Candlestick Admiraton and a Preview

Many of you have admired my chunky candlesticks. Before they held candles they sat for about a hundred years as part of a balustrade on a neighbors' front porch. My neighbors replaced them with the vinyl stuff that doesn't need to be painted. I volunteered to take the old porch parts. They were happy to give them to me. I've made four sets of these candlesticks. A pair for my neighbors as a memento of their old porch, a pair as a Christmas gift, and two pair for me.

A white pair, and a black pair. I have six of these sweet things left.
Well, actually four of them are going to be
part of my next project.
Here's a preview of what we'll be doing this weekend.

What will you be doing this weekend?

Heads Up

The trend this year seems to be skulls of glitter.

I had this little skull in the bottom of my Halloween box. He was calling for a glittery makeover.
However, I didn't feel like cleaning up glitter
for days (or years) to come.
So I gave him a coat of sterling silver spray paint. Once the paint was dry,
I coated him with silver glitter spray. Now he looks like a new man!
He has the look of glitter without all the mess.

Emergency Preparedness

Camouflaged in the midst of my "get around to it" pile was this little item.It was given to us as a gift. I cannot take credit for the creativity on this one.
Inside this little container is enough food to sustain a person for three days. All that is needed is the drinking water to go along with this canister. It's so small that you can keep it in your car or at your office, or in a closet at home.
It was in my pile to remind me to buy the supplies to make one for each member of my family. Even though it's not decorative, I thought I'd share it with you. In light of all of the natural disasters lately, it's always good to be prepared.
Here's a look at all that's packed inside.

72 HOUR FOOD KIT

DAY 1
BREAKFAST
Orange Juice & Nutri-Grain Bar
LUNCH
Peanut Butter & Crackers
Drink Mix
DINNER
Chef Boyardee & Fruit Cup
Drink Mix
DAY 2
BREAKFAST
Hot Cocoa & Nutri-Grain Bar
LUNCH
Beef Jerky & Peanuts
Drink Mix
DINNER
Tuna Fish & Applesauce
Drink Mix
DAY 3
BREAKFAST
Instant Breakfast & Granola Bar
LUNCH
Peanut Butter & Fruit Snacks
DINNER
Vienna Sausage & Apple Cider
Cookies
*Gum & Mints to eat whenever*
***EDITED TO ADD---
Don't store a mint gum or else all of the food will have a minty flavor

No, these are not gourmet meals. It is meant to sustain you in an emergency. This is just an example of what can be done. I plan on adjusting some of the items to fit the tastes of the members in my family. I like that it is so compact and all of the items can be purchased at the grocery store. It is something I can do now to bless my family in a time of need.
If you plan on making these, remember to add the necessary drinking water and put the expiration date of each item on the label of the canister so you can always keep things fresh.
The canister is a plastic 3 quart size. I've seen similar ones at the dollar store. You could also combine the entire family's storage into one plastic bin.

All About Me

Okay, okay, I give in! Several of you have given me those awards that require the recipient to tell 6 or 7 things about themself. I thought a post just about me would be a veerrrry boring post, but, I don't want to appear rude to my friends who have so kindly given me the awards. So I'm going to share a few facts about me.

*I love quarters! It's strange, I know, but quarters actually make me giddy. Maybe it goes back to the days when I would place my shiny quarter in a machine and with a few turns the knob out would plop a small surprise. As a grownup I like to spend my shiny quarters turning the machine's knob to receive a handful of yummy pastel mints.*I am very uncomfortable being the center of attention. Perhaps that's why I struggle with posting blog awards.

*I have only one sibling. I was born three days before my brother's tenth birthday. After waiting ten years for their second child, my parents, thinking they would have another son, were happy to have a daughter. That's why I was named Joy.

*If you gave me $50 to spend, I would likely spend it on as many things as possible. And I would probably spend the money at the thrift store, on white dishes or pottery. My husband is just the opposite. He would spend his $50 on only one item at the regular store.*I'm a piler! I have a pile in just about every room. I like to pile magazines, junk mail, and the worst pile of all, things "I'll get around to." So now you know, when you see a pretty picture like this:There is probably a pile like this
(an example of the "I'll get around to" pile) close by:*This last one is an answer for all of you who have asked. I have an area in my basement where I store all my stuff. (Nooo, I won't share a picture of it.) We refer to it as "the unfinished room," or my boys call it "the junk room." My husband lovingly refers to it as "the inventory room." If we ever decide to finish it into a second family room, I'll probably have to build a big ol' shed out in the backyard to store my home's inventory.

Now you know a few things about me.
I promise to have a more interesting post tomorrow.

I Want Another One

I liked this one so much that we built another one.This time the legs are spindles that we cut down to size.We built a box for stability and for looks.Now I just need better weather
so I can take it outside to paint.
(It's been raining and snowing here!)It will stay a creamy white.

It's sofa table height and will live in the family room.
It's going to replace this little guy,

who will likely find a new home
somewhere else in my house.

If you are interested in crafting for a good cause, check Trishia's blog and learn about the Butterfly Project from the Holocaust Museum Houston.

You'll Fall For This One

Hey Kids! It's Craft Time!
(When I say "kids" I really mean you grownups
who enjoy crafting so much that it makes you feel like a kid)

You'll need the following supplies:

*Silk Fall leaves
*Styrofoam balls
or blocks
*Hot glue gun

If you're cheap like I am, you buy all your supplies at the dollar store.

However, my dollar store doesn't sell styrofoam balls. (The foam balls at the craft store cost more than a dollar.) So I bought big styrofoam blocks and used a sharp knife to cut off the corners and round the edges. Then I rolled the styrofoam on a hard surface to help shape it into a ball form. It doesn't have to be a perfectly shaped ball.Next I used my hot glue gun to glue on the leaves, making sure to overlap them so that all of the foam was covered. I cut some of the leaves into smaller pieces to help fill in and cover. It's good to have a bowl of cold water close by, just in case your fingers touch the hot glue.

And as easy as that, I made two leaf balls!
Total cost---about 3 dollars
$2 for 2 styrofoam blocks
$1 for package of leaves
(I actually used less than one package)
Plus the cost of glue sticks

What will I do with them?

I could sit them in vases.Or how about on the top of candle holders.Or I just might make a few more
and fill a pretty bowl with them.

There are so many possibilities!

Another Shelf?

I found this lovely shelf at the thrift store.
(Yes, it's upside down)Do I need another shelf?

Nooooo
So with the help of hubby and a hammer,
to remove the shelf part,
I have a neat little architectural piece
to hang above a door.(Some sanding & paint touch-up was required)