Frugal Friday... Mail Organizer...Help Me!!

So I scored this little baby at the local antique/flea market, thanks to Mama.

I know exactly where I want to put it...on the wall outside our office! It will be used for important notes, bills to be paid, receipts, things to be filed.

My problem? I have no idea what color to paint it. I know the "Season's Greetings" has got to go, and I don't like the deep red, but I like the little deco on each slot. I have plenty of ribbon, but don't want to start with that until I know what color to paint it. Of course I want it to look shabby. Hmmm?

What do you think? Please leave a comment and share your ideas!

Bad Dreams

This morning I woke up with a pit in my stomach. That sick feeling I sometimes wake up with and for a moment I don't know why I feel so depressed and lonely. I had a bad dream.

Sometimes I have a terrible dream and my hubby has to wake me up out of it because I am crying. Once in awhile he is surprised to find that I am angry with him in my dream and I not so gently express to him "DON'T TOUCH ME!!!!!" After a few minutes I am fine and we laugh about it. I tell him all about my dream and secretly it makes me want to squeeze him even more because I know the things I dreamed are so out of character for both of us.

Don't get me wrong, I don't have bad dreams all the time. Just the other morning, I dreamed that I was chatting it up with Matt Damon. (nothing sexual...get your minds out of the gutter ladies). I don't even find him attractive, but it was quite the pleasant dream for some reason. Thanks Mama for calling and waking me from this one abruptly.

This morning it was not pleasant.

I woke up depressed and lonely. I dreamed that my husband had signed up for the Army Reserve without telling me. Ludicrous I know. The really bad part was that he had been called up to go for a tour of duty to Iraq. All I remember is telling him goodbye and being over at my parents home, they were consoling me. I was so angry with him. I was screaming and wailing and pitiful. In my dream, my heart was broken.

When I woke up at 7:16am. I laid there thinking about what I could remember of it. My mind started to wander. I started to really consider what that dream would feel like as a reality. I thought about what I would do without my husband everyday. I started to consider the real Mommies and wives who are waking up each morning without their husbands because they are serving.

I didn't pause enough on Memorial Day. I didn't think and pray as hard as I should have. I was just happy to have my hubby off of work that day, and home with us.

To all the women who wake up like this each morning. I'm going to start praying for you. I don't know what I would do in your shoes. I want this war to be over and for our guys to come home. To all the wives and husbands of these courageous men and women, I am thankful for your strength and sacrifice those soldiers can serve our country. So that we can have all that we do, that I take for granted.

WWFW....Cock-a-Doodle-Doo Decor, and More

This has been a whole week of Works for Me, more like Workin' Me Tail Off.

We finished painting our dining room. You can check it out here.

After all that painting, I decided I would hire an interior designer next time. He is really smart and oh so handsome...
He thinks we should go with Rye in the living room.

Maybe I should take his advice so that I don't have to re-tint and re-paint?

I am still working on the Baby Spoon Art. I am up in the air about the frame and yada yada. You can check that out here.

I guess the only "finished" project I have to share is This Cock a Doodle Do Decor!
So what can you do with one unused dinner napkin from Aunt "C"'s cookout...
that your hubby held onto because he doesn't like to throw anything away...
but you are glad he didn't toss it because it inspired you...





I love roosters, the decor variety, not the one's that wake you up way too early in the morning!

And what do you do with that same napkin and an old chippy, crackly fiesta ware platter that is just screamin' "deco me too while you're at it"...



And scoring this next baby at the local antique mall really Works for Me. Thanks to the Mama for purchasing it so that I can get my craft on!!!!!!!!!


I will be working on it for the next few days and hopefully have an update on the makeover in time for Frugal Friday Finds.

Spray paint cabinet here I come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wordless Wednesday...Lazyboy

Have you checked out he newest Lazyboy model?



The Wook was sad that this one didn't have a built in cup holder!

The Dining Room Dilemma

Our dining room used to look like this.



Then I got the itch to paint. Well, I've had the itch, I just decided to finally scratch it, with the Home Depot $5 off Behr paint rebate.

We (meaning me because DH really could care less. He cares but not that much.) couldn't decide between Corn Husk Green and Grass Cloth. Being the chicken that I am and knowing it would go on a little darker...I chose the first.

We were not home 30 minutes, before I was slappin' that stuff on the walls. I got all the areas above the baseboards DONE! Hubby was not amazed because he knows me and knows that paint was burning a hole in the can!

I looked at what I had accomplished so far, and my dining room reminded me of a baby's nursery!!!!!!!
I decided I should have gone darker with Grass Cloth.

What does a loving hubby like mine do? Tells me to call the HDepot and ask if they can change it. They can!

We load the Wookie in the car and run to HDepot with 15 before they close.

I want to thank Johnny at HDepot for rapidly re-tinting my paint, seconds before their computer systems automatically shut down at 8pm! Thanks to Johnny, and darling hubby,and let's not forget my master painting skills...........


The pictures do not do the color justice! It was exactly, exactly, exactly what I pictured in my head. And how often does that happen to this idealistic girl?

I *heart* squirrels....

So I know some of you haters think squirrels are nasty, pestery, little boogers

But I think they are adorable, feisty, and oh so charming.

I would have one in the house if the hubby would let me. Oh and he or she would be housebroken, wear dainty little outfits, and fetch me diet cokes!

Forget all that nonsense about them running cars off the road and eating birdseed and chewing on outdoor accessories. They mean well.

Today I stalked, I mean, observed two.



They were love birds, well love squirrels. I know what y'all are thinkin' and yes I know that its "that time of year".

Well there is my shout out to squirrels. You are welcome in my neck of the woods.

G-Mommy and Wookie's Garden...Part Two

G-Mommy, Wook, and Cricket riding out to the garden.


Getting busy...





So what's a boy to do after all that workin'?

Get a sink bath of course!

Frugal Friday....Baby Spoon Art Preview

On The Wook's first birthday...my lovely mother in law gave him this:


That is no ordinary spoon folks. That is the baby spoon my hubby's Grandma C gave him when he was born. My MIL sent it with a special note so that Grandma C could give it to Wookie for his birthday. I love special sentimental things like this! They make me all teary eyed and I go on about them forever!

I have been trying to figure out a really fun, creative way to keep and display this special spoon.
So I was just minding my own business, taking a looky-loo, over at The Nester's one day (well minding her business I guess) and came across her idea of framing a shrimp fork! Check out her other creative ideas here if you are not already an addict, I mean follower.

I took my time on this one. I knew it would come to me. Who knew I would find this little treasure WEEKS later a yard sale in Arkansas with hubby's darling Granny:


And for 25 cents who could pass it up?



Then I took that as a sign to get going with this spoon project thingy, so I promptly packed it up and headed to Michael's. Where I found the pretty scrapbook paper (50 cents) and ribbon (50 cents). That's the least I have ever spent in Michael's!


The Wookster's G-Mommy and Pop gave him his own keepsake spoon and fork set at his birthday party too!

So being the smarty pants that I am, I will be using all these very special utensils for a little grouping. Now I love a good grouping!!!! Yes, I bought enough scrapbook paper and ribbon for The Wook's spoon set too. Now if I can just come across another one of those oval frames. I guess it doesn't have to be oval and hopefully I don't have to go all the way to Arkansas to get it!

Well I am getting ahead of myself. Here's what I am working with and I hope to have DH's spoon frame complete by Friday.

The Garden...Part One

I cannot wait for my Mama's garden to get going. That means fried and stewed squash. Tomato sandwiches and biscuits. Zucchini and onions. Sweet bell pepper relish.

This year she will be getting a little help from The Wook.

G-Mommy and Wook are picking out their plants and seeds.




The came up with a plan.
Looks more like smooching than planning.


The Wook is in charge of taking care of any bugs!

Great Granddady...Wanna Race?

The Wook and I get to visit my grandparents often. They live about an hour away and we tag along with my mom to take them to doctor's appointments when we can. I can see how much joy playing with him brings them (who could resist him?) so I try to get by there as much as possible.

Last week when we visited, I realized yet again what a sponge my little one is.

Great Granddaddy is in his 90s and just in the past few years has started using a motorized wheelchair. He likes to take the Wookster for special rides. Wook sits on his lap and my Granddaddy drives him around, letting Wook push the buttons. Wook thinks he is making the chair go.

When it was time to leave, I put The Wookie in his stroller so that I could carry some things out to the car. We watched him as he played with this little red button on the front left hand side of the stroller. He kept pushing it and leaning forward like he was trying to make his "chair" move too! It was the most adorable thing I have ever seen.

Great Granddaddy watch out...it looks like Wook wants to race!