Author Archives: explorenewness

NEW Foreign Language Skills

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I wanted this blog to explore newness on a variety of subjects…not just crafts, recipes etc. However I’ve found that my quest to improve my photography skills lends better to photographing cutsie crafts and yummy eats than my foreign language endeavors. Oh well…c’est la vie!

Unfortunately, I don’t have any ‘real’ foreign language skills.  However I would love to acquire some! Each time I try to learn some, I don’t keep up the practice and promptly forget what I learned. I do have a sister who is a foreign language Queen….maybe I’ll have to go converse with her! She recently taught me a new french word. We were touring the Parade of Homes together and she mentioned that Etageres were very popular (or should I say avant garde?) The picture at the top of this post is an Etagere….an open-backed shelf. Ever since I learned that new word, I’ve been seeing it quite a few places!

Most of us probably know more foreign words than we realize! Check out this ‘French Words and Expressions in English’ at About.com and see if you’re already using some foreign words!

Explore some Foreign Language Newness today!  There’s lots of resources to do so…check some out!

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{Relatively} New Game Room Posters

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A few posts ago, when I felt like I was swimming in modge podge, I mentioned my Game Room/TV Room movie posters (previous post here)…and I promised I’d show them to you. This project was earlier in the summer, so it’s only “relatively new” :o)

I picked up a Pirates of the Caribbean picture book from a discount store…I think it was $3! Then I made this collage for our game/tv room. The other posters were also $2-$3…so the entire wall-project, with wood and everything was probably under $20! Nice huh!?! OK, yeah…you can call me cheap mamma! :o)

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Linking Up at:

Christina’s Adventures

Happy Hour Projects

Thursday’s Thought

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I so agree with Wayne Gretzky!  There’s been plenty of times in my life when I didn’t even try to make the shot….and I’ll never know if I would’ve scored or not.  Lesson learned.  Explore Newness!…take the shot!  Maybe it’ll be all net…maybe an air ball…but take the shot!

a NEW heirloom!

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I FINALLY finished my Christmas quilt! I’ll be informing my family that it WILL be a family heirloom…because after the enormous amount of time I spent on it, my last will and testament is going to decree that my grand-children, great-grandchildren, great, great (and so on) MUST cherish this quilt and display it EVERY Christmas for generations!!! (Or I will haunt them :o) It WILL be a family heirloom!

After finishing, I gave my husband a very direct assignment. I told him to remind me NOT to start another quilt with that much piecing EVER AGAIN! He said, ‘You told me that after you finished the one hanging in our room’. WHAT? I DID? And you let me start another one? (He had no clue what I was ‘starting’)

This is the quilt hanging in our room:

This baby quilt, however, was very do-able.

From now on…it’s baby quilts for me, if there is any piecing involved!  Serious quilters call me a Big Baby!…But I’ve learned I’m a sprinter seamstress….marathon projects are just out of my league! What NEW thing have you learned today?

NEW porch decor

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I recently painted an old table and followed the great instructions at  I {Heart} Nap Time. I’m not sure if I didn’t put enough vaseline on, or what…but I’ll keep practicing (because I still have plenty of paint, plaster and wax!) I really liked trying this NEW technique!

Check out the process pics:

Also….I just HAD to try this simple no-sew pillow cover at Organize and Decorate Everything.

You can (kind of) see my version on my porch chair. I’d recommend a stiff pillow, because mine scrunched together when I tied the knot in the fabric. But still way cool….and changeable!

I’m joining the link parties at:

Christina’s Adventures

The 36th Avenue

NEW on the cheap!

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I challenged myself today.  My project today had to cost ZERO out-of-pocket $, and it had to use my two NEW toys (cutting machine and embroidery sewing machine).  This is what I came up with….but I plan to add some spiders and spider webs when I actually put it up on my shelf where I plan to display it .  This is just a quick snap-shot of today’s creation…yup, I think it looks like Charlie Brown’s t-shirt too! :o)

What NEW thing have you done today?

 

What’s For Dinner?

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I’ve had this white board in my pantry a long time, to write the weekly menu on. However, I recently purchased a cutting machine, and my very first NEW project was trying it out on this white board.  I added vinyl lettering instead of just using the dry-erase markers for the days. Easy Peasy!!! I think I’m going to like this machine! After putting the board back up in the pantry, my boys promptly filled in the menu they wanted: Sunday= Steak, Monday = Subway, Tuesday = Taco Bell, Wednesday = Cafe Rio….etc etc. (Yeah right-o! :o)

NEWbie to link parties

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Since I’m so new at blogging, I’m constantly surprised at the many link parties and various ways people have come up with to share this fun media of blogging. Today I found a “Favorite photo of the week’ party at Simple As That.  What a great idea!….loved looking at the great photography too! I’m sure there are more such parties…I’m excited to find them!  (I think this Lone Leaf on a Log is my fav for this week).