Random Things I Love This Summer

Things I love, like.....

The beautiful shapes and colors the sea deposits on the shore for me to find.  As far as the sharks teeth go, Neil seems to have the eagle eye for spotting them this summer.

The bright colors and shape of colors of new clothes before the sizing has been washed out.

Being the first person to flip through a brand new magazine with it's crisp pages.  *I'm the lucky recipient of bag fulls of magazines from my neighbor, and hers are almost like new, heck sometimes I think she never opened them.

Giving my feet a paraffin wax treatment.

Playing with all the fun, bold nail polishes available this summer.

Dipping my colorful toes in the sea and sand.

Having a basket full of swimsuits to choose from. *Secret...I still want more. shh - it's our secret.

Giving things away.
Speaking of which, my Hapari Swimsuit giveaway is coming to an end.  One lucky winner will receive a $100 Hapari gift code!  You can enter here, but hurry it ends July 20th at 11:59 pm EST.

Most of all I love knowing I can look for all the answers in the book next to my bed. Gods word is there for me in good times and in bad.  He will never forsake me or you.

Now I want to know what is something that you love.  Tell me what makes you smile.  Is it your kids, maybe your fur babies?  Is it your new flip-flops or an iced coffee?  Lets hear all about it, don't be shy...spill the beans!

Happy weekend y'all...

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

~ Jeremiah 33:3

Makeover A Pallet Into A Family Sign

With all the pallet inspiration floating around blogland I knew it was just a matter of time before I made something from them too.

Say hello to my family beach sign.  At least that's what it reminds me of.  Trying to pull nails out of old pallets is about as hard as it gets.  My solution, drag Neil into my project and get him use the circular saw and cut them apart. 

I wanted to make each one a different color and of course I didn't want to spend any money, so I just used what I could dig up around here.  Sorry but I didn't take a picture of the next couple of steps. I took the electric sander and roughed the paint up a bit.  Then I hand painted the names of the family with some acrylic craft paint.

I used the drill to make holes for the twine.  I marked the spots on both the top and bottom and drilled half way from each side to meet in the middle.

It worked.

I used one length of string for the whole sign and tied knots evenly (sorta) between each name to keep them spaced.

I've started with Neil and me, then my son and his wife and our grandchildren by oldest to youngest.

This thing's heavy, so we were sure to find a stud to nail the hanger into.  I used a small wooden thread spool with the nail going though it to make a beefier hanger.

To add the shells to the bottom, I brought out the hot glue gun.  I twisted some wire and made a puddle of glue on the back of each shell embedding the wire.  Then I could just thread the shells on the twine for a nice finishing touch.

I hope you like it.  I smile and think of my loved ones every time I see it!  All that happiness on a ZERO budget.  Money out of pocket = $0.00.  Everything I used was leftovers from other projects.

Thanks for taking the time out to visit me.  I hope you'll leave a comment so I'll know where to visit you too.  Plus, it just makes me feel so doggone GOOD when you do!

Hugs...Tracy ♥

I'm linking my new family sign up to the following parties. There are so many creative bloggers.  Just click on the party below and magically go there and check them out for yourself.

JAQS Studio

Ginger Snap Crafts

Night Owl Crafting

Fireflies and Jellybeans

Dragonfly Designs
Faded Charm
The Sasse Life
Creations by Kara
Sugar amd Dots
Seven Thirty Three
The Trendy Treehouse
Southern Lovely
Blue Cricket Design
The Shady Porch
Handy Man, Crafty Woman
Someday Crafts
Let Birds Fly
Somewhat Simple
Delightful Order
The Shabby Creek Cottage
Christinas Adventures
Beyond The Picket Fence
Thrifty Decorating
Chic on a Shoestring Decorating
Classy Clutter - Saturday Spotlight

I Hear Sleigh Bells Ringing, A Jing-Jing-Jingling too!

I think I must be spending to much time in the air conditioning.   Sugar Plums are dancing in my head and dreams of artifical snow drift across my mind all day. 

Of course the snow part could be more because of all the sheetrock mud and dust we're creating while we finish trimming out the new window frame molding Neil's added and preping the walls for a new paint job.  Yippee for new paint job!  Boo for the horrible mess mudding causes and all the work that we have to do including painting. 

But even if it's because my mind is to dusty to think clear, it doesn't matter.  I'm content in my wonderland of Christmas dreams.  I can't get that song out of my head.  But I know ya'll understand, you're crafters and July means Christmas!  It's the official planning season for Christmas and that season flies by.  So let the Jingle Bells Ring and the Spirit Be Bright because I'm dreaming of Tinsel and Bulbs  shining at night.

I love these paper music ornaments.  I can't  remember where I found them yesterday.  Maybe Pottery Barn, it wasn't on a blog.  But I'm lovin' 'em and thinking these might be fun to do.  I really love the frame ornament in the top picture.

Is this mercury glass ball pretty.  I like the attention to detail with the cap being antiqued.

I think this simple but oh' so elegant glass final ornament is stunning.

And this one's all ready for my tree.  It's already got the D on it for my last name.

Do ya'll have any idea's for creating Christmas ornaments for this year or maybe even one's you've done in the past?  I'm really wanting some ideas for beach or seashell ornaments and ornaments made with Cricut!  Please share, I would love to hear your ideas?  And have you seen or heard of any new trends for Christmas 2011?  Do tell!!!

Gosh, how I love Christmas.  I'm all excited about seashells and beaches and all of a sudden, like a bubble that thought just popped and it was gone.   It's been replaced by bright colors, shiney glittering goodness and I think I even smell the scent of pine.  But don't worry I can still make room for my turquoise and sand.

Oh' by the way, my computer is still being stubborn and difficult.  So if you don't see me post anything in a day or two, please come back and check.  It may just mean that I'm thrown it through the window or smashed it on the floor.  I'm so close now......

Hugs and love ya'll.........Tracy :)

Quote of the Day

Once asked about his life, Grant responded...

"My formula for living is quite simple.

I get up in the morning and I go to bed at night.

In between, I occupy myself as best I can."

                                                    ~Cary Grant

{For those of you who don't know it, he's the only leading man ever worthy of my dreams.}

Time to Get Creative

I found so many wonderful things this past week. I can't wait to get started. I've got a million ideas floating through my head. It's already past time to start creating for Halloween and Christmas sales but it's never too late. Take a look at this hugh incredible vintage photo button I found in an antique store. It measures 6" across! I love it! Neil thought I was crazy but it reminds me of the Wicked Witch of West in The Wizard of Oz when Dorthy saw her in the fortune telling ball. The round button and the way it's faded out really makes me think of that scene. I just love the way the hat looks just like a witches hat and I adore the aging on it. I think this is going to make a wonderful Halloween Banner or hanging with some orange and black crepe paper and some fixing up.

I made some new Christmas ornaments from a beautiful vintage sequin and beaded top I found awhile back at a boutique. I've just been waiting for it to tell me what to make. Hee-hee! These remind me of snowflakes. I absolutely love these aqua blue/green color and the glitz of the sequins. They smell so good I scented them with Japanese Cherry Blossoms fragrance. They would make great closet or draw sachets. I plan on opening my etsy store this week and these will be my first listing.

A few weeks ago I was apart of my very first swap when Sarah over at (click the link) http://gypsymermaidlife.blogspot.com/ Majestic Sea Swap, she just so happened to be my swap partner and I sent her a pillow that I made from the same top. OMG Sarah sent me some sweet items, a fabulous glitter sea banner, and this great "T" covered in seashells. She also sent a lovely aqua & seashell frame as well as a cute mermaid figurine. And can you belive it we both sent pillows. She even included a beachy metal tray for a sidetable with shells on it and a hugh sand dollar. You can see the beautiful things she sent me & I sent her here at her blog (click the link) http://gypsymermaidlife.blogspot.com/2009_06_01_archive.html.

Sarah's also hosting a VINTAGE SPOOKY TAG SWAP, see her blog http://gypsymermaidlife.blogspot.com/ for more details. I'll soon be posting more photos of some of the super finds from the past few weeks.