Nothing Post

I have done lots this weekend and could blog lots about it, but it would take about 3 post because I would like it categorized that way.  It was a nice long weekend.

The kitchen and breakfast area are now completely decrapified.  I also redecorated by rearranging accessories.  I love doing this because it is free.  Wish I would have had a buddy to help.  Sometimes it just makes you feel better to have someone give input or agree with you. 

I also moved some things around in the den and dining room.  The dining room was previously decrapified.  The den is also looking pretty good.  I have some cabinets under shelves that really need help.  One is full of pictures.  That is a summer project.  I can't scan in all of that in a weekend.  We also have a small closet that needs a little help.  It is not so bad, but that might wait a while too.

I think the kids bathroom might get it next.  It is small and very doable on a regular 2 day weekend.  I haven't had one of those in a while.  I need something that I can start and stop in just a hour or two.  I will have grading and lesson planning to do.

So I hope everyone has a good week.

De-clutterizing: Bloggy Style

As stated here in a blog I follow, Thrifty Decor Chick is cleaning out.  I too clean out at the 1st of the year.  So far I have gotten the dining room, kitchen and laundry room fixed.  Threw out a bunch of crap and re-organized.  It makes me feel so much better.

Now that I visit others blogs a lot, I realized that I have a lot of crap on the side of my blog that just needs to be in a post and linked.  As Thrifty Decor Chick puts it, it is time for decrapification, but for the blog.

All those Bob Dylan video links are fixing to ( Southern euphemism for about to) be in 1 of my 2 old blog post all about Bob post.  I will just have a giant Bob Fest shortly.  I will also put Tommy Tutone in his place, but I think I will leave Paul Newman.  He is easy on the eyes.

Old blog Post 1 - Plastic Jesus Revisited

Old Blog Post 2 - Happy brithday Empire Burlesque

I hope the blog looks less cluttered after this.  Then I will feel comfortable doing the breakfast nook next!

Things That Make you go Hmmmmm

Random observations and useless trivia alert.

1.  Bounty is not the "quicker picker upper".  This has been scientifically tested and the results were displayed by one of my 5th graders.  Actually Sparkle was the best.

2.  If you put glow sticks in the freezer, their glow will last longer.  Another bright student.  I love puns.

  3.  Why is the Red Box movie kiosk at Wal-Mart blue?

4.  I think the chickens came before the egg, because God created the animals and the egg would have never hatched if another chicken had not sat on it. 

And a side note to the chickens.  Their feathers actually absorb more oil than human hair.  The people that clean up oil-spills in the open waters use feathers.  My students are pretty creative.

5.  Common household magnets, if left on gift cards, cds, and memory stick drive, will not erase the data.  Aren't my 5th graders smart?  She did not test the super strong magnets.

6.  Why did it take 7 full days to get my cute new planner from New Jersey to Mississippi?  Merlin's pants!  I could have driven there and back faster than that!  ( I have been wanting to  say "Merlin's Pants" for some time now.  I love Harry Potter!)

7.  According to Facebook intelligence, my first name peaked in popularity in 1961.  That is a full 10 years before I was born.  But my parents scored a B- in creativity.

8.  Mentadent works better at getting stains off your teeth than the expensive Rembrant.

    We are going to ROCK the science fair.

 I am having issues placing pictures.  I can't get them side by side.

9.  I took a Doo-Wop music quiz today.  It was 30 questions and I only missed 3.  My parents were about 8 or 9 years old when this was going on.  I am proud of myself for that.

10.  Whether you know it or not, real plankton look like Plankton off Sponge-Bob, and they are all in Mobile Bay.  More of them congregate in open waters than by beachy areas and stream outlets.  Thanks for that visual kiddo.  Microscopic roaches in water - (((VOMIT))).

Happy Blogging!

Be Still....

and know that I am God.

It is so very hard to be still and listen these days.  I have two kids both going in different directions.  I teach and always have planning or grading to do.  Also, the Hubmaster works hard and is a Boy Scout leader.  I would say that we are a busy family.  Where is God in my busy life?

He would say that He is always right there and I am the one who does not notice Him.  This is so true. 

From previous posts you will have heard me lament my woes.  I have had issues big time.  God was there for me even when I did not want Him to be.  Funny, how He is like that.  God is in all the small stuff we do too.

Last night I was on a conference call with my 2 best buds - AKA and BCF.  We do this from time to time just so we can catch up all together.  We are in 2 different states and 2 time zones.  God was there, pulling our friendship closer.  It was lovely.

BCF said something me and AKA had never thought of before.  When you are trying to call friends to talk about a problem or chit chat and can't get them and have to leave a message, that is God telling you to talk to Him instead.  Profound.  I actually sat there for a moment. 

I am always saying that I wish that God would put up a billboard or send me an email telling me what I need to do in a situation.  He is always sending signs to me.  I must just be too busy to notice.

Slow down, enjoy life.

Spray Paint - Hard it Ain't

OK, in my craftiness I have lost it.  I do know that ain't is not a word, but it rhymes with paint and I am from the South, so it is ok.  I know I have a friend or 2 that is probably wondering why in one day I am posting twice about crafts.  School is back in session from the cold weather spot.  I just guess my classes are a little boring and my creative outlet is crafting at the moment.  I am not complaining.  I am having fun.

Just a quick blurb about school.  I do love it.  I teach 5th grade science and math, but I am so tired of learning about ecosystems.  This unit needs to be over quickly.  Next is Earth Science - unit C.  My favorite!  My creative juices just flow.  Plate tectonics and the continental drift theory are taught with songs.  Tony Orlando and Dawn sing "Candida" and we change the words to Pangea.  Also, Johnny Cash and his "Ring of Fire"  just burns, burns, burns for plate tectonics.

Back to the painting I am supposed to show.  Again, I have copied from someone and I don't know who.  As I find crafts now I am keeping up with where I found them.  I want to give credit where it is due.  Pottery Barn had some cute silver candlesticks in their catalog. 

They also showed them on the matle looking all pretty.

So, the blogger I coppied from decided to make her own using old brass candle sticks and some silver spray paint.

I decided this was idiot proof and that I could do this and so I found my old brass candle sticks and the  spray paint and hopped to it.

The only hard part about this project was it was VERY COLD - 14 degrees - in Mississippi that is cold.  And the wind was blowing.    But they are very pretty now and I will be revamping the mantle very soon!

I kinda think they are pretty.

But I was bound and determined to complete a craft before going back to school.    While I was digging through old stuff I found this lovely item.

Then after a little paint it became something better.  I will have a great place for it soon.

I will link back to this when I finally get there.

Happy Crafting - Linking up to Domestically Speaking, Beyond the Piccket Fence, and Funky Junk Interiors.  All of these great blogger-ladies have wonderful ideas.  Thank you for inspiring me!

  

Oh, and by the way this was totally FREE.  I already had the paint, the sticks, and the candles!

Getting Crafty!

When I started this blog I never thought I would post crafts.  For one, I had kind of quit them for a while because I do not have a lot of time.  Second, i did not know people blogged about crafting.  I guess I was just naive.

I have been reading so many of the crafting blogs that I can't even name them all.  I have them saved in my favorites.  I stalked for a little bit, and now have started posting comments and trying out crafts.  I am having a ball.  Thank you crafty bloggers!

So I wanted to do a craft that was quick and easy and a blend of 2 crafts I had seen.  I am sorry that I can't give anyone specific credit.  I would post your names, but I can't remember.  My craft is frosting votive candles.  The actual glass part.  I also did some candles.  So, here it goes.  My 1st instructional crafty blog.

1.  Things you need:  glass jars - clean and empty, Modge Podge (everyones favorite), paint brush and epsom salt.

I forgot I also sprayed the jar lid with spray paint.  the cat in the background is helping again.

Next, I painted the jar with the Modge Podge.  Then rolled the jar in the salt.  I poured the salt in an old cake pan.  I was going to throw out the pan, but now it is my craft pan.

And while I was at it I did a few candles!

So, I was feeling pretty good about my craftiness, and decided to do something else.  What if I mixed the tissue paper Modge podge votive candle thingy with the frosted epsom salt candle thing.(None of that made much sense, but..)

Well, I got too excited about it all and for got to take before and during pictues, but I think it did well.  Check it out! 

And here is a fuzzy picture in the dark.  I don't know why my night pics are always fuzzy.

I can give you a  tip.
  The color strips are tissue paper.  Modge Podge them 1st and let them competely dry, then do the salt thingy.

I had a blast doing this.  Let me know what you think!

Linking up to A Soft Place to Land's DIY Day.  It all started here for me.  So give a shout out to Kimba!

Also linking to The Nesting Place also a wonderful place!

-Striker

I'll Tumble For Ya !

Be careful what you  wish for - you just might get it!

Last Monday when us teachers had to go back to school for a "work day" before the kiddos came back on Tuesday, I must have told 10 people that I would give up a week of summer break for an extra week at Christmas.  I love the cold, and I still wanted to squeeze in a few more reorganizing projects and read blogs.  I am addicted to reading blogs at the moment, but I digress.

So, North Mississippi received some snow and ice and very cold temps this week.  ( Very cold here means below 20).  So the schools closed for Thursday and Friday.  Yeah!  Woo Hoo!  That means I could finish reorganizing the kitchen.  During regular break I had previously "done" the dining room.  The cat helped.    I had also done the dishes, cups areas of the kitchen cabinets and all the bottom cabinets.

So, on Thursday, I thought I would just clean out 1 drawer in the kitchen.  It was like opening Pandora's box!  One draw lead to unloading every drawer (except the junk drawer 0 whole day project) and I had all my utensils everywhere.  I cleaned out and sent some stuff to the donations pile and felt pretty good.

Yesterday, Friday, I was attacking the pantry and the small cabinets over the stove and builti in microwave.  To make this task easier I turned on the computer and played some tunes through my new computer speakers the Hubmaster gave me for Christmas.  I love 80's music so I turned on some Culture Club and danced whilst I cleaned the  kitch.  The song list included - I'll Tumble For Ya, Karma Cameleon, and Church of the Poison Mind.  This is important.

Why did I have 6 pounds of powdered sugar in my cabinet?  I also found lots of baking powder.  It looked like my kitchen exploded, but in the end all was great.   Then I went to get the mail.  I guess I was still a little perky from dancing in the house to pay attention to the side walk.  I hit a small patch of ice and biffed it ( our word for falling and busting your booty).  Except I did not bust my booty, I sprained my ankle.

Here is where Culture Club comes in.  It was like foreshadowing in a novel.  I'll tumble for ya!  I did not really have any thing in particular to write about until this.  The irony was just too great to pass this up.

So now I am hobbling around the house unable to organize or craft.    But my cabinets are organized!  I have to go see a doctor today because I think I need to seek some medical attention on this.  It hurts. 

So, my 3rd week off I did get, and I did get some stuff done around the house.  This must be God's way of telling me to sit back and relax and do not over do it.  Enjoy your weekend.