Remembering Mom

As the calendar page turns to May, one cannot help but be reminded of Mother's Day...
          and to think about Mom...

My mom passed away 8 years ago but still holds a strong influence in my life...
she taught me a love of sewing and a desire to create...
           to make do with what one had at hand and to take the initiative to figure out problems...
           to try new things and not give up when the going got tough...


In my bout of purging earlier in the year, I unearthed a box of clippings, photos and mementos...I came across a photo of my mom and dad in the early years of their marriage...and decided to play around with it...
and I'm thinking about having it printed up so I can hang it in my studio...SocialPrintStudio has some great metal prints...perfect for my metal mania...

I like this photo mostly for the expression and attitude of my mom...young, fresh, full of anticipation. My parents settled in a small Wisconsin town and that's where I spent my childhood...and throughout the years, my mom continued to have a healthy dose of anticipation for what was up ahead...whether it was raising 6 kids in a small house, moving across the country to Oregon when my dad lost his job, rebuilding her life in a new town after my dad died and finally coming to live with me in her final years.  She wasn't one content to sit by and let things be...

Unfortunately, I don't have many photos of her...I guess we were always so busy that one didn't think about stopping a minute, reflecting on the moment, and taking a photograph to capture the day...

So to honor her memory, I'll take the time this weekend to stop and reflect...shoot a few photos...
and be filled with anticipation of all that still lies ahead...

spring awakening

the lilacs are blooming...

Sunday musings

the first light of morning...the quiet hush of the house...the warmth of my coffee cup...
this is the simplicity of stillness...

Discoveries

I've been on a massive purge of my studio...and it's amazing what I have unearthed...

For those of you familiar with me and my home, you know I have a massive stack of suitcases...
I discovered that I have a fetish for metal boxes since I've gathered together quite a collection while cleaning up...

They certainly take up less room than suitcases...

Rustic Luxe - Christmas morning

I know its not quite Christmas morning...but if I wait to post, what good would this quick and easy gift bag idea do you later...because if you're like me, I'm now scrambling to get presents together and could use a couple of quick ideas...because how is it that Christmas is just a week away?!

I recently had to say goodbye to two of my flannel pajama bottoms...one torn all the way down the backside (had them over 10 years - guess they don't make them like they used to!) and the other had the elastic give out in the waist.  But rather than toss them out, of course I thought of making something with them...

A simple bag was my idea...since the bottom of each pajama leg is already hemmed, there's only one seam needed to sew...I cut off each leg for a small sized bag...

tip here...notice the ribbon tied onto my scissors handle...since I have several pairs of Fiskers scissors and they all look alike...I tied a ribbon on the pair that I save for only cutting fabric so that they are always sharp when needed...the other two pairs I use to cut whatever...and that may mean paper, cardboard, wire or even tree branches...

After sewing the cut seam, I trimmed the edge with my pinking shears...this will keep raveling to a minimum; turn the bag right side out and iron the seam flat.  For a little bit of luxe, I tacked a length of silk ribbon onto the side seam...this ribbon will be the tie that keeps the bag closed.

A button hides the place where I tacked on the ribbon...
and provides a spot for hanging a gift tag...



















We don't do a big Christmas here...pretty low key...so a small gift, wrapped inside of one of these bags will be perfect...a low key setting also means plenty of rustic not too much luxe (it is morning after all)...

The rustic is the simple setting...including a view of my back garden that is very rustic looking at this time of year...a tablecloth made from a canvas painter's dropcloth; blue ticking napkins and my workhorse ironstone dishes lay the groundwork.

the luxe comes from a few shimmering vintage ornaments...

Forced bulbs in vintage canning jars tied up with twine get a bit of luxe with a shiny metal bell...

the handmade wreath crafted from birch tree limbs blown down in a recent winter storm adds another layer of rustic...the metal rim from a deconstructed lamp shade provided support for the branches as I molded the wreath...a few more metal bells hanging from a length of twine is another touch of luxe...















Simple and sincere...that's what Christmas morning should be...

joining Funky Junk Interiors Party Junk...always a good time...

Rustic Luxe - a nature inspired table

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, preparations are underway for many of us...

The internet is awash with images of gloriously set tables...costing more time and effort than most of us have at this late date...I have a few suggestions here that will lend that feel of Rustic Luxe without too much sweat or strain...

The play of contrasts is the idea behind Rustic Luxe...the rough with the smooth, the shiny with the subdued,
the practical with the whimsical...

To start, I gathered up a well loved linen tablecloth and a vintage wool blanket...there's a sheen to worn linen that contrasts nicely with the woolen texture of the blanket...using the linen alone seems commonplace at the traditional T-day dinner...using the blanket alone would seem a little too picnic-like...layering one over the other is unexpected and gives a great rustic luxe vibe.

Given the time of year and the sense of the season, nature is a wonder of inspiration. I gathered up a slew of fallen leaves as well as dried stems from my garden...the large leaves were pressed and comprise the bottom layer of the centerpiece (if you don't have time to press leaves ahead of time, did you know that lightly ironing will also work to flatten and dry them) An eclectic trio of pitchers with similar tones displays a collection of bird feathers, an assortment of dried stems  and a large handful of poppy heads.

I also collected some smaller dried leaves from my photinia bush - I love how they look like leather. With a border of gold dots, the leaves are stuck into a small bottle for a little flourish at each place setting.

Candlelight always adds to the festive mood...the two candles on the table are made from a pair of worn out wool socks, two recycled glass jars, some linen string and two pearl buttons...the complete tutorial can be found in an earlier blog post - here...


The final touch to the centerpiece...one of the chestnut garlands which kicked off the Rustic Luxe series...the little gold beads mimic the gold dots on the leaves...repetition always helps in pulling a vignette together...










Though we use ironstone and silverplate everyday in our household, I do concur that this is one of the times that I bring out my grandmother's silver...that glint of shine plays off nicely with the simple ironstone...plain striped napkins (which you'll notice have not been ironed...just more texture!) echo the tones of the leaves and those willow branch napkin rings show up again...

In place of name cards, I've pulled together 4 words of inspiration, quickly stamped onto a piece of used manila folder...its a little wonky, I like that...calligraphy would be nice but time-consuming...
one word set at each place...a thought to contemplate for the day...perhaps to spark dinnertime conversation...
I used some sort of galvanized hose connectors that I recently picked up at a farm sale...I don't know what they were, but for now, they are card holders. 

I know what you are thinking...I don't have anything like old hose connectors around here...well, there are options...a tarnished fork, a flower frog, even an old hair clip...be creative...its not about what something is, its all about what it can become...

Well, now that the table's set, time to see if that turkey is thawing...and to take a minute to thank each and every one of you...I appreciate that you follow my adventures - whether here on the blog, my facebook page or on Instagram...I appreciate your support, your comments, your enthusiasm...at this time of thanksgiving, I'm grateful for this community...

Behind the scenes

The end of summer is turning into quite the exciting time...so much happening...so much on the horizon...

First and foremost - I am proud to have our home featured in the October/November issue of Cottages & Bungalows magazine...

Last October, Jickie Torres, editor and Bret Gum, photographer spent a long and crazy day here...photographing every nook and cranny...here's a few shots to show you what goes on behind the camera...
















A quick run to the local grocery store provided pumpkins for a seasonal touch...
I was so glad that it was a glorious sunny day...it made the house shine...

Lots going on in the background while getting the perfect shot...

Even Calvin had to get in on all the activity...

stealing Jickie's heart...

At the end of day, all were tired and exhausted...and it was hard to have to wait so long to see how it all turned out...

But I'm pleased as can be with it...and I invite you to pick up a copy at your local newsstand or grocery store...I share lots of ideas for incorporating vintage treasures into your home...I think you'll enjoy it...

the first signs

edited with kk texture scripted edges

It begins with the sprouts of green among the dead leaves and withered grass from last fall...and then those first pops of color...little beads of purple...the grape hyacinths are blooming...

and then the light of day changes...it becomes brighter...and lingers longer...

The assignment for this week's bestill52 class was to capture this lightness...using elements of white and glass...my collection of small glass bottles put to perfect use, complemented by a swath of white linen and lovely afternoon light...

both photos edited with kk texture hughes

This spring awakening inspired me to clear out the dust and the cobwebs and 
to brighten the dark corners of the house...

edited with kk texture rainyday

hope and dream...the promise of spring...

joining the group over at kim klassen's Texture Tuesday...

Living with Art

I don't know about you...but I love sneaking a peek inside of other's homes...I'm always curious to see how other people build their nest...and especially other creatives...its intriguing to me to see how the artistic personality reflects itself in one's surroundings...

Seth Apter is running a new series...Living with Art...that lets you take such a peek...in his own words, he describes his intention...

When we see art posted on the blogs from our community, by far the majority of times it is a cropped picture of a particular piece. We don't often get to see pictures of the art in the space where we actually live. Hanging art. Art on the walls. Art over the couch. Art leaning on the bookcase shelves.

Living with Art is about showing and seeing art in real life settings. Every Thursday I will be posting a series of images shared by creatives showing all of us just how art is displayed in their spaces. Each participant is opening the door and inviting us all into their surroundings.



I'm delighted to be one of the featured artists today...along with several others...plus there's a link to view the past features as well.

Seth has long been an avid art supporter (as well as a fabulous artist in his own right!) This is one more example of his willingness to be the glue that helps to bind this online artistic community together...please pop over and take a look...www.thealteredpage.blogspot.com

an idea years in the making

I've had this idea for a dining room table that I've been thinking about for over 10 years...
finally I had the time/energy/resources to put into reality the idea that had been been in my head for some time...

After we decided to stay put and not move across the country, we were determined to do the house projects that get put off and forgotten about...until you think about selling the house and then all those things get done.  This time we were going to do all of them and then get to enjoy our house for ourselves.  I was never a fan of our dining room table...and had always wished for a different table...now was the time to make that idea a reality...

I already had a cast iron table base that I picked up for $15 years and years ago...
when I saw it, I knew it would be perfect for the "someday" table...

I bartered 4 rusty metal table legs for 6 reclaimed fir boards from my friend Shelley who is the Queen of Junk...thick heavy boards...a little worse for being outside for a while...but that's what we call patina...

Got the boards home, scrubbed them, bleached them, set them out in the sun to dry...

an aside...Atlas work gloves are the best...great rubber grip and flexible knit backside...I love them...

Laid the boards out, moved them around until I had an arrangement where the boards fit snug...pounded in several wood connectors...essentially wood staples that would hold the boards in place while I secured them with three wood braces.

I also laid down the table base so I could mark 
the position of the screw holes...

For the table braces, I didn't want to use new wood because the tone would be so glaringly bright...rummaging around, I found several used stakes that once held campaign signs of some candidate we were supporting at the time...I cut the stakes into the desired lengths...the leftover pointed ends might be resurrected into a wood composition art piece in the future...

After determining the placement of the braces, I drilled pilot holes for the screws...wrapping a piece of blue tape around the drill bit gave me a guide to the depth of the hole without drilling all the way through the table top...

Once the braces were in place, I used my electric sander to smooth the rough edges and remove any loose splinters...I debated whether or not to apply any sort of sealant...decided against it for the time being...I like the natural tone of the boards and wanted to keep that rough hewn look...

I moved the table top into the dining room for final construction...

Attached the iron base...noticed that the feet on the legs were rather rough...not wanting to scratch up my wood floors, I cut rounds of self-adhesive felt for a cushion...







Flipped the table over and I was done!

It didn't take long for me to get the chairs around the table and set up a fall vignette...

I love seeing the deep grain of the wood planks...

All the textures and tones that speak an autumn mood...

My new table... the perfect palette for whatever the seasons bring...

Joining the group over at Funky Junk Interiors Party Junk...lots of great recycled ideas...tons of inspiration...
and the Salvaged Style Link Party over at Knick of Time