A 10 Minute Project!-Great Hostess Gift!

Does your 4th of July weekend include a barbecue or a bonfire?
Do you need a quick, inexpensive hostess gift?
This quick project might be just what you need.

For less than $2.00 each you can make a custom covered box of kitchen matches....like these. Add a tiki torch or citronella candle if you want to be a big spender and you are good to go.
Here is what to do:

Wall Art-Cityscapes on the cheap!

I am drawn to cityscapes.  Take a look at the amazing work by Minneapolis artist Mike Welton.


Using photos from your trips both far away and close to home is a great way to personalize the art in your home.

Here is my latest project and some other ideas too!

A Garden Update

Gardens are not made by singing

“Oh how beautiful”

and sitting in the shade.   

Rudyard Kipling

Woman Reading in the Garden-Mary Cassatt

I always imagine that this picure is what having a garden is all about.  I see myself wandering about in an elegant outfit....bending over graciously to pick a flower or sitting quietly among the flowers.......

Alas....the reality is me in  mismatched shorts and tanktop with my ugly green garden clogs.  Drive by and you will see me on my knees among the weeds....

Your solution to "Mom.....I'm Bored"

F2R75ZDHPVKZ 

Summertime....and the living is easy.....unless your kids are telling you they are bored!
The Sweetwater Junior tab just might help you solve this problem.
I know that parents worry about kids spending too much "screen-time" and that is valid.  But really what I think we worry about is what the kids are doing at the computer.
Check out the links I have put on  Sweetwater Junior -they are safe, fun and educational.  Check back often, as I am continually adding new sites that are "Kid Tested".
I would love to hear from you about other sites that your kids love!

Sunday Morning at the Farmer's Market

Today is John's Birthday....a trip to the Farmer's Market, a bike ride and a family dinner are on the agenda for the day.
The Farmer's Market was strangely not very crowded making for a pleasurable hour of browsing and buying.  I was very good about NOT buying more flowers....the prices haven't come down....so I will wait until next week and grab the bargains when 2 of my favorite Nurseries-Holasek and TonkaDale will do their down dirty (pun intended) 75% off and buy one for a penny sales.

New Post on Ahh-Musing

I have a new posting on the Ahh-Musing tab of Sweetwater Style asking you to ponder whether you too have a love/hate relationship with the 1980's Style Maven.

 

A 10 Minute Project!-Many plants from One!

 This is the herb garden on my deck....trying to raise herbs in my garden is impossible because of all the creatures wanting breakfast, lunch and dinner! (more on my ongoing war with the wildlife another day)

Plants on the deck always thrive because they are right in my face and I feel guilty if I don't take care of them.  When the mint and basil start to get leggy or just seem to be overtaking the pot, this is what I do.

A Mad Matter's Tea Party!

Today a couple of girlfriends came to lunch to learn how to mat and frame some pictures.
No...we didn't fall down the rabbit hole, but a couple of times we fell down laughing!




I bet the the last time you went to have something matted and framed at Michael's or JoAnn's, you walked away with sticker shock....even if you had a 1/2 coupon.  Well consider doing what I did:

All Things White and Beautiful-Updated

I was in the car taking the Sweetwater Daughter to the airport....
The conversation turned to the fact that exactly a year ago she was encouraging me to start blogging!
Her encouragement resulted in "Sweetwater Style"....who'd a thunk it?

I took my own little trip down memory lane and started reading some of my first posts.
I had some good ideas....
but as with anything that you are just learning to do...
They are/were pretty different than my latest things.

So this week I am going to revisit and update some of those first posts!
Kinda tricky, as I am too busy to do many new projects this week!
This post was published in June.... here it is again updated!

All Things White and Beautiful-Sweetwater Style

My ongoing big project last summer was to repaint all of the white woodwork in our lower level....

and it took me the whole summer to do it. 

The time and expense of  using oil based enamel paint was well worth it.

15 years of dust and grime....covered up!

The woodwork almost "glows"!

Check out this link with tips for painting your trim if you are going to tackle a project like this!

 We got a new patio door installed....it will need paint!  That will happen when summer break starts THIS year!

All that white paint got me thinking about the color white! Maybe it was looking at all the white specks on my arms and legs or perhaps the fumes from the oil paint!

White really is classic! 

Here at Sweetwater I use white around the house and in my wardrobe!

• I buy white hand towels and white wash cloths by the dozen at CostCo...we use the hand towels as dish towels...always nice to have a bright clean stack for a party.  We use the wash cloths for everyday cloth napkins....absorbent and they don't need ironing.
• when these get stained, they go in the rag bin and are great for cleaning!

• White dinner napkins by the dozen at HomeGoods are only 14.00...they go with any table setting...if you check out the clearance area you can sometimes get them even cheaper.  You can check out this post of how I even made some of my own using some old curtains. 

• Having a collection of white tablecloths in various sizes is something that makes decorating for an event a simple task.  Watch the clearance aisles at Target and HomeGoods, you can often pick up white table cloths for great prices.  They make great gifts/ or just nice to have a pristine new one for your next party. Way better than spending 5 bucks for plastic cloths that you throw away!

• My collection of off-white mid-century pottery is growing, thanks to thrift stores. These pieces are very versatile and they work for any season or holiday. If you have spent any time reading this blog....you probably notice that I use these all the time.  Right now...I am using a selection for the mantel in the family room....simple!

•  I LOVE White dishes... 

• we use our cereal and pasta bowls from Williams Sonoma almost every day.  I have found some of these at thrift stores.  Sets of these make great housewarming or shower gifts.  
• Don't worry that your white dishes don't match...the color brings it together.  
• White serving trays are great to have for entertaining or everyday use.  I keep them handy on my dining room shelves to make it easy to use them.

 

• My favorite "go to" wedding shower or wedding gift is  a stack of fluffy plain white bath towels. You can always find them on sale somewhere, they fit any decorating scheme.   I always keep a couple in the "gift closet"!  

Now on to White in the Wardrobe!

"Marilyn Monroe's iconic dress sells for $5.6 million at auction

June 19, 2011|By Alan Duke, CNN

Marilyn Monroe wore the famed "Subway" dress in "The Seven-Year Itch."Marilyn Monroe's white "subway" dress sold for more than $5.6 million in a Beverly Hills, California auction Saturday night in which bidders paid another $2.7 million for three other Monroe movie outfits.Bidding for the iconic ivory pleated dress Monroe wore in "The Seven Year Itch" was "totally magical," Morgan said."

Tee Hee!  I think I am a bit "old" to pull this look off, but that white dress is truly iconic don't you think....BTW...do you watch SMASH?  Marilyn certainly holds a fascination for us! (wow....was that an ADHD sentence or what?)

Here are some whites that are in my closet!

• White Jeans-no they don't make your butt look big and they go with everything! I just found a new pair of GAP jeans at GW....SCORE!

 

• A Crisp white shirt-classic with jeans....an oversized one is great with leggings or as a beach cover.  I ALWAYS see great ones at GoodWill.  And don't forget to look for t-shirts and cami's there too.  If you only pay a couple bucks...you can toss them when they start to look grungy.

 

Long white skirts-I actually have 2-great with a dark tank, funky belt...add a jeans jacket and you can go anywhere.

• White zip-up hoodies, sweatshirts and cotton sweaters  are always great GoodWill bargains.

• I found this White linen dress- an Eileen Fisher mid-calf A-Line that Iscored at Opitz outlet for $30.00-yea me! It was almost floor length...so I shortened it with a little decorative stitching...can't wait to wear it this summer! I found this photo on the Neiman Marcus website...the dress is selling this season for $278---go figure!!!

 My favorite GoodWill organizes items by color, not size...I ALWAYS look through the white section....and often find great stuff.  Beware when you buy white at a thrift store...check carefully for stains or discolorations.

And about those stains.....that is why here at Sweetwater...because we use our white stuff....there is always a big bottle of Chlorine Bleach in the laundry closet!


So that is my updated post....it was kind of fun....wonder which one to do next...Hmmmmmm!

Here's wishing you a bright day with no stains...!!!

My Favorite Wardrobe Whites

Now....off to paint more woodwork....
Have a great day!