What am I doing?

You are so sweet... I got a few emails from a few of you asking what I am up to...well,  a lot!

 We are working on our spring to do list and crossing things off slowly!

We got all the bushes removed from the front of the house

Grass planted 

The new shed delivered 

Patio set assembled 

Grill together

And that was just this weekend!

We are now looking for someone to help us put a foundation in for the shed and then assemble the shed!

Here is the one we bought!

It is perfect for our space I cannot wait to see it put together... better yet, filled with all the stuff that is taking up room on my patio!!

My father in law is coming over this week to finish pulling all the sumps from the bushes and then we need to paint the foundation!

One great thing  is when the bushes were removed we gained 4 more feet of  front yard!!!

I am now looking for ideas of perennials that I can plant in the front of the house... not bushes!!

I promise that I will be back to posting more regularly very soon ~ this week is my moms birthday, my dads birthday and their 39th wedding anniversary.... plus in a few weeks,  we are going on vacation and then we have a conference to go to for the hubby 

We are SUPER busy... but I like it that way!!

I just remembered I have not even updated my new year goals yet this month!

I am a week late!!

See... BUSY!!!

Let there be light!

Out with the old... this was a during as the hubby was changing out the lighting fixture on the patio

And this is the after...

Similar but much cleaner and a bit more modern too!!
It is an Oil Rubbed Bronze fixture and we got one for the front of the house too... including new numbers.
Our gift from the hubbys parents this year was a large light for the yard!
I am so looking forward to that being installed!

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We are in the process of cleaning the aluminum siding
Wow is that a task in a half!!!
In this picture I had already scrubbed it with cleanser... the hubby picked up some siding cleaner so maybe that will work!
If not, we will be painting the siding next year!

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As long as the rain holds out my father in law is coming down this Saturday to pull out all the shrubs in front of the house!
I cannot wait!!!

Easter Party in pictures

Easter Party

Categorically Crafting

Dollar Tree Lamb

Did you see the lambs at the Dollar Tree?

I had plans to paint him... and maybe I will someday 

For now he is okay here with the promise of Easter!

DIY... the mantle candles

In total I spent $4.00 at the dollar tree for two coordinating projects

The first is the EASTER EGG TUTORIAL (complete details)

I wrapped the eggs in tissue with glue and then glittered them to look like this

And then there is the candles...

I had a few emails about the candles on my mantle and while I intended to do a "how to" later this week I decided that I would do one today in case y'all want to make these for Easter!

This is a SUPER EASY project that I was inspired to create by my friend Cha Cha... 

I went to the dollar tree and picked up two "church candles"

I had some tissue paper from THIS project leftover 

I measured out the paper so that it would go around the candle evenly

Spread on some mod-podge, rolled the tissue paper around, smoothed out the wrinkles and let it dry!

 Placed the candle on my candlesticks and tied a bow!

Easy peasy!

So the

Eggs were a buck

The tissue was a buck

Two church candles were a buck each

TOTAL: 4.00!

Categorically Crafting

Our green and white Easter hutch!

Spring Mantle

Kellie is having a party ... and while you are visiting, you HAVE to see her craft room!! 

WOW!

In the beginning there was a lone black mirror over the fireplace

Then there were shutters from CTS that I bought last year on clearance for 1.00 each

Then came the apothecary jar bottom that I bought at Aldi for $7.00

The eggs that I made from Dollar Tree supplies came next with a large stick... from my yard!

Another pic...

Then came the filigree candle sticks and my grams Easter Greetings blocks!

Gram had these seasonal blocks for as long as I can remember... when she went to the nursing home they came with her... when she passed away,  I was honored to get these.

A closer view of the sign and some hippy chicks!

I added our initial and I hot glued some faux forsythia to the branches

I added the candles which I will have a tutorial on soon... and some blue check ribbon

I am LOVING my mantle!!!

It is bright and cheery and it is totally me!!

Linking up with Linda

Linking up with Cindy on Monday

Linking up with Diana on Monday

Linking up with Jan on Wednesday 

Joining Kendall too!

@

THE SHABBY NEST

CREATIVE CATS