Reading, Leisure Time, Suggested Book Lists....

For anyone who has questions about faith, or about God...... THE SHACK...is a great book. http://www.theshackbook.com/

My brother in law wrote a poetry book recently. He is getting alot of good reviews on it. You should totally check it out if you like poetry.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Road-Happiness-Johnathon-Williams/dp/1938308018/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1366897411&sr=8-2&keywords=johnathon+williams 

FIREPROOF is a great one for married couples. I think this would even be good for engaged couples as well. Great skills for relationships and written in a way that is engaging and interesting.

 http://thelovedarebook.com/

Do you have some suggestions? Add them to the comment section.

A Web Collection Of Recipes - All From Googlers

So, lets make a recipe book. Comment below with your favorite recipe. Im going to try some of them out and let you know what I think.

Be diverse......so...I want desserts, main dishes, slow cookers, etc. You get the idea. This is going to be fun! I cant wait!!!

My favorite recipe:

Baklava

Original recipe makes 3 dozen Change Servings

• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
• 1 pound chopped nuts
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
3. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
4. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up.

ITS TIME TO CLEAN ~ How to organize your house for under $100.00!

Feeling overwhelmed? Wondering where to start? Here is your "go to" place! You found it!

 



 

Rule #1. Have all of your supplies ahead of time. 

Rule #2. Work on ONE room at a time. ONE day at a time.

Rule #3. Have fun. (yes, it IS possible)

 

Supply List:

vacuum storage bags - $10.00

 

adjustable slot shelves - $20.00

 

set of 6 - storage baskets - $26.00

 

 

Majic Erasers - $5.00

Under Bed Storage - $8.00

 



Got It??? Okay, great...now lets get started.

 

Room 1 - Day One - Kitchen.

Your kitchen is a room you spend ALOT of time in, daily! So lets do that first since you will feel like you are getting somewhere. After all, you will "see" the fruits of your labor daily. Everyone has to eat!

Start with your cabinets. Pull it ALL out. Wipe your shelves down with a smell good disinfectant. Then ORGANIZE. All Tupperware together. Lids under the correct containers. Stack them, like this.



 

 

 



 

Glasses, cups, coffee cups.....glasses together, cups together, and coffee cups together. Face all handles to the same side. Like this.

 

 

Now, ready for pots and pans? Be sure to put lids with the right pots. Makes it easier to find later.

 

Now, be sure to store all appliances on your counter that you don't use very often. You will feel much better with clean, uncluttered counters. I promise.

 

 

YOUR FINISHED! GREAT! MOVING ON!

 

Room 2 - Day 2 - Bedroom

 

 Oh boy....this is one of the MOST important rooms. Why? Because this is where you should be able to relax.....unwind....and feel at PEACE. Not that way right now? Don't worry. We are going to fix that.

 

Get out those storage bins and vacuum bags. Now, go get a trash bag....lawn and garden size. Go through your drawers and closets. If you haven't worn it in the last year, put it in the bag. You can do it. NO you will not "wear it again one day". Give it to your local charity shop and MOVE ON. 8-) I say that with love I promise.

 

Now, lets organize. If its summer, lets vacuum bag your winter stuff. Then store it on your newly cleaned off shelf in your closet. If its winter, put your summer stuff away. This will free up a lot of space for you.

 

Too many blankets and quilts? Do the same. Vacuum bag it. So easy! Instant space.

 

Now, the things you need more often and need to get to quickly. Like SHOES ladies. You can put these in your under the bed storage bins you bought.

 

Now, dust off your furniture, make your bed....and voila. Clean and serene.

 

Room 3 - Day 3 - Laundry Room

 

This is where you might need your extra adjustable storage you bought. Getting your cleaning supplies off your dryer and off your floor will make a HUGE difference. This is another place that you will spend a lot of time in. (unfortunately)

 

Combine cleaners if you have three partially used windex bottles...etc. Make one full bottle, trash the rest.

 

Put cleaners on one side and laundry detergents, dryer sheets, and fabric softner on the other. This is a great place to neatly store your cleaning rags too.

 

Hint: If your dryer gets dusty or a lot of lint on the top....take a used dryer sheet and wipe it off. They work GREAT. Then just throw it away.

 

Keep a small trash can in here too. You will always have things to throw away. (Like rocks in your kids pockets, etc.)

 

Room 4 - Day 4 - Bathroom

 

Your Mr. Clean sponge works great in here. Door frames and light switches seem to always be the worst. This little sponge will wipe it away like it wasn't even there in the first place.

 

Use a scrub sponge and bleach. Its best if you can put the bleach in an empty spray bottle you have laying around and dilute it with water. I do 1/2 and 1/2. Then spray down your tub/shower and let it sit for a few hours.

 

Do the same for your base boards and around your toilet.

 

Now, take down your light fixtures and wash, wash, wash. This will make a huge difference. Don't forget to wipe off your air vent on the ceiling. They get super dirty.

 

Under your Sink is a great place to use some of your pop out cloth storage bins. Use one for towels, rags, etc. If you roll them and stand them on end....you can fit a lot into one bin.

 

Place all of your bathroom essentials in another. All of your hair care items in another. Most sinks will allow for 3 - 4 bins.

 

Okay, your shower and baseboards should be done now...scrub away.

 

Check the caulk on your tub and shower. If it looks tired and old...simply take a razor blade and cut it, then take a flat head screw driver and scrap it off. All Walmarts carry silicone caulking for bathrooms. It comes in an easy to dispense tube and costs about 3.00. Let it dry overnight before showering or using the tub though. It takes 24 hours to dry. But this will protect your walls, so its worth it.

 

Simply displaying a few decorative towels....placing some "fake flame" candles, and putting up an air freshener will go a long way in making your bathroom a great place to be.

 

 

Okay....great job! I bet you feel better now. I know I always do.

 

Need another room? Just message me and I will help you do that one too!

 

Happy Cleaning!

 





 

 



 

Got a sore throat or a cold? At home remedy that WORKS!

So a friend of mine is from Korea. She helped me out one time by telling me her moms "recipe" for a sore throat. It worked within MINUTES!!!

             (This is a ginger root. Up until I made this for the first time, I had never seen one!)

And let me be clear, my throat hurt so bad that it felt like I was swallowing knives even when I was drinking water. So, it was pretty bad which makes this sore throat brew a miracle cure in my book.

2 cups of water
1/2 cup cut and peeled ginger root (you can find it in the produce section, fresh is best)
1 whole lemon cut, not peeled
1/2 cup of honey

That's it.....just boil it for about 15 minutes, then enjoy. You can drain out the juice and then put it in the fridge for later. Will last several days in the fridge.

Let me know what you think!!

How to make an old china hutch look brand new - Part One

Hi everybody!! Do you have your piece of wood furniture yet? Okay, great! Then, here we go......

This is the piece I picked up at a garage sell. It is a vintage china cabinet (in other words, its super OLD). Ha Ha!

 

This is the top piece

 

 This is the bottom piece.

 

 

I took the glass out and wrapped it. This is best so it doesn't get broken during sanding or stained during your staining process.

 

 

Now, I wont be able to start sanding until Monday. But just to get prepared....here is what you will need.

 

 

You will want to pick out your stain color. You actually will only need the small can probably. Its less than 5.00 at most stores.

 

Then you will also want to purchase polyurethane. It protects your wood. You don't have to on an item like this. But you will if you have a coffee table, kitchen table, or anything else that is used a lot.

 

You will want an electric sander. DO not try to do it by hand. Your arm will fall off and you will end up swearing that you will "never do this again". So keep it fun and get a sander. This one was like 30.00 at Walmart. WELL, worth the money.

 

Get some el' chepo rags. These were my Father in laws garage rags. Just be aware that you will throw them away when you are done.



Now, on this project....I will also be showing you how to replace a toplight because the one in this is all messed up as you can see in the photos below.

 

Alright, well you have a few more days to get prepared if you haven't gotten everything yet. For the rest of you, patience is a virtue my friend!

 

With love,

 

Me

How to make some old tired decorative pictures look SUPER AWESOME

So, if you ever wanted to know how to make a garage sell find into an expensive boutique item...here's how for just about $1.50.

These are the pictures I picked up for a few bucks today.

 

So, its okay right? Just not fabulous and the frame is all scratched up.

 

 

 

All you will need is a paintbrush and two .88 cent bottles of craft paint that you can pick up at any Walmart. I chose a cream color and burnt umber brown. (This picture was taken with  my Cannon Rebel T3I by the way. Great camera if your looking for one)

 

 

To protect the glass, I just tore a few pages out of a magazine I had laying around that I wont ever read again. Since it was just collecting dust, I repurposed it for this.

 

This was after the one coat of the beige paint. I only did one coat because I wanted it to look antiqued.

 

Here is a closer view of it. Don't worry if you get a few paint things here and there on the glass because it wipes right off with a damp cloth.

 

 

Here are the pictures after I added the brown paint to it. I used ALOT of water and barely any brown paint. It made more of a brown wash than anything else.

 

After I did that, before it dried, I wiped off the surfaces but not the cracks. Then I pushed down hard on the paint brush to scratch off some of the paint here and there.

 

Here is a close up of the edges. I like this look.

 

So, there you go. Good luck. Post pictures of yours when you get done. I would LOVE to see it.

 

Happy painting.

Furniture Refurbishing

Okay folks, so I just bought a china hutch that will need to be stripped, sanded, stained, and sealed. Drop back by here soon to see the progress of it and a step by step of how I did it.

Its super easy and if I can do it, so can you!!!

So go buy a used piece of furniture you like at a garage sell and have it ready. We will work on it together.

Happy hunting and Ill see you soon!

Painting a Cottage and a wall mural in acrylic

So, I love cottages and I also love the way they look right before dark with the warm light glowing through the paned windows. This was my inspiration for this painting.

 

 

I used a regular canvas that you can find at Walmart or a craft store. I used regular craft paint, not the expensive stuff. Here is a picture of what I use. It is 88. cents a bottle. Cheaper when you catch it on sale. I love it.

 

 

I painted the sky first. I made the trees very, very light in the background, then I dragged the brush from left to right to blend it in even more into the background. I worked in layers until I came to the trees just behind this house.

 

When I got to the house, I painted the windows with a mixture of yellow and white paint. I wanted to create a warm glow. THEN I painted the framework around the window, then I painted in the rocks on the outside, and finally the roof.

 

I would often stand back and look at it. I like to imagine where I would put a walkway or a tree, bush, or flower if this were my house. Then, in it goes!

 

Voila.....cottage painting.



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For this next one....there was a space on my wall next to the sliding glass door that looked bare, so I decided to paint a wall mural. It turned out pretty good. If you look really close you can see the light switch that I painted over to blend it into the mural.

 

 

I tried to use the colors in my kitchen and dining room area so that it would be beautiful, but also blend in. I wanted it to compliment the room, not stick out like a sore thumb. Ya know?

 

As I do in all my paintings, I worked from the background, to the foreground. I also had an inspiration picture to look at. If you go to google and type in vineyard landscapes....you will get hundreds of photos to choose from.

 

So the sky went in first. I made it pretty simple. Then I kept the background pretty vague as well. I didn't get into any detail until I got to the flowers and trees.

 

Remember to decide just where your sun is shining. THEN make sure all of the light parts of your plants are on that side. Place the darker shades to the back. Just like you would see in nature. Its good to take some photos of trees and shrubs on a sunny day and really look at how the light falls.

 

Here is a close up of the flowers and shrubs. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I always love input.

 



 



 

Happy Painting!!

How to refinish a table top for under 100.00

I bought a table off of craigslist.com a few months ago from someone. They were moving and needed to sell it fast, so I got a super awesome solid oak table and five chairs for 50.00. Cant beat that!!

It was pretty ruff looking on the top, so I decided to refinish it. It took me a few days, but I got it done. Here's how I did it.

 

I went and bought this Black and Decker hand held electric sander for 35.00. Believe me, you do NOT want to sand a table by hand. This little puppy is a life saver! (and a hand saver)

 

Then I bought several different grades of sand paper for it. I found one package of 6 that had all of the different grades I wanted, 60, 100, and 220.  It was 6 dollars. I ended up buying another pack later, so if its a big table like mine you probably want to go ahead and get two packs now.

 

 

 

I then picked out my stain. I am an artist, so I just eyeballed mine, but for the average person I would take a picture of your current table with your phone or camera. If you don't have that, then pick up a few color sample swatches from the store and take it home to match to your table. You want to get the stain color as close to the color on the base of the table as possible.

 

Next, you will want to buy some foam brushes, a bristle brush, plastic gloves, mineral spirits, and polyurethane.

 

Okay, so your ready! Great job!

Now, you will want a very ventilated area. I used my garage and left the garage doors open. You will have to let it dry over night when you stain it, so you don't want to leave it outside or anything.

Here is my table after I sanded it with the 60 grit sand paper.

 

 I then went over it with the 100, and then the 220. This will make it super smooth. In between sandings, I did wipe it clean with a cloth. This kept the dust down. Oh yeah....be SURE to have something to cover your face with or you will be tasting and sneezing out sawdust for days! Not good.

 

 

 

 

 

Here is the table right before I stained it. I wiped it clean with a damp cloth to be sure that all of the little debris and dust was gone.

 

After the first stain, it looked like this.You will want to go from left to right in the same direction as the grain. Wipe off any excess with a dry lint free cloth. Let dry for about four hours. Then you will lightly sand it with your 220 grit sandpaper. Wipe off with a damp cloth. Let it dry. Now start your second coat of stain. This will give your table a more even look.

 

The next day I checked to be sure that the stain was dry. It was, so I started with the Polyurethane. Now this you will want to put on SUPER light. Do not wipe with a cloth or your cloth will stick to it. You will go in the direction of the grain. Let it dry over night and then go over it with one more coat.

 

Here is the finished table. My cat Furby likes it. 8-) 

 

I also recushioned the chairs.

To do this you turn your chair over. Unscrew the 8 screws that hold the cushion to the chair. Take off old material and foam. Cut new foam to fit. Recover with a new fabric of your choice. Use a furniture stapler to staple the material to the bottom of the chair. Pull it tight and tuck the corners in. It took me a few tries to get this right, but just like  me...you can do it too!

Finally, screw the seat back to the chair and voila! New chairs.

Now you are ready for that big dinner party. Have fun!

 

 



Want to buy a house? Things to do to save for that downpayment.

So, we are wanting to buy a house. Really tired of giving our money away to rent, you know? Want to see what my dream house looks like?

Sooooo, I have started trying several things to make extra cash....one is finally working. I started cleaning houses.

I used to do it a long time ago....when I was 20 years younger....LOL But, I guess this old grey mare still has what it takes. (Thanks to God no doubt!)

How did I start? Well, I told my real estate agent about it, my landlord, and a friend that lives here. We just moved to this town, and we didn't know anyone else yet. But, this seemed to do the trick.

My real estate agent hired me right away. Can you make money at this, you ask? Yes. I charge 20.00 an hour. Most houses take me two hours. So, I still have the time (and energy) to get up and make breakfast for my gorgeous husband, clean MY house, and run the errands I need to get done during the day. Works out pretty good.

Now I have a been hired by four people. All by word of mouth.
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Proverbs 13:4
The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied.


Proverbs 14:23
All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.

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If I can do it, you can to. Just remember to do a good job and work hard. God is the one who causes everything we put our hand to, to prosper.

So, I'm going to pick up my son for his spring break today. I am SO excited. Because of his schooling, his job, and baseball....I haven't gotten to see him for a few months. So believe me, I am very much looking forward to this visit. I have the best kid in the world ya know. (wink)

(This is from about two years ago on my wedding day. My son and I switched "hats". )

Okay, so until next time. Have a great one!

How To Get Started Selling Stock Photography For Begginers

I have a Cannon Rebel T3I. So, its a nice camera, but definitely not the top of the line. Most people can afford this type of camera. It cost me around 800.00 American dollars. (That included two lenses, a bag, a micro lense, memory card, battery charger, and a strap.)

 

I bought it at cametacamera.com. It was a great deal actually if you don't have a camera yet and are looking for one.

 

My little sister did some stock photography for a while and so I thought I would try too. I am selling photos, but I am definitely not to where I want to be yet.

 

So, how do you get started? There are SEVERAL sites out there. I would sign up for them ALL. The more photos you have out there, the better your chance to sell them.

 

Here is a list of sites. This is not all of them, but its a good start.

 

Alamy

Almay offers photographers 60% of each sale made on the site and currently lists over 15,000 photographers. You retain all copyrights on this site. Also, they are a non-exclusive site, meaning you can sell your images on other stock sites.

Crestock

Crestock is easy to create an account with, and you can get started uploading photos right away. As with all sites, your photos will undergo a quality check (QC) to make sure they are up to Crestock’s quality levels. Crestock does not require exclusive rights so you are free to shop them around to other stock photo agencies. They have a preference for shots with people in them.

123rf

123rf, as the name implies, is a royalty-free stock site. These sites can work well if your collection is large or in a particular niche. They offer 50% commissions from customers who download with credits. If they are a subscription customore it pays $.36 per download. Uploads are fairly easy and straightforward with options for FTP, Java or basic uploader.  However, there is a 300MB limit for each upload.

Shutterstock

The payouts at Shutterstock work on a sliding scale, so the more images you have downloaded, the more you’ll earn per image. The scale currently starts at $.25 per download so it will take a sizeable portfolio with stellar images before the bigger returns roll around (this is true with all stock agencies, though). This is one of the largest sites.

Dreamstime

Dreamstime is a great place to get your feet wet if you are new to the stock photography game. While the payouts may not be as large as some of the other companies, Dreamstime does offer an extended licensing program to help increase the amount earned from each sale.

Corbis

Corbis has been around a LONG time. Gaining a foothold at Corbis is something of an elusive process. You will note when taking a look at their site that there is no easy “Submit Here” button like a number of the other companies listed. Instead, Corbis seeks out talent, typically by word of mouth in photography circles, and then invites them to become contributors. As you can imagine, a lot of photographers covet signing on with Corbis.

Getty Images

Like Corbis, Getty is a traditional stock photo agency and the entry process is different than most of the royalty-free sites on the internet. The entry process is one of the most difficult in the industry but the payoffs are worth the effort for many. To apply, you will need to register with the site, review the guidelines for submitting, take a quiz and then submit a link to a gallery of your finest images. As with most stock companies, Getty is looking for images with a strong connection through use of concepts and emotions. 

Stockxpert

Stockxpert was one of the smaller micro-stock agencies. They were bought out though by Jupiter Images and now offer 50% commissions on all credit purchases. They pay electronically, if you like, through Paypal and such. Otherwise a check can be mailed to you. 

Fotolia

Fotolia also employs a sliding scale with royalties per image download of between 30-61%. This royalty can increase if you decide to become a photographer exclusively with Fotolia.  All images must be in JPEG format, at least 2400×1600 pixels, in original resolution and you must be the license owner. As with most sites, you may not upload images with protected logos or trademarks in them, which is standard practice.

Big Stock Photo

Big Stock Photo also offers 50% commissions and that means your sales will range from $.50 for the smallest downloads to $3 each for the largest. Payouts start as low $50 of accumulated proceeds and can be paid through Paypal. They list the images that are most in demand at the time. So pay attention to what they are asking for or what is trending now on their site. Conceptual images are popular with this and other sites as they can be sold to a variety of markets. Uploads are easy and quick.

iStockphoto

iStockphoto is one of the leading micro-stock agencies on the internet. Its pretty easy to get into this one.

Can Stock Photo

Can Stock currently offers photographers 50% commissions on all direct image purchases made on their site and $.25 for each subscription download. The sign up process is easy and straight forward. You just link to your portfolio and upload three images for review.

One of they key things to note.....is take ALOT of pictures. THEN choose your best ones to submit to these sites. They don't want your average shot of animals, plants and insects...but if you have a particularly awesome one, try it. They are looking for photos that can be sold to the masses. And besides, you want that too because the larger the market for your photo, the more you will sell.

Good luck....and happy photography.