Garage Sale Season has Started!! WhoooHooooo

My Favorite Season of the Year :)

I know you in the south have been enjoying garage sale season for a while already. But, here in the north. . . they just started. I have no pictures to share with you all. I'm in bed with a rotten chest cold/sinus thingy. . . but before I got sick I hit a few on Thursday. I found a Mr. Coffee Ice Tea Maker with an extra pitcher and lid for $5, makes GREAT iced tea. We don't drink Sweet Tea here in the north. Just plain brewed iced tea. . .yummy! I also found a great little table that needs some TLC for $15!. . . and I found some really nice costume jewelery (yeah, like I need more of that my youngest said). The weather here is absolutely beautiful. Low 70's. That's perfect in my book. Before taking to bed, I helped hubby put out all the outside yard things yesterday. We re-installed our rock pool, I uncovered and changed the lights in our fountain in the front yard, put out the pots, yard ornaments and the gazebo tent. It is so nice to be done now doing these chores at both homes. More mulch added to both homes, yard & patio things in place.

Now. . . we can just sit back with a tall iced tea and enjoy the beautiful weather. :)

Have a wonderful week. When I'm up and feeling better I have some baking and cooking to do and a birthday cake to make for hubby. He's turning 52 on Thursday. Where does time go?

Oh yes, did I mention everyone will be back to school and work from Easter Break tomorrow? Yes, that's my real Whoooo-Hoooo!!! Then, I'll be back to myself shortly because I will actually be able to rest!

Blessings. . . until next time,

I'M A LITTLE TEAPOT. . . SHORT AND STOUT. . .

Ok, so it's actually a coffeepot, not a teapot, but I love it just the same!

I've been wanting one of these. . . forever. . . but I sure wasn't willing to pay the high price being asked!
This fall, while at a garage sale, I found an Oneida Silver plated Coffeepot for $3. Now that's more like it! Then I put it away when I got home until I had a bit more time. Now was the time! I picked up a lamp-making kit $8, steel nipple and hex bolts packages (about $2 each) all at The Home Depot. The lamp shade I found recently at a trip to the thrift store for $1.99. (That's what prompted my memory of the coffeepot.)
I began by drilling out the top ornate piece on the coffeepot lid. You can do it ladies. Just go out to the garage. Head towards hub's tools, grab the drill, find a large drill bit, make sure the drill is in the F (forward) not R (reverse position) and GO!! Drill it from the underside of the lid and it'll pop right off!

Next, drill a hole for the cord to be fed through.

Secure the steel nipple with hex bolts. . . one on top and one underneath the lid. Easy Peasy!


Make sure the steel nipple is level then tighten down the hex bolts.



Start feeding the cord UP through the hole you drilled towards the bottom of the coffeepot.

Thread it through the top UNDERSIDE first, then feed it out the top.

SEE??

Now, just follow along with the instructions on the back of the lamp making package. The directions are extremely clear. I chose to add the harp neck, even though the lamp shade I used did not need a harp. I just like to plan ahead for the future. . . in case I change out my shade and the next one has a frame for a harp. It's easier to just add it now than having to take it apart to add it later. . . how do I know? Done it!

Add the socket pieces. . . according to the package directions.



Prepare your wiring. . . .secure the wire ends to the two screws on the socket. Confirm you have the ground wire going to the ground screw. All on the package directions ladies!


And you're DONE!! And it only cost around $17!


And now my new lamp has a permanent home. . . at our built in kitchen desk. . . and I'm Liking IT!!

Blessings. . . until next time,

Sher

A TOUR OF OUR LITTLE COTTAGE!!

Boy, oh Boy, I finally figured out how to get these photos out of my hub's camera. Next time, I'll use mine. Gee Whiz!!

I'm not going to be giving you picture by picture descriptions. . . just general introductions. I mean, who reads those anyways? This is all you need to know. . . hubs and I built this little place "ourselves" 9 years ago. My husband is very handy and I'm very blessed! It's small, quaint and all we need. I pieced together pictures from several visits. . . so in some photos there is snow. . . some there is green grass :)

It's very hard to photograph a "small" place with small bedrooms. I did the best I could. Sorry.

Our cottage is a ranch with a walk-out basement. It has three "little" bedrooms and two bathrooms. One upstairs and one downstairs. You enter the driveway on the "side" of the cottage.

I purchased most "everything" from garage sales, estate sales or thrift stores. Any stenciling, painted furniture, etc. you see. . . was done by yours truly. I made the drapery treatments, crocheted and knitted all the throws and have collected all the antiques above the kitchen cabinets. Our cottage is decorated country/north woods/state of Michigan themed with a thrifty flair. Enjoy!!

Patio underneath the deck (hubs and I built that off the ground deck too!) What were we thinking????

Down to the water. This is our youngest with me. I must be fixing her hair or something! Also, our Yorkshire Terrier made it in the picture. His name is Sr. Winston Churchill and we love him!

Come on in:

Great Room/Kitchen area:

This is our youngest. Isn't she adorable? OK, so I'm her mother ~ I can say that!!!

This is where we bunk our guests:

We call this our Trundle Bedroom. The bed has a trundle that pops up to make a King size bed:

"Our" cottage bedroom:

Upstairs bathroom:

Back down the hall and now we are once again in the Great Room/Kitchen:

Now, we'll head into the basement:

Basement:

Basement Bathroom:

. . . and we end with the storage area. Gross, but we all need one. Here we have our storage and our laundry duty area :)

What a terrible, messy shot to leave you all with :). . . but I so love having a laundry area at the cottage. Hauling laundry back and forth from home is not very fun. . . I know. . . I've done it before!!

Blessings. . . until next time,