My grandma had this special drawer in her house where she kept what she called 'odds and ends'. Sometimes, we would find the most unique things in her odds and ends drawer. I think it was her catch all for busy days. When she wasn't sure what to do with something...it found it's way into the odds and ends drawer. I swear she probably had 8,000 band-aids, an old packet of vintage kool aid, $1,000 in pennies, thread, shoe polish, pens, tape, cut out recipes, unidentified family photos, and probably the cure for the common cold stashed in her odds and ends drawer!

This is our odds and ends page. Things that we think are worthwhile, but they didn't make it into an article, so they're here...on the odds and ends page. Clearly unique to our online magazine, but we like to be different! We think they're things that might brighten your day, offer some encouragement, or give you one final creative idea before your leave this issue of 'For your Heart and Home'.

We hope this issue has touched your heart, and inspired you to create memories in your home. Please feel free to send us your comments, thoughts, and suggestions by clicking here. If you have an article your would like to submit for review for publication in 'For your Heart and Home', click here. Thank you for taking time to join us on these pages. 

Before you go...enjoy all the ideas and tips below in our 'odds and ends' drawer! 

See you in Fall issue!

Shelly Thompson
Editor and Publisher, For your Heart and Home

For your Heart and Home 
A publication of The Notebook Cafe and Millie's Vintage and Home Decor
201 Antique City Drive
Walnut, Iowa 51577

Email [email protected]

Repurposed Bird Feeder

Don't throw away your empty laundry bottles...make them into bird feeders for the summer. Simply cut the side as an opening and hang it on a tree or from a fence. You can do windows and paint it if you really want to be creative! 

Fruit Jar Tip! 

Did you know that if you place blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, grapes, blueberries, or pineapple in a mason jar with a top, and place it in the refrigerator...the fruit will last two weeks or more. Do not rinse the fruit before placing in the jar, you can do that when you are ready to use it. Placing these types of fruit in jars also retains the flavor. They will taste the same as when you purchased them. 

Summer Bug Repellant 

This is a great way to get rid of bugs this summer. It does take two weeks for it to be ready, but it's so worth it. This also works great for ants, and...it's a great cleaner! 

Rusting items for a vintage look

This is a great way to quickly 'rust' your items. Using a 9 x 13 pan mix the ingredients below. Place your items in the solution that you would like to 'rust'. These should sit about 12 hours in the solution. Put on rubber gloves to remove the pieces. Place them on a paper towel. Do NOT rinse the pieces off, but blot with paper towels to remove excess foam. 

'Rust' recipe
1 pint peroxide
1/2 c. white vinegar
1/4 c. salt

Open up that suitcase! ​

A closed suitcase is great for storage, but an open suitcase is awesome for displaying items of interest, or keeping your favorite collection in check so it doesn't take over every space in your home.  Here's just a few examples. So, open up those suitcases today and see what you can create! 
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This suitcase is filled with vintage photos and an old quilt is folded inside. A camera is placed beside it and a few more photos. This is a great way to display family photos if you don't have a lot of wall space.
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This suitcase opens up to so many small vintage memories. Hanging a piece of lace from the suitcase softens it up and adds texture. Using the back of the suitcase to place vintage mail, or other paper goods always looks interesting. It's a great way to keep together items you've collected and treasure.
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This suitcase gives a nod to Des Moines using vintage game pieces to spell out the name of the city, and several items from the area. This is a great way to utilize things you have collected from your favorite city.
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Even closed suitcases can be used to decorate the top with your favorite items. Books, photos, and clocks are great items. Tucking a little tag in the handle or closing clasp always gives an extra detail.

Repurposing shutters

You've seem them sitting at garage sales, or even sometimes on the curb for free...shutters, and you wonder what would I do with that? Remember, when you see an old wooden shutter...and it looks horrible (full of bugs and spiders and a paint color that you detest)...you can change it up and create what you love (see our article on painting vintage furniture to get you started by clicking here). Shutters can be repurposed in so many ways, you'll amaze yourself. 
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This vintage shutter hangs in our shop in Walnut with a basket on it and decorated. This would work great in a guest room or kitchen. What a fun way to store guest bath towels in a hanging metal basket if you're short on bathroom closet space!

Making a 'screen' out of lace

This is a quick way to create a unique piece you can use in many areas of your home or porch. Using an old window frame (without glass is better), or you can create a small frame with 1 x 2's. Once you have your frame and lace selected, simply staple lace to the back side (see photo). It creates a beautiful piece. You can paint the window frame before adding the lace to create contrast if that's more your style! Easy peasy! 

Vintage Paint Brush Display

If you love vintage paint brushes as much as I do, they can be tricky to display. Adding hooks to an old window or screen frame is a great way to display these treasures. 

Summer Reading...we've got a suggestion

'Heart of a Warrior'
 A Forty-day Devotional sharing a Legacy of Faith
By Shelly Thompson

FREE SHIPPING
​
'Heart of a Warrior' is now in it's sicth printing and has received wonderful reviews. The pages of this book written by Shelly Thompson, Publisher of The Notebook Cafe, are real life devotions God wrote on her heart as a young girl growing up on 5th Street in an old neighborhood known as Highland Park...a miniature Mayberry...surrounded by her parents, grandparents, and a tribe of faithful widowed women (different shapes and sizes of Aunt Bee).

Readers are enchanted with this wonderful neighborhood as they journey up the hill to ‘God’s rock’, remember breathing in the smell of amazing stacks of books during Story Hour in the old library, discover the afternoon the neighbor 'Grace' received real Jesus grace, relive summer afternoons on the back porch with sweet tea and stories y'all, finding ‘buried treasure’ in the back alley that God used to demonstrate His restoration, walk through painful steps of saying a temporary farewell to the faith Warriors in this life as they pass the torch of faith to the next generation to carry forward...creating the ‘Heart of a Warrior’...for a time such as this.
 
This book is a forty-day legacy devotional with encouraging warrior journal notes, battle strategies, and real life devotions...for all seasons in life.
 
Your heart will be touched, changed, revived, restored...and prepared to leave a legacy of faith for the next generation.
     
Return with author Shelly Thompson for forty days to where her journey began...the old house on 5th Street at the bottom of the hill. A special place where God touched a little girl’s heart for a lifetime.

Click here and read what Karen Abercrombie (Miss Clara from the movie War Room has to say about 'Heart of a Warrior'.  You can also order the book here with free shipping.