Sunday, May 30, 2010

Before and After, Jennifer's Patio Table



Have you ever been to a Catholic School fund raiser? It isn't a dry event. Two years ago I attended our little school's auction with a wonderful old Rome theme. We had vip table for 8 and I was joined by my mom and dad, fun aunt and uncle and mother and father in law. At the VIP table you don't have to get up and go to the keg, the auction committee calls you ahead of time and asks what you would like to drink at your table. Our order included; Michelob, Budweiser, Crown, and white and red wine. We then proceeded to bid on everything in sight. My mother in law and I drank red wine and prowled the silent auction room again to make sure we were the last bids on the list. It was a great evening with lots of fun and useful purchases that went towards supporting our kids school.

The next day I went to pick up my buys; a few envelopes with gift certificates, a new fangled gas dryer..... and a table and chairs? I bid on that? I won that? Well, ok, load it up. So I took home a very cool metal scroll table with wicker on the chairs and a round glass top. I remember looking at it and thinking it would be wonderful as a patio table, but my beer goggles missed the white upholstered chair seats.

So it has been moved around from our office to our home and I have even offered it to family members. It really isn't the antique style I have going on in the house and I want a patio table. Until yesterday. I stopped by Hancock fabrics and bought 2 yards of very cool vinyl with felt backing in teal with brown leaves. The leaves mimic the metal leaves on the table. It was only $4.49 a yard and I had the seats redone in about an hour. We ate dinner at my new patio table. LOVE IT!

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Vintage Week


I have made some fun vintage finds that I'm getting ready to post at www.trellisgourds.etsy.com Like the super cute lunchbox in the picture. I love the colors and the word Debutante. I think it is fun that now all the little girls wear t shirts that say princess, if screen printing had been available in the 50's would they have worn the work "Debutante" in sparkly pink? I also found a gorgeous green chenille bed spread that looks amazing on my bed and lots of cool little jars for my dried herbs. My herb garden is doing well and I transplanted some spearmint to the back, right under the kitchen window to keep the ants from coming in. My wonderful, sweet, loving, perfect dog immediately dug it up. Grrrr she hasn't ever dug there before. How do they know! Have a great weekend.

Friday, May 21, 2010

7 Apples, Check!



Finished. Seven apples to fill an order going to a little Kansas School that is closing at the end of the year because of budget cuts are shining and decorated and ready to go. I think they turned out super cute and I hope they will be cherished. Just wanted to show off their bright red goodness. Now off to the next project. I'm thinking quilt something or I'm half way into painting a gourd that might get some creative collage stuff. You never know with me.

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

More Pics from Running with the Cows




Here are some more pics that we took at the 207th Street intersection from the 1/2 marathon. You can find all our pics here Jenn's Flikr Page If you see a picture you want just click on the link on the right hand side of this page to email me. Sorry, all we saw was the 1/2 marathon so I wont have any pics of the other events, but we sure enjoyed this part. I had to trim trees in the rain today, so I'm hitting the sack, I'll post more pics of this events tomorrow. Thanks for checking them out.

Monday, May 17, 2010

Running With The Cows






Saturday morning began at 6:30am. I had been volunteered to volunteer for our schools 1st annual 1/2 marathon, 5k and kids runs. Since I suspected my husband volunteered me I drug him along and Caitlyn was excited to go too. Audrie, the youngest did the 5k and was amazing. Then I hear she finished it and did a couple kids runs. I didn't get to see her because my position was the 207th St. Intersection to be a course monitor. The pictures tell the story of a wet day. I hadn't planned on so much rain so I wore shorts. Luckily my gators and waterproof boots were in the car, and a couple rain coats. Well, so much for fashion, but I would have been miserable without them. Caitlyn did not have the appropriate gear and being a teenager she would not put on the rain pants the officer offered her, but she smiled and was happy the whole time. It was a lot of fun and the race seemed like a successful fundraiser for our school. Thanks to all the runners and volunteers. The officer on the motorcycle had worked all night and hadn't been to bed yet. Still smiling though!

Saturday, May 15, 2010

In the Dark


My husband went to Louisiana at the beginning of the oil spill to set up a plan to help clean up between our two companies. I was not there and I can only give you the impression that I got from what he told me, but it seems that everyone is being kept in the dark. It seems that no one is really jumping in to try to do anything productive. There was a lot of get on this list and get on that list and we will contact you. There were people ready to go to work, but were not being put to work on it. The reports I hear in the news that reach the mid west do not seem to be so concerned about the environmental impact. Like it really hasn't hurt anything yet. Maybe if there was a huge black oil blob over the beach then people could see the impact. My husband stayed on the beach in a tent the week it started. There is an environmental impact. You may not see it as a large oil slick like the pictures from the Valdez years ago, but this picture was taken two weeks ago at the beginning, just imagine now. I'm just saying...

Thursday, May 13, 2010

What Now?


Look what I have. Now what? This is a bag of cut quilting pieces of all kinds of colors and patterns. I don't quilt, yet. I have sorted and drooled and agonized about the reason I was sent this yummy bag of pretty materials. I cruised the internet for quilt block patterns, but I don't even know how to sew them together. I'm thinking of a pillow. I will keep you updated. It might be a couple years however. Why do the crafting spirits keep sending me more inspiration?

Sunday, May 9, 2010

Happy Mothers Day


This might be my favorite holiday. There is nothing like waking up with your own labor force. I got up before anyone else and did some laundry and made coffee, because there are just some things that mom's do that keep things going and have to be done daily. Then as I got in the shower and took my time I heard the hustle. The reason I had children; little cleaning labor force. The kitchen was being cleaned. Yahoo. Then as I was making pancakes, my choice to cook, I hear the sounds of the basement bathroom being cleaned. "OMG it's alive!" "Quick, Stand on the Toilet!" "Let's go put our swimsuits on to finish this." I say Whatever Works, I'm not one to micromanage my work force or look a gift horse in the mouth. Happy Mother's Day All.