Hi Y’all!

I know, I’m not from the South but as I have said for years, I am a Southern gal at heart.  Therefore I feel like somehow gives me the right to say things like y’all.  And lets face it, some days deserve more than just a regular old “Hi”.

Around here we like to think that we are pretty organized.  And most of us (save one child who thinks dressers are just for looks) don’t care much for clutter.

I have recently realized that we are also an “out of sight, out of mind” family.  Over the years I have brought home various pretty containers for all our random papers, important and otherwise.  And by important, I mean bills.  Bills that companies want paid on time.  Go figure.  Anyway, in an effort to keep our kitchen counters clear of such randomness, I would put cute, practical bins and baskets on the shelves of our buffet in the kitchen or within easy reach inside the pantry, or even right inside one of the kitchen cabinets (unfortunately, we don’t have a dedicated office space in our house).  There was only one major flaw in my thinking.  Once a piece of paper (or bill) went into one of these pretty containers, it was never thought of again…until we would go to put something else in the same spot.  “That’s where that bill went” was sadly not an entirely uncommon phrase at our house.

And that was just the mail.  We have three cars and four drivers in our house.  Keys would end up where ever the last driver dropped them and that was rarely in an obvious spot.  Unless of course you call the pocket of a pair of jeans already in the dirty clothes obvious…

Clearly, the time had come to raise the white flag of surrender.  We needed an official drop spot for mail, keys, and sunglasses.  And I had the perfect “where” in mind too.  Now I just needed the perfect “what”.

Thankfully, a trip to our local Ikea gave me just what I had in mind.

It was the perfect size.  And at less than $2?  What did I have to lose?  The only problem was that it wasn’t very pretty.  And I like pretty.  No problem.  I can fix that.

First, I used a little bit of Rub N Buff’s Antique Gold all around the edges.  I love this stuff.  A little goes a long way.

Then, I cut a beautiful sheet of paper to fit inside the tray.  I got this beautiful paper at Paper Source.  I love that it looks like marble.  I used Mod Podge to adhere the paper to the tray.  After about 20 minutes I covered the entire tray with a coat of Mod Podge.  When that was dry, I did a second coat.  Because this tray will get a lot of use, I did 4 coats to make sure it was sealed well.  The finished result is just what I envisioned.

It’s the perfect size for sunglasses, keys, and incoming mail.  And a vase of pretty flowers.

I chose this small glass plate/bowl for our keys.  It’s the perfect size and shape.  No more lost or misplaced keys.

Now, coming or going, we have the perfect drop spot.

And there’s even room for unopened mail.

Now if I can just remember where I put that mail…

Have a great day!!

Last year I picked up this sweet little side table while shopping at my local Target.  It was on clearance for something ridiculous like $2.95, a deal I couldn’t pass up.  I even had the ideal spot in my house for it to go.  There was only one problem.  It was black and I wanted to put it in my living room, and black was not going to cut it.  The very qualities I liked about it (it’s size and shape) were being weighed down by the color.  The solution of course could only be found in a bit of dressing up.

I pondered the situation for a few weeks, trying to figure out exactly what look I wanted.  Finally, I decided to quit sticking my toe in the water and just dive right in.  First I picked up a cute little mirror from a craft store to glam up the top a bit.

Not quite right yet.

I have wanted to try Rub ‘n Buff for a while and this little guy seemed like the perfect candidate.  While I worked some magic on another project I can’t wait to show you (soon, I promise) my daughter took on the table.  A short 15 minutes later we had a winner.

Rub-N-Buff was so simple to use.  A little goes a long way.  All we did was rub it in with a soft cloth.  It dries really quickly and the more you rub it in, the more it shines.  I am now on the hunt to see what else I can transform.

What a difference, right?  I’m now in love with this little table.  It’s perfect tucked between my little chairs.  (I’m almost done with their little makeover as well.  I hope to show them off soon).  If you haven’t ever tried Rub-N-Buff, I would highly recommend it.  One more look, because I think it’s sweet!

Have a happy day!

I’m linking here:

Without a doubt, one of the best parts of summer for me is seeing all the beautiful colors of the garden.  I think I’d have to say that my love of flowers was cultivated (excuse the pun) at a very early age.  Looking back, I’m not sure I can remember a single time when our house didn’t have at least one vase of fresh flowers someplace on our main level.  More often than not, it was several small vases placed here and there.  These touches of bright color added a happy feeling to nearly every side table.  And they usually came from our own garden.  Pansies, snapdragons, zinnias, peonies.  I was fascinated by the shapes and colors.  Even in winter, my mom would make sure that there were at least a few flowering plants bringing a warm coziness to every room.

I’m not sure I truly appreciated these little vases of happiness until I had a home of my own.  It was then that I realized the full power of a few delicate looking flowers.  If you’re not sure what I mean, consider a room in your house that is currently without plants or flowers.  Add a simple vase of fresh flowers someplace, anyplace, in the room at notice the difference.  Flowers have a way of making a room come to life.

I feel doubly blessed, because not only did my mom pass on her love of flowers to me, but my dad did too.  My dad owned his own business and worked mostly from his home office.  I remember seeing him working in the yard, pulling weeds and watering plants.  One of the things I treasure most about my dad is that he would take time out of his busy day to answer my numerous, random, questions.  I remember asking him about a particular flower or tree in our yard and loving that he would stop what he was doing, and more often than not, come over to wherever I was and tell me something interesting about that particular plant or tree.  And, if he didn’t know the answer?  Usually we would head into the house and find one of his books on plants and see if we could find the answer there.

So, as I sit on my porch and admire the beauty of our neighborhood’s gardens, I’m thankful I was taught to appreciate this beauty.  And on this Father’s Day weekend, I’m especially thankful for a dad who cheerfully shared his interests with me and taught me so many valuable life lessons.  I love you dad and am proud to be your daughter.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and to all you father’s out there…

A Very Happy Father’s Day!!!!

He is Risen!  He is Risen Indeed!!!

Here the bells ringing
They’re singing that you can be born again
Here the bells ringing
They’re singing Christ is risen from the dead

The angel up on the tombstone
Said he has risen, just as he said
Quickly now, go tell his disciples
That Jesus Christ is no longer dead

Joy to the word, he has risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah

Hear the bells ringing
They’re singing that you can be healed right now
Hear the bells ringing, they’re singing
Christ, he will reveal it now

The angels, they all surround us
And they are ministering Jesus’ power
Quickly now, reach out and receive it
For this could be your glorious hour

Joy to the world, He has risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah, hallelujah

The angel up on the tombstone
Said He has risen, just as He said
Quickly now, go tell his disciples
That Jesus Christ is no longer dead

Joy to the world, He has risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah
He’s risen, hallelujah
Hallelujah

~ The Easter Song by Keith Greene

Wishing you all a very Blessed

and Happy Easter!