The Beast
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You've seen the fireplace.
The entertainment center that we built.
There's a few walls of my collections.
The thrifted side table that I painted.
And the door sofa table that we built.
But there is one piece of furniture that I try to avoid showing.
Let's call it "the beast!"Sure I could replace beast with this beauty.
But I know that the beauty would soon become a beast because of the habits of my wonderful family (okay, mostly my hubby).Their bad habits have caused the death of three couches. Fortunately, for our pocket book, two of the three came from the thrift store in like-new condition. But after the harsh treatment they received in our home no thrift store would take them ever again.
I know that it will be easier to search for another gently used sofa to replace the beast than it would be to change my family's habits. But I also realize that I let my feelings toward the beast take over how I feel about the entire room. Even to the point of not finishing other projects, like hanging the drop-cloth window treatments I've had for almost two years on this 10 foot wide window.
So I thought that maybe if I unleashed the beast for the whole world to see, it might motivate me to make a few changes. I've even given myself a deadline of the day before Thanksgiving. And as much as I love the red walls, I'm considering a new paint color----maybe chocolate brown or charcoal gray.What about you? Do you have a beast that's preventing you from loving a room in your home? Are there other improvements you could make to help tame the beast? Would setting a deadline help? Why don't we form a club, we could call ourselves the Blogging Beast Bashers (it's not just a motivating title but a tongue twister as well). Come, join me and tackle your home's beast!
Finding Treasures
>Saturday was such a crazy busy day! We spent the morning helping with a neighborhood clean-up. Then I had groceries to buy and last minute Easter goodies to purchase. It seems that this year every store sold out plastic eggs, which meant, because I am a procrastinator, I had to go to more stores than I had planned. I prepared items to bring to a big family dinner that evening. Once we returned, there was house cleaning and more holiday and dinner preparations for Sunday. It was a very busy day! But would you believe that I actually found some time to stop in the thrift store? Yes, I did.
I have these wonderful treasures to prove it.
There is another treasure I found at the thrift store, but I can't show you. It isn't something I purchased. Saturday I found myself getting grumpy. You know how it is when you feel like you have to do it all and be it all, and with a holiday it seems those feelings are multiplied. Well, I decided that I wanted to break
"fill the well."
We all know what makes us feel better, those treasures that refresh our souls.
and everyday,
to fill your well.
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.
the Christmas lights still out--but not on--at the end of February
(I'm happy to report that I risked frost bite fingersto finally un-wire these and put them away).
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.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.
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.
The Little Things
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The fall leaves on the shower curtain holders.
The perfectly stacked candles lying amid the gleaming mercury glass candle sticks topped with faux pumpkins.
A beautiful, very feminine, little table---a recent thrift store acquisition.
A pretty little pumpkin plopped a top a curvy plant stand.
A huge hurricane containing a plethora of acorns and white pumpkins, finished off with the perfect touches of jute twine and vintage keys.
Celebration Time
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with a concert in the park,
followed by fireworks.
In the morning we'll watch our hometown parade.
Who doesn't love a parade?family barbecue in the backyard.
At dusk, we'll go to a near-by town to watch more fireworks.
My best memories of summer celebrationsare of our family
ooooohhing and aaahhhhing over fireworks.
summer celebration memories
this weekend?
IFS
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HOUSE OF YOUR DREAMS
in the home you're living in right now.
How would it look?
But, do you find yourself saying "If only..."
If only I had hardwood floors, then I would be happy with my home.
If only my appliances were beautiful stainless steel, then I'd have my dream kitchen.
If only the furniture came from a high end furniture store instead of a thrift store and hand-me-downs, then I'd love to entertain.
If only my walls weren't decorated with children's hand prints and the floor with toys, then I could decorate my home with beautiful things.
If only my house was bigger, then. . .
If only we had enough money to make home improvements, then. . .
The problem with the "If only's" is that you choose to delay your happiness and miss out on JOY you could be having right now.
If you learn nothing else from my blog, I hope you learn that every day you should do a little something to find the JOYS of home. That's my goal. Let me illustrate with photos of my own home.
Our main bathroom looks picture perfect. It's not! The tile floor has cracks, the top drawer falls out if you pull it too far. The cabinets are low end wood laminate and the sinks have rust stains that cannot be removed.I could have chosen to live with the "If only's." Instead, I painted the cabinets, replaced the hardware, and stocked the linen closet with fluffy white towels.
The flooring in our home was not pretty, at all. If I lived in "If only" land I would not have torn out the ugly carpet and tile, painted the subflooring and personalized our stairs. Would I love to have beautiful hardwood? Of course! But look at the creative opportunities that I would have missed. 
The kitchen has the same cheap cabinetry as the bathroom and the appliances are white. It had the ubiquitous U-shape of the 1970's until we decided to tear it apart and make improvements on a budget of a thousand dollars. The "If only" attitude would have robbed us of wonderful memories of working together and of preparing our turkey on top of the washing machine because hubby was installing the sink on Thanksgiving morning.
The beautiful fireplace I told you about yesterday is still not finished. It's missing the surround on the firebox. No one notices because I painted the whole thing black and loaded it with pretty candles. Would I love to have a finished gas burning fireplace? YES, but I can enjoy it this way until our finances allow us to finish it. 
Our master bedroom has painted subflooring and a master bath that needs major work. The furniture is from the thrift store, the draperies are drop cloths, the walls are painted with mistints. But it can still be beautiful and on a budget.With an "If only" attitude I would never have discovered the depth of my creativity. I would not have had the opportunity to help others design their homes, and I certainly would never have started a blog.
Don't let the thief "If only" rob you from the JOYS of home that are at your finger tips.
Please stop living with the "If only's" and do what you can, with what you have, to find the JOYS in your home. This weekend would be a great time to start!
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.
Sowing Seeds
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I've always thought it would be funto 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 andgathered a few packets of seeds.
Now, just a few days later, I'm excited to report a little growth.
started this process about six weeks ago
in order to enjoy blooms before the fourth of July?
No.
Okay.
Maybe.
But isn't that what real growth is all about?
Overcoming our mistakes andblossoming 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
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.
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.an accumulation of
wonderment and awe.
We just need to take the time to stand back and
embrace it!
