Wood and Wasps

Last week we were (finally) able to experience a few days of warm weather. I lugged my scroll saw outside to the picnic table so as to take in the goodness of the sun as well as get some work done on the wedding open house I'd been hired to decorate. While cutting out the candelabras I took a moment to take in my surroundings. To the left of my saw lay a pile of firewood loving cut and left by the men of my family; an accompanying gift to what I was given for Mother's Day. This year I decided to play it safe and send an email to my family members telling them just what I wanted to receive. However, I forgot to check the link and my family was left to guess which fire pit I desired. They guessed wrong but were willing to return their first choice and buy my first choice, temporarily/creatively resting on an old pallet. Unfortunately with the wet weather and our busy schedules we haven't had a chance to enjoy it. Hence the pile of firewood on the picnic table.
To the right of my saw lay further evidence to my neighbors that they are living next door to a lunatic woman. I'm sure that's what they would have thought if they were to glance outside their windows to see me batting around the scrap of wood and then here me laugh the "HeeHee" of a jubilant pirate defending his plunder. I repeated this action at least a dozen times while cutting my project. But I was not defending myself from swarthy, sword holding attackers. I was defending myself from small, vicious flying prey. Fortunately my batting skills were on the mark and I was now surrounded by the carcasses of about a dozen of my foe. Once I no longer heard the menacing buzz of those small invaders I was able to complete my task and resume the appearance of an average "normal" woman who cuts projects outside in the warm weather, on a picnic table piled high with firewood, surrounded by deceased insects.

Serveware

I succumbed.

I did.
I saw this little beauty on the very bottom shelf at the thrift store.My first response was to gasp.
A little.
Then reason took over as I reminded myself that I am trying very hard to
buy only things that I know I will use.
But the hypnosis of ironstone had me under it's spell
and I picked up this pretty little piece of serving ware and placed it in my basket.
I told myself that it was possible to enjoy it's beauty while shopping.
And then leave it.
But the more I stared at it in my cart the more it had my heart.
I knew it would never be used.
I reasoned that it could always be just a gorgeous display piece.
After all it certainly appears to be vintage.Who uses these things anyway?
Although . . . . .
with Mother's day just a few days away,
my family could lovingly bring me breakfast in bed using this on a tray.
Along with a vase of beautiful flowers.
But that's not going to happen.
Ever.
My family knows that the only breakfast I enjoy is cereal.
With a little orange juice on the side.
Not exactly a breakfast in bed menu.
Nope.
This won't be used on Mother's day.
Or any of the other three-hundred-and-sixty-four days of the year.
But who made the rule that you could only enjoy things if they serve a purpose?
Not me.
My rule would be:
If it brings a smile to your face, and a dream to your heart,
and it won't break the budget,
it's okay to buy that budget smiley-face-dream-maker.
Just as long as you don't buy so many
that you end up on some TV show for hoarder's.
Or have to join Smiley-Face-Dream-Maker Anonymous.
My other rule is that a woman should always by herself
a little something for Mother's day.
So this is my gift to me.Here's where you envision me with a smile on my face
and a dream cloud floating over my head,
wishing myself a Happy Mother's Day.
And wishing you a Happy Mother's Day too!

To Please Or Not To Please

I started to paint my dining room wall more than a month ago and it still isn't finished! It has a few more coats of paint from techniques that I've tried and hated, but that is the only progress that I can report. It has been a source of frustration for weeks. The more frustrated I got with the wall the more I began to question, "Who am I trying to please?"Blogs are wonderful whether you write them, read them, or both. They can provide inspiration and motivation. Blogs can become one of the greatest sources for trying new ideas in our homes. However I've discovered that, for me, it's important to ask myself if my motivation for making change is because I really love and desire the change or is it because it's the popular thing to do? In other words who am I trying to please? On occasional I have fallen into the trap of creating things simply for a blog post, or because I think my readers will love it, or because I've seen the idea on several blogs so I feel the need to have it in my home. Interestingly enough I don't always recognize my motivation for creating but I do recognize that the item quickly becomes something that I don't truly love in my home. It doesn't reflect my taste because I did it to please someone else and I wasn't being true to myself.
Blogs aren't the only trap we can find ourselves caught in when trying to be true to ourselves in decorating our home. Recently I had a design appointment with a new client. As she took me through her home she would point out in nearly every room an item that someone gave her. I could tell in her voice that these were not items that she loved. The items were placed there simply because she felt a sense of obligation to the giver. She kept the item in her home because she wanted to please the giver. Yet the giver of the gift rarely, if ever, visited her home. I asked her the question, "If someone gave you a blouse that was a color you disliked, a pattern or cut that simply wasn't you, or that didn't fit, would you feel that you needed to wear it all of the time?" When her response was no, I asked, "Then why do you do that with things in your home?" I understand that there are some things given to us by those we love and/or live with that we feel obligated to keep. I know that we often have to make compromises in our home because of our loved ones, but that should not be the entire design of our home. Just as it's okay to keep the ugly blouse in the back of the closet, we can put the less desired, making a compromise, pleasing our loved one objects in a less prominent area of our home.
Our home is just that, OURS. Homes should be the one place where we find true comfort. They should be the one place that truly reflects who we are. Our home should be a haven where we please ourselves, where we are authentic to ourselves and our family.Today look around your home. Does it reflect who you are and please you? Or does it contain far too many things that please someone else? If so, I give you permission, just as I did for my client, to put away or give away those items that please someone else. Then go ahead and replace them with items you love because that is how you discover the real joys of home!

Turtle Speed

I am a turtle when it comes to home improvement. While some can slam out a painted room in a day, I take it slow and steady.Perhaps it's because I'm a bit of a perfectionist and I take my time cutting in my paint lines just right, without taping, just using a good angled brush and a steady hand.
Maybe it's because my family needs time to adjust to change. The most common question asked when I'm doing any improvement is, "Why are you changing that???" (When I reply that it's just because I want to, they usually walk away confused.)
Then there is my simple love of savoring change---somewhat like eating a delectable dessert as slowly as possible so it can be enjoyed to it's fullest. I savor those giddy feelings as I watch my project go from an idea in my head to a reality in my home.
Such is the case with my dining room wall. I am delighted with it's transformation from antiqued green to "Blacktop"---the most deep and luscious gray/brown/green.My shelf has been stripped and primed. The antique tin has been released from years of paint, rust, and grime; a look I once loved but am ready for something new. I am so excited to add the final layers of glaze to both projects but it will be done at turtle speed so that both my family and I can appreciate the flavor of change.
Are you a rabbit or a turtle when it comes to home improvement projects?

Hints of Past, Present, and Future

Once again I seem to have disappeared from the blogging world. After several years of blogging there is one thing that I have come to know: Time spent with family and friends is more important than any blog post that I could create. Time is such
a precious commodity and I am striving to spend my time as wisely as possible.Last week I attended the funeral of a wonderful man. I listened as the speakers praised his life. Each acknowledged his devotion to his family, church, community, and country. They told of his attributes of kindness, charity, service, gratitude, and love. I reflected upon my own life. How do I want to be known? As a loving wife, a devoted mother, an adoring nonny, a kindhearted friend, someone who could make you laugh, a generous soul, a woman who knows God and whose words and actions reflect her religious beliefs, an inspiration, faithful, considerate, talented, appreciative, creative, giving, gracious. . . and the list continues. Did I even think to add "great blogger" to the list? The answer is, "No." Please don't misunderstand. I really do love blogging. It motivates me to learn and create and get out of my comfort zone. But, as with anything in life, when it becomes my only focus I become unbalanced and unhappy. And so as I enter into my fourth year of blogging I am determined to keep things in perspective. What does that mean? Well, just to name a few. . .It means that I will be a better steward of my time, talents, and energy. I will use my blog to document the things I make and do in my home instead of using my home to make a blog. I will cease doing "fluff" projects just for the sake of posting. I will try to refrain from comparing my home and blog to others. I will stop buying thrifted items merely because they will make for a great "before and after post."
Blogging can be a great blessing, but it can also be a bit of a curse. I am learning that the trick is to not allow blogging to become a bigger part of life than the life I am living and blogging about.
If you have endured my ramblings thus far I want you to know that I am ever appreciative of the time you spend here. You have supported me as I have weathered a few storms over the past year and I am thankful to you. I am humbled by you and am grateful for your influence. You inspire me and I am honored to be a small part of your life. Truly!
This photo will give you a hint as to why I took a break from blogging last week.My only daughter, who lives too far away, was in town. She and her hubby are pregnant with their first child; a girl. We spent the week planning, reminiscing, laughing, crying, loving, and attending baby showers. It was delightful!!! She left for home today and so to ease the pains of separation I will be cleaning up these exciting finds from the Habitat store, as well as picking and buying paint for a few projects.I am trying to prepare my home for an exciting event. I hope that you will join me in viewing the homes of several talented bloggers. My goal is to be able to tour each of these beautiful homes looking for inspiration and appreciating the gifts and talents that others have been given. The Parade of Homes will be a great source to gladden, excite, motivate and invigorate---as long as we resist to compare and compete. Mark your calendar and be prepared to be inspired!

Sandwiched

I am a member of the Sandwich Generation. I am raising a teenager, caring for an aging parent,
and helping to care for a grandchild.
Life can get busy when you're sandwiched with family duties
and when it does extras, like blogging, fall down on the list.
It is why I disappeared from my blog last week.

I don't mind being sandwiched between generations.
It really is a blessing to be able to serve the ones I love.
Although I wish that, like honey, I would always be sweet in a sticky situation or,
like peanut butter, I could be spread smoothly instead of being such a big nut. But all in all my life is good.
In fact, it really has a lot of flavor.
(Okay, I think I hit my pun limit for the day)

The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly

Have you ever looked at a blog and wondered what it must be like to live next door to the blog author and see how things are in "real life"? Are you curious to know if their life is always as pretty as the photos on their blog? There are times that I feel like a bit of a hypocrite because while I post
The Good, as in my recent front porch makeover.

What you don't see is The Bad,
the Christmas lights still out--but not on--at the end of February (I'm happy to report that I risked frost bite fingers
to finally un-wire these and put them away).

And then there is The Ugly,
leftovers that haven't been cleaned up since
decorating for a wedding in December.
(My husband and I both laugh and cringe at this sight.)

So why did I choose to post The Bad and The Ugly? Was it to relieve the pangs of hypocrisy? Perhaps. Was it to make you feel better about your real life messes? Possibly. But I think that it was mostly to remind us both that it's okay to look passed the bad and ugly in life to be able to see the good.

Last year we had so many crazy things go wrong in our life that one day my friend asked if I were keeping track of all of our of disasters. I sat down to write a list and decided that instead of writing of the bad things happening to us, I needed to make a list of what was going right. It was that list that helped us make it through the rough waters without totally sinking. We were able to find a balance of good along with the bad. In fact, the more we focused on the good the more there was to see. There is a lot of bad and ugly in this world but there is also so much good. Maybe that's one of the reasons why we like to look at all of the pretty pictures in magazines, catalogs and blogs. They portray a beautiful lifestyle, they give us relief from the ugly around us, they inspire us, and give us hope for something better.
No one has a perfect life. Everyone's life is a combination of good, bad, and ugly. But the more we look for the good and give it the attention it deserves the more we come to see that life really is what we choose to put our focus on.

Advice for the Younger Me

If there was a way that I could go back in time to give myself advice when I was a young mother I would have a long list of things to say. Of course most of it would be advice older mothers had already told me:

• Enjoy your children while they're young because they grow up too fast.
• Always treat your family as well as you would a guest.
• Play more.
• Keep a record of the unimportant moments as well as the important ones (I really wish I would have done that!)
• Children can be taught how to do their own laundry.
• Be in the moment.
• Don't rush through the infant and toddler stages.
• Be patient when it comes to potty training---especially when it takes longer than you think.
• Breath
• Every moment does not need to be planned.
• Elaborate vacations and fancy birthday parties are not requirements for a happy childhood.
• A big empty box is more fun than most toys you can buy.
• Prayer and faith are essential in raising children.
• Take time to step back and see your child as the person he/she is becoming.
• Broken things can be replaced, broken hearts cannot.
• Buy a panini maker.

Okay, I know that last one may seem a little odd. But a couple of years ago, when I purchased a panini maker, my life became easier. Every Saturday became panini night. Everyone makes their own meal to suit their taste, there is no more asking, "Mooommmmm, what's for dinner tonight???" And even though my younger self would have reminded me that panini makers were not readily available at the time I would have quickly answered, "Then find a meal that your family can enjoy weekly, that can be customized to fit individual taste and that can be a weekly mini-celebration, a night to look forward to for mom and the family." If panini's are not your family's thing then maybe sub sandwiches, crepes, waffles, burgers, or salads could become your weekly ritual.

What advice you would give your younger self?

***M.Bellish'd giveaway here***

Meet Meg

This is my friend Meg.

Isn't she beautiful! I first met Meg when she was just a teenager. I was impressed with her infectious enthusiasm and positive nature. In her early twenties Meg suffered a tragic accident that left her quadriplegic. Her remarkable spirit and positive attitude helped get her through her ordeal and move on with her life. That's when her motto became:

"When life gets too hard to stand,
keep on rollin'."

I recently made her this necklace as a thank you gift.

(tutorials can be found here, here, and here).

I invited her to speak to a group of women. They loved her almost as much as I do. Even though Meg's life is harder than most, she knows that we all suffer with our own personal tragedies. She inspires you to reach for your goals, no matter how hard it may seem to attain them. Her story will make you cry, laugh, and give you the motivation to keep on rollin'. You can read more about Meg here and while you're there be sure to sign up for her monthly messages. You'll be glad you did!

Enjoying Moments

I walked into my living room this morning to view the new arrangement on my coffee table. It's the working of my three year old granddaughter who proudly announced yesterday, "I decorating!" She had taken items from around the room, combined them together, and then carefully topped the sugar mold with mini gourds.
Her decorating makes me smile and reminds me to relax and enjoy this moment in time.Author Anna Quindlen, in her book Loud and Clear, said, "The biggest mistake I made [as a mother] is the one that most of us make. ... I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three of [my children] sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4, and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in a hurry to get on to the next things: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less."
I have that same regret with my own children. And so for today, and perhaps for a few days to come, I will bask in the beauty created by my three-year-old interior decorator.

A Unique Comeback Story

Almost two months ago the demands of life seemed to be. . .well, too demanding. Feeling overwhelmed I decided that I would take a little break from blogging. However, much like an exhausted mother who lies down for a twenty minute nap only to awake hours later, my little blog break became longer than I had originally anticipated.What did I do during my break? I wish I could report that I spent my time creating. I did not. But I did do some inventorying. I took many more items to the thrift store than I purchased (with a few more car loads to go). I discovered that I own more books, frames, chairs, and lanterns than I need. I even took an inventory of my life asking myself if I was happy with how I was spending my time, talents, and energy. I questioned my purpose for decorating and for blogging.

We live in a world where we are merely a click away from viewing the lives of countless strangers. This can be so very inspiring but more often than not it can make us question ourselves. Should I be putting up beadboard or board and batten? I just finished painting my cabinets black but now everyone is painting theirs gray, does that mean I'm out of style? The light, coastal look is in but I live far from any coast, what shall I do? Is my home beautiful? Am I pretty? Is my family as wonderful as those I read about? Am I creative? Do I have anything special to offer?Why do we do this to ourselves?!? There is a wonderful quote that states, "Comparison is the thief of joy." I believe this to be so very true! But more than robbing our joy, comparison can also rob us of our uniqueness. We are each placed here on earth for a purpose. Just as our outward appearance is individual and without equal, so is what we have to contribute to the world. Why do we spend so much of our energy and time trying to be like the crowd when what makes us amazing is our individuality. Think about it. Every year there is a new fashion or style unleashed to the masses simply because the masses have become just that, a mass.I have answered my question about my purpose for blogging. I do it because I enjoy it. Blogging inspires me to use and improve my talents to bless myself and my family. Hopefully somewhere along my path I inspire others as well. Please forgive me for getting on a soapbox about the hazards of comparison. You have likely already figured this out, but I needed the reminder. That is my purpose for posting this message today. I need to remind myself that I am unique. I need to make it my business to explore that uniqueness. I hope that you'll join me in my journey.
I implore you, dear readers, to take a little break of your own. Find out what makes your situation, your home, your family, and who you are as a person so remarkable.
Embrace your distinctiveness and even your peculiarities! Remember that you truly are extraordinary----even if you think you are not. You do have something to offer this world that no one else can. That is why you are here.

Now, Go and Be Exceptional!

Uncreative Break

I've been missing in action for a few days. Not because I have been up to anything wonderfully creative. Simply because I've needed to do the mundane things of life.

A little weeding

and turning my junk drawers into junque drawers.

Sowing Seeds

I've always thought it would be fun
to start flowers for my yard from seeds. This year with finances so tight, and still having a desire for
a bounty of beauty,
it has become a necessity. To help fill our gardens with flowers,
I decided to try my hand at sowing seeds indoors. I purchased little green houses and
gathered a few packets of seeds. Now, just a few days later, I'm excited to report
a little growth.

Does it concern me that I should have
started this process about six weeks ago
in order to enjoy blooms before the fourth of July?
No.

Not really.
Okay.
Maybe.
But isn't that what real growth is all about?Overcoming our mistakes and
blossoming despite them.

Flaws and Imperfections

I started writing this post with the idea of talking about collections. I was going to write about the two different kind of collectors. There are those who collect only the finest and then there are those, like me, who can appreciate a few flaws in their mass of similar items. I was going to say how the fun of collecting should be in the hunt---the patience of waiting until that certain item comes along that makes you giddy and so thrilled to place it in a prominent spot along with the other items of it's kind. I wanted to explain how sometimes it's the blemishes in your loved collection that make it even more dear to your heart, like the suitcase with it's original handle at one time replaced with rope as a makeshift luggage hold. Or the handle so lovingly repaired by my hubby on the small luggage piece found at a New York flea market that had been carefully transported home just to have our sweet granddaughter tear the vintage leather of the grip into small bits.I planned on showing how even though a pretty piece of pottery has received a chip or two along the way it can still

bring beauty into our life. And how if we concentrate on the small chip we can forget to
see the attractiveness of the whole.Then it dawned on me, that I was not just talking about collections. I was talking about life. It's okay to live a life that isn't perfect. Why is it that we can sometimes get so overwhelmed with looking for perfection that we forget that it's the flaws and bumps that give character to our life . A good life is made when we repair the damage that has been done and still go on to serve and bless the lives of others. Life isn't about having everything perfect and in order. Life is about the search, the hunt, the journey. Because it's in the journey where happiness can be found.

Yes, a happy life is what you make of it. Turning bad things into good. Having patience with ourselves as well as with others. Appreciating all that life offers, the wonderful as well as the not so wonderful. And remembering that it's during both of those extremes in our life's journey that beautiful memories can be made,
growth can occur and love can flourish.Life is much like a collection.

It's made up of many things that when pulled together form
an accumulation of
wonderment and awe.
We just need to take the time to stand back and
embrace it!