My artistic license is at stake.

Dear “Anonymous”-

When I was employed as a writer and my husband was still a touring musician, I felt the freedom to be weird. I wore weird clothes, I listened to weird music, and I decorated my house with my weird style.

Sure, I received some flack from the “normals”, but I was surrounded by more weirdos than normals.

Biceps and I were often hired by others to build out of the ordinary things, due to the fact that our artistic license accompanied our meticulous building skillz. Case in point, an artist hired us to build her this pretty, but functional shed that we deemed the “Big Girl Playhouse“.

I’ve been proud of the unorthodox things that I have built. I realize that not everyone is a weirdo like me and won’t like my style. That’s cool. I can handle it.

But, as a blogger, I am critiqued for my artistic license way more than the average bear. I try to take it all in stride. Heck, I understand why someone on the west coast doesn’t appreciate my deer hoof coat rack. They’re worried about their patchouli and plugs. I track with why Mr. Modern Guy may not like my barn wood dining room table. I understand it’s all chrome and glass for you. And sure, purple master bedrooms may not be your thing. I know you have a hankering for realtor beige. It’s cool.

I’m not normal, so my stuff isn’t normal. I get it. I friggin’ get it.

When I build something that’s for me, and I take the time to photograph each step, edit those photographs, write out an informative tutorial on exactly how to do it, how much it costs, where to buy the material…why is it ok for the internet kingdom to rip me a new one and tell me how ugly/stupid/dumb my project was?

Not to be creepy, but I know who you are: I know your IP address, where you logged in from, how you found my blog, what city you live in, what pages of mine you visited and for how long.

So, even if you are wussy enough to call yourself “anonymous”, you aren’t. Just let me be a weirdo over here in my little world. And, I’ll allow you the same.

Love-Weirdo Rebekah

Christmas on the Cheap-Decor Ideas

Each year, I love to create new decor ideas for Christmas. The stores are filled with glittery goodness, and I like to keep my wallet full of my hard-earned greenery goodness.

If you get my drift. (That’s no snow joke.)

Here are a few ways that I’ve decorated our house for pennies on the dollar.

My Pretty Paper Xmas Trees were very inexpensively made. They grace my fireplace mantle and add a lot of color to my gray living room. Each are made from dowel rods, scrap plywood, wrapping paper and hot glue.

This is what the trees look like this year; surrounded by vintage deer, tinsel and very breakable bulbs (knowledge courtesy of ninja cats).

I made the Wooden “Peace” Garland that’s on the  Broken Mirror Art from a felled tree, spray paint and stencils.

These are the pieces close up to the Wooden Christmas Garland before I polyurethaned them.

This DIY Vintage Aluminum Christmas Wreath was made from Aluminum foil, cardboard and leftover red bulbs. Super cute, lightweight and cheap!

Simple, different, pretty and sparkly. My Silver Twig Wreath is a fanciful addition to our front door. And yes, I like fanciful things very much, let me tell you.

I also made this Retro Christmas Stocking for Biceps…

…and one for me using leftover felt and vintage ric-rac. They were both very simple to make and much better than the gigantic knit one Biceps insisted on using-hoping Santa would fill it to the brim. The size of this Retro Christmas Stocking is much more practical, although certain people aren’t happy about it.

To match the stockings, I also made a Retro Christmas Tree Skirt for our secondary tree with the same felt and ric-rac. This tree skirt just took a few minutes to make.

Throughout out the house, if there are any remaining surfaces untouched by Christmas, I fill jars with inexpensive ornaments picked up over the years at flea markets and garage sales. I add some sparkly tinsel and a few varieties of colors of bulbs and my house is ready for Christmas.

I have always said, “You can never have too many bulbs and you can never have too much Christmas.” I’m sure you’ve heard me say that, right?

I hope you’ve been inspired or at least your creativity has been sparked from some of these ideas. I would love to see and hear how you are decorating on the cheap this year!

If these parties are up, I link to them! (Here’s my complete Linky Party Page):
Monday: Crafts Keep Me Sane, The Better Baker, Skip to My Lou, DIY Showoff, Say Not, Sumo’s Sweet Stuff, Etcetorize, Sew Chatty, Brassy Apple, Flour Me With Love, Creating my Way, Mad in Crafts, Our Delightful Home, Sew Can Do, It’s So Very Cheri, Craft O Maniac, Polly Want a Crafter, Tuesday: Craft Edition, Inspiration Board , New Nostalgia , Lettered Life , Coastal Charm, Tip Junkie , Ladybug Blessings, Hope Studios , Todays Creative Blog, Wednesday: Someday Crafts , Day2DayJoys, Jillify It , Junk in the Trunk, We are that Family , Frugally Sustainable, Sew Much Ado, Fine Craft Guild , The Thrifty Home, My Girlish Whims , Quick, Easy, Cheap & Healthy, Trendy Treehouse, Thursday: Somewhat Simple, No Minimalist Here , A Glimpse Inside, The Mommy Club, The 36th Avenue, Cheap Chic Home, Beyond the Picket Fence, Fireflies and Jellybeans , House of Hepworths , The Shabby Chic Cottage, Friday: My Repurposed Life, It’s a HodgePodge Life, The Shabby Nest, Just Wingin’ It, One Artsy Momma, French Country Cottage, Finding Fabulous, Passionately Artistic, Petals and Picots, Simply Designing, Little Becky Homecky, My Romantic Home, Bacon Time, Simply Living, Saturday: Polkadot Pretties, Tatertots and Jello, Create and Inspire, Be Different, Act Normal, Craft Envy, Funky Junk Interiors, Petites Passion, Sunday: Under the Table, Natural Mothers, Mopping the Floor

The Green Tureen

Grandpa has decided to downsize, following the loss of his second wife. My parents flew out to help him pack up what he needed, sell things he didn’t need and clean the house he would be eventually selling.

And I reaped a few of the downsizing benefits..

Knowing my affinity for serving dishes and all things party related, Mom set aside a few things for me to enjoy. I fell in love with this immediately.

The Green Tureen sits proudly on my gigantic dining room table-mainly because I can’t bear the thought of hiding it away behind some cabinet door.

I may have to throw a soup and bread party just so that I can utilize its awesomeness. This must be honored and enjoyed by more than just me and the cats.

The platter that the Green Tureen sits on will be a conversational piece all on its own if the Tureen isn’t up for the event. I can picture cheeses, fruits, vegetables all gracing its beautiful green surface.

These are the only markings on the dish. I wish I knew more-how old it was, who made it, etc. For now, it remains a beautiful and glorious mystery that is begging to be useful.

Who wants to come over for some soup tonight?

It’s Wednesday. And My Living Room is Still Gray.

House Theorem #17:Once you move into your house, you no longer want to remodel.

The things that just “had to go”, like peach tile in the guest bathroom, suddenly pale in comparison to just hoping for sheetrock and a working sink.

The green color that you painstakingly chose for the master bedroom and bathroom and at one point that you loved, soon is loathed each and every day. I blame my father’s army roots on this color choice.

But although you loathe it, it still takes you three long years to change it. Because you are waiting for it to “wear out” and earn its keep.

House Theorem #108: Once your walls are gray, you are scared to paint them a bold color, like this:

Aqua Blue with hints of bright orange, tan and browns. Because perhaps this is another green bedroom and you (and your guests) will have to live with it for years until this color too, has “earned its keep”.

So, it’s Wednesday. And my walls are still Gray. But, who knows-Sunday’s on the way.

(And if you know who I’m quoting from 80’s Christian pop music, then you deserve a hug. And some shoulder pads.)