Happy Summer Colors

Happy Indeed

My New Favorite Season Is Spring...

I have gone back and forth with what season is my favorite over the years.However, I do love them all for different reasons. I must confess, I believe Spring to be my favorite of them all. It;s not too cold, it's not that hot, it's just right in temperature. The flowers and green leaves are blooming, the birds are chirping and everything starts looking more alive. It is the beautiful colors that dazzle me, my senses are mused, I love the smell of the flowers blooming and the fresh air blowing through my hair. The grass is always greener, the flowers are brilliant and the sky is more blue.

I love that my daughter can go out and pick blooms for me from our yard...

Even if they are considered weeds. 

I love them all the more.

I love making wishes...

I see a Ladybug and make a wish or blow a dandelion and make a wish that way. 

Makes me feel like a kid again.

I feel happier...

I am so ready for Springtime.

Mellow Colors For The Winter Season

If you know me... I decorate with color. I'm not afraid of color. And my favorite color is ultimately red. But even sometimes it is nice to change things up and switch things out and around. So, this Winter I have been decorating using colors that are a little out of the box for me. My inspiration actually comes from a vintage globe I have. The hues consist of yellows, blues, orange and greens.

And but of course there is little pops of red. I can't leave my beloved red out of my decor. I hung a quilt up on the wall above a dresser I keep in the living room, then placed my old window on the dresser. I brought out my blue wooden box and filled it with my pop bottle collection. I love using those bottles for a touch of a whimsical feel to the space.

I brought out books with the same sort of colors and added in clocks to match.

The newest addition to my living room is yet another old dresser. This cutie was a side of the road treasure. I popped it in the back of my car, cleaned it up and gave it a new home. I love curbside finds.

And after putting all the Christmas stuff away, 

I put out the Pyrex that matches the mellow color mood I am in. 

It's all just kinda relaxing. I kinda like it....

I also hung some floral paper lanterns....These beauties were picked up from my local Japanese shop called Daiso...It's the ultimate cute $1 kind of store. Wayyyyyy better than the Dollar Tree. Well, I am off. I have stuff to do, just wanted to drop in to say hello, share a bit of my little corner. Until next time. /Things have been very topsy turvey in our lives right now, some I cannot speak of here. But if you wouldn't mind or if you had just a minute to keep our family in your prayers, I would greatly appreciate it. thanks friends.

I Changed My Mind...

It was only a couple days after we bought the red Ektorp couch from Ikea, when I started questioning the purchase. Number one was the flimsy frame you have to put together, then the way the cushions were packed in between the bars of the couch, leaving a huge indention in each one. After putting the red cover on the cushions, they appeared sloppy, all from that crease in the cushion...Which never worked itself out....Not very nice when you just spent hundreds of dollars. Then I started second guessing myself about the red covers...Don't get me wrong, I love red...But, I started thinking, this is not just something you can get a spot out of without washing it and what if the red runs and then it will really look worn and sloppy. I was determined to give the couch a try. I gave it two months as I started haunting Craig's List. I told myself if I found a couch that I loved and it would fit into our kind of style I would get it...If I didn't find one by the time my 90 days were up with the Ikea couch, that I would deal with it and keep it. So, several weeks of looking, I ran into a listing for a couch, right up my alley...Vintage with a tufted back.

I had to finagle my friends to help me out with getting the Ikea couch back to the store one day and on another day, a friend took me down to look at the couch I saw online. We were pleasantly surprised with the great vintage condition of it. It had belonged to an elderly couple who undoubtedly took wonderful care of it. No rips, no stains... Just a little dusty. Which a good vacuum could take care of. It was perfect, I could easily shampoo it when needed and no worries with creasing cushions and sloppy covers. Well, this beauty is a bit longer than the Ikea couch, which is awesome and well built, the thing weighs a ton as the cushions are really heavy too. Geesh, they don't make em like they used to, unless you pay a fortune for a well made piece. I was able to talk the lady down a bit as well, which I preformed a happy dance in my mind. I got this couch for the fraction of the

 cost I spent at Ikea which I am so thrilled about. 

Sometimes we have to learn the hard way. I am happy I got my money back and I got something I really loved. I am glad I changed my mind in time...I would have been pretty down if I was stuck with something I didn't truly love. Don't you think it looks way better than the Ikea couch did? 

It is so much more me.... I just have to thank my wonderful Mr. Darling for putting up with my indecisiveness. He is so great about it all. He said as long as I don't change my mind again. He doesn't want a new couch every two months. I agreed to the terms. ;)

Now to add some cute pillows to it. I am just loving our new place.

 I feel so at home and so happy with all the bright colors. It's all coming together.

Now onto school preparations. 

Our Thanksgiving Mantel

Sorry I don't have a Home Sweet Home Tour for you today. Unfortunately I never received the gals post to share with you all. So sorry about that. o I hope I can make it all better by sharing a corner of my home with you. Our Thanksgiving mantel. In my previous post I shared the colorful pom pom flowers I made, which are totally my kind of Autumn colors. Then I remembered when I was about 10 years old I had a neighbor who was really into crochet and yarn crafts. She showed me how to finger weave with yarn. Well, to this day I never forgot, since it is actually quite easy to do...

I taught my daughter how to do it the other day. With that, we decided to make some colorful finger weaved garland for our mantel to match the colors in the pom pom flowers. We worked a couple of hours to get the rainbow Autumn colors we wanted and strung them to the mantel. It is quite cute, simple yet festive , just in time for Thanksgiving Day. And, here is how it turned out.
 
My daughter liked it so much she requested when we are done with it, if she could have it for her room, then also to create a scarf with it...I have some ideas for just that, which I will share soon. And, yes she can have them for her room...It will totally match her colors and personality. Want to learn how to do this...Look up finger weaving or finger knitting on the internet, there are several tutorials. Have fun with it, use any color yarn you desire. Simple, easy, fun and keeps you busy while watching your favorite show too.
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66. thankful for the woman who taught me to finger weaving
67. The time spent with my daughter making this fun
 crafty decor for our Thanksgiving Mantel
68. For all the colors in God's RAINBOW
69. For sweater weather
70. The roaring fire we enjoyed tonight

One Thousand Posts, One Thousand Gifts, Thanksgiving Pom Pom Flowers and A Thankful Giveaway...

Preparing for Thanksgiving and a bit of decorating before I have to pack it all away. I wanted to make something fun, festive and colorful for the mantel, hopped on Pinterest and got some wonderful inspiration from several different bloggers by making Yarn Pom Pom Flowers.
Here is a tutorial on how to make pom poms.
My color scheme was inspired by this darling vintage turkey
 salt shaker I have. This is my kind of Thanksgiving colors.

I made them, then tied them onto branches from outside, placed them in a jar and voila...A fun piece for the Holiday. I have also approached ONE THOUSAND blog posts. I got to thinking about many things, many things I am blessed by, many things that are gifts to me, even through all the struggles in this life I can look on the brighter side....The blessings God has given and knowing it could be a thousand times worse. I truly, truly have nothing worthy to complain about. Though we will be leaving this house and staying with someone else for a time, we still will have The good Lord watching over us, providing for our needs, a roof over our head, food on the table, warm clothes to wear, our good health (for the most part) and our family and friends all around us. That I am ever so greatful for. I give thanks to God, for He is good to us. I have also recently realized I had stopped at 60 written gifts which I have recorded in many blog posts inspired by the book "One Thousand Gifts" I am going to start recording them again at the end of my posts...I know I can do it, there really is so much I can consider a gift and to be greatful and thankful for those gifts.

I am also very greatful to have this blog space. A place to share my faith, my thoughts, my journey, to record my children growing up, special times we have shared, pictures, art, crafts, recipes, decorating...My life in general. I am tickled that anyone would even find my little blog interesting. I am greatful for the friendships that I have made through this blog, the handful of wonderful ladies and artists I have met in person, the ladies that are always there for me, who always stop by and leave a comment, those who send me an e-mail when they are concerned if I am alive and even to those who have actually gone out of their way to send me or my kids a gift. So, to those who read my blog...I am thankful for you...You are all such a sweet inspiration to me. I have not much to give in return, but thought it would be fun to commerate my ONE THOUSANDTH POST and have a little give away.

I made/designed this colorful Autumn Subway Art Print and thought I would send one out. I wish I could send out more to each and everyone of my readers. I can only do one for now. If you would like to enter my 1,000th post give away, leave me a comment, tell me what you are thankful for this year. We will draw a name on Friday and ship it out. Sorry the frame is not included, yet I do suggest an 11X14 matted frame that holds an 8X10 like the one above...It looks great in it.

For the first six commenters,
I will send you a little treat as well.
A small print of my original artwork.

Have a blessed day...Thank you from the bottom
 of my heart for all your support.
XOXO
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61. A home to live in
62. For God's unfailing love and provision
63. For our friends who lift us up when we are down
64. For my Blog Followers, who support me
65. This blog and my fellow bloggers

Cheery Spaces...

After a couple days home from Canada I ended up with a cold, we think I caught on the plane...So the last couple days I have been a bit under the weather...With that being said...I am quite behind on house chores, our son comes home this week and no Home Sweet Home Tour this week. I decided to share a few of my favorite spaces from my Pinterest board. The picture above is simply sweet with a bit of a retro/vintage feel to it...It makes me want to bake something.

Red and white with cherries oh my...This little kitchen space is cleverly put together with sweet sentiments to a vintage style home/farmhouse. It is so simple...I love it.

The kitchen of Johanna Parker...fellow artist pal.
 Her little space brings smiles from the
 fiesta ware down to the sweet vintage fridge.
 
Sweet happy colors blooming out from these darling spaces.
 I swoon for happy colors...
Makes me want to paint everything.


 
It is amazing what color does to a space.
Makes me smile that is or sure.
My heart goes pitter patter.....
   




A happy heart makes the face cheerful.
Proverbs 15:13
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So very true.