The Best Laid Plans Of Mice And Bloggers

This photo symbolizes my summer and blogging.

No, blogging has not made me take up drinking.

I bought these gorgeous blue beer bottles to make a bottle tree with. You know, one of those fun yard decor items.

And they aren't just for looks, you know. According to my extensive research on the subject (I Googled it once), the bottles were hung in trees to trap evil spirits who couldn't resist the lure of the pretty bottles, but also could not find their way back out. We've all been tempted by the bottle a time or two haven't we.

Totally not created by me - source
Just one of the many, many projects that I had planned to do this summer that just never got off the ground. It seemed like every time I was making inroads into doing a project that would knock your socks off, I got sidetracked by that little thing called life. But I guess that is what summer is about. Living life, having fun and drinking a few beers.

I currently have a kiddo with a sinus infection, double ear infection and pink eye. Yes, the triple whammy just in time for the upcoming holiday weekend. So you probably won't see me around these parts for a few days. Hope you have a wonderful holiday and enjoy the rest of your summer (beer or no beer).

Why is my eye itching all of the sudden?

Milk Glass At Home

I ran across this milk glass planter at a garage sale for 25 cents and well, for 25 cents, you knew it was coming home with me.

I have a couple pieces of milk glass. My Hen On A Nest

and my lamp are two pieces that I can think of off the top of my head.

But, in general, I find them a little hard to decorate with. Milk glass tends to be just a little too glaringly white for me. I normally go for things more in the ironstone shade of white, which I find to be a little warmer.

So for now I have it on my kitchen counter with some charger cords stuffed in it, right next to my lamp and bread board. I really had no plans of using it as a planter when I bought it. Even in that two second window of seeing the piece, seeing the price tag on it and buying it, I knew it was going to be a storage item.

Do you decorate with milk glass in your home?



Linking with Thrifty Finds, Tweak It Tuesday, Tabletop Tuesday.

Hydrangea

My Endless Summer Hydrangea is on its last legs. Sort of a metaphor for the summer around here.

I got one good bouquet off it that I showed you in June on my Auction Revelation post and that was it. It never really had a fighting chance this summer with all the extreme heat we've had here and then add in a neglectful owner that forgot to water it as much as I should have and there you go.

I just found a couple of these mini blooms that never really grew into anything spectacular. They are only about 3 inches across. But on second thought, small can be beautiful too.

Enjoy your weekend.



Linking with Weekly Top Shot.

The Birthday Girl (A Day Late)

Last year I was all whiny about my birthday because it was a big one. Huge one. But this year, I'm sort of used to being an old fart. What are you going to do? Birthdays come whether you want them to or not, so you just have to roll with it.

I started off the day with a trip to Tim Hortons. For those of you that don't have them in your area, it's a fast food coffee shop, bakery, adder of 20 pounds. Think about it. Donuts available through a drive-thru window. What's more dangerous than that?

Next stop was Urban Farmhouse's going out of business sale at her brick and mortar storefront (she'll still have her online store open and will be doing shows). Fantastic sale and I was utterly surprised to see people standing in line waiting for the store to open when I got there. Here's a peek at something fun that I bought, but I'll leave the other stuff for when I find a place in my house for them.

Then off to have lunch with a friend, followed by a stop at the cupcake place to pick up some cupcakes for dinner. I don't think I have ever gone without cake on my birthday and I wasn't about to start now.

I picked up this yummy salted caramel cupcake. I didn't get to try it, because my husband scarfed it down before I had a chance to point my fork in that direction, but the scent was heavenly.

I also bought a cotton candy one for my son and a birthday cake one for me. It probably would have made more sense for me to photograph the birthday cake one, but it was just the run of the mill white icing with sprinkles and we've all seen that before.

I'm so glad that cake eaten on your birthday has no calories. Right? It does work that way doesn't it?

Ferns On The Porch

The ferns that I planted on my porch this year are still going strong. I was afraid they would look a little worse for wear by now with all the heat we've had this year, but they look as good as the day I bought them. I really did nothing special to them, just watered them thoroughly once a week.

Now if I can only figure out what to do with them when it gets cold here. They can't stay outside, but I really don't have a good place for them inside. Does anyone know if they would overwinter in my garage? We're right on the cusp of 5b to 6a on the plant hardiness zone maps (so roughly -15 to -5).

And if you think I just pulled that out of my head or anything, I found an interactive plant hardiness zone map online from Plant Maps where you put your zip code in and voila it spits out your zone number. I just love the internet!

Speaking of porches, there's a new ebook out and I'm in it!

It's from the same people that featured my Summer front porch on their website, but this 251 page ebook features my Fall front porch from last year plus a whole lot of other porch ideas, recipes and more. Can you believe it's already time to start thinking about Fall decor?

You can click on the photo of the book to check out the details and buy it for $6.97.

Disclosure: A small portion of the ebook sales goes to Sheba, Otis, Lacey and myself (the animals have to get their split).

I wanted to thank everyone who gave me their opinion on my ouija board yesterday. So much to think about now!

Ouija Board - Yes or No?

I was out garage saling the other day and ran across this ouija board. The tan and black graphics jumped right out at me and I immediately had thoughts of using it in my Halloween decor. Maybe two skeletons playing with it while sitting on the black rockers on my front porch? Spooky ghost over head? It doesn't exactly match my normal pumpkins and cornstalks fall front porch themes, now does it.

But on the drive home, I started to get the heebie jeebies about buying it. Do you believe they bring bad vibes into your house?

And I'm only asking because my washer died a mere 2 days after I brought this instrument of evil fun little game into my life. What's your thought? Should I toss it in the trash and save myself from any other appliance disasters or just use it as a fun prop?



Linking with Southern Hospitality's Thrifty Treasures and Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday.

Nautical Flower Pots

You have probably seen Laurie's French Flower Pots over at Heaven's Walk. She used the Mod Podge transfer method and the pots turned out fabulous.

I did the same method on my pot on the hot tub deck, using a graphic from the Graphics Fairy, but without painting the pots white first. I won't do a tutorial on it, because she did such a nice job on her explanation and you can pop over there to see the details.

I have to say that I do think it looks better on white pots though. It looks more realistic, as if the image is actually printed on the pot instead of poorly Mod Podged on the pots like a crazy blogger would do when she has too much time on her hands and a generic looking flower pot in her hands. Nothing is safe around here. Nothing.

BTW, that is a compass on the pot. And that I have to explain that to you, says a lot about this project. I was going for a slightly nautical theme on my hot tub deck without being all boaty and drift woody, but I'm not sure a compass pointed me in the right direction. I just crack myself up!

Speaking of nautical, I found this anchor hook at Hobby Lobby for half price (I think it turned out to be $3.00).

I also bought one of these faux glass floats from Hobby Lobby. I know nothing about glass floats, but it seems weird to this Midwesterner that they actually ever used glass balls to float fishing nets and things. Wouldn't they break easily? Wouldn't Flipper swallow one of these thinking it was a shiny treat?

Hope your Saturday is going swimmingly. Me, I'll be working on getting stuff together for my son returning to school on Tuesday. Can't believe his summer is almost over. Where did it go?



Linking with Catch As Catch Can, Feathered Nest Friday, Saturday Night Special.

       

There's One In Every Crowd

A fly photobombed my butterfly shot.

I think I need to get new glasses (or wear the ones I have), because I didn't notice him until I downloaded my photos onto my computer. He's in every single shot of this poor butterfly. She's just trying for her fifteen minutes of fame and some bossy fly guy jumps in her shot.



       

Pup Tent

When I went out to some garage sales on Friday, I found this cool old Boy Scout tent for a mere $2.00.

I didn't really need a tent, but I did think that my husband would think it was pretty cool since he's a former Boy Scout and all. And it was dirt cheap, so even if it was missing parts or something, it was worth taking the chance on, if only for my husband to spend ten minutes reminiscing about it.

Yeah, keep that last comment in mind.

Well, it was a HUGE hit with my husband! He couldn't wait to put it up.

All the parts to the tent were there, but there was a small little problem. You should see guide ropes attached to the sides to help with the stability of the tent (see my mock up photo to show you what I am talking about).

When we were setting up the tent, those popped off the side. Both of them. I think it was canvas rot because of age or something. And without those extra guide ropes, the tent was a little wobbly.

No problem, Lacey seems to be enjoying it.

Doesn't she look like General Ulysses S. Grant surveying the troops?

Source

Two seconds after Lacey's photo was taken she ran back in the tent, a big wind came along and blew the whole thing down with her inside. She was not the least bit fazed and just waited patiently for me to rescue her (hold up the edge of the tent).

So we decided to scrap the tent. Sometimes a $2.00 find is worth, well . . . about $2.00. Or maybe less.



Linking with Southern Hospitality's Thrifty Treasures and Coastal Charm's Nifty Thrifty Tuesday (just in case you haven't been over to Linda's blog lately, she normally has a giveaway with her party and you don't even have to link to the party in order to enter the giveaway).

Edited to correct my poor spelling

       

Faux Grain Sack Camp Stool

What do you do when you have an ugly non-vintage camp stool in your vintage loving life?

Find a clean spot on my really-used-as-a-drop-cloth drop cloth, scrounge around for some painter's tape and buy a bottle of craft paint (because, out of the 100 bottles of craft paint I own, I never seem to have the correct shade that I am visualizing in my head).

I yanked off that nasty green covering and staple gunned my faux grain sack covering on it and I do not hate it anymore.

This whole project took about 15 minutes and the hardest part was putting the tape down evenly. Did you ever notice that when tape comes off the role it tends to be curved ever so slightly? Just enough to make a perfectionist cringe.

If you wanted the paint to be more permanent, you could add a textile additive to the paint. I'm all about looks here though (as you can tell from my latest haircut, lol), so I didn't bother.

Raspberry anyone?