Restyled Art

I had originally purchased a pair of seashell pictures to decorate my powder room. Then I moved and didn't really have an ideal spot for them. At first, they ended up in the Goodwill donation box until I got to thinking of another idea...I'm so glad I didn't give them away!

I decided to decorate my kitchen/eating area in a "Cafe" type theme. I checked out the prices of various pictures and decided I really didn't want to spend that much (even if they were on sale!) so I came up with an alternative. I used scrapbook paper, corrugated cardboard (from the moving boxes, no less :), greeting cards, ribbons and buttons. I have a grouping of nice "Cafe" style art for a fraction of the cost of ONE new picture.

From Drab to Fab!

This is the chandelier in the eat-in area of our kitchen. I redid some cheap dollar store shades with scrapbook paper, seam binding and more of that eyelash trim I love so much!

I was inspired after seeing how my friend Jennifer over at This Is The Day had decorated her shades. I decided to do all five of them in different papers, too. (Thanks for the inspiration, Jennifer!)

These shades are actually on their second makeover because I had already covered them with fabric and ball fringe to match the decor when I lived at my other house. (We just moved to this house a month ago.) But I decided I wanted a different look so I removed the fabric/trim and decided to try the scrapbook paper this time around, which I like a lot better!

Another great thing is that I got the scrapbook paper 1/2 off at Hobby Lobby. I love it when I am able to redo something really cheaply :)

Thanks for looking!

Trash To Treasure Table

This is a table I got at a garage sale for only 5 bucks. I wanted to maintain a "shabby chic" look so I didn't do anything to the legs. I used spray adhesive to add a fabric top and a glue gun to attach the eyelash trim. The table has found a home in the corner of my living room. (I'm planning to add curly willow to the vase :)

What to Count

I found this poem while making a special birthday scrapbook for my mother-in-law last year. I really like the content of it and think the words of it are so true...

What to Count

Don't count how many years you've spent,
Just count the good you've done;
The times you've lent a helping hand,
The friends that you have won.

Count your deeds of kindness,
The smiles, not the tears;
Count all the pleasures that you've had,
But never count the years.

~Emilie Barnes

ANOTHER birthday AND an anniversary!

Today's a special day around our house...it's not only my husband's birthday ~ it's our wedding anniversary, too! We decided to get married on Bobby's 25th birthday, which happened to fall on a Saturday that year. "25" was a banner year for B. ~ he not only got married but we also had our first child a day before our 1 year anniversary!

Let me explain a couple of these pictures...Bobby is very outgoing, quick-witted, charming, and extremely funny. The picture with the cake was taken at our rehearsal dinner. They got him a "ball & chain" birthday cake. Nice, huh?! LOL The picture where is he laying down on the altar at the church...at that moment Bobby was saying, "I can't believe I'm married!" while he was laughing and looking at the marriage license. (This happened in between the ceremony and reception. I was laughing, too, by the way!)

Bobby brings a lot of humor and joy to my life and I'm very thankful for him. He's a great husband and father. I'm proud to be his wife :) Happy Birthday/Anniversary, B.!

Happy Birthday, Tyler!

My "baby boy" turns 16 today. {Sigh} Tyler is our oldest child and only son. He is such a cool kid! Tyler is a funny (see above picture with baby cousin Rowan), handsome, intelligent, confident, responsible kid with a great head on his shoulders. (You can't tell I'm a proud mama or anything, can you?!) We enjoy Tyler's personality very much ~ he is extremely entertaining! I'm really not one for bragging but I am certainly proud of Tyler.

Tyler has been blessed with a God-given talent for music. He learned to play guitar by ear and is very gifted. Ty doesn't sing but certainly makes up for it by playing the drums and keyboards, in addition to the guitar. Our house gets kinda loud but that's okay by me!

As I shared in an earlier post, Tyler will start driving by himself today. Ah, independence...Such a long process ~ but then again these last 16 years seemed to have passed by in the blink of an eye. Sometimes I wish Tyler was still a little guy and yet ~ at the same time ~ I am truly enjoying watching my baby boy grow into a fine young man and excitedly look forward to watching the future God has planned for him unfold.

Happy 16th Birthday, Ty! We love ya!!!!

10 Random Facts

Just thought I'd share a few random facts about me with you!

1) All three of our children's names begin with the letter "T" ~ Tyler, Taylor, and Tess.
2) My husband and I first met at a church youth group party when I was 14 years old and he was 17 years old. I thought he was one of the most arrogant, obnoxious, irritating guys I'd ever met in my life ~ I actually went home and told my mother that! Who would have ever thought in a million years that our paths would cross again 7 years later, we would start dating and get married a year after that?! Not me, that's for sure! But here we are almost 17 years later and I think he's wonderful!
3) My husband and I are living proof of the phrase "opposites attract"! Our personalities and interests are different, yet we balance each other out well.
4) My late mother and I sewed my wedding dress and headpiece/veil.
5) I am the middle child in my family. I have an older sister and a younger brother.
6) I once worked as a temporary employee at a General Motors Plant building engines on the assembly line.
7) I LOVE to read. I mean, LOVE it! You know, like become totally absorbed in the book kind of lovin' it. I usually finish a 300+ page novel within a couple of days.
8) Anyone who knows me can attest to the fact that I LOVE a great bargain. (Uh, my kids just call me cheap :) I enjoy thrifting, going to garage sales and yes, I've even done some "curbside shopping" in my life, though not often. I'm just saying I've done that before and I'll share some of my "trash to treasure" projects in a later post.
9) I do not like peas. At all. No thanks, I'll pass! Yes, I've tried them. No, I still don't care for them.
10) Last but not least, I NEVER thought I would actually start blogging!

So, there you have it, a little bit about me :)

New territory

Today I entered new territory as a parent...our oldest child, Tyler, took the road test this morning and will be getting his driver's license this Friday (which also happens to be his 16th birthday). I'm happy to say he passed! It was pouring rain but Tyler did very well throughout the test. It was approximately 20 miles long. I had to sit in the back seat and remain absolutely quiet the entire time or Tyler would have gotten points marked off - I didn't say a word!

I guess I am surprised at how quickly we've reached this stage of parenting, to be honest. I know people say that all the time but now I know firsthand that it really is true!

I Can't Believe I'm Doing This!

Hello all! My name is Michelle J. and I have decided to start my own blog after meeting so many wonderful friends through blogging. Please bear with me as I learn all of this blogging stuff!

I chose the name "Treasure the Moment" because I believe life passes by so much more quickly than what we ever anticipate and so often we don't take time to stop and appreciate all that we've been blessed with. So, today - let's put life temporarily on pause and "Treasure the Moment"! Hug your loved ones, tell them how much they mean to you and appreciate all that you've been given, shall we?