red white & blue

How in the world can a month pass by so quickly?  Where'd June go?  Why can't JUNE be as long as January?  Now it's almost JULY!

(from a project I made several years ago....it was a "bits and pieces" board)

It's time to celebrate our country!  Happy Birthday America!!!!!  All things red, white and blue!  Our flag flies high and proud, we are a free country. Thank you to those who serve to keep our freedom.

Here's some clipart you can use in any projects.  Just "Save as" on your computer:

 

We'll be spending time at the lake this weekend. 

Can you relax?  Can you eat fun foods?  Can you just enjoy summer?  Can  you just read a book?
Yes, I can do all that!

Breakfast on the deck?

Fishing?

Fireworks over the lake, watching from a boat....so fun!....

Watching the ducks and sailboats go by....

Happy 4th of July!

Hugs, Heidi

Linked to "Red Wednesday" here.
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PS  For more 4th of July inspiration (crafts, food, decorating and more) go to Pinterest.com and type 4th of July in the search bar.  Oh, you'd better have some time on your hands, the picures are endles!

(july.tipjunkie.com via Pinterest)

(july.tipjunkie.com via Pinterest)

Pinwheels (Pin Wheels) for a wedding!

A sweet friend of ours is getting married in a couple weeks.  Her wedding will be in a beautiful park setting.  This sweet girl loves color and selected pinwheels as a way to bring color into her wedding.  The challenge was to figure out how to make these colorful pinwheel in all sizes, and how to get them pinned onto dowels (or sticks).

I played around the ideas for a days.  I tried pins, push-pins, tacks, nails and more, but just couldn't make them stick without the fear of them popping off in an outdoor setting.  Then one morning as I was running the light bulb in my head went off.  (It seems my best thoughts and ideas come when I'm on my run!)  Use my nail gun!

I used the smallest finish nail my nail-gun would shoot.  Then I stuck the dowel, or sticks (we're using both), on the crack of our deck boards, shooting the nail into the top, so that it goes through the other side, but doesn't actually get nailed to anything!  Perfect.  Now just make the paper pinwheels!

To make the paper pinwheels we used various sizes, 12" squares down to 4" squares.  I fold them corner to corner, and open them back up.  This gives me a line to use for my cutting.  I cut down to about an inch or two from the center. 

Then fold one of each tip into the center. Set this on top of the nail and push through.  Now on the nail I put a pearl or bead, then take a pair of pliers and bend the nail back down onto the bead.  This holds it all in place. 

Because we used so many kinds of papers we often doubled up the thinner papers, which also gave contrasting colors and patterns. To make sure the papers didn't separate I just dabbed some glue on the corners of the papers.  For the smaller ones we used straight pins, with white heads.  Using a pliers I cut off the ends and curled them so a skewer stick could be used.  Then a dab of hot glue to make sure they stay attached.

The bride will line the isle of the ceremony chairs with pinwheels.  She'll also use them all around the reception.  Then as centerpieces on the tables, we'll have vases filled with sand and 5 pinwheels in each vase.  The pinwheels will be used on the cake and food tables, too.  Should be colorful and fun!

   Have a great day!  Blessings, Heidi

(Linked to Between Nap's Metamorphosis Monday here,and Tip Junkie Homemade Projects Tuesday here.)

The Delightful, Cheerful and Talented Susan (s)

Do you know Susan? 

Yes, I have have five sisters and three sisters-in-law, and one of them is named Susan!  Susan is the oldest of our siblings, the first child, the top of the totem pole, the one who probably changed more diapers then any of us put together!  (We always helped my mom change diapers of whoever was younger than us!) When I was in junior high Susan went away to college.  I didn't see her any less than I did when she was at home, as she was always in her room studying!  LOL  She was top of her high school class and top of her graduating college class.  Talk about talent, my sister Sue (guess her name changed somewhere along the line) has more musical talent than I could ever dream of!  Sue is now the MOB.  Yes, the honored position called "The Mother of the Bride".  And, if ever her smarty-pants needs to come in it has been for this wedding.  Her daughter, the bride, is just finishing up a school year of teaching in Africa!  So they have been planning and organizing the wedding long distance.  They use emails and Skype and that's all, they haven't seen each other since Heather became engaged!  My niece Heather, is going to be boarding a plane in just a couple days to fly back to the states. 

(photo taken at a distance by a close friend)

 Her wedding date is July 29, so she'll  have just weeks to prepare in person.   Just one favor, could you please pray for Heather and her groom, Mr. Q., that all goes well in travels?  Oh, to make the love story even sweeter, Mr. Q. proposed to Heather in Africa!  Whew, they'll have a story to tell their children! 

Next up on our Susan list is Susan Branch.  Guess who has a new blog?  Guess whose book you can win?  Guess which artist I've loved, admired and been cheered by for many, many years?  Yes, Susan Branch.  I have several of her books, and her wall calendar hangs beautifully in my kitchen. So cheery!  I once wrote to Susan and asked her to write a "Spring" season book.  She was missing that season in her line up.  I didn't hear back from her, she's so busy drawing and all, but if she comes out with a "Spring Book", you can thank me!   ;)

You can shop her store for her wonderful, cheerful and art-filled books here.  I think "Girlfriends Forever" is my favorite!

    (all the Susan Branch images used on this post are via SusanBranch.com)

Be sure to check out her Recipes page on her website, too!

I love my sister, Susan!  And I adore Susan Branch's artwork!  How's that for a Wednesday double love?

   Hugs, Heidi

Scrapwood Bench

A scrap-wood bench....I have many in our home!  If I ask Mark to make anything, he will---I just need to draw out what I want, or give him an "inspiration" picture.  The picture below is about 3 years old, but it's the only one I could find quickly of the bench without spending hours on my computer searching!  (NOTE TO SELF:  Please try harder to tag your photos!!!  This makes it so much easier when looking for a particular photo!) 

(This was in 2008-my mother meeting my granddaughter, Ellie,

her great-granddaughter for the first time!)

What I really wanted in this bench was a sort of scalloped bench "skirt".  I love how Mark made it.  I painted it antique white, then simply wiped a blue shade of paint on all the edges.  Although this is a bench, I'm always used it for books.  Right now it's in our guest room with my Bible study books. It gets moved around our home once or twice a year.

(John Mark was so little...and so blond!)

We bought (cheap) a bundle of scrapwood from a little sawmill down the road. I've got so many ideas of things to make with this wood.  I've made totes and my rustic signs already, but have more things planned.  I never turn down wood!

Then of course I'll mention our headboard benches now.  We've made at least five of these, using the headboard and footboard (cut in half) of old twin beds.  This is the only picture I could find quickly, agian without a full-scale computer search!  I have one bench that I always use to when I photograph signs I've made.

Here's one of our outdoor benches, (photo from last year).  We didn't make this one! It's made of redwood and is about 13 years old. The children love to play on it.

(from 2010)

Have a wonderful and day, even if it's raining as it is here!

  Blessings, Heidi

Linked to Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphis Monday here.



Pinterest: Better than Flickr, or a magazine or Google image search!

My Pinterest page...

I had read about this a while back, but yesterday I jumped in and joined thanks to Between Naps on the Porch's personal invitation....I joined and I'm hooked!  It took me a little bit to figure the whole thing out, but I'm slowly getting there!

For an image-graphic-picture-thinking sort of girl like me, (I think I am even a image-hoarder) this site fits me to a "t"!  Now, instead of saving anything I find online to my "favorites", OR even worse yet, printing out pictures using all my printer ink, I can just click "PinIt" to pin to one my Pinterest boards.   I tell you....you can find some fun photos here...

(from Pinterest)

Oh, another bonus is by using this site, I don't have to feel so guilty for being so inspired by all the creative people out there!  You can pin any photo, image, graphic, etc., from any website.  This is as good as the invention of sliced bread.  Almost.  My daily breakfast is one slice of bread and enough butter to know it's real butter....which led me to laugh at this one (orignally from Etsy):

(from Pinterest)

So, if you want to join, and be a follower of me (you don't have to), just give me your email address on a comment here, and I'll "invite" you to join.  If you want to go through the Pinterest site and ask to join I hear it takes a little longer.  Also, please let me know if you're already there, then we can follow each other!

(from Pinterest)

Let's see, now I'll make a board for our two daughters;  "Ideas to show Melissa", "Stuff to show Jessica"...oh I love this site!  (Both empty, for now....watch how fast I can fill them up!)

This is my first pin for Melissa:

(from Pinterest)

This is my first pin for Jessica:

(from Pinterest)

Okay, now, are you in for it or what?
          ~Heidi

Sisters and Friends

" A sister is a little bit of childhood that can never be lost. "

(six sisters=six friends)

"Help one another, is part of the religion of sisterhood."

 ~Louisa May Alcott

                          

(six sisters=six friends)

(I saved a few of these vintage photos but didn't note where they came from.

I think on Flickr...if they belong to you, let me know and I'll give credit due!)

"A sister is a gift to the heart, a friend to the spirit, a golden thread to the meaning of life."

(My five sisters and me....I'm second from the left.)

"Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits, have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can  supply..."   ~Jane Austen

(My precious Mother and all her girls...my sisters and sisters-in-law,

and Claira!.)

"Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other."

(I was so blessed to be asked to paint this sign for one of my

Etsy buyers.  I will now offer this in my shop!)

I was blessed to be born in a large family, with five sisters and three brothers, there were nine children.  We moved quite a bit while growing up, but no matter where we lived on the West Coast, I my friends always moved with me!  Then when my brothers got married, one by one, three more precious and special sisters were added to my life. In addition to my family, I count so many other girls/ladies as my "sisters", my "sisters in Christ".  You know who you are, right?  I love you all!

A friend can be a "sista", too, you know!

Blessings, and hug a sister today!         ~Heidi

Some of the quotes I used came from The Quote Garden.

Linked to "Get Your Craft on Tuesday" here.

Oh Ya Oh Ya!

Oh ya, oh ya.....

Ellie and I giggling together....the sound of heaven on earth!

It's Friday and the SUN made it's appearance...finally!  Lots to do around here-gardening, painting, wedding preparations (for a couple weddings I'm helping with) and family to love on.  Maybe the grand-kids will come by today, we'll see if they surprise us!

Monday, May 30, was me and Mark's 30th wedding anniversary.  And it was Memorial Day, too!  We spent a few days up at our little cabin on the lake.  Mark caught a huge trout and a huge bass, as well as regular sized trout.  Can you say fish for breakfast?  And lunch? ...and dinner?  Good think I like fish!  Oh, and have you tried fish tacos yet? So good, too.

So, I'll show a few pictures from the lake now...

One of the little signs I painted for our cabin years ago:

I want to start painting custom cabin signs now!  Our little cabin sits on a small cove, so as I was trying to come up with a name to name our cabin I decided to use the word cove.  The sign I'm painting for our cabin will read, "Sweet Woodruff Cove Cabin".    Or something like that!

Summer is the most popular time for weddings, and boy have I been painting a lot of wedding signs lately!  The most popular sign is the "Love is Sweet" sign.  This is being used for reception candy bar, or candy buffets, as well as on cake tables.  Wish I could sample all that sweet stuff!

Have a blessed weekend!  ~Heidi

(Linked to Cindy's Romantic Home Show and Tell Friday here.)