God grant me...

God grant me...

I want to make those state string art boards for the living room.  I decided to do one side of my North Captiva picture (poster size) with a New York theme and the other with Florida.  First thought was to try to combine the two states but couldn't figure out how I would run the string.  Maybe two different colors and one heart between them.  Then I was thinking one for each state in an 8x10 for each side.  I haven't figured it out yet.

Anyway, I found this web site that gave different options of maps to print out, which I printed out a map that gives towns.. the Florida map shows the Keys.  The others I printed were just outlines of the state and a star for the capital.  This outline did not have the Keys although New York included Long Island.  That's about as far as I got.

While looking around I came across book marks, and two sets of book marks for the Serenity Prayer, a page of the short version and a page of the full version.  I was needing some serenity the other night while I was looking so printed and sharing the full version here:  bookmarks/serenityprayer-full  The short version is also available there too.


God grant me
the serenity to accept
the things I cannot
change;
courage to change the
things I can;
and wisdom to know
the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment
at a time;
Accepting hardships as
the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this
sinful world as it is, not
as I would have it;
Trusting that He will
make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be
reasonably happy in this
life and supremely
happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen
God grant me
the serenity to accept
the things I cannot
change;
courage to change the
things I can;
and wisdom to know
the difference.
Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment
at a time;
Accepting hardships as
the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this
sinful world as it is, not
as I would have it;
Trusting that He will
make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be
reasonably happy in this
life and supremely
happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen


I'm sorry I couldn't get a picture to post, but here's my serenity picture for the day:

Mary Vican (flicker.com)

Have a wonderful day ~ pat

It's Easter Sunday...

Dear Friends,

 Today I was thinking about the volumns of talented decorators who share with us every day and how much we love it. I do not have a photograph, except for a mental one, of the most wonderfully decorated room.

It was an empty tomb with some linens folded and laid on what was probably a stone bed. The door was open and it was filled with a most "angelic" light. I believe...He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

 

God's Smile

 

The "Painter of Light" has gone home

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED THOMAS KINKADE.

I have Tom's "Conquering the Storms" and had always admired and loved his work.  So it came as a surprise and with sadness to find out that he had gone home at the age of 54.  Now when I see those skies that have reminded me of his paintings, I will know it is him that is still painting but in the sky.

"Stairway to Paradise"

Making pretty...

I don't know why but I love to be surrounded by things that make me happy.  ~well, that's not so strange is it? who wants to be surrounded by things that make them sad?~  I spend a lot of time in my living room and have been spending allot of time muling over what to do with it to make it functional for all the tasks I do in here...

• watch TV
• use lap top
• eat
• drink
• crafts
• read
• write
• pay bills
• nap...sleep the night during bad storms

and I am sure my list goes on.   In addition to function, I want it to be a bright cheery room.  I only have 2 windows and the door to offer any light which is not much.  One window is half air-conditioner with a black screen pushed up that I JUST realized I should go outside and remove it (after the thunderstorm).  The other window is under the patio overhang so it doesn't get bright light, which is a good thing in Florida.  The door is usually closed because I need to figure out how to replace the screen because the screws seem to be stripped. (Now I'm thinking maybe I can put a screen in the top to replace the glass...)  I'd love to replace it with a wood screen door with all the pretty trims, but my doors seem to be too short and so far I haven't found one I could cut to fit.  I finally decided on  colors to paint:  the ceiling: Benjamin Moore - Little Angel (pale yellow) and the walls: ACE Paint - Going My Way (aqua/sea foam).  I love how the kitchen ceiling is still bright even when it's not bright out and hoping it does the same in the living room.

I live with my dog, Heidi, while all my family is in New York, so family photos are an important part of my decor.  The babies are now going on 2 years old and 2 babies are on their way this summer.  They grow and change so fast, I don't get to change pictures as often but will have to up-date some and make room for new babies!!



I love the beach and have always collected beach things and gotten some as gifts.  I've started painting furniture in beach blues.  Shells are all over... candles ... maps...trays... my most recent purchase is a vintage Florida souvenir 1940's table cloth...I wanted to pretty-up the living room yesterday and put it over the 2 sea grass chests I have pushed together as a coffee table.

Florida and some accessories

Florida

It's spring, so it's time to pretty up!!  More to come.  Did you do any prettying up lately?

Shit's Creek Survivor

Along my journey, I have found myself up shit's creek without a paddle too many times.  It means just to be in a bad situation without a solution... been there too?  Not too long ago, I saw a sign that said "Shit's Creek Survivor" but of course, now that I want it, I don't remember where it was, so I decided to make my own.

I just picked up a piece of wood at Lowe's.  I stencilled on the letters in pencil, painted with a bronze acrylic paint and then outlined the letters with a brown Sharpie.  Because I was feeling lazy, I pulled out colored pencils, watercolor pencils and some colored Sharpies.  There was a light grain to the wood that I tried to follow to get a water effect of blues, greens, and purple.  And because I survived in paradise in Florida, I drew a palm tree on one side and added some yellow. 

I think I will use bamboo salad spoons as my paddles, I have them my paddles back now!  There is nothing better than knowing you're a survivor...and having a positive reminder in your face!

It's still a work in progress...

Hang in there...you, too, are a survivor!

Up-date: Shell drawer

April Fool's Day!

I have been primarily working outside this week.  Have been scrubbing outside with bleach and if I can get up and move, I'll finish today.  I started un-potting some aloe (and have the scrapes to prove it) and snake plants and planting along the edge of the patio which totally confused my dog, Heidi.  The spot that she would walk to the yard now has aloe and not a good spot to walk through.  I picked up a 2 ft high fencing that I want to use as dune fencing in my bed room and around the front BUT wound up using it along the patio and now I'm re-teaching her to go down to the other end.  It does have pickets but have put it picket side down so it does look like dune fence.  It has a white wash coat which should fade to gray and then I can seal it.  And I can hang little signs and flip flops and put some shells around.... so now that I have just motivated myself...

...to be continued... with pictures!

I vow to drink more wine...

There so many wines to choose from...red, white, rose.  Wine is an alcoholic beverage usually made from grapes but can be made from other fruits, such as apples and berries.  Choosing a wine can be time consuming as to Red, White, or Rose... what country... what region, vintage and taste.  Most wine is sold in a glass bottles closed with a cork.  Although bottles are being increasingly closed by other means, 50% of the corks come from Portugal.

I love a nice cool glass or two of wine out side with my feet up enjoying the peacefulness here.  It wasn't until I decided to start using them for crafts and in the kitchen that I realized my pattern, even more so.  I drink wine depending on the bottle and/or the cork.   Since moving to Florida, I have given up some of my favorite Long Island Winery corks, especially Martha Clara Vineyard's cork with her dog and dog bone!!



Cork picture of Bernie



Bernie's Bone



Link for Bernie's Rose'


But I have found that I used my Barefoot Wine bottles and especially the corks too fast so....

and I really want to do a larger version of this:

and come up with some uses to show off my favorite bottles:

I'd love to do a whole wreath with just Barefoot corks and shells, so I'd better start drinking... Have a great evening!!  Cheers!

Spring has sprung...actually I think it's summer already!

After two rough and cold winters in Florida, this winter was extremely spring like.  Now as spring should be, the weather is getting summer like very early.  Everything is blooming and my allergies are ahead of schedule too.  I've been trying to do a lot of different things but my hip and leg are hurting so bad it is just hard to get around and stand too long.  That's my frustration.  As part of my journey, besides learning to live on a limited income, I am learning to live with a limiting disability.  My brain says GO and the body says STOP!

I wasn't going to and it wasn't on the list, but I did stop at my favorite thrift store this week.  It's North Brevard SPCA Thrift Store.  Their things are priced to sell, unlike others I have gone to and they do move their goods.  Things had been rearranged this time.  More goods in the same amount of space but easier to get around.  I was being good and just picked up what I could hold in my hands.  I got a few pieces and small baskets to help create a spring display.  Then I found a bright yellow and blue tablecloth that was made in France.  I thought it was $5 but was actually marked $2 and because I had a wooden nickel, I paid only $1!!!  I couldn't wait to set it up.

Well I'm off to see what I can get done today!  Enjoy your day!!

Another week... a growing list!

Got SOME things done but this old feeling lady is moving very slow. 

I did paint the cabinets and counter side of the living room.  I am loving the color and it goes nicely with the kitchen yellow.  AND I love the name, "Going My Way"!

I took the table that the printer was sitting on and gave it some spray of an aqua and a textured sand to the drawer.  I'm going to glue shells to the drawer and try yo do a compass rose on the knob.

I brought in my trimmed branches and put them in water.

one lone aloe planted

areca palm planted

 

I'm not moving that fast but off to see what I can accomplish!

Have a great Monday!!

Do you ever get ahead of yourself?

I started the week off with picking up pine cones that had dropped from the two pine trees left after the cutting down of six.  Then I got more involved with Home Talk.  First I posted my Kitchen Re-deco Pictures and got such positive responses.  After reading some posts from local people, I asked for suggestions for my yard.  I started with trying to un-pot my aloe and snake plants... what a chore!!

A suggestion was made to use areca palm as a screen along the patio... I had to make some returns so headed out.  I picked up one palm at Lowe's for $10.00.  Went to Target to pick up a blind for my bedroom.  And went to ACE Hardware for a home cleaner and got a quart of ACE flat paint in "Going My Way" a sea foam color for the living room.  I didn't realize ACE didn't have sample sizes, so that's why a quart.   It was just to try out the color on the living room side of the kitchen cabinets so that why flat paint and it was the cheapest.

So yesterday as I was having coffee, my list to-do's consisted of:

• Replanting the aloe and snake plants;
• Hanging the blind in my bedroom;
• Painting a section of the cabinet so I could see it next to the yellow;
• Wash down the exterior of the house;
• and I wanted to unpack a box of my Grandmother's dishes...

Among the normal things to do:

• dishes;
• vacuum;
• laundry;
• straighten up and clean...

All I did was paint!  I started off just starting a section on the cabinet BUT it needed to be primed.  So after that spot dried, I primed as much as I could reach.  That dried and I painted and sat back admiring it as it dried.  One section lead to another and I finished that 'wall' by dinner time.  I love it and am so excited that I think the rest of the day will be painting.  That wall was still panelling and the wall behind the couch is panelled too.  The side walls are panelled but painted white.  I'm going to use the paint I have to paint the wall behind the couch. 

Inspiration

One wall done

next wall to do

So off I go to paint.... even though it is nice out and that's where I should be!  Have a great day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Easy Inexpensive Kitchen Up-date Ideas

As I've said before, everything and everyone has a story.  While my kitchen is based around my trip to Prague and Czech heritage, it gave me the vision and inspiration to work with.  And while you don't have to do what I did but as I explain and show you my journey in decorating I hope you will think about what you love and perhaps some of my ideas can be altered for your taste.



I got this bird from The Graphics Fairy.
 I printed it out, cut and used it as a
template.



And used it to add to the stencilled "Bakery"
above front window.  On the real bakery sign,
in Prague, there was only one bird.

I was saving these wine bottles for something else but the mouth of the bottles wound up being too small.  After scrubbing off the labels, I just put them on the table with artificial flowers.  One would be fine!

Have wicker baskets?  No?  The dollar stores are a great place to check.  I had a grouping on a previous dining room wall; some faced out, others the wall.  Some had 'something' on them and others didn't.  When I needed a bread basket or chip bowl, I'd grab them off the wall, put a clothe napkin in it and serve.  When I was done, the napkin went in the laundry and the basket back on the wall.  Easy and inexpensive!

I have been saving wine corks for years.  What is in the glass (I think Anchor Hocking) is just about what's left after doing some easy projects.  In the glass, a basket, or jar, they are part of the decor until the next project comes along.

The only true cost is the bottle of wine you buy and drink.  I am on a mission for drink more "Barefoot" wine for the cork with the foot imprint for some beach projects.



BACK



FRONT



I picked up 2 wreaths and some ribbon at the dollar store and came home and glued wine corks to the wreaths.  Added the ribbon over the back of door, which had an up-side down hook.  Tied a bow and done!  I also replaced my knobs with cork.  I want to put cork boards on the inside of cabinets and hang my measuring cups and spoons too.



Replaced knobs on drawers (pictured)
and cabinets with wine corks.  I did it this way
to see the design on the cork.



wanted to judge coverage
without priming.  The up-side down hook
to hang wreaths.





I knew I wanted to do something with the "bakery" sign... it was a really good bakery.  But after looking and loving how sun-shiny bright the kitchen was, I starting thinking it was my sunshine...thus, You Are My Sunshine ... and looked it up on the Google Translator in Czech and stenciled it and a sun.

I starting thinking of 'Prague' or 'Cafe' or.... but you can stencil what ever you want... THE JONES FAMILY  est. 2010... you can see in the picture, it is not perfect but it's mine and I did it and it is personal to me.  Do something that is meaningful to you.  It will cost you around $5, if that... or do it feel hand!

Shop your closest.  Do you have a straw bag or tote?  I just found a recycle shopping bag with big flowers in Staples and I heard that Marshall's has 'Paris' recycled shopping bags.  I still have to check that out.  I have to get better at no plastic at the stores so I have been storing those bags in the straw bag.  (A gift, special to me, from my sister's trip to Thailand.) I do use them, especially for the dog clean-ups, so I am not just throwing them out.

I was going to run a shelf even with the fan on both sides of the stove but had these wood boxes and used them instead.  You could do the same idea with a decoupaged shoe box, a drawer that has no other use, use wood to make a square (Lowe's or Home Depot will cut). Clears my counter of salt and pepper and the timer and I think it looks cute.

I have 2 of these wall dish racks.  The top plate my son did in 1984 and the other 2 are my great-grandmother's and they are from Czechoslovakia.  I now what to unpack her dishes and do a display on the shelf of my pass through so stay tuned.

I displayed toys brought back from Prague... do you have souvenirs that spark wonderful memories or gifts that remind of a special time, place or person?  Display it and enjoy it everyday.

Storage space is of a premium here.  Rather than just pile up the extra cases of water, I used an out-side tub...it works and stays neat.  The decorative boxes hold 1) dish towels, 2) clothe napkins and the box on the bottom is medications and supplements not used daily.  These boxes came this way, I think from Party City, but you can use Mod Podge and decorate shoe boxes any way you like.

Hang YOUR pictures.  The top two pictures are pictures I took, matted and framed.  The one one the left is a picture from our hotel room over looking Prague and Prague Castle in the background.  The one to the right is a picture of the bakery!  The picture right above is 4 postcards of street lights and all have yellow in them.  You would think I knew what I was going to do in 2005!  Take your pictures out of those boxes, albums or hard drive and frame them so you can enjoy them.  Frames and mats can be found inexpensively at dollar stores or make your own mats for decorative papers, construction paper or draw your own.

I found this flower pot in the dollar store and using it for my cooking utensils but it's a little too short.  I'm going to try spray painting my next coffee can.

And last, but not least, soap containers!  The orange top is a plastic bottle that looks like those bar-b-q ketchup bottles.  The cut glass bottle is actually an oil bottle that I am going to try putting dish soap in.  They do just look nicer than the plastic bottles they come in and now I can just buy the big refill bottles.

So I think I gave you 16 ideas here that can be incorporated into most any decor but don't forget the obvious:

1. Do a good cleaning;
2. Paint the walls...cabinets...refrigerator (if old but working) ... just paint the trim... the ceiling... or all of the above.  I painted the walls and ceiling a pale yellow and the cabinet doors a yellow one shade darker.  The trim around the side window and stencilled in a coral-orange.  I want to use black board paint on the refrigerator.
3. Change the curtains... and wash the windows.
4. Re-arrange the furniture or move the table or both.

So that's 20 and I am sure we can come up with another 20 but I hope you find some inspiration for your kitchen.  Remember, it's a journey, not a race.