A Spot of Tea?

I found this candlestick and tea box at the local St Vincent’s Thrift shop the other day for less than $3.  The tea box is actually vintage.  It was made by a company called “Ma Beck” that went out of business years ago.

I thought it was pretty cute just as it was, but thought it could be cuter with a little makeover. I’ve been looking for something cute to put my tea bags in so I could leave them on the counter.   Since the Cowboy’s last surgery, he has enjoyed having hot tea at night.  I know!  Not very cowboy-ish, but he is a study in contrasts anyway since he bakes, cooks, builds and farms.  The only thing he doesn’t do is dishes!

So, I painted and glazed the candlestick and tea box and then Gorilla-glued them together.  I switched out the old, ugly knob with a cute key thingy I got from Elliotts recently.  I decided that since I wanted it to hold tea and in keeping with the vintage theme, I would keep the tea plaque.  To dress it up a little I added a couple doodads.  How is that for technical jargon?

My Cowboy and Valedictorian (aka smart, cute, and usually sweet daughter) weren’t all that impressed with it.  To quote them, “it looks like you painted it white, smeared on some brown stuff and are pretending it’s antique.”   Nothing like fanciful praise to validate me!

I'm linking to:

A Diamond in the Stuff
A Little Knick Knack
Shabby Art Boutique
The Girl Creative - Just Something I Whipped Up
ThinkTank Thursday@Joyful Homemaking

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Menu Monday

Welcome to another edition of Menu Monday!  So far, I've managed to actually plan meals to weeks in a row.  I must be on a roll!

Menu Monday

Week of February 21 - 27




Monday

Spiral baked ham

Scalloped potatoes

Green beans

Tuesday

Ham and Beans

Cornbread

Wednesday

Street Tacos

Refried beans

Thursday

Split pea soup

Friday

Teriyaki chicken

Rice

Stir-Fry zucchini

Saturday

Dining out

Sunday

Dining out

Does the fact that I’m posting Fun Friday Finds on Sunday reveal that I’m either a procrastinator or really busy?  I’m going for the really busy, but the truth is, I procrastinated!  I got too busy researching my finds to actually post about them!

These were all found at Estate Sales.  Usually, I find Estate Sales too expensive, but I felt like a got a couple really good deals.  I guess my ebay sales and makeover items will tell whether it’s Trash to Treasure later!

I got all this for $30!  Pictured are a Vintage porcelain lamp, brass lamp, floral etched plate (hard to see), two plant/plate stands, two cool blue bottles, a hurricane candle holder with silver-leaved feet, a Vintage Brighton Jacket in perfect condition, two Anne 

Klein leather clutches and a set of pub placemats.

For an additional $75, I got this really cool Vintage Antique Wrought Iron and Brass double bed.  I love this bed!  I’m debating about keeping it or not because I have been looking for one, but if I can sell it at a really good price……

I couldn't honestly tell you whether it's more fun to Makeover something from Trash to Treasure or sell it at a profit!  I'll let you know when I get a little more experience (smile)!

Menu Monday!

It's Monday!  I'm trying to organize and compartmentalize my life, starting with weekly menus.  Weekly menus are such a time, stress and money-saver, yet it's such a hard thing for me to do!

One of my New Year's goals was to plan my weekly menus for the above mentioned reasons and for my overall physical health.  I follow the Weight Watchers Points Plus Plan and knowing what I'm having for dinner helps me plan my days better and keeps me on track.

I haven't included recipes because I'm pretty sure I don't have enough followers that read, much less want them (smile), but if you happen upon my blog and would like the recipes, become a follower and leave me a comment!

Menu Monday

Week of Feb 14 – 20

Monday

Cowboy Meatloaf

Mashed Potatoes

Spaghetti Squash

Tuesday

Pork Chops in Mushroom Gravy

Mashed Potatoes

Grilled Zucchini and Vegetables

Wednesday

Street Tacos

Thursday

Meatloaf Sandwiches

Green Beans

Chips

Friday

Pork Chop Stroganoff

Saturday

Chinese Chicken Salad

Sunday

Lunch – Dining out

Dinner – Nachos Supreme

His and Hers

My Cowboy and I went to one of my favorite places today - Costco.  Seriously, my favorite stores contain the words "depot" or "warehouse."

We made the following purchase:

At the checkout, the lady who was emptying our cart commented "Oh, how sweet!"  Are these your Valentine's gifts to each other?"  She looked at my husband and said, "You got her a new set of pans and you got a new tool?"

I looked at her and responded, "Actually, it's the other way around.  He chose the pans and I got a new toy!"

Gotta love a guy who is man enough to buy pans and use them and not be intimidated by his wife purchasing power tools.  It's just one of his many traits that gets my heart a-pumping.

While the Cowboy's Away........

While my cowboy was lazing away in the warm, tropical clime of Maui with his Dad, I plotted my disgruntled, left-behind, really needed a vacation too, revenge! 

Since our weather has been so yucky, I’ve discovered that while it doesn’t beat the real thing, online shopping does have its charms.  For example, I can do it at 2am and there is more open than just Walmart at that time of night.  I can do it in my bed, in my jammies while sipping latte.

So, while the Cowboy’s away, this Cowgirl has played!

Revenge:  Part One

Pottery Barn.  I exhibited amazing restraint while shopping online at this store.  Mostly because, while I love some of their ideas and products, I think it’s excessively expensive and way out of my league budget-wise.  But I have had my eye on a product that I really wanted and had been discontinued.  I just noticed recently that they have revived it online and I just can’t live without it.  It’s going to be used in my craft room to display my hand-stamped cards.

Revenge:  Part Two

So, for parts two and three I decided to shop from my own catalogs because maybe then they could be considered business and advertising expenses?  That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

So, here’s what I ordered from Thirty-One.

Cute, huh? 

Revenge:  Part Three

You can never have too many stamps and scrapbook products, can you?  Well, you can if they are older, but not new ones!  So, I went shopping in my Stampin’ Up! Occasions mini-catalog.  I can’t cut/paste the pictures of what I ordered, but I can tell you that it’s Sale-A-Bration season at Stampin’ Up!, which means a FREE stamp set for every $50 ordered….and I got SEVEN FREE sets! Some of my favorites are Take A Spin, Game Spinner Hands, all the Designer Series Papers and Fabrics, the new rosettes, the new trinkets (especially the keys!), Sew Suite, Button, Button, In Stitches, and more! 

Revenge:  Part Four

I have a HUGE full-wall, solid rock fireplace.  No mantle, no décor (unless you count the deer antlers my cowboy has positioned within the rocks.  I know…classy!)  I have been wanting to get corner display shelving to spice it up a little.  

Really, $100 corner shelves don’t seem like much of a revenge compared to a ten-day trip to Hawaii, but it’s all cumulative.  I got the best part of my revenge on the earlier purchases and I easily outspent the Cowboy's trip with what I’ve posted here and all the other things I didn’t post or take pictures of. 

I probably would have gone out and gotten my new Mac while he was gone, but Mother Nature apparently thought I had done enough damage and she halted the activities that I didn’t want to do online.  So the Apple Store, Kohls and Macy’s sales will have to wait until the next time. 

Honey, didn’t you want to go hunting somewhere?  

Change of Heart

Dear Cowboy,

Remember when I said I would follow you to the ends of the earth?  And be perfectly happy wherever we were, as long as I was with you?

Remember when I told you I was excited about the prospect of moving to Alaska or Wyoming with you, and that cold, wintery days sounded just perfect and cozy?  We could snuggle by the fire and read our books or watch old classics?

Remember how we fantasized about early retirement, spending our days at home with no major commitments, putzing around the house, doing our own thing and not having to leave the homestead for days? 

I lied!

After four days of ice and snow and only getting out because I had to go to work, I’ve changed my mind!  Being cold and homebound isn’t as romantic as it sounded in our dreams.  But maybe I’m just being bitter since I’m stuck at home trying to chop through the ice for the animals, hauling hay and feed in frigid Texas temperatures, and braving the icy roads without you, my love, by my side. 

Whose idea was it to let you go to Maui without me for 10 days anyway?