vintage chic necklace

Okay..I need to share this. I made this using some broken necklaces, a chandelier prism, and a vintage earring. I am in love with this piece and it looks great with so many things I already have in the closet. All this girl needs is to fall in love with another hobby. I think it's time to get out my pliers and soldering iron and start whipping some of these beauties out. I can save myself some major dollars if I start making all of the jewelry my girls seem to think they need. My oldest daughter had her birthday a few weeks ago and all she wanted was clothes and jewelry. I'm kicking myself right now for not getting motivated sooner....there is always Christmas.
Rhonda

Hello cards

Here are just a few cards I made with some left over scrap paper. It's been a while since I have made some cards. Feeling a little under the weather and in between naps I felt inspired. I think I have what ever bug my little ones had last week, because I woke up Sunday morning with an awful headache and running fevers. It is that time of the year... I guess, I better stock up on some Vitamin D and C or this could be a very long season. I am sending a few of these out today to the ladies I visit teach. Thanks for stopping by and hope you enjoy the cards. 

Rhonda

Scrap pages

I spent most of the day watching 2 of my kids march in UNK band day today. They did a great job, but were disappointed they didn't win any awards. I came home and had some time to myself and basically wasted it away on Pinterest. I am so totally addicted to pinning. I found this site kevin and amanda while pinning and downloaded the digital scrap stuff used below. It's been a while since I last made a digital scrap page. This was my first download to my new computer. I am always so surprised at how fast I can throw together a page. I'm just not sure I will convert to digital anytime soon. I love cutting and playing with the real stuff, I just wish I had more time to play with my stash of goodies. 

Quality time & Jewelry storage

First off forgive the terrible photography.  A couple years ago my mom's neighbor was moving and she was throwing out this framed mirror. I thought the frame was so cool and took it from her neighbors. It was a nasty gold color and I really had no idea what I would do with it. I painted it black and thought it would look good hanging in a closet. That didn't last long. It has been sitting in the garage for over a year now. I was just about to throw it away when my daughter came to me in need of some jewelry storage. She is a teenager now and her collection is growing faster than she is. I took the mirror from this frame, spray painted it pink and screwed chicken wire to the back. It works great for all her earrings.

My daughter and I started building this doll house when she was 10. I usually don't have a lot of time to devote to it, but right before school started I brought it up stairs and put it on the kitchen table and we worked on finishing it. We are so close to being done. We still need to do some painting and laying some flooring. When we started this project she picked the blue color and now she really doesn't like it and would like to paint it a different color. I was never crazy about the blue, so I told her I would paint it for her if she finished the shingling (note all the imperfect shingles, that I love). For her birthday yesterday I surprised her with the rest of the flooring and all the electrical. I could have just left the thing the way it was, but I stood there in Hobby Lobby in front of a sign that read 50% off miniatures and just couldn't say no. She was so excited when she unwrapped the lights. I can't wait to get a few spare minutes so we can finish this project up and she can spend the rest of her life rearranging and redecorating. I love that this house is in no way perfect. We built it together and that is what makes it wonderful. I hope she will cherish it forever and maybe pass it down to her daughter some day.

Rhonda

P.S. my etsy shop is up and running. You can access the link on the right side of this blog. Hope to have more things posted soon.

9/11

This is what happens when you work to many jobs and only get to do laundry one day a week. I am swimming in dirty clothes. This picture was taken after the 6 loads I already did. There really seems to be   no end in sight.  On a happier note, my daughter Liz celebrates her 13th birthday today. I am so proud of this kid. 

Thinking of those that lost their loved ones on that tragic day 10yrs ago.

Harvest Blessings

This is how I spent my Saturday night, canning the abundance of harvest we were given. The Huskers first game of the season and I am cutting, chopping, and canning away. This year we lost most of our garden to bugs and veggie disease. We have had no such lack of harvest thanks to all of the wonderful neighbors we have. My husband went to help pick up irrigation pipe for a neighbor and he sent home onions, cantaloupe, squash, and melons. Then the neighbor down the road brought over  a variety of peppers, onions, beans, cucumbers, cantaloupe, and watermelon. Yesterday we pull in and our neighbor across the street handed us some beans, onions, and bell peppers. I am so thankful for all the wonderful people who live around us. There is definitely something glorious about eating veggies fresh from a garden. I was sure we would miss out on that this year and to my surprise we have been blessed with way more than we could ever imagine. The best part is that our family will still be enjoying all this kindness in the winter months to come.  Days like these are what makes this city girl appreciate the simple things of country living.
Rhonda

Feeling those Fall days

 Feeling the yearly affects of fall lately. I am so much more of a fall cleaner than a spring cleaner. Lately, that's exactly what has been happening around here. Once the pool was emptied and I knew there would no longer be wet kids running in and out of the back door, I got to work. In the last week I have been able to paint my living room, hall, and main bath, move furniture around, wash all the bedding and curtains, shampoo a few rugs, and squeeze in some canning. I wish I felt this productive every week. I managed to get a little creative time in also. I have been wanting to make the above picture frame for months and never found the time. I white washed an old frame and backed it with linen then simply stapled some twine to the inside and clipped up some of my favorite family photos. I absolutely love how it turned out. I would still like to paint this piece of furniture I found quite a few months ago, but it might have to wait for another week.
My kids are in full swing with school and all the fall sports. Tonight, the older two are playing in the band at our football game. The little ones are watching Super Mario movies we checked out at the library and the house seems so quiet. The temperature is suppose to drop into the 70's this weekend and I plan on opening some windows and enjoying some cooler temps. Yesterday it reached 94 and still felt much like summer. We are planning a little BBQ with some friends on Labor Day and it will be the perfect ending to what has been a busy week. I'm looking forward to hangin' with friends and letting my husband cook.
Guess, I better get crackin' at another batch of canned relish and tomatoes.
Hope ya all have a great holiday weekend.
Rhonda