On the Home Front--

• Right off the bat the highlight of my week has been my newest grandson. 

Everything else (this side of heaven) pales in comparison to him!


Here is a just a laundry list of things going on in our neck of the woods. 
 I have no pictures to share. I either stole them from my son's facebook or from previous posts on my blog...long story short, I'm once again borrowing a computer; this time my computer is on the fritz-- I haven't uploaded any pictures on this one--because, well, I'm sure you can figure that one out.

•  I was in the garden today, finally we have peas on our 'fall peas' that we planted in October!  I am happy about that.  I was starting to wonder if we were going to get any at all. 

The thing is-- we've had a mild winter, but at times have had to cover the boxes with plastic and hoop frames---
   ...so when these boxes are covered there are no flying insects to pollinate the plants.  It's not until I uncover and the wind and elements and flying what's-it's are able to get in there and do their thing and bring on the peas.  But today~ I noticed success! Yay!


Again, today, I let the little chickies out for another stroll around the yard.

 It was fun to watch them forage behind the barn. I propped the door open to the pen and every so often I would look out there and see one or two inside there-- as if they were saying to one another, " Yep, the door is still open.  Let's get out there while we still can and enjoy this nice weather!"  I enjoy my chickens so much.

• I've had the Littles this week... they've enjoyed being outside as much as the chickens. We've had mild breezy temps in the 60's so far.   They keep me on my toes. 

This picture of daffodils was taken last year around this time. They always start to bloom around February 14th.  They look pretty much the same this year. You can take my word on it! 

I had some momentum going around here getting some projects finished and out of the way-- and now this week it looks like we'll be having temporary house guests for about 1 month.

• I must say, I'm very grateful for the home that LORD has provided for us!~ He makes a way for us to share it with others. 

I'll post more on that later--

Our Newest Little...

It's a BOY!

Gushing~ I've been featured?

This is my *brown paper faux wood floor*

It's being  featured this week on the Show off Saturday #3 at Nutmeg Place!




I am very honored. Thanks Meg!

HOW TO: HERE
UPDATE: HERE

On Starting an Etsy Shop:

I visited The Cozy Little House today… GOOD NEWS! Her shop is open and she had lots of sales already!  I’m so proud of Brenda for doing this and hope that her Cozy Little House Shop adventure is profitable and fun!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/cozylittlehouseshop

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Brenda recently had an interview with Judy from 20 North Ora

http://www.etsy.com/shop/20northora

It was very informative. Judy answered a lot of questions I had, regarding starting an Etsy shop. Her shop is just a little over a year old and it is doing quite well.

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Then of course there is Claudia at Mockingbird Hill Cottage 

She has just opened up shop too; back in November right before Christmas and her shop is doing well too!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/ScoutHarper?ref=em

I’ve been reading up on starting an Etsy shop and am toying around with the idea. These ladies are great examples of what a little bit of hard work, research and guts can do for you if you're inclined to start your own little business venture.

I hope as I watch their businesses grow and do my own research and get to making, that I’m able to start a store myself.

I’m thankful there are places like Etsy out there.

Be sure and stop in and visit their blogs and offer a show of support ,if you can, in their stores too. By shopping Etsy stores for your home decor or gift items—you’re supporting the artist OR vendor…not the middle man!

Wishing you all Congratulations and continued success in your shops and Etsy experience! You all have great talent. 

Other links you might like to read if interested in starting an Etsy Shop:

http://www.etsy.com/sell

http://www.everythingetsy.com/

http://thesellingsistersonline.com/2010/07/20/should-i-open-an-etsy-store/

http://www.wikihow.com/Open-an-Etsy-Store

http://www.piddix.com/your-etsy-name.htm

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She selects wool and flax  and works with eager hands.

She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar.

She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family

and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it;

out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.

She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks.

She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night.

In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers.

She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy.

When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet.

She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple.

Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.

She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes.

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.

She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.

She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.—Proverbs 31:13-27

~God Bless you and Thanks for Reading.

I have trouble with color

  I freeze up when It comes to choosing.

I think that is the reason, in part, that I don't have a problem or get bothered by with the budget part of decorating-- I buy Ooops! paint for two reasons;

1. -it's within budget  and
2. - the color has already been selected and rejected! 

Leaving it behind for me to scoop up at the phenomenal price of $5 at Lowes! ( I know that is probably a picture taken at Home Depot; but you get the idea.)  I also don’t mind that I’ve only paid $5 for it; because if I get it on the walls and then decide that I don’t like it-- $5 more  will cover it just as easily.

So, I was so happy to read  Revi at REVISIONARY LIFE, have you met her or read her blog?  

I just read this post and went back to read the previous post on color-- I liked both posts. I am looking forward to reading more and in fact, think I may re-read both of these posts a couple of times!!  I need all the help I can muster up when it comes to color. It’s not just with paint either. When sewing or crocheting… I just can’t seem to choose what is naturally pleasing.

It’s a struggle, I tell ya!

I'll tell you a little secret about me and color; and it's something I've often wondered.
I am the daughter of a color-blind man (red-green color blindness) and I am also the mother of a color blind man (also, red-green color blind).  I myself, am not color blind. I have often wondered since I carry the color-blind gene; if that is what makes me unable to choose and create with color? Sort of a handicap, if you will permit me to say.  What I see as color seems for the most part true. I see red, blue, and green. I can also see the analogous colors and the complimentary colors that are mentioned in Revi’s  post-- however, I have a problem choosing when it comes to placing it around the room or putting it on the walls. I FEEL LIKE I must copy from a magazine or whatever is trendy for the moment!

I love color and I don’t do the monochromatic white OR shabby chic  type of white very well; because I like color so much.  Although I must say, my bathroom make over is turning out to be just that. Shades of whites and touches of beige and brown; and I AM loving it!

I just have no skills when it comes to color. 

 

~God bless you and Thanks for reading.

Crocheted Bath Toys

Gifts for a 1 year old—The Youngest daughter and her kiddos were going to a birthday party on the other side of the family. She wanted to make something fun and different (the mommy had specified no toys, except maybe bath toys)
So this is what my daughter made….
A crocheted whale, complete with water spout! 
 
Then she made a little ducky and some fish. I contributed and made a turtle and a ‘jelly fish’… because we were just sitting around crocheting and I didn’t want her to have all the fun!!!! *** NOTE:  ALL OF THESE TOYS WERE FILLED WITH A SPONGE AND NONE HAD SMALL PARTS.
She put them all in a basket with some bubble bath and a baby tooth brush and paste!
Everybody loved it.
Simple but …Oh so cute!
Don’t you just loved hand made gifts? 
~God Bless you and Thanks for reading!

Faux Wood Floor- ‘Paper-Decoupage-Floor’

Or.... " HOW TO" 
** Please be sure and click the link at the bottom of this post and see how my kitchen floor turned out!  I updated my method of papering my floor, with great results there too! 


So in the progress of giving my bathroom a facelift—I decided I wanted a NEW FLOOR.
Problem…No Money. The vinyl floor we have now is old,
SCRAPED… RUSTY… ???? YELLOWED… GOUGED… and just plain yucky. Enter… brown paper.  I had two partial rolls from previous projects. I’ve been seeing (all over the place) all the wonderful ways people have used brown paper on furniture and thought ‘Hey, maybe I can do this on my floor!’
So I start looking around and found a video on Youtube--- Where Jami from the ‘an oregon cottage’ has been doing this on her floors. I emailed her and asked if she’d ever done right over vinyl--- she said, “No.” but offered a few suggestions—like try it first on a spare piece of vinyl. I didn’t. But it was good advice… I mean really, who has spare vinyl just laying around?  I’ve got too much other junk laying around – no room for vinyl.  So I just went for it. THANKS ANYWAY FOR THE TIPS AND INFO ,JAMI! But mainly for the encouragement to do the project.

*** So I cut my paper into about 36 inch lengths and then cut that into strips about 4 inches wide length wise (some strips were only 2 1/2 to 3 inches wide)
This is my dry run---gauging how much paper I would need. As you can see I cut my paper into fairly even strips of various lengths. I then wrinkled them length wise… I DID NOT WAD INTO A BALL. I scrunched them into long strips
*** After I cut my paper and separated by size (roughly) 
I laid them onto the floor to get the lay out I thought would best resemble WOOD FLOOR. Already, you can see the floor resembles wood planks or strips.  FRIDAY:  Then I started Friday evening.  I used ALL PURPOSE ELMER’S GLUE  I watered it down in a 1:1 ratio and brushed it onto the back of the piece…once I got it into the position I liked… I brushed it on very liberally,too.  I laid it in and staggered short and long pieces just as though I were laying a floor. Now this is our only bathroom; so the above photo is where I stopped over night… Cause well, we might need in there! ** you can also see water damage around the cut- off and base of the toilet, not pretty, but I'm just being real folks! 
I finished it the next day.Allowing time for drying in between—again, I might need in there! SATURDAY:  I DID NOT LET IT DRY 24 HOURS BEFORE WALKING ON… It was dry with in 12 hours, using my heater. (the glue was non-toxic or flammable—PLEASE MAKE SURE AND READ YOUR LABELS) SUNDAY: The next day I finished out the floor and waited the rest of the evening for it to dry… by Sunday morning the whole floor was finished drying.

(it blends in with my shoes!) 

I bet you noticed my lovely lines—well, I wanted to give a bit more detail… so I used this… I got this little kit at the Dollar General for $1.50 !!! … (it was $5 but they aren’t going to carry it any longer) It had various shades of brown markers in it. It’s a CONCEALER for FURNITURE scratches . I mixed it up a bit and used all of them… all over the floor.   The Next Weekend-- After that was finished. I stained it with Minwax wood stain. It shaded the lines a little to help blend.
TA-DAH!
I know what you’re thinking…’but it looks like paper with child-like colored lines all over.’  Well, you saw the pictures earlier in the week and…
Everyone who read …”I’m showing my new *wood* floor.”  in the EITHER WAY IT’S FAUX post, really thought I put in a floating wood-laminate floor. I THINK IT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD FOR PAPER!!!

Depending on the light it looks more like wood than at other times. I used a yard stick and drew the lines onto the paper. I made my own and DID NOT FOLLOW the lines of the paper. Instead I let the stain get into the crevices of the paper and simulate a natural grain of wood.

I got it sealed and used 2 coats of polyurethane.  I hope to put two more coats on during the summer—when it’s warmer and I can turn off the water heater again.  We had been walking on it for a week and it has held up just fine. But it needed  a good sealer. Since I’m putting it in the bathroom—I used an oil based polyurethane.
I love it!

***edited to say:  I've updated on how this floor has held up and you can read about it here

** If you're inspired by my bathroom floor over vinyl. Please be sure and see my kitchen floor  (it was featured @ Catch as Catch Can- #196 My Repurposed Life) with updates on technique.  As always feel free to email me with questions!  My email is the orange coffee pot top right side bar with "mail" on it! Thanks! 

I'm also linking here: 

Show off Saturday #2 

Being Versatile -- blogger award

I was given the Versatile Blogger award last week while away from my blog-- due to , Well, you remember- I typically turn down awards and tags on my blogs-- because well, they can circulate quite a bit and before long you'll be getting the same award again and again. But this one was different and so I went and looked up the word Versatile.  Just because you may think you know a word right?  

Definition of VERSATILE

1

: changing or fluctuating readily : variable versatiledisposition>

2

: embracing a variety of subjects, fields, or skills; also :turning with ease from one thing to another

But this word Versatile ...well, it really seemed to fit the bill of Corn in My Coffee-Pot.  I've never ever defined my blog as having a niche-- I don't blog about something for the sake of a 365 day Calendar/ Goals criteria.  I don't offer TOO much advice-- although I do try to encourage people to try new things and rarely (once) have give aways and such. 

So,What do I blog about? 

All the other great and some NOT-S0-GREAT ideas that pop into this little brain of mine! 

(and if you've sent me an award in the past -- and I didn't play along; please don't get your feelings hurt this is me  exercising my Versatility!) 


Here are the RULES for the Versatile Blogger Award-

1. Add the award to your blog. 
2. Thank the blogger who gave it to you.
3. Mention seven random things about yourself. (see below)
4. List the rules.
5. Award to 15 bloggers.
6. Inform each of those 15 by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here are SEVEN random things about me...

1. I recently cut my hair off by about 20 inches or so.(No. I didn't donate it) 
2. I'm a Peace Maker -- don't like confrontation.(have been known to get on a soap box occasionally) 
3. I'm learning to Garden Creatively and love it! 
4. I like crocheting and am teaching myself to TAT. (via: internet) 
5. My desk is always a wreck. 
6. I love going to the NHRA drag races--haven't been in years. :( 
7. I' m a Sinner Saved by Grace

15 Bloggers picked below; 

April's Homemaking
A Southern Belle with Northern Roots
Adventures in Country Living
The Chick in Charge
Corners of My Life
Cottage at the Crossroads
Country Girl at Heart
Creating Me Now!
Dirt Under My Nails
Cow in the Hall are You?
Johnnie's Junk
Educating for Life
Kettle Korner Kottage
Pioneer Woman at Heart
Knick of  Time
Glow Academy

I appreciated the Versatility that each of these bloggers bring to my reading list everyday!
thanks for participating.  I tried to scroll each blog's sidebar to make sure none of you are an *AWARD FREE OR TAG FREE BLOG*  if you are...no worries. I'm sure you'll get traffic from it anyway!