Chicken Wire Memo Board

Last summer Chablis bought a roll of chicken wire and it's been sitting, neglected, ever since.  This weekend she finally had some spare time so she decided to tackle a project she's been wanting to try.

First she painted and distressed an old photo frame.  This one measures about 18" x 12".  Then she tacked some small nails around the back of the frame....

She cut out a piece of chicken wire that was just a little larger than the frame....

And stretched the chicken wire over the nails.  Then she hammered the nails down over the wire...

Here's how it then looked from the front.  She was going to leave it like that, but thought maybe it would look cute with a piece of burlap behind it.

She cut and ironed some burlap and then hot glued it around the frame, right over the edges of the wire and the nails...

Petey always likes to be nearby and sleep supervise.  Notice how he has to be right on top of us and where we are working.  He likes to be involved.....

Once she was finished attaching the burlap, Chablis grabbed some small clothespins to use to hang up cards and pictures.  I think she did a great job!  She added a hook on the back and now it's hanging in her bedroom.

I think she may have to make one for her mother.....

Linking up With.....
Sundays at Home # 48
Worthwhile Wednesdays # 58
Funky Junk # 268
Catch as Catch Can # 202

Vintage Inspiration Party # 24

Party in Your PJ's # 44

Making Memory Frames

Chablis came up with a pretty fun idea for preserving and displaying vacation memento's.  I usually fill a scrapbook or photo album with things I bring back from various trips.  You know, things like brochures, receipts, post cards, menu's, ticket stubs.  Usually the album gets shoved onto a shelf and I might take it down and look at it once a year or so.  But I like this idea better and Chablis calls them memory frames. 

Chablis and her boyfriend did a day tour of Chicago and documented it here.  This one includes train tickets, the trolley tour brochure, a sticker from the Sky Deck, and photos of various Chicago landmarks that they visited....

Last month Chablis went to visit her cousin out in Colorado.  I see that several Breweries and restaurants were included on the trip, as well as stops in Vail and Golden, plus some hiking up in the mountains...

Chablis and her best friend had a great time in Vegas.  I loved the way she used a Las Vegas map for the back ground in this one and they visited a few night clubs, saw some shows and did a little gambling.

Chablis and her boyfriend spent a couple of days in Louisville, KY and saw a lot of interesting things like the Louisville Slugger Museum, went on a sunset boat cruise, spent the day at the race track and ate at some nice restaurants.

And of course she did a frame on our last trip to Sanibel Island.  The background of this frame was a map of Sanibel and a sea shell poster.  She included the parking stub from McCarthy's marina when we spent an awesome day with my good friend Capt.Brian.  We have ticket stubs from various beaches, a hotel sign and a brochure from the Edison & Ford Winter Estates tour.

Chablis usually picks up old frames at yard sales and the larger ones work best - like 11" x 14" or
14" x 18".  She paints them in different colors and then distresses them.  She tries to use a map or a piece of colored paper for the background and glues everything to that. Then she arranges the finished frames on the walls around her room. 

It's such a great way to display trip memories and get to enjoy them on a daily basis.  They are also great conversation starters and a fantastic gift idea.  I think Chablis had a good idea here.  What do you think?

Joining Craft Frenzy Friday.  Please stop by!

Photos by Chablis - Springtime

Spring is in the Air (In Kentucky!!!)

One of my favorite things to take pictures of is flowers, and springtime in Kentucky is the perfect opportunity to get some great shots.  Our lilac is blooming and we cut big bunches and bring them into the house.  I love the scent of lilac!

 

 

The azalea's are also in bloom....

 

 

And don't forget about the tulips....

 

 

The yard is getting some springtime visitors...

 

Some shots from around the lake....

But these were my favorites - I got the chance to get a few pictures of a hummingbird! I have only had the chance to see a hummingbird a few times in my life and have never had the chance to actually get pictures of one. They are SO fast that I only managed to get a few shots but the ones I did manage to get were totally worth it! He (she?) is totally cute.  If you look closely, you'll see him in both photos below....

 

 

Thanks for coming by and checking out my pictures!  Chablis

The Magic Rod

We've named Chablis' pink rod "The Magic Rod."

Some of you may remember that we had a fishing rod custom made for Chablis for her graduation present.  If you missed that post, you can go back and read about it here.

She couldn't wait to get to Kentucky and try it out.  We had barely pulled into the driveway before she and Kyle dragged out the little boat and headed into the bay in search of blue gill...

She's thrilled with her new rod!  Like I said Magic!!

If you're interested in having a rod custom made, I can recommend Ed over at The Four Season Angler.  I just can't promise it will be a magic rod!

Chablis & Her Custom Rod

As many of you know, Chablis graduated from college last weekend.  We wanted to give her a special gift, something a little out of the ordinary that would fit her personality and passion.  Louie hit upon the perfect idea, and the only thing we had to do was find someone to make it.

Enter The Outdoor Blogger Network.

I knew that with their extensive database of outdoor minded bloggers, I would find somebody to help us fulfill our dream.  And I found the perfect person - Ed from over at The Four Season Angler.

I shot an email off and told him what I was looking for.  We wrote back and forth, throwing some ideas around and then finalized everything over the phone.  Ed was very easy to work with, had some great input and assured me that our gift would be in hand well before Chablis' graduation date.  Ed is a man of his word and we could not have been more pleased with the final product.

Here's Chablis opening her brand new, custom made, pink fishing rod!

She absolutely loved it!  I have to mention that I had a rod made for Louie about 25 years ago.  It's his favorite bluegill rod and has held up very well over the years.  In fact, Chablis usually tries to grab it and fish with it.  So now she won't have to, as she has her own little bluegill catcher of her own.  Her favorite color is pink, so that was an important feature to us.  It's ultra light weight and 6'6" long.

Ed even found a pink reel to round out the set.

Look at the beautiful eyes and the colored thread wrapping....

Take a closer look at the cork handle and the adorable little bluegill photo embedded in the cork.

The final touch tho is this.......

This rod is beautifully made, from top to bottom.  Ed did an excellent job on it and we couldn't be more pleased.  Chablis was genuinely surprised and has a special gift that she can cherish for years to come.  I can't wait to get her out on the lake and see how many bluegill she catches with it.  I'm sure she'll catch a bunch.

If you're interested in having one of these beauties made for yourself, I highly recommend Ed.  You can contact him through his blog, The Four Season Angler or through his FB page.

Ed, thank you so much for making our vision a reality.  Chablis loves it!

Congratulations Chablis!

On Saturday my daughter graduated from college!

And she graduated Magna cum laude, of which I am so extremely proud of her.  School has never been easy for her.  In fact, when she was in grammar school I occasionally had my doubts on whether she'd finish high school.  She had a hard time with math - every single year.  She did poorly on any kind of test.  It took her hours to do her homework.  There was often crying and screaming and meltdowns involved.  I'm embarrassed to say that on more than one occasion I threw her math book across the kitchen in frustration.  School was never easy for her.

In high school she learned how to study.  She learned how to write really good papers.  She still suffered through math.  But she gained confidence. She studied for hours on end.  After the first semester of her freshman year, she managed to make the honor roll every time.

When she started college, she earned a scholarship to help pay for some of her tuition.  In order for her to keep the scholarship, she had to maintain a B average.  The pressure was on.  Again, math was a thorn in her side.  She studied, she cried, she had at least one melt down per semester.  "It's too hard, I hate school, I'll never finish," were all words that flew from her mouth multiple times.  She had a tutor, she went to math and science labs, she talked to her teachers, she learned to ask the right people for help.  And she did it!  She graduated with honors.  Because she believed in herself and she worked really hard.  She earned that Magna cum laude.

And along the way she learned to believe in herself and that she is smarter than she thinks.  She learned that nothing in life is going to be given to her and if she wants something, she is going to have to work for it.  Sometimes she has to work really hard.  But doesn't that make the victory that much sweeter?

Afterwards we had an awesome party with lots of family and friends.

Doesn't she look happy?  Congratulations Chablis - we are so proud of you!