Maybe I Was Wrong About My Child Playing the Recorder
My son is in 3rd grade. If it’s been awhile since you’ve been in 3rd grade, let me refresh your memory. Being in 3rd grade means he’s learning multiplication and division. He’s spending time writing long stories. He’s no longer learning to read. He’s reading to learn. He’s also learning to play the recorder. If this blog had music that last sentence would be followed by a ‘dun, dun, duuuun!!’ sound. Handy Husband and I both recall learning to play the recorder in school at about that same age, so it has been part of school curriculum in many U.S. schools for a good long while. If you want to…
Happy List: #109
Hello everyone! Today we are celebrating Read Across America Day! I have a 9 a.m. appointment at my son’s school to read to his class. I *think* I am going to read Billy Twitters and His Blue Whale Problem. This is going to be a last minute decision. Read Across America is an event established in honor of Dr. Seuss (his birthday is March 2). Many Barnes & Noble and Target stores will be having events tomorrow. For a full list of Read Across America events and activities, click here. This week on the blog as been fun! I’m biased, but that’s the kind of editorial license you get to…
Turn a Hutch Into a Freestanding Bookcase
Who loves a good furniture makeover? *raises both my hands…and feet* You’ve come to the right place because I have a fun makeover to show you today! We were able to turn a hutch into a freestanding bookcase and it’s been a game-changer in my tween daughter’s room. If you’ve been a long-time follower, you might remember that when I bought this dresser with brass details at the Habitat Restore it came with a hutch. I never could figure out the hutch part of the dresser. Not only was it not quite the right size, I couldn’t tell where it had ever attached to the dresser. It was a mystery. I…
Happy Thrifting: America Designs
I have quite the virtual shopping treat for you today! We recently visited the town of Lambertville, New Jersey. Never heard of it? That’s okay. It is a small town (population approx 4,000) located along the Delaware River and right on the border of Pennsylvania. The Travel Channel recently named Lambertville the “Most Charming Small Town” in New Jersey on it’s list of “America’s 50 Most Charming Small Towns.” That’s quite the endorsement, isn’t it? With a recommendation from The Travel Channel and the town’s self-described label as the “Antiques Capital of New Jersey,” we HAD to check it out. The very first store in Lambertville that we ventured into…
Happy List: #108
Hello! It has come to my attention that a large number of people in New England and along the East Coast spend part of February in Florida, Mexico or The Caribbean. I need to remember how smart these people are for next year because we just had ANOTHER snow day and a 2-hour delay this week. At this rate, my kids will be going to school until July. On Monday I shared an update on a very important situation: the type of bath towels we use. I’m not sure how you went so long without me updating you on the towel situation in our lives. On Wednesday I shared another…
Framing Art With Scrap Leather Instead of Using a Mat
Why, yes! I did use leather in another crafty home decor project. Give me some scrap leather and I will come up with a host of ways to use it. And in case you are wondering (you’re not, but let’s pretend), someone DID give me a stack of leather and said, “Maybe you can use this for a project or two.” Challenge accepted! This time I used a piece of leather instead of a picture frame mat for framing a piece of art. Let’s not discuss the fact that I have scrap leather, but I don’t have an appropriately sized picture frame mat. Nor am I willing to buy one,…
Update: Making the Switch to Linen Bath Towels
A couple of year ago I posed the question: Should I switch to linen bath towels? You can count on me to ask the hard-hitting questions. At the time I was living in Ireland and drying clothes outside on the line was the norm. Since Ireland has a well-deserved reputation for raining A LOT, I hung clothes indoors to dry on a rack next to our radiators too. Cotton bath towels were tricky to wash in a teeny tiny washing machine (many European washing machines are smaller than their U.S. counterparts) and even trickier to dry, so that’s what led me down the rabbit hole of linen bath towels. In…
Happy List: #107
Hello, hello! I celebrated Valentine’s Day at my son’s elementary school with about 18 third graders for a class party. It was fun and chaotic. For some reason it was called a Friendship Party, not a Valentine’s Day party though. I don’t even bother asking why anymore. This is the first time in two years that we’ve had to think about Valentine’s Day cards because Valentine’s Day isn’t celebrated in school in Ireland. Are you sitting down for this next revelation? For the first time ever I did not make homemade cards. I know! Who am I?!? My son just isn’t into it like my daughter was, so we bought…
How to Mount Antlers on an Acrylic Base
I’m not a hunter. I’ve never hunted. I don’t own anything camouflage. I’ve never worn anything in a hue resembling hunter orange. Although, I did have a pair of fluorescent yellow leg warmers in 4th grade. I do own a set of deer antlers though. My brother gave them to me years ago. I don’t know where they came from. Or how old they are. I have no answers on that front. I just liked the antlers. If you’re an antler purist (is that a thing?) then stop reading now because it will definitely seem blasphemous that I painted the antlers gold at some point. What can I say? I…
DIY Wooden Heart Magnets
Since February is LOVE month, I decided it was high time I showcased a sentimental DIY that I’ve been using most of my life – DIY Wooden Heart Magnets. You know I love magnets. I use them anywhere except on my refrigerator. Weird, I know. I just really like an uncluttered refrigerator door. Open the fridge up and all bets are off though! I’ve made matchbox car magnets, Santa belt magnets and souvenir penny magnets. I come about this magnet love naturally because my mom is the one who DIY’d these wooden heart magnets. I’m guessing 30 years ago? Yes, they’ve lasted THAT long. She made these magnets and other…
