On The Move

My design and decorating choices always seem to be on the move.  About the time I think I’ve really settled on something that will make me happy for years to come, my tastes begin to change. 

Finances make it impossible for me to change things often.

I can tell you that if it were financially possible, I would probably be guilty of changing styles constantly.

Presently, I am gravitating towards neutrals.

I adore this room.  It’s neutral but still has touches of color. 

The touches of green and pink are lovely.

Love the quirky costume hanging on the wall.

Vintage portraits like the one above the mirror fascinate me.  I wonder if I could take some of my Nanny’s old photos and have them blown up?  I need to check into that.

 

Yummy!

I have admired slipcovers of years.

Love the bed, not so sure about the background.  It’s awfully stark.  What do you think?

Not so much neutral as it is just vintage and cozy looking.  I’m wild about lamps and the glow that they cast.

For me…..there is nothing so yummy as that perfect shabby chic chipping peeling paint look.  So how come the outside of my house doesn’t look so charming with its peeling paint? :)

A cute cottage kitchen.

It’s been dreary and cloudy here today.  I’ve been making paper flowers and just wandering most of the day today.

The majority of these images are from……

1st OPTION  a fun site with lots of great images to browse.  The last photo is from Country Living. 

Enjoy.

Denise

Sleeeeeep!

Do you ever have one of those nights?  The one where you wake up at 4:00am and just can’t fall asleep again?

You lay  in bed and think about……just stupid stuff.  Not worrying, just thinking.

Your head feels as though thoughts are whirling and whirling around with nowhere to go.

And it seems as though if you could see what is in your head…..it would look something like THIS.

WOW!  No wonder you can’t sleep!

I had one of those nights last night.  Fortunately I don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn and go to work.  I remember when I did.  It only made the night worse.  You would look at the clock every five minutes and count how much sleep you would get if……you fell asleep instantly.

So how do you stop thinking?  How do you turn it off?

I think I can safely throw out the gold fish and the bat!  Okay, maybe not the bat.  The old saying “she has bats in her belfry” may apply to me.  I’m pretty goofy sometimes.

How about warm milk?  YUK!   That just sounds horrible.  I’ve never tried it and never intend to.

A nice bubble bath!   Yummy!

I would love a tub like this one. 

Where you can just lay back and soak in a bubble bath scented with lavender or roses…….

Grab your fluffy towel and get all warm and cozy after your nice long leisurely soak, then walk into the perfect bedroom……..

What is your idea of a perfect bedroom?

Would it be this.

This one is a little too stark.  It almost looks institutional to me.

Better.

Yummy.  I love the mirror for the headboard.

 

Inviting!

Wonderful! 

Which one, if any, is your favorite?

All photographs  from COUNTRY LIVING.

If you haven't seen it already, you need to go to the Country Living web site and take a look see at the home that the last bedroom is in.  They have a video tour of the home.  AND…..it’s a double wide mobile home.  You won’t believe it!

So go on now!  Tonight you take a bubble bath and climb into a fluffy warm bed with sweet smelling sheets and sleeeeep!  ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzz

Denise

Cozy Comfort!

I used to collect quilts.  Years and years ago.  I kinda hate that.  THAT being the fact I can even talk about years ago! 

Oh sorry!……..I kinda wandered off there for a second.

So….anywho……I had quite a collection.  Then I was tired of collecting and sold some and so on.

Then…….one day at my Mother’s house, I discovered 4 quilts!  Heather took home 1 and I took the other 3.

I THINK they belonged to my Grandmother.  Not my Nanny, my other Grandmother. 

So…..what is an heirloom?  To me, it’s something that I use often or even daily and enjoy every time that I do.  To some people it’s something that you put away in a closet and DON’T use so that it will???…….what……still be here well after you are gone.  But what pleasure is there in that?

Heather my dear, you will probably inherit a bunch of broken, beat up, worn out crap!

So….still determined to continue chasing away those winter blues, I got my new quilts out and gave them a good look see.  One of them had never ever been used!  It is in pristine condition.  So I thought “why not!” 

Will it get dirty?  You betcha!

Will I launder it?  You betcha!

Will I put it through the dryer?  You betcha!

I do promise to use a mild detergent.  And low heat in the dryer.

What can I say…….

The different fabrics in quilts fascinate me.  The older quilts that is.

Such happy colors, don’t you think? From so long ago.

I found these delightful vintage pillow cases at the Rink.  I hadn’t seen any really nice ones in forever, and then a new vendor opened a booth at the mall and she had a HUGE stack of them!  I was in heaven, digging and deciding!

I picked this one up from her yesterday.  She and I did a little “trade.”

Love my little paper lanterns!  Heather and I found 4 of them at……you guessed it, the Rink.  They are definitely vintage and a little torn and stained, which is one of the things that I love the most about them.

The other two quilts (on the top) well used and hopefully well appreciated and loved.

But wait wait!  I wasn’t finished yet!  What to replace Christmas with?

I put together this little clear flower pot with some of my cuties.  Nothing is glued or permanent, it’s just sitting in the pot and can be taken apart whenever.

The little velvet chick is happy in her new home!  Wouldn’t something like this be adorable at a baby or wedding shower?   Most of the little elements are vintage, with the exception of the chick and the paper flower. 

……………………………………………………….

As far as me, I’m feeling much better.  The antibiotics are working!  The only thing now is that I have about as much energy as a hibernating bear!  But, that too will pass!  My advice to anyone who has an infection like this is GET TO THE E.R.  asap!  It was a pretty scary thing.

Thank you, Lori, for all of your info. about MRSA.  Poor Lori has had MRSA  three times!  That is the antibiotic resistant strain of staph.  Bless her heart, she was so kind as to e-mail me back and forth with valuable info.

Hope everyone has had a wonderful weekend.

Denise

Just Feelin’ Blue…….

Oh this cold weather and how it affects you.  I really really am feeling blue.  I’m bored and bothered with the weather of late.  But most of all my hands are blue.  Okay hands and feet are both soooo blue.  It’s so cccooolld outside!  Most everything is turning blue!

Maybe……huuummm…….. I should make stew?

So I wander the house with so much to do…..and feel like doin’ NOTHIN’ cause…..ho hum…..I’m so darn blue.

Then I begin to look, to really see, all of the beauty surrounding me!

A bowl full of pretties.  And a little bird, too.  I do declare HE is blue. 

Another little birdie, hiding under glass.  Surrounded by vintage buttons sitting in his nest.  And low and behold, there I see……a little blue egg, pretty as you please!

“What about me!”  Says another little bird.  I’m pretty in my white, especially in the lamp light.

“Don’t forget me!”  Says my favorite little fairy. “I’m here with my glitter to chase away the blues!  I’ll fly around Bella Manor and spread my joy!  And won’t THAT be better than….well….any type of new toy!”

“Us us!  Don’t forget about us!  You KNOW that we are ALWAYS here for you!  We will surely, surely, join the party and help all of our friends chase away those blues!

So we danced and we sang and had a great party.  It lasted until well after midnight, until the day was new. 

When it was over and I sat down to think, I suddenly realized  I DIDN’T FEEL BLUE!!

I was warm and cozy and suddenly to me everything seemed lovely as a sweet Spring breeze!  Was that the scent of the sweet Spring to be?

I heard mother nature, scolding me then, saying “shame on you girl, we must have our seasons!  And DON’T ask my WHY, I don’t have time to discuss my reasons.”

So……I came to my senses and then clearly could see, I’m only BLUE if I WANT to be! 

Denise

It’s what day?

I’m living in my own little boring world right now!  Yuk!  I’m sick of it.  Or is that sick of being sick?

Get this…………….I lost my antibiotics!  I must be totally loosing it!  Hubby and I looked EVERYWHERE in this house 3 times or more.  Maybe I tossed them out in a nauseous stupor or something.  Any way, it’s super weird.

So now……my poor guy is at the pharmacy, AGAIN, getting me more meds.  This is absolutely true love!

I did get some pics. taken today.

……………………………………………………………………

Several weeks before Christmas, I was walking through the Rink and saw this piece.  I really love natural pine.

Then I looked at the price.  WOW, I could afford it!  I went home, measured, and it fit.

Yippee!  Another piece to load with junk! 

It’s a hutch top.  I sat it on top of my buffet in the dining room and I really like the way it looks.

See how clean that glass on the left looks?  Hubby broke it bringing it in the house.  I gotta remind him that it IS important that we get that replaced.  Just not this week, you know?

The only thing wrong with the piece, if you can see it, is that someone had sat it where water damaged the bottom front a bit.  Even if the wood can’t be clamped and glued, I don’t care.  I’ll just sand them a bit and maybe use a bit of Brie wax on the piece.

I hung some vintage linens on the right door.

And I’m not at all happy with the interior.  Especially now that I see my pictures.  I had to use what I already had and the look is a little too mixed and jumbled.  That’s okay though, it’ll give me something to search for this year!

Brown transferware!  Yep!  That’s what I think I’ll be searching for.  Preferably the old stuff. 

 

I had to move my lamp next to my patch work bench, and it actually looks great.  Looks so much more inviting!

Molly is not impressed.  I guess I should have photo shopped those eyes!

Denise

Blog Heaven!

Well…….all of this mindless laying around has paid off in ONE way.  I’ve been having a blast cruising new (to me) blogs.  I  found one just today right here in OKC! 

Holly Doodle Designs

Holly is soooo talented, and she teaches classes at one of my fav. fav. shops.  The Paper Crown!  Sometimes I feel like a must live in a bubble or something.  How did I not know this?  So anywho…….I was excited……left her a comment……and now she may be “ascared”, as the kids used to say, that she has a stalker or something.  Hopefully her next class isn’t full yet.  I could use a little fun after the crappy week I’m having!  And it’s only Monday!!!!

Went to the Doctor today.  My usual M.D.

He said he couldn’t confirm that it was a spider bite without the cold dead body of said spider in his possession, but treatment was the same anyway.  So I’m on high doses of Bactrim antibiotics (did I spell that right?)  Which really sucks because it’s making me sick as a dog. 

Ain’t life grand?

No really……it is.  My hubby is waiting on me like a pitiful underpaid slave while I sit with my shiny new lap top visiting my bloggie friends.   He even drove me the five minutes to the Docs. office because I felt like I might hurl.  Poor guy, it’s like being saddled with your elderly mother or something around here this week. 

On the other hand…..I can’t feel too sorry for him.   I asked him last night “do I look alright?”  He replied “sure you look slightly better than dog poo.” 

Thing is, I think that was actually a compliment.  I got a look in the mirror a few minutes later.  UUuuhhhh!

Any way, in the “weird things that you never could have imagined happening to you” column this infection thing rates right at the top (or near it) on mine.   My mother used to say “it’s that Gypsy curse.”  She said it so often about different things, I swear I think she started to believe it.

So……I’m off to surf new blogs some more and search for mean Gypsies with a grudge! 

SURELY I’ll be able to take some pics. tomorrow and post something that doesn’t involve any whining!  You’re hoping, huh?

Denise

To The E.R.

Hubby finally convinced me to go, okay drug me, to the emergency room last night.

For some reason, he’s always convinced that I’m going to have a heart attack.  I’m sure that has nothing to do with the fact that I’m shaped like a beach ball!  :)

Plus I have this huge red area on my left arm that is getting bigger and nastier looking by the hour and red streaks running up my arm.

The Doc. walks in the room and……

……is it just me, or are all of the Docs. these days looking like Doogie Howser?

I mean really…….

So anywho…….I find out I’m not having a heart attack. 

He thinks this thing on my arm which is getting bigger and bigger as we sit there, is one of my eczema spots that has gotten infected.  I point out to him, at least three times, that there was nothing in this area before this morning. 

No response from him.

I figure he’s “waxing poetic” over last years prom date and not paying attention. 

So he did give me a prescription for antibiotics.

I get home and start looking at my arm, and I think I slept with a spider, of the black widow type, the other night.  Judging from the symptoms.  Chest pains, severe muscle aches, restlessness, my arm is super swollen and nasty looking and hurts like heck.

And right now, my arm looks like one of those pics. that come up when you do a Google search for pics. of spider bites.  YUK!

But gee…….at least it’s not the flu!

Denise