S is for simple

sim.ple: adj.
elementary: easy and not involved or complicated

here's an idea for those of you who love anything metal or galvanized like mu-wha.  i have these red, rubber coated "s" hooks in my pantry/closet that i use to hang bags and other sorts of periphernalia. they are quite handy, however, i wasn't lovin' the color or the coating...

just wasn't me

i'm sure you know what i mean.  

i got to thinking...."hmmm...i wonder what's underneath that rubbery stuff?"

so i grabbed me some scissors and hacked away at them to find

this

wonderful.raw.steel

much better!

i'm not sure where i bought these as they've been here for years incognito,

but i do know that i didn't pay much for them.

an online search (plastic coated s hooks) showed most to be about 50 cents

hello goodbye

i waivered on whether to post on this or not...since this really isn't about decor or junk or being thrifty...but when something is a part of your life for so very long, it's hard not to want to share and document that part of you.

hello cuddles

such a sweet face
(i was referring to the dog)

on wednesday, September 15th,

our 15 year old cairn terrier had to be put down.  



k and cuddles



playing in the snow



patiently waiting for her Christmas present of treats
always in the same bag each year
she would sit by the tree staring and waiting for it

she had stopped eating, couldn't stand and was losing control. 

all this happened within a 24 hour period.  

i had mentally prepared that this day may be coming and prayed that the decision would be clear to me.  we didn't want her to suffer or have her life prolonged due to our selfishness of not wanting her to leave us.   
she had lived 15 years, a long time for a dog. 

it wasn't an easy decision to make but i had peace about it.

she had ALWAYS been full of energy until about 6 months ago when she really started showing her age and slowing down and then about 2 months ago she started losing weight,

despite trying everything possible to add weight to her little frame. 

she had lost over 2 lbs. since mid-may when she weighed in at 12.5 lbs. 

there was difficulty in going up and down stairs, showing signs of incontinence and not wanting to eat.  thinking at first it was her age and not wanting to chew the hard food, we added water and canned food.  this worked for a while but for the week prior, she had started to eat less and less.  the thought of the end coming soon was beginning to be clearer. 

on that wednesday, she tried to eat but then couldn't hold it down. 

later in the afternoon, i heard her trying to move and found her unable to get up
with her legs splayed out. 

thinking she was weak from not eating (she hadn't really eaten the day prior) i tried peanut butter.  she loved it but that didn't last either. 

i then called our vet who wanted to see her, preparing me that we may have to make a decision.  i then contacted the kids and hubs to let them know.

our son accompanied me to the vet office, a 30 minute drive, for moral support.  we were the last to be seen, when i put cuddles down on the scale to be weighed, i had to lay her down as she couldn't stand steadily.

within moments, the vet was sure we were making the right decision.

15 years of kisses, cuddles, fun, laughter and crazy tricks

goodbye cuddles

july 31, 1995 ~ september 15, 2010

hanging out on the deck this summer





a fall wedding and decor

hi buds...

life has been SO full as of late and time has flown by so quickly, so...

with out further ado, i'd like to share what i was up to in september as an october 2nd wedding loomed on the horizon.

here are my finished projects that were commissioned by the bride for her bridesmaids as well as decor for the reception.  the bride is a dear friend's daughter, who also happens to be a dear friend of my daughter. (got that?)


 a ralph lauren tablecloth purchased at tjmaxx was partially used for all of the purses, polka dot & muslin for lining, vintage wide wale rust corduroy (from my stash) along with 3 clearanced fabric samples (black check, black stripe and green quilted). large chunky zippers, magnetic catches, and vintage buttons added to the eclectic mix.  the fabric flowers were attached with safety pins so that they were removable.

count them...10 purses-each different with coordinating fabric
(click on pic to enlarge)

next came the table numbers which were influenced by rie at home and harmony (love her style).  i used an ink-jet t-shirt transfer paper, a favorite font that i typed up in my word processor and ironed on the numbers due to a time crunch. 

believe me, the thumb was a bit numb after all that close trimming i did around each number before ironing them onto the tag

i added a small piece of interfacing at the point of the rivet hole to add strength to the burlap.

each of the tags are a double layer that are zig zagged around the edges.  rie helped me with that detail so that the tags were sturdy and would hang nicely.  about 4 feet of jute string was cut for each tag so that it could be wrapped around the neck of the vintage mason jar.

set up -day before wedding 

floral & burlap squares were added to each table for an added punch of color and texture.  two ralph lauren tablecloths were used for the tabletop (and purses) that were purchased at tjmaxx for $19.99 each.   the burlap was purchased at joann fabrics with a 40% off coupon.

wedding day with florists final touches

a centerpiece grouping

topiary centerpiece

full view

  

 and finally a vintage frame takes on a new look as a chalkboard menu. 

the frame was a sweet $1 purchase at a yard sale. 

it was originally an antique gold but i dry brushed it with apple barrel goose feather craft paint.  mr. 1829 cut a piece of luan to fit inside the frame, which i painted with chalkboard paint.  the burlap wire-edge ribbon was from ballard designs (purchased after the holidays last year).  my son's gf helped out by writing out the menu so i could finish the sewing. 

we used a vintage wood art easel to display the menu.


frame before and after dry brushing
(center frame pic is true before color)

chalkboard menu

i will leave you with some pics from the wedding reception which was held in a carriage barn built in 1809.  it was such a gorgeous setting for a wedding. 



taken the afternoon before - centerpieces still to be added

fresh flowers adorn the simple but beautiful cake

where does your garden grow (or is it go)?

entrance to the carriage barn at frog pond

a peek inside



fall decor

the bed and breakfast

(part of the rental package is an overnight stay)

sorry for the delay in my postings...

my dad has been in hospital, rehab and now home but with many issues for my

family to deal with since september.  we are all fatigued, to say the least, but blessed that he is getting better and still with us.

have a wonderful fall weekend