Monday Musings

Hello Friends! I hope you are having a Marvelous Monday! ☺

 

I know that Monday is not everyone's favorite day of the week, and it is definitely not mine either, but I also do not hate it.  What I like about Monday is that it is a fresh start to a week. (Yes, I know the week officially starts on Sunday...just work with me here...)  I've decided to start a regular Monday post called "Monday Musings."  This weekly post will just be a random hodge-podge (not to be confused with Mod-Podge, which I am a fan of) of whatever I want it to be about on any given Monday.☺So sit back and enjoy my Monday Musings... (disclaimer-I was not feeling very well last night (Monday) so I didn't get this blog post finished...I know it's not Monday... oh well, maybe I should have re-named this Tuesday Tales...lol ☺)

 

So, to address the elephant in the room...yes, I have been gone from blogging for a few months.  I took a little break without really meaning to and then it just turned into a big break.  I may have very well lost every follower (ok, not everyone, I know your still here Mom ♥) but if you are still here, I'm grateful, and I love you.  The end.

 

So, the last few months have been very busy; my sweet Nana (you can read about her HERE, HERE & HERE ) has had a decline in her health and after her last stint in the hospital (after a mild heart attack and a nasty fall) it was necessary for her to no longer live alone.  I helped my Mom & Dad fix up their extra bedroom and Nana moved in with them.  It has been hard, and it has been very emotional, but I am still so thankful to have my grandma with us. My parents are amazing, generous people.  I have such an awesome, amazing family.  Blessed, I am.

 

Nana and her five great-granddaughters on Mother's Day 2013

Speaking of family...in April, we welcomed my new, sweet niece, Miss G, to our family.  (You can read about her sisters, Miss A, Miss K & Miss T HERE )  Yes, that makes four, FOUR, girls for my sister's family! I'm such a slacker over here with one...☺  Welcome to the world Miss G, I know God has a great plan for your life and I am so happy to be your Aunt!☺

(Isn't she a doll!☺)

 

I joined Weight Watchers in January, and I am happy to report I have lost about 30 lbs so far! I feel fantastic, and I am looking at reaching my goal weight (about another 30 lbs) by my birthday in November. It's do-able, and I am motivated!☺

 

Now for some real random weirdness...do you know they make gummy vitamins?? I recently found out I was Vitamin D deficient, and my doctor also got onto me about not taking a multi-vitamin, so I high-tailed it to the store to look at my vitamin options... Gummies...go figure. For the first time in my life I am having no problems taking my vitamins.  I really hope by the time I have to take as much medicine as poor Nana that every medicine is a gummy. ☺

 

So, I have been busy thrifting & creating and I can't wait to show you some of the things I have snagged & things I have created.  I will be back Thursday with my latest project...here's a hint...

 

Are you intrigued? Ha ha!☺

Thanks for stopping by! See you soon!☺

Welcome...Back Friends! A Before & After

Welcome......Back!

 

Hello friends! I hope everyone is having a fabulous start to summer! I am back to share a cute before and after project that I whipped up to bring a little sunshine to my front porch area.

 

I picked up this sign while thrifting. Yes, that is a $.50 sticker.  Score!  I took advantage of one of our few summer days without rain and got started on my project.

I started by giving the sign a good sanding and followed with a coat of primer.

 

I followed the coat of primer with two coats of white spray paint.

 

When I went outside to check on the paint, I caught two large rabbits sitting on my makeshift tarp (hey when you get a sunny day when all you have had is rain for what seems like weeks, you use what you have...plastic tablecloth anyone?) :) Anyhoo...rabbits...they were huge! I caught one with my camera as it was running away.

 

 After the paint dried, I moved inside to paint the trim and the letters. I found this cute little tester in a yellow color at my local Wal-Mart for less than $3.  I only needed a little bit, so this was perfect, it even includes the brush! ( Yes, I am easily impressed!) :)

 

 

My little thrift sign, before & after:

 

 The bright, cheery welcome sign inspired me to "cute up" (I'm sure that's an official phrase) my front entryway.

 

I like it. I had a piece of lattice in the garage.  Why you ask?  Good question. If I knew I'd tell you. :) I thrifted the lady bug rock for $  .50 (that seems to be my magic number!) and I splurged and added that cute little gnome. 

 

I love how $ .50, a vision and some paint can take something bla and make it beautiful.
 

Thanks for stopping by! Have a fabulous weekend my friends!
 

Sharing my before & after welcome sign with these fabulous friends:
 

 

Creative Headquarters Keep Calm & Link Up

 Sunny Simple Mondays @ Sunny Simple Life

 

Tatertots & Jello

 

Bla, Bla, Bla--I've been busy!

Holy Moly! Things have been craaaazzzy here! If you are still with me and still reading this blog-

BLESS YOUR HEART!!

 (and I mean that in a sweet, sincere way, not in that snarky southern way)

Life has just been busy, and hectic, and well...life....

I bet you are wishing I would just shush up about being busy (I mean who isn't?)  and make something already...you and me both friend!

While I haven't made anything or been able to thrift lately this is what I have been up to:

1.) Nana-sweet Nana... since my last update I think she has been in the hospital twice, and back to rehab twice...and we are crossing our fingers that she will leave rehab next week.  We are learning that you never quite know.  My Mama has been a pillar of strength in the last few months.  I'm doing my best to try and help her, but she is the one holding it all together and doing the most. That woman is amazing. My family is amazing, and I love spending time with them.

2.) I joined Weight Watchers -So far, so good!

3.) I also joined a "Shred Group"  that Jen (who is one of the most awesome, encouraging people ever) at Four Marrs and One Venus started. It is a group of awesome ladies all doing Jillian Michael's Thirty Day Shred. After the first day my body hurt for the next three days and without this group of ladies I probably would have given up.  With everything I have going on with Nana, I've lost count on what day I'm on 6...7...???  I think I'm going to start over...believe me, it's not going to hurt me any to do more than thirty days! Lol

So that is what I have been up to in a nutshell...I know exciting...

This weekend is a three day weekend for me! Whoo-hoo! I am going to use it to catch up on cleaning, catch up with some friends (this poor blog isn't the only thing I have been neglecting-just ask my friends!)and hopefully...make something!!

Have a great weekend friends!! :)

2012 in Review & a 2013 Preview

Happy New Year friends!! I hope you had a great 2012 and that 2013 brings wonderful things and lots of blessings your way!

 

2012 was a great year for me, full of great days, many changes and many blessings.

 

This Little Light had a great year as well.  That is all due to every single one of you who read this. I never imagined that having a place to share my creativity would branch into the relationships I have made with other bloggers and that things I created would inspire others.  I hope to make even more connections and grow This Little Light in the coming year.

 

I would like to share with you the top 5 posts of 2012 (just click on the blog title to see the orginal post.)

 

1.  Happy 1st Birthday This Little Light & A Giveaway  (No surprise there-everyone loves a giveaway, I know I do!)

 

 

2. Before and After Jewelry Tray

 

 

3.  Bling a Ding Ding Ding

 

 

4.  18...A Birthday Letter to My Daughter

 

 

5.  Back to School Wreath  (Which became my first ever feature!! Whoo-hoo!)

 

 

And that my friends closes out 2012!

 

Which brings us to a preview for 2013....

 

I have three major projects (and a lot of little projects) planned for 2013. I have already started working on two of them...

 

The first project is my bedroom re-do.  I based the color theme on this bedspread I love that I stalked until it went on clearance.

 

  

You have already seen two bedroom projects ( this mirror & the jewelry tray)  I have dragged my feet way too long on this project, and my goal is to have it done by the end of January.

 

The second project is my garage turned craft room.  I originally thought I could use the entire garage  but I realized that was not going to happen, I have way too many things (decorations) to store. Once I figure out the layout I think it my craft (half garage) room will come together.  You might remember this desk that I scored for $7 while thrifting.  It is going to be the desk in my craft room..I can't wait to show you how I am transforming it!

 

 

My third project won't be until spring (which will actually be here before we know it!) 

 

I plan on sprucing up/redoing my back patio.  This will be a challenge as you can see from the picture.  I also plan on getting rid of all the snow! (he he)

 

 

I hope you will join me in 2013! Looking forward to all the great things this year will bring!

 

Happy New Year Friends & I hope you have a fabulous 2013!

Christmas Condensed

Hellloooo Friends! I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and are looking forward to a great new year! I know I did, and I am! :)

I started out December ahead with lots of things done and lots of things planned, then life happened and I barely got everything done before Christmas!

 

The major life stuff that was going on was that my sweet Nana had another heart attack at the beginning of December and fell and cut her ear and hurt her back. Poor Nana :( We celebrated her 82nd birthday in the hospital. Because of her heart and her injuries she wasn't able to go home right away, so she has been in a Rehab Center since leaving the hospital. She is doing pretty good and hopefully we will have her back to her own home before long! It made for a tough December, for her and for us but as always she has a great attitude and our family is so blessed to still have her with us.

So to recap December...
I of course put up a tree and decorated. I also made two of these Tomato Cage Trees to decorate the outside of my house

The Christmas committee at my work had the cutest idea....the week and half before our Christmas dinner every morning there was a little treat and Christmas song lyrics on our desks. I snapped a picture of a few of them. I loved it, I couldn't wait to get to work every morning and see what the treat was! It really helped get me into the Christmas spirit.

The popcorn was "Let it Snow" (I brought some corn for popping...too cute!)

My friend and I continued our tradition of Christmas light looking while hot chocolate drinking...

A few days before Christmas we finally got our first snow!

 

My sister and her family came for Christmas and I got to spend time with my sweet, fun, beautiful nieces. Oh how I love these girls!

I also made a gift (it may or may not have been at the last minute...don't judge...we all do it right? right? ha ha!) using the same technique I used HERE & HERE,with a bit of twist. My sweet friend made me the stencil with her Silhouette. It made the process so easy! A Silhouette is so on my wish list!!

I assembled my supplies on the only place I had free (I was cooking in the kitchen, wrapping in my craft area) I set up my work area, complete with a peppermint hot chocolate. (I sure did a lot of hot chocolate drinking this year!)

And the finished product:

Which brings me to the thing I love most about Christmas, the reason for it.

Jesus

He is the true reason for the season. May His love and blessings fill your heart and your home in the coming year and always.

So that is my condensed version of December/Christmas. It was great, I hope yours was too!

Join me on Tuesday for the top posts of 2012 and a preview of some things I have planned in 2013!

Happy New Year friends, stay safe!

Tomato Cage Trees

You say tomato, I say tomhato....:)

 

Anyway you say it, tomato/tamhato cages were what I used in a project I have had planned all year....

Yes, you heard me correctly. Last year I saw some tomato cage trees somewhere on some fantastic blog (that I did not write down-boo me) I did a Pinterest search to see if I could find the source. Sheesh! Do you have any idea how many people are out there making tomato cage trees? ALOT! I had never read any of their blogs though, so I didn't get the idea from them. So thank you fantastic nameless blog that inspired me, I salute you. :)

 I saved my tomato cages from last summer and bought the "good" garland and lights at 90% off after Christmas. I would like to pretend that once I had all my supplies I whipped those suckers out. Nope. Didn't happen. I made these last week.

 

I started by flipping the cages upside down and clipping them together with a binder clip. I then tied the cage together so it would resemble a tree.

 

Evidently I felt the need to take lots of pictures of the simple steps above, and none of the next steps. I don't know about you, but once I start getting into a project I forget to keep taking pictures.

 

I wrapped the garland around the tomato cage, then wrapped a string of white lights around the cage. I added a red velvet bow to the top and then I had a cute little Christmas tree!

 

Love it!

 

Here are the finished trees outside. I really wish I had shutters, but when you rent you take what you have and just try to make it pretty!:)

 

I love Christmas!

 

Sharing this with those awesome ladies at

Keep Calm and Link Up
 

Spray Paint Sunday

Helllloooo Friends!  We have been having crazy warm temps here in Missouri, is that happening where you live too?

When the weather gets cold my spray paint projects get banished to the garage (aka my future craft room-it's a work in progress.)  When the temp was in the upper 70's on Sunday (after church)  I took advantage of the warm spring December afternoon and decided to have a spray paint palooza. :)

 

I spread a big plastic tarp across my back patio, gathered my supplies and grabbed every project that I have been putting off out of the garage and got to work.

 

My projects included three shelves for my daughter's room (all snapped up at a dollar or less) a shelf for my Mom, a big awesome fancy frame that I have a project in mind for, another frame that I was going to throw away that will become a Christmas craft, and a candle holder that I love but needed updated.

 

I went through almost three cans of primer....and then I painted.  My favorite part.  I spray painted all afternoon.  It was starting to get dark when I finished.  I was tired and my finger was a little sore, but yesterday I could barely grasp anything.  I used muscles in my arm I didn't even know I had!

 

I really love how spray paint transforms things.   I also love when things turn out like I imagined in my head.  :)

 

My spray paint Sunday gave me a good start on some projects I have been meaning to do.  Have you done any fun projects lately?