Friday, September 30, 2011

{a chance to be BRAVE}



There are a lot of different things I have called myself in life...

...one of them is {NOT BRAVE}...even through the great tragedy of losing and burying a child, I have considered myself little more than a {survivor}. NOT BRAVE. I have felt, at times, that I am strong. At other times, weak. I consider myself to be a giver, and a pleaser...a person who gets great satisfaction in making others happy. I would look as myself as a non-confrontational sort, avoiding a rift at all costs...so few things are worth a rift, large or small. I am a worrier and a planner, a sorter and an organizer. I am careful and protective, an optimist. But not {BRAVE}.

By the grace of God and the gift of great friendship, I am off to {BRAVE GIRL CAMP} next week. I know little more than I plan to be uplifted. I have been assured that I am worth it. I am ready to reach inside myself and gather all of my strength and leave McCall, Idaho a new person. A braver {SOUL}...

...and as if this wasn't enough, there is {ART}. A creative escape where I can release all my inhibitions onto a canvas, into a journal, through a creation. I want to be BRAVE. I hope to be BRAVE...



Thursday, September 29, 2011

{ Best of the Web Feature }

    

It is always a rare treat when your blog, your artwork, your photographs, your interests are stumbled upon...

...a rarer treat still when you are recognized for these things. Just recently a writer for the website, Pocketchange, contacted me. She had found my little blog and was intrigued by what it had to offer. 

...This is what she writes:

{ "Hi There,
I stumbled across your blog and I loved your posts and photos. Your devotion to family and also your sense of organization, with thought to small things is interesting." ... }

I would love it if you would stop over and take a peek at what she has to say. You will find lots of great information on everything from home decor and blogging, to green living and pets. There is something for everyone.

Hop on over and { stuff your pockets full! } 



Tuesday, September 27, 2011

{Sophie's Room}


 ...ruffles, book paper and gesso...these are a few of my favorite things.

When an older sister made the move upstairs, a shared room becomes {Sophie's Room}. It is
 sweet and white and so, so Sophie. A strict budget meant a careful planning, and lots of creative decorating.

The new {OLD} chippy iron bed instantly became the focal point of the room. Adorned with recycled bedding from Camille's room, a few new vintage pillow cases and an old grain sack, it is absolutely charming.

I was able to find interesting and unique art through the less obvious...a castoff frame that had lost its' luster makes a simple and unobtrusive center piece....paired with a milk glass lamp and a simple lampshade frame it is the perfect duo....the old primitive angel dolls keep watch over Sophie, day and night.
 Remember I mentioned I was working on a french market sign..well it is complete and I love it.




An old canvas gets a new facelift with vintage book paper and some beautiful hand made silky rosettes.
I had so many compliments on these, they are now for sale at {seventwothree}, along with coordinating vintage cigar boxes.



An old woven green footstool gets a coat of soft white paint and hand painted wording...a bit of muslin adds a touch of textile.


A tiny chair, a treasured and timeworn piece that belonged to my Angel son, gets a facelift with new fabric. {sending out this week for an upholstery job...will post better photos later}



An old ladder gets some white paint and a good sanding...I love the {galvanized rungs}.
Nice of the lightbulb to burn out just in time for photographing this room...which I must add at this point...indoor lighting stinks! I DO have a big flash and tripod, but I was lazy and in a hurry, so I did not take it out...the lighting is really much more beautiful than these photos depict.




Old yellow dressers are repainted...I love the way the detailed grooving on the fronts have a silver patina...




A few simple props add to the old world charm of the room...a vintage bassinet, an old picnic basket and a white enamel bucket, a shabby linen apron, are all sweet and simple pieces....










...simple tulle curtains complete the picture. {Sweet and Simple}.

{This is Sophie}.

I will be linking this room redo up here: Please hop over and check out all of the other wonderful inspiration that is to be found!






Monday, September 19, 2011

{where i create}

This is where I create...

...this room used to be a pretty shade of blue, but I wanted more light, more reflection, more white. This new room is much more {ME}.


I keep almost all of my trinkets and fabric close at hand. I am a collector of containers and {LOVE} them in any shape, size or medium, especially metal. If it can hold something, I will find a use for it. My newest favorite container - that sweet old galvanized {MAILBOX}. I Love it!

I know there are a lot of photographs. It is so difficult to get all the angles of a room, and I tried to take advantage of the wonderful afternoon light. Enjoy!
 The first piece of furniture I had for this room, years ago, was the island. I loved that it was white with a butcher block top. When we decided to add the rest of the built ins, my sweet husband offered to use planks of wood for the counter tops, so that it would mimic the butcher block of the island.

Everything goes with butcher block and white...especially baskets...so many great finds on old ones at the local thrift stores.
 Here is a photograph of my new wreathe. I fell in love with the one here and had to make one. Emily Jones Design and Aunt Peaches have the best tutorials, complete with lots of great images. Of course, mine has ten tons of berries and pears and other goodies added to it...oh yea, and about 125 coffee filter flowers...

...I have a few of the vintage metal card holders. I use them for displaying my favorite vintage {NUMBER} playing cards.


The best part of this room is the two {BIG} windows. I can never have enough natural light. It really makes a difference for me when working with the dye lots colors.
 My magnetic board is always loaded with the most recent dye lot...and anything that catches my eye. This week it was the {FRAGILE - HANDLE WITH CARE} impromptu sign that I cut off of a box.
 Several years ago, when I knew I was going to have my very own {creative space} I started hunting for the perfect storage bins. I found them on clearance at a company called {HOLD EVERYTHING}. They have been my tried and true staple pieces. The are most importantly {WHITE} and they are metal. I love them. They have been durable and neutral. I have a several different pieces in the collection and love them all.
 Good 'ole {IKEA} has great hanging storage. I like that it was also neutral and metal...and the best part is that all the pieces are interchangeable. If you are looking for something similar, I found them in the kitchen department of {IKEA}.


 Two more of my favorite things on display and ready to use at all times...{FABRIC} AND {NUMBERS}.
 I found this cool file organizer at my church thrift store. It was black. A little white spray paint, a turn on her side, and she makes a sweet fabric organizer. {LOVE}...and numbers are everywhere...can never have enough numbers.


So when my hubbie was finished creating the countertops, he asked me to take some time and figure out where I wanted my lamps, sewing machine, etc. This was so he could drill holes where the cords would go {he knows I hate cords showing}...the best part of all was the local {GLASS MAN} was able to drill the same hole in the glass I had made to cover the wood.
 The white frame is backed with rabbit wire. I love these and have several. I use them for portable design boards...plus they are {PRETTY}...



...and more white storage under the window for paper of all kinds...
 I haven't changed out the hanging lamp yet, but am planning on replacing it in the future. I had a sweet chandelier all picked out for that spot, but it never made it past Sophia's bedroom...now it adorns her ceiling. {NOT} sure how that happened...so I am on the hunt again. I need a pretty tiny one, for the space to look right, so for now I just made a sweet muslin {CORD COVER} for the {IKEA} lamp that resides here now.
 The old metal baskets are so sweet. They are almost like a miniature locker basket. Not sure what they were used for. I put a yard of two of my favorite and most used trims in oversized test tubes and placed them near my sewing area. This way they are always on hand when I need them...and flowers. They are lots of {FLOWERS} in this room. None of them are the same, because I love them all...also some of my favorite dyed wool yarn, in shades of white and pale pinks.
 A {PEONY'S FAVORITE FINISH CUSTOM BASKET} is home to part of my glass jar collection. The larger ones rest on top of the wall cabinet.
 I just love the way a chunk of hand dyed material looks...
 There is something very cheerful about looking at this...
 ...and this. That is why I keep them around at all times.
 The glass counter tops allow for the widest range of freedom when creating. I can use all types of mediums without a mat...dyes and hot glue, which are usually tough to get off of any surface, just wipe right off with a spot of windex or goo gone.
 Look at my sweet smelling lavender scented sachets. The tags are removable and say {INSPIRE} and {LIVE}. These were a lovely gift from Becky at Junk to Joy
...another old office supply basket that got a new coat of shabby white paint. The key was a most treasured gift from Michelle at Petite Michelle Louise. She knows my love of hearts, and in honor my Angel son created this precious key with a heart shaped stone on it...{i love it}
 Everyone has a {behind the door} spot. This is mine. It houses my threads, aprons, dye swatches, needle felting supplies, stickles and glue gun...all of these things hang on one of those awesome heavy duty metal clip style organizers from {HOLD EVERYTHING}.
 My coveted piece of all time. {THE WOOL CABINET}. This is a piece that I collected from the side of the road in my little town. A local mechanic was getting rid of it and it was mine if I hauled it away. It was orange in color it was so rusty and all the parts drawers were missing. It was over {7 feet tall} and almost {4 feet wide} and I had a vision of what is could be. I called {MR.723} and begged him to collect it...little did I know it weighed over a thousand pounds...{6} metal grill brushes and {17} hours later it was just the way I wanted it...{and of course also screwed to the wall}...

...and a shot of the baskets on the bottom shelf of the island...the two tiered metal stand was a not-so-pretty shade of gold when I found her. Some more white paint and she holds all my favorite vintage hankies and  hand made ruffled silk flowers ready to be put together...

 ...another wonderful container from {HOLD EVERYTHING}...it houses all of my vintage papers and images and paper findings...
 ..more shots of the this {YUMMY} wreathe...
 ...at first I was hesitant to cover up this sweet chalkboard...but then when I did it looked so great layered that I had to leave it...

...below is a sweet white candle sconce adorning the door to the room. This little sconce was not always so {SWEET}. It was the ugliest fake gold plastic 1970's sconce you ever did see...just goes to show you what some good white spray paint will do for an ugly little object!
 This little storage cubby came straight from the hardware isle at my local Wal-Mart. It is plastic. It was silver. You guessed it -  {MORE WHITE SPRAY PAINT}. I am so glad that they make it just for plastic now. It is so awesome! I have everything from vintage buttons to paper clips in this thing and it cost me about {{$6.00}.
 ...the stool are from {IKEA}. They are not my first choice, but fit the budget and went with the butcher block. Now that I am learning to use my new {SEWING MACHINE} I might try making some sweet ruffled slipcovers...if you have an easy tutorial I would love to hear about it!
 ...I bought all the cabinets and cupboards in boxes at {HOME DEPOT}. Mr. 723 spent lots of hours with those 468 page long direction booklets putting all of these together for me. They are not frilly or even very {PRETTY} but they are white and clean lined and were super cheap. Perfect! Even the island and the beautiful glass doored cabinet came in boxes. They were purchased at {K-MART} a few years ago. Can't beat a beautiful room on a budget!

Linking up to my favorite parties {HERE}...and here -

http://romantichome.blogspot.com/












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