THE WINTER BED

Do you dress your beds for the season?

Mr. PV was born in Frankfurt so we took a trip a few years ago to visit the house where he lived

and in addition, a few castles across the winter countryside

it was 

F.R.E.E.Z.I.N.G.

and I wondered how those queens made it through the night in such frigid accommodations!

It made me need to drink beer

Upstairs at 822 (on the North side)

is

Charles and Jena's room

They are dog fans and he's been a hunter since he was a little boy

Mr. PV's great aunt painted this picture

in 1909 when she was 13

the colors and the subject became the theme for their

cozy little nest upstairs

lots of fuzzy pillows and toile

I made a pair of pillows from Mr. PV's great grandmother's mink stole

(her name was Baboo)

vintage bedding

lots of feminine layers mixed with masculine colors

a stack of wood next to the fireplace

beams, brick, old books and

crosses

wooden santos

this is 

The Church At Abique

(New Mexico...it really does exist..near where Georgia O'Keefe lived)

In our Choctaw tribe we are

the turtle clan

right there..just right there is the tiny little bath

can you see the original deco lamp swags?

When Charles was a little boy, he made sure I had a rock collection

and to this day, I have the rocks he thought were pretty enough to give me

he brought me one last summer

this bed won't change because I love how

cozy and warm this room feels just like it is

with one last lingering day

of old man winter

I really liked going up there and thinking how I would have made it through

if I were a queen!

OLD

Who says what is

OLD?

It's all in your perspective, true?

Last week Mr. PV and I were driving through Stinnett from a meeting

and on a street we passed an OLD man

he could barely walk, stepping one foot forward and then meeting it with the other

~*~

his wheelbarrow was full of rocks

I had to chuckle because I have felt that feeling many times during the reno of 822

~*~

with my own wheelbarrow full of rocks

first here out of the way, next here out of that way and on it goes

pinterest

Barkley Street is very busy as it is a vein from school to school and to downtown

I'm so sure many people have driven by this house and seen me

~*~

with my wheelbarrow full of rocks

I have to chuckle because I'm sure the youngsters think

"look at that old lady...how can she even lift that wheelbarrow full of rocks?"

and

the oldsters think

"look at that kiddo working so hard on that house with her own bare hands"

and to each I say

~*~

this is middle age

I am in the middle, young to many, old to many

 I found a new hero the day I saw that

OLD MAN

he could have been sitting on his porch

but instead

~*~

he was pushing a wheelbarrow full of rocks

step by step

to somewhere they needed to be

MY NIRVANA

For the longest time I thought

Nirvana

meant heaven or some place in between here and heaven

Nirvāṇa (Sanskrit: निर्वाण; Pali: निब्बान nibbāna ; Prakrit: णिव्वाण) is an ancient Sanskrit term used in Indian religions to describe the profound peace of mind that is acquired with liberation. It is the state of being free from suffering.

This is the view of the entry of the formal herb garden when we purchased 822

I actually carved out this path with a machete so I could get to the backyard

this is on the north side of the house

clearing it was bittersweet

there is just something so lovely and peaceful about this space

I would come here often and sit on the old garden bench and dream of our plans

~*~

but...sigh...it just was not going to be able to remain untouched

because we wanted to 

LIVE HERE

we love to cook and entertain and piddle and build and

do stuff

NIRVANA

 The word literally means "blown out" (as in a candle) and refers to the imperturbable stillness of mind after the fires of desire, aversion, and delusion have been finally extinguished

I thought perhaps I had reached my Nirvana when I realized that the 4th time I stacked these rocks

(you are viewing only one tiny pile from the reno)

would be my final time

(LIBERATING)

these rocks are 

H.E.A.V.Y.

but with each rock we moved

one by one by hand like a puzzle

I think we both were giving thanks

that we had the power and health to do it and that we were doing it together

pea gravel will go in the path

I can't wait to be liberated from that chore

I wonder how many wheelbarrows of pea gravel it will take?

these spaces will be filled with herbs and veggies

Farmers Almanac says plant beets May 1

there's my old trusty garden bench that is now exposed in the sun

and we uncovered this wonderful old tractor sprinkler too!

both were left here covered in vines

I love rock cairns and armillary and spheres

We hope for a fountain too

I would be pleased with the random, wild growth of gardener who isn't wound too tight

Mr. P.V. wants this

and has plans to become a Master Gardner when he retires from banking

maybe we can meet somewhere in the middle 

but until we shake this

this...pretty little flower in this place of accomplishment

 will be what I consider

 my Nirvana

fancy golden beet seeds?

Ready!

LIGHT BLING

My friend Alison at

The Polohouse

is hosting

Favorites on the First: Favorite Lamps

I don't really join in that much because usually I don't have that much time to figure out how to do it

even though I know link parties have to be simple

I want to make sure I do it correctly

so

today I decided to give it a whirl

because I'm about to be snowed in..booger!

first things first....choose my favorite lamp

(this caused me to kind of copy her**hope that's ok friend**as I went through my house 

in search of my favorite light for her post)

This lamp was purchased at a benefit auction donated by my kid's great Aunt Rosalee

none of them had a place for it, like I did, but I thought someday one of them would 

and be glad I purchased it

I love these sparkly buffet lamps..a purchase from Hobby Lobby

the shades are paisley velvet

crazy about these chandys from Lowes! 

Beautiful and such a fair price! 

We bought this at a trade fair near Dallas...I just had to have it

you can't really tell, but that's an Edison Bulb...I'm surprised I have not been electrocuted yet

it needs new wires for sure!

just across the room is this cute little lamp I have owned for nearly ever

I love cute little lamps like this!

on to the 

NEW LIGHTS WE HAVE ADDED SECTION

front entry chandy

eBay!

sconces in the entry

hot glued shades...ouch!

Frenchy Master Bath Sconces

to match the Frenchy Master Bedroom Chandys

and bedside sconces

(oopsie for the clothes pile getting captured in the photo)

over the tub chandy..watch out tall folks..

this came from Charleston on a summer trip a few years ago

Coach Been's bath shower chandy

he's a fancy coach!

Coach Been's overhead plain old light turned chandy with upside down shade and crystals

guest room sitting area--Pier 1 lamp 

I have a hard time staying out of Pier 1 for any item!

I'm beginning to see a pattern here

lamps with fluff, bling, and foofoo

don't be thinking I'm too cool yet

unless...you think this old fixture is cool...you know?  It kind of is, now that I think of it!

light your niches ya'll

on to the kitchen...

middle of the night fridge light!

over the island Pottery Barn custom copy

(had to get someone to make it because Pottery Barn light was too long)

fill your demijon with Christmas lights in case your garage is full

pot lights to light your kitchen window

stairway lights to light your path in the dark when you forgot you left your computer on

I love sunlight

streaming in through stain glass

flooding through beveled glass

and exposing fat naked body glass

in summer this view will be so much prettier...hope with me will you?

my favorite?

that's a tuffy!  

but I am very very partial to this pair of old purple lead glass and copper sconces

that are original to this house

they are heavy and that lead glass has turned to this wonderful lavender shade over the years of exposure!

at the end of this post I'm still trying to choose

 the light I will add to Alison's blog!  

And realize how many rooms I didn't take photos in or lamps that I forgot

but one thing I did realize...and that's my favorite most very favorite kind of light in the world 

which is

this