'Tis God-like to create...

"'Tis well to borrow from the good and the great. 'Tis wise to learn; 'tis God-like to create."  J.G. Saxe

One of the things I love most about being a full-time homemaker again is the time and energy to be creative - in food preparation and menus, household organization, crafts and decorating... Even thinking about a creative project gets me excited.  Could it be because I am imitating my creative heavenly Father? Hmm...
So when I saw several ideas for an inspiration board, I knew that would be one of the first projects I worked on for my craft room.  I had a large 2'x3' poster frame from which I removed the poster, the cardboard back and the glass.  I then bought a 2'x4' roll of cork (least expensive at Walmart) and fabric that coordinated with the color scheme of the room to cover the cork that I cut to size. (I saved the extra cork and fabric for future projects.)  The next step was to spray paint the poster frame a glossy white.  When that was dry, I put the covered cork and cardboard back into the frame and secured it with the tabs on the frame.  I hung it on the wall and began pinning on pictures of ideas, little notes that I had jotted ideas on, the above saying, pictures of my grandkids...you get the idea.  I rummaged through drawers and found clear and pink pushpins and pulled all the pink, white, and black tipped straight pins out of my sewing box to use on my inspiration board.  All for under $20! 
Another project I did was to reuse a picture I had in a closet that hung in my room when I was growing up.   The color of the frame didn't go with the color scheme of the room, so I got out some black acrylic paint and painted the frame leaving the inside ledge white.  It immediately looked so much better and it brought out the colors in the picture.  But the matte finish didn't look finished, so I brushed on some glossy Mod Podge. Perfect!  And I didn't spend any money!
I wanted some great curtains for the room but didn't want to spend a lot of money.  So I was excited when I found some Waverly black and white panels at Lowe's.  I ended up putting grommets in the top of them because they were a little floppy.  The end result is an elegant look for the room.  I will post pictures as soon as I can get my honey to teach me how to download pictures to the computer from my camera and my phone.

Putting grommets in curtain panel tops:
This sounds a little intimidating, but if you have a sharp pair of scissors and can cut a traced circle, you can do grommets.  You will need to buy a set of plastic grommets at Hobby Lobby or JoAnne's Fabrics. They come in several colors. You will need one set for each curtain panel.  The instructions are in the package along with a stencil template.  Some tips: only cut one circle at a time and put the grommet in before you cut another circle. Also, when putting grommets in more than one panel, use the first panel as a template to determine where the grommets go.  Then you only have to do the math once! You will be amazed at how easy it is. 

Today's Recipe - Good Soup
This recipe comes from my friend, Sharon, and is so easy and yummy!

2 pounds lean ground beef, browned
1/2 onion, diced and sauteed
1 can mild Rotel
2 cans Zesty mild diced tomatoes or Mexican stewed tomatoes
2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can corn
2 cups shredded Velveta cheese

Put all ingredients, except the cheese, into a crock pot and cook on low for 4-6 hours.  Just before serving, stir in the cheese.  Serve with a layer of tortilla chips, sliced avocados and sour cream.