cottage instincts

::january 31::

2012-01-31T14:51:00.001-05:00

Playing with my new camera on an freak warm last day of January.

old crusty windmill

origami butterfly made by my son

hints of green

random furniture at home in my garage

the dirty truth

evergreen

fences

on the edge

my three boys

homeward bound

our box in focus

whew....that was fun alpha-mom!

Hope you were able to find some magic in the mundane this 31st day of January.

We're one-third the way thru winter!

::ways with walls::

2012-01-30T14:17:00.002-05:00

Let me introduce you to my pretty dang awesome lil' sis Bubs.

I'm kinda jealous of her 'cause she was a gramma before me.

But this is about the wicked cool stencil treatment she did on one of her family room walls. She doesn't blog, but posted these on her facebook page and I snagged 'em. That's what big sisters do. They snag things from younger siblings.

BEFORE (she'd already taken down pics and such, it isn't always this b.o.r.i.n.g):

AFTER Shazam!

Doesn't that look cool? I'm soooo tempted to stencil a wall. I think putting faux board and batten and then doing a stencil above would be perfection in my hallway. Here's a closeer look:

I know. I really like the color she chose for the stencil. Of course I don't know what that color is called, but if you're interested I can get it. I have magic powers honed over the years.

EDIT: Here's what Bubs says about the products and process:

Hobby Lobby for both. Stencil is Stencil Easy which you can find online for more variety. Paint color is Folk Art acrylic #953-Camel. For my large wall it took 3 bottles of paint that I dilluted just a smidge. I used a natural sponge. VERY easy to line up...took about 4 hours total :).

So what about you? Into stencils at all? They're certainly not what they were in the 80s and 90s. True dat.

::Pinterest Post Follow-up::

2012-01-26T12:27:00.000-05:00

Well, that was a trip. Lots of pretty great input on my Pinterest post. You should go read it if you haven't. Seems there are quite a few newbies still learning the ropes, and of course there's grace for you :) I hope postings like these will help even out the learning curve without making you feel yukky. We've all been the new guy, trying to wield this powerful tool called the internet without hurting others or making a fool of ourselves!

source

In light of that, some points to clarify: All pins (and repins) DO have a source link back to the post (or at least the blog) where the image was taken. The exception is when an image is grabbed from google images (a no no) or from a person's personal photo album (iphone images or flickr or whatev). My point was not so much that people can't get back to my place from a pin, but how pinning and running degrades community.

I don't freak over my images that get pinned. I like the exposure. It's an ataboy that what I do is sometimes worthy of notice. Yes, it's irritating to see others credited for my work, yes it's frustrating to have folks ask specific questions about a project when the answer is contained within the post that was pinned. I mostly wish there was more give and take on both the blogger and pinner's part. Blogging offers a platform for that, Pinterest does not (at least not a very useable one), and I'm kinda concerned about the increase in traffic and decrease in comments.

source

I totally get that putting myself and my ideas out on the 'net means there will be some uniformed users still learning and some just plain nasty people using my content in inappropriate and possibly illegal ways. I don't lose much sleep over that either. Folks with blogs are not surprised by this kind of thing. It's been going on since the beginning of blogging. As many of you pointed out, it's the nature of the beast. Although if I had a biz to promote or blogged for a living, I'd be very concerned about the copyright stuff going on. But again, my biggest issue is the increased traffic combined with decreased commenting.

Also, about pinning my own images: I do this for several reasons....First, for exposure, and I'm not ashamed to say it. I like having new readers who talk to me, and I like discovering those followers' blogs. The more the merrier. Second, it's a great way to organize my own projects. I'm the first to admit my labels on the sidebar are joke. Third, it can gives me an idea of what types of things drive traffic, and if I ever monetize this blog, I want to know what's going to bring folks here. The Nester wrote about this as well (hat tip to Perfect Imperfections by Jeanne who reminded me of it!)

source

There were a few of you who thought I was overreacting, and well, ok, maybe I am. I do that. But I'll be darned if I will feel shamed for caring about the blogging community. Just because folks abuse the system doesn't mean we don't work to bring ickies to the light and do our part to educate the masses. Throwing up my hands and shrugging my shoulders isn't how I'm wired. When I notice something not-quite-right, I talk about it. One particular anonymous comment (who I must assume isn't a follower/subscriber because my readers would never be so rude) makes my point perfectly:

I agree with Leah. You seriously need to chill out. It's the Internet. You put stuff there. You lose control of it as soon as you hit post. Pinterest provides the link to the original post. It's not like they're stealing money from you. Sheesh.

Yeah. Well, ok then. As long as there are ~~cowards~~ people who post stuff like this anonymously, who see no issue in the breakdown of community or the using of others' intellectual property without proper credit (or in this case, who completely miss my point, write snarkiness, and won't leave a name), there will be need for folks like me to post overly-sensitive blogs about them. No apologies. I want blogging to survive, and I want Pinterest to be the best it can be. I'd LOVE for folks to be considerate, but I'd settle for aware. None of us will do it perfectly. All of us will mess up from time to time. But there should be no shame in kindly (and/or humorously) holding each other accountable.

source

50's Wannabe hit the nail square on the head:

I guess I'm saying that people who blog will generally do the right thing by each other because we understand what each other is trying to do. People who do not blog do not understand, therefore will be more likely to pin and move on.

I suppose there are bloggers out there who really don't care, but it makes me sad. The overwhelming majority of comments were about loving blogging AND loving Pinterest. I hope we can all navigate this new technology as smoothly as possible so the beloved community element of the blogging world is preserved. I offered my pithy solution as well as Darby's, and that's all you'll hear about it from me for now. Thanks for taking time to share your thoughts, frustrations and concerns. Dialogue is good! Decorating posts to resume shortly. Pinky promise.

::Are you a Pin-it and Run Victim?::

2012-01-24T11:14:00.000-05:00

Let me say right up front, before I lose half my readers, that undeniably, no-doubt-about-it,

If it weren't for this extremely addicting little tool on the 'net, my daughter's wedding would have been the standard affair with very little extra shizpah (always wanted to use that word in a post).

I'm concerned about a couple things though. You knew that.

While I'm happy so many find inspiration in my pictures, I'm not pleased with the 'pin it and run' mindset. It's disheartening to have a post go viral (my old windows-turned-pictureframes have been pinned well over 30,000 times now), but then receive only a handful of comments.

I also hate to see my decor picked at by folks who must not realize that the original people who took the pictures might read it. I've had a few rather insensitive comments put under pictures from my posts on Pinterest, and I have to think they'd NEVER write something like that on the actual blog post. At least I hope not. Things like "beautiful wedding but they should've sprung for a real bridal bouquet" or "not a fan of this decor, but LOVE the fireplace". Well thanks. Call me sensitive. I am.

I also see folks asking questions about something in the comment section under a pin, like how I attached the pictures to the old window panes. I'm no genius, but they obviously didn't bother to visit the actual post because I did a 'show and tell' on how I did it. I leave responses like 'this is mine, check the post to get info', but I never know if they did or not. Certainly never got a 'thanks'. And I see lots of people give credit to the pinner for a great project when they were just the 'middle man'.

Undeniably, I get new followers, both here and on Pinterest, and I've received a few emails asking questions.....but I haven't seen an uptick in comments. Pinterest may end up making blogs more like tumblr or flickr and that makes me really sad. Blogging is way more fun in community. I'm over being flattered that people like my projects. I'm WAY over being criticized by people who prolly never even visited ::cottage instincts::, or else never take time to comment. I'm feeling a bit like 'why bother'....if I take a ton of time working on a project, documenting it, editing and posting the pics, and spending time coming up with some witty text, but then only a few folks actually READ the text, and hundreds instead just hop over to pin something and run......it somehow doesn't seem worth it.

There have been several others who are very concerned about the copyright issue. The fact that folks can take other's intellectual property with no mention of the original source and go on their merry way is disconcerting. Folks who rely on blogging for income are worried, rightly so IMO, that Pinterest is driving readers away from the blogs where they might see sponsors and advertisers. I think it's a legitimate concern. I don't think people do these things out of an evil motive, plotting and planning the downfall of some blogger they hate. I just think folks don't really think about what they're doing. At some point, though, as they become aware of bad etiqette on Pinterest, they need to become responsible for bad behavior.

Let's play with an analogy, shall we? Let's pretend reading blogs is akin to sitting down to a nice meal at a restaurant where a dapper young person takes your order, chats a bit, and makes sure every little thing is just perfect. The experience takes time, needs savored, and give-and-take plays a big role. In this scenario, Pinterest would be akin to a fast-food drive up window. No need to wait, no need for small talk, just instant gratification.

There's a place for both, but I kinda feel like blogs are the 'mom and pop' biz being taken over by Walmart. The time it takes to produce a decent blog and build rapport with readers is significant. Pinterest has the potential to minimize all of that.

So, in light of all that, and without throwing the baby out with the bathwater, I'm attempting to be a responsible pinner from now on. Here's my plan:

~If I pin something from a blog, I take a moment to read the entire post, then let the author know I pinned it in the comment section.
~If I see a pin I want to re-pin, I go to the original source of the pin if possible. Now, sometimes I'm in the mood for fast food, so I re-pin but change the text below to 'go read this' to remind me that I haven't been to the original source. One of the beauties of Pinterest is gathering inspiration quickly, but I want to be able to honor those who did the original work eventually. I'll add the blog address of the person to the text box after visiting along with the usual 'want to try this' or whatev.
~If I use an idea or tutorial from a pin, I credit the original source in my post.
~If I don't have something nice to say, I find something nice to say anyway. I don't say critical things in my text box. Yes, I've been guilty of this, but having been on the receiving end now, I've mended my ways.
~I'm 'cleaning up' my pins over the next few weeks to be sure they comply with the above.

And this graphic from the post I linked to from My 3boybarians should go viral too...pass it along and give her credit!

I suppose that's a start. And I want to be part of the solution for making Pinterest even better. I'm working to be a more considerate blog reader myself, commenting more and giving credit.

So what are your concerns with Pinterest? What things are you doing to make sure others get the credit they deserve? Are you a 'pin-it and run' reader? Has this post helped you see the error of your ways?
Are you clicking 'un-follow' now? ;)

EDITED: I posted a follow-up to this post here based on the feed-back I received in the comments.

::pardon the mess::

2012-01-23T13:39:00.001-05:00

I'm updating tons of stuff and moving things around on ye olde blogge...hopefully making my wee spot a bit easier to navigate, without making other stuff disappear! I should have everything put back together and functional by the end of today.

Thanks for hangin' in there with me!

Practicing Aperture

2012-01-20T22:54:00.001-05:00

Aimee at It's Overflowing is doing an online photography course every Friday 'cause she's like awesome and stuff.

This weeks assignment was to use aperture priority only.

Everything else on auto.

Start at the lowest aperture the lens will allow, then take the same pic at every f-stop till we get to the highest aperture our lens will go.

For my Rebel T3i kit lens that was 3.5 to 22.

I won't post every ding dang stop, even though I'm sure you would all be like crazy wild to see this ball of hemp twine over and over.

I mean, what's not to like?

As it is, I did it collage-like:

Here's where the rubber meets the road....a comparison of f/3.5 (lowest) to f/22 (highest)

See how the the tail is out of focus in the first, but clear in the second (even though the whole pic is blurry cause after all those f/stops my arm was tired, ok?)

That's what bumping aperture will do for ya.

Hey-howdy-hey.

And this is Bogart, the big black dog, who is so very patient with me whilst I wield this goofy looking black thing in his face all the time.

It doesn't even smell like beef.

Thanks again to Aimee!

Next week we play with shutter speed.

You'll watch in amazement while my boys swing punches at each other while I turn the magic dial.

A quick shutter speed might just be the parenting tool I've longed for, as I've heard with practice you can actually 'stop action'.

Wonders never cease.

Creating Your Style

2012-01-19T10:40:00.000-05:00

I wrote a post a couple years ago (and stuck it up in the tabs up yonder) which I will attempt to condense here for old time's sake and for my new followers (but I do recommend reading the original as it's more detailed and, well, funny). It's about how I go about distinguishing LIKES and LOVES in my home, which hopefully also helps my readers in pursuit of their own style. It's not a perfect science, and my presto-chango personality will probably never land on a particular 'style' and stick with it forever. But whenever I go about redoing a room, start searching out inspiration images, clearing out the library shelves of country/cottage/farmhouse decor books, I find myself heading back once again to my list of LOVES. They are the anchor for my DaDD (decorating ADD).

It's helpful to make a scrapbook or binder or inspiration board in real life with examples of those LOVES 'cause in this day of pinterest and tumblr and shelter blog eye candy....it's easy to over saturate your brain cells and get overwhelmed or worse, distracted by the periphery and end up spending time, money and energy on something you're not really gonna be content with for the long haul.

By the way, it's also important to recognize your LIKES too, because sometimes they are the little bits of 'trend' that find their way into your space, a way to 'date' a look to see if you're compatible for a lifelong commitment after the initial lust, and they can score you lots of blog hits/pins. Just being honest here. Plus they can be a nice way to give your home a quick updated look if you're staging for selling. But don't go spending too much time and energy on those LIKES 'cause more than likely you'll tire of them quickly. At least I do.

Mostly I hope this exercise in interior design saves many of you from the trap of 'trend' and helps you begin or continue along the journey of defining your own unique style. I can tell you that after 2 years, I'm WAAAY better at teasing out those elements that make my heart sing and those whose tunes I only recognize from other visual venues that are considered 'trendy'...and I don't fall as easily or as hard. I say, "Oh, that looks like so-and-so's style. Pretty. Not my thing, but pretty."

And I'll admit that it's kinda depressing to see someone who I felt nailed their style be lured away into something more Pottery-Barnish or Shabby Chicish or Industrialistic or whatev., knowing they are compromising. If you get anything from this post, grab on for dear life to this: TRENDS are fickle. They can't be trusted. And they don't necessarily look good on everyone. It's gonna take a certain bravery to turn your back and stop your ears to their siren-song, but you and your house (and your budget) will endure a 10 year odyssey off course if you don't. Trust me on this.

Defining your 'look' is akin to discovering your true self, and that's wicked hard work. Anyone can pop into Gap (unless you're a size 2X like me) and come out looking trendy. But do folks notice YOU or just your clothes? Same goes for your house. Wouldn't you rather find stuff that compliments who YOU are instead of letting others' idea of a 'trend' define you and your dwelling? It's a holy exercise, this 'finding your style'.

Besides don't ya sorta like to rebel against trends? Isn't there a part deep inside everyone that yearns to express it's own uniqueness? I mean I'm sorry, but that tangerine orange color just named this year's newest faze makes me want to barf. No offense of course. I love tangerines and I do indulge in a teensy bit of orange when I get my fallishness on, but seriously?

Along that line (vein?), be sure to read THIS post too (also on my sidebar because I know how much y'all want to spend your whole ding dang morning/afternoon/evening on ::cottage instincts::).

Anyway, here's my attempt to give you a 'cheat sheet' on how to recognize and define your style.

Questions to ask when you've landed on a particular image whilst trawling for inspiration:

1. Can I visualize my family in this space? (if no, then move along)
2. Does this space have a timeless appeal? Too trendy? (be aware when you're simply recognizing a trend or if you would actually like it if you'd never seen it before...SO IMPORTANT!)
3. Do I already have furniture/accessories to pull this off? (be respectful of your financial responsibilities)
4. Why did I stop here? What specifically caught my eye? (BE SPECIFIC. I use post it's to write things that caught my eye)
5. Would this play nicely with the style of my house and my other Loves? (this can be hard to answer until you've actually begun to recognize the difference between your Likes and Loves...save it for when you've had some practice incorporating what you've learned into your real life.)

As you gather a collection of images, you can begin to compare them against each other. I often do a 'face off', especially if two images seem very different, but both spoke to me in some way. It can also be helpful to compare very similar images in order to more closely define particular elements you aren't sure are LIKES or LOVES. This is the nitty gritty of differentiating your LIKES and LOVES. And why is that important, nay paramount???

You're going to have to say no to some of the 'likes' in order to say yes to your 'loves'.

Repeat as needed until this is so ingrained into your cranium that you can breeze out of Pottery Barn under your own power instead of white knucking the newest $700 bedding ensemble and screaming I MUST HAVE THIS as your higher functioning friends try to coax you out to the food court for some MSG-laden chinese stirfry. Trust me. One day you'll thank me for making your memorize that bolded diddy up there.

Back to the exercise. As you compare your pile of images, you'll start seeing some common denominators. Those are going to start coming into sharper focus as you begin training your eye to see them. If you're wondering whether something is true LOVE, find that element in other images, used in different ways and see how those images grab ya. For instance, I was totally enamoured with the frenchy grainsack trend until I started noticing the spaces they looked best in.....which is not my style (although I enjoy and appreciate that look). When you're actually looking for specific inspiration for a specific room (say, my guest room and bath), it will eventually take a lot less time and trevail to nail some do-able ideas and leave the rest for some other time when you can't sleep and just need some decor porn. Not that I'm a user, you understand.

I want to re-emphasize again that just because you recognize a trend and feel that tell-tale pounding in your chest region doesn't mean it's your thang. If you find yourself needing triage in that instance (see: white knuckling PB bedding above) IMMEDIATELY apply this logic: If I'd never set eyes on this space/thing, would I find it so appealing? Or do I just want really bad to be a popular blogger so I'll feel all glowy inside thinking I'm acceptable and perfect because I can copy the Big Guys/Gals and my follower number and pins are on an upswing? I told you this is a holy experience. No shame or judgement from me. I type it 'cause I live it.

And it can be frustrating. Here's what I wrote in that original post:

Sometimes it's hard to let go of certain images that you think you love, but realize they don't work with your family, your budget, or your TRUE loves. You're mostly just 'in like' with them, not truly 'in love'. Or it might be a crush...real but fleeting, intense but hard to sustain. For example, I'll always be taken by the serene beauty and casual elegance of Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic style, but girlfriends, it will never fit me as well as a vintage farmhouse cottage filled with faded florals, ticking, homespun and linen. That's not to say it's still ridiculously hard not to buy all the glamous Simply Shabby Chic toiletry items in Target! In this case it's a choice to invest in what I know I have always loved instead of what I kinda love but wouldn't work with a family with 4 kids still at home and a house full of more rustic antiques passed down from my family.

See, it's not all fun and games. Well, ok, it's a lot more fun than say being pulled from Pottery Barn throwing a tantrum. But just be forewarned that it can be hard to hear your own voice if you've given over to the dark side of magazine and mega blog chatter for any length of time.

One other thought that I will whisper....you sometimes just need to take a break from all the visual fluff and stuff and just LIVE in your space for awhile. Avoid the decor blogs and magazines, shun pinterest and tumblr for a slice of time. Let the voices recede and see if your heart is saying something. Maybe that little girl inside your heart has been tentatively but persistently singing about white eyelet curtains....like my inner child had been, but I didn't notice until I could. not. step. away. from that bolt of pristine holey fabric at JoAnns. You'd be surprised when that little girl pipes up, and what she pipes about if you take a bit of time to ignore the screaming frenzy of internet. If you find yourself overwhelmed, take your inner child to lunch and ask her what she loves.

I'll wrap this up and let you get to reading the two other posts about being yourself and defining then creating your own style with this personal list of my LOVES. You'll notice some 'trendy' elements. They are ones I flirted with and found I just really LOVED, and will continue to LOVE after the trends go bye-bye:

Coziness, antique and unique/eclectic furniture, all shades of warm neutrals, natural textural materials, faded florals, a painted and natural wood furniture mix, pops of pink and green pastels amidst warm whites. Slipcovers, bamboo shades. Black or deep brown accents. Worn-out denim. Aqua blue in any incarnation. Old farmhouses with wood floors and high ceilings. Old beach cottages with sun-faded and salty air-worn clapboard. Historic bungalows with deep porches and hefty pillars. Cape Cods with dainty gables. A touch of bling.

So tell me. What are some design elements you know by heart are your LOVES. How have you learned to help yourself recognize those elements and shun other possibly more trendy themes? Enquiring minds wanna know.

okaybye.

(All pics in this post are of my home over the last 3 years)

Soap in Shadow.

2012-01-18T17:12:00.001-05:00

My fabulously talented daughter Maddie is working on her senior project.

She's getting a degree in graphic design, and using my handmade soap as the subject of her entire project.

Which meant I needed to make a bazillion bars of the stuff to be cut and stamped and packaged per her specifications.

Last night we got down to work slicing them up and using the custom stamp she had made.

This afternoon I decided to fiddle with my new camera, and while wandering aimlessly around the house looking for what to shoot, I saw the sun falling just so on my soap babies curing on their racks amidst the mess I hadn't yet cleaned up.

There's beauty in chaos....at least that's what I tell myself.

I learned a lot about my camera while snapping off these shots.

Lots about aperture, shutter speed and ISOs gone wonky.

And that sometimes luck just plays your hand and you say 'hey, thanks.'.

And that the art of photography is just that....art.

Some will like what you like, see it like you do, appreciate it.

Some can't get past the 'technical difficulties' in each picture.

That's ok.

I'm just a novice dSLR owner after all.

But me, I'm all about raw reality with a few wee tweaks in picasa.

Mostly some crafty crops.

Don't take much to make me happy.

I was just fascinated with how the light fell on these simple, rustic bars of soap.

I was challenged by how to capture what I saw into a digital image.

How to use my camera to add some blur, snag some crisp, tight focal points.

How to simply and artfully record the organic shapes and colors onto my memory card.

All these were shot with my Canon EOS Rebel T3i with the kit lens that came with the camera.

I love how the process of paring down newly cured soap with their raw, pure essence was captured.

And I'm glad I noticed the beauty of a stark, wintry afternoon sun kissing the chaos on my counter.

What 'beauty in the mundane' have you noticed recently that took you by surprise?

Behold what darkness lies beyond....

2012-01-16T11:36:00.002-05:00

...this tacky hollow-core door:

Prepare yourself for horrors unknown...

I know. It's ok if you need a moment to gather your wits again. I'll wait.

(tapping foot)

So *that* atrocity, my pretties, is the focus of my next reno.
Not the city.
But you knew that.

There's gonna be some shuffling round here as another birdie will fly the coop in a month or so.

This means I get to glory in my own personal version of traffic jam as a largish bedroom upstairs becomes uninhabited.

I love uninhabited.

The possibilities make me giddy. Ish.

current 'carnation of room about to be uninhabited--see full post when we surprised her with it HERE

But what does that uninhabited room have to do with the murky underworld of the 80's blue hearts and flowers tragedy downstairs?

I don't know. Just work with me here.

Oh I remember.

When child #4 moves out, child #5 will take her room leaving *his* room uninhabited (I told ya, just like traffic jam). I intend to keep that downstairs room *mostly* uninhabited, and reincarnate it into a dreamy guest room ~~and dumping ground for cra(p)ft room overflow from next door~~.

via

Sooooo....I've been waiting for the inspiration to tie the guest room and guest bath together now that no one but guests will be using that bathroom as kids do their business in the upstairs bath, and the masters--me and hubs--do our master biz in the master bath (which is even more horror-show-worthy than that garden of hearts I showed you above. Quick! Cover your eyes! Hide your children!)

master bath so awful I don't even know where to start....

Ideas: possilby do a board and batten treatment in the bathroom, and use neutrals with hits of deep brown. Similar to this entryway's vibe.

BHG

Yeah, there'll be some pale aqua, 'cause, well, you know.

Cottag-y and less berber carpet/orange woodwork-y, KWIM?

I'm using paint I already have, but would LOOOOOVE to make a sassy shower curtain out of some swoony fabric such as this:

Abby Lane Lapis Floral

Y'all know I'm a total sucker for big fat flowered fabric.

And I couldn't very well use it when the bathroom ~~berber was being pee'd on~~ was being used by boys.

via From House to Cozy Home, now a private blog and I can't figure out how to contact her!

The bedroom is already painted RL Canvas Natural, and I have the quilt and furniture ready.

My goal is to have both rooms ready for my daughter and her hubs when they come to deliver their baby.

I want them to have a private place to retreat while she labors, as well as a cozy place to rest afterwards.

I love the colors here...and wouldn't it be cute to have the room decorated for the wee one's arrival?

Except we won't know the gender beforehand.
Via Notes from a Cottage Industry.

Sorry to frighten you all this sun-shiney day with my dated decor.
It needed to be done.
I'm now accountable.
Not that posting projects ahead of time works every time.

Gifts.

2012-01-12T18:04:00.000-05:00

First of all, THANK YOU for all the kind words of encouragement and empathy you poured out after THIS POST.

I'm still re-reading the comments and many emails I received, and I'm humbled.

It helped hugely just to write it out, bring it to the light, face it in black and white.

But healing really took wings as I read your words.

Truly.

I know I'm nowhere near 'over it', but somehow sharing my pain out loud and hearing from so many of you gave me just a little ray of sunshine.

And wouldn't you know....that same day in the mail, I received a gift from a reader who had no idea of my pain at that point.

Yes indeedy, life is a bugger. :)

Thank You too, Sammye...you brightened my day, and I LOVE the tag you made me

(and I uber-love that you made those sweet wee eggs out of tic tacs...genius!)

It will sit perched above my 'puter screen along with other sweet cards and such that remind me that I am loved and appreciated, even though I struggle with depression and weight issues and can't find my sense of humor at times.

I also might mention that I took a HUGE leap today.

I'll share more about that soon, but I don't think I would've risked it without all the care and support I received on this here bloggy.

You all played a part in pushing me to believe in risking another try.

Little Debbie's all around!

It's been another year.

2012-01-11T09:19:00.001-05:00

A year of being woo'ed and loved every moment by this man:

A year filled with a heck of a lot of stress, but also crammed full of dandy times together,

like our Komet hockey nights...

Another year with this person who cares for me like no other, believes in me, and spends a good bit of time pulling me thru by doing crazy stuff like taking me to beach when I

just. can't. take. one. more. gloomy. day. of. winter.

Or hauling our family down to hang with my extended family, who he knows will put a smile on me face.

(only folks missing are my oldest daughter and her hubs)

I happen to have snagged a man who is also the greatest listener ever, and he doesn't just listen to me:

(camping with the boys on the hottest weekend of the summer)

(at our dear friends' 40th anniversary party)

(chatting with our oldest son...)

He's devoted to those in his care, be it his kids, those who have the privilege to work for him, his friends, or those he volunteers to help:

(receiving a thanks for coaching our youngest son's soccer team)

I watched this year as he embraced a young man without a lot of direction, became his mentor/friend and instilled hope to a hopeless situation. It humbled me, and amazed my daughter, who's new husband is that very boy.

He's a pro at that. At offering his whole self to those who are wallowing in the depths.

Although I'm in a dark place, so dark I feel sometimes I can't even reach out for help, he climbs down to the bottom of the well and pulls me back to the light. I've watched him do this with each of my kids, with his employees, with those he serves when on missions trips.

He is a rock.

He is my rock.

26 years is a long time. A really long time.

But not long enough when you're bound to such a one as this.

Happy Anniversary to the one my very soul adores above all others.

"He's more myself than I am.

Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same."

-Emily Bronte

The Future

2012-01-09T14:28:00.000-05:00

So many folks on my regular blog rounds are posting all the awesome things they accomplished last year, and all the wonderful stuff they're looking forward to this year. All the goals they have, the hopes and dreams that motivate them. I, on the other hand, feel like I barely survived this last year, and 2012 is a gaping black hole staring me down....ready to suck up any happiness I manage to find and leave me with profound tragedy and pain. I've never felt so vulnerable, so out of control. And so helpless. I feel a constant dread of the future. I feel stuck and unable to plan for anything. A deep, stubborn hopelessness has settled it's black wings over my spirit and mind. The wedding planning consumed my mind and energy, giving me a much-needed distraction, but I knew the aftermath would entail facing some serious uncomfies. January has indeed arrived; the aftermath is here. And I hate math.

credit

I should go back to counseling. Don't really think it will help a whole lot, but that's what people do when they're mad/sad/terrified/burned out, yeah? My health issues have returned as I pushed wholesome eating and exercise to the rear, and even though I'd love to just run away to a spa somewhere where they'd teach me yoga and feed me organic whole food the whole ding dang day long then put me to bed with a calming massage and classical music....alas, my life responsibilities are relentless. There will be crawling out of bed, putting on my socks and facing into what needs faced with a quivering heart submitted to what life hands me each day. There will be grasping at little glints of shiny, slippery joy when I see them, and training myself to be steadfast in looking for their glimmer in the worst of times. There will be learning to accept a drowning grace for myself when yet again I meet my elicit lover…food, and succumb to it’s numbing embrace. Or the siren's song of a mid-day slumber-escape. Or barking at my beloved offspring.

It's hard to heal from a tumultuous year of intense stress and heartbreak when even bigger stress and heartbreak awaits around the corner. How to prepare? How to be wise, knowing your opponent is holding the ace in the hole (no bluffing needed)? I suppose I'm going to try to be present, try to acknowledge and focus on the good and happy, look for the silver lining.....and feel kinda dumb doing it, honestly. But there’s no choice except to slog thru it, to embrace what comes with the wee bit of grace I can muster, knowing I'll probably look back with regret at how it all unfolded. How I dealt with the poo that hit the fan, the mess that ensued.

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My heart hurts, and while I've had pretty awful stuff happen in the last year, it's not like I lost a child or was diagnosed with some incurable disease, or found out my husband had been cheating. I know people who faced these tragic events this year, and they're still trying...still giving life a go and hoping it will all come out right somehow. Still making beauty with the raw materials of pain and suffering. Me? I wake up with a sugar/carb hangover each day then stumble back to the kitchen for the next hit. I'm not brilliant, but I know that ain't livin' the good life.

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I'm tired. Bone tired and longing for something. Yet all I can see of that formless, nameless something is a wide swathe of sand and the emerald blue-green of rolling waves. I could stare forever at each incoming, foaming, frothy, uniquely shaped wall of water as it curls in on itself and creeps up the sugar sands, pushed by the momentum of a thousand million billion waves behind it.

The beauty in the monotony.

The power behind the rhythm.

The safety in the ritual.

Why I can't see this in my own life baffles me.

In a few weeks I'll be heading to those sands and rolling waters. Maybe sitting still and watching nature's performance for a few weeks will massage out the tension in my spirit. Maybe hearing the constant roar just outside my window will drown out the chatter of hopeless thoughts and feelings stuck in my brain.

Maybe watching the waves encroaching upon the beach will replace the time and commitments that have encroached upon my recent life, and I can again catch my breath and relearn what it is to relax and be. Maybe find strength to face what lies ahead.

And what does lie ahead?

In the coming months (maybe weeks), I will face the death of two precious women from cancers that won't relent: my mama, and a dear friend Deb. The terror of that consumes me. Makes me feel weak and cowardly and ashamed at how I take my life for granted, doing nothing most days but feeling depressed. I feel like the least I should do is *try*. Try to make a happy life for the sake of those who won't have it soon.

But trying comes with risk. Risk of disappointment and failure, both of which I have hardy experience with and neither of which I have a particular fondness for....let alone energy for. Still, I plan to explore some ideas of what 'trying' might look like for me in this ridiculous season of my life. I've contemplated starting an online biz, monetizing this blog, flipping burgers. I've thought about once again (for the eighty-millionth time) attacking this excess 80 pounds of fat clinging to my frame. I've toyed with selling everything and moving to a broken down cottage by the sea. Or just leaving.....

And yet?

And yet.

Amidst all this doom and gloom, there is one very bright light. Isn't that just how it goes? Life's way of dragging you along even when you're throwing a 2 year old tantrum? It's a bit cruel actually, to be thrown a line when you've already jumped ship and reconciled yourself to a peaceable end in the waves.

My first grandchild is due to appear on the scene by April's end.

Now tell me....isn't that just like Life? To unleash an unexpected, fresh breeze into the stale, claustrophobic air you've been wheezing in for so long? To prove that yes, you can feel pure terror and unspeakable joy at the same time and in the same humble human frame? That longing for time to stop, yet longing for time to pass can cozy right up next to each other. Oh yeah, Life is a sneaky devil.

I've learned by heart what 'bittersweet' feels like. I thought I knew.... but I had an academic understanding only. The real thing is a shocking experience. There is no reconciliation or 'settling'. No boxing it up with a nice bow on top. It makes you feel, well, alive. It gives you the ability to laugh and cry at the same time. Living with bittersweet realities somehow infuses you with hope, just when you were sure you weren't dealt any this round.

Anyway, if you've managed to digest this rambling feelings-to-words post, I appreciate it. I've watched my followers grow due to Pinterest I supposed, but I get very few comments anymore. I figured why not just let it all hang out. Process aloud. The good and the bad. No sugar coating...although maybe some pretty pictures now and then as I learn to use my new camera.

Which is, perhaps, another move-on-the-sly from good 'ole Life, eh? Nothing like a new hobby, a new lens, to document this messy existence.

Last wedding post.

2012-01-06T22:10:00.000-05:00

(credit: Della Terra Photo...who did an awesome job, I must say!)

I spent today setting up a blog specifically for selling the rustic wedding decor we made and used.

If you're interested, you can check it out HERE, but I'm giving preference to local-ish brides first.

I hate shipping.

And the prices I set are too low to justify spending too much time packaging and driving to the PO.

Just sayin'.

But if you see something you absolutely MUST have, email me and we'll chat.

Tonight, I wanted to show you how to wrap some cute crap in the form of bridesmaid gifts.

We were thrilled to find these really cute burlap cosmetic case sets at Hobby Lobby.

We stenciled their names and a cute design I found whilst fumbling thru a drawer in my cra(p)ft room.

We filled each bag with toiletry items and sets, which thankfully were found in abundance due to the holidays.

Just stuck 'em in big ole kraft paper bags with handmade tags.

It pays to pick up letters packs at the scrapbook section when they're on sale.

Great way to personalize gifts.

And buy up ribbon you like while you're at it.

I hear tell they were a hit.

I didn't go to the bachelorette party where they were handed out.

Speaking of which, they did a fun photo shoot that night.

Here's some shots from that:

Ok, more random stuff.

I had some folks ask for a close up of the fabric flower waist piece we made for my daughter's gown.

There ya go.

I hotglued all of them to a piece of thick felt, then cut around the edge realllllly close, then hot glued the whole shebang to the lace and velvet ribbon that went around her waist.

You can see that here:

(credit: Della Terra Photo)

Full shot of her dress:

And in honor of my beautiful mama and dad, a collage I put together with pictures my brother took that night:

(aren't they the cutest?!)

I'll leave you with one of my favorite shots:

The Walk.

(credit: Della Terra Photo)

(see wedding craft post HERE, random shots HERE)

Thanks for sticking with me thru all this wedding stuff.

I can't promise I'll have much decorating or crafting stuff to share in the coming weeks

as I'm just focused on getting my house back in order before I go to Florida in February.

I'm also struggling a bit to make sense of the coming year, still reeling from events of the last year.

My blog may turn a bit introspective for awhile, but I promise my humor won't disappear completely.

Ok, just mostly. For just a while.

Crafting a DIY Rustic Chic Wedding.

2012-01-03T19:46:00.004-05:00

Today, I spent the better part of the day organizing and photographing all the wedding cra(p)ft stuff

we hope to resell to some other rustic chic fall/winter bride.

This post, my friends, is eternally long, but filled with all the cra(p)fty stuff that kept me ~~pulling my hair out~~ busy these last few months.

(btw, see my first wedding post HERE)

If you see something you like, head over to the
Rustic Chic Bride blog
to see descriptions and pricing.

In the meantime...(drumroll)

A Tour of the Decor!

(with some cheater photos I took today while organizing)

The Entry Welcome Table

(regulars to my blog will recognize a plethora of items from my home)

My daughter originally told me she wanted a vintage-y, rustic-like, barn-ish wedding.

Armed with that info, I shopped my house, and started pinning all things 'rustic wedding' like a madwoman.

Absolutely COULDN'T have done this without Pinterest!

If you click that link, you'll see shadows of everything you're about to see.

I also linked to any specific pins I used thru-out this epic posting.

Anyway......

At the Welcome Table, I tried to give hints of what would be seen

upstairs in the main ceremony/reception room.

Not that most folks got it.....smh.

I made the ivory burlap pennant banners, table cloth, and wreath, and painted the wood letters.

(I made up the rhyme above using some other catchy phrases I found on pinterest)

Had fun with some scrapbook paper, a rustic frame, a cool font, and Jane Austen.

I had hung this painted, burlap-backed frame in the hall with another lovely quote:

(isn't that romantic?)

Found the burlap mini-canvases on clearance at Michaels and used a fabric paint marker to make the 'K+K'.

Hung it on braided twine.

It was right above them for the receiving line.

The venue didn't have a place to run a video collage, and my daughter REALLY wanted one since she's a ~~camera hog~~ major fan of cameras (and has been since she was little.)

We solved this problem in two ways, the first being an old screen door,

some twine and a butt-load of mini clothes-pins:

We clipped on pics of the two kids together and just leaned it up against a wall leading

to the buffet line so folks would have something to ~~laugh~~ look at while they waited.

The second fix was to make mini photo albums with the kid's baby/child pictures for the tables.

Just a piece of cardstock folded down the middle with a pic on the front and back

and a couple stuck in the middle.

Each table had a different little album, and my DJ/MC son encouraged guests

to meander around to see each of them.

Ok back to the tour...

Heading upstairs, you were immediately met with the

The Cake Table

(cake is overexposed due to a spotlight, and a novice understanding of my new camera)

You can see the cake a bit better in this shot.

We wanted a very simple, rustic icing treatment, and our baker (Kelly's dad's girlfriend) delivered in a most excellent way. (Thank you Teresa!!!)

Here's one of the mini side cakes, with the bitty banner I made for the main cake,

which was currently being sliced for guests.

Wrapped the bases in burlap and added a halo of live baby's breath and tiny pinecones.

Alrighty, moving right along....

The Gift Table

which was situated next to the Cake Table.

Again, lots of stuff from my own house used as props.

Recognize those windows?

I printed more quotes with quirky fonts and stuck 'em on.

"I never wish to be parted from you from this day on" (Pride and Prejudice)

"You have bewitched me body and soul." (Pride and Prejudice)

"I loved you the moment I laid eyes on you. What would be more reasonable than to marry you?"

(Little Women)

The wedding gave me lots of opportunities to try out some crafting techniques I'd pinned.

One was the crackle painted letters below.

Here's how it looked at the wedding:

And I stenciled one of SEVEN (whew!) 25 ft burlap pennant banners I made to hang over the stairwell.

(There was a banner in each corner of the room, as well as behind and on the Head Table)

Speaking of which....

The Head Table

More burlap pennants and table cloths.

What, you thought I was kidding when I said I was

buried in pinecones and burlap for the last 3 months?

The ginormous chipboard 'C' and two 'K's were painted, and I modpodged ivory burlap over them.

I also learned to print on burlap and made these 'Bride' and 'Groom' signs.

Embellished a couple Dollar Store toasting glasses with scrapbook letters,

twine, and velvet ribbon to match the bouts.

The pinecone candle holder was one of several I picked up at Hobby Lobby.
The tall ones were used with the Unity Candle, which you can kinda see below.

Set up at home:

As the ceremony was set up on what would become the dancefloor, we didn't have a ton of decoration for the 'altar' other than a 30 ft burlap runner and 4 large candle sconces we made from old banister rails up front.

(again, no pics from that night, so here's one set up at home for the 'for sale' album)

The jute ribbon garland is one of three I did up and draped along the stairway, tied off with pinecone swags.

(horrible pic, but you get the idea)

I also didn't get any pictures at the wedding of the pinecone bouquets and bouts we made,

so here's some pics of those from home:

Matron of Honor had a grey cameo to match her grey slouchy boots.

I just picked up the vases at Dollar Tree and added some jute twine.

I can do a tutorial for these for anyone's interested.

The fake baby's breath bout at the top was a backup in case the live baby's breath one for the groom wilted.

I used this tutorial to make them.

Some other details:

Centerpieces. Didn't get a photo at the ceremony, but here's what they look like.

If you want to see the Darth Vader silhouettes we used on them for table numbers,

you'll have to click HERE.

We had three different types of votives on each table.
Deep brown burlap wrapped candles, twine wrapped votives, and mini jam jar holders.

I spraypainted the outer lid of the jam jars with ORB.

(all the decent pictures are from my brother, who definitely knows how to use his camera)

The twine wrapped votives, with birdseed favors from this etsy shop.

(though I have tons left over to sell. Just tear off the paper heart and add your own name and date).

My daughter Maddie of Breakfast at Tiffany's Bridal Shower fame, designed the program pack,

which included the order of events,

a wedding lore fact sheet (behind program), a mad lib guest card,

personalized cup sleeve for the cocoa bar downstairs, and the birdseed favors.

These matched the invites she designed. I'll show you a pic of one of those in another post.

Mad Lib, tweaked from HERE.

Wedding lore we gathered and edited from different online sources. Maddie added the graphics.

Close up of the program, (using inspiration from THIS), so's you can read it :)

Next up, our wee Bridal Herald carrying the burlap sign I made for her:

Here's a picture of her outfit.

(pic by gramma of the groom)

She wore a handmade chocolate brown tutu with a neutral cardigan that I embellished with a similar brooch of handmade flowers like the bride's waistband.

She was bookin' down that aisle!

Here's how I made the Bridal Herald sign:

I got some thin foamboard, painted then hot glued some dowels to the back, used some spray adhesive to adhere the burlap, and pulled threads for the fringe. Then I tied bits of ribbon, torn muslin strips (used on the corners of the ivory burlap pennant banners as well), and lace hem tape to embellish the top.

Lastly, I traced chipboard letters onto cereal boxes, painted them with acrylic craft paint, then hot glued them onto the burlap.

My daughter-in-law and bridesmaid made this super cute banner out of fabric

we bleached, tea-dyed, then stencilled:

Then there was the banner I made for outside, using the dark brown burlap and using the same technique I used for the bridal herald signage...tracing, painting and hotgluing the letters on:

(I showed you this pic before, but it's the only shot I have with the banner in the background)

Says "Kelly and Kristen"

And the photo booth! What fun was had at the photo booth!
Painted a formica desk top with chalkboard paint, then wrote on it with chalkboard marker.

All the costumes and props we had available.

And here's me!

Showing off the fabric flower corsage I made with a brooch containing Kristen's baby pic.

I made a similar one for the groom's mama with Kelly's baby pic.

We made all the bridesmaids/bride herald bouquets and hair pieces, men's bouts and ladies corsages, and Kristen's birdcage veil/fascinator and waistband by hand.

The only live flowers we used were bunches of baby's breath circling the cakes, for the bride's bouquet/tossing bouquet, and the grooms bout.

(I LOVE this picture my brother caught as Kristen and Hubs made their way down the aisle)

We also put some on the burlap and pinecone chair sashes lining the aisle.

Because I ordered so darn much (who knew 10 bunches would fill a palace???)
I filled two big brown-painted terra cotta pots with the remaining ginormous tufts of baby's breath on either side of the entrance to the aisle.

And hey, guess what I was doing minutes before the ceremony began?

Wielding the trusty hot glue gun, fixing the pin on the back of Kelly's flower.

Eegads, it never ends....

Lastly, a pic from Kelly's aunt taken of the couple's first dance, so you can see a bit what the whole room looked like. The hanging centerpiece was lighted organza with swathes of burlap underneath.

I was pretty stoked with how everything looked, and am kicking myself for not taking more pictures....

Again, if you want to see the REAL DEAL,visit our photographer's page:

Christen Wedding

They captured the mood of the celebration perfectly,

as well as lots of the stuff I showed you above 'in action'.

If you made it to the end of this tome, kuddos to you!

I'll be back with a few more wedding shots in the next day or so (can't help myself),

then it's on to other stuff.

For Reals.

Linked to the parties listed in my sidebar.

A sea of mess....

2012-01-02T18:42:00.000-05:00

Seriously?

I need some rehab.

My Christmas decor is outta control.

It took the better part of today to get it packed away.

I'm embarrassed to say how many boxes it took.

But the colors are so pretty.

So much sparkly shiny!

Is your Christmas packed away yet?

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T16:48:00.002-05:00

I'm feeling slightly hung over from 3 months of psycho-wedding planning, but the deed is done, and now begins the refocusing on breathing.

And sleeping.

Anyway, I thought I'd start the New Year off with some candids from the wedding.

I should mention my hubby got me a new camera for Christmas (a Canon EOS Rebel T3i!!!),

and also that I have no flippin' clue how to use it.

I know.

(rehearsal dinner shot of the couple-to-be)

Hense lots of the shots I took are uber-awful.

My tried-and-true point and shoot was tied up to the photobooth,

so I was left fighting with aperture, shutterspeeds and ISOs out-of-control.

(bride-to-be with her green smoothie, getting ready to help set up decor the morning of)

But here are some favorites harvested from the memory card.

They ain't purty, but they do tell a story...

Having had their pictures done beforehand,

here they're chillin' while waiting for the ceremony to start.

I love how he's gazing at her while she's watching Matron of Honor get her hair tweaked

I'll show you the whole cake table in another post about the decor.

But here's them cutting the (amazing, delicious, beautiful) cake.

(she's totally my daughter. I have a pic like this from my own wedding....)

Some of my most treasured memories are watching my mama enjoying herself,

Dancing with my dad, the groom, everyone!

(here's she's line dancing...turned the wrong way *giggle*)

(and here I accidently caught her grabbing my dad's rear *snort*!!!)

(in this shot she's singing to my dad, just over the bride's shoulder)

I don't have any good pics of Kristen's dress, or the bridesmaids in their garb,

but here's a grainy shot I fiddled with in picasa of them all dancing:

(daughter #1 is behind Kristen, daughter #3 is looking at the camera)

Downstairs we had a make-shift photobooth with props I snagged on mega-clearance after Halloween.

I painted a big old formica desk top with chalkboard paint, then used a chalkpaint marker to write on it.

If you look closely, someone thought it might be hilarious to embellish it with regular chalk.
My nephew was enamoured with the Harry Potter glasses...

Here's my youngest boys....

and some crazy woman who obviously needs some professional help...

at least she will now that this wedding is in the past tense.

(yeah, by this point in the night I was beginning to dread the tear-down)

Garter toss....

I just happened to snap my pic as the professional photographer's flash went.

Ugh.

(she wore the cowboy boots he bought for her.

You can see the groomsmen attire with the bowties)

Blurry pic of their last dance of the night.

(I love that the groom had untucked his shirt at this point.)

The sparkler send off was so fun!

(we all lined up and got lit, er, got the sparklers lit while they changed clothes.)

As with my older daughter's wedding, it went by in a blink and a blur.

I wish I'd have captured better pictures,

but I'll have to rely on the professionals for that.

Maybe that's why we pay them?

EDIT: 2 seconds after posting, the photographer put this album on facebook:

Christen Wedding

Enjoy the REAL purty pics!

I'll be back soon with some pics of the decor we did.

Those pics turned out a bit better since they don't move :)

Happy New Year!

2011 Wrap that Christmas Crap Theme

2011-12-22T10:47:00.001-05:00

How many have been wrapping crap this week?

I wrap Christmas crap in fits and bursts in between finalizing wedding plans.

You know... burlap and pinecones?

The last few years, I've kept the actual wrap pretty simple,

then embellished with ribbons and neato-frito tags.

See 2009's crap wrapped HERE

See 2010's crap wrapped HERE

Everything coordinates with the brown, white and green natural look of my mantel,

but I add a bit of gold sparkle to tie in the glitterfied rusticness of the dining room next door.

This year I found some vintagey scrap-book paper that I used for tags and embellishments here and there.

Got that idea from that ever-awesome, crap-wrappin' diva, Rebecca over at Older and Wisor.

I rarely use 'christmas' wrap or ribbon anymore.

I love these scrapbook stickers on tags.

There's more where this came from, but that crap is Santa's job Saturday night.

Here's a couple night time shots with some more wrapped crap added....

All that's missing is what Santa brings!

And that, my dear readers is all I have for this blog for the rest of the year.

I'll be back in January with lots of wedding pictures

and crafty wedding projects.

Have an excellent holiday season, and may all the wrapped crap you get

be stuff you can actually use.

Breakfast at Tiffany's Bridal Shower.

2011-12-18T11:09:00.003-05:00

Can I just say how awesome I think it is that I've passed along the

"take on too much and still rock the house" genes onto another generation?

Now that's something to be proud of.

This little bean (oldest daughter) orchestrated a fantabulous bridal shower yesterday for her little sis.

She accomplished this while tackling college finals.

And work.

And Christmas.

Maddie does nothing without tackling it.

(the spread with slideshow featuring famous Audrey Hepburn quotes and pics of the couple-to-be)

Here's the Guest of Honor herself, daughter Kristen

(wearing Maddie's wedding veil....awwwww):

Thankfully, most of the decor was recycled from Maddie's own wedding.

(see pics here and here).

But not the cupcakes.

That would be gross.

The flower arrangements were, as I mentioned, from Maddie's wedding,

and were all designed by my talented mama.

I made the cupcake serving platters with Dollar Store candlesticks, plates/bowls and epoxy glue.

(fairly lights with mini-muffin papers)

(keepsake printouts Maddie designed)

(Who knew salt and sugar dispensers could round out a centerpiece?)

Maddie had a partner in crime (besides myself), her other lil' sis Gracie:

(notice iPhone in death grip.)

I mostly contributed moral support and some decor from home,

but I did manage to make a big pennant banner,

which of course no one snapped a picture of.

But you can see a blurry bit of it in the background here, in this goofy pic of Kristen:

(it said "he put a ring on it")

Almost every gal wore black as requested....

We played a super hilarious game where Maddie had asked Kristen's fiance questions,

and we had to guess how many Kristen would answer correctly.

The sweetest one was:

"What's your favorite quality about Kristen?"

He said: "She's the most unitentionally funny person I know."

Sah-weet!

(this is who she gets it from....sporting a new curly-do,

'cause evidently that's what I do when my kids get married, get permed.

Which is better, I suppose, than to get sloshed.)

Then there were the presents.

The two wee helpers are cousins, the one on the right will be in the wedding.

She informs me she will be 'soooo beee-oooo-ti-ful' that day.

Then everyone divided up into two teams to design wedding gowns for Kristen and Maddie.

Outta toilet paper.

I'm tellin' ya, set a group of women to work with ANYTHING,

and they'll create magic.

Here's Maddie's gown, which the judges deemed the winner (mostly because Kristen went all Bridezilla on us and ripped her bow out of her hair!)
Doesn't she look right out of the roarin' 20's?

My favorite pic of the day:

Kristen with my mama.

Kudos to my awesome daughter Maddie for throwing the perfectly elegant and totally fun par-tay!

You owned it Schmodie!

What to do with old windows.

2011-12-16T21:16:00.002-05:00

Basically, store them in your garage for a few years,

set them against the wall in different rooms hoping for some inspiration for another few years,

then steal ideas from pinterest and make them a picture frame.

(who noticed the sneak peek of these frames in this post?)

Hang those puppies up on a big ole wall that really should already *have* a window,

and voila, instant brag board.

You could even add wood letters down the middle so's folks don't think you just stole faces

from the inside of Walmart frames.

I stained mine 'special walnut' or some such, and didn't even sand 'em.

Used command hooks to adhere to the wall.

Luxuriate in the chippy goodness with me...

Here's how I attached the pictures to the back of the glass.

There's prolly some better way, but this is workin' for me.

Get those clear picture corners and put them on backwards so the sticky side goes toward the window.

You prolly knew that.

Here's a somewhat awkward shot of the one taken of hubs and I.

I was too tired to climb on a chair to get even with the picture.

I think I look tired.

Wait. I am tired.

Which is why I just snapped this picture from my seated position in the first place.

So there ya go. What to do with old windows.

Have a butt-load of kids and get a big black dog to fill the panes,

then show 'em off.

Prolly taking this post to some of my favorite PARTIES, listed in the link on my side bar.

Halls are Decked.

2011-12-11T17:15:00.006-05:00

Welcome to my holiday home tour!

I thought I'd spare you a post o' pics that went on to tomorrow by making tacky, disjointed collages with my sub-par point and shoot camera and free picasa editing program.

If you really wanna see more, just clickety click the linkety links below each,

although you'll note not all have links.

Just so ya know.

Ye Olde Mantel 2011

Crafty Christmas Vignettes

Glitterfied Rusticness in the Dining Room

O Tannenbaum(s)

Who noticed I did some tweaking? I added my gramma's crocheted snowflakes to the mantel.

And some glowey-ness in picasa.

And some extra greenery to the chandy 'cause it told me it wanted some.

So there.

You might have guessed I'll be linking to a ton of holiday home tour linkys,
as well as some of my favorite regulars from my Link Party Page.

Here they are for your viewing pleasure:

Hooked On Houses Dec. 9th

Jennifer Rizzo Dec. 12

The Inspired Room Dec. 12

Nesting Place Dec. 15th

Michaela Noelle Designs Dec. 15th

Funky Junk Interiors Dec. 23rd

Perspective.

2011-12-09T16:52:00.004-05:00

I'll be honest here, I've had a pretty awful few months.

And it won't be getting better any time soon.

Inside my heart has been a strange, intense brew of

excitement, fear, joy, rage, and anxiety.

For many reasons that I won't go into here.

But isn't it funny how right in the middle of it all,

right when you think you just can't take another moment

of the unrelenting emotional burden,

you find yourself awestruck by the sublime, stark nakedness of a cold winter day.

And it takes your breath away.

It makes you stand back from your life a bit, and take in the largeness of the

regal simplicity that surrounds us.

The history of things that have seen tremendous tragedy

cozied up to unspeakable joy.

And yet, still they stand.

Etched with stories lived and the promise of stories yet untold.

It helps you understand that our lives are small in comparison.

That as time passes, things and circumstances begin to fade with a worn grace,

a statement of tenacity and endurance thru the storms,

a tapestry of the unique way life weaves itself into us and our surroundings.

That the cyclical nature of the seasons are just the way of all things,

and even in the passing on of the old,

there is immeasurable beauty and elegance.

And hope for the new yet to come.

There is the acceptance that in all things, this too shall pass

....and will come 'round again.

That new perspectives are always just around the next corner.

That an expanded view can bring fresh understanding,

more appreciation for the simple contrasts that exist

within the same frame of our lives.

How things that are past being 'perfect' are much more worthy of adulation and a soft glowy focus of remembrance and appreciation just because they continue to BE.

These things remind us that life goes on.

And on.

And three weeks, three months, three years from now...

...the landscape of my life right now will gently fade

to pixelated, grainy snapshots, like old newpaper clippings.

A stark testament to an incredible, messy, difficult, glorious season of my life.

Lived.

These images were captured quickly,

with the intent of simply documenting the grounds of my daughter's upcoming wedding venue.

Instead, I was later astonished to find imprinted upon my memory card some rather inspiring shots,

and felt compelled to share how they shaped my heart and breathed on my spirit

this dark December day, 2011.

cindy

Linked to Laurie Anna's Farmhouse Friday
Katharyn's White Wednesday
Debra's Vintage Inspiration

The Tannenbaum(s).

2011-12-06T23:05:00.008-05:00

That means The Christmas Trees.

Pretty sure you knew that.

Here's our main-event live tree.
This is where the fat man leaves the goods.

Only new thing I added this year are these purty glass icicles I got on clearance from Target last year.

It's full of meaningful, mismatched ornaments and some glass balls to fill in the gaps.

Didn't even put a topper on it.

Prolly won't.

Drop cloth wound 'round the bottom.

Next up is my wee Charlie Brown tree picked up last year.
See it decked in pale pinks and golds HERE

It sits in our school room/office and my boys decked it out in colorful baubles.

Happy colors....

Lastly is my white Walmart tree that sits by our front window.

The skirt is a shower curtain I had added some linen ruffle edging to awhile ago.

Did it all in blue, white and silver.

This shot shows the ornaments a bit better as it was mid-day.
Maybe you could tell that from the massive over-exposure from the window?
Better shot of the cute skirt too....

Some of my favorite ornaments from Crate and Barrel a few years back.

My tannenbaums are the crowning jewel of my Christmas decorating, and folks, now you've seen it all.

Ain't a darn thing left to show you.

Well, except maybe my wrapping theme, which will begin this weekend.

I'll be haunting Rebecca's place for inspiration and laughs.

THAT chick knows how to wrap crap.

This post will be thrown all over the blogosphere at the following link parties:
Unskinny Boppy Show Your Glow All December

Honey We're Home Dec. 8th

2805 Dec. 9th

Thrifty Decor Chick Dec. 14th

(Links go live day of the party)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

See Ye Olde Mantel HERE

See Crafty Christmas Vignettes HERE

See Glitterfied Rusticness in the Dining Room HERE

Dining Room in Glitterfied Rusticness.

2011-12-04T22:32:00.011-05:00

I started this blog just so I could make up words.

And you seriously didn't think I could avoid adding some sparkle to my holly days after last year, didja?

I mean, yeah, I stuck with my rustic theme, pinecones and greens and such

...but by golly I had to add some bling.

And when you find mercury glass accessories at 70% off,

well while I pondered for a nano-second, they just jumped right into my cart.

Then there were some sparkly glass pinecones kinda needing to show-off for their real-live counterparts.

See? How could I deny them the spotlight?

I had fun stringing all the pearly cream and brown ornaments together with a few random ones hanging alongside the pretty pinecones...

The room is all warm and glowy.

The wee hutch got some glittery goodness too.

(sneak peek of the tree too...)

I love those wee mercury glass pinecone ornaments in the apothecary jar.

I want to marry them.

Here's a few extra touches I added here and there.
Or hither and thither.
I think every room needs a touch of chocolate brown.
It's the new black, according to me.

Oh yeah, and out back I made a wee wintry vignette,
which is not very glittery, but awfully full of rusticness.
And burlap.
Oy.

Here's the view from my kitchen

('nother peek at the tree...)

So that's the dining room.

Just need to fill those old windows with some sepia prints of all my kids.

Doing that hopefully tomorrow.

Linking to some of the awesome linkies in my sidebar HERE
I'll also bring my dining room to The Lettered Cottage's Table Decor party Dec. 5th,
even though there isn't a single dish on my table.
And The French Country Cottage Vignettes Party Dec. 8th
Funky Junk's Saturday Night Special 111 Dec. 9th
It's Overflowing: Christmas-Scapes Dec. 13th
(links go live the day of the party)

See Ye Olde Mantel HERE
See my Hallway Crafty Christmas Vignette HERE
See the Tannenbaum Trio HERE

Crafty Christmas Vignettes

2011-12-01T13:14:00.011-05:00

Made merry in the entryway, porches, and our school room /office.

You may be surprised to see that I used pinecones.

(If you are, you didn't read yesterday's post.)

Keeping it psuedo real with jackets hanging....

only psuedo because normally all the winter gear isn't chocolate brown to match the decor.

But you prolly guessed that, savvy readers that you are.

So besides the obligatory pinecones, I added the IKEA tea lights that I burnished 'celebrate' onto a couple year ago. I get my mileage outta my decor.

And this year I tried hard not to spend tons on holiday decor,

since I'm still currently planning to mummify the reception venue in burlap.

New this year are the glass ornaments I globbed metallic craft paint into and painted the tops.

Also new is the ribbon.

I love me some ribbon.

Great way to add flair to stuff besides little girl's princess hairdos.

Faux greenery picked up at Dollar Store during the fall.

But the green works, yeah?

Down the hall is this wee vignette.

I made the framed 'merry' sign by painting a thrift frame in metallic spraypaint (champagne was the color), adding scrapbook sparkle letters to sparkly cardstock, then hot gluing seam tape to the edges.

Easy peasy, mac n' cheesy.

Or something.

Reindeer was found on mega clearance last year somewhere or other.

Bottle brush items were at Big Lots last year.

None this year I noticed.

And how 'bout this glitterfied reindeer on my vintage mirror, yeah?

Oh definitely yeah.

In the office, I festified some mason jars with more painted ornaments (green ones).

We also put up my charlie brown tree in here, but I'll show you that in the tree post.

I didn't do it in gold and pink, though.

My boys would rebel and refuse to do their schoolwork.

And here's my boys' creation....the annual stale gingerbread house kit.

They do it for the candy.

Surprise there, eh?

Lastly is a couple front porch-y things.

Didn't use anything new, but I still like it.

That's about all the Christmas craftiness I could manage this year besides the stockings I showed you yesterday since I'm crafting for the wedding.

But you betta believe I'm pinning like a mad woman all your fabulous ideas for next year!

Besides making the rounds on the usual fabulous link parties listed on my sidebar HERE, this Crafty Christmas Vignettes post will be partying at the following gracious hostesses with the mostesses.

(links will go live the day of the party)

A Thoughtful Place Christmas Cheer Link Party-Holiday Vignette Dec. 1st (Got Featured!)

Common Ground A Vintage Christmas Dec. 9th
Funky Junk's Saturday Night Special Dec. 9th

Centsational Girl Holiday Crafts- Dec. 12th

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See Ye Olde Mantel HERE
See Glitterfied Rusticness in the Dining Room HERE
See our Tannenbaum Trio HERE

Ye Olde Mantel

2011-11-30T18:19:00.009-05:00

Yes, dear readers, the holly days are upon us and I started the decorating festivities with ye olde mantel.

Last year I glittered the crap outta it and decided this year would be a more natural, woodsy feel.

Not that the glittery yumminess is banned to the bottom of the red and green plastic bin....

nay, it will find a home elsewhere, if not a bit more subdued.
Ahem.
Here we go.

I went with IKEA lanterns used in my back porch vignette last year,

Twiggy trees picked up on sale at JoAnn's:

Faux greenery bought a couple years ago at Hob Blob.

Threw in some wee white birds, ginormous pincones in painted terra cotta pots, my smallish shabby star and the twiggy wreath that seems to always find a way up there.

Oh yeah, and the white mirror hubs and I built awhile back.

Speaking of pinecones (was I?), they're the reason I've been kinda gone from ye olde blogge of late.
Every day for the last 6 weeks I've been crafting for my daughter's wedding.
(See engagement pics here.)

(Gee, see any pinecones?)

We're doing a rustic chic winter theme, so I'm up to my eyeballs in pinecones and burlap.
200+ yards of the stuff, and 12 boxes of cones in all shapes and sizes, which I baked in small batches to kill vermin and open them up.
Did ya know you needed to do that with cones you find hither and thither?
Me neither.

(other biggish barn star, with twiggy, pineconey goodness next to our entertainment center)

So, the last week I took some much needed time off from wedding crafting,
and snuck in some Christmas crafting as well.
For starters, the stockings:

I never set out to make stockings every year (see past mantels here, here, and here),
but somehow that's what happens.
Only this year, I used ready made ones from Dollar Tree and just embellished with some ribbon, wee twig wreaths and green metallic painted wood initials.
(couples share stockings. One of the perks of staying single.)

You could say I sorta cheated, and I would have to agree, although I don't give a flip.

Last year's glitterfied burlap versions are a hit on pinterest these days, and I've answered so many ding dang emails asking "do I sell them, would I sell them, how do you make them, etc."
The definitive answer is "maybe next year, yes I sold them to a pinterest follower, and no not this year."

Anyway, I festified some other corners of the room, with woodlandness too:

I exchanged the blue beadedboard doors for the brown painted shutters,
since I wasn't using the blue mirror on the mantel this season.

And filled my empty frame collage with a bit of rustic embellishment.
Seeing as I had some pinecones laying about and all.

View from the fireplace:
(thinkin' that tiny pinecone sway needs some friends)

So that's it for the family room.
I love how warm and cozy it looks. I even dug out a couple down throws for the couch.
All ready for an evening of hot cocoa and Elf.
(smiling's my favorite)
We'll cut our tree this weekend and get busy decorating that, but everything else is already dressed up.
I'll reveal those areas in the coming days.

Lots of holiday linkys to join, so I'm motivated to dig out from the pile of burlap and pinecones, get my Christmas decorating mojo on, and fire up the camera.

And I pinky promise to show you tons of wedding pictures of all our craftiness the day after,
which happens to be New Year's Eve.
Then I'll take a long winter's nap.

I'll bring my mantel to the parties in my side bar link as well as these seasonal linky's:
(links will be live the day of the party)
From My Front Porch to Yours Dec. 5th
TenJuneBlog Dec 6th
Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Dec. 6th
Southern Hospitality Dec. 7th
Homes Stories from A to Z Dec. 8th
Funky Junk's Saturday Night Special Dec. 9th
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See Crafty Christmas Vignettes HERE
See Glitterfied Rusticness in the dining room HERE
See the Tannenbaum Trio HERE