Flaws and Imperfections

I started writing this post with the idea of talking about collections. I was going to write about the two different kind of collectors. There are those who collect only the finest and then there are those, like me, who can appreciate a few flaws in their mass of similar items. I was going to say how the fun of collecting should be in the hunt---the patience of waiting until that certain item comes along that makes you giddy and so thrilled to place it in a prominent spot along with the other items of it's kind. I wanted to explain how sometimes it's the blemishes in your loved collection that make it even more dear to your heart, like the suitcase with it's original handle at one time replaced with rope as a makeshift luggage hold. Or the handle so lovingly repaired by my hubby on the small luggage piece found at a New York flea market that had been carefully transported home just to have our sweet granddaughter tear the vintage leather of the grip into small bits.I planned on showing how even though a pretty piece of pottery has received a chip or two along the way it can still

bring beauty into our life. And how if we concentrate on the small chip we can forget to
see the attractiveness of the whole.Then it dawned on me, that I was not just talking about collections. I was talking about life. It's okay to live a life that isn't perfect. Why is it that we can sometimes get so overwhelmed with looking for perfection that we forget that it's the flaws and bumps that give character to our life . A good life is made when we repair the damage that has been done and still go on to serve and bless the lives of others. Life isn't about having everything perfect and in order. Life is about the search, the hunt, the journey. Because it's in the journey where happiness can be found.

Yes, a happy life is what you make of it. Turning bad things into good. Having patience with ourselves as well as with others. Appreciating all that life offers, the wonderful as well as the not so wonderful. And remembering that it's during both of those extremes in our life's journey that beautiful memories can be made,
growth can occur and love can flourish.Life is much like a collection.

It's made up of many things that when pulled together form
an accumulation of
wonderment and awe.
We just need to take the time to stand back and
embrace it!

Thrift Store Scrolls

On a recent trip to the thrift store I spied this
scroll-y work of art. It was one of those thrift finds that
one picks up,
looks at with curiosity,
tries to figure out whatever could be done with said item,
puts it back,
and then repeats the process
several times
until
inspiration finally hits,
curiosity is resolved
and the item is purchased.

Do you ever do that with any thrift store finds?

Once home I decided to make my inspiration a reality by first cutting and painting a piece of MDF the length of the scrolls.Next I found a font on the computer that I liked and printed the word "Welcome." I rubbed the backside of the paper with chalk so that I could transfer the image onto the MDF by tracing over the text.I painted the letters---three coats were needed in order to cover the deep red base coat.A couple of wood rosettes were added to each end of the board. Then two small holes were drilled to thread wire through in order to attach the board to the scroll. Sometimes it pays to pick up a curious thrift store item several times until inspiration hits!

One Mantle Makeover

It's time for

another mantle makeover!I used many of the same elements I used on my Easter mantle---
faux flowers, electric candles, moss and shutters.
I added a mirror to reflect the light of the chandelier
and resemble a window between the shutters.
I like the feel of looking at
a window of spring from the inside.

I'm linking to Nester's mantle party.