JUST A NOTE

and so...more on notes that become a lesson in life....

many many years ago there was a silly boy who did a silly thing

to me and a few others

he was so young, a child, but what he did broke the law

he went to court, his parents by his side

the judge was merciful 

and the situation made my heart hurt

so.....

I wrote him a little note that I can barely remember today

along the lines of

"this is a thing that can define you....for the good"

years later...more than 20 to be exact

I saw his mother in the post office and she shared with me

"he put your note on his bulletin board and it stayed there for many years"

today he is a grown man, with a wife and children...a success

OK...I know what you're thinking

but I would never have a smidgen of an idea that MY NOTE

would make a difference?

OR. DID.IT?

No, you see what made the difference---

is the day at the post office 20 years later when that sweet mother said the words to me

thank you for the note you wrote that day...it made a difference

so simple

words

healing words

choose to use them!

BEAUTIFUL MATH

The only  C (or B)  I ever made in school was in geometry

and I probably would have made an F if I had not gone in early or stayed late for extra credit

I just never did 

"GET IT"

or....did I?

somehow

when the grade became moot

and math became beautiful

it changed

everything

I 

geometry

**all photos from Mr. Paul's Pinterest Board

WHAT IS IT YOU DESIRE MOST?

VICTORY

These are not my kids

but when I saw this photo on Pinterest

man oh man it tugged at my heart

 because

it was my sweet moment...often...

 all these years later

 today 

we celebrate

VICTORY

what I thought was hard

fevers, stitches, broken bones...well..that was hard..but they made it through all the way to

much harder and challenging issues than we ever thought possible

the kinds of things that make a mother bend to the floor

but today 

we celebrate 

VICTORY

personal growth in career and relationships and self awareness

these are not my  kids

but when I saw this photo in a magazine

it looks so much like a sweet moment of mine

that I framed it and it sits on my desk

to remind me

that failure is not really failure

it is simply a more difficult path

to 

VICTORY

APRIL DINING ROOM PROJECT

**all images via pinterest unless taken by me

Baby Bo Peep lives in Lubbock, and if I have the windy dusty reality where I live

mark her down x 20!

to get us through the howling month of March

we discussed often how helpful it would be to have a project to dream of and tackle in April

the current formal living room began with great bones

even though this living room had moved way beyond this point

it still wasn't exactly what I had in mind just yet

we are still living with lots of furniture and accessories that came from 1107

like this wonderful farm table from World Market that was in our outdoor kitchen

I love it and the benches that went with it...but it seemed too informal for the living room at 822

and all this while I have been toying with a music room versus a dining room

the room began with a coat of the palest pink paint to compliment the very dark rough beams, white carpet and very white trim

at the end of the room is a very large window where our 1921 black grand piano sits

making this more of a music room than a dining room...in my dreams!

so....how to bring it all together???

well...blog friends...

YOU

yes

YOU

in the dark perilous windy cold nights of March I have been being so inspired by your

photos and ideas and vision

below are a few 

from the very talented Joan and Dan

For the Love of a House

this began my mental process to change the dark table with benches into something more

**inviting**

I love this but too too white

I went back and forth  for a long time on

slips..these are so beautiful and I found lots of really pretty ones!

I really love this too...I love the mix of all the shades and texture

I so very seriously considered this...something about it that I just can't get out of my mind

I usually choose without much thought but I had about 5 different carts from about 5 different stores

racking up those Southwest Miles on my VISA

here is what will arrive only a few days past April

the Harper Oyster Banquette from World Market

I will keep the dark farm table and have it covered mostly with some type of 

burlap runner, linen table cloth..glass cloches and candles for sure..unless I go for minimal and just have the farm table...is that possible?

I love World Market..such a bargain with sales and coupons and free shipping

the Linen Lydia Chair 

it's not the exact same color of the banquette which I like and it has nail head trim on the back

the tufting is different which bothers me a bit...but I do have a plan in mind to use antique pearl buttons

I actually have an antique candelabra similar to this and my curtains are blue dupioni silk

which I am seriously considering replacing with pink??? should I???

I'm not a bow person and I would only have lights like this at Christmas

I love the heavy white floor baseboard through the sheers!

The large mirror over the fireplace mantel...yes yes yes on the candles and old silver!!

Our last freeze is usually about the 3rd week of April

I plant when the barn swallows arrive

so here's to spending the early weeks of a thawing April indoors on the 

APRIL DINING ROOM PROJECT

and then blog friends?

I will be in touch with you for inspiration on the

OUTSIDE!!