Littlebits Designs

Chesters and Critters

2012-01-04T19:21:00.000-08:00

I recently painted a piece of furniture for a couple of ladies starting a new business here in Nashville. They bought a huge farm just outside of town, and are turning it into a beautiful yet rustic venue for outdoor weddings and events. It's called Mint Springs Farm. They are still constructing the huge, fabulous barns, etc., but it should be open by fall. The piece I did for them is going to be used in their display at Bridal Shows.

I showed a piece from this same bedroom suite on my Facebook page.

It's a deep gray with a dark stain on top. This piece was in such good shape, it was a little tough to distress it.

Aaaaw. Look at that cute baby...

My mom thought I was nuts when I chose that pose for my son's one year portrait. It was just so him, I couldn't help it. Hard to believe he's taller than me now.

Here's another chest of drawers that I had at a flea market in the fall.

And just FYI..don't ever say "chester drawers" when discussing furniture with me.

Unless you're under 10 years of age, you should know by now that's not right.

Doesn't the pile of tires add a bit of charm?

And speaking of charming, let's get to the flea critters.

Ha. Gotcha anyway.
And I also got a good shot of someone seemingly stuck in the back window of a van in the background.

"It's a bad hair day, I'll just throw on a hat."

This guy was a vendor across from me several times. He cleans out buildings and businesses in Alabama.
If he ever starts to tell you the story about the time he cleaned out a strip joint...RUN.

He always wears a nice fanny pack. Being a flea market vendor is about the ony time I can think of that I have thought a fanny pack might be useful. Your money is safe and handy.

However, it just doesn't have enough storage for this guy. He also wears a crocheted bag across his chest. (It's under the arm with the cigarette)

And...

He carries a Vera Bradley backpack.
I know it's Vera Bradley because I asked him, and he seemed proud of it.

This guy was another vendor.
He told a very long story about how this hat cost him $3,000.
It involved a woman, and his getting drunk one night during a market, and waking up with all his money missing and wearing this hat.
And, he costs $13.00.

And, finally, the pizza man.

Somehow, this hot sweaty guy in a pizza suit didn't make me crave pizza.

Friday's Find

2011-08-19T14:50:00.000-07:00

I come across all sorts of things while searching for furniture.
Sometimes I like things for no great reason.
I've learned that if I go with my gut, and buy what I like, it all works together somehow when I put it in my home or if I decide to sell it.
I found this copper bowl at an estate sale.

The inside is really pretty, and looks like the copper vessel sink in my bathroom.
The little old ladies at the estate sale loading up on glassware and silver never gave it a glance.
I'm excited to see how it looks once it's polished.
Now, where to use it?

Flea Market Re-Wind

2011-08-18T18:49:00.000-07:00

I think most of these things are from the July fm, but a few pieces are from May.

I skipped June to go to the beach.

This was the temperature according to my car at some point on day one.

Granted, my car could probably qualify for social security, but this is one thing on it that does actually work.

This antique fan was a man magnet.

I didn't know it was a man magnet when I bought it, I have a perfectly good man already.

I put it out front, and I think every man at the flea market stopped to look at it.

They would get a little giddy and glance at their wives (...and often life partners...) when I told them that it worked.

The cord was a little iffy, but it worked.

It was used in a factory, and the cage was around it was for obvious reasons.

It sold for my asking price - to a woman. Ha.

A king sized headboard in blue.

A couple of shabby chic sconces on top of a rustic blue bench.

A cool old school chair from the 50's ( I have more of these!), and a wooden box.

Side table in blue.

A girls desk/vanity, and a lamp I made.

A simple little rocking chair in white.

Pink gingham memo board, and a small chalkboard.

A mission oak buffet.

This thing was a beast to move.

A vintage blue highchair. I painted the tray with appliance paint so it would be really durable.

Twin size, soft pink bed.

I don't have a lot of flea critter pictures.

It was really hot.

Cindy and I were a bit lethargic. I wasn't up for much of a chase, so I had to wait for some to come to me.

I wasn't disappointed.

I remember seeing these in a cheesy little catalog full of junk my grandmother used to get.

Can you see it on the lady that looks like she's asking for directions?

Aaaah, yes.

The umbrella hat.

I will never be that desperate for shade.

And I have hands.

I did not use the "mirror image" tool in photoshop for this next one...

That is 2 grown women in matching dresses and hair-do's.

You may not be able to see in the picture, but their bra straps were even the same.

I don't know if they were twins, I was too lazy to chase them down to find out.

Not that being twins would make it any less weird...

And, just when I thought I had seen the only woman in town with the guts to pull this look off...

...here came another umbrella hat.

Kim

I know what I did last summer...

2011-08-17T16:46:00.000-07:00

I didn't blog once this sumer.
I could give a million reasons why, but the truth is I spent time with my children when I wasn't painting.
I'm not sorry.

I'm ready to get back to it, so here's my summer condensed.......

We had a preschool graduation.
(which doesn't really count since she's going back to pre-school for one more year. Next year -Xanax.)

.

An elementary graduation.

Oh, my, did he ever hate the tie.

Notice my neighbor turned photo bomb. His daughter looks on in embarrassmnet.

We had a sudden, totally unexplained swollen eye one day.

I leave the kiddos with the husband, my daughter's eye swells shut.
Go figure...

Lilly's Dear, (my mom), taught Lilly how to sew a button.

Her fingernails were wonderfully grime-free for this close up.
Sweet little hands...

We went to the strawberry patch.
It's in the middle of nowhere.
Well, in the middle of nowhere next to a really strange, mid-century modern house that looks like the Jetson's.

We had a mom and her 3 racoon babies living in a tree in our backyard.

We watched them, or they watched us, while we would eat on the deck.

See the eyes?

We went to the beach with my family.

It is seriously my favorite week of the year.

Lilly and my dad.

My kids with their "depression era" stares.

You're at the beach, smile for pete's sake.

We roasted marshmallows (covered in sand) on the beach.

Lilly and Baker fought over the ipad.

Sometimes they shared.

Lilly had a birthday too.

We had a pool party.

The weather was perfect, and all her friends came to swim and get sugared up.

A lot of my friends live for throwing a birthday party.

I'm not in that club.

I like 'em short and sweet.

This was a fun group of moms.

School had to come back around and ruin it all.

Thanks, Baker for the goofy look.

Tomorrow----some actual furniture pictures and this summer's flea critters.

Kim

http://littlebitsdesigns.com

Crafts that make you go hmmm...

2011-05-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

I know that my job is "crafty". I don't mind being called that. I paint, I sew, etc. - so it fits.

I do not like it when people say, "Are you still running your craft business?"

It sounds like they think I'm sitting around with my glue gun putting pom-poms on toilet paper tubes.
(Let's be honest if they would sell - bring on the pom -poms....)

So, instead of refurbished furniture or painted canvases, here are some crafts you will never see me make.

A bracelet from a shirt cuff and ugly buttons.
Goes great with mom jeans.

I don't even know what to say about this.

I guess they would rather use the glove to hold the flowers than wear it to wash the vase.

Yes. You read that correctly.

They used DRYER LINT TO MAKE PAPER.

I shudder to think what all those little bits and pieces in the paper are.

My grandmother always put her dryer lint in the backyard "so birds could use it to make nests."

Was she crazy too?

I've never worn a tie, but I'm pretty sure this is a bad idea.

I don't think taking a client out to lunch, and pulling your Visa from your tie would be that impressive to the other guy.

"You like this? My wife is into crafts."

I remember these. They used to be wearing crocheted dresses. My friend Candy received one once for a gift when she first got married.

Does that make the little old lady that made it a 'Modern Surrealist?"

Littlebits Designs

Pictures in this post were gathered from Dollar Store Crafts

Monday Make-Over

2011-05-02T11:59:00.000-07:00

I asked readers to ignore an ugly lamp in my last post.
I don't think it's ugly anymore...

The shiny brass bottom is gone.
Was shiny, shiny brass ever in style??

Sometimes you just have to look at things for their shape and potential.
I used an oil based primer so the paint would stick to the metal, then layered on 3 different colors, one coat at a time.
I finished it by sanding it, and adding a clear, matte glaze.

Can you see the little bits of french blue, and ecru peeking through?

I topped it with a simple linen drum shade.

Last year,I wrote a post here when my oldest son and I went to the flea market together.
He found these signs, and just had to have them for the new room he was imagining in his head.
They've been jammed between the freezer and wall in my garage for about a year now.
We decided to hang them this weekend, (his room's coming along at a snail's pace). The one way sign had a big bend in it that I couldn't get out, no matter what I tried.

But....I came up with a solution.

We ran over it with my husband's big truck.

Over, and over again.

Until it was flat.

Littlebits Designs

Coins and lost shakers

2011-04-27T19:08:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of a desk I recently finished.

It's from the 30's from what I can tell. It has all the original, brass hardware, and it weighs about 500 pounds.(well, it feels that heavy).

When I first got it home and cleaned it out, I found this.

A really weird coin with a swastika.
Well, it's supposed to be different from a swastika. I guess the lines are going in a different direction than the nazi symbol.
No matter which way the lines go, it still looks evil to me.
I looked it up, and these things are on ebay for $35 -50.
Guess it's going on ebay - backwards swastika and all.

Remember my enormous salt and pepper shakers from my recent post here?

As I was cooking tonight, I couldn't find the salt.

This is where I found it.

Why????

I wil never understand my children.

Littlebits Designs

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Adios, Pedro

2011-04-19T20:20:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this from my "safe place". We're having some pretty strong storms coming through our area, so I've been watching the local news, which is non-stop weather reporting.
They name towns or cities that I've never heard of.
Today they mentioned Hoodoo and Bugscuffle.
I did not make those up.

Between the rain, I've gotten ots of frames finished. I love the large white one. It's marked 'Ethan Allen 1910'. I don't know how acurate that is, but It'll make a great chalkboard.

Ignore the crazy ugly lamp, that makeover will be up soon.
The box it's sitting on is an old cheese box. They are typically all wood. This one had this great metal edging that has a sort of pie-crust effect.

Cool, huh? This is the lid. With a bit of sawing, I made the bottom into a twin. Not sure what to paint on it though...

I posted a piece on facebook last week, but thought I would show the before.

It was a plain, poorly stained, 5 drawer dresser.

I painted it in Porter Paint's ecru, and topped it with a wanut tinted glaze.

These croquet balls have nothing to do with the dresser, but I like the picture.

We'll say it shows the finish up close....

What are all the kiddos looking at so intently???

A super mean looking turtle.

He was NOT shy. He didn't go into his shell once.

I 'm no turtle expert, but he looked eager to bite a chunk out of a small finger.

The kids plyed with him for hours.

He wandered into our backyard.

I bet he'll never do that again....

If he does, we'll recognize him.

They named him Pedro, and begged me to write his name on his shell.

I hope Pedro likes blue, cause it's permanent.

Notice the live bug in his mouth??

Charming.

For once, I think they listened to me.

They look a little wary of losing a finger.

He ran away during the night.

Adios, Pedro.

Littlebits Designs

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Jewelry boxes and ramblings...

2011-04-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

These little packages are actually jewelry boxes. The larger ones stack together, and have 2 little compartments that are lined with pink felt. The smallest one is just a good old fashioned little jewelry box. I think they would be cute with a monogram on the top stuck into a little girl's Easter basket. (Any little girl but Lilly - she has 3 former sample jewelry boxes

already.) Thhe large ones are $10, the smaller one is $8.

Do you love these too?
My neighbor, Beth, has threatened to steal my salt and pepper shakers for a while now.
They're shiny, pretty blue, and huge.
She has shaker envy.
Here's what they looked like before. Before I bleached, boiled, and painted them.

Well, lucky for Beth, I found a set for her this past weekend. They aren't as big as mine, but they're close.

I got something interesting in the mail this week, from Lysol, of all places.

This book came with a lovely letter congratulating me on my new arrival. (???)
I haven't had a baby since 2006.

I love the phrase under the title, "From Birth to Reality".
If that was really the basis to the book it would be pretty short.
The reality part would begin the day you get home from the hospital, and could be summed up by saying,
"You will never ever get enough sleep ever again.
You will no longer spend money on yourself.
You will lose much of your dignity doing things you promised yourself you never would.
You will turn into your mother.
Welcome to reality.
The end."

Part of my reality is that Baker has a great dislike for 'play clothes'.
He prefers shirts with a collar.
He rarely goes without a belt.
My oldest prefers the homeless look.
I pick my battles.
This is what Baker came up with when I asked him to change out of his school uniform into play clothes.

Aaaahhh. Mixing plaids. It's an art form. Clearly, one we have not yet mastered.

When I asked him to change into a shirt that matched his shorts, he put on stripes.....

.....and took off running throught the basement when he saw the camera.
It's blurry, but I 'gotcha.

Last, but not least, I had another surprise visitor.

Another bird.

Baby Canvases and Ugly Clothes

2011-03-11T18:04:00.000-08:00

I started this post WEEKS ago, so before posting anything new, I wanted to publish this one. The pictures are a little out of order, but I'm too lazy to change them. I had an order for a few canvases for a baby girl's nursery. The mom-to-be wanted to keep it pretty classic and simple with a large monogram.

She also expressed her love for sheep, so I put them on the two smaller ones.

I have this thing for scallops. (The shape, not the seafood). I think they are so sweet without being too fussy.

Can you see the 'feathery' details in the sky behind the 3 sheep?

Thankfully, my customer was thrilled, and sent me pictures after they were hung.

The bedding doesn't realy show up in this picture, but it is adorable. A couple of different shabby chic cotton prints.

Last year I posted about a weekend trip to Cincinnati here.
I wanted to post some pictures from this years trip.
We went to Gabriel's, my favorite place for cheap clothes. The catch at Gabriel's is that you have to look through some crazy stuff.
The crazy stuff is much more fun to blog about.
Mom found a t-shirt with an enormous Icee. Slurpee? Slush Puppy?

Whatever it is, it's 'yummy'.

Aaaawwww. Look at the little baby one on the back.....

These cannot qualify as shorts. They're more like denim underwear. Daisy Duke would blush.

Not sure what Nike was thinking. Gold + velcro?

Nothing says classy like a yellow cheetah print shoe with a four inch heel and zipper.

I considered this shirt.
My 11 year old told me once that I am so short, it's a little embarrassing to him in front of his friends.
I'll show him embarrassed when I show up in the lunchroom wearing this....

Cindy, my super -secret, never before revealed in pictures friend from my flea market posts (here, here, and here) found the worst item of the trip.
The ugliest leggings I've ever seen.
She was kind enough to try them on.

But , due to some holes in strategic places, she wasn't really ready to step out and model. You will have to settle for a peek of her leg.

Next, we went to Ikea. (My mom is taking the picture.) Her photography skills have improved significanty from last year's post. I love Ikea.
I found this wool blanket I love.

While I'm not crazy about this pillow, I like the color combination for Jackson's room. In the spirit of my beloved flea critters, we had a sighting at Gabriel's. Here is Michelle. Michelle is hoding up a totally normal shirt. It's a decoy. The real action is the lady in the background.

At first, we thought maybe she was trying the glasses on and looking for a mirror. But, after she shopped, and shopped wearing them, we figured something else must be up.

I really enjoyed the group we had this year.
Cindy can find a Goodwill store better than my TomTom.
Natalie gets carsick just like me.
Michelle and I like to swap recipes.
Paula reallllly doesn't like Skyline Chili.
My mom is as awesome as ever.

Sadly, as we checked out at Ikea, Cindy got a phone call that her mother-in-law had suddeny passed away. We headed home right away.
We are planning on going again next year, and, hopefully, it won't take me six weeks to write about it...

Black Dresser

2011-03-10T09:13:00.000-08:00

Last week, I posted a black dresser for sale on my Littlebits Facebook page.

One of the mom's at Lilly's preschool emailed me that she thought she wanted it.

She came by to see it in person, and picked up on Tuesday.

She was nice enough to send me a picture of it in it's new home, under a fireplace opening in the master bath.

Um, Shannon, I think your bathroom might be bigger than my kitchen.... :)

Littlebits Designs

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-09T13:50:00.000-08:00

(all photos courtesy of Awkward Family Photos)

Pretty Bird

2011-02-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

A couple of things I learned over the weekend:

1. The more you value something, the better it tastes to your puppy. The otttoman I painfully re-upholstered must have been delicious.

2. My Baker can argue, pretty convincingly, that Scooby-Doo was actually the bravest one in the gang.

3.Birds are sneaky. They can get into my house somehow without me knowing it.

4. Kids grow up waaay to fast.

Baker turned seven this Sunday. To add insult to injury, he also lost his first tooth.
No, I didn't skimp on a cake, he wanted donuts.
I'll tell you about the bird in a moment.

First, pictures of stuff that left here recently.

Burlap covered shade with handpainted monogram.

A couple expecting their first baby brought me a crib just like this one....

...and it went home like this.

A birthday plate. I did a wedding plate for this girl a while back. Waaay more than 9 months ago for those of you that like to whisper about that stuff.

A little girl baby plate.

Here's today's bird.

I posted about a different bird here.

Lilly was playing with her new babydoll.

As I walked across the room, and a bird swooped over my head.

Naturally, I screamed.

Lilly looked panic stricken, so I shooed her up the stairs empty handed.
She realizes she doesn't have her doll, and starts screaming, "My baby! Save my baby!", like the star of a Lifetime movie.

When the bird is gone, she tells me "I'm so glad the birdie didn't eat my baby's face."

Is she watching Hitchcock and Lifetime movies in the middle of the night?"

I'll never know for sure .

Littlebits Designs

From My Phone

2011-02-22T19:33:00.000-08:00

Last year I took a little weekend trip to Cincinatti, OH. I wrote about it here.
This weekend we get to go back, and I'm super excited. I'm trying to finish up a lot of furniture before I leave, and hopefully I can post pictures when I get back.

I've had a bunch of baby gift orders come in this week. So many babies being born right now. What was going on last May/June???? Did I miss something?

Can you tell this is a bow hanger? Don't you love the nail hole in the picture I was too lazy to photoshop out?

I was going through my phone today, clearing out all the pictures. A lot of the pictures I take are to send to Todd. Just random, daily little stuff, especially when he is out of town.
I thought I would share a few.

I saw a couple of things at Lowe's I wanted to remember.

I think this galvanized light could be really cool in the right place. It could be painted, and even re-wired to plug-in, instead of being hard wired. The price is perfect too.

I thought this table lamp was really great too. I was thinking of it for Baker's new desk (pictures coming very soon), but I went with something I already had. I think this one was under $30 as well.

The dog wearing a t-shirt.

I think he's saying, "Get me out of here."

That t-shirt wearing puppy also likes paint. This is one of the legs of the table seen here. I was painting it, walked away for a moment, and he had licked off the paint.

He also stares at me. I thought this was cute, so I sent this picture to Todd saying so.

A short time later, I sent him this picture with a few choice words about HIS dog.

There is a story to this blurry house.

We pass this house every day going to and from school. The man that lives there is very regularly out on the porch smoking in a very fluffy, comfy robe.
But, the robes change.

He has a green one, and a blue one. We even saw him out once with his wife, and they had on matching white robes. (the short ones....eeewww)

I can understand wearing your robe at 7:30 am. But 2:30 in the afternoon? Weird.

The carpool kids have named him "Robe Man", and spotting him is like seeing an endangered species - very exciting.

We have attempted to take his picture so many times, I swear he knows my car and takes cover. He was out the other day, and the kids begged me to circle back around the block so they could get his picture. He slid inside the door just as Jackson took the picture.

I hope he's not a crafty blog reader.

Everybody Likes Fried Chicken

2011-02-07T20:07:00.000-08:00

With another snow day, and a husband in Orlando this week, I haven't really gotten as much done as I would have liked. But, I got pictures of a thing or two.

I painted a family cookie jar.

With the name on the back. (Or front, I guess, depending on how you turn it.)

See Mom's cute pearl necklace and earrings?

I always sell these around Mother's Day.

Take the hint, plan ahead.

One Christmas, I made one for Jackson's teacher with all the students on it. She was able to save it from the flood that devastated the school last year.

Lilly fell in love with this lap tray when I painted it for a birthday gift. I have painted literally thousands of these, and my daughter uses a a gross old green one with nothing painted on it.

She requested a pink one as a valentines gift.

I painted this before Christmas, but posted a picture of it on my Facebook page to sell the other 3 I still have.

And, in the family way, my kids have been doing a little artwork themselves.

These pictures were hanging from the stairway ceiling this morning as I made my way to the garage.

Sorry, Jackson. Cute drawings from your siblings, clever placement, and even the fancy handwriting won't keep you home today.

You know an 11 year old boy really wants something when he busts out the semi-cursive handwriting.

Speaking of writing....

Lilly wrote some of her name in purple marker on Jackson's desk.( Luckily, I am planning on painting it soon anyway.)

I noticed this as I was putting away Jackson's laundry.

Could of been worse. I've never met anybody that doesn't like fried chicken.

Littlebits Designs

Farm Table Before and After

2011-02-04T09:14:00.001-08:00

I recently found this table, and I loved the shape. This is the only before picture I have. It was about 5 below zero every time I worked on it, so picture taking was way low on my list. Somewhere below thawing out my toes and fingers.

I painted it in a black, distressed finish, and added a couple of coats of polyeurethane to the top. The new owner has 2 kids, so I'm assuming there will be lots of wiping in it's future.

This next photo was taken at a weird angle in the back of Todd's truck. Thus, the odd placement of the car in the bottom corner.

I wish distressed furniture had been the style when I was little. I remember my mom fussing at us for scratching up the kitchen chairs with the buckles on our shoes.

That sounds really old fashioned doesn't it?

Littlebits Designs

Pillows on your bed or your head.

2011-01-19T19:43:00.000-08:00

I'm smack in the middle of a big ole mess. Baker is moving into Lilly's old room, Lillyis moving into Baker's old room, and all of the 'decor' (I hate that word), from Jackson's room is being moved to Baker's new room.

Confused??
Me too.

I do know that I'm painting Jackson's room gray. He wants it to be "cool", so that seemed like a good place to start.

I'm thinking grays, some brown, creamy white, and pops of color in the pillows, etc.

I'm leaning toward some orange, and maybe a little bit of blue.

I'm in love with pillows from Jonathan Adler.

I'm hoping to mimic them, not pay $98 - $165 a pillow.

They're graphic and simple. Jackson even gave me his approval.
This one was his favorite.

We both liked the peace pillow too.

While looking through the images brought up in my google search for "Jonathan Adler Pillows", I noticed this lady with her pillow on her head. I thought it was odd, but I moved along.

Then I saw these.

Ummm, Did I miss some sort of running joke?
Is putting a Jonathan Adler pillow on your head sort of like taking your picture in front of the Eiffel Tower so that it looks like a hat?

But, brace yourself, this last one was the worst.

This photo was titled "Meditation" . Not what I would have named it....

Yes. That guy is totally nekkid.
(I threw up in my mouth a little while photo shopping over his "personal space"...)

Yes. He has a big fat guy in suspenders and an untied shoes as his spotter.

Yes. That's a Jonathan Adler pillow under his head.

Google Search with care my friends...

Littlebits Designs

How much can I cram into one post?

2011-01-11T13:42:00.000-08:00

Since I haven't put up a blog post since October, I'm going to try to cram in a couple of months at once.

I had a space at the flea market in October. It was sooooo crowded. Crowded with shoppers and vendors. I've never seen anything like it.

I think I got stumped, and just painted everything pink.

If you look closely,to the right, you can see one of the school desks from my trip with Beth to the mile long yard sale.

I sold lots of furniture. And, thankfully, everything that didn't sell, I sold once I brought it home.

I couldn't skip the flea critters...

As usual, my photography is horrible. But, as usual, I was trying to be sly. This lady had an interesting hair style.

All I could think about was Pepe Le Pew.

Okay, you have to look really closely at the next one. I was literally hiding while I took it.

Brave I am not.

Where else, besides the flea market, could you see a the mad hatter and a biker style santa playing checkers under a huge propeller.

I'm just sayin.

Next was Halloween.

I love Halloween, and I'm disappointed every year at how rushed I feel. It's such a busy time of year for me. I would love to have the spookiest house on the block. My sister and I alternate neighborhoods each year for trick or treating. This year was our neighborhood.

The werewolf, soldier, and cowgirl belong to me.

Our kids like spooky movies, ghost stories, etc. (NOT gory or violent stuff, just spooky).

They asked us to take them ghost hunting, so we did. (Making us either really awesome parents or really bad ones.)

Here they are, all ready to go.

Todd took his amp meter (used to test voltage, etc.), telling the children it could detect ghosts.

There is a very old, very spooky, huge cemetary not far from us. We drove in the gates, and as soon as we started up the pitch black hill, Lilly wanted to go home. The boys, however, were still into it.

Todd would slow down, and roll all the windows down. A few times, he and Jackson got out and took pictures.

Baker stayed in the car, but played it cool.

Lilly had long since lost her cool, and stayed in my lap.

Once we were deep into the cemetary, Todd decided to pretend he was lost while the "ghost detector" went wild.

The boys were officially no longer into it.

Once we were on the road home , they were instantly super brave ghost hunters again. They're already asking to go back. Even Lilly.

A few days after Halloween, I travelled to Knoxville for a sale.

Melia, my neighbor that makes adorable clothes, went too.

She had a 3 week old baby with her.

She was a trooper . I was tired, and I only had Todd to look after.

This was a Jr. League of Knoxville sale, and they were the nicest group of women I've ever worked with.

They helped us load and unload. They brought us food and drinks.

They even helped us set up our space. (That could have been because they felt sorry for us--we were a little slow and confused looking during set up)

We sold lots of frames, memo boards, and clothes.

How can you go wrong when you are just a few booths away from The LAST Glue You Will Ever Need??

The following week was Christmas Village.

I don't have any pictures. I don't even remember why I didn't take pictures. It might have something to do with forgetting my camera due to lack of sleep and not really caring anymore.

I have pictures of last year here. That'll have to do.

Christmas came quickly. Not sure why I took a picture of the room before I finished decorating ....

My kids got all kinds of stuff they didn't need, and I enjoyed every minute of giving it to them.

(notice it's still dark outside....)

We had a white Christmas! I don't remeber having one before...

That handsome man is Todd grilling the Christmas steaks in the snow.

We had a special visit from Todd's parents, and for the first time in 16 years, we didn't travel to Ohio.

Why??

We got a puppy.

A sweet, little cuddly brown puppy named Barnaby.

A sweet, little cuddly brown puppy named Barnaby that had no control of his bladder.

At least when you potty train a child you can do it in the comfort of your own home.

I'm pretty tired of standing out in the yard in my pajama pants and coat begging him to pee.

But, I love him anyway, and every boy should have a dog, right?

Just like every little girl should have a pink cap gun and holster of her very own.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Pants, frames, a map, and my soapbox.

2010-10-17T10:59:00.000-07:00

I know my busiest time of the year has begun when I look down at my hands and arms in church, and realize I really didn't get all the paint off. That I still have some random smears of stubborn paint, in a variety of lovely colors, still clinging to me. When I feel compelled to explain to everyone that I really did take a shower - even if it doesn't look like it.

I've been finishing pants.

Well, Mom and I have, with a little help.

Working on some new frames.

And doing piles, and piles of the old regulars.

I've always liked this room. It would be great for a playroom, or for a boy's bedroom.
I think it's the cool map that pulls it all together. (There is a distressed, turquoise-ish dresser on the other side of the room).

I found this map at an estate sale. I think it would be a great place to start for a great room.

It hung over a gentleman's workbench. I loved that it still had the pins in it, marking where he had been.

He clearly had an affinity for the south, and Canada was not on his bucket list.

He spent some time in Europe. I'm thinking WWII vet?

For some reason he went to Iceland.

Lilly's been doing more than just helping us sew.

She's been drawing on her face.

"Make-up" according to her.
"Angry Eyebrows" according to me.

I scrub off the final bits of the Star Wars tattoo the boys put on her bellybutton, and now this.

I know this is random,but, I saw this ad in a magazine, and it just seems so stupid.

Is it an ad for cologne? A dating service? No. Countertops.

What the heck does this scene have to do with countertops??

Are they trying to convince men that if they just get Silestone counters, hot women will appear in their kitchen? And why 2 women?

Truly, trying to figure out this ad took my thought process down a path I didn't want to go down.
Our children have enough to face in this world. Why must everything be sexualized?

Sorry. I'll get off my soapbox.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Flea Market 3

2010-10-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

I'm super late in getting this post up. Like, 2 weeks late.

I thought I would start out with a few of befores.

Here's a shot of some flea market goodies put out to dry.

Here's a highchair before...

A vanity.

Here's the vanity after. The mirror goes with it.

A little pink step stool.

A vintage pink baby bed that I did a terrible job of photographing.

A little owl canvas.

My flea market helper covered in the snowcone supplied by Cindy.

Cindy will have to remain a mystery again this month, I still don't have a picture of her.

Highchair after. Notice the sold sign...

A bedpost close-up.

Set of boxes.

Blue table with bali-twist legs.

A bed in the same blue, and a little pink rocker.

Black coffee table with some stuff on top. I wish I had a before of this one. It was pretty bad.

Lilly is busy shopping Cindy's jewelry.
Cindy is a total sucker for kids, and Lilly usually ends up in a necklace she likes.

Flea critter time.....

This man looked a LOT like Abe Lincoln. He was almost impossible to sneak a picture of, his wife had some sort of super senses, and kept looking at me whenever I tried. So we have her to thank for the fuzzy, far away photo from behind the bed of a truck.

This lady was riding a pink bike in a big pink sombrero. She seems to be complimenting the passerby on her pink top.

Jorts? Check.

Leopard boots? Check.

Leopard purse? Check.

Leopard vest? Check.

What's missing? You can't see the creepy doll she's carrying around.

It was big, in a pink dress, and had dangly feet in little white shoes.

She must have bought it at the flea market, otherwise I bet it would have been dressed in leopard

Notice how close up this is? It's because I totally ambushed this lady. I literally hid behind a car and jumped out to take her picture, and ran away.

No hug for me.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Monogrammed canvases, etc.

2010-09-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

I'm scrambling around here like a crazy person, so this will be short and sweet.

Here are 2 monogram canvases I finished last night.

The larger one is for a super sweet little girl named Anniston. If you read Beth's blog, you've seen her.

The other is for my neighbor Melia's baby, due in a few short weeks. Melia is the neighbor that makes ADORABLE kids clothes. She brought me a bag full today, and if I wasn't so beat, I would post pictures of them tonight. Check her stuff out here.
Her little boy is one of Lilly's favorite friends. She almost always includes Hudson in her prayers. She sometimes includes every other 3/4 year old in our zip code, but Hudson is a constant.

Here's an antique panel for over another baby's crib.

And here's a memo board in an antiqued, vintage frame. It's covered in burlap.
You really can't go wrong with natural burlap.

Here's Lilly and Hudson in full on cowboy mode. I got a few other really cute shots of them, but you could see waaaay too much of my ~~crap~~ stuff I'm working on.

Lilly asks me almost every day , "Is Hudson's baby out yet?"

Thankfully, not yet, I've got to paint the mural....

Littlebits Designs

Another chandelier makeover...and Baker's point of view.

2010-09-13T19:46:00.000-07:00

Yes. It's another ugly, brass light fixture. They're cheap, and they have lots of potential.
You can view others here, here, and here.

First, here's the little ceiling cover thingy.

I HATE trying to take pictures of these light fixtures. You just can't get a real life shot of them.

I hung it 20 different ways to get different angles.

If you follow my neighbor's blog, you'll have the pleasure of viewing her trashcans in the background.

This light is for a little girl's room. I bet you never would have guessed that.

I made more metal flowers, birds, and leaves. (just for you Jenni Chapman :)

Sweet little bird.

Beth's trashcans.

I think the shades for this will be the green of the leaves.

A few more angles....since I went to the trouble.

Baker brought this home from kindergarten today. It was not my finest parenting moment.

Never, ever bust out laughing when your child proudly hands you his/her artwork. He was emotionally bruised. (but not anything a few M&M's couldn't fix.)

We're all there.

I just didn't realize I married a really short, black man. With glasses.

I do, however, appreciate my long skinny legs.

Sweet little budget nursery

2010-09-10T06:07:00.000-07:00

How would you feel if I showed you this lamp and said, "I found a great floorlamp for your nursery!"
Luckily, my friend Heather trusted me to turn it, and a car load of other stuff, into a sweet nursery for her new baby girl.

Heather is very frugal, a trait I seem to gravitate to, so we sort of challenged ourselves to do this on a dime.

I insisted on a very neutral pallette. I think that if you keep everything clean and simple, all the fun little details are highlighted.
We painted the crib and changing table a linen color, and she chose a chair in a similar color.
All the curtains and bedding are done in whites and creams. We chose fabrics that were wide off the bolt, giving us more fabric to work with. I think the cost of the fabric for the 2 window panels, dust skirt, bumper, and trims totaled around $75.

The light fixture we worked out in a trade. My neighbor had this fixture, and it was black. Heather had the fixture seen here, before it was a carrot. (If you're wondering what the heck I'm talking about, go to the link, I promise you'll understand).
I had them agree to trade, since each other's fixtures were more suited for the other's project.

I made some metal flowers and leaves, and covered some shades in fabrics amd ruffles left from the curtains.

A flea market frame, re-worked a bit, now serves as a memo board or bow hanger.

For now, since the baby is only 1 day old, and has no hair, we hung the pacifier clips her mom has collected.

The curtains were hung on simple white rods with white rings.

Rarely do I buy something and do nothing to it, but these I left completely untouched.

Well, except for the little clips that were attatched to the rings.

I hate those things.

It's like hanging curtains with clothespins.

If you can drive a car, tie your shoes, or use the microwave, then you can thread a needle and sew on a curtain ring.

And, because I try to have a Bible verse in every room I do...

The one and only print in this room is this toile. The trim is actually vintage, recycled from an antique bedspread I used to cover a stool in my bedroom.

Here's the lamp from the beginning of my post.

I got to use my hacksaw on this project. One of the neighborhood kids was over as I sawed the useless arms off the lamp.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

My response - "What, you've never seen your mom using a hacksaw?"

End of discussion.

A made a little nest for the bird to sit in.

And, I love, love, love this shade.

I think it's my favorite thing in the room. I'm excited to make more.

I painted a taupe tree and leaves behind the crib, and a sash with the baby's name.

I covered a light with pillow scraps. This will provide just enough light for middle of the night changes and feedings.

The bumper is scallopped along the top, with a tight flat pleat ruffle.

The skirt will adjust as the crib height is changed.

Satin bows tie on the bumper, and trim out the skirt.

There's no doubt who this bed belongs to.

Blue birds add a touch of color.

Flowers made from - you guessed it - fabric scraps, dress up the branches.

I wanted to post a picture of the baby with the nursery pictures, but she was a 9 1/2 pounder, and her mom is recovering from a c-section. I won't bug her for a photo.

Friday Fives with the neighbor

2010-09-02T20:13:00.000-07:00

I haven't done a link up post in a while, but this one was easy for me.
Beth's question, "What are 5 things you ALWAYS have in the fridge?"

1.Olives or pickles.
You never know when you might need a salt/vinegar fix. It happens around here.

2.Coca-Cola
Every time I say how much I love Coke, someone gives me the little speech on how bad they are. I KNOW THEY ARE NOT HEALTH FOOD. It's not like I kick back with a keg of coke on the weekends. Moderation is key.You drink your morning coffee, I'll have my soda.

3.First Aid Peas
Nothing soothes a bump on the head, (or a vasectomy incision, ask Todd how he knows that..) like a bag of frozen peas. Just make sure it's clearly marked as first aid. You don't wanna be eating the peas your father -in -law used on his lower back with your pork chops.

4.Leftovers we will never eat.
I can't bring myself to throw away that half piece of grilled salmon - but I can't bring myself to eat it either.

5.Sparkling water.
Because no matter how much I love a coke, buttoning my jeans is much more satisfying. Thus, the calorie -free- bubbly -water -coke substitute.

Mooching Creativity

2010-08-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

I didn't have anything profound to say or show today, so I thought I would direct you to someone that did.

Oops, I Craft My Pants

Has there ever been a better name for a blog??

She shows a quick, simple way to make a colorful cover for your cell phone (not that I would ever get around to it, but it seems like a cute idea if you've got the time.)

Nashville Flea Market #2

2010-08-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

It was another flea market weekend. My 2nd. I have to say, as the weather cools, it seems to be more fun. Last month it fell on the hottest weekend of the year. It was my first FM vendor experience, and my first time to cry from heat.
So, this month, my friend Cindy went with me. If she ever gets her blog up, I'll link to her. 'Till then, she's my mystery friend because I have no pictures of her. Cindy can handle the heat, likes cool old stuff like I do, and never wants anyone to cry alone. She also loves some good people watching - and there's no better place for that than the flea market.

I took more large furniture this time, and i sold it all!!

Well, all but this twin size red bed.

Cindy made these necklaces from chandelier prisms. Very cool.

Random little metal candle holder with scallopped edges. ( I really don't think "scallopped" is spelled right...)

If you've read my blog before, what do you notice about this picture????

The answer is here.

I love this vintage lamps. I pulled the one with the little angels aside - Lilly loves it.

Humpty found a new home.

I usually monogram these ribbon trimmed shades in the background - but I don't monogram at the FM.

Blue frame. I've got some bigger versions of this for my open house and CV.

What little girl doesn't need a pink jewelry box?

Evidently my little girl. I paint them all the time, and she has a white one with a broken lid.

There must be something offensive about this big polka dot frame. Everybody looks at it, but I brought it home again.

I know it's not the price - I had it cheap. It's gonna get a total makeover.

Pink side table/nightstand with the ghost of my finger in the corner.

My favorite thing this weekend was this table and chair set. I love the base of this table, and the shape of the chairs. A cute, little pregnant girl bought it. My neighbor will be sad, she was in love.

This blue headboard was a king size. It was the same robin's egg blue from my last post, but without the antique glaze.

It was U-G-L-Y when I bought it.

I think I could have sold 10 of them.

Now, on to the human interest portion of my post.

The flea critters.

Let me preface this by saying my "neighbors" were all very nice. Interesting, but very nice.

The couple next to us, would occasionally put a big tarp over their van, start the engine, and get inside for a while.

I have no idea what they were doing. I tried not to think about it when the man emerged from the van looking disheveled and dazed. Cindy had some ideas...

This guy, also one of God's children, had a most unusual mullet.

It had stripes, and lots of volume.

I was really disappointed in how the next picture turned out. You can't see the rope this man had tied to his daughter.
I understand toddlers and child leashes. I even linked up to a funny post about them here.

This girl was not a toddler, and he used a rope.

With a huge knot.

He tied it to his belt loop.

The little girl kapt getting frustrated. and dropping back behind him. He just kept yanking on the rope.

Cindy, who is also the director at my kids' preschool, was mortified, and sent me running after them for a picture.

That's all I've got. Now, back to sewing Christmas stockings...

Black and Blue

2010-08-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

I started this blog post last Sunday night.
It's Saturday.

Last week I finished some furniture for a fabulous lake house. The homeowner is the client of a designer I love to work with. I love her style, and , lucky for me, she likes painted furniture.

She gave me a couple of inspiration photos/fabrics. The one below is from the master bedroom, for 2 pieces in blue.

Here's a few shots of the furniture before.

I'll admit, part of the reason this turned out so well is because the furniture had great lines, and was in good shape to begin with. They were pieces from the homeowners family.

The markings on the furniture said 1958.

I painted the long dresser a distressed black, for a guest room.

Poor photography, I know.

I painted the hardware black as well, and used an umber glaze.

I rubbed a coat of wax over the entire piece for durability.

For the night stand and tall dresser, I painted the hardware a creamy color.

Thank you United States Postal Service for the free box I used to protect my desk.

If you work for the United States Postal Service, I promise I don't make a habit of it.

I used a robin's egg blue paint for these, topped with a grayed down tobacco glaze.

The hardware was lovingly "beaten up".

The shower curtain in the master bath had a simple bird print, so I pulled it out for the side table.

I really love this paint/glaze combination.

This picture is to show the frame.

Not hot young men loading said frame.

I promise.

My husband, (also hot and young ) made the frame for the mirror. We used reclaimed molding, and I added the red finish. This will hang over the long, black dresser.

I'm loading my August Flea Market photos. I'm hoping it won't take me a week....

I saw some serious good flea market critters, and snagged a couple of photos on the sly. I'll share soon.

P.S. Don't forget to click on my "like" button if you are on facebook..I want to get enough folks to do some sales and giveaways. Pleeeez.

New Facebook Link

2010-08-21T20:45:00.000-07:00

I've added a new little gadget to my blog ...

If you are a Facebook user, click the like button to the right.

I started a Littlebits Designs Facebook page, and I will run specials that are first come, first serve, and exclusive to Facebook followers.

Don't worry - I don't farm, work for the mafia, or play bejeweled.

If you don't Facebook - you 're probably confused by that.

If you do FB, you know what I'm talkin' about....

David Hasselhoff. Knight Rider. Am I showing my age??

No, I didn't watch Happy Days in prime time. But I loved me some Fonzie in the reruns.

Wordless Wednesday

2010-08-10T20:59:00.000-07:00

An all time favorite.

Flea Market 101

2010-07-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

I always shop at the flea market. I had never sold anything at the flea market.
A crowded workroom and garage encouraged me to give it a try. (Well, that and getting a lump sum tuition statement for my boys' schoolyear that made me want to drink bleach).

Here's a little taste of what I took - and, happily, didn't bring home.

Table and 2 chairs with pink birdies.

Random signs.

Memo board.

Stepstool.

Pink distressed frame with 3 openings.

This frame is much bigger than it looks in the picture. I actually did bring this one back home.

8 x 10 frame sitting on a side table I forgot to photograph.

A box and a bowl.

More signs. These suckers sold out quick. Who knew? I'll be making more.

Suggestions for witty phrases are always welcome...

Big memo board.

A teacher bought this for her classroom.

Vintage baby bed. I made some pink toile baby bedding to go with it.

Love my boys...

Robin's egg blue frame with teeny tiny opening.

Random stuff. This humpty dumpty lamp I love. It's from the 60's, and I love it's new color scheme.

One morning, after making the mistake of leaving humpty exposed on my desk, I awoke to find him with only one arm. I interrogated my kids as to where his arm went.

Lilly looked the most guilty.

I asked her very nicely where she put "the arm"?

She said "the big trashcan".

That's not really what I wanted to hear. Knowing the trash had been taken out, Todd and I spent a very romantic 20 minutes going through the garbage.

95 degree heat = super duper stinky garbage.

We didn't find it.

Pressed tin framed mirror, a pink wicker rocker (with pillows to match the cradle).

After sitting outside on the hottest weekend of the year( really), I came away with an education in the different species of flea market shoppers.

Some, like myself, just want some cool, old stuff.

Some want serious antiques.

Some want tube socks and out of date Avon.

Some just want to walk their dogs and shop simultaneously.

Some want to show off their tatoos, and tell you all about them.

And, some just seem like they might want some crack, a strong antibiotic, or maybe a defense attorney.

In the end, I sold pretty much everything. I think I might go back.

I found Humpty's arm. It was no where near the trashcan.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Kids on leashes

2010-07-22T08:17:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge blog reader - I just don't have time. But, when I do, I want to laugh or learn to make something.

I am a huge fan of Crafterhours. The blog post yesterday on child leashes made me laugh out loud.

If you've ever had a small child bolt from you, giggling all the while, you'll get it.

I don't know much about the women that write the blog, but if I ever met them I'm convinced we would surely be friends.

Littlebits Designs

Tomboy

2010-07-18T19:40:00.000-07:00

Early in the summer, I spent hours on end painting our treehouse.

The treehouse sits under a walnut tree that drops something that leaves dark stains all over the wood. Instead of fighting the stains, I chose a paint to match them- a very dark chocolate.

(Just after publishing this post, Todd informed me that what the walnut tree is dropping is actually walnuts - who knew??)

I like that it looks like a "cabin".

Of course, I had to paint a sign to hang over the door. (call me if you want one too :)

Jackson and Baker wanted it to say "No Girls Allowed", but, for obvious reasons, Lilly disagreed.

She whined because I wasn't painting it pink, which actually makes me happy. As hard as I try to make her girly,sweet, ladylike, etc., there is no denying the influence the boys have over her.

I find the signs of it everywhere.

Like.....in her silvery, glitzy purse (that matches her ring).

It's Scooby and the gang.

My sweet baby girl is hoarding matchbox cars in her purse.

She played quietly.

At least she didn't host a pretend demolition derby.

And, yes, her foot is dirty in the picture.

Her sweet little blue playhouse has been invaded by the army.

There's one lone, dead, indian on the lawn, and there was a man to man battle on the balcony.

Looks like the guy with the gun beat the soldier with one hand.

Guess who moved into My Little Pony-ville??

Two Ewoks, Mr. Crabs, and Barbie's dog.

Girl Power!

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Cribs, frames, blah, blah, blah...

2010-07-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

I am up to my eyeballs in ~~crap~~ stuff to paint. I've probably sustained brain damage from the paint fumes inhaled over the past week.

My life is so glamorous I can barely stand it.

Nothing makes you feel more like a lady than sweat and an overspray pedicure.

Some random frame pictures found while cleaning up my CF card.

This girly frame was actually a tin frame.

Painted mat...

...with a big monogram...

and a distressed red frame.

Speaking of distressed - that's exactly how I felt yesterday when my Baker , a sweet six year old with a strange sense of humor and enormous vocabulary, made a girl cry.

Evidently, she told him he was a lousy checkers player - so he told her "Well, your mom has a hairy chest."

Where the heck did he come up with that?

He tearfully apologized to her dad, and I scurried away before the mom had a chance to ask what happened.

We had a long talk about being kind to others, and a checkers lesson.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Nursery Chandelier Before and After

2010-07-11T19:39:00.000-07:00

Another ugly, dusty, brass chandelier. They're everywhere.

This light needed to be transformed to hang in a nursery for my friend Melia. A nursery decorated in soft blues and greens, with some bunnies here and there.

I love bunnies, and painted them in my boys' nursery.

My mom thought these were big, gangly, hungry looking bunnies.

I guess she pictured fluffy, fat, soft bunnies.

I love them.

I was sooooo fat when I painted these guys. I had to sit down and rest every five minutes. I guess that's what you get when you wait till you're 8 months pregnant to finish your nursery.I almost hyperventilate when I think of painting over them.

I overhauled a lamp for my bunny room years ago by turning it into a carrot.

I decided to take that idea, and apply it to the chandelier.

It's hanging a little crooked, but I had to hang it from the deck to get a picture.

Her shades match her bedding.

I'm going to be painting some bunnies in her nursery, so I hope to post pictures of the chandelier in place.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

What to do with a busted beach ball.

2010-07-11T11:18:00.001-07:00

***** It has come to my attention that this post has somehow been added to a bloglist for adults - if you know what I mean - this is a FAMILY FRIENDLY blog. If you are looking for anything except a craft tutorial you will be very disapponted.*****

Okay, first of all, this tutorial is waaay out there. Even for me.

It was a fly-by- the seat-of-my-pants project. I had two 10 year old girls at my house, and they had played with Lilly all morning. (freeing me up to do other things)

I owed them one.

They wanted to paint something. I've been down that road before, and know that 5 kids+paint=headache.

So we settled for making something for their grandma. (They call her Ma-Mu. I have no idea if that's spelled right).

Here is the busted beach ball that was in my garage waiting for a patch it was probably never going to receive.

I cut 2 sections of the beach ball into strips, then sewed the short ends together.

Next, I ran a basting stitch up the center of each strip (longways), and pulled it to make a ruffle.

Note: Sewing machines do not like beach ball plastic.
I know you could do this with fabric, but I was thinking of the entire finished product being waterproof.

I sewed the ruffle (right sides together) on tothe cuff of a pair of dishwashing gloves.

These gloves were a size small, and surprisingly tight.

I happen to know that Ma-Mu recently lost over 60 pounds, so her new, skinnier arms should slide right in to her new gloves.

Hopefully, this post didn't scare you off, and you will come back again. My next post won't be a prom dress out of a slip-n-slide. (But that could be cute, right?)

LittlebitsDesigns.com

School Desk Makeover and Serious Roller Coasters

2010-07-09T20:00:00.000-07:00

A customer of mine brought me an old school desk she had been keeping for years. She wanted it re-painted for her son and daughter to both use.

That can be tricky.

In case you've never noticed, boys and girls like totally different things. There is no great way to incorporate footballs and Cinderella into one tasteful piece of furniture.

So, I decided to go with the green/brown combination. In my opinion, brown is one of the most versatile colors out there. It really works for boys and girls - and green is gender neutral too.

Stripes and dots make it youthful.

A mix of girlish and boyish bugs.

Todd and I are all smiles in this picture.

You would be smiling too if you had just left your kids with their grandparents for a full 36 hours.

We spent a saturday at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio. It's the roller coaster capitol of the world, and it's right on Lake Erie.

Oh, yeah. I rode this.

You have the choice of being dropped from the top, or sent flying from the ground up.

We chose to be dropped.

I have a fear of heights, but I tried to pretend I didn't for a day.

This is the Millenium Force. Probably not a good idea for us height fearing folks.

Todd said I didn't even scream, I just moaned or squeaked occasionally throughout the ride.

Here's the downward view.

Next up: Top Thrill Dragster

This thing is 420 high.

Straight up.

Straight down.

Here's the view from the top.

This thing went 120 miles an hour, and only lasted 17 seconds. when it came to a stop, my eyes were watering, and I think may nose may have been running, but I was so stunned I barely noticed.

The first ride we went on when we got to the park had this patch job.

Duct tape and a missing screw. We didn't notice until the end of the ride, thank goodness, and, clearly, we survived.

Between rides, we enjoyed a little people watching.

I love people watching.

This whole "pants on the ground" thing has always confused me. It can't be comfortable. It certainly isn't functional.

Surely thugs realize they can't get away from the po-lice with their belt around their thighs.

But, if you're gonna do it, take a hint from this guy.

If you're gonna show the world your drawers, make 'em flashy.

And make sure the bling on your belt matches.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Twas' the night before church camp....

2010-06-26T18:41:00.000-07:00

We dropped our oldest off for his first week of church camp on Sunday.

Despite my near depression over leaving him, everything went well.

Well, other than some of the other parents laughing at my OCD style of packing. (...and bed making, and sanitizing...)

Everything was in a ziploc, and I labeled everything from his toothbrush to his box of band-aids. For his towels, I moved beyond the Sharpie.

I bought a pack of iron-on knee patches from Hobby Lobby for $1.49.

I typed Jackson's name in word, and printed it on paper.

I then taped the patch, shiny side down, to the paper over the words.

I then ran the paper back thru the printer.

I got better at this on my second try. I was able to turn the patch, and fit the names on them twice.

All I had to do now was cut them out, and iron them on. The heat from the iron as you adhere them will set the ink.

I think i'll iron these onto anything and everything. Lilly needs some pink ones....

Just as a little extra, here's a bowl my mom brought for me to paint. I think it came from Goodwill. It was unfinished wood, and I painted it green. She wants to use it to stash some of the vegetables my dad brings in from his garden every day . Since they can't eat several pounds of tomatos, squash, cucumbers and peppers each day - they can at least look pretty in this bowl.

I mixed some stain , and rubbed it on in a circular pattern.

And, of course, I had to distress the edges. What would a painting project be without distressed edges??

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Flowers, critters, and lazy wine drinkers.

2010-06-24T19:30:00.000-07:00

I'm a bad, bad, blogger.

Summer has me in a bit of a time warp. We've been so busy, time slips by, and before I know it, I've gone a week without writing anything.

Not that you've missed me.

I've been wanting to try making a fabric flower out of scrap fabrics. I finally tried it while the kids snacked on sugary cereal and watched television.

You do what you gotta do.

I made the flower to match a little polka dot skirt that I had scraps from. It looks like a really huge corsage in this picture. It's more balanced out when you can see all of her head.

I'm not sure what emotion this is.
Spunky?
Inquisitive?
Angry at me for taking her picture without brushing her hair or insisting on shoes?

Earlier in the day...

What are these guys looking at?

This little guy.

My dad is a big gardener.He has trouble with critters sneaking in and eating all his veggies. If they made a deer sized cage, he would have one. Almost every morning the kids want to know if grandaddy had anything in a trap. If he does, we have to go take a look.
While trying to satisfy the midnight munchies - this racoon was lured into one of the traps.

Before you get all excited and call PETA, let me say he takes all critters to the nearby lake, and releases them.
Even possums. (opossums??)
Well, with the exception of skunks - but I won't get into that.

I let each of the kids take a carrot to feed the racoon.

Lilly got greedy.

Next critter...

The new baby calf.

For some reason, the momma cow (or, as my dad ikes to say, heffer), refuses to nurse her baby. My cousin and her grandaughter came to give him a bottle. A BIG bottle.

All of this critter interaction takes place down the street from Nashville International Airport.

I love Nashville.

I snapped this picture of Baker, my shirtless wonder, because I love his curls, and I'm about to get him a haircut. It's cute dry , but when it's wet at the pool, he's sporting a serious mullet. Jackson won't stop saying "business in the front, party in the back", and I'm afraid he's going to catch on to the joke.

And, finally, I spotted this advertisement in my Atlanta market guide.

How lazy do you have to be to wear your wine around your neck?

The phone number is clearly visible, and you can order one if you too hate to use your hands while drinking.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Friday Fives

2010-06-17T19:21:00.000-07:00

Top Five songs

This was a tough one, I love music. I've never really been into 'top 40' type music, even in high school, so don't look for any boy bands or J-Lo. I miss having the time to listen to music like I used to. The CD from VBS doesn't count as me listening to music, as far as I'm concerned.
Here's a few...

Lovely Day - Bill Withers

I have always loved this song.

A Little Less Conversation - Elvis Presley

This is not my favorite version of this song, but this video was to good to pass up.
Some things to look for:
1) The hokey computer thing. I guess they figured that's what the future would look like.
2) Girl in pink dancing like Elaine from Seinfeld.
3) Redheaded man,in a silky brown vest, breaking out his white man's overbite and best limbo moves.
4) An old guy making out with a young blonde (eewww :p )
5) A groovy dude in a silky blue shirt, jeweled medallion, and a black shawl. Yes, a shawl.
6) Oh, yeah, the middle aged playboy bunny.

Come To Jesus - Mindy Smith

I like lots of Mindy Smith songs, but I had to pick one. Download "True Love of Mine" right now.

Least Complicated - Indigo Girls

I love a good harmony with acoustic guitar. I saw the Indigo Girls open for REM when I was in 8th grade, and I was more impressed with them than REM.(I will not reveal what year that was...)
There are a couple other of their songs I thought about listing, but the videos just showed them as lesbians in mom jeans. So, I went with the one where they are mostly in the dark - it wasn't as distracting.

Spotlight - Mutemath

I never get tired of this song for some reason. It makes me pick up the pace on the treadmill.

I had to add a sixth one. Jack Johnson.

Other favorites:
Glenn Phillips
All American Rejects
Nickel creek
The Sundays
Barenaked Ladies
Muse
The Doors ( my kids love The Doors too!)
Better Than Ezra

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-16T08:29:00.000-07:00

How to make a quickie hammock

2010-06-14T19:51:00.000-07:00

My kids are my top priority- but I have to have time to complete work for clients.

Summer is a tough balance. I love that my kids are all out of school/preschool, but I would be a total liar to say that keeping them entertained is easy. I have a wide age range. I can't tell my 10 year old, "Go play in the sandbox with your sister."

I struggle to find ways to keep all three happily occupied, even if only for a little while.

Out of the blue, the boys decided they really wanted a hammock. Right now.

I called around, and the cheapest thing I could find was $99. I don't think so.

So, I pulled out some heavyweight fabric I had. I measured the distance between the two trees I wanted to hang the hammock from. I cut the fabric this length plus 6 inches.

The fabric I had was 54" wide, so I just left the finished selvage edge.

I used the added 6 inches to make a casing on each end. I sewed this seam several times for strength.

I bought this package of 2 lashing straps for $3.19. These are to go around each tree. But before tightening them...

I ran these 2 zip ties through the casings, and underneath the lashing straps before fastening them.

I tightened the straps, and that was it. Instant hammock.

Well, that was it except for having to cover the ugly yellow straps with leftover strips of fabric. I know it's pointless and silly, but I just couldn't look at those bright yellow straps. (they don't come in a nice chocolate brown).

They played for hours, and have used it everyday since.

We actually ended up attatching the hammock to the treehouse on one side - so it would not interfere with their favorite thing in our yard - a rope our columbian tree trimmer once tied way up high for them to swing on.

Spend 2 summers building a treehouse - they play on a $5 rope.

Well, a rope and a hammock.

( On a side note, I eventually replaced the 2 zip ties with 2 more sets of lashing straps. It only took Lilly plummeting to the ground once to make that change :)

LittlebitsDesigns.com

A total fluff piece....

2010-06-14T13:31:00.000-07:00

I'm not big into celebrity gossip ( that's Beth's job, she keeps me informed). The only man I recognized on dancing with the stars was old Buzz Aldrin.
But, since I live in Nashville, I recognize most country music artists, even if I don't listen to them. Lady Antebellum I both recognize and listen to. In some older posts I talked about the flood at my son's school, and the fact that Hillary Scott is an alumni. (here and here) Lady Antebellum showed up at the school to make a donation for the restoration efforts.

I just thought it was cool to see them with our headmaster.

That one guy is really tall....

Littlebitsdesigns.com

Friday Fives

2010-06-11T12:20:00.000-07:00

It's Friday Fives over at Beth's....
This week, it's 5 people you would love to have dinner with, living, dead, fictional, whatever.

Are you wondering who this is? Why do I have a woman you probaby don't recognize at the top of my list??

This is Amy Butler, and she is a genius.

She designs the BEST fabric collections you have ever seen.They are modern, but have a vintage feel at the same time. They are the highest quality, and they coordinate in wonderful, unusual ways.

I would love to have dinner at her house (so I could snoop around).

This is her studio. It looks like she might be a neat freak, and you know how much I like that...
Or, I guess she could have cleaned up for the photo shoot. I prefer to imagine that it's always this perfect.

Now to swing a full 180 degrees from my favorite fabric designer...

Johnny Depp.

I had a poster of Johnny Depp on my wall in high school. I never missed 21 Jump Street.
All you twenty somethings may be wondering what the heck 21 Jump Street is.
I have a sneaking suspicion that he smells bad, but I would like to find out for myself.

I love politics. Whether you agree with Ronald Reagans views or not, you have to admit he was a smart guy. A wonderful speaker, he is the author of some of my favorite quotes. He was a politician that truly held America in high esteem. He lived up to the honor of being president, he wouldn't even remove his jacket while he was in the Oval Office. Wish he was in DC......
(If you want to send me nasty comments regarding this pick - go ahead - you won't change my mind)

I'll step off my soapbox to mention M. Night Shyamalan. I love every movie he has ever made, and I can't wait to see his new one.

Good ole' Martha. I don't really want to talk to her a lot. I mostly just want to challenge her to do some random crafty things, just to see if she's for real. Actually, I woud like to see her paint some furniture, make a clients baby gift, return emails, feed my 3 kids, take them to a their events, and clean my house from top to bottom. I have to do it, maybe Martha coud man-up. (or not)

Littlebitsdesigns.com

(Almost) Wordless Wednesday

2010-06-02T11:34:00.001-07:00

If you look up "uncomfortable" in the dictionary.....

I hate to see any marriage break up, but at least no one has to endure this anymore.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Nasty hands no more.

2010-05-25T19:07:00.000-07:00

Well, it was flea market friday! I took all 3 kids with me, so my attention was too divided for any serious shopping. Jackson chose these old street signs for his new, "cool" room. ( I talked about it here).

I bought these salt and pepper shakers. They are each about 10" tall. I have already painted them blue, and I will post a picture when they are competely finished. They are ceramic, so, don't worry, I practically boiled them.

I bought an enormous dog bowl, but I don't have a dog.

I bought this wrought iron stand for $3. I have some experience with old, yucky stuff. I have recovered and repainted some pretty sketchty things. Having said that, removing the cushion from this thing was nasty.
It had several layers of vinyl, and they all smelled like.......well, use your imagination.

I kept the piece of wood that I removed the cover from. ( I knew it fit, and I didn't want to have to ask my husband to cut a new one. He just luuuuuvs my little projects...)

I traced the dog bowl onto the piece of wood, then traced another line 1/3" from that. I used a jigsaw to cut out the smaller traced circle.

I re attatched the wood, painted the whole thing black, then added some extra touches.

In case you are still wondering what this is, it's a basin for my kids to wash their hands on the patio before coming inside.
They sometimes look like they've been digging for China with their bare hands.

They also like to eat outdoors a lot in the summer, and this way I don't have to drag them all upstairs to wash hands.

I attatched a little wire basket to the top with a screw to hold soap.

No, I didn't choose the Lava soap because it matched the table. My Pappy, (yes, I said Pappy), always used Lava soap and an old enamelware bowl next to the garden hose to wash up from the garden.There is pumice in the soap, so it really cleans the grime off.

I had to add a cute little hook for a towel. I used heavy duty, sticky velcro to attatch it. ( again, avoiding any male involvement:)

Lilly and her neighbor friend played with it longer than it took me to make it.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Scary Santa

2010-05-20T13:36:00.001-07:00

Wanna see something really creepy?? My cousins Bill and Kari have a sort of "who can post the most embarrassing photo" of each other thing on Facebook. Some of the photos have made me laugh myself silly. Some of them have included me in very awkward stages and situations.

This isn't the scary picture, believe it or not.
Yes, that's me around 10 years old. I am at my grandmother's, pretending to be a weather girl with a board (my weather map) and a stick (to point at things on the weather map). Love the highwaters and vest. I posted this so I could humiliate myself - in hope that my cousins will not retaliate for putting a picture of them into the blog world.
The scary picture is of the single creepiest Santa I have ever seen. I makes me laugh and shudder everytime I look at it.

I cannot even begin to fathom what might be going on in this guys head. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't be legal though. Kari must have caught on, she looks pretty miserable.
Call me crazy, but I thought this would be good for a laugh.

www.LittlebitsDesigns.com

Lady Antebellum visits!

2010-05-18T08:01:00.000-07:00

If you have read my blog at all during the month of May, you know my oldest son's school was completely underwater in the flood. They have been attending class in local churches to finish out the school year.
(Post here.)
Yesterday, they had a special visitor. Hillary Scott, from Lady Antebellum, came to see the 4th graders.

One of Jackson's friends, Preston, got to play and sing with her!!

Hillary attended DCA, so I guess she was checking in on her alma mater.

When I picked up the kids at carpool, they were all starstruck. They had autographs on anything and everything.

Preston's mom posted a video on Facebook, but I couldn't post it here. ( Well, I didn't know how :)

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Friday Fives -- Favorite Photos

2010-05-13T20:55:00.000-07:00

5 of my favorite pictures

Baker getting ready to play in the snow. I think he looks like he just stepped out of an episode of "Deadliest Catch".

Lilly at 2. Plastic high heels, a Diego vest, and a pull up.
Oh yeah, and a baby.

Teddy bear? Special blanket? Nope. A football. He loves football.

My sister, myself, and my cousin at my grandparent's. There were plenty of cats to go around.

This picture makes me laugh every time I look at it!

One scared little viking.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Books for Boys

2010-05-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

I love childresn's books. I collected them even before had children. Sometimes I love the story, sometimes it's the artwork.

My boys have always seemed to gravitate to books written a long time ago. Some of our favorites...

I don't know exactly why, but all3 of my children have loved this book at about 3 yrs. old. I've read it so many times I could recite it to you at any moment.

My boys loved this story of the old fashioned ice cream man. I had to stress to my kids that this ice cream man has nothing in common with our ice cream man.
The first ice cream truck I ever saw in our neighborhood was really questionable. It was an old, beat up white van with a sticker on the door that said "Bubba's Ice Cream". It was just a creeepy guy with a chest freezer rigged up in the back. (I was sure he had more than Nutty Buddys stuffed in that freezer).
We now have a regular ice cream truck that comes by, but the driver is never as pleasant (or as clean), as the book.
It's a short, cute little story that will leave you wanting to raid the freezer.

Ferdinand is a big, strong bull that's different from all the other bulls, and he's happy that way. I like that it touches on being who you are, no matter what everyone else is doing. It's set in Spain, and my boys always liked the parts with the matadors.

I just finished reading this book to my six year old. He loved it so much, we read it in 3 nights. He was facinated with how the children built things, cooked for themselves outdoors, etc. I highly recommend this book to read with a younger child or new reader.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

An order here, an order there...

2010-05-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

Every season, you have to swap out the clothes in your kids' closets for the new season.
I hate doing this. It's what I did all day today. The kids have been wearing the same 3 outfits over and over waiting for me to do this.

It's a big mess, I have to decide what to keep, consign, give away, etc. Does everyone dread this like I do??

The only pleasure for me is getting a fresh look at all the clothes I bought for Lilly. I love my boys dearly, but, let's be honest, dressing them isn't nearly as much fun.(The euphoria soon wears off when I realize I have to iron most of it.)

(Sometimes I get carried away.)

I know it won't be long until she has an opinion and she'll want to wear glittery leggings and a Jonas Bros. t-shirt. Until then, I will indulge myself in the power to pick her wardrobe.

What I'm getting at is, I didn't 'work' much today. But here's some recent stuff.

Baby plates. Some have dates, some will be added when the baby is born.

Isaiah canvases.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Wordless Wednesday

2010-05-12T13:29:00.000-07:00

Grocery Nerd IV - alotta yogurt

2010-05-11T15:01:00.000-07:00

I was able to go to the grocery alone today. It's the last tine until September, so I tried to enjoy it. (as much as anyone can enjoy a trip to the grocery).

Here it is....

3 greek yogurts (my favorite!)
2 loaves Sara Lee bread
3 Gortons frozen shrimp
1 Gortons frozen salmon
4 four packs la creme yogurt (I've never had this before)
3 Philly cream cheese snack size (for lunches)
2 Hidden Valley dressings
1 Fisher snack mix
1 12pk Fig Newton snack packs
1 15 pk Kraft Handi-snacks (the cheese in these makes me gag)
3 McCormick marinades
2 packs kool-aid fizz tabs(they were free - I'll try 'em)
1 lb brown rice (steam, vacum seal in steam bags, freeze,microwave for instant rice)
1 box Capri sun (this will last 5 minutes, maybe)
Celery
2 Go-Gurts
1 Carefree pantyliners ( I know, thanks for sharing :)
1 Cover girl mascara
bag cole slaw mix
Cover Girl eyeshadow ( any one want it? i don't wear it)
1 J&J soap bar
1 oscar Mayer lunch meat
1 Crest toothpaste
John Frieda shampoo & conditioner
3 Honey Bunches of Oats
2 Golden Grahams
1 Cocoa Puffs (the kids were thrilled)
1 Trix ( thrilled again...)
4 jars peanut butter
12 pk Lemon lime seltzer water
8 ears yellow corn

Total before coupons and discounts $172.27
Total after coupons and discounts $37.24
(this is before tax)

I saved $135.03 by shopping sales with coupons, and stocking up. I noticed on my receipt that they left off a $3 coupon, but I didn't want to look like a total coupon freak by going to customer service. I will spend the remainder of my budget (roughly $20), on fresh fruit, veggies, and meat. My budget includes beauty products, cleaners, etc.

I happened to have some good Kroger coupons this time, so that helped. Publix accepts competitor coupons, even on store brands.
If you need to save money pleeeeeese visit these sights. It's so much easier than you think.

Southern Savers

I Heart Publix

Faithful provisions

Frugal Dr. Mom

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Top 2 Tuesday - Dream Houses

2010-05-10T18:50:00.000-07:00

Top 2 Tuesday......Dream houses

This is my idea of a house. I'm not in love with these colors, but I love all the nooks and crannys. I don't want unused space in my house. I also don't care for lots of really high ceilings. I like things to be warm and cozy.

I love the idea of a bright and sunny kitchen with lots of windows. If I am honest with myself though, I know it would drive me nuts. When sunlight shines in, it shows every single speck of dust and fingerprint. (shudder)
The yellow light fixtures are great.

I like the simplicity of this kitchen, but I would nix the glass fronts on the cabinets. Who has all matching dishes that are always perfectly stacked?? I like doors that do what they are supposed to - hide my junk.

I would totally settle for this little shack/room/cottage, as long as it was parked right on the beach.

I would actually live in anything if it came with one of these.

Live in. Full time. (but legal)

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Pink and Green nursery

2010-05-10T10:28:00.000-07:00

So, here is the adorable bedding for this nursery. I love, love, love Amy Butler fabrics, and this is a great taste of what her entire collection looks like.
With some basics, adorable bedding, and a few shabby chic redo's, this customer had an instantly sweet nursery.

Here's everything all together. I wish I had photos of it in place, not in my floor.

This canvas was HUGE. She has 12 ft ceilings, so it needed to be huge. The ribbon at the top is going to be ivory instead of the pink. This canvas will hang over the crib (and the yummy bedding).

Does this bright pink look familiar?? It might if you read about the armoire here.
This side table will be next to a rocking chair. I love working with old pieces like this. As I painted and sanded, I got to see all the different colors this table has been over the years. White, black, blue, and silver.

Yes - silver. What does the rest of a room with silver side tables look like? Ohh, if this table could talk...

Light fixture. This will have simple, little green shades.

A large memo board. Same pink.

Sweet little polka dot ribbons.

Hopefully, I will have pictures of the finished nursery to share later.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

One last Nashville post...then I'll quit...I promise.

2010-05-06T19:31:00.000-07:00

Beth, my world famous blogging neighbor :), posted this on her blog. I LOVE Nashville, I've never lived anywhere else, so I had to share.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Wordless Wednesday (sort of)...

2010-05-05T09:38:00.000-07:00

My son's school. Donelson Christian Academy. This is the elementary hall.

The press box at the top of the football stadium.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Beth's Blog--Nashville's Big Flooding Problem

2010-05-04T13:47:00.000-07:00

I'm going to link up to my neighbor Beth's blog today. She has some things to say that I couldn't agree with more.
Where is all the help that normally pours into a city when something like this takes place?
There are so many people that have lost so much, and they have no idea what to do. I met a lady in a store today that has lost everything. She was about 70, and staying a motel while she could afford it. She has no idea where to go for help, and our city government is doing all it can. (their offices are flooded too!)
Luckily, Nashville is full of good people, and great churches, willing to do whatever it takes. I believe in personal responsibility, in depending on your neighbor and your church instead of the government, but there is only so much we can do.
I guess if we had riots in the street, and widespread looting we would be on the news and the Red Cross would be pouring in.
My in-laws in Ohio didn't even know about it, but they could hear all about the speech Obama gave at the White House Correspondants Dinner.
I saw news coverage of a guy running thru a baseball game on the national news this morning, but nothing about nashville being submerged in nasty river water.
I don't EVER blog about this stuff, but today is an exception.
If I sound mad, it's because I am.

Water, Water everywhere.

2010-05-02T19:26:00.000-07:00

I had a blog post ready to publish, but it doesn't seem appropriate.

Nashville is flooded in a way I can hardly describe. Unless you have access to our local news coverage, it's hard to explain exactly how bad it is.

My neighbor ( a much better blogger than I) has more pictures here. She even has a picture of my Jackson's school. It's bad.

Semi's swept off the interstate.

Buildings floating down the interstate.

People being rescued from their homes in motorboats, even kayaks.

People being pulled from trees.

I know this is no Katrina, or Haiti, but it's right down the street from my family.

We have had a little damage, but I WILL NOT complain about it.

We are so very lucky.

This is the barn across from our Chik-fil-a. (Yes, we have a barn across from Chik-fil-a on a busy street. This is Nashville after all...) There are usually lots of horses roaming around. Hope they are safe.

Please pray for all the nashvillians that have been devastated this weekend.

LittlebitsDesigns

Flea Market Friday

2010-05-01T20:13:00.001-07:00

Flea market fridays are one of my favorite things.

This time, my friend Amy joined us to shop. Amy has some serious patience. Lilly screamed "I want to go home" throughout our trip, and Amy still agreed to join us for lunch after shopping.

We found several things we couldn't live with out...

I got some panels that I love to paint names/phrases on.

Like this one in you know who's room...

(Yes, that's a flying pig . )

or this one.

My mom got some beautiful plants, and this really cool, old barn for her garden. It was once a mailbox , so the door opens up.

We had to distract Lilly's attention from the barn so my mom could load it into the car. She had stuffed all sorts of stuff inside of it.

Speaking of mailboxes...

Don't you just love this!! It was such a good deal I couldn't resist. I can't wait to put it out front!

Just kidding. I just wanted to frighten my neighbors.

This was one of the many, many interesting items we ran across. I took a picture of Amy with an album titled "The Stanky Brown Band", but accidentally deleted it from my phone.

While Lilly was miserable, Baker had a good time. Of course, he wanted to visit the military surplus tent. All that "guy" stuff just drew him in.

Grenades. Just what I want my 6 year old shopping for.

If you read the post here, about the box of ~~disturbing~~ stuff from my husband's childhood, you may agree he gets it honest.
I bet he was their only shopper sporting silly bands, eating fruit, and sipping a capri-sun (but then again, it is the flea market).

He settled on this metal box...but he couldn't take it home empty.

He found a butterfly.

A BIG butterfly.

He put it in the box...along with the caterpillar he found that rode around on the hood of the stroller for about 2 hours.

Life with Baker is never dull.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Summer Top 2

2010-04-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

This week's top 2 is "2 things you love about summer".

1. A tan.

Scold me if you want, but I am a woman in my 30's, and if I want a tan I'm getting one. Real, fake, sprayed, however. I don't want to bake myself to look like a Louis Vuitton, (mostly because if I did my neighbor would kidnap me - she's obsessed with LV), but I like to be able to wear shorts with less fear. (notice I said less fear, not no fear).

(I should also not that if you ever attempt to google "suntan images", there is a lot of nasty, and often unattractive, nudity. Yikes.)

2. The pool.

How many other activities can you come up with that all 3 kids will agree on?? (other than Chuck e Cheese - and tha's a BIG no). Pack a lunch and some towels - done.

The kids get worn out, and I get a healthy dose of my #1.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Homemade Bungee Jumping- A look back

2010-04-21T19:03:00.000-07:00

You know you're a mom when you save your youngest child from a homemade bungee jumping disaster....

Full story here :)

You know you have these ugly things somewhere....

2010-04-20T11:31:00.000-07:00

Easter...
Special dresses, new shoes, and a pretty basket for your eggs.

My oldest son's first easter basket had real grass. Seriously. I planned ahead, lined the basket, filled it with dirt, and grew sweet little green grass for his easter eggs from the bunny.

Oh, how things change.

Last year my daughter(#3), had a beautiful dress I had slaved over(seen here), but she collected her eggs in a plastic grocery sack.

As parents, I think most of us have ended up with one of these inexpensive easter baskets. It may have come filled with stuff the kids loved, but the basket is tossed aside. I decided to make use of mine.

If you need storage for your ~~crap~~ stuff, these are seriously the cheapest thing you could find. Probably 10 cents at a garage sale or thrift store, or free from anyone that has them lying around.

I'll get to these guys in a second.
I bet you're having a hard time breaking your eyes away from the stunning painting of a snowy pond in a forest, but please keep up.

First, I took off the handle. It was barely even attatched, probably assembled by a small child in China.
Then, I spray painted the baskets dark brown.
I chose a dark color because the dye in the basket would most likely bleed through without a primer, and I am trying to keep this simple and cheap.

I then made the liners.
If you want complete instructions on how to do this, leave me a comment and I will send them to you.

Tah-dah!! Cute huh?

What to put in it??
Crayons, desk supplies, vitamin bottles, nail polish,

...or maybe napkins.

Remember the ugly frame?? I made it into a memo board for my(super awesome) neighbor.

A blue paint finish, some foam core board, batting and fabric.

She will probably fill her basket with lotion. She showed me her secret stash one day, and WOW - she is a lotion hoarder.

I made the memo board out of the empty frame, not the one with the lovely painting.

Speaking of easter, I need to post pictures of the easter dress I made for Lilly this year. (mostly because I know you are all waiting with baited breath to see it).
I stayed up until 4 am 3 nights in a row to finish it, so humor me, please...

Chandelier Makeover

2010-04-17T19:46:00.000-07:00

As I sat Lilly on the edge of her bed to get dressed, I noticed how sweet her little hands and feet looked. I begged her not to move ,(miraculously she didn't), and I ran for my camera.

Chubby hands, sweet little scraped up legs, and mary janes.
Those 3 things make me happy.

I'll get back to work now...
OK. Picture a really ugly, brass chandelier. My neighbor ,Melia ,brought one to me after reading the blog post here.

Melia could probably talk me into doing almost anything, because she makes the cutest custom clothes EVER, and she likes to trade. So, she got a chandelier makeover for her kitchen, and I got 2 precious outfits for Lilly.

This will hang in a kitchen that is black, white, and soft apple green.

I think she is going to add black/white check shades.

Please pardon the fact that it is hanging from my deck.
(Again, my sister is the photographer--I'm the painter :)

I'll post pictures of this once it is hung in it's new home down the street.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Spray paint and weeds

2010-04-16T07:18:00.000-07:00

Fresh flowers are one of life's little pleasures for me. So, here's a little project that is pretty much as cheap as it gets.

I bought three little glass containers for .25 each.
Igot 3 different heights so they would look good grouped together.
All I did was spray paint them white.
Well, that and scavenge my yard for ~~weeds~~ flowers.
To be honest, the pink ones came from my neighbor.
(Meg, if you're reading this, I stole them off your shrub :)

I think they look sweet grouped together in Lilly's room.

This would be a really cheap way to decorate for a party or holiday, with whatever colors you want. You could change the colors over and over.

I usually insist on good spray paint for projects. But this time, get the cheap stuff.
Just remember to not get in a hurry. A few light coats is much better than trying to do it all at once.
You don't want a drippy mess.

Obviously, you can't put these in the dishwasher. But, once you tire of them, you can put them in the recycle bin without one ioda of guilt.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Friday Fives

2010-04-15T20:46:00.001-07:00

My neighbor's Friday Fives link up this week is "5 things you may not know about me".

1. I have a serious aversion to hair that is no longer attatched to it's owner. It really bothers me to see hair on the floor. Especially in the bathroom or kitchen. I will pick it up with a tissue so I don't have to touch it. (even if it's mine).

2. I am dying to know how dinosaurs fit into biblical times. I'm a christian, I believe the bible is the word of God. I just wish he had explained the whole dinosaur thing a little better...

3. My toenails are always painted. Even in the winter when no one sees my feet.

4. I will not eat meat from Taco Bell. As far as I'm concerned, I might as well pop open a can of dog food and pour it in a taco shell.

5. I know just about everything there is to know about Charles Manson.
No, I don't like him. Yes, he scares me.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

My favorite teacher gifts

2010-04-15T20:07:00.000-07:00

Topic at Kelly's Korner-----teacher gifts.

Since I am (thankfully), not a teacher, I guess I will share a few of the things I have made for teachers.

Some of them may have preferred a gift card...

Personalized travel mugs. I put a Starbucks gift card in these.

Cookie jars. I usually have put the teacher's family on them. Last year, my son's teacher was single, so I put each child in the class on there. She LOVED it.

These square plates were a hit. I liked them because they were so easy...

Plates or platters with the teacher's family. I always hate the moment when I have to ask, "What is your husband's name, and what does he look like?" They have no idea why I'm asking, and they must think it's odd.

My old faithful. You can never go wrong with a Christmas plate. (Unless your teacher is jewish).

I will now shamefully plug my website...www.littlebitsdesigns.com

Pretty feet a la crock pot..

2010-04-12T18:53:00.000-07:00

I met a woman once that looked about 30, and revealed to me that she was 50. I was floored. I asked her what her secret was. She said,

"I never marrried, and I never had kids."

Well, I like my husband a lot. My kids are pretty great too. So, I guess I should depend on a beauty routine.

The Top 2 Tuesday at The Undomestic Mama is Beauty Tips.

My first tip includes a crock pot.

I have a thing about keeping my feet nice. Nothing is nastier than seeing a woman in flip flops with nasty feet. Keep 'em clean ladies.

A homemade paraffin dip is cheap, easy, and very effective.

You need a crock pot large enough to fit your foot into without touching the sides. It does not have to be a fancy, or top of the line crock pot. You're gonna put your feet in it.....

You will need 3 lbs of paraffin wax. I got mine at Sally Beauty Supply. I chose lavender scented.

Melt the wax, and add 1/2 cup mineral oil. (baby oil)

Using a candy thermometer, let the wax cool to 125 degrees.

Dip your foot, let it momentarily cool. Repeat and dip up to 10 times.

Wrap your foot in a plastic bag, then cover with a towel.

After about 10 minutes, remove covers, and peel off wax.

Your feet will be sooooo soft!

#2

Bare Minerals Make up.

I hate wearing make up. But, since I 'm not Heidi Klum, I have to anyway.This stuff is just awesome. I will NEVER use liquid make up again.

Just don't ever try to put it on in the car,on the way to church, in a white dress....I learned that the hard way.

LittlebitsDesigns.com

Choked up over a chair...

2010-04-10T20:30:00.000-07:00

I'm not goingt to have any more babies (unless a certain urologist seriously screwed up).

I hate to think that time in my life is over. I love babies.

I do, however, enjoy what sanity I have left, and hope to keep it.

I had to finally part with our highchair. I held on as long as I could. I justified it by telling myself that Lilly could use it as a booster seat at the table if I took off the tray.

I know -- that's silly.

The only thing that made it easier is I know it's going to a good home. My neighbor Beth is going to take it to her sweet mom 's house for future grandchildren.

As I sewed the cushions for the highchair, I fell more and more in love with this fabric. I went back for more, and it was gone. I searched the internet...nothing.

I have never seen it again. I still have a little left. I don't have the heart to cut it.

I love the cupcakes, cotton candy, gumdrops, and suckers.

Sweet like my baby girl.
(in a witch dress. ..and her pajamas. ..getting paint all over my desk.)

LittlebitsDesigns.com