Adventuring with a Purpose

I have two great passions: 1) hanging with my ladies and 2) creating things that are free or nearly free.   And, so what could be more fun that combining your two loves??   Well, I can’t think of anything.

A great adventure always starts with a plan and where it goes from there is up to you.  Sometimes to get this plan kick started you need something a little unexpected.  Let’s say this something is a metal star.

My kids love nothing more than having a purpose for our adventures.  We had the metal star and we needed to find something to add to it to make it special.

We knew that something special could be found down a path like this.  In nature the possibilities are endless!

And, we knew there would definitely be treasures to find at a beach like this.

It was the perfect day.  Eight miles of trails and so many great finds along the way. 

So, what did we do with the star??  

How’d we do it?  So simple.  We used a tree trimming scissor to cut branches into the correct sizes and super glued them on to the star.   I love how it now has that nautical feel that I so love and it was FREE!!

It feels like the days slip by too quickly and the time I am able to spend with my kids goes by way too fast.  It is so fun to be able to spend a day doing something we both love together!

I don't always make it to all of these parties each week but I sure do love them all.

Mondays

Alderberry HillAsk AnnaBetween Naps on the Porch

DIY Home Sweet HomeMaking the World Cuter

Be ColorfulSumos Sweet StuffDebbie Doo's

The DIY ShowoffSouthern Hospitality

My 1929 CharmerThe Southern Institute

Tuesdays

Crafty Texas GirlsJillify ItTip Junkie

Not Just a HousewifeMy Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Wednesdays

Handy Man, Crafty Woman Embracing Change

Savvy Southern StylePrimitive and ProperThe NY Melrose Family

Thursdays

The Shabby Creek CottageYesterday on TuesdayThe Brambleberry Cottage

The Vintage FarmhouseSomewhat SimpleHouse of Hepworths

Fireflies and JellybeansA Glimpse InsideSaved by Love Creations

Seven Alive Crafty, Scrappy, HappyThrifty DecoratingThe Charm of Home

The Crafty BlogstalkerThe Artsy Girl Connection 52 Mantels

Fridays

Blissful and DomesticShabby NestRomantic Home

Finding FabulousRemodelaholicThe French Country Cottage

WhipperberryChic on a ShoestringStuff and Nonsense

Naptime CraftersSimply DesigningOne Artsy Mama

Days of Chalk and ChocolateAt the Picket Fence

RedouxAddicted 2 Decorating Tatortots and Jello

Saturdays

Funky Junk InteriorsLolly Jane Boutique

Serenity You Too Much Time

Be Different Act NormalSix Sisters StuffPositively Splendid

Love Notes by LaurynIt's Overflowing

Sundays

I Heart NaptimeNifty ThriftyPetite Hermine

Cherished TreasuresTwigg StudiosFlamingo Toes

Thank you to all of these amazing sites that are

so gracious to host each week!

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Educational Fascination: Globes and Maps

When I was in third grade I think would have given my best pair of jelly shoes to take home the big pull down map that was in my classroom.  Well, things have not changed.  I am excited to announce that I have finally secured one for myself.

I was out one day a few months ago, searching desperately for a metal tub to plant my salsa garden in, when I drove by an antique store and just had to stop in.  I think that it was destiny.  There it was, my 1920 Denoyer- Geppert World Map. 

There was no price tag on it and the lady behind the desk had to call the owner.  I paced nervously with a price in my head that I knew I couldn’t go over.  She came back, the price was $40…SOLD!

This beauty is now hanging proudly in my bedroom.

Here is how the room looked before…boring!

And now with the map hanging in all of its glory!  (Don’t knock me on the tv, I cannot get myself to get a new one until this one dies and I need this one to watch my Real Housewives shows without the kids in the room.)

So, when I got home I had to of course Google this map and see what kind of treasure I had.  I couldn’t find this exact map anywhere…bummer!  But, I did find a United States map (same year and maker) that sells for $550.  I am telling myself that mine is worth the same…I like to do that!

Okay, then I saw this map in Country Living magazine.  I knew that if this map made it into country living,  then my map was certainly a treasure!  I like to tell my husband that I am a trendsetter…this helped me prove my point…ha ha!!

Via Country Living

I think that the map goes well with the rest of my beachy bedroom.

Here’s the other half of the room…click the pic to see the whole room.

My fascination with educational items also extends to my living room.  I think that having both a map and a globe when I was a grade-schooler may have been too much for me too handle.  How fun are these?  And what I like the most is that they just add a little pop of color into that corner of the room.

 

Okay, the trendsetter that I am, I spray painted my tall globe with chalk paint.    Then, last week I spotted a similar globe at a trendy downtown store for a whopping $450…what???

Mine: $5 plus paint

This is the same globe I spotted but at an online store.

Theres: $450

Chalkboard Globe- Via

Online someone commented that this stuff is useless because now we have the internet.  I disagree…I love things that take me back to my childhood and there are just so cool to look at!!

I don't always make it to all of these parties each week but I sure do love them all.

Mondays

Alderberry HillAsk AnnaBetween Naps on the Porch

DIY Home Sweet HomeMaking the World Cuter

Be ColorfulSumos Sweet StuffDebbie Doo's

The DIY ShowoffSouthern Hospitality

My 1929 CharmerThe Southern Institute

Tuesdays

Crafty Texas GirlsJillify ItTip Junkie

Not Just a HousewifeMy Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Wednesdays

Handy Man, Crafty Woman Embracing Change

Savvy Southern StylePrimitive and ProperThe NY Melrose Family

Thursdays

The Shabby Creek CottageYesterday on TuesdayThe Brambleberry Cottage

The Vintage FarmhouseSomewhat SimpleHouse of Hepworths

Fireflies and JellybeansA Glimpse InsideSaved by Love Creations

Seven Alive Crafty, Scrappy, HappyThrifty DecoratingThe Charm of Home

The Crafty BlogstalkerThe Artsy Girl Connection 52 Mantels

Fridays

Blissful and DomesticShabby NestRomantic Home

Finding FabulousRemodelaholicThe French Country Cottage

WhipperberryChic on a ShoestringStuff and Nonsense

Naptime CraftersSimply DesigningOne Artsy Mama

Days of Chalk and ChocolateAt the Picket Fence

RedouxAddicted 2 Decorating Tatortots and Jello

Saturdays

Funky Junk InteriorsLolly Jane Boutique

Serenity You Too Much Time

Be Different Act NormalSix Sisters StuffPositively Splendid

Love Notes by LaurynIt's Overflowing

Sundays

I Heart NaptimeNifty ThriftyPetite Hermine

Cherished TreasuresTwigg StudiosFlamingo Toes

Thank you to all of these amazing sites that are

so gracious to host each week!

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Strawberry Cheesecake Salad

 Happy Monday!  It is the time of year that I love…summer!!  To me summer means get togethers with friends and families.  And, to help you with your summer planning I am sharing this perfect potluck recipe for strawberry cheesecake salad. 

Strawberry Cheesecake Salad

12 oz. whipped topping- I use the lite to save a few calories

1 sm. package cheesecake pudding

3 (6oz.) strawberry yogurts

1 lb. fresh strawberries sliced

3 bananas sliced

miniature marshmallows (approx. 1/2 bag)

In a large bowl stir together thawed whipped topping, yogurts, and pudding powder.  Let sit in fridge for at least one hour.  Add strawberries, bananas, and marshmallows just before serving.  Keep refrigerated.

This salad is so easy to make and my family thoroughly loves it!!

Enjoy!

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Curb Appealing

Over the past month I have been giving some sneak peeks into the front of my home.  There have been a few new projects this Spring to spruce things up and now I am ready for a reveal!!

Welcome to my “Home Sweet Home”

I have a passion for older homes, but not all of the problems associated with them.  We bought this house 8 years ago and I fell in love instantly.  Here we get a little bit of the feel and charm of an older home in a new house.  Our whole neighborhood was created to to embrace this feeling.  Every home has a front porch, many have garages on the back that lead into alleys or garages that are set back from the front of the house, and all are made to replicate the styles of older homes.

While the house is more of a farm style, I have a small passion for cottage style and have tried to bring that out in the accents on the outside.

You may recall these Chevron window boxes that I finished up this spring.  The flowers are already filling them up nicely!!Many years I go with a simpler color pallet for my flowers.  This year I really wanted a wide variety of colors to play off of the colors on the boxes.

You may also recall these House Number burlap planters that I made for the front steps.

Almost every year I do something different with the pillows on the front porch.  This year I went bold and colorful.

I can’t imagine a front porch without a fern surrounded by vintage accessories.  Could you??  Just wouldn’t be right.

I had to have a red front door, it seemed like the only logical color to go along with the yellow house.  And, it provides a great contrast to any color of wreath.

 

The day I painted the door red I thought I had better bring a little bit of red to the garage side as well, so I painted these planters red to try and tie the two areas of the house together.

And, of course I had to introduce you to my two favorite plants:  Brad and Angelina.  These two vines, who were transplanted to their current location last year, have long been a competition of sorts between my husband and I.  His is obviously named Angelina and mine Brad.  What’s the competition??  Whose grows the fastest of course.  Pretty much a tie so far this year. :(

Working on the outside of my house is my absolute favorite thing to do and I love that I get to share this with you.  Thank you for visiting and coming on the tour with me!

 

 I don't always make it to all of these parties each week but I sure do love them all.

Mondays

Alderberry HillAsk AnnaBetween Naps on the Porch

DIY Home Sweet HomeMaking the World Cuter

Be ColorfulSumos Sweet StuffDebbie Doo's

The DIY ShowoffSouthern Hospitality

My 1929 CharmerThe Southern Institute

Tuesdays

Crafty Texas GirlsJillify ItTip Junkie

Not Just a HousewifeMy Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Wednesdays

Handy Man, Crafty Woman Embracing Change

Savvy Southern StylePrimitive and ProperThe NY Melrose Family

Thursdays

The Shabby Creek CottageYesterday on TuesdayThe Brambleberry Cottage

The Vintage FarmhouseSomewhat SimpleHouse of Hepworths

Fireflies and JellybeansA Glimpse InsideSaved by Love Creations

Seven Alive Crafty, Scrappy, HappyThrifty DecoratingThe Charm of Home

The Crafty BlogstalkerThe Artsy Girl Connection 52 Mantels

Fridays

Blissful and DomesticShabby NestRomantic Home

Finding FabulousRemodelaholicThe French Country Cottage

WhipperberryChic on a ShoestringStuff and Nonsense

Naptime CraftersSimply DesigningOne Artsy Mama

Days of Chalk and ChocolateAt the Picket Fence

RedouxAddicted 2 Decorating Tatortots and Jello

Saturdays

Funky Junk InteriorsLolly Jane Boutique

Serenity You Too Much Time

Be Different Act NormalSix Sisters StuffPositively Splendid

Love Notes by LaurynIt's Overflowing

Sundays

I Heart NaptimeNifty ThriftyPetite Hermine

Cherished TreasuresTwigg StudiosFlamingo Toes

Thank you to all of these amazing sites that are 

so gracious to host each week!

Pin It