Another snazzy reason to save those building scraps my friends! 

Small leftover bits can be arranged in a number of fun ways to create rustic, one of a kind garden markers!

Lathe strips or branches sanded and tapered at one end are excellent for your stakes.

Get out your paint, the woodburner, sanding block, glue, hammer and nails and start assembling.

And don’t forget your natural go-to’s….quick and easy –

 Garden markers are a great way to help your kids learn the different plant names and all that you have growing, as well!

Cheers to creating some garden markers this weekend…You can’t stop at just one.

michele.

It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon.

Madeline was going to be home from school in an hour.

And I thought it the perfect opportunity to let the ladies out for a supervised stroll ’til dusk.

I was wandering in and out of the house checking on Berkley while she napped. 

I remember stopping by the windows, watching them roam the yard and thinking to myself, ‘what a joyful, peaceful vibe they add to the yard’…

When Madeline got off the bus, we went down for a visit and she noticed one group must have wandered down the hill or into the woods. 

The moment I saw Charlotte (one of the hens) up in the tree, I knew something was wrong.

As we came to the clearing, there were feathers scattered everywhere. Read the rest of this entry →

NATURAL STAIRCASE

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You just never know what you’re going to find at the Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore.  A recent visit to the one here in Des Moines uncovered a pallet full of large burlap coffee bags.

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A friend of ours recently took a dive into her neighbor’s dumpster.

Her neighbor had been an interior decorator, I believe…and had oodles of fabric samples, neatly bundled

and neatly tossed for destination landfill.

Lucky for us, our friend saw the shame in this

and filled her entire trunk with whatever she could squeeze in.

She made a visit a couple of weekends ago to drop off the goods and my friend Dee has been in the studio sewing ever since.

She’s getting a jump on some sweet gifts for the holidays that are beautiful, one of a kind, and can we say, very budget friendly!

Any and all combinations look good.  All you have to do is simply sew them together to create larger panels of fabric that you can then use for upholstery, bags, rugs, window treatments and more.

I can’t really give any more of the particulars or I’ll be spoiling the surprise of her gifts, but you get the idea…. here’s a link to the rugs and valences we created for our salvage style guest room using similar decorator type samples.

I love sample books.  It sure is hard to believe someone could think they were ‘trash’.

Cheers to dumpster diving — and the friends who dive for you.

michele.

Came across this photo of a halloween costume we pulled together for Madeline a few years back…love. love. love.

an old green leotard and tights, a wig, a small grapevine wreath for the headpiece and an assortment of natural items…

I adore handmade costumes that utilize materials from around the house and a zesty imagination.

Not sure if it was one of Madeline’s favorites, though…hee.

Just thought I’d share in case you were in need of a last minute idea…Mother Nature is always a good one!

CHEERS to all the handmade costumes that will be lurking about the streets this beggar’s night.

michele.

One thing always leads to another and today’s idea is a natural progression……. from the OSB leftovers…..to all other forms of plywood scraps.

 In a matter of minutes, they can be transformed into excellent, reusable work mats for just about any project.

Especially if you find you’re doing a lot of your work at the kitchen table.

They protect your surface, are very durable, manageable and easy to store.

The added measuring tool is also a handy feature.

• Sand down any rough edges.
• Secure felt pads to the underside.
• Glue down a strip of measuring tape along one edge.
• Seal with a few coats of shellac and get to work.

They’re even beautiful to look at.  I’m always inspired to lay out my goods and get to work.

Not sure why, but they’ll make you smile!

Cheers my friends to DIY!  Sit yourself down this fine Saturday and create something…it’ll do your mind good.

michele.