Val Frania

Guest Post at To Work With My Hands

I have a guest post at To Work With My Hands today, please stop by and leave a comment on Karen’s blog. Here is an excerpt: Have you ever known a “total woman?” Did you ever hear a special speaker or see a lady at church or out and about that seemed to have it all together? I’m talkin’ the clothes, the makeup, the way she seemed to know how to do everything perfectly? Honestly, that woman doesn’t really exist, but there are those who are quite accomplished and appear to have a beeline on life. Do you wonder how they do it? To read the entire post, go here. Blessings!

Ningxia Red Bottle Upcycle 2

I have a second upcycle project using a Ningxia Red glass bottle for you today. Materials: (Affiliate links) Chalkboard Spray Paint Decorative Rope or Sisal Twine Tag or Sign Bottle Candle Holder And, of course, a bottle… Spray with chalkboard paint and decorate – do a couple of light coats so you don’t get drips. I randomly wrapped twine around the upper part of the bottle and tied in a knot and then a bow, adding a color to accent the bow. The twine is very easy to work with. I wasn’t careful, I just wrapped it around until I ran out of twine. Use this project to experiment – you can’t really mess this up. Just decorate it in a way that you like, in a way that will go with your decor. I added a curtain clip on the twine at the knot on the bottle neck … Read more

Ningxia Red Bottle Upcycle

Greetings my Young Living peeps and other glass bottle throw-awayers… What do we do with all the glass bottles we use every day? Do you throw them away or recycle? The Ningxia Red bottles from Young Living are such nice bottles – heavy and nicely shaped. There are so many products that come in pretty bottles. Here is an upcycle glass jar/bottle project for you. Materials: Chalkboard spray paint (my preferred brand) Decorative rope or twine Beads or any sort of decorative bauble Just spray and decorate – do a couple of light coats so you don’t get drips. I sprayed the bottle with chalkboard spray paint. And then wrapped around the neck with decorative baker’s string. I wrapped it around the bottle neck and threaded beads and a leaf from my jewelry making supplies. The options are unlimited – just play with your design until you are satisfied. … Read more

Life After Loss – Is Closure Possible?

Is Closure Possible? Is Closure Necessary? When you’re charged with carrying out someone’s wishes, sometimes you need to throw tradition out the window. My last DIY for my mom was to throw a Pepper Party and lay her to rest in a way contrary to tradition. (See links to this series below if you’re a newbie here – it would probably be a good idea to start from the very beginning, it’s a very nice place to start…) My mom had always told me that when it was her time to go, to… dig a hole out back and bury her in a pine box. It was the family joke. I found a way, or rather, my son found a way to do just that. But you’ll have to read all the way to the end to find out how. Here is what we did and will do: December 25: … Read more

5 Ways to Survive a Loss – With No Regrets

Now What? How do we survive a loss with no regrets? The days sitting at the hospital and hospice house are past. The preparations to lay my mother to rest are done. We’ve had our friend and family get-togethers. My last child has left to go back home. We’re back to work and life goes on. When your world stops, everyone else’s keeps spinning. It’s hard to jump back on. December 23, 2014, a little over two weeks ago, My mom joined my Dad after a nearly 30 year separation. When my Dad passed I was only 26 with a husband and two children. I have so many more to care for now through this loss at age 55, with 15 children, 5 sons-in-law and 13 grandchildren. We became empty nesters just a couple of years ago…well, sort of. It’s been 33 years since my DH and I lived alone … Read more

Free Printables by Eliza Ellis

I found some really nicely desiged free printables on the Eliza Ellis blog and want to share them with you. Take a moment to visit her site. She has printables for: CALENDARS & DIARY PLANNERS TO DO LISTS NOTES CONTACTS GOALS RECIPES MENU PLANS KITCHEN LISTS KIDS CHORES HOME LISTS FINANCES BACK TO SCHOOL KNITTING & CROCHET SEWING I’m all for using what others have created if it fits our needs. Save time by benefiting from the efforts of others. Happy New Year and thanks for visiting. Permission to reprint granted by Eliza Ellis 11.18.14.

Do You DWO or DIY?

Do You DWO or DIY? We are now through the Christmas season and it’s time to think about perspective and balance with the new year just around the corner. I heard complaining – a LOT of complaining about the “cost” of Christmas and how it has become a boring/stressful/unremarkable/frustrating time of year. This set me to thinking. Why do some people dread this holiday season? They forget (or don’t care) about the reason for the season. They wait until the last minute to buy gifts and end up spending too much money. They take no delight in the music or decorations, seeing them as commercial and garish – reminders of the stress of the Christmas season. They see their family and friends as sponges, trying to suck the life out of them – they are hard to buy for or appear unthankful and selfish. Their gift giving becomes an expected … Read more

Mother-in-law Apartment Reveal

Today was graduation day for my mom. She stepped through the gates of heaven at 12:23 this morning. God is good. Can I say that again? God is good. His grace is sufficient. I thought it fitting that on this day, on this my DIY blog, that I share with you the before and after pictures of her apartment. This one is for you mom… We bought our quad level home two years ago after nearly 2 years of searching for a home in the country with a yard for our grandkids and a MIL apartment for my mom. It was in rough shape, but we knew we could make it ours (and hers). Here are the before pictures. What do you think of that black flowery wallpaper? B.L.E.C.K. The carpet had been…uh…let’s just say, the animals graced the carpet with their presence. When we first walked into the house, … Read more

No Christmas Home Tour Here

This Christmas season is different for our family this year. We are a family in crisis. There will be no chestnuts roasting on our open fire this year. Normally I would be writing a post about our Christmas Home Tour complete with staged pictures of my home in the middle of Christmas celebration. (Last year’s Christmas Home Tour) It’s what we do as DIY bloggers. We decorate and then share it. I had it all planned. I did manage to get my tree up and most of our gifts wrapped. Then crisis walked through our front door and wouldn’t leave. (The Ultimate DIY – Saying Goodbye to Your Mom) There will be no last minute holly jolly Christmas shopping running around town in the midst of all the hustle bustle that I love so much. I did manage to hang a little Christmas tree ornament my DH brought … Read more

Dresser Turned TV Stand

It is a new day. I woke at 4:45 this morning and couldn’t turn my brain off. As always my mom pops in my mind and since the stress of her dire condition is ever present, I couldn’t get back to sleep. At least it wasn’t like yesterday. I woke at 2am and didn’t go back to sleep until 6:30 and then it was only for 45 minutes. I had to go to work that morning and by the time I got to the hospital at 2:15 that afternoon, I was dragging. Fortunately they have a nice family lounge and I took a few zzz’s listening to music while Jillian and Taylor continued their vigil. Thank the Lord for power naps and music apps. So, I am delivering my Dresser Turned TV Stand I told you about. It seems so nostalgic to me to tell you about this project. Making … Read more