The little birds...

If you watch little birds you will see they are busy and happy! Using whatever they can find they create the most gorgeous little nest.
I would be the little bird with some glittery thread in her nest!
We can be like this. Happily working away with the things that are available to us to create a beautiful and happy home.
All the while with a little song in our heart.

Banner by Free Pretty Things for You.

Thursday 10 March 2016

Feather your Nest Friday, 11 March, 2016.

Another week has flown by! We have had weird weather, pouring rain and heat. It's draining!
I was able to work inside and get quite a bit done.

Some of the ways I build up the nest and saved were:

I got quite a few hankies finished and some packaged ready to give. I had started out doing hand rolled hems and did about twenty like this. Then I decided they looked too plain! I want them to be lovely gifts... so I have added trim and motifs to most of them. (I still have heaps to go!)
The packaging is really large cellophane bags I found in a cheap shop. They are just right.


I am much happier with them now. I even found some little shoes and handbags to add...



I hope to finish these over the next few days and add them to my present cupboard.



I still have a large stash of vintage rose pink sheets. These also would be lovely hankies. I am thinking of using up lace scraps with them. But that will be another day!

I picked Quinces off our tree.

We had a use it up left over night or "Fridge Pizza" and this was yum and filled lunch boxes also.

I painted skirting boards. I have one bit to go and I am finished a big area of the house. This also led to lots of cleaning, re arranging and a freshly painted hall table.

I cleaned out and tidied the linen cupboard. Also I saved some pretty fabric from now odd pillowcases to use in the recovering pot holders project Jes had the other day on Strangers and Pilgrims on Earth blog. This was the best idea!

As usual I cooked all meals, packed and sent lunches everyday and all the usual things!

I got ahead with some gifts for up coming birthdays.

For an outdoor area I wanted a chandelier. My idea was for over our outside table.

I found this splendid specimen on the side of the road...


Beautiful hey!? 

I covered it with fake flowers using florists wire...


For a party this is easy and you can leave it as it is. A candelabra or old light fitting will look pretty this way.

Other times I have then spray painted it all white or cream until it is thickly covered and looks like it could be wrought iron. 
This time I have left some colour show through...


So that is my little outdoor chandelier to hand over our table. I had the flowers so the total cost was $3 for a can of spray paint.

I am noticing today how all the rain has made the lawn and garden look lush and everything has grown! This afternoon I have some errands to run.

How was your week? How did you feather your nest?  I feel good that I can see my painting process and that the "little bits add up" approach is working! I could not do all of this in a week or a month. But little bits every week will get me there eventually! Anything you want to tackle is achievable even if you do 15 minutes at a time. Or even five minutes at a time! Its surprising!

Have a lovely weekend! xxx


47 comments:

  1. Hello Annabel, Happy Friday!. I absolutely love your outdoor chandelier , it is gorgeous and at such a low cost well done Annabel!.
    This week I feathered my nest by : building up my supply of cards for birthdays and to give as gifts in packs. I made another 4 this morning . I made savoury muffins yesterday saving me money and giving me snacks or a quick lunch, most of these are in the freezer. My parents will be giving me more meals made by mum ( probably tomorrow) , that is a usual thing for us but it helps me so much that I always mention it!. I had one of my centa care ladies here on Wednesday for 2 hours of subsidised cleaning, my place really needed that. I will be getting some shallots ( spring onions) from my parents garden on the weekend also. I had a massage this week which helped with my pain enormously, I now feel a bit more mobile so am better able to do things . I have had a fairly quiet week but it has been somewhat productive.
    You have had a great week Annabel, take care everyone and have a great weekend Annabel and all your readers too. Love BarbWoodford.

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    1. Dear Barb,
      As you have not been well I think you have done great! And also I think it is good to count all the great things like meals from your Mum and Dad, every week, even though they are regular things. They are a big blessing. I count things weekly too as otherwise we can forget to appreciate things when really they are huge!
      Have a lovely weekend Barb, with love Annabel.xxxx

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    2. Hi Barb!
      I am so very, very glad that massage helps you! You may also have already found that water therapy (like hot showers/baths) and various massage oil blends are helpful. I'm sorry you suffer pain. Keep your chin up! I hope you find more answers to help.
      Regards,
      Rachel Holt

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  2. How I love your blog Annabel, it is such a special place to be. I always feel up lifted when I read your blog. I have been unwell this week however I have thoughts of you and made the most of this 'season'. I have some kind of friends and family that have brought us meals, I will never forget this kindness. I had to buy prescription medication and went to the discount chemist and it cost half of the price at the local chemist. I have been crocheting and journaling, plus it's been a good time to reflect. I can still do some things so I am grateful. I am also grateful for our emergency meals, fund and having family close. Truly so lucky. I love, love, love your outdoor chandelier and those hankies are so pretty. I loved the Show and Tell the other day. The presents were MAGNIFICENT! My aim is to be able to send you a photo of one of my own handmade gifts one day. As truly, those gifts are divine. You are so clever Annabel. Thank you for all your time- this is by FAR my favourite site Love, Bridget

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    1. Dear Bridge,
      Thank you so much! I hope you are feeling much better and am so glad you have had lovely friends and family who have wanted to help. That is wonderful.
      Im glad too that you have a discount chemist. I was really slow to catch onto this and how much a saving it is. Its massive!
      I look forward to photos! I know you can crochet and that is a great skill to have and many possibilities!
      Thank you for your kind words and encouragement! I truly need this as there are highs and lows in life and blogging! But I have so many lovely ladies that I think the world of and its a big encouragement, thank you... and the way you and I have "met" and realising I know your husband is all so crazy! But meant to be I think. Anyway thank you... with love Annabel.xxx

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  3. Just beautiful as usual Annabel. Love & hugs xx Susan's Perspective

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    1. Dear Susan, Thank you! I appreciate that! Have a beautiful weekend! Love Annabel.xxx

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  4. Dear Annabel,your hankies are gorgeous as is the chandelier.I love both ie hankies and chandeliers.
    Lack of sleep this week means I feel a bit fuzzy about what Ive done.Our daughter and little grandkids came for dinner one night ,and visited after dinner another night.
    Had a lovely ex neighbour for lunch and she was thrilled with the lunch I made for her , and she went home with enough for her dinner tonight , she lives alone.She was a very supportive neighbour when our kids were young and hers were older .I bought several gifts , and 2 the shop gift wrapped for me which saved me the job,although I do like wrapping I could not say no to the offer :-).One of the gifts was for an unexpected dinner invite this weekend (birthday related ).As I was out doing errands and looking for gifts anyway.Pleased with those gifts .
    Wrapped Easter gifs for 3 little darlings and found the cutest little straw nests with a tiny chicken and a tiny carrot in the basket, which Im decorating the parcels with and have wrapped silver foil heart chocolate which Ive stuck on the wrapping.
    Made 2 dinners from new healthy recipes this week, but wont do them again , I can cook much cheaper and nicer without those recipes lol.There's a story about why I tried them will stop at that.
    My crocheting is up and down , seem to be struggling and unpulling,the jersey for my grandson has a back and 2 fronts, sleeves started.Annabel it's me interpreting the pattern wrongly methinks.
    So my week has been mainly cleaning,washing, and cooking meals and baking.Trying new recipes and introducing winter clothes back into my wardrobe.
    Hubby has been tidying up areas of the backyard and it is looking much better and cleaner.
    BarbWoodford-lovely that the massage helped with your pain.x
    Annabel hope you and everyone here has a lovely weekend!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. I am smiling as I know this is Maria even though there is no name! lol You will laugh too I think about this...
      And also smiling wondering what the story is behind the healthy recipe experiment!
      As I cannot follow a crochet pattern you are doing much better than me. I can copy something by imitation but that is all. I hope we get to see the end result! Your Grandson is probably keeping an eye on your progress now that he put in his order!
      We are attacking the back yard also. We are attacking everything! Just are a year behind you in painting!
      Have a great weekend... oh I love the little nests with a chicken! With love Annabel.xxxx

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  5. Annabel,
    Beautiful as always! I think Miss Emma may have read about you making a chandelier because she asked me about one today so this granny has something in mind! I had big packs of chicken legs so I made 5 quarts of bone broth for us and the beagles their food from the chicken and veggies. We had a really nice day so clothes were hung out to dry and when I wasn't babysitting I stayed home and worked on my list of things that I want to get done this spring. I also got some of my seeds started I am not sure if we will have 4 gardens this year, but we'll still have lots! I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
    XOXO
    Vicky

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    1. Dear Vicky,
      There are often old light fittings around. The bigger with the arms that come out are better... BUT a wire hanging basket can also work. I can see Emma with something pretty. Another idea is just a garland of flowers dropped over a bed head or around a frame... all very pretty.
      I think you have ten days to Spring? That will be busy for you I know!
      You have a good weekend too! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  6. Oh Wow Annabel, you amaze me with your idea's, Absolutely love your chandelier and i probably would never have thought of that. In fact i wouldnt have thought of a lot of things that you make so thankyou, your always such an inspiration to me xoxo

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    1. Dear Karen,
      Thank you! One time years ago in a catalogue I saw a wrought iron flower chandelier. I LOVED it and it was like a million dollars. I thought what if I spray painted flowers? Who would know (if they didn't touch them) if they were metal or plastic once sprayed? Anyway it worked and I have made a couple since. I am always spray painting flowers. You can dip them in plaster of paris and they come out looking like sculptures. That is good too.
      Anyway... thank you! And thanks for your encouragement! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  7. Annabel, I can't think of anything at the moment as I just sat down to recover after making soap and adding your pink powder. LOL! I made sure I didn't add too much after all your warnings but I don't think I ended up adding enough in the end :-) What a strange powder. I wonder what it is. I will see what it ends up looking like tomorrow. By the way those hankies are too pretty to use as hankies. Ha ha! You certainly are a very creative lady.

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    1. Dear Nanna Chel,
      I hope the colour worked out! Soaps and now hankies have added so my to my gift cupboard! I am dying to be able to wrap the soaps.
      Thank you! Have a lovely week!Love Annabel.xxx

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  8. I love all the things you've been working on Annabel! I have been working on a project this last week that doesn't really feather my nest' but feathers our 'parish nest'. I've been making palm crosses which are used for Palm Sunday. Our church sells them to other churches and church schools. This year we have orders for 5000 so all able bodied parishioners are busy! And we raise funds!!

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    1. Dear Maria,
      You have been busy! That is a wonderful fund raiser! I hope that benefits your Church a lot. Well done Maria, with love Annabel.xxx

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    2. Thank you Annabel! We ended up getting orders for just over 6500 :-)

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  9. Love the hankies - very pretty. Your hanging lamp is gorgeous! You have great ideas and do lovely work.



    http:/cherylsfrugslcorner.blogspot.com

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    1. Dear Cheryl, Thank you! I love to make over cast offs. I am reading your blog! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  10. Love those hankies Annabel, fantastic job.

    We had the same weather you are having but it was last week and early into this week, and yes I must agree it is very draining on you.

    Today is a day that I spend at school doing canteen, and I had a friend's children both before and after school. So a wonderful surprise was gifted to me by her so that I did not have to cook dinner tonight.......a BBQ chicken just to make my life a little bit easier. I was so thankful for the kind gesture.

    This week I have feathered my nest by making up a few meals that have had left overs for days when we have to go to town, I can just pull out a meal from the freezer instead of thinking about having to cook when we get in or buying something at the supermarket (added expense) that is quick and easy.

    Hope you have a wonderful weekend and that you have been enjoying some trips to Aldi

    Love Aly xxx

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    1. Dear Aly, Well done. It is great to be able to come home to ready meals.
      It is so helpful you have supportive friends there especially as you are far away from family. What a big help! I notice how you all help each other. That is wonderful.
      Yes the weather is exhausting! It has improved here but still warm. Surely not long to go now to actual spring weather!
      Thank you for your comments on my hankies! Have a great new week Aly! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  11. Annabel you are one busy, busy lady! I cannot claim to have done anywhere near as much as you this week. I have feathered my nest by working each evening in my vege garden. I now have tomatoes, lettuce, bak choy, parsley, silverbeet, zucchini, button squash, cucumbers, bell chilli and Basil coming up or up and thriving. Our weather has been very hot and humid(with little rain), but I live in hope of it cooling down. The only saving grace for the garden is the fruit trees have now grown enough to provide a bit of shade and protection. Hubby has been keeping the water up to the garden. Thank goodness we have a bore for this. I've made a few more bits and bobs for my present cupboard and have a few things cut out and ready to be made up. The weekend will see a push to give my home a bit of love and attention. Only two more weeks of work left and then it will be back to having time to share the love. Have a great weekend. Life is good.

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    1. Dear Jane,
      Our weather has been hot and humid too which is unusual here (the humid part)
      This is making the garden go crazy though so I hope its good for your veggie garden.
      I am working on the house over the weekend too as Andy is working.
      It will be lovely having more free time! Free time quickly becomes very busy with good things! Have a great weekend to you too with love Annabel.xxx

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  12. Hi Annabel!

    This is a relaxing way to end my week - and share in the rewards of your efforts! You see, for all the enjoyment you get, it is all magnified so much more because we all get to enjoy the results, too!! That's one way to make an increase - by sharing!

    It is amazing fabric that your hankies are made out of! As for your chandelier, I'll have to tell Dad. He's the main gardener, and floral artist, in our family. I can just imagine him spray painting flowers like that. He is also the chief bow-tying artist, making beautiful, large florist bows. He's so handy!! Mum is the one who creates a quiet, peaceful, orderly home environment, with hearty meals. Dad is super resourceful and adds the flowers!

    While Vicky is preparing for her spring garden, I am within a month of starting my new kitchen garden, in our autumn. It's funny to compare our seasons!! I had a garden years ago, in the drought, and we did grow lovely silver beet (shaded by old sheets!), turnips and beans. This time, I have part of my whole new area (which is fenced, as the first garden was) cleared of lantana and waiting. We've been having good recent rain, and my small savings each fortnight over time mean I can buy some special food and medicinal plants out of the selection available for this time of year. It's good to be excited about these things! I think you'll love the plants I have in mind, so just keep blogging, Annabel, and we'll see!

    My husband is into a bit of nest feathering at the moment, chasing up things in town, as well as doing smaller jobs on vehicles. We paid Aldi a visit, and my husband found cheap canned beetroot. Wasn't he impressed!! On the way home, at Coles, we bought two 500g bags of whole walnuts, for one dollar each. They are just breaking open. I am imagining how they will look in a large glass jar, and how they will taste in crumble/crisp topping. Yum? Oh yes, and my husband has also made his own version of a floating wick in my olive oil lamp - using cork, covered with a wine bottle cap (to stop the cork burning) and a hole drilled through both layers for the wick. I found a small glass that handles the heat, and all is well. I found that wicks made with salt have a more golden flame. Borax with salt is good, with a brighter, whiter flame. Borax on its own was no good. Sunflower oil smokes! Olive oil is good, and burns clean, as I was told.

    So there! Keep going!!

    With warm regards,
    Rachel Holt

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    1. Dear Rachel,
      I love hearing about your garden and life! Your Dad sounds very creative! My Nan was a wonderful floral artist. She had volumes of flowers all the time. I loved it!
      We are loving Aldi. Each thing we have tried we have loved. All well under half the usual price here. The potential for savings is just massive.
      The walnuts were a huge bargain!
      Have a lovely weekend Rachel! With love and thanks, Annabel.xxx

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  13. Your hankies are just lovely! And I can't believe how clever your chandelier redo was!!! It is amazing how pretty it came out $3 dollars later!!! :) You are one clever cat :)

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    1. Dear Jes,
      Thank you! I have been on the look out for fabric to re cover pot holders. So there was some in my own linen cupboard! I am still saving it up though as I want to do white a few and add some to the gift cupboard. Have a good weekend! With love Annabel.xxx

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  14. Dear Annabel, You have the best ideas! I love what you have done with the old light fitting turning it into such a work of art! It looks amazing. Your hankies look fabulous, and the lace edged rose ones sound dreamy. More fabulous ideas! :-)

    Once upon a time I'd look in shops for inspiration, now I just come here! :-) Truly, everything you showcase is wonderful, all the links to other inspiring blogs and also the beautiful crafts and other gorgeous items you feature.

    I love reading everyone's comments here too and the support and encouragement given is just lovely. xoxo

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    1. Dear Kaye,
      I am dreaming about the lace and soft florals too now. I hope to finish this lot over the long weekend (we have Adelaide cup weekend)
      Thank you re the chandelier. Maybe worlds cheapest Chandelier?
      Thank you for your encouragement! I hope you had a great week, have a lovely weekend! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  15. You clever lady Annabel, that chandelier looks beautiful! And so do those hankies, amazing what simple embellishments will do.

    I have loved looking at all the beautiful creations in the previous posts. This is a wonderful little community. I got excited because I made four cards lol! You ladies are great, and you are keeping me inspired with many ideas, thank you.

    And thank you Annabel, for encouraging us all to be more creative, look what you have started!

    Have a gorgeous weekend,

    xTania

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    1. Dear Tania, Thank you! I know you have been so busy. Well done on card making! I hope you enjoyed it! Once you get going is seems to get easier and easier.
      I think autumn and winter lend themselves to knitting and crochet too and I know you enjoy those. I hope you get more time to fit things in!
      But summer has been very productive and the amount of produce you have dealt with is wonderful. We have to make hay while the sun shines!
      I hope you got some rain. We have had a lot and it is very humid but everything is growing like crazy!
      Have a lovely weekend! With love Annabel.xxxx

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  16. I feathered my nest by putting 5 presents into the gift box. (I have a box, not a cubbard.) It's hard for me to think of homemade presents for kids, so when I spotted some great things on clearance, I grabbed them. This saves me at least $8 per gift from when I buy at the time the invites come in. Some of the presents were only $2, so on those I saved much more than the $8. So I am happy!

    The rest of the week was spent working to get the garden ready before the rains came in. I didn't finish, but made loads of progress.

    I love how all your posts talk about rejoicing in what you did accomplish, because I am apt to focus on the fact that I didn't get the muffins made for breakfasts for next week rather than what I *DID* do. It helps me a lot, both this one and the Vicky Challenge. :)

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    1. Dear Cristy, Well done! It is so great to build up the present stash at a good price. Big savings.
      Some weeks just getting dinner on the table and keeping things going is a big achievement! All extras are a bonus. It is a big help to look over the week, be glad and celebrate the good things and then go ahead and plan the next week. I try and have a day of rest and planning. I do feel good to look at what I did manage. Otherwise it is just an endless to do list!
      Thanks so much Cristy! With love Annabel.xxx

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  17. Wow, Annabel...That outdoor chandelier is GORGEOUS, and I never could have envisioned that beautiful result from what you showed it starting as!

    xxJen in NS

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    1. Dear Jen,
      Thank you. Yes the old light fitting was pretty terrible. I am sure Andy wonders why I bring some of these things home! It was a shocker.
      Then he watches what I do! Anyway it might be the worlds cheapest chandelier!
      Have a lovely weekend Jen! With love Annabel.xxx

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  18. Those hankies are way too good to merely blow a nose with. They are very beautiful pieces, well done. And that light fitting, those type are all over the place but oh how lovely you have made it. I see them on kerbside collections all the time. You've also done well on the painting too. Hope we see some pics of it all done. The only thing I've done this week is some cooking. We are getting kilos of tomatoes off our plants and I have done 29 bottles of tomato and herbs and they are waiting nicely to be used. Also using the vacuum sealer machine, i've got 40 packets of tomatoes sliced with herbs to go into casseroles or pasta i.e. spag bol, lasagna type meals. Have made Mel C's sultana cake (the link was on your blog earlier in the week). It went down so well that i have a new batch of sultanas soaking now to make a new loaf to butter and freeze in lunchbox sizes for the man's lunch. Greek yoghurt is now in the thermie whizzing away also. But unfortunately nothing creative. Hope to get the craft mojo back soon. You are certainly the most inspiring woman, look how you've inspired others. Have a lovely weekend Annabel. Fi xx

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    1. Dear Fiona,
      Your tomatoes sound wonderful and I love that you have bottled them up for future use. Pure goodness. There are just so many meals that this all will be useful in.
      I am planning to make Mel's sultana cake for my Dad as that is the kind of cake he just loves!
      You did a huge amount. When there is produce we have to do that, it doesn't wait! Be proud of the enormous amount you did. I would be standing and admiring all of those bottles!
      Thank you so much, you always encourage me. Have a great new week. With love, Annabel.xxx

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  19. This week I feathered my nest by: painting a table to refresh the piece, painting some patio chair cushions which turned out much nicer than I'd hoped they might, shifting flower pots from flower bed to patio and grouping them so they look nice. I plan to save my post to put up with Vicki challenge one next week but I've posted to my blog: http://bluehousejournal.blogspot.com

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    1. Dear Terri, I also painted a little side table in the hallway over the weekend. And it looks refreshed too. Amazing isn't it how a coat of paint transforms things!
      Well done on your jobs to get ready for spring. It will all look lovely.
      You always have very good savings, I notice how they add up day by day.
      Have a very good week Terri. With thanks, Annabel.xxx

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  20. Dear Annabel, You are sooooo creative!!! I love how you transformed the chandelier and spray painted the roses!! :) Just beautiful! Also, the hankies are lovely and you have given me additional ideas for mine!!

    I stopped off a bag of donations items at our local church thrift store and found over 12 yards of brand new thick flannel!! Just right for making lots of burp clothes and baby blankets! The whole lot was $6! I also found 4 silicone heart shaped molds for .25! Just the right size for when I find soap flakes. :)

    We also found bologna (shaped like kielbasa sausage) for .97/each (regular price was $5.97) and all ingredients were way better than if we had bought lunchmeat. I made two potato casseroles (one for the freezer) with some of the bologna and we froze the rest in meal sized portions! These will make easy dinners using them in a variety of ways.

    Have a wonderful weekend. I know you will be busy!! Love, Teri

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    1. Dear Teri,
      Thank you! I am so thrilled about you finding all that fabric! So many good uses for flannel. This is great. And moulds!
      Well done on getting ahead with cooking too. So many times it is about making the most of a great special or good find. You had a very good week! I hope this week is great as well, with thanks, Annabel.xxx

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  21. Dear Annabel,

    Where do I start? The hankies or the chandelier!??? GOODNESS I love it all! The chandelier is too clever. And really the hankies are the prettiest I've seen. I adore the embellishments!

    This week I feathered my nest by:
    ~made my spring cleaning list.
    ~cut hair on some of the kids and waxed brows on the older girls.
    ~baking.
    ~cut up, portioned, and vacuum sealed ham bought for .99/lb.
    ~made ham stock from the meaty ham bone for a round of soups to freeze.
    ~made all lunches.
    ~worked part time and used that money to pay down debt :)
    ~washed down my kitchen cabinets, how do they get so dirty?
    ~swept and mopped. Sigh...much better! I love clean floors.
    ~made salads with romaine and spinach from the garden.
    ~rescued some veggies from the crisper and used them up.
    ~sorted out my recipe binder. yikes
    ~tried a new marinade everyone loved
    ~had a mommy/daughter date with my youngest

    I had a revisit, as Vicky would say. I took a look at the numbers on my grocery receipts and challenged myself to do better. While I do make a meal plan, my weakest area has been not having ingredients pre-prepped, regular life gets in the way leading to me getting overwhelmed, and suddenly finding myself with little time and a fat take-out receipt. This doesn't happen all of the time or anything, but enough to say that it's irritating the life out of me (not to mention affecting my debt-repayment plan), and I can do so much better. As you know, I've concentrated on filling my freezer with home-made meals that freeze/reheat well and this has helped a lot. I decided the next thing to do that would help me is to pre-cut all of my veggies, etc. I know Mimi does stuff like this and others do too, so I'm going to give it a try. Sometimes there is so much busyness, coming and going of kids and such that it's hard to stick to necessary routines, then my energy fails. Ok so I know this about me, now to set about fixing it!

    Annabel, thank you for such a wonderful post and posting all of the comments. Have a diligent and prudent week to all!

    Love,
    Colette xxx

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    1. Dear Colette,
      You did great! You got heaps done and have Spring cleaning planned as well.
      I have a slicer/dicer thingy that makes slicing super fast. Or a mandolin? Anyway if you use the holding part to secure the veggies you can't slice of your finger! So it could be a job for the kids to slice up something and bag it up. I squish the bag to press out the air and it works pretty well.
      Anything that makes the prep easier and faster is a bonus. I find even setting a few things out on the counter ready to go are steps done. Plus choose really simple things. I still find the biggest help is putting the crockpot on in the morning. Even if it is only for a component of the meal i.e. maybe you are going to grill some meat but a big potato bake could have been going all day in the crock pot and you have a filling side dish all ready. That kind of thing.
      You are doing well! I like that you do so much and are always looking for what else to add and how to improve things. In that vein boy have I learned a lot over the last few years. But I don't have a big family to manage!
      Thank you so much Colette. I hope this week is a good one for you! With love, Annabel.xxx

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  22. Dear Annabel, Your chandelier is gorgeous! I love it. I remember seeing you do the same with frames I think.
    You have had another busy week! I am following your advice for tackling things a little at a time. Every time I go to the ranch to do laundry, I do a little more packing. (The ranch is about three miles from where I live now, so going a couple times a week is not a big deal distance wise.) I am seeing progress and this week I wrote out a list of things I have left to do. This helps me not be too overwhelmed, as I can just look at my paper and do the next thing. So for my week, I did more packing and more laundry at the ranch; bought groceries on special; purchased some vintage sheets and a skirt at the thrift store; received a free bag of ice and some candy left over from a local parade; borrowed a movie from the library; baked a cake; froze hamburger buns that were bought on special; and made two more cards. Also, when I was cleaning out the kitchen at the ranch, my FIL gave me permission to take any food that was not expired (it's been in there for a long time and the grandfather doesn't cook). That was a blessing, as many of the things were baking goods (sugar, cocoa, etc.) that had never been opened, so that added to my pantry. Today (Saturday) I stayed home and cleaned while my husband worked at the ranch. My house was a bit neglected except for day-to-day things, so it feels so nice to have it all dusted, vacuumed, and just fresh.
    We have also received quite a bit of rain here, and I am thankful for that. My husband sowed native grass seed in several pastures at the ranch. I can't wait to see it all full and green. Oh, and the wildflowers are beautiful. I picked a bunch of them and put them on the grandfather's breakfast table. This evening we went over to visit and he told me he found them, asked me if I did it, and thanked me with a smile. He said he really liked that and I just about melted :) I am hoping that us living with him will bring him joy, as he has been lonely since the grandmother's passing a few years ago.
    Well that was my week. It went by quickly but when I look back at what I did it seems ages ago. I am happy with what I managed. I hope everyone has a lovely weekend! I am off to bed. Love, Kelsey

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    1. Dear Kelsey,
      You are doing well! It is a big job, moving and in your case you are clearing the space to move into also. I hope it is wonderfully beneficial to Grandfather as well as to you both. You would be injecting new life into the house.
      You did heaps and I am so happy about the vintage sheets!
      I would love to see your wildflowers, if you are out take a photo! I know you have blue ones... it sounds lovely.
      Keep up the good work. It will add up and you will get there! Have a great new week! with love, Annabel.xxx

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  23. Annabel, your burp cloths are absolutely gorgeous! What heirlooms they are, your stitching is so professional. I have some thin ribbon I purchased and want to try my hand at bullion roses. Your peach cakes look delicious!

    Jeanette

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I really appreciate your comments thank you! The aim of my blog is the be a place of encouragement and happiness. Very rarely is anyone rude. Actually only twice so far! If you post a rude or aggressive comment I will read it but not publish it, thanks for understanding.xxx

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