Salute to Our Veterans

Oh, say, can you see, by the dawn's early light,
What so proudly we hail'd at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars, thro' the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watch'd, were so gallantly streaming?
And the rockets' red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof thro' the night that our flag was still there.
O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore dimly seen thro' the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?

Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected, now shines on the stream:
'T is the star-spangled banner: O, long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion
A home and a country should leave us no more?
Their blood has wash'd out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

O, thus be it ever when freemen shall stand,
Between their lov'd homes and the war's desolation;
Blest with vict'ry and peace, may the heav'n-rescued land
Praise the Pow'r that hath made and preserv'd us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause. it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust"
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Happy Veterans Day!  I'm off to see my resident teen march this morning in the Veterans Day Parade! To All of our Veterans around the world - THANK YOU!!!

 Comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide...hee-hee
;-)  Robelyn
 

Update:  Here he is - the resident teen!  (Yep, I'm blushing with pride!)

Let me tell ya... Waco, Texas puts on one heck of a Veteran's Day parade!!!  What an honor to be standing alongside all of the Men and Women that fought for our country!!!

I'm seeing RED!

I'm seeing red - and i'm not angry!
Are you luvin' the tractor? I am a country girl...

 
I am SUPER excited though...

And can SO see these chairs in my humble abode...

Why am i so excited you ask?

I am such a sucker for the goggles...

Well...it's almost TIME...

I can see this clock hanging above the fantabulous chairs...

TIME for what you ask?

Time for summmmmbody to PLEASE take me somewhere that i can wear this GORGEOUS dress!!!

Okay, seriously, big case of dress luuuuuuuuuvin' happenin' here...

The count down has begun...
The checkered flag is out...
The cars are linin' up...
So get ready...

to START YOUR ENGINES!!!

I am off to the NASCAR races!!!  (Reminder: I am a red.neck...I do have an image to maintain...) HA!!! The people-watchin' ALONE makes it fun - the noise, smell, more noise and the EXCITEMENT in the air make it all a BLAST! And remember (if you are watchin' from your recliner) - jump up and down and SCREAM for #14!!!  No worries though - I'll still be watchin' for you, so let me know who to cheer for in YOUR honor!!! (Deb - I've already got the Aflac Duck on Speed Dial for you...HA!) And, if you are not yet a NASCAR fan - go to the races with me...just ONCE - I promise, I'll twist your whole way of thinkin'!!!

Comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide...heehee

oh, oops!!!  Comin' to you LIVE from the TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY!!! You'll know me... I'm the one in ruffles, lace and sparkly things - standin' on her seat screamin' for Tony!!!

On a heavier note, Ft. Hood, TX is just a hop, skip and a jump from where I sit right now but I know the base is full of soldiers, friends and families from all across the world - please keep them all in your thoughts and prayers!!!

;-)  Robelyn
Have a great week-end!!!

a NOVEL idea...

I ADORE chalkboard paint. (Have I told you that before?) If not, I ADORE chalkboard paint.  It's right up on the top of my favorites list alongside duct tape, fabric, spray paint, sparkly things, more sparkly things, wd-40, china, junk (dang - my list is LONG!).  There is NOTHING safe from the attack of my brush.  Ugly pictures, silver trays, walls, table tops, plates - NOTHING - even books!  Big ones, little ones, medium sized ones... few escape un-scathed.

A winner?  What?  Where?!!?

One night I was happily sewing away on a new hat (It's going to be part of the "HOGerific" line!) when it occurred to me that the little books I nabbed a few days before from a yard sale would make the PERFECT place cards on a dinner table!  (What...you don't see the correlation between hat makin' and place cards? Huh.) Anyway, out came the paint can as the brush was whipped out of its holster!

 

HERE?  at red.neck Chic?

Here's what you do...

Go on a treasure hunt!  It could be in your house, your neighbor's house, your kids' room (or the pig pen...) - garage sales and/or thrift stores and grab up as many small books as you might need!  I grabbed up 8 of them (even though I have a full place setting for roughly 32... we won't discuss THAT though.). Then, pop the lid on that chalkboard paint!  I swear, when I open mine up I hear the whole heavenly choir singin' as I see the glowing light from above highlighting that can of awesomeness! WHOOOOO HOOO!  Oh!  And did you know that now it's tintable to a few different colors?  I haven't tried that yet...have you?

What do you think they won?

 I slap down a sheet of wax paper because I'm a messy messy painter to protect my table top, spread my books out and put on coat number 1...

Then coat number 2...

Oh!  A HOGerific purse!

Then coat number 3...

Then coat number 4 & 5...

Finishing with coat number 6!  Then, I flip 'em over and put on coat number 1...

WHO do you think won?!!?

And so on!  You can also use a primer that is magnetic, but I haven't tried that yet on books... it works great for old paintings that you HAVE to turn into chalkboards because they are so hideous - of course, in that case they would be magnetic chalkboards! When you are all done with your "coat of one color" you can add a strip of paper (ah ha!  from the book you just painted!), a piece of ribbon - or, if you are me - a strip of vinyl to look like the binding!  And guess what -

You're done!  Voila!  Place cards! (I don't know who Sally is, but hey - welcome! (I hope she brought some food...)) How FuN would they be used for a book club dinner / PART-AY?!!? Now it's up to you to get that can (please DO let me know if you hear the choir and see the glowing light - if you don't, I'm checkin' myself in somewhere), brandish your brush like it's a magic wand and paint a matte black MASTERPIECE!!!  I would love to know what YOU use your chalkboard paint on!!!

Comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide...hee-hee
;-) Robelyn

What?  Did I forget something?  You're looking at me kind of funny....


I don't HAVE an encore for you today!!!  I guess I could sing you a song?  Oh Oh!  I know - let's dance!!!


No?  WHAT?!!?


OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH YEAH!  The TOTALLY COOL, TOTALLY ONE-OF-A-KIND, TOTALLY HOGerific "pearl.e the flyin' pig" purse! What, you REALLY want to know who won her?  Well................... she will be gruntin' her way over tooooooooooooooooo...

land in The Feathered Nest!!!  Dawn, watch out - you've got a HOG fixin' to land (as soon as I get your address!) in your nest!!!  Congratulations!!! And for all of the rest of you - THANK YOU for throwing your name in the pig pen!!!  Send me your couch and I'll make somethin' special JUST FOR YOU!!!

;-)  Thanks Again for joining me in the Slop Pail!!!!!!

Robelyn

Chanel.

All it's missin' is a red.neck Chic bag...Why hasn't Coco called me yet? Geesh......

Don't forget to sign up for my HOGerific giveaway!!! The pig pen is closin' quick!!!

Comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide... hee-hee

;-)  Robelyn

10 Things?

Happy Tuesday!!!  The SUPER Fun (AND featured on Junk Market Style!) Kris (I'm going to arrive on her doorstep with a duct tape roll and cowboy hat someday... maybe even the duct tape ON the cowboy hat...) over at Second Hand Rose bestowed upon me the Honest Scrap Award!

Have you gone to visit her/their blog (It's a whole GROUP of multi-talented ladies and gentlemen!)?  If not - RUSH over there because the Second Hand Rose occasional sale starts Thursday and Oh My Gosh - it looks like so much FUN!!!  Why oh WHY am I on the wrong end of the map?  *sigh*  Approximately 1,107.61 miles on the wrong end of the map. *bigger sigh*

 

 Here's the rules and regulations...

1. Thank the nominator and tip my hat to her - tip!

2. Tell you 10 honest things about myself.

    Hmmm....do they have to be INTERESTING things? LOL  I'm not that interesting!!!

3. Nominate 7 other bloggers!

 You already know I'm a self-confessed junk-a-holic and my sewing machine is an extension of myself - let's see what else I've got...

1.  I am the middle child.  I have a big brother and a little brother - they are both bigger than I am... of course, so is my teenage son... we are all bigger than my Mama!

2.  Nina Simone is my ALL-time FAVORITE artist/vocalist/entertainer.

3.  I know we have established this already, but I could drink coffee 24/7. (cell phone #... I don't know what #... ended up in my coffee cup the other morning - I stood there with my mouth hanging open, listening to the echo of my distress cry bounce across the hay fields instead of saving it's wee lil' life... those things don't dry out like I think they should.).  I put vanilla cream in my coffee and that's some STICKY stuff!!!

4.  I was born in Central Texas - grew up in Crawford, TX (nope, never met George W) and also part-time in Orlando, FL. My first "culture shock" came in the 6th grade when I went from a 1A school with 150 kids K-12th to a 5A school with millions of kids - just in the Jr. High!  Lil' old me was standing with my back PLASTERED against my locker (which was the first one I had ever had!!!) clutching my clarinet and lunch box like they were life lines, eyes as big as saucers with tears running down my face when a girl with huge purple hair standing straight up on her head, more earrings than I had ever seen in my life (probably still to this day!) and an absolute rainbow explosion of clothing hanging off of her, walks up to me and says, "dang girl, what hick-ville did you just escape from?".  I started giggling (she looked like a clown!), she ruffled the top of my head and off we went - she's one of my closest friends still to this day!  hee hee!

5.  My cat can open the door and let himself out to play - then he knocks on the door when he's ready to come back in.  He's just cool like that.

6.  I can NOT cook.  Flames happen.  If I ever offer to feed you - run.  Fast.  It is for your own safety and well-being.

7.  I am a NASCAR girl!  AND!  I'm on the countdown for the race this week-end in Texas where I will be the only girl in ruffles and lace (mixed in with gas fumes and tire grime) standing on her seat yellin' for the 14 car - just a handful of rows off the track -  right at the end of pit row! YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE HAW!

8.  My brain doesn't stay in neutral for more than half a second.  If I'm not doing SOMETHING (or have my nose buried in a book - my curiousity and quest to learn anything and everything is going to be the end of me. LOL) then I'm dreaming up new trouble to get in to and I make notes, sketches - new purse designs... on anything and everything... I leave a scribbled paper trail everywhere I go. I would be a professional organizers NIGHTMARE (yet easy to track down!!!)!

9.  I freeze in crowds.  BUT!  Get me one-on-one and I can start a sentence on one subject and end it on a totally un-related second subject - and unless you know that about me you could be left feeling like you just survived a mini-tornado (but conversation would never lag between us!).  I'm cool like that. HA! HA!

10. My house is ALWAYS changing (one has to allow for the cool junk finds at all times!!!) and my dining table especially... I'm supposed to be putting all of this stuff away but it looks so pretty just sitting there - I think I will leave it for a while! (And no... a girl can NOT have too many platters, bowls, salt & pepper shakers... tableware in general!!!)!

WHEW!  THAT was hard!!!  If you had to think of 10 things you're willing to share with the world, what would they be?  'Cause guess what... I'm awarding YOU the Honest Scrap award!!!  Take it and RUN with it - but tell ME about YOU!  I would love to hear it - it can be my "something new" I've learned today!!!  Whoo Hoo!!!

Comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide...hee-hee
;-)  Robelyn

P.S. Don't forget to hop in the slop pail for my give-away!!!

Know what time it is?!!?

It's TOOL time!!!  Grab that dinner plate, your drill, a diamond bit, a clock makin' kit and get to work!  You have to make a clock so that you can set it back one hour!!!  Yep, it's THAT time of year!  My favorite time of year...fall is in the air (winter QUICK on it's tail!)...you can smell it, you can feel it - and in SOME places you can SEE it!  Just not in Central Texas...our trees can go from their summer outfits to their winter wardrobe faster than you can say duct tape... then your left wonderin' what the heck happened!  Kind of like when you forget to set your clock back an hour and your left wonderin' where the heck all your fellow red.necks are...


Not that that ever happens to me...



More than a few times...



Not last year or the year before that or the year before that....



Uhmmm.... back to the clock...
These are so easy to make, and so much fun!!!  Grab up a dinner plate - any dinner plate - it can even be your neighbor's...just go nab it when they aren't looking (then make THEM a clock and give it to 'em for Christmas!!!) and your drill.  Or, if you're TOTALLY cool, your drill press.  Well, if you grab your drill press not only are you totally cool, but you are also incredibly strong....impressive!

When you have whatever drilling utensil you choose, grab a diamond bit from your local hardware store.  I drop a few drops of water very sporadically when I'm drilling (right at the tip of the bit) - that way the china doesn't get so hot and you help prevent cracking!  THEN!  Get a clock kit (very affordable at your local hobby store) and follow the directions on the package!  Voila!  You have a one-of-a-kind clock! But beware: it gets very addicting.  You might find yourself making them out of puzzles, film reels, silver trays, vinyl records, books, tea pots...oh - EVERYTHING!!!

Just make sure and set them all back one hour in the wee hours of Sunday morning... you really don't want to start your Monday off THAT early do you?!!?  Happy Time Changin'!!!

Oh!  And if you haven't signed up for my giveaway do so quick!!!  I would love to have you in the pig pen!!!

Comin' to you LIVE from a single-wide (where hopefully I'm on time...)..hee-hee
;-) Robelyn

Clock courtesy of my Mother's vast array of junk - oops - stuuuuuuuuuuff (really cool stuff!  my fav.o.rite shopping place!)