Bizarre encounter....

Well, I just have to share with you the absolutely bizarre events of the past 24 hours.....

Yesterday morning, I came to breakfast to find a disturbing image of a woman in a seductive stare sitting on my kitchen table in the form of a flyer.....my hackles up, I start questioning my kids.....where did this come from?!?!?

My eldest son:  "It was stuffed in the front door."

As I proceed to read it, I see that it says "Cleanings by Alyce  Private Cleaning Service" Hmmm.....are you reading between the lines because it took me all of 2 seconds to realize that it wasn't bathrooms that Alyce was offering to clean!!! 

Well, I got mad....really mad.....mad enough that my kids kept going, "Mom, why are you so mad??"

I mean, I live in a typical suburban, middle class neighborhood.......a place where we get door-to-door Girl Scout sales.....door-to-door candy sales.....your infrequent visit by a Jehovah's witness....but door-to-door PROSTITUTION???? 

So first, I wanted to make sure that we weren't the only house that got that flyer...after all, I've been a little vocal about my hubby being a pastor and having a book out...was it some weird pracitcal joke???  But, alas, it seems that our entire neighborhood received this special "cleaning" offer!

So what does a first-born, justice driven, somewhat of a tattle-tale do??  I decide to take the flier to the police station....after all, don't they need to KNOW that this is going on???  Can't they just set up a little undercover sting and nab this criminal???

The only problem......I'm not real versed in visiting police stations, so I end up AT THE WRONG STATION!!!  After I go through my entire spiel and the officer asks my address a couple of times, he realizes that I am at the wrong station...OOPS!  I've never even had a speeding ticket and cried my way out of the only detention I was ever issued....I just don't know these things!

So I finally end up at the right police station.....and I just love the older woman at the front desk!  The woman takes one look at the flyer....clicks her tongue and rolls her eyes and says, "I don't think she's sellin' cleanin'!"  Uh-huh! Rest my case!!

So after a bit of a wait,  out comes the second police officer of the day.....this guy comes up to my should but looks like he could snap someone's neck with the flick of a finger!  Dude......was......scary!

He comes out saying, "I just called the number, but no one answered..." 

Now at this point in my head, I was saying "DUH!" but there was NO WAY that I was going to let my face show that cuz' he could break my neck!  But really, people......if you are soliciting prostitution and your caller ID shows up Northwest Regional Police.....are YOU going to answer the phone????  I mean, I'm not FBI, but really......

As I go through my spiel with him, he goes....it's probably just a start-up business......I can just hear the woman behind me rollin' her eyes.......ladies, do "seductive eyes" sell YOU clean baseboards????  It's not selling me clean bathrooms! (I said DUH again in my head!)  Let's hope he NEVER reads this blog or I will be getting my first speeding ticket!

He closes with some advice.....just keep your doors locked and an eye out for strange people....my doors locked???  She's not after me!!!  She's after the morality of the men and young men of my neighborhood and there's no lock big enough to keep that out!!

I was reminded again today that we must......

Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm

against all strategies of the devil.  For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood

enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world,

against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

Ephesians 6: 11-12

First....I do battle on my knees.....praying for the purity and protection of the men and boys of my family and friends....

Second....I have my boy's airsoft gun at the ready to shoot out her tires if I ever see her set foot in my neighborhood again.....you with me??

Off to practice at some targets!



Mother's Day Idea from {k.i.s.s}...

Hi, I'm Tatum, author of the blog, Keep it Simple, Sister and I am so excited to be posting at Thrifty Decorating today!  Mothers' Day is sneaking up on us, friends, and I have a fun and simple idea to honor the mother(s) in your life and win you some major brownie points.


I consider myself a student of Nate, meaning I watch the Nate Berkus Show religiously.  If you are a fan too, you've probably heard him preach that your decor should be more than random pretty objects, it should have personal meaning.  I wholeheartedly agree.  So I took inspiration from one of my favorite trends, word art and number art, to create some decor pieces for moms that would have real meaning.   I made text art out of their children's and grand children's names and birth dates.  The concept is pretty basic, but the possibilities are limitless.  Combine some pretty fonts with great colors and the names and/or dates that are most important to your mom, put it in a pretty frame and you've just guaranteed your spot in the will.

Here's what you need to make your own Mothers' Day text art 

• A word processing program like Microsoft Word or Neo Office or Photoshop (you can download a free 30-day trial!) 

• A printer or access to a copy/printing store
• White card stock
• Picture frame

There is not a formal tutorial for this project.  The only instructions are to open your word processing program or Photoshop, type your names and/or dates,  and play with different fonts, sizes, colors and placement and just be creative and have fun.


Tips for Making Mothers' Day Text Art

• Start with great fonts. The font(s) you choose will set the style for your piece.  Your choices are endless from retro, to distressed, handwritten, modern, or calligraphy styles- find the ones that reflect your mom. Sites like dafont.com have a lot of great fonts to download for free!  Here are some links that explain how to install a new downloaded font on Windows or Mac (it's much easier than you think).

• Don't be intimidated.  Say it with me, "I can do this project!"  You don't need a background in graphic design or amazing computer skills to make text art.  If you can type, change the size and font style of your words, you can do this.  If you need some creative inspiration to get you going, check out sites like tinyprints.com or photoaffections.com that create invitations and announcements, they have great ideas for word art.

• Choose your frame first.  The frame you use will determine the size of your artwork ( 5 x7, 8x10, etc).   This is especially important if your frame is an irregular size. The frame can also help you choose the style and colors you use in your artwork.

• Print wisely.  Print your artwork on card stock to give it a more professional look. If your artwork has a lot of color (see image below), that will require a lot of ink, I recommend taking it to a copy or printing store where they can print a nice smooth copy, free of flaws (and save your toner cartridge on your home printer).  It cost me about 70 cents per 8.5 x 11 sheet to print my artwork on card stock at my local copy store.

{ fonts are Walkway Semibold and Jellyka Bee's Antique}

Here are some examples of Mothers' Day text art I have created.  I have used a good old word processing program for some and Photoshop for others, but all designs are very basic. I am happy to answer any questions you have, so feel free to contact me. Below each example I have listed the name of the fonts I used in case you want to download them (fonts without links are standard fonts already installed on most computers).

 {Fonts are Lobster and Jellyka Bee's Antique}

{Font is Walkway}

{Fonts are Hoedown, Jellyka Western Princess, Orator Std, Zapfino and Carnevalee Freakshow}

{Font is Payday}

 {Fonts are Honey Script, American Typewriter, Viper Nora, and Budmo}

{Font is Viper Nora}

{This is a great design for a mom with LOTS of grandchildren.

Fonts are Callie Hand and Fairfax Station}

{Font is Viper Nora}

{Fonts are Walkway and Payday}

This weekend I will be sharing some fun and simple ways to frame your Mothers' Day text art projects on my blog, Keep it Simple, Sister.  I am also hosting a giveaway for a burlap pillow cover from beiFIORI Embellish which you are welcome to enter.  I hope you'll stop by!    Thanks for having me here at Thrifty Decorating.  Have a great weekend, friends!

----------------------------------------

 

Thanks so much for posting, Tatum!  And a HUGE thanks for including the font names!!  So many times I see a really cool looking font, but I have NO idea how to track it down!

{Keep it Simple, Sister} is definitely becoming one of my favorite blogs.  Tatum's projects are original, unique, simple and inexpensive!

The first project of hers that I saw were these gorgeous window boxes!

She also made this amazing Dollar Tree Vintage Cake Stand.....

...and refashioned this Old Navy jacket....

Thanks, Tatum, for stopping by today!  If you get a chance, click over to {Keep it Simple, Sister} for more fabulous ideas!



The Royal Wedding.....

{Will you be watching???}

I remember waking up in the wee hours of the morning to watch the wedding of Charles and Diana. 

It was very dark and I was up all by myself!  I felt like pretty big stuff for being 9 years old and up at 3 AM!

I have wonderful memories of pretending princess as a little girl.  In fact, I had the most amazing dress-up dress that looked just like Princess Diana's flower girl dresses (or at least I thought it did!).....it was white and chiffony and I wore it constantly....pretending that I was Princess Diana.


Somewhere in all of our hearts, we dream of being princesses.  Currently, one of my daughter's favorite books is Gigi...God's Little Princess. 

It is an adorable book about a little girl, Gigi,  who thinks that she is the only princess and then discovers that we are all (including her best friend!)  princesses of the royal King!


So, I know that my daughter would LOVE to watch the wedding of William and Kate.  Everytime she sees a picture of Kate she says, "Mommy, is that the girl who is going to be the princess?"

Even this morning, while watching the news....which we normally do not do, but the multiple tornado warning prompted me to turn on the television.....a picture flashed of the Royal couple.....My boys didn't know who it was so my daughter indignitately replied to them....."Why it's William and Kate!"

My only problem about this....do I really want to get up at 4am????

Will you be watching and what are your memories of the first royal wedding?

Thrifty Thursday #7

{Thrifty Thursdays #7}

It's hard to believe that it's week #7 already forThrifty Thursdays .....  Where does the time go??

One of your favorite projects this week was from henry happened..... we all love a bargain and this was such a pretty one!

 {Goodwill Spraypaint}

 And what a great idea to spraypaint in a box!!  That would eliminate all those random spraypaint marks on my garage floor!!

little guess family  (I'd love to know the story behind that name!) also linked up an amazing Goodwill makeover!

{Goodwill Chair Makeover}

Can you believe that this was her first attempt at reupholstery??  Gorgeous!

I absolutely love the idea of this Chalkboard Cabinet Organizer from A House to Fill.....

{Cabinet Door Organizer}

I did not even know that they made decorative duct tape!!  How cool is that!  It would last all of 45 seconds in my house!!

Another sweet project that I just love was the faux vintage children's books from My Wonderfully Made....

{Faux Children's Books}

Wouldn't these look just beautiful in a basket for a baby shower gift??

And how about what Hawthorn and Holly used to fill old frames.......

{Frame Up}

....those are old GIFT BAGS!!!  Ingenious!

If you were featured this week....grab a button!

I just love watching all the projects link up.......you all have such amazing ideas!  I look forward to looking at each one of them and then linking within your blogs!  Some of you have such amazing stories and ideas!

So......it's time again to share your creative....(and thrifty) ideas!

Thrifty Thursdays

Here are some very simple suggestions for the link-up:

1. Please become a follower of Thrifty Decorating

2. Be sure to link to your POST and not your blog.

3. Please copy and paste my link button somewhere in your post

or blog so that others can link back.

4. Share some comment love....We all love to get them!!

Don't forget....once you've linked at Thrifty Thursdays, you can go over to link up with Thrifty Thursday at Saved by Love Creations!

Thank you card printable....

{Pretty print design...}

Do you have any thank you notes to write for Easter gifts or spring birthdays???

evelyn kate designs is offering this free printable!  I saw it when she linked up to Thrifty Thursdays  last week!

{Thank you card flower printable}

I love how simple and pretty it is! 

Head over to evelyn kate designs and you can download yours today!

Science in a box

{A science box of fun!}

Is summer vacation looming somewhere in your near future???  Are you wondering what to do with your kids when they are home from school??  How about making them a science box of fun?

I saw this idea somewhere else....unfortunately, it was bookmarked on my computer that crashed at Christmas and I have absolutely no idea how to re-trace my route to finding it.....my brain just doesn't do "backward" really well....


Updated:  I just discovered that Brandy from GLUESTICKS was my inspiration!  Thanks, Brandy, for letting me know! 

So....I'm going to confess something to you all....please don't think less of me with this confession....I am....by trade....a chemistry teacher ............Yes...I know.....when I share that it's usually met with groans and grimaces.  It's the worst class you ever had......you have horrible memories of a weird lab partner lighting Bunsen burners....moles....and too much math!

Actually, I love science....it's fun....it's exciting....(and if you don't have a good teacher, it can be horrible!)  I really enjoyed my days in the classroom and it just warms my heart now that my boys wanted a Chemistry set for Christmas....and OF COURSE, they got it!!

My boys and I wanted to share our love of science with my nephews, so we made a "science box of fun" for them.

Everything they need for days of science fun gets packed into the box!

We compiled a bunch of simple experiments and packed each one into its own bag.  In the bag was everything needed to perform the experiment.

We also added step-by-step instructions for each experiment. 

I made each experiment a different color and then I laminated it and put it on a metal ring.

Here's a link to some of the fun experiments that we did:

Runaway Pepper

Swimming Fish

Speedboat Matchsticks

Shiny Penny

Bobbing Raisins

To keep things "thrifty," we just decorated an old shoe box with a paper bag, stickers and then hot-glued some glass beads and put a velcro closure on it.....simple and fun!

Happy experimenting!!

Standard Builder's Bathroom???

{Transforming a standard tub...}

Do you have an average...ho-hum......standard builder's bathroom and tub that looks like this???

I've wanted to do something cool with mine, but couldn't figure out how to deal with those annoying cermic tiles that go partway up the wall.  I knew that my hubby would not be into ripping them off.......too much wall damage!  (and work!!)

Well....Angie at Thrifty Like Me has been working on a way to remodel her standard builder's bathroom and has incorporated the tile into her design!!!

Look at this!!

Isn't it beautiful!!!  She even built a faux front to cover the existing tile!!

For Angie's complete instructions head over the Thrifty Like Me!

Thanks, Angie......I can't wait to try this with my bathroom!