congruous
I received a thoughtful email from someone today about aligning the actions in your life with your personal values. I believe in that, it keeps your outsides and insides in harmony. Congruous. A word from geometry that means the same thing.
But I don’t happen to feel harmonious. I feel afraid. And saddened.
My big dog, who has been sick for a while now, is approaching the end of his life. His illness has progressed rapidly, causing a considerable amount of discomfort, steadily increasing as the days continue.
It grieves me to witness this, to ask him to endure another day, to coax him to eat another bowl of food that will give him the fuel to keep his body alive. To ask him to take the pills that marginally reduce the disturbing side effects of his condition. To watch him move around the house seeking a comfortable place, and finding none.
I love this dog. He is gentle and timid and has known some hardship in his life. But I have loved him from the day we met. And if I look into my heart for the personal values that resonate there, I find compassion, looking back at me.
Thankfully there is a partner in my life at the moment who can do the things I cannot do and say the words I am afraid to form on my lips. Have the difficult conversation with the veterinarian and ask for the house call.
Edgar, dog of my heart, forgive my weakness.
paper tree ornaments – collaged shapes
In the spirit of a Christmas tree largely decorated with homemade things, I’m attempting to keep it simple and interesting by selecting shapes I particularly like, and most of all, using things that are already right here. Paper, fabric, buttons, ribbon.
I started by cutting my basic shape from a heavy paper shopping bag. My favorites are the chubby stars, plump hearts and the pointy oval. What is that called anyway?
Then I just glued strips of printed paper to both sides and trimmed back to the original shape. For this particular heart, I used pieces of fabric rather than paper, keeping the frayed edges visible and hung a small button at the bottom. Sorry for the crummy photo.
I’m fairly indiscriminate when it comes to paper sources. Recycled greeting cards, wrapping paper, origami paper, good quality catalogues. The interest is in the contrast.
holiday button garland on the drawing board
Sunday night I ran across a spool of white poly-twine in our utility basket, so I plucked it out on Monday evening to start a holiday button garland. However, after completing several yards of the garland and placing it on the tree to see the effect, I went back to the drawing board to revise the design.
It doesn’t take long to finger crochet the twine, and this would be a pretty garland with only bows or holly berries as adornment.
But, I do have my heart set on these sweet buttons. Attaching the button groupings with colorful thread will be a somewhat time consuming process. Possibly a Friday night project.
In the meantime, I have been busy making all sorts of pretty decorations for the tree. Ransom note hearts, collaged chubby-stars, folded paper eggs and free-style bead creations.
string wrapped wreath
I caved. Purchased another Christmas tree this past weekend. After weeks of internal debate. Sam’s had a fabulous price on a 9′ tree and I was extremely satisfied with my purchase from them on a similar product last year.
But I waited too long and as of last weekend, their online inventory of Christmas trees had dwindled to only 2 or 3 products. Walmart was my next option. Price was nearly as good, but the quality is poorer.
The next challenge will be to decorate this extra large tree while not consuming all of my pretty baubles, since there are 3 other trees yet to be installed…
But in the meantime, I did make an attempt at a wreath after seeing yet another example of a pretty yarn-wrapped wreath last week.
I used string rather than yarn, and in truth, there is not much of a color contrast between the string and the ribbon embellishment. But, I simply used the ribbon I had on hand.
I used a wreath I had purchased at Lowes last year, thinking it would be perfectly fine. But it wasn’t. It was one of those gold tinsel wreaths. Beneath it is a wire frame, not a round wreath form. I wrapped the tinsel with white cotton fabric before getting started with the string, just to provide some shape uniformity.
The scale of this wreath is more suited to an outside facing door, but my product selections are more suited for an indoor wreath.
It really does look OK, and my only investment was 3 whole spools of string plus the ribbon from the $1 table at JoAnn’s. Oh, and last year’s wreath.
Linking to
placecards for Thanksgiving dinner
Making these placecards has been a fun little project. A mixture of tradition and whimsy, high brow and seat-of-the-pants. Just the way I like to set a table – combining china with pottery, sterling with stainless (sorry, no sterling in these photos). Place settings that are pretty, but not predictable.
Best of all, no investment required. Leftover cardstock, wrapping paper and glossy pages of printed text from that annual report I’ve been meaning to read.
Crafting the style of the lettering, selecting the paper, cutting the designs. Although it’s nothing grand, it is a personal way of extending a welcoming hand and heart on a day rooted in reflection and gratitude.
Give thanks, share love, celebrate the day itself.
For some really inspired placecard designs, click over to The Stir.
repurposed door
There is a fabulous store in Houston called Adkins Architectural Antiques. The adjacent warehouse is filled with salvaged doors, shutters, windows, mouldings and other building ornamentation. One day last summer I arrived on a mission to locate a piece of material from which I could assemble a coffee table for the seating spot in the bedroom.
Their very knowledgeable sales associate thought she knew what I might be looking for and took me to the far back of the warehouse annex. Leaning there against the wall in the shadowy corner were two primitive doors, rough and weathered and probably decades old, but still solid. They were both perfect! I selected one, commissioned their wood shop to cut off the ends to the dimensions I needed and lightly stain the newly cut wood on the edges to match the aged exterior.
In the meantime, I purchased some raw steel hairpin legs to attach to the table top (source).
A week later, I brought the piece home, and in 15 minutes had a gorgeous coffee table. Far more beautiful than anything I could have found elsewhere (for the modest investment).
The original inspiration for this table came from creative blogger, Angela Ferdig, who made a gorgeous entryway bench from a hefty piece of aged lumber and these stylish metal legs. Her post was featured on Remodelista!
The Dash and Albert rug tossed across the table top is a look I shamelessy copied from inspired designer Joni Webb.
Not pictured, but hanging just above the couch is a trio of lanterns, and just to the left, a big round antique mirror that will soon become a pretty focal point after I fix up the hand-me-down antique secretary beneath. Can’t wait 🙂
Thank you for reading!
.
.
Linking to–
holiday cross stitch
The countdown to holiday decorating and giving is in progress and cross stitch is definitely part of the repertoire.
The fleur-de-lis is a gift for a friend who hails from Louisiana and fills her home with these pretty flourishes.
The personalized ornament is a gift for a friend with a young child (named Luke, of course).
And the reverse side of both is the same, my own simple tree pattern with the alternating stitch sizes.
I don’t follow any cross stitching blogs since I am a true novice and create my own simplistic patterns. But I did stumble across this interesting blog and I love her creations! Check out Sharon’s Cross Stitch Obsession. She is very imaginative.
faux lantern chandelier
Last spring was the first time we visited the Round Top antiques market. We made a number of purchases that have all added character to our home. One vendor had buckets full of oversized old keys, so naturally we grabbed a handful. She also had a dozen or so rusty lanterns. We bought three, not quite knowing what they would become.
But as is usually the case, there was an empty corner in the bedroom that needed some extra attention, so I transformed the lanterns into a faux swag chandelier (not powered) with utility wire, jute string, and link chain leftover from a previous light fixture installation.
While my cautious nature wards away the temptation to burn actual candles, I do think battery powered votives might add a nice glow. Just haven’t gotten to that quite yet…
Oh, and while we’re on the subject of the charming appeal of old items, can I just please repost one of the sweetest additions of an old door to an interior that I have seen in a long time? This pretty interior from the blog, Love & Photographs.
Thank you for dropping by 🙂
.
.
.
Linking to
{Re}create into Something New at Not So Simple Housewife
Open House Thursday at No Minimalist Here
Inspired by You Wednesday at Eisy Morgan
Share the Love Wednesday at Very Merry Vintage Style
Flaunt it Friday at Chic on a Shoestring
Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage
tiny bell wreath
This has been a busy week with no time left over to work on any of my projects. But I did squeeze in a really small project this evening, a variation of Martha Stewart’s jingle bell wreath. The MS wreath is gorgeous. I just used some tiny jingle bells and supplies readily available to me, but it is still sweet.
I used 31 small jingle bells threaded on a 6-inch strand of light-gauge utility wire, alternated with bright pink seed beads. Crimp the ends of the wire together and trim, then add a ribbon. All ready to decorate the tree!
in the arms of an angel
In the arms of an angel fly away from here
From this dark, cold hotel room, and the endlessness that you fear
You are pulled from the wreckage of your silent reverie
You’re in the arms of an angel; may you find some comfort here
– Sarah McLachlan
My sweet Cristybella got the most wonderful second row stage center tickets to see Sarah yesterday evening. The woman with a voice like an angel also knows how to bring the audience under her spell as well as share the spotlight generously. The talented Melissa McClelland, in her current touring band, is a fabulous singer songwriter with whom I was unfamiliar until tonight.
Passenger 24, by Melissa McClelland, is a retro-rock-blues roller coaster of thrills. Enjoy!!
home sweet homemade 