Time for Change

Time to change the centerpiece for the dining room table. I have had this old tool box for years. It was painted red when I bought it, if I am not mistaken. I have since painted it black ,blue and now finally yellow and white. I bought fabric last week to recover the dinning room chairs. I have wanted to change the fabric for a while now, but I have to be in the mood to do this project. You can see one chair right behind the new centerpiece. I was looking for a Napa Valley feel a few years back. Lots of rusts, reds and browns. Now, I am in the mood for a change. I just need to get going. Changing the centerpiece maybe the start I need.

What I did this Weekend

The weatherman was right this weekend! The forecast was for heat and that is what we got! I sat in this chair, under the umbrella (out of picture), listened to the Red Sox, had a fruit drink with lots of ice and read a few of my favorite magazines on Saturday. My husband and I go to the same restaurant almost every weekend, the outdoor seating was open but we opted for indoor with air conditioning. Unfortunately with heat sometimes there are thunderstorms and as I type this on Sunday we are about to have a nice little storm. So much for hamburgers on the grill. The heat will continue for a few days and I plan to take it easy.

Enjoy the Weekend

I hope that everyone has a nice weekend. The weather in Rhode Island is going to change drastically. The temperature is 57 degrees right now and it will climb into the 90's tomorrow. You really feel the heat when the temperature changes so quickly. It is all or nothing here. Summer is my favorite season, ask me how I feel about summer in a few days? I picked a few flowers from Country Living. Enjoy!

Rain rain go Away

You know it is a rainy day when the cushions from the chairs are under the umbrella and the pillows that are usually on the swing are safely tucked inside the house. Everyone once in a while you need a rainy day to catch up on housework you have been putting off for years, I mean days. The grass and plants are always greener after a spring rain. We always need rain to keep the lakes and ponds full for summer activities. But for me it is a sad day in late spring when you look out and the cushions are under the umbrella.

Artist Trading Cards

Does everyone know about Artist Trading Cards but me? They are individual art miniatures which pass hand to hand, from artist to artist. At least that is how Wikipedia defines them. The card measures 2.5" x 3.5" the same size as a baseball card. ATCs are usually made on a base of card stock. But other materials such as wood, leather, canvas and water color paper can also be used for the base. The artwork can be done in any media water color, rubber stamps, collage and colored pencils, basically the sky is the limit. The fun part is ATCs are meant to be traded and not sold. Trading the cards can be done in person but trading is also done by mail and Internet.



I am not sure how much trading I will do, but I already have a trading partner. I am having a lot of fun making ATCs. Right now I have made all of my cards from paper, because paper is what I know. I am going to try to paint and maybe rubber stamp some cards, but for now it is paper. The cards below are a few of what I have made so far. The cards in this book are so creative, mine are quite basic but I have to start somewhere. There will NOT be a quiz on this later.

I have beeen Tagged!

I have been tagged by Robin at Bittersweet Punkin to answer a few questions about myself.
I made this tag for a gift I will be giving this weekend. Can you guess it is for a little girl? 1. What was I doing ten years ago? ..........In 1998 my daughters were still in grade and I was driving them back and forth to school and all their activities. They were involved in dance, art class and softball. Basically I was the typical stay at home mom. I was still involved in crafts, it was mostly painting at that time.
2. Five things on my to do list..........The dreaded to do list. I would like to clean my bedroom closet, paint the front steps, clean my car inside and out, finish my daughter's bedroom and think of more ideas for this wonderful world of blogging.
3. Snacks I enjoy..........I will say Baked Lays Chips, red or black licorice, gum drops, sliced apples and red grapes.
4. Things I would do if I were a millionaire..........Does a million dollars go as far as it use to? I would give my daughters $250,000 each. Now, I have $500,000 and I would buy my husband a Corvette, I do not know why but he wants one. Give our parents a gift of their choice. A small vacation home would be nice, somewhere in Vermont. Set up a college scholarship fund for kids in town. College is so expensive. A long vacation would be nice.
5. Places I have lived.....I have always lived in the same town in Rhode Island. For some reason I have always wanted to live in Virginia, by the ocean of course. I need to live near the water.

A Few of my Favorite Things

I was going through a stack of magazines on Saturday. Tearing out pictures of kitchens I will never have, places I will never visit and things I will never make. But still I do this every month or so. I thought it might be nice to share a few pictures of things that make me smile or I must have in the summer.

I love to wear dresses in the summer. They are much cooler and no need to match anything. I like to do my own nails. This is a pretty pink color. Cute sandals, I buy them but do I ever wear them? I always grab the same black flip flops from two years ago.

You all know I love my flowers. Have you ever tried strawberries in your salad? If not give it a try. I like to put pears, apples, raisins and sometimes even pineapples in my salad.

I have been drinking iced coffee for as long as I can remember. It is a standard year round drink here in Rhode Island. The Atlantic Ocean, I visit the beach a few times during the summer. It is about 45 minutes away, including stopping for coffee on the way.

I love to take a book outside and just sit on my swing and read. I mean sit on the swing and read. Motion and reading is not a good thing for me. Spring and summer are my favorite seasons by far. Sunshine, 80 degrees and a light breeze that is my idea of a start to a fine day.

Self tanners, I have been using them for years. The results have varied as anyone who uses them will know. I am using this one this year and I like it. Now, I am going outside to water and weed the flowers , the sun is shining and there is a light breeze, temperature is about 75.

PS I see that I spelled sandals wrong, I am sorry it was late last night when I was doing this. I think I am going to have to double and triple check my spelling. Also, on the top of the first picture there are two ice cream cookie sandwiches, need I say more?