My picket toolbox gets fresh on me

I love red. But not just any red. I like the deep rich primitive tones that speak of all things heritage.

So when blog friend Heidi from The Red Dollar House broadcasted that she had a sign that she had ideas of sending me, I nearly fell over. It was rustic, looked exactly like something I myself would make, and it was deep red!

I wanted this baby to pop in just the right place soooo...

... when these pretty flowers were a done deal, it was time for a fresh look once again.

My ever changing picket toolbox sits on my back patio.

I'm having the most fun changing this thing out! That's the beauty of fresh flowers. They're a little more labour intensive to keep up with, however the change is also fun.

A broken twiggy wreath became a nest of sorts to start things off. Love the extra texture.

Mix in 3 cups of water, an ounce of of creativity and a few fresh blooms and you get...

the perfect backdrop that makes your gifted Fresh Cherries sign pop!

Heidi did an exceptional job with this sign. I love how she lowered the upper case characters as well as visually centering the center parts of the text. This girl is good with typography which pleases me to no end! Because there are indeed tricks when playing with text. The two toned border makes the text pop too. It's absolutely perfect! And I have only 101 ideas for it, this being the first.

Thanks Heidi! I love my sign! 

And dear friends, it's time for a little R&R with my son. We need to go forth and splash, giggle, play board games, create new adventures and downplay electronics for a short spurt. I'll be checking in over the next week, but it'll be sporadic.

Thanks for continuing to be interested in what goes on in my little neck of the woods! SNS will still run as planned with the theme being FJI inspired projects. I can't wait to see what you bring! :)

Happy Summer!

The Great Wall of Grainsacks shall begin! (update)

 I had the BEST mail ever arrive this fine AM.

A dear blog friend heard my plight of not being able to find grain sacks in my area and rescued me from my depths of despair!

 This girl didn't mess around either. She found quite the eclectic varied collection!

 With some looking crisp and brand new...

 ... while others looked weathered and very time worn. LOVE!!

 What this gal probably doesn't even know is, I'm fanatical about typography as I'm a signmaker by trade. I've always loved vintage advertising, and this stuff is right up my funky alley! I've long drooled over other's grainsack collection only to be frustrated at not being able to find my own.

Check out the most boring wall EVER. This is right above my crate stairway. And it needs some fun.

I can totally picture boarding up this entire wall, coating it out in white, beating it up abit, then mounting grain sacks to it. And I mean, filler up!

Hence starts my varied collection, once piece at a time. I'll be able to look at this wall and smile BIG and wide one day. And blame it all on Cathleen. :)

Cathleen, thank-you so much for the lovely 'just because' gift! I promise I'll do you proud with this new project!

Cathleen's blog is called Today Along The Journey. Check out these yummy benches she redid. Nice!

Ohhh! And she's a pro sewer too! Check out these cutie pies HERE.

Inspiration has HIT. It's time to board up this wall so I can hang up Cathleen's contribution and start this project off right! How to board it up? And above a stairway no less?!? I have NO idea. But isn't that part of the fun after all? :)

Update:

 Dear Great Wall of Grainsacks. You are in grave danger. I mean seriously. Cool no sew pillow cases... hello?!? I can barely stand all this goodness.

Are you a grain sack collector? What's your fav thing to do with yours?

 

Closes Tuesday midnight. Get in while ya can. :)

click HERE to enter

When a tomboy gets bling - Part 1

I stopped wearing jewelry a LONG time ago.

Honestly, when my ears got fussy and demanded real deal gold, and I had to stop wearing rings and such because of my work, I sort of just forgot about the girlie bling and went for the mac jacket and workboots look instead. :)

And then I got lucky.

For my old crate stairs on So You Think, I won...

(above pics courtesy of  So You Think)

this amazing gorgeous 'lacy cuff' from T's etc. Custom Jewelry! EEP!

Oh. My. BLING. When I first opened the package, the sparkly beads stopped me in my tracks! I was instantly converted into girly mode once again and giggled and snickered as I put it on quick like! I felt like an 8 yr old girl on Christmas morning, you know, when you get the perfect power tool doll you've been pining for ALL YEAR LONG. 

The bracelette is sparkly and pretty and oh so glamorous! I love wearing black, especially when I get gussied up abit so this one is right up my alley. The button closure was geniusly woven right in with the beadwork making it effortlessly easy to take on and off. And it's comfy too! I forget I have it on.

This is where I have to tell you something funny. I attempted a photo shoot with the bracelette on. Good grief. My hand looked like something out of a Halloween bin with a non exsistent poorly done manicure and did the bracelette a total disservice. You gotta make a hand DO something I've found . So here's the shot I could live with.

I mean.. hello! Tell me I don't look hot now while workin' the power tools!  Wonder if steel toed heels are avail yet at the local workwear haunt?!?

Thanks Teri, for helping me look like a real gurl. :) I love it!

Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry? I have one more fav to show you but that'll be in another upcoming post soon.  I think I could get use to this! 

(Disclosure: this item was given to me for free, and my opinion is my own)

Art that hits my heart

Wait until you see this. Oh my word.

I received a package in the mail yesterday. I had no idea it was on it's way so I was pleasantly surprised to see that it was from my blog friend, Christine of Jaz Creations.

You've seen Christine many times over at FunkyJunk. She's a digital art whiz.

When I opened the package, I couldn't speak, move, breathe, nothing. I went blank. I honestly THREW the wrappers aside and held this in both hands with widened eyes and mouth open in utter and complete awe.

This is my alltime fav picture of my mom, son and myself taken at my son's birthday one year. You can truly see love in our eyes. And I just adored how my son hugged Grandma! It really portrays how close we were so this shot is special to me.

I  always meant to blow it up and frame it. But.. just never did. I'd like you to look really closely at what's to follow.

This isn't the photograph. This is digitally painted. I removed the painting from the glass frame so you could capture the beauty without the glass glare.

The colours are so warm yet vibrantly alive. Christine focused on the smallest most special details and highlighted tones where they were washed out in the original photo. This is the most lovely rendition of a photo I have ever laid my eyes on.

And this is the gorgeous frame it was in. It's ultra elegant, a tiny bit rustic...

... and perfect for our home. And this amazing picture.

The artwork captures us perfectly. Christine even removed the truck keys I had in my hand in the original picture.

I knew where it was to go immediately. I have it sitting in the middle of the upstairs, to the right of my blog office and kitchen. I see it all the time because I adore it and it makes me smile. For so so many reasons!

Christine, you couldn't have sent a more thoughtful meaningful memento at this time. I miss my Mom so very much, however what a wonderful way to cherish what I loved about her all day long. I am in love with this picture more than I can even express in words.

I'm very proud to call Christine my friend. xo

Hey.. I think I have a new profile picture. She knocked about 10 years off me with this one! :)

Edited to add: Do you have a special photo or artwork that is near and dear to your heart? I'd love to hear about it. I love stories. :)

Loot from blogland? Unlike any other.

I know why you're here. I really do.

But let me back up just abit though before I get into that.

This has been one of the leanest Christmas seasons ever for my son and I. I'm accustomed to having enough under the tree to not need the stand. But this year has been different.

I'll admit, I've been apprehensive about this season. I don't worry about doing without myself, but it's my son I was feeling blue about. I promised him one gift under the tree this season. And although I prepped him well, it was with a heavy heart I proceeded through the motions of Christmas. This is the first year ever I didn't require purchasing wrapping paper.

So, we began the Christmas season. For Christmas Eve, I decided I needed to hit a reset button badly. So we took in two local church services, very different from each other. The first was an amazing rock and roll rendition of all the traditional carols, a total powerhouse that had you bouncing on your feet, bellowing out all you had. Amazing. Truly.

We entered the second service which was a very homespun and delightful children's program. Enjoyable mistakes throughout the service warmed your heart to the little ones performing their big productions. We left with smiles on our faces, goodie bags in our hands, filled with the warmth of well wishes from our friends.

I didn't feel blue any longer. I felt the warmth of the spirit within and carried that to our next destination. My mom's home.

Friendly banter, teasing, food and opening some presents with Mom is always comfortable and so very home. I especially enjoy blog talk with my sis in law for she follows my blog daily and I'm able to share this little passion with someone in real time.

Upon coming home, I knew what loomed ahead. I tucked my son into bed and head into the living room, placing his one gift under the tree. And sighed.

I closed my eyes, and relived the evening. I allowed the good times to come on in, and kicked out the dread.

 The next morning I woke up before my son. I wandered to the tree disappointed for my boy. With renewed enthusiasm for I'm not even sure what, I walked downstairs in search of... I don't know. Something. A brainstorm. Anything.

I walked into a forgotten closet and BAM... I remembered a couple gifts I had stored away for a rainy day. I always meant to return them as they were overflow presents from a Christmas past, but never did. And here they were. Boy things. Perfect for my son!

As I placed the new gifts under the tree, I smiled. And with renewed enthusiasm, I grabbed for a shoe and did my annual sprinkling of the baking soda around the perimeter to create Santa's snowy footprints, a tradition I could put away now due to my son's age, but chose not to!

And then I smiled again. Big. My eyes wanderd to the gifts beside my son's. There were a couple of packages from blogland that I couldn't WAIT to rip open. For ME!

My son adored all the gifts he received and doesn't appear to be blue at all. And has informed me what he got was better than chicken cordon bleu! LOL!! I am relieved!

As for me, as I opened what Missy and Polly sent my way, I felt such a pull towards what the magic of blogland does for me.

I come here because you get me. No where else do I receive the kudos and encouragement you offer within a passion that recedes so very deep within. And when I actually had the opportunity to touch carefully chosen items that were especially meant for me, I was very touched back.

We have a beautiful home, great friends and family and our health. We have each other and all the other stuff is simply icing on the cake. Nice to have it, but not crucial for survival by any means.

Learning to live in leaner times has actually had it's rewards. I had the opportunity to teach my son that presents weren't why we celebrated Christmas. And he reminded me we needed to sing Happy Birthday today. :)

But I will tell you. Being able to have a small voice on the net with you, sharing what's inside, guiding, helping, learning, teaching, is an amazing gift in itself. No where else can one connect to so many with like minded passions and enthusiasm for our chosen hobbies.

You truly don't need a whole lot of loot to have a wonderful Christmas. The simple things truly are the best. Rejoicing in what you have, loving those around you, accepting their love back, giving without expectations, believing. All those are gifts that no amount of money could ever provide.

And I'm here to simply say, thanks for getting me. And why I come here. And for being interested enough to stick around. And for those of you that went out of your way to shower a little something extra my way just because.

Thanks for helping make Christmas 2009 a season unlike any other to date. I get to share this day with hundreds of well wishers desiring all the same things I do. Our compassion for our passion.

And, for love and acceptance. The best loot of all.

Merry Christmas! And thank-you for just coming around to visit. :)

You know how sometimes you just wish you could hear some voices on the other end of our monitors? If you feel inclined, I'd  just love a small hello from you today in the comments. Kind of like, you were really here. :)

p.s. stay tuned for some new projects I'll be creating with these incredible fabrics and trims from Make Mine Beautiful! Have you ever seen a collection so magificent?!? I love them, Polly!

p.s.s. thanks to The Little Green Bean for the little extras along with my beloved Espresso pillow I simply commented on one day that you simply HAD to send. Missy, you are a gem!