Look at the Gifts!

Good morning everyone! Welcome to my Friday Show and Tell. And thank you Kelli for hosting Friday Show and Tell every week. It has been a while since I have been able to participate. And actually, I had a textile piece I was going to feature, but I will show it next week. You will just have to come back. :-D

I hope that every one had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. We sure did. Looking forward to what God has in store for us in 2009.

Just before Christmas, I won a GiveAWay from Jan at "Jan and Tom's Rose Haven".

I did not get many photos of the package b/c DD got to the mail box first... It was torn open and she promptly acclaimed she knew exactly where to hang it and took off. LOL!

Her former nursery, (she is now 10) our now Beatrix Potter room, was not decorated and DD had a great time...

...stringing this wonderful Pom Pom Garland. I love it!!! I have another place all planed for it for next year. Jan also sent me some wonderful tea, which will be great on these cold winter afternoons. Thank You Jan!

Today as we were walking in from the bus stop, DD discovered another box... who could it be from?!?! (Thank goodness I was able to get if from her before she tore it up. Isn't this wonderful paper?!?)

It is from sweet Shannon of "Bless Our Nest"!

In the box was a lovely Valentines Tea Towel,

And look at this wonderful framed monogrammed plaque she made me! Isn't it divine! I love it. I love them both. Thank you Shannon!

I hope that you enjoyed my Friday Show and Tell. To see other Friday Show and Tells,or to participate, go to Kelli's site There's No Place Like Home. Thank you Kelli for Hosting!

Have a blessed weekend y'all!
Melissa

Project Review!

Rhoda of Southern Hospitality is having a 2008 Project Review! I am joining in with a few projects. (Thanks Rhoda for Hosting!)

This old frame I found in my basement recycled into a chalkboard in my kitchen.

This old silver plate basket found in my sideboard recycled into a painted metal basket. (Is spray paint food safe?)


For years I have been looking for a new chandi for my foyer. I was sick of this one on the top photo. I would find the right one for the right price, but it would be the wrong color or size. Or I would find the right size and color, but wrong price!!! Bloghood changed that for me. :D

I found one on clearance at Lowes and spray painted it. I did not use my professional photo equipment for this shot. I just used my lil' ole' point and shoot camera. But is is a perfect chandi for the space. When I photograph the whole house for the blog, I will use my pro equipment.

Then there came the cloches. Did you know you can take items around the house and the $$$ store and the $$$ tree and make a Cloche?

Glass Hurricane or Vase, 50 cent votive holder, final and a plate. If you want them to be temporary, use hot glue. If you want them to be permanent, use a heavy duty glue like 6000 (?) or something that will work on glass. Fill it with items and you have a lovely cloche!


Clipboards. The tutorial is on my sidebar.


Christmas Card Ornament


I learned this from watching a Martha Stewart show a few years ago.


I like them and they look nice added to gifts. A great way to recycle cards.


The first project inspired by blogging. This umbrella stand was my late MIL's. I have had it for 13 years and it really needed to go or get a face lift....

Our Magic Christmas Elf needed his own bed. I could not have him sleeping with the American Girl Dolls.... None of that in this house, no siree! So I took this sneaker box...

A few old wooden spools I have been saving (OK, OK 15 cents, so my grandma saved them, then my mom saved them and gave them to me.... at least I am using them and they are no longer just taking up space!!!)

And some fabric and trims from my stash and a few scraps, I made this lovely Elfin bed.

I have tons of projects planned for 2009! A note book filled up. And I got Lowes gift cards for Christmas!!!! Yeah!

To enjoy more 2008 Project Reviews or to join the Party, go to Rhoda's blog Southern Hospitality! And Rhoda, thanks for hosting. It sure has been fun going over these photos and I am going to have fun going over everyone else's projects as well. Thanks so much and have a Blessed day!!!
Hugs,
Melissa

~~~Addendum~~~

I almost forgot this tired old Chandi I found in a Flea Market Antique Mall in Leeds, Alabama.

And here it is over my kitchen table. So pretty! And perfect! I cannot tell you how many years I have been looking for the perfect Chandelier for this spot. This one stole my heart. With new wiring, prisms total cost about $68 and I love it!

Blue Monday

Welcome to my Blue Monday Post. Blue Monday is hosted by Sally @ Smiling Sally's Blog. Thank you Sally!

I love this shot of Cinderella's Castle. It is Blue, and so beautiful with the Ice Crystals dripping from it. Oh I almost missed this shot b/c I was all the way in Fronteirland when I first saw the color change to this Blue. (And it was so crowded. A sea of people, very difficult to navigate through the crowd and with 2 families, 3 of us photographers.) There was another Blue, it was aqua Blue. Pretty, and I captured it as well. I will save it for another post as I have a whole series of the castle photos featured in different colors. At night time, different lights are put on the castle changing color(s), even during the fireworks. It is beautiful. This photo was taken before the Wishes Fireworks show. The camera was hand held as there was barely a spot to stand let alone set up a tripod. That night was very very crowded.

To see more Blue Monday Posts or to participate in Blue Monday, go to Sally's blog by clicking HERE. Thank you for taking time to visit my blog today. Thank you Sally for hosting.

Y'all have a great day!

Sunday Video

Beautiful Slide Show of God's Creation with a Beautiful Song by Hillssong - "One Way".
To better enjoy the video, please turn off the music on my playlist on the right sidebar.

Addendum: I just tried the video/slide show. It seems to be working fine. Perhaps it was timing.

Pink Saturday

Welcome to the first Pink Saturday Post of 2009! Here is Wishing you a Happy New Year.

(Cinderella's Castle during the Wishes Fireworks at Walt Disney World.)

Addendum: Did y'all know that Photoshop does not have spell check? My DH just told me that "Year" is spelled wrong. (Y'all that is a TYPO! I do know how to spell "Year"!) But I do not know how to break down layers.... Now to go back and find my raw file and redo this whole photo... Na! Y'all just have a Happy New Yeay!

Isn't the Castle Pretty and Pink! And covered in Ice Crystals. It is beautiful!!! I still cannot believe how well the photo turned out considering I was hand holding the camera. I barely had a spot to stand. It was so crowded! I am not sure if I have ever seen it that crowded... Well, maybe I have. It is always crowded at Wishes. And I was trying to hang onto my 10 yo. Still got a who series of beautiful photos.

Thank you Beverly for hosting Pink Saturday! To see more Pink Saturday Posts go to Beverly's site, How Sweet the Sound.

Y'all have a great weekend!

Advice Please

What do you think?

This is an old table. It has been all over the house. Not sure where it came from. A piece from DH's mother's family. I think it is sweet gum wood. Most of the furniture that they had was sweet gum wood with a veneer on the top. I cannot find a corner table for my small foyer, but I do keep putting this table here and like it. (My pink wellies always stay here. Maybe I need to find a black pair.)

My foyer is tall. In some places, 2-3 stories and it is where DH and I keep our galleries. Photo clients come in and it is one of the first things that they see. Most of my frames are black. Now I want to spray paint the rest black. The old brass umbrella stand that I spray painted black sits across from the table. (I am still decorated for Christmas. I do not take anything down until after the Epiphany.) Think this table could use a black dress?

Blessings,
Melissa

Happy New Year!

Wishing for you and your family a Happy and Prosperous 2009.

Love,

Melissa and Family