Handicap accesible camping and fishing

I have tons of friends who, like me, love to hunt and fish. Among these friends, a few are disabled. Some are from PTSD, some have lost arms, legs, etc... I love all of them the same, because these are the friends who are ALWAYS there to help. I can sometimes come up with some, shall we say, random ideas. Not one of my friends have ever said 'NO'....ever! So, as my husband and I were fishing one day, enjoying the nice, peaceful area that we were in, my mind started wandering. This happens a lot, in fact. My poor husband! So, as my mind wandered, I found myself thinking "how in the world, would someone in a wheelchair or on crutches, get down here to his fishing hole?" It expanded from there. I thought about the deer leases, and the camps, and deer blinds.... As we returned home, and got all of our supplies put away, I started some research on Handicap accessible RVs.... WOW $$$$$$ I found one that was 14 years old, retro fitted with a ramp and wheel in shower for a whopping $32,000! I almost fainted. My mind started wandering again. I am no expert, and I am certainly not a certified contractor, but, I have a few great friends who fit these titles :) I posted a plea on my facebook for an older and used camper, that was solid on the outside, but could easily be demolished on the inside, to remodel. Have I said that I have great friends??? In no time at all, I had 3 campers! We are in the process of gutting the first one, and the others will only need ramps, and ac/heat :) We have everything, and I mean EVERYTHING donated so far! From the campers to tires to bedding! I also have a great group of volunteers (my friends!) to paint, patch, remove, replace, or whatever we need to do! Along with this, I have friends, who have friends in high places! We have businesses donating things, like mattresses, parts, service, and even some wanting to put on a benefit concert and dinner to get the money for supplies, gas, hunts, etc.... Wow! I am overwhelmed at the blessings :) I answered my phone yesterday, to a greeting from a woman local to here, that has done phenomenal things for local kids. She had some pointers, advice, and mostly, she thinks my idea is great also, and she is on board with it! So, we are off to a great start! Pics coming soon! I do have to give a special shout out to a special person, my husband! His exact words to me were: Honey, I think you are crazy taking on a project of this size with all of the other things you have going on, but I am behind you 100% and will help out by doing whatever you want me to do" Then, he rubbed his forehead, looked down for a minute, then shook it off...I think he surprised himself by what he had just signed up for...but, he has been great! Any idea I have, he lets me say them, and then he will, in a nice way, tell me how to end up doing it right. ahhhhh, I love that man!

Crochet, Crochet, Crochet

I have been crocheting alot lately. Crochet and knitting are therapy for me, and with all the new babies coming into my world, I have been trying out new patterns and even making some of my own :) Below are some pics of a few of my latest projects. I have quite a few special orders stacking up, which makes me happy :) and nervous! haha

YaYa and PawPaw times 2 :)

YaYa is my name. The history of this name is as follows: This name was given to me by my grandson. I have always said, "I don't care whaat they call me, as long as they love me." Well, I ended up with YaYa! Which is different, and I absolutely adore it, because my grandson thought of it! He has given my husband the name PawPaw. When our daughter was pregnant, my husband insisted he wanted to be called Grandpa....Just goes to show you, grandbabies will call you what they want to call you! My mother tried to get her grandchildren to call her Grandmother, and she ended up with the name Gomi! Apparently, our children are all individual thinkers, and that makes me proud!

This last Thursday, our granddaughter was born! She is a perfect little princess, and we are all addicted to her! Although I have been making clothes, hairbows, headbands,and all kinds of things, in preparation for her appearance, now that she is here, my efforts seem lame! She needs an entire closet full of glitter, bling and pink!! PawPaw and her dad seem to think we have too much bling for such a little person, but I am a firm believer, there is NEVER enough bling!!!!

Now, I am preparing for the spring and summer. Swim suits, sundresses, rompers.... I sure hope she is not a tom boy! lol It is sure beginning to look as if my dining room table is going to be a semi permanant spot for the sewing machine! Maybe after a month or so, PawPaw will decide I need a craft room! :))

What little girls are made of.....

I am the mom of two girls, although they are no longer LITTLE divas... My oldest daughter is 25 and my youngest is 16. We were long past the cute little hair bows, dresses, patent leather shoes, and glitter...until now! My granddaughter will be making her entrance tomorrow morning! My grandson, her big brother, will be 4 next month, on Valentine's Day. I must say, when he came along, I was out of my element making things for little boys, but we managed very well! Now, I am back in my comfort zone, and my husband is drowning in the sea of pink and glitter once again!

We have been online, and in, literally, every store in town, looking for the perfect 'Little Sister' shirt. The big brother shirt was found months ago. So, since we were down to the last hours, we (and when i say 'we', i mean, my oldest daughter!) decided that YaYa, (me) could make one! So, at 7:30pm, YaYa started this adventure.

Although this was painless, and required very little thinking, It did, however, take a little preparation. First things first: Craft store to find the exact pattern. I was very lucky, today. We found Iron On decorations in EXACTLY what she wanted. Second: You must wash the clothing to remove any sizing from manufacture. And DO NOT use fabric softener.
Now, just follow the directions on the packaging for the decals. Now, every little girl has to have a little bling, right?? I added a string of pearls. Normally, I would not add these, as they are a choking hazard, but these are attatched with a safety pin, so they can be removed easily for washing, or sleeping!

The hardest part of this, was fitting both of the decals on such a small piece of clothing. But I think it turned out absolutely adorable! The only thing left is a little rhinestone in the flower, but I dont have time to break out the bedazzler tonight! That will wait until next week!

recycled bed slats

Years ago, we needed slats for our bed. I went to the barn, and found some old 1x2s that had been there for many, many years. I had long since forgotten about these painted, yet naturally distressed, slats, until we moved into our new home. I sold the headboard and footboard that they went with, and the new owners didn't seem to want the multicolored beauties. So, I put them back in the barn, until I could decide what to do with them. One day, out of necessity for a table in my bathroom, I made the trek back to the barn. Low and behold, there they were! With a little planning, measuring and a couple of drawings, I made this! The top removes, and there is storage inside! I absolutely love it!

more painted furniture...

I was in a local Goodwill the other day, and found a small bookshelf marked with a 3.99 yellow sticker, and it just so happened, that yellow was the .99 color that day! How lucky!!! I didn't get a pic of the bookshelf before, because I was so excited to get it painted. It was stained a dark walnut, with the bottom trim unattatched (but at least it was there!)
After just a few minutes (about 30), 2 coats of Krylon Ivory spray paint, and a little sanding, here is my distressed bookshelf! I love it! I cant wait to get some baskets in it, for the odds and ends (remotes, mail, small toy cars for my grandson, etc..)

repainted baby bed

yes, you can safely paint baby furniture. You just have to make sure the paint you use is safe for babies!!!!

You cannot buy drop side cribs any longer. It is a safety issue. I, standing at just 5 feet, cannot reach inside a 'fixed side' crib. Although, the drop side cribs are not encouraged, I cannot leave a baby in a crib, anyway :)

I bought a wooden crib at a garage sale one day, with the intention of painting it. I really didn't like the crib, as I was really wanting a drop side, but time was getting close to my grand daughter entering this world, so i gave in and bought it. A week or so later, I was in a vintage store, and low and behold, I saw a wooden Basset crib manufactured around 1995. Not only was it a drop side, it had 2 drop sides!! The store was planning on using it for display only, although she did not really like the style. She was looking for a sleigh style that would convert to a toddler bed, to display baby bedding. We decided to trade cribs :) So, we both got what we wanted! Here are the pictures....

Before....

After....