Random Thoughts 9/1/2012

Here is the floral bucket I finished recently. Read about it here.

There was a mother nursing her 4 year-old little boy on the cover of a magazine recently. I only saw it in the news but there was a big flap over her nursing and/or doing it on the cover of a magazine. I didn't read the article of course so I have no idea what the story was about but I do think the nudity on the cover of a magazine was inappropriate. Why would someone even think to "pose" for that kind of article? I believe our bodies are sacred and wouldn't want mine splashed over the world like that. I have absolutely NO problem if a breast-feeding mom would like to nurse at my home, even without a cover over her, but most women I know cover up. But, personally, I love watching babies suckle. It's sweet to watch their little cheeks trying to get their nourishment. My granddaughter would cover up when nursing here because of her grandpa but if he wasn't here, I didn't mind it. After all, I powdered, kissed and changed that little behind many, many times. I still love patting her 32-year old bottom!

I'm supposing it's just a sign of the times when nothing is sacred. Modesty is laughed upon and I know it's going to get worse. What some people do for notoriety just astounds me sometimes.
*

When hubby saw the feather boa on the refurbished lamp, he said it looked like it was going to take flight. Actually, when we turned the ceiling fan on it did blow feathers all over the living room for a while.
*

Pink has always been around. It's a color for men also. I've dressed my hubby in it for many years and he's gotten so many compliments on his wardrobe. Just lately it's been held in high esteem and we've become adventurous in displaying it. It's always been my favorite color, but I'm seeing it more and more in decorating than ever. I always look for pink shirt, ties, etc. for him. He loves standing out!
*

It is one of my goals to never desire a knowledge of other people's business. When I know too much, I'll start judging. And who am I to judge? I'm an imperfect human being who doesn't like being judged. Just stop it.
*

Today is the birthday of one of my grandsons. He's the youngest grandchild. He's so funny. He's a teenager now but when he was primary age, he said to me, "Nana, isn't it funny that I was born on Labor Day? Labor Day? Get It?" He was such a young age I didn't even think he knew about labor in connection with childbirth. He laughed himself silly over that one. Squirt! :-)

*

My favorite wall decoration—pink and white stripes, though this one does look more pink and darker pink.

Sweet window in an old stone house with white sheer curtains to let in light and bright pansies in the window for color.

An absolutely stunning display of ribbon work.

Sweet slipcovered chair. Almost looks like a doll house.

Another thatched cottage in a field of yellow daffodils.

I have a friend with chickens and a chicken coop. This isn't it, but she's going to photograph it for me to show you...real soon. Right, Stacey?!

A beautiful pink and white room. Love this one.

Simply a place to stroll I thought you'd like to see.

A neat little room with fanciful wall cubbies for displaying trinkets.

It doesn't get much better than laundry drying on the line for me. Reminds me of my kids' diapers billowing on the line while the sun bleached them white in the California sun while we mums sat in the cool shade of the grass watching the munchkins play on the jungle jims in military housing. Wistful memories.

I saw this dress and thought it was too beautiful to not show you.

Gorgeous display of crystal and beautiful deep pink roses.

A very neat way to store fabrics and art supplies. Mine will never look this great!

I swoon over this darling entrance to someone's home.

I just had cake and ice cream while creating this blog post. I think, however, you'd all like this cupcake above chocolate ones. ;-)

~*~

Red Polka Dot Oil Cloth

Oil cloth is very hard to find anymore. Oh, they have the stuff they call oil cloth but is isn't true oil cloth. The kind you find in stores now is mostly vinyl with a flannel backing, not truly oil cloth. Cheap, cheap, cheap! And I should know since I'm from the generation that used the real stuff. However, I have found it in various places and almost despaired of ever finding it again...and then I came across a blogger who was putting some on her dining room table. Well, lo and behold, I thought I'd go to the vendor she bought hers from and see if it was the real thing.

This is a piece I've had for about 25 years now and I love it but I wanted something lighter and more whimsical. Now, if you look closely you can see—and I can certainly feel—the difference of the webbing on the back on that snippet of white on the right side.

This is a piece I've had for maybe 15 years. While it's true oil cloth, its back is smooth. Oh, still strong but not the webbing usually associated with oil cloth. And while, it's still functional, it's getting stained badly from the paints I use.
This is the new oil cloth I just received from OilClothAddict on etsy. She has the loveliest array of this product I've ever seen. It's still a bit different on its underside but definitely a kind of web there. It is, however, heads and tails above the vinyl/flannel backed junk you find in stores now. In fact, it's wonderful. I love the whimsy of red polka dots. I believe she had pink polka dots but I wanted the red.
So I put it on my studio craft table today and here's how it looks at night with the lights on.

And this is in the daytime. Isn't it just marvelous?

She sent along a few sample of others available. If you try it, you'll love it and won't ever go back to that cheap stuff again.

I had a small rectangular piece left over so I put it on our dining table, and I think it looks wonderful there. A bit of whimsy with the elegant chandelier when placed rakishly sideways on the table to cover our places where we eat.

And if you go to etsy, check out my store on there also! You won't be sorry.
~*~

What Is It About Organizing?

Women are notorious organizers. I am. We need a certain order in our lives or we can't function well. So...organizing again. Yep, I had to clean out some things. I know, I know, I keep doing this but I am trying my level best to get rid of some things. If more of you chicks lived near me you'd love what I'd be willing to give you. This is just the house part. Wait until we get to the attic Love Bunny made up over the garage. AND we've made several trips to the thrift stores and sold some things on craigslist.

This is the craft room closet emptied out and after getting rid of several boxes of pillow stuffing and 5 pillow forms.




This is the next day after selling some of the stuff on craigslist. I couldn't empty the whole closet into the room at once. I had to get rid of some stuff to make room for the rest of the stuff in the ROOM!

In fact, for this photo I almost killed myself falling because I can't get over this stuff here easily. True! This is higher than it looks here, chicks.

And why am I doing this again you ask? One reason: food storage. Love Bunny and I—mostly ME—decided we needed more storage for food. It's a Mormon thing, trust me. So moving from 5,000 square feet to 1,800 square feet didn't leave us much room for that and we had to improvise. (This means I had to give up some craft closet space, which I was willing to do.)

Even storage up top for some additional appliances I don't use that often. More food will be on the other shelves soon.

Is this pathetic?

Love Bunny has more space in his office now but assures me I can use it for things if needed.

My office/computer room. I've only begun to start clearing out some stuff. It just doesn't make sense for 2 people to have so much "stuff"!

This is a pencil/pen drawer in my desk in this office/computer room. It this pathetic or what? NOW, this is in addition to pens in holders in every single room in this house except the bathrooms. I draw the line there; that room is for reading, not writing; although, I have been known to take magazines and pens in there. ;-) This drawer is next. I plan on putting them on the shelves in a box in the closet.

~*~

Retirement Ain't What It's Cracked Up To Be

I bought a new iMac about a week ago and have been so busy transferring things over—and thinking this was a great time to get rid of some old files and documents I hadn't used for a loooong time (I do NOT recommend you try this at home.)—while going about my daily chores that I've barely had time for laundry. Love Bunny told me he was out of undergarments and I suggested we run to the store to buy more—seriously, I did! He declined, explaining he didn't have room for any more but that I should think about just washing what he does have. This—my time at the computer— has left him with way too much time on his hands. He needs a keeper—me. Sigh.......
~*~

When Love Bunny retired I insisted he get a "side job" to keep busy. Oh, he has a hobby: model railroad trains. But he can only do it so long and then needs a rest, so he teaches real estate classes on the side. His other hobby is rearranging my kitchen! I swear he is so lucky to have both legs it isn't even funny. I've thought of knee-capping him just to keep him out of my kitchen. He's driving me nuts.

Introducing my pantry:

Top shelf left. Already he's taken stuff off the top shelf and relegated it to the garage. This has left a great deal to be desired. I have room for stuff up there but can't decide what I want up there, and frankly, I'm too busy to think about it at the moment.

Now, these little cansolidators are great but I think they should go in the garage. They take up more room in this tiny amount of space. He insists we keep them. I could get lots more in here without them. LOTS more!

See all that empty space? He insists I shouldn't have to put anything more in there!

Look at all the empty space begging for more cans. I have cases of vegetables under our bed and in a closet in his office. In fact, if our bed collapsed I'd be awash in beans, corn and applesauce for a month.

I can stack cans on top of one another and get more in this space without the little organizers. But having them on big metal storage units in the garage would be much better. I like having my shelves very packed with canned goods.

Then, get this: he even takes cans or boxes out and sets them on the counter in the morning if I happen to mention what I'm preparing for dinner! Drives me crazy. It can stay in the pantry until I get ready to fix it. I know what I'm preparing and don't have to be reminded. This happens almost every day. I put it back in the pantry and tell him it's fine in there. It's not like I need an 8 hour reminder sitting on my counter. I like my countertops as uncluttered as I can get them.

I am seriously looking at another part time job just to get him out of my hair. Maybe WM is looking for greeters??

But he did put up some shelves in the craft room that I needed. The top ones are just too tall for me to be reaching up there every time I need something.

I haven't even wanted to go into this room lately because I need to organize it—AGAIN!!—before I can make my great granddaughter something. *Sigh*...........

~*~

Pink Living Room #1

Again, some of you wanted me to post on my living room after we did the pink paint on the walls and, while you can see it on my right hand sidebar by clicking, I'll do it for you.

The walls are Behr paint called Cupid's Arrow and is definitely pink. I am loving it. It feels like I live in a pink cake box with white frosting (the trim) or in a confectionery store. I tried several different kinds of curtains but these plaid ones look the best with the pink walls. The pink pillows are another TJMaxx find for $13.00 each this time but still feather pillows. The other pillows on the right I made from a gorgeous roses barkcloth fabric and the one of the left is from my friend, Rhea, who made it. My lamps are ones I got about 6 years ago and added the silk roses to the shade.

I stack boxes under my coffee table. Paper covered boxes and fabric covered boxes bought mostly in Calif. when we lived there. I only bring beautiful things into this house. (Well, okay, mostly beautiful things!)They contain storage for things not pertaining to my sewing or craft room or for my office. See what you can do with a bit of creativity. I have numerous hat boxes in most rooms to hold other storage also. I'm very limited in this 1800 sq. ft. house but it's easy to keep clean...that is when Love Bunny remembers to take off his mud trackers at the laundry room door. ;-)

I have numerous plates I try to hang on walls where appropriate without looking too crowded. I'm finding since the walls are pink and not beige I'm less likely to fill them with so much froufrou and fluff since I'm loving the color so much. I'm also not a fan of cathedral ceilings but they came with the house and not much I can do about it. But I do love my ceiling fan and am just trying to figure out how I can hook up a chandelier to it. Not sure it can be done, but I love chandeliers. If there's a way I'll figure it out, but in this Idaho desert we need ceiling fans way more than we need chandeliers.

I had to give one plant shelf to hubs for his limited edition prints of trains. But I also put up some vintage train cases. Most of them I've either covered in roses fabric or decaled. One in front of that vintage fence gate is still in its original form, but when I can find the time I'll be doing it in fabric also. I have one or two in my craft room waiting for me to finish it also.

My tribute to my favorite artist, Susan Rios. I absolutely adore this woman and her paintings. Most on the wall are hers—either paintings or limited edition prints. The one of the woman in the black hat with roses reminds me of Susan's self-portrait she did many years ago. I've emailed her to let her know this. I picked that picture up in Goodwill for $2.00!

The lampshade is another one I decorated with paper roses and lace. I bought that antique chair on the left of the sofa table at a store in California last year. I've piled books on it and put one of my vases from a collection I have and stuck some realistic roses in it. The trunk under the table is my hubby's old USMC trunk he had. I painted it white and use it for storage now since I doubt he'll be shipped out to foreign lands again. :-)

~*~