Making Monday a little more organized

So does anyone else get frustrated with trying to organize little socks, pajamas, and panties? When I'm doing good and I get the laundry done and folded and put away before it gets used out of the basket I try to neatly organize the drawer. Only after 2 or 3 days of the drawer being opened and closed and things pulled out it all shifts around into one big pile. Let's face it, can you actually ever get those little socks organized in the first place?
So here is my solution: Kids shoe boxes

Of course, I kind of wanted to make them look a little prettier. So what did I do? I took some of my scrapbook paper from my mega 180 sheet package that I bought at Hobby Lobby on their 50% off sale. (love those!) Then I Modge Podged it to the box. I wanted the paper to be tidy on the box so I actually cut and folded the paper to fit the box before I started the modge podge process. I basically used the box to eyeball the size of the paper I needed and how I needed to fold it. No rulers and exact measurements here.

Pretty cute for holding socks, huh.

Much tidier. Now the clothes won't slide around when the drawer is opened and closed and become on big ball of cloth.

I only have one done for now. Princess #1 had one of the boxes decorated with paint and My Little Pony stickers so I left that one for now, besides it's in a drawer anyway.

Now I'm over to Twice Remembered to see what everyone else did for the Make Your Monday party.

Amanda

Score!!!

One of the reasons I sort of got hooked on blogs was the thrifty finds and ideas that all of the ladies were sharing. Well, I went out to one of my local thrift shops this past week and came away with some great finds. This is a local thrift shop that supports a charity, and its el primo cheapo! I thought I’d share my jack pot with you today and participate in Rhoda's Thrift store treasures Monday.

Princess #1 is having a Mad Hatter tea party/ very merry un-biirthday themed birthday party this year since her b-day is at the end of the summer, and we’re waiting until after the start of the school year to throw her one. The guests will be both boys and girls so I have been collecting pretty tea cups for the girls and whimsical mugs for the boys to use.
I thought these would work.
I couldn't resist the white rabbit planter to use for a center piece. I think I’m following it right down the rabbit hole.

These are for candles, but I won't be using them that way. I'm thinking cloches!

I got this great stemware. I'm thinking I can use them for table scaping with candles or floating flowers in them. They would be cute for dessert also. Princess #1 has already suggested we use the champagne glasses for New Years.

Look at the detail on the stem. I love it!

I found this silver plated dish. It has "Wallace EPNS 6451N" stamped on the back. From the research I've done on the Net it's not really valuable, but I thought this was a pretty pattern.

A small nick knack display shelf could be useful. I was thinking of panting it white for one of the princesses rooms, but I may use it some where else. Painted though, of course.

2 yards of Waverly black fabric at $.75 a Yard, awesome.

I don’t actually need another dining table, but I could not resist buying this table for the price of $20. I am still doing the happy dance. We’re going to take the top off and make the table narrower so that it could be use for a buffet or a sofa table.

I mean look at those legs! Gorgeous!

Total cost of all of my finds including that $20 table with the stunning legs: $28.92 cents

I'll bet you thought I was done. Well, I'm not. I was taking the kids to their respective summer programs and low and behold around the corner from my house someone is cleaning out their garage. I spied these magnificent treasures at the curb side. Yeah, I did it. I dug through the trash in my own neighborhood.

Look at this chair, talk about patina. Cost?: $O

What about this cute little stool. All it needs is to have the seat woven. How much was this? That's right ZERO moolah.

Hmmm, what can I do with this? Oh the possibilities, and oh yeah free-ee.

I think these former table legs may grace my kitchen window as a part of a window treatment or mistreatment as the Nester would say. And again I paid nothin'!

Oh so many possibilities for these table legs. Anyone have any suggestions about how I should use these that I got for free, free, free-ee?

Oh and I can't leave out this cute wooden wall shelf, that I paid nothin' for. (Sorry about being obnoxious, but I just get so excited about getting such great finds for free-ee.)

I’m looking forward to seeing what everyone else got this week. Hope ya'll scored big!

Amanda

A family tradition means decorating for free

My family loves to spend time together outside. We enjoy trekking through the woods, walking on the beach, and bushwhacking through the brush. My husband and I both work so our excursions outside are a special time for us. Consequently my kids have quickly learned to find beauty in nature. It has become our habit to pick up treasures when we find them. It's like a treasure hunt and when we find something it's exciting.

We had been collecting items for a couple of years without a place to put them until we found the perfect item to display them on in my M-i-L's garage. There in the back corner of the garage was a wooden shelf with 48 compartments. Score! My M-i-l was happy to get it out of her garage, and we had a place to display our treasures and memories.

We pick up sand from different beaches we visit, feathers we find, pieces of driftwood, rocks, and shells.

One of our favorite things in the shark tooth we found on the beach ourselves.

More favorites are our fossils

There is also the sand and rock that we picked up on a trip to Washington State.

The only problems is the the shelf is getting full and my kids are young. I'm gonna run out of space. Happy collecting.

Amanda

An Outdoor Chandelier

Today I'm joining Kimba atASPTL for her DIY day link party.

Back in April we found this tractor wheel at the AntiqueWeekend in Warrenton, TX (my heart's beating faster just thinking about the one coming up in October).

I immediately knew where I wanted to put it. We've needed better lighting on our back porch and I've had boxes of lights sitting in my laundry room for a year. I wrapped the wheel with Christmas lights first then added another layer of small globe lights. My wonderful hubby wired it to the light switch and helped my hang it from the porch awning with chain.

I looovveee it! We've had so much fun sitting out underneath the light and just talk or watch the kids play.

I think it's such an neat repurpose. I can't wait for it to cool off here so that we can spend time out on the porch again.




Amanda

*I'm adding this post to Twice Remembered's Make Your Monday party.

Hangin' with the Family

While visiting family I’m working on a project for Princess #1’s room. I haven’t gotten it finished yet so I thought I would share some random pictures that we’ve take over the past couple of days.

We spied this nest about an outdoor light. It’s been abandoned because the area is in the carport and is disturbed often. I climbed up on a ladder and took this picture, but we took it down because it needed to be removed. There were 5 eggs the bird had left in the nest. Hopefully the bird will be wiser in choosing a location for the nest next time.



We hung out at the grandparents and had homemade ice cream. I thought it was so beautiful in this blue chippy bowl with the silver spoon.

We ventured into some of the near by towns. We had lunch at a Mexican restaurant that had some pretty décor.

The princesses just had to pose on this bench outside of the resteraunt.


My M-i-l took us to her favorite nursery. This place had some really interesting plants.

The princesses made friends with a parrot at the nursery.


Fresh bails of hay.

A little more ice cream, it is summer after all.


I’ll get back to decorating my house…soon. Hope everyone’s having a fun summer.

Amanda

Psst, We get to go to church tomorrow.

Join me in a fun little tangent that my daughter took me on today.

This morning my family and I made the pilgrimage to DH's parents house to spend a few days visiting. As we were driving I heard princess #1 lean over to princess #2 and whisper, "we get to go to church tomorrow." Of all of the things for her to whisper and be excited about. Well, ain't that something.

It warms my heart that she gets so excited about going to worship our Lord. It also makes me a little sad. We moved to the area we now live in about a year ago. We only moved across town but if you are at all familiar with Houston you know the term "urban sprawl" is an understatement. We loved our previous church but we have moved across Houston and desire to be apart of a church in the community we live. We have visited numerous churches and we just can't seem to find a home. We're searching again and are hopeful that the Lord has prepaired that special place just for us. But in the mean time let the angels rejoice that a little soul has found a place in her heart for Christ.

Do your little dear touch your heart that way?

Thanks for joining me.

Amanda