A Treasure Trove, or Chest

Just look at what my husband brought back for me! Isn't he GRAND!

Not one, but TWO trunks (there is one inside too.) and a garage full of antiques.

The furniture will need to be sold because it does not belong to us, we simply moved it for a friend who needs a storage place at the moment. We are not in the storage business, but remember that really clean garage.....

Well,       now it's full again.


About these trunks, Hmm.

I wonder where they have been, I wonder what their story is, were they on a ship cruising an ocean? did they travel by stagecoach? who did they belong to?

This one feels like it may have been the property of a little girl,

Look at the pictures on the inside pull out. I can imagine little dainty frilly lacy things all packed up in here. The cloth hinges have since rotted away. and the smudges from being touched many many many times are a clear indication that this is not a knock-off but a true antique.

I think it is the first really old thing I have owned. Well, there is a china hutch, but that will be another post!

I am thinking about lining them with a really cool fabric, or wallpaper maybe. And how about a nice thick piece of glass for the top. It would make a great coffee table.In any case, it will be a fun project for sure.

When the going gets rough, Craft!!

  Well it is raining cats & dogs. Now that would be a sight. Neither my cats OR my doge would like that very much. Our beautiful November weather has caught up with the rest of the country and now we are collecting our fair share of rain.
My wonderful man is helping his sister secure her houseboat for the winter, then headed to help mom-in-law collect a few things from the ranch house. Like I said, he never quits.

I opted to stay behind due to getting over a cold and not wanting to be in the COLD weather overnight on a houseboat. (sorry guys)
Things always happen for a reason, as I am sitting at home alone, watching the rain come down a good friend calls and needs somewhere for her little beloved to stay for the day.

 YEAH!! Max is coming, Max is coming.
Here's a little background, I started to babysit ( take care of like my own)Max when he was 18 months old. Now he is 7 and I am no longer needed on a daily basis. I do get excited when I get the call to 'help out'

 What else would we do on a rainy day........BAKE COOKIES!
We found the recipe we wanted and the fun began.

 we were making peanut butter/Hershy kiss cookies. Yummy.
Max did most of the work, we worked on fractions, while reading the recipe, man, does the kid have a knack for math.
Once I showed him how to roll them out into balls of dough, he did the rest. all 3 dozen worth.

 First a little ball, then into the sugar......

 Look at those cheeks!
Well once the cookies were baked and the kitchen cleaned, what to do next?
CRAFT of course.
Now it has happened many times before that Max will make something at my house to wrap up and put under the tree for his mum and poppa.

This year it will be an ornament hanger from Beth & Karla's White Christmas 
I simply printed out the PDF file and we were off to the studio to create.
Max loves creating things with me, and I love his ideas.

I taught him to 'ink' the edges and he liked that idea.

Here is Max's take on Beth's mitten project. He saw the original and made it his own. Don't you love  getting inspired by other peoples art?? I sure do!

I hung it on my door that has been recently refurbished to look old & distressed. I am sure my husband will never figure me out. Max will be wrapping this up for his parents to open on Christmas morning. It is so nice to be able to provide space for   others to create.
Next came my mitten...

I have been obsessed about this mitten project ever since I first saw it. Something about the wholesomeness of the flash-card topper, I am not sure, but I have been thinking about it day & night. Well now I can stop thinking and start looking at it. I am very pleased with my project.

I want to Thank Beth for posting such a timeless piece. Here are the close up parts of my project.

I attempted the fabric folding flower, but will get into more detail on another try.

I will proudly display it among my Christmas wonders and remember the great evening I got to spend with Max creating. As much as I wish I were with my hubby, everything happens for a reason......and he will be home tomorrow!

Seize The Moment….

Always busy, always moving, always being productive, That’s my husband Tom. He never sits idle, but does stop to enjoy life.

 Here he is feeding our wild doves with a bowl of bird seed. Most would simply toss out the seed on the ground, but not Tom, he will take the time to make sure the doves know it is feeding time. Patiently standing on the deck with bowl in hand, he calls to them, and they flock to his gift of dinner.

While on a routine yard cleaning, mowing spree, he found things lying around which we all routinely walk past simply taking note of their misplaced position in the within our yard. He started gathering and assembled them into a front yard campground, minus tents.

Once the fire was lit, it was time to sit and enjoy a glass of wine. Not wanting the moment to end so soon, we ordered a pizza for delivery. This time they did not need to ring the bell, they simply needed to follow the smoke to the bonfire in the front yard. One by one family members and neighbors gathered around to see what was going on and have a bite to eat. There is nothing like chatting around an impromptu campfire with friends.

It was such a clear November evening and the temperature was a mild 65 degrees with a clear sky and no breeze.

All this took place after completing full day of work.

Two Decades Ago.....

Well, Today our oldest baby turns 20 years old.

It is hard for me to believe how much has transpired over those 20 years. We are very proud of our son Kevin. You have brought so many laughs to our home, and we look forward to many more!

Organized & Ready

Have you eve tried to find something in your garage only to find you could not even get inside? I was at the point I knew I owned things that would be great to use in my crafting or decorating, but just gave up because the thought of entering the garage was too overwhelming.

Well, Enough was enough. After two solid weekends and multiple trips to the dump and goodwill, my garage is now a place to behold.

Whew!
A clean garage, with everything in it's place. Now that feels good. After living in the same house for 22 years and raising two children and helping out multiple organizations such as  scouts, 4-H and the like, We had STUFF!! And we had stuff stuffed in places we didn't know stuff could be stuffed.

Well, Not the case anymore.
We now have things that we need, (you know, for creating & crafting) and all those things are neatly in their place. I even have few boxes labled 'Someday' Meaning I will get to using their contents......Someday.

There is even a princess bed for my little Ellie Mae.  Life feels better when you are organized!
Now I am READY to start creating my holiday crafts, just think..... Someday could be today!

Reminiscing and Preparing

What to do when you can't sleep and your mind is racing with thoughts???   Well I guess you grab the 'ol computer and BLOG...          

It's about that time again to set a grand table and have the family all gather around.
I do love to set a fancy table, and in reminiscing, I started thinking about a table that my friend Sandy & I set to host a brunch for our friend Laura. It was for her birthday and we went with a Crystal & Fairy theme.

My mom, Victoria, Sandy & I prepared her a Champagne Brunch fit for a Fairy Princess. After our brunch was over, we each made a fairy wand to take with us as a reminder of the splendid day.

Now I am at the Preparing.... Hmmmm  Thanksgiving invitations have been sent out and RSVP's are coming in.

Looks like everyone will make it this year including my niece from Colorado. Should be a fun time. As you can see, we will be playing Bunco. Odd, but hey it just may become a new tradition for 'The Coopers'

Sandy & I have been busy making Thanksgiving decorations. This beautiful banner was the brainchild of Stacey, Sandys daughter. She came up with the concept and now we all three have similar ones for our homes. OK, now I am ready to make the Christmas lovelys.

Learning a 'New Language'

This can be very tricky, I am slowly becoming a self taught blogger. Why?  I am not really sure, but I do admire the works of so many others out there in 'blog land' that I thought I would give it a try too.
Hopefully I will attract many new 'friends' and someday travel to gatherings and functions hosted by other bloggers. Learning how to put up buttons, add photos, get banners, It really is like learning a new language. I am up for the challenge. Stay tuned to see what else I have learned.