Fun Friday!

TGIF! It's Fun Friday here at The Simple Things. On Fridays I will post about all of the fun I've had recently. Life is fleeting and I want to celebrate all of my blessings.

What fun things are on tap for today?

1. It's my nephew's 15th Birthday! Happy Birthday A!

2. I made a yummy cinnamon bread in my new breadmaker. I threw in some diced apple. It turned out pretty good. I think I'll make some icing to drizzle on it. YUM!

3.I worked on redesigning my home notebook. I used digital scrapbook papers from Shabby Princess. I haven't done any papercrafting in months. It was really fun to create. Here's the

 

In order: cover page, back page, insert1, insert2, and insert3.

 

 

 

4. Last evening, I put out all of my Halloween decorations. I'll post pics on Monday.

5. I'm having a drink with my dinner. Maybe a margarita or a glass of white wine. Nothing is more fun than a cocktail!

 

Have a great weekend! 

Thrifty Thursday

(I'm posting a little bit late, but better late than never!)

Today is Thrifty Thursday! This is the place where I will write about thrifty purchases, methods I've used to pinch a penny, low cost decorating and anything else that has to do with keeping more money in the bank.

I'd like to share a couple of thrifty projects with you. The first photos are of the low cost valance I created for my dining room window.

It's made from 4 kitchen towels that were purchased at the local dollar store. I sewed them together and then sewed a couple of deep pleats into them and attached them with clips. I love how it came out. I adore plaid, so not only was I able to indulge that love, but it only cost me a few bucks to do so.




































I am also highlighting the dining table chandelier. (Sorry for the blurry pic!) This light fixture was picked up at the thrift store for around 5 bucks. The Man checked all of the wiring and then we primed and painted it. The little shades cost me 60 cents each and were purchased from another thrift store. (I had to wash them twice to get them clean!). I attached raffia to the top edge of each shade with my glue gun. Easy! The little berry wreaths were repurposed from a piece of fall decor that I bought at Target a few years ago. Cheap and easy, not to mention so pretty! I love it.
















Thanks for reading. I'll be back later with a post for Fun Friday.

Wordy Wednesday

It's my first Wordy Wednesday! This is the place where I will review a book that I have recently read. Let's get started . . .

I've just finished the book, Jasmine Moon Murder by Laura Childs. The protagonist's name is Theodosia Browning and she is the owner of a tea shop in Charleston. She's a former marketing executive turned small business owner. Her shop is a cozy oasis of calm in an historical area of the city. In this novel, #5 of the Tea Shop series, Theodosia is catering a ghost crawl at the Jasmine Cemetery as part of a fundraiser. Unfortunately, Theo's boyfriend's uncle drops dead right in the middle of the festivities. A needle containing fentanyl lies next to him. Dr. Jasper (the deceased) was a cardiologist who was working on a surgical invention. At the request of Jory (the boyfriend), Theo decides to do a little bit of investigating into Dr. Jasper's death. There's lots of suspects, including Dr. Jasper's colleagues at the medical research lab, his soon-to-be ex-wife, marketing executives who were helping to launch the new invention, and former arts patrons who Dr. Jasper had recently cut off. Theo faces danger on a fox hunt, at a television station, and in the grand historical home she is house sitting. The story is full of likeable characters who support Theo in her quest to find out what really happened to Dr. Jasper. The book includes recipes and tips on enjoying tea.

This was my first time reading a story written by Laura Childs. I was all set to dislike it based on the main character's name (it's a little bit strange) and the trite inclusion of recipes. But, I really did enjoy it. The characters are all believable and likable. Ms. Childs' descriptions of tea made me want to learn more about the subject. She did all the right things by staging the murder in the first several pages of the book and keeping the reader guessing. I usually figure out the identity of the murderer early on, but in this case, I didn't figure it out until the nearly the end of the story. I am looking forward to reading other books in the tea shop series, her scrapbook series and her Cackleberry Club books.
You can visit Laura Childs' website here.
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I wanted to quickly follow-up on my Tackle-It Tuesday post from yesterday. I was able to complete my tackle and snapped a couple of photos. Unfortunately, later in the day, Kidlet came home with a stack of school papers, I cleaned out a bag (another stack of papers) and the mail included a couple of bills to be paid. So, more filing for me! I made some travel files for Kidlet's school papers and cub scout materials. I was also able to shred a bunch of stuff, too.
Here's the proof:




The Man brought home a bouquet of beautiful fall folders for me. He made sure that mums were included in the mix, as they are the flower that signifies thirteen years of marriage. Am I lucky or what?

It's Tuesday!

. . . and you know what that means. It's time for Tackle-It Tuesday sponsored by 5 Minutes for Mom.



I have so many things that could be tackled today, but I decided to work according to my priorities. Priority #1 is getting the bills paid, the accounts reconciled and all my paperwork sorted, filed, and purged. I have a nice cup of coffee, some DVR'ed TV shows to watch and my big pile of papers.

Before:






I'll be back later to update on my progress.

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I also want to say "Happy Anniversary" to my amazing husband. It's our 13th wedding anniversary, but we have been together for 22 years. He's my soulmate. I want for nothing. I love you, honey.

-Nancy

New Beginnings

It's a brand new week and I'm having some brand new beginnings here on this little ole' blog of mine. I've decided to get back into writing blog posts on a regular schedule. I've come up with a posting plan that I think will really work for me.

Monday Miscellanea - I'll post whatever is rolling through my brain at the moment. My interests are always changing and I think this is an ideal spot to highlight what's going on any given week. I also plan to join in on Menu Plan Monday over at Organizing Junkie's blog.

Tackle It Tuesday - This is a great meme at 5 Minutes for Mom. It happens every Tuesday. I'll post pictures and narrative about a challenge I complete.

Wordy Wednesday - I love books. Love them! I also have a secret dream to someday write something that others would like to read. Reading and writing will be the focus for Wordy Wednesdays.

Thrifty Thursday -I'm very attracted to the idea of thriftiness, frugality, and saving lots of money. Unfortunately, I don't always follow through. I'd like to highlight my successes and failures at penny-pinching on Thursdays.

Fun Friday - Fridays posts will be about something fun we've done as a family or a fun idea or craft that I have recently completed.

Weekend Wellness - I am on a health and wellness journey. I simply must make improvements to my health and general well-being. Weekends are where I'll post about my journey.

So, welcome to The Simple Things! I'm looking forward to posting and meeting lots of new friends!