Recipe Card Cuteness

A couple of weeks ago I was looking for vintage recipe cards to place on my "kitchen recipe board"...and had such a difficult time finding something unique, until....

...I found these darling molliemakes recipe cards!  The template comes with two cards that you punch with a needle and stitch with your favorite embroidery flosses.  I can't wait to write up my family's favorites!!!  

My Kitchen Recipe Board Materials

Old Frame

Spray Paint of Preferred Color

Chalkboard Spray Paint

Small Eye-Hooks

Thin Wire

Mini-Clothes Pins

• To make the Recipe Board you need to find an old frame (mine is 11' x 14') and paint with your favorite color spray paint.
• Paint the back of the frame with chalkboard paint.  Let dry.
• Screw the eye-hooks into the the side to the frame in parallel to each other.
• Slide the mini-clothespins onto the string
• String the wire across the frame opening to each eye-hook, twist around each end to secure.
• Pop the chalk board back onto the back and secure.

It is super easy to make this board.  In fact...I'm making a few for a wedding I am decorating to display old family wedding photos on...so the creativity will never end with this board!

I hope you stop by Mollie Makes and check out their fun recipe cards, crafts, and yummy's!

Daring Greatly,

Abby

Friday Funnies - Chicks In Hats

Ok...it's Friday and I am so ready to say goodbye to this long week!   It was a killer!!!  I thought I would share my favorite giggle of the week...

I found the dang cutest Etsy Shop called Chicks In Hats.  the designer Julie Persons obviously loves her little chicks as much as I love mine!!!  I know it is silly to see chicks in different hats...but it sure made my week a little lighter!  

Julie lives in Maine and photographs her little chicks before they get to big...then they retire to a life of leisure on her farm.  

She sells the prints and makes the dang cutest accessories and jewelry featuring her darling chicks.  I am ordering the chick with the teal crown today...(in a ring so I see it everyday :)  

I hope you have found something to tickle your funny bone this week.  A good giggle is the best medicine!!!  You know the saying, "I'm as happy with a bird with a french fry" ?  Well...since it's Friday...I'm as happy today as a chick, rockin a crown, with a french fry in her beak!!!

Have a great weekend and keep daring greatly to find the joy in the simple graces of life!...Abby

Welcome Little Princess

The past few weeks have been some of the greatest of my life, as we welcomed our son home from Korea and then welcomed a new little princess into the world...

Abigail Faith Hondel joined our family on March 19th weighing in at 8 lbs. 8oz. of pure divine joy.  I was blessed to spend three weeks in Seattle, Washington helping our daughter get ready for the birth of her little sweetheart. 

One of the greatest moments of my life was being there at her birth...holding my oldest daughters shoulders as she pushed Abby into the world.  The feeling of joy, love, and relief was abundant for all of us...she came out screaming for joy herself!!!

My heart is full of love for my two little princess granddaughters, Gracie and Abby.  Grace is a bundle of creativity and fun!!!  We spent a week getting things ready for her little sis...making a princess pillow together....

...and working on matching princess quilts for both of them.  We painted a pink birdhouse...a pink chalkboard and played a lot of Plants versus Zombies!

When I was younger I thought being a grandmother would be yuck...sad...and not very fun at all.  I loved being the "mom"...and had no appreciation for the title of grandma (even though my grandmothers were perfection).  Now...I can say I love being a grandmother to my two little princesses and my three handsome princes.  

I have three weeks until I get to see them again...and have to finish putting together the rest of the quilts and pillows to decorate their pink princess room!!!  I will post pictures of the finished work and the easy hexagon baby quilt pattern as soon as I finish.  

Daring Greatly,

Abby

Recycled Pallet Ottoman Project

I love doing projects with my husband...and our latest project has got me driving behind stores searching for pallets.  We made a ottoman for our front entry/piano room for $27.00 total cost using a sturdy thrown away pallet, recycled furniture legs, some old couch cushions and a sleeping pad!

We found a 3' x 3' pallet that was in great shape and a steal of a deal on the legs at our local Re-Store.   The Re-Store is a place where old construction or furniture pieces are gifted to support Habitat for Humanity.  I found the legs for a buck each!

We began by drilling lead holes into the pallet and screwing in the legs.  I still can't believe I found them for a buck!  Check with your local Habitat for Humanity to see if they have a recycle store where you can find your goodies!

Screw in or attach the legs to the bottom of the pallet.

Next, we took some old couch cushions we use when camping for the padding.  You can buy the foam at a local Joann's or an upholstery supply shop...but for this project, I wanted to recycle everything I could and these cushions were perfect.

To hide the seams of the cushions, I covered it with a large "egg carton" mattress pad that I had in my camping supplies.  This added another inch of padding and hid the seams, making the top smooth.

The only "new" items that I used on this project were the upholstery tacks and the fabric.  I found the perfect fabric at a discount decorator fabric store for $3.00 a yard.  It took three yards to cover our pallet.

We laid the fabric down and centered the pallet on the top of the pads and fabric.  We stretched the fabric up and over the bottom of the ottoman and tacked the fabric down using staples.  It works best if you tack opposite sides to get the tension right without any puckers.

Trim off any excess with a utility knife.  Using upholstery tacks 
...tack the sides of the ottoman fabric to the pallet to give a little definition to your new piece!  We used a hammer to set the tacks in hard.

I love these kinds of low cost...recycle projects.  There is something very rewarding about taking something that others consider junk and bringing it back to life.  I LOVE this ottoman in my entry way so much I think I may make one for my family room!!!

If you have any questions about this project, or any others, you can email me at tweetledeedesignco@gmail.com and I will be happy to help you out.

I hope you have a great week!  

Daring Greatly,

Abby

Welcome Home Michael

Sometimes goodbyes and hellos all run together in tears of joy.  For the past two years our son Michael has been away in Korea serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  He returned last week to a joy filled ...teary eyed family, excited to see their big brother come home!

It isn't easy having your son so far away, but the joy that comes from knowing your son is helping other people fills every bit of the emptiness of having him home. 

I created a little video of his two years in Korea and the crazy homecoming at the airport.  I loved putting this snapshot together for him.  It's not easy putting two years of new friends, service, love and laughs into a three minute video...but this is it....

It is soooo wonderful to have our son back home...just to hear his voice in our home brings a smile to our faces.  We love hearing about his adventures in Korea and am learning a few words in Korean too.  

 Of course...typical of everything I do, the banner that was suppose to say "welcome home" was hung backwards and read "welcome emoh".  We all had a good laugh about it...and figured he wouldn't notice after a year of reading Korean!!!

Now to go pack to head to Washington and help our daughter welcome our newest grand daughter into the world and prepare a huge 20th birthday celebration for our "little Tina" who isn't so little anymore.

It has been a busy few weeks...and will be even more so heading towards Easter...but there is nothing that I love more that being a mom and grand mom to these kiddos.

Daring Greatly,

Abby