New Obsession!

I knew the minute I painted the 4th of July pillow that I had found my new passion. The pillow cover was on sale for $2.50. That was the total cost for that project and I loved the outcome. Once I painted that cover, I knew I was hooked and thought I could make one for each holiday/season like I did with the door hangers. And so, pillow cover #2 came to be. I really wasn't sure how I would approach it, but this is what happened.

I started by ironing the pillow cover and then putting a sheet of freezer paper inside so the paint didn't bleed through. Next, I cut a petal pattern. I actually ended up tweaking the shape of this pattern several times. Then, I traced it and filled it in with "sunflower" yellow craft paint.

After the initial petals were painted, I added the filler petals.

I added some burnt orange paint to the yellow to help define the petals. Then I came back with the same burnt orange to add some texture to the flower. I was actually going to continue with some black and white for more definition but decided to stop at this point.

 I love it and, for a total of $2.50, I am actually quite happy. The next one I will try will probably be autumn leaves. I think I have found my next obsession. Stay tuned.

Welcome...

...to family and friends...but not issuing a whole hearted welcome to summer. If the truth be told, I am already ready for it to say farewell-to the chagrin of my grand children (who will be going back to school) and my teacher friends (who will also be going back to school).


In any case, here is the newest addition to the porch and how the porch looks right now. I'm still needing to get out and get some yellow flowers!

This is a pretty self explanatory project but I had intended to document it none-the-less. But, you know what they say about good intentions. This is how far I got when I heard voices and a knock at the door.

Daughter #3 and three of my grand children surprised me with a visit. The weather outside was a bit "iffy" so we ended up playing a long game of gin rummy...and staining was about as far as the sign got that day!

I cut some letters on my Cricut and started playing with placement. This word would truly be easy enough to freehand but the wood is rough and you only get one chance to make the right size and placement so I took the coward's way out.

I got the sunflower pretty much done and the letters traced and filled in when grand daughter #5 arrived for the weekend. Her brothers were off to camp with their uncle (husband of daughter #2 and our greatest nature lover) and her mom and dad were heading out of town for the day so she wanted to come stay with me...how could I say no? I did have a few minutes to go back and do a bit of modification before I had to clear the table and get ready for a weekend of game playing. I ended up putting the letters at angles so that the "welcome" didn't end up going all the way down the sign.

It looks like I suddenly have a pretty fun and full week ahead of me but I am still planning on tackling the painted pillow cover, starting the re-design on my office/kids' dorm (wait until you hear about the great deals I made at Kohls that gave me the color scheme for this room...FINALLY!) and bar stool recovering projects. As you know, I love a project so I am excited to get the next week going...after another day of game playing that is. Lol Stay tuned.

Lazy Days!

By now I'm sure anyone who reads this blog knows that I am not a fan of heat! But, the one thing that I do enjoy about summer is that it gives me an opportunity to take things really slowly and not feel as if I am slacking in some way. I just seem to move slower and that is OK. And so, I do enjoy my new pace.

Today I started making my porch sign but because it took me so long to get going, I am having to wait until tomorrow to do the actual painting because the stain just isn't quite dry enough. And so, instead of showing you that today, I thought we might take a peek at the kitchen.

This is about the only time of the year that I can bring out all of my favorite olive jars and urns because as well as sunflowers, I go a bit Mediterranean in the kitchen and dining room. Things are pretty simple this year.

I went to buy fresh sunflowers but when I see the orange roses, I just can't help myself!

This is one of the fabrics I got from my daughter. I really don't think it is something I would have picked but I think I might like it on my bar stools. Now my dilemma-the green side is the right side. It has a nice raised pattern and looks good but, I think it might be more green than I want and I'm actually thinking of using the wrong side that has more of the taupe showing. What do you think? You don't have to answer right away. At the speed I'm moving these days I probably won't get to this for awhile! Stay tuned.

Let the Sun(flowers) In!!

OK. This is the time of every year that I am just not sure I will survive...and then, down comes the 4th of July decor and I can sometimes trick myself into believing that autumn is right around the corner...maybe several blocks away but around the corner non-the-less!

And so it is! The red, white and blue are gone and the sunflowers are out! I use sunflowers because, after all, they're "sun" flowers and what better says summer than the sun...the very HOT sun? But, they also mimic the beginnings of the colors of fall...and for that I am ecstatic! And, I now know that my next change, in about a month, will mean the addition of autumn leaves and pumpkins and I will know, once again, that I have survived that which I will always call "the hottest, wettest summer ever"! I know that really won't be true and, if the truth be told, I'm OK with the summer heat as long as I can float in the pool or stay close to home. It is only in the world of errands and parking lots and walking...lots of walking...that I begin to melt.

And so, no more complaining from me. I am going to show you the summer decor and hopefully add a few sunflower crafts and the re-do of my office along the way and before you know it, I will be smiling ear to ear and another autumn will be here! I'm skipping the porch yet again because one of my crafts will be there soon and then I need to get some yellow flowers to replace the red, white and blue. With that in mind, let's start in the living room.

I ended up not changing very much because, once again, I had to play some long games of hide and seek! I have been trying to do a lot of consolidating this year. In doing so, I opened up new areas of storage and I have been trying to move my seasonal and holiday things into some form of semblance. The only problem is that I have had things stashed in every nook and cranny-and sometimes in fairly haphazard ways-for so long that now that I have achieved a more cohesive system, I don't remember where things are! That is what happened with the two copper jars in this vignette. They weren't where they have been for years! I knew that wherever they were made more sense...I just couldn't remember where that was! And so, after more time than I care to admit in the search, I remembered...and yes, it did make sense. Hopefully now I won't forget again-at least for these two jars. I also had quite a search for the citrus colored plate on the chest. That one stumped me so badly that I ended up putting something else there but it just wasn't quite right. This time I will blame my eyes and poor lighting because it actually ended up being where I thought it should be...I just didn't see it the first time I looked. Always an adventure in my house. Lol But, it keeps me busy and I love doing it so much that it is a win/win!

So that is the living room. Here is what is on deck. I pulled all of my sunflower colors and am going to see what I can do with another pillow cover and then I think I need another fence slat porch sign. Ideas are just starting to come on these but I am excited to get going and see where it leads. 

 I am also in the beginning stages of a re-do of my office now that the top bunk has been taken down...and, thanks to decorator daughter #3 who just gifted me with 3 different bolts of leftover designer fabric, I'm going to try hard to use those as jumping off spots. Of course, it will all need to start with repainting the walls and woodwork...and choosing a color which always seems to slow me down these days. At least these fun chores will keep me inside in the A/C so all should be fine. It will be a fun ride and you're invited to join me but for now, I am off to spend the day with a friend. Stay tuned.

One Step Closer!

Time to reflect on the last few weeks...and then move along!

I have been in my glory with all of the family visiting and the fun things I've gotten to do with everyone. Since the whole gang was here the weekend before, the actual 4th was a bit of a quieter celebration. Presley spent a few days with me as her brothers were off in Crystal River with friends. We were in charge of dessert and, since she enjoyed it so much last year, she wanted to make the cupcakes again. She is really quite the little baker and, I think, except for possibly reaching high places, she could do all of this on her own.

We had a chance to play lots of games, watch movies, craft (although this time it wasn't 4th decor. She is all into making "jumps", fences, and other barn and ranch accessories for all of her horses. It is actually quite something to see!...even though I didn't get any pictures. Lol), talk and giggle!

On the real day, we headed back to her house and, since the afternoon was kind of gloomy, we went back to playing games while her dad fired up the new air fryer he got for Father's Day and "fried" us all kinds of deliciousness! Then, it was out to the porch to watch fireworks before heading back to another rousing game of gin rummy!

And, as if all of that frivolity wasn't enough, we headed to our vintage downtown theater yesterday to see Toy Story 4!

This is the first day in 3 weeks that my house has been totally quiet-no extra people or dogs! It is taking me some time to get used to it but I have a list of to-dos a mile long so that is what I am tackling today. And then, I think the 4th will come down tomorrow and out will come the sunflowers.

I was also reminded that I usually make my Halloween gifts during the summer so I can be out and about when October arrives. I have been looking at my Pinterest boards and bought these the other day just in case another watercolor pillow cover idea was to hit.

 We'll see and you'll be the first to know. Stay tuned.

Early Celebration

I am one happy Nana! After all of the fun of watching one of my grand dogs for 2 weeks, little by little, my entire family arrived back in town! And, whenever I can get the whole group together, it is reason to party! And, if there is any kind of holiday anywhere nearby, it will become a full blown celebration!

And so it was this weekend when everyone gathered at my house and we celebrated the 4th as well as the fully restored pool-finally!

It was chaotic as usual. Lots of people, dogs, food, laughs, etc. And, as I so often do when I'm just really enjoying myself, I didn't take time to snap many pictures but the ones I am usually good about are the ones of me with my ever-growing grand children. I feel like I am getting shorter and shorter every time I see them.

In any case, we had a wonderful time and Mother Nature co-operated just perfectly! And everyone who had to travel home on Sunday night made it safely with no rain!

Daughter #1 is here for a few more days so we're off for a day of shopping and fun and then over to daughter #3 this afternoon for happy hour. Don't know what I'll do with myself when I'm finally alone again. But, I know the 4th decor will be coming down and that means sunflowers will be going up...and that means we will be just that much closer to autumn...so I think I'll be just fine! Stay tuned.