52 Projects (Project 14)

Two years ago, I spray painted and refinished the bench on my front porch, and shortly afterward, I spray painted a plant stand (which I had) and a table (a $5 yard sale find). The black spray paint and the same stain on the bench and table pulled everything together. I wanted to add a splash of color to the table, so I thought a tray would look pretty on it.

I found this tray at Goodwill:

It was $1.49, but I had a 25% off coupon, making it just $1.19 with tax.

I purchased spray paint and a spray grip from Menards for $5.78. Let me tell you, the spray grip was worth every penny ($2.50 + tax). It slips right over the spray paint can and you squeeze instead of push. And of course, it's reusable, so any time I have a spray painting project I will be sure to use this!

And now I have a lovely tray, perfect for my outdoor table!

Cost: $6.96

Running Total: $40.85

52 Projects (Project 13)

the baby book

This turned out to be quite a project. I knew it would be, which is why I have procrastinated so long on its completion! I worked on it in little chunks of time over the last few weeks, and finally finished it up this week! In the beginning, I had a long list of pages that had details missing, facts to find, and pictures to print.

To dress it up a little, I got some washi tape that matched the Winnie the Pooh scheme, and some vintage Winnie the Pooh stickers that go along with the book. They aren't the Classic Pooh like the book, but I thought they added a nice touch.

The pictures are all printed and in, the information all written down. Let me tell you, this project was long overdue and I'm quite relieved to have it done!

The thing that prompted me to start this project was getting an mPerks coupon for 10 free photo prints! I ended up using eleven prints in this book, so I only had to pay for the one extra.

Cost: $4.66 (scrapbooking glue tape, stickers, washi tape, and photo print)

Running Cost: $33.89

What to do (or Not) When You're in a Cooking Slump

Monday: have an evening appointment that ensures you leave the house at 4:30 but that you don't arrive home until 6:30. Then your husband can "take care" of dinner (ie, grab fast food) with your daughter.

Tuesday: put off even thinking about dinner by cleaning the living room and vacuuming the house. Get so hungry from all the work that you decide to just get a pizza from Little Caesars and call it a night.

Wednesday: when it comes time to make dinner, putter around the kitchen. Fill the salt shaker. Do the dishes. Open and shut All The Things that open and shut to see if anything new materializes (oddly, it doesn't). Finally, cook the last little bit of white rice that is left in the cupboard and use the fifteen minute cooking time to think of something else to go with it. Settle on scrambled eggs with leftover sauteed vegetables. 

Thursday: on the way home from church last night, your husband announced that he would take care of dinner. What that really means is that someone gave him steak, and that he needs you to make the rest of the dinner. Break down and write a menu for the remaining days of the week and a shopping list to go with it. Take your daughter out for bagels for breakfast because yesterday you had eggs for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and you can't stomach the thought of having them for breakfast today.

Even though you went shopping early in the day, come up with an errand to run right when you should be scrubbing potatoes to throw in the oven. Then you can come home from your errand and wait a bit to get those potatoes ready, so that dinner can be at 7 pm. 

Friday: have impromptu company, and be excited about cooking dinner for the first time all week. Be glad that shopping was done yesterday and that you actually have something to prepare! Think to yourself that your cooking slump is finally had better be over, and hope that next week goes much, much better!

52 Projects (Project 12)

I have wanted to make crocheted river rocks for a long time now. They just look so pretty and add a touch of whimsy to a tabletop scene.

The area beside our garage and our neighbor's yard is filled with rocks, so finding a rock (or three) was plenty easy.

I looked and looked at patterns and then I decided to just start crocheting. Something you might not know about me: when I was a teenager, I sat and crocheted and designed doily patterns and sent them off to Leisure Arts. I got nice rejection letters from them, but nothing ever came of my doily designing days. So anyhow, my crocheting knowledge came to play in making these little rocks. I did use a pattern for the springboard of one rock but didn't follow it completely.

I know my daughter and knew that these little sweater vests must not be removable. So I completely closed them in. That way they wouldn't turn into bear ear muffs or Barbie hats. Or flushed down the toilet. Whatever. Stuff like that happens around our house and I didn't want to have to monitor crocheted rocks. Because, really. It's kind of ridiculous enough that I even made these in the first place.

But I love them. I am stopping myself from crocheting All The Rocks. Three is enough. For now.

Cost: $0

Running Cost: $29.23