like the look better. Eventually I'll remove all the wallpaper and paint the walls my favorite pale pink.

TopDad surprised me with a bouquet of gorgeous flowers!

Our first snowfall on October 14.

It began to look a lot like Christmas! And I'm not ready.

The cold, gloomy weather called for a pot of "Cowgirl Stew".

This image of the dining room ceiling is proof of why I can't just quickly paint. There is tons of prep work to do and I'm not sure of how solid the plaster underneath is. In other places the plaster is actually falling down!

The painted over wallpaper is cracking and separating from the wall. I had hoped to paint over it, but in the spots where I tested paint, it looks terrible so it must come off.

More cracks and separation in the dining room.

The living room is even worse!

No way I'm going to paint over this mess. It has to be removed.

More of the living room.

The walls are over nine feet tall, and the middle of the ceiling is almost eleven feet tall. It makes me tired just to look at it! I'm a slow worker so I'm not eager to tear into it and live in a mess for a year or two. I have to "gird up my loins, fresh courage take" and proceed! Anyone want to come over and help?

I love the space of this home. It is what I wanted for our family. Just have to get rid of the soul-sucking decor and paint it the colors that enliven my soul, put up my artwork and pretty plates, and then it will be as close to perfect as I'll get in this life.

Tuesday's Treasures & Wednesday's Wisdom

I combined all my errands and shopping yesterday and came home too tired to photograph and post my treasures, so here they are on Wednesday.

I've been attempting to fill my home with flowers. The long, dark winter was difficult to bear and Spring hasn't come soon enough so I'm buying flowers and brightening up my rooms. I wanted a blue arrangement for my soon to be blue and white dining room. I found this pretty vase at a new to me thrift store for $2.00. When I got to the check out counter the woman said "That'll be a dollar." Turns out it was half-price Tuesday! Score!!

My skill at flower arranging needs educating, but I did the best I could. It sure brightens up the room.

This Pfaltzgraff platter was another score at $4.50. I love the pale blue.

And this half-pint Mason jar was just $.50

Salt and pepper shakers in blue and white for $1 each.

Four pale blue with colorful flowers cocktail napkins, $.50 each, and a gold linen dish towel for $.25.

Royal blue travel toiletry bag from Lands' End for $1.00.

What's the wisdom in all this? Patience and perseverance are keys to finding thrift store treasures. Know what you want and don't settle. Do without and make do until you find the perfect thing.

Friday's Frugal Roundup

Weather here has been much better and almost all of the snow is melted away; there's just a little bit on the north side of the house where the sun doesn't shine much.

This week's frugal roundup isn't extensive; some things are just so habitual I forget to write them down. But I did manage a few good frugal practices this week.

Purchased the DVD Jumanji with a $10 loyalty coupon at Shopko.

Made my own condensed cream of mushroom soup to use in Porcupines in Beef and Mushroom Sauce. (Next time I'll just do plain meatballs, but the sauce was very good.)

Made a large pot of Taco Soup and froze three containers for future use.

I ate supper leftovers for lunches all week. (Various meals)

Made a summer nightgown for myself from a $5 sheet purchased at a thrift store. (I'll blog about that next week.)

Purchased books at AbeBooks.com for a fraction of new.

Today I discovered some tulips growing in the yard, in a weird spot to say the least, but I can transplant them to a more suitable spot. I was hoping I'd find some remnants of a garden or bulbs or something.

What frugal, thrifty or provident things did you do this week?

Life Update

Noble in a new outfit going on a date!

Getting ready for Mother's Day portrait

Didn't the photographer see the BIG GREEN THING!
l-r Mr. Movie, PFCMom, Noble, Dandylion (who thinks his smirk is a smile)

That's a little better.

Never too old to cuddle with Mom

Dad asked us to make an angry face -- I look just like my older brother! Good grief.

I finally got my plates up.

I think it really makes the room complete.

Mr. Movie demolishing the cinder block planter box.

The board is to protect the window from flying debris.

He diligently cleaned it all up and hauled it all away.

Now we can actually see the plants and flowers!

That furry thing is Noble's cat "Calico" doing her balance beam routine.
Still a little bit of clean up to do and adding the mulch to make it complete.
But I really like it a whole lot better.

Monday's Motivation

Timothy, my fifth "son"

"Yea, all things which come of the earth, in the season thereof, are made for the benefit and the use of man, both to please the eye and to gladden the heart; Yea for food and for raiment, for taste and for smell and to enliven the soul."  (Doctrine and Covenants 59:18-19)    

Thank you, God, for all the beauties of the earth! My soul is enlivened at last.