YOUR style

Just have to share a couple of comments I heard this week on decorating:

"Do you think my ----- is dated?"

"I am not really comfortable because I am afraid I will mess up something."

"It feels like a magazine in your house."

"I love to look at all the interesting things around here."

Here's my decorating philosophy: If "it" (color, furniture, art, arrangement) brings beauty and function to your life, relax and enjoy it. If you are hanging onto "it" due to obligation or indecisiveness, get help to settle your space to more reflect yourself. The only time to really be concerned with what is "on trend" would be if you are trying to sell your home. That would be the time to back off on your own decorating personality to help the potential buyers see how they could live in the space. It is usually helpful to bring in a friend or professional to help you see your home's potential. You know what they say about another pair of eyes...

Have fun in YOUR home, in YOUR style.

Blessings

Door to Daybed

My son has moved into his own apartment. What a milestone for all of us! One concern was in furnishing it as inexpensively as possible. We decided to build a daybed for more seating and also sleeping. We are talking a studio apartment.
The actual build was very basic. The inspiration was to use this old door as the back. (I have had that door about 10 years, waiting for this exact moment in time, LOL.)

We started by sanding it a bit and then spray painted patches in the room colors. If I had it to do over, I would spray larger patches so they aren't so hard to find.

We painted two coats over the whole thing with Rustoleum's dark brown flat. After it was really good and dry, we sanded through the brown to expose the colors and some patches of the base color. All this was topped with a clear coat. I just happened to have some striped fabric to cover pillows and scored with this comforter at Goodwill for $3.99. We are pretty thrilled with the outcome.

Blessings

Honeybees in my house!

So, one morning I was just hanging out with my BFF in our bonus room and we noticed the shadow of bugs swarming just outside the window. After much concern and observation, I called a beekeeper to confirm that is was honeybees who had made their home in mine. ^ I am allergic to bee stings.^ Calls to exterminators were futile since bees are protected in TN. Most good ole boys who do siding didn't want to shimmy up 20ft to tangle with bees. Finally, I found a siding company who would remove the siding and coordinate with a beekeeper who would retrieve the darlings. And after more calls, I found a bee suit to loan the siding guy. By now, we are into 2 months of phone calls and honey making.

Siding removed and saved, and ladders and walk board on loan, the beekeeper removed the chipboard to find that the bees were NOT under the siding but behind the bricks. Note that the guts of our home are VERY exposed. Mr. Beekeeper could not remove the bees from behind the bricks and said we would have to exterminate them. (This makes me sad, understanding that our bee population is so vital, but he did say the hive was very small. He encouraged this operation at this time so they had a chance to survive the relocation.)

It was challenging to find an exterminator to get rid of the bees. My house was hanging open for almost 3 weeks. See the trampoline under the walk board? That was my mother-in-law's brilliant idea for when I shimmied up the ladder to spray the bees myself-just in case I fell. In doing the math, at my weight, from that height, I still would have eaten concrete. What a hilarious operation it was just moving the trampoline into position! With unceasing and fervent prayer, no one was injured in this project!

Finally, the approach to the hive was through my craft room closet. (You know what a packed hot mess that must have been!)

Hopefully, it is done for now. I have seen horrible photos and read horrible stories online. I don't know what will happen with bees in the future but I am so relieved our house is sealed up and done for now! What an ordeal!

Blessings

"To the Crownless King"

Things have definitely not been boring around here! Although it has been awhile since I posted, I have been very busy. Almost everyday has involved a "project" and I will share many over the next few weeks. I have spent a lot of time preparing furniture pieces for my son's first apartment. Surely you remember those days when you are so excited to be in your own place and you want things to look great AND on the cheap. He really does have a sense of style!

In the meantime, I made this art project with the inspiration of the quote:

"All that is gold does not glitter, not all those who wander are lost; the old that is strong does not wither, deep roots are not reached by the frost. From the ashes a fire shall be woken, a light from the shadows shall spring; renewed shall be blade that was broken, the crownless again shall be king." JRR Tolkien, The Hobbit.

Blessings.

Birthday Banner

Recently, I went to visit my daughter for a birthday celebration...on the road! I took a pretty cake plate and candles for the purchased treat and a fun birthday banner.

To start, I bought a regular "Happy Birthday" banner at Hobby Lobby and I took it apart. Needlenose pliers made it easy to pull apart the rivets. Then I used spray adhesive to apply the letters to pretty scrapbook papers (which coordinated with the cake stand and napkins).

After I cut them out, I used regular craft paint to edge the letters and minimize the tabs. I punched holes and used some ribbon on hand to restring the letters.

I am pretty happy with the result and I will definitely do this again, just to have on hand.

As simple as can be, but it was my "craft fix" for the day, and I think it made her smile.

Blessings.

Bloom where you are planted

I love zinnias. With one small packet I have several cut flowers for small bouquets through the summer. This year I scattered three packets in carefully prepared areas in our front flower beds. They fill in the gaps between perennials and flowering bushes. An area I did not plant was amongst the sidewalk pavers, not even close. These beauties came up on their own and are actually thriving, with lovely red, pink and peach colored blooms. We have to notice them each time we walk by so as not to disturb them.
As he walked by them this morning on his way out, my wonderful husband suggested I blog about these flowers. Several words come to mind when I consider their situation...
Courage -because they are not sticking with the predictable path of their contemporaries.
Determination -speaks to their strength in a difficult situation.
Beauty -in their vigor and lively colors.
Contentment -as they are being what they were created to be in this moment.

"I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether wll fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength." Phil 4:12-13

Blessings.

Friends, it's been a while...

It has been quite an eventful month for me! I went with a team from our church on a medical mission to Haiti. Our objective was to assess the kids at the orphanage sponsored by our church and then to open the "clinic" to the local community.

This is just one of 300 photos I took on the trip. Here are a few of my impressions:
1. God is strong when we are weak...and He has not forgotten Haiti. The worship service was lovely. Familiar hymns were sung and the people were praising!
2. The people are gracious and grateful. Our clinic offered free treatment of those things we could fix in our brief visit. Even children who waited with parents were well behaved and all were patient.
3. Although Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, the people are mostly happy. They seem to have learned to live in the "now" rather than worrying about yesterday and tomorrow.
4. Basic infrastructure issues seem to keep the people in this poverty. Water filtration and waste disposal would go a long way in helping their overall health.
5. They are real people with real love and concern for their families. Moms would wait for hours to get care for children; teens brought grandparents; most were dressed in Sunday best, even if they walked quite a distance to be seen.

Too often I have seen the news of another disaster on TV, been saddened by the images, purposefully prayed for their plight. Eventually, I have moved on to the concerns of my own world, relatively safe but narrow. My motto since deciding to go on this mission has been that "I am weak, He is strong." I don't have experience in field medicine (again only the safety of bedside nursing in a major teaching hospital) so I was very light on the value added component for the team. I was totally out of control for this entire mission and it was quite freeing. Each of us were on this team by a Divine plan. We were privileged to have briefly touched their bodies, while they touched our hearts. I have new compassion for all His people...

I would encourage everyone to watch for opportunities for God to grow you. Be warned, it will mean stepping out of your comfort zone!

Blessings!