A New "Antique" Silhouette

A while back, I spied this little picture in an antique store and the lovely grain painted frame got my attention! Never mind that the Victorian girl did not match the colonial frame. I knew that I could make a new "antique" silhouette to put in the frame because I had seen Megan Miller create one! (If you're on Instagram, you really should follow Megan who is full of inspiring home ideas and thrifty finds.) 

It was such an easy process! 

◾  I Googled to find a silhouette that I liked. I held my paper up to my laptop and used a pencil to trace the outline. 

◾  I went over my pencil outline with a fine-tip Sharpie.

 ◾ I filled in the outline with a regular Sharpie.

◾ Then I popped it back in the frame and used some heavy brown paper (from a roll of gift wrap) for backing. |

Voila! An (almost) instant "antique!" 

I intended to hang my silhouette with this grouping, but it was throwing off the balance. (I may need to make/find another one or two. 😊) 

For now, it is sitting on my mantel and I kind of like it. 

Not bad for less than $10 and about an hour's work! 

Gathering the Moments | April 2024

Join me for glimpses of our April . . . 

We certainly had our share of April showers,
but we also had plenty of April flowers!
(Why wait for May?)

When Panera discontinued their teriyaki bowls after a short run,
I experimented until I came up with a pretty decent substitute.

We had several opportunities to see our grandchildren perform, which is always a thrill!
Bekah and I also went to see a sweet friend perform with her theater company.

My sister and I were at Mom's house on the day of the eclipse. We were busy with this and that and almost forgot about it (and no one had eclipse glasses anyway), but when the light got eerie, we stepped outside we saw these dancing shadows on the front step. No great photographic record, admittedly, but since the next total solar eclipse is twenty years hence, it seemed the thing to do.

When you get letters like these in the mail, you smile from ear to ear!
Back story: My daughter-in-law wrote on our family group chat, " You know a lot of Peppa Pig is watched when your 3-year-old writes a letter and asks, 'Mommy can you post this now?'"

Family reunion planning can be nearly as much fun as the family reunion. :)

Bekah, our youngest, turned 23! 🎂

Kati sent me this adorable picture. 

They had visited a new coffee shop in their area and the kids were thrilled that
their blueberry lemonade was in a coffee cup!
(It's the little things.)

I was delighted by this beautiful hand-crafted mug, an unexpected gift from a friend!

"We all love presents. Traditionally we've grown to expect a birthday or anniversary present, but we are especially touched when we receive something out of the blue."
~ Alexandra Stoddard

White lilacs on the windowsill. Dreamy.

I love our new Facebook Marketplace find, an antique pine blanket chest! 
It was a busy weekend (family reunion on Sunday, prep on Saturday) and we really didn't have time for a road trip, But it looked so pretty in the listing. And the price was right. And house cleaning will always wait, right?
So off we went, Ron and I, and we're not one bit sorry!

❤️ Family Reunion ❤️

In April, the view from the sunroom is green again.

Evening light and shadows.

An impromptu stop at Mom's favorite garden center made her day!

April reading, house-y style.

When you're shopping for shoes for your graduation 

and you find too many!

A time to plant.

And that was a peek at our April. The days roll by, don't they? 

Our May was even busier . . . full of family and visits and milestones and memories! I'll be back to share as soon as I can get it together!