Tuesday, May 31, 2011

the sweet smell of solder in the morning...

sorry I couldn't help myself!


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so I have been soldering pendants-charms like a crazy person, a happy crazy person!
I love the process, it fills so many of my artistic needs... using vintage goods, collage, letting the creative muse go wild, glue, glitter, old photos, and that new love of melting metal!  it's a bit scary and fun at the same time... kinda like life!

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vintage button under glass surrounded by silver glass glitter... swoon.

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for the french in all of us :O

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I'm even soldering marbles people!  Nothing is safe!
but I just love how they dangle from this button pendant!


They will all come lovingly packaged in the gift pouches that I made for them using upholstery webbing,
all tied up with seam binding.
and free shipping to boot!

I'm listing these in The Old White House as fast as I can,  and I have so many more to share with you...









til next time...

love,
Theresa xoxo


linking up to...

Monday, May 30, 2011

proud mom post...



check out this video... my son John is the young man all grown up and moving away...
ironically Max and I watched Toy Story 3 today (which makes me cry everytime)  and then Cam told me that the video that John is in debuted today.

I had no idea that it would get me all teary eyed but it did.
It hits pretty close to home, as he is moving west at the end of the summer.
I loved watching him in it though... and the song is pretty cool too!

when you watch it you will know what I'm talking about.

On top of getting us to eat healthier, John has been doing some modeling
and so would like to try that for a while.
This was a great opportunity for him to shine!

thanks for indulging me!

love,
Theresa xoxo

Happy Memorial Day...


I think this picture is worth a thousand words.

I am so thankful to all of our service men and women
who gave the ultimate sacrifice and
 put our FREEDOM ahead of their own safety.

Remembering them today with a thankful heart.

love,
Theresa xoxo



Sunday, May 29, 2011

and the winner is...

so lets's just revisit the title "this day has gotten away from me"
 but add this WEEK has gotten away from me!
before I knew it, it was SUNDAY!
how did that happen?

 without further adieu...


 I love how Hannah put the bucket way up high so that she couldn't see any of your names,
even though she doesn't know any of you!
(such an honest Boo)
That's our "faithful dog Jazz"  looking on... really, that's what Duane calls her!



ohhhhh did you notice that we moved the metal glider to the porch in place of the wooden bench?
There it sat in the yard with nobody sitting on it, rocking the day away and one day I had an epiphany and grabbed Hannah, and her and I brought up the glider and the two matching chairs.
I will take a pic of all of it and its fabulousness when the sun shines.  We're hoping
that tomorrow is THEE day!

I'm not very nice teasing all of you like this am I?!!!
o.k. drum roll please...



CONGRATULATIONS TRICIA!!!

Thank you everyone for playing along and for all of your sweet comments.
Truly, they mean so very much to me...
as do all of you.

TRULY.

I mean it.

I wish I could give a g.c. to each of you, but never fear, there are more giveaways
on the way in the near future... I just love giving back to all of you for the
love and support you have given me!


This week has taught me a valuable blogging lesson...
never, and I mean NEVER ever say you will be listing things on etsy and showing them on the blog,
BEFORE you check on the weather.
I have been making oodles of soldered pendants but haven't been able to take
any pictures because we have had so much rain and even more cloudy days.

I have been told that we are going to see the sun for more than an hour tomorrow.
*fingers are crossed*




oh I don't need the sunshine to show you these!
I worked on a new business card using Picnik
what do you think? 
Sepia or Black and White?

inquiring minds want to know...


Thanks for stopping by!

love,
Theresa xoxo

p.s.  Blogger has been such a booger these days...I have tried to leave comments on some really fabulous inspiration in blogland only to have to sign in over and over without being allowed to comment.
I know some others have said that they were having trouble too.
I sure hope they get all of the bugs worked out, because it just feels awful not to be able to tell you just how
FABULOUS
you all are!!! xoxoxooxoxo

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

blessed with rain, rain and more rain...


the grass is green, the peonies are full of buds and the much needed ants :)
the myrtle is lovely, the hydrangeas and hostas are looking hopeful.
and
the weeds are thriving :(

the sidewalks really need to be trimmed.
yet another thing to add to the tada list

I moved the light-filled bird cage to the porch = perfection!   
I still want to rehang white curtains... (I like them better) but what I could find in my stash were 4 taupe sheets so that's what I hung up for now. 
I have to tell you that this is one of mine and Duanes favorite places to relax.  Once the curtains are up, when we want to sit out there we don't pull them entirely closed but we close them partially and let me tell you, it feels like a bit of a childs hideaway for adults! Like having a fort or tent on the porch!
The secrets out... sometimes I want to be a bit of a recluse and not mingle with everyone that walks by on our sidewalk.  In my defense, it's a pretty busy sidewalk!

  And...o.k. I cheated on the seat cushions, I have yet to make them so I reverted to my old ways and wrapped them in material, this time sheets, so that it's easy to change them and wash them.

well that and because I haven't found time to sew new ones.

So even though we are being blessed with more rain than we can handle in places...
we are blessed to be warm and dry snuggled up in our home.

My prayers go out to the victims of the horrible storms in Joplin Mo. and all of the other communities in the neighboring states and their precious people who have had to experience the devestation.

much love,
Theresa xoxo

linking up to Transformation Thursday

if you haven't entered the giveaway there is still time!
check it out here

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

today seems to have gotten away from me...

You know the kind of day I'm talking about.
The kind where you just keep washing clothes but the pile doesn't seem to get smaller?

In between doing laundry
I did manage to get some new soldered pendants done.



after I made a pendant with the top portion of this photo, I spied the bottom half with the couples feet in my scrap pile and said... 'wait a minute...'

me+you=bliss

is the back.



These photos are from an old photo album that I bought at a garage sale two years ago.
I decided to break ot the big guns for the new pendants and these are the original
photos.  So these are of course OOAK never to be remade.
In some ways that makes me a bit sad but at the same time I do love using an original to make an original.




oh to wander the open sea...

I gotta say goodnight~
to tired for chit chat~

thanks for stopping by!

love,
Theresa xoxo



p.s. these will be listed in The Old White House by tomorrow so they can be added to your prize choices!

If you haven't entered the giveaway
check it out here. xoxooxox


linking up to some of my favorite parties!
White Wednesday
Wow Us Wednesday

Sunday, May 22, 2011

one of the best ways to spend a Sunday...


watching Cam play city league roller hockey.
He's #2


The guys have played together for 3 years now.  If they are not playing roller hockey 3on3 than they are playing pond hockey all winter and they even  put together a YMCA league too.


Yep, we stand up against the boards on our side too... no sense in sitting down during one of these games, the best seats aren't seats at all!


Hail the Victors!!!

Way to go BLUE!!!

So along with the fun of watching one of my kids play on a team with some of his best friends,
I also spent the day getting some perennials transplanted.

digging in the dirt and cheering on my kids = great day!

If you haven't entered my giveaway check it out here
I will be drawing a winner on the 27th!

thanks for stopping by,
love,
Theresa xoxo

Friday, May 20, 2011

It's giveaway time...

Happy Friday Everyone!
I am a sponsor over at White Flower Farmhouse and they have kindly done a feature on me!




So I think it's time for a giveaway!




I love putting all of your names in a bucket and picking a winner...




putting on my specs to read the name...



Maybe if there are enough names I will have to upgrade to this beauty!



This giveaway is going to be a bit different than my past giveaways...
This time the winner will receive a $50.00 gift certificate to my etsy shop.


so if you are the winner you will be able to choose anything in the shop that along with the shipping will come to $50.00! 
This little fur collar could be gracing your neck...



Or this assemblage could be gracing your mantel!



Or maybe a few flowers...


a summer purse perhaps...



4th of July is right around the corner... hint, hint...


So here's all you have to do...

Roll on over to the shop


and then come back here and tell me in a comment what you would choose if your name was drawn out of the bucket...

If you are a follower, let me know in another comment for a second chance

or if you are not a follower, become one and let me know for a  second chance.



if you grab my button and put it on your sidebar or blog about the giveaway that will grant you a third chance!
(as for the button, feel free to grab this picture
because I can't for the life of me figure out how to make an actual button)

For a fourth chance you can head on over to


and read the feature on lil ole me...

WOW 4 chances to win!

The giveaway will end on the 27th,

that gives you a whole week to decide and visit!
which I hope you will...



don't make me call you!

So there you have it...

THE GIVEAWAY!

GOOD LUCK TO ALL!

love,
Theresa xoxoxooxxoxo

btw... more goodies will be added throughout the week!








Wednesday, May 18, 2011

this is one of those if you give a moose a muffin posts...

They're here!!!
Oh I just love them so.
Hannah and I brought in bunches of the freshly blossomed lilacs to make the house smell like spring.
Actually, she said "now I know it's spring, because the lilacs bloomed"
so true.


For the last couple of days I have been cleaning, organizing and getting rid of stuff.
just stuff.
You know, the kind that you take home with the sole purpose to make it beautiful again?
the idea file was getting too big and the time that I physically have to do every
idea I brought stuff home for seems to be shrinking!
So it was time to let go of some of the extras.
Which was a wonderful feeling really.


Because then I found this fabulous egg basket just sitting in the attic full of parts of said projects.
Now it holds my reading materials for bedtime on top of a wicker cooler.



In the aftermath, this pillow that I had made a while back got it's just rewards and is now sitting in the 'pillow place of honor'.  I made it with a skirt that I found at the GW.  This is one of those projects that is a no brainer...

step 1 ~ sew up the top
step 2 ~  insert a pillow
step 3 ~ sew up the bottom.
step 4 ~ admire all of that ruffly goodness.
easy peasy.



sitting right here on top of the dropcloth 'bedspread' which gives the room a neutral that the funky green walls do not.  I have had painting the walls on my ta da list for quite some time now... lets see, we moved in here about 6 years ago now. 
yup, some time now.

They unfortunately match the ugly green carpet.
I know, the pity party starts about now.
Unfortunately I don't have enough to go around... you know I try not to wallow in it.
So I'm going to have to make it a  B.Y.O.P. party.
I hope you understand!



Since the carpet isn't going anywhere anytime soon, I have lived with the walls too.
After this whole rearranging and cleaning though, I think some paint is in this rooms near future.

Yes, I said rearranging... right now, my shoulders, arm and back are cussing at me something fierce!!
" Hey lady, how old do you think you are?"
"We know how old you are and you are WAAAAY to old to move that bed and a dresser and all the other stuff you thought you were young enough to do yourself"
"How about next time you use some patience and let somebody help you!!!"

(I cleaned up the cuss words for those of you with delicate ears)


I was actually smart enough to know that I could NOT move this fireplace upstairs from the kitchen.
I had Cam help with that.
sweet redemption.
My aching back says "way to go"

I know it's not really cold enough to have a fire going, but I  just had to see it lit up in there :)



Our bedroom smells so lovely.
This urn was just sitting empty on the front porch begging for some flowers!

So you ask... "When is she bringing out the muffins?"







These suitcases were the nightstands in the bedroom before yesterday.
These and the ones that are now at the end of the bed.
I saw this idea somewhere here in blogland and I'm sorry but I can't remember where right now, but if you know who inspired me or if it was you, please let me know and I will gladly credit my source of inspiration!

I knew someone would be able to jog my memory!  This idea is from Kasey over at Lola B's
Thanks Kasey for the inspiration and thank you Melinda for the info!

The doilies are a cover-up.  I need to put a new piece of molding around the frame but the doilies were on the table near by and the glue gun was plugged in...
waalaa!
I'm so happy I didn't play carpenter and instead played
crazy glue gun lady with a pack of doilies!

feel free to send in an application for admittance to the club :O

So there you have it...
suticases get moved
so...
room gets cleaned.
pictures get rearranged.
bed is moved in front of windows for the spring/summer night breeze.
fireplace gets new home.

muffins all around!!!

Thanks for stopping by!

love,
Theresa xoxo

linking up to White Wednesday... Have you heard? 
 There have been 100 WW's for all of us to swoon over & an amazing group of bloggers are sharing in the love with giveaways... you need to get over there right now!!!
Thank you Kathleen!