Great Gifts 2 Go

St. Louis has had its fair share of days without rain. We were officially in a drought, according to the ever correct weathermen, in July. While plants withered away in the hot sun, longing for a deep drink of water, there were a few precious blooms that emerged among the dry and brittle branches and leaves. I have captured a few of those blooms here...

On Monday I was driving home from taking Freedom to the library. I was a little distracted and reflecting on all the things that were piling up on my plate. Freedom, from the backseat, started yelling at me to look at the sky. Thinking I was about to drive into an oncoming tornado, I slammed on my brakes and looked up. Thank God there was no one behind me because I would have been rear-ended! But I saw the most amazing sky and it reminded me of all the blessings in my life and how I should be keeping them in the forefront of my mind instead of all the negative things. It looked like God had placed a spotlight in the sky for me to see and know that I needed to focus on the good things around me! As soon as I pulled into the driveway, I rushed to get my camera and was able to capture some of the vision that was filling the sky...

Recently I took a trip to the top of the St. Louis Arch. I absolutely have a phobia of heights so this was a fantastic feat for me. The things we do for our loved ones is truly amazing. But, all in all, I did get some amazing photos of St. Louis that I want to share!

When people go to the zoo, they are generally snapping photos of their friends or children in front of animal exhibits or taking selfies with the monkeys in the background. I admit, when Freedom and I visited the St. Louis Zoo there were plenty of photos with animals and statues. We were the typical tourists enjoying the sights of the zoo. But as we wandered around, I saw a different part of the zoo that was truly amazing through the camera lens...

Recently, Freedom was invited to celebrate the birthday of one of her craft buddies. The girl was turning 13 years old and Freedom wanted to give her something unique and befitting a teen. Freedom is only 8, so the fact that Sarah even spends time with her and considers her a good friend is amazing. We scoured the shops around us and finally found an assortment of items that Freedom thought Sara would like. The basket actually turned out adorable and while there was a candle in the basket, Sarah's mom was aware of it and gave her okay. For under $10 we were able to create a gift basket that was one-of-a-kind and tailored to her likes.

I found interesting wall sconces that will work perfectly on my patio wall and add a pop of color. They were originally chipped white with tacky silver showing through. I was not impressed with the condition, but the shape was absolutely adorable and I was in love! I negotiated the price for these and was able to get them for $3.00 for the set. I sanded them down just like the candle holders and sprayed them with the same Rustoleum Seaside blue spray paint that I had gotten from Wal-Mart for $3.77. The finished result was absolutely lovely! The finished product! In the beginning!

I really need to start avoiding flea markets and antique shops! This really could become addicting! But since I am in the middle of remodeling my patio, I needed accent pieces for the walls which I painted a bright white. My theme is Caribbean and I loved the shape of these dirty little candle holders. They kind of reminded me of an anchor without actually being as cheesy as putting an anchor on the wall. I was able to get a matched set to flank my sea shell shadow boxes. I picked these up for $1.00 each and they are metal. I purchased a can of Rustoleum spray paint in Seaside blue and sanded down the candle holders. Once I had the rust off of them, I sprayed them with two coats of paint. One can cost $3.77 at Wal-Mart and I was able to refinish six accent items for my patio. Here is the after photo. Here is the before photo.

Here is another of my junk store finds! I found this beat up and dirty shadow box frame. It had interesting sea shells in it and that was exactly what I was looking for. The frame was beat up and a dirty white. I took it home and sanded it down. Then I painted the frame a beautiful Carribbean blue to match the other accents on my patio. The store that I found this was full of interesting finds and I could spend hours in there. The owner had this piece marked at $10, but she let me have it for half price...it was well worth the investment and I bought a matching piece that I will post soon. After I re-painted. Before I re-painted.

How many times have we sat in a Mexican restuarant munching on chips and salsa throughout our visit? I am a chips and salsa junkie and if I could get away with just stuffing my face with tortilla chips and salsa when I go a Mexican restuarant, I surely would. I cannot wait for summer to arrive and my tomatoes to be weighted down with juicy, ripe tomatoes. This means I can make salsa by the gallon! I have glass jars that I use to store the homemade salsa and have been known to pass out jars to friends and colleagues. This year, my tomatoes are taking their sweet time ripening so thanks to a very dear friend, Melissa, I was able to make a batch of salsa. Thank you Melissa for providing so of the tastiest tomatoes I have had in a very long time! One friend asked me to share my recipe for homemade, restaurant style salsa. So, Jane, this one is for you. I hope that everyone does try this recipe, it is super simple and very flavorful. You have the ability to control the heat and sw...