Greyhound, Grandkids and Gadabout!!!

I'm beginning to get quite excited.  In just a few days I will be embarking on the Greyhound bus on my way to visit my darling grandkids and their parents.  It's about six months since my last Gadabout and can't wait to see the changes in the little darlings.  Of course I have Skyped with them but it's not the same as being in the same room with them, cuddling and kissing them and I aim to get me lots of that kind of loving.

Do you want to see what I have been up to since my last post?  Of course you do, LOL

I wish I had taken a photo of the before for this item - that's one of my weaknesses, I forget to do it and then once I have started to refinish, it's too late.  You will have to imagine how this looked just plain wood coloured.  It's much nicer shabby chic'd.....

A dear friend and neighbour needed to have her patio tables painted so I gave them a few coats of off-white paint and another couple of coats of varnish.  They look so nice now outside her patio doors with her flowers sitting on them....

I found these two chairs at one of the Thrift Stores and they were pretty ugly......

and with some inspiration and lots of hard work, I turned them into something very pretty and they are now in my Boutique waiting for their forever home.

I changed this flower basket from this...

into this.....

My biggest project was working on two end tables.  Actually, they were quite beautiful in their original state but there would be a better chance of them selling if I shabby chic'd them.  Not everyone likes the idea of painting good wooden furniture but it seems to be the trend these days.....

This is what they looked like before I transformed them....

and finally, into this....

I hope you like them.

A little black shelf I did....

and finally, a family sign, measuring just over two feet.

A box which could be used for so many things, shabby chic'd with a French decal...

and a shelf which could go with it...

That's about it for this post.  As usual, I will finish off with a couple of photos of my darling grandkids.  Did I say that I was excited at going to visit them soon?  I will get lots of new photos when I'm there.

Little Katherine (Kat)

and Rhys, who will be turning five when I'm there.

(being silly)

Well my friends, 'til the next time.... be healthy, happy and take good care of each other.

Hugs, 

Movie with the girls!!

Went to the movies with two lovely ladies, Carol and Claudette, so we were the three 'C's', LOL.  We all pretty well enjoyed it, but it was nothing like the biblical story we all grew up on, apart from the Ark!!

"As a young boy, Noah witnessed his father, Lamech, being killed by the young king Tubal-Cain, who wanted to seize Lamech's land.

Many years later, Noah is living with his wife Naameh and his three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. After seeing a flower grow instantly from the ground and being haunted by vivid dreams, Noah decides to travel with his family to visit his grandfather, Methuselah.

On the way, they come upon a group of people recently killed. They adopt the lone survivor, a girl named Ila, who was wounded in the attack and has become barren. Noah and his family are chased by Tubal-Cain's men, but are able to seek refuge with fallen angels known as the Watchers. The Watchers had been forced by the Creator to remain on earth as stone golems for disobeying the Creator and helping humans after they had been banished from Garden of Eden. Humans had attempted to enslave and kill the Watchers, but Methuselah helped them escape and was befriended by them.

Noah receives a seed passed down from Eden from Methuselah. He plants the seed and an entire forest grows from it within seconds. Noah announces that all the wood will be used to build an ark, and Noah's family and the Watchers begin construction.

Eight years later, as the Ark nears completion, animals start to walk into the ark and are put to sleep by incense that Noah prepares. Noah goes to a nearby settlement to find wives for his three sons but finds that the surrounding lands have been running short on food and the humans, led by Tubal-Cain, have become savage and cannibalistic. He becomes convinced that the Creator wishes for the human race to end and abandons his effort. Back at the camp, Methuselah blesses Ila, and her barrenness is cured.

Ham decides to go to the camp himself and find a wife. He encounters a frightened young girl named Na'el. She is willing to go with him as the flood begins, but on their way back Na'el's foot gets caught in an animal trap just as Tubal-Cain's horde marches on the Ark. Noah forces Ham to save himself and leave Na'el behind to be trampled to death.

All of Noah's family gets in the Ark except for Methuselah, who chooses to die in the flood. As the Ark is launched, the Watchers sacrifice themselves to protect it from the oncoming horde, allowing them to ascend into Heaven. As the flood drowns the remaining soldiers, Tubal-Cain manages to stow away on the Ark. The king is found by Ham and befriends him, playing on anger toward Noah for allowing Na'el to die.

Ila discovers that she is pregnant, and soon after the rains stop. Naameh, Shem, and Ila inform Noah of this, but the patriarch says that if the child is a girl he will kill her to satisfy the Creator's wish to destroy humanity. Noah asks for the Creator's counsel but finds no answer. He resolves to follow his plan, despite Naameh's unsuccessful attempts to dissuade him.

Months pass, and Ila and Shem build a small raft to escape Noah, but Noah burns it just as they prepare to leave. Ila goes into labor and gives birth to twin girls.

Meanwhile, Tubal-Cain is able to convince Ham to help kill Noah. Noah is lured by Ham to the aft of the ark on false pretenses, where he is attacked by Tubal-Cain, Ham, and Shem. As they fight, the Ark hits a mountain, injuring both Noah and Tubal-Cain. As Tubal-Cain is about to deliver a killing blow to Noah, a repentant Ham attacks and kills Tubal-Cain. Noah searches the ark for Ila and the twins and finds them, but decides to spare their lives.

As the family departs the Ark, Ham decides to leave them, still angry at Noah. Noah explains that he didn't kill his grandchildren because he had nothing in his heart but love for them. Noah blesses the family as the beginning of a new human race. They watch as the Creator sends a rainbow from the sky, covering all of the Earth, signaling his promise to never destroy mankind with a flood again."

Courtesy of Wikipedia.

Having said that, go out for the evening and see it.  Be warned though, if you are a Biblical scholar, you probably will not agree with quite a large chunk of it - just don't forget..... it's entertainment!!

A couple of pics of my darling grandkids from the Fall.....

Katherine and her best friend Savannah at Anna's house...

And my buddy Rhys and his little sis Katherine.....

I hope he will always be her protector!!!  Can't wait to see them, couple more weeks and I'll be on the Greyhound bus on my way.

So, my friends, take care and I'll talk to you again soon.

Hugs, 

Having a quiet month!!

The month of March was very quiet as regards "thrifting" and "creating", so this is going to be a very short post.  I need to find a few small wooden items (e.g. tables) to paint and re-purpose.  Donations are always welcome, LOL  It's hard to find items like this as I don't drive.

I found this gorgeous frame and found that it matched a few others I have in my apartment which contain lovely crow pictures painted by my dear friend Laurie, so rather than recycle it, I mentioned to Laurie how great it would look with another of her crows in it.  Of course, she was kind enough to whip one up for me and here they are, one without a painting and the other with.

 Aren't they gorgeous???  Thanks so much Laurie.

This is a piece I did myself of a crow on burlap in a shabby chic frame - it's in my Boutique, for sale.

I picked up this shelf and painted it black, an easy fix....

It's now in my Boutique for sale. 

I decided to turn all my jewelry into grab bags in the hope that I could finally sell it all.  It has been a few years since I did all the craft shows where things like this sold very well, but now not so much.  In each bag I have a minimum of seven items which I am selling for $5 a bag.  They are now in my Boutique for sale and also in my local grocery store, City Meat Market and they have been doing very well there.  They are so good to me.  They also are a great little family grocery store which sells locally grown produce as well as organic meat, etc.

I worked on this delightful mailbox. It needed a new coat of paint, another easy fix.

I bought this old wagon, I think it was one of the original 'Little Red Wagons'.  It certainly has taken a beating over the years but it is still in very good condition and strong....

And that's about it.  At the moment I am working on a little table/plant stand, whatever, it can be used for either and am filling holes in the top and sanding it.  When that is done, I will decide what colour I will paint it and whether I will shabby chic it.....

As usual, I am leaving you with a couple of photos of my darling grandkids whom I hope to go and visit in a few weeks, now that the snow is beginning to go away, although someone told me today that it is supposed to snow again either tomorrow or Saturday, enough already!!!! LOL

Katherine, the birthday girl, just turned two....

 Big brother Rhys, mischievous as usual...

 Birthday girl opening presents from Grandma (me)....

 And, darling Rhys again - can't wait to see these darlings......

Well folks, I hope that wherever you are, you are well and happy.  Until the next time, take care of yourselves.

Hugs,