ornaments to love.....

I discovered mercury glass a while back. I love how it is shiny and sparkles and yet it has a timeworn look to it. It shows it's age and it does so very well. I managed to run across these little ornaments at the gift shop where I work and I thought they did a good job of looking much like mercury glass. I bought 5 and went back the next day to buy 7 more so that I had a complete dozen. I'm not sure why that was important but it seemed to be for some reason or another. I just loved the way they looked on my Christmas tree!

aren't they gorgeous!

stunning!

 And then I needed to find a way to store them so that they wouldn't become damaged or broken since they are so delicate. Well, I found the perfect solution! The 12 ornaments all fit perfectly in an egg carton and now they will all be stored safely until next Christmas when they will be able to once again shine on the Christmas tree.

the perfect storage solution!



bibs!

I was browsing my latest and 'most favorite' site Pinterest and came across alot of bib ideas and saw some that were made from old t-shirts and old towels. I thought this was a great idea and off I went to the thrift store to find some t-shirts. I recieved a new housecoat for Christmas so I was all set to use my old terrycloth robe for the backing. I found 2 t-shirts that had some graphics on them and was all set to begin. I traced an pattern from a bib I already had and was on my way!

a very simple pattern

two t-shirts and an old robe

all pinned together and ready to sew !

I used to sew alot when I was in highschool. Well, we actually had 'Home Economics' when I was in highschool and I have to say I really think it was a good thing. We learned alot about cooking and sewing and for me it has stayed with me all this time. I'm sure there is no such thing anymore, but maybe it's one thing we need to go back to? Some would think it would be silly, but not I.

Anyway.......I began sewing my bibs together and then let the creative juices flow and came up with some simple graphics to put on the fronts. I think they turned out pretty great and my little grandson Brody will wear them well! He's a big drooler too so he can wear them for meals and also as a drool bib.

Here's how they turned out!

just added cut-out graphics from the t-shirts and freehanded the letter 'b'

for meals that require a 'tie' :)

the 'fork & spoon' bib

I'm really pleased with how they all turned out and might make another run to the thrift shop to see what I can find to possibly make some more! I think I'm on a roll, although I have some other projects in mind too!  I'll be sure to share them with you when I get going on them.

Enjoy your day all!

quick breakfast........

I'm trying to 'clean' up my act in regards to some foods that I eat. One of my biggest downfalls is butter! I will admit that I am a butter addict. Yikes! It's bad. Yesterday I went out and bought fruits and veggies and this morning my breakfast was simple and clean. Just an apple sliced and a bowl of balkan style vanilla yogurt. The vanilla part is my treat to myself because I love the flavor. I maybe should have had a bit more to eat but it filled me up and along with my cup of green tea it was 'all good'.

It was very tasty :)

organizing my life........ "a good thing"

I love to have things organized although that doesn't mean that it transcends my entire life. Some of it I'm really organized with and other areas not so much. I love looking at tidy places in my home and recently I decided to finish up one of my kitchen cupboards. I have had some of the large and small size jars for quite a while but needed to focus on finishing the entire cupboard. My baking ingredients always end up with bits of so much stuff so it was a good time to deal with the clutter and clear out old things. I can certainly see what I have much better now than before and when I open the doors it all just makes me smile to see it so beautifully arranged. I still have a few things to deal with but it's well on it's way to being a 'good thing'.

Here's a pic of my great space!

a wellness project.....

I work in a job where there is much stress and low morale amongst my co-workers. It's tough to go into work every day and see and feel all of this around me and it's hard not to fall into the same rut. I decided long ago that I had to go to work and do what I could to help others get through their day with a smile. Part of what I started to do during this holiday season was to take some homemade cookies in once a week. They were a big hit with everyone and became lovingly known as the 'wellness' and 'positivity' cookies! So this is my third week to take some cookies in and I'm sure they will get gobbled up not unlike the last two batches did. This afternoon I made the same batch that I helped my daughter make yesterday for her cookie exchange. I figure this is a small thing that I can do to help. Here's a pic of this week's cookies!

Mini Kisses wrapped in chocolate chip cookie dough :)



a new find.....

Well, I've just ventuered into the land of Pinterest. Oh my.....I am so an idea person and this site is like a little bit of heaven. I am the type of person who can totally go shopping and never buy a thing and yet come home with all kind of ideas for possibilities in the future. It could be ideas for my home, or for sewing or craft projects or my garden or who knows what, but I just love the 'idea' of finding ideas! So this new find in Pinterest is going to be a lovely thing because I can sit here at home and get endless ideas at my fingertips! Yay!!

tidied up.........

For a long, long time I have been looking for new flatware. I can admit that I am somewhat picky although I guess that can also just be the desire to really like what I am going to buy. Why would I settle for anything less than that? So just earlier this week I was out with my daughter's fiancee and while he was picking something up in the automotive dept of the store we were in I was wandering in the kitchen section and lo and behold there they were! I finally found a set that I really liked and they were 40% off! Well, that's even better! So homeward bound I went with my new purchase and set out to make the exchange with my mismatched set (not really a set when they don't match). Of course I needed to buy a new cutlery tray so that was my next challenge. I stood in a department store in front of the selections and was worried for a bit that nothing was going to work and then I spotted the perfect one! Bamboo and expandable! Perfect! Then back home to put it all together. Now my drawer is tidy and the new flatware is beautiful!

And here is the before and after.............

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early morning.......

Part of my homelife includes time that I can spend early in the morning and have a quiet cup of tea and sit by the fire maybe journaling or reading my current book. It's this quiet time that 'sets' my day and allows me to move through it the best way I know. Sometimes it allows the creative juices to flow and takes me to places in my mind that lets me bring forth that creativity during the day.

I hope you can find some quiet time in your day and just take a few moments for yourself. Good morning all..........and have the best day you can.

a cookie favorite............

These are one of my all time favorites fancy cookies! I just love the combination of  the cookie along with the caramel, the pecan and the chocolate drizzle. It's just so perfect and tasty! The first time I made them was with my daughter for a cookie exchange she had at her work. Now I make them for myself and just this week took a batch to work for my co-workers to enjoy also. 

first bake the 'thumbprint'

then add the caramel and the pecan.....

and then top it all off with chocolate drizzle :)

welcome............

I've been creating things lately and it's been lots of fun. From canning, to sewing, to decorating to cooking I have been having a ball with all of it. I am by no means an expert crafter but have lots of fun creating. I am by no means a cook or chef but I enjoy creating foods that warm the heart and tummy. I thought it would be a good thing to create a blog that would be devoted to all of this and leave my other blog to deal with my deeper subjects. A place for everything I think. So I do hope that you enjoy following my blog as much as I will enjoy posting my projects.

Thanks for taking the time............