things i love this week....

i have never done a posting like this, but i have seen them on other blogs and always find them very inspiring. there are so many things i love, and so many talented people, that i thought i would group my favorites together weekly. here is the first:


I want this piece so much! It combines my love for retro styling and doxies! find this and others in this cute etsy shop.

The strawberries that are already growing on my strawberry plant.

my new banners for my two etsy shops. you can shop my cute and funny stitching here. or my aprons, bags, and home accents here.

my four year old nephew, carter playing william's guitar! :) he actually wasn't too bad.

our new doggie --tracker. he was adopted from our humane society.

i did a make over of a scarf i have had for a few years and was a little bored with. i love the added punch of color.

this piece is so perfect! find it here.

my 6 year old nephew, rob and i had a science night this week! it was so much fun. we grew crystals.

This is a side walk in down town Lincoln, Ne. I love the design of it.

for the love of coffee

i do not love coffee. i love the smell of it, but not the taste and i don't drink it. people i love, however, love and drink coffee so i find myself making it. i had heard that coffee grounds could be re-used so i decided to do some looking and see what people are using them for. i found a lot of great uses! so, in the spirit of not being wasteful and using what we already have, i thought i would share them with you...

*one use is as an scrub for you skin! grounds can be course or finely ground. just rub on your skin in the shower and rinse off. also, i found some great recipes for scrubs using coffee grounds. this one was the easiest and most adaptable if you want to add your own ingredients:

Homemade Coffee Scrub

-1 cup coffee grounds

-1/2 cup brown sugar

-1 T vanilla extract or oil

-1/4 cup olive (or any other type) oil

mix together and keep in a sealed container. the oil preserves the grounds so they will not mold. will stay good about a month. i used sesame oil and almond extract and it smells so good!

*some say coffee grounds are good for getting rid of cellulite. i do not have any experience with this, but it's worth a try! just rub on troubled spots a few times a week while in the shower. voila!

*coffee is good for plants! i have heard this one before, but forgot about it. add the grounds to potting soil for your house plants or your garden. (the grounds will mold eventually, so they work best outdoors) keep grounds in your freezer during the winter and use them in the spring.

*coffee can be used for stain on wood, clothing, baskets, even to darken your hair or skin! to use on your hair, brew the coffee and apply to your hair when it cools to room temp. rub the grounds on your skin and leave on for 20-30 minutes. repeat to achieve a darker stain.

*fresh coffee can be used in your fridge as a deodorizer in the place of baking soda.

*use to keep your drain smelling fresh. dump about coffee grounds down your drain and follow with 5 cups of boiling water. will keep your drain fresh about a week.

*coffee grounds can also be sprinkled along your doors to keep ants away.

great ideas for coffee lovers and friends of coffee lovers alike!