LINED DRAWER PROJECT

am I the only one who is head over heals for 

tufting?

In our master closet project we had first planned to

put in an island

much like this one 

to display my mother's gift of her Native American Jewelry collection

but we became to love how open the space was without it

(this is why living with a renovation can be so good sometimes...to see how you actually "live")

 instead of an island, we just added another section against the wall

which then left enough space for

a bench

I am not only crazy about tufting but I am crazy about World Market

I could vacation in that store while away from my home in Anthropologie

in our closet we have used EASY CLOSETS

and while I feel they have been a bit on the expensive side

there is no debate on the quality and ease in which you can customize your closet

and we have done that one section at a time

I have only lined the drawers with fragrant paper liner but wanted a 

softer finish for the jewelry portion of the closet

tools ready

bench box, box cutter, scissors, batting, hot glue, velvet fabric

and did I mention it never hurts to have a nice glass of Monkey Bay near to take a break when you

get a blister from the hot glue gun

I just cut the cardboard box that my bench came in to the right size and

placed the padded velvet squares into the drawer

easy and pretty

this weekend is my man's fantasy football draft

which means golf trip to New Mexico

which means

a few days for me to decorate my drawers

who does that???

I'm guessing you do too!

THE DINKY TREE

What if you went to the local Alco Discount Store in mid May

and rescued a little dinky apple tree

from the way too cold spring

and

planted it in a place that was far from ready for anything to be planted yet

and

it had only one little teensy blossom that should never survive

and

you planted it in your yard anyway because, well...what did you have to lose?

and

that blossom

turned into one apple

that was nearly as big as the little dinky tree

I don't know about ya'll

but

I would have to say that's not a dinky tree at all

but

instead, a pretty special little tree that not only produced the biggest fruit it could against all odds

and with that fruit, gave a certain amount of hope

of much more to come

no

that's not a dinky tree to me

at

all

and a very important lesson in the gifts that grow in us all

RAINY DAY PROJECT

Global Warming Al Gore?

is that what it means when you get an inch of rain a day for a week in July with highs in the 70's?

when in doubt...the to do list always works on these kinds of days

my old outdoor kitchen farm table with the new seating...

the different leg finishes have been bothering me from the beginning

vintage music

From the old piano teacher everyone took music from

whose house I also bought, renovated and lived in for a bit longer than a year

supplies

the number one of which is a sharp razor blade...these clearly will not cut it

literally

cover the legs of the chairs with vintage music and modge podge

ok...not that crazy about the outcome but I do like it better than those black legs

maybe a little wax to soften?

I love to use old music on just about anything

here I have shredded it and used in my owl nests for a Christmas mantel

it really does look a lot better and this project is great for this room

since it is the music/formal dining room with the piano/cello at the other end

I think I can live with it

over an inch of rain this morning and it's just 9

grow roses grow

we bought these roses in mid May cheap cheap cheap...like $6 cheap

because they 

FROZE

18 knock out bushes that looked like...well...they looked real sad

but the crazy rain in July has helped them over the late freeze in May

crazy

ok...I do get distracted from my project list

which is probably why it's still so long

today?

well...this list is long...yet fun!

PROGRESS

Last week we had a very exceptionally cool day for July

I believe the high was 69 which is more like an October day than a July day

so I took a bit of time to go through all our renovation photos

delete

crop

save to a disc

and I found myself in a state of not even knowing how to describe how these photos made me feel

(entrance into formal garden)

kind of like in the old days there was no air conditioning so you didn't know how hot you really were

(backyard)

when I saw these photos again

(connecting garage apartment to house)

I realized how lucky I was to have been so unaware of  the project we had taken on

otherwise we really might have thought twice about it

(adding pool)

***overwhelming***

to state the obvious

and even though the renovation of 822 is still not complete

at least the hardest part is over

seriously I cannot even believe this is the same backyard

even the butterflies have made it back!

BE YOU

A gazelle, no doubt 

is a lovely sight to see

But so is a panda

they are just different animals

so if you want to eat lettuce? eat lettuce!

if you want to eat ice cream?  eat ice cream

just let your little light shine

and your life speak!

 and be the very best 

YOU

you 

can

be

LESSONS OF MY SS CARD

Long story about my social security card

....this June when my driver's license expired I had run out of times to apply via the internet

I'm rural right?  

So I have to drive into another town to renew my license where they discovered

when I gave my social security card

that I had married

17 years ago

they told me that my new DL would be kicked out of the system so I needed to update my SS card and couldn't believe I had "gotten away" with it all these years

I'm rural right?

so...I drive into another bigger town to the SS Office

(please forgive my attitude that I am about to expose to you)

It was my birthday and I had a gift card and a few gift dollars to spend so I planned to 

"pop in" and get my name changed and go shop

it was like the Wal-Mart Shoppers only scarier

3

three

THREE

3

armed guards

(mostly to make sure all cell phones were turned to silent)

I took a number and began my

wait

for 1.5 hours

in which time I saw

all manner of very sad situations

*this is the one that affected me most*

the office was 

full 

but there was a couple and one or both were deaf

they had a small child walking (2)

and a baby in a stroller (infant)

she had a fast food uniform on with flour on her pants and shoes

they were using sign language

(please forgive my attitude that I am about to expose to you)

Her husband gave a "whatever" sign to her as they were walking out and I thought

they're faking it...they aren't deaf..they are faking it

my number was called next and it took me about 5 minutes to

finally make my marriage real in the eyes of the government

and I walked out into the hot summer day

to my luxury vehicle on my way to my favorite garden store to spend my birthday booty

*and this is what I saw*

that precious family

baby on  hip, infant in stroller, flour on pants, speaking in sign, 

waiting on the side of the 

INTERSTATE

in the hot dry Texas Panhandle wind

for a bus

(O Lord please forgive me for that attitude that you saw in me that day)

and I thought to myself as tears filled my eyes

how did I become this mess of a person?

judging, cruel, hateful, haughty, harsh...I could go on and on with the adjectives that filled my heart

and humbled me way down deep

and so I decided right then and there to be different and the way I used to be before I got so

?cynical?

to read

1 Corinthians 13

as often as I feel/think one of those dreadful things that keep one from being a lovely person

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

It was a lesson to me that day and one I have told to a few that I love and now you

it still puts a tear in my eye to think that I thought I was living a life of gratitude, but deep inside somehow

a seed of a weed had crept into my soul

but not to worry...I'm getting my heart back in line

I am working on my garden!

TEACH YOUR PARENTS WELL

Dear grown children....

if it seems at times we are

out of sync

at odds

not on the same page

just remember....this means only one thing

we are still teaching

and

so are you