Moving Things Around

When I decided to put up a mirror in my dining room, I had to take down my wire shelf with all the blue and white dishes. I really like the wire shelf, so I decided to put it up in the kitchen. In order to accomplish this I took down the wooden shelves that were there. Then mounted the wire shelf. I tried to incorporate some of the things I had on the wooden shelves with the blue and white. I had to put the shelf a little higher than I would like due to the fact that the thermostat was on that wall. So I added some hooks to the bottom shelf and hung my little creamers down there. Do you think it looks OK?

I really like how it all looks. I Incorporated some things that had been on the wooden shelves. I love the bluebird platters that I bought on e-bay. Also, I kept the cookbooks and the tray that my Mom had painted over 35 years ago. Also several gifts from friends such as the butter warmer (on the second shelf to the right) The Droste box and the egg cups from my same friends' Mother. There are a lot memories displayed on those shelves! Some of the pieces were garage sale finds, such as the canisters that I got for $10.00 and the blue cabbage plate. Also some pieces I picked up at the thrift store and Marshall's.

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

A long time ago I was torn about whether to put up the wire rack in the dining room or a mirror.

I bought an oval mirror that I repainted but eventually put it up in the hallway. It wasn't large enough for the room. My theory was that the mirror would lighten up the room and make it look larger. It would also reflect the crystal chandelier that I had assembled item by item. Last Saturday after fertilizing my grass, Great timing as it rained all day on Sunday) Jen and I hopped into the car to go to Home Goods. I rarely come home from there empty handed and Saturday was no different than usual. I found this large mirror that is somewhat antiqued, kind of a silvery brown finish. Any way I took down the wire rack and put up the mirror. I think it really enlarges the space. It goes well with the rusty sconces on each side, too.

On Sunday I finally got the wallpaper completed in the dressing area between the bedroom and the bathroom. I had ordered a double roll of paper thinking that it would easily do the job. I was luck that I didn't mess up any pieces and that it was such a small match. Believe it or not I only had a 15 inch piece left over. I was very pleased that I finally got it done. I feel as if I have been spinning my wheels for awhile. Another project that is all done now but the refining process. I was glad that I did it on Sunday because I ended up working on Monday instead of having the day off. One of our nurses was sick and I needed to fill in. This flu season is really got a lot of people sick and we get exposed to it several times a day. I guess it is an occupational hazard you just can't avoid. I am looking forward to having this Monday off.

I am contemplating putting a cream colored wash over it like I did in the bathroom so that it will flow more easily between the two rooms. Do you like it as is or do you think a lighter wash than the bathroom would look good? You can also see the mirror that I put on the vanity to replace my shell mirror. I think it goes better with the appliques that I put on the draw fronts than the shell mirror did and it's not falling apart!

November 10, 1921

Tomorrow, November 10th is my Mom's birthday. She's a little camera shy. ( More than a little) so I'll just show you something very dear to her heart. Her home. She loves to remodel, redecorate and redo as much or more than I do. I guess you can say the Acorn doesn't fall too far from the Oak tree.

She's an amazing woman. Very strong, determined and very, very talented! She's smart as can be. If she'd had the opportunity to go to college she'd probably be a lawyer. Her father was a lawyer and she has that talent from him. She's the best artist that one can imagine. When she finally got my sister and I married off and out of the house she started to paint. She's done decorative painting and a few portraits but her favorite thing to paint, believe it or not, is walls. She has a wonderful sense of color and sees each and every detail. She can tell you if some thing is level or plumb from 50 paces!!

Ever since I was a very little girl I remember her remodeling every place we ever lived. I mean tearing down walls, designing and redecorating. She tells the story of her first decorating job, it was wallpapering the inside of her Newfoundland dogs' doghouse at a very young age. She can tell you as much about construction as a lot of men and can paint everything that she sees. At 70 something she was up on her own scaffold rag painting the walls of her vaulted living room in her house in Arizona. She built a brick courtyard in front of one of her houses just from looking at the pictures in a book. She drug big flat field stones a half of a mile up from the creek to make the floor of a courtyard when she lived out in the country when she was in her late 50's.

She can grow anything she looks at, cross eyed. I mean roses the size of saucers and of course her famous hollyhocks from Arizona. Her favorites are peach colored roses. Anthing she tries to grow flourishes under her care. She has a great gift of landscape design, too.

When we were young she and my grandmother would sew our Halloween costumes. Though she wasn't big on sewing clothes she could whip a pair of drapes or a bedspread with perfect stitching and put up the rod with one hand tied behind her back. In fact she made the drapes in the picture above.

She is an excellent cook except for pies...That's just not in her repertoire! See the post about my grandmother a couple of posts back. I believe she inherited some of her artistic talent from my grandmother.

Not only that, but she raised my sister and I alone from the time we were very young. Put us through Catholic school and college. She isn't afraid of much of anything and if you tell her she can't do it, she'll just say " watch my smoke!!"

Any way November 10th is her birthday..She'll be 88!! Though her body has slowed up with age her mind is still sharp and she is still as determined as ever! To quote her "I don't know who that old lady in the mirror but it isn't me!!)

Happy Birhday Mom! We love you!!!!!!

Une Petite Vignette

This little vignette is inside the armoire in my bedroom. I have temporarily papered the inside of the armoire with old sheet music and some pretty boxes . Also some old baby shoes and a compote filled with silk and dried roses. I bought this compote in Maryland many years ago.

The top shelf of this armoire is filled with pretties and the lower shelves house my small TV and my DVD's and CD's as well as a small portable stereo. I open the doors to watch TV but otherwise everything is hidden from view.

A Glorious Morning to All!

This morning I looked out the window to my garden and saw such a glorious site. My Morning Glory vine was in full bloom! With the recent rains and some warming sun the vine has started to thrive. It is so wonderful for the drought to finally be behind us. It's a cool morning and promises to be a wonderful week end.
I heard from my wallpaper order and was told it should be on it's way in the next few days. I am anxious to get it put up and then that will be one step closer to finishing the majority of the bedroom project.
Wishing each and everyone of you sunshine and a glorious Saturday!

Sandy

SORRY I'VE BEEN AWAY SO LONG

The past two weeks have been pretty difficult! Our sweet Holly finally got to the point that she couldn't get herself up from laying on her side. Above seven years ago she slipped a disc in her back and has had difficulty using her back legs. At one point we thought we would have to put her into a doggie wheelchair but she regained use of her legs after several steroid shots and a couple of months of Rimadryl. Lately though she had trouble getting up and even going out to do her business. She was after all 151/2 years old. I think she has been senile for at least the past six months but she still loooooved to eat. Her vision was failing, too. So, as hard as it was, I made the decision to put her down. I get a lump in my throat just thinking about it. We used to call her Hurricane Holly when she was young. She loved to play escape artist and you could chase her for blocks before you could get her cornered! Then there was the time she stole the roast off the dining room table...She was quite a gal!!

Secondly, we've had our flu clinic at work and that was 2 grueling days. I've been having problems with my left arm (I'm left handed and that is my mastectomy side) so I didn't do as much shooting as I did drawing up a lot of the vaccine. I guess all the painting and wallpapering finally caught up to me. I even went and had a mammogram of that side and an ultrasound of the area to be sure there was nothing dangerous going on. October is, after all, Breast Cancer Awareness month and I encourage all of you, if you haven't done it this year, to get your mammograms. It saved my life five years ago. I guess no matter how long it has been you always carry that little spark of fear around with you and especially if you have any disturbing symptoms such as I was having. Luckily, the tests were negative. I am so thankful for this.

The photo above is one of my Grandmother when she was 18. It is sitting on the chest in my bedroom. (It's on loan from my Mom). Beside the picture is a small jewelry box that I received when I was 18. Some pearls that were given to me as a child and a pin that I made from vintage buttons. My grandmother was a very elegant lady. She was an accomplished seamstress, knitter, cook and all things domestic, except she couldn't bake a cake to save her soul! Wonderful pies, biscuits but never cakes. My Mom on the hand couldn't make a pie......

Well, I FINALLY decided what to do with my dressing room. I chose the trellis wallpaper in one of the previous posts. I ordered it yesterday but will have to wait to see if they have it in stock.
So hopefully, if they do, I'll be able to put it up next weekend. So, keep your fingers crossed.

TEARS IN HEAVEN

Holly-Lu-Yah

March 13, 1994 --September 28, 2009

We love you baby girl!