It's Friday:)

Good Friday to you:)

Sadly this Friday there wasn't a single garage sale in my area.  I tried not to panic and came up with a plan B.

I traveled across the Ross Island Bridge to Milwaukie St. to stroll through STARS.  Oh how they never disappoint me:)  The fun things I got to see and touch today.  The prices weren't exactly garage sale prices though. 

Whenever I go to STARS which is about four times a year, I also pay a visit to the tiny flower shop next to one of the STARS.  Today I found this Star of Bethlehem and it caused me to smile:)

My sense of direction isn't great but I felt like I was close to the super store Goodwill off of Grand.  Sure enough, when I asked for directions I was only two miles away!

So, off I went to find some deals.

Look what popped into my basket:)  Can you make out the owl?  Too cute.  My new bag for fall.  If that cute bag doesn't make you smile, I am not sure I can help you:)

I also spied this for .99:

I swear I heard it shouting "please glitter me".  So, I did.

I will see if this is its new home or if I will find a new home for it.

I hope this Friday had you on an adventure as well.

I drove over the Hawthorn bridge on the way home and drove by the Occupy Portland camps.  I am so glad that is not my calling.  It looked quite dirty and cozy with your neighbor.

Happy Friday~

~Dena:)

Fun dinner topics.

Every night at dinner we each of us shares the best and worst parts of our day.

Real Simple Magazine had a section on dinner chat topics that seems like fun...

~If you could be anyone in history, including people alive today, for one hour, who would you be?

~If you could have only one of your senses which would you choose?

~Parents can visit one of their kids at some point in the future; kids can visit their parents at some point in the past.  Where would you go and what time period would you choose?

~Name five things you would take to a desert island.

~You can go get anyone from the past and bring him or her to the present for one hour.  Whom would you bring and what would you do with that person?

~If you had the ability to transform to an animal, which animal would you choose?

~What is one thing you wish you had discovered?

~If parents could switch places with kids for a day or kids switch places with parents what would you do?

~Name five places you want to go in the next ten years.  What five things do you want to do there?

~You can't time travel, but you can send one object back in time to anyone you want.  What would you send and whom would you send it to?

Don't they sound fun?

Happy Wednesday:)

~Dena;)

Entertaining with a big basket.

Good evening:)

I hope you all had a great Tuesday.

I am enjoying the sunny blue skies and crisp colorful leaves falling:)

Tomorrow I am hosting a bible study get together and had such fun getting things ready.  

I love having all of my serving items in one big basket.

This basket is fun because it is deep and you can see through it.

I was amazed how much stuff fit in here.

Can a person ever have too many baskets?

I don't think so:)

On Sunday we made our annual trek to the Plumper Pumpkin Patch with my parents. 

I cannot believe how much three pumpkins can weigh.... 75 pounds for a whopping $26!  I think next year we will go to the QFC Pumpkin Patch for 3.99 per pumpkin.

Have you gone to the pumpkin patch yet?

Have any good ones I should know about?

~Dena:)

When your heart goes pitter patter.

You know the feeling you get when something you see makes you instantly happy?  This happened to me a few times this sunny fall morning.

One of my favorite stores to oogle and augle over is Anthropologie.  From the moment I walk in all of my senses are filled with visions of pure bliss.  The decor, the beautiful pottery.  The exquisite clothing.  The jewelry.... ahhhh.  Anywhoo, while wandering down the aisles at my favorite hang out I spied this:

And it came with this:

Such beautiful elegance:)

All for less than a Starbucks coffee.

It really is the simple things in life that make me happy~

This also made my heart flutter:

There is something about sea urchins that are so cool:)

Pretty cool right?

I hope you found things to make your heart flutter today:)

Happy Monday!

~Dena:)

Happy Friday:)

I wish that today you were all coming over for some of these:

Or maybe:

Or:

Or this:

But instead, I have to go to Chuck E Cheese at 5:00 today for a birthday party.

I know, please think of me and send patient, peaceful thoughts my way!

I can't wait to have you all over, maybe next Friday:)

Aren't the little drink coasters too cute?  I love them!  They of course are Pottery Barn and somebody decided they didn't need them and gave them to my fave shop.  They weren't even opened yet.  I think they are happy that they came to my home where they will be used and adored.

I hope your Friday afternoon/night  is way better than mine!

~Dena:)

Thoughts

"Parents teach in the toughest school in the world- the School for Making People.  You are the board of education, the principal, the classroom teacher, and the janitor."

Isn't this a great quote?

Us parents have a HUGE job! 

You are doing a wonderful job!

Your kids are soooooo lucky to have YOU as their parent:)

I hope your Thursday is full of peace!

~Dena:)

Making things new again.

Good Wednesday morning to you:)

I have noticed that places like New Seasons, Whole Foods and Sammy's floral are selling flowers that have gone to seed.  This is a great idea and you can make your flowers last longer.  I have had these sunflowers for a week and a half.  Yesterday I noticed that many of the yellow petals were falling off.  I decided to take off all of the petals and I think they look great like this:)

The sedum in the back of the arrangement has been like that for a month!

It looks very fallish don't you think?

This is the basket that has held many of my treasures in the living room.  Yesterday while getting something out of my downstairs closet I saw a big silver platter and got an idea.

I decided to put all of my treasures on it.  It really makes the black pop.

So, next time you have nothing better to do you can go through your house and find things not being used and put them to use.

I know, my brain hurts from thinking up things to do:)

I hope your Wednesday is full of good things.

~Dena:)

Mini pumpkin inspirations:)

This little guy got my creative juices flowing.

I decided to start by making my own pumpkin.  I used a large dinner plate as a template on my duck cloth.

I stuffed it and heated up my glue gun.  I used a piece of driftwood that I had and wrapped with some ribbon.  I added the bling and it was done.  Not as pumpkin looking as I would like but a good first try:)

I got my green pumpkin out and strapped on a seashell.  I then got out more shells and some ribbon.

I got out my stick pumpkin and again went to work using things I already had.

I think this one is my favorite:)

I also got out this cream pumpkin and added to it.

I think I used 10 glue sticks!  What fun I had:)

I hope you have a fabulous Tuesday.

~Dena:)

Bluish green pumpkins and Etsy.

I have never seen this color squash.  I LOVE it:)

What a pretty way to decorate for fall.

I love Etsy.  The people are so talented that sell on Etsy.  I am sometimes so impressed by their photograph of their item that I don't read how big the item is.  This pumpkin looked huge in the photo. Imagine my surprise when I opened up my box to discover this tiny pumpkin.  I am too embarrassed to share how much I paid for this mini pumpkin.  It looks so easy to make though, maybe I'll use it as a pattern.

Has this ever happened to you when you buy something and it is different in person than on your computer?

I did find it a nice home:)

Aren't you glad your brain works better than mine and you probably read the dimensions of things before buying?  :)

I am glad I can help make you feel good about yourself:)

Happy Monday to you all!

The sun is out and I spy blue skies:)

~Dena;)

Patience pays off.

Good Friday to you:)

I found this a few weeks ago for .99.  I have been looking and looking to have inspiration and today was my lucky day:)

This seemed like the perfect pedestal to something:)

This plate is perfect!

Patience pays off:)  I love how it looks:)

Isn't it fun when you find something that you know you can do something fun with but you just don't know what and then you find the what?:)

Happy Friday,

Have a spectacular weekend!

~Dena:)

More sparkly pumpkins:)

Sooooo, I found another cute pumpkin to be glittered and got an idea.  I still have brushed nickel spray paint from when I thought I would change the door handles in my house.  Hubby decided we would just buy new so I never used the spray paint.  I was outside spray painting away when a neighbor suggested I buy spray glue and loose glitter.  Off to Michaels I went.

I know, I know, pumpkins are supposed to be orange, just not in my house:)

This is satin nickel.

Here is one sprayed with the satin nickel.

Here is the Elmers spray glue and Martha Stuart loose silver glitter. 

Well, as usual I didn't think before I started spraying and pouring glitter... It took me 15 minutes to get the glitter and glue off of my hands.  Next time I will use disposable gloves:)

Here is the orange pumpkin.  Much  better!

I love how they turned out. 

I see a lot of loose glittering in my future:)

At Stars off of Milwaukie Ave. they have some old glitter that would look even better.  I might have to take a stroll over there:)  Anyone want to come sometime next week?  Let me know.

Happy Thursday,

~Dena;)