Just a quick ....

update......

Mom is looking and feeling much better (according to dear brother) and is starting to be able to take steps with a lot of support. Slow but sure and hoping to get strong enough for at least a walker before they will consider sending her home.

Dad is about the same, saying he is eating, but when asked if he was eating enough he said, "not enough but I am eating". So things are about the same as they were when I was there last week.

The chemo holiday dad is on does appear to have cut down on the exhaustion he feels. The pain meds do make him sleepy but without the chemo crash it is at least tolerable for him.

That is the news I have from a state away.... At this point, my brother and I are letting things go as they are until our parents realize that living on the farm will not be an option for much longer.

It has me thinking about how hard it would be to leave your home of almost 25 years....to leave behind a lifelong dream of owning a farm and raising horses..... this is what my mother is facing (the farm was her dream, not dad's) and I am working to find a way to help her cope, by finding the right words to say when talking to her.

I wonder how I will be if the decision to leave my home, my haven, behind for a choice that is not mine.... I hope that all my parents are going through will teach me, and my children a way to work through it when the time comes.

Until next time....

On to today's "Traditional"....

So how do this years fall forecast colors work with today's traditional home??

According to about.com.....

•Traditional decorating is calm, orderly, and predictable. There is nothing wild or chaotic in a traditional room.
•Furnishings are classic and might feel outdated. Nothing is a surprise. Pieces match and are consistent.
•Furniture and accessories are place in pairs and centered in the room. There is nothing out of place or of a different style. Everything has the look that it goes together.
•Traditional rooms are not ostentations but rather somewhat casual. Furniture pieces are often reproductions. Modern, eclectic pieces have no room in a traditional space.
•Traditional style homes feel comfortable for any age group. It's a familiar look that you'd see in magazines or furniture show rooms. A traditional room is not a place to showcase a piece of modern art or stainless steel furniture.
 
So, that means my current love of Cottage Decorating and all things mis-matched doesn't quite fit into the traditional style of decorating in ANY way. BUT the good news is, I don't have a piece of stainless steel furniture anywhere....

Here is a perfect photo of a traditional dining room with the table and chairs that match and notice the furniture is stained a nice dark color.

This room is a perfect showcase for the gold wallpaper, playing up one of this years hottest new (or it is recycled) colors. Gold frames for pictures or mirrors is a safe choice in accessories.

The chandelier is very traditional but OH SOOOOO popular again. I love the crystals, but keep in mind they are a BEAR to clean. 

Isn't this a beautiful piece? The fretwork on this secretary desk makes a frequent appearance in traditional homes.

A few words I found used for traditional decorating are opulent, luxurious, and rich. That doesn't mean you have to spend a FORTUNE to make your home look like that though. Search resale shops for gently used dining room or living room sets... YEP, sets, the matchy matchy look is easy to accomplish when you buy all the funiture items from the same line from the same manufacturer.

This doesn't mean that EVERYTHING has to be from a matching set. A beautiful antique secretary, a set of chippendale chairs from your parents home, that antique four poster bed you fell in love with at a wonderful local  flea market. Those treasured items can be included in today's traditional.

As mentioned above, traditional decorating may use matching furniture, matching lamps, matching candlesticks, but that doesn't mean boring..... Look at the BEAUTIFUL room. The matching lamps on the mantle are not boring, they are fun, cool, and a wonderful way to do an updated traditional look. And do you notice the mixing of metals in this room? Feel free to mix golds and silvers and coppers. This used to be a big NO NO for traditional design, but if you look closely, there is a mixing in this room that creates interest without being overdone.

 Stay tuned as I will be looking into more about floor coverings and fabrics that are populare in traditional decorating in 2010.

Until next time......

Menopot----ahhhhh such a lovely word....

Well, I would rather say 'menopot' to describe the little rolls I have developed around the middle instead of calling it flab, fat, chunk, chub, or some other derogatory term... just like I prefer to call the little rolls (food term) on my sides as 'muffies' instead of the dreaded muffin tops (another food term).....

UGH.. are you serious. I think we should get rid of FOOD terms all together when describing the extra bulk we have around our middles... I mean I am a woman of a certain age and on the link below, Dr Peeke reminds me that I need to take a patience pill and remember that I am a woman over 40 (OK 50!!!). She recommends practicing some self love and not starve ourselves or work out til we drop.

http://blogs.webmd.com/pamela-peeke-md/2009/08/minimize-your-menopot.html


Which again, reminds me to stop referring to my shortcomings in food terms since all that does is make me hungry which adds to the food stores in weird places on my body.

I need to stope WORRYING so much and spend my energy  LOVING myself. And YES, that includes all the excess stuff I have packed around my middle. Then there may be enough energy left to work of getting rid of the rolls and muffies and whatever other term of endearment I can think of. Dr Peeke says it CAN be done..... slow but sure, so I have just added patience to my ever growing list of 2010 changes I planned to make. (more on those things later).

Until next time.....

SWARM ball.....

It has been YEARS since I had the pleasure of seeing 4 and 5 year olds playing soccer. What an enjoyable morning I had doing just that. We used to call it swarm ball when my kids were little.......where all the kids just follow the ball around the field like a little swarm of bees.

This past Saturday was my grandson's first soccer game and he loved being a part of the swarm. That is him, the little red head following after the coach. He really did not want to have anything to do with the ball....no sir eeeee..... he was just happy running around with everyone, kind of herding the other kids like a collie would do to cows.....

Little A would periodically look over to his large cheering section of 10 people plus his little sister, and would wave and yell hi to us. CRACK me up.

 I think the favorite part of the game for A was when he got to run over to the sidelines to grab a drink and say hi to his family. Oh well, he is having fun and that is the important part right???

He has YEARS ahead to take sports seriously....and hey he gets a LOT of exercise chasing around the ball and all the other kids.

In the meantime, this large cheering section will follow along with him for his season of soccer and hope that he continues to LOVE this sport that happens to be his grandma's favorite sport to watch.

Until next time.....

Sunday Morning......

I love Sunday mornings....

I love spending an hour in church with the Praise Team leading us in worship. Singing all the beautiful contemporary Christian songs I hear on the local radio station. And then the scripture and yes even the sermon can all be a GREAT start to my week.

And now I will be spending another hour with a great group of first graders in Sunday School. Today is the first day I will actually be teaching the class, but I am really looking forward to it.

Two wonderful hours of worship and some time being the hands and feet of Christ. This is really the main reason I love Sunday morning.

The rest of the days is mine to plan, to enjoy.....and today is the celebration of my Granddaughter's third birthday. I can't think of a better way to spend my Sunday.

How do you like to spend your Sunday's????

Until next time....

Facing the snack monster.....

..... head on..... Why do I say facing the snack monster when lately I am fighting the FOOD monster.

OK, the food monster I fight is a little scarier than this little guy... I think I could fight this one...wrestle him to the ground.....take him out in the first round......

I have ALWAYS been a stress eater... I mean all kinds of stress.

1. HAPPY- eat to celebrate.
2. SAD - eat to drown sorrow.
3. ANGRY - eat to swallow the anger and not take it out on those close to me.
4. STRESSED - eat instead of exercise, meditation, or dealing with the problems causing the stress.
5. CONTENT - ok, so you get the picture.

As a 20 year member of Weight Watchers I am on program, off program, sorta following program, pretending to follow program........ depends on the day, the week, the month....Don't get me wrong, I am not overweight by the CHART standards, I am not considered OBESE. My BMI is in the OK range. So what is the problem?

Just one short year ago, I was working out 5 days a week with power walking and weight training... Still having to watch what I ate, but able to splurge once in a while. NOW, no exercise and stress eating has added 10 lbs... Not a lot I know, but I am sure it is really more than that since I have lost the muscle I had - and we all know that muscle weighs more than fat.

I KNOW what I need to do, and the now with the family history of cancer, diabetes, and stroke, it is more important than ever to take control of my life when it comes to food. I have watched the ravages of diabetes and heart disease for the last ten years as my mom has a daily fight with it. But I NEVER knew the real everyday struggle and how every bite taken in can effect your blood sugar....MY blood sugar....but I know that now with helping to care for my mom.

This all is making its way home when I look at numbers from my health assessement at work. My fasting glucose is not BAD but this is the first time I received a borderline number, a number they are calling an at risk number.......

NOW is the time... NOW is it!!!

OK, so I do have Chinese food in the fridge - leftover from last night. I always think I have to have a LAST fling before I go back on plan....and this last fling was yummy... Bejing Beef and Kung Pao Chicken from Panda Express. OK OK.... it isn't the best Chinese. Why didn't I hit the gourmet Chinese place for a last fling???? I have no idea!! When I am fighting the food monster, I just give in. PLUS Panda Express is a stone's throw from my condo.

So as I said....NOW is the time... NOW is it!!!

This weekend will be soul searching..... thinking, planning! I KNOW what to do....I just have to PLAN it.

As they say, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So this will be another journey I will add in with my other posts... Join me on this journey.... I figure if I put it out there PUBLICLY maybe I will follow through this time.

Until next time....

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Sleep......

...something that comes so easily for some folks, has never been a strong point for me.

In my younger days I would spend hours tossing and turning just trying to GET to sleep at night. I tried everything....no naps during day (DARN), no caffeine after lunch, no exercise after dinner, warm milk, warm milk with honey, melatonin, and every other idea that was thrown at me.

The last 15 years have brought different issues. I can GET to sleep just fine, it is the staying asleep part that I can't do. I will wake up at 1 or 2 or 3, if I am really lucky, and never go back to sleep. THAT is annoying. Again, I have tried EVERYTHING....all of the above plus.....no TV in the bedroom, a book by the bed in case I do wake up, meditation, prayer, and a bazillion other home remedies that have been tossed my way. And yes, I have even tried Tylenol PM and Ambien. REALLY???? NONE OF THEM WORK.....

Now on to a cure I have found recently.....I sure do sleep better here in the country. Is it depression maybe???? just the quiet??? I have no idea but considering I am sleeping on an ancient mattress in my four poster bed from like 50 years ago, maybe it is just the comfort of childhood. :o)

Whatever it is, I am savoring every moment of the deep sleep I have experienced this week. Now maybe I can take some of that home to Ohio with me and continue on this string of good night's sleep.

Until next time.... Be Blessed!

AAAAHHHHHHH the humor.....

Yep that is right I am working hard at it, but I AM finding humor while dealing with the drama.

Update - mom is still in hospital and waiting on the glorious state of WV to approve her move. In the meantime I hear that Medicare only pays for the first 3 days or ambulatory care so the next 4 may be outta pocket.... SAY WHAT??? They do have supplement insurance so will see what that does. But believe me I will be raising some major CAIN if there is an issue....

So now on to the humor....

Yesterday I got a blood pumping start to the day when I walked out the door and saw what I thought was either a fox or a coyote take off... Freaking out, I am yelling for little furry friend chihuahua and thinking she would make a tasty morsel for whatever it was that was now lurking in the brush. GEESH.... I know I need to exercise, but that heart pumping was better than ANY cardio I have ever done..... Mentioned the critter to dad and he said was probably a fox as they have seen them here in the yard. OKEY DOKEY....After seeing this picture....YEP IT WAS  A FOX and they tail on my fox really was this bushy.

So then last night I was getting ready to take the garbage to the curb, which in the country really means driving it down the long driveway to the road. I got very detailed instructions from dear old dad on how to tie it up with twine (whatever, I used the ties that come on the gi-nourmous bag) and then how to tie the actual can to the fence with MORE twine. I asked why I needed to tie it to the fence and he said so the WOMBATS don't get it. WOMBATS in WV???? are you kidding me??? so I asked him and he said he was talking about the garbage men... so I guess his term of endearment for the local garbage folks is Wombat.... I am not sure they would be so happy to hear that...... But after I looked at this little guy, I think it may have been a compliment. I want one for my very own. I wonder if my two little furry friends will like having it around??? HMMMM

This got me to thinking about all the things my dad used to say when I was a kid. MOST of them are definitely not suitable for print so I will just leave that up to your imagination. But the one that still cracks me up today is whenever my brother or I would ask who was on the phone, who was that guy he talked to at the gas station or who was coming to visit.......the answer was always Pete Finintny and his little Finintny's. WHAT????? Does not make sense to me to this day, but that was dad.....

Do you say silly stuff to your kids to crack them up??? I would love to hear it so I can then use them on my little grandkids........

Here's hoping you find humor in YOUR day.

I am linked up to Tuesday's Unwrapped today so grab your coffee, grab a muffin and visit some of my pals over there.....

One step forward......

......two steps back. Isn't that the saying? I am always into one-liners, you know the ones that have been used for years and years and we really get tired of hearing.

I understand that old saying now tho, more than any time in my life. I feel we move to a point where mom is taken care of and then dad seems to be sliding. Forgive me for my thoughts......but is he REALLY in more pain or is it that he does not want to move too far from his comfort zone. He says he feels so bad there is no way he can visit mom in the hospital. REALLY????

I told him we could run him in with a hospital provided wheelchair but he still doesn't think he can do it. I mean for cripes sake, I did Operation Chihuahua smuggle last night, I know I could get him in and out quickly without too much trouble or exposing him to too many sick people germs.

The Chihuahua visit helped mom last night as she was so happy and smiling (one step forward) but now I think it is making her MORE depressed (the two steps back) that she can't be home. BREATHE......

Enough for now, as chatting about it only makes me overthink everything, as well as pull out every emotion know to humans. I can go through every single emotion all in one day.

So continued prayers are requested for these two people that have spent 53 years of their lives together and are now facing this time apart.

Until next time....

Sunday morning......

Ah.... the sound of birds in the mass of trees around the farm, the little croaking frogs, the VERY cool mornings. Why have I not spent MORE time here in WV?

Busy life, too much to do at any given time, children to raise, grandchildren to cuddleb all got in the way of spending more time here. That and the fact it freaks my kids and I out when a nosey bat sneaks into the house through one of the 6 fireplaces.....and the fact that when sleeping on the 3rd floor, you could at times here the little pitter patter of tiny feet-mice is my guess.... and the rooster that used to crow WAY before anyone was time to get up.... and the resident peacock that used to scream "HELP" as soon as the rooster crowed.... I am not joking, when  peacock belts it out, it sounds just like someone screaming help.

Needless to say, the true pets are all gone now, the horse herd of 12 is now down to just 2, so it is much quieter and more peaceful here in the country than I remember. Those last 2 horses will also be gone in about a week, so the remnants of what used to be a bustling business will all be gone, the fields will be empty, and my mother's dream of raising Arabian horses will be a memory.

I mentioned my mom's love of horses on here quite a while ago, and promised to post a very short story my mom started years ago when she bought her first Arab. I have never found any more little notes to find the entire story, but I know it has to be here somewhere. I will post what I have of that story and try to add a few comments to finish the story.

Someday I may come across her ending to the story and will share it on here.

So on this beautiful morning , I am thinking of good memories, remembering happier times and thanking God for every day I now have to spend with my parents.

Until next time.....

WOW, not only is it feeling like fall......

but it is starting to LOOK that way too. Why have I not noticed the slight change in the leaves? The oranges and rusts and deep reds that are starting to peek thru the green on the trees.

Maybe it took coming to the county to notice as there is a much greater number of trees here....ones you notice on both sides of the winding road up to the farm.....ones you see in the distance as you are traveling along I 70 into West Virginia.... 

Maybe it is just that I took some time to breathe... With all the craziness of the last few days, I think I forgot to do that. NO WONDER my brain has felt like it is going to explode. Somewhere I think I heard a brain needs oxygen to function properly. Well, right now, I will take function, even if the properly might not be the working order of the day.

So I am hoping that while here this week I will see even more changes in the colors of fall. I want to stop, remember to breathe and enjoy the show put on by mother nature.....

That reminds me.....

When I see a large grove of trees in all their fall glory it makes me think of the trees that were made for model railroads. They have that fuzzy look and it always reminds me of the trains my brother and then my own son had as kids. Neither one of them spent much time on them and was a short lived hobby,  but it was long enough to leave an imprint of those cute little furry trees.



Until next time....

More.....

The saga from WV continues......

Mom spent the night in the hospital and the pack of docs that collaborated on her tests and results have decided there will not be surgery (Praise God) but they are moving her to a skilled care facility as early as tomorrow....  That is code for 'the insurance says she is outta here so find her a place to go".

The social services department wanted a couple of places to try to find an open bed, so dad and I gave them the two we knew of...... but then after more research we may change the order of preference on a rehab place. GRRRR Medicare.gov is a GREAT resource tho for comparing nursing homes or skilled care facilities.

I know mom was weepy with the social worker when she found out she was being moved to another facility and that she would not be going home. Since mom is unable to talk (residual effect of her stroke 10 years ago) they were unable to gauge her true reaction. I am hoping to get the real reaction when I see her.

All this leads up to me going home 3 days sooner than expected and my stay may be extended too.... that will all be played by ear. Everything is day by day with dad (he has lost 10 pounds in the last 3 weeks and is having a lot more pain) so I will go down to get mom settled in and stay with dad a few days and take him to his last chemo appt next week.......

So the creative side of me is putting everything else on the back burner for now, and working on family......

Until next time....

A parental update.....

Today was the next to the last chemo appointment for my dad. It should have gone off without a hitch but then plans to give the horses away caused major problems.

My parents still have 2 Arabian horses, a 9 year old mare, and an 8 year old gelding. My brother found someone who would adopt them, and were excited as the couple who was adopting them has plans to start providing horse and riding therapy for children with Autism. Great plan, bad execution. The horses were being very obstinate and did not want to get in the horse trailer.

I still don't know EXACTLY what happened next, but one of the horses knocked my mom down and long story short she is still in the ER HOURS later and is getting stitches in her head and also has a broken pelvis. We have NO idea what the next step is at this point. My brother is there with them this week so is keeping me posted by phone. I am sure the prognosis is not the best.... but at this point I trust that God is going to get us through this as He has everything else on this journey.

So a day that started out with a simple 3 hour chemo session has added more stress which at this point is the last thing my dad needs.

I know this is kind of a jumbled and rambling email but that is kind of how my mind is feeling right now.

Until next time.......

Facebook is my friend.....

OK, I am not a big Facebooker and I have never Tweeted on Twitter... . But last night I spent WAY too much time checking up on exes from WAY too many years ago as well as friends and foes from high school.....GO MONARCHS.... and I think tonight is a college follow up kind of night. Who'd a thunk it???? Me of the pre-computer era.... but I am enjoying checking up on everyone and hoping I even can keep track enough people to hear about the next class reunion next summer. :o)

Cottage flooring and window treatment trends.

Lady week I posted information on Cottage Decorating where I showed some of the styles of cottage design as well as some room pics to show furniture that is frequently used in this style.

So today we are on to some accessory, flooring and window ideas.

If starting from scratch on your floors (wouldn't that be nice for all of us) think about hand scraped wood floors.... there are LOADS of vendors wtih beautiful lines of Hand Scraped Wood that would be PER-FECT in your cottage home. The hand distressing and 'scraping' is also a good choice for anyone with pets as you will be MUCH less frantic about Fido getting gouges or scratches in the flooring if they are already there. If you look close, this pics shows those gouges and scratches that are painstakingly added by hand. Now, keep in mind with the true hand scraped floors, the price will be higher than machine scraped, but I would definitely say it is worth it.

And look at this room with the handscraped floors.... sooooooo pretty.

Not everyone likes bare hardwood floors because they can look a little cold, so just add a sisal rug on top of it (use a rug pad to prevent slipping). Have an old oriental rug handed down from your grandparents???? As long as it is in soft colors (a sculpted rug would be best) it will add some elegance and a more feminine feel. Or a vintage (or new if vintage isn't available) braided rug would look equally at home in a cottage setting.

Now, what if you have carpeting and new floor just aren't in the budget right now..... you can still add an area rug of your choice on top of berber or other carpet. Again just be sure to use a rug pad to prevent shifting of the rug.

On to some cottage accessories......

Love these little starfish shadow boxes - I just hope they are some type of FAUX starfish.....

Take a look at how the soft colors of cottage decorating are used in this room. Look at the accessories....flowers (big in cottage decorating) and a soft vintage fabric pillow. Can't spring for a true vintage fabric? There are LOADS of fabrics that will give you the same look. Check out JoAnn fabrics or another retailer in your area to find JUST the right one for your room.

Now on to some window ideas. When adding window treatments to your cottage decorating, be sure to keep it simple. These beautiful pink sheers add just enough color

But what if you need privacy as not ALL of us have that view of the countryside out our windows? Shutters are a great choice to provide the privacy needed as well as adding in more white to balance any other colors you have used in the room.

Need a great choice on a budget but still need privacy? How about these matchstick roll up blinds from Lowes?

If using these blinds you will still want to add a valance or other soft treatment to cover up the top, but just think how cool these wood be with the pink sheers from the pic above.

So that is my journey through the world of cottage decorating. There is SOOOOOO much more out there floating in cyberspace just waiting for you to check it out.

Next stop on the journey............Country Style decorating in 2010.

Holiday With Matthew Mead Magazine......

I am a HUGE Matthew Mead fan, as well as all his fun friends. And I am soooooo excited to already have on order my magazine that will show up in my mailbox sometime next month... wooooo hoooooo

It is only available by order on the Holiday With Matthew Mead website, so hop on over there now if you want to have a copy all your own. I am not sure I will be offering mine up to share. :o)

Sunday morning.....

Blessed by the best.......

What do you say when someone asks "How are you?". Do you lie and say "Fine Thanks" or maybe "I am having a GREAT day"? Or do you tell the truth and say "Not too good today" or "oh, just so so, but thanks for asking"?

Maybe sometimes we tell the truth if the day is going well or maybe we stretch the truth because we know the other person doesn't REALLY wanna know how we are doing....I mean do they really have a couple of hours to get the WHOLE story?

I have a friend that ALWAYS answers "How are you?" with the words "I am Blessed by the Best". Now that is the truith. No lies, no truth stretching. Just the truth.

No matter how good or bad the day, the week, the month......is going, we are still "Blessed by the Best". I sometimes have to stop and remember that, and thank God that I am blessed. No matter what that day brings, no matter how I feel physically or emotionally, I AM BLESSED.

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Glad to be home....

from a business trip to Des Moines. Nice town, a little more lively than the downtown area where I live, and great restaurants.

The only trouble is that we had a short layover in Detroit (amazingly awesome airport by the way). Well during that short layover, my boss and I made it on to the connecting flight but our luggage decided to hang out in Detroit a little longer. Guess the two bags made friends with other lonely bags and thought it would be fun to worry us.... I mean, we had business meetings the next day and we had to have BUSINESS attire. And we had plans to hit a fun seafood restaurant for dinner and couldn't wear the grungey travel clothes we had been in all day.....

GRRR AND DOUBLE GRRRR

SOOOOO, we patiently waited for our luggage to appear at the hotel. Did we REALLY expect it to show up soon, even tho our little bags were already on the next flight to Des Moines??? That would have been great.... but my Black 22 and boss' Black 23 (how Delta described them) took over 6 hours to find us (courtesy of the delivery service).....

OK so this isn't our bags.......

So we did what any business travelers in our shoes would do.... we changed our dinner plans and went to a lovely little sports pub in downtown Des Moines and watched the Saints and Vikings game... GO SAINTS!!!!

WHEW, by the time we got back to the hotel, our luggage had found us and was waiting in our rooms... woo hoo.... So, we made it to our meetings and did a couple of great presentations......

THEN.... oh don't get me started on the fiasco and worries on the flight home........

All told, the entire Delta experience was wonderful.......everyone with that company was kind and courteous and REALLY  helpful... The Delta employees made a couple of bad situations into tolerable ones and I would definitely fly Delta again.

Have you had any airline stories that are fun to tell???? Let me know, I would love to hear them.

Until next time.

Cottage Decorating.....

I had it first on the list of design trends to research so here goes.


Cottage Style Design or Decorating is soooooo me at this stage of my life. A little worn in (like me), colorful (like ANYWAY... I adore this style!!!!

Like this picture I found out at http://www.cottagehomedecorating.com/ cuz it shows the beautiful soft colors that are sooooo popular in cottage decorating, the soft blues, pinks and aqua's... They make me feel calmer just looking at them....

So......Let's look a little deeper....

First I found there are different types of decorating in the cottage style.... Is beach stuff more to your liking????

Then be sure to use LOTS of white.. Throw in the colors of the sky (both the beautiful blue sky and the bright pinks of morning), the sand, the sea!!!! Now, I am pretty partial to blue so this living room would make me happy... and look at all the light???? Don't have a lot of windows in your room? With white or another soft beachy color as the backdrop on the walls, woodwork and furniture, it won't matter if you are missing a few windows.

How about a little casual cottage look with some color? Then take a look at this cottage beauty I found on the BH&G site....lots of color used in this little vignette. And to think I am a little nervous to add a little aqua to the walls of my soon to be office and guest bedroom.

See the mix of old in the repurposed furniture like the desk and the wicker chair with new bright colors and a vintage looking fabric thrown on the chair for a softer look. This is a BIG part of the cottage trend... add a little old with a little new and you can mix ALL the things you love.

How about going a little SHABBY with Shabby Chic. I remember a time when if you had 'shabby' furniture it was on it's way to the dump... Not anymore... I find myself caught up in the junking craze.....searching for hidden treasures. Where will I find something next? Maybe at a friends garage sale, or in my parents barn??? Hmmm you just never know.

But I digress.....Shabby Chic is a style made popular by Rachel Ashwell in her Shabby Chic books and on her website. So what really IS Shabby Chic?

According to Wikipedia Shabby chic is a form of interior design where furniture and furnishings are either chosen for their age and signs of wear and tear or new items are distressed to achieve the appearance of an antique. OOOOO and seriously how fun is it to actually distress a piece yourself.... using coarse sand paper, or chains to beat it with, or an old file to rough up the edges.

 

HGTV designer Genevieve Gorder did up this adorable room. Check out that the colors are a little darker and maybe a little more muted than beach cottage design. Don't you love the big Armoire type piece???? Not sure I think the chairs look too comfy but they would be perfect if you don't want your guests to stay too long.

So that is all for now... hope I gave you enuf to start you dreaming if Cottage Style is to your liking.

Next I will look a little farther into window treatments for Cottage Decorating... as well as flooring and accessories.... and any other fun facts I can find.

Until next time....

Design Trends.....

I had SOOOOO much fun researching the current color trends that I want to keep on going and check out  design trends in furniture and accessories in some old faves and see what is happening with them now....

Like Cottage Decorating......

How about some good old fashioned Traditional......

I LOVE me some Country decorating.....

OOOOOO and how about Contemporary?????

I can't wait to get started and I will visit each of these styles in the coming weeks, so stick around and experience the newest trends along with me.......

Until Next time.....

The Boys of Fall......

I am not a big Kenny Chesney fan, sorry to those of you who are, but this song is one I really like. WHY???  I never dated a 'boy of fall', and was never a cheerleader that hung out with them. My brother didn't play football, my son didn't play, and not sure if that will be my grandsons' cup of tea either.....

Don't get me wrong, I sooooo enjoyed going to the games to watch my high school team play, and then on to watching the West Virginia Mountaineers run throught the tunnel to take the field. OH and now being caught up in the frenzy of the Ohio State Buckeyes. I think what I like most about football is that I LOVE fall so maybe that is it. Maybe that is why Kenny's newest song is tugging at my heart strings.

Why do I love fall? AHHHH the cooler weather!! The thought of sitting on my patio again and enjoying the weather instead of constantly complaining about the heat!! The chance of frost that will kill all the offending ragweed that makes me miserable this time of year!! The colors!!!

My last post was about color and the beautiful browns and golds that are so 'hot' this year will soon be mixed with vibrant oranges and reds. Mother Nature always gets the color forecast right........

So it is time to say goodbye to summer, goodbye to the beautiful pastel colors I love so much, goodbye to the nasty mosquitoes (WOO HOO) that have kept me inside most evenings, and hopefully goodbye to the nasty little fleas that my 2 little furry friends just can't seem to get rid of no matter what!!

So thanks to Kenny for getting  me nostalgic for the "Boys of Fall" even if they were only a very small part of my life in the fall.

Tell me what YOU like about fall!!!

Sunday Mornings...

As I sit here writing this, I am so thankful for this beautiful Sunday morning. I will be off to church in a little while and then on to teach Sunday School with my future daughter in law.

For now tho, I sit here with a yummy cup of hazelnut coffee, the patio door WIDE open to let in the cool air that is hinting of fall, and enjoying the view of my lonely patio.

Why is it lonely? Well, I never planted any flowers this year as right around the time that was perfect for planting in Ohio is when we learned of my father's cancer diagnosis. I knew I would be back and forth from my home to West Virginia and I knew that any purchases I made would not make it through me being gone for a week at a time.

Early on in the Spring, I had planted herbs in lovely little pots along with a couple baskets of pansies, and I did enjoy those for a little while. Then I sent those off to my daughter's to keep them alive through the summer. This meant that she and other members of her extended family have enjoyed the fresh herbs while I have mostly missed out. I think this is the weekend the herbs will come home to my lonely little patio so that I can enjoy them during these waning summer days. I think they will survive me leaving for 4-5 days this time of year, and then I will be able to dry them soon and enjoy them through the winter.

I must say tho, the patio is not totally lonely as there is a spark of color from the beautiful little yellow flowers that were part of the act of agape love by a wonderful friend earlier in the summer. Those little yellow beauties have survived the heat of summer, as well as my trips away, but are finally showing the stress and the beautiful blooms are fading.  

So am I showing the signs of stress, with my summer bloom fading??? Sometimes that is how I feel at this time of year, but not this morning. I feel refreshed, renewed somehow. Sundays have a way of doing that to me. 

Do Sunday's make you feel refreshed? What DOES make you feel renewed? Maybe finishing a quilt you have been working on all summer! Maybe a day on a hiking trail with friends! Maybe it is watching your little ones get on the school bus for another year of learning! Let me know as I would LOVE to hear from you, and you can leave your comments below.

Until next time, be blessed.

Color Trends and MY Creative Side.....

I love this time of year.... the seasons are changing meaning cooler temperatures, fall colors on the trees, little muchkins parading around in the costume of whatever character they are dreaming of becoming......

AND...... drum roll......

The Fall Color Trends for interior spaces...named by Pantone and others.... they may come out before now, but I really don't like knowing the latest color trends until it is close to the season they are forecasting.

So, if you are DYING to know as I was..... Here they are....

1ST a disclaimer...this is only me searching the internet, and decorating mags, and just plain observance, so this is just MY point of view from what I see.....

Coffee - Or as Pantone names this lovely brown.... CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE..... that means mocha, latte, cappucino, or just plain brown, depending on the shade that floats your boat.... (whew, the colors I chose for my home don't have cool barista names but hey are similar, with a little warmth thrown in and they may be closer to a truffle anyway.)

Turquoise - or LAGOON as Pantone aptly names the current shade or turquoise. This gorgeous choice can add POPS of color from tropical destinations, and may even have ME dreaming of Aruba or Jamaica even in the cold, dark days of Ohio winters.

Gold -  or Pantone's choice of GOLDEN GLOW.... running the gamut from shades like ginger and copper to henna or clay tones. Personally I think these colors can be matched with a lot of others to create interest and not just do a run of the mill monochromatic scheme....

Purple - yes you read that right...  Pantone prefers to call it PURPLE ORCHID (HMMMM makes me think back to my purple obsession when I was in my teens)... and the color purple goes all the way from lavendar to grape and everything in between. Again, this may be a color you want to add for a pop of color, but if you are adventurous, lavendar ain't just for little girls anymore.

Pink - named ROSEDUST in Pantone's color trend report... It is another color not just found in little girls rooms these days... (ahhhh did you hear my sigh of relief as I have lots of pink accents in my bedroom. WHEW). Just make sure it is softer more beige tones of pink to not bring to mind cotton candy.....

Green - called ENDIVE by Pantone, it is in softer more muted shades of green, with a little yellow thrown in. This appears to be a nod to more environmental concerns in decorating from what I read. No deep dark greens or jewel tones to even accessorize the paler greens, so leave those colors stored away with your OLD clothes from a lost era.....

Grey - just called OYSTER GREY by Pantone...guess they couldn't come up with a more catching moniker... a neutral that is always classic, tho I prefer the greys with a little blue thrown in for a cooler, and more crisp look.

A great tip I read was to always look at your color choices next to a crisp true white.... but white can pretty much have any other color from the rainbow thrown in, making it look COMPLETELY different.

Personally, if it is a paint color I like, I buy a little sample jar and splash some on the wall and live with it for awhile... Fabrics, I bring samples home and lay them over existing pieces in order to view them in all the different times of day....

I hope you have enjoyed this SHORT trip thru fall COLOR LAND as much as I have had finding out all the trends....

Oh and all the pictures today came from PhotoBucket... Aren't they great???

Until next time.