Eternal Hope for the Earth-Weary Heart!

Ahh, Easter. 

Resurrection. 

Newness of life. 

Eternal hope for the earth-weary heart.

Milk, Cream and Cautionary Tales

It was just after sun up. The day was still mostly before me. (I'm a morning person so I feel doomed if I don't have my work underway by sun-up.) As I sat on the couch by the front window, I felt the hands of time approaching from some not too distant place, ready to swoop in and dig their gnarly claws into me. Move, move, move, I thought. It's the only way to escape the sense that time is going to do a painful number on me. 

Should I Cheat?

Me and the JunkStalker (my car's new name) took off right at dawn through the wilds of our town, stealthily stalking our junky prey.

You've Got Mail! Springtime Style!

Not, "you've got mail", as in YOU, but, "you've got mail" as in, ME! I got mail!


Come and see what I got!

Bringing Thrifty Back

I'm cheap. There, I said it.


Cheap has a certain beauty, no? This is what you get to see if you get up and get moving on a Saturday morning. Caught this beautiful sunrise as I left one of the sales I stopped at on my one-hour-garage-sale-tour-of-the-week.

Cracks, Couches and Sorter Siblings

It suddenly seemed imperative that I begin rearranging my dining room shelves last Sunday morning before church. Why I chose that moment to discover it was high time to change out all the books for the colorful blue and green plates I've found so cheaply, I have no idea, but begin I did and what a mess.

This is one of the few shots I could find that shows a hint of the general idea of how the shelves looked laden with books. I forgot to take a picture before I started rearranging.

Junk Legacy

You never know what the street holds for you until you get out and drive. I headed out on Thursday morning at the crack of dawn just to see if there was anything impressive on its way to the dump via the curb. Turns out that the streets were fairly barren of junk this week. Hmph! I'm just not used to that! With each turn, the empty streets were a big disappointment. After hitting up my neighborhood with no luck, I remembered a pile I had seen down a street in another neighborhood on my way home the night before, but which I hadn't had time to stop and check out at the time.

Penny Pinching Weekend

I was trying for a penny pinching weekend last weekend as usual.

Springtime Inspiration

Look what God does with his brilliant color palette... Yes, pink is still going strong at my house, in the garden in the form of snapdragons and roses, as well as on trays, more trays, signs and now furniture.

The Epic Mini-Series Begins Tonight

I just got rid of cable recently (bad timing!) so I'll have to find an alternate way to see The Bible, the new multi-part mini-series that begins TONIGHT on the History Channel.

This series is the creation of Mark Burnett and Roma Downey, a couple known for numerous hit TV series. I've been hearing rave reviews about it.

It is scheduled to run each Sunday night this month, culminating on Easter. I hope you'll get a chance to enjoy it with your family.  Here's the official trailer:



Here's the extended trailer if you want to see more:

Creative Paperwork

At my house, thank you notes are a big deal. Well, they have been a sort of sticking point for me, anyway. Thank you's, birthday cards, etc. are almost always handmade, which involves a certain time factor. Coming up with ideas is the tricky part. It's a lot like paperwork. It can be tough to get around to doing. However, once I have an idea, I'm good to go. Then I do the same thing a few times (occasionally 20 or more times!) to streamline the process and make the most of it.

Competitive Thrift

I told you I was competitive, and it has its drawbacks. My desire to win comes out when shopping the curb, a yard sale or Goodwill. Sometimes I compete with myself and sometimes I pit myself against the seller, but add another shopper to the equation (if I even suspect they might want what I want) and the will to win kicks into overdrive.

Protect The Right That Protects All Your Rights

Home...we talk a lot about it here on our blogs. We discuss our makeovers, our families and our latest finds. We lament home maintenance, and we obsess just a wee bit about our sense of style and all things pretty. However, HOME is not only a place to adorn and organize and updo so that we can keep up with the Joneses or enjoy the view; it is THE place to which we retreat, THE place to which we run for solace and safety, THE place where we protect our families from the world outside, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

If you've ever experienced someone violating the boundaries of your home or threatening you or your family, you may understand why across the nation, citizens are on guard not only against other people who might intrude upon them, but against a government that is increasingly over-stepping its bounds, one that appears to be in the process of unhinging itself from the individual's right to life and liberty outlined in the U.S. Constitution.

Sorry about the blurry shot.

From Trash Heap to Trash Heap

It's hard to let go, even when you've only known a cute new piece of junk for an hour. 

Today was free trash Thursday, and I went looking...just because, you know...stuff might be out there.

I happened upon a pile of chippy green wood, and this little matching table was sitting upside down on top. It was filthy, but I liked the scalloped edge that went all the way around. It was going to make a sweet little back patio table.

I hauled it into the backseat where I promptly got mud and all manner of filth all over the passenger headrest and the seat. Who cares, I thought. This little sweet thang is worth it.

Fun Finds on the Fly

I want nothing.

I need nothing.

I have room for NOTHING! (My son just arrived home from California and told me it seemed crowded in here (or did he say cluttered). Number one: He doesn't know clutter, and number 2, Eh, hem! I beg your pardon! This is the random treasure of the world carefully stacked, arranged, or otherwise crammed into place for maximum visual effect. He also had questions about the giant pickle. Who doesn't.



Imagine the nerve of him not seeing the junky/beautiful splendor of it all. Apparently I have some work to do on that front. But if he would hurry up and get a place here, I'd be able to unload all the excess onto him. I'm waiting! I got most of it for HIM, after all.

The Whirlwind & The Storm

I'm still in my pink accent phase.  Bear with me...

You have to give PINK credit for a positive attitude. Pink is rarely in a bad mood. A little showy sometimes, a bit obnoxious when she and her friends gather in large numbers, and she is definitely one of those who needs a lot of attention, but let's give her, her due. The room does light up when she walks in.

Aqua Blue and Party Pink

The time has come for the "after" shot of my tall brown chest of drawers (and the little tray I bought last week), the painting endeavor whereby I threw out my back while standing in front of said chest holding one of the drawers out to my right. That's all it took. The back is much better, I'm no longer leaning like the tower of Pisa, but my back is only happy with constant movement or when lying down. I thought I was healed but this morning, it is still sort of calling the shots.

Brown Chest of Drawers Turned Blue

Now, I didn't despise this chest being brown. I stay on good terms with my furniture whenever possible. There was no animosity toward its dreariness. Its rustic look had a certain charm. However, I was in a mood and tired of the brown wood with the terra cotta floors. And mind you, there is also an Ethan Allen desk of a similar color wood to the left just outside of the picture. There was enough of that golden/orangey tone going on, so my other list of paint to-do's got tossed and paint gave this a similar look to the little chest in my kitchen that I also painted.

Hey Girl - As You Wish

Bliss Ranch is hosting a Hey Girl Valentine Link Party over at her place. 

Link up your own Hey Girl and share it.

"Link on one, fun on all five"

Here is my Hey Girl:

or for the less wordy among us:



Check out the fun parties this week at:

Give us This Day - Dressed in Pink

For many years I've relished the Lord's prayer and the daily bread kind of surrender that counts on God to give me what I need for each day. He encourages me to have an EVERYDAY trust in Him. He knows what I need, He likes me to ask Him for it, and He even tells me how to do so. You know me and decisions; I like not having to wonder. So I take the prayer He offers:

Saturday's $6.00 Haul

Despite my aching back, I just had to go out and see what was out there this weekend. My car was still being uncooperative to an extent, so I headed back closer to home and found these two mirrors. The woman wanted $4 for the bigger one. That was too much for me, so I checked out the smaller broken one. (The top peice was just resting there and wasn't attached.) She said $1 would take the small one home, and that if I bought it, she'd throw the bigger one in free. Well...okay! Two for $1.00? If you insist.