Tag Archives: flowers

More Fall Neutrals and a New Series

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I put together another baby boo display and kept it neutral with browns, grays, creams and a hint of navy blue.

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I already had the fluted metal pan and ironstone grouping in my bathroom with candles in it. I added a bouquet of dried hydrangeas from a friend’s wedding and changed out the candles for pumpkins and acorns.

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I still have some baby boos on the vine waiting to be picked so I will be playing with pumpkins throughout the month. As much as I love fall neutrals I envision the next display with pops of fall color!

Back in January I shared 8 Things I Want My Blog To Be in 2015. Number 2 on the list was to give my readers practical ways to make life a little easier. To that end, I have designed a little series I’m calling “A Little Bird Told Me.” The feature will be at the end of various posts and will contain random, helpful information. Some will be a little kooky, some may seem obvious, but all will be tried and true tips that I have learned and put to use in my day to day life. I don’t claim to be an authority on the subjects I will cover. From crafting to cleaning, from hygiene to mental health I’ll share a mix of life hacks that have worked for me. Here’s the first of many…

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Yep! Simple but true!

As always, I’m so happy that you took the time to read my blog. I hope that you have a beautifully creative week!

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Linking with: Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson,The Scoop, Mod Vintage Life, Between Naps on the Porch, From My Front Porch to Yours, Cozy Little House, A Stroll Thru LifeIvy and Elephants, Common Ground, Shabby Art Boutique, French Country Cottage, Amaze Me Monday , VMG206, That DIY Party, Funky Junk Interiors

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Farmhouse Kitchen Reveal Part 2

Welcome to my farmhouse kitchen reveal, part 2!

You can see Part 1 here, including some before pictures.
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My vintage GE kitchen mixer found years ago at a garage sale for $10, and yes, I use it!

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My mail center consists of a vintage scale, a metal basket from Hobby Lobby painted the same color, a jar to hold pens, pencils and letter opener, and magnets to hold important things like KC Royals tickets!

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You may have been expecting to see my cabinets painted white, considering that I am moving toward a farmhouse style. Don’t think I didn’t think about it! I went so far as to mention the possibility to my husband who does all the painting around here. He was against it. Not because of the work involved (he actually enjoys painting) but because he likes the cabinets in their cherry state.

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I picked them out fifteen years ago when we did a complete gutting of the kitchen, but I had started entertaining the idea of painting them. Well, he gets his way this time since he hardly ever does! He very rarely has an opinion on decorating and I usually get to make all the decisions!

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This is what the top of my fridge looked like before the makeover. The wine rack was never meant to stay.

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I’ll eventually have a matching cabinet above, but in the meantime I discovered that this little cabinet that I previously had in my living room fit nicely in the spot. And the wine rack is much more suited to its new place above the corner cabinet.

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You may remember this box from a previous flea market finds post. I white washed it and set some succulent pots inside.

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To the right of my refrigerator sits my all important coffee station. I wanted to put together a little coffee mug display on some sort of pedestal stand. After trying a couple of things I already had and even buying something new only to bring it home and not like it, I decided to create my own stand. As I envisioned what I wanted it to look like the thought entered my mind that it would be cute with casters.

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Everything I used to put the pedestal stand together were elements I already had, with the exception of one caster. Later in another post I’ll share how plywood circles, cane strips and a small metal candlestick all came together to create my rolling pedestal stand.

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I used a small, old, zinc paper cutter as a tray to hold “the fixins”. I placed a faux flower stem in an upturned glass funnel to add softness.

Thank you for taking time to look around with me. That’s just about it for this reveal. I just have one more area to show you in another post. It involves a favorite piece of furniture and a vintage collection. Come back soon!

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Linking with: Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson,The Scoop, Mod Vintage Life, Between Naps on the Porch, From My Front Porch to Yours, Cozy Little House, A Stroll Thru LifeIvy and Elephants, Common Ground, Shabby Art Boutique, French Country Cottage, Amaze Me Monday , VMG206, That DIY Party, Funky Junk Interiors

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Phrase Art Phriday: Seed Days

Welcome to another Phrase Art Phriday where I share a piece of original photography overlaid with a favorite quote, phrase or thought. As summer winds down I would like to share another picture from my garden.
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As much as I adore fall, I am always sad to see summer go. Mostly because of the cold weather that looms ahead but also because all of the beautiful green will soon fade away.

Do you ever have days that feel like you’re spinning your wheels and not accomplishing much? Then all of the sudden one day you feel like you are knocking things out left and right? Those days seem like the most productive days when in fact they are the “flowers of tomorrow” that were produced during the “seed days” of putting in the hard work. Who doesn’t love to see the blooming take place ~ that sense of accomplishment after completing a long, difficult project that turns out better than one imagined? I love that feeling.

But I’ll admit, there are some projects during which I hate the process and when it’s finished I don’t even like want to look at what I’ve created. Sad, right? Whenever you find it difficult to “enjoy the journey” change your approach and remind yourself that you’re in the “seed days”. When you feel like you can’t wait to wrap it up and move on, try to see the mundane task as a precious seed that you’re planting, watering and watching over in order to bring forth the sweet smelling bouquet of accomplishment. Then not only will you have the beautiful flowers, you will be able to remember fondly the time well spent planting the seeds.

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Phrase Art Phriday: Embrace Your Flaws

Welcome to another post in a series where I combine original photography with a favorite quote, phrase or thought. Embrace Your Flaws is #21; the subject is a simple berry and bottle arrangement. I have been experimenting with my new camera, enjoying the way it can capture so much detail.

I had no idea when I took this picture that there was a cobweb running between the berries. But thanks to the wonderful macro, there it is for all to see.

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No worries. Every house has them, right? Does the cobweb detract from the beauty of the shot? It depends on one’s focus. If I choose to view it as a negative thing that is marring the photo then I am less able to see the way the light reflects off the bottle or the way the cobweb shows movement or the way it depicts real life.

I choose to see the cobweb as a happy accident. It enhances the picture and makes it a realistic snapshot of life. Though I hate cobwebs in my house and am forever trying to get rid of them, I will embrace this one.

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If Life Gives You Raindrops Take Umbrella Shots

Rain, rain go away! I am so sick of the rain and gloomy weather! I am about ready to jump in the car and drive as far as I have to drive to find sunshine. We haven’t seen the sun here for more than a few hours for weeks! Ugghhhh! I will say that I’m grateful that we haven’t seen the flooding or tornadoes that other parts of the country have suffered through.

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I have a small collection of vintage umbrellas like the one pictured above. I like to display them and sometimes I will even use the ones that are in good shape. The flowers are a bunch of peony buds that I’m drying.

Today I’m just sharing snapshots from my everyday life. I drink coffee year round whether the weather is hot or cold. I typically drink one cup in the morning and one cup in the afternoon. That way I get a good jolt twice a day which is good for a creative boost. Any more than that and I become immune to the caffeine boost; any less and my butt drags. So two times a day I look forward to my coffee time. I feel lucky when I’m drinking it. Is that weird?

Back in January I showed you my favorite wintertime cup. Here is my favorite summertime cup.

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It’s also a hint of what’s coming up in the next DIY Double Dip Flip. Be sure to come back Tuesday to see the fashion piece that inspired two DIY projects, as well as the two projects themselves.

Is it raining where you are?

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Phrase Art Phriday: Creativity ~ Bud To Blossom

Welcome to Phrase Art Phriday, #19. This series is a way for me to explore photography and experiment with graphic design. Combine those with an inspirational phrase and my thoughts and writing around it all and you have Phrase Art Phriday.

This week I have squeezed every drop of enjoyment from my beautiful peonies, in my home and in my blog posts. In my two previous posts I showed you four of my five arrangements.
Here is the fifth.

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Now onto the featured photo with a phrase that I absolutely LOVE.

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The funny thing about this quote is that while looking for the original author I discovered that it is somewhat unknown. Almost all of the references to it that I could find online (and there are MANY) give Anais Nin the credit. But no one has ever been able to document it for a fact. I also came across an article that gives credit to Elizabeth Appell a.k.a. Lassie Benton, along with some pretty convincing documentation to back it up. For this reason I have not included an author’s name with the quote on my photo. This bit of information also served as the jumping off point for my deeper thoughts on the quote itself.

As a creative person, I have had to deal with the protective feelings that creative types feel for their creations. Anyone who is creative knows how it feels to have their work copied or “stolen”, and how the fear of that happening can cause one to hold tightly to their work and be afraid to share it with the world. I absolutely confess to having had those feelings at various times in my life. I have also fully understood what this quote is expressing and have known the freedom afforded to those who embrace its truth. I have discovered that as I share my creativity I am filled again with ideas and designs that I can’t wait to become immersed in. There is no end! Shared creativity never runs out and can never be used up. The ultimate creator, God, has an endless supply! He is an infinite source of creative thoughts and ideas. But if I keep my ideas to myself and hold onto them selfishly they can never blossom.

I find it ironic that the author of this quote is disputed. What a shame it would have been if the person who thought it never shared it for fear of having it stolen.

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