Five Things Thursday

The "re-purposing" of this old furniture is genius!

An old piano becomes a sewing center. Or...

...a coffee center.

Okay, I have to comment on the grammar here. You "turn AN old dresser..." Come on people!

I love this corner cabinet made out of an old door--and that color!! I even like the fact that they've left the handle and hinges. Kinda' cool!

Although I am not a fan of open storage (due to the dust), I do love the looks of it--especially if a piece of furniture has been re-purposed. If this piece stays outside, how long do you think it will look this good? Plus those dishes would be dirty in a few hours. On the other hand, why would someone go to the trouble to decorate something outside to take a picture and then have to disassemble it to take inside?

If I was just starting out--like it was 1971 all over again, I would have loved to try some of these things with all the furniture I saw at the weekly garage sales. I did buy a little chest for $10.00 that Butch re-finished for me. It was Stephanie's changing table and drawers. I love that she still has it in her living room. Wait, maybe it's upstairs in the hallway. Yeah that's right. Well, I'm still happy that she's kept it all these years!

Which reminds me. Mitchell was over last Friday. He was telling us about putting an old couch out on the curb--knowing that someone would take it before the day was out. Instead, when he got home he found that someone just took the cushions! He was left to dispose of the rest of it. I thought maybe someone took the cushions for their dogs. Who knows. 

Another time, he put a lamp out and someone just took the shade. What?

Apparently, there are rules about taking stuff off the curb. You take it all, not just a piece! Come on people!

What I Buy Wednesday

By now you know that I'm a sucker for a good organizational tool. I just couldn't pass this up.

It's a pants hanger. 

When I removed the jeans I plan to consolidate, there was this much space. 

I put my jeans on one.

Once the pants are on it, it collapses!

Isn't it cool! I love it!

Update: Okay, I wrote this post right after I did this one set. Now I'm not so sure I like it after all. I definitely don't love it.

It looks too sloppy to me.

Yeah, I like it this way better. I liked the idea that the pants wouldn't be hanging on top of my suitcases, but now I realize that I'm okay with that. 

So, does anybody need some space-saving pants hangers?

Tuesday Thoughts...

Something for Sunday

Well, the first month of 2025 is now behind us. I don't know why, but January seemed like it lasted a long time. I wish all the months would feel like that! 

Anyway, it's time for my "by the numbers" post. 

Workouts—15

Movies Seen—6

Only one  was 5 stars

Six Triple Eight

Books Read—9

5 star:

The Friday Afternoon Club

The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell

Recursion 

Lost Lake 

Jar of Hearts 

Podcasts—5

Online Class--8 hours

Working with a friend on her computer--2.5 hours

Lunch Out—12 

Dinner Out:—4

Documentaries/Movies/Series Streamed 

Netflix :

****The Worst Ex Ever

*****Black Doves—series (5 episodes)

*****The Six Triple Eight

***The Return of the King: the rise and fall of Elvis

*****The Untold Murder of Air McNair

*****Alone—2 episodes

*****No Good Deed—8 episodes 

*****Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare

*****Carry On

*****Creedence Clearwater Revival—documentary

***The Speed Cubera—documentary about the Rubik’s Cube

*****The Messiah (10 episodes)

*****Cowspiracy—documentary

***Nate Bargatze comedian (2 shows)

*****Missing You

*****Inside Man

***Into the Fire (documentary)

****The Breakthrough

***The Unexplained (1 episodes)

****Dirty Pop Boyband scandal

*****Going Clear (Scientology)

****Turning Point: The Bomb and the Cold War—3 episodes

*****Behind Her Eyes (6 episodes) I read this book in 2017, so knew the story. It was excellent. Had I not read the book, it might have been a little hard to follow.

****The Weekend Away

Amazon Prime

****The Perfect Victim

***The Family I Had—documentary

*****Chicago—documentary 

*****Genocide—documentary

*****Hollywood Heaven—documentary 

****King George—documentary 

*****The Accidental President-documentary

**Hooray for Hollywood—documentary

*****Marilyn Monroe Unclassified—documentary

****Looking for MIlania--documentary

****Whatever Happened to the Windsors?—documentary

*****The Secrets of Queen Victoria—documentary

*****JFK: Solving the Crime of the Century—documentary

*****The Sixth—documentary

***Forget Us Not—documentary

***Cropsey--documentary

****The Queen’s Horses—documentary

*****JFK’s Scandals

*****Diana the New Evidence

Paramount +

Twilight Zone (2 episodes)

Hulu:

Phrogging—hiding in my house—4 episodes (I'm getting a little tired of this one, but my obsession about finishing everything I start keeps me watching it. I'm determined to finish it up in February.

Scrapbook Pages Completed: 8

Groceries:

January: 

       $451.12 (a far cry from my ridiculous goal of $50 per week. So now I'm thinking of             making my budget $400. Surely I can do that!)

Scrapbook Saturday

Well, I have been on a roll--literally. 

Not only did I reduce the pictures on my camera roll by 3,000--I went through ALL of my inkpads and discarded the dry ones.  I also went through all of my printed pictures and tossed a couple hundred. They are pictures that are on my camera and most I have already scrapbooked. I don't need to keep them. 

It feels good to clean out stuff. There's nothing I like better!

As for scrapbooking, I did get a layout finished. It's titled, "December Daily" and hits all the highlights of the month. 

On the right is a pocket with my journal of the month--everything that happened--day by day. It was a fun month!

I also completed my AYM layouts, but I'll share them after we have our meeting. We're all getting ready for our retreat in just two weeks. 

Friday Frustrations

So, I went to Target last week. I needed some socks and wanted to get a pair of sweatpants since it's been so cold around here. Connie and I went together.

I got home and discovered that there was one of those "ink" tabs on the sweatpants. What the ...?? Since when do Target clothes have those security devices on them? That's when it hit me! This is how they get you back in the store! 

Oh no you don't Target!!! I'm not falling for it! 

So, I went back to the store on Saturday. I went straight to the service desk. and explained the situation. The clerk removed the tag and I was on my way. As I turned to leave, I saw Connie standing there. I went over to find out what she was doing---this wasn't even the Target that we had gone to the day before. She said that when she got home, she had buyer's remorse and was returning the clothes she bought. The only problem was that she forgot them!! She was actually waiting for Amanda to pick up a couple things. 

Like me, Connie knew better than to go back inside. Target sucks you in and lures you with things you don't need. But, I feel bad for Connie. At least I was able to resist and stick to my resolve--in and out!

Connie has to go back again! We'll see how she does the next time!!

Tuesday was...well...

...unusual! That's the only way I can describe it. 

We had hundreds and hundreds of birds flying through. They stopped and completely covered the foster hollies, pecked at the patio, and destroyed the yard. They were after the dried berries that were still on the fosters.

Picture this with 10 times more birds. Even though I was inside, whenever I moved to try to get a good picture, they flew off.

They've torn up the yard!! Last year it was the moles. Today, it was the birds, I could not get a good picture with all the birds there--neither inside or out. 

They would fly off in one huge pack and then another would come. This went on ALL day until about 4-ish. 

There were 11 window hits. And by that, I mean 11 birds hit the windows of the sunroom. It's not unusual for that to happen once in a while, but since there were so many birds, I decided to count them. 

Unfortunately, one did not make it. 

I have never seen this bird before.

So I went online and looked it up. The info said that the red tips on the wings were really hard to see. It's called a cedar waxwing.

There was no way that I was going to touch it to unfurl its wings.

Then I got out our bird book to enter it. We have taken this book on vacation with us and have entries from all over the place. We note the location and the date.

Butch got this book as a high school graduation present from his aunt and uncle. 

That reminded me of this: in 1999, Jordan, who was about 5, had a sighting. We have one strict rule before a recording can take place. One other person has to verify it. Since no one could corroborate her story, I had her draw a picture and glue it into the book. She added the question mark at the top since we didn't know what it was. But she was certain that this is what she saw!

It wasn't until years later, that it was finally verified. But, here's the catch. Cardinals only live 3 years in the wild. I'm just wondering now if this isn't some sort of mutant trait in this particular family of cardinals. But, definitely without that red crown, the head was a shiny blue--closer to navy than her picture. Still, she gets the credit!

My sweet little Jordan!

It's hard to believe that she's 30 now!

Where has the time gone? 

Oh, and on Wednesday, not a single bird--well except for the regulars.

What I Buy Wednesday

I should have written this post a month ago. You could say this was a Christmas present to myself.

A comfortable desk chair.

I fell for it because--go ahead and guess--I'll wait!

It's white!! Okay, my last one was also white. I liked how it looked, but it wasn't exactly all that comfortable. This one is. There is one little problem, but after a month, I've gotten used to it. It's kind of tall. I couldn't find a way to adjust it. Now I'm used to it and it's fine! It's kind of hard to roll on the rug that's under it, but once I get settled, it's perfect.

You might think that this pretty, white, leather (okay, faux), chair would be hundreds of dollars. Well, you would be wrong! I got it at Walmart!! 

I still hate Walmart---as far as the store goes--and I don't even go there. But I admit they have great home decor at really good prices. So, I'd say I actually shop there--via online about 3 or 4 times a year. Just when I get an itch to buy something!

Heck, I can afford anything they sell!

Tuesday Thoughts About...

...Tea. 

If you know anything about tea, you'll understand this. If you don't, you'll have to ask me!!

Me on Monday

Today, I"m going to share something about myself that I'm pretty sure you don't know. You do know that I can tend to be obsessive/compulsive about many things, but I don't think I've ever said this out loud. I "hoard" scrap paper. That's right, I hoard scrap paper. Not the kind I scrapbook with (although I do have tons of that), but just regular scrap paper.

There, I've said it. It's crazy. I know it. I have bundles of it all over.

I have stacks and stacks.

Everywhere. I also have lots and lots (really--lots) of blank books and journals---I've actually stuffed some scrap paper in this one. 

I use it to make lists--like "to do" or grocery lists. 

I use it to sort pictures I'm going to scrapbook, make journal notes or sketches. So in a sense, I do use it for scrapbooking. 

Where do I get all this scrap paper, you might ask? It's anything that I print out and no longer need. A lot of it is junk mail. I figure if we're wasting trees, I should at least get the most out of them.

And I'm not the only one. Butch does it too!

--

But, he carries it a step further. I just fold it in half. He takes the time to cut his in fourths!

Yeah, I guess we were made for each other!

Something for Sunday

I love these sort of pictures---"befores"---and then "afters" decades later.

I just love this so much--lifetime friends having fun!

I went through my pictures and only found one I thought we could possibly re-produce.

This picture is from 30+ years ago. Now, I just have to see if I can get my friends to cooperate. Believe it or not, this is the only picture I have that could possibly work. Or maybe this one:

Connie, me and Pam camping out for New Kids on the Block tickets. (Forgive the improper grammar, but it doesn't sound correct to say, "Connie, I and Pam.")

I have this one...

...but sadly, one of the girls has passed and another has moved. 

Even sadder is that these three pictures are all I have of old friend pictures. Sure, I have assorted random pictures, but none where we're lined up and posed. We're so used to our phones and snapping pictures on a daily basis, that we forget how picture taking had to be intentional years ago. 

Unfortunately, in today's world, ALL the pictures reside on the phones of young people. 

Speaking of pictures, and in conjunction with the updated photo course I'm taking, AND the fact that January is my "clean out" month, I have culled through my entire camera roll and deleted over 3,000 photos. I still have 4,500 pictures in iPhoto, but they are the best. I certainly don't need a thousand trip pictures!

How many pictures are on your phone?

Scrapbook Saturday

I only have one thing to share today.

This is the title page for my next Christmas album. Pretty simple. I used the Christmas card that Diane and Gren sent us from England. So British with the "post box." It's too cute--I knew I had to use it!

I did a couple other pages, but they are for AYM. Our meeting will be in a couple weeks on our scrapbook retreat. I'll have plenty to report them.

Friday Funnies

Ten Things Thursday

How about some "before and after" houses today? These are awesome. I would love to re-do a house and pick out every last detail! I always wanted to build a house for that very reason. I wanted to choose every little thing. Some people find that overwhelming. Not me. I love lots of choices. 

Which is your favorite?

1.

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7.

8. 

9.

10.

My favorite is number 5! I love the added second story.