Sunday, July 31, 2011

A Cozy Place to Sit

 This little wicker love seat has been in our home for several years.  It was first a natural color and sat in our living room.  Our dog Joe was a puppy then and he enjoyed chewing on the legs and along the front.  That was about 20 years ago.  I then brush painted it with this blue and it has been on our front porch.  


Three cans of periwinkle blue spray paint, two large pillows I purchased a a garage sale last year and a lace edged cloth cover for the seat (it also hides the chewed on front). It now resides in our dining room and adds a cozy place to sit and visit.

 


The pillow on the left was purchased at the same garage sale and the one on the right I made.



Oh, and I picked another bunch of lavender yesterday.  It will be hung to dry.


I don't want to spend a lot of time on a permanent cushion cover until we decide that this is where our cozy love seat will stay.

I have another project I completed this week I would like to share with you
The picture below was taken by my brother in law Duane while he and my sister Lynda traveled around Europe. 

 

The picture was taken in Rotterham, West Germany in 1977. 
This photo hung on the wall in our home for several years.   I decided to update it a little.


I covered the mat in light tan linen.





Placed the picture back behind the mat.


Spray painted the frame "Whisper white"


I have always liked this photograph and I really like how the "update" turned out.
It was fun to complete two of the many projects I have been thinking about doing.  They weren't really on a list though, maybe I'll have to write them on a list so that I can cross them off.

I will be linking with Show off Your Cottage Monday  at The House in the Roses
and
Metamorphasis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Lavender In Bloom

This is the time of year around our area for garden tours and lavender festivals.  With our schedule so far this summer I have not been able to attend anything like that.  I decided to take a look at how the lavender was doing in our back garden.   It is a little late blooming this year but I took my basket and this is what I found.

Just a little so far ready to  cut. Cutting the lavender flowers was therapy for me.
I love the scent and look of lavender.
It makes me think of simpler times.

These are words to a song from the Cumberland Clark Flower Song Book 1929

"Lavender, sweet lavender:
come and buy my lavender,
hide it in your trousseau, lady fair.
Let its lovely fragrance flow
over you from head to toe,
lighting on your eyes, your cheek, your hair"



I will often make lavender wands to use around the house all year.


I don't have time today so I lay it out on the table.



Tie it with cream and green ribbon.


I hang it in my creative space to dry.
It smells and looks wonderful!

Saturday, July 16, 2011

Super Fun Wins!

I just have to share the fun things that have come in the mail to my house in the past couple of weeks.

Denise at Riverside Stitching had these wonderful pieces that she said she would never use.  As many of you know I will have fun finding ways to use them.

The large piece on the left is beautiful. 


Tonya of Hillbilly Handiworks sent me this stitchery pattern and some pieces of Christmas fabric.  I have already begun planning to start the embroidery part of this project.

Linda at Pretty Is had a giveaway with two different gift packages and this is the one I received in the mail.  It was waiting for me when I returned from vacation.



Isn't this little bunny adorable.
The tea in the carrot dish is yummy too.

Thank You to Denise, Tonya and Linda.

Thursday, July 14, 2011

My Creative Space

It is time for the Where Bloggers Create 2011party.

Visit Karen at My Desert Cottage to see many other creative spaces.


I shared my space last year and had big plans for changes to it for this year but have  accomplished only a few of those ideas. 
 So here we go up the stairs.


Enter the door on the left at the top of the stairs
 I am starting my tour looking left as you enter the door, a change in direction from last years tour, just mixing things up a little.



I had these wire shelf pieces downstairs in our sons old room taking up space. One day while blog hopping I cam across and Idea for putting these shelves together with plastic zip ties, so that is what I did.  It stays together great and I can see my fabric, or most of it anyway.  It fits nicely under the slanted ceiling.

 

This chest of drawers was on the painting list but is still waiting.  A creamy white would be nice.


I have a few white buttons.




My grandfather built this green drop-leaf table for my grandmother not long after they were married.








 My new tea towel valance with birds perched on top.


A place to sit and ponder, what shall I create next?



Everyone needs books and patterns for inspiration.


 Bird thimbles, a gift from a dear friend.


The curtain helps to hide a little necessary clutter


Wooden spools on a little wooden shelf made for my grandmother by my grandfather.


My 12 of Hearts quilt blocks

We have reached the other side of the room where a tiny closet hides a little more necessary clutter.
 
I keep thinking about really "decorating" my space but I have been too busy creating to get it done,
 maybe next year.
We hope you enjoyed your tour of my creative space.