When The Car Breaks Down

So, my car broke down. I've been homebound. Having to have a car repair is bad for my wallet and my freedom. It is good, however, for forcing me to stay home and get things done. My plight actually provided incentive to make some paint decisions. When I'm not distracted by searching the streets for new junk, projects have a chance of seeing completion. This little brown chest found itself in the crosshairs of my paintbrush yesterday as a result of my car woes, and it ended up a fresh little bundle of joy.

The Little Rolling Cart That Could

From time to time...(read: all the time), I come home with stuff I've either gone searching for or that I've stumbled upon in my travels. Much of it is snagged from trash piles on the roadside and comes home looking like it - broken, dirty and less than impressive. Pretty soon I have piles in and around my house that don't look that much different than the piles from which I picked the stuff.

For a clean living conservative girl, I live a bit of a "trashy life".

Pierina's Scrapbook - A Love Story

While on my way home from yesterday's garage sales, I passed a huge pile of junk that was too tempting to pass up. As I got busy picking my way through it, there were a couple of letters and old receipts paperclipped together with some other nondescript paper sticking out from under some wood just on top of the stained carpet lying in a heap and next to the gigantic cabinets with the metal casters. So I yanked them out, always loving a cool stamp and an interesting envelope with handwriting.

Junk Warrior Without Her Weapons

You've heard the sage advice that even a young boy or girl in scouts learns: Be prepared. 

I should pay attention to the sages and the scouts. While out garage sale-ing, where I hauled in $9 worth of fabulousness plus a 75 cent glazed donut, I spotted a junk pile in front of a house for sale.

Cue the brakes.

My Halfway House for Junk

At our house, the day after your birthday is kinda still like your birthday. After all, a day is so short and in the case of my birthday this year, I had to work. Then on top of it, I was plagued by allergies which were so bad I could barely function all day. I needed a birthday redo. In light of this, I'm considering today my official birthday.

Cheery Burlap Pouches

I've already told you about the appliqued towels I made for gifts while I watched old black and white movies leading up to Christmas. (You can see those HERE.) What I didn't show you was these little burlap pouches I was embellishing with the same applique.

With Strings Attached

Did you ever receive a gift with strings attached? Normally I'd suppose that to be a negative, but yesterday I got a wad of cash with strings attached, and I was so excited! I loved it!

Read on to see why.

Christmas Past - Stockings and Gift Labels

When we went back to school as kids, our teachers often asked us what we did on our vacations. Since I have no teacher to press me for my tales, I'll just tell you all. 

I fell off the edge of the blogosphere during December, so I didn't ever get any of these projects revealed. Even if it is January, I hate to let all that effort go to waste and not share it just because Christmas has passed. If you need a few ideas to hang onto for next year, here you go. If not, humor me, okay?

The Quirky Vistas Underdogs are Here

It's been fun seeing everyone's round-up of their 2012 most viewed, favorite and popular posts, but I figure if you've been to Quirky Vistas before, it's likely you've already seen some of my "most visited". 

So look up to the sky...It's a bird, it's a plane... it's the Quirky Vistas Underdogs - those humble, lovable other stories, photographs and projects, which you may have missed earlier this year.

Click along and as a bonus, believe it or not, this will be a post of few words! 

Respecting The Wayback Machine

Here's the story of a little something I did before Thanksgiving when I was all jacked up on pre-company anxiety.


When you see the result of the project below in context and you want to cock your head to the side like a curious puppy and scrunch up your eyes up trying to figure out why I'd be so happy with it or what the big deal is, be kind and remember, it is the culmination of years of untold embarrassment, procrastination and indecision, wrenching thoughts and questions about how to cover a trouble spot while finding a way to be able to hang towels and make it all look somewhat cohesive.

A Colorful Year

2012 was nothing if not colorful. The rains came and I watched countless downpours and sun showers in wonder. Flowers bloomed brilliantly and the sun and moon stunned as they made their way across the sky, framed by backdrops of vivid strokes, the likes of which sent me tearing through the house to find my camera on many an occasion.

Hobby Lobby Shopping Day

Hobby Lobby Shopping Day 

Saturday, January 5th! 

Please shop in-store or online to show your support for this company and the stand David Green and his family are taking for freedom.

The following letter was written by David Green, the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. Let this be a wake-up call to those who have yet to grasp how the threat to individual freedom and religious liberty makes its way into our lives. 

A Light in the Window - A Tribute to the Incandescent Bulb

The 75 watt incandescent lightbulb was pronounced dead a few days ago. If you ask me it looks like murder. The 100 watt was buried last year after it also received a fatal blow.

Next year the 60 and the 40 will be laid to rest once the hitmen complete their ghastly plan, brush the broken glass off of their hands and collect their fees. (The pretty sum you'll pay for the replacement bulbs will fill their pockets to overflowing.)

If you love incandescent light, face it, you're screwed.

Your bulbs on the other hand will have to be unscrewed. Badda-bing!

They have come for your lightbulbs, the same bulbs that have graced our homes for as long as we can remember with silent ambiance and practical beauty.

So let me share a little tribute I wrote a while back to honor the bulbs that have so faithfully shared our lives and family time, illuminating our moments and memories:

The Ultimate Junker

It's January 1st, 2013. So what should I be doing with this new day of my one and only life? What will I make of it, of my house, my projects, my long list of to-do's?

While I'm at it, I should also like to ask myself, "What am I making of me?"

The question of what I'm making of myself, is by far the more intriguing. It's one that leaves me scratching my head the most because I'm unable to significantly remodel myself no matter how much I resolve to do so (hence the need for new resolutions EVERY year). 

Yet here it is, a brand spankin' new year. First day. The slate is clean. A page upon which any of us can write our lives. We can start fresh with no mistakes. Our hearts are soft and pliable, willing to be remodeled, remade, renewed, and we find ourselves wanting to do something with that prompting. Who doesn't just love the shiny, the new, even something old made over, refreshed and reborn.

Hand Towels, Old Movies and Poetry

Drama, mystery, romance, dancing, intrigue, cool threads and witty humor...

...not to mention hand towels and poetry.

I've been watching old movies these past weeks. Among other things, one of my Christmas endeavors involved the applique and embroidery of some hand towels (about 15 of them - and counting). 

As a backdrop to my time in front of the tree, while sitting on the couch as I stitched, old movies and the likes of Fred Astaire, Spencer Tracy, James Stewart, Jean Harlow, Cary Grant and Elvis Presley have been my companions. 

My, How Times Change

Remember the days when folks would come home from their travels and invite everyone over for those infamous slideshows of their vacation photos? Having to humor friends and relatives by watching their slides became a running joke. Back then I guess people didn't always value spending their precious time yawning through the poorly and/or unimaginatively composed sights and scenes from other people's travels. But times have changed, no?

~ It was her birthday! ~

This is a little boardwalk behind our rooms that led through the woods to the main area of the Caribbean Beach Resort.

Felt Fever

A couple of Christmases ago the "felt bug" struck and I came down with a bad case of felt fever. It began with the creation of a trio of ornaments found online that became my must-do of the season. I think I made 7 sets. This was "P.P." (Pre-Pinterest) and now I don't even know where I got the idea for this particular set. I wasn't exactly organized at the time. What am I saying. I'm not organized now.

Living the Life

It's been paradise here.

Night and Day Difference

Remember how I said I was going to try and spend every evening now that daylight savings time is over (since it gets dark so early) doing at least one small thing to keep the ball rolling in my efforts to get my house in shape by next week? Well, that was laughable. Here is a picture of me at the end of each day as the sun sets:

 Image Source

Even trying to do one small thing each evening has been a flop, except a couple of nights ago when I polished a bunch of silver and then last night when I ran errands.

However, I have been an entirely different creature in the mornings. Here I am before work each day:

Honoring Veterans - An American Tradition

I hope you'll join me today in honoring those who have served in our nation's military and given so much protect our freedom.

This poster and all Veterans Day posters from 1978 to present are available for download HERE.