My kids know that I love trash to treasure crafts, so when they found a really interesting book about using empty soda bottles to make jewelry, they bought it for me for a great Mother’s Day gift. The name of the book is Magical Butterflies by Donna Manchester. She gives directions (and lots of pictures) on how to use empty plastic soda bottles, paint, wire and beads to make really gorgeous pins. I think that I already have most of the supplies to make some of them myself. I’m looking forward to giving it a try!
Tackle box
by Mary AnneRecently I was looking for a place to keep some of my crafting supplies, and I went to a couple of stores that specialize in crafts. The stores had a lot of storage boxes that looked exactly like the tackle boxes that are used by fishermen (and fisherwomen – I don’t want to be sexist!) Although I did not end up buying a storage box for my craft supplies, I did end up buying a pink tackle-box and brought it home and transferred my personal tools (hammer, screwdriver, drill, etc) into that. I’m hoping that keeping my tools in a pink storage box might help to slow down the evaporative loss of my tools! And I think that I just might paint the handles of my tools pink, or wrap them with pink duct tape too! After all, REAL men don’t use pink tools, do they?
Redecorating the master bedroom
by Mary AnneI’m pretty sure that I mentioned that I’m planning to redecorate the master bedroom at some point in time, and that I’m trying to do it in a “Harley Davidson” theme to make my hubby happy!
I’m thinking about trying to make the curtains fit the theme somehow. I’ve already told my hubby that he has to help me with the curtain rods – I told him that they somehow have to have a “motorcycle feel” to them, which means that they will have to be chrome and will have to suggest either motorcyle exhaust pipes or motorcycle handlebars. I’ll be curious to see what he can come up with!
I’m not quite sure what I will sew to hang off of the curtain rods, I’m thinking about something made from denim squares cut from old blue jeans, or maybe something made from faux leather, or maybe something from very silvery-chromy shiny fabric. Maybe try to make some tie-backs that look like motorcycle chains…….
Suggestions welcome!!!!!
Decorative mailboxes
by Mary AnneOne of the things that I enjoy about living in a rural area is seeing all of the different types of mailboxes that line the side of the roads. Some of the residential mailboxes are old, rusty, beat-up and look like they are ready to fall apart the next time that the wind blows. But having lived here for six years, and seeing those same old rusty beat up mailboxes day after day I know that they are NOT going to fall apart that easily. But still I wonder why in the world the family that lives in the house that gets the mail delivered in that box does not do something to fix it so that it looks a little bit less trashy!
I really enjoy seeing the occasional decorative mailboxes that pop up among the old rusty ones. Some of the more popular ones around here seem to be the John Deere tractor mailboxes, but I have also seen some that look like school buses, and some that look like animals (most specifically cows) and from time to time an airplane.
My favorite ones, however, are the ones that have been hand painted. The reason I like them the best is that somebody was using their artistic creativity to decorate the mailbox. I value handmade things much more than mass manufactured things.
Good friend’s daughter is getting married
by Mary AnneOne of my best friends, Sue, called me today. She tells me that her twenty eight year old daughter is getting married!
She was beginning to wonder if she was EVER going to get married!
They want to have a medieval theme wedding. They love going to Renaissance Fairs. They will be planning their wedding around the medieval theme as much as possible. I guess I’ll be sewing a medieval costume! Good thing I love to sew!
They are planning to have their wedding at Bull Run Castle in Aldie, Virginia. The Bull Run Castle is a romantic bed and breakfast that they think they can rent for the wedding. The Bull Run Castle is eight miles away from Dulles Airport, which should make it very convenient for their guests to fly in from the four corners of the world. They are going to have the wedding reception the next day at the Medieval Times Restaurant in nearby Hanover Maryland. The Medieval Times Restaurant has a very entertaining show that is included with dinner. The bride and groom are asking their guests to dress in medieval costume if possible.