Because We Spend Too Much Time Complaining

Very Mary is grateful for being glasses-free. a warm house. a good job with good benefits. a funny daughter. a Very David. playful kitties. wonderful friends. blogging. woolen clogs. comfort food. bald baby birds. craftiness. thrift shopping. etsy. the internet. ancillary space. America. curly hair. trying new things. a reliable vehicle. the postal service. fiery redheads. to-do lists. sweet tea. portable space heaters. cable television. calculators. rubber cement. tempurpedic mattresses. uncontrollable fits of laughter. the FDA. modern amenities. natural wonders. crossword puzzles. self-awareness. green eyes. the past. power tools. hardwood floors. literature. indoor plumbing. plastic. old stuff. ephemera. pulp fiction. miniature things. sudoku. being an only child. soldiers. tissues. fabric. dry erase boards. spa weekends. jeans that fit right. color combos. the wee wrinkles around eyes. sunshine in the middle of winter. Logan, Ohio. frogs. angel food cake. coffee shops. greasy spoon diners. email. goo gone. blank canvases. summer rain. handwriting analysis. music. loose change. fireworks. bean sprouts. pita bread. volunteerism. opportunity. a fresh new journal. graduation ceremonies. deep pockets. marching ants. old men in suspenders. cleft chins. drums. berry picking. naps. more naps. old jewelry. palmistry. dressing up for a swanky event. natural selection. hope. old-fashioned names. a balanced checkbook. Brawley, California. bakeries. cute shoes. jump roping. giving. bald men. moose and mousse. interior design. the smell of pumpkin pie. quiet time. washers & dryers. easy to follow directions. rabbits. tacos. yogurt-covered raisins. underwear. crunching ice. organization. paper. hyphenated last names. alphabetical order. silly string. sunsets. sleeping in. dancing alone in the living room. Fridays. grace under pressure. kittens some more. lazy days. zinc lozenges. crayons. sunglasses. victory. board games. chapstik. ledger paper. repurposing. Christmas. bubble wrap. grosgrain ribbon. digital cameras. GPS. aged couples holding hands. all-nighters. charisma. shortbread cookies. aprons. ping pong. vintage sewing patterns. giggling children. good hair days. comfy pillows. waldorf salad. threadbare quilts. earth-integrated homes. feeling energetic. old jars. just because. and I Love You's. And you?

Shake Your Tail Feathers

Once Upon a Time Before Technology

there were girls in frocks. And none of them texted their friends. Imagine that.

Very Mary Makeover

Each year for their birthdays, Very Mary and her Very Mother celebrate by giving one another all the free stuff they've accumulated during the year. Really, you'd be surprised by the amount of free junk that these two can find. And this isn't like hotel-sample-shampoo-free, this is like scrounged-through-freebie-boxes-at-yard-sales and snagged-promos-off-the-table kind of free. Sometimes there's some pretty amazing stuff. And sometimes? Sometimes there's this:

The Very Mother found this weird/warped/rather country-ish cherry picture from a freebie table at her local thrift shop. It did come in a rather swanky glass frame with adorable metal clip closure. But, well, um. Look at it. Never one to look at ugly with the same eyes as others, Very Mary was able to transform that into this:

She simply flipped the cherry-covered outer mat around to its white side, and then she covered that green mat with some black cardstock. For the center image? Very Mary cut out a picture from a card sent to her by a friend. Once its adorable little clippy frame was replaced, this piece of artwork looked like something from a gallery. Total cost? Free.