Joeli's Tree

I'm not a one-trick-pony, I swear!  I really can paint other things besides trees! I just have always loved them so much and have such a connection to them (I have been known to hug a tree now and then), it's natural and easy for me.  I enjoy it very much.  

This particular tree was painted today in my nieces nursery.  She totally would have loved a blooming pink tree, but she is the first born and this nursery will be used again and a little brother may not appreciate it quite as much. ;)  So we decided that a simple leafy green tree would be just as lovely and sweet.  

You can click on a picture for a larger, fuller screen image :) 

They are going to put shelves on three of the branches that I made extra level - well, as level as I could do free-handed! 

Add in some pretty vinyl butterfly decals and you're all set!   

Aunt Jessie loves you Joeli!  I hope you really enjoy your new tree!  You can tell me later...you can work on napping during the day and holding your head up on your own first :) 

Ooopsy - Spring! Sorry about your timing...

So, I was in a funk this spring and never posted about my Spring Blossom tree!  Now, I've moved onto summer without sharing with you my pretty tree at all...so here's some pictures!

Here's the links again to the other seasons:
Fall Leaves Tree
Winter Snowball Tree
Summer Apple Tree

And here's a brief how-to...I'm not a teacher by nature and don't do this sort of thing well!

Don't sit under the apple tree...

With anyone else but me...
I am WAY behind on my seasonal hall tree!  But I finally got it up-to-date by grabbing my cousin who was in from out of town to help me.  She is an aspiring artist, so I could totally trust her and she did great!  I cut out all the pieces, made the starch concoction, gave her a brief how-to and let her do it!
Here's how it turned out :)

I think it's really cute, very happy, and will last me through most of the fall! Yay for apple trees!

Here's the links to my
Winter Snowball tree
Fall Leaves tree

I just realized I never posted my Spring Blossom tree - well...stay tuned!

Finished dresser turned kitchen island!

Wahoo!!!  It's finished!!

And it cost me less than $100!!

Here's the link to the before pictures and a few along the way, so that I don't overwhelm the post :) 

I am so pleased with how it turned out!  After weeks of deciding on the kind of top that I wanted and then deciding that it was WAY out of my price range, I put my head together with a wonderful man from church who is  a carpenter and this is what we came up with!  I love it!  It is pine, so it's a little soft, but I've polyeurothaned it at least 5 times and let it cure for several days before attaching it, and it seems to be just fine! Yippee!!

A close up of the front with my mis-matched knobs!  I am repeating this sort of thing with my kitchen cabinets that I hope to start painting very soon :)

After some thought, we decided to make the top several inches wider than the island itself because it would have been a tight squeeze on the backside to fit two people. Conveniently, I now have room for a towel rack tucked away on the underside.

I added some cute gingerbread supports to help the backside of the top, and a washable 'tile' board since the kids (and hubby) will be eating there and probably kicking it and getting it dirty.  Not that I see a need to, but I could use dry erase markers on it, so that might be fun :)  My DH put casters on it, so it can roll if I need it to!  They lock, thankfully, because Levi enjoys pushing it around. 

Here it is! All that's left is finding a couple of inexpensive counter stools!  I have to finish this project as inexpensively as I can - it's a game, ya know?
I think it's happy in my kitchen :)  I know I am :)

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also HERE  (I couldn't get the button at this blog to work.  I'm new at this!)

Be sure to click the button (and link) and get lots of great ideas from lots of other wonderful people!  There are so many things to look at and get inspiration from! 

Blueberries in a pretty yellow bowl

Yummy :)

Heading home

We're sadly on or way home today.
We are currently driving across the 'U.P.' of Michigan. We stopped to visit a lighthouse, but the shore of the lake was much more exciting, so we didn't make it to the lighthouse. It was a good leg stretch for she and I anyway :)

I can't think of a prettier place to spend The 4th!! Happy Independence Day!

Good morning Eagle Lake!

More from along the road...

Pretty field of flowers...

I'm sure there's a moose in here somewhere!

Hello Eagle River!!

Big skies

The sky is so much bigger here than at home.