Tidy Brown Wren, bringing order to your nest

I love to rearrange things.  I really like to rearrange furniture, but in our current home, it is not feasible. Since I can't rearrange furniture, I rearrange stuff. People ask me how I find the time.  Well, I rearrange whenever I dust.  Since I have to pick up an item to dust under it, I move it.  Rearranging makes old stuff look like new stuff. No need to spend money on new stuff when rearranging old stuff makes it look like new stuff.  Follow? Here's my latest rearranging for a breezy summer look. . . Shells and a starfish in a cloche on a pedestal. A simple dining table centerpiece made with a tray, a vase, a mini urn with a bird's nest, and a gifted box. Dear friends gave us this sweet phrase for our anniversary.  I used aqua, brown, cream and white items from around the house. I just realized that all of the items I've just shown you have come from the thrift store or a yard sale except for the glass cloche (Willow House), the large squ...

Tomatoes ( and a bowl of garlic) gather on a cupcake stand.   What could be a better Summer decoration!? Do you think the tomatoes on the window sill are jealous? Don't forget to enter the 500th post give-away:  Here are the rules: 1. The give-away starts on July 25, 2011 and ends on July 29, 2011 at 7:00 pm EST. 2. The winner of the give-away contest gets to choose one item from my Etsy Shop - Tidy Brown Wren 3. All entrant's names will be added to a hat and the winner will be randomly chosen by Hubs (aka Sargent Safety) 4. To enter the give-away, leave a separate comment for each of the following: a. You are a follower of Tidy Brown Wren b. You like Tidy Brown Wren on Facebook c. Tell me which topics you like most of TBW

Are you shocked by the title?  Me, the lover of lists and schedules, not following a menu plan?  If you've noticed, I haven't posted a two-week dinner menu for awhile now.  Why?  Well, I'm trying something new. Our family's life has changed quite a bit lately.  Our budget has changed because I'm not back to work yet.  I'm trying to use coupons and sales to save money.  We are now empty nesters (our youngest just left for Marine Boot Camp at Parris Island, SC).  Our garden is producing lots of veggies.  I'm trying to lose weight (anti-rejection drugs cause weight gain).  Lot's of changes. My old method of making a two week menu, and shopping once a week just wasn't working anymore. We were wasting food and money.   As they say, "If the horse is dead - dismount".  My new method is not really a new method at all.  Amy Dacyczn wrote about it in her book "The Complete Tightwad Gazette".   I think sh...

Because the family room is an area used by the whole family, it's the perfect room to display family photos and mementos.  But, just adding things to a room can turn into clutter pretty quickly and we're trying to avoid that.  So, what to do? 1.  Choose one area to display photos: Everything can't be displayed at one time, so choose which items mean the most to you. source By framing photos in coordinating frames, you'll unite the look and keep the overall design organized.  2.  Showcase family heirlooms so you can enjoy them.   pinterest 3.  Add interest to bookshelves by incorporating family memories. 4.  Include the children's artwork and projects: source And now, let's get down to some fun business.  It's time for a give-away in honor of my 500th post.  Here are the rules: 1.  The give-away starts on July 25, 2011 and ends on July 29, 2011 at 7:00 pm EST. 2.  The winner of the give-...

Do things look a bit different around here?  I've been wanting to try a different blog header for awhile and decided to try to do one myself.  I almost had to break down and call in a professional but I managed to get it done.  Also, a new link above lists all of the workshops and presentations I have prepared for church and community groups.  I really enjoy speaking and teaching and hope to be doing more of it in the future. In other news, I'll be posting my 500th blog post next week and I thought it would be fun to celebrate with a giveaway.  The winner can choose any one item  from my Etsy shop .  I'll give details on Monday so be sure to check back then. 

I've been having a great time creating new aprons for my Etsy shop . This apron was made from a moo-moo (I'm not joking). This one just says "Summer" to me.  Who doesn't need a work apron?  Practical and cute! Now, back to my sewing machine. . .

It's mid July - hazy, hot, and humid. The yard at "The Wren" is in full swing.  In addition to the veggie garden, we've got bees, flowers, and chickens to observe. Here, "the girls" are hanging out on their front porch after dinner. This is my favorite color of all of the zinnias.  It glows in the sunlight. Our chickens are enjoying running around the yard.  They're still trying to figure out how to get over the fence to get at the tomato plants. 

I don't know about you, but sometimes it feels just too hot to eat a heavy meal.  Our family welcomes a lighter fare on the dinner table during the dog days of Summer. Here's one our favorites - Summer Garden Pizza Here's what I started out with:            -homemade pizza dough (see recipe below)           -garden tomatoes           -garden peppers (purple and red)           -garden onions           - fresh basil           - dried herbs (from last year's garden)           -freshly grated mozzarella cheese Roll the dough out onto a cookie sheet that has been greased and dusted with cornmeal.  Top with sliced tomatoes, basil, sliced onions, a...

Our Monday Motivation this week is too look at storage options for the Family room.  Don't be afraid to try furniture and items that are usually found in other rooms of the house. How about a trunk for a coffee table.  It doubles as a table and storage.    Source:  Better Homes and Gardens An antique dresser works well as a sideboard, a hall table, a tv stand, or a linen closet.  I have a dresser in my dining room and a tall dresser in my bathroom.  Both store a ton of stuff and make everything look neat and tidy.   Source:   Miss Mustard Seed For HGTV A large open-backed shelf makes a fabulous room divider.  Items can be displayed on either side but still allows light to pass through.    Source:  google.com A section of a log, sanded and sealed, makes a great little side table.  Hubs is making one for me right now.  Warning - lots and lots of sanding is in your future i...

You know how I love a good cleaning product!  Especially when I can mix it up from ingredients I already have on hand. Well, when reading a newsletter from one of my favorite blogs,  Grocery Shrink , one of Angela's readers shared a fabric and carpet cleaner that doesn't need to be rinsed out (most cleaners leave a dirt-attracting residue if not rinsed after cleaning).  I really liked that idea and decided to try it out.   One of my chores this week was to detail my car.  Inside and out. I found more than a few stains on the carpet and upholstery.   This was actually a rust mark. I mixed together 1/2 cup ammonia and 1/2 cup hydrogen peroxide and dipped a clean rag into it.  I simply scrubbed the stain with the damp rag and the stain came right up.  Amazing. All clean! Next up, carpet.  This was mud, I think,but who really knows.  Anyway, I used the same procedure as above and it worked. After just a ...

Hub's has been putting his new toy to good use in the yard.  We have a very long gravel driveway that is constantly sprouting weeds.  We don't want to use chemical weed killers because. . .  well, because we want to avoid spraying poison around a yard that our chickens, goats, and grandsons run around in.  (should I have listed grandsons first?) I bought a Weed Dragon for Hubs for Father's Day with Amazon Gift cards that I earned through Swag Bucks.  To see how I collect Swag Bucks, check this post . The yard dragon is connected to a propane tank and kills weeds with heat instead of using poisonous chemicals.  Instead of purchasing the advertised cart, we decided to use our kid's old red wagon to pull the heavy propane canister around.  The wagon wasn't the best solution, so Hubs is looking for something else that has fatter tires. ( Remember the red wagon from this post?) The flame was a ...

I've been working hard to save money these days;  clipping coupons, comparing prices, making do, and doing without.  Sound familiar?  Are you doing the same thing? Well, I've been having fun while saving money by earning Swag Bucks.  What is a Swag Buck?  It is a virtual dollar that can buy real things.  Really, it is a search engine that rewards you for searching the web.  You can earn Swag Bucks by completing surveys, watching videos, looking for codes or even trading in games or old cell phones.   My favorite way to redeem my Swag Bucks is to buy $5 Amazon.com gift cards.  I'll show you tomorrow what I just purchased for Hubs with my SB (Swag Bucks).   Want to get started earning SB?  It's easy: Go to Swag Bucks (click on the logo above or below to get there quickly) and create an account. It's so easy to do and as soon as you're registered, you'll be rewarded with 30 SB - no...

Well, we've worked half way through our homes already with the Monday Motivation challenges.  If you've missed the previous schedule, here it is: January - Foyer February - Kitchen March - Bathroom April - Bedroom May - Closet June - Child's room For the month of July, we'll be tackling the Family room/Living room.      Step 1:  Look around your Family room/Living room and choose what activities you want to place in the room.  Gaming?  Reading?  Eating?   Playing?  TV watching?  Homework?   Step 2:  Decide what furniture you need in the room to help your family with the activities you listed in Step            1.  Do you have enough seats for everyone?  Tables for activities?  Shelves for books?  Desk for homework?   All other furniture should be removed. Step 3:  Check for proper lighting....

Remember when I showed you my refinishing projects last week two weeks ago?  And. . . I said I was going to finish them last week?  And. . . I didn't? Well, I have a perfectly good reason for not being punctual.  Failure. Actually, several failures. The plan was to:                       1.  Remove old hardware                       2.  Fill in holes and missing veneer with wood filler                       3.  Sand it smooth                       4.  Apply 2-3 coats of gel stain until desired depth of color was ...

Nothing's better on a hot summer day than a cold glass of iced tea.  But, who wants to get sweaty brewing up a pitcher of this refreshing drink? All you need to do is get a pitcher of water and two family size tea bags.  If you don't have family sized  (2 qts. each) you can use 5-6 regular tea bags.  I like to use decaffeinated tea bags. Simply put the tea bags into the pitcher of water and cover with plastic wrap.  You don't want fridge odors getting into your tea. Put the pitcher into the fridge and let it sit for a few hours. You can even let it sit overnight without getting bitter tasting.  This cold-brew method is a great way to get your iced tea without having to work too hard for it.  If you want to make "sweet tea"  stir the sugar or honey into the water before adding the tea bags.  Stir until it is well blended.  For a delicious change of pace, make one of your tea bags a flavored one.  Try mint, Lemon Zinger, or...