Trashy Moneybag

Are you one of those super disciplined people who never eats in the car?Then you can probably skip this post.(We do eat in the car. In fact, even as I type this, there is a Cheeto stuck between the seat and the console in our car that drives my husband absolutely bonkers! I'm slightly amused by how nuts it makes him, so I haven't tried to dig it out.)For the rest of us~don't you hate it when you get in your car and it smells like, I don't know, onions from the tacos you ate yesterday? And the only reason it smells like that is the wrapper is still in the little garbage bag in your car. I think I have a solution. And it's not emptying your little trash bag daily. No. That would be too simple.It involves 

this moneybag and it's magical odor reducing properties. I kid. It's not magic. But it does involve this money bag. 

Which just happens to be the exact same width as a gallon size freezer bag.

But it was taller, so I cut the top off, making sure that it was about 1 1/2 inches taller than the freezer bag. And then I realized it was crooked, so I had to even it up.

Then I folded the top over, and pressed it flat.

Then, I stuck the freezer bag inside, and matched up sides and top. 

Then I (imperfectly) stitched all the way around the bag with my sewing machine.

I also added this little twill tape tab at one side. 

Voila!A little trash bag for your car that SEALS SHUT!!I know!

No more yesterday's tacos oniony smell!Plus, it's somewhat cute.

I added this key ring at the top. It helps the bag stay in place a little better. 
There you have it!A trashy moneybag!

Happy Memorial Day!

source

Avoiding Reality

I spent the day making these.

(tutorial here, other cute birds, here.)

 I'm going to use them as greeting cards.

 So basically, I spent the day painting and coloring.

It took my mind off the fact that 

this girl will be away all summer. Away as in, across-the-continent-away.It's not the first time she's gone so far away. It won't be the last time. But I'm really going to miss her.
Have a great weekend!

Free Is

Awesome. 

 This nail caddy is one of my favorite things.

It was free.

Yup.

I found it.

 In my neighbor's garage an old shed on our farm.

Really. Nobody misses wanted it. Or even noticed it.I have to wonder~why not?
(Also, I did not housejack a poor innocent bird family. The nest was on the ground when I found it.Really.)
Thanks for reading!

It's A Start

Mr. Meridian replaced our hallway doors over the weekend. 

Even without the trim, it's a huge improvement.

Really.

 HUGE improvement!

Since the old doors were pretty much hideous.

I also started a new sign that I hope to have finished soon. 
How was your weekend?

If You're Happy And You Know It

Clap your hands!

Claire has learned that song. Even when she's crying, if you sing it, she'll clap her hands. She absolutely melts my heart.

(Seeing her and her parents always makes me happy. I got to see all my kids either on or near Mother's Day. That made me very happy.)  

Finding an old galvanized metal tote made me happy. 

 Winning Kristen's giveaway made me happy.

(those dictionary pages are in German! The book is from 1920, and the seed bag? Will it be a tote? A pillow? What's your vote? That frame is great, too.)

I love the seam binding. I'll have to think of a use worthy of it.

There was also this banner, which I think looks great with my sign.Thank you, Kristen! 
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

Remember These?

Remember green stamps?

The grocery store where my mom shopped would give them out, according to how much you spent that day.
I remember sitting at the kitchen table with a wet washcloth, wetting the stamps and putting them into the books. 

(this is a shot of a redemption center in New Jersey. Green stamps were around for a long time!)

Once the books were filled, we'd drive to Idaho Falls to the redemption center and trade them in for household items. 

My mom was saving up for a food processor. 

When it was time for me to go to college, I didn't have much to take with me. 

My mom cashed in her stamps and got me some silverware, a hand mixer and a set of 4 nesting bowls in various shades of orange.

It was years before she finally got her food processor. 

The mixer is long gone, but the silverware went to school with my oldest son, and the bowls went with my youngest daughter, who promised to never throw them out. I told her the story behind them and she said she loves them; she'll keep them forever. 

I should have posted this on Mother's Day for my mom, but until I saw this photo

the whole thing had somehow slipped my mind.

Not that her sacrifice didn't mean much to me; it's just that it was one of many, many sacrifices she made. 

So if you read this, Mama, I love you, and I appreciate you giving up your food processor for me.

And, you might be happy to know~the orange bowls live on!!

77%

Mr. Meridian won his primary election by 77%. 

Yay!

Today, you'll find me here. 

Enjoying the view. 

See you tomorrow!

I Have Planks

See?

 I have doors.

 I love them. 

I have hardware.

I have paint, I have lights, I have all the tools and materials we could need to do our hallway.What I don't have is time. Or a helper. (Yeah, I'll be honest. I'm the helper. I don't have the head cheese, the big gun, el jefe...he's campaigning.)
I should have known better than to plan something like this when it's an election year and my husband has an opponent. But the primary election is the 15th, and maybe after that we can start. 
I'll be gone for a few days. Just some last minute things that have to be wrapped up. Thanks for your patience.

Wigwagging And Akimbo

 I went to a yard sale on Saturday. I didn't find anything really good, except for this book. It was on the free pile. 

I thought I'd do something with the pages.

But then I really looked at it.

 It has some fun pictures.

Like this camera.

And the bunny rabbit. 

It's also education. I had no idea what wigwagging was until I saw the definition in this old dictionary. And surprisingly enough, The definition has nothing to do with a guy waving his toupee around.

No.

It's this. 

So much more practical 

than waving a hairpiece.

And now you know the definition, too. 

You're welcome. 

This is probably my favorite picture. Although, I was thinking that akimbo would mean something something a little less...controlled. 

And then I saw the copyright date. 

1935. 

It seems a shame to cut up a book that's so old an still in pretty decent shape. 

So here it sits. With some other old books. 

Maybe I'll find a crappy old paperback dictionary some day and I'll be able to cut the pages out of it. 

Do you have a hard time cutting up books, too? Or is it just me?

Thanks for reading!