Doing Some Cleaning

I invite you all to watch the two minute video; it's up to you of course. It is part of a speech given by a member of The First Presidency of our Church. It inspired me as no other video could ever do on creating. It will touch your heart. It will give you hope. I published it several months ago but thought it might inspire someone again.

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The weather has turned cooler and I'm trying to be productive. It isn't easy being productive.

Today I attacked some drawers in my dresser. Five drawers to be exact. So far I've rounded up and given to thrift stores: 11 shirts, 4 pairs of shoes, 4 of hubby's sport coats that are just too small but in great shape, 2 bathing suits, 4 hats, 3 t-shirts and 54 pairs of socks in good shape, but don't wear knee-highs anymore. That leaves me with 5 empty drawers. I'll not be refilling them with new stuff as I just don't need any more stuff. I'm trying to lighten our load and get rid of stuff. I cannot even recall what else we've taken to the thrift stores prior to today.

Why do we accumulate things? For me, it was partly because I wanted to make sure I had enough. Yeah, you heard me. I didn't just have enough; I had more than any one person needed. Then when I saw a rose plate or anything with roses on it, it was mine. I'd buy it. I am truly sad to have bought all that stuff long ago and now getting rid of it. Not the getting rid of part, but the money I wasted on accumulating stuff because I thought I needed it and certainly thought I wanted it. I see bloggers all the time accumulating more things—vintage, rustic, whatever—because they love it or want to have it. I've come to the realization that I don't need that stuff to make me happy. This is absolutely true. I didn't figure it out until a few years ago. All the thousands, yes, many thousands, of dollars I spent on clothes, plates, anything I wanted. What a waste. I see homes on blogs that have so much and the women keep on adding to it. Now, I'm subtracting from it. Funny how that works out but it is so free-ing to be able to get rid of it.

A friend on an eBay discussion group I had for many years told me that she and her hubby were just taking anything they could to the thrift stores or throwing it out. She said it felt good. I took a lesson from her and am doing the same thing and getting the same feeling. It truly does feel good. :-) And besides, my kids don't want anything we've got. I've already given them keepsakes from their great grandmothers and jewelry I no longer wear. My daughter told me if I didn't get rid of most stuff, she would put it on eBay for 99¢ with free shipping and I think she just might do it!
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Another gorgeous living room, shabby chic romantic kind.

A darling vignette of teacups.

Isn't this little hanging element adorable?

A cozy patio bench with beautiful pink pillows.

This would be a darling setting for a pink lover's party—stripes and polka dots.

Just a feminine setting with ruffles, lace, roses and a french chair.

A chocolate pot with gorgeous roses and green color.

Wow!!! What a stunner of a bathroom! Woooohoooo.

More roses for ya, but with feathers this time, sweets. ;-)

Got enough roses yet? Hmmmm?

Or pink???

Box of beautiful laces waiting for someone to do something with them.

Pretty pink, blue and white kitchen dining area.

Now, this one I adore. It could very well be the "perfect" kitchen in my eyes. Gorgeous!

Just like these vivid colors. Anyone who has been to Mexico probably has one of these. We've picked up a few on our travels down there.

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Everyone has a talent; I think mine is nagging.
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A Missionary Dinner Story

A few weeks ago we fed the missionaries—story a little ways down on this post. Now, in our Church we have young men and young woman missionaries who give up 2 years of their lives to go on missions—men age 19 and women age 21. They pay for it themselves usually, but if a family can't afford it, then the home ward of a missionary will help out. The wards feed them dinners to help out with their expenses but if hubs and I are out at a McDonalds or Jack in the Box, we'll pay for their lunch. They live very frugally during these missions. Some are sent to all of the U.S. states and some are sent all over the world. Today, I'm going to relate a few experiences we've been told about.

Two men we know personally went to Russia or Siberia for their missions. One man said when he arrived he thought he was in another world. Everyone smoked. Most of the members of our Church don't. But he got on a bus to go to a town far into the interior of Siberia. He said there would be hours and hours of nothing but frozen tundra. Then the rickety bus would stop for a smoke break. This was a bit puzzling as they smoked on the bus also, but he thought they'd never get to his destination. It took days on that bus and it was frigid cold. When they did arrive, he thought 'What town?!' There were just a few shacks and he was sent to try and convert them? Several times he asked to come home because he just couldn't get used to how cold it was and the vast cultural divide. But he stuck it out. 

Several year ago, a friend told us that sending a letter to the missionaries in Russia was about $40 per letter!

The other man said the differences were vast also. We have no idea how good we have it here in the U.S. The food was very different, as you would expect. They didn't have much meat. Food was scarce. The toilet paper was so bad it was indescribable. The missionaries would tear up catalogs/books/magazines to use; it was softer than the toilet paper. You have no idea.

Now, I'm going to tell you about our experience the last time we fed the missionaries.

I signed up at the last minute when they needed someone to fill up the calendar. I told hubs we would go to WM and get some orange chicken at their deli but when we got there that morning, they didn't have any so we got BBQ chicken nuggets instead. I took them home and stuck them in the fridge. Around dinner time I took them out, put them on a foil-covered pan in the oven. They arrived here as I was pulling the pan out of the oven. I forgot to spray the foil and the chicken stuck! I said a few mild expletives, told hubs to set the table with 4 wet washcloths and told them dinner was ready. I also told them they would have to pick the foil off each chicken nugget! I wasn't about to do all that work. As missionaries are sweet and kind, they agreed. What a dinner we had to talk about the next day. I told hubby he knew this was going to be a blog post, right? He just looked at me. I did not do this intentionally to blog about. I was in a hurry and simply did not think. :-) I'll remember to spray the foil next time...if they ever want to eat with us again.
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I think the owner just threw a tablecloth or huge pieces of lace over this chair, but it's gorgeous no matter how she did it.

Just cute little cottages.

I'd love to cover my garbage can in my kitchen like this but it's plastic and I'm not sure it would look this great after I did it. Isn't this adorable? Looks vintage.

White, red and pink bedroom. Lovin' it!

An exquisitely packaged gift.

Darling little coin purse someone made.

I love polka dots.

Exquisite portrayal of oranges.

Why don't we do this more often? Picnic in our back yards.

Another lovely bedroom for you. Notice the lace on the sheets.

A scrap bow for a gift package. Very creative.

I just wonder where people find these pretty outdoor rugs. All I can find are the generic beige/brown ones at WM and Home Depot. And we all know how I feel about beige!

I'm even picky about the pencils in my house. No, these aren't mine, but I only buy a certain brand of pencils and a certain lead in it. Picky, very picky. ;-)

Wow!!! What gorgeous colors adorn this home.

Oooooh, it truly is. I hope your day is lovely. Mine usually are and when they're not, they still are.

~*~

Cakes, Gummy Bears and Romantic Rooms

I promised more cakes for you to drool over and here they are, but first a story. Of course!

I was visiting with a younger woman friend recently and we got to talking about taking care of ourselves physically. She always has a huge container of water with her, and I usually sit here with a bottle of water and try to remember to drink it.

Anyway, I told her my doctor recommended prenatal vitamins and more calcium as my nails are just splitting badly at the tips. I told my friend I'm taking Gummy Bear Prenatal vitamins. Prenatal vitamins at my age? Yep. So now I'm taking a GB vitamin, GB fiber (as is my friend) and Calcium caramels. I feel like I'm on a sugar high in the morning! Who would have thought we could just eat candy for our daily requirements of all this?

Then yesterday I went for a massage. My regular masseuse is taking a leave of absence for a while and I had another woman give me the massage. She mentioned that my shoulders are coming forward a bit from spending so much time on the computer and then gave me some "doorway" exercises to strengthen my arms, pectorals, neck and back. I really needed those. I sit on this computer way too much but it has to be done. I shall be diligent about exercising though.

And how do I say 'Welcome to Family Search' with a mouthful of candy?
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This is a blueberry rainbow cake. You could probably do the same thing with strawberries and red food coloring.


A room for a princess. I've always found it strange that people put beds up against the wall. How do they make them without moving the bed? I'm too lazy to drag a bed around to change the sheets.

This one reminds me of Audrey Hepburn, one of the most gorgeous and elegant ladies in the history of the world. I understand her personality was beautiful also.

A room Miss Hepburn might have liked to live in.

This one reminds me of New Mexico and its state gem—turquoise.

Romantic bedroom.

These are actually sugar ice cream cones with sugar crystals on them. You could use them on a dessert and they would be edible also.

More eye candy for you. ;-)

Fanciful ribbons under a dome.

Can we say "cute"?

I have a pink clock like this blue one.

Beautiful bowls.

Yes, this is a cake; can you believe it?!

A lovely vignette in a lovely bedroom. Yes, you can lust after the mirrors if you must.

Sighing again...

I think this makes a wonderful garden room or sun room.

To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk.
~*~

My Gazebo and Bedroom Wall

Love Bunny is putting up the gazebo here. He's 6'2" tall so you can see how tall the gazebo is. Squeeeeeeeeal!! I'm so excited about this. It was at a local craft store on here in the west called Craft Warehouse on sale for $200.00 and I grabbed it. I plan on moving it out further from the house but since we have a typical "western" small lot it won't be moved too much farther. Just in front of the quaking aspens I think. I may plant some roses around it. I just don't know. Any suggestions??? I'm open, chicks, to any advice.

The dome has a huge hook that can hold lanterns and a huge finial up there. This is a metal gazebo and very sturdy. I plan on hanging sheers down 4 sides of it. I'll post back when I get that done.

Our apple tree is finally producing some fruit that doesn't have bugs in it......I think. But this is the farthest it's gotten so far after 3 summers. We planted it in 2005 and it was small. I'm so thrilled that something I planted is not dying!

Okay, so one apple has something on the skin. Could be a bruise. I hope it's not a worm. Hubs has sprayed that tree 3 times this year to protect it.

I thought instead of adding spanish moss to these coconut husks I'd paint them instead. So I picked up a can of green "foliage" spray paint and took them out back and sprayed them green. It helped with the smell of the coconut husks and also looks better than the brown husk color.

I contacted a man the other day about painting our bedroom, master bath and walk-in closet. But I received a painting from Gail in Australia (it's gorgeous, btw!) and decided that it would look best over the bed since it's a painting of a bedroom. When I saw the painting I knew it was mine. How sweet of her to sell it to me! I just love the softness of it over my bed. I needed something bigger to frame it though so I set off for Michaels and purchased a huge frame at 50% off and then got another 40% off with a coupon. Squeeeeeeeeal and score!! My kinda deal, chicks. It was black so I had to spray paint it white but no big deal except that there's a rectangle in my back yard that has dark green, pink AND white paint. It'll grow and be cut in the next week so no big deal for Love Bunny. Now I need for the painter to come and paint it and then I'll start hanging stuff back up there. Needs more than that frame and picture.

Gail was kind enough to include a tag and some little prints of her paintings. I think I'll frame them also and include them in the larger frame also. We'll see how inspired I can get.