Category Archives: Rural Life in Mendota

Daily adventures in a rural farming community.

Organizing Makeup Drawers and Ribbon Storage

I’m working hard on my Project Realization Decrapification.   It’s been a little difficult since Mike hooked up with Noro Virus.  He feels miserable, and I feel bad bouncing around the house doing things when he feels so bad.  Although, I’m a little envious about the weight loss.

I’ve been doing a lot of stuff at night. Yeah..I’m one of those people who cannot sleep. My natural sleep pattern is to fall asleep about 1:30 am and sleep until 8:30 am. The best way to live with this is just to give into it. Mike goes to bed at about 11:00 pm, while I am getting in my groove at that time. I work on smaller projects during these late hours…like organizing my makeup drawer.

I’ve had this old makeup organizer tray for a long time.  If I found a new one that fit the drawer as well as this one, I’d toss this tray. It’s 14 years old.   The plastic is discolored and it just doesn’t look clean.   However, until I find one, I’ll continue using it.  I put it in the dishwasher to see if it would clean up….didn’t really help it.

Old Make Up TrayI decided to line it, so I bought Contact paper. I really like the Contact paper.   It’s come a long way since I bought it 30 years ago and it had coffee grinders and orange flowers.  Really rocked with my avacado kitchen!!  That’s a whole “other” discussion — why did I have a kitchen the color of an avacado and why did I think it looked good?    If you can’t relate to that, can you relate to the “mauve” experience that, thankfully, I was too poor to participate in?  What will it be next?   I’m afraid to think.   Anyway, I really like my contact paper.    I’m repeating myself!!   Argh!!!   If the avacado didn’t give my age away, the memory lapse did!

Contact Paper

Contact paper is easy to work with because the reverse side is marked every 1/2 inch.  Makes it easy to cut.  I think it made the makeup organizer tray look better.

Make up Drawer 1

Here’s the drawer beside it…it had a white tray. I did the same with it.

Make UP Drawer 2

I also am in this Diaper Cake making phase frenzy. I showed you my first attempt in an earlier post (here), and now I’m getting set for my second try.   I’m horning in on a baby shower my friend Dee Dee is having.   I gently suggested, “Why don’t you make a diaper cake?”  She said, “you can if you want to.”  That’s all it took.    I hope this one turns out really nice.

Since I like love adore ribbons, and diaper cakes are mostly ribbons and diapers, this works out great. However, I realized I had ribbons everywhere. They were in plastic bins that were labeled gift wrap, others labeled for sewing, and others for crafts. Ribbons are beyoootiful!! They deserve their own home and a place where I can see them.

I found the perfect solution at Michaels. I had been thinking of something for Mike to make but this was $24.99 and I had a 50% coupon. For $12.50? Yes!!

Ribbon Holder

I put my ribbons on it up as soon as I got home. This one is filled up. I’ll get a second one when I go back to Kingsport.

Ribbon Holder

I love this!

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Welcome 2014 and Norovirus!

Happy New Year’s Eve.   We are definitely not going out tonight.  We never go out on New Year’s, but tonight, we’re barely moving.  It all started last night. Mike and I went to Mellow Mushroom to play Trivia.   I was so excited…”Dude” (Mike’s Trivia name) and “Jedi” (me) were ready to go.   Feelin’ good! I’d briefly reviewed maps of Europe, checked out a few major rivers, etc. so I would know what countries bordered each other, etc. All prepared to kick Dude’s butt.    However, the game was not working. Drat! Also, during the evening, Mike said he was cold.    Then, on the way home, he said his stomach felt upset.   “Dude” was being replaced with “Dud” — he was sick.   He has been in the bed today still complaining of chills with the addition of aches and continued nausea.   I know he’s not faking because he’s not eaten anything all day and had just two sips of ginger ale. Poor guy! I’m staying way…far…away from him. I hate getting sick. Although…this could potentially kick off the year with a weight loss opportunity.

I’m wondering where he got this.  I’ve read that the Norovirus is out and about and very contagious, but I don’t know anyone who has had it.    If you know anyone, drop me a note and let me know.

So I’ve been working solo around here today doing what I’ll bet half the United States is doing…putting away Christmas stuff.   I cannot get this stuff put away fast enough. On December 26th, I decided to try to keep Christmas in my heart, but it has to leave my house.

Messy Table

That green stuff on the table (above picture)? It’s my preserved boxwood wreaths stacked up.   This is definitely something you should try if you like miniature wreaths.  It’s easy, and while the wreaths are brittle at this point, they are still green and can be used again.   (I’m assuming that everyone reading saw the post on how to preserve boxwood, but just in case it’s here!)

Again…

Preserved Boxwood Wreath

There are so few things I do that turn out good, so please let me have my moment. Let’s look at this little preserved boxwood one.last.time. Four weeks and still lookin’ good.

Preserved Boxwood Wreath Results

I packed the precious darlings in a box. I’ll use them next year! I’ve already made a list of things I want to do next Christmas and one thing is to spell “JOY” with the “O” being one of my wreaths. I bought the J and Y at Michael’s on sale!! They’re in the box, too!

Happy New Year!

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Project Realization Decrapification – Diaper Cake

Are you ready for the New Year?  I am!  Goodbye 2013!  Hello 2014!!  My first month of 2014 is going to be involved in Project Realization Decraptification.   There’s no point in trying to organize crap.   Last year, I organized a lot of stuff, but that included crap items that I haven’t touched since.  I’ve arrived at the realization these things need to leave.  C ya!    Also, there are a lot of Zombie projects lying about.  The walking dead.   They either need to come to life or go away.    I’m planning on doing some organizing in January, and one thing that must happen is to finish or get rid of the Zombies.     Project Realization Decrapification is going to happen!

Here’s a Zombie project — it’s a diaper cake. It’s also a little underwhelming and not the look I was going for, but it still is useful.   It’s full of diapers, a baby bottle and a cute little doggy on top.

Diaper Cake

This started out being a cake for the Cake Walk for the Mendota Heritage Festival. That was September. It spent a lot of days with its body parts lying about.  I drug out a few yesterday and looked at them.  Yep.  They are there.  Rubber bands, diapers and stuff.

UFO Diaper Cake

I rolled up the diapers..and anchored them with a baby bottle.

Bottom Layer

Wrapped with a pretty ribbon..

Baby Girl Ribbon

And here it is…cute in spite of all the imperfections.

Diaper Cake

I love this little dog on top.  I hope the baby does, too.

Pink Doggy Topper

This is far from perfect, but I had to get these diapers out of the closet.  I know everything to do now to make one that looks so much better– and I will— but this one has to go!!   I’m giving it to Neth and EJ’s mother who will be having a little girl next month. Neth and EJ are our young friends who help Mike keep this place mowed and trimmed in the summer, chop wood in the winter and so on.    Neth also shows up to watch college football with Mike frequently.    Neth loves Nebraska…Mike loves Ohio State (excuse me…that is The Ohio State University), and they pretty much talk trash about every other team–except South Carolina (our grandson’s favorite team), Virginia Tech and the University of Tennessee.

Speaking of Neth, he is almost recovered from the leg fracture received when Gate City played Abingdon High School this past fall. He was making the greatest play…the best run..we were on our feet…cowbells were ringing…and he was tackled.   The ensuing moments moved him from the field to the Emergency Room with a fractured leg.   Coach Blevins of Emory & Henry was on the field that evening.   He had come to watch some of the boys– including Neth–play.  Neth met Coach Blevins at a fall kicking camp.   Doug Blevins served on the coaching staff of the Miami Dolphins for six seasons. He’s coached NFL kickers, including future Hall of Famer Adam Vinatieri of the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts.   He’s a wonderful person, and he has been gracious enough to take an interest in Neth who was at another kicking camp this past weekend.

Speaking of kicking camp, I could not keep Mike away.   Neth arrived at 11 am at Emory & Henry, and Mike showed up at noon.   He brought Neth’s younger brother with him.  That was his excuse so that he wouldn’t look like a lurker.  He took my camera for a few pictures.   My question from this picture is ..”why does Neth have on shorts when it was about 35 degrees?”    In fact, it looks like everyone on the field lost their mind and wore shorts.   Surely you can kick in sweat pants?

Kicking Camp 1

Here’s another….    

Kicking Camp 2

Watch out VHSL football…our boy will be back next fall…faster and better than ever!!

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Cat Pee On Heating Vents – Never Again!

Sometimes it’s right under your nose. That’s how Nancy and Gerald felt when they realized their cat was peeing in the heating vents. Nancy is my sister, and Gerald is my brother in law.

Apparently, cats like to pee in vents–at least Sissy Booher does. Sissy is Nancy and Gerald’s tortoiseshell kitty cat. Sissy sees heating vents as a kind of “out house”…a hole in the floor meant for her business. Nevermind that the warm house she lives in gets its warmth from these vents.

This was stinky business. Gerald recalled that cats do not like plastic…the “scrunchy” sound drives them crazy. He took a Walmart bag and placed it over the vent. It’s got air holes to let the heat out but it also inflates…it moves a little when the heat is flowing.

Walmart Bag on Vent

And here’s another picture…this is a versatile invention. We’re calling it the Cat Pee PreVent Cover. It fits into any decor with a bow accessory which can be customized to fit your home.

Bathroom

Laugh all you want. She’s not peeing in the vents!! You saw it here first…the Cat Pee PreVent Cover!!

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Christmas In Mendota, Virginia

Merry Christmas!

Actually, Merry Christmas Eve according to these Mod Podge Christmas count down blocks.

Mod Podge Christmas

It was a year of natural Christmas decorating here at RiverCliff Cottage, and this front door decoration  pictured below was so easy.    This could be called budget decorating, using what you have decorating,etc….I really enjoyed it.   I’ve had this basket hidden away for over ten years.  It was full of artificial stuff from a St. Anne’s Catholic Church Fall Bazaar  (Bristol, Virginia).  Shortly after I bought it, I had the “fake faux plant intervention” with myself and put all of that kind of stuff away. This year I almost sold the basket at my garage sale, and I’m glad I did not.   It has been on the door for four weeks, and the evergreen branches (I have no idea what kind of tree I clipped them from), the boxwood, and the magnolia have held up really well. We had a tremendous amount of wind on Sunday morning, and the ribbon blew around and looks a little worse for the wear, but overall things have held up well.

Natural Christmas Decor on Door

And look…if you are friends with me on Facebook, you’ve already seen the picture below.  This is what Mike and I got each other for Christmas. Most certainly this is our last Christmas with these Dear Girls. We purchased this from Mallory Fine Arts in Abingdon as part of the “Reigning Cats and Dogs” exhibit benefitting the Animal Defense League of Washington County.  Nadya Warthen-Gibson is the artist.    I provided her with five or six photographs of Gracie and Luckie which were taken about two years ago, and she captured them in this portrait.

Puppies Picture

Something else… I’m going out on a limb here, but I believe we’re going to have a snow in Mendota soon. Some time around New Year’s Day.   I’m hopeful anyway.   Our Pencil Post Snowman is ready. He says “Let it Snow” on the little sign he’s holding. Do you like this guy? I’ve thought about having Mike make me a dozen of these and  then selling them at the Farmer’s Market next Christmas.   (Talk about planning…I’m 365 days ahead of the game! ) Should I do it?   I haven’t had a large amount of luck with this type of thing…I could possibly end up with an army of Pencil Post Snowmen next Christmas!

Fence Post Snowman

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Day and lots of Christmas right through the next year. Thank you for reading RiverCliff Cottage.

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I Am A Landscaping Loser

Look carefully at the picture below. It is from a cute site called Homemade Gifts Made Easy.

grass-heads-couple-600x611

Somehow I must have been channeling this site when doing the pruning on our shrubbery last year. Do you see the resemblance?

Green Shaggy plant

This Golden Horizon Deodar Cedar should just be giving us a little winter color right now.   I am a landscaping loser.

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English Muffins, Golden Retrievers and Me

Never, ever feed your pet “people food” unless your pet is Gracie Beaule and she’s 15 years and 3 months old. Gracie Beaule will do what she dog-gone darn well pleases. Age has its privileges. Gracie rules!

Gracie Eating

Yuck…someone needs a manicure in that picture above. Gracie and I decided to split an English Muffin with cheap cream cheese and even cheaper grape jelly. We both loved it. We’re on a sugar high. She’s barking. I’m singing.

English Muffins

On other fronts here at RiverCliff Cottage, we are completely focused on our church Christmas play. Procrastination has turned into a frantic rush to get things done. This is going to be a play for the ages. One of the shepherds insisted on bringing his pet rabbit and including it in the play. I let him. Possibly a big mistake in our path to winning a Tony Award. Strategically, it had another pitfall…one of our angels learned of the rabbit and wanted to bring her cat. “No, Sweet Little Angel, you cannot bring your cat. It will eat the shepherd’s rabbit!”

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Our Natural Christmas in Mendota

It’s ten days before Christmas, and until now, I’ve been making my decorations vs just digging them out of the box. Mind you, I’m not against the box, it’s just something I haven’t done this year. Yet.

Here’s a picture collage that recaps many of the items made this year. Lots of greenery and red bows. The greenery that was used outside is still looking good, but inside, things are getting a “mite dry.”

Natural Christmas Pictures r

I’ll be soaking my indoor wreaths in water this week and replacing some of the greenery in the house with fresh greenery. It sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it? However, I sold all of my faux wreaths at the garage sale this summer!! I don’t have a choice.

Maybe I’m not as smart as I thought!

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Eleven Days Until Christmas!

Tonight I am staring at a box full of odd costumes that was in the attic at Mt. Vernon Church. Hopefully, tomorrow these will begin outfitting Joseph, Mary, three wise men, various shepherds and a few angels. Christmas is almost here. This picture looks a little fuzzy…but you get the picture!

Eleven Days

It’s also been a week of surprises. On Friday night, someone gave me a marvelous gift — too precious to mention at this time. A few days later, on Thursday, I opened the mail and found a beautiful, hand-knitted gift from a young friend in the Netherlands. I’ll post a picture tomorrow.

Later, I picked a card from the Mendota “gift tree” and went to make my purchases. As I walked into JCPenney’s, a lady met me and gave me a coupon. It wasn’t the normal spend this get that. It was “spend $50 get $25 off.” She was my angel! I was able to get all the items on my card.

Sometimes we throw the word “blessed” around too much, but this is what I feel.

Now..on another subject..do you remember the ugly light fixture we replaced in our little bathroom? Here it is lest you forgot..

Little Bathroom Project 1

If you’ll recall, Mike repurposed the light fixture, and we used it in the fall like this…okay…but a little bit of a yawn.

Candles Burning Inside 2

And today it looks like this…when Mike and I go by it, we give each other a “high five” for keeping something out of the landfill. Just feeling very smug about it!! 🙂

Repurposed Hollywood Mirror Bar

Thank you for reading RiverCliff Cottage. Hope I wasn’t too sappy tonight. Maybe it’s all the Lifetime movies I’m watching at Christmas.

As you drive by marquees on little churches in the coming days that announce their Christmas plays, don’t be shy. Stop in and attend that play! They are looking for an audience.

Eva

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