Distressed Wire Christmas Card Display

 It's that time again. . . when Christmas cards start showing up in the mail.
It makes it fun to check the mail, don't you think?

This year as the cards come in, I have a place where I can display them.
It's cute and it doesn't take up much room.

I'm using a secondhand find.

I was tickled when I scored this photo display at a yard sale for $6.

I cleaned it up and distressed it with my hand sander.

 

I added a few Christmas flowers in the corner.

I used last years' cards for today's pictures.

I can't wait to fill it up with this year's cards!

After the holidays, I'll remove the cards and flowers and use it to display photos.

Cute, cute, cute.

Who says you can't find good stuff at yard sales?

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Judge not, and you shall not be judged.

Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. 

Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

Luke 6:37

This post is linked to It's Overflowing, Ivy and Elephants, My Salvaged Treasures, and Tip Junkie.  

Vintage Children's Book Page Letters

I have quite a collection of vintage books.
Some of my favorites are vintage children's books.
I just love the graphics in them.

A friend of mine, who also loves vintage things, has a baby boy due in December.
I thought I'd make her a vintage themed gift. . .

so I used some children's book pages to cover paper mache letters.

The letters are about 8" tall and are about 1" thick.

I covered the fronts, backs, and along the sides.

As I decided which graphic to use, I set each letter on the page to make sure the pictures 

would align with the shape of the letter.

Then I attached them by painting Mod Podge onto the letter and setting the page onto the glue.

I rubbed all along the surface- especially the edges- to make sure the paper adhered.

I let them dry for about 30 minutes.

Then I rubbed a small piece of sandpaper along all the edges to get rid of the excess paper.

I just love those old book pages!

Thanks so much for stopping by and God bless.

Do not fear or be discouraged.

Deut. 1:21

This post is linked to Too Much Time, Lil' Luna, and Funky Junk.

Happy Thanksgiving!

From our family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving!

Count your blessings and take lots of pictures!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Be thankful in all circumstances

1 Thes. 5:18

Flea Market Decor

I just picked up some reading material for the holiday weekend. It's one of my favorite magazines.

You'll have to check this issue out.

It will make you itch to go secondhand shopping!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

But love your enemies, do good, and lend,

hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great

Luke 6:35

 This post is linked to Ivy and Elephants and Tatertots and Jello.

Recipe of the Week #197- Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
1 2/3 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup canola oil
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9"x 13" pan.
Mix sugar, eggs, oil, and pumpkin until fluffy.
Mix dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to wet ingredients and stir. Pour into pan. Bake 30 minutes. Cool before frosting

Frosting
1 pkg cream cheese, softened
1 stick butter, softened
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tsp vanilla

Combine cream cheese and butter until smooth. Slowly add sugar until you reach the desired consistency. Add vanilla. Spread over bars.

These are so incredibly delicious. The pumpkin isn't overpowering and the cinnamon adds a nice touch. They're the perfect treat for this time of year!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

Luke 6:31

This post is linked to It's Overflowing, My Girlish Whims, and Between Naps on the Porch.

Thanksgiving Centerpieces With Upcycled Finds

Today's centerpieces are brought to you by secondhand shopping.

For the first one, I put coffee beans, popcorn kernels, and pinto beans into the bottom of three jars.
Then I placed a tealight candle in them.
I put them on a silver tray with a few artificial leaves.
Easy, but cute, huh?

Each jar has a little trim around the mouth-some twine and tulle.

These decorative branches came from my backyard.

I set the branches in the vase, then dropped artificial leaves to cover up the bottom.

I think this could be used for a thankful tree. 

All it would take it to have family members write on tags and then attach the tags

 to the branches with clothespins.

Tip: I found that the branches wanted to lean all over the place, so I tied them together

 with a piece of twine before placing them into the jar.

For this arrangement, I placed a pumpkin and some leaves in the top of a trophy.

I can't decide if it's cute or corny. :)

You don't have to spend lots of money to have cute centerpieces. 

For all these projects, I used
a large vase,
3 small jars,
a trophy, and a silver tray.
All were purchased secondhand.

I also used artificial leaves and a small decorative pumpkin
both of which were purchased at a dollar store.

Easy. . . and cheap!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Give to everyone who asks of you.

Luke 6:30

This post is linked to Plucky's Second Thought, Tip Junkie, and Skip to My Lou.

Revisiting Fall Projects

I find it so hard to believe that November is half over.

Sheesh, where does the time go?

Before we officially say goodbye to fall and welcome winter,

I'd like to look back at a few fall-ish projects. . .

For this project, I turned a vintage rake head into a wreath.

Isn't it fun?

It's always good to take time to be thankful.

You can go here to see how to make this simple gratitude journal.

This fall wreath has flowers attached to clips that can be changed out with the seasons.

This wreath hangs on our front door and has different flowers for the different seasons.

Last year some friends and I incorporated vintage finds like scales

 into these Thanksgiving centerpieces.

This is another fall wreath I've made with rosettes on clips

 so they can be changed out with the seasons.

This hangs on a door in our hallway.

I hope you enjoy the pretty fall weather before it gets cold.

Have a lovely and cool weekend. :)

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,

 but a good word makes it glad.

Proverbs 12:25

This post is linked to The Crafted Sparrow, Funky Junk, I Heart Naptime, and Embracing Change.

Thrifty Thursday #193

I braved a dreary, rainy day last week and headed out to see if there were any yard sales.

Believe it or not, there was one brave family.

They had stuff sitting out on tables in the driveway getting wet

and a bunch of stuff still in boxes in the garage.

People were rifling through the boxes looking for stuff.

I may or may not have been one of those people. . . 

I was thrilled to find this old flour sifter.

It was only $1.

I totally love this lid. Yep, I bought it without the pot.

The lettering got me. It says, "U.S.  G.M. Co. 1944."

I really would like to turn it into a wreath, I'm just not sure how I'd hang it.

Any ideas? 

It was fifty cents.

I also got this pie tin for fifty cents.

I think it's pretty old.

I paid $2 for this cheese plate with a glass dome.

Last, but not least, I got a few Mason jar rims for fifty cents.

I'm wanting to make a wreath with these, so I've been on the lookout for them.

I need quite a few more before I can get started on that.

$4.50 well spent. It was worth shopping in the rain.:)

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, 

and He delights in his way.

Psalm 37:23

This post is linked to My Girlish Whims, Life With Lorelai, and Too Much Time.  

Lovelies That I Love

I just love this time of year.

I think Thanksgiving is such a lovely holiday.

Not because of the food, mind you. I actually am not a fan of most Thanksgiving dishes.

It's the feeling of the holiday- the thankfulness, the counting of our blessings,
 the contentment with what we have.

I love it.

It's an attitude we should keep year round.

Today's finds celebrate this harvest season. . .

Need something to wear for your family dinner?

How about this top?

It's a whole lotta cute, huh?

Pair it with some simple gold jewelry, and you're set!

This burlap pillow is simply beautiful.

I think it could sit out all year.

How lovely is this plaque?

It's perfect for Thanksgiving and perfect for all the time.

I am a huge fan of burlap banners.

This one is already done for you.

It's so pretty.

Are you going to take family photos?

Add a little fun to them with these props.

The stove cracks me up!

I just want to take a moment and say how thankful I am for Etsy and all their wonderful shops!

P.S. I'm not affiliated with any of these shops, I just like their stuff.

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord,

 but those who deal truthfully are His delight.

Proverbs 12:22

 This post is linked to The Dedicated House, Plucky's Second Thought, Lil' Luna,
 and Simple Nature Decor.

Recipe of the Week #196-Super Easy Crock Pot Pork Roast

Super Easy Crock Pot Pork Roast
1 3-4 lb pork loin roast (with or without bone)
Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper or creole/Cajun seasoning
1 can French Onion soup

Trim fat off of roast and place in the Crock Pot. Poke meat with a fork. Sprinkle Worcestershire sauce and salt and pepper or Cajun seasoning on both sides. Cover with the soup. Add more seasoning on top. Cook on low for 8-10 hours or on high for 4-6 hours.

Remove roast and slice.

To make gravy, pour 3-4 cups of the juice in a pan. Heat to high. In a small bowl, mix 1 Tbsp corn starch with 1 Tbsp water. Add this to the juices and stir until thickened.

Oh my, this was wonderful! The meat was so tender and juicy and the gravy was amazing. Of course, I am a meat and potatoes kind of girl. My hubby loves roast, so I try to find different recipes. This one was delicious and super easy.

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

And the Lord shall help them and deliver them

Psalm 37:40

This post is linked to Skip to My Lou, Ivy and Elephants, and It's Overflowing.

Mini Album Monday #66- Gratitude Album Made From Paint Chips

Today I'm going to show you how to make a very simple and cheap mini album.

It's so cheap because it's made from paint chips- and they're free at home improvement stores!

Isn't it cute?

One of my favorite hymns is "Count Your Blessings."

That's exactly what we'll be doing with this album- with each member of our family.
I think it's so important to think about what we're grateful for.

I started with six paint chips that measure 3"x 5".
I used letter stickers for the title.

Then I covered the backs of each of them with harvest colored pattern papers.
I used two different patterns and alternated them.

It's important to cover the backs because they're quite visible when flipping through the book.

Then I printed the names of all my family members at the top of each paint chip.
I used letter stamps and Staz On ink.

I had each person make a list of their blessings.

  We used a Sharpie marker so the ink wouldn't smear.

I stayed with fall colors and chose paint chips in green, gold, and brown. 

I wrote everyone's ages in small print in the bottom right corner.
That way when we read this years from now, we'll know when in our lives we did this.

I even added a page for our dog because she's such a big part of our family.

I also added this year's date in the lower corner.

Finally I bound the pages together with a piece of twine.

That's it!

Make one of your own.

It will become a family treasure- I promise!

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

But the salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; 

He is their strength in the time of trouble.

Psalm 37:39

This post is linked to Between Naps on the Porch, Tip Junkie,
Tatertots and Jello, and The Dedicated House.

So Thankful for These Pumpkins!

I used eight small foam dollar store pumpkins and some rub-ons to make today's project.

Simple, simple, simple, my friends!

I am so thankful for fun and easy projects:)

Aren't you?!?

 

All I did was add a rub-on letter to each pumpkin spelling out the word thankful.

I think they'd be cute in a Thanksgiving centerpiece.

Thanks for stopping by and God bless.

For with God nothing will be impossible.

Luke 1:37

This post is linked to Ivy and Elephants, Too Much Time,
Tatertots and Jello, and Life With Lorelai.