Wednesday's Wealth

I've decided to make Wednesday's Wealth about recycling. It could be things I find at yard sales or thrift stores, or things that are made from stuff we normally throw away. And it could be something that I haven't used for a long time and just re-discovered or re-purposed! My family loves to go yard sale-ing/thrift store shopping, so I should have plenty of fodder for this feature. Especially now that the weather is getting nice and the yard sales and garage sales are starting up again.

My husband and son have gotten hooked on the TV show, Storage Wars, where people go to storage places and bid on the contents of storage units that are not paid for. They get some really good deals, and they also get some real duds. Well, there was a storage auction in Eagle Point last Sunday, so they went to see the action in person. Boy, were they disappointed! There were only 2 units up for auction and neither one looked like it had anything good in it. But they enjoyed the outing and got an idea of what really happens when there aren't any TV cameras watching.

Later that day, my son and his wife went to a couple of thrift stores and came home with a like-new Rival pasta machine! It has all the attachments but one, and it's in really good shape. It didn't have the measurers or the manual, but I went online and found a blog that gave me all the info I needed plus a recipe! So it's all good. Now, THAT's wealth. Brand new it cost $100 or more, so for $15, they got an excellent deal.

Isn't she pretty?

Up there on top of the fridge with the pasta maker, you can also see what I think is my last bottle of very expensive Asai Berry Juice, given to me by a good friend. If you haven't tasted asai juice, it is very strong! So I mix it with another juice, like apple or blueberry, and freeze it into popsicles. They are the best tasting popsicles, and they are totally good for you. Now that's free wealth, thanks to Shelley.

I want to leave you today with the promise of a new tutorial coming up, which I think you will really like, and this picture I snapped on the way home last week, coming down the freeway. I love it here in Oregon. Everything is so beautiful and the sunsets are gorgeous!

I hope you find joy in your world, too. Aesop said that gratitude is the sign of noble souls, so maybe I'm doing at least one thing right. Have a good day, and see you next time,

Friday Friends!

Friday Friends! are Saturday Friends this week. But I've got some really good links for you today. I've been doing some reading and searching and found some new-to-me sites that I really like, starting with Blue Cricket Designs. Rebecca Dulgarian does a super job and has some really cute ideas for Halloween that you need to look at, but I'm going another route. The post I really like and wanted you to see is a post called "How to break into the blogging world." I found the information to be very useful, and she has a sense of humor that comes out in her writing. Stop by and read this post and then check out the rest of her site. It's super! http://www.bluecricketdesign.net/2010/03/how-to-break-into-blogging-world.html .

Next up is Becky at Infarrantly Creative. Now hers is an awesome site! I love recycling old furniture and other stuff and her Roadkill Rescue section is full of great re-dos. She is the mother of 2 small children and we all know how time consuming kids are, but she seems to find the time to share with us her great projects. I chose not a furniture project to share with you, but a recycling project that anyone can do. Here is the link for the tutorial for making a handy bag holder for you car or tote bag or beach bag, or wherever you might need one. So cute!

Find find it here: http://www.infarrantlycreative.net/2011/08/wipes-container-reuse-and-a-giveaway.html .

Here's another DIY'n fool. :)  Her name is Jaime and she has three children and a love for crafty things. She has some ideas that need to be checked out and here's one of them. I love love love these adorable treat bags, and she says they will hold 3 bags of candy! She made smaller ones for birthday party giveaway bags, too. Such a good mommy...

Check out her blog and all the great ideas at:  http://thatsmyletter.blogspot.com/2011/09/t-is-for-treat.html .

Now, before I forget, I finally finished my other pumpkin, the one with the book pages, and here it is.

Here's the front.

This is the back.

I put little eyeballs on the exclamation point.

And here are the two together.

 The book I used is kind of a funny thing. I found an old copy of the The Stand by Stephen King and I thought it was totally fitting. And...as I was tearing out pages, I found a page that told all about the printing, you know, the font and font size, type of paper, etc. And guess what? It was printed on archival paper!  My pumpkin will last forever! :) I gave it a light wash of orange to add just a little color and I really like the way it turned out. Now I just wish I had a mantel or coffee table to sit them on, but they look OK on the floor by the side of the TV, so it's all good.

I hope you are all getting in the spirit of Halloween (pun intended) and making some cool projects. Let me know if you are. I would love to have some guest posts. Until next time, think about this......Happiness comes through doors you don't even know you left open. Have a good one, Gramma G.