Friday, March 23, 2012

Easter is in the Air!

Easter and Spring are definitely on their way at my house! I don't have a lot of decorations, but the few that I do have really seem to liven the place up. This is my very favorite candelabra. Each egg sits on a little nest of pink Easter grass. I just love it!
I made these little eggs last year. The glasses that they are sitting in are bulb starters I believe? They are still some of my very favorite decorations!
My sweet little lamb from childhood is perfect for spring and Easter. He sits in a little wreath of green and white.
This pretty little Easter basket was something I received in a teacup swap last year. I love the color and graphic on it. I have tucked some pink dogwood flowers and some glittery eggs on the sides. The precious little bunny in the middle has his hands full of Easter eggs!
My end table has a few little decorations and I even have some egg picks tucked into all of my plants!
I made this wreath last year. The base of the wreath was purchased at Target and I added pretty spring flowers to dress it up. This year it is hanging on our front door so that everyone can see that we are ready for Easter and Spring!
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Sunday, March 18, 2012

Vintage Scale Vignette

Don't you just love it when you find something you have been wanting for quite awhile and it is affordable as well? Scales are all over blogland and I love them. One day, while out shopping for a gift for my sister, I found a scale for myself. It was outside in the rain and looked pretty lonely. Apparently it was too rusty and crusty for anyone else, but it was just perfect for me!
I picked up this Columbia Family Scale at an antique store for $10. I couldn't believe that was all they were asking for it. It was a little dirty but I think it cleaned up just fine. There is the perfect amount of rust and chippiness, don't you think. It was made in 1907 and seems to have fared 105 years of life pretty well!
Of course I had to create a little vignette to show it off. On top of the scale, I have a vintage cabinet card held up by a metal flower frog. I used strips of old paper to add a little texture to it.
I also found some old glass bottles for $.75 each and altered them. This one has vintage sheet music stamped with a key stamp, crinkled seam binding and a little jute holding a skeleton key. A coffee filter rose acts as a bottle stopper.
This bottle is wrapped in a page from a vintage French book. I put some old lace on the bottom and tied seam binding and jute around the top. This one has an Eiffel Tower charm on it and again, a coffee filter rose for a stopper.
Wasps are everywhere come summer and as much as I hate them, I love the look of their nests. These were too neat and in too good of shape to throw out. I brought them inside and used them to decorate the bottom of the scale. Don't worry-they are old and have been sprayed and frozen and there is no chance of any wasps left in them!
This all sits on top of a pretty white eyelet runner on my favorite white cabinet. I love the way it turned out!

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Oh, Idaho!

This week has been dark, dreary, rainy, gray and wet. Not my favorite kind of weather by any means. If I could just stay home in my pajama's on days like this, I might like it a little better! But I have to trudge through it and go to work. It definitely has me day dreaming about the warmer weather that is ahead and the beautiful places that living in Idaho offers! Come on a hike with me and see a few of the majestic pictures I have taken in this great state!
Streams are everywhere here. All the snow in the winter (well, normal winters) leads to a snow pack and raging falls all over the mountains. I love pictures of water. Hells Canyon, the deepest river gorge in North America was formed by water and all of its power. I love riding in a jet boat up the canyon and seeing all the layers of rock that the water had to crush through to form the canyon.
This particular stream is in Bear, Idaho. My parents had a cabin there for years and it is one of our favorite places to camp. There is an old school house and a few old mining towns with lots of history. And of course it is beautiful!
A few years ago, Cody and I took a trip up North to Kamiah. I used to visit this little town a lot growing up and I was very excited to show it to Cody. There is so much Idaho and Native American History there and I think that is why I love it so much!
At least once a year we head to Cascade and camp along the lake. They have a wonderful 4th of July fireworks show over the lake. And the yard sales are pretty fabulous too!
For the first time last year, we made the trek up to Black Lake. You can't take a car or truck to get back there, it is four-wheeler only! On July 30th, we encountered a lot of snow and even had to go over a big snow drift to get past one point. It is a long and winding trail to get to the lake but it is so worth it!
There used to be a mining town here and you can still see traces of the mine shafts on the mountain. The water was so clear and calm. It truly takes your breath away!
As you can tell, I couldn't take enough pictures of this amazing lake. God is truly a talented artist!
The view above is a pretty picture I snapped on the way to Black Lake. Nature in all of it's glory!
And this last picture is a view of Banks. The Payette River flows through Banks and it is a very popular place to raft on the rapids. I myself am not a daredevil and do not care to raft the rapids. I much more enjoy taking pictures of the beautiful scenery instead!
I am so looking forward to warmer weather and camping, four-wheeling and taking pictures of beautiful scenery. Instead of looking out the window at the darkness, gray and rain, I will look at these pictures and cross my fingers that warmer weather is on its way!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Shabby new mail center

I don't know about you, but I seem to have one area in my kitchen that is a "catch-all" for a lot of junk. It is mostly mail junk, but it still seems to accumulate and get out of control really quick. I needed something to help me contain the clutter. The picture below is the corner of the kitchen counter that seems to be a magnet to anything and everything. I can't believe I am showing this-so embarrassing!
I found this mail center piece for $5 at the Youth Ranch awhile back. Some other ladies saw the potential in it but walked away so I quickly grabbed it. It was definitely not pretty but I knew that some day it would be!
Everyone knows that a little white paint can truly transform a piece from trash to treasure. It was such a beautiful day here that I was able to paint this outside and it dried so quick. A little sanding and distressing added the finishing touches to turn it into a shabby mail center.
The three tiers are perfect for keeping mail in order. The little drawer holds pens and other such things. I might even have my husband drill some holes in the back to make it into a charging center for our phones. A little organization definitely makes the kitchen look cleaner and makes me feel a lot better too!
I may add some sort of graphic to it. I may add bread dough roses to it. I may add a crystal knob to the drawer. I may leave it just how it is now. No matter what I do or don't do to it, it will definitely help me and my kitchen stay more organized!



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