my pretty picture

Slipping by

2012-01-19T23:43:00.001-06:00

My computer is broken & my life has not allowed for adequate blogging. Will be back soon. Happy 2012 blogfriends!

Carless Weekend

2012-01-08T19:23:00.003-06:00

The objective.

To not drive.

To experiment with walking as transportation.

To focus on what is important.

To not waste money.

To exercise.

To travel.

To follow through.

To prove I can do it.

To do it in my small town where this is not important to most people.

Any place can be a pedestrian city. You just have to become a pedestrian. -MissMoney

I am trying to remember to ask myself,

What did I do today to create the life that I want to live?

In my previous relationship, I toyed with the idea on being a one car family. Now that I am a one person family, I want to prove to myself that I can go without a car. At least for the weekends. Will every weekend be a carless weekend? Probably not. That is not my main focus. I want to make myself focus on getting places using my own two feet. I want to get out and enjoy the day. I have had a dream of moving somewhere far away where walking everywhere was possible. I failed to tell myself I can walk anywhere I want to really go. It is just not something most people in my town chose to do.

My only boundary for this experiment is that I do not drive my car for the weekend. This was my first carless weekend. On Saturday, I walked to the mall to meet up with my bestie's family & I ended up riding with them to Best Buy in search of an HDMI cable. Today, I walked to Panera Bread and used a gift card my dad gave me for my big meal of the day, Breakfast/Lunch. I enjoyed a salmon salad & a frozen mocha and took off from there. By the way, Panera does have the prettiest pink straws. Kinda magical. I walked up to Payne Street. Payne Street is a random street in my town with the cutest little old houses. It is quite possibly my favorite street here. My mission for the day was to go to the public library. I looked through a roadtrip book and then read about Annie Leibowitz photographing the queen. The sun was starting to set so I headed back. I stopped at Earthfare, a healthy grocery store, and picked up fruit for the week and some healthy snacks. One of my New Year's resolutions was to try to eat two different fruit a day. I have done well so far. I make oranges and pomegranates last a few days and eat apples and pears as a whole. I wanted some avocado, but there were only two sad looking ones left. Maybe next Sunday. I loaded up my backpack with my healthy fare & headed home as it turned dark. II enjoyed my carless weekend. Especially today. I walked about 8 miles and had a great day to myself. One of my other resolutions is to document life. That's where my Instagram photos come in. I will post soon about my New Year's, holidays, resolutions and get caught back up here on MyPrettyPicture.

High Five!

Have a wonderful week!

Happy New Year's Eve!

2011-12-31T17:48:00.001-06:00

Glitter & Dinosaurs

2011-12-21T20:34:00.002-06:00

Christmas inspiration did not come naturally this year. Finally, I got an idea for another art project and I took the idea, molded it to fit Christmas, and ran with it.

TaDA! Glitter & Dinosaurs!

I wish I could share more, but I can't ruin surprises.

Happy Holidays blogfriends!

Miss Gideon & Pencil

2011-12-07T22:00:00.002-06:00

This past Saturday I had the pleasure of hanging out with my favorite English teacher & her cute little fellow, Pencil, to snap some shots for Christmas cards. Pencil sure knows how to rock a dog tag & a Christmas sweater. He was such a good sport. Enjoy.

More of Miss Gideon & Pencil.

Sunday Shopping

2011-12-04T22:31:00.002-06:00

Print//Shop

I recommend The Black Apple to any & everyone. The quality is excellent. The packaging is darling. The prints make perfect Christmas (or anytime) presents. I have given & received them previous Christmases. This is my new favorite print, Costume Party. I love it! If only I had a spot for it!

Happy Sunday!

Down to the Tracks.

2011-12-02T08:05:00.001-06:00

my new favorite set of tracks photographs.

Enjoy.

♥

more tracks.

Down to the Tracks.

2011-11-29T08:05:00.001-06:00

blue skies & grey sweaters.

♥

more tracks.

Turkey Day Buckle Hat

2011-11-25T20:53:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving eve was spent with my bestie & her boyfriend at her friends house. We had jokes and there was a crazy funny young man there who was just my speed. Our conversation was so ridiculous & I loved it. There was great food & good fun. I am so thankful for my bestie. Turkey day was spent at the bestie's house eating dinner with her family. Her mom makes green bean casserole & that's where it's at! We sat around and were lazy. I got to her little niece. It was love. I drove around for a little while & snapped a few photos. I stopped at the abandoned carnival on the way home and caught the buckets in the day light hours. I came back home & took my Lady on a big walk to get her energies out. All in all it was a laid back holiday full of my bestie & my other family. ♥

I am thankful for

1. my mom

2. my pups

3. my bestie

4. a new start on life

5. new & old friends

Have a great weekend blogfriends!!

Tis the Season.

2011-11-25T08:05:00.003-06:00

Down to the Tracks.

2011-11-25T08:05:00.000-06:00

my real job attire.

♥

more tracks.

A Few More...

2011-11-22T20:57:00.002-06:00

Just a few more photos of my work friend's puppies. Check out her brother. Enjoy!

Down to the Tracks.

2011-11-22T08:05:00.001-06:00

Catching the falling sun.

♥

more tracks.

JUMP.

2011-11-21T08:05:00.000-06:00

Friends

2011-11-20T23:22:00.001-06:00

From Atlanta.
11/19/11
Good times with my best friend.

Sunday Shopping

2011-11-20T08:05:00.000-06:00

Pin//Shop

I went to ICE-ATL yesterday. This is the only item I brought home. I love it. I love the little arrow on the bag too. I love The Small Object's products & display as always. She is the cutest, sweetest person.♥

Check her out!

Down to the Tracks.

2011-11-18T08:05:00.000-06:00

My adventure in self portrait.

Playing at the train tracks.

♥

more tracks.

Where my heart is

2011-11-17T11:02:00.000-06:00

Captured my work friend's pups for her. She wanted some good portraits of her animals. All she had was iPhone photos of them. I was happy to come play with her pups for an hour. This is just one of her fellows.♥

Enjoy.

Shroomie

2011-11-17T10:08:00.000-06:00

♥ the rain & all the goodness that comes from it.

Jump.

2011-11-16T08:05:00.000-06:00

Practice in self portraiture.
jumping.

these make me smile.

♥
Enjoy.

Down to the Tracks.

2011-11-15T22:26:00.002-06:00

My most favorite train car so far.

♥yellow against the blue sky

more tracks.

Acorn

2011-11-14T21:41:00.001-06:00

Sunday Shopping

2011-11-13T09:01:00.000-06:00

Ring//Shop

I found this Garnet Girl Designs Etsy shop just cruising around Etsy one night. Her work is beautiful. The ring above is my favorite and there were a few close runners up. I especially like her product photography. It definitely lured me in.

words

2011-11-11T20:54:00.001-06:00

Just a few words I put together.

Have a lovely weekend!
♥

Eight

2011-11-08T23:34:00.002-06:00

This sweet fellow turned eight today.

He is my most favorite gentleman in the whole wide world.

Happy Birthday Bradley!

Down to the Tracks//November!

2011-11-01T07:04:00.003-05:00

Hello November!

November has never really been one of the months that I really look forward to. I'm not sure why not. In Alabama, the weather turns colds around Halloween weekend and November steps in screaming all things warm & cozy. Jackets, sweaters, scarves. The good stuff. This November, for myself particularly, is a fresh start. It's gonna be hard, but if Joshua Radin just keeps telling me it's a brand new day, over and over in my head ...I'll know I'll be ok! Change is scary & the unknown is scary. Therefore I'm grasping to what I know. The air has reached full on crisp. It's magic. Leaves are yellowy, orangey, & purpley on the ground & all built up in the corners of parking lots. ♥
I am going to spend this month focusing on the little things. Sunshiny fall days. Beautiful leaves finally burning bright in the south. ICE-ATL is this month & I am excited to be around craftiness and holiday joy. Last November we found a flash dance after going to ICE & I am crossing my fingers and toes and my friend's fingers we will be so lucky again this year! I want to make crafts & gifts & make a special holiday. My oldest Pup will be EIGHT on November 8th. I love him so very much. He is the sweetest gentleman. November, bring on the goodness!

2011-10-31T23:32:00.001-05:00

Happy Halloween BlogFriends!

Hope everyone had a wonderful day full of costumes & candy. ♥

A Wreath.

2011-10-24T16:29:00.002-05:00

Everyone at my work has been on a wreath kick. All of the girls have been making the yarn wreaths. I like the look of the yarn wreath, but wrapping all of that yarn over & over & over did not appeal to me. However making a wreath to match the quilt that I have been working on for my mom's Christmas present did. I simply wrapped leftover strips of the fabric and pinned them in place with straight pins. I added some burlap for texture & made three fabric flowers that I pinned into a cluster. I am going to enjoy it for myself until Christmas time. ♥

Sunday Shopping

2011-10-23T08:00:00.000-05:00

Alabama Print//Shop

I found this print for my home state. I love window shopping in 1canoe2's shop. I want everything! Check it out here.

Miss Emma

2011-10-21T06:00:00.000-05:00

I hung out with my Bestie & her family one weekend. I snapped these shots of her niece Emma while we were hanging out on the porch enjoying the autumn weather. Oh sweet Emma. Pink is definitely her color & she loves when you tell her she is pretty. I love little Emma. I may or may not have walked around all of Target holding her while everyone else shopped.♥ I'm kinda obsessed.

In this last shot, little Emmers looks so much like her papa. It is kinda crazy.

Dear Red Toms

2011-10-21T00:02:00.002-05:00

Dear Red Toms,

I am not quite sure where you have run off to. I am so very sorry I stepped you in that nasty water/mud. I was disgusted as much as you were. Please come back home. I know in reality, some big dog probably stole you out of my driveway, but just in case that is not so, come home. Like for real.

Xo Miss Money

Down to the Tracks.

2011-10-20T23:42:00.002-05:00

There is just something about these out of focus shots that I love. The color combo is pretty dreamy and the movement is catching. They pull me in. Great color combo for Autumn & in the south, you can pull of sleeveless most days anyways. ♥

These shots crack me up. Getting my model pose on. ha. I still love them though. Enjoy!

Down to the Tracks.

2011-10-18T12:47:00.002-05:00

Hello Blogfriends! I hope everyone is having a lovely Tuesday. It's expected to storm today & I'm pretty excited for it. ♥ I love autumn & misery grey days. To me, they are dreamy.

Xo MissMoney

My Main Man

2011-10-18T09:52:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday I took my main man Bradley out to the park. We had a good time hanging in the perfect fall weather. Way back when, when it was only Pup & I, we used to go, go, go. He went everywhere with me. He is the light of my life. Come November, he will turn 8 years old. He is the very best gift a girl could have ever been given. I am forever thankful for my little gentleman!

The Good with The Bad.

2011-10-17T08:30:00.000-05:00

My father's mother, Memaw passed away at the end of September. Her brother, Uncle Buddy turned 84 the day she died. The family knew it was coming. Memaw had been diagnosed with Lewy Body dementia last year and there had already been a few times when the doctors said she was not going to make it. The truth is, if her body would have kept living, she would have went stark raving crazy. It is sad for sure. I was not close to her. I never had been, but she was still my father's mother. My dad drives a motorcycle, so I drove him to Mississippi for her funeral/memorial service. (She was cremated. Is it still called a funeral?)

Aside from the death part of the trip, it was kinda amazing. When I talked to my mom after the trip, she said my dad had told her I was fun and that she had done a good job, to which she replied that I was my own little person. This makes me laugh.

To the amazing part. My father's brothers and sister have not all been together in one place since 1968. On the funeral day, they all came together in the church. Some of his siblings had never met their half sisters (by their father and their step mom). One of the half sisters broke the ice and showed up at the funeral. Sally said she can't go to VJ's (my aunt by marriage) mom funeral and not go to her own brother's mom's funeral. I am so proud of her, my aunt Sally. Sally is in her early forties and had never met one of her brothers and sister. It was crazy. It went smooth. No one acted up, or acted ugly. Obviously, since so much time has passed you are safe to assume there was drama among the family. All of the siblings, but one half sister were all together in the same church. Another amazing fact, Memaw and her husband, Charleton were married 43 years.

Crazy. Amazing.

On the way home, we stopped to see Aunt Myrt. Aunt Myrt is 92. When we showed up, she said we were an answer to her prayers. She had bowls of pears, onions, peppers, out. She had a grinder set up and was knee deep in trying to make pear relish. She had started making it with the expectation that her cleaning lady (sorry I do not know your name, Mrs. Cleaning Lady) could stay and help her finish up the pear relish. Mrs. Cleaning Lady had another job and Aunt Myrt was trying to struggle through making pear relish on her own. She was feeling it in her shoulder that she had had surgery on. We apparently showed up at the perfect time. I got to help Aunt Myrt make pear relish. I have never had the opportunity to do such a thing. Aunt Myrt and my dad laughed when I asked what you do with pear relish. You eat it with beans, turnips, peas is the answer. I still can't believe I made pear relish with Aunt Myrt. I had a little hands on experience with canning too. It was right up my alley. Somehow we made a 4-5 hour trip into an almost 10 hour trip, but that is kinda how I roll on most trips. You have to stop and see the good stuff.

Have a wonderful week BlogFriends!

Sunday Shopping

2011-10-16T16:02:00.003-05:00

Dress//Lune Vintage//Lune Blog

Umm wow! I la la love this dress! Vintage & dresses are not naturally my style, but if I had some extra cash laying around, THIS where I would spend it.

Happy Sunday Shopping!

The MEOW.

2011-10-16T08:00:00.000-05:00

Meet Abner. He is my Kitty. I found him one night while I was watering my watermelon patch last summer. True story! He was teeny tiny and acting all scaredy cat. I tried for a good while to get him that night and never could get him. The next day I came home from work and it was about to storm. I called for him and he was hanging out in the lot next to my house. I tried and tried to lure him. I ended up calling my mom & she told me to get some food. A piece of chicken or something. I went in the fridge and used the left over Cracker Barrel that my cousin had left in there to lure the little fellow. From then on out, he has been my little meow. He is still a skinny little cat and will meow until I hold him. I think my dogs taught him to beg. Up until about springtime, he would nurse on my dogs. I am pretty sure he does not realize he is not a dog. He goes walking around the neighborhood when I walk the dogs. He darts around, skipping and jumping in and out of the tall grass. I ♥ him. Happy Sunday!

Random Fun.

2011-10-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

I have been using the BeFunky app on my Iphone for awhile now and I have really enjoyed it. Tonight I went to the their website and played around for the first time. It was fun. I do not have Photoshop, so I have been using Picnik for a while now. BeFunky is set up similar to Picnik and is rather user friendly. You can pay to upgrade, but I did not. The thing I enjoyed most was having access to effects that were a little different. Go have some random fun! Enjoy!

** I was not paid/sponsored/compensated or asked to speak about BeFunky or Picnik.

They are both products that I have used and enjoyed at my own free will.

Christmas in the Making

2011-10-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

I have always dreamed of giving my mother a quilt I made. Well this year I am making it a reality. I am pretty far in & close to finishing the quilt top. There is no turning back now. I am excited that I am actually going to do it! I am all in. Having an entire week off from my full time job has given me the time to hunker down a tackle a big portion of the top. I am so excited to actually finish a quilt.

I took one of Kal's bulletproof positive attitude classes earlier this year. Something that has kept me going, & was a big part of me taking the first step was thinking "What if it's awesome!?" This was something Kal said in one of her videos and it has helped me to just jump in. To forget the doubts. To keep going. To forget all of the other what ifs.

I love the big window that pours in light on my work ♥ Have a great weekend!

Hello Friday

2011-10-14T05:00:00.001-05:00

Good Morning BlogFriends!

I made a few tiny changes around these parts. Notice new header, new footer, new tabs, & new colors!

I enjoy the change. How about you? I needed a little switch-er-roo to spice things up.

Keep an eye out on MyPrettyPicture. I have been burning the midnight oil on a few things to share around here.

Xo, MissMoney

Down to the Tracks.

2011-10-13T16:52:00.002-05:00

This particular day was misty and dreamy. The kind of weather that grows moss and ferns. I threw on my raincoat and road my bike down the hill to the tracks. I snapped a few photos and then had to run to get off the tracks for the train. I made it off the tracks in time, but was on the opposite site of the tracks to my bike. This felt like the longest train I had ever sat through. I have never had to wait for a train not being in the safety of my car before. That sucker was loud. And fast. When trains drive through town, they slow down. Not out here. It was barreling down its path. It meant business. Finally it passed and I grabbed my bike and headed home in the pouring rain. What a adventure. I never park my bike on that side of the tracks anymore. Lesson learned.

So Nice to Finally See You

2011-10-01T23:55:00.002-05:00

Dear October,
Please send magic my way.
Septemeber can keep the bad juju.
Day One was spent with my other family.

May the daughters who lost their papa have peace in their hearts.
I snapped some photos of bestie's niece, Emma.
It's hard to get Emma time with the family around.
I ended the night around a fire in PJammer pants & cowboy boots.
Bestie supplied hot chocolate with marshmallows

& then ran me home when I happened to lock my keys in the car.
I am thankful for my bestie & my other family.
May all of the random people I know who were hurting the last week of September find their way through the tough times. May peace, comfort & love see them through.
October don't let me down. September was a B!

Xo Miss Money.

PS. Just to make it super official, if I were to pass away, please make sure my ashes are spread in the Pacific Northwest. I would love to live among rain and moss. Thanks.

Down to the Tracks.

2011-09-24T09:09:00.000-05:00

Helloooo!

This going to tracks business is kinda addicting. It is definitely one of my new favorite adventures. And this is my favorite set so far. The red dress+blue sky combo is killer. I love it. I also love my jumping face. It is pretty awesome.

Looking forward, I am anxious for the season to change and the trees to go crazy! I live in the sticky South and it will be a hot minute before the temperature hits tolerable and the leaves make the great fireworks. & I can't wait!!

Tuesday Treasures.

2011-09-20T19:02:00.002-05:00

I am kinda obsessed with these paint by numbers. The colors were perfect. I have been on a search for a paint by number for myself. Not kittens and such, but good solid ones similar to these. Enjoy!

and a cute little bread box for good measure....

Down to the Tracks.

2011-09-20T00:59:00.002-05:00

intense concentration

Jumping is not my forte. Or maybe I should give it the benefit of the doubt, and just say I am unpracticed. Either way, the picture in my head of how this would turn out and how they actually turned out....well, you the story. My biggest hang up was timing my jump with the beep of the self timer. Obviously, I was off. Ha. Enjoy my friends!

Pretty Pollution.

2011-09-19T21:00:00.000-05:00

Hello Monday!

What does this Pretty Pollution say about me? I am sure the internets can draw its on conclusion. My theory is I am a tiny bit of a....

hippie.

tree hugger.

"please don't use the Draino because it kills the fishies."

photographer.

adventurer.

observer.

Pollution is everywhere. Lets make less of it.

That little leaf in there does make me smile.

Happy Monday!

Tuesday Treasures.

2011-09-13T08:30:00.000-05:00

Hello Blogfriends!

Tuesday again! ♥

I am back with a sweet little assortment of treasures for ya'll!

Enjoy!

Entire Treasure Collection here.

Past Treasure Post here.

Pretty Pollution.

2011-09-12T08:08:00.001-05:00

Good Morning! Monday. Morning.

Here's to a gentle Monday.

I found these bottle caps in a driveway while riding my bike this weekend. I had to stop & check it out. I wonder if the home owners did this on purpose, or how in the world all of these bottle caps here. There was a large grouping of them in a dirt driveway. I wonder if they are supposed to be in place of gravel. I was intrigued. I am sure there is a good story behind it. I am calling it pretty pollution. Enjoy!

Adventures with my Bestie & Twin.

2011-09-11T13:32:00.001-05:00

Meet my Bestie & my Twin! Melissa & Christian. Once upon a time, we all three worked at Cracker Barrel. Haha, true story. At one point, we all had black hair together. We are conquers of the random walking adventure. Melissa & I live almost in the same time. Christian lives about two hours away now. The good news is that Christian's boyfriend lives near Melissa and I for college. That means more visits from our fellow. On Wednesday, the stars aligned and we were all able to adventure together. We went to Mexican restaurant and ate way too much food. Then played in Auburn. Checked out some cute stores downtown, sat with one of Christian's friends that we ran into while they ate, went to a local health food store, sat in the parking lot taking photos in front of an amazing green fence, walked around the cemetery & the Episcopal church, met up with his boyfriend, & then supported Christian while he got his septum pierced. It was such a good day! Like I said the stars aligned.

Christian's boyfriend, Stefan is such a character. He makes us smile. We were waiting for him to get out of class & we had walked to a convenience store and here comes a fellow strolling down the street in a a maroon sports coat, leather pants, and a cute leather bag. He had this huge ring. Love it.

Anywho. We had a great day. I picked up acorns. Acorns are falling my friends!! ♥

& that Bestie, she is attached to her phone. And she's my very best friend. Hands down.

Christian is going to Japan this week. He is looking into teaching English there. It's amazing. If he goes to teach, I will go to visit. What a dream. I love him & bestie! Enjoy the photos (all courtesy of the Iphone.) & that green striped fence, it's perfect for an impromptu parking lot photo shoot! ♥

more photos from the day here.

Thank you for reading blogfriends!

Down to the Tracks.

2011-09-08T00:41:00.002-05:00

Hello Blogfriends! I have another dose of Down to the Tracks to share with you. I think I like this go round better than the first. The sky is perfect blue. Completely dreamy. It has been raining since Sunday. I am ready to go out and play on tracks now that the temperature has hit the 60's. Adios August and your 100+ degree days. Bring on it Autumn. I am wholeheartedly ready for the magic to begin.

& this would be my concentrating face. ha.

Enjoy.

Down to the Tracks. v1.

Tuesday Treasures.

2011-09-06T11:18:00.000-05:00

Hello Blogfriends!

Tuesday again.

I have a trio of random goodies today.

Sweet piano roll boxes.

Pretty little boxes.

I had too.

I love Yorkies.

What a glamorous model pup.

I am pretty sure this shows Canada & France right next to each other.

Crazy explorers!

Down to the Tracks.

2011-09-04T19:05:00.003-05:00

I have a new escape. Any time I have a few extra minutes, namely at the golden hour, I head down the hill from my neighborhood and play on the train tracks with my camera. The tracks are less than a half of mile away, perfect for a little bike ride or quick sneak out of the house. It is my mini adventure.

By no means am I not interested in being a fashion blogger. That is not my style. 85% of my clothes are from Old Navy or Target & 10% of the remaining are work shirts. I have worn the same purple shorts all summer. I am into comfort. I would never rub a blister on my foot in the name of fashion. I wear my Toms with everything. I have included them into business casual. No offense to anyone who fashion blogs. I love to look at your at well styled posts. I like to admire the more stylish. Maybe I will travel down that road when I grow up. Now that I have made my claim, I have turned my trips to the tracks more of a self portrait challenge and a photo adventure. I am awkward at this. I took someone down to the tracks with me & I could not do it. I blushed. I was focused on someone watching me. It was not pleasurable. I could not just skip & play & act like a child & focus on the self timer beep. I am good at doing things on my own. I fly solo. I am not one of those people who includes everybody in whatever I am doing. That is not my gift. I am super good at hopping on my bike on a whim and zooming down the hill to play until the sun goes down. It is a tiny race to see what I can capture before the light starts dimming and I have to ride back up. I look forward to capturing the change of season. As the weather changes and the work day's end comes closer to the golden hour, the race will be closer. I am up for it. I am up for a weekly Railroad feature. I also have another railroad spot in walking distance to my work. As the weather cools (below 100+), I will scope it out. I also plan to resurrect LunchBreakWalks. Look out for more Railroad adventures.

Tuesday Treasures.

2011-08-30T10:14:00.000-05:00

Hellooooo Tuesday!

I have a sweet little set of numbers & letters for you.

Keys, if you please.

Enjoy.

This one is my fave. I love the colors, especially the turquoise!

Have a wonderful week!

Monday.

2011-08-29T23:40:00.001-05:00

Blogfriends,
It's been a Monday.
Wishing everyone a wonderful Tuesday!
xoMissMoney.

Mr. Composition Notebook. A Tutorial.

2011-08-24T13:55:00.000-05:00

I have a little tutorial to share with you today. I have written about my Mr. Composition notebooks before. I love to carry a graph paper composition notebook. They are great for doodles, ideas, crafts, venting, etc. It is my perfect place to escape, especially since it involves graph paper. ♥

These days, you can find composition notebooks that have different designs or colors, but they can be more expensive. And why not make a custom notebook!? The plain black speckle notebooks are about $.40 at Target right now. It is school supply season, so they may be a little more the rest of the year. But $.40!! Hello cheap. Sometimes the graph paper ones are a little harder to find, or a little more expensive, but that is my splurge. (I get mine at Office Depot). If you are into wide or college ruled paper, hit up any major large retailer to score a notebook for less than the cost of a soda. Scrapbook paper and gluesticks are cheap as well. Pretty much, I have a custom notebook to use at my job for under $2.

Supplies for this project are simple.

1. composition notebook

2. glue stick

3. Scrapbook paper (12x12 or 8x10, 2-3 pieces depending on size)

4. contact paper (optional)

5. scissors (optional)

Process

I used 2 12x12 papers. I folded the first paper in half, scored it really well, and then tore it. You can use scissors. It is your preference. This paper will be on the front and back cover.

Take one the halves that you just made. Center your front cover on it. This paper should cover about two-thirds of the front with an overlap on three sides. Glue the paper to the front of the book, making sure to get all of the edges & corners. From here, you will basically wrap your notebook up like a present. To make the corner neat, fold the corners in & glue them down. (See photo above.)

Next fold the top edge over and glue. Fold the bottom edge over and glue.

Then fold the side edge over and glue. Your front is now wrapped up and glued down.

You should have nice, clean corners.

Do it again on the back cover. Two-thirds of the front & covers will be covered, and the spine left showing. I chose a contrasting paper to cover the spine.

Cut or tear this second paper.I really like the soft torn edges for this project. You may want to eyeball and/or measure how much it will take to cover exposed areas.

Center you notebook on half of the piece of paper and glue that side down. Liberally apply glue to spine to make sure you get it secure. This is the part that gets the most use/wear & tear.

Apply glue all over the spine and the other side. Fold paper over and cover the rest of the spine. Make sure your book is closed when you fold this piece of paper over and glue it.You will have edges hanging over.I put glue on the book and the paper. It might be overkill but I don't like pealing edges.

Open up the front cover. You will cut/tear two slits on either side of the spine. The closer to the binding you cut the cleaner it will be. Fold over the excess onto the cover and glue down. Open up the back cover and fold that excess piece & glue down. You should have one little tab left poking out. Trim that piece as close to the book and as neatly as possible.

Do this to the bottom edge of the book too. Folding over the excess and cutting the little tab off for a nice clean edge.

Now admire your work! Isn't pretty!?

For this notebook, I knew it would stay on my desk at work, so I left the paper uncovered. I have been known to cover my Mr. Composition notebooks with clear contact paper for durability. Basically you just cut a rectangle larger than your notebook when it is open. Start on one cover and wrap the contact paper around the edges like you wrapped the other paper. Fold in the corners and then fold over the edges. Cut slits to leave a little tab at the spine and trim neatly. Then wrap the other side. Contact paper is not hard to work with if you go slowly and practice patience.

You can also adhere paper on the inside cover for a cleaner look. See here.

You can add pockets or embellishments. I have used tiny brads and nameplates. See here.

This is versatile project. A great gift idea. It is super customize-able. You can stand out on the first day of school or sitting in the corner at the coffee shop. And like I said, I spent less than $2 on this project. If you have paper you have been saving for a special project, consider using it on a composition notebook.

Hope you enjoy! Let me know if you have any questions!

Meet Henry.

2011-08-24T13:33:00.000-05:00

Meet Henry.He is a two year Scottish Terrier. He is one of my three dogs. He is a crazy, wild fellow who does not meet an enemy. Friendly is the name of his game. He loves kisses & hugs, and begs for attention. He loves to get up on your lap, or crawl on top of you in the bed. He is a big baby. I love him.

Sprinklerrrr Action.

2011-08-23T15:22:00.002-05:00

Oh Summer.
You are bittersweet.
100+ degrees is getting old.
Wishing everyone a sprinkler filled day!

Tuesday Treasures.

2011-08-23T10:32:00.001-05:00

Tuesday Again!

Tons of treasures again today!

My favorites are the lamp in the first shot,

the lockers,

& the McDonald's Studio (it's the back of an old photo)

What is your favorite!?

Enjoy your week!

Thank you for stopping by blogfriends!

Birthday Love.

2011-08-22T21:01:00.002-05:00

My friend/co-worker turned 21 this weekend! Good times. There was good food, pretty zebra cake, little to chase around & photograph, and special Koolaid..haha. It was a good time!

Hope Little Amber had the best day! ♥

This little lady snuck in the kitchen and helped herself to some leftover cake! Climbed up on the tall chairs all by herself. Hehe.

more photos here.

Happy Friday!

2011-08-19T08:01:00.001-05:00

Have an adventure-filled weekend friends!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

An August Afternoon.

2011-08-17T22:39:00.003-05:00

We took a little adventure to the park this afternoon. Once the sun was going down, the weather was perfect. We ate Hungry Howies (super nutritious!) and enjoyed the scenery. I had been craving a visit to this park. It's my magic place. Plenty of memories there, some that locked tight in my heart. ♥

Enjoy the experience through my lens.

all images here.

Chasing Dolphins

2011-08-17T10:39:00.000-05:00

I joined my family for a vacation in Destin, FL this year. What an adventure! It was like a big family reunion. There were cousins I had never even met. It was also my first experience on a dolphin cruise. I was apprehensive at first, but it actually was good fun. I hung out & took photos like a voyeur & we saw a few dolphins. I loved peeking down and taking photos from the top deck. Good times. Here are a few shots from our adventure chasing dolphins.

Tuesday Treasures.

2011-08-16T09:54:00.001-05:00

I am trying out little something different & going mosaic style. I like the look! Over the weekend, after the blog restoration, I am excited for experimenting. Hope you like it! Let me know what you think!

Enjoy!

When Your Best Friend Becomes an Auntie.

2011-08-15T08:05:00.000-05:00

I had the pleasure of taking my best friend's niece's first portraits. It was definitely an adventure. I had never photographed a newborn, tiny baby. I can bounce & rock a baby to sleep in a heart beat, but squinching them up, and propping them up was new to me. It was very fun, and I could see myself doing more of this! The photos of Emma that I posted to Facebook for her Mommy to preview has definitely generated a buzz. I am excited!

Also, see that chair up there Ms. Emma is posed in, I did that chair! Painted and recovered by me, Miss Money! Remember this post about my studio in the making?

**Images by Miss Money.

Sunday Short Hair.

2011-08-14T23:46:00.001-05:00

I love my short hairs ♥

Around My Home.

2011-07-28T21:42:00.002-05:00

When I used to dream of owning my first home, I always imagined spending every spare moment & dime making it my dream home, making sure every inch was coordinated & perfect. DREAMS, right? I have my first home, which is more than alot of people my age can say, and I am disappointed in myself that I did not hold up my end of the dream by working to make it what I want it to be. The task some times seems exhilarating, but a lot of the times it seems out of reach. I am trying to make it reachable. I am trying to come home everyday and work on a little something to either spruce up the nest or clean up the nest. I have a little sneak peak of what I have been up to.

Bones of a studio

This is a Salvation Army score of a farm table. I love this table. It was originally a yellow color. It used to fit into the orangey room at my mom's house. Now she has had a facelift and is sporting a beachy grey look. I love it.

This chair was painted at the same time as the table & they coordinate quite loverly! The seat is covered in the quilt that I never finished. I like it like this.

This was a score! So happy I snatched this lady up. She was two inches away from fitting in my car. I told the man at the store that I was normally overly optimistic about fitting things in car and asked him to look at my car before we tried. Oh well. I paid one of my parents unemployed friends to help me get her home. It was a win-win.

These frames were Hobby Lobby unfinished wood frames for 40% off. I have painted all of them. They are going on my black wall. I just have to pick out what I am putting in all of them so I can arrange. I got some 3M strips on sale to test out...crossing my fingers they work out. I like the idea. I don't know if I trust them whole heatedly. It is worth a try.

I will update with progress. Hopefully sooner, than later!

Have a wonderful weekend blogFriends!

right now.

2011-07-27T02:24:00.003-05:00

Meet Ms. Emma. My bestie is now an auntie! I am knee deep in the cutest photos ever. ♥

Internets.Inspired.

2011-07-20T21:44:00.004-05:00

I feel so inspired lately. I have the itch to craft and the internets is never short on creative sparks to get me started. I have three projects I want to try my hand at.

uno.Dream Catcher

I saw this short-cut tutorial using a doily over at Lune and I can not get the idea out of my head. It looks rather simple to make and I am in love with the look, a little more hippie/vintage than the traditional, leathery dream catchers. The one against the dark wall is my favorite. It is amazingly dreamy.

**Lune

dos.Bracelets

Over at Honestly WTF, there are several great tutorials for DIY Bracelets. I love that the classic friendship bracelet is a current trend for adults! Honestly WTF has incorporated hardware store treasures as shiny accents. This is something mothers could definitely do with their little girls. The hex nut is the upgrade from the macaroni noodle. I want to cover my wrists in these bad boys!

**Honestly WTF

tres.Altering Vintage

Rachel at Smile and Wave posted the cutest Summer Smock DIY. Rachel pulls of vintage very well. I, on the other hand, can not even say I own anything vintage. This smock is something vintage that would ease into my wardrobe & would fit into my style. (Anything that goes with jeans is my style.) It has opened my eyes a little to the vintage world, like there might be some vintage clothing out there with my name on it. Vintage scavenger hunt is calling my name.

**Smile & Wave

There you have it. These projects are on the to do list. I am currently working on gathering for a yard sale this weekend. I am clearing out the bedroom that was supposed to be my craft room

when we bought this house. (2 years ago!) I have not made a single craft in that room & it started to tick me off that I have just let the junk pile up in there. I am taking the room over like a pirate on a ship full of gold. Watch out folks....

Hopefully, I will have some projects of my own to share soon!

Happy Hump Day!

**images are not my own. credit is linked directly below each image.

Tuesday Treasures.

2011-07-19T08:16:00.000-05:00

Hello Tuesday!

Oh Pyrex!

Everyone loves it.

Young & old.

I have not run across someone who does not think it is dreamy.

If only I had room,

these beautiful ladies would be on my wish list...

♥

An Adventure.

2011-07-18T02:22:00.003-05:00

I have finally gotten in another park adventure. The bestie and I went to the local state park in the rain with our pups. It was good times. We made the most of all the rain we have been getting and trekked out in it. It was misty and magical. Our pups ran and played. We made it across the creek in one piece. There were magical little mushrooms every where. When the rain started coming down harder we had made it to a pavilion. We hung out there for a while and decided to just go for it. We walked back to the car. I had the keys because I had the rain jacket. I unlocked the doors. We threw our pups in. I threw the keys in the front seat. Bestie says, " You locked us out."

I locked the dogs in the car on the other side of town in the rain. First we tried bestie's mom. We tried the urban MYTH of using the key clicker through the cell phone. We did not have the touch. We called the park phone number. The park ranger man said he couldn't do anything. (& might I add, he did not even send someone to check on us) I called police dispatch and they sent an officer and a locksmith. Kindly the officer stayed with us until the locksmith came. Just in case it rained, we could sit in his car.

The good news...The dogs were wet & it was only in the 70's so they were safe in the car.

The silly news...When we had drove up to the pay to get into the park, the dogs had rolled down the back seat window BY THEMSELVES to see the park ranger man. When the locksmith comes, he comments on how well behaved they were. They stayed in the back seat CALM the entire time....couldn't go crazy & jump in the front seat and let us in!

I paid this man $50 to stick a glorified clothes hanger through the door. I had to tell him that if he would just come over the the driver side he could reach the key clicker and it would be easier. He said it would not work. How did we end up in the car...the lime clothes hanger reached the key clicker....

Fun times my friends. These are the only photos from the adventure. The poor pups in the car fogging up the windows and the clothes hanger. I decided that bestie and I making copies of our car keys to put on each other's key chains. Lessons learned.

Bye Bye Bunny

2011-07-18T02:06:00.002-05:00

I gave away my poor bunny. He was a sweet little fellow, and that he's been gone a few days I am really missing the silly little fellow. He loved to click his heels and race around. I hope the girl who took him treats him like a prince.

Here we are waiting for his new mommy to pick him up. I gave him away through Craiglist. Five pets was far too many. I did not even have him a month and he went to the vet 4 times. He had a bad infestation of wolf worms. (If you don't know what wolf worms are, beware googling it...it's pretty gross) Suffice to say, he was a hand full. I am happy he is somewhere that he has someone to devote more attention to him. Bye Bye Bunny. I miss you.

Catching Rays

2011-06-23T21:08:00.002-05:00

The sweet sweet smell of the butterfly bush.
It is intoxicating.
It is everywhere.
It is right there when you open the front door.
The bush is at the end of the driveway.
I love it.
It is dreamy. MAGIC.

A Weight Off My Shoulders

2011-06-23T20:20:00.002-05:00

Before

After

I was sent home from work today because I had too many hours already.

Free time spent wisely.

♥

So happy I did not grow my hair out anymore.

It was no fun.

Even my hair lady said she'd chop off all of her hair if she had my hair.

It's SUPER thick and wavy.

If I were a celeb and someone did my hair for me,

long might be an option.

Probably not though.

♥

Happy day!

The BumbleBees

2011-06-22T21:03:00.002-05:00

Bumblebees are going extinct. It is sad the effect we have on our planet. So many people float along and never even notice every minuscule detail. Every tiny bug has a place, has a job, makes a huge difference in the scheme of things. We are doing this. I am doing this. Ants were eating us out of house and home and we called the exterminator as last resort. No natural remedy was cutting it...vinegar, cinnamon, citrus, oil, We could not even leave food out for our dogs. They took over our food. Because of this, innocent bumblebees are being wiped out, in devastatingly quick time frame. We are all to blame. I am to blame. I just want to remind everyone that our actions shape our planet, and it is in sad shape. Please do one thing tomorrow to better your habits, to be more earth friendly. If we make forward steps in the right directions, we can make a change. One foot in front of the other. There are so many ways and things we can change. The power is in our hands. Make your future grandchildren proud.

I am not a preacher. I am as guilty as the next guy. I just want to encourage everyone to think. The actions you take matters, in a big bad way. Think. About the big picture. About the tiniest creature. We all have a place here on this earth. Respect. This earth is your home.

Photos from my very own yard. I have bumblebees & I am trying to keep these few safe and well feed.

SEVEN.

2011-06-22T19:22:00.003-05:00

1. I painted a wall black. I love it. It needs one more coat.

2. I have taken up embroidery. It is fun to do on my lunch breaks.

3. I have been working really hard to get my back yard into shape.REALLY HARD!

Alabama heat+humidity kills.

4. I have finished painting the table I started months ago.

5. I have finished painting the chair I started months ago.

He still needs his seat covered.

6. I want to make friendship bracelets now. Thank you internets. (Elise + Honestly WTF)

7. I am giving the bunny away. He is too much too handle. I am sad, but a little relieved.

WOOT!

Tuesday-ish Treasures

2011-06-22T19:06:00.003-05:00

Hello HumpDay & Hello Blogfriends!

I am here to tell you a Wednesday is better than never and I have some treasures for you!

Enjoy!

Alabama. My home state.

Funks. I have been in one. How about you?

The sweetest little fellow. He was of an oil cloth material, with Sharpie-d on eyes.

He makes me smile!

I went back to get this wooden sign because I HAD to have it.

I loved it. It was gone when I went back. I searched and searched and I was heart-broken.

A little patchwork tablecloth. It was very conventional. It was on a tiny table and does not match a thing in my house, but it was really sweet, especially the trim & that green flowery fabric.

♥ I promise not to be gone so long next time.

Xo MissMoney

The Gardener

2011-06-08T00:53:00.003-05:00

Meet my newest addition....

The Gardener

This is when I brought him home. He has already grown so much in a week. He was so tiny. Teeny Tiny!

Somehow I always end up bringing home pets from my adventures. I am kinda obsessed with him now. I have even added to my garden to keep The Gardener fed well. I am going to try out growing carrots from seed. We'll see how this goes. His favorite treat so far has been bell peppers. I have three bell pepper plants in the garden so he is in luck! For right now, he spends most of the day & night in a dog kennel. He has the bedding and food & goodies and a water bottle. I have been putting cardboard boxes in there too. He either hides in them or hangs out on top of them. In the afternoons, I put him outside. I built him a 4x4 box out of plywood (Basically just fours walls) and he hangs out in the box until bed time. It gives him some good running around time. He gets to stretch his legs. He bops around and gets to stretch his little legs. I turned a plastic flower pot on it's side for him to hide out in. He is definitely coming out of his shell and getting a little more feisty. My dogs love him. They want to check him out and clean him up. It is really sweet to watch. I love it. This little guy has held my attention this past week and a half. I have even turned on the real computer. It is crazycakes. I have five pets! FIVE!

Tuesday Treasures.

2011-06-07T23:59:00.002-05:00

Hello there! Tuesday's here & I have been holding out on you. On Memorial Day, I adventured and made a little pit stop at Ol Salem Antiques in Salem, AL. You can read more about Salem and the antique store here. I have driven past this store over and over in the past years and never thought to stop. I got a hankering on our adventures to take a peek and I was very pleasantly surprised. It is a place I will visit again when I have more time to browse. The gentleman running the place told me something along the lines of this was not a museum and make him a bargain. He's here to sale things. He was very friendly & chatty. It definitely was a lot larger inside than it appeared from the outside and was a treasure trove of great signage.

Here are some of my favorite signs that decorated the place. ....

This first one is probably my favorite. It was propped up in the front of the building. Great colors!

As always, more treasures here.

Quick List

2011-05-26T08:15:00.000-05:00

1. I have one quart semi gloss black paint in my trunk for the dining room wall!

2. I brought home a ton of plants on Monday to add to my to-do list.

3. I am a plant-a-holic. I love them. I love shopping for them.

4. I had my first real strawberry in my garden patch. It was delicious! (& there is another one getting bigger by the day!)

5. I had my haircut last week. I love it! It is still long in the front, but short in the back. I can wear it down, and it is not on my neck. Perfect for an Alabama summer. Glad I cut it and did not stick to growing out crazy long hair. It is a very nice compromise....(will post a pic soon)

The Lady. A Video.

2011-05-25T11:25:00.001-05:00

This is The Lady. Originally I had always wanted a little girl Yorkie and I wanted to name her Annie. I went to Pensacola one summer and came home with a little girl Yorkie, but she was not an Annie. While searching for a good name I called her my ladybug. My little ladybug officially was named Layla and we called her that.. a little bit. Ladybug stuck more. I call her The Ladybug or The Lady 95% of the time. I love her. She is the only girl pet we have. She is such a girl too. She is the mother, the boss, the B*, the sweet one...She runs this house. She is the queen bee. She means serious business when it comes to her chews & toys. She will sleep with them in her mouth, one eye open. She is a serious soldier. Here is a little video of her. Maybe this warrants BEWARE OF DOG signage. Not!

**No one/pet was harmed in this video. She has never actually bitten me. She is more all growl, no bite. Our Scottie is scared of her though :)

New Bedding!

2011-05-24T14:01:00.000-05:00

I have had the same Martha Stewart Kmart bedding since 9th grade aka 1999. Yep that is right! Twelve years ol Martha has held up! I've added some different blankets & spare sheets along the way, but the same ol Martha has presided over my bed almost half of my life. Holy Moly! I still love it. Although I am less of a floral person these days. Anywho, the Bestie and I made a trip to ATL this weekend for an ICE event. Of course, we had to make the Ikea stop & get meatballs. I had planned on getting a solid grey duvet, the same color as the sheets. I have had these Ikea sheets for awhile now, but I had never even taken them out of the package. I had wanted the grey sheets & duvet for some time now and I had tried several times to bring them home with me. The queen size was always sold out of some piece. I finally brought the sheets home and just figured I would get the duvet next time once they had it. In between Ikea trips, I searched for a comforter or duvet on the internets & here in Alabama to go with my grey sheets. Nothing tickled my fancy. Well they had the grey duvet this time, but I laid my eyes on the purple and with a little self debate, I came home with purple surfboards (that is what it reminds me of). I am super happy I did not go solid grey. It would have been drab. It would have been less scary than all that white going on, but I love it. And the comforter inside is fluffy and warm. Cheers for new bedding! ...& having the Bestie along to tell me what I really wanted:)

Tuesday Treasures.

2011-05-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

& it was all yellow....

There you go BlogFriends!

Sweet & simple.

Tons of YELLOW for this Tuesday.

Until next time...♥

BirthdayBook

2011-05-23T22:52:00.002-05:00

I really liked the photos I took on my birthday & I have been really inspired by Elise's Summer minibook posts. I really love the approach Elise has & to see her just go for it that made me want to just go for it. I never finished my minibook from my last birthday despite it being the best birthday/trip ever. I really want to slam this book out and have something to say that was me at TWENTY SIX. It makes it easier that I had already blogged my birthday and I used that post as a guide for the text in my birthday mini. Now it is three weeks past my actual birthday and I am not scrabbling to fill it and make up something to write. Definitely a plus of blogging!

Also along the way, I figured out a little something I really liked. See the photo above^ I had gotten out the watercolors the other night and was playing around with them. I was just swishing around some colors on graph paper I had ripped out of a composition notebook♥ As it turns out, using the watercolored graph paper as a spot to include text & add texture works out great. I love writing on graph paper (much better than ruled paper!). It also looks really great using a sliver on top of a photograph like the photo above.

The watercolor and the blurry self portraits make a perfect match as well. I am really liking how it is progressing. I will show you more soon.

When I Turned 26...

2011-05-16T23:16:00.003-05:00

BIKE

CHALK

BALLOON

KITE

BUBBLES

**excuse the late night spelling on hand. HA.

perfect little weed in the yard just for my birthday wish.

My wishes were simple.

To embrace childhood was the goal.

Let me tell you, I embraced it.

To the fullest.

On my birthday eve, I sat up in the middle of the night, flipped on the light and scribbled my list on my hand, so my old self would not forget. I woke up early for me. Nine-ish. I rode my bike down to the store & got myself a birthday breakfast of champions aka a sizzling Dr. Pepper. I stood at my bike, sipped my soda, watched traffic for a little, and then rode home. I put on my favorite purple shirt and grabbed The Lady. We headed out the door on an adventure. We stopped at Starbucks. I enjoy tea & a cupcake. The Lady was offered a huge bowl of water and tried to sneak a lick or two of icing. She is a quick one when it comes to stealing food. I love her.

We had to gather supplies. Although I have owned all of the things on my birthday list, I did not anymore. I hit up Hobby Lobby for simplest/cheapest options. I had a $20 budget to burn. Ha. The Lady and I picked up kites, side walk chalk and some little wooden airplanes (a must for when kites are a fail!). Next stop was Party City for some helium balloons. I almost wrecked my car in between Hobby Lobby & Party City. I moved my car and was going to let The Lady sit in the car while I picked the balloons. & oopsie daisy I almost got all the way out of my car without putting it in park. (**insert tons of four letter words and a mild heart attack!) I secured my car and a few balloons and we took ourselves on our way.

The Lady and I headed to the park. It was mid-afternoon, so it was not super crowded. She took a loop around through the park. The Lady did not enjoy going over the wooden bridges. The wooden planks were spaced too far apart and her little legs were falling through. Poor girl. The Lady was worn out, so I parked her in the shade, tied down to my back pack. She hung out and watched me make a fool of myself. I embraced running whole heartedly attempting to get my birthday kite high in the air. I fell whole heartedly and skidded my knee. Luckily I was in jeans & it was on grass. I do have a sweet grass stain to remember my 26th birthday in my favorite pair of jeans now. I tried flying the darn kite. I gave it my all. It wore my out in the hot Alabama sun, so we ladies soaked up the shade and took a break from all of the running, whole heartedly.

We blew bubbles and snapped photos. I put my wooden plane together and tested it out. They are a pretty good way to spend a two dollar bill, if you ask me. They have far better results than flying kites. Hands down. When you get tired of winding them up, just let the pilot rest for a while and snap his photo. One of my favorite photographs I have ever taken is of a wooden plane pilot man. It is blown up in black and white on my wall. Love.

Anywho, the park wore us out, so we stopped by my mom's. She made me tuna pasta salad and we sat on her deck/porch and watched the birds. My mom sent plenty of food home with us, like normal. Once at home, I side walked chalked and played around. I tried my hand at kite flying again. It is more fun to self-timer yourself trying to fly a kite, than it is to actually try to fly it. Ha.

I wore my twenty six year old self out and waited to go to dinner. Dinner was a bust. Crappy service. I did not even get to dessert to use my birthday candles. Oh well. I fulfilled my list and then some. It was a great ladies day out. I had a fun Monday birthday, just The Lady and I.

more twenty six.

Hump Day!

2011-05-11T08:02:00.000-05:00

Just popping in to say hello!

Happy Hump Day to all!

See that little fellow up there...

He scared the S* out of me! I had taken down my window boxes and they had been sitting on the side of the house for a while. I picked the first one up to move it, full of dirt, and the next thing I know something is moving around in there. I dropped that thing so fast. It was more like I threw it as hard as I could away from me thinking I had just picked up a snake. Once I gained my composure, aka got a grip on my blood pressure, I scoped out the scene. Silly me. Poor ol toady just sat there, in the middle of all the dirt that I threw all over my lawn. It's funny to me now. I am really glad no neighbors were out watching the spectacle.

Tuesday Treasures.

2011-05-10T10:12:00.003-05:00

It's a terrrific Tuesday at MyPrettyPicture.

As I blog, my air conditioner (both units) are being fixed!

If you live in, or have ever been to Alabama,

you know the significance of a good AC!

It's already sticky in the 90's on this second week of May.

I know some of you out there have barely gotten a taste of spring.

I envy you sometimes.

Anywho, cheers to the AC men

& on with the treasures...

The cutest little writing desk.

ol metal truck.

♥ the primary colors.

pretty ol rod & reel

As fancy as cardboard boxes gets.

the only pro of smoking

ol metal toy stove

♥ metal toys

ol coke machine

sweet little bowl

& some pretty ol books to round off the treasures.

Have a good week BlogFriends!!

WINNER! BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY!

2011-05-06T23:58:00.000-05:00

& the winner from MY BIRTHDAY GIVEAWAY is....

Rebecca said...

Beautiful picture! My favorite way to celebrate is to eat lots of food and ice cream cake and surround myself with the people I love!
rebatink(at)gmail(dot)com

April Adventures

2011-05-05T08:52:00.001-05:00

I made three adventures in April, two to Chewacla State Park, which is in my home town, and the other to FDR State Park. Chewacla is a great place to go for a day adventure through the woods. There is a nice stretch of forest and trails to wonder with water (rocky waterfall area, rock bottom stream, & large lake like area) to play in. I love Chewacla and it is very convenient for me. FDR was a different story. It was confusing to say the least. We drove and drove just trying to figure out where to go and what the deal with the trails were. I almost just went back home because we were not even sure where the entrance was or how to get on a trail. Luckily we found the office, and the ranger lady gave us two maps. Maybe I should have paid more attention to where she was highlighting and marking because even with two different maps we ended up getting semi-lost and taking the long trail instead of the short trail. It was fun and frustrating. This is one time I can say the bestie conquered the map reading. Once we got on a trail and got to adventuring, the scenery was magical. Think carpets of moss and ferns. I was in love. The bestie and I had a good time, but it definitely wore us out. .08 miles turned into like 3 miles. Oops! We kept thinking of what would we do if we got locked in the state park or if we were still in the woods when the sun went down. I have to point out I missed a March adventure (there was Nashville though), but I tried to make up with trips in April. I have made five trips to state/national parks as of the end of April. I am feeling confident this is something I can continue for the rest of the year easily. I challenge all of you to at least check out a state or national park. You don't have to hike to enjoy the scenery and many parks have activities like horse back riding, paddle boats, and different things. Get out there Blog Friends and enjoy nature! (Don't forget to pack yourself a good snack and lots of water!)

This video about Auburn & Chewacla cracks me up! The future farmerettes at the end with the little chicks stole my heart. ♥

**Don't forget to enter my birthday giveaway!

***I have visited all the parks as my own adventure & personal goal. The words on MyPrettyPicture are my personal opinion of my adventures. The MyPrettyPicture, nor myself, have been a paid sponsor by any of the parks mentioned in any of my adventures. Thank you, MissMoney

Tuesday Treasures.

2011-05-03T22:50:00.003-05:00

Hello Blog Friends!

Tuesday is upon us.

I love preparing for Tuesdays.

& by preparing for Tuesdays,

I mean

I love going to hunt down treasures.

I have noticed that I gravitate towards

the same type of things every week.

Toys, pyrex, scales, kitchenware, typewriters, & quilts.

I have an Expedit entertainment center.

I would love to fill all of the squares with vintage cameras

or all of the squares with vintage scales,

or all of the squares with vintage typewriters.

As of right now, I have my Spotmatic & my Polaroid LandCamera

displayed in the Expedit along with other random goodies.

Anywho, without futher adieu....

I give you treasures.

More treasures here.

Birthday Giveaway!

2011-05-02T22:05:00.006-05:00

Happy Birthday

To Me!

Happy Birthday

to me!

Happy Birthday

toooo meeee!

Happy Birthday to me!

And many more....

So in honor of my 26th birthday,

I giving away a prize!

One lucky winner will get a beautiful print of the

this sweet spring tulip!>

What size you ask!?

an 8x10!

How do you win!?

All I Need is a Gnome!

2011-04-28T20:05:00.000-05:00

This past weekend, I took the leap and made myself a sweet little raised bed. It is the perfect home to some zucchini, peppers, and marigolds. It is small (4x4 ft). I lucked out on some Home Depot wood that was in the reject bin. The man cut two pieces down for me and charged me $.51 for each of the two pieces. With the L-brackets and the wood, I came home with a four dollar frame for a raised bed. I had screws already. It was a score and I have been keeping my eye out on for some more wood to make another one. I really don't want to pay full price for the wood. I like waiting for a good bargain.

I lined the bottom with several layers of newspaper, to keep any weeds out and then added soil. I purchased new soil. I live in the South. Red clay is abundant. My compost sprouted pumpkin seeds, so I now have a pumpkin garden instead of a compost bin. I am ok with it because as a two person household we do not have a lot of waste to compost and our pine straw is used to mulch. We have more to mulch than we have pine straw. Good dirt is hard to find on our lot. Therefore, I have to pay for it.

As far as deciding a layout, I kept it symmetrical because that is what my brain/eyes favors. I read a little about square-foot gardening to get an idea of what kind of space certain veggies needed, and also checked into companion planting to try to keep the bad guys out of my veggie garden. The squash beetles obliterated my zucchini last year. I mean business this year, guys. Watch out! I am not a garden expert, and I gather most of my knowledge from just doing a lot of Googling and occasionally checking out a few library books. Plus I just like science.

I took my window boxes down, and added them to my little garden. I used one window box to plant a row of strawberries and the other box is still empty. I still have some watermelon, cucumber, and canteloupe sprouts to find homes for. I plan to run the watermelon vines amongst my still small bushes in the front yard. They definitely keep the weeds down in that area and it gives them enough room to spread with out taking up extra yard space. It worked well for me last year and it keeps the large, round (ball-like) fruit away from the dogs who hang out in the backyard. I also added pine cones on all of the open soil to keep the dogs and cat out.

There you have it, my little garden in the works.

Tuesday Treasures.

2011-04-26T07:02:00.001-05:00

Hi Ho!

Long time no see.

I've been working my extra hours

on planting flowers, making a

little raised bed, and slowly weeding

every patch of my entire yard.

Good times.

Honest work.

Today is Tuesday and that means Treasures.

Here's she goes...

Cute little toy chest on wheels.

Too bad it's way to large for my doggies.

Old metal spice can.

Metal can.

Can't remember what it held.

Some sweet flower sifters.

If only I sifted more flour!

I am on the search for a set of pyrex bowls

within a reasonable price range!

These blues ones are Lovely!

An entire neighborhood of spices.

Wonder which corner Scary Spice lives on!?

pretty distressed dresser.

Perfect for a little cottage.

This chalkboard is one of those things you rush back to the

antique store to score because you can't believe you didn't buy it

RIGHT THEN...

& it's gone.

He was a very handsome little chalkboard.

Birds & Flowers of Britain.

Love the covers.

Have a great week BlogFriends!

Monday is out of the way!

Greener pastures.

Hump Days are for Lists.

2011-04-20T22:43:00.002-05:00

Weeding is peaceful.
The wood in my trunk, it's going to make a cute little raised garden.
I spent $3 on the wood & bracket to make the frame.
The dirt will cost more than the wood.
I am excited to grow watermelons & pumpkins this year.
I have been on three trips to state parks this month.
I went on zero trips last month.
I have been daydreaming of incorporating more vintage in my home.
I found the most magic candle at TJ Maxx. It is named Amour.
"Replace all negativity with love"
My mom offered to help clean up my house as part of my birthday present.
I can not wait!
I will be 26 this year.
I still get asked at work if I am between the ages 12-20.
I am told I will appreciate this when I 40.
I love Gilmore Girls.
I have had Felicity on my wish list for a long while.
I watch Catch & Release over and over again, especially when feeling crafty.
I love the color Grey.
I would name a child Grey.
I really want chickens. I think the version of chickens in my head is a fairytale.

Spring Fever.

2011-04-13T11:03:00.002-05:00

When some people think spring, they think spring cleaning. Not me! My house is a wreck. T-Total Wreck! Not to worry, I have been spending most of my free time working in the yard. Every spring I get the gardening bug. Plants & flowers are hard to resist. Weeding is a chore I do not mind. It is definitely better than laundry, any day! I enjoy working out in the sun all by my lonesome using my little muscles and wearing myself out. That is the main reason I have been a little absent around these parts lately. Gardening has taken over my brain. Library books next to my bed and scouring the plant stores for new additions. Great time.

Starbucks cups make great little mini green houses for seeds. I also use them to root cuttings. It is a pretty simple set up and rather clean compared to egg cartons or making newspaper starter pots. Nothing leaks or starts breaking down while your seeds are starting to grow. I have them on a little folding tray table. I can set the tray out during the day when it is nice out and bring em in if it's chilly or going to rain. They table is set up in a window the rest of the time. It works out well, so far. It is recycling and it is my favorite excuse to go grab another drink.

Here is my front porch. I did clean it up this weekend. Only to make room for more plants and to make a pretty place to sit. I do not have a before shot, but let my paint the picture....red mud, dirty cat kennel, bench and chairs stacked up cracking paint everywhere, stacks or garden soil I bought on sale last fall, random junk/thrash, and dead window boxes....you get the picture? A messy disaster. Not welcoming at all. I took down the window boxes, swept and hosed of the porch, moved the yucky chairs to the back, moved these chairs up to the front (there are more left around the firepit out back.), and brought in the plants. I love it. I have added more plants since I took this shot. I plan to take a better photo when everything grows a little bit and it's all lush and cozy. I really like the set up and we ate dinner out there this evening.

Also note the bowls under the left chair. Kittycat has been evicted. He had a potty accident and it was not pretty! It took tons of vinegar to rid my house of the cat urine smell. Now kitty gets to make himself at home on the porch too. And no I am not a cruel animal owner giving her cat the boot. He comes and goes as he pleases. He was not an indoor cat. He just comes in to lounge around with the dogs and grab food. We are now just very careful about leaving him in the dog room when we leave.

Tuesday Treasures.

2011-04-12T22:41:00.003-05:00

Hello BlogFriends!

Tuesday Again!

A quick shout to show off some treasures.

There's a little bit of an orangey theme.

Enjoy....

Tuesdays are the new Mondays.

Have a great week!

A List of Six.

2011-04-05T23:29:00.003-05:00

Happy Hump Day!

April SIX. List of SIX.

I quit soda on March 25, 2011. Thirteen days done. The headaches are easing off. Sigh. Water is my friend.
I get giddy over plants. While hiking this weekend, I was far too excited to find tons of oakleaf hydrangeas. Gardening has stolen my heart. It's way more fun than spring cleaning.
I have chicken fever.. I want a pair of hens VERY BADLY.
Next to a cute little chicken coop, I would love a cute cottage-y shed with a mini porch surrounded by flowers. The inside would be lined with terra cotta pots and vintage garden treasures.
I love a made bed, tucked in sheets and all. Pile on the blankets.
I am secretly OCD with my laundry. It is a secret because as picky as I am about it, I hate to do it.

PS. Posting to the left side for a change of pace. What do you think?

Tuesday Treasures.

2011-04-05T19:51:00.002-05:00

Hello BlogFriends!

Tuesday again!

I have a colorful batch of treasures to share today.

I think they are all pretty sweet!

Probably one of my most favorite Tuesday collections.

EVER.

Here she goes....

One little Polaroid lady

& so many fish in the sea.

a sweet metal globe to explore.

jamming out on the JukeBox Jamboree.

maybe you're part of a traveling band.

cruising on some fancy wheels.

living the story of your life.

in your movie star mansion.

Welcome to the little toy life.

I ♥ toy treasures.

My treasure trove is found here.

Sweet dreams Tuesday.

Nashville, Tennessee

2011-03-29T23:18:00.004-05:00

Hello BlogFriends!

I have done some sorting through my Nashville photos

and I am back to share with you a portion of the walking around photos.

Our main objective in Nashville was to see Bright Eyes. Other than that,

we just cruised around downtown and scoped out what she had to offer.

I did make a new friend in Nashville.

Meet Mister Indian.

My general observations of downtown...

There are banks and churches on every block.

Ohhh...Money & Religion!

(Kind of like Auburn, AL, where there is either a

gas station, bank, or church every where you turn. Literally.)

This was not the cleanest city.

Definitely not the dirtiest, I am sure,

but not the cleanest or sweetest smelling.

I am not sure if we were there on garbage day or what,

but the streets were lined with stinky garbage cans

and we would catch a whiff of garbage juice or rotten bear quite often.

I blame this on the abundance of tourist attraction bars.

They had a few nice parks and outdoorsy places.

We went to the Bicentennial Mall and Centennial Park.

I wonder if they'll have a Tricentennial Park!? Ha.

These parks were two of my favorite spots from in Nashville.

Centennial Park had great landscape, pretty flowers everywhere.

This is where I found the tulips from the March post.

The main attraction was a Parthenon replication.

It was kinda crazy, but nothing like standing in front of the real thing.

Yes, I have been to Greece! Woot!

Bicentennial Mall has a great outdoor amphitheatre,

a farmer's market, a giant globe floating in water, and much more.

Link for more info.

Basically we just cruised around.

I did make myself proud.

I walked across the pedestrian bridge

and went up to the top of the lookout tower.

I am scared of bridges & heights.

I did not get close to the edge in either instance. Ha.

All in all it was a good trip.

I came home with some

great souvenirs, photos, & memories.

Look out for a follow up blog on Nashville.

I have a little more to share.

More photos here.

Tuesday Treasures.

2011-03-29T10:19:00.001-05:00

Hello BlogFriends!

Tuesday Again!

I am back with another dose of

Tennessee Treasures

from the Franklin Antique Mall.

Here she goes...

large stain glass pieces

approximately eight to ten foot tall stain glass windows

They were amazing!

pretty kitchen wares

Toadstool stool

great quilts.

sweet old glasses.

the treasure trove here.

March.Where did you go!?

2011-03-28T20:27:00.002-05:00

Hey BlogFriends!

Just a little shout to say...

March is coming to an end.

*Gasp

So I think you need to

head over to the Freckled Nest &

check out March's AWESOME sponsors!

(I'm one of them!)

& enter the giveaway.

dissection.

Tennessee Tulips.

From the Centennial Park in Nashville.