it turned out well, i think. the colors are fun and modern, but the doilies are delicate and antique. i love the contrast.
i bought 3 canvases at micheal’s and painted them with acrylic paint and a sponge brush. it took 3 coats, but eventually looked great.
i centered the doilies and then poured a good amount of mod podge on top of them. i smoothed the mod podge with a foam brush, covering the doily completely as well as the frame.
it will look a little funky until the mod podge dries.
i patiently waited for the mod podge to dry, and the finished canvases look great.
for other awesome mod podge products, check out mod podge rocks, a blog that is totally about mod podge projects. 
do you have any heirlooms that you’ve used in craft projects?
i’m linking to some great parties. check them out here and join the fun.
the city was built around 900 a.d.
now it is only inhabited by iguanas.
i love the sense of history you get walking around in a place where people lived so long ago. we miss out on this so much in the u.s.a. here we put a plaque on a building if someone lived there 100 years ago. 
the mayans built their city right on the beach,
they were an advanced people who developed a calendar, understood the concept of zero, and spoke and wrote a language that is still used today. 
apparently they loved the beach. 
tulum is one of the prettiest places i’ve ever been. 
i definitely recommend a visit to tulum or one of the other
jackson loves the hot weather. he loves to lay in the sun and be as warm as possible. i, on the other hand, do not. i do not want to sit outside in this heat and humidity because it is over 100 degrees here, and that is unacceptable. this photo above is what happens whenever i try to get him to come inside. he rolls over, looking pitiful, in peaceful protest. eventually i have to lift him up and forcibly make him move. obedience is not his strong suit.
i had my fair share of bad boy crushes during my misspent youth. oh how i loved the bad boys. one of my top five bad boys has made it back into the spotlight. unless you’ve been hiding under a rock lately, you have seen bret michaels somewhere. he has been on celebrity apprentice, and searched for love on his own reality show (twice). he had some serious health problems and was rumored to have died, but is back on top and touring again. in honor of bret’s recovery i decided to create a little list of my top five bad boy crushes, along with then and now pictures and little update on each of them. if only i had those old big bopper magazines…
#5 – bret michaels
#4 – axl rose
#3 – christian slater
#2 – kurt cobain
#1 – jared letobetter known as jordan catalano from “my so-called life” (the best tv show, ever). his tortured relationship with angela chase made me feel like i wasn’t alone in my teenage suffering. today he still acts and is in a popular band, 30 seconds to mars. i feel like he has gone a little off the fame weirdo deep end, but i hope he turns out ok. he still so pretty, even with that guyliner. i’m putting the my so-called life dvd set on my christmas list.
we are headed to the beach in less than a week, and i am so ready. one of my favorite beachy recipes (and favorite dessert ever) is this easy key lime pie. is was given to me by mom’s friend mary (she is my friend as well, but my mom gets the credit for knowing her first. at any rate, it is super easy. there is none of the zesting or making of meringue that goes with other key lime pie recipes.
mary’s easy key lime pie
dump your ingredients into your mixer or mixing bowl.
pour the mixture into your pie crust.
so simple and perfect…
place the plastic cover that came with your pie crust
be patient. it is worth it.
this pie serves 8-10.
enjoy!
what is your favorite beach recipe or food?
i’m linking to some great parties. check them out here.
we have been from our beach vacation for a week and a half.
the vacation was our reward for finishing the first 3 baby steps in dave ramsey’s total money makeover. we are debt free and have an emergency fund of 3 months expenses. it was a difficult 9 month journey to get here, but we are so grateful to be financially free.
here’s a lovely little church in playa del carmen.
there were shows and live bands at the resort every night.
we ate waaaay too much, including these sweet treats.
these gorgeous orange flowers were everywhere.
aren’t they beautiful?! i love them.
the beach was rough the first few days with winds leftover from hurricane alex. things calmed down at the end of the week, and the water was perfect.
this was my first experience with an all-inclusive resort, and i loved it. it made everything so simple and affordable. we didn’t have to worry about making frugal decisions at every meal, and the overall price was really great. the resort really had everything we needed.
i’ll post more about the vacation later, i’m sure.i’m linking to some great blog parties. check them out here.
my husband is the most frugal man i know, most of the time.
he was craving some bean dip, but wanted to make it on the cheap. he took one can of bush’s chili beans in hot sauce (about $1.50), drained them, and tossed them into the food processor. it tasted great just like that, but then he added a few spices. he put a little bit of garlic, chili powder, and paprika. it was great without the spice, and great with it.
that’s it. one can of beans, one food processor,
grab your tortilla chips and dip away.
what is your favorite cheap and easy dip?
my sweet husband loves a good project. when he worked at camp he access to an amazing workshop and all kinds of old wood. when a 30 year old white oak fence was torn down, he decided to make 2 matching bedside tables. he made the tables before we were dating, and was thoughtful enough to make a matching one for his future wife. how cute is that?!
here’s mine. i keep it filled with magazines and books, an air freshener, and chapstick. on top is a photo of me with my bridesmaids, and 2 candles. the printed fabric coaster was a wedding gift from marci. the lamps were purchased for almost nothing from windy gap.
i love that he kept the sides rough and made the top smooth.
i wish that we had access to a workshop here so that jed could build more fun furniture. maybe someday he will have a workshop of his own. 
our bedroom is a peaceful place.
best of all, everything in our rustic bedroom was free or found at a very frugal price.
jed made most of the furniture from reclaimed fence wood when he worked at windy gap. he created the headboard, picture frame, bedside tables, and shelf. i love the rough wood and the fact that they were created by my husband’s talented hands.
the bedding was a wedding gift from my meme, aunts barbara and kelly, and cousin jessica. we use this summer quilt in hot weather (a birthday gift from jed last year), and a duvet cover and down comforter in cold weather. the lamps, dresser, and chest of drawers were bought from windy gap (when they redecorated the camp) for under $100 total. the mattress was given to us by the camp for free. you can read about the fence wall art here.
the tiles were a flea market find, as was the painting. the empty frame was a pottery barn outlet find. i’ve got to find a photo to fill it. jackson’s bed was a gift from my parents. the baskets full of headbands were used to hold favors at our wedding. the curtains are hand-me-downs from my meme. the sign and vases were wedding gifts. the fabric leaves were an etsy purchase. i made the paper flower.
i hope you enjoyed the tour!