Finding Treasures

Saturday was such a crazy busy day! We spent the morning helping with a neighborhood clean-up. Then I had groceries to buy and last minute Easter goodies to purchase. It seems that this year every store sold out plastic eggs, which meant, because I am a procrastinator, I had to go to more stores than I had planned. I prepared items to bring to a big family dinner that evening. Once we returned, there was house cleaning and more holiday and dinner preparations for Sunday. It was a very busy day! But would you believe that I actually found some time to stop in the thrift store? Yes, I did.
I have these wonderful treasures to prove it.There is another treasure I found at the thrift store, but I can't show you. It isn't something I purchased. Saturday I found myself getting grumpy. You know how it is when you feel like you have to do it all and be it all, and with a holiday it seems those feelings are multiplied. Well, I decided that I wanted to break

the grumpy mom cycle.

I knew that the reason I had the uglies was because "the well" was getting dry. By that I mean, I was so busy doing for others that there was little left for me. So I took a few minutes to
"fill the well."

Do you do that?

Do you take time to give to yourself so that you have more to give to others. It's taken me YEARS to learn---aahhh, I'm still trying to learn that when I take the time to

do something special

that makes me feel good, it's much easier for me to do things for others to make them feel good. It doesn't have to involve spending money. It can be as simple as closing the bedroom (or bathroom) door for a few minutes of quiet time alone, going for a walk, or sitting on the lawn reading a favorite magazine.
We all know what makes us feel better, those treasures that refresh our souls.

I hope you take some treasured time today,
and everyday,
to fill your well.

IFS

What if you could have the
HOUSE OF YOUR DREAMS
in the home you're living in right now.
How would it look?

Most of us have a list of things we'd like to do to improve our home. I don't think I know anyone who lives in their ideal home.
But, do you find yourself saying "If only..."
If only I had hardwood floors, then I would be happy with my home.
If only my appliances were beautiful stainless steel, then I'd have my dream kitchen.
If only the furniture came from a high end furniture store instead of a thrift store and hand-me-downs, then I'd love to entertain.
If only my walls weren't decorated with children's hand prints and the floor with toys, then I could decorate my home with beautiful things.
If only my house was bigger, then. . .
If only we had enough money to make home improvements, then. . .
The problem with the "If only's" is that you choose to delay your happiness and miss out on JOY you could be having right now.
If you learn nothing else from my blog, I hope you learn that every day you should do a little something to find the JOYS of home. That's my goal. Let me illustrate with photos of my own home.
Our main bathroom looks picture perfect. It's not! The tile floor has cracks, the top drawer falls out if you pull it too far. The cabinets are low end wood laminate and the sinks have rust stains that cannot be removed.
I could have chosen to live with the "If only's." Instead, I painted the cabinets, replaced the hardware, and stocked the linen closet with fluffy white towels.
The flooring in our home was not pretty, at all. If I lived in "If only" land I would not have torn out the ugly carpet and tile, painted the subflooring and personalized our stairs. Would I love to have beautiful hardwood? Of course! But look at the creative opportunities that I would have missed. The kitchen has the same cheap cabinetry as the bathroom and the appliances are white. It had the ubiquitous U-shape of the 1970's until we decided to tear it apart and make improvements on a budget of a thousand dollars. The "If only" attitude would have robbed us of wonderful memories of working together and of preparing our turkey on top of the washing machine because hubby was installing the sink on Thanksgiving morning.The beautiful fireplace I told you about yesterday is still not finished. It's missing the surround on the firebox. No one notices because I painted the whole thing black and loaded it with pretty candles. Would I love to have a finished gas burning fireplace? YES, but I can enjoy it this way until our finances allow us to finish it. Our master bedroom has painted subflooring and a master bath that needs major work. The furniture is from the thrift store, the draperies are drop cloths, the walls are painted with mistints. But it can still be beautiful and on a budget.

With an "If only" attitude I would never have discovered the depth of my creativity. I would not have had the opportunity to help others design their homes, and I certainly would never have started a blog.
Don't let the thief "If only" rob you from the JOYS of home that are at your finger tips.
Please stop living with the "If only's" and do what you can, with what you have, to find the JOYS in your home. This weekend would be a great time to start!

Do Something That Makes You Smile

I am a firm believer that every day you should do a little something that makes you smile. If I am happy there is more of me to give to my family and others. But, sometimes, in an effort to do things that make me smile I fall into a rut. Am I the only person who does this? Let me give you a personal example. I find it very easy to decorate the more public areas of my home. That makes me smile. But, every morning I wake up in a bland and cluttered bedroom. In my rut I think nothing of this---my thoughts are, "I spend most of my time in that room with my eyes closed, so it doesn't matter." But in reality it DOES matter. This is something in my life that isn't consistent with what I desire for myself and my family. And because of that, my life feels out of balance. So, this weekend I tackled the task of finding balance, as well as doing something that makes me smile. In the midst of organizing my office closet, I began another task (can you say, "Attention Deficit"?). I decided to take one corner of my bedroom and do just a little something that would make me smile. I didn't run out and buy a lot of stuff. I used what I had. I used my trusty black spray paint to update the two shelves. And I treated myself and my hubby to some inexpensive fresh flowers. Now I have something that makes me smile every time I walk by.What little thing can you do today to get you out of a rut and make you smile? It doesn't have to be decorating your house, maybe it's just adding a little something extra to your recipe for dinner tonight. Or lighting that beautiful candle you've been saving all these months. Or how about wearing fancy earrings while you're cleaning the toilet? Go ahead! Do something that makes you smile!

OH! another thing that makes me smile....reading all the comments you left on my giveaway post. You are all so sweet!And now I'm really smiling because I get to announce the winners....
PRIZE A- the burlap monogram goes to Tammy at Tinsel & Co.
PRIZE B- the chalkboard was won by Carlie at The Bird Nest
PRIZE C- CJ's Mommy*Kimberly gets her choice of two prizes
Ladies, send me an email at joysofhome@gmail.com. I need your color choices and addresses.

I really wish I could have made a prize for each and every one of you! My hubby says that's because I'm Obsessive Compulsive. Oh my! I'm ADD and OCD---no wonder I have to find something to make me smile every day!

Toting A Design

Look at the beauty that
I've been enjoying all weekend!

A local grocery store sells these wonderful cardboard totes. It's their effort to reduce the use of plastic grocery bags. When I saw them I knew they would be coming home with me. I planned to use them for something other than my groceries. I thought they would make fabulous organizing/storage containers. I've always loved a good cardboard box! There was only one problem, how to hide the store's logo.A little bit of pretty wrapping paper and some spray adhesive and now they look like a designer tote with a price tag of less than $1.50 each!
I must tell you a funny, yet humbling story. After taking the picture of this stack of totes, I left them sitting in my living room. You've read my blog so you have a good idea of what my living room looks like. I have layers of decorations! Yesterday my son had some friends from Russia come to visit. They sat there in a room filled with totes stacked neatly and collections and displays galore. After a while one of them asked my son, "Do you live in a store?" He chuckled and said, "No, my mom just likes to collect a lot of stuff."
Needless to say, I took time to appreciate and reflect upon my abundance, of not just decorations, but of home, freedom, and blessings.

It's Personal

On this date last year, I posted my very first photo.

It was a picture of my suitcase stack.

Just over a year ago I found myself in an interesting place in my life. I'd had multiple opportunities to help people design their homes. I loved making their homes beautiful and personal. I loved being involved in the design process. I loved that people were looking to me for "expert" advice, and I really enjoyed the fact that I was being well paid for something that I loved. I felt a very strong desire to go back to school to get another degree. I had earned two degrees in education earlier in my life, but now, I really wanted a degree in interior design. I felt that I needed a design degree in order to validate myself. However, with our family and financial situation, the ability to go back to school was not a possibility. . . the sacrifice would have been too great. I was at that point where blocked creativity and total frustration collide.

I had talked for months about starting a blog. I thought that maybe I could showcase some of the work I had done in my clients homes, as well as my own home. My husband had even bought me a digital camera to show his support for my decision. I had spent hours and hours looking at, and being inspired by many designers blogs. I noticed that several mentioned that starting a blog was one of the best things they had done.

So, after months of talking, late one night my daughter helped me start my blog.
I thought that if nothing else, blogging would help improve my computer skills. I hoped that blogging would give me that extra push to complete a few of the hundreds of home improvement and craft projects that I constantly have running through my head. Blogging could serve as my substitute for higher education until the time was right. Interestingly enough, I chose to tell very, very few people about my blog, only a couple of my closest friends. I needed my blog to be my very personal outlet; the place where I could create with words and pictures without the fear of being judged by people I knew. . .whether good or bad.

Today I celebrate one year of blogging.
This is a photo of my suitcase stack today.

There have been subtle changes in that stack, and in my life. What has happened over the past year? Well, I do have a few more computer skills, although not enough to mention on a job application. I have been able to complete several projects. However, the amount of to-do projects running through my head has actually increased. Still, to this day, very few of my neighbors and extended family know that I have a blog, only those who have happened upon it through other sources. There have been other changes though. Changes that I never would have expected when I began this journey a year ago. I never would have expected that ANYONE would have ever been interested in what I had to say or do. I never would have expected that people would take time from their busy lives to leave kind, uplifting, positive, and friendly notes to me---someone they have never met and yet have a connection with, and they do so without expecting anything in return. I never would have expected to wake up every morning wondering what I could say or do on my blog so that someone I have never met might be inspired to enjoy their home and their life just a little more. And now, after a year of blogging I understand what others meant when they said that blogging was one of the best things they had ever done.

Blogging truly has been a life changing experience for me. I have each and every person who has ever read or commented on my blog to thank for that.

I am deeply appreciative to YOU
for being an important part of my life.

THANK YOU
from the bottom of my heart!

And, if you are wondering, I'll be throwing a party this Friday to celebrate this one year journey. I hope you'll be there. I'll even have a few prizes to give away.

Shelving Memories

I finished decorating my bookshelves. I did use a few books, mostly vintage ones that I've collected with wonderful titles like How To Be Happy Though Human, Rest And Be Thankful, How To Live. And books with foreign titles that I would love to be able to pronounce.I packed the shelves full of mementos from foreign places; places where family and friends have been, places I hope to one day visit. I wanted each shelf to tell a story. This may be too much visual clutter for some, but I love it!
There are remembrances of Germany, where my husband spent two years on a mission for our church, and of Russia, where my middle son served. There are souvenirs that my daughter brought back from Africa, where she volunteered at a school for the deaf. Tokens from Holland, Denmark and England are under a cloche, safe from toddler hands.There's keepsakes from the time my daughter spent serving the people in Argentina. One shelf has things from France. When I was in junior high I took French for two years and dreamed of touring Paris. This shelf keeps the dream alive.
I added in photographs and paintings and even old silver trays. The silver trays reflect light back into the room and are a great place to add more personal photos and postcards held on with pretty magnets (the next thing for me to do). I thought about adding small lamps, but since my boys and their friends spend a lot time in this room, I knew it wasn't practical. That's why there's no pillows on the love seat. The pillows just got their way and ended up on the floor. Instead of letting it make me crazy, I just removed the pillows.
Decorating should include your family's lifestyle. It should be comfortable, inviting, inspiring, stir positive emotions, and create wonderful memories. That's my goal when I decorate. I think I achieved it in this room.

Living Without Regret

Recently a friend of mine told me that her silver collection stays behind closed doors because it's too tarnished. I replied, "I love the look of tarnished silver!" I really do. I often love the character and charm that imperfections give to things. . . and people, for that matter.
That conversation got me thinking. Why do we rob ourselves of happiness just because things aren't as perfect as we think they should be. And why do we put off enjoying things because "it has to be just right." I know that I am guilty of this and it's something that I am trying very hard to change. My neighbor, who has terminal cancer, wisely advised me, "It's not the things you've done, but the things you haven't done in your life, that you regret the most."My husband came home the other day to report that the business next to his was selling off clothing items that belonged to a man who had recently passed away. He said that there were literally hundreds of items that belonged to this man that still had the price tag on them. It made me wonder why this poor soul kept all of those really nice, expensive things tucked away. I felt so sad that he never took the opportunity to find happiness in actually using the things he owned.
I'm hoping that when my friend sees my display of tarnished silver, she'll be inspired to go home and enjoy hers, polished or not.
I've decided to take a good look at my life. What am I doing, or not doing, that is keeping me from enjoying my life to it's fullest? I want to start living my life with no regrets.

Unofficial Holiday

Can you see what's wrong with this picture?Yes, the door and trim are not the same pretty white
as the crown molding.

I'm embarrassed to admit that this has been the case for a while now. I don't even remember why I didn't paint it when everything else was painted. and because it's the back of the door, I only see it first thing in the morning when I'm running to do a dozen other things, and late at night when I'm ready for bed.
Please tell me that I am not the only person that leaves a little something to do on a project and then forgets to go back and finish the job.
Occasionally my husband will ask, "When are we going to paint that door?" (He says "we" even though he never does the painting.) I usually respond with, "I'll get to it."

Well, I am officially declaring today
a HOLIDAY.
It will be called "Why Not Wednesday!"

Today is the day I am going to get to
painting that door----FINALLY!You can join me in celebrating today.
What project have you been neglecting?
When are you going to do it?
Why Not Wednesday!

And when I'm done painting,
I'll start working on the tutorial
you asked for.

A Little Known Condition

I have a condition.

I don't talk about it much, but it affects every aspect of my life. I've decided that it's time to bring this abnormality out in the open and, even perhaps, to embrace it.

I am a tweaker!

Yes, I tweak constantly.

If you've known me for very long, you may have already noticed, but you are kind and politely overlooked my disability.

Here is evidence of my tweaking condition.
Before tweaking:And after: Before: After:Before: After:Before:After:Before:After:Before:After:

I try to control my compulsiveness to tweak. Although it is difficult for me to sit still for very long before I give into the urge. I try to allow it to manifest itself only within the confines of my own home. When I am in another person's home it is sometimes difficult to keep this condition under control. It is possible---if I clasp my hands and tweak only in my thoughts. I think that blogging has actually worsened the condition because I study photos of my home on the computer and then go on a tweaking binge. I've learned that it is feasible to live with this condition. However, it is sometimes difficult for family members to live with a tweaker. My family has accepted my abnormality, and has learned to tolerate it. I love my family for their willingness to live under such conditions.

Yes, I am a tweaker!
Are you a tweaker too?
(And yes, I've tweaked this post a few times too!)

OUR Creation

Look at these beauties I found at the thrift store!I bought the only two they had.
If there were four,
I would have used them as legs for a table.But there were only two,
so now those stair balusters
are huge candle holders!My hubby added the base and molding.
I could do it, (just not as fast).
But he likes to call this OUR blog,
so he helps me build things.
He thinks you should know that those two candles
used to be one giant crooked candle
that I bought for $1.I let it sit out in the heat of the sun.
When it was warm and soft,
I rolled it like dough to get it straight.
Then I used the compound miter saw to cut it in two.
Hubby said, "You never cease to amaze me
what you will cut with that saw. A candle??? Wow!"

While I was out of the room, he added those last lines.
I guess it really is OUR blog now.

A Humble Picture

Recently my daughter enlarged a photograph for me. It's a picture that she took a few years ago while in Argentina. The photo is of a row of homes. The first home belonged to a family that she knew. I love this picture for several reasons. It represents a time my daughter spent far away from home, serving strangers she grew to love. It's also a reminder of some very important life lessons, that she learned, that helped shape her into the incredible woman she is.
I wanted to frame the photo to give it the importance it deserves. I measured my picture and bought a large frame with a double mat. I always buy my frames from thrift stores and give them a coat of spray paint to freshen them up and make them look good as new. I thought I'd try a spray paint makeover on the mat board too. I carefully took apart the double mat, and sprayed the frame and the inner mat black. The larger mat got a coat of heirloom white. When everything was dry I put in the photo and reassembled everything.
It looks like I spent a lot more than just two dollars for this piece of art.
There's another reason that I love this photograph so much. It is the perfect picture to show that it only takes a few lovingly placed items to turn even the most humble of houses into a home.

This beautiful picture stirs my emotions and
reminds me that I am truly blessed.

I Need An Intervention!

Several years ago I decorated my home with shabby/cottage decor. Back then I would buy or paint everything a beautiful shade of cream and then distress it. I love the cottage look, but I found that as I made home improvements, my tastes began to change. I held on to some of my shabby pieces and put them away in my storage room. The other day I came across a few pieces and decided there was just one thing to do, "Paint them black!" But, an interesting thing happened as I was painting (could it be the paint fumes?). I started to wonder what my new favorite color will be in a few years.
I have always liked cream and black accessories for the number one reason that they are neutral. I move things around in my house all the time so I need things that will look good in every room. I have rooms painted in shades of red, shades of green, and shades of blue. My rooms aren't neutral, so my accessories need to be.But, I'm beginning to think that maybe I have hit my quota on black accessories. Could it be?
I have noticed a few warning signs:
My children run for fear of being painted when they see me pick up a can of black spray paint.
My neighbors are asking if I've been hired to decorate for funerals.
The guy at the paint store told me that they can have cases of black paint delivered directly to my door, and shipping will be free since I buy in bulk. . . .

OH NO, I THINK I NEED AN INTERVENTION!!!!OKAY! I've taken the first step.
I've admitted I have a problem.
The next step is to vow to change.
"I PROMISE TO TRY TO GO A WEEK WITHOUT USING BLACK PAINT."
(Did anyone notice I said, "try")
Now all that's left is to ask for support.
"PLEEEEASE HELP ME."
I know that I can not go a week
without painting anything.
I can't be expected to give up all of my addictions.
But, I need your suggestions.
What color can I start using that will be neutral, yet rich and fulfilling like my black paint is?!?!?
Oh please! I vow to make some changes,
but I need your help.
In exchange, I promise to document
my black paint withdrawal all next week.

But before you go. I've got one more five minute idea for you to see. Go check out Annie's cute project. And for those of you who have plans to finish yours this weekend, I'll be happy to link to you next week too.

Valuable, But Small

One of my favorite lines from a movie comes from You've Got Mail. Meg Ryan's character writes, "Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. . . valuable but small. And sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave?"
I, too, lead a small but valuable life. I live most of my life within a five mile radius and I'm happy with that. Occasionally I venture beyond those five miles, and when I do, my big thrill is to include a thrift store in my travels (I know, I know, I'm livin' on the edge of excitement!). Yesterday was such a day. I went to a thrift store in another city and look what treasures I found!

An Award, An Answer, & A Question

AN AWARD:
Have you met my blogging friend, the sweet Mrs. B? If not, you should! She can tell you how to make a beautiful ottoman, as well as many other very creative ideas. She has a lovely home and family. And they go on wonderful vacations that she takes beautiful pictures of (yes, I'm jealous). Well, Mrs. B has kindly given me an award. It's called the "furniture whisperer".

Isn't it a beauty?

I am supposed to find just one person
to pass this on to.

I think that my husband deserves this award. He's the master builder of our team. He can take my crazy ideas and make them look even better than they do on my sketch pad. If I built things on my own, the furniture could easily be blown down by just one huff from the big bad wolf (or any of my sons for that matter). Yes, my husband deserves this award. There's just one problem, he doesn't have his own blog. He's very content just to share mine. So I guess we can both share this award and I will pass it on to another very creative person.
There are oh, so many people who deserve this!
And it's very, very hard to narrow it down to just one, but. . .
I would like to present this award to Robolady Margo. She is amazing! She can take any piece of "junk" and turn it into a real treasure. I think that her blog was the very first one that I ever read. She is an inspiration to me! If you haven't visited her, you're in for a real treat.

AN ANSWER:
I am so proud of you, my friends! You are all such great guessers to the question about my repurposed cabinet. Here's the answer:
The doors are made from two old windows.
The sides are made from one door cut in half and then cut down to size.
The top and shelves are wood left over from the armoire.
The bun feet came off of an old ottoman ( you guessed this one spymommy!)
The only thing we had to buy was the bead board, rope molding, and some wood for the basic frame.

A QUESTION:
See this beauty of a table?I started to work on it almost two months ago. I want to paint it by hand. I know it's hard to believe that I'm not going to spray paint it, but there are just some pieces of furniture, mostly the older, very well built pieces, that I prefer to give a real hand finished paint job.
This table is patiently waiting for me in my kitchen. My family has gotten so used to it being there that they keep piling things on it, which means I'll have to do some more sanding and wiping before I start painting.
So my question is this:

AM I THE ONLY ONE OUT THERE
WHO CAN'T SEEM TO FIND
ENOUGH HOURS IN THE DAY
AND/OR ENERGY IN MY BODY
TO GET ALL THE THINGS DONE
ON MY TO-DO LIST?!?!?!

And when do I find time to really do this:
(My husband grabbed the wire from me
to make his own sign that he's very proud of)