Marvelous Monday Update 8/5/2024

Happy Monday!  How was your weekend?  Mine was very busy and productive.

 

LOTS OF DIY

Last summer, I created a water fountain for the front of The Homestead. It turned out as I envisioned.

The only issue I have is the solar fountain is free floating which means it sprinkles water outside the half barrel.

When I was at the home improvement store over the weekend, the citronella plants were on clearance for $5.  It was a HUGE plant.

I bought it not for the plant, but for the hanging planter.  The plant was a bonus, LOL.  I've never had a citronella plant before.  It smells good!

I took the hanger off the pot and clipped the three legs off.  I straightened them out as best I could and attached them to the fountain base.

No more free floating solar fountain.  It still sprays a little water outside the barrel, but not nearly as much.  I still want to put some larger river rock in the bottom.

A few years ago, I bought solar gutter lights for the side of the garage that faces the backyard.  At the time, I didn't have an actual electrical light on that side.  Due to the building collapse and subsequent repairs, I had a light installed so I no longer needed the solar lights on the side of the garage.

I installed them on the house gutters where there isn't much lighting.

I'm pretty pleased with how both projects turned out.

GOOD EATS

Thanks to the generosity of a coworker who had excess garden produce, I made two quarts of refrigerator dill pickles.  I'm so looking forward to eating these once the recommended time has passed. 

I also made three pints of refrigerator strawberry rhubarb jam.  It tastes really good.  Two jars are now in the freezer.

THRIFTING

One of my favorite things is to find a good deal at the thrift stores.  I found a Calvin Klein dress (over $100 new) for $7.49!

Isn't it pretty?  I have an outdoor wedding reception to go to next month and I'm planning on wearing it.  Won't it look good with a nice pair of sandals?

Until Next Time,

Family, Finds, and Another Finish

FAMILY
My family had some sad news last week. My cousin had a heart attack and after being on life support for three days, the decision was made to let her go.  She was only in her mid 40's (a few younger than me.) and leaves behind a husband and two adult children. Even though we weren't close as adults, she and her siblings grew up with me and mine. We are all saddened by the circumstances and another family loss.

Last week was also the second anniversary of my Dad's passing. So many images of his last months still pass through my mind.  He showed a strength like no one I've known.  He wasn't the easiest guy to have as a Dad, but he taught us many things and had a quirky sense of humor when he let it show. We still miss him terribly.

TREASURE HUNTING
A couple of weeks ago, I went thrift store shopping to find a frame for Words 2016. While browsing, I came across a Keurig brewer for $30! It looked like it had been hardly used... No scratches, watermarks, or lime build-up. I plugged it in to see if it worked (i.e. could power up) and took it home.

The thrift store offers a 3-day return policy on electric items if they don't work. With that in mind, I attempted to brew something! No instruction manual came with it, so I had to wing it. (I did find a PDF of the manual online and downloaded it) When "Prime" showed up on the screen, I Google'd it and found that this was a common error message. I'm guessing this is why it ended up at the thrift store. Being the resourceful gal that I am, I turned to YouTube.  I watched three videos trying all the suggestions... the Keurig would NOT brew. Ugh. I watched another video and BOOM! It worked. I brewed coffee, tea, and hot chocolate just to make sure I really did resolve the problem. It's been working like a champ since. Thank you, YouTube!!

STITCHY STUFF
I did find a frame for Words 2016, but it's about 2" too large. I'm going to take it apart and cut it to the right size. It's on hold right now because my power compound mitre saw is at my parents' house being used for trim work. I may take the frame out there and cut it then bring it back home to reassemble.

I've had another finish! Here's what the original design looks like:

I'm not sure how I want to finish-finish mine yet, but it sure looks pretty. I've changed the colors to be more cheery and match the fabric.

Linked To: SuperMom Stitchery Party

Started: 3/14/2016 ~ Finished: 7/17/2016

Design: Promise Me

Designer: Lizzie Kate

Fabric: 28ct Luguna "Iris" by Hand-Dyed Fabrics by Stephanie

Fibers: DMC, GAST, WDW, and Carries Creations threads

Stitching Bloggers Blog Hop: Thrift Stores

Long time readers know that I love-love-love discovering treasures at the thrift store. Over the years, I've scored lots of goodies! 

As a stitcher, the thrift stores are my "go to" place for frames. Not only are they inexpensive, they are also more decorative than what I find in big box stores.  Click on the various links below to see how I repurposed items, or to just read more about them.

 

Purple Garden

Thinking Positive

A Marriage Is

Fleurs et Papillions

Gentle Menagerie

So Happy

 

I found wonderful fabrics and quilting supplies.

Cross Stitch Charts and Magazines

Awesome Spice Carousels

Oak Jewelry Armoire

Stitching Cabinet

My stash armoire!

Visit all the blogs in this round of the Stitching the Night Away Stitching Bloggers June Blog Hop – Thrift Store Treasures and Stories. Find the instructions on how to participate in this round by clicking here.