Beautiful Junky Summer

What seems like ages ago now (about three weeks ago), my youngest daughter and I took to the road in my friends' Lynette and Paul's SUV crammed with furniture to take to my older daughter, Cally, in Alabama. Of course, I was on the hunt for treasures like these as well as the junk I so love.

Junkin' Good Fun

I've been lax on sharing my latest hunting episodes, but then, I've also been busy getting furniture and things ready to take over to my daughter... my daughter who just got engaged Saturday! Yep, that's right! I'm going to be mother of the bride, you all. Woo hoo! Looks like I'll have my hands even more full for many months to come.

I've been playing blog hooky because I've been trying to finish up what feels like a zillion projects. In the process, I've managed to go out and drag home some cool new stuff, passed up some amazing curbside finds because I couldn't get them in the car (okay, I'm moving on... I'll try not to whine about it.) and I've been working on other projects I've gotten myself into.

Here are a few of the latest goodies I've procured.

It folds and then the feet fold up too! The top wood can be twirled open and closed to use as a vice or put pegs in the holes to hold your wood at an angle for cutting.  Five dollars! So excited! I need a workbench!

A Second Life

The junk out back is a nagging eyesore. It is purposeful though, so what's a girl to do but work the pile one item at a time until everything I've drug home has been been fashioned into some newly reborn piece of furniture or what have you. Mostly a lot of "what have you".

Here's what became of one of one of those junk pile eyesores.

Spotlight on Beauty

While I was pulling out the knee high weeds that had grown up on my side yard last weekend, I was so excited to find a snapdragon that had randomly sprouted and was blooming. This is especially fantastic because stores around here only sell snapdragons and other such annuals for a couple weeks, and if you don't happen in the short time they have them and buy them right that minute, you will be out of luck later. Everyone seems to think you can't grow anything but Florida weeds and hibiscus here in the summer. It's not true. You just need to give snapdragons and other annuals lots and lots of water.

 So I was thrilled with this snapdragon taking it upon itself to grow where it was not planted. However, while trying to avoid ripping it out when pulling weeds, I accidentally lopped it off with my knee.

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Junk Crimes and Misdemeanors

Some of you may want to shoot me for what I did yesterday, but you'd have to be a quick draw to beat me to the trigger. Besides, you shouldn't shoot someone who's black and blue from kicking themselves all day and into the next.

Besides I'm confessing and begging forgiveness. You wouldn't shoot someone on their knees begging for mercy, would you?

The Magic Junk Wand

You might think the lazy days of Summer have taken me by the hand and led me to a sunny seaside place for a relaxing toes-in the-sand vacation. Ha! No...the only lazy ways for me this Summer have come in regard to my blog. Yes, work on projects has ramped up with the Summer heat and humidity, so something's had to give, and that something has been Quirky Vistas. 

For shame!

My only nod to the seaside lately has been this beach bum dresser that came by way of the curb.

Tattered & Frayed - Serving Under the Banner of Freedom (a repost)

(This was first posted last July. I haven't time for any such cards or decorations this year, so I thought I'd share it again, especially since many of my readers won't have seen it.)

A couple of years ago, when my son was still in the Marine Corps, I flew a flag at my house that was kept up during the duration of the time his unit was in Afghanistan. He had not deployed that go round due to an injury, but I was in constant contact with other parents of those who were serving with his battalion.

As Old Glory flew over my house all those months while the men were deployed, it became tattered, faded and worn. Although I know we are not supposed to fly a flag in that condition, it was an especially symbolic and sentimental flag to me and it was my constant reminder to pray for these men each day. I wanted that flag to fly until they returned. Every time I went out my front door or came back in and had to flip the flag back around the pole as it got twisted in the breeze, I would pray for the Marines of the 2nd Battalion, 2nd Marines.

What A Little Cotton Seed Oil Can Do

It's birthday gift giving time again, so I put my plan from a few months back into action.

The Wonderful World of Chairs

My friends, Paul and Lynette, brought me two of these beauties last week to use as accompaniment to the grocer's table I've been working on.

Why Blogging Has to Wait

My friend, Kathryn, and I had a garage sale last weekend. It has taken so much of my time, both before and after.

It took me about 5 or 6 trips to get all my stuff to her house for the sale, and I had to leave a bunch of my things home due to time constraints.

18 Hanging Planter Ideas

I don't know about you, but I love to talk about home. There's always something happening there. Home is a place of laughter, drama, form, function and rest. It's the backdrop to the story of our lives, the roof over our head, the family hub, the café that never closes, a respite of comfort and protection, a creative outlet and the place we kick back in our PJ's, put our feet on the coffee table and live the life.

A place like that is worth talking about. It also deserves a little something special now and then, a few touches to accent its finer points.

Recently I created a hanging house number planter for my front door and made a similar planter for my sister. After I posted about it at Hometalk.com, I was asked to curate a clipboard of other hanging planter projects from their site and share them. What a great idea! After all, hanging planters can infuse fun, color and the joy of most any season into a home with a little imagination, creativity and a few plants and flowers. From the front door to the back yard, there are plenty of places to incorporate blooms and greenery into your home and garden decor.

Check out my clipboard of Hometalk hanging planter ideas above. Clicking the image will take you to my clipboard that showcases those posts with the information on the projects pictured!

Hometalk.com is a great place for project information. You can ask questions, get answers and find inspiration and creative ideas for your home.

Home Sweet Home

Our relationship with our homes is a work in progress, and yes, they can be a bit high maintenance from time to time. When the give-and-take is working, all seems right with the world and everyone smiles at the result. When we're out of sorts with our homes, well, believe me, even the neighbors can tell.

Okay, I admit, home can be a bit needy. It's always demanding that we stroke it and love it and open our wallets to it. However, give it some attention - a little spit and polish - and it shines to beat the band. (Well, you may want to strike the spit and just use water.)

Sure, I admit sometimes my own relationship with home is a love/hate thing. After all, no relationship is without trials, and they all require sacrifice. But when all is well, we can pull up in the driveway, and with a smile on our face and a skip in our step, head in, kick back and enjoy the place we love more than any other.

As we enter the front door, we may also be smiling at those flowers hanging there to greet us.

After all, flowers are always a good idea and displaying them in creative planters is just plain fun and gives the neighbors something to smile about too. If you don't have any hanging planters, why not? I've gathered a slew of ideas for you from Hometalk.

You may also want to stop over and visit Carlene at Organized Clutter and check out her amazing framed pots. That's a hanging planter project that will definitely put a smile on your face!

I hope you'll stop too and visit at these link parties: