Merry Christmas and Best Wishes in the New Year!!

Merry Christmas dearest blog friends!!  I am late, very late, to the party this year.......just a lot of things on my plate, but mostly I am in the midst of recuperating from total knee replacement two weeks ago today.  As you can imagine, my "decorative endeavors" are slimmed and pared down considerably this year as I knew we did not need to have rooms of decorations to worry about getting taken down, packed and lugged to the basement!!  So, a simple 6 ft table tree in the family room and a sprinkling of Christmas everywhere else is the ticket, and it is beautiful.  Thinking maybe the peace of low-color decorations would be inviting, dealing with so many other things,  I just used stuff  I could find around the house in silver, gold, and white, and we really am enjoying it.

I'm finding that lately, less seems like more and of course a lot less craziness.  After an especially busy and frantic Fall, I am enjoying just the simplicity of sitting, or should I say "lying" in my recliner with my ice pack and pain pills and a cup of something comforting looking at all your wonderful homes decorated for Christmas!!  There is so much creativity out there!!!

I am doing well, they tell me, with my therapy, although frustrated that it is not fast enough, but you see that is part of my "overachieving" personality.  (Smile)  I found myself wanting to "wax" one of the other patients in the therapy room in the hospital......  he simply had too many excuses in my book!! (I'm not particularly proud of the fact that I secretly wanted to WAX Larry!!

But I cannot boast, as I have my moments too, when "I just don't feel like bending my knee in both directions until I feel it will pop like an overfull balloon and fly all over the room"!!  But they say, no pain -  no gain, literally, so I will persevere and hopefully and prayerfully be back to better-than-new before too very long.

I am grateful to have you come to visit and want to thank you all for your patience this year.......I have not posted as nearly as often as I intended.......and I do regret that.  Don't know what the future holds, but my intentions are that I will do better!!  I do so enjoy getting to know so many kindred spirits from all over the world!! 

I wish for you all the presence of Emmanuel, "God With Us" this Christmas and all of 2014.  We have several friends dealing with such very hard things right now, which really brings so many things into better focus about our lives.  May your homes be filled with light and love because those are the most important decorations in any home!!

Hoping you can slow down and get back to the basics as we all so long to do, and I pray for love, health, and prosperity as well, to be able to do the things you want to do and the ability to bless others with ALL you have to give.  Be remembered for your giving, rather than your getting!

So I'm Singing His Praises, 

Joy to the World

The Lord is Come!!

Let Earth Receive Her King!!!

Linda

Farewell to the Porch





 

Hi sweet friends!!  Hope I still have some of you out there.  Sharing a few photos of our screened porch.

 





Saying "till we meet again" to this little sweet space off the kitchen.....The temps are turning colder, and everyday there are fewer and fewer leaves on the trees.  The Fall season here this year has been so breathtakingly beautiful, I just really hate to see it end!!  This year just seems to have flown by.

                     I been away for a while, just so many things occupying my time it seems....... I worked most of the summer on two projects:  Decorations for our ladies retreat at church the last part of September, and then my Harvest Home Open House on Oct 12.  Both projects required many hours of creating, shopping, building, painting, etc and that is about all I really accomplished this summer!!!

 

Would you believe I really didn't take any pictures?  Yeah, I know, dumb, right?  I think I was just too tired ;)!!  I did take a few pics of some of the items at the open house I will show you later.

 

 

                              

I made some new covers for my vintage rocker and settee on the porch this summer and really enjoyed them.  I now have room for the rocker because I finally realized that my little vintage porcelain stove was taking up valuable real estate and I would get more benefit from having another chair out there, so I SOLD it....... yes friends, I sold my little stove to a friend who absolutely loves it too and will take good care of it I know.  I have enjoyed it for many, many years, but I am realizing more everyday that I must begin to pare things down a bit around here!!

 

 

Isn't it a beaut?  Just so very cute and sweet!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The front porch for my open house, notice the clever taping of a new crack in our sidewalk......

 

 

 

 

....I love the Fall and wish it would last twice as long as it does, but looks like that is not to be......Christmas this year will be a little different for me as I am having some knee surgery at the beginning of the month.....so I am doing only a little decorating and working on it now. 

 

Hope to show you my results soon....thanks for not giving up on me sweet friends, I really appreciate you visiting me here!!!

 

Hope you are all enjoying the beauty and blessing of Fall in your homes also.  It is truly a gift, isn't it?

 

 

Singing His Praises,

 

Linda......

Where Bloggers Create 2013!!!!

Welcome Friends!!! Today is the day we've all been waiting and preparing for!!  Nothing like company coming to get our motivation going is there?  Today is the day we get to share our creative spaces with everyone out there in Blogland!

Many, many thanks and accolades go to Karen Valentine of My Desert Cottage for hosting this wonderful yearly blog party again this year!!  I know she puts untold hours and effort into this special event every year.  It is truly a gift of love to all of us, Karen and we appreciate it so very much.  To see all the other glorious and beautiful spaces, you can find the links HERE.  Enjoy browsing and seeing the spaces of all the creative and talented women who make this world more beautiful and show us what and how they do it.  It is so much fun to see all the ideas for decorating and organizing our special creating places.  But, I warn you, it will take a few days to get through them all, so pace yourself!!

I have my studio cleaned and spiffed up, although I did not have as much time to revamp and primp as much as I would have liked too!!  But considering that six months ago, I could barely get in here, I have made real progress!!  Last year didn't exactly go according to plan with unexpected family events.  Its not a huge room, but I just love this space and am so very thankful to have it!!  The studio is just down the hall from the kitchen, so it is very convenient and such a refuge for me from the world and its cares and stresses.  My sweet husband encourages me to have it, for which I am so so thankful!!

Entering in........

I'm circling the room first and then I will go back and give you a few closer pics....I just love sitting in front of this window and looking out at the trees, flowers, and wildlife on our property as the seasons come and go...it is a beautiful view anytime of the year.  It is perfect.  I had to take this shot with a flash because of the sun coming in the window, so it is a little bleached out looking. The window faces southwest, so there is always great light in the afternoons.  The window covering is an old lace shawl.

Backing up just a bit......You can see the side of my dollhouse, which is, I'm afraid, still a work in progress...but I tinker with it anyway even though I don't have all the trim done, etc after changing some of the wallpaper.

The front door is missing, ..... I need to repaint it a different color, so it is off at this point.  And I ran out of the black octagon shingles, so I need to find something else for the porch roof.  Isn't there always something that needs doing on our houses, big or small?

Looking back towards the door.

I have made a few changes on this side of the room, namely I took off the closet door, so I could put some cubbyhole units in the closet along that wall.  Also, I used to have my sewing machine where the white cupboard is, but moved it into the other bedroom so I could have more workspace in here.  We moved in the little table that was from my husband's childhood home.  It is the cutest thing and has pull out leaves on each end.  I put a big piece of glass on top and covered the sharp edges with duck tape.  I really like sitting here and working too, and if our granddaughters want to spend time crafting, it makes space for them too.

A shot of my somewhat messy closet, but you get the

 idea.  I really have it crammed in there!

I try to label all my boxes and tubs, otherwise, I can't remember what is in them and that wastes a lot of time when you are hunting for something that you know you have!!

Moving on around the room................

My curio cabinet, where I keep small dolls and miniatures I have made.

Another work space,......IF it is not heaped with piles!! I used two of the cubbyhole units for the ends and a piece of Formica countertop over. The shelf above is a recent addition to hold miniature room boxes I am working on.

The little fairy scene under the mushroom was a class by Karla Nathan at Birdsong last year.  The NEST sign (on the wall in the picture below) is also from Birdsong, another Karla Nathan class.  I didn't get to go this year because of a conflict.......hope maybe next year again....It is so much fun!!!

Miniature dress forms I made, and taught as a class for my local mini club.

A couple of my Santas,........ these were several years ago.  The one in brown is a Kansas Santa with Wizard of Oz characters in his backpack.  Haven't made any Santas for a couple of years, but I want to make some more.......never enough time.  Each Santa carries a small gift box with a tiny nativity inside and a message about the real meaning of Christmas.

A pretty corner, love the purple beaded lamp shade. MOP buttons in the apothecary jar.  My tiny, tiny dolls are in the little glass case.

I just love these little dolls, the smaller they are, the better I like them!  It has taken years to collect them here and there.

This old spool cabinet holds an amazing amount of little stuff to create with.  I have had it for many many years and it used to be my jewelry box, but I only filled up two drawers so I decided this would be a better use for it.

Another corner in the room, need to fill up my candy jars with some chocolate!!

The kitchen in the dollhouse....see what I mean about the lack of trim.....

Livingroom

A miniature hall tree, want to make one of these in "full size" for my big house ;)  I have the doors and other components, but need some help from my guy.  I'm not good with power tools!

Miniature coffee table made from a dollhouse "window" So much fun to design and make, another club project..

Another miniature cabinet.

This is a piece I am currently working on.  The theme is gratitude! This is not a miniature, measures about 12 x 16.  It will be under glass so it won't get dusty.  When doing assemblages, I like to have them under glass if possible so they can be kept  looking nice for a very long time and these days, who wants to dust something like that? So, I am always on the lookout for shadowbox frames in my thrifting adventures.

I am so happy to have each of you in my studio want to say a sincere "thank you" so much for stopping by to visit and letting me show you around.  If you were really here, we could have a glass of lemonade and work on creating something beautiful together! Creating is such a huge gift in my life and I am forever grateful to God for allowing me to pursue these interests.  I believe the desires He places in our hearts are the ones that fit our gifting and calling in this life.  He is the Master Creator.  

~

"Create in me a pure heart, O God, 

and renew a steadfast spirit within me."

~

Psalm 51:10

Be blessed

 always in your creating dear friends,

Linda

Happy Memorial Day Wishes and Gardening endeavors

Happy Memorial Day to everyone!!  Hope your day was filled with happy picnics, family reunions, parades, decorating graves of those dear to us, and remembering those who have fallen in service to our precious and beloved country.  May their sacrifices never be in vain and may we always remember that our freedoms were all bought with a price and precious blood has been shed to keep us free in this country.

Our day was a quiet one, we received some very much needed rain!  Several good hours of it and got at least 3 maybe 4 inches !!  The ponds in this area are all but dry and we so need this wonderful rain to replenish them and the earth.  Makes us so thankful for every drop that falls from the heavens for sure.

We have really been working in our yard and flower beds for the last few weeks.  Darling husband, especially, has put in some long hours filling low spots up by the house and redressing with bark mulch.  It all just takes time and effort, but it is so worth it at the end of the day.  We so enjoy sitting on our porch and enjoying the fruits of our labors.   We call our little 3-acre tract "The Promised Land".  It is the property that we have always dreamed of owning with lots of trees and the Lord led us to it at just the right time in our lives. 

Yesterday we picked out some knockout roses for the new bed he has been working on.  This particular spot has been hard to grow grass in for the past two summers and finally we just decided to give up on grass and make it into a landscaped bed!  We found enough limestone rocks on our property to line the area, so it looks pretty natural I think.

We plan to put in some knockout roses and also bought some crape myrtles to put in here.  the pots that are sitting there are a shrub call "Abelia" .  I loved the colors in the foliage and hope they will do well.  We have never grown these before.  This is right by our driveway going out to the street.

This is the view looking back at the house from the drive.  We will soon have the carpet roses under the pear tree blooming.  They are the red ones with the yellow centers.  So pretty.

A closer view of the front porch, we enjoy sitting out here in the mornings and evenings to watch the sunsets.  I got my baskets of vining geraniums planted in the hanging pots but it will take a while for them to grow out.  Overlook the ugly gutter pipes, we, "someday" hope to get them buried under the sidewalk.  Wish we had thought of that before the sidewalk was put in ;).  Darling husband made tabletops for the two sewing machine frames flanking the door.  Then he cut out holes in them for the pots with the Kimberly Queen ferns to sit right inside the circle.  They will grow huge by summer's end.

The view from the porch.  See the birdcage stand used to hold a hanging pot?  Hopefully, my million bell petunias will do well there.

This is at the end of the house.  This bed had to be all filled in with dirt because it had settled so much during the past two dry summers.  It is looking pretty good.  The peony plants are just starting to bloom.  We have a new arbor ready to put together and replace this one.  It is starting to just fall apart.  I may have to sacrifice the rose bushes though to get it in,   and wouldn't you know this is the best they have ever looked!! The new arbor is made of vinyl and should do much better.  It is very similar in shape to this one.

Another view of the side flower bed.

This is a back bed along the side of our yard.  It is a little wild and I have been trying to gt it under control.  Hope to get all the weeds out and then put down Preen and new brown mulch.  This is the place I often get a case of Poison Ivy!!! Ugh.

This is an old treadle sewing machine carcass that I decided to plant in...It will fill in and look beautiful.  When the planter part falls apart, I will still have the stand to use in a different way.

I also have a "flower" bed planted now with a few green onions, but I plan to plant zinnias in it this week.  And the planted wheelbarrow is new this year.  Just something different.  Notice the hanging bar of soap to deter the deer.  They are a real menace for sure!

This pic is across the back of our property, really the side, but our house is place catawhompus to the road.  We added this berm a few years back when we had to have a lot of earth removed from the walk-out end of our house to get it to drain properly.  So, this is how we used all the dirt.  We have forsythia, lilacs, viburnums, salvia, and cone flowers along here.  It has all been trial and error along the way.

Looking past the walk-out end of our home.  We put in drainage tubes out to the road and filled it all in with rock and plantings to look like a dry creek bed.....Oh So Much Work!!   but turned out lovely and has done the trick with the drainage problems.

Thanks for wading through all these pictures.  I just love this time of year and am sooooo hoping that we have a different kind of summer this year with regular rains and not those long weeks of 100+ temps.  It is so nice to finally see things starting to bloom.  Seems like Spring has taken so long to get here this year, but it IS here now!!   

Now that the weather is getting better, I have lots of refinishing things to work on in the garage.  Have also been working on new cushion covers for the wicker furniture on the screened in porch.  I will show you when I get it all done!!  

Singing His Praises,

Linda

Its Beginning to look a lot like ??????

Ahhhhhhhhhh, the lilacs of Spring..............such a beautiful sight.  Aren't they just lovely?  I don't think we have had a prettier crop at this location ever.  They come from an old bush that we transplanted from my husband's parents home.  They had gotten their start from the farm of my MIL's parents, so these lilacs have a long history.  My husband says he can still remember driving down the long lane to his grandparents house and smelling the lilac bushes lining the drive.  What a precious memory.  This is the third year or so since we moved the bush and thus far it had not bloomed, so we were a bit discouraged.  

So, we have lilacs and gorgeous ones!!  They smell heavenly.  The old pitcher was also from my MIL's home, so it seemed a fitting vessel for the bouquet.

There is only one little problem.  I cut these, all of them, before the last snow storm which was a week ago!!   My husband had mowed the grass the night before the expected snow and we agreed that maybe it would be better to pick the bush clean and at least enjoy them in the house then to loose them all in the frigid temps.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO  frustrating is this SPRING!!  When will it ever arrive???

I also bought flowers the day before to plant in the pots on the porch and deck.  They are patiently waiting in the garage to be put into the soil.  Maybe today it MIGHT be safe to plant them......I am leery, but I think they may not hold that much longer, so I may start today timidly.  They said the sun would be shining today, but so far I don't see it.  Now this is a big deal for me as I am one of those people who runs on..................

SOLAR BATTERIES!!!!!!

I'm starting to feel desperate people!

So, if you can't have Spring and warm sunny weather, what do you do?............

You start preparing for......................... CHRISTMAS!!!...........yes, that's right, it will be here before we know it!!

,

You put on your Nat King Cole album  and sing along, slightly changing the words in honor of Cinco de Mayo and belt out " Nachos roasting on an Open Fire".............

At the very least, I thought I would do something constructive since I can't plant flowers or paint anything in the garage.........

I bleached out some bottle brush trees  to decorate for the Christmas season.  I hope to offer some in cloche -type containers for sale in the fall.  Most of them turned out pretty well, a few stubbornly stayed the weird green color, so I guess they will get dyed green again, although I think I can come up with a much prettier shade of green.

So, that is what I have been up to.  I hope wherever you are, the sun is shining and it is Spring.  I know Spring eventually will get here, but it sure seems to be stubborn this year.  If it means, however, that we might have a more bearable summer with cooler temps and more rain, than it will be worth it in every way!!  We are getting some very much needed moisture and that is a VERY GOOD THING, so I am thankful!!  However, my theory is that if the sun is not shining..............

IT NEEDS TO BE RAINING OR SNOWING!!!

Singing His Praises in the snow and the rain and evermore,

Linda