TRANSFORMED, from broken to beautiful
We are on to something brilliant here, Mr. OTN and I!
Last month I posted the TOP 10 things I wanted for Mother’s Day, hoping to give y’all some ideas of what a mom like me yearns for. I had no intention of giving hints to my daughters, especially since I don’t really think they come over to read my blog posts unless my title suggests some shocking family secret about to be revealed. Only then might they pop over to make sure I’ve protected their identity.
…
Long, long ago, and far, far away, when my mom was still living and we lived in the Pacific Northwest we used to host all of the holiday dinners in our home. It was a chore I gladly took over from my mom when my dad passed, in order to allow my children to experience being in their own home for the holidays, just as I was as a child.
In those days we had a full dining room table with the grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins (as many as could make the trip) all coming together to celebrate. Over time the children grew up, family became scattered, and things changed. The gatherings grew smaller and the grandparents older. We sometimes laughed over the amusing antics of “the old folks,” the name fondly given those whose memories were not quite as sharp and bodies not quite as strong as they once were. As the gathering diminished in size we talked, my husband and I, about the time when we would be the “old folks” ourselves. And now we are . . . NOT! As sixty somethings, we are indeed older, but we have not yet declared ourselves OLD.
Mother’s Day falls this Sunday and I no longer have a mom to shop for, nor do I have daughters who are mothers themselves, so I guess Mother’s Day is pretty much all about ME. At least for now. Since I am The Mom, I thought I’d share with you what I’d like to receive as a mom on Mother’s Day. Maybe this will help you out a bit with your own Mom’s Day shopping 😉
TOP TEN Countdown (or countup?) of Things I Want for Mother’s Day:
Note: By clicking on the pictures you will be linked to the products. I do receive a small commission for anything purchased from Amazon, although you don’t pay any more than you normally would by going to Amazon directly yourself.
10.
9.
8.
7.
6.
5.
4.
3.
2.
And now, for the big NUMBER 1!
I DO NOT receive any compensation for this recommendation but that’s okay because I’m pretty excited about Norwex and want to tell you about their products (I want them all). So far I have a window cleaning cloth, and some counter and stove top cloths and they are amazing. No cleaning products are needed with them, only water, and they not only clean to perfection but they also disinfect your surfaces!
Norwex cleaning products are SAFE for your family – no chemicals; they save TIME; they save MONEY – up to 90% of what most spend on cleaning supplies; and they are SAFE for the environment.
I just ordered the Norwex mop system which not only cleans your floors with water alone but also removes bacteria. This is especially important to me with a new puppy in the house.
Below are some Norwex gifts for mom or dad (dad’s day is coming too). If you follow this LINK you’ll be directed to my daughter’s Norwex Facebook party and can order through Mother’s Day under her name – Joy. Again, I don’t receive anything for this referral but my daughter might score some free products if she has enough orders 😉
Finally . . . keep scrolling down . . .
. . . here is a short video showing the science behind Norwex and how, when put to the test, it showed that it really delivers over and above other similar products.
That’s the Top 10 Things I Want for Mother’s Day. Maybe your mom would like something from my list too.
Note to daughters: These are not hints as to what to get me for Mother’s Day. Just call home!
Happy Mom’s Day and blessings to y’all,
I’ve been known to link up to the following great parties!!!
Sunday:
TheDIYShowoff, LifeOnLakeshoreDrive, SilverPenniesSundays, RusticAndRefined, Spiritual Sundays, GiveMeGrace
Monday:
IShouldBeMoppingTheFloor, TheDedicatedHouse, Dwellings, ProjectInspired, InspireMeMonday, BetweenNapsOnThePorch, CelebrateYourStory, Making Your Home Sing Mondays, What Joy is Mine/Monday Musings, Darling Downs Diaries, The Art of Homemaking, SmallWonder, MomentsOfHope, Glimpses, SittingAmongFriends
Tuesday:
TalkOfTheTown, HomeStoriesAtoZ, AStrollThruLife, CoastalCharm, CedarHillFarmhouse, TuesdaysAtOurHome, TheWinthropChronicles, Rich Faith Rising Unite Linky, Testimony Tuesday,Cheerleaders of Faith,Tell His Story
Wednesday:
SavvySouthernStyle, Posed Perfection, A Wise Woman Builds Her Home, Woman to Woman Word Filled Wednesdays, ChristianBloggerLinkup, Mom’s Morning Coffee, Women with Intention, Coffee for Your Heart, MessyMarriage, ThreeWordWednesday
Thursday:
ShareYourStyle, ImpartingGrace, EmbracingChange, HaveADailyCupOfMrsOlson, MyRepurposedLife, ADelightsomeLife, KatherinesCorner, I Choose Joy, Thought Provoking Thursday, SincerelyPaulas, ThankfulThursdays, ThoughtfulThursday, Tune-inThursday
Friday:
FrenchCountryCottage, TheCharmOfHome, RootedInThyme, TheDedicatedHouseAnythingBlueFriday, ShabbyliciousFriday, Sweet Inspiration, Faith’nFriends, Missional Women Faith Filled Fridays, Dance With Jesus FreshMarketFriday
Saturday:
FunkyJunkInteriors, OneMoreTimeEvents, SaturdaySparks, TheInspirationGallery, Make My Saturday Sweet
I’m popping in today with a quick post because next Sunday is Mother’s day and some of you may be wracking your brains over something unique to give mom for her big day. This is an old post but I’m recycling it today because it has been a favorite of my readers and has been featured in so many places.
Quick and easy bookmarks made from vintage (or vintage look) jewelry. The original post with complete step-by-step instructions can be found right HERE!
As a mom, I can assure you that this is something I would love to receive as a gift myself, especially if it was tucked in book like the one below. This short illustrated book shows the unconditional love between moms and their children and it is one that always makes my daughters and me shed a few tears. Your mom will love it!
Click on this picture for ordering info.
TheDIYShowoff, LifeOnLakeshoreDrive, SilverPenniesSundays, SundaysAtHome, RusticAndRefined, Spiritual Sundays, GiveMeGrace
Have you ever been out shopping when you’ve seen something that makes you proclaim, “I can make that!”? I do that all of the time, as a few of my friends can attest. Sometimes the things I think I can make turn out to be beyond my overly confident capabilities. Other times I give a project a try and I’m rewarded with the taste of success! This is one of those times.
I began thinking about creating my own glittery nutcracker after we attended last year’s performance of The Nutcracker Ballet in Seattle. The nutcrackers in the gift store were so magnificent that I couldn’t resist buying one of my own. Looking back, I’m so glad that I did because at the time we had no idea that that would be our last Christmas living in the Seattle area. After bringing my nutcracker home I began thinking about all of the sad, old nutcrackers sitting in our local Goodwill Christmas Store. That’s when I decided I’d try my hand at creating my own Glittery Nutcracker. After wading through an awful lot of nutcrackers I came across this little guy, whose face intrigued me . . .
Today I’ll show you the transformation of a thrift store nutcracker into a colorful and glittery nutcracker!
This is the way our nutcracker looked when we found him, in all of his traditional nutcracker colors.
This is the kit full of magic that I used to transform him into what he is today!
Though there are a lot of less expensive glitter sets than Martha Stewart’s, this set has the most beautiful colors of them all! Plus, the glitter really goes a long way as you simply pour what shakes off back into the containers for future use.
My daughter Bethany actually came up with the design and color choices for this nutcracker while she was home on vacation last Christmas.
She started the project by painting over the traditional red and black nutcracker uniform with pearlized and metallic paints (Martha Stewart Pearl Aquarium, Martha Stewart Metallic Sterling and Yellow Gold, and Decor Art Metallic Crystal Green)
She left the chippy face and hands alone as they have so much character just as they are.
Bethany used a paint brush to apply a thin layer of Martha Stewart glue creating a design of stripes on the jacket and hat . . .
. . . and a triangular “skirt” on the lower portion of the jacket.
After the glue was applied she simply shook the glitter onto the nutcracker, gently knocked off the excess and allowed the nutcracker to dry before going on to the next color.
As you can see, portions of the nutcracker were left glitter free.
I love her choice of jewel tones don’t you?
Since Bethany didn’t have quite enough time to finish the project while she was home I added the final details, white glitter on the mustache and eyebrows, and the painting of the staff and base. Hmmm . . . I guess you could say that this wasn’t really my success at all since she did most of the work! I did come up with the bright idea though!
You can see from the picture above how the glitter has” traveled” from the mostasche onto the face. That is a quick fix by gently brushing away the excess with a dry paint brush once the glue is completely dry.
To set the glitter in place so it won’t rub off with handling, I used extra strength hairspray and lightly misted over the entire piece. Krylon also creates a non-yellowing protective sealer called Make It Last!, but since the colors are dark I think the hairspray will be just fine.
Here are a few more pictures of our glittery nutcracker with the rest of his soldier friends.
Yes, that is the nutcracker from the ballet. I still think he’s gorgeous!
I haven’t put away my glitters just yet as I’m working on a special project for the fireplace mantle in our new home. I’m SO excited to finish so I can share it with you! I do hope you’ll come back to see the surprise!
What have you come across in your shopping that you’ve determined you would make yourself rather than buy? How did it turn out? Do the things you make ever include thrift store finds? I find great joy in making Old Things New and I hope you do too!
Blessings,
Does anyone remember making May Day baskets as children? I can remember making them in school by weaving strips of construction paper together and then folding our woven creation into a cone. We would fill them with tissue paper flowers as the teacher explained the tradition of secretly leaving baskets filled with flowers on the door of a neighbor on the first day of May.
How exciting, and a bit frightening to sneak up to my next-door-neighbor’s house, hoping she wasn’t looking out the front window. Then to tiptoe up the steps and hang that flower filled cone on the doorknob, hands sweating for fear of making a noise and giving myself away.
My heart would be beating so hard that I could hear it in my ears, and my breathing was fast and shallow. I would plant my feet in a run-ready position, lean in toward the door and press the doorbell.
Ding-dong!
As the bell signals the beginning of the race I was off and running as fast as my little feet would carry me, never daring to look back over my shoulder. Running so quickly all the way home, up the steps, into the house, shutting the door behind me and leaning back against it’s strong shelter. Whew . . . I made it!
What a thrill it was to leave a secret gift to brighten my next-door-neighbors day. Do you think she ever guessed that it was me, the little girl who spent so much time at her house playing with Sport, her black Cocker Spaniel, or sitting next to her husband while he showed me his amazing collection of rocks? What a good lesson this child learned about doing nice things for people, not to be seen or noticed, but just because it is a good thing to do.
It is a wonderful principle to live by isn’t it? Giving without thought of reward or out of a need to be noticed? We’ve been blessed with abundance and it is only fitting to give back a portion of what we’ve been given. And somehow . . . almost like “magic” . . . when we give out of our cup of abundance it always fills up to overflowing once again.
So . . . what do you think . . . am I too old to sneak over to my next-door-neighbors house, leave some flowers on the door, ring the bell and run like the wind so she won’t catch me? Haha! There are pictures that come to mind of turning to run and tripping over my own shoelaces, or attempting to leap over the little hedge that runs between my neighbor’s house and mine and not quite making the leap . . . It makes me laugh out loud! Shhh . . . I’m writing this in bed and Mr. OTN is trying to sleep 🙂
Okay . . . so maybe I’ll think of another way to practice a secret kindness!
You can view more about making a thrifted May Day planter HERE . . . or . . . to see some of the most gorgeous (TRULY) May Day baskets I’ve ever seen head over to my MAY DAY Pinterest page. There is even a pattern for a child’s May Day basket. Why not carry on this fading May Day tradition and teach your own wee ones how much fun it can be to give back?
May Day blessings to you,
