Snips and Snails

 I ended up staying home today and trying to get every last little thing done from our Sunday installs. It is amazing how many little things-like hiding cords, filling holes, repainting, adjusting heights, etc. there can be with even just the few things we did. I originally had a list of thirteen things I needed to do but as the day progressed, I noticed more. And now the day is almost over and I think I have accomplished them all and can finally move on. Most of the things were simple tasks so it's not quite as impressive as it sounds but it does feel good to get them done. The sad part is that even if I didn't do all of them, most people probably wouldn't have noticed but I would have and that would be enough to bother me. Lol

I did do one more lamp switch and hopefully I am now done. The tall, thin lamp that ended up in the family room just wasn't right. It was so tall it hit the bottom of the valance and I actually was going to raise the curtain rod when I realized the answer might be right in front of my eyes...this is the lamp on the end of the dresser in the primary bedroom. It is just there for some balance and I never actually use it so I guess that's why I never even "see" it but today I did and decided to swap it out.

So, it went from here...

...to here.

It is so much better here and now I don't have to mess with the valance rod because this one is nowhere near as tall. The other one that I had here for just a hot minute...

...is now here. I think with the crystals it reads as a bit "boudoir-y" so even if it is not perfect here it is better. And, since I don't use that lamp, I will probably soon forget all about it and I will be good. Lol

After another session behind my fence-which is now pretty much done-I needed something to do sitting to give my back a break and, since the St. Pat's things are so close at hand, I really did start to think about that decor and how I would be changing it up this year. I've been simplifying all of my decor but the changes that we made on Sunday are also forcing a few other changes so my mind got going.

I wasn't really happy with the things I put in the shelf cubbies last year...

Horrible picture but a slightly better idea of what I mean. I am wondering how in the world I let that slip by me but, not this year. Lol

 I decided I wanted something of more presence in the two outside cubbies and thought I would see what I could find when I ran my errands tomorrow. I thought I might like simple pots of shamrocks and then remembered that I bought some shamrock sprigs as soon as they hit Walmart this year. I was thinking of painting a small terra cotta pot and was out looking on my potter's bench when I spied a beautiful green pot that I bought ages ago and loved. It was made in Portugal so it just has the prettiest finish..."oh, if I only had another!". But wait!! Once again my hoarding saving tendency took me to the bottom shelf and there she was!

I brought them in, scrubbed them up and just got busy. I simply filled the pots with floral foam, put green moss over the top and stuck in the sprigs that I cut off of the bush. I was thinking about how I could embellish-thought about adding some gold coins, maybe a leprechaun, etc. when I remembered that I was keeping it simple this year. I made two of these and I think they will work perfectly. If not, I have two pretty pots of shamrocks I can scatter elsewhere.

And with that, I have pretty much shot today. It's time to think about what tomorrow will bring, figure out what is for dinner and call it a day. I am going to try to hit a number of spots tomorrow so if I find any treasures, I will be back to share. I just wanted to let you know that I think you can stop worrying about where all of the lamps will end up in my house...I think the decisions have been made. Finally! Lol Stay safe and stay tuned.

 

Finally!

I was starting to wonder of I would EVER finish up this year's Valentine tour but, here I am...finally. Actually, I just realized that the rooms that I usually post have all been done and all that I have left to show you is the primary bedroom which often goes unposted unless we are dealing with a holiday that has an overflow of photos and, apparently, Valentine's Day does.

Again, the sun and mirrors make these spots hard to photograph...at least for me as I am really not a photographer. If it can't be caught with point and click, it probably isn't going to be caught. Lol In any case, here is my overload of pictures as well as some of the little pots and holders that we made as gifts so many years ago-I just noticed that the spool says 2003!!

We made this idea many times and with many different grands-we even made them in G.S. one year as gifts for their parents.

I made this with my three youngest grands back when I was doing lots of their handprint crafts and when their prints would actually still fit in a frame. Now they're way too large and the kids are mostly all grown up. Sigh!!

So that is it for Valentine's this year. I am still doing a bit of tweaking from the moves we made on Sunday but not a lot. I did go back and add another candle holder to the blanket chest because we were ignoring the "rule of odd numbers" and it was driving me crazy. Soooo much better now. I'm not sure why the eye is more pleased with odd numbers, but it is...at least mine!

And now here I am doubting myself. Whenever I do the odd number thing, for whatever reason, I only think of the "extras". Now I'm wondering if the lamp counts-then I'm all wrong but I still like it this way better. Lol

I'm loving how cozy the kitchen makes me feel when I wake up on these cold days and it is still dark outside. I'm so glad I added all of those different lighting effects.

I'm off to fill in the holes left in the walls from moving the two sets of sconces and then give them a quick swipe of paint. Lucky for me, I'm a bit of a hoarder saver so I still have the leftover paint from the repainting of those rooms many years ago. Lol Then, I am grabbing some lunch and heading back out to the field behind my house. I'm getting close to having everything back there well away from my fence and it looks so good...until the spring rains come and everything starts growing like "weeds" again. Lol Stay safe and stay tuned.

I Guess You Can...

 I'm back after having such a wonderful day yesterday! Daughter #3, her family and her dogs all arrived ready to work...and feed us all afterwards! The number 1 thing on my list was getting the pediment hung and, as I have posted previously, my gut was telling me exactly where it should go although I had a few other spots I was considering as well. Would it surprise you to know that it ended up in NONE of those places? After holding it up in many places and my designer daughter telling me why I probably wouldn't like it there-meaning she didn't...LOL-we decided on taking down the sign that has hung in the kitchen for quite some time ever since I made it...

...and hanging it there instead.

And, I have to admit, I LOVE it there. It is a pediment after all and, after seeing it in the places where I thought I would use it as a shelf, it just makes more sense to be hung higher. And, dare I say, it gives the room a little bit of "class" as opposed to my sign. LOL And, it takes away one more of the "country" features I clung to for so long. I am one to say that a decorator should always listen to their client because the client is the one living in the home but, I can see where there are times that you really need to let go and trust the process. I guess they can see the finished result and I always get stuck on the steps along the way. I guess that's why they get the "big bucks". Lol

Once it was clear that this wouldn't be over the love seat we tried using the sconces there but that just didn't work so they went into the living room where I really wanted them to begin with. I have always loved those lights in daughter #1's house and I love them even more here! For whatever reason, they speak to me.

Of course, putting them here meant 1. moving the table lamp that was here because the lamp next to the sconce looked silly and 2. taking down the candle holders that were here forever. And that kind of started a game of musical lamps. Our goal was to not have lamps close to sconces or wall hung candle holders or just too many lighting things of the same kind in the same room.

Also, moving the lamp meant we needed something else with a bit of size so we stole the arrangement from the blanket chest-and I like the way it looks-and then did this on the chest.

 Here's where we are now. Most of these things are for certain and will remain but there are two I'm still struggling with.

So this is where the LR candle holders ended up and then the lamp from the LR as well except it moved to the other end of the console because it was too close to the wall candles...makes sense and I'm good with that.

But, since there is already one set of wall sconces my daughter thought I should take down the ones that hung on either side of the "window" in the dining room. This is what is currently here and I'm not so sure I'm liking that very long wall so blank...yet to be decided.

And because we switched up the lamps, this thinner lamp ended up in the family room and moved to the opposite side of where I usually kept a lamp. From this...

...to this. Again, the reasoning is that if the lamp is on the left, it is too close to the lantern on the end of the mantle. I guess it makes sense-I might just need a second. Lol

I think that's it for now. We measured for the new rug in the living room but haven't quite settled on the design. We also got the cameras going to be installed once we decide on placement, fixed the back gate and checked the oil in my car. And all before having our really delicious dinner the leftovers of which remain here to feed me for a few more days. LOL

I did forget to show you the cute cordless lamp I picked up the other day and put in the family room on the shelves. I love the glow it gives this little angel.

So, I think that catches you up. I am off to the field behind my house to do a bit of clearing before it gets too cold again but, I did finish taking photos of the rest of the Valentine decor so I will finish up our tour soon. Stay safe and stay tuned.

Happy Chilly Fri-YAY!

 Happy Fri-YAY! Again, I don't know why this end of the week day excites me more than the others now that I am free every day, but I guess "brain muscle memory" just reminds me that it is the end of another week and no matter how busy or the complete opposite of busy that week was, it is cause to relax and enjoy! And so I am. As soon as I woke up and knew what today was, the whole day took on a new "complexion". Somehow everything I am doing just seems like more fun. Lol

I still don't have the end of our tour ready for you but I do have a bit to share. Wednesday was Grandparents' Day at my grandchildren's high school and it is something I look forward to every year and this year was no exception. I left my house with the thermometer reading 30 degrees so I knew that some things might have to be handled differently than in past years-specifically all of the time we would spend out in the courtyard. Usually we were there before mass and then again after as the gym was set up for breakfast service. This was also the time that we would have our "formal" photos taken.

This year, as soon as I arrived, I was told to head straight into the gym-where it was nice and toasty. The grandparents arrive first and then the students are all released to join us. And, the mass usually speaks to how important all of the family is in forming a young person's life and how involved grandparents play such an important part in that. It always reminds me just how grateful I am to have had all of my grandchildren close enough that I didn't have to miss out on much of their lives-and, how quickly time has gone. 

My first grandchild went to pre-school 29 years ago and ever since then I have been a part of all of the special times not just for her but for her 6 cousins that followed. And, it is hard for me to fathom that after this one, I only have one more to go!

In any case, after the mass we were told to head to the "Trinity Cafe" where they had set up this year's breakfast. I'm not sure if this change was weather related or just the way it was planned but this year there was no "formal" breakfast. And, since the kids had an early dismissal and I can check them out, they asked if I wouldn't rather head out to one of their favorite restaurants for a "proper" breakfast. And, of course, I was onboard.

Normally they know I would want that photo but that was a bit different this year as well so the kids grabbed a friend and we got a picture on campus before heading off.

We had a wonderful, unrushed breakfast and it is always so nice to just have a chance to talk and really hear what is going on in their lives.

After breakfast, they took me back to my car and, since their school is so close to our mall-where I hardly ever go anymore-I decided to take a trip down memory lane and headed on. I used to be at our mall a lot!! I loved shopping there. But, traffic, the change in the stores, the fact that I don't really need that much any more and other things just don't draw me there much any longer. But, I was on the search for a "Fresh Cut Roses" Yankee Candle and since we have a store there, I decided to give it a try.

I will say, the mall is not the happening place it used to be. For someone like me who likes to see and touch something before I buy it, it is still one of my best choices. And, Macy's was FULL of beautiful spring colors so that was invigorating as I shopped with my heavy coat still on. Lol

And, lucky for me, I was able to get my candles so I didn't have to wait for delivery or pay for shipping and I even managed to find myself a cute new top. I have a couple of trips in my future and I'm already starting to think about what I will be wearing.

In any case. when I got home and printed up my pictures I was a little sad that we didn't have the ones they usually did so I got busy with my photo shopping. Now, anyone who knows me knows that this isn't my forte. I might be able to do a better job if I had a more complex program but that isn't something I need often so I resort to the "jerry-rigging" style that I am so used to. This time it amounted to making copies of past pictures, cutting them apart, trying to hide the past date, sizing this year's pictures correctly, etc. And, of course, by the time I was done, the generations definitely showed their "degeneration". Colors changed and I had to chuckle at a few that came before the one that I finally settled on but I am happy to just have one with the border and it will go on the large bulletin board on the side of my pantry amongst so many other photos that I don't think the inconsistencies will even show. 

I was surprised to see a Trinity Facebook post about Grandparents' Day with pictures from the past to see the one back from when grandson #1 was a senior and grandson #2 was just a freshman. Not sure why they used that picture but it was fun to see our faces pop up where they were least expected. Lol

I headed back out yesterday for a few more errands and managed to find a lot of little things I was looking for as well as some I wasn't. I found the prettiest green glass candle holder in Walmart as well as the matching round tray. I loved the feel of them but I don't use a lot of tapers so I almost went on by until I realized how pretty they would look put together. And so, with just a little Gorilla Clear Grip, this is what I have now.

That will look pretty with a pillar candle or a half sphere and I can see me using it for St. Pat's, Easter and spring at the very least.

And, the other thing that used up way more of my life than it should have this week was the repair of the Valentine bracelet that I told you about. I should have taken a picture as I was about 3 hours into this repair and had enough tools out to build something let alone repair a little bracelet. I knew this was going to be difficult-and it was-but, I am nothing if not determined when I put my mind to something. I thought I was going to have to give up when even the drill bits on my Dremel wouldn't open up those holes but somehow I finally made it. I couldn't find the right replacement beads but I made do with what I had and I will be wearing this soon! If you look quickly, you don't even notice the different beads...very quickly! Lol

And, you can see where my mind is heading. Somehow the first of the St. Pat's decor magically appeared right next to me in my office for me to start going through it! Lol

So that's all I've got for today...although it sure took me a long time to say not much of anything. Lol I'll be back-probably after Sunday so I can show you how the decorating turned out and maybe we can finish out tour. Stay safe and stay tuned.

Almost Done

 Happy Monday! As usual on Mondays I am trying to get my week lined out. I was supposed to have my grand dog, Rory, here this week while daughter #2 and her family headed off to the mountains for a winter vacation. I was looking forward to it because Rory is a chocolate lab-and labs are near and dear to my heart after having our Mandy for so many years-but, the kids asked if Rory couldn't tag along. I guess they've seen and heard stories about how much labs love the snow and since they are staying in a house that allows pets, they decided to give it a try. And so, my week now seems to be pretty free.

It looks like daughter #3 and her family will be coming over on Sunday to help me get those VERY HEAVY things hung. I want my daughter's help in narrowing down where I think I want them and the guys' muscles to hold them up in all of the places we are considering so we can get a better idea. I have three places in mind for the "shelf" but my gut keeps taking me back to the end of the dining room so we shall see. I do think if it goes there it might need to be cut down a bit so that may come into play on its placement as well.

There's just something about that old chippy color that cries out wanting to be near this cutie-also "inherited" from the same daughter.

Don't they look like they were made for each other? Funny thing-hanging OVER this piece was not one of my options. I was considering it over the loveseat.

But, now that I'm thinking about it-hmmmmm. Good thing both my son-in-law and grandson are strong because it looks like they might be hauling that thing around a bit more than I initially thought. I'm getting very excited about FINALLY having these things-the shelf and the sconces (which can't be hung until I know where the shelf lands) up so I can begin planning on how I will decorate them.

So, that still leaves me lots of time this week to catch up on more of my "little things". And now that I actually have time to think about these things, I am realizing that some of the things I have done in the past I was never actually totally happy with. For me, the crafting part is more important than the finished product. But, that being said, I really don't like to make things if they are not something I want to use. Of course, you don't always know what you will get until you try. That was the case with this "shelf leaner" that I made a few years ago. Ever since, it has just been propped somewhere but really never to my liking.

Somehow this year it ended up propped against the fire place doors...until I wanted to have a fire and then I just moved them out of the way and decided that I liked it better without it here. It wasn't until a day or two later that it hit me...why not hang it and see how it looked.

Soooo much better and all I had to do was hot glue on a piece of wire so I could wrap it around the arch.

So, with ALL of that behind us, let's peek into the bathrooms.

These little soaps are still one of my favorite gifts that granddaughter #5 and I made for family and friends one year. The soaps just involved melting down the soap blocks from HL, coloring and scenting  them and pouring that into the sweetheart candy molds. Once they were solid, we unmolded them and arranged them onto a plate that she made by decoupaging a napkin onto a clear glass dish and wrapping it all up in cellophane for gifting.

And, again, just a nod to the holiday in the primary.

I will probably get the rest of the tour posted this week and that still gives me over two weeks until Valentine's Day finally gets here. I am SO getting itching to be rid of the RED! Red is not a favorite color for me although I am such a traditionalist that I have to have it here for this holiday. As much as I wish I could go neutral, I just can't. But, that being said, I don't have to like it. LOL I think my habit of stacking new treasures in my office right next to where I am typing this for you somehow always pushes me to see the next decor and when the colors of the next decor are my favorites, I get all the more antsy. This is what I am currently looking at. It does strike me as interesting that there is NOT one new craft here. I am really having trouble finding new things to make that I have either not made before or that I actually like. That makes me sad because I love crafting but I will just have to come up with some other new projects to keep me busy until craft motivation strikes again. Sigh!

I swear those colors and "feels" bring my blood pressure down 20 points just by being there. My next swap out will be to St. Patrick's Day so, of course, LOTS of green-which...no secret...is my favorite color! I actually have at least three new framed pictures ready for this year and they are all more of the muted colors and images of quiet spots that "might" be nestled somewhere in Ireland-but probably not. Lol I don't care-it is the color and mood I am going for.

My next "little" fix that has been on the back burner for two years...yes, you saw that right...is restringing a Valentine bracelet. I got the bracelet a number of years ago from Chicos and I love it...and it was not inexpensive. It broke two years ago and I saved all of the parts except that after all of this time, I am now missing two small red beads and one crystal cut bead. I think I probably have reasonable facsimiles in my stash but I know I am going to have some trouble with this because of the way it was constructed-hence the reason I put it off so long. But, I am delighting in getting these kinds of things off of my list so I will let you know how it goes. I also need to get back outside and cover-once again-everything that needs some babying and haul in the poinsettias again also. Yesterday it was 83 degrees and tonight we are plunging into the freezing numbers and it looks like we'll be there for awhile. Mother Nature definitely has a warped sense of humor this year!

Stay safe and stay tuned.