Another FREE Printable & A Bear

Paying It Forward

I'm a big proponent of paying it forward, spreading good karma and the like. I also think it's important to say thank you. So, in keeping with that I'd like to say thank you for being here and thank you for following.

I've designed a lovely set of gift cards just for you!  They are based on my chinese lantern design, that was waiting to be turned into something special. Gift tags are it!

There are three different tag designs, and two different sizes......regular and mini.

So if you'd like to print these gift tags, just click on the image below and save to your computer or copy and paste into a file.  They've been designed to be used on an 8.5x11 sheet of paper.

You could even print them on a full label sheet and stick them on a present. Whatever you like my dear followers. It's all up to you! Please note: I am happy to provide these freebies to you, but for your personal use only. Thank you.

And, since I don't seem to have the capability to offer it to you as a pdf via the blog (still looking into that- if anyone has tips, I am all ears) , I'd be more than happy to provide it to you that way if you send me an email.

Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my.

OK, no lions or tigers. Just a bear. One bear.

Yesterday, even though it was Labor Day here in the States, I really wanted some 'creative' time. Which to me, isn't work. It's a happy place. So create I did. I showed you my You Are Here printable design yesterday (now available at Bates Mercantile Co.).  Today, introducing my latest printable wall art design......'Hey. Today is going to be a great day.'

That bear just makes me happy.

The best part is, I designed this illustration with a picture I'd seen of a real bear in mind, and the bear was sitting just like that. Too funny.

I hope you enjoyed the weekend in your corner of the world. Our weekend was full and lots of fun.

And 'hey. today is going to be a great day.' wherever you are, and here in Stratham. 

Tornado Alley..........ok, it's just my office

My office.......literally my 'little corner of the world'.......was out of control yesterday. Now I can be messy when I work, but it was looking even beyond my usual messy workplace.

Seriously. A mess. Papers everywhere. Stacks of who knows what. Wires dangling from behind my desk. Drawers open. Need I say more?

The saving grace was .......Can we talk?.........I got such a great deal yard sale-ing last weekend. I found a super duper plastic-yet-sturdy file cabinet on wheels. I just needed to take the time to move things from the box on the floor (to the left of my desk), to the new 'Caddie Boy'. That way, instead of dragging the box out of the corner when I need to get into a file, I can ROLL the file cabinet out. It rolls SO easily.

So I started to clean and organize.

I know, it doesn't look so hot in progress.

It is better, but still - I hate those obnoxious wires.

Aha, an idea..............I'll hang one of gram grams old table cloths to hide them!

No unsightly wires!!!!

The Caddie Boy fit like it was made for the space!!! Woohoo!

It now holds all the files that were shoved into the black box which was half the size.  And..........

It has a secret drawer up top that now holds my Bamboo computer pencil and pad. This makes me happy because it used to sit on top of the hard drive and I was always worried I was going to kick it off while crossing my legs.

There's more to do, but it is at least looking more organized.  I moved the 'black box' to the right of my desk and that now holds my etsy stuff.

Yes, that is one blank and boring wall in front of me. And not too much to the side either. The one in front is going to hold some shelves. I hemmed and hawed about that, since my pantry shelves are open, did I want more open shelving. I decided that was the easiest solution, and that you wouldn't really see it from the rest of the living room (my office is in the far corner) because the big screen TV will hide it. Also, Gar has these awesome industrial brackets downstairs that are just looking for something to do.

As far as the wall to the side, I'm planning on coming up with some display system for my artwork and things that inspire me when I'm creating.  Anything would be better than my current system.

Do you have a display system that works? Bulletin board? Plate rail? I'm thinking some sort of horizontal 'clothes line of sorts' (twine perhaps?) at different levels, and that I can hang artwork and inspiration off of with clothes pins or office clips.

Any suggestions welcome.

Hotter than Hades here. Can't complain. I'm inside with the hound and there is AC running. Gar, however, is right in the thick of it building a foundation, in the heat, with no shade. Oy. Vay. I'm feeling for him.

Have a wonderful Friday in your little corner of the world. I'm off to soak everything outside so it can survive the heat of the day. Did the same thing yesterday morning and had to do another round in afternoon because everything was wilted already. 

I know when I step out, it's going to be like walking into an oven. The thermometer is in the shade and it's already over 90 at 10 a.m. Phew.

Have I told you lately that I love my pool?

Leaf Me Alone, I Want To Play Dress Up!

An Update for a Very Old Dresser

You may know that over the past several years we put an addition on our home. Ourselves. Well, with a LOT of help from family and friends. Any renovation is challenging, to say the least. By the time you get to 'dressing' the new rooms, you've changed your minds about color a thousand times, many arguments have ensued ("we said we were going to put the door THERE, not THERE"), and the budget has dwindled to next to nothing.  What you find is, "Next to Nothing" can be quite inspiring.

Gar had been making use of a hand-me-down dresser from my parents since we were married. Before it became his, it was part of their 1962ish blonde bedroom set. Yes, you know the ones.  They had done a blue pickling technique after living with the 'blonde' into the 70s.  When it came to us, we painted it a deep red- almost burgundy. And it lived happily that way until the 'new master bedroom' was in need of something new to go along with the rest of it. But, alas, no budget.

We had incorporated things with leaves into our bedroom, like our bedside lights and our curtains.


Our leafy bedroom curtains.

 So why not the dresser?  I scoured the basement for paint and found some light blue-ish gray that was leftover from our bathroom. Love the color but it needed something else. Oh yeah, leaves.



I painted this puppy the light blue-ish gray I found in the basement. 
Sorry I don't have step by step pictures, I did this two years ago.  This picture really
doesn't do this dresser justice.

 I also found some white paint, went outside to find the perfect leaves, and painted the leaves and pressed them on the newly painted dresser. LOVE it!



The best was when the veining in the leaves really showed through.





As you can see by the burgundy showing through on the bottom of the dresser,
it might be time for a touch up.



The old, dark brass handles needed a lift too. Used chrome spray paint on them after cleaning them up, roughing them up and priming.



Here's another view. The leaves are sprinkled across the top of the dresser too.



This was a really easy technique. What took the most time was the drying time of the base coat of paint. This would be really cute for a bedside table, or whatever piece of furniture you want to spruce up. Of course, spruce have needles and not leaves so I probably could have chosen a better word!

Paint On my lovelies.


The Real Deal

Just wanted to confess. I did not Shark vac yesterday and it shows.  Furball alert! Nobody is perfect and neither is our home. But that's probably what makes it a home.
Full disclosure- you're not the only one who has tumbleweeds rolling across the floor. We do too.



Furball City under our dining table.

Welcome to the Real World.

Have a wonderful Wednesday.