My Chicken Wire Frame

Before

An ugly picture and frame I bought second hand for $6.99.

After

A pretty piece hanging in our hallway to display photos, invitations, etc...

It's easy to make.  You can buy chicken wire at a hardware store.  I spray painted my frame and then attached the chicken wire with a staple gun to the back.  It's a pain (literally) to cut the wire.  You may get poked several times but it's worth it. 

Linking to...



Chiang Mai Dragon Pillows

My new FAVORITE pillows...

I paid ninety dollars for these two pillows.  They were a BIG SPLURGE for me but still a great deal.  This fabric is $152.00 a yard.  OMG.

 

http://www.fschumacher.com/search/ProductDetail.aspx?sku=5001060

How to join my blog.

There's NO GREAT REASON you should follow this BLOG.

But I'd LOVE IT if you did anyway!

I hope this post will explain how you can become a follower of my blog.  Its easy.  I swear.

My new friend (hello Oakdale Momma) asked me how to sign up for my blog. She also asked me what signing up does and if she signed up would she automatically be emailed my new posts?  Truthfully, I had no idea. I have never signed up/joined/become a follower or member of a blog until I started this blog a few months ago. 

I did a little research though and here is what I have learned:

You join a blog because...

1. you want to support the creator, offer encouragement

2. for the give-aways (i.e. you could get some cool stuff FOR FREE)

I'm giving away this wreath made from an old book to one of my followers.

You can join my blog (i.e. become a follower/member) in a few easy steps.  As you are reading this post on your right you will see a blue button (like the one pictured below) that says "Join this site" click on this button and it will guide you through the process (there are two or three steps).

If you join my blog, you will not receive an email when I have posted something new.  In order to receive emails of my newest post you will need to subscribe to mommyiscoocoo.

Vintage Polish Today (Magnet Boards and Vanity)

Available at my booth space, Vintage Polish, at Serendipity Market

~Lots of Magnet Boards~

~Sweet Pale Pink Vanity~

Drinking Wine and a Good Project

Two of my favorite things...

I've been collecting wine corks for more than fifteen years.  I have always appreciated the unique look of the corks and I knew something great could be made from them.  I made this cork board several years ago from corks I collected drinking wine AND, working in restaurants. 

How could I not love something that involved drinking wine and a good project, not to mention, aside from the glue and frame, IT'S FREE. 

I can't imagine anything better!

Hand-carved Antique Frame

When my best friend called me and asked if I would go to meet a stranger at a self storage place to look at a couch she found on craigslist I said, "SURE, I'll go!"  We made it out alive.  She got the couch and I found this amazing frame, which I purchased for twenty dollars.

The detail on this frame is amazing.  It is beautiful.  There are so many possibilities, I haven't decided what to do with it.  I may just leave it propped up against the wall.  I'll continue to walk by it everyday and think how pretty it is.  It makes me happy.

Fall Wreath Idea-Follower give away coming soon...

~Made from an Old Book~

This wreath costs about $5 to make but it takes hours and hours, to roll and glue each page and, you should prepare yourself, for several burns, from the hot glue gun.  I'll be giving one of these wreaths away soon, in my first ever follower give away.

Random (cheap) Candle Holders

My best friend gave my husband and I a beautiful pair of candle holders, when we got married.  One of the candle holders was accidentally broken (in a million pieces) by another friends child.  Uggghhhhhhhhhh!  Kids!  Why do we have them again?!?!

I mean, accidents happen.  What a great excuse to go shopping!    All of the gold and silver candle holders pictured above were purchased at second hand shops.  Most of them cost around a dollar but occasionally you may pay four or five dollars for one.  BARGAIN!  On their own these may be considered old and ugly but grouped together they are interesting and pretty especially in my living room on top the piano my Pappy purchased for me. 

Shantel Caprice

My best friend recently revealed at a party her mom wanted to call her Shantel Caprice.

Um, say what?

When she said this another friend said, "Shantel Caprice ?!?!?! You wouldn't even be here if your name were Shantel Caprice!" Now, my BFF's name is a far cry from Jennifer Elizabeth or some name like that but, its not even close to Shantel Caprice.

Shantel Caprice is my very best friend.  We met in high school and, at thirty-five, twenty years of friendship is a real accomplishment. Shantel Caprice and I have been through all of life's major milestones together.

When we were in our early twenties, Shantel Caprice had a pair of jean shorts that I loved. I borrowed them frequently until one day they were missing and Shantel Caprice revealed to me she never wore them and gave them away to another friend. I told her I loved those shorts and you know what she did? She called the girl she gave them to and said something like, "I didn't realize Mandy wore those jean shorts so, I'm going to need you to give those back."

Everyone needs a Shantel Caprice. I was lucky enough to find mine when I was sixteen.

Happy Birthday Shantel Caprice!

Red Damask Dresser

Robin's Egg Blue, with Red Damask  

linking to...

www.missmustardseed.com

Comment On This Blog Now

For the three or so people, who are interested, you can now comment, on this blog, regardless, of whether or not you are a follower.

A big shout out to DONNA, in Kansas City!  My first follower I don't know. 
Thanks!  Donna

My Green Stool

I spotted this green stool, at a garage sale, on the side of the road, in Kansas City.  I was about to drive on by when my mom said, "are you kidding me? PULL OVER!"

~ Bought off the Side-of-the-Road for $4 ~

Cleaned and promptly put in my living room, where it fits in beautifully.  Thanks mom!

Goodbye, I hope you don't go CRAZY before Friday.

People make a lot of assumptions when they learn you have a nanny.  Unfortunately, for me, the assumption never is my husband works at least sixty hours a week or we have no family support in the state.  Having no family to help is often times a terrible  very isolating feeling.  The last time we made a trip to the ER we called my best friend and the nanny. When my daughter was born last summer we made the same two calls.

I love my nanny who has now been with my family for two years. I am grateful for her and especially grateful for my husband who works hard so we can afford to have her.  My nanny has become family and having her makes me a much better mother.  

Last night, a Monday, when my sweet Nanny was leaving she said to me, "goodbye, I hope you don't go crazy before Friday"  Friday being her next day to work.  She wasn't even joking and I love this about her.  I won't go crazy only because I know she is coming back and she'll be here next week and the week after.  She won't be with us forever but me, my husband, and my children are all benefiting from my sanity during the time we do have her.

My families Wildfire Evacuation

Twice this week we were evacuated  due to wildfires that came within hundreds of feet of our home.   

Last Tuesday I could see smoke when I left home to get my boys from school.  When I returned home thirty minutes later there were police on their loud speakers driving up and down the streets in my neighborhood saying, "leave your home immediately! take your pets. leave your home immediately!  take your pets."  over and over again.

When I left home with the kids I took two laundry baskets with what  I considered to be our most valuable possessions (irreplaceable photos, a quilt and china my grandmother  made, a Seder plate from my husbands grandparents, the jewelry box my parents gave me on my first birthday and a needle point from my husbands grandmother).   I had a little more room in the car but, aside from a container of my favorite Christmas ornaments, I don't think I missed anything major. A few people  asked me how I decided what to take.  Overall, it was fairly easy to decide (and you only have moments to think about it).  I took things I couldn't go out and buy tomorrow.

More than 5,000 acres have been destroyed this week in Oklahoma due to fire.  Thirty-three homes, one church, and 12 barns (this is Oklahoma after all), in my immediate area, were destroyed.