Olde Fashioned Christmas swap goodies

I joined The Olde Fashioned Christmas Swap with Char from The Pickled Pepper Patch,who is beyond brilliant in so many ways....go check out her blog.Wait first to see my goodies!!!!

My swap partner was Cheryl from Peaceful Blessings,who is such a talented lady. She makes awesome dolls... go check them out. Wait first to see my goodies!!!

This whole box smelled incredible and even the tissue paper was wonderful!!!


She sent a whole set of these awesome placemats. I love them and it is the first time I have found placemats that do not overlap.

She sent candle scent and tarts. Way cool,huh?


Just check out this awesome Mr.prim snowman. He is so neat,huh?



This pic did not turn out well, but these are some very nice handmade soaps. awesome.

She made these wonderful ornies-and some beautiful gingerbread ornies.(in a lower pic)

At the bottom of the box was my favorite thing, This beautiful(and perfect) bonnet. I love this so much!!!!

Isn't it fantastic?

And I was super surprised to find an alpine tree in my box. You know how us prim gals freak over these!!!



Just tons of goodies, they wouldn't all fit in the pics!!! She spoiled me!!I also really wanted this color of homespun towel(it has a darker hue to it) I could never find one-- Just amazing what a blessing I recieved. Thanks again, Cheryl!!!!



Here are the items I made for Cheryl.Her catch phrase is "snatch joy".. so I had to include that.

Cabinets AFTER!!!

So remember the before?



and here is the after:

cabinet transformation

We have been working in the kitchen. This is what the counter and cabinet started out like:Yes, pink and pine. yuck!!!!
And the after? well....... You gotta wait a bit.

What would Martha do?

Sometimes you have something in your house that is just not the way you like it. I say.... Don't keep it like that..... Ask yourself "What would Martha do?"

Why do you pay so much for furniture and they give you the ugliest pillows in history to go with it? YUCK!!!!! These are the pillows that came with my furniture. Maybe good for some, but NOT for me. So I ask myself, What would Martha do? ......

/
I like these MUCH better.I just hand stitched new fabric to the front.



Now onto the family room pillows:YUCKY!!!!

Then I organized a really ugly corner in my basement into this:

I used what I already had so I am very pleased!!! The kids laughed when I was trying to screw the peg board on the wall. They said "you are supposed to push harder" DUH!!!! but I eventually got it. Now I have so many more areas to organize downstairs that my husband said" when can we have a family clean the basement day?"

Getting rid of country hearts

remember these star hooks from yesterday? such a quick and easy change.
Isn't this a beauty? Well not quite, I guess. But it would be awesome without the heart.

Use aluminum foil as a template.


Use the template to measure a board to cut out of paneling or very thin wood. place wood in postion, paint and finish.




Check out this awesome giveaway at willow bend prims::

TS finds and a couple tips-- and a shocking confession

hey y'all!! Don't you hate when they use "miracle adhesive" on labels? It seems the more you try to wash it off, the more it sticks!!Here is the solution:

Spread peanut butter on it! yup, that is right. the oil in the peanut butter loosens the label. Let it set, scrape it,..... spread the peanut butter back over it until all of the label can scrape off. yippy skippy!!! It works.


I went to TS yesterday and today.There is a new guy at the counter who is charging me less because he thinks I am cute. Here is the shocking confession:I feel like a Thrift Store whore. yup. i do....... hey but i will get over it....... look at the cute little things I found:$5.75for this:

$5.50 for this:


Disclaimer: I am not flirting with the clerk.

Finished game boards and some finds and gifts.

Yesterdays projects---- that was quite painful to make that chinese checker board.



I love this washboard, I bought it at an estate sale. My brother bought me the soap, sweet huh?

So I was telling grandma about the washboard, and she says"oh ya, I have one of those behind my washing machine. Go get it and you can have it" wow-- here is the one she gave me: It is about half the width of the other---- love it!!!!

transformations

Found a couple of treasures yesterday, and completed a few transformations this morning.
$1



$2 each


$1 for the red shelf, 75 cents each for the pineapple and the angel

$2 each


And the transformations so far: It feels nice to be getting things done!!!!

(sorry about the cord--- that is going to be a job for the boys)
I hung the little red shelf by the front door, and the rest will have to wait!!!

progress?

Well the progress I have made so far, which is not much. The front room is looking like we are getting somewhere. I am desperately looking for just the right rug(s). I hate the pillows that come with couches, and I am planning on making some new ones-- when some miraculous time falls out of the sky. Some things I plan on replacing with some prim items as I get them finished, again when miraculous time appears.
We painted this cabinet and hung it over the stove.


This is an eclectic corner on the stairwall. Some things I love, others will go. Thinking about painting the chair? I bought it for $5 and the little quilted cover for 75 cents.








Learning to eliminate some items thanks to my very honest friends, and I love honesty. So, I am NOT going to show it, but the kitchen table is currently stacked with other things I eliminated-- To achieve the "less is more"concept. Thanks girls--- maybe tomorrow we will have a discussion of if I look fat in these pants.

I frustrate myself!! Can I get some prim advice?

Ok, I had this shelf, my husband put the backboard and pegs on it for me. I wanted a larger shelf with pegs because I had found these candles that are 15 inches!!!(I have a couple more if someone wants to swap for something). I put so many things on the shelf, took them off, you know--- for hours. HOURS. Why am I suddenly hating everything I try? Help.
I moved this giant bench in( it came from that junk sale)--not liking this arrangement so much either!

here is another pic from that junk sale:

MY husband bought this cabinet for me. It was $10.



that shelf paper was awful!!! My husband picked out and bought these dishes to go inside