trash to treasure...

Here is one of many items my dad rescued from a curb, and turned into a treasure. To see something I did recently, look here. I'd love to hear about some of the things you have turned from trash to treasure...?????

My own little rebellion...hanging clothes outdoors to dry

I just could not take one more warm, sunny day without doing this. I mean, of course it is not a necessity. But one of the things I've missed since we moved into this allotment almost 15 years ago was hanging my clothes outside. I honestly don't know if we have deed restrictions here or not regarding this, (I might soon find out!) but we've had such a hot summer and I've been outdoors with the grandkids (and the neighbor kids) so much that I just wanted to have a clothesline.

First I went to one store and bought a retractable apparatus that you attach to your house and then the line gets attached to a hook which is attached to something else. Hubby and I went outside and tried to figure out what that "something else" might be, and he decided he would build something onto our deck that would make it tall enough to stretch the clothesline over to. I thought about it some more, and the next day I went and bought one of those clothesline pole kits that is a T shape, and can accomodate several clotheslines. I had to go to our town's hardware store, because the stores like Lowe's don't carry these. The box said "4 pieces" so I thought that meant it was two T shaped poles. It was about twice as expensive as the retractable apparatus, but I decided I would just take the plunge and really commit. I picked out an area behind our attached garage. So I had hubby return the retractable clothesline to Lowe's.

When hubby was all set to work on this over the weekend, we opened up the box to find it was only one, not two pole kits. He also wasn't smiling when the instructions said to dig a 12 inch deep hole and fill it with concrete. Our soil is really hard...we've installed two picket fences when we first moved in...and neither of us were eager to go through all that trouble and expense, and risk being told we wouldn't be allowed to keep it up.

So...I had hubby return the T pole set to the hardware store, and told him to go ahead and buy the retractable clothesline I had seen there. Here's what we ended up doing:

Yep, that's it! Hidden in and attached to our maple tree, which is about 25 feet behind our house.

And here is the hook that is attached to the house, cleverly placed in the seam of the siding and barely noticeable when the clothesline is not attached.

The line is just long enough for one load of clothes at a time. I've already done three loads and it was so much fun. I'm hoping to do bedsheets today. The clothes cannot be seen from the street or front of the house at all. Only one neighbor has full view of it when the clothes are on the line (from the backyard only) and the other neighbors would have to try pretty hard to see anything. So I don't think I'm really bothering anyone by hanging clothes out a couple of times a week.

This is the view my next door neighbors have when the clothes are on the line. When I take the clothes down, I simply retract the line and nothing is visible. They happen to be on vacation so when they get back they'll get to see it for the first time!

By now you might be asking, "why don't you just check the deed restrictions so you aren't worrying about this?" Well, it's been 15 years since I've looked at the paperwork, and anyway, this is just my own "don't ask, don't tell" policy. I'll let you know if anything changes!

What about you? Do you like the smell and feel of sun dried clothes in the summer as much as I do?

How do you like my pineapples?

A couple posts back on my other blog I happened to mention that I love the hospitality symbolism of the pineapple, and I have a small collection of them throughout my house...nothing that is overly valuable, but just little things we've picked up here and there, or things that have been given to me as gifts.

Pineapples were a coveted commodity in Colonial America, and guests who were treated to them felt especially pampered. You can read some interesting facts here. I was amazed to discover that fresh pineapples were "rented" out to folks who wanted to use them as a table display to impress guests, but couldn't actually afford to buy them and eat them!

Here are some of my pineapples. I'm sure there are more, because every time I turn around I find one I didn't take a picture of.

A print we bought in Charleston, SC when we visited there a couple of years ago. We had it framed at Hobby Lobby and it hangs in our dining room.

One of my favorite pineapples, also purchased in Charleston...(the pineapple capitol of the world??)

This large tray stands on top of my china cabinet...I enjoy using it at Christmastime, as it was a Christmas gift from my hubby one year...

One for my foyer...

a gift from my friend, Jennifer, this welcome sign is in the kitchen...

I've enjoyed these handcrafted metal coasters for years. We bought them in Ohio's Amish country at Wendell-August Forge.

This tiny stained glass pineapple was a souvenir we brought home from Williamsburg, Va. It hangs on a dining room window:

As does this suncatcher...

...which we also got in Williamsburg.

A couple of "welcome" plates sit on a double shelf in our family room...

This Willow Tree "Welcoming Angel", a gift from my friend, Brenda, is part of a mantle display...

I painted this plate at a ceramic shop...

(notice I made the leaves blue to go with my decor...let's hear it for artistic license!)

This beautiful pitcher was a Mother's Day gift this year from my kids in SC.

A variety of little pineapple things I found in my kitchen...

Brenda started me on this collection of etched glasses with a silver rim...she gave me the first two, then I gradually added 6 more. I just love them...

My sister-in-law, Marcie, gave me this beautiful cut glass pitcher, which I love to fill with water and lemon slices...The etched wine glasses were another gift from Brenda.

A smaller pineapple tray and a silver dish, (whoops, where's the silver polish?) both from Charleston, SC...the glass candle globe with pineapple etchings came from my friend, Marilyn...who also gave me the beautiful salad spoon and fork serving set...

I found the little butter knife in Charleston...

Here is a Christmas ornament that I keep out all year 'round. The pineapple opens up and you can hide a tiny gift inside!

And last but not least...something for the backyard...

For some reason, the bees like this better than the birds!

Hope you enjoyed the pineapple tour. What do you collect around your house?

Vacation Bible Camp: Roadtrip

Our church had what we used to call VBS last week. On the first day, 1400 children between age 3 and 5th grade were present. They were expecting 1500 by the end of the week. I am amazed every year at the commitment and hard work of so many people that it takes to pull off an event like this. It seems like they think of everything!

Here is one of our pastors overseeing things, so to speak...

I was so excited for my granddaughter, age 4, to have a great experience this year. Last year she was a little too young and all the noise and commotion frightened her. The first day's events were actually held on Monday evening from 5:30-7:30 pm. The rest of the week, it was held from 9 am till noon. There was every bit as much noise this year, but she did really well and loved going every single day!

Snack time...notice the orange ID tag that was worn every day. Also, each family had to create a password in order to safely retrieve your child when it was time to leave.

The atrium of our church was transformed into a city park. This water fountain was a big hit!

Every hallway and every classroom was decorated for the Roadtrip theme. Some hallways were destinations, such as a beach. Other hallways took you through farmland. It was amazing!

There were all kinds of cute little shops near the city park...

My mom and my grandson stop by the pasta shop...

The popcorn machine was a favorite too!

I have no idea who the creative people are that thought of this, but every day the marquee changed to reflect the lessons of the day.

This is a favorite stop for the young moms. Each morning, refreshments such as cheese cubes, scones, grapes, coffee, tea and juice were offered along with some chairs to give the moms a chance to visit and just pamper themselves a little. A daily gift was given too, such as travel mugs, shopping bags, and flower seeds.

The most important part of the roadtrip of course were the lessons learned along the way. Each day the kids were given a printed card to take home which reviewed the day's Bible story. I'm looking forward to using these in the days ahead to review and reinforce the memory of them with my granddaughter. She had a great week, and loves singing the songs she learned and retelling the stories.

Thank you Hudson Community Chapel and each and every person who contributed in any way to an awesome Roadtrip! God bless you for investing so heavily in the eternal destinations of so many precious children!

Have you ever picked your own strawberries?

June is the month for strawberries here in NE Ohio. There are several farms within 1/2 hour's driving distance from our home. I've been so anxious for it to stop raining around here so I could take my grandchildren on a little strawberry field trip! The magic day was yesterday. We had so much fun. We chose a local farm that doesn't use pesticides on their strawberry plants and the kids were able to munch away while picking. I've already given away three quarts, and put three more in my freezer. The rest we will eat fresh...we've already enjoyed smoothies, and I will make shortcake today. These berries taste nothing like the ones purchased in the grocery store. It just doesn't get any fresher than this! We only had the energy to pick one nice big basketful, and they won't last very long...but the fun memories will last a lifetime.

Thrifty shopping for children's clothes...

I just love to shop for children's clothing at our local thrift stores. With four grandchildren ages 4 & under, I have a good excuse to hunt for bargains. Here is my latest catch, all from one store:

7 dresses = $15.05

7 pr. boys socks = $1.20

4 girls tops = $6.00

4 boys shorts/overall shorts = $3.95

3 boys shirts = $1.80

1 boys swim trunks = $.30

1 girls panties = $.20

Grand total = $28.50

Since I (sadly) don't sew, I never buy anything that needs repaired. And I look for clothes that are not faded, spotted or out of style. Usually I buy items the kids can wear "right now" ... unless I happen to find a real bargain on something I know they will grow into and in the right season.

The name brands on the items above are such as these: Gymboree, Circo, OshKosh, Glo, Carters, Sophie Rose,Youngland, Chaps, & Children's Place.

But even more fun than finding these great bargains is taking my four year old granddaughter shopping with me. I show her the rack where her size is, and tell her which color tag to look for (the ones that are 1/2 price that day!) and away she goes! "Oh grandma, look at THIS! This is BEAUTIFUL!" ... She holds a dress up to herself and twirls around in delight. Sure, at those prices, pick out seven! When she gets a little older I will teach her more about the money part so she can understand it all better. Until then, I'll just keep on being an obnoxiously giddy and doting grandma!

Anyone out there who shares this thrill of the bargain hunt for quality children's clothing? This exact Sophie Rose sailor dress is for sale at Kohl's for $30. I paid $4. for it, and it doesn't look like it was ever worn. Yippee!

Children in the kitchen...

My grandson, Deacon, who with his mom and little brother are visiting this week from SC, made our supper tonight. I don't know where I caught onto this, but every now and then if I have any leftover spaghetti meat sauce, I make these little "pizzas". Deacon is four and he was so proud of himself that I let him put these together. Here's how he did it:

First we opened up a package of English muffins, and splitting the muffins, layed them out on a cookie sheet.

Next, we took the reheated meat sauce and spread it generously on the split muffins.

And the last step was to cover each pizza with a slice of American cheese.

The pizzas then got baked in a 350 degree F. oven for approximately 8 minutes, until the cheese melts and the bottoms get slightly crispy.

Deacon also fixed the salad...

And set the table!

I was so proud of him and loved watching him be so happy to be helping me in the kitchen tonight!

These little "pizzas" make a quick hot lunch from leftovers and you can use anything you want for toppings. Enjoy! (Not only the food, but the kids!)

A baby shower...

Last weekend, the small group I belong to hosted a baby shower for the daughter-in-law of one of us. It was so lovely and seemingly effortless that I want to share it with you.

We didn't want the grandma-to-be to have to do anything, so the rest of us divided up the tasks. The gal whose home we used, assigned duties to the rest of us.

She in turn had a lovely table ready complete with beautiful fresh cut pink tulips.

She also had a couple of pink balloon bouquets around. (Yes, the expected baby is a girl!) She went with the pink and white theme all the way down to the serving dishes, pitchers, and the paper plates and napkins. As the hostess, she also provided lemonade, coffee & tea. One more sweet thing she did was make party favors in the form of little white boxes tied with pink bows, and inside, Hershey kisses. And if that weren't enough, the talented hostess also handmade the invitations and got them mailed.

Another lady in our group was assigned the task of receiving the rsvp's. She kept the rest of us posted on how many to expect so we could plan our food contributions accordingly. We ended up with about 25 ladies.

Another gal was in charge of the dessert, and she decided on two awesome cakes baked and decorated by her talented daughter. One was yellow with a lemon curd filling, and the other chocolate with raspberry filling.

I was given the task of deciding the menu, then assigning items to be furnished by each one.

Here's what I came up with:

chicken salad sandwiches on mini croissants

fresh veggies and dill dip

fresh fruit cups drizzled with key lime pie flavored yogurt

What do you think?

We had a party game ready in case we needed it, but as it turned out we didn't. There was plenty of good conversation, good food, and lots of gifts to be opened!

Finally, all of us turned in our receipts to the hostess, who then divided up the total cost of everything and five of us shared the expenses equally.

A lovely shower, a beautiful day, and a very special brand new mother-to-be!

Here's how I made the chicken salad:

I took 12 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cut them in half. Then I put a large pot on the stove filled 2/3 full with water and brought it to a rolling boil. I then dropped the chicken into the water and let it come back to a boil. Next, I shut the heat off and covered the pot, allowing the chicken to poach for about 10-15 minutes. It is done when the chicken is white all the way through. Next, I took the chicken out of the water and allowed it to cool. While the chicken was cooling, I chopped a couple small onions and about 2/3 of a bunch of celery finely in my food processor. I then cut the chicken up in small pieces and mixed the chicken, celery and onion in a bowl with Hellman's mayonnaise, enough to cover. I then added a little salt and pepper to taste.