Monday, March 18, 2013

Goals, Accomplishments, Adult Children and Random Stuff


Blogging took a back seat to parenting adult children since last Thursday. I spent time with my three kids.

I truly enjoy my children, and continue to marvel at them. 
I remember watching each as infants, as though they were the most interesting thing in the world. 



To me, they are still as interesting as they were back then - even as twenty-somethings. I still find myself wondering, "How did you learn that?" 

I still love just looking at them. I still laugh at funny things they say - maybe even more now. 

We have history. We have running jokes. We are eternally glued together by love and common experiences. 

Now, I learn something new about these amazing creatures whenever I spend time with them. 

I still think they are the cutest, most intelligent, most clever, witty people I know. 

I am SO glad God picked me to be their mom.



Last Week's Goals:
1. Continue sorting clothing for garage sale and pack away keepers for fall/winter. - Work in Progress
2. Move table to guest room. - Change of plans. 
3. Photograph Dining Room changes. On hold - Hannah came home for a couple of days unexpectedly!
4. Re-pot ivy, pot succulents. DONE. Look on Pinterest for ideas. DONE.
5. 5 new Etsy listings. NOT DONE. However, some of the "pre listing" work is done - photos and other things.
6. Finish changing and styling the living room. Work in Progress - Hannah came home!
7. Eat low-carb. No cheating. Not terrible, but again, HANNAH CAME HOME. She always wants Pasta with Alfredo and some sort of sweet treat. On the bright side, I've been having GREEN MONSTER smoothies and cold soups. I did lots of prep work for those, and made them for breakfast this weekend. Hannah liked them a lot! Also, our sweet treat was Ambrosia instead of chocolate cake. 

GUESS WHAT?
There is no Christmas stuff lurking inside anymore! The garage is to capacity again, though.


Note to self: Consider scheduling guests to stay at my house once per month. This is the best way to ramp up and get something done! 



I purchased the little numbers above at Hobby Lobby - with a 40 percent off coupon, of course. I'm not sure what I might use them on yet, but I love them. 



The lush wheat grass thing didn't really turn out all that well. 
I'm not sure what I didn't do right. I'm going to give it another shot, and then I might purchase rye grass seed instead of wheat berries.

This Week's Goals: (Funny, they look a lot like last week's goals.)

1. Finish sorting clothing for garage sale and pack away keepers for fall/winter. 
2. Move black table to guest room. 
3. Photograph Dining Room changes. 
4. Try the wheat grass thing again. 
5. 5 new Etsy listings. 
6. Finish changing and styling the living room. 
7. Eat low-carb. No cheating. Continue Green Smoothies.

Word for the Day:
Psalm 127:4-5a
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one’s youth.
5a
Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them...

Friday, March 15, 2013

Living Room Vignettes - Spring 2013 Changes


Change is good. For spring and summer, most of us like to freshen things up and make things visually lighter.

I opted to remove some darker bronze and gray pieces and leave lighter painted finishes for spring 2013.



I still want a vintage-elegant-industrial-cottage feel to my space, so I've edited carefully to include elements that work within those parameters. 

The industrial-feeling shelving on either side of my fireplace is something I've had for decades - it's been in the garage and the utility room among other places. It's not my ideal, but the price was right, and a coat of gray paint made it work as a (hopefully) temporary solution.



I've kept finials on both top shelves - asymmetrical symmetry. They're not identical, but both sides have corresponding elements. 



On the left side, the second shelf holds a wonderful old ironstone platter. 



It was a gift from Julie last summer. 



It has a mark on the back, but I couldn't find anything about it after searching Google a few times. "Elsmere."



I grouped it with some favorite photos of my children, a tarnished silver tray and a metal orb on the shelf. 



The third shelf has a metal basket with deconstructed books,  a contemporary mixed media painting, a vintage iron candlestick with a moss ball, a tiny silver box and an alabaster footed bowl, filled with chartreuse reindeer moss.

The bottom shelf holds a small stereo, not so cute, but it is nice to have music in the living room. 

The side table is actually a vintage stool I stripped down to a chippy layer of white paint. 



A round mirror sits on top, with a thrift store lamp painted platinum and wearing a Walmart shade, a thrift store ceramic planter and faux greenery and a tea light candle holder - also from a thrift store.



On the opposite side of the room, the look is similar, but not symmetrical. 



The second shelf holds another contemporary mixed media painting, a vintage gold leafed mirror (Yes, that's a tiny mirror in a very chunky frame!), a silver tea set from Celeste, a couple of photos of my mom in thrifted silver plate frames, and a thrift store silver plate candlestick with a moss ball instead of a candle. 



I actually couldn't decide which I liked better...the moss ball or the glass doorknob I got on my last trip to Jack and Greg's shop. Which do you prefer?



I opted for the doorknob, though the moss ball probably shows up better. I used the moss ball below on the milk glass candlestick.



Next to this shelf is the bird feeder I took apart to get the dirty plastic thing that held the feed out of it. It now has some moss inside, and I may put a few small wooden eggs inside. Oops, I didn't get the top situated on straight. 



It's sitting on my "7 table." It covers the 7, but that's fine.



I still have more to show you...the fire box, the table in front of the window, and the other side of the room, but that will wait until another post...soon. I'll show you my mantel tweaks then as well. :)

Word for the Day:
Daniel 2:21
He changes times and seasons; 
he deposes kings and raises up others. 
He gives wisdom to the wise 
and knowledge to the discerning.

Possibly Linking With:

Sunday

Sunday Show-off Link Party
Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Thrifty Treasures
Monday

Metamorphosis Monday
Mod Mix Monday
Make it Pretty Monday
Tuesday

Vintage Inspiration Tuesday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
The Scoop
The Scoop
Cottage Style
Wednesday

Blissfully White Wednesday
Primp Your Stuff Wed
Wow Us Wednesday
Penny Pinching Party
What’s it Wednesday
Centerpiece Wednesday
Thursday

Under $100 Link Party
Transformation Thursday

Thursday Open House Party
Time Travel Thursday
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Share Your Cup Thursday
Friday

Feathered Nest Friday
Frugal Friday
Rustic Restorations Weekend
Fabulously Creative Friday
Weekend
Shabbilicious Friday Link Party
Saturday

Saturday Nite Special




Wednesday, March 13, 2013

After and Before - Photos of Small Projects

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Afters are more important than befores...don't you agree?

Word for the Day:
John 1:30
This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’

Possibly Linking With:

Sunday

Sunday Show-off Link Party
Nifty Thrifty Sunday
Thrifty Treasures
Monday

Metamorphosis Monday
Mod Mix Monday
Make it Pretty Monday
Tuesday

Vintage Inspiration Tuesday
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
The Scoop
The Scoop
Wednesday

Blissfully White Wednesday
Primp Your Stuff Wed
Wow Us Wednesday
Penny Pinching Party
What’s it Wednesday
Thursday

Under $100 Link Party
Transformation Thursday

Thursday Open House Party
Time Travel Thursday
Treasure Hunt Thursday
Share Your Cup Thursday
Friday

Feathered Nest Friday
Frugal Friday
Rustic Restorations Weekend
Fabulously Creative Friday
Weekend
Saturday

Saturday Nite Special