cheap art and a whimages notice

I love memory keeping which is a bit different than scrap booking. Memory keeping usually chronicles memories and moments and isn't really a chronological record necessarily. It's not always in a scrap book either.  Check out the blog I mention in a bit and you'll see what I mean.  Basically it's because I'm NOT VERY organized!Regardless either one causes you to end up with a LOT OF STUFF. Paper and embellishments and sometimes sweet little goodies like ephemera and rhinestones. My FAVORITE company for all of these goodies is www.jennibowlin.com . Jenni totally ROCKS ANYTHING VINTAGE! Her studio is TO DIE FOR and she has a passion for the past. Her innate sense of style comes through in everything she produces and you'll LOVE her products regardless if you scrap or not because they lend themselves to so MANY projects! She has an awesome BLOG too!  Check out her May 12th post to see her GORGEOUS KITCHEN full of ironstone!

The other week I was checking out her new goodies and I saw these SWEET blinged-out butterflies and immediately this SO SIMPLE project popped into my head. I know everyone has seen the different punched art projects on the 'net but here's one that's easy peasy and CHEAP!

I ordered the gorgeous little butterflies from Jenni for $3.99 and I already have gobs of scrapbook paper. GOBS I TELL YOU!  I made a little trip to Goodwill looking for a small frame that was sort of set up like a shadowbox . Just one that had some space between the glass and the backing and already had a mat. I scored this country little number for 3 bucks. She was just dying to get out of her 90's style outfit into something a bit more "NOW"!

I disassembled the frame and painted the mat and the frame Rustoleum's Satin Heirloom White. I seriously need an endorsement from them.  Or we need to buy stock or something.   It's like the PERFECT COLOR.  The frames paint is not perfect 'cause I'm impatient but that's okay! I just call it character and move on.   I used the mat as my template and picked out a couple different papers to give you an idea of what you could do, but settled on a Jenni Bowlin paper as well. The butterflies are self adhesive but I also put a bit of Gorilla glue for good measure. After reassembly it was ready to hang! Sorry for the poor photos, I'm not on my A game today! The sweet butterflies look very happy now in my little blue powder room. I hope you like this quick and cheap project.  Here's the cost breakdown:   Frame   $3.00 plus tax, Butterflies $3.99 plus shipping and the paint I already had!  Not a bad deal, huh?
                                                                    

Here's the EXCITING WHIMAGES ANNOUNCEMENT!  I've decided to list some prints and sweet vintage goodies I come across for sale as another page on the blog instead of opening an Etsy store.  I think it will be easier for me to manage considering I'm not totally up to speed because of my back.  So later this week or early next week look for WHIMAGES...THE STORE  over there on the right!  I hope you all come and take a peek around after I throw open the doors and put out the welcome mat!

Here's another project that's been in my foyer for several years.  It uses several Jenni B goodies too!

Linking to these fun parties:  Treasures and

Trinkets @ My Cottage Charm ,

FLEA MARKETING with my DAD!

Last week my father told me about a nearby flea market and I assumed it was a bunch of new stuff from vendors because we don't seem to have the super cool flea markets that everyone else seems to have.  Well...AU CONTRAIR MON AMIE!  This morning he called me to tell me he was bored and wanted to know if I wanted to go there with him. I wasn't expecting much but as I said... THERE was certainly some SUPER COOL STUFF!  I'll let my photos speak for themselves.  BUT I will tell you I did get that white outdoor faucet/sink.  I thought it would be awesome on the PERGOLA with a planter in it, then when we have a party I can fill it with ice and put juice boxes in it (WINK!)  My father INSISTED that it was an old urinal.  I knew better of course!  THEN I sent Cole out to the Jeep to get it and he and his friend came in with it and asked why I bought a URINAL?!  Matt looked at it and said, "Yep, it's a urinal!"  It's NOT. IT. IS. NOT. A. URINAL.  PLUS I got a great deal on it...look at this VINTAGE OUTDOOR FAUCET/SINK  My father pitched in and I got it for my EARLY birthday for $70.00  So tell me does it look like a urinal? Since I do NOT make it a habit to hang out in the mens room, I'm really not sure.

That's my Dad checking the price of that console.  It was HUGE, the photo doesn't do it justice! He LOVED it!

  Here's some other posts about my father...I LOVE HIM!  One of my favorites 3 1 2 4 5

Linking and Doing a little blog hop at Flea Market Friday At Lemoncholy's 

Time for odds and ends

I'm going to a flea market today with my Dad, and taking the camera!  So come back later to see what I found!
One of my favorite antique malls closed this spring, much to my dismay.  It was housed in a HuGE old mill and I really LOVED it.  Luckily we discovered it was purchased by new owners and just opened.  I was able to talk Handy Husband into checking it out recently.  I wanted to know what I "NEEDED" LOL!  I told him I have been looking for antique alarm clocks (I really need 3, 'cause I like to have 3 or 5 of things. Yeah, I'm a freak.)  We walked into the almost vendor-less space and the first booth had about 7 different kinds.  It was FATE, I tell you!  Now to get 2 more...

HEY, BTW...I added a TRANSLATE widget for my friends across the big pond!

ALSO: THERE is a GREAT giveaway at the FABULOUS blog Urban Farmgirl where she is giving away a 50 GC to whiteflower farmhouse! YES!!! GO check it out!

During our back to school shopping escapades, one morning we drove to Lancaster, PA and had a wonderful breakfast at Willow Valley Resort.  Willow Valley is actually in Willow Street, PA which I think has the claim to fame of being John and Kate plus 8's original home.  We didn't see Kate. sorry. ;-) 

We DID however get to go into the RESTORATION HARDWARE outlet which was still VERY pricey but set up like a TRUE outlet store with boxes and bins of stuff.  It was very exciting until we saw the prices weren't all THAT.  We went to the Pottery Barn outlet and that was MUCH better.  Resonable prices with a nice mix of store/outlet feel.  It's worth the trip.  The other outlet worth the trip was the UNDER ARMOUR outlet. WOW! Cole, Matt and Peyton all got new running shoes.  Cole's size 13 BOATS were MSRP $118.00 for $34.99.  All three of them were $34.99 each!  Good deals!  Callie in her skinny little frame was able to get size 0 Jeans at American Eagle for $10.00.  We finished up the day with 5 big Sonic Slushes (we do NOT have a Sonic...yes, it's sad!)

If I owe you a photo from a giveaway, they shipped out today. SO VERY SORRY FOR THE DELAY.  Speaking of giveaways.  There is a site I was contacted by that puts giveaways all in one spot.  You might want to check it out! It's www.giveawayscout.com 

Sorry for the NON exciting post...I do have something FUN up my sleave for you in the next couple days!

Hazy Summer Days and a Peytonism

EDIT:  I was getting ready to eat a bowl of blueberries before I blogged.  So I figured I snap a shot of them first.  Blueberries and summer just go together!  I think blueberries are beautiful!  ...and yes, I ate EVERY SINGLE FAT JUICY BERRY, except for the ones that spilled and my partner in blueberry crime (Cosmo) gobbled them up double quick!

Hot. Sticky. Humid. That's Maryland in the summer for sure.  It's been especially THICK the past week, so much so that our amusement park day trip turned into an "in the mall" day trip!  The handy Husband took off of work and we took the punkettes and the punk to the CHEESECAKE FACTORY for lunch. YUM. DOUBLE YUM! Then we bustled our over full bellies around the mall and dropped cash like we had it in Holister and American Eagle and Justice too.  I felt like the harried mom of twins for sure in Holister (the store really has the AROMA).  It's divided in two halves, the girls and the boys.  Having Callie and Cole hand me back jeans and ask for different sizes and washes and whatever else as they cooled their high school headed heels in the dressing rooms was chaotic to say the least.  I felt like a chicken with it's head cut off.  A happy chicken, but STILL a crazy one!  Peyton's a bit easier.  The UNIVERSE could not handle two Peyton's so it's a good thing she's our "plus one" as in twins plus one. 

Speaking of Peyton, I have a new Peytonism for you. Two actually.  One of Cole's friends has an exchange student from Spain named Hector.  We've spent several days with Hector this summer and it has really interested the kids in the exchange program.  I had an exchange student from France while in high school and I think it's the coolest experience and I hope that our children get to experience that as well.  (NOT them going abroad...this nervous Nelly Momma could NOT handle that)  Anyway, one day Peyton was posing questions about Hector and Spain and she said, "Did he drive here?"  I'm assuming (and praying) that they havent' done a lot of geography in 1st and 2nd grade. 

A day or so later, we were on our way to my physical therapy and Peyton asked when her half birthday was.  So I gave her the date.  Immediately she said, "and when will I be 8 1/2?"  Ummm, I thought that was the point of the original question!  She's just like her Momma, smiling with her head up in the clouds!

Drop Cloth Love, again.

Ode to the drop cloth, oh how I love thee! Seriously, you might remember from the post about the upholstering of our reading nook bench, just how wonderful I discovered drop cloths to be. Now my love runs ever deeper!

This is the pergola off of our stamped concrete patio. Last year we added a little one step up deck to the patio. We love the stamped concrete still after about 13 years but it's difficult to add onto and we had sort of outgrown the size of it. Plus we didn't have shade in the late evenings. We luckily have that stand of pine trees all the way across our back and that helps most of the day. Even with the pergola, Matt felt that we weren't getting quite enough shade so we started brainstorming. After several trips to JoAnns to look at muslin and oilcloth and $unbrella fabric ($44.00 a YARD, OUCH!) We gave up and picked up 2 4 x 15 drop cloths for about 6.00 each. Matt tacked them down with white pvc firring strips on top of the pergola pieces. Even if we have to replace these every year, it's a better deal!

SPEAKING OF DEALS!!! We've been wanting a chaise but they are a bit hefty on the wallet. As I pulled into Goodwill (I'm on the search for something special!) I saw a green one outside the door with a mildew covered cushion. $35.00. I dropped my money and the cushion and called Matt to tell him our good fortune! 2 cans of heirloom white later and she's good as new! Do you see her up there on the left? We did get a new cushion and pillow at HD on clearance so double bonus points! OH, before I left GW, Peyton and I spied a bunch of dress forms. We picked out the oldest one (she has THE most character with a silver oblong head and lovely silver legs that end in little paw feet~!) She's just gonna be GAWWWGEOUS with a coat of white paint standing in the corner of one of the girls rooms! (I'm holding this over P's head so she get's her room clean!) Isn't she lovely?

Inking to these great parties! todays creative blog 

6th Street Design School and a sweet little surprise

Don't you just LOVE sweet and happy little surprises? Like finding a forgotten $10 in your shorts pocket after washing or coming across a blog that you ADORE that you've never seen before. You know the kind where you think, "Where has THIS been hiding?". Here's a Blog like that!

 

Kirsten from 6th Street Design School contacted me about posting a few photos of some of our projects on her blog. After quickly agreeing, I checked out her blog....WOW! LOOK at everything I've been missing! She's a fabulous Interior Designer in Utah and frankly, her design blog ROCKS! Run over there now and check it out...and yes, she was SO SWEET to feature Whimages! How cool is that?


These sweet sunflowers were on SALE at Safeway. Of course I snatched them up, plopped them in my favorite BIG vintage enamel pitcher. Then I gave Handy Husband a big smooch for buying me FLOWERS! He looked a bit confused for a moment. ;-)


He's been busy staining the back wall of our pergola white. I think it's gonna be dreamy! Not quite done so don't mind that, but I think it's pretty already!

More Beach House Delights and let's visit a friend!

If you would like to see more photos of my friend Donna's sensational home in the sand, I'm blogging for my friend Missy of My Cottage Charm where there are more photos.  ...and how could you NOT want to see more of this lovely retreat?