Arts and crafts

Last week I volunteered at the Mill Creek Metroparks Ford Nature Center.

Isn't their building just beautiful? I love it. It's old, secluded, and has tons a history and character.

I am hoping to be more involved with the nature center in the future...so involved they might actually cough cough PAY me. But....their budget is of course slim to none as of right now even though they are down two positions. Curse the bad economy!

I was called upon to help sort and label the over 400 photography entries to their annual photo show. I moved to the area a bit too late to enter myself, but I had such a fun time sorting and admiring it made up for it. :)

Next, on the list. Valentine's Day decor! Woo Hoo.

This is a "fire and ice" crystal vase my mom got me for some reason. Don't get me wrong, I like it. But often I don't really know what to do with it? So....this year I was thinking that I would like to put something valentines-y as a center piece on our new coffee table. I thought of this vase....and....of all things....FLOWERS.

If you don't already know. My aversion to flowers runs deep. Very deep. I used the minimal amount of flowers at my wedding the mothers would let me get away with. Greg has only bought me flowers once, when he proposed. Because I dont like flowers! I think they smell bad. All of them. And I don't have allergies. Just a prejudice against these silly things that grow out of the ground.

So what did I think of when I wanted a V-day centerpiece? Flowers. I don't know why. I don't like flowers. (have we established that?) So since, I don't like flowers....I don't know why I thought it would a good idea!? But I did. And I had a Michaels gift card that had been in my wallet for about 3 years. (seriously.)

So. Off I went. I bought the silly little flowers you see my picturing here, and I brought them home to chop up. They were a dollar a bundle. Since I had a gift card, it really didn't bother me. I spent $10 on them all.

Apparently normal scissors wouldn't work. Luckily I have a burley husband who owns amazing pliers that cut flowers like the best of them. ;)

Macey didn't want Tuna to feel left out, so she brought him some flowers.

The white ones (I don't know what flower they are supposed to be...yes I worked at a garden park and don't know all my cultivated species. The shame!!) stuck out too far. So I chopped down the scraggly ones.

My finished product on my coffee table. I really actually don't like it. But for some reason feel slightly satisfied that I arranged it myself. It is absolutely the day that pigs fly.

These are pine cones. In case you've never seen one before. And at dollar general this week, all their Christmas items still left were only 25 cents! Woo Hoo! So even at the general, these were originally 4 dollars. So I bought two bags for .50

This cute little doggie jar was a quarter too! Apparently it used to have a lid with a dog on it. But for a quarter, I like it enough. I also got some grape vine "brooms" for a quarter each, but they are not pictured. They will go great for Halloween and Christmas too! :)

This is the wreath above my couch. I got it a yard sale for 2 dollars I think. I love it.

At Michael's, I also bought some cutie little fake cardinals. And now one of them is hanging out in my wreath. In case you forgot. Or didn't know....I love birds. I hate flowers. Love birds.

Speaking of which...I went to my first mahoning county audobon meeting last week too!! Met some amazing people that I am way excited to go birding with in the spring! Also really excited to be a in a much greater shore bird habitat than I was in Dayton. It's gonna be a good migration.

Next.

This heart was 50% off, so I got it for two dollars. I love it.

But how could I love it more??? Why I just add a bird of course!!

I walked into my kitchen thinking how am I gonna secure the toule on here...oh great! This bread twisty that is sitting out will work great. Hot glued and perfect. 


This cardinal is actually about half the size of the one I put on my big wreath. In case you can't tell. Yay for hanging hearts and birds.

And finally we're at the end!
I went grocery shopping today...so get ready! Tomorrow or Wednesday I'll post my marathon grocery day!

Hope you enjoyed my long picture blog.
Much love,
Little Tuna