Wrapping It Up

There is a reason I should stay out of stores this time of year. As much as I am not the biggest fan of Valentine's Day, when I am planning a "Nana" weekend, anything is fair game. If I see something I think the kids will like, I get it. And, if a craft we are doing gives the kids any kind of choice in supplies, I seem to have to buy everything that could possibly be a choice. And then, don't even get me started on St. Pat's, Easter and spring decor. If you have been a reader for awhile, you know that my favorite color is green...I love it in any form. And so, as all of the beautiful spring things begin to fill the shelves, I am a goner!

Luckily, I like a sale...and St. Pat's and Easter isn't on sale yet so I lucked out a bit-although, I do have my list ready, willing and able to hit those stores as soon as I even suspect it may be time.

I have changed my mind a few times on the crafts for this weekend. I think I have finally settled on the napkin decoupaged plates that we can fill with goodies and a canvas that the kids will have free rein to decorate as a shelf sitter or hanger. Of course, that is where I ran into trouble because I want the kids to have lots of choices so they can design their masterpiece any way they want. I love how they all start with the same things and yet they all turn out so differently. And, I think we may even have a few more guests this weekend so it should really be fun.

So now I begin the organizing part of the weekend. I like to have everything laid out so we do not have to spend time digging through closets, drawers, etc. Of course, there is always the "one" who wants something I didn't put out, but they are so familiar with my house that they pretty much can find what they need on their own.

Since I adore the age old tradition of hand made Valentines and have done it for years and years starting way back when I was young, if I can incorporate something like this along the way, I am happy. But, I didn't just want the kids to make cards. And so, I came upon the idea of giving them canvases and letting them design them much the same way that they would a card but it could then be used as a piece of decor.

I always like to do a sample because that way I can figure out the bumps before the kids are actually doing it. And, I did encounter enough bumps along the way that I have modified our schedule a bit to accommodate a longer "drying time" than I anticipated.

Since I love vintage design so much, I went that route. The canvas will start with a sheet of decoupaged tissue paper. Since I came upon this paper, I was a happy camper. Most of the other papers I have are a bit more "modern" in design and I assume that will be the way the kids will choose to go.

After the tissue is dry, their imagination will be their only limit. I have, beads, sequins, stickers, rosettes, gems, glitter, etc. They can go to town. I went pretty basic because it is just a sample and I needed to move on to other things.

The other things I needed to move onto being this:
 

 
Normally, all of this would be on the dining room table and we would be crafting in the sunroom. But, since we will be 9 people this weekend, the dining room table will be needed for our work space and I'm keeping the sunroom free for any over flow of projects. And so, the kids' bed is serving as my organizing space. Hopefully we will have used all of this before bedtime...lol

I truly try to anticipate anything we may need so that I can be with the kids and not rummaging around trying to find supplies while they are waiting. We really do squeeze in a lot of "stuff"...hence more memories...in a weekend and this helps keep us moving along.

And so, I am off to get the rest of the weekend organized...with maybe one quick stop beforehand.

I told you I was starting to pick up things I saw for St. Pat's. I always grab the green M&M's when I see them and green jute? Well, you never know. The rest of the items are from the $ Tree. I saw the cutest idea on a craft blog that I follow and knew I had to give it a try before all of the supplies were gone. Of course, now that I have the supplies, I can wait until next week to actually do the project, but somehow, every time I walk past them, I feel a tug. So much to do...so little time. You know I'll be back soon with lots of photos. Stay tuned.

Patience Is a Virtue!

Patience may be a virtue but it is definitely not my forte. I know I have shared this before, but Valentine's Day seems to be the hardest holiday of the whole year for me to find things I want to do. It has always been this way. I really think it is because of the colors...not my favorite. In any case, I struggle to find craft ideas-even though I long to do a craft-and ideas for cards are few and far between. I did, however, find a card idea a number of weeks ago and I have just been putting it off. For whatever reason, I decided today was the day.

I had all of the supplies I needed except glue sticks...which is odd for me because I usually load up on them when school supplies go on sale. But, I didn't have any today and they are definitely my glue of choice on paper projects like cards. And, I just did not want to get dressed and head out. I have a ton of errands to run and knew that once I was out, I would be gone for hours and it just wasn't doing it for me today.

 I decided that I could make them with my Tacky glue. But, try as I might, either no glue came out or large blobs of glue came out. And large blobs are not what you want when dealing with tiny, little hearts.

And so, this project turned into an example of patience...which I have already told you is in short supply around here. It IS a gorgeous, sunny winter day. The birds are flitting all over my feeders. Lots of flowers are still in bloom...and all of that is in sight of my crafting spot...so, I persevered.

And, I think they turned out kind of cute.

Now I'm off to start gathering up everything I already bought for this year's "Valentine weekend at Nana's"...which is next weekend. I think I have finally decided on crafts, food, sweets and games. Daughter #2 and my brother and sister-in-law will be joining so it promises to be a fun time. I think I have a bit more of the house to show you, so I will be back. Stay tuned.

Fri-Yay!

I am marveling at the fact that I have now made it to the end of the week...and haven't lost a grand child yet. Although, I definitely know that I am glad I'm the Nana and not in charge of pick-ups every day any more. Both days, there has been some minor bit of confusion-I'm guessing because "mom" is out of town and I am not privy of the ins and outs...and changes...until right before they happen. In any case, I have been where I ultimately needed to be and picked up as many children as I ultimately needed to pick up-friends included. I know with all of the moms being working moms, a lot of carpooling and helping out is needed and I'm glad I could do it...but thankful that it is not my daily life as flying by the seat of my pants and needing to be in two places at the same time is not my forte. Lol

In any case, I am waiting to see where today takes me so I thought I would show you the family room while I have a minute.

This is where the armoire is right now. I have not been out to shop for anything new yet. I'm kind of thinking that I want a few lighter colored European urns and some family photos that will stay in here all the time and then just a few seasonal/holiday embellishments as the year rolls on. It is kind of weird not seeing all of those holiday photos in here but this piece just reads a bit "grander" so I am keeping the other pictures in the piece in the sunroom and this will be kept a little "classier"...because I am nothing if not classy. Lol

So that is the family room. I think I am once again reminded that the colors of this holiday are just not my favorite. There is definitely not as much decor as usual and I never seem to have a lot to say about what is here. As a matter of fact, I have already started thinking about St. Pat's Day...I do love me some green! Stay tuned.

Here We Go Again

I am going to be picking grand children up from their various schools today( as their decorator mom and aunt head to Atlanta for the Home and Interior Design Show) so I knew I didn't really have enough time to get into any big projects. And, since I left everything from yesterday's crafting out, trying another pillow would be a fun and simple way to spend the morning.

Again, I had an inspiration picture but wasn't sure exactly how I wanted to do this. Since the design featured hearts that were a bit different in size and shape...but had the same sized negative space in the middle...I thought it best for me to cut some patterns so that when I started painting, I knew to move out of that space and not into it...does that even make any sense? Lol

And so, I cut out the hearts and played around with their placement before giving them a quick trace.

 Then, I added a bit more craft paint into the watered down paint from yesterday in hopes that it would read a bit more red...and it does! I will say, now that it was thicker, I didn't expect it to bleed as much as it has. I am good with it in most spots but will probably go back and even up a few places once it has dried a bit. And then, I will have to decide if I want to add anything else or call it a day. I like it right now but find myself constantly looking at all of the negative space and feeling tempted to start adding. Trying to fight the urge because most often the hardest part is knowing when to stop! I think I might actually have to see this on a pillow form before I will know for sure.

It was hard for me to do, but I decided to stop. Still thinking about filling those spaces but going to resist.

I have a few more crafts I want to try but need a day to get out and find supplies. Also, I think there are a few rooms left to share. I'll be back. Stay tuned.

Out of Breath!

Holy cow. Every time I think I am about caught up, something else just keeps getting added to the list. The "move" was truly more massive than I thought it would be...although, when we were moving two huge, heavy units of furniture, I'm not sure why I didn't fully understand the scoop. Maybe it was because I just wanted it to happen so badly that I didn't want to be discouraged. But, I digress.

In any case, I did some touch up staining where the years had left dings and scratches and then hit the entire family room unit with a good soaking of lemon oil. I apparently did such a good job with the stain and lemon oil that when the "gifting" daughter came by yesterday, she said she wished she could have it back. Although, that lasted for about a nanno second before we both knew that this unit had definitely found its forever home. When I sell this house, the unit will go with it because I will never be a part of a move like that again! All of the luster is back and I am totally in love with it. Of course then it was time to move everything back into the units that had been emptied for the move and, because the old family room one was configured differently, it took some doing. I think I might still need to pick up a few organizational pieces but, since all of that is behind closed doors, I can wait for that to happen.

Of course, as is always the case with me, one thing always leads to another and my hyper self has been flitting from one unfinished thing to another today.

As much as I was enjoying getting things off the to-do list, I was really chomping at the bit to do a craft and so, I pulled out some of the things for a pillow cover and began my next adventure.

Now, I will say, even though I had an inspiration piece, I really had not thought out how I would do this. I knew I wanted a water color effect but that is hard on fabric because the paint pretty much sets where you first lay down the brush.

This was meant to be a sort of free form heart but, knowing my OCD symmetrical self, I decided to use the old fold paper in half and cut heart trick so that I could sketch at least the start of the heart shape.

Then, I used craft paint that had already been diluted with textile medium and thinned it down even more with water. I started with the red-which, reads as red here but in person reads more as a dark fuchsia. Not really the color I wanted but the color that it is!

Then, I did the same thing with white paint and tried to knock down some of the stronger lines to look a little more blended. And then, I threw down some drops just to add to the mix. And, I probably should have stopped right there but it still looked too "stiff" to me.

And so, before I knew it, I was adding drops of water as well as drops of undiluted red paint.

I was kind of liking the way the heart was bleeding but those red dots were too static for me, so more water went down! And then, I added some dots of white...just cause I could. It is definitely getting more water "colory". I am waiting to see how it looks when it finally dries before I will know if I'm done.

So, while I wait, I decided to give a slow cooker minestrone soup recipe a try. It sure is starting to smell good and, I love anything that uses the slow cooker because all I have to do is chop, add and let it go. Fingers crossed I will have found a new favorite!

Soup is still cooking but the pillow is done. I think I like it...even though it is reading way more pink than I would like.

And, since I could still use one more Valentine's pillow, I have another one up my sleeve for tomorrow. Stay tuned.

Still More Red!

I had a really fun day yesterday with an old friend and today I am waiting once again for the handyman to come hook up the rest of the components, so while I'm doing that I thought I would let you have a look at the dining room in all of it's red Valentine glory. I must say, I am not really a fan of the faux tulips but, I have come to expect something large on the left side of the console table to balance the tall, buffet lamp and, right now, this is all I can come up with. They fill the need...and the space.

Here is where the grain scoop ended up. I like it with the vintage Valentines but think it might need a filler of some sort to soften the feel. I've already got that on my list for my next HL run.

And, you might as well peek at the sunroom while you're here. It is super simple because of all of the other things going on in there.

But, of course, it does now hold all of this treasure! I finally got the paint to hold on the side walls. I jerry rigged a bit of a riser until I find something I like better (also on that HL list) so that the opening above the TV is no longer visible but still have some work to do in the back at the bottom. Compared to where I was, I am happy.

And, I went back and added a few more Valentines to the scoop and they cover the base of the candle so I think I'm good with this too.

Ahhh, it makes me so happy when loose ends start to come together. Lol Stay tuned.

New Kid on the Block!

Say hello to the new kid on the block.

Let me tell you...this picture that you are looking it looks calm and peaceful but, I only wish I had documented the agony it took to get to this point. I'm pretty sure my daughter's handy man will never agree to "simply" move furniture ever again.

The story started at 11:00 a.m. yesterday morning when Ed and his helper arrived with the two middle pieces of this unit in their trailer. I have already told you the domino effect that bringing in this piece was going to have with other pieces in my house but, even I did not fully understand the scoop of this process.

I will not bore you with the details. Suffice it to say both pieces are now in their FOREVER homes and the extra pieces are shoved wherever awaiting pick-up by daughter #2...and to be honest, when she sees the size up close and personal of the one piece, she may decide to pass. Lol

Believe me, I am chomping at the bit to get the shelves into this piece and start the decorating but, many of my components are still not hooked up so the poor guy is coming back and he will once again have to move this behemoth and trust me, he does not need another ounce added to that move. This is the heaviest piece of furniture in history!! I think that is why I have always been drawn to it-not its weight but its overall presence! When all of the rest of the world is getting rid of pieces like this I am still craving as many as I can get. It feels old worldish to me and I think that is where I belong. Try as I might to simplify, I keep getting pulled back to this.

Just look at those beautiful details...and yes, that would be some of my wall and woodwork paint you are seeing as this beauty did not want to fit in any doorway of my house. Doing a bit of paint touch-up is a small price to pay in my opinion. I do wish there was somewhere else to place the surround sound speakers but he tells me "no" so I will just decorate around them.

So, as we speak, this is how the family room looks...not much out of place except the shelves propped against the wall. But, let's show you the reality of the rest of the story! The old unit ended up in the sunroom and I am happy with it there as it is not as deep so the room seems a bit wider. But, because the TV that used to be here was the last of our HUGE, deep TVs, it would not fit in this unit. And so, we decided to use a newer set that we had and weren't using any more. Except, yep, you see it. All of the areas that I couldn't get to with paint when I painted it years ago and the larger set was there are now totally visible.

No problem I thought, I still have the paint so it should be an easy fix. Yep, that's what I thought but, for whatever reason, the exact same paint is not sticking on the exact same surface. I have tried a roller and I have tried a brush...and it is just not working. I am not giving up and am just laying on very, very thin layers of paint in hopes that one of them will finally give the surface enough "tooth" to finally start sticking. At this rate, it looks like I'll be here awhile!

And then, of course, the large opening in the back is driving me crazy so I am trying to find something steady enough to use as a riser for the TV.

I did keep the doors we removed off of this unit when our brand new TV wouldn't fit and thought we could put them back on but, as I pulled the doors out of storage in the way back of the garage, it appears that I either didn't keep the track mechanisms or I did and somewhere along the line I found them, didn't remember what they were and tossed them. I truly have NO recollection of either. In my defense, it was a loonnnggg time ago.

In any case, I did bring the holiday pictures out here and I like them. I'm sure a few will find their way back into the family room once the shelves go in but the majority will now be here and I can do some "fancy" merchandising of the other shelves. I've already started shopping my house so we shall see how that turns out.

For whatever reason, this isn't bothering me...just yet. It is some of the stuff being discarded or finding a new home and will be here until that happens.

Everything is just kind of shoved in here but, as soon as that TV is gone I can move the plant stand back where it belongs and we shall go from there. Hopefully there won't be a fire and someone will need to get out that way-lol.

So that is where my day is and will be for awhile. As soon as everything is back to "normal", I will be posting again. Hope you are having the same glorious weather that we are having...crisp enough during the day to know its winter and be able to wear a sweater and chilly at night but so nice for sleeping under a big down comforter or having a fire in the fireplace. Enjoy and stay tuned.

Moving Day!!

Yep, it's moving day!! No, I'm not moving OUT of my house, I am just moving around a lot of stuff that is IN my house. This story started so long ago, that I honestly don't remember if I have shared or not.

It is long and complicated-as stories usually are when I am involved! But, it all started when daughter #3 and her hubby decided to do another almost total gut job on their house and get their forever, dream house finally finished. They did a huge remodel when they bought the house about 7 years ago but, she is a decorator and has new visions and I guess it was time to do it all again.

And so, with the new vision was also coming almost all new furnishings. And, she was offering almost all of her things to the family. Now, I love everything she has...she is a decorator...she has good taste. But, there was one piece I especially loved ever since the day they bought it and that is a VERY large TV unit. It didn't look that large in their first home because it was in a room with very high ceilings. But when it moved here, I wasn't sure it would even fit in my house. But, small details like that have never stopped me.

What has stopped me-actually us-is the fact that the pieces are so heavy that it takes many more than 2 strong bodies to move them. And so, the two smaller pieces have been at my house awhile waiting for the other two huge pieces to join. Those pieces have been sitting on my daughter's back porch. But, now that all inspections have finally been done, things are beginning to move a little more quickly and new appliances and furniture are being delivered and, she needs her porch back.

And so, she has hired her handyman and his helpers to do the move tomorrow.

I am very excited except that the move now entails three moves at my house. We have to move my current TV center to the sunroom before we can put the new one in the family room. And, we have to move the one in the sunroom before we can...well, you get the picture.

And so, I have been trying to move some other things around to make room for the big move tomorrow. Luckily, daughter #2 wants the three things that I will just not have room for any more so all I have to do is find temporary homes for them until she and her hubby can get down here to get them.

Does any of that even make any sense...more to the point, do you even care? Lol I think I'm just trying to justify why my back that was almost back to normal is killing me again and why my house that looked pretty good when I took these pictures a day ago is now in shambles again.

Luckily, it still looks OK in the pictures, so let's move to the kitchen.

I'm so glad I thought about putting my old carpenter's tool box on the kitchen counter. It is a good place to corral all of the small kitchen things that we need for every holiday- straws, coasters, pot holders, skewers, extra plates and a trivet this time. It is so easy to just grab what I need and go.

I still love the jar vase I made as gifts a few years ago. Now I just need to get out and cut some pretty flowers to fill it. Luckily, we have had picture perfect weather this winter so there are lots of blooms out in my yard just waiting for the cutting!

I can always tell when I haven't changed up a lot because I don't have much to say-which, as anyone who knows me will tell you-that is a rarity. Lol In any case, that is pretty much the kitchen for this year. It has more than enough "red" to read as Valentine's Day but it has been simplified just a little in keeping with my new "minimalize" theme.

Off I go to get even a few more things moved around. I truly hope that by the next time I post I will have my house back to "normal" but, as things often go with me, one thing leads to another and another and...it's always an adventure! Stay tuned and see what happens.