Brainerd Lakes Minnesota MN Inn Accommodations Lodging Bed & And Breakfast BB

vintage trim gift tags

Do you have a box of vintage trims that you've snagged at yard sales, thrift shops, estate sales, and dig-thru-the-heap bins at antique shops? They're cute and nostalgic, but what do you do with them? Opening the package's cellophane wrapping to use its contents would be counter-productive since it would diminish/destroy the vintageness. Doe-c-doe or click on over to doe·c·doe’s blog and you will have your answer... and what an ingenious use awaits you! You don't even need a package of trim, since she has kindly done the work for you and created a free pdf to download. Check it out here.

   

The trim packages' backdrop in the photo reminds me of floral wallpaper that lined all four walls in the bedroom I stayed in at my grandparents' house for one week every summer. They lived on a farm half-way between Brainerd and Pierz. The house was demolished about 10 years ago and replaced with a new one. Sometimes change makes me sad. 

April 19, 2009

Today's mileage: 2-mile walk

Total mileage for April: 60.25 miles

Bible reading? Yes.

family movie night

With some quick prep consisting of printing cleverly illustrated popcorn boxes and movie tickets onto cardstock and popping some popcorn to fill the boxes, you have a fun family movie night for your kids or grandkids to remember long after. Family Fun has done the work for you by creating the colorful printables.

 

 

April 18, 2009

Today's mileage: 0

Total mileage for April: 58.25 miles (same as yesterday) 

Bible reading? Yes.

milkman

 

This fun page came from a book titled What will I be from A to Z copyright 1959. It is a book depicting a different career for each letter of the alphabet. Even though it was published by the National Dairy Council, this is the only page that makes reference to the dairy industry other than an ice cream maker for the letter "I". Some others included are quarterback, rocket builder, soldier, United States Congressman, violinist, and weatherman. The colors and every drawing is just as cute as this one.

I was curious to know if milk is delivered to homes anymore and it is! My google search came upon Smith Brothers Farms in Kent, Washington that delivers organic hormone-free milk and other dairy products like cheese, butter, yogurt, and cottage cheese... plus eggs to homes in the Seattle area. Even though the milk isn't delivered in glass jars as in former years, it arrives once a week in "paperboard" containers. Digging deeper I uncovered home milk delivery companies in Minnesota... New Prague, Hastings, Babbitt, and in the Twin Cities. I'm sure there are more. Although there is no home milk delivery in the Brainerd Area, I do purchase my milk from a local dairy in old-fashioned glass bottles through my food co-op. My nostalgic side tends to hang on to such things from the past... glass milk bottles, outdoor clotheslines, old-fashioned letter writing, a mailbox on a dirt country road, a whistling teapot, aprons, a well-worn domed metal lunch pail holding a waxpaper/parchment paper-wrapped sandwich alongside a mason jar filled with lemonade or homemade ginger water. Oh, yea... those are the things that bring a smile.    

April 13, 2009

Today's mileage: 2-mile walk

Total mileage for April: 52.25 miles

Bible reading? Yes.

  

Easter Sunday

 

Shortly before sunrise this morning... 6 a.m. to be exact, three bleary-eyed but glad-we-decided-to-do-this bodies inhaled deeply the fresh moisture-laden air and listened to the birds' chorus waiting for an outdoor Easter service to begin. Dick, our daughter Jessie, and I chose to begin Easter Day at a park in Eustis, Florida a few minutes away from the town where Jessie resides. The service began with the most amazing artist, whose work was projected onto a huge screen set up on an outdoor stage. In fluid ballet-like movements, he guided his hands and fingers across a glass surface sprinkled with a black powder creating detailed scenes that depicted Jesus journey in the final days of His life on Earth leading up to His crucifiction through resurrection. The process was much like finger painting, but the black powder produced realistic shadows and depth in faces and the landscape. When the retelling of one portion of the story was complete, the artist tossed a handful of black powder over the glass surface obliterating the scene so he could begin anew. Coupled with the captivating visual presentation, powerful background music further enhanced the emotion-filled retelling. Jessie's research turned up a segment of "The Passion" performance, that we saw at the sunrise service, on YouTube by Joe Castillo with music by John Debmey. Here's also a narrated version. I strongly urge you to suggest to your pastor that the full performance be shown at your church on Easter Sunday next year... powerful. That's all I can say.

Since our day literally began at the crack of dawn, by 11:30 a.m. we had attended a memorable Easter service, biked 11.5 miles along the most beautiful lake in the coolness of the morning, and stopped to eat a picnic lunch at a park. We also made note of a coffee shop and a small town cafe in Eustis (Florida) that will be included in future bike trips.

I took one look at the silly putty "flowing" out of its capsule and thought it looked like a cracked egg, so it became a reminder that this season is one of new life bursting forth in nature all around us... of rebirth...of joy in knowing that Jesus suffered and died on the cross for our sins so that, on this day we call Easter Sunday... and throughout the year, we may celebrate the gift of eternal life. 

April 12, 2009

Today's mileage: 11.5 mile bike ride

Total mileage for April: 50.25 miles

Bible reading? Yes.

cardboard range

Yes, this range is made from a cardboard storage box. Condiment cups and lids are spray-painted silver for knobs that realistically turn. An oven window made from a plastic sheet protector allows different pictures of baking food to be interchanged freely. The oven door opens with two racks inside made from sheets of cardboard spray-painted silver then drawn with grids. The oven's handle is made from a report cover sliding bar sprayed silver. There is even a light attached inside the oven that is activated with movement of the box's side flap.  

 

 

This clever creation is the brainchild of Cheryl Robinson, owner of  The Crafty Buffet, who appeared February 18, 2009 on the Martha Stewart Show. I was in awe as I watched her cardboard range come to life on my television screen! I immediately ordered a kit to create my own, which I received in record time. This range would provide hours of creative play for a child or, as Cheryl suggested on the show, it can be used to store books (cookbooks maybe?) or other items.  Included in the kit is: 

ü  a cardboard storage box

ü   a flat cardboard piece that is used for the back of the range to attach the dials to and two other ones for the oven racks

ü   5 plastic condiment cups with lids

ü   5 paper fasteners to attach the condiment lids to the range's back panel

ü  4 CDs to simulate burners by drawing a spiral shape with a black Magic Marker on the backside (I chose instead to run off a clipart enlargement onto cardstock but the use of CDs is oh, so cute too)

ü   4 styrofoam dots to keep the oven door snug after repeated openings and closures

ü   1 clear plastic sheet protector for oven's window

ü   1 report card sliding bar for oven door's handle

ü   a template for cutting an opening in oven door

ü   a dial placement template

ü   1 Quik Brite™ Light

ü   5 labels for oven and burner dials (I used the ones provided on Martha Stewart's site because I like the yellow color... they need to be enlarged 139% to cover the condiment lids perfectly)

ü   step-by-step instruction book, and instructional DVD

In addition to what Cheryl provides in the kit, you'll need a can of silver spray paint, a paint color for the range to either spray or roll on (I chose a retro blue commonly used for kitchen appliances in the 1950s), and a hole punch among other little supplies that you probably already have on hand like a pen, pencil, glue, ruler, etc. (I purchased a "screw punch" from Martha Stewart Crafts at Michael's that Cheryl recommended. It was a wise purchase as it can be used to punch a hole where standard paper punches can't reach.)

Cheryl also sells a coloring book with drawings of food to be used in the plastic sheet protector oven window. My copy is on its way, so in the meantime I ran off sheet of clipart featuring a baking sheet of chocolate chip cookies.

Not only is the instruction book detailed and so very easy to follow, but look how unbelievably cute the design is...  

 

My transaction with Cheryl, via a phone conversation, as well as email communication, was handled professionally and in an expedient manner. She is a businesswoman with a very personable friendly demeanor. I highly recommend her product and service. 

Feb. 28, 2009

Today's mileage: Where did today go? Oh, I was having fun creating my range.

GRAND TOTAL monthly mileage for February: 64.5 miles 

Bible reading? Uh huh. 
   

greeting card display rack

Last month, I bought this Leanin' Tree card rack at a mostly antique sale with a little flea market thrown in. The rack looks old, and it could be, since the Leanin' Tree Company has been "an American tradition since 1949", according to their web site. Cards and envelopes come in so many bright and cheerful colors that they are too pretty to tuck away in a box or drawer. Displayed in this fashion on a twirling rack, their highly visible presence also serves as a reminder to do my part to keep the art of old-fashioned letter writing alive. Email is wonderful and I use it everyday, but there is nothing like retrieving a hand-written letter out of my mailbox that sits at the end of my 1/2 mile long dirt driveway.   

 

This is one of my favorite envelopes displayed on my rack. It is from a Martha Stewart Crafts "tiny party in a box" kit.

 

The inside of the envelope is even cuter than the outside, if that's possible.

 

The tiny envelope tucked inside is meant to hold the party's invitation. How fun for a grandaughter/son to receive it in the mail just because... no party required! The items enclosed in the adorable kit will be showing up here and there as I repurpose them.

Feb. 27, 2009

Today's mileage: just normal here-to-there movement

Total monthly mileage: 64.5 miles (same as yesterday) 

Bible reading? Yep. 

  

skating pond

Although my crafting interests are varied, scrapbooking... as in embellishing photo albums, has never caught my interest. However, the cutting tools and wide array of papers... now that I can get excited about. I made this wintery landscape from a variety of scrapbook papers cut from templates that are available for download on Martha Stewart's web site.  

  

The skating pond reminded me of a low area of pastureland, within a short walking distance from the house where I grew up, that collected water then froze over every winter. It made a perfect patch of ice for skating. The dog reminded me of our sweet-spirited springer spaniel, Sheeba, that died a few years ago. I cut her from a sheet of scrapbook paper that I got from my daughter, Jessica. 

The templates need to be enlarged 200%, which an office supply center can do in a flash, or you can do it at home by going into your printer's "copy menu" , clicking on the "size" option, then scroll down and click "custom 100%", and finally increase from the standard 100% setting to 200%. Your printer's commands may vary somewhat. It will take a bit longer than at the office supply center because you can't enlarge all of the templates in one swipe, since the enlarged sizes will not all fit on a single sheet of paper.

Using a template provided, the project's directions have you cut a narrow wavy strip that you adhere just below the line of trees to give a snowdrift effect. Instead, I cut a wavy edge, using the template as a pattern, directly on the top of the large sheet of white scrapbook paper. That way you don't have an obvious distracting strip on an otherwise fluffy smooth snowy landscape. 

Feb. 22, 2009

Today's mileage: 6.5 mile bike ride

Total monthly mileage: 56.75 miles

Bible reading? Yea sure.

   

retro lamp pictures and barkcloth

I made this set of three retro lamp pictures, inserted them into some old frames I found at a yard sale, and hung them gallery-style in a row on my wall. My inspiration for choosing to make them was my memory of growing up in the 195os and 60s sitting on our sofa watching a black and white television that received reception from a tall antenna reaching from the ground to above the roof directly alongside the outside of our house. Behind the sofa, a pair of barkcloth fabric curtains covered the sole window in our living room.    

 

According to my research, barkcloth has the appearance of being sprinkled with small spots or seeds having a rough texture somewhat like that of tree bark, hence the fabric's name. In the late 1940s through the 1960s, barkcloth became a staple fabric in the home interior textiles market. The most collectible of these barkcloths are the atomic "Eames Era" prints popular in the 1950s and early 1960s. Here's an example...

    

Hawaiian prints and other florals were popular, as well.

 

Feb. 21, 2009

Today's mileage: 2 mile walk

Total monthly mileage: 50.25 miles (My monthly goal was 50 miles, so now any add'l miles is icing on the cake.) 

Bible reading? Sure thing.

   

vintage Playtime watercolors postcards

Yesterday, I created postcards. After typing in each recipient's address on the postcard's front, I printed them off in sets of 4 on 8 1/2 x 11 sheets of cover/card stock paper using Publisher's postcard format. I then wrote a note to each of my five grandkids to drop in the mail today.

 

 

 

To make them, I scanned into my computer a vintage watercolor paint tin (with an unused paint palette and paintbrush inside), that I purchased at an antique sale, then inserted clipart of a tin can filled with paintbrushes. I think my 3 granddaughters and two grandsons will have fun receiving them in their mailbox in a few days. 

 

Feb. 20, 2009

Today's mileage: The day slipped away from me, so my walk didn't happen today either. Tomorrow I'll be back on track, for sure.

Total monthly mileage: 48.25 miles... same as yesterday 

Bible reading? Continued to read about Moses and the plagues God brought upon Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, and his people.

 

 

Tillie

One day last winter, when I was reading Alicia Paulson's rosylittlethings.typepad.com blog... which I love because she chooses to surround herself with the loveliest colors, I ran across a photo of the most adorable little wooden girl holding a bouquet of flowers. Alicia often features items that she has scored at yard sales or antique stores, so I assumed that she had discovered her there. I set out to recreate the little girl I had fallen in love with on my computer screen to bring her to life in my world.

 

I formed the foundation of her skirt by creating a tagboard cone that I glued onto a clothespin... not the snap kind but the other variety. After gluing fabric onto the tagboard cone, I wrapped fabric around the upper part of the clothespin for the dress's bodice then wrapped fabric around a pipe cleaner that I had attached to the clothespin. I finished her except for the head. Then I was on Alicia's blog browsing some old posts and I ran across her wooden girl again with kits offered for purchase. She had handmade her... not snatched her from some dusty corner! Today, for one strand of my "4 Cs"... craft, I finished my project by painting her hair, eyes, and mouth on a wooden ball and my "Tillie" was brought to life. Because she's happier in her garden tending her veggies, herbs, and flower beds than fussing with her hair, I wrapped a scarf around her head and slipped her into a pair of rubber gardening boots made from modeling clay.

Besides crafting, how'd I do with the other 3 strands of my "4 Cs" productive stay-at-home day today? I cleaned the fridge. Clerical... I paid one bill. (I had to type a letter to go along with my check so it took a bit longer than normal.) Cook... Dick and I went out to lunch with our friends, Ron and Sue, so the chefs at Olive Garden cooked today.

Feb. 18, 2009

Today's mileage: 2 mile walk

Total monthly mileage: 48.25 miles

Bible reading? Back on track...