A rearranging frenzy...



Yesterday, I mentioned how changing one thing in the house can lead to changing others. Well, I am proof positive about that philosophy. It started out yesterday with taking 6 little plastic eggs out of a candy dish. I decided that my office was in need of a major change. Let me explain....

When we moved in, I placed my desk in front of the window so I could have a see outside while I was working. Not one of my better ideas. It appears that the sun comes around the corner of that end of the house around 11:30 and stays until it is almost time for it to go down.

Now I love sunlight, don't get me wrong. But not when it is coming through a set of tall double windows and beating right down on my desk and in my face. I hung mini blinds and a friend loaned me a set of heavy backed drapes to help reduce the glare and heat. It didn't work.

As the sun would come around the corner, I would have to close the blinds and shut the drapes and you could still see and feel the heat of the sun through the window. Everyday, I would end up with a fan on....even when it was 30 degrees outside this winter. I thought, "What is the sense of having my desk in front of the window if I never opened the curtains?" But I didn't really want to move the desk and then NOT like where I moved it to.

So I came up with a new solution. As you know, I'm wanting a bigger desk anyway. Well, I have a craft table that wasn't being used for anything except to catch clutter in the office. So I decided to move my laptop and work area over to the table until I can get a bigger desk.

Turns out that I ended up doing more than that. I moved my trays and papers with my laptop over to the table as a desk. That is where I will do all my work for my company. I did have to move my printer as well so it would be by the computer. Here is how it ended up. I still need to get it a little more organized, but you can see where I'm headed.

I love the way my pink storage bins fit in the printer stand. One holds some odd and end craft supplies and the other holds printer paper, card stock, labels, etc. The little Rubbermaid chest is going to get cleaned out this week and that will serve as my "desk drawers" for now until I can find a full size desk I want.

Then I had to figure out what to do with the little student desk, because I needed to keep it for the drawer space. Inspiration hit. I am an Independent Consultant for Thirty-One. Every time I work on my Thirty-One business, I have to move all my other stuff out of the way and pull out the Thirty-One stuff. So I created a desk area just for my Thirty-One business. I always work on it either first thing early morning or in the evening after the sun is down, so it can stay at the window and I can work there without burning up. I put my catalogs in the little basket my daughter gave me (or rather, the one I begged her for) The Thirty One Organizing Utility tote holds my Thirty-One files and paper work. It is easily accessible on the desk, and I am able to pick it up and take it with me to parties. I had to make do with what I had for that desk, but I see a trip to Staples in my future. (Please disregard the way the drapes hang. They are too long for the windows, but since I am returning them when I find new ones, I didn't want to hem them. She needs them the length they are.)

 

I had a little black chest that I used for craft supplies. I put the printer where it used to be, so I moved it to where the printer had been. I love the resulting look.

By the way, check out my little blue fan on the bottom shelf behind the tea cup. I love it. There is new scrapbook material that looks like lace doilies and I made the fan out of that. Maybe I could do a tutorial some day and pin it to Pinterest.

I wish I had taken some before pictures, but when the idea to move things around hit me, I just jumped right in and started working....forgot all about pics for a blog post. GASP! That isn't like me at all.

Would love to hear about any changes or rearranging you have been doing. 

One thing leads to another.....

Yesterday, I was showing you the beautiful flowers that my Secret Sister gave me for Easter.

This led to my decision to keep flowers as my centerpiece on the table. You remember my post about my Easter decor and this was what the table looked like?

Well, I took the flowers out and put everything else away until next year. I put those flowers with my new flowers to figure out which ones I wanted to use.

Since I wanted to use my new flowers, I needed something tall. I found the vintage McCoy pitcher that belonged to my Mamaw Eden. My cousin Patty and I had bought it for her around 40-45 years ago for Mother's Day one year. It normally sets on top of the cabinets.

So I arranged the flowers and put them in the center of the table with my basket of napkins and the basket with our salt and pepper shakers.

That led me to notice the little Easter tea for one that I had sat on my wine rack.

The color goes so good with my tablecloth, but I didn't want bunnies and eggs after Easter. So I simply turned it around and rearranged the shelf. Notice the teapot with flowers I moved to this shelf?

Well, it had been "visiting" my little 75 cent shelf over on the baker's rack.

When I moved it, I put my favorite rooster over with the cookbooks. I am experimenting with that little shelf so I am not for sure what will end up on it. But for now Mr. Rooster has come home to roost on it.

Why is it when we move one thing in our house, it leads to one more...and one more...and one more. You get the picture.

Monday Morning Madness....

Nothing like a Monday morning after three days off to make you feel rough. I woke up with the onset of a cold. Sunrise service was beautiful yesterday morning. But sitting up on that hill in 40 degree weather when you have been used to it in the 70's just didn't agree with the old body. It was freezing cold but worth every minute of it.

I am changing my blog look since Easter is over. But with this head cold, I am so foggy on what I want. Bear with me if it changes several times this week until I find what I'm looking for. I need to take a design course so I can figure out how to do this myself instead of having to use the free templates offered online. It takes me forever to find what I want when I change it out.

I ended up getting a new top for Easter and wore it with my white pants and white sandles. It was shades of pink and peach. I got two new pairs of earrings this weekend as well. Just cheapy ones at Target, but I love them. They were $4.99 for two pairs.

Flat Stanley is visiting me. My great-nephew Cody sent him to stay. He arrived in Saturday's mail so he was able to go to sunrise service with me and got to play with the kids in Sunday School class. Not sure where all he will end up going this week.



Mom made me a new table runner for my coffee table. I love it. It goes so good with my pitcher and bowl. I had gotten this pitcher and bowl for my mother-in-law from Home Interior about 30 years ago. When she passed away, my father-in-law wanted me to have it. I love the way it looks on the new table runner.

My secret sister at church had me a goodie bag yesterday. It contained these beautiful flowers. The colors in them are some of the same colors in my spring tablecloth. I'm going to make a new flower arrangement and redo the table centerpiece now that Easter is over. I'll incorporate these flowers into it. Stay tuned tomorrow for new pics on the results.

Well, lots to get done today so I need to get busy. Hope everyone has a great week.



Easter Blessings

Up from the grave he arose;
with a mighty triumph o'er his foes;
he arose a victor from the dark domain,
and he lives forever, with his saints to reign.
He arose! He arose! Hallelujah! Christ arose!

At Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ. But at Easter we rejoice that He arose from the grave. The circle was completed. He was sent to this earth to make the supreme sacrifice for our sins. The day they nailed him to the cross was the darkest day in the history of the world. He made the supreme sacrifice that would set us free. It was over. They placed Him in a tomb and mourned the passing of their dear friend.

But He did not stay. He arose. In victory, He triumphed over death and set us free.

There’s a peace I’ve come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There’s an anchor for my soul
I can say “It is well”

Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead

  And I will rise when He calls my name

No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles’ wings
Before my God fall on my knees and rise
I will rise

Oh, to have been there on that morning. To look upon the face of our risen Savior. To know that He did it all for me. The pain, the agony, the suffering. The one single most important day in the history of the world. The day He arose. The day that promises us hope for a world lost in sin.

 

Happy Easter!

Things Mom never told me about aging....



Mom, in her great wisdom, passed lots of advice on to us when we were little. You know what I'm talking about. The information we couldn't live without that we needed to pass on to our children. Stuff like "Quit or your face will freeze like that." and "Always wear clean underwear in case you are in an accident." and the famous "Just wait until you're a mother and you'll understand."

But there are things Mom never told us that I would like to have been prepared for. Here are some things I don't like about aging that I wish I had been warned about.

Nobody told me that you no longer leap out of bed in the morning. By middle age, you have to turn on to your back. Stretch real good. Then roll off the edge and try to leverage yourself to an upright position.

Nobody told me that when you do that morning stretch, you need to know your limits or you will get a Charlie horse and revert to leaping out of the bed...only this time there will be extreme pain with the process.

Nobody told me that each morning not only brings a new day, it brings a new wrinkle as well.

Nobody told me that the most exercise you get will be getting up and down to adjust the thermostat to match your hot flashes.

Nobody told me that you can no longer dance to Footloose and actually be able to walk the next morning without your ankles feeling like they are breaking in two. (Yep, learned that one the hard way last night.)

Nobody told me that a backache is a way of life, not a temporary pain.

Nobody told me that those few extra pounds would make it so hard to bend down and polish your toe nails.

Nobody told me that you don't really need a GPS to get anywhere because your varicose veins look like the national interstate system.

Nobody told me that forgetfulness....well, I don't remember what nobody didn't tell me about forgetfulness.

Nobody told me that by the time you spend the time it takes to plan something you are too tired to actually do whatever it was you were planning in the first place.

Nobody told me that working in your flower beds for one hour will make your body feel it for one week.

And last, but not least, nobody told me that waking up early to get a jump start on your day simply means you have more time to sit on the couch thinking about what you could be doing to GET the jump start on your day.



Another new one....

I do not know how people who collect antiques or run antique shops can keep track of brands and designs and manufacturers. It boggles the mind. Every time I find something I like and start researching it, that leads to something else I find that I start researching. Hopping around on blogs this week led me to a post about Taylor Smith Taylor. Which led to even more research. Here are some items that were my favorites.

I still have not found a cream and sugar bowl to purchase. But I do like this set.

Perfect little cereal bowls.

Another blue pattern.

Sister is going to love these pink flowers with the pink interior of the cups. How cute are they?

Of course, she will also like this pretty turquoise set since she has a whole section of her kitchen dedicated to turquoise and pink.

This is Taylor Smith Taylor's Ever Yours Boutinniere pattern. I keep seeing this pattern and falling in love with it. 

Look at this entire vintage pink set they made. That is absolutely gorgeous.

They didn't just do pastels. Look at this tall pitcher with the rooster. This really caught my eye.

All the blue Ever Yours pattern reminded me of the vintage Fire King pattern called Bonnie Blue. Mom had a set of these. You would get them free in Mother's Oats. Daddy always drank his coffee from them. I see this set on Etsy and Ebay all the time, but I want to find one at a thrift store or yard sale. I saw them everywhere last year when I first got into yard sales and thrift stores. Now that I want a set, I probably won't find them anywhere.

I'm taking the day off today and heading out to some vintage shops to see what I can find. Have an awesome Good Friday.

The dreaded alarm....

It's one of those days when Hubby is not going to want the alarm to go off. When it rings and awakes him from a good nights sleep, he is going to be 60.

That's right. The big 6 - 0.

He has never been one who worried about birthdays. He has always said it's just another day. Until he realized he was going to be 60. He was hoping it would just slide on by. He would rather we didn't remember it. But guess what, it is HERE.

Hubby is a man who doesn't worry about a lot of things and age has always been the one thing that never bothered him. But I think 60 has not only arrived, I think it has slapped him in the face with reality.

We had a conversation a month or so ago. He said he didn't want any big hoop-la about his birthday. He wasn't going to bring up the fact he was 60. He said he preferred to pretend like it was just another day. He said there was no need to let people know he was going to be 60. A few hours later, the mail man ran and he received his renewal for his drivers license.

He told me to open it and I read it. It stated that since he was going to be 60 this year, he had the option of whether or not to put his photo on his license. I just lost it. So much for keeping it on the Q.T. that he was going to be 60. Guess if the DMV knows it, everbody knows it.

In honor of the great day, I moved out of my comfort zone of cakes and cookies and actually baked him an apple pie for his birthday. I was so proud of myself.

Well, actually it was rather easy since I used Pillsbury pie crust and canned pie filling. And I must confess that I had to call my daughter-in-law, Jamie,  for advice on how to make it even with it being store bought stuff. She makes hers from scatch so I could feel her cringe over the phone at the thought of store bought pre-made ingredients.

 

What can I say, I've never made apple pie before. It may not look like the greatest pie every made, but he snuck into it last night and has a piece with some ice cream. He said it was delicious. I just wish it looked better. Guess Jamie will have to give me lessons before his next birthday.

But no matter how bad he doesn't want to face 60 and no matter that the pie may not look the best, I do hope he has a very happy birthday today.

Happy birthday, sweetheart. I love you.