Tidy Brown Wren, bringing order to your nest

My hands are happily stained purple.  I've been picking blackberries.  Blackberries to freeze and enjoy during the long, cold winter. We've had the blackberries covered with bird netting for over a month now.  This was our first harvest of the season and I was able to freeze 7 cups of berries. *note to self:  Do not wear shorts with back pocket buttons while picking blackberries that are covered with netting.  That is unless you want to be stuck in the netting like Peter Rabbit. I'm linking up to:  

Yesterday was a dog day for us.  We worked really hard and it was HOT outside.  By the time dinner time came around, we didn't really feel like eating a meal let alone cook one.  Since we needed nourishment anyway, I whipped up some green smoothies and tomato sandwiches. Yummy and cool. We also had some leftover corn on the cob from July 4th. Look Ma, no utensils! We decided to eat on the front screened porch as there was a cool breeze blowing. Sometimes I call these smoothies "clean out the fridge smoothies" because I'm able to use up odds and ends of produce and liquids. Here's my recipe: liquid (juice, kefir,  or milk) greens (spinach, lettuce, kale) fruit ( any fruit you have on hand) dairy (yogurt, ice cream) *note:  There are no measurements.  This is just an add and blend recipe First, add the liquid (maybe a cup or so)and greens (a large handful) into a blender.  Blend until smooth.  This is the most important step and ensures...

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It's not hard for me to throw together vignettes using our flag's colors for the 4th of July holiday.  I am naturally drawn to red, white, and blue and have dishes, fabric, and decor in those colors. I'm helping my youngest daughter paint her new home (they just closed yesterday) so her fiance can move in this weekend.  She's eager to make it a charming little home that they can enjoy together after their wedding in October. Before I head out the door with paint brush in hand, I thought I'd shoot a few pics of our porch decor. Happy 4th of July! Back porch table. Front porch greeting. Side screened porch. (I moved the large round table out of the way to shoot this pic).

A few weeks ago I picked up this little ceramic canister at a Habitat For Humanity Restore. After I got it home I realized that it didn't seal well enough to store food. No worries, though, it can hold laundry soap! I was able to use some hand-me-down stickers my mother-in-law gave me. I used letter stickers to label the front and laundry stickers on the back.  I used a permanent marker to make the clothes line and clothespins.  The marker won't rub off but it will come off if you use a Mr. Clean Magic Sponge (I had to erase a boo-boo I made). I filled the container with my homemade laundry soap .  This batch turned out a bit too chunky because I experimented with Ivory soap instead of my usual Fels Naptha.  It still works but I have to help the soap dissolve in the water before I add the clothes. *note to self:  don't use Ivory soap! So for $2.00 (the cost of the canister) I have a cute addition to my laundry room.

Well, Daily Vacation Bible School is finished.  I survived! We had a great week with all of the children.  I taught the 3-4 year olds and our church used the SBC curriculum (Southern Baptist).  It was called Saddleridge Ranch and had a western theme.  I don't like to spend the church's money on decorations for one week, so I made my own.  Here's how I made a covered wagon for my little kiddos to pull around the classroom. First I took my children's old red wagon and dusted off the cobwebs.  Then hubs found a piece of wire garden fencing.  I actually used this piece for my garden peas to grow up.  Hubs bent it to form a curve and then attached it to the wagon. The ends of the fencing were used to attach it to the wooden rails of the wagon.  We simply poked them through the rails and then bent them up. Then, I topped the whole thing with an old twin top sheet that I folded in half.  I wrapped the sheet around the ends of the fenci...

I have finally gotten the chance to add some new items to my Etsy shop.  I made them over a month ago but lots of family and church obligations kept me from taking the time I needed to photograph them and get them into the shop. Also, since my apron model is getting married and moving out soon, I invested in some dress forms to model the items.  I went to a store that sells new and used store fixtures and purchased a half-size women's dress form and a child's plastic form that is made to hang on a hook.  I really wanted a set of beautiful vintage forms, but the price was too steep for my coin purse.  So, being the Tidy Brown Wren that I am, I improvised.  I removed the short stand from the women's form and set it on top of a tall plant stand I've had for a while.  Fortunately, one of my dresses fit the form perfectly. For the child's form , I removed the hanger from the top and attached a bracket to the legs. Then I attached the bracket to...