Happy 28th Shawn!

28 years ago I became a Mommy. After 30 hours of labor, Shawn Michael was born 6 # 11 oz. and I was forever changed. What a great kid! He is so funny and charming and witty... and so creative and talented and smart. He's been a delight to his Dad & I... a supportive brother to Miranda & Tyler... and now a loving husband to Nicole and doting Daddy to Emolyn.

Like father, like son... (Shawn 15 months w/ his Daddy)

Shawn's daughter Emolyn, around the same age.

Like daddy, like daughter. (Emolyn 2 years old w/ her Daddy)

middle sister

He's almost home! Yup, Randy left on a roadtrip 9 days ago and he'll be home in a few hours. So excited! And yes, I was a good blogger/facebooker and didn't mention that he was gone. You do know that's a no-no, especially when you're alone. Although my dogs bark if anyone even walks by our house, so I wasn't worried in the least.

Anyway, I got lots done while he was gone, as my sister Ginny & her husband are coming for 5 days, arriving Sunday! SOOO excited! And yes, that would be my sewing sister featured HERE and exactly 3 years ago HERE. And you're probably wondering what we have planned? Well, ANYTHING WE WANT! I'm sure we'll be going to IKEA, HOBBY LOBBY and MY LITTLE THRIFT STORE quite often, if not every day. Hey why not, they're all a mile or so from my home. And then sewing of course. And processing our lives. And decorating my home. And breaking open THIS bottle of wine.

I don't know about you but I love artsy, cool labeling and this wine label is perfect for my sister. You see my sister Ginny is the middle sister. And she's totally sassy and cool and even somewhat of a rebel. Not in a bad way. My sister could get away with wearing the latest fashions long before anyone else dared. She knew all the latest dance moves and even made up groovy words that actually caught on. She was fearless. Never afraid to express herself creatively. And I could always count on her to be honest with me... you know, to say the hard things. But always in love. That's my sister.

Middle Sister Rebel Red
750ml


Did you know that birth order is commonly believed to have a profound and lasting effect on psychological development? And that the middle sister has a greater chance of having a special wine named just for her? A sassy blend of our three favorite red varieties perfect for sipping before, during and after our favorite family meals. Some people are just born lucky. Now give me back my blouse.


Could not have said it any better.

fluffing my nest

The weather here in the Valley of the Sun could not be more perfect. Today we're looking at low 80's, while my beloved Wisconsin is experiencing sweltering hot & humid with temps in the mid 90's. What's up with that! SO, I took advantage of this weather and worked on the back patio Saturday. Our patio has been a major catch-all since the flood back in November. And once the kitchen remodel started, it got even worse. Piles of stuff covered every inch of this poor hutch.


Well, I can now sit back there and take in the beauty of this glorious time of year. I filled all the hummingbird feeders and in no time the hummingbirds were back. And can I just say, they are ornery, entertaining little rascals.


Love my galvanized roof birdhouse that someone was going to throw out if it didn't sell at their garage sale. She figured no one would want it. And yes, I snagged it for a song.


Found this little table for a couple dollars over the weekend. It's heavy and sturdy and perfect for Emolyn when she comes over. I am planning to cover the top with a pretty oil cloth print to give it some dazzle. The perfect surface for play dough. And let me tell you, she LOVES play dough!


Another surface that's great for play dough is the shiny side of freezer paper. The dough doesn't stick to the surface and makes for easy rolling and cutting so the pretty princess can create her delicious cookies.


I have had that vintage shopping cart for many years. And it happens to have aqua wheel wells and is just the cutest. Well after all these years it too has found a home. One of my locker baskets fits perfectly inside, allowing me to have two levels of storage for Emolyn's toys. Can't you just see her dragging this all around my kitchen!

Need some more transformation inspiration? Check out-
~ METAMORPHOSIS MONDAY

IKEA 'as is' decor

I love playing house. I love taking what I already have and giving it new life, a new purpose, a new place of honor. And you can be sure this kitchen vignette won't be looking this way for long. Tomorrow it may have a whole new look.
I'm like that.


This steel hat rack was one of my first purchases from the IKEA 'as is' section when they opened back in 2004. And I live a mere mile from IKEA. I know, very dangerous. Anyway, believe it or not, this is the first time the rack has ever been hung. I know! After 6 years it finally has a home... in my new kitchen. And the possibilities are limitless!


I bought the white stoneware container in 'as is' yesterday for 49 cents, retails $5.99. I couldn't wait to get it home and fill it with water and a bouquet of yellow Lantana flowers.
The Old Pal galvanized minnow bucket finally found a home too. Isn't it just the cutest ever! I've seriously thought of using it as a purse. And I still think I might.


Did you know that when you let artichokes flower they eventually dry into these dried thistle puffs? These are over 5 years old and still look great... and add the perfect texture to any dried floral arrangement.

Oh and the blue jean apron was found at my little thrift store for 99 cents. BTW, Tiedemann's (aka my little thrift store) is also a vintage thrift store and they are having a killer sale this Saturday (May 22nd) starting at 7 am- ANY 5 vintage items for $10.00!! Click HERE for location.

I'm linking up to these awesome parties-
~ TRANSFORMATION THURSDAY
~ SHOW OFF YOUR STUFF
~ SHOW AND TELL FRIDAY
~ FRUGALICIOUS FRIDAY
~ FRUGAL FRIDAY
~ SATURDAY IS CRAFTY DAY
~ THE DIY SHOWOFF

Lyle & Anya

Randy & I were so thrilled to find out that our nephew Lyle & his girlfriend Anya are getting married in November! He proposed to Anya (who is from the Ukraine) at the Grand Canyon. And the next day we all gathered together to celebrate their engagement and well, as you can see, our granddaughter Emolyn managed to steal some of the spotlight. It's that cuteness thing again.


Anya is so beautiful. She loves the Lord and she sings like an angel and is a gifted songwriter. Her & Lyle will surely use their love of worship music to glorify Jesus together.


I had a little photo shoot in front of the purple Hibiscus with Miranda & Emolyn. I actually bought Emolyn the tunic she's wearing when she was born. It was brand new at my little thrift store and made in Hawaii. I couldn't believe how it matched the Hibiscus flowers at my sister-in-law Etna's home. We ended up putting one of the Hibiscus flowers in her hair and she was so tickled.


Every time the Thompson's get together it's a jam fest. The guys break out their guitars and we sing and harmonize and it sounds awesome! Shawn (Emolyn's Daddy), Lyle (the groom-to-be) and Randy are some of the best guitar players around. And they love playing together.

But this time Emolyn got in on the act and she had us all in stitches! This girl was feeling the music! She LOVES to sing. And she LOVES to dance. And let me tell you, give her a mic and she's in her own world. She sings loud and dances large. She is quite the entertainer.


She adores her Uncle Tyler and calls him Ty-tat. How cute is that.


She even manages to sing with a baby in her arms and a purse slung over her shoulder. This girl can do it all!

Phx Suns & this 'n that

~ found these two galvanized pieces in the garage and glued them together. I love pedestals!

~ entered a contest and won a 1-hour virtual organizing session with a professional organizer @ Perfectly Placed Organization & Design. I really didn't know what to expect but let me tell you, it was so amazing! Susan had me send her pictures via email and she gave me ideas and inspiration galore over the phone! I highly recommend it!

~ the Phoenix SUNS sweep the San Antonio SPURS! Couldn't ask for a better Mother's Day! (I'm actually typing this hours before the game even starts) Now that's confidence!

~ I am slowly getting comfortable with my new kitchen. But still don't have the drawer & cabinet pulls installed yet. And the blue tape is getting old.

~ we had chicken (on the grill) & the first corn of the season (on the cob) for Mother's Day lunch. Oh my gosh, SO YUMMY!

~ I am having way too much fun fluffing my nest. I love being a homemaker. I just don't like to clean.

~ speaking of my nest, we're empty-nesters for the summer! Our youngest moved into a rental home with friends. But he'll be moving back in August when the lease is up and the owner puts the house up for sale.

~ the PHX SUNS went to the NBA Finals in 1976... then again 17 years later in 1993. And yes, it's 17 years later. OK, I'm not making any predictions... just stating the facts. And getting my hopes up.


~ so, I'm actually watching the game hours later... and as predicted THE SUNS SWEEP THE SPURS!! YEH!!

~ bring on the Western Conference Finals! SUNS in 6- over the Lakers.

~ 28 years ago I was weeks away from becoming a Mommy. I would later wonder how I could ever possibly love another like I loved Shawn. Well, I not only loved Miranda with ALL my heart, but Tyler too. I am forever grateful to God that He entrusted me with these amazing children. My heart is overflowing this Mother's Day.

my kitchen barn lights

We installed my barn lights and I could not be more thrilled! Yes, I chose barn lights over pendents, to go over my huge island. And I love them even more than I EVER could have imagined!


Why barn lights? Well a month ago I discovered Frugal Farmhouse Design and I fell in love with the barn lights that she installed in her new kitchen on Long Island. You have got to take the time to read her kitchen story. Sooo inspiring. But I was instantly drawn to the barn lights that she found HERE. In fact, that is her kitchen pictured on the site.


You see, I grew up on a farm and we had these same barn lights throughout our barn and hay mow. And well, the Barn Light Electric is now inspiring designers to creatively incorporate them in farmhouses and beach houses. They have that industrial, utilitarian look that I love and well, you know how much I love anything galvanized.


But here's the cool part of the story. OK, so I'm obsessing about them and eventually show them to my friend Nancy when she comes over to see my new kitchen for the first time. Only this time when I bring up the site, they are no longer $25.00 (retail $45.00) like they were a few days before... they were $9.13 per light!! Oh my gosh, I about screamed I was so happy! Because for that price, if I didn't like them, I would use them out on my patio. And thanks to Nancy's encouragement, I ordered the barn lights with the metal guards.
And when Randy installed them a week later, we are blown away by how thick & heavy duty the glass is AND that the lights form the coolest designs on the ceiling from the metal guards! We were ecstatic!


And now on to some thrifty decorating vignettes for your viewing pleasure.
I decided to use these galvanized pots for flatware that I reach for often. I already had the caddy that proved handy for holding the pots. Love when that happens.
And I love listening to radio. Gotta have a kitchen radio. Well, several years ago we found these retro radios on clearance at Kohl's that are also iPod compatible. I love how my radio looks in my new kitchen.


Ok, so this is only a fraction of my PYREX collection. But I love how the glass shelves allow for the light to filter down through the luminous dishes. The rest of my collection will be on display in my laundry room someday. But that's another project for another time.


I found the butter dish, also written in French, at my little thrift store during the remodel. I gotta have my butter dish out, so it may as well look pretty. Then days later I go to a yard sale and find the utensil holder for a dollar... also in French, means enjoyment of life.


My red hutch has an interesting story. Randy's Mamaw Bean bought the buffet over 60 years ago and then when she died in 1978, Randy's parents inherited the piece and years later gave it to us. We eventually found the unfinished top hutch at our JC Penney Outlet store. My very first painting project was painting the two pieces red. I was so nervous, but knew I had found a new passion... painting furniture. The paint was in the oops section at Home Depot for $2.00. All the eclectic knobs & pulls were found on clearance at Target over a period of many years. (check out the spoon handles) I could not have been more pleased with the final results.


I found the three-plate rack at a yard sale years ago but am just now using it for the first time. Our dear friends Gilbert & Shirley gave us the You are Special Today red plate when we moved into our very first home 27 years ago... and I plan to write fun messages on the other two plates with erase markers each time we entertain.


And check out Mrs. McGillicutty's new digs! She is now in the corner of my new kitchen along with my Grandma Steinke's sewing machine. She'll be sporting various aprons I've collected over the years. And just between you & me, I think she likes being out in the spotlight. I can't say I blame her. She's quite the looker.

If you're new to my blog and would like to see the whole kitchen transformation, click HERE.

I'm Linking up to-
~ DO IT YOURSELF DAY
~ METAMORPHOSIS MONDAY
~ TOOT YOUR HORN TUESDAY
~ STRUT YOUR STUFF
~ SHOW AND TELL @ Blue Cricket Design
~ TRANSFORMATION THURSDAY
~ SHOW OFF YOUR STUFF PARTY
~ SHOW AND TELL FRIDAY @ My Romantic Home
~ FRUGAL FRIDAY @ The Shabby Nest
~ FRUGALICIOUS FRIDAY

Emolyn's ruby slippers

I found them! I have literally been looking for a pair of ruby red slippers for Emolyn since the day she was born. And I found them at my little thrift store for $1.50! And they fit perfectly. And I only had to wait a couple hours before I could slip them on the littlest Dorothy.
And what did she think? Let's just let the following pictures speak for the themselves.


"There's no place like home. There's no place like home."



These ruby slippers really are magical. Emolyn immediately began to dance and prance and twirl around in circles.
She was enchanting and bewitching.
And I was completely spellbound.


*** Clic each pic to enlarge.