What I did for my birthday!!!

On Saturday it was my birthday and Sim took me out for the day. We went to Holly Michigan. This is an old town that still keeps it's history. It has alot of Antique shops. But one of my favorite shops was "Holly Hills Primitives". The shop owner is Dawn and she is a blogger too. http://www.hollyhillsprimitive.blogspot.com/ She took my picture while I was there and has it posted on her blog. You can see more of the inside of her adorable prim shop on her blog. This cute picture of her front window with the clothesline was one of the first things I noticed when we drove through town. So cute! It was pretty cool to meet my first blogger in person!! Dawn was so sweet!!

Sim and I have been looking for a garden gate for the longest time for me to use for my inspiration board in my new studio. Sim was so sweet he found one on Craiglist! and surprised me with a road trip on Friday night. This is the first time we have ever bought anything on Craigslist. He hooked up his trailer and we drove Friday night down to the town of Saline Michigan. The lady was also very sweet and she had the most awesome primitive house I've ever seen!! She took us inside to see a few things!! It was like walking into a prim shop!! Every room was prim. She even took us out back and showed us her guest house and greenhouse, and backyard. It all was very cool.

Sim and I have been very sick lately with this darn cold we keep passing back and forth. But we both sucked it up for my birthday and spent the weekend together. I love our dates!! I'll show pics of my gate soon, it's already up on the wall over my desk and is perfect!!  XO Fran.

Getting my March Artful Bag Challenge just in time!!!

Our challenge this month was to take any kind of bag we had around the house and embellish it. I remembered that we had gotten this canvas bag at a yard sale when we filled a bag. It actually had been in Sim's trunk since then. I am not a horse person but just kept thinking about it. I also knew we had a photo of Sim's Dad when he was a little boy on a pony in the front yard of his house. We are out of ink on the computer so I took the old photo up to Rite-Aid and had a copy made. It is alittle yellow but I think it gives it the old look still. I put it on one of my handmade coffee dyed tags I make. I also took the bag itself and grubbied it up with alot of coffee dye and cinnamon. The bag had been washed before. I had the burlap webbing for another project I never got around to. The gold star in the corner is covering up an ink stain. The black netting and pearl rosette was a bobby pin I bought from the store on clearance. I just cut off the bobby pin. I really like the way the bag turned out.

We saw Caylee Roxanne over my Mother-in-laws this weekend. Sim put her hat on Caylee and I took a picture of them!! I thought the hat goes really well with the bag!! And it is a picture of Caylee's great Grandpa on the pony. He died before Sim and I were married. So the bag means alot with the picture on it. 

I still can not wait til this yucky winter weather leaves!! I have been so sick the last few days with a sore throat and even a fever!! I just want to get some spring cleaning done and the house all cleaned so I can create more!! 

XO Fran. 

Hello and Happy Spring!!!

I was pretty sure Spring was here. I saw my first Bluebird!! and my first Robin last week. In the first pic there is a bluebird on top of the feeder and down in the right corner a Robin!! BUT I do live in Michigan and there is a Winter Storm watch for tomorrow with snow, sleet, and freezing rain. I hope it stays up north of here!! I am dreaming of gardening and being outside!!!!

I thought I'd share with you what Kaitlin and I have been doing. I know so many people are having tough times right now and we are no different. So as one of our ways to cut back and try to get ahead we are couponing!! We work together. Cutting and sorting, and matching sales is a job. But we figure we are making money by doing this. We are planning meals too and eating much more healthier. Here is a picture of the last two receipts from when we did our shopping.

We call this our extreme couponing!! On March 4th we saved a total of $105.49 with a savings of 50%, and on March 18th we saved a total $104.57 with a savings of 53%. That makes a total savings of $210.06 in two weeks!! We shop at Kroger's, Sim is a grocery manager for them. It helps with our gas too. Now that our family and friends know we are doing this, we are getting alot of coupons given to us. I appreciate it so much! I have also been using coupons for eating out. It's kinda funny cuz I'll say, wait I think I have a coupon for there! Sometimes it makes the decision alot easier as where we are going!

With having more stuff in the house we were able to make this really good Greek pizza last night! Our church ladies make soup-to-go once a month and yesterday at church they realized the refrigerator wasn't working.So the bread dough started thawing. They were selling little baggies of it for a donation so they didn't have to throw it out. So for a $1.00 donation we made this yummy pizza! We had everything we needed and this kind of pizza doesn't need sauce. Kaitlin is a very good cook, and does alot of our cooking. I'm pretty good at washing the dishes!! LOL I love to bake more than cook. I am really looking forward to more couponing and saving. I am also looking forward to being able to get out and garden and ride my bike.

XO Fran. 

This is the Stuff!!!!

Thought I'd share a picture of Caylee Roxanne with you!! She is getting so big and will be turning one next month!! She has the most beautiful blue eyes like her Papa Sim!!!

I wanted to share this video with you. It is my favorite song right now! It reminds me of myself so much! I did lose my keys for two days and I never know where my phone is!!! So I guess it's ok to laugh at yourself and then remember just how blessed you really are!! Cuz I know I am!! I have been adjusting to some new medicine. I think it's gonna work for me it's just gonna take some time. I am resting alot with it. I have been creating but would like to do more. I am working on the curtains for my craft room and messed them up! That's what made me think of this song!! So I keep telling myself "even in the middle of my little mess, I am very blessed!!

XO Fran.  

Here is my February Artful Bag Challenge!!!!

For February's challenge we were to recyle something we had around the house into a purse. I decided to use this little box that I got a Kashi bar sample I had sent away for. The box was a really cool triangle shape. This little purse measures about 7 inches by 4 inches to the top of the handle.

This is how the box looked before I made the purse.

I also made the purse so that it opened up and used some of my leftover leopard paper from last challenge on the inside. I knew I wanted to make it so that it matched my livingroom again. I had this fur material piece that was just enough to cover it with a little left over. The handle was a challenge for me. I knew I wanted it to stand up. I found the cool trim with the tulle ruffle and chain at JoAnn's for 40% off with my coupon.This is from "The Project Runway" trim line. Sim told me about this black electric wire I could use. So off I went to Rockwell's Hardware and the guy who helped me looked at me kinda funny when I told him I was making a little purse handle out of it!! LOL It worked out perfect and only cost me 27 cents!! I also used a vintage button on the front that matched perfect too. I decided to keep it kinda simple as I liked the look. I had alot of fun making this. I am looking forward to next months challenge!! We got some more snow and had a snow day on Monday!! I will be so glad when Spring does finally get here! Hope everyone is staying warm and safe. 

XO Fran. 

 PS That Kashi bar was really delicious!!!