New Blog

Hello Everyone

Sorry I haven't been in to blog lately, but life has been a whirlwind. Spring has sprung and along with that comes those end of the year school events, tax season, and yard work. The end of the school year brings many milestone events for me and my family. Our youngest will graduate next month. Yes, mom is kind of starting to melt down, but we have so much to look forward to also. This is the time that we have worked so hard for as parents. Preparing them for the future..

Along with all these lifes tasks, I have started a new adventure. A friend of mine asked me to join her and some of her friends in a ladies fellowship group that will be reading a book together.

Of course, I jumped on the idea of the fellowship of other christain women. We will be reading a book and then meeting to share our thoughts about the book. I'm so excited. I have a new found love to read. So I decided to blog about my adventures of reading. I will be sharing my insights into the books I am reading and hope you will join in with me.

Check out my blog at

http://www.acupofjavaagoodbookandgoodfriends.blogspot.com/

Have a blessed weekend everyone !!!!!

GLAMOUR GIRLS ...TAKE ONE

I would like to say "HAPPY SPRING" to everyone. Hopefully, you were able in enjoy the first day of spring without snow. The first day of spring 2010 brought us snow and wind....

Hopefully that will be the last of the white scenery for now. Don't get me wrong I love the color white inside, but I'm ready for some pop of colors outside.

I have taken on a new venture in my life and I'm really have a blast with it. One day I was asked if I would help with the local pageant and I jumped on the opportunity. Thinking I would only be helping with the decorations. How much fun would that be !!!! I love to decorate, but don't have a lot of opportunities right now to do it. I don't have any girls ( only boys and they aren't to found of the frilly stuff) and I haven't been involved in the pageant scene for some 20 years, so you can imagine how excited I am about this opportunity.
Well, I'm not only helping decorate, I'm in with both feet.....Decorating, Planning, Practices, Talents, you name it I'm doing it. I'm very fortunate to be able to work with a wonderful Director and the contestants have become so special to me. In my book, they are all winners !!!!

Glamour Girls is our theme this year

This is a sign one of the ladies made. It looks really neat in person.

(Sorry, my camera isn't the best. I need to change my camera. )

She used a silver pen to make the scrolls on a black foam board.

The colors are hot pink, black and silver, with zebra print material.

The pageant is this week, so I won't be blogging to much this week as I didn't last week either due to creating, sewing, and painting of decorations.

I will share some of our decorations and how to's as soon as I can.

Don't miss the Cricut Giveaway !!!

Don't forget to visit "Women Who Do It All" for a great Cricut giveaway !!

Jill will be drawing one lucky winner on March 19th, so don't miss out !!! Click here to see more details on how to enter. I don't know about you, but I would sure love to have one.

While you are there be sure and check out her blog. Good Luck Everyone !!!

Jewel of a Stool

The Luck of the Irish isn't only for the Irish, or at least that is what I told myself when I found this little jewel of a stool. Of course it is green for now, but that could change. I haven't decided yet what I'm going to do with her . I just knew when I saw her I had to have her.

She would make a cute little stool for a child, if I had a small one still at home. I could see her washed in white and a precious name painted on top. I could see a plant sitting on top of her or adding height to a table top centerpiece for Easter.

I would LOVE to hear your ideas of how you think I should use this lucky little find.

Have you heard? Thrifty Treasures is back at "Southern Hospitality"

If you haven't been to Rhoda's blog, you need to check it out. Rhoda has been a true inspiration to me. I always feel uplifted and motivated after I visit her blog and always leave with a smile.

Check out her party HERE

Another great site and giveaway

I happened on to new blog yesterday. It was the title that caught my eye. "WOMEN WHO DO IT ALL", A Blog for those of us who do it all...or at least try. It was so good to find that there are other women who think like I do, that is to THINK WE DO IT ALL.
Jill has a refreshing blog of crafts, fitness tips, healthy recipes and parent tips. If you would like to check out her blog and see the great giveaways CLICK HERE
Drop her a comment and let her know that you heard about her blog from me.

She is giving away a great toe ring. Who doesn't want to sport this jewel with those freshly painted toenails with Spring right around the corner.

Can't wait to go get that pedicure and let the toes free from the wool socks.

Can't believe he's 18 !!!

Happy Birthday A.B.

Today is his 18th birthday. Wow, what a whirlwird these last 18 years have been. As every mother can tell you that motherhood has is ups and downs. I have had alot of ups with this AB.

He is the life of the house, always doing something. I'm never bored when he is around.

AB started celebrating early this year . Last night the neighbors daughter baked and decorated him a birthday cake and had a few of us over. She did a wonderful job too. I guess I'll have to start the diet all over again on Monday. ha ha ha.... The cake was delicious Eva.....

Haley and Eva are helping AB light his candles. What a surprise he had when he couldn't blow them out ... Eva used those fun, never go out candles. Way to Go Eva !!!

Here is the party gang!!

Kira (Haley's sister), Haley( AB girlfriend), AB, CB (his brother), Eva and her friend Krystal.

I'm not sure what Haley is doing. I thing CB might have been teasing her.

After the cake and ice cream we played wii bowling tournament, oh my I think we have to have one. I haven't laughed that hard in years. I guess it was beginners luck for me, I got 3rd against all the kids that play all the time.

Kira and Haley beat me. Good Job Girls, way to show those boys how to bowl.

I have to congratulate AB on receiving a honor of 8 man all star this year.

Way to Go AB!!!

Proud of YOU !!!!!

AB has a passion for football and a dream of playing college football one day.

He has worked hard for that dream and I think he will be successfull. I took him last month to one of the colleges he was looking at and we took a tour of the campus. Here he is at their football stadium , sporting his 8 man all star jacket.

I hope to be posting more pics of that yard line in the fall.

Today will be another fun filled day of adventures for him.

Check back tomorrow for the continuing story of his 18th birthday...

Blessing to all of you,

Melody

A Work in Progress Continues.....

March 4Th -

Day 4 of the Man Cave make over and I'm still not done.. but here are a few pictures of it in progress. I'm not sure what the previous owners had intended this room to be, but I can think of so many possibilities for it. Mud Room, Laundry Room, Office, Breakfast Nook, etc...., but as usual the guys have taken it over so it is now the "MAN CAVE". I am definitely out numbered 3-1 in this house. ha ha...

This is a view entering the "Man Cave" from the back door. The window next to the computer table opens into the kitchen. I don't know if you can notice the square in the wall under the window, but that is where the hookups are for the washer that isn't hooked up to the plumbing. I'm not sure why it wasn't ever finished.

Here is a view of the doorway that enters into the kitchen. (Sorry about the unsightly hot water tank. Working on a door to cover it. ) I would love to remove the carpet and make a tile path from the back door up this step into the kitchen area. As you can see, the guys track in a lot of mud and I have to shampoo the carpet often. This door way was the original back room to the home before the add on. Wasn't ever ready finish correctly. Hope to add that to the honey do list. That pretty well covers the south wall.

Now for the East Wall



The computer desk was sitting under the window, but didn't really fit under it ,
so we moved it across the corner and it really opened up the space.




Here is the door that opens up on to our patio. For extra privacy, I found these curtains to hang.
I have two so that they can be pulled open and access the door easily.
I hung them on a wooden rod. I want to get some curtain rings to hang them by. I think it will help open and close them when needed.



My mom gave us this bookcase years ago and it matches his computer desk so I balanced out that wall by placing it at an angle across the corner also. I just need to finish sorting the books.
The black shelf was placed when I thought it would be my office and I haven't decided if I want to take it down or not. Maybe I need to repaint it another color, what do you think?

I have hung a wooden coat rack that my hubby made years ago on the left wall. I've thought of placing a bench under it for the guys to take of their boots.

As you can see it is a work in progress, hubby has to finish putting up the crown molding and baseboard that was never put in and re trim the doors and windows.

One day at a time and one room at a time.

Open to any comments or suggestions you have.

Have a wonderful day,

Melody

ON THE HUNT !!!

Happy March 2nd !!!!

Yesterday was another day of snow. I sure enjoyed watching it as it fell, but found myself still looking for that warm sunshine of spring. I keep telling myself it is right around the corner and enjoy the moisture we are receiving.

Today I find myself, back in search for those postcards I earlier had blogged about. I finally got the pictures to show you and hopefully someone can help me find the rest of the set or point me in the direction to find out some history on them. I am intrigued by the two I have and would love to see the others. If you know anything about them, please leave me a comment.

"The Baby Moses"

"Joseph Hunting His Brother"

Both of these cards of from a set of sixteen which is stated in the lower right corner.

I would love to find the other 14.

Neither of these postcards have been used and dated 1909.

I hope someone can help me learn more about their history and where I could find the other 14.

Have a Blessed Day,

Melody

In Like A Lion- Out Like a Lamb

Happy March 1st Everyone!!!





I can't believe February is gone and March is here. I'm excited that spring is right around the corner and that I will finally be able to be outside transforming a lot of my thrifty finds to treasures, but in the same sense I'm overwhelmed because I have so many projects started inside that I didn't get finished this last month. I'm not sure where all my time goes. Hopefully spring fever will kick in and give me the extra boost I need.





I thought today I would share a little about myself and family and the projects we have going on here at the farm.


I've been married to my wonderful husband for 19 years now. We have two wonderful boys. The oldest graduated last year and the youngest will graduate this year. I can't believe that they have grown up so fast, the last few years have been such a whirlwind. We finally bought a small farm with a older home that is in need of a little TLC in July 2008. The home has 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, which I thought would be big enough, but its not. The house we lived in before had 2 bedrooms and a bath upstairs and a full basement with 4 separate room, one being the laundry room. Needless to say I'm struggling with fitting all of my "stuff" in the new house. My vision when we purchased the house was to add on, but so far that hasn't happened either and probably won't happen for a while either.

So this weekend I decided it was time to make this work for me, even if it means I have to PURGE , then PURGE it will be. Which if you knew me, you would know that is a hard word for me to say..

I started this weekend with the little room that was originally added on to the house when we bought it. When I first moved in, it was going to be the mud/laundry room because it had washer and dryer hook ups in it. Well that didn't last long because the hook ups weren't really hooked up, they were just there in the wall and never finished. So I decided it would make a cute sewing room and office for me. Right... It didn't take long the the guys to take it over and I moved out. Where did I move, you ask, well all over the house and I really do think I could be nominated for American Messiest House TV show.
A decision was made for the room to become the MAN CAVE !!!! My husband loves fishing and hunting, so the theme was easy. I already had a lot of the decorating items, so it should be not to hard to do. Although getting the guys to help might be.
My goal starting this last weekend is to take one room a week and work on it until I have everything in its place and organized. Each day I will try to post my accomplishes for the day or my mishaps for the day.
So the old saying "In Like a Lion - Out Like A Lamb". Well lets see if that happens at my house this month. Stay tuned daily for the updates.

In Search of Your Help

Ever have one of those days when you find something and you are intrigued to know more about it. Well today was one of those days. I decided to help my step mom and dad do some redecorating in there dining room/ kitchen today and we discovered something that struck that curiosity in me.
Their kitchen cabinets have a shelf top to them that I had decorated with those little lighted houses and faux snow for Christmas and I had used some vintage books for height for some of the houses to give it some dimension. I wanted to change the theme for February and display some of their other treasured collectibles. My mom and dad were huge antique collectors and Twila, my step mom, loves to collect tea cups and crystal. I'll share more on this later, but back to my quest for help.
When we got to looking at some of the books, we discovered two vintage religious postcards in them. The book had a date of 1883 in it. These postcards have never been used. With not much information on them, I have tried to find information about them on the Internet, but not having much luck. I'm hoping someone in the blog world can guide me in the right direction to find some history on these cards or answer my questions.
The best I can tell is that they are from a set of 16 religious postcards. The titles of them are "The Baby Moses" and "Joseph Hunting His Brothers". They were copyrighted by Standard Pub Company. "The Baby Moses" was also dated 1909.
I would like to know what the other 14 postcards are and possibly who made them and when.

I sure hope some of my vintage savvy bloggers can cure my curiosity in these postcards.

I didn't get any pictures of them today,but I will post pictures of them tomorrow, along with my process of decorating the dining room/kitchen.

I've had so many inspirations from several bloggers and I can't wait to let the creative juices start flowing.

Good Night,
Melody

Never to Old to Learn Something New

I have become very intrigued by the blog world. So much so that I have forgotten about my daily duties as a mother and wife. I am going to have to learn how to balance the two, along with my full time job. One that I have become very fond of is "Its SO Very Cheri". She has started a Sharing the Love Month long give-a-way where there will be several lucky winners each week. I've seen several give aways over the last couple of weeks and I decided it was time for me to take a chance and enter one. Hope to hear I win one of her wonderful gifts this week. Stop by her blog and enter yourself for a chance and check it out.

I would be happy to hear any suggestions you may have to help me get me on the right track of the blog world.

Happy Wednesday to everyone.