DIY Projects I Want to Make…

Do you ever look around Blogland and bookmark your favorite DIY posts and declare you are going to make that… Me too and here are some I ABSOLUTELY want, need and have to make sometime in the next few months.

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Spring Starburst Wreath…

I have seen these handmade starburst wreaths all over Blogland and have wanted to make one for a while now.  And since I am VERY frugal, I decided to make mine with twigs from the great outdoors.  I wish I could take credit for this idea but I actually found it over at The Painted Hive.  Kristine did a wonderful tutorial on how she made hers and I LOVE, LOVE the idea of using twigs.  It’s very rustic, earthy and best of all FREE!!!

Preparing For An Outdoor Party- Part 5…

OK…so the outdoor birthday party was almost a month ago and I still haven’t gotten around to posting everything I did in preparation for it.  I never got around to hanging the drop cloth drapes but I did get around to painting the wicker furniture… and here it is!  I will get to posting the actual party within the next couple of days.

1. Plant Flowers
2. Paint Wicker Furniture
3. Make Lanterns
4. Fix and Paint Picnic Table
5. Make Drop Cloth Tablecloths or Buy Flat Sheets from Wal-Mart
   
6. Make Drop Cloth Drapes for Back Porch I NEVER GOT AROUND TO THIS ONE

Plain and boring. I didn’t do anything special to prepare them before painting.
I just wiped them down and fixed any loose wicker.

I used Zinsser spray primer…so easy!!

You could roll on primer…but why??  This is so much easier.

Cheap glossy black spray paint. It took anywhere between 4 to 5 cans for each chair.

It really soaked in the paint. Using a spray can handle makes the job easier and cleaner.  I paid less than $3.00 for mine at Wal-Mart.

I love the black.  I only managed to paint the 2 chairs and small table.

I never got around to doing the loveseat that goes with it.

And here it is at the day of the party at the make shift table.  You can read that post HERE.

Steals and Deals in North Carolina…

If you’re a regular reader then you know I LOVE a deal.  I clip coupons, I shop the discount racks and I love thrift stores.  I also love to eat at restaurants on the cheap too.  Here are some places I find my half off dining, spa and entertainment deals.  Got any places you go to online to get a great deal?  Let me know!!

Real Deals Now

Half Off Depot

Piedmont Triad Perks

Restaurant.com

Local Great Coupons

News and Record Bargain Blog

Triad Scene

Coupons 4 the Triad

Mason Jar Lanterns- Round 2…

In my previous post- “Preparing For An Outdoor Party- Part 2” -  I used salt in my lanterns.  I liked the look but wasn’t crazy about it.  It was too beachy for me.  Well, I searched the internet for a better idea and I found it…  Use bird seed.  I love the look…it’s more earthy to me.  I hope you like it too.

Before

After

Bridal Shower…

I just love Bridal Showers.  I attended my niece’s on Saturday…they’re a new beginning for a young woman.  She imagines herself using the new appliances, linens and housewares in her new home.  She imagines having dinner parties with her new place settings.  She imagines having her parents and in laws over for the holidays while sitting down to that perfectly done turkey in her new roaster…  We were all that young woman at one time or another.  And we all stopped imagining these perfect moments and faced reality when our casserole for that dinner party turned out like crap and our “perfectly” done turkey still had the bag left inside of it.  Oh yes…these moments to a young bride-to-be are priceless.  So for all of us who have been married more years than we care to “imagine” let’s imagine ourselves that young, beautiful and naive girl once again.

The cake was beautifully decorated

The host’s  house was set up and awaited my niece

My beautiful niece was all smiles as she opened her gifts

She was speechless as she opened the best gift there.  Yea you guessed it… that was my gift to her.

Cute party favors given by the host as the party ended

Congratulations Heather and Jeremy!  See you at the wedding!!!

Easter Bubbles…

Easter was a few weeks ago but I just had to post these very cute pics.  My sister-in-law brought some bubbles to our mother-in-law’s house for the younger kids but after a while everyone was joining in.

Thrift Store Plate Display…

I love old plates and they offer a great way to decorate a wall.  I chose some random plates I had stored away and bought some plate hangers off Ebay.  I didn’t go by a pattern, I didn’t measure I just hung them in a way that I thought looked pleasing to the eye…my eye!!  So lets get started…

I bought 10 plate hangers in various sizes.

Is my Amish Bread Supposed to be Green??…

Okay…so here’s the scoop… I only have one glass loaf pan so I used 2 small disposable aluminum pans along with the glass.  WRONG thing to do!!!  The bread turned out great in the glass pan but not in the disposables.  The disposables didn’t give the bottom a good crust…it was gooey and GREEN!!!  It was edible but not very appealing. What happened?? Well, after Googling “Amish Bread turned green”, I found out I am not alone.  I know the recipe said not to use aluminum to mix the dough in but it didn’t say not to use aluminum pans to cook the bread in.  I used devil’s food chocolate pudding and so did the other cooks whose bread turned green.  There’s a reaction that occurs with this pudding when it is baked. Its edible, but I just couldn’t eat it!  I actually didn’t notice it until well after it cooled.  Mental note to self: DO NOT USE DEVILS FOOD CHOCOLATE PUDDING AND ALUMINUM LOAF PANS!!!  The one I cooked in the glass pan was fine.  Not sure if the others used aluminum pans too but I am not doing that again!  I also wasn’t crazy about the pudding in the bread.  I tried one my co-worker made without pudding and I liked it so much better!!  Oh well…live and learn…and don’t use aluminum pans to bake in!!!

Hip, Hip Parade!!…

Don’t you love small town parades?  The local high school bands, brightly decorated floats and the pièce de résistance..No not Santa, my son Tré marching with the Air Force JROTC.  This is his first year in ROTC and so far he’s doing great!  His older brother Chase was in it all four years of high school and now Tré is following in his footsteps. Looking good baby!!!

Tre’ and Grandma after the parade