Decorating on a Dime!!

Hold your horses! Don't throw anything away until you read my blog. I just attended a wonderful day learning tips and ideas on decorating on the cheap! Yes, gotta love that word in these tight times.

A local church has a ministry called Surrounded by Love.  

A group of ladies collect items for the home, recycle it and re-do a room in a home for someone in need.

Today, as a fund raiser they held classes to teach the attendees how to use what we have, shop wisely at yard sales/thrift stores and in general be creative on a small budget!

What a truly great day it was. I took four Longaberger customers with me and we came away loaded down with affordable ideas.

Left to right, Ronna, Tanya and Corinne. Ready to enjoy a fabulous day. Each guest received a bag with bottled water, a journal and pen for note taking as a gift from me! So many notes to take!!

One on the young ladies at the registration desk. The church teens were such a huge help. All the flowers used today were from the ladies yards or wild flowers and this jar is a recycled fish bowl! Tiny fresh green apples fill the bottom to provide stability for the flowers. So beautiful!

Tables were filled with great raffle items. There was interior design opportunity, family framing, furniture even a get away weekend in the beautiful beach community of Carlsbad. 

I know this is dark but I had to give it a go. Cori, the Key Note presenter provided several design ideas for numerous rooms. This is the a bathroom redesign. All the frames were bought at a yard sale for mere pennies and repainted to coordinate with the design color palate. The little dresser was also a yard sale purchase that Cori sanded and re-painted black, each knob is unique and the drawers are lined with bags from Victoria's Secret!! Why by drawer lining paper when you can use a cute bag!So cute.

Cori also loves using Chalk Board Contact paper and I can see why. In the re-purposed frame on the floor center is this wonder paper used to hang over a desk or as a welcoming message in a guest room. All the furniture pieces in this picture were yard sale finds repainted. 

The next class was Tablescapes. All of these jars have been recycled from numerous places, i.e., pasta sauce, jam jars and spices. Some are recycled gifts or yard sales and thrift stores etc. This idea is for a pre-teen party. The jars are full of treats most kids love!

Presenter Debbie Linamen shared 4 to 5 different tablescape presentations. Loved them ALL.

This one was a favorite! She used the child's Longaberger Teapot filled with lavender and several recycled bottles filled with small rocks, split peas, green apples, pepper berries and then fresh wild flowers. She virtually spent nothing on this display. Everything came from a cupboard or the yard and local fields.

Lunch time. Yumm, we were served Chinese Chicken Salad, fresh fruit, rolls with homemade cookies and brownies. So fresh and so tasty.

With full tummies we are ready to head to our final class.

Welcome to curb appeal! This class offered planting tips, easy ways to add a touch of color to your front door with flags, flowers, and the importance of a good sweeping and tossing out old newspapers! By the way, speaking of newspapers .... Do you hate weeds? I do, well take those used newspapers lay them on top of your dirt and cover with mulch or top soil. It blocks out the sun so weeds don't grow and is bio-degradable!! Who knew!

Meet Jill, our Master Gardener for the day. She was a plether of information to be sure. Between Jill and her co-presenter Doreen we can now start our own seeds, trim back our dead headed flowers, mulch and scrub just in time for summer!

 As the afternoon came to a close the raffles were pulled (I didn't win) Thank you's and hugs were passed around and ideas were swirling in my head for things to do in my own home! Until next time!!

After our day at Hoover Dam Joe took a nap and I baked a few hours at the pool with a little refreshment ....

A customized Mojito, so yummy!! Then I needed a nap!

 

When Tiffany was off work Joe and I wanted to take for dinner at her favorite Hotel ... the Cosmopolitan and a meal of Sushi, which by the way I don't like! 

This is Tiffany's meal, no clue what it is.

Joe's is Shrimp and vegetable Tempura ....

Tiffany and Joe

And Joe and myself, by the way ... I had salad!

These are all crystals that are draped above the central bar. Absolutely stunning!

 

 This morning Tiffany headed off to her final day at work and Joe and I headed for home. It's a long and for the most part boring drive so I napped a little, looked out the window ...

Saw this sign ...yep, here in the great west we have ghost towns, here's proof!

 

 

This was also interesting. They are slowing us down to do an inspection, but they don't inspect anything, they don't even get near the car! I could have had a car full of bug infested fruit and vegetables and they could have cared less! I want to know how much they are paid, and how do I get a job??

So, we are home now in a nice, comfortable 80 degree temperature and all is well.

Tomorrow you ask??? A Longaberger outing with the ladies on home design! So excited!!

Hoover Dam ... Wow!

I visited Hoover Dam so many years ago that I don't even remember who I was with. In those days we took an elevator down into the huge wall of the Dam and we could see the water and (hear it) gushing over us through a window. I was so scared at the time. This trip was different. Joe doesn't walk well any more so we saw the sights via a car. Wow, it is one amazing structure and the tributes to the many men who worked and lost their lives on the Dam are everywhere.

 It's just amazing to me that men were able to achieve such a fete as the Hoover Dam in the era of the 1930's. Technology was so minimal compared to what we have today. So many of these workers fell to their deaths while working, you can almost feel the eireness of death all around us.

This is a bronze sculpture of a worker scaling a wall, this is featured outside the welcome center. Look at the awesome blue sky!

The tower on the right is for the State of Nevada, and the left is for Arizona. The dam divides the two states.

The water level is dangerously low! The white area is generally covered in water.

These electrical cities were EVEY where! It is just mind boggling how much energy the Hoover Dam generates!

 

Loved this bridge. It spans across the dam and connects Nevada and Arizona. Also, remember the red rocks? Well they have them here too! Many of the rocks were used back in the 30's to build the walls, like the one pictured. If you look closely you can see how they have eroded over the years.

 

As Joe and I are headed back to town I see a little sign that says "Historic Boulder City" Home of Hoover Dam. Well, I love historic towns so I wanted to go and Joe was a good sport to make a left turn. There were several small homes that looked similar to this ...

The common feature is they are all made from brick made locally in the 30's. Recognize the colors! This home has been added on to. The garage and the building above it are an addition, does that give you a better idea of how small these little homes truly were.

 I saw two of them for sale, however, Joe was not excited about living in 110 degree heat a large majority of the year! Like Hoover Dam there were several bronze statue memorials around this historic district.

From the image of this guy I am guessing it was really hot back in the 30's as well! This fella is really buff isn't he? Direcly across the street is a bronze lady dressed in the 30's fashion running towards him ... I would have been running towards him too!! This little town is an antique lovers paradise, I can feel a "road trip" when the weather cools!

 

Welcome to Goat Feathers Emporium. Isn't the name a hoot??? Loaded with antiques, art, giftables and crafts. I only took a peek as Joe was in the car burning up! This little own had to have 6 to 10 antique shops!! Woo hoo!!

 

 And finally as we headed out of town I asked Joe to make a stop at an interesting road side shop .... Here is what I found.

It's Mr. Yankee Doodle Anty and his tiny side kick! As a 4th of July birthday girl he just had to come home with me!

 

 Joe and I will depart at early thirty tomorrow morning to beat the desert heat. Chat with y'all soon!

A Date with Nature

Take a left at the arrow and you will enter into the majestic Red Rock Canyon. Only 30 minutes from the insanity of the Las Vegas Strip sits one of natures wonders. Joe and I wandered over to the canyon looking for something new to explore and we found it.

 

 

Unfortunately my camera just did not capture the true beauty of the canyon and the vibrant color of the red rocks. 

 

 

 

This is as close to the rocks as I was willing to get. It was a mere 106 degrees outside and there were people climbing this mound of red! Yes, the heat makes you do really crazy things. Its hard to see but there are patches of green bushes growing right out of the rocks. Native to this terrain are rattlesnakes, scorpions, poisonous spiders, wild horses and donkeys. Except for the latter two I could see no reason for me to get out of the car!

 

My hope in taking this picture was to show you the color stripes in the rocks. They start our white, then red and the top is white again. They truly are beautiful. The little red rock balancing close to the top reminds me of a nose sitting on a face. I wonder how long before it topples to the ground.

 

Another picture that just does not show justice the thew majesty of this mountain. It is straight up and down and chiseled with deep crevasses.

The total drive was 13 miles but with many stops and the slow speed it took us over an hour to see the canyon. If you ever travel to Las Vegas, be sure to take an hour or two and visit one of natures wonders!

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Second part of the day ....

After my shower I needed to do some Longaberger business. If you have a lap top and a credit card terminal you can just about do business anywhere!

Even on the hotel room floor under the desk! Yep, this is the only place I could find a phone jack and an electrical outlet together. I bet Mr Westin had no idea all the uses his hotel rooms could be used for .... I'll leave you to your imagination, after all it's Vegas baby!

 

 

I am excited to see the finished product!

All I need to do now is take it to the long arm quilter, bind it and voila, it's complete!!

 

 

 Once I completed my Longaberger business I got busy and finished my Row Quilt. I was also able to cut out 4 blocks to begin my new Mill City Quilt. Woo hoo, I missed quilting with my buddies today but I still got the work done!

What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas ...

Like I said yesterday, this is a really strange town. It takes possession of your mind and you do crazy things when your here.

Joe and I got in the car yesterday and headed out to see some of the local sights. You'll never guess what we found???

Yesss er reee, we found a quilt shop! And not just any quilt shop, an amazing quilt shop. I could have spent the day in there with those ladies. So many wonderful things to see and droll over! Who new there would be a quilt shop in Sin City that carried the BEST Civil War fabrics, patterns, ideas etc.?? 

 

 After leaving the shop we returned to the hotel room and this is what Joe did ...

Ahhh yes, he settled in with his Subway sandwich and a good book he got for Father's Day and he was a very happy camper. And me you ask, what did I do?

 

 

I set up the sewing machine on the desk and got busy finishing my Row Quilt!

 

All of the sashing pieces are in place, the quilt is trimmed and ready for the borders. Silly me, I didn't buy enough border fabric and had to go back to the Christmas Goose to get some more, oh gee darn. 

 

 I completed this little project just in time for Tiff to get home from work and she, Joe and I went to free drink hour here at the hotel. Joe was relaxed and ready for a nap so Tiffany and hit the town and did a little of this and a little of that. Remember, what happens here, stays here ....

Off we went to the Trump Towers to look at sparkly thongs ...

I got two toe rings! Holy Cow, don't tell anyone, it's our secret!

Followed the Senor Frogs billboard up the strip (this town is so weird)

Went to the Bellagio and visited the chocolate lady, yep she's all chocolate.

And then for the biggest sin of all ... we shared a Nutella, fresh raspberry and whipped cream crepe ... (no calories)

and a turkey and fresh spinich crepe with Pellegrino water. OMG, it was to die for. Now I understand all that sin talk that goes on around here hehehe!

 Tomorrow, a visit to Red Rock Canyon ...

Vegas .... such a strange place ...

After a 4 hour drive through a 100 degree desert heat Joe and I arrived in sin city, otherwise known as Las Vegas. Tiffany arrived within minutes of us and we gladly checked into the Westin Hotel.

No fancy bells or whistles at the Westin ... just class. Very nice, friendly hotel. It does have a small casino (even the public bathrooms have these.) An amazing Spa that I need to visit, pool, gift shops and dining .... all the things I need. Not to mention the most amazing beds, they are Heavenly brand beds and boy are they heavenly.

After settling into our room we went to the pool to cool off and get some sun, yikes it's really hot out there and it didn't take long for me to have too much sun! By 6 pm the three of us were out looking for dinner and discovered a Macaroni Grill, yum - a favorite for all of us. Tiffany and I shared Lobster Ravoli and wow, was it good.
While searching for a place to dine we stumbled onto this unusual building...

I told you this is one strange place ... this is a medical building! I swear it is! Cleveland Medical Group. I always new Ohio was a strange place too! My parents were from Ohio, so just kidding to all you Buckeyes!

Our next stop took us to the Stratisphere Hotel. The picture won't upload, what a shocker that is. Any way they have a gift shop in the hotel that Tiffany want to visit so away we went and this is what we got .... 

These skilled hands belong to Lamitra, she works at "Cloe" a jewelry shop and she is the master at fitting toe rings. Yes, my dear friends there are jobs out there for everyone, even toe ring installers!! See her fingers?? Her toes look juat like them, loaded with rings. Yikes, it's quite the sight to see. Did I happen to mention that Vegas is a very strange place? Well, it really is.

 

 

On the ride home I wanted to travel down the strip to see the lights.

Scary Hotels ....

Really scary gift shops ....

Tigers are known to eat people at this hotel ... Nice isn't it?

Interesting people in the streets ....

Any my FAVORITE place to shop ... The Forum Shops at Caesars. Oh wow, the best shops in the world are here!