Summer Highlights So Far!

I wanted to share some highlights of things that I have done this summer. I feel like sometimes I get so involved with all of my projects that I forget to share some things about myself.   First of all, I just wanted to say that one of my favorite highlights of the summer is getting to know each and everyone of you. I am so happy that I have entered into this wonderful world of blogging. You all have been so supportive and so sweet!

Last month the hubs and I went to a state park in Illinois and did some hiking.  It was so nice to be able to just get away and spend time with each other.  The state park had some amazing canyons! Here are a few pictures from the state park.

 

I also got to visit IKEA for the first time!  Wow, it was an experience that is for sure. The store was huge...I mean gigantic.  It was a bit overwhelming for me at first but I felt very inspired afterwards.  If you ever get a chance to visit an IKEA you SHOULD do it at least once. I would also like to warn you that your husbands may not enjoy it as much as you might. My advice is to make sure there is a Bass Pro Shop within a few miles of IKEA.  Sorry, I only got a picture of the store front. They also have a great website  http://www.ikea.com/

Ok, this next picture is just for fun!  I need some advice about this dress. Do you think yellow is a good color for me?  It is very yellowy and I loved it but wasn't sure if it looked good. It is a great summer dress that I just might have to go back and buy, but I need some fashion advice. 

I got to spend some time hanging out at the lake and enjoyed some boat rides with some great friends!

And This past weekend I celebrated my 5th wedding anniversary. I can't believe it has already been 5 years!  It was a great anniversary weekend.  We went to Michigan to visit some friends and we also got to see Brooks and Dunn.  This is their final tour and there was no way I would miss seeing them.  I apologize for the distance of these pictures.  I am a thrifty girl and didn't buy the front stage tickets and all I had was my point and shoot camera.

It has been a really great summer so far and I hope you all are enjoying this summer as much as I have! 

PurpleTrail Giveaway

I have some exciting news to share, PurpleTrail  has contacted me and would like to giveaway a one year basic membership to one of my lucky readers!

Some of you might be asking what is PurpleTrail? Well, I am glad you asked!  PurpleTrail offers fully customizable printed cards and photo books, as well as ad-free online invitation and e-card services.  Check out some of these cool designs!  Oh, did I mention you can print these from home?

PurpleTrail also has party ideas and recipes!

Here is how you can win the One Year Basic Membership:

1). Go to the PurpleTrail website and choose a card design or party idea that you like. If you have a facebook account you can choose the design you like from there. After you have chosen the design come back to my blog and tell me which design you liked. Also, please include your e-mail address so I can e-mail the winner of the giveaway.

2). For a bonus entry I would LOVE it if you would become a follower!  Also, please comment on this post so I know that you are a new follower.

The winner will be chosen using a random number generator. The giveaway will end on Saturday, Aug. 14th. I am  looking forward to reading what designs you liked!

Loving My New Patio Table!

Thank you for all of your wonderful comments! I really do read each and every comment. I am so fortunate to have such a great group of new friends. I am approaching my 3 month blogaversary and can't believe all of the wonderful comments and people that I have met.  I would have never of dreamed that I would have 97 followers! 

Ok, now on to the fun stuff! I have been waiting to share my new patio table with everybody.  This table had some major transformations done to it. I am so happy with how it turned out.  I have seen several websites and blogs that have made tables like this.  I don't know if you remember back in June when I bought this table for $5.00 at a yard sale?

I didn't like the legs on the table. I really wanted farm-style table legs. I was very patient and determined to find table legs. I found these table legs for $10.00 at a garage sale later on. 

I had my very sweet husband detach the old legs from the table and attach the farm-style legs. He had to screw in the legs from the top of the table.  You can hide the screws with wood filler.  We also added some gorilla glue in-between the legs and the table for some extra support.

I sanded and primed the table to make it easier to paint.

Now, on for the paint transformation.  I decided to paint the top of the table brown to make it look like it was stained.  I used flat, brown exterior paint for the top and painted the legs with the chowder color paint that I had left over from my patio.  The brown paint is the Color Place brand (from Wal-Mart) and cost aboout $7.00. 

Here is a picture of the table with the umbrella and place settings. 

Almost everything on this table came from a garage sale or the Dollar Store.  The bamboo placemats are from the Dollar Tree. There was a fabric border around them that did not match my color scheme.  I took a seam ripper and took the fabric off of the placemats.  Aww, I think it looks much better now!

Do you remember my whale napkin holders?  The napkins are really kitchen towels from the Dollar Tree. I think they look like the real thing! I am going to have to go back and buy some white kitchen towels, too. I can't wait until we have our next barbeque so I can show off my new table!  I hope you have enjoyed this transformation as much as I have. 

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Garage Salen Finds

First of all I apologize for being MIA all week. This is a busy time of year for me at work. Unfortunately, I did not have a lot of time to go to too many garage sales. However, I always try to to fit in a few a week. On a side note, I wanted to say thank you to all of my new followers and for all your nice comments.

Now on to my finds from this weekend!

I found this folding rack that I am going to put in my spare bedroom for my guests bags and suitcases. I am going to spray paint it (of course) but I think I am going to leave the yellow and white fabric. The rack cost $3.25

I love vintage bottles...I don't know if you saw my dish soap bottle  post but I am planning on doing something like that with this bottle and use olive oil or some other condiment . The cost for the bottle was 25 cents. I am searching for more bottles like this for my collection. 

I have been on the hunt for a cloche and found this one. There are a lot of great ideas out there that my fellow bloggers have done to embellish these.   This cloche cost $4.00. 

I just loved this white jar.  I am probably going to use this in my bathroom to hide my makeup. The cost was $1.50.

This is a vintage pyrex bowl.  I love old pyrex bowls and they are so easy to clean. I paid $1.00 for this bowl.

The pumpkin cost $2.00. I like the color and design so I might not be spray painting this one. 

I found this white dish and thought I could use it as a soap dish in my small bathroom. It is kind of beachy looking, don't ya think? This dish was only $.50 cents. 

 I found this wood bowl/tray. I thought it would look great with white candles sitting on the patio or on the dining room table.  The cost for this was $1.00

Lastly, I found these vintage, christmas lights. I have always loved these chunky lights.  The cost for the lights were $1.00. 

Cost Breakdown:

Folding Rack: $3.00
Vintage Bottle: .25 cents
Cloche:  $4.00
White Jar: $1.50
Pyrex Bowl: $1.00
Pumpkin $2.00
Soap Dish: .50 cents
Wood Tray/Bowl:  $1.00
Vintage Christmas Lights: $1.00

Total Cost: $14.25



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