Minty Fresh

I LOVE to paint...I mean, actually painting walls and wood and things. Whenever a friend tells me in their dreaded tone that they have to paint the house, I usually shoot my hand up in the air to volunteer like an excited 5 year old with an answer. Ok, maybe not exactly that way, but I DO enjoy it. I recently received a voucher for a free pre-mixed paint sample from Valspar.

As you can see, I couldn't wait to start using it (sorry for the mess!)! The color is called "sweet mint" and I am overly in love with this color right now. I had a yarn-wrapped bottle that fell over and broke into pieces (along with my heart because it took FOREVER to make that thing!). So I needed a replacement. Luckily, I saved a clear bottle from a soda earlier that was clean and waiting to be used. I poured some paint inside the bottle, placed the cap back on and shook it up some.

I tried to cover as much inside the bottle as I could without pouring in more, but alas, I needed a wee bit more so after having enough paint in I turned it upside down on a cloth I didn't mind ruining and let sit upside down for a few hours.

Once the paint poured out as much as it could, I turned it back up and sit overnight to completely dry. I salvaged what yarn I could from the bottle that broke and decided to wrap just the bottom part of the bottle using super glue (because I was out of hot glue).

When I was happy with how it looked, that was it!

Voila!

I am very happy with it. It was an easy project, hardest part was the waiting of course :/. Here are a couple more crafts/projects I did with this beautiful paint color:

Up-cycled a coffee can by using masking tape (or painter's tape) to tape off the parts I wanted exposed, and just painted the rest with a couple of coats.

This is a decorative porcelain bowl that was all one color, I just added a little "pop" of color by painting the inside bottom.

 This was a candlestick holder (originally the same color as the bowl as part of a set) I painted it and glued (with superglue) the jar to it, painted the lid the same color and glued a flat marble to the top. Now it's an apothecary jar.

And finally this extra wood we had in our garage (left over from a previous project). I painted the whole thing with a couple coats and when it was completely dry, I added this vinyl decal via Uppercase Living, and then a coat of Mod Podge over that.
So there ya have it! My craft/project round up with the free paint sample! The voucher came in my Better Homes and Gardens magazine last month and I redeemed it at Lowe's. Always take advantage of those little freebies when you see them, ESPECIALLY paint (this is my second free paint sample, the first I got a couple years ago through Facebook)!

Is Your Home A "Hospital?"

As a young adult living with my parents, I enjoyed helping to host gatherings and events at our home. Of course, at the time for me that meant entertaining and chatting with everyone, LOL! It wasn't until after I got married and ran my own home that it took on a whole new meaning. I was now responsible for making sure others felt welcome in our home. This is a walk in the park when your guests are tidy, polite, and come at a totally convenient and pre-planned time. But what about the unexpected, messy, needy guest that comes with baggage? If you are like me (an almost OCD, clean-freak, schedule-loving introvert), then the latter guest may shake you up a bit.
Recently in my devotions, I came across Acts 16 where Paul and Silas were called into Macedonia. While there, they shared the message of Jesus with a group of women, one of which was named Lydia. Lydia was a seller of purple cloth (a very expensive fabric at the time). She was a busy business woman who was also responsible for her own household. When she converted, without hesitation she begged them to stay in her home. "And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, 'If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.' So she persuaded us." -Acts 16:15.
The word "hospitality" is derived from the word "hospital." While staying in a hospital, it is the staff's duty to make you comfortable, help you heal, and make sure you are well taken care of so that when you leave that hospital you are healthier and feeling better than when you came. When a guest needs a place to stay, do you put out the welcome mat and go out of your way to make them feel at home? Do we adjust ourselves and our schedules to accommodate their needs? I'm sure this is how many, if not, all of us expect to be treated ourselves in hospitals or hotels or any place we are a guest at. We need to be like Lydia, opening our home to our guests even if at a moment's notice. We should make sure their needs are met to the best of our abilities. They may come in needing emotional or spiritual healing. When they leave, are they healthier and feeling better than when they came? More importantly, would YOU want to be a returning guest in your home if you were in their shoes? We need to remember to treat others as we wish to be treated, not expect. I would encourage you all to really stretch yourselves in this area and be a "hospital" that you yourself would want to come back to.