I’m soooo cloooose to having the kitchen “reveal worthy”. Along with a fresh paint color I’ve been “farmhouse-izing” by adding in some rustic elements and just changing things up a bit. I’m just finishing up a couple of projects and should be ready to take pictures in a week or so. Yay!
One of the projects I’m working on needs a decision before it can be complete. That’s where you come in! I can’t decide on these two styles of farmhouse kitchen hooks to use for this . . . “thing”. Keeping you in suspense (ha) about what it is going to be, but I love both styles of hooks. Which ones have more of a farmhouse vibe? And more specifically a French farmhouse?
These?…
Or these?
I’m having a hard time making a decision, waffling between the two. I am in love with both! Help a girl out and let me know your thoughts will you?
Have you ever been so parched that all you can think of is downing a huge glass of water as soon as you can get to one? You know that feeling when the ice cold water hits your mouth and you chug, chug, chug it down like you are dying of thirst? That feeling of being satisfied, having your thirst quenched that only water can give. That kind of thirst is a satiable thirst.
Then there are the thirsts in life that cannot be satisfied. I’ll be honest and say that when I have a sugary dessert I am not satisfied. I want more. And more. My sugar cravings are insatiable and somewhat life-controlling if I allow them to be. For some it might be shopping. The “thrill of the hunt” never goes away. I love to shop but I do get my fill after a really long day of it. For others the desire for success might be a relentlessly driving force. No matter how much this person achieves it is never enough.
All of these things are fine, maybe even good, in and of themselves. They just aren’t meant to be that which fulfill our very souls. I will be honest again and admit that most of my thoughts are preoccupied with how to make a successful business out of doing what I love, here on the blog and in some creative form whether it be jewelry design, graphic design, DIY or something else. I don’t necessarily classify this as an insatiable thirst for me because I have yet to achieve it to any degree, monetarily anyway. And yet it tends to consume me.
I certainly have been doing a lot of soul-bearing in this series! #16 on Trust dealt with a similar topic but I’m now taking it further. Recently I decided to embark on a specific personal journey with God. I made the decision to finally surrender my yearning for success in exchange for a closer relationship with Him. I have come to realize that my desire for success has been holding me back from experiencing the thirst-quenching nature of intimacy with my Creator. Until now I have been trying to “serve two masters” and if I’m totally honest I would have to say that the success thing had my heart. I am sure this will not be a once and for all type of surrender. Especially since I will continue to blog and create. I believe that’s the path I’m on for a reason. But it will be a balancing act. Is it possible to pursue those passions and still keep my heart where it belongs, fully trusting God for the outcome? If I can have my thirst satisfied through a closer walk with Him perhaps the outcome won’t really matter.
I strolled around my yard this morning with my camera while it was still halfway cool and caught some summer sights to share with you. One of my favorite things about summer is having fresh, delicious tomatoes. We (and by we I mean my husband) always plant both cherry tomatoes and big tomatoes. The cherry ones are always ready to eat a good 2-3 weeks before the big ones so having them helps me be patient for the others.
The yellow cherries are my absolute favorite. They are super sweet and bursting with flavor. Last year all we could find were the yellow pear-shaped minis and they were disappointingly blah. But this year we’ve got the good ones!
There’s a BLT with my name on it once this pretty thing ripens up.
Speaking of pretty things, isn’t Bella gorgeous? She belongs to my next door neighbor but she visits almost daily.
This morning I believe she had her eye on these:
There is a family of bunnies living under our shed. I enjoy watching them. They’re cute ~ as long as they leave our produce alone. So far, so good.
This plant will soon be covered in Baby Boos (little white mini pumpkins). We (husband) plant them every year and occasionally the bunnies will eat the blossoms.
Last week my husband and I were relaxing in the living room. I stood up to go to the kitchen and something caught the corner of my eye.
Yep, this bat was hanging out in our living room for who knows how long before I noticed it. It’s the second one this summer, so my husband grabbed the phone and called animal control. While we waited for them to come get it out of our house, I grabbed my camera and got the best shot I could without getting too close. Gross, right? The woman from animal control commented that he was “a big one” then scooped him up in her net. Apparently she had been out on several calls already that night from other people with bats in their houses. Now I walk around scanning the walls with my eyes because you just never know!
Hey there! I hope you’re enjoying the summer! When it’s not 95+ degrees I’ve been soaking in some vitamin D. I just got back from a mini getaway where I was able to relax and rejuvenate at a spa resort. It’s the first non-work getaway I’ve had in exactly one year and I was way overdue! Pedicures, full body massage, pool time and girl talk was just what I needed after the hard physical work of the weeks before. It was also a chance to clear my head and get a new perspective, away from some of the close and extended family issues that have been making my heart heavy the last few months. I haven’t shared anything about this on the blog. Maybe I will eventually but for now I’ll just say that when your family members are hurting, you hurt too.
I’ve been spending some time in my studio, not creating ~ boo! ~ but organizing. After the garage sale (which was a huge success and earned about 3/4 the cost of the new mattress I want to buy) my house was a shambles. I tore up my studio and storage area during the clear-out, where I keep a lot of my jewelry supplies and props but didn’t organize as I went, leaving it for afterwards. Once I get it completely whipped into shape I will be ready to get in there and create! In the meantime I want to share with you a couple of pairs of earrings that I will be putting in the shop soon.
The first pair is perfect for summer with its vintage lace and gold shimmer.
These could be worn for day or night. I picture them with a sleeveless maxi + other gold accessories by day, or with a romantic summer dress, hair up and heels for a date night.
The second pair can be worn year round but I always think of leather in conjunction with fall. I hand cut the cross pieces from an old belt and gave them a turquoise patina. I added a Swarovski crystal in Pacific Opal to the center of each cross.
A couple of months ago I shared part of the makeover going on in our kitchen/dining areas. I will soon be sharing some pictures of the rest of our kitchen and dining room, pre and post painting/updating/farmhouse-izing. Thanks for stopping by!
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.
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.
4th of July is now a memory, a very good memory of grandkids cuddling while oooing and ahhhing at all the fireworks, tons of good bbq, and yard games with family and friends. The two weeks leading up to the 4th for me were spent 1) getting ready for and having a garage sale, then 2) being sick with upper respiratory junk and getting over exhaustion. I felt great by the 3rd so I managed to sneak in some last minute patriotic décor before guests arrived.
A partial view of my dining room/kitchen buffet.
Ironstone and transferware lend a festive feel paired with blueberries.
For a bit of whimsy I added a white metal medallion and some vintage ribbon to a military hat worn by my handmade mannequin head Miss Mood.
I think the hot item for fireworks this year were the big floating lanterns. Launching one is sort of a trick but very fun to watch. We saw them lighting up the sky all night long. The next morning we found three of them had landed in our yard.
My daughter made a festive three layer scratch cake. The middle layer was cheesecake! Yum!
It was the first time in a long time that we hosted the event. I’m still picking up the after effects from all the outdoor festivities but I thoroughly enjoyed hosting and look forward to doing it again.
