Quick Project ~~ Short Post

Hello Sweet Friends

I hope you have enjoyed a beautiful weekend

And a great day in the Lord

A few evenings ago I worked on a very quick project

I shared a photo on facebook and Instagram

Maybe you saw it

But I'll share here today

A couple months ago I took the curtain down from my back door

It was one of those two rod glass door curtains

I was just tired of it and wanted something a little more girlie

I finally had an idea that wasn't going to cost too many $$

I purchased a white battenburg lace curtain for the bottom part

I gathered several white battenburg lace hankies

I got out my first and only sewing basket that I got for my

16th birthday in 1974

Did a bit of hand sewing and voila

New valance

I actually sewed the hankies right onto the rod

But they are loose enough to slide them

Or take them off easily if I need to

With the bottom curtain and the top hankie valance

I am quit pleased with the simple, quick and

Inexpensive project

Now I have to make sure to keep the window clean :)

While out and about yesterday

I saw this cute pick up truck/wagon

I talked to the owner for a few minutes

And asked if I could take a photo

Wouldn't it be fun to drive around in this sweet ride?

Well, maybe not when it's 110+ outside

But maybe during the desert southwest winters

ALSO,

Don't forget that on Friday

July 15, 2016

Over at My Desert Cottage

Karen will be hosting her 8th annual

Where Blogger's Create Link Party

I've been getting my office cleaned up

So I can join in

I hope you will join in as well!!

Have A Blessed Week

Joining
Dwellings for Amaze Me Monday

Meanwhile...Between Naps

Hi Friends,

Although I've been in bed for

Most of the past 3 days

Today, I have been feeling stir crazy

With spring just around the corner

I thought I'd do a quick 20 minute project between naps

I took this plain white bird house

And decided to add my favorite number to it

 

I'm sure you all guessed it would be 3

Always for My 3 K's

 

I just stenciled on the number

Waited for it to dry

Then quickly sanded it so it wasn't so stark

 

I added a tiny bee and a ladybug

Just for spring

And voila - A bit of personality

Now,

I'm off for another nap

Hoping to go to work tomorrow :)

Remote Caddy

Hello Friends
It's been a rainy weekend so I was able to 
Work on a little project that has been waiting for some time

Last summer I found this little caddy at a garage sale
For just a couple of dollars
I knew I wanted to paint it 
But it's been at the lower end of my project list

You can see it's just been sitting out in the garage

It was very dusty and pretty beat up

So I did give it a good cleaning

And let it dry

I decided to go out yesterday and put a quick

Coat of Kilz on it as a primer

When I say quick I mean quick

5 minutes and done

Today I ran over to Home Depot

Looking for paint I spied this little sample pot

In the oops pile

Hey, for 50 cents, how could I pass it up

And since it is Behr

I didn't think I could go wrong

I brought it all in the LR and while watching the NASCAR race

Which was happening just down the road from me

I decided to start painting

I put two coats on and was finished in no time at all

I added a few little 'keys' I had in a drawer

And voila - my new remote caddy is finished

I will keep my TV remotes in it
As well as nail files and clippers
(I use those items a lot at night while watching TV)
I also decided to put a small note pad and pen in it
So when I think of something I need to purchase or do
I can write it down
It seems the 'remember' part of my brain
Tends to 'forget' more often than not :)

Sure did love the rain this weekend
And enjoyed getting a small project done

Also,
Thank you so much for stopping by my blog 
And leaving your comments and encouraging words
Stepping into the DIY, decor, project part of the blog world
Has been a bit intimidating for me
You have made it much more enjoyable
Thank you
Have a great week ahead

Sharing at Cozy Little House for Tweak It Tuesday
A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday
Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday
Handy Man, Crafty Woman for Wicked Awesome Wednesday~~FEATURED!!
Timewashed for Blissful Whites Wednesday
Revisionary Life for Thrifty Life Thursday~~FEATURED!!
The Thrifty Groove for Thrift Things Friday

Changing a Light Switch

I needed to change out a light switch
Instead of spending $$$ for an electrician
I decided to try it myself

I checked out a video on YouTube
And started in

WARNING
ALWAYS TURN THE ELECTRIC OFF
AT THE CIRCUIT BREAKER!!!!

Something we did after we moved into our home

Was to label all of the external circuit breakers

It sure does help when you need to fix something electrical

It seemed the 1st switch on the left was not working

I haven't had a front porch light for several months

And it really bothers me when I get a late night knock on the door

AFTER I had turned off the breaker

I took the switch out of the wall

And detached the wires

I needed to cut them because the were too tight into the switch

I also needed to strip a small amount of the wire cover off

Because there was not enough wire to wrap around the new switch screw

Once the wire was prepped

I twisted each piece around the screws and tightened with a screwdriver

Most homes are wired with 2 black power wires

Some have a green ground wire

But ours is grounded behind the switches so I didn't need to use a ground wire

I placed the switch back in it's new home
And just screwed it back in
Voila, complete

Remember
Always turn off any circuit breaker before
Attempting Any type of electrical work

That's what I did with my Thursday Afternoon
What did you do today?

After Work I...

Hi Friends,

Widowhood and learning to embrace it
Lends itself nicely to the need to do tasks after work

There are times when I just am unable to
Achieve completion of necessary tasks during the weekend
So, without further chit chat
Here is what I was able to do after work tonight

My kitchen light has been on the frits for about a month

Not so wonderful for evening cooking and clean up

I decided it was time to change a few light bulbs

However

Once I had removed the globe

I realized that it had these silly new fangled bulb thingy's

Tomorrow 

After work

I will be heading to The Home Depot

To purchase several more of these 

Since I had none to replace the burnt out ones

With that task incomplete

I decided to iron and hang the new curtains I purchased for my home office

As some of you may recall

When I redid my office a few weeks ago

I re~hung my old curtains 

(actually folded shower curtains)

And I received some much needed feedback

Regarding replacing said curtains

This past weekend I found something I may actually 

Enjoy living with for awhile

I will need to fluff and play with them for a day or two

In order to get the ties/bows even and the folds smoothed out

But I really do Love the new fresh clean look

One of the things I have been attempting to do

Since my husband passed

Is to add little touches of girlie to my decor

I really like the bows on these new curtains

What do you think?

My mom is still with me for about another week or so

I'm trying to cook nice meals for her

So tonight I made Parmesan chicken cutlets

I put them on the BBQ

This was mom's plate
She didn't even want to start with one piece of chicken
She had 2 and ate every bite :)

Now, I am sitting in my favorite chair
Blogging and watching the Olympics

What did you do after work today?
Or, what did you do for fun today?

A Few More Adjustments

Hi Friends

You may remember I shared this photo a few days ago
I had cleaned out my coat closet
And have an abundance of blankets and throws
See them piled at the bottom of the closet

I have been wanting to purchase

An old wooden ladder to layer the throws on

But have been unable to find one

On my way home from work today

I decided to stop at one of my favorite places

(side note)
I love shopping at Hobby Lobby

The music is calming and relaxing

Great after a long work day

I appreciate that it is a Christian owned company

And they are closed on Sunday's

So that their employee's can spend time with their families

And attend corporate worship services if they choose to

Anyway,

I was thrilled when I found this beauty 

In the 50% off Clearance aisle

It may not be an old wooden ladder

However it is perfect for what I wanted it for

And it there will be NO splinters

I may change up the throws that I put on it

But I am SO happy with the purchase

And, I had been carrying some $$ that I had received

As a gift last summer

So I didn't blow my budget

Also,

I shared the above photo

When I cleaned out my office a couple weeks ago

I mentioned that it needed more decor or something

Today I found a nice piece that I truly love

Plus it is the perfect colors

 

Here is the same spot today
The large key and the doorknob hanger
Are actually the same color
Although it doesn't look like it here
I'm still not super happy with the look
I like each of the pieces
But it just isn't giving me the right feeling

HELP
I'm just not great at putting it all together
Anybody out there have suggestions

I'll be waiting for your tips
Have a super week

All Access Pass {Random Fixes}

 Whether my chance or by choice

Millions of women are single

Sometimes we

Just need to do what we need to do...

 My hope this past weekend

Was to complete several small projects

The first one was super simple

I've had a hook in my bedroom ceiling for 18 years

I've never hug a thing from it

 

I purchased this small chandelier

Several months ago with the intention 

Of re-wiring it and hanging it in my closet

Well, I think it adds a touch of class to my bedroom

So, here is where it will stay

 

Next, I have always wanted to add something above my front door

Kind of boring

So...

I found a sign I really liked at Hobby Lobby 

50% off

 

I hung it over my door

Honestly, I Love the sign

I'm just not sure it works here

What are your thoughts, Please???

Here is where my list of quick fixes 

Became 

Not such a quick fix

My bathroom toilet has been leaking (inside) for several months

I needed to replace the fixings

As I gathered my tools and began to work

I soon realized it was not going to be such a quick fix

 

Because my home is 32 years old

Some of the hardware is beginning to wear out

I easily removed the working parts from the inside

And replaced them with new

 

 No Problem

I began putting everything back together

When...

The ancient copper supply line began to LEAK

Big Time

After going outside and turning off the water to the house

(I had turned the water off to the toilet - just not the house)

I made a quick trip to Ace Hardware

For some new parts

 

Then after making a few phone calls to family members

With questions like:

"Who is your plumber?"

And "How do I get this off?"

My brother talked me through the 

'Don't take that off!!!'

And...

 

Voila

I have a new supply line

And new inside fixings

No leaks, No drips, No hissing 

This job was NOT as easy as I had hoped

And when you are dealing with ancient parts

Be prepared for more work and trips to the hardware store than you had planned

Ladies, 

Don't be afraid to try new things

Just because you have never done it before 

Doesn't mean you Can't do it now

There are some things I will NOT tackle

But there are many things I will

The amount of confidence that fills your soul

When you accomplish something new

Far out weighs the fear of trying

Leave a comment and tell me what you are going to

Achieve this week!

I'd love to encourage you!!!

 

 

 

All Access Pass {1}

Living as a single woman and single mom

It has become imperative for me to learn to do things for myself

Though I am single by chance (widowed)

Many are single by choice

It is my hope in this new segment

That I will be able to share tips and ideas

As well as encouragement to single women

Who 'need' to take on the challenge of completing tasks around their home

All Access Pass

will be a weekly post

where you get full access to the 'musts' of running a single/single parent home

I call today's 'All Access Pass"

'Out with the old and in with the new'

 I have lived with a totally broken toilet seat for about 2 months

Today I decided it was time to purchase a new one

And replace the old

Super simple

2 plastic screws and nuts

About 10 minutes to remove the old one

Clean the area and attach the new one

Voila 

 I have also been using a broken rake for about 2 years

The handle broke in half so I just taped it and continued to use it

 I suppose I could have just replaced the handle

But

I liked the Red handled rake I found at Target today

SO...

I had my kiddo pose with said rake

Yet, I'm not so sure he will ever use it

(the look on his face tells me so)

 

 And finally

A couple of weeks ago, after washing my sheets (again)

I realized that they had completely worn out

I still think I must sleep very restlessly 

(HaHa, when I do sleep)

Because I've worn through 2 new sets since Mark's passing

Today I found a 30% off coupon for Sheet sets at Target

Guess where I ended up

Yep, 

I went from black 2 years ago

To cream last year

And today I purchased red

Love my new sheets

450 thread count, queen set, for only $34.99

That is it for today

Just a sampling of a few replacements I needed to make

In the weeks ahead I will document 

Replacing a light bulb with a chandelier

Painting and redoing a garage/laundry room

And many more items from my daily 'to do around the house' list