Spooning, Rubberbands & CDs

Using everyday objects for crafting is crazy fun!  I had to try a plastic spoon mirror as seen all over Pintrist  (I pointed spoon fronts towards mirror) hot glued to round mirror.  Spoons are a metallic gold from Ollie's, took almost 3 bags (so just shy of 150 spoons for 3 rows).

Rubber bands wrap a gift, and CD's cut with regular scissors into star shapes and hung from drapery rod with fishing line.  I love to see them twirl and reflect light from window in the morning!  (LOOK, blooming azalea bushes!  Spring is gorgeous here in Maryland!)

Decorating Back Yard: trampoline pool noodles & moss graffiti

Saw this idea on pintrist: take pool noodle foam and cut to wrap around trampoline springs!  I used a bread knife, eyeballed the length, and sliced a vertical line to open noodle and wrap around spring without removing spring.  11 noodles almost fit all the way around, really need one more for this big trampoline.  If they are purely decorative or really help keep kids safe, I don't know.  But it looks so good and brightens up this corner of yard!  I wanted yellow ones (super big ones at Walmart), but they were 4 times as expensive.  Thank you, dollar store won with a shade of turquoise and lighter blue.

The "Jump 4 Joy" made with graffit moss:

Directions vary (some recipes suggest using cheap beer or yougurt), but most agree to wash dirt from moss, put in blender with buttermilk, little sugar, grind up to release moss spores, and "paint" on brick and keep moist with spray bottle to help it take root and grow.   My mixture was so runny it was hard to keep it from dripping or to make smaller letters...I am curious to see how well these take off growing.  All are on the north-shady side of our home.  I will take photos in a few weeks to show the progress or the pintrist-fail...

Why I'd Rather Paint than Sand (refinishing takes too much time)

I can start in the morning with a painting project and using primer and still get two-three coats of paint applied and clean up all in one day. Project finished. No patience needed. Immediate gratification. Instant beauty. Quick clean, fast smooth, wonderful-looking glory.

Proof I'd rather repaint than sand. How many colors has this door been? When we bought this home 6 years ago the back kitchen door was scratched up, barn red paint over moldy wood. I cleaned it, primed it hot pink (I had two colors of primer, hot pink and bright turquoise that year), painted it khaki beige to match garage/living room and then tried a dark dark teal that read as black from a distance, then a bright mint that last almost three years.

It is an architectural dig, peeling back layers of color.

And it is sloooooooow going. Scrape. Scrape. Sand. Reapply spray-on paint remover. Scrape. Scrape.

I finally cleaned up the wood, but it still needs more sanding, hopefully with a borrowed power tool. Or maybe bleaching to get rid of past stains. And then a protective clear coat of polyurethane. Then it will be back to its original 1950 retro glory days!http://orangeismyfavoritecolormostdays.blogspot.com/

Suzu is Home!

Welcome home, Suzanna! It is hard to come home after a year away at college, back to parents with opinions about how to spend your time and $. We are proud of her hard work and pleased of her kindness and service.

Before.

During...

Donation minimum was 8" and her braid was 15".

What do YOU call it? Food Celebrating!

Where I grew up, this was a GERMAN pancake.  If you poured all the batter into a buttery pan and stuck it in the oven=German.

Swedish pancakes=crepes, thin circular. 

Every Friday is breakfast after seminary class.  One student's mom dropped this off, and he called it a "Hootenay" Pancake.  Almost sounds like hip-hip-hooray pancake. 

General Conference weekends mean malt-o-meal hot with vanilla ice cream, eat while watching am conference while I was growing up.  Since the sessions start at LUNCH time here it is less brunch more real lunch!

When our men went off to the Church for pizza potluck before the Priesthood session, Roxie and I jumped in the monster van and roared up to Rita's for frozen custard and Italian ice wonderfulness!  Wind was whipping her long hair all around and we were shivering all the way home, but happy for yummy food traditions!