Back in Action

It was a scary moment when my glue gun broke.  Thankfully the third time taking it apart was the charm and it is now fixed!!

This morning I took an old metal basket and glued driftwood on it I had painted white, along with some starfish and sand dollars.  Once done, I added an old lamp and covered it all with fish net.  Turned out pretty good!!

Last night I had Sam's friend Jimmy model my beach tiara...isn't he cute?

Gloomy with No Glue Gun

Last night I spray painted a bunch of my driftwood white.  Grabbed a larger piece than painted letters some vibrant colors.  I started gluing it all together then the crises hit, just as I got to the H in the word Faith.  Just was not squeezing out the glue and the handle wasn't working right.  Argghhh!!

Tonight I tore the gun apart and tried to figure out the problem. There was some hardened glue I removed then a spring fell out.  I then spent 30 minutes on line trying to figure out where that damn thing went.  No such luck.  So now I sit here with a project 80% done and no device to finish.  Just might be time for a new glue gun or my weekend will be ruined!

We Be Coastin!

Picked up five non-porous tiles at Goodwill for a buck and made some coasters tonight.  I sprayed, dabbed, and painted them with metallic alcohol ink I had used on my paper collages. I then used the blow dryer to quickly dry them.  The tile shown by itself I painted with nail polish to give it some sparkle.   Easy yet impressive!!

Finally!!

Can't say nothing was accomplished this weekend!  Finally put all of my clothes away that I had been ignoring for the past few weeks!  Can finally see the love seat in my room!  Even put clean sheets on my bed. This diva is gonna sleep well tonight!!

Pinterest Has Taken Over My Life!!!

Another day of crafting!  After being treated to breakfast by Sam, I came home and commenced a Pinterest Sunday.

I finished a light bulb hot air balloon started last week. Painted it bronze then added old jewelry, and made the basket out of a shot glass.

My next project was painting a couple embroidery hoops from Goodwill bronze then glued them into an obolisk shape. I added the hot air balloon to the middle and voila!  Object d'art!  Only downside was I failed to wear gloves so my hands were covered in spray paint.  After rubbing my hands with olive oil and paper toweling them, it appears most of the paint is gone.

My last project was to take an old tiara labeled Birthday Bitch (yes really) and cover it with sand dollars, starfish, driftwood, sea glass, and rhinetones.  I won't be sporting it soon but it looks pretty fly.

In between all that I made a pasta salad and now I'm debating on if I should mow the yard or paint my nails. The nails may just win this round!!

Seaside and Studs

It's 12:40 am and obviously I drank coffee with dinner tonight as I'm still awake!

This morning I was up bright and early and, after cleaning the kitchen, decided to shower, primp, and head out to the beach.  Well just because.

I drove to Seaside where I hit the outlet mall.  Browsed around and picked up some new hoop earrings along with a new nose stud.  I wore my stud today, which I haven't done in a long time.  The stud I have is on its last leg so I grabbed another one at Claires, headquarters of tween accessories.  It's kind of odd they market to the middle school crowd while also still selling body jewelry and shot glasses.

After Claires  I sat in my car for about 10 minutes trying to put my new nose stud in.  Arrgggg was having a time plus, if you were a fellow shopper walking by Dress Barn, where my car was parked, it would appear there was some crazy woman attempting to perform surgery on her nose or she was digging deep for a booger.  Ridiculous.

After that episide, I made my way downtown and strolled the streets, browsing in different shops.  Lots of people but not as many as I expected especially since summer was in full swing.

I ate a late lunch at Doogers, hence the coffee, then made my way to Goodwill before finally making my way home.  Was a long day but very enjoyable.

Crazy Commute!

The good news?  I left work early on Friday. The bad news? I was stuck in traffic for 2 hours just to travel 10 miles.

Apparently an oversized truck tried to make it under the overpass in Chehalis.  Truck too big therefore crash.  The structural engineers had to check the overpass and thus the traffic.

I was so happy when I made it past the jam.  However, right after I started picking up steam, I saw a brush fire on the shoulder. Then another one, flaming high. And another. For a two mile stretch there were a ton a shoulder fires.  It was crazy!!

Finally I made it home and pampered myself by getting a mani/pedi.  Rough commute!!!

A Bevy of Blessings

Awww, Friday here at last.  The last week has been busy but prayers have been answered.

 

First off – insurance.  Due to Sam’s accident, my insurance company dropped my auto insurance as of 7/31.  Ugh.  This meant finding new insurance.  I tried to get a quote from State Farm but they declined due to the wreck.  This meant working with my secret agent – my brother who owns his own insurance company.  The first quote was with Progressive, not my first choice, which was also $100 more per month.  Yuck.  I prayed for better results.  That evening, my contact Sabrina emailed me to say that Todd insisted I get a plan with Safeco, a much better company.  The next morning Sabrina called and gave me the price with them, which was cheaper than my original insurance.  Wowza!!!  What a blessing!!!

Second – Steve.  Steve and I ended up having a very honest discussion this week.  It was probably the first honest, down to the brass tacks conversation that we needed.  We decided that we are both in a place where we need to work on ourselves in order to grow and have the type of relationship each of desires.  We will continue as friends and if that grows into a romantic relationship when we are both ready for that, great, and if not we will continue as friends.  I need to continue working on being honest about my expectations and he needs to work on understanding and providing what’s needed in a long-term relationship.  This has actually taken a weight off my shoulders and that feels good.  I’m going to continue working on the areas where I need to improve to prepare myself to have a healthy, honest and loving relationship in the future.

 
Third – I started a new Women’s Bible Study for the summer with the topic How to Be Brave.  Great group of gals and the presenter, Stephen Furtig, is entertaining.

Fourth – It’s Friday!!!  May be some rain for the weekend but I’m determined to go to the beach as a one-day getaway.  Anyone care to join me?

Have a great weekend!!!

 

 

 

Monday Miscellaneous

Overcast all day but got this unexpected blessing tonight!

My verdigris re-design of a large frame along with canvas I had.  Threw an existing picture in the middle.

Happy new second cousin Fritz who was born this past weekend to cousin Robin and wife Miriam.  Congrats!!

Couple of Mason jar candle holders and a birdhouse I painted for the back porch. And no, that one jar is light green, not neon.

Just One More Thought

Not every closed door is a bad thing. Sometimes we don’t want to stretch, to develop new skills or to step out into the unknown. We may not like it, but if God had not shut that door, we would have been satisfied to stay where we were. God has something bigger for you, He loves you too much to let you miss your destiny.

                                                  Joel Osteen

It's Better to Wait Than to Be Wrong

It’s so hard to end a relationship when you realize it’s just not working.  Since my breakup with Steve, we’ve continued to text and speak with each other now and then on the phone.  He finally stopped by last Wednesday and we had a long talk – about what I wanted, what he wanted, and if our wants and needs could possibly fit together.  We finished the conversation on a positive note that perhaps we could continue being together on a trial basis.

Unfortunately, in the light of day the next morning, I knew it was time to listen to my gut that continuing the relationship was not in my best interests.  However much I desire to have love and companionship in my life, it’s better to be alone than to be with the wrong person. Right now I’m learning to love myself, listen to myself, and make choices that are in my best interests rather than stuffing my emotions and living in order to make someone else happy.  I am worthy of much more.   Although this sentence is easy to type, it’s still taking me time to believe it.

Here’s to moving on and preparing myself for when the right person enters my path! 

 

Great Way to Spend a Saturday

If there’s one thing I’ve learned in business, it’s to do the hard stuff first.  Putting these tasks off seems to make the project grow exponentially and out of proportion of what they really are.

Today I had to deal with an issue that I don’t find fun – insurance.  Due to Sam’s mishap earlier this year of totaling my car, my auto insurance company is dropping me as of July 31.  This means I have to find replacement coverage prior to that time.  My first stop was calling my current company to see if there was anything I could do to stop this from happening.   The only way to stop this was for Sam to move out; although he is refurbishing a house to rent, it’s not quite ready for move in so this wasn’t an option.

Next step was contacting insurance agent extraordinaire, brother Todd, to see what options he could think of for me.  It pretty much came down to obtaining insurance quotes from companies to see what type of reasonably priced insurance they could offer.  Oh joy, so much fun.  NOT!

Tomorrow morning I have an appointment with a local State Farm rep to see what they can do for me.  What a great way to spend a Saturday!!

 

 

Color and Continuing Creativity

Last night and today have been crazy busy. Got my hair colored and cut last night...added a few more brown streaks to break up the blonde.  Worst part was wearing a cardigan with the plastic cape on top as I sat under the dryer.  I was melting especially when I had to peel myself off the vinyl chair to be shampooed.

Hit Walmart after to pick up some groceries.  The Friday "I'm so beat" vibe hit me while I was at the cash register.  I was ready to be home, change out of my heels, my control top underwear, my bra and that dripping sweat-wet sweater.

Today after sleeping in until the grand hour of 6:30, I got up, got my coffee and started a few crafts.  It was then time to get the oil changed in my car, browse a local thrift store, get nails done, then return home with hopes of a nap.

Nap time didn't happen so I made a date with Mr. Coffee because 7pm is just too darn early to go to bed.  Right now I'm finishing up Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore.  Just love her movies!

Here are a couple of my project's from today.  This first one was inspired by the following, which is much the way I feel.

Praise be to the Lord , who has not let us be torn by their teeth. We have escaped like a bird from the fowler’s snare; the snare has been broken, and we have escaped. Psalm 124:6.

And a wreath made with a wood circle I found in the local Free Wood box.

TGIF!!

Happy Independence Day!

Independence - quite the word and so apropos at this point in my life.  It's been some time since I didn't have a man in my life.  And you know what?  I'm okay with that.  Now is the time for me to restructure my way of thinking, knowing that I don't need a man to validate my self worth, to make me feel whole, or to add value to my life.  God has big plans for me and I'm ready to finally sit back, listen, and wait patiently (not my strong suit) for the right person -the best person - to come into my life.  To be honest my life has never been happier in the last two months.  Sure there have been struggles, hardship and heartache, but God has blessed me with love and support from friends (new and old), family, and time filled with personal, mental, emotional and spiritual growth.  I can't wait to see what's next in my life.

On a side note, here are a few more items that filled up my recent days.  Couldn't write a blog post without including my creative ventures!!

And Just A Couple More!

Just a couple more projects I whipped out today, both designated for people at work. Thinking it may be time to move away from the driftwood now!

Introspection and A Little Venting!

I've Met My Match and His Name is Glue Gun

Took Friday and Monday off simply for some relaxation time. My relaxing has consisted of hitting Willow Grove with Stubbs to pick up more driftwood. I then spent most of yesterday and so far today crafting my fingers to the bone!

Here's some pics of my project's. Cost me nothing - used free driftwood along with supplies I already had.  Plus on my way home from the river I saw a Free Wood box so I snatched up a couple of items from there.

The highlight?  Making a ship to set on a rock. Looked so much like Castaway I had to add Wilson to it as well!!