Where is The White Picket Fence?

It is Father's Day and I am blessed to have a wise and spiritual leader as the father in my family.  This guy often gets "understands" things I don't get.  This I will talk about later.  But first I want to give him credit for helping me raise our three children.  Imagine being single with two small children and wondering how you are going to provide a roof over their heads, stability and happiness when their home was yanked apart by that dirty 7 letter word, "divorce".  So what if I'm happier, what about them?  So after doing it on my own for about a year I meet their now step dad.  I say to him, "How do you feel about starting your nest with two children already in it"?  He doesn't only not mind, he embraces it and loves my kids as his own.  And then we had our youngest son, who will always be branded, "the baby"  Sure there were tumultuous days.  Wow...does anyone really live a life without these?  Which brings up the title of my blog, "Where is The White Picket Fence?"  To some, this question may leaving you scratching your head.  White picket fence, what the heck is she talking about?  Oh its just this little idea I had from growing up of how families are suppose to be.  Once upon a time, my spiritually wise hubby told me (let me paraphrase in my own words, cause I can't remember his, to be honest!)  We should not look on the surface of our homes, whether families "look like" they are doing things right (who really is fooled into believing someone has a perfect home...seriously?)  But what maters is the end result.  Does it matter whether us, or our kids make mistake after mistake, if God is using that to get us to a better place spiritually?  Isn't what is on the inside of one's heart (that we eventually learn to trust God and not in ourselves, prosperity, intelligence, fun or anything else)  Isn't this what truly maters?  So to my fellow strugglers, "Trust in the Lord and lean not to your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."  (my paraphrase from the Bible)  so tear down those white picket fences and embrace that barbed wire because it may lead to a better ending.  Happy Father's Day to all you dads doing the best you can!

Face Time

 

I wasted my Sunday yesterday.  I got on the computer about 3pm and wasn't off til 10:30 pm.  Then as I cleaned kitchen and made my husbands lunch, I got very sad.  My husband and son were now asleep.  I didn't do anything family oriented or spend "face time" with them since we returned from church. I am happy we went to church!  But I began to cry, not just a little but alot (i'm on new meds for nerve pain, get to that later)  I was sobbing when I went to bed and woke my husband.  He was so tired, he gets up at 4 am.  His reply was we will reassess this in the morning and see how I feel and he mentioned again that he thinks my crying is because of  my medicines. 
Sometimes he complains when I'm texting or on computer, yesterday I believe he was relieved.  Relieved because the last 3 weeks I can't stop talking. I also talk to my cats, my plants, a silk moth cocoon that I saved in a jar for my grandson.  I also am so energetic, almost ephoric, I am hypersensitve to sounds around me, more aware of beauty of life (I'm on a high).  I like this high, really, most of the time!  But come supper time or last night at bed time, I crash.  The energy, the lack of focus, it gets to me.  I get overwhelmed.  Then I cry or more like sob.  I feel like a 3 year old.  My emotions are at their peak and can turn on and off instantly! 
Back to wasting my time.  I am gonna try to be more disciplined on time I spend on electronics!  And the summer is OH SO SHORT.  I don't want to waste it.  My family is most important to me and even though they probably need a break from me, I want to be more present with them.  And hopefully get my meds changed (or off them completely) so I'm more normal again.  I was a little crazy, unfocused, hyper without them.   Just praying the depression does not come back!   I am getting Physical Therapy to help with pain management so I may not need meds, I'm hoping! 

Creating Stuff...Again

I made this book mark by first doing a rubbing of the mockingjay pin from the front cover (see below)  then I placed the rubbing on top of a paint color card (free by the paint counter) that was color cordinated with the book and traced the mockingjay so that it indented the paint card.  Then I was able to to draw the picture on the card with a smooth writing black ink pen.  I wrote Catching Fire at the top.  I And where the card had writing at the top (name of paint color) I used a hole punch to put punches at the top (which remind me of shotgun holes)  I then used a color coordinated thin ribbon and tied at the middle.  The back also had writing (eg paint types, etc) so I glued another card in a matching color, red in this case to the back.  And since this was a gift to to someone I put their name on the back. 

I actually found this wire in my husband tool box, but you can buy jewelry wire by most crafting aisles.  I have used it for many things, including a ring that I posted in an earlier post.  This was so easy and I did it while I watched TV.  I just hand shaped the wire to look like a flower, then wrapped the last of the wire around an object about the size of my finger (I used a fat toothbrush handle)  then I used some needle nose pliers to secure the band around the toothbrush.  It actually fit my ring finger.  I then used some gold metal spray paint but you could be creative and use any color. 

These "dandelions" I made from the same wire.  Simply again I just hand shaped.

This time after I spray painted them I added a bead.  

I had some plain, clear vases that I swirled some acrylic paints around inside.  I used blue, neon green and white to get this effect.  The paint was a little thick so I added drops of water and kept swirling around til mixed and got an effect I liked.  Pour out extra paint.  Then let dry overnight.

This lovely picture is my daughter wearing a necklace I made her for mother's day.  I used the same wire and hand shaped the words,.  The necklace hooks right above the L.  I used needle nose pliers again to make the hoop and hook.  The necklace reads, "Lies Between" and is a favorite band in which her son's daddy is lead singer.  Check the band out at https://www.facebook.com/#!/LiesBetween2012 

My grown children played on this play center, now my grandchildren do.  I always wanted to buy a climbing wall and never did.  So while working with my husband building a shed roof and saw the pieces of scrap 2X4s, I thought they'd make great foot and hand grips for a climbing wall.  We had the scrap plywood, about 5 feet tall.  I spray painted it to weatherproof it because it already had paint on it but I'd preferred to water treat it and leave it natural to match the wood of the play center.   However, it wasn't much off since the wood has weathered gray anyhow. :)   My 16 year old son sanded the pieces so there were no splintered or sharp edges and I spray painted them yellow for contrast and to match the slide.  We then arrange the pieces on the wall, drilled through the wood pieces and screwed tightly in place.  Making sure to sink the heads of the screws.  Pictures of grandboys using it to follow...They liked it.  And it worked great!

I had a big ugly t-shirt. I decided to make it more fitting. I used a no-sew idea.  First make the marks with a piece of chalk, before cutting sleeves and around neck. I then cut a slit up the back and made cross cuts on each side so I could tie them up the middle. If you are not careful tying all the little cross cuts you will have extra material and the shirt will be crooked. This I learned from experience. So this t-shirt was trial and error. :)

The back of the shirt.  I made the ties inside the shirt to hide.

I'm not so sure I liked this idea after I did it.  But I bought some Hammered Spray Paint in Bronze and did up my outlit covers to match backsplash.

This is the hubby's project.  He had a "Badlands" Sticker and took an old license plate and spray painted it also with the bronze hammered paint.  He let dry then added sticker and used a clear coat over the sticker.  He added this to front of his truck.  And if you're near Indiana you need to check out Badlands!  http://www.badlandsoffroad.com/?do=page&id=2

The top of this bathroom cabinet got pretty stained and nasty from hairspray and stuff.  I had left over sheets of backsplash tile that I spray painted and clear coated to match the bathroom.  I just cut it to size and stuck it down (it had peel and stick on back).  I then spread some putty between the cracks for a finished look.  I didn't have white grout but dry wall putty premixed with a little water on your fingers worked pretty good.  Just wipe off the extra putty when done. 

Ideas for Shower and Bath

I love this product but last time I ran out I made my own.  Baby oil mixed with a little alcohol (to keep the oil from weighing hair down too much) and some fragrant essential oils ( I like lavender)  Trick to using this.  When hair is very wet in shower, flip head over and apply a dime size amount to the strands and ends, leaving the top of head for last so not to get an oily scalp.  Then don't rough the cuticle by towel drying, just wrap the towel around you hair for a few minutes to soak up water.  after trying to use baby oil in place of anti frizz serum, I've experienced the greasies, I've tried new formulas with alcohol and more alcohol and still got greasies.  so I'd say this diy is a fail.  but still the application of this product as per said here is a great idea and has worked for me for a number of years.  I will probably buy this project again instead of making my own!  :)  

Again buying smoothing products for my curly frizzy hair can be costly, but if you have a little fragrant body lotion around, you can just rub a little into dry hair.  Again not too much.  Put some in palm of hands rubbed into hands, then rub over hair smoothing down the frizzes!  This has worked for me!  Yay!

Okay, I love these razors and will always use Gillette.  Other brands just aren't as good.  So I bought my Venus razor and I did buy these razor replacement pods with the soap on them.  Great idea.  But expensive.  So with two men shaving in my house I have to buy them razors too.  These can be upward toward $20 so I just buy the Gillette razors that are on sale (look for ones where the blades are interchangable) and before I shave I either run my razor through a bar of soap before each swipe or if you have liquid soap in a pump bottle just pump a little soap on there before you shave.  Saves buying and using shaving cream.  Less mess too! 

Okay three people shower at my house.  And we've done away with the old washcloth long ago.  And I so do not miss having those washcloths hanging in or over the edge of my tub.  So walla...three bath poufs.  The mesh dry faster.  They are only about $1 a piece at your dollar store   "You should toss a mesh bath pouf, which is more resistant to bacteria, after eight weeks [sources: Crean, Fitness Magazine]. If you want to be extra cautious, you can also disinfect your bath sponge every few days"~ http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/cleansing/basics/how-often-replace-bath-sponge.htm 

I attached them to shower wall with the Command Designer Hooks medium, that come in packs of two.  They really stay put! 

 I love an appricot scrub for deep cleaning my face and it smells great!  I also love the off brands of this scrub such as Dollar Generals.  It effoliates so I also recommend it for other delicate skin areas, like the hands that show age fastest and where as you get older you get age spots.  I also recommend to use or your chest, that also shows age from sun damage.  This scrub removes dead skin layer revealing healthier, fresher skin!

To keep your jewelry handy.  I also added a dish for earrings and rings.