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Friday, October 31, 2014

Fall Home Tour Guest Post on Vintage Paint and More

Hi all!  Today I'm guest hosting over at Vintage, Paint and More.  Cathy and I both have a love for vintage items as well as crafting so I knew this would be a great place to share with you.

I'm sharing my Fall home tour from a couple of years ago.  It's funny to look back and see what changes I'm made to the rooms since then.  The decorating, however, I still love it!

Here's a link for you to visit Vintage, Paint, and More!  The Altered Past Fall Home Tour


Thanks for stopping by and God bless!
Angie

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Vintage Bike Thrift Store Find


A couple of weeks ago I made a stop by my favorite thrift store...just my normal visit to see if they've put anything new out.  Lo and behold, as I walked to the front door, I noticed a sign stating "Moving Sale!"  What?  How did I not know about this and what kinda sale are we talking about here?

Um, an awesome sale, that's what kinda sale!!

I had been eyeing a vintage bike that the store had for a while.  It started at $79.99!  Even on half-off day, that was too much.  Then, a little later, they lowered it to $59.99.  Nope, even on half-off day again, it wasn't going to happen.  Well, this day...Moving Sale day, the final markdown price was 75% off.

Now we're talking!  The final markdown price was $19.99, and 75% off made it $5!

Oh yeah! (Doing the Vector happy dance from Despicable Me!)


Ever found such a great find that you immediately booked it to the checkout, hauled it to the car, and then IG'ed, pinned, tweeted, and hooted so that you could share it with e.v.e.r.y.b.o.d.y?!  

(Ok, hooting isn't an online thing but I'm sure I really hooted.)

So, what did I do with my vintage bike?

That's easy...put a basket and a banner on it and stuck it in my herb garden near the shed.





Isn't it cute?  Yeah, I'm loving it.  It's now spurred a whole-front-of-the-shed makeover.  Pitiful flower pot under window...now gone.  Um..."herb garden" that looks more like a bunch of weeds...yep, getting tilled under.  That's mainly lemon balm which spreads like crazy.  Time to get it under control along with the, uh um, weeds that are in there too.  I'm thinking morning glories would look great climbing up the bike frame next summer.

What incredible find have you found at the thrift store?

Thanks for stopping by and God bless!
Angie

I'm linking here:
THE STYLE SISTERS
JENNIFER RIZZO
HOME STORIES A TO Z
FROM MY FRONT PORCH TO YOURS
HAVE A DAILY CUP OF MRS. OLSON
COASTAL CHARM'S NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY
STONEGABLE
UNDER THE TABLE AND DREAMING

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Country Living Fair 2014

This past weekend, my husband and I drove to Atlanta to attend the 2014 Country Living Fair in Stone Mountain.  What a beautiful place to enjoy a gorgeous, warm fall day.


If you've ever attended a Country Living Fair, you know that there are s-o-o-o many great vendors and items for sale.  I'm saying that because it's true and because, well, I was so caught up in looking and shopping that I kept forgetting to take pictures!  However, I did get a few.


Awesome bread board and a cool vintage wine basket


Oh my!  Look at these dough boards!!  I'd love to have one some day but I have no idea where I'd put it.  They're big!


It's true that opposites attract because my hubby and I usually have opposite likes but we both agreed this old post box piece was really cool!


There was even some great entertainment.  This ensemble played a few blue grass songs and the adorable lady in the blue and white striped shirt even buck danced.  They were both crowd pleasers.

photo from A Delightsome Life
One of the other reasons I wanted to attend the Country Living Fair to meet this amazing group of bloggers as well as the folks from Hometalk.com and Country Living. 


This is Kathy of A Delightsome Life.  She was one of the first bloggers that I actually met in person at last year's Country Living Fair.  She is so kind and has a beautiful home and family.  After I met her last year, we discovered that we were both homeschool moms turned bloggers as our children have graduated...well, I have one left that will graduate in 2016.  ;)


This is Country Living's super sweet Editor-in-Chief, Rachel Hardage Barrett.  She was so gracious to speak to our group of bloggers and to share what it takes to find to the right content for the magazine.


And, last but not least, a pic with hubby taken in front of the mound o' pumpkins...it's becoming a tradition ;)

I hope you enjoyed reading about the Country Living Fair.  If you've never been, I recommend marking your calendars for next October!  

Thanks for stopping by and God bless!
Angie

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Make Your Own Take-Out Boxes for Thanksgiving Leftovers


Do you host Thanksgiving at your house?  Every other year, we host my husband's family...about 30-35 people!  It's always a lot of fun and there's always a lot of food.  There's plenty of food left at the end of the meal too.  That's why I decided to make some great take-out boxes this year.  Everyone can take home some of the leftovers and enjoy them all over again on Friday.  


I found these great containers at The Dollar Tree.  I spent $5 total, purchasing 4 packages (3 pans in each) of the metal pans with lids and 1 package of 10 foam food containers.  (I had no idea you could buy the foam containers at The Dollar Tree! Love these!)



Next, I made labels to add to the boxes.  A quick visit to The Graphic Fairy and I found a great retro picture for my label.  Using Photoshop, I added the message "We're thankful for you!" and "The Fortes" to the picture and they were ready to print.  I picked up a large package of page-size labels at the thrift store many years ago and I'm still using that package!


Of course, my guests will need a nice sturdy bag to carry their boxes home in.  I picked up 2 packages of gold gift bags and a package of to go coffee cups at Big Lots.  It was less than $10 for everything.  Gotta love The Dollar Tree with a Big Lots right next door!  


I didn't add anything to the bag except for the ribbon and the small envelope.  I thought the guests could reuse the bags during the upcoming holidays!  

Our closest relative lives about an hour away.  So, it's important that guests have the food packaged for traveling as well as having a to-go cup to take some coffee or hot apple cider for that long ride home.


Do you recognize the feather stamp from this DIY post!  Decorating a little coin envelope with my feather stamp, I stuffed a couple of wintergreen mints inside and then tied it to the bag using black gingham ribbon.  


Did you know mint helps settle a full stomach?  Yep, all those tummies will probably be feeling full about time to go so I thought a little mint may help ;)

Are you hosting Thanksgiving?  How do you handle the leftovers?



Thanks for stopping by and God bless!
Angie



I'm linking here:
THE STYLE SISTERS
JENNIFER RIZZO
HOME STORIES A TO Z
FROM MY FRONT PORCH TO YOURS
HAVE A DAILY CUP OF MRS. OLSON
COASTAL CHARM'S NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY
STONEGABLE
UNDER THE TABLE AND DREAMING


Sunday, October 19, 2014

Make Any Jeans into Low Rise Jeans (without the Muffin Top!)



Want the look of low rise jeans without the continual pulling and tugging or the dreaded muffin top?  Here's an idea I came up with today.  I wanted to wear my white denim jeans but they are high waisted.  (Remember the 80s?!)  I really needed some low waisted jeans in order to look right with my outfit.

Then, it dawned on me.  I usually wear a long t-shirt with my low waisted jeans which covers the top of them...why not just put my belt around my hips instead of the belt loops?!


To give the appearance that the waist line is lower than it is, move the belt to the hip area.  Make sure it's snug but not too uncomfortable.  This will keep it from riding up when you move.   Next, pull your long t-shirt down over it, tucking just the front center behind the belt buckle.


That's it!  Instant low rise jeans!!  And, the best part?  No muffin top 
or crack...because crack's illegal, hehehe

I know it's a very simple idea but maybe it'll help someone out there :)

Thanks for stopping by and God bless!

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

A Coffee Bar for Your Kitchen



If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you probably saw the adorable, vintage truck my hubby bought me for an anniversary present.  It's a cream-colored 1959 Ford (according to my brother who is an expert on these things).  


I knew with a truck bed like that, it had to hold something.  Something like sugar and creamer in my coffee area.


I think it fits nicely with the "Lunch Now Being Served" sign from World Market.  


The galvanized pedestals were made from buckets and old pie pans (tutorial here).  They stack perfectly under the cabinet to hold K-cups and sweeteners.



If you happen to be a serious coffee drink like me, I have to tell you about this machine.   Ever since I first saw "You've Got Mail," I've been in love with the idea of having a real, at-home espresso machine.  You know the scene where Parker Posey comes running into the kitchen and is telling the espresso machine to "hurry, hurry, hurry!"  And later, Tom Hanks says she makes coffee nervous, lol!  I love that movie.  Ok, I digress :)

(borrowed this from Between Naps on the Porch.net)

As if that wasn't enough, later I was reading Edie's blog, Life In Grace, and saw her amazing beverage area.  that's it.  I knew I had to have one. (By the way, Edie has an amazing set up and shares it in her hospitality ebook.)  So, the searching and the saving-up began.  

I've had this one for a couple of years and I l-o-v-e it.  I researched several websites and read several reviews before purchasing this.  It is an investment, but well worth it.  I got this one from Whole Latte Love.  Their website offers video tutorials for making all sorts of coffee based drinks as well as machine maintenance.  They're the bomb!  

If you love your lattes and cappuccinos, with the Gaggia Brera you can make them just like the coffee shops.  A good machine and a quality coffee bean make all the difference.  The Brera model is a super automatic...meaning with the touch of a button, the beans are ground, pressed, brewed, and then dumped into a bin.  All you do is push the button and wait about 30 seconds for delicious espresso.  It also has a Pannarello steam wand to froth milk or to dispense hot water for tea.  I'm telling you, it does it all.  I use mine every day.  It takes up very little counter space and the water take and grounds holder are both accessible from the front.  Something I learned to look for in a machine. 



Whole Latte Love has an Amazon store so you can check it out, I have found that these machines are a little cheaper through Amazon and if you have prime, that's free shipping!  

Here's a link to the Gaggia Brera like mine:

By the way, if you're spending a few dollars every day or every other day like me, this machine actually paid for itself within a few months.  (My husband wouldn't quite word it like that but hey, I did the math and it's true!)

If you're wondering about the best coffee bean, I do buy Starbucks Espresso Roast from the grocery store (with coupon!) or Lavazza from World Market.  They really tastes the best when it comes to making espresso.  

So, whadda ya say?  Wanna grab some coffee?

Thanks for stopping by and God bless!
Angie

(The Amazon link is an affiliate link but the opinions are 100% mine!)

I'm linking here:
THE STYLE SISTERS
JENNIFER RIZZO
HOME STORIES A TO Z
FROM MY FRONT PORCH TO YOURS
HAVE A DAILY CUP OF MRS. OLSON
COASTAL CHARM'S NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY
STONEGABLE
UNDER THE TABLE AND DREAMING

Monday, October 13, 2014

DIY Galvanized Cake Pedestal


Have you seen the cute galvanized cake pedestals?  I first saw them on Antique Farmhouse's website.  I don't think they are currently for sale but here's another site that had them too.

Cute, right?

Well, I saw this and quickly thought it looked like some things I already had, and you probably do to!



Pie pans and galvanized buckets


This DIY project is so simple, I feel silly even writing it out for you.  Just remove any handles from the buckets, turn upside down, and glue to the bottom of the pie pans!


One of my pans was curved in the center so I pressed down to make sure the glue came in contact with both the bucket and pie pan.


Here's the glue I used...Strong Stik by DAP.  You can find it at Home Depot or other hardware stores.  It's repositionable for up to 10 minutes then it begins to adhere.  It's pretty good stuff!

And, here are the cake pedestals after just minutes of putting them together!



Underneath, no exposed adhesive :)


Use two different size buckets to vary the height.


Ready for an impromptu, rainy day s'mores party!




Rosie had to get in on the s'more action.  She's helping with the skewers.  Although for me, a big plate of marshmallows roasted in the microwave is my kinda indoor roasting.  Give them about a minute and we're talking perfectly brown roasted marshmallow perfection!  Jus' saying

Alright, what are you waiting for?  Go grab those buckets, pie pans, and glue and get to DIYing!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless!
Angie

Here's a pic for pinning, if you please!  :)



I'm linking here:
THE STYLE SISTERS
JENNIFER RIZZO
HOME STORIES A TO Z
FROM MY FRONT PORCH TO YOURS
HAVE A DAILY CUP OF MRS. OLSON
COASTAL CHARM'S NIFTY THRIFTY TUESDAY
STONEGABLE
UNDER THE TABLE AND DREAMING


Friday, October 10, 2014

Make Your Own Rubberstamps with 3 Things You (probably) Already Have


I've been making my own rubberstamps for years now.  I didn't realize how easy it was until, one day while homeschooling, we came across a hobby called letterboxing.  (Think geocaching without the techy-ness!)

I'm going to show you how you can make your own rubberstamps with 3 common items you probably already have around the house...pink (or white) eraser, a pencil, and a craft knife.

Ready?  Let's go!


Here are few of the erasers I happen to have right now.  The big blue one and the owl are from the Dollar Tree and you can make several stamps from each.  The pink and white erasers are your common school erasers.  I pick these up at the back-to-school sales for very little money.

For this project, I'm going to use what's left of the big blue eraser.


So begin by deciding on your stamp design.  I'm making a feather design today.  Draw out (or trace) your design onto a piece of paper so that you can get the right size to fit your eraser.


Next, copy your design by tracing it onto your eraser.  Then, so that you don't make some of the mistakes I have in the past, write "cut" on the areas that will be cut away.




Now, before you begin cutting away the outside, take the craft knife and cut around the outside of your design.  This will help give you a cleaner edge to your finished stamp.



Begin cutting away the outside area.  Since mine is so large, I've cut it into smaller areas.  This will help keep you from removing more than you intend to.  It's easiest to insert the craft knife into the side and slice out little pieces at a time.  




Messy, isn't it?  It's okay.  That part doesn't matter.  Just make sure that the area you cut away is lower than your design area or it will pick up the ink and it will show once you stamp it.


Grab the 3rd item on our list...the pencil.  Pull out the eraser (the eraser of newer pencils are easier to remove).  This is going to be our carving tool.



Pinch one side to a point to use for carving.


Use your pencil tool to gently carve out the lines of your design's details.  It takes very little to make an impression so hold the pencil almost parallel to the stamp...don't try to dig deep into it.


Got all the details carved!  Gently wipe away any crumbs and we're ready to test this baby.


Not bad!  But...


I decided it needed a few more detail lines to look more feather-like.  Now!  I like it ;)


Here are some of the other rubberstamps I've made from erasers over the years.  

Wanna see some ways to use your stamps?


I used the Ball mason jar stamp to embellish my business card holders for a convention.  The little envelope contained a small treat.


Label for camping snacks! (My family camps every fall...maiden name is Rule, so named it 
Camp Rule!)  One tip, if you do text on your stamp...it must be mirror image.  I've learned that by making way too many mistakes. 


Stamp your design onto webbing and wrap a candle for a cute look!


Or, use your stamp to embellish a coffee cup!  Use an alcohol based ink like those by Tim Holtz or others that are made for stamping on metal, glass, or glazed surfaces.  These will, of course, be handwash only...but they sure are cute!

I hope I've inspired you to make your own rubberstamps.  I'd love to see what you create!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless!

Angie