Monthly Archives: September 2015

7 Ways to Nurture Your Creativity

Don’t you love it when you have a surge of creativity and you know that all you want to do is create something beautiful? Do you ever have days (or weeks) where you feel you’ve lost your creative edge? I certainly go through dry spells and wonder where on earth my creativity has gone. On those days I have a few tricks that I find helpful in shaking it off and getting the juices going strong again.

Today I’m going to share 7 tips that have helped me and might help you if you give them a try.
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1) Sit outside with a cup of coffee or glass of wine, a notebook and no agenda. Drink in the beauty of nature and allow yourself to be inspired. Write down any creative thoughts you have but don’t feel pressured to think of any.
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2) Walk through a fabric store and experience the different textures and colors. This always stirs up my imagination whether I’m planning to work with fabric, another material or even if I have no clue what I’ll do next.

3) Watch an episode of Project Runway, Cake Boss or Flea Market Flip with the volume muted. You’ll be amazed at how freely your own thoughts flow when their conversations aren’t influencing your thoughts.

4) Read. The Bible and devotional books are full of artistic imagery. Jesus Calling is the devotional I am currently using and loving. When I spend time in the presence of the One who created me, I never fail to feel a fresh infusion of creativity.
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5) Go to a public place and people watch. Observe the way they dress, the way they interact, their hairstyles, their smiles, the way they laugh. Humans are creative beings and their passion can be contagious.

6) Light a candle and listen to classical music. I love Vivaldi. I somehow feel like more is possible as I thrill to the sounds of the maestros.
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7) Take a walk with your camera. Use your artistic eye to find and take shots of things you find interesting. Don’t worry about whether you’ll want to keep or use the photos, just snap freely. This unleashes my creativity every time.

What do you do when you’ve lost your mojo? I’d love to hear your tricks! Share what works for you in the comments and you might help someone else out of their slump!

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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 ,Savvy Southern Style

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Pumpkins, Verdigris and A Little Bird Told Me

Ahhh fall. Such a bittersweet season with its glorious beauty and wonderful traditions only to be followed by the harsh reality of winter. But today I’m all about the visual appeal of my very favorite time of year.

In a recent post I shared a vignette using Baby Boo pumpkins from our garden, displayed in a soft, neutral setting. Today I’m combining them with bright orange pumpkins, a verdigris candelabra and rich red cockscomb to create a display full of vibrant fall color.

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There is an open area between my breakfast nook and my desk and dining room. On the wall that is shared by both rooms sits one of two buffets that provide the settings for me to decorate whenever the season or the whim dictates a change.

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In the above photo, the breakfast nook is to the left and my desk / dining room is to the right. I’ll show you more of that area in a future post.

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This candelabra is a piece I created by marrying a lamp base, a metal cherub from another piece and an old chandelier. I gave the whole thing a verdigris patina using a paste wax.

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For balance, on the other side of the buffet I placed a silver candelabra. I didn’t have five of the same color candle so mix and match came to the rescue.

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I tucked dried cockscomb from last year’s harvest between the pumpkins for another pop of color.

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I was lucky enough to find the green pumpkin for $3 at Walmart and I spent $8 on the delicious smelling candle for a grand total of $11. Using things I already had, things we grew and a couple of faux pumpkins meant I didn’t have to spend a lot to achieve a new look.

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I have one more Baby Boo vignette to show you next week. It’s a table centerpiece styled with softer colors. And now for my weekly tip.

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It really works!!!

 
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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 , Savvy Southern Style

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Caterpillars, Baseball and 7 Year Old Boys

The other day I was playing catch in the backyard with my grandson. He threw a wild ball so I went in search of it behind the shed. While I was back there, I spotted this little guy and had to go inside to get my camera.
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He was actually quite large for a little guy, about as big around as my index finger.
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I wanted my grandson to get in the picture next to the caterpillar.
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This is as close as he would get. He loves baseball but caterpillars, not so much.

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DIY Rolling Pedestal Stand

In Part 2 of my farmhouse kitchen reveal I showed you a rolling pedestal stand that I made to display coffee cups on. It is part of my coffee station I keep on the kitchen counter and it also makes a great serving tray. The antique casters give it an industrial feel that I love.

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Hot cider season is coming!! With the changing seasons, I changed out the springy green pillow in my breakfast nook for this vintage crochet pillow in fall hues.

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Back to the rolling pedestal stand. Today I want to share with you how I put it all together.
Here’s what you’ll need:

2 9″ plywood circles (found at craft and hobby stores)
Caning strips
White paint
Metal candlestick or other base with “legs”
3 small casters
E-6000 adhesive
Tacky Glue

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Starting with a metal candle stand, I removed the center plate from it and
flipped it over on its other end.

I used 2 9 inch plywood circles that I painted white. I doubled them up
to give more thickness and stability.
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Next I used some caning that I’ve been keeping in my craft closet for the right project.

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I cut and glued 12 vertical 1 3/4 inch strips
and a horizontal strip around the circumference of the plywood circles using Tacky Glue.

rolling_pedestal_stand_step_4I then glued a strip around the top to complete the border, securing it with clamps until dry.

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I used my Drimmel to cut the posts off 3 casters.

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Then I used E-6000 to glue the casters to the “legs” of the candlestick,
again securing with clamps until the glue was dry.

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Once the glue on the casters was dry I flipped the base over and glued the tray on top with E-6000.
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Cheers!
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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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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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I Went to the Flea Market and All I Spent Was $9

It has to be a record for me. I went to the semi annual flea market in our area last week. The flea market that I look forward to every spring and every fall. It’s a must-do event. But this year was very different for a few reasons.
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For one, my friend that I have gone with every single time for umpteen years was sick and couldn’t go. I knew it wouldn’t be the same without her but I would go it alone. Another hindrance to my shopfest was the fact that I had just purged a LOT of stuff in my garage sale and the thought of bringing a bunch of stuff back in when I don’t sell anymore put a damper on grabbing up finds.

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And then there was the heat. And humidity. There have been plenty of times that we’ve gone and shopped in scorching weather. But without my buddy, a record short time of three hours shopping in 90+ weather was all I had in me.

I only spent $9! But I did bring home three items I love.
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A uniquely shaped, tall skinny birdcage.

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A monogrammed, footed silver tray. I love its long, thin shape.

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And a snakeskin box purse. The straps are worn worse than the rest of the purse so I will replace them with black or dark brown leather straps. I might touch up a few worn spots on the purse with shoe polish. Then I will put it in my rotation of vintage purses that I actually carry on occasion.

I’m starting a new series this fall that I think will be fun. It just may show up in my very next post. Here’s a little tease…
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Thanks for stopping by! Come back soon!

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