Bits & Pieces

I once again wish I had a digital camera, to show off my quick "craft project" accomplished this morning. In my kitchen, I have a box of cute note paper which used to have a 2006 calendar on the top of the box. Since the beginning of this year, it has been plain with dried on glue, left over from taking the calendar off.

As I looked at it this morning, I realized the ugliness was beginning to annoy me so I found a pretty post card, one from Old Sturbridge Village...purchased when we visited a couple years ago. I keep craft supplies on hand in an "extra" medicine cabinet in my small bathroom (in a house with limited storage space, one takes what they can utilize) and used Modge Podge to glue the post card on the box (adding two layers on top to keep it there). I am very pleased with the results and it took only a few minutes of direct "crafting". I liked it so much that the box is now out in the open rather than on a bottom shelf, tucked away (and difficult to get to when a piece of paper was needed quickly).

It's probably a good thing I can't take a picture of my living room coffee table right now. I'm in the midst of coming down to the wire for the Winter Book Challenge and, like the office worker who needs all their current papers before them, I have all three of the books I'm reading now, plus a Grace Livingston Hill I hope to read soon, a decorating book I perused a few days ago, and the latest newsletter from a favorite Bible teacher...in addition to a basket of silk greenery, the dish that holds my reading glasses, and a little wooden bowl.

I had to go into town this morning for milk, cream and more cold medicine (we really should just purchase a cow). The rack containing clearance flowers was directly in front of me as I entered the store so I HAD to look to see if there were any good flowers left. Most looked rather wilted and even at half price, not worth purchasing. However, there was one beautiful bouquet of red carnations in excellent shape for less than $2.00. There's something about these types of carnations that give the illusion of roses and they are very pretty. So, upon arriving home, I cut off some of the bottom of the stems with my kitchen scissors and placed the tallest of flowers in a cut glass vase, displaying them on my dining room table.

I have various shaped bottles on my kitchen window ledge, all in the same shade of green (with the exception of a small, clear, vintage milk bottle that has Mother's Cream in red...quite sweet). Anyway, I filled these with water and stuck the smaller stems in them. They look very pretty right now along with the pink rose that is in the milk bottle (free from my bank of all places). In February, I'll take color where I can get it. Beauty added for $1.94!

I have a lot of things on my "to do" list this week but this afternoon I'm going to spend time reading. Except for fixing dinner and doing dishes, my household gotta do's are pretty much finished for the day. I have one load of laundry to remove from the dryer and another to put in but there is one thing nice about laundry...you can read while the washer and dryer are going and still feel like you are accomplishing housework. :)