My Christmas Present :)

This is my Christmas Present this year :) I am in love with it. I is now in my craft room and every drawer houses fabric. I couldn't be happier with it ;)

Here's what is on the top. A Doll Lamp that was one of my daughters. A Carousel Horse. And my Cabbage Patch Doll from 1984 :)  Love Love Love!

Happy Holidays :)  Toodles,,,^..^,,,Melissa

Handy Tips

Happy Holidays Everyone :)

Thought I would add some tips for things I do :)  I have little bits of several things and try and find ways to be able to use them all together to make a nice dinner table setting :)

I have lots of things but not lots of the same identical thing. This setting has 8 plates from 5 different sets because either I bought them second hand or a piece broke from a matching set. There are also 7 pieces of silverware from 4 different sets. I think they all go together just fine :)

Silver Cleaner :

1 cup Salt
1 cup Baking Powder
Aluminum Foil
Sink or Pan or Dish Tub
Mr. Clean Sponge (optional)
Hot Water

In your sink or dish tub line with alumnium foil sides and bottom. Pour in baking soda and salt and hot water half way. Place Silver item (silver plated works too) in mixture and the tarnish dissolves almost instantly. Take item out use a dish cloth or Mr. Clean Sponge (optional) and wipe off mixture and making sure if there's detailing that you get the tarnish out of detailing. Rinse and dry with soft towel.


Happy Holidays!! Toodles,,,^..^,,,Melissa

Homemade Yummy Goodnes

Thought I'd post some pics of some of the yumminess I've made the last several day :)

Cinnamon Rolls w/ Cream Chz topping

Dinner Rolls

So soft and delicious :)

Homemade Bread :)

Pretzels

Thanks for stopping by :)

Toodles,,,^..^,,,Melissa

Nov DT Wicked Designs Devious Debbie Digi

Hi Everyone ;)

Here is my second DT of Nov for Wicked Designs by Brenda. I am using the Devious Debbie digi.  She is so cute. I have put her on the cover an altered Golden Book that I am making for my grand-daughter to put photo's of her inside :)

She is three dimensional which seems to be my favorite thing to do. Debbie is colored with colored pencils :)  My pictures aren't that great and I apologize because they don't seem to pick up how cute Debbie looks fussy cut and thinking up her next mischievous plan :) ( Just like my grand daughter who is only 18mn but seems to always be thinking of something to get into ;) )

Thank you Brenda for the chance to be on the team. I hope my next two projects show the hard work you put into making these digi's :)

Toodles,,,^..^,,,Melissa

Christmas Has Been Cancelled!!

Sorry to everyone who was wishing to celebrate Christmas this year. Apparently there was a tornado that struck Christmas Land and took everything away and dropped it in my living room!

My big Christmas tree makes Charlie Browns look amazing  It's FLAT!! So much work to puff it out is ahead. Guess I'll be turning on all the fans and playing Christmas movies until it is rejuvenated by the cheer. Hope that works.

I didn't decorate last year and my Santa's are expressing their displeasure and my angels are frightful and my Christmas Village seems to have called in the zombies. It might just be the Nightmare Before Christmas around here for a bit  I'm going to need a month plus to make it all work 

But you know Christmas isn't cancelled because I love Christmas! I love the lights, music and the 100+ versions of a Christmas Carol and I plan to watch them all. We don't have to be drawn in to buying everything that's out there being sold. Couldn't afford to if I wanted to. I just like decorating and remembering all the great christmas' that I've had with my family.

So if a Scrooge is what you wish to be then do it if that's what makes you happy! But Christmas makes me happy!!

Have a happy day everyone! I'll think of you all as I bring life back to the forgotten Christmas Land that is now my living room 

Dining Room 

Living Room

Will take better pictures after the rooms are complete :)

Toodles,,,^..^,,,Melissa

Afternoon Delight ~ Nov DT Project Wicked Designs by Brenda

Hi Everyone :)

Today I have for you one of my Wicked Designs by Brenda Digi DT Projects for Nov. I used "Afternoon Delight" and I love her hat and was the inspiration for the project. She is colored with colored pencils and outlined with generic marker. The vintage crochet hat is from a thrift store as wall was the seam binding. The flowers are made by me :) Hope is inspires you to try out a new digistamp and make something spectacular :)

Toodles,,,^..^,,,Melissa

Busy Busy

Just wanted to do a quick update today.

Finished my second DT project for Wicked Designs by Brenda

Hope you'll check out the video and then stop by Wicked Designs and pick up some of Brenda's 

digi's. She just loaded a couple more the other day :) 

Here's just some pics of what I've made in the kitchen the last couple of days. When it starts to cool

off I like to be in the kitchen making something yummy :)

Homemade Hush Puppies and Fried Shrimp :)

Fresh Shrimp sauteed olive oil and fresh garlic over angel hair pasta :) Yum

Homemade tortilla shells, homemade salsa, home canned chicken :) Cheese is store bought sorry haven't learned that yet :)

Thanks for stopping by :)

Toodles,,,^..^,,,Melissa

Candy Shoppes ~ Cakes ~ Muffins! Oh My!

Hi Everyone :)

Been super busy the last couple weeks with canning and my DS turning 16. So much to do so little time :)

So let's post some pics :)

My DT project for Wicked Design by Brenda :)  Lolli loves her lollies :)

Here's a better view of Lolli sitting in the Candy Shoppe window :)

Vanilla Cast Iron Skillet Cake ;) Yum!!

Chocolate Chip Cardamom Muffins :) Another Yum :)

Thanks for stopping by hope to have some pics of some of the canning I've been doing next week ;)

Toodles,,,^..^,,,Melissa

It's Tuesday!!! Thought I should update my blog with some great news!

I'm a Design Team Member for Wicked Designs!! I've almost finished my first project this is my first time trying out and my first DT. So much fun :) Please check out Brenda's site she have really sweet digi's for sale :)

Projects for this week.

This was my project for trying out for the DT

I added clips to the back so my granddaughter could wear them as hair clips.
Both are my handmade flowers.

Thanks for stopping by :)

Toodles,,,^..^,,,Melissa

Hi Everyone :)

Last week was a great week got some projects done. Went to my mom's Sat. and gave her the card I made her for her birthday.

This is a picture of my mom taken in 1983. I grayscaled it and then used pastels to color in the hair, cheeks, flowers and some things you can't see because of the flowers ;) The flowers are handmade by me :) Some of the doilies and laces are vintage and the paper was Colorbok paper from Walmart :) She really liked it and I'm so tickled that she did ;)

I bought a vintage secretary desk w/ hutch on top at Goodwill. It was regularly $199 I got it on half price day and I had a $10 frequent shopper card so I got it for $99. I was going to paint it white but after getting it in my room today I've decided that the dark wood helps show off my shabby chic stuff better.

I'm not going to paint it but I do have to fix some scratches and make some minor
repairs and then I will sand and re-stain:)

Still plenty of room to add more stuff :)

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you again :)

Time sure does go by fast doesn't it? It's been a month since I posted and I really meant to keep up to date here. I shall try harder :)

I have been busy with different craft projects. In August I entered a swap over at myscraproom.ning.com the Vintage Shabby Chic box and mini album. My partner liked a Romantic Chic look and I think I did well in making that. She took the pictures after receiving my swap, guess it would have been hard for her to take them before she received it LOL, because I didn't take any as my camera was at my mom's and I didn't have a computer either. Thanks Bonnie :)

Here's the youtube video:

I made the box and mini album as well as the pin and bows :) I really like how it turned out :)

Then I started teaching myself to crochet. I made flowers, paci straps, headbands and a pin :)

Don't they look delicious?

Just the crocheted flower in the center did I make I added blushing and the vintage button :)
The rest is just to make the picture pretty :)

Lastly for today is the video of the Colorless Mini Album Swap I joined for Sept at myscraproom.ning.com :) This was a very fun Swap. The only colors were to be beige, cream and white. I think I did well sticking to the rules :)

Thanks so much for stopping by ;) Hope to have more entries more often :) Take care!

Toodless,,,^..^,,,Melissa

This is what I was working on while waiting for my new computer. Now that I've gotten it I've been learning the new programs :)

It's a wooden box from Michaels that I covered with paper and then on the top added foam and cover with material to make a pin cushion. I made the stick pin and the little crochet flower (I'm still learning crochet). Love it ;)

Well I have returned :) I'm hoping to get back to posting now that I have a new computer :) My old computer died a couple of weeks ago and my oldest daughter brought me a Mac that she didn't need. So I'm learning my way around it.

I have entered a couple swaps at My Scrapbook Room and have enjoyed those:) Will try to post pics of the various projects I have been working on :)

Thanks for stopping by :)

Shabby Chic Pink Heart Box

I had made this for a youtube challenge realizing too late that I had missed the deadline by a day :) So I'll save it for future use :)

I painted a paper mache heart shaped box a shabby pink and then decorated with pink laces, eyelet and beads.

My meanderings today have me working with Paper Crafts and making a Mini Album :)

This Mini Album measures 3.5 x 4 and I'm really liking it :) It's my first time making one :)

The rose on the the left I made :) I'm trying to only use items I have or can make from what I have and not buy anything else :)

When you open the left side it has a place for a picture and then room to journal. On the right the little card is removed from the pocket ;)

Also the right side is a flap and behind that is a Vintage Letter K copy. The little rose in the lower right hand corner I made and is smaller then a pencil top eraser :) Love it :) The tag comes out from the middle :)

Left side is the back of the card :)

The back opened and there's a place for a picture :)

I printed off some vintage pics of the letter K and made them into decorative cards. I am wanting to send this to Kristina who is Hostessing a Giveaway on Youtube :) It's my first mini and first challenge I hope she likes it :)

Here's a link to Kristina's Challenge Youtube Video if you would like to subscribe and enter :)

Good Morning :)

One of my favorite things is old vintage pictures where the color was added to the actual photo afterwards. I just love how they look the texture and feel. I don't have color in my printer but my favorite printer is a laser jet that only prints black. I've been wanting to print pics of my gran-baby and decided what better for my Vintage Shabby Chic room then a picture made too look old style :)

This is just printed on card stock, next time I'll use a textured one, and then I shaded/colored in with chalk pastels. I love it and now I just need a frame :)

Twigs & Rosettes

Here's the project from the other days Sneak Peek ;)

This is in my Vintage Shabby Chic room and I'm loving it ;) I may add more rosettes another day :)

Rosettes Wreaths & Sneak Peek

The last couple of days I have made several shabby chic wreaths and I'm loving them all not sure where they will go though :) But I've run out of wreaths so will be moving on to another project today :)

Tweed & Lace Rosette Wreath

Here's a Sneak Peek of what I'm working on now :)