Happy Hot Saturday!

Yes....it's HOT here in Arkansas........92 right now with heat warnings and fire danger and wind that helps dry things out even more! LOL!  But.....I finished my ripple throw/blanket.  I know, you thought I finished it already and I did but I decided to put an edging on it.  So there, I'm done now showing off my ripple unless of course it accidentally gets included in a picture but of course I can't be held responsible for that!
When I went to Walmart the other day I picked up a few NEW products that I have never used before....

I have used the color catcher before and it is wonderful and nice to have on hand!  I don't use it all the time but if I'm washing something that I've never washed before it's a godsend!  I ran out and washed a new rug I had gotten in with some other older rugs.  Whoops!  Now all my red and white rugs are now red and pink.
I've used an HE washing machine cleaner before but I could only get it at Lowes which is an hour away.  Tide has one now that I can get at Walmart (1/2 hour away).   If I had to do it all over again.....I would NOT get a frontloader/HE washing machine or dryer....I'm just sayin'
I have not used the magic eraser for tub or sink cleaning so I am looking forward to that.  I have little "elbow grease" left with my arthritis so any help I can get is appreciated.  Have you used any of these products and what did you think of them if you did?

I went to a greenhouse near Wal-Mart looking for some hen and chicks and different varieties but they had none.  But they did have some "walk on" plants that you can plant in-between path stones and I'm going to use them for my fairy garden! 

Aren't they lovely?  I did manage to get one hen and chicks at Wal-Mart but I really want to start a collection of them and I'm not getting anywhere!  Some of the ones my blogger friends have posted are so pretty and all different kinds in different shapes and colors.

I hope you had a great Saturday and tomorrow I'll be cooking and decorating for Memorial Day!  What are your plans for the Holiday weekend?

Humming right along......slowly but surely

I take vitamins but nothing seems to help...I'm just a slug anymore.  I didn't blog yesterday because I went shopping to Walmart and came home exhausted.  I even went to bed early!  Maybe those people who drive around in those carts in Walmart are on to something...ya think?
I got all my stuff for Memorial Day except any decorations.  I may have to run up to the Dollar Store later.  Did you see the cute decorations and vignette that Elaine has for Memorial Day?  It's so cute!  Go visit her at Sunny Simple Life
I got all the food but never once thought about decorations!  I have a few ideas though now that Elaine jogged my brain!

 Meanwhile, did I mention the hummingbirds have been back for awhile and I feed them all the time.   I didn't know how until I came down here and they're everywhere!  I saw a few up North too but never fed them but here I do.  My Mother had a feeder hanging right outside the kitchen window here and I do too.  Someone told me that the same hummingbirds and their family come back to the same feeders every year so even though my Mother has passed and so have her hummingbirds that she fed.  Her daughter(me)  and the relatives of the hummers she fed are still connected.  I find that amazing!  Just in case you've never had hummingbirds or a feeder here's the scoop!

 

The syrup you make for hummingbirds is a 4 to 1 ratio.  I make mine with 1/2 cup REAL sugar (no Splenda or anything artificial) and 2 cups of water.  I put it in a pan and bring it to a boil and stir until it is all dissolved.  Basically, it's a simple syrup.  I let it cool in the pan and then using a funnel I transfer it to my feeder.  I have 2 feeders with one being clean and ready at all times.  The other is the one in use.

After I fill it I screw on the top and then flip it over 

 

    Then I hang it in the same place my Mother hung hers so many years ago.

 Happy Friday and thank for stopping by!

Wacky Wednesday...............

Above:  last nights supper...........Below:  tonights supper

I told you I'd get back to you all about the blueberry and white chocolate waffles......FA B U L O U S!!!!!
They are OUT OF THIS WORLD good!!!
I will be making these forever!  Not every day although it's very tempting.  You don't really taste the white chocolate chips distinctly but they definitely add something because these were THE BEST blueberry waffles EVER!  Thank you for sharing them Michael!  If you missed my blog yesterday just go to Inspired By Charm
and visit Michael and his great recipe!
This is my old "free" waffle maker...it makes great waffles but I overfilled it.....obviously! LOL!

Just an F.Y.I. .....when I got this it had a cloth cord (above) which was in good shape but I'm leary about cloth cords so I went to our local Ace Hardware Store (Johnson's in Ash Flat) and asked them if they had the materials so I could rewire the cord.   They said I didn't have to, I could just buy a new cord so I did!

Maybe I'm the only one on the planet that didn't know about this but in case I'm not I thought I would share this with you.  If you have an old waffle maker or other appliance or find one at a garage sale you can buy it even with a frayed cord knowing you can replace it at your friendly Ace Hardware store.   A lot of people sell them because of the cloth cord when there's nothing else wrong with them.

They have all different sizes and a much longer cord than the original. So, go down in your basement and drag up those old appliances instead of pitching them, get a new cord and you're all set!  Now, where's that old deep fryer my Mom used to have?
P.S.  I've also seen cool bracelets made with the old cloth cords!  Recycling at it's best!  Hope you had a wonderful Wednesday!

Thrifty Tuesday...........

I spent some time outside on a little project..............

I placed this plant on my broken birdbath but not sure it will stay there....sometimes I have to live with something before I know if I will like it or not.  That happened with my ex's too.  I guess the name "ex" implies how that turned out.  I used my last 2 bags of  mulch so tomorrow I'll go get some more.  I need to gather more rocks too.

 The petunias are filling in nicely...........

I can never remember the name of this plant...I want to say Nicotiana but it isn't but it does start with an "N" and I think the blooms are edible.

I'm sure you were hoping to see the last of my ripple but I decided to put an edging on it.  It's the red and it will create a straight edge all around.  I googled "crocheted ripple edging" and found one.  I printed if off but there was no evidence of the website/blog where I got it.  Sorry about that in case you were looking for a link but I had no trouble finding it so if you're interested I'm sure you won't have a problem either.  You can also email me and I'd be glad to email you the instructions.  It's very easy....it must be as I seem to be able to do it! LOL!

I had to run to our local grocery store for a couple things today and found some thrifty bargains while I was there...............the 3 tomatoes were only 60 cents for all 3!  Woo Hoo!  I was doing a happy dance!

I hope you all had a wonderful Tuesday....it was a gorgeous day here perfect temp and perfect humidity....now for some blueberry and white chocolate waffles...recipe compliments of Michael at Inspired By Charm  

I'll let you know what I thought of them tomorrow but I have high hopes from the picture!

Monday - 1) ripple, 2) magnolia 3) cupcake frosting tutorial

The ripple is done except for edging and washing.  I finished the last row last evening and wove in the ends.  I'd been weaving the ends in all along as I don't like waiting until I have a whole bunch to do plus they tend to tangle up the yarn I'm working with at the time if I don't stay on top of them.

It's not going on my bed but that was the only place large enough to lay it out.  I have a double bed and I just wanted a throw size for the family room but I think it got away from me! LOL!  As you can see it got pretty big!  

Finally the house is getting a shot of C O L O R!

It was a great night to crochet as I watched Avonlea and then True Women on the INSP chanel.  True Women was a wonderful movie starring name-brand actresses and showed the strength women have always had.  I highly recommend it!   
My next door neighbor stopped by and brought me these 2 magnolia buds from their tree in their front yard.  Magnolia flowers are HUGE as are their leaves.  I set the sugar bowl there so you could tell how big they are.  I'm not sure these will open...we'll see.  But if they do I'll post as they are big and beautiful.  With magnolias, one bloom will scent an entire room.  Also, you only need 1 for a bouquet! LOL!

After my cupcake debacle last week, I decided to do a little research on frosting cupcakes.  I looked at many books on Amazon but really didn't want to spend the money on an entire book just to frost a cupcake....I  mean really?   So, instead I Googled and came up with this wonderful blog called Glorious Treats    The author's name is Glory...cute huh?  Anyway, she has it all right there!

There are recipes for frostings and cupcakes, a tutorial on how to frost and the equipment you need.
she has a search bar but the frosting tutorial is listed on the right side of her blog under "pages".

 

She also has suppliers listed and ads where you can get equipment and there is an excellent You Tube video!  YES!!!!!  I think I'm on my way!  I have to eat the ones I have first but you'll be seeing more in the Cupcake Frosting Saga down the road!  Wish me Luck! 

 Have a Marvelous Monday!

Let's take a spin on a Sunday afternoon!

I can't wait for you to go with me to visit these new neighbors....OH!  You're going to love them if you don't already know them.  Some are quite famous!

First off is Donna up in BC, Canada (beautiful country!) at Funky Junk Interiors  She has a style all her own and many people love to imitate her.  She's been published, awarded and she lives with her son, dog, and cat in a house that she totally made over herself with "a little help from her friends".  This gal has her own sign business and can definitely wield the power tools!   She's my role model..........take a look.... 

 

  This is her shed.....I could live there! 

Below are the stairs in her house that she made.....is that cool or what?  LOVE!!!!!

Her dresser in her bedroom...amazing talent in so many areas!

She made the table below too..........

Makes you think twice about what's "junk" doesn't it?  She makes it all come together and look gorgeous!   Donna has more on her website and shares so much about how to do things.  If you haven't heard about her yet you need to stop by and see her amazing blog....I only touched on a few areas.  This woman is talented and inspiring!

Next we're going to visit one of my very favorites......Julia at Hooked on Houses  I can spend hours on this site....literally!  If you have a "thing" for houses like I do you have just arrived in house heaven!  There is every type of house imaginable, inside and out, commentary and history, befores and afters.....her blog has it all!!!

Above is Grey Gardens....the original, the one they did for the  movie and other houses that were built to look like it and finally the original fully restored inside and out....you get to see EVERYTHING!  

She has things well organized on her site too...like the Top 20 according to her viewers, celebrity homes, cottages,  before and afters and t.v. and movie homes.  

This is one of my favs...Iris's cottage from the movie Holiday....I've not seen the movie but I love this house and it's fake....LOL!  It's just a front literally........

Below is something I've been thinking of doing to my front closet......

Not exactly like that but I have been thinking of re-purposing it.

Okay...now sit down before I tell you this.....are you sitting down?  Below is a refrigerator door and the items on the shelves are all glued down so you can grab any of them to open the door!  I KNOW!!!!!  Is that not THE COOLEST?????  Almost like a secret passage and speaking of that...I bet Julia's got some of those on her site too.  I have to go back and look now!

 If you're like me and love to drive around at night and look in people's windows to see how they decorate then you will ADORE this blog!  Well, actually I don't drive around at night anymore but that's what we used to do before HGTV came along and pray they left their curtains open! LOL!

Next up on our journey is Sausha of Sweet Pickin's Furniture   You will drool over what she does to furniture and she's not shy about telling you how she does it either even though she's in the business to sell her furniture.  Take a look at this transformation............

B E FO R E

A F T E R 

Amazing huh?  I can't believe she has time to blog but I am so glad she does!  

Below are some of the pieces she has in her shop but they go fast so I'm sure it's outdated already....but you can always check her website to see what's available.

She did all of this...the chalkboard door and table below it.....such talent

She also (PTL) found THE perfect shade of yellow ever.....there it is....not too bright, not too pale....just perfect....I can't wait to get some and slap it on something!  Anything!  I love it!  Oh, I told you didn't I that she shares everything too...paint colors, brands, equipment.  She is a talented, kind, giving and AMAZING person! 

Thank you to all my featured guests today who so kindly shared their time, blogs, talent and gifts with all of us and thank you to all who came with today!  Have a serene Sunday!