Family Room pictures and an award

Hi Friends! Hope you are all having a good week. I've not been too ambitious around the house. I've been studying for a big test I will have soon. More about that later. Thought I would show you a few pictures of our Family Room. This is our upright piano. When we had the house built, we designed a nitch for it to fit in and it worked out well. Then I found this really pretty mirror at Kirklands, that was perfect to go over it.
See how the mirror above the couch goes so well with the topiary prints I found at Kirkland's? I really like the way this turned out. The wall cone is a floral piece I made. Our coffee table is a garage sale find. It had broken and bubbled veneer on it. I just poured boiling water on it and we scraped it all off to reveal beautiful rustic oak. It really holds up to rought treatment and our little granddaughters love to play and eat around it.

Our mantel was a find at a building supply store that was being discontinued. It was really marked down and fit our dimensions perfectly. We stuffed it in our van and hauled it home from Bentonville, Ark. The only problem was that I had wanted a white mantel, but everything else about it was perfect. My husband said he wouldn't mind it I painted it, but so far that has not happened. Not sure what to do. I like the way it looks this way too. I love the little lamps that I found years ago at K-mart and I change out the florals seasonally.

I was recently given the Kreative Blogger award by Pamela at Lady Pamela's Cottage!! She has a wonderfully beautiful blog and you should visit her!Thank you Pamela for this honor!! The award is supposed to carry with it the response of "7 ways I love to be creative". I had to think about this a little bit, but here is what I came up with:




1. I love to decorate!! One of my passions has always been to make my home a sanctuary for myself and my family. Having raised three sons, this was not always an easy task, but I like to think that I had an influence in them in making their homes warm and inviting also. I have never had a big budget to work with when decorating, so I learned to shop at garage sales and thrift stores early on in my life. (Now, it is my very favorite way to shop! The thrill of the hunt!! I have no trouble visualizing how things will look and can usually find a way to create the "look" without the "label". I like things that have a history to them-- Not all of our antiques are "family pieces" but they still have a history to me. You know, where you were when you found it, how it looked, what you did to it and how much you paid for it! Ha.



2. I love to work with my granddaughters on creative projects,--scrapbooking, miniatures, cooking, Fairy gardens, and art. Each one of them has a creative gift inside them and I want to encourage and nuture those gifts, so they can be developed and enjoyed by them and those around them. I love encouraging them in music, dance and all of the arts. I also love to encourage my daughters-in-love to find their creative gifts also.


3.I enjoy creating one-of-a-kind "Old World Santas". I started making these several years ago and they are so much fun. First the face, the armature, the costume, the hair and all the embellishments, toys, etc. I love to create custom heirloom Santas for families, incoporating their personal history, hobbies, pets, children, etc.



4. I have always loved flowers and growing them in my garden. This started a love of making arrangements with silk florals several years ago. I enjoy putting together the colors and textures and using one-of-a-kind unusual containers for the arrangements. After working at this in a furniture store for a few years, I began a business out of my home and enjoy this medium very much.

5. Miniatures are near to my heart. I first started in miniatures in the 70's, making small items for type tray displays, and this hobby grew into dollhouses and room boxes. It's fun to make a room in miniature, because it doesn't cost nearly the same amount and it stimulates my mind to see, how can I duplicate that in 1/12th scale? Tiny things have always intrigued me.



6. I love to sing!! My spirit soars when I sing about the Lord of my Life! Music is a powerfully creative thing in our world and I'm thankful for the gift of music I was given.



7. I'm a JUNKER!!! Yes, I'm one of those people whose heart starts pumping when they see a garage sale, a thrift store, or something put out by the curb! I love taking something that someone else has cast aside and giving it new LIFE!! I look at trash the same way that God looks at me, not what I am, but what I WILL and CAN become. I have found there are few lost causes, and it really gives me joy to recreate something into something else. One of the perks of turning 50 was that I now get 25% off on Tuesdays at the Goodwill!! Ha.


Well, that's probably more about me than you ever wanted to know! But I'm sure many, many of you in the land of Blog can relate. I remember when I first found a decorating blog, and then another and another! I was SO happy!! I said to my husband that evening, Guess what happened today? I FOUND MY PEOPLE!!! He looked at me sooo strangely and said what do you mean? I said," I found people who like to save old buttons, trim, fabrics, bump chenille, and millinery flowers, junky furniture and such, just like me!!! What a happy day that was!! So now, I know that I am not the only one who _____________. ( You fill in the blank!! ) Thank you my friends for inspiring me every day, I hope once in a while I can do the same for you!

Blessings, Linda

My Studio ~ Where I Create

Hi Friends! Today I'm participating in Karen Valentine's party Where Bloggers Create. For a complete list of all the girls who are joining in, click HERE. There are soooo many beautiful spaces to enjoy. So, get yourself a glass of something good, and join in the fun! Thank you Karen, for coming up with this great idea for all to share in! We all have a space where we get creative. Some of us have large spaces and some not so large, but each is special in it's own way to the artist who inhabits it. I will share pictures of my space with you. It's not huge but very adequate and a sunny room to be in, which I love. As you enter the door, this is the view you see.

My "unfinished" dollhouse is front and center, seems I never get around to working on it. It's on the "someday" list.

My bookcases are old laminate pieces that I painted at the beginning of the year and like them so much more now. The room is painted a spring green. I've decided that green must be my favorite color as I am always drawn to it. The color is brighter than it appears.
The large platter is begging for the word "CREATE" inside. I'm going to spell it out with green pearl beads when I get around to it. My neighbor gave me the wicker dress form.

Some of my favorite postcards and scripture cards.


An old spool cabinet that I've had for many years. I kept my jewerly in it, so it was way more than half empty! Ha. One day I decided to move it into the studio to hold all sorts of little things. It works great!

One of the Santas I have made. This one is a "Kansas Santa." He has the "Wizard of OZ" characters in the pack on his back.

Most everything happens at this work table, found at the Goodwill. I have a beautiful view to the Southwest, lots of trees and flowers under my window.

Hankies on clips for a window valance.

This door leads to my closet.

Closeup of my little dolls and bears. I keep my m-o-p buttons in this apothecary jar.

This doll and case was all made by a doll artist named Betsy Rouse. It's one of my very favorite things.

This is my sewing machine cabinet. I still need to get it painted white to match everything else. The quilt hanging was a very special gift from a dear friend. I just love it.

The remaining wall with countertop sitting on 2 old treadle sewing machine bases. I made a skirt to hang between them. The curio and small chest were painted out to match and stacked.

Another project in the "waiting room" is the large white frame. I want to put a tack board in it and cover it with a plum colored fabric. I may put chicken wire over that, not sure at this point. For now, I hung a little baby dress and an old print I love.

A box I put together.

I found this rack at the Goodwill, it perfectly holds 12x12 scrapbook paper.

A miniature Store window I put together many years ago.

Oops, Santa again!

This is a Christmas room I have been working on. It will fit in an 8x10 frame and hang on the wall.

Two recent miniature projects.

A "Victorian Bedroom" done many years ago.

"Sort of" organized closet.

A wooden plate I did a few years ago. I love how things look against a black background! Well, that's probably way more than you wanted to see! I love having this space and am so grateful for it. I feeds my creative spirit and helps me forget the cares of this world when I'm in there. I am fairly new to the blogging world, but have enjoyed it so much and gained so many friends from it. I FOUND MY PEOPLE, is how I like to say it!! Thank you for visiting, I hope you will come again. Now, go and see all the other wonderful spaces!

Be Blessed, my friends,

Linda

It's a party!

I've been busy getting ready for a shower I'm giving for my niece, who is expecting in September, their first child, a girl! I do believe this is the first baby shower I've given in many years, so it has to all come back to me. The shower will be out-of-town, so I won't have to clean my house!! ha. I wanted to do something different for invitations, so I used one of my borrowed pictures from Heide, I believe. I think this image is just the cutest thing!! I bought the ready-made card stock blank invitations at Michael's on clearance.

Found a little "O" stamp and added it for a little sparkle with glitter. Also the seam binding at the top with an mother-of-pearl button. I really liked the way it all turned out.


This banner was at Hob Lob in just the right color. I added the ruffled crepe paper to the back edges. Perfect!! Sorry about the smoky look, don't know what caused this. I promise the smoke alarms were not going off!!

A little decoration I already had and foofed up a bit.

This old birdbath will be on the porch to greet guests as they come in.

A small favor for each guest. Found the perfect boxes at Hob Lob and tied with seam binding I already had. I thought my little tiered stand with the bird on top would be perfect.

Each guest will receive a small wire bird nest with three pink eggs as a favor. I glued a magnetic strip on the back so it could be used to pin up a note.

I am planning to make 2 kinds of cupcakes for the refreshments, they ones with the cute birdies in the nest that I've seen several places in Blogland. The usual mints and nuts as well as some cheese on crackers for those that don't want the sugar. Sparkling pink lemonade to drink. I will try to take some pictures to share from the shower. Hope you are all having a wonderful and peaceful Sunday. Be Blessed, Linda