Cozy & Snug Sittin' on Pleather

So, today is the big night. TRICK O' TREATING for all the small people.

Mine bailed. WAY too wet out there for them. They are also nearly too old to go traipsing through people's yards in search of treats.

We will be hanging out in our comfy living room watching something fantastic like Merlin on Netflix, eating pizza and sitting on our new couches!

I got new furniture when we moved, but sadly although it was super duper expensive, it did not last. We heard later that the expensive stain treatment we paid for is rumored to actually EAT fabric, which appeared to be the case with the old couches.

So I got smart this time. Bought the cheapest stuff possible in PLEATHER.

My friend has like 18 dogs and bought one of these cheap couches a couple of years ago and it's still going strong. That is my kind of kid & dog proof kind of thing.

Dude at Big Lots told us what night to come back for the biggest discount. Got a couch, loveseat, and chair for around $700 which is approximately what one couch cost the last time.

What I really wanted to show you was my wall of second hand store silver platters and framed poster that is so faded it's not funny.

Was really excited to put a quick collection together of plates & platters for a very small amount of money. A few of them were by the door at the second hand place in a box marked $1. Just took some elbow grease to get them all pretty. I can see them from my chair and they make me happy.

I am in the process of ordering a large sized print for the wolf poster we have had since college making it nearly older than dirt.

Happy Thursday! If you are headed out in search of chocolate and treats, have a great night where ever you are!

Inspired Layout for Bird is the Word

I have been slowly picking my way through some random photos I had on my phone. They sometimes chronicle our every day more than a single event.

Lexi choose this year to attend an extra science class a week at Potsdam State. It seems to be a fantastic program.

She is currently building a rocket and in her hands she is holding a small boat that she had finished. Used a flower cluster similar to what is shown on the Bird is the Word Sketch.

As you can see, their word this month is also INSPIRE, which was perfect as a title for my page!

I also used it in the journaling. Can you see my sneaky frosty leaf prop that was on the deck in the wee hours of the am when I went for a photo? I thought it was pretty so left it. ;-)

We had snow this morning, so Santa Time is creeping up on us! ;-)

Happy Hump Day! 

Peace Love and Twinkies

Yesterday I mentioned a trip to a junk yard....and here is the follow up story to that!

A couple of weekends back THE MAN announced his intentions of heading to a junk yard. He was hot on the trail of some rims in this trailer project he's doing and I wasn't about to let him go alone.

Think of the wonders he might see without me. I spend far too much time stalking the Funky Junk Interiors blog so I can't take all the blame for being crazy about rusty metal. I am inspired. ;-)

So like any able bodied female, I suggested nicely that I attend this outing. Might have pouted a bit. Of course I won. I am sure THE MAN was unable to resist my charms.

We woke up bright and early and I donned my best stomping boots.

I had visions of treasures and a nice breakfast.

THE MAN evidently had visions of finding exactly what he wanted fairly quickly and for cheap. 

He left out the part that the junk yard we were traveling to was owned by one of the planet's largest dicks. 

Ok, so that is really not polite. However, I could have used stronger words like environmental terrorist. 

Anyhow I suggested as we rolled through town that stopping for a quick bite might be nice. No dice. Drove by all sorts of places to eat. 

Got to the junk yard in the town of Madrid. Not pronounced like the rest of the world pronounces the capital of Spain, oh no. We have to be different. Said like MAD-rid.

I was a bit disappointed. THE MAN said it would be similar to my friend Lisa's Scrap Yard. That was not so. It was of course a whole lot messier. Scrap yards imply that stuff is all taken apart and leaving on trucks ready to be made into more stuff. This was more like metal on wheels everywhere and some of the puddles were shimmery with rainbows of leaking fluids.

Lisa would eat someone's liver if they made a big mess like that.

THE MAN was directed towards a pile of tires and rims. In the midst of the rims and tires was a pick up missing rims and tires but the bed was filled with interesting metal items. It was also near the flattened radiator sculpture. 

I took a small break from looking at rims to look in the bed of the pick up truck. Spotted eight things I wanted. Grabbed that wooden pulley first.

THE MAN snapped at that point. HON-ey, they don't like it when people pick through their stuff and all that, we have to just look at the rims.

Sneakily hid the pulley in the middle of the rims we were possibly buying and went back to looking. 

Have I mentioned I don't have a long attention span?

Shortly there after I decided I might die in the middle of all the tires and pretty puddles without another cup of coffee and a snack.

Really if I had been properly fed, I wouldn't have wandered into the little convenient store. 

Grabbed a cup of coffee and a twinkie. WHICH was bit of excitement for me as they are finally now back in the gas stations like they should be.

Three dudes and a girl wearing suits were also there. Not sure who they were, but they quickly violated my personal space and gave me the heebie jeebies.

It was like we were all there buying coffee together only I didn't know them one bit nor did I wish to.

Escaped as soon as humanly possible and wandered back to the tires and rim section, bits of twinkie and coffee making me happy. 

Met up with THE EXTRA GRUMPY MAN who was also starting to get hungry and who hadn't found exactly the rims of his dreams. He also had to deal with the owner of the fine establishment who we can call Dick for lack of a better name. 

He suggested I help carry the rims, but no, my hands were full of a snack. 

He had already paid for his rims and quickly realized I had stashed a prize. 

Got the HAIRY EYE BALLS and impression that perhaps getting into the truck quickly and not talking for a few minutes might be best. 

Ah, why can't we all just get along? Peace, Love and Twinkies. ;-)

Dryer Vent Pumpkin with Cutting Cafe Metal Tag

I had this awesome dryer vent pumpkin I pinned the other day and upon a recent trip to the attic of the barn, I discovered we had extra dyer vent. 

THE MAN was not so enthusiastic. His discovery of the project was after said dryer vent was already hacked up and prepped for spray painting. ooopsie!

Who says if you use cinnamon sticks as a stem that you can't also add a peacock feather for good measure? Purely hypothetical question there. But of COURSE you would need a cool tag! ;-)

My tag was originally a metal belt buckle which was silver. I spray painted it gold and added the circle graphic from THE CUTTING CAFE. I covered the whole thing with dimensional modge podge so it's got a nice feel to it. 

I used the With Gratitude printable stamp set and printed on photo paper. Love how pretty it turned out!

I am displaying my crazy pumpkin right by the TV near my newest junk yard find.

Both things may make THE MAN twitch a little, which is why I have them out in plain sight for his viewing pleasure. ;-)

Posting about the trip to the junk yard tomorrow. Things like that only make a marriage that much better.

Happy Monday!

Trend Setter Layout for SATW

Eeeek! I love these colors!

Seriously wish I could have played along with more challenges this month, so was super glad I could fit this page in for Scrap Around The World.

Loved the little smidge of gold they had on their mood board and loved the little ledge sketch! ;-)

Helen is always using dry wall tape on her layouts. Thought maybe I'd spray some gold and use it on mine since it's her challenge blog!

Really loved all the colors on the mood board. That soft pink really made me happy!

Had to add just a spot of color to my photo to show which pair of sneaks belonged to Lexi. Of course hers are the biggest!

Not sure if it was intentional that all of her friends have the same pair. It might be that we don't have a lot of shopping as well, but still I really enjoyed taking a photo of them all lined up! They were all over for her birthday LAN party.

Also had to use gold letters! Some purple journaling to match her sneaks!

Here is a side view of the page. Lots of fun stuff on this page.

One of my favorite parts of this page are the little gold banners I cut out of dry wall tape. I haven't seen anyone do that yet. Maybe I'm a trend setter too! ;-)

Have a great Sunday!

An Open Letter to Dear Mr. Corn

Dear Mr. Corn.

I love that you planted corn in the front of my house this year. It's awesome.

The porcupines think so too. The bus driver almost had a huge tangle with one recently and I heard the whole thing from my office. Lots of horn beeping and break squealing. Told my kids to tell the driver that one less porcupine is not a bad thing. (See previous post where one cost me $450 not that I am still holding a grudge)

One night we saw four heading across the lawn to waddle across the road and hang out. Must be a fabulous night club over there.

In Peru they make Chicha which is a beer made out of corn. Pretty sure the racoons have a distillery and are selling to the deer and porcupines.

The deer are also crossing the road in great number.

Right around 10:30 pm the other night THE MAN spotted a small group of men hanging out in front of our house. Three vehicles and lots and lots of light.

He went to investigate while I hung out on the bottom step in a white bathrobe (can't see white in the dark no no you can't) and had my finger poised to dial 911 on my phone should they be ax murders.

Nope. Some dude had hit a deer and they had a skirmish line set up trying to find the mostly dead thing.

Poor deer heading back from the bar after too many glasses of Chicha no doubt and walked into a truck.

And also, your corn scares me.

It's like huge. I'd be scared to wander around  in search of some Chicha for fear of getting lost or tangled up with a porcupine.

Please mow it, pretty please? I hear it's going to snow soon. It will be much nicer not to mow it in
the snow.

Kindest Regards,

Pratt Inc.

Halloween Tree: Using Up Paper Scraps

The other day I was pawing around in my Halloween scraps which is for some reason a rather large bag full of smaller sized pieces. I had this idea to make a pie chart so I was cutting useless pieces at an angle and sticking them down.

Cut my circle and was immediately annoyed since it looked nothing like I wanted.

The left over scraps however looked super though.

Combined them with a recent photo I took of my favorite dead (or dying) tree and holy Halloweenie!

Now, you may recall the same tree as the feature in another layout. So, I might be a bit obsessed with it.

I was really pleased with how it all worked together accidentally.

Here is the full size image of my neighbor Joe's tree. There was a turkey vulture convention and in fact there are four or five of the birds you can't even see due to the angle I took the photo.

I bailed out on the side of the road in the rain to get the shot. 

Turkey Vultures are so Halloweenie!

See, we are all not the decorating types here in the middle of nowhere. No one really stops in for candy so decorating the yard is a bit wasted.

I do like some fun things up in the house, but skip most all of it except the candy eating part.

Now Joe has some free LIVE decorations! Ooooolala! Good thing I don't have to try to keep up with him. Next thing you know he will be putting orange and black bows on the goats!

And just a quick little side view. I really liked the dimension on this page. 

Happy Hump Day! 

Easy Like Monday Morning Layout for Once Upon A Sketch

A couple of weekends back my daughter used my laptop for her LAN Party Birthday.

So I was stuck scrapbooking. ;-) Happened to have this photo printed that struck my fancy.

It fit in nicely with the latest challenge up at Once Upon a Sketch involving a layout about a journey.

Every morning my kids get up in the wee hours of the morning and get themselves around for school. How they start their day seems to dictate how they come home.

They are learning like sponges these days. Every day one step closer to being an adult.

Lexi took this photo early one morning to show how miserable her brother was waiting for the bus. She suggested using something about Monday in the title. And she giggled like a mean little hyena.

I went for a funny title, since there is really nothing easy about a Monday.

You can see it right below that lovely bright yellow Prima flower that makes me happy!

Here is the super terrific sketch.

Loved those little circular elements so I used some Trinket Track goodies from Lizzy Hill that I spray painted gold. And that funny little robot badge.

Also really fond of all my cameras on this page. What is not to like about a gold camera?

Thankfully today is Tuesday so we have eased into the week a bit.

Have a good one!

Owl Candle Sticks for THE CUTTING CAFE

The really awesome part about Junkin' here in the North Country is that often what you left behind one week is still there the next.

Especially when it's a fabulous set of miss-matched orange colored candle sticks. See them below? One is orange and the other is a darker orange. I had passed them up the week before for lack of a project although I was pretty sure a bit of silver mirror paint would make them look all Halloweenie.

This week's assignment at the THE CUTTING CAFE was to use fall or Halloween files. Which made me think of how much I really wanted owl candlesticks. Well, it was more like Regina's awesome file made me think of how much I wanted to make something with Owls. Owls wearing a witch hat? Even better. Check out the cutting file here. Two different choices of owls with a variety of coolness. 

So anyway, a bit of a marriage here of weird little gold metal things, cheap candle sticks, silver mirror paint, and cutting file and I'm a happy girl with cool owl candle sticks. 

Make that GRUNGY owl candle sticks. Halloweenie owls with a metal embossed zebra body, weird googlie eyes, dimensional modge podge, spray painted black & silver roses, and a bit of some dyed cheese cloth. 

Fun times. Did I mention that the candles smell like cake? Halloweenie cake you know the kind with the half melting candy corns and the whip cream frosting? 

Happy Monday!

Pop on over and check out the reveal on Wednesday. Regina likes to give a file away for people who comment. More fun times!

Wa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pa-pow junkin'!

I for one am very thankful to be heading into the weekend.

For one thing I have a hot date with some spray paint AND have a project planned around that CAMERA.

OMG, I love that $4 camera! It's HEAVY! I am pretty sure I could break a toe if I dropped it...

THE MAN has been making fun of my purchase. The youngest has been wanting my purchase to take apart, and thankfully the oldest is leaving me alone.

What do you think? Am I crazy?

Altered canvas with lots of pretty flowers? Can you see it?

And since I am fun like this, I would love to SHARE the latest viral video heading around the States.

The whole thing is a must watch for the sheer fact that the old man rocks and you have probably always wondered What DOES the FOX say?

Happy Friday!

Feeling Grubby: PERU PAGE

This morning I sent my family off with nicely packed lunches, but when I went to make my own lunch, there was only a box of instant mac and cheese! I had used up all the bread, cheese and lunch meat!

I must fire the housekeeper. Oh wait. That is me!

So, I hear grubs are yummy.

Oh I did not try them in Peru. They seemed like they would be wiggly. Or perhaps you cook them....

I did google them which is how I know they are yummy.

Want a close up?

I think mostly they showed us just to torture the tourists. Cool by me, it was a fun photo!

Here is a side view!

One of my favorite new things is a dot of perfect pearls with a sequin pushed over top so just a little squeezes out of the hole! OH love that camera too!

Consider it a HINT of what I am posting tomorrow!

Happy Thursday!

Sending Fall to Julie

We typically have four good season changes here in Northern NY although they are not all the same in size.

We have early spring which stretches on forever finally morphing into late spring which is gone in a blink, summer which is hot and heavy for a good ten weeks, fall which sometimes seems like it lasts a week or two and then prewinter, winter, more winter, late winter, and we're back around again.

I forget that everyone else does not get to enjoy fall which is by my reasoning the best season ever.

This year it was gone in a blink. Although we have had some amazing Indian Summer which resulted in some serious gardening for me last weekend and sore muscles.

Julie of the Tucker-Wolek Clan previously lived in New York and is now in sunny Arizona. We think fond thoughts of Arizona usually when we are shoveling snow for the fifth time in a day. She does miss fall though and was wishing for some fall weather on Facebook a while back.

Thought I'd send her some. I filled this little altered metal box up with leaves! I dipped them in wax first so they will last a little while longer.

She can't crunch them underfoot sadly...

THE MAN likes to give me a hard time for too much crunching when we are walking in our woods. He has been taught like a hunter to tread lightly. Not me, I like to make as much noise as possible. It's way funner.

And one last photo of our woods taken just a few days ago. I was standing on our small water fall looking up stream. Leaves have nearly all fallen and the woods smells delicious. So pretty. 

Happy HUMP Day Peeps and enjoy the small little FALL I am sending your way, Julie! Maybe you can trade me your winter?

Pin Worthy Project: Book Page Trees

Inspiration for me usually comes from reading blogs, mucking around Pinterest, or finding something & getting an idea. Spotted a few folded book trees on Pinterest the other day.  Checked them out and found this tutorial the most helpful. The folding is easy peasy. I did also find sticking to around 40 pages is optimal for my attention span and how full I wanted my tree.

Yes, one ended up in the trash. The other thing I found was really focusing on nice neat folds is pretty important. ;-)

I wasn't ready to make any trees until I found cheap silver candlesticks at the second hand store and a friend passed back a couple of books I had lent her.

FOR THE RECORD, these were perfectly good books. I considered donating them off to the second hand store, but they were a little on the racier side. No I'm not telling you what they were. Although if you look real close you might figure it out.....or at least read something that makes you blush...

Here they are again, full size so you can see the little silver finial at the top & knob on the smaller tree. You can easily trim the bottom to have different sizes.

You can also fancy them up with PRIMA-Vintage Trinkets Charms - Paris which is one way to get your flowers & decorations out into your home where you can enjoy them too!

Thanks for sending me some mica chips to play with Lizzy Hill via Yvonne Yam. You can see they are posing as snow here, but will be glued to something before long! Like them so much better than real snow....

Happy Tuesday! One Pin down and a whole bunch to go...at least this one is calorie free!

Popcorn Treat Box Favors: THE CUTTING CAFE and 13th Birthday

Such a cute little cutting file!

Regina over at THE CUTTING CAFE comes up with the coolest things!

Take a wander over and check out all files that comes with these boxes! You can basically print your own striped paper to make it look like a real pop corn box!

I had to use colors that would work for my oldest's 13th birthday but I am looking forward to making these again!

As you can see below, we filled them with treats! A little lego character, some tic tacs and more candy!

Also added a gold initial which was my daughter's idea.

Here is a close up so you can also see the leaves I cut out using one of Regina's files. 

You can find them here in the Welcome Fall set. 

Love the paper I used. Reminds me of teenagers!

Have a great Monday! It's raining here which makes me happy. Moved a bunch of plants this weekend so they should be getting a good start!

Golden Birthday Candy Tower

My oldest turns 13 tomorrow. 

It seems like yesterday when she was saying ME SASSY and pointing to herself. She wasn't kidding! I blame most of that on the Pratt side of things. ;-) 

Anyhow, three of her closest BFFS are heading over shortly for a LAN Party. In fact, I have to hurry as they are going to be stealing my laptop.

Local Area Network Party....meaning that THE MAN has got a long table set up downstairs with a power strip so they can all play the same on-line game together.

Interestingly enough, they do that all the time already, but this time will be in the same place! 

It's kinda hard to twist your brain around how kids play these days. She also has a game of flashlight tag planned after dark, so there is bit of good ole fashioned play planned too!

The other game planned is Fluffy Bunny. You stuff a marshmallow in your mouth and say FLUFFY BUNNY. Repeat until someone is rendered speechless. Don't ask me, it sounds terrifying.

It's her Golden Birthday meaning that she is 13 on the 13th. Also born on a Friday after a long bit of labor, she has kinda lived up to expectations!

I have been hoarding these tart pans for ages to get enough to make a tower. She squealed when she saw it. I think she likes it or maybe just likes all the candy! 

Decided to mix it up with metals here. The top one is coppery colored with a gold spray painted edge. The middle is an aged copper and the bottom is silver. In between I have a spray painted glass candle stick and a glass lamp part between the bottom two pieces. I have some mirror paint I have been playing with again and the look turns out to be like old mercury lamps. Very pretty. Hard to see here, but I have a project coming up later with that.

It is ALL held together with some gorilla glue. Gotta love that stuff.

Anyhow, small peeps are almost here. Wish me luck!

Oh and PS:  This idea would work for the LESSolgy Kitchen Raid challenge! These tart pans work for a LOT of fun projects!

LESSology Challenge #30: Magnetic Board for the Kitchen Raid Challenge

I came up for the idea of a magnetic hanging frame in the kitchen after I got sick of things on my fridge. I thought that it would be a great place for the school calendar as well. Plus it works nicely with our latest challenge over at LESSology for raiding the kitchen for project supplies!

I made the original hanging frame back in November of 2011 and it was getting very faded. Plus, everyone forgot to write in the days on the calendar every month rendering it a bit useless. ;-) 

Here is a before photo. 

The actual base was originally a very thin piece of board with a pink wash and just a plain black frame. 

One night I gave my Big Shot a rather large work out and embossed piece after piece of aluminium tape. 

I carefully covered just the front of the frame with these embossed metal stickers. 

Then it was time for some paint. Wanted a pearl pink look so used some liquid pearls for my pink color. 

A quick sand and my frame was ready for metal!

Getting the metal was a little adventure in itself. I went to a local steel yard with my frame and got to pick out the exact gauge of steel I wanted. Then, pulled around back and some dude cut it to size.

Of course being raw steel, I then had to paint and rust treat before I could cover with chalk board paint. 

See, I couldn't make up my mind! It's not only magnetic, but also a chalk board! ;-)

If you look closely, I also went over my textured frame with a brown Stazon Ink pad. Love how pretty that recycled book page flower still looks. It's magnetic now so I can move it around.

My vintage silverware is also magnetic! I wanted to be able to easily take everything off this board for washing!

A fun practical project that hopefully inspires you to go on a kitchen raid yourself & play along!