Shadow Box

Several years ago, I made this shadow box for my mother for Mother's Day. It takes a bit of time, but it's worth the effort.

I purchased an unfinished 8 X 10 shadow box at A.C. Moore and painted the frame a metallic gold. You can paint it any color that goes with your decor.

Next, I purchased about a half yard of cranberry moire fabric. (The color doesn't show up well here.) Some bits of lace, roses, and the butterflies add a nice touch. I also picked up some cotton batting, so it would be padded.

I selected some vintage items from my mother's collection of memorabilia - two old photos, one of my dad's medals, a pair of gloves, and an old wristwatch.

The shadow box comes with a cardboard backing. I cut and glued batting to the cardboard. I then wrapped the fabric around the cardboard and batting and secured it with a hot glue gun. All of the other items are hot glued to the fabric.

I've made other shadow box projects for wedding gifts, graduations, etc. If you decide to try this project, let me know how it comes out.

Freezer Cooking for the Elderly

A lot of folks cook in advance and freeze meals for their families. This saves both time and money because they can grab something from the freezer, defrost it, and reheat it for a quick dinner.

While this works well for a family, the portions are often too big for the elderly. I found a post at Money Saving Mom on freezer cooking for the elderly. Check it out for some great suggestions.

My Great Yard Sale Find

I love a country look, and found this lamp at a yard sale this summer. The lady plugged it and verified that it worked. The blue and yellow flowers matched my color scheme.

Price? I snagged it for $5.00.

In my novel, "The Moses Conspiracy," I envisioned the lamp in Ellie and John's livingroom exactly like this.

Kohl's Bargain

I signed up for Kohl's email Sale Alerts, and they sent me a $5.00 coupon. On 9/19/10, Mom and I visited the store.

These trouser socks (3 in a package) were marked down from $12.00 to $4.99. Total cost to me: $0.00. I don't know about you, but I like FREE. Yay!

Do You Have An Emergency Plan?

Lynnae McCoy, at Being Frugal, asks: "Are you ready to evacuate?"

Many parts of the country experienced hurricanes, fires, and other disasters. Her article gave some good tips on what to include in your luggage.

Do you have a plan in place?

Make Your Own Dishwasher Detergent

Tired of spending an arm and a leg on dishwasher detergent? Here's an economical and effective alternative you can make at home for pennies an ounce. Mummy Deals gives the recipe and even has a video on how to put the ingredients together.

Increase Your Vocabulary & Help Children

Today, I re-discovered the website, Freerice.com. It's a fun way to increase  your vocabulary, and help feed hungry kids.

For each word you get right, 10 grains of rice appear in a virtual bowl. There are various difficulty levels, so even children can play.

I'd recommend this game for anyone, but especially for writers and students. Let me know how you like it.

Summer's Last Gasp

Like an Olympic runner crossing the finish line, summer is about to finish her course. Flowers push out that final burst of color, and veggie plants put forth a Herculean effort to produce just one more eggplant or tomato.

When I got the digital camera, I wanted to take pictures of a pristine, well-ordered plot. By the time I learned how to use it, my garden resembled a tangled head of hair, wild and overgrown.

Now, I'm looking forward to the final harvest, clearing away the debris, and getting ready for next spring's planting.

I've made some mistakes, but I've learned:

1) In a 4 X 4 plot, one square is not enough for a tomato plant.

2) Three marigold plants in a square is one too many. They nearly overtook the garden.

3) Eggplant gets VERY big.

4) Lettuce is a cool weather crop and will bolt (go to seed and stop producing) when it gets too hot.

5) Tomatoes won't ripen in temperatures over 85 degrees.

6) Black pepper and red pepper don't stop a hungry woodchuck.

7) Cucumbers hate a regular garden trellis. They much  prefer wrapping themselves around the other plants and choking them to death.

Spiritual Application: You not only have to watch the bad stuff (sin), but also the good stuff that can take over your life with the busies.

What lessons have you learned from your gardening?

FREE Audio Book!

When I saw this deal, I had to share it with you. :)

Christian Audio is offering Gary Chapman's audio book, "Love is a Verb," FREE as a download. The offer is good for the month of October 2010, and no coupon code is required.

Thanks, Money Saving Mom!