I Had Lunch with an Artist Today.......

I went out to lunch with a small group of older women from my church today. We went to a deli that specialized in gourmet sandwiches. I had the chicken salad sandwich and brought half of it home for another meal. It was a sweet day and I enjoyed myself socializing with these women.

One of the women brought her sister-in-law, who is an artist. (She lost her husband about 6 weeks ago and one of her sons several years ago. She seems very lonely.) We talked about painting. She is supposedly a talented artist. I don't know as I've not seen her paintings yet, but I'd love to visit her home and view her art.

I told her my passion for wanting to learn how to paint - especially a rose. She understood. We chatted mostly about color, light and mediums of paint. I asked her how it was to paint with certain paints and she answered with a few hints to help me.

Towards the end of the luncheon I knew that she knew what I was talking about when she said she loved beauty. My heart leapt with joy as she uttered those words. I realized we were kindred spirits. She looked at me and I knew in that instant that she understood: I live my life beautifully. I live it beautifully in every single way I can. From making my home beautiful to making everyday chores beautiful to making myself beautiful to helping others to see the beauty of life not spent in luxury or wealth or exotic places but in the commonness of everyday life and a life well spent and the beauty of spiritualness. Oooooh, not in the world's view of beauty; I'll never achieve that kind of beauty, although, hubs tells me that I'm the most beautiful woman he's ever seen and I've seen him peaking at those "other" beauties. ;-) He'll sometimes remind me of the day when I walked down those stairs 47+ years ago into his waiting hand to marry me that day. I was no beauty then and am no beauty now but to have him think so is beyond "beauty" to me. Feeling beautiful can MAKE you beautiful. I want my countenance to "radiate" beauty. I would like to think it does.

But back to that lady. It gave me great joy to find someone who understood what I meant about my passion for living beautifully. This is my passion. It will not be taken from me by any mortal person. This is my life and we only get one chance at it here on earth. This isn't the dress rehearsal; this it IT. I shall live it as beautifully as I can. No one has the power to do that but me. Only I have the power to do otherwise.

And I'll have Love Bunny's eyes checked for new glasses soon also!
~*~

I couldn't sleep the other night and got up about 4 am deciding that I was wasting time. I finished putting up the roses wallies and then made 2 cord covers for the paper lanterns. Can you see my "C" initial above the school desk? I'm very pleased with the room. Just need to get some shelves up now and I'm through with my office. It's now a place I love to spend a lot of time in.


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Practicing in my "new" painting room. Today seemed like this is the type of rose I'm doomed to paint for a while. ;-) I'm satisfied.....until I can get a class somewhere. I have a new book with patterns in it. I'll try that and see where it leads me. *Sigh*........

Gifts of Roses!

I made a decision earlier this week and I'm only going to be posting every 2 days now. I love blogging but other things are becoming more important. :-)
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I recently received a surprise in the mail!! Just take a look at these gorgeous faux desserts created by my sweet friend, Miss Rhea. Go visit her Giveaway for fabulous pastries. You really don't wanna miss it, chicks!!!

And my own initial "C" is now hanging over my antique school desk - painting desk - now!!

A satin and velvet hanger. Woooooeeeeee!!

Yes, I've named her Rhea and she sits in my living room on a sofa table - proudly!

Vintaaaaaaaaage wallpaperrrrrRRRrrr!!!! Yesssssss, isn't that so kind of her. I just love it and will do something special with the wallpaper soon.
:-) <-------me with a huge grin on my face!

These I ordered from the internet and they came. I'm putting them all around the room. When I say "girly-girl room" I mean a girly room!!! I ain't wimpy 'bout it, chicks; I go all the way. I have 50 and the leftovers will go into other rooms after they are painted. This can take a couple of months though. I don't have the energy to do the whole house at once. I'm an ol' chick, ya know!! ;-)

I was truly blessed this day. I live a "charmed" life, my sweet cherubs!!

Where I Create!

Desk is painted and done. Well, I need to touch it up in some spots underneath where I will be sitting. But I've hung the paper lanterns where they will stay. I need to get some shelves back up but I'm not putting them all back in this room because I'll be redoing the craft/sewing room next and some will go in there. Then my roses wallies should be coming in a day or so and those will go up. "Next" does not mean in a few days! That might take a bit longer in there.
;-)<--------me winking at ya!

I'm tired from crawling around on my knees and painting. Gonna go read a mystery....

Window Treatments

Giveaway for Katie's 100th post! Go here to enter into her "special teas" giveaway and view her new website - Katiestearoses. Adorable little "teacups" for you to see.
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I love the lusciousness of curtains or fabric on a window but some do not and that is just fine. However, I've lived in some places while hubs was in the military that the windows were not all that pretty! Downright ugly in fact and needed something to cover up the ugly window and sometimes the view beyond! But if you're a fan of "openness" in your treatment of your windows look at this one. Just beautiful. The view beyond looks fabulous also.

I love this country cottage romantic look and the window treatment is certainly appropriate to the decor. NOT that I'm any kind of authority - just know what kind of "beauty" I like. LOL But if fabric has roses on it, I'm SOLD! Plus if there is pink or red in the room I'm double SOLD. ;-)

I've done this to some windows in some homes we've lived it because it is sooooo simple and quick to do and can be hung with inexpensive upholstery tacks, which I keep a supply handy for many things.

Same thing here, just done with sheers/lace. In our last home I did this treatment under some side panels and it was stunning.

I absolutely love this treatment. It would require the lining to be the same fabric but think about a contrasting fabric and how gorgeous that would be - say a check or brighter solid version of a color in the front fabric. Yummy. I might try this one in the future. I'm always changing things around in this house. ;-)

No window is hopeless as these 2 tiny attic windows can attest.

And then of course, the curtains can match the wall coverings to give it pizzazz. This room leaves my eye no place to rest however. It's lovely, but I need wall space for my "fluff/pictures/shelves/and such." But it is stunning and dramatic.

Vintage Desk - Step 2

My daughter gave me these paper lanterns a couple of years ago. (We exchange things a lot, but it's to her advantage because whatever I "borrow" from her, she'll inherit! AND in much better frou-frou condition! She's a girly-girl also. *Wink*!) But I cannot figure out where in this room to put them. Only a 60 watt bulb can be used so they don't throw off a lot of light but it is soft and pretty anyway. What do you think? Should I put them on either side of one of the desks or one over one desk and one over the other? Desks are across the room from one another.~*~

My little cherubs, I blog and post these - and all- pictures to help you get ideas for your homes. (I believe the way the world situation is going that we'll be spending more time in our homes and trying to make them a refuge for us.) I show so many photos so that you can see the process by which you can create something from a ratty vintage school desk. So bear with me while I tell the story below. *Sigh*........................

I decided I want to cover the drawers on the vintage school desk instead of painting them. The sides, legs and back of the desk will be painted white but I wanted to give a bit of pizzazz to it. So I am covering it with some roses fabric remnants I have left. I have a ROOM full of rose fabrics!!! I need to start using some of the scraps. Love Bunny has spoken. ;-) Well, he's "suggested" I do something with what's in there.

A couple of friends have suggested using fabric softener to adhere the fabric to the item being covered and I'm trying it. I use the Suavitel and it is the best smelling stuff I've ever had. My laundry room smells like it and everyone traipsing through that room always comments on how good my house smells. Hahhhhhh.......they should have been in here the other night when hubs burnt our popcorn!! Maaaaaan, I tell you, I burned Glade Angel Whispers candles the whole day after and it still smelled like burnt popcorn!! Will he hear the end of this one???? We'll see how long it takes the smell to dissipate before I make a decision on that one!

First drawer to get covered. I just dipped the fabric in the softener and stuck it to the drawer and let it dry.

The original stickers on the pull-out board the teacher put there are still on it. I'm leaving them on. They say: hot lunch, milk, cold or absent. I don't have the heart to take them off........

I kept waiting for the fabric to dry and then..........it hit me!! It wasn't fabric softener she recommended; it was liquid starch! DUH moment......totally embarrassed. I didn't have any. Okay, I now have the best smelling drawers in the state of Idaho. Can ya smell me over there in Oregon?!?! Hmmmm??? Maybe Montana or Wyoming??? Yep, sure smells wonderful here now.

Ya still with me?!?!? So hubs and I went to Red Robin for dinner and then tried to fit a bit of shopping in for liquid starch. It was cold and we had to go to 2 stores to find it. So then I come home and put the starch on and this morning it isn't adhering quite as well as I'd hope for so I used just the tiniest bit of Mod Podge to hold it on. I figure if I don't put on much I can just peel the fabric off if I ever want to change it again. I'm sure hoping this works.

This bottom drawer is just one deep drawer although it has 2 handles and looks like two. So I got a bit creative.

Would you look at the way they used to keep the drawer from falling out! I've never seen anything like it and I'm from that generation. I guess I wasn't too much into looking at the back of drawers at that point in my life. ;-)

This is the pencil drawer and I'm telling you that is a lethal weapon on the back of it! If I ever need to confront a burglar I'll just tell him to hold on a minute while I pull my drawer out! I figure at that point he'll run from the house screaming for fear of my lunacy.

So here it is so far.

So my creativity extended to putting a bit of trim over that little "divide" on the deep drawer and then putting a paper rose on it with the ol' glue gun.

Close up of the rose with a bit of added "fluff" - a bit of netting!

Now, I'm not looking for compliments. I'm simply trying to show you how something utilitarian can still be functional when we add to its beauty. I get to live with it (it's mine.......squeeeeeeeeal!!), but anyone can do this no matter what style you have in your home. Just take what I've done and translate it into your OWN style or decor. Country? Use some of your fabric around your home or paint the drawers a different color than the rest of the desk or do a "plaid or faux" paint technique. Use your imagination. Let it run wild with the anticipation of what you're capable of doing! This can apply to modern or traditional or whatever.

Okay, my little cherubs, gotta go paint those handles "Pink"!!
:-) <--------- That's me grinning from ear to ear!!! LOL

Okay, I went out and finished the handles and decided to just update everything for this one post. I LOVE the handles with it! I tramped out to Home Depot and tried to find some I liked better but nope, none I like better than the original ones sprayed pink. So now all I have to do it paint the rest.

:-)<------------still grinning, my sweet chicks!!! LOL